Hidden Nola 2023

Eat + Drink Enjoy elevated dining at quaint French bistro Café Degas , with a live tree growing inside the dining room, and Ralph’s at the Park which overlooks City Park. Get elbow deep in crawfish at Clesi’s Restaurant and Catering and enjoy Louisiana favorites at Neyow's Creole Café, Mandinas, Liuzza’s By the Track , and Parkway Bakery , which has been visited by celebrities and former U.S. presidents. Vegetarians can rejoice at 1000 Figs with its Mediterranean fare. Neighborhood restaurants include Katie’s and Lola’s , which serves up authentic Spanish cuisine. An abundance of beloved neighborhood bars tucked in residential areas include Pal’s Lounge, Mick’s, Finn McCool’s , and Vessel , housed inside a former church. The Wrong Iron along the Lafitte Greenway has quickly become a favorite hangout as well as Bayou Beer Garden with its expansive outdoor patio. Coffee shops abound in Mid-City, with Sacred Grinds a standout, as its patio overlooks a cemetery. For a sweet treat, check out Angelo Brocato Italian ice cream parlor and bakery and Café Du Monde , which serves up its famous beignets at its location in City Park. MID-CITY M id-City is one of the oldest, most-established areas in the city. It features an impressive amount of greenspace and recreational opportunities with sprawling City Park, Bayou St. John, and the Lafitte Greenway trail. Visitors will notice a variety of architectural styles in typical historic New Orleans fashion, from shotgun homes to large corner mansions. Stand-alone neighborhood bars are a Mid-City staple, and locals have regular spots. It’s the home of Jazz Fest and horse racing, the Endymion Parade, and the annual Bayou Boogaloo Festival. A well-paved bicycle lane along Esplanade Avenue draws biking groups and a red streetcar down Canal Street shuttles riders directly to the French Quarter.

Angelo Brocato Photo by Chris Granger

Shop | Play | Visit

City Park offers a number of recreational opportunities on its 1,300 acres of beautiful grounds, including biking and walking trails, pavilions, sprawling lawns, and paddle boats shaped like large swans. The park is also home to several museums including The New Orleans Museum of Art and its permanent and rotating exhibits; The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden which offers free admission; and The Louisiana Children’s Museum with Louisiana-oriented enrichment activities for kids. The Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots has regular horse racing and is home to the annual Jazz Festival over two weekends in the spring. Be sure to visit The Pitot House for a view of a colonial Creole country house and The Degas House which offers a tour of the former home of famed French Impressionist Edgar Degas. For music, head to The Broadside outdoor venue for local acts. Ricca's Architectural Sales sells and displays reclaimed doors, hardware, stained glass, and ironwork and Homekind sells upcycled furniture and home goods.

Sleep

The Drifter is a 1950s motel completely renovated into a midcentury modern hipster haven with a tropical oasis pool. The Degas House , in addition to serving as a house museum, hosts guests at a charming bed and breakfast with a Creole breakfast.

HIDDEN NOLA

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