Best Bakery and Cake Shops in Gentilly

"Po-boys have always made great outside eats, and Parkway has embraced the alfresco push wholeheartedly by essentially creating an entire outdoor restaurant. Diners can set up at one of Parkway’s plethora of patio tables (tented for rainy days) to down one of the city’s best sandwiches. Hits are too many to count, from exquisitely fried shrimp (make it a surf and turf by adding roast beef and gravy) to hot sausage."

"The Baskin-Robbins of local sandwich makers, this family-run watering hole in Mid-City offers 20 or so flavors of po' boys. “Surf and turf” packs gravy-splashed shrimp and roast beef in a sturdy roll, while “Caprese” is mindful of customers who don’t eat meat. A covered patio in back makes room for everyone, pets included."

"A neighborhood bakery dating back to 1911, which added the “poor boy” to the menu when it was invented in the 1920s. While the place closed in 1993, current owner Jay Nix resurrected the landmark Parkway Bakery & Tavern in the early aughts, serving some of the finest po-boys in town."

"Run by Pastry Chef Kelly Fields of Besh Restaurant Group and Pastry Chef Lisa White, Willa Jean is a retro-chick cafe and restaurant serving Southern-contemporary fare, baked goods, freshly brewed coffee, and specialty cocktails. This brick-walled hotspot, opening its doors at 7 a.m. every day, is ideal for those looking to experience flavors that are indigenous to the Port City."

"Pastry chef Kelly Fields does complicated things with simple ingredients at her modern bakery and eatery. It’s part of the restaurant group overseen by local star chef John Besh, so it’s no surprise that it’s drawn nods from the..."

"Gracious bakes all the breads for its delicious sandwiches, along with killer breakfast pastries, traditional French confections, and original creations like the hazelnut “Kermit” cruffin (we like a good pun almost as much as sweets) and the pretzel croissant. Swing by for brunch and try the biscuit breakfast sandwiches, bagels, and twice-baked French toast. And for lunch, the meatloaf sandwich is dangerously habit-forming."

"New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute, 725 Howard Ave., Suite 102, (504) 635-0033; 1000 S. Jefferson Davis Parkway, (504) 321-6233; 2854 St. Charles Ave., (504) 301-9949; 4930 Prytania St., (504) 300-8135; www.graciousbakery.com. Tarragon chicken salad is served on house-baked green onion bread and dressed with pickled red onions."

"Cold-drip iced coffee and the “Kermit” Cruffin (a hybrid of a croissant and muffin) prove that Gracious Bakery has its heart in New Orleans. Savory lunch offerings and cakes are available, and of course, cookies. Every day, you’ll find flavors like oatmeal, sugar, peanut butter, ginger snap, and chocolate chip."

"Buttermilk Drop Bakery is famous for its king cakes, buttermilk drops, and melt-in-your-mouth donuts. Every year Buttermilk Drop celebrates National Donut Day with a special: buy a dozen glazed donuts and get a second dozen free!. You'll need to invite over a few of your fully vaccinated friends to help you finish 24 donuts."

"TremeWhat you’re getting: Buttermilk drops, of courseThese sweet, glazed cakey drops of goodness are New Orleans’ other favorite donut, and their popularity (at least for visitors) is usually eclipsed by beignets (see above). Well, they shouldn’t be, especially at $4 for half a dozen."

"Head to the back of the market to the steam table for unforgettable carne asada, yellow rice, roasted pork loin, crisp fried fish, grilled chicken, and chicken mole. Nothing is over $10. Whip up some sangria and have a party."

"Tyler St., Covington, (985) 276-6460; 1788 Carol Sue Ave., Terrytown, (504) 392-7589; 3900 General De Gaulle Drive, (504) 367-0227; 6641 Westbank Expressway, Marrero, (504) 341-4096; www.dimartinos.com. A muffuletta includes ham, salami, provolone cheese and olive salad on a seeded roll."

"When I walked into Café Luna, the biggest struggle I faced was determining where to sit amongst their many options. This quiet café has a porch full of outdoor tables, a cozy area with couches, and a bright orange room full of tables with art hanging all over the walls. When I settled into the back room, I was surrounded by a lot of other people working on laptops, and the room was basically silent."

"Shake Sugary is a locally owned creative bakery located on the buzzing St. Claude Avenue corridor that flanks the Marigny/Bywater neighborhoods. The love child of owner Dawn Snead, who earned her degree in Baking & Pastry Arts from Johnson & Wales University, this bakery is known for inventive sweets like chocolate bourbon pecan pie and Bailey's chocolate chip cheesecake. The shop also sell cupcakes, cookies, tea breads, brownies and scones and serves savory options for breakfast and lunch."

"Visitors to the Garden District can’t miss the iconic striped awning in front of this historic restaurant near Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse propelled the restaurant to worldwide fame as their careers took off and now Commander’s Palace is renowned for its excellent versions of Creole classics, its refined but festive atmosphere and the 25-cent martini lunches."

"While you’re in the Garden District or shopping on Magazine Street, you have to stop by Commander’s Palace. The place has been around since 1880, and it’s one of the most famous restaurants in New Orleans for a reason. Their famous teal and white striped exterior is what landed them on this list, but definitely check them out for fine Creole dining and their jazz brunch too."

"Run by Pastry Chef Kelly Fields of Besh Restaurant Group and Pastry Chef Lisa White, Willa Jean is a retro-chick cafe and restaurant serving Southern-contemporary fare, baked goods, freshly brewed coffee, and specialty cocktails. This brick-walled hotspot, opening its doors at 7 a.m. every day, is ideal for those looking to experience flavors that are indigenous to the Port City."

"Pastry chef Kelly Fields does complicated things with simple ingredients at her modern bakery and eatery. It’s part of the restaurant group overseen by local star chef John Besh, so it’s no surprise that it’s drawn nods from the..."

"Satsuma is about as healthy-ish as brunch options get in the Big Easy, from a kale salad cut with spinach, cherry tomatoes, hard-boiled egg, bacon, slender avocado slices, crisp basil, and parmesan croutons to vegetarian dishes like a coconut-ginger curry scramble with quinoa or tofu and an egg sandwich with baby arugula, tomato, Swiss, and avocados. The Cali-style cafe is a welcome break from a weighty diet of beignets, po' boys, and so..."

"Green is beautiful at Satsuma, a fetching dining spot with locations on Maple Street Uptown and on Dauphine Street in the Bywater. Yard eggs scrambled with basil pesto and shaved Nueske's ham, free trade coffee and freshly made juices concocted in their industrial juicer behind the bar are just a few of the daily specials. Vegans are in heaven here, thanks to dishes like the tofu scramble and black bean burger with avocado mash."

"Visit the spacious art galleries of the Contemporary Arts Center to see some world-class fine art in the up-and-coming warehouse district in downtown New Orleans. There are different artist residences happening and constantly rotating and changing exhibits. The museum is famous for the events that it hosts with different performances and lectures."

"The CAC has free admission for Louisiana residents on Sundays courtesy of the Helis Foundation. The museum focuses on multi-disciplinary programming and rotating exhibits."

"Get your dose of nature at one of New Orleans’ two large parks.City Park is larger than Central Park in New York and is home to the New Orleans Museum of Art, as well as several gardens.Audubon Parkboasts the Audubon Zoo and is easily accessible by street car. Either way, both are excellent options for a relaxing afternoon."

"Gracing the main entrance to City Park since 1911, this traditional fine-arts museum draws from classic Greek architecture, with several…"

"The city’s oldest art museum boasts over 40,000 artworks and objects from across the globe and the ages. But if you’re in town for Mardi Gras, make a point to see their current exhibition on 19th-century Swedish artist Bror Anders Wikstrom, who immigrated to NoLa in 1883 and helped shape the carnival experience into what it is today with his elaborate float designs. Afterwards, take a stroll through the museum’s enchanting five-acre sculpture park."

"In the 1912 the sugar broker and art collector Isaac Delgado left New Orleans a sizeable grant to establish what would become the New Orleans Museum of Art. The main building went up soon after, to a design partly by Benjamin Morgan Harrod, New Orleans’s former chief engineer, while new wings and expansions followed in the early-1970s and 90s. The collection is huge, with more than 40,000 pieces from the Italian Renaissance to today."

"The New Orleans Museum of Art is known to be the oldest fine arts museum in the city of New Orleans which is perfect for anyone looking for a cheap but immersive experience."