Romantic Restaurants, Getaway Places in Lutcher

"The Garden District mansion that houses Commander’s Palace is an odd-looking, bright aqua affair; some jokingly call the style of architecture "Victorian Cuckoo." Inside though, the food is more traditional fine dining, with a genteel, buttoned-down clientele and an enforced dress code (collared shirts, close-toed shoes). Staples here include upscale regional classics: the turtle soup, gumbo du jour, and pecan-crusted gulf fish. By far, the restaurant’s most popular tipples are the 25-cent martinis, which practically fly out of the bar during weekday lunch."

"Address: 1403 Washington AvenueNew Orleans, LA 70130Phone: (504) 899-8221Website. World-class chefs like Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme have graced the kitchen of this landmark restaurant. In existence since 1893, Commander’s Palace features “haute Creole cuisine” and a “dirt to plate within 100 miles” policy that contributes to its legendary status as one of the city’s great dining establishments."

"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."

"If you’ve seen photos of New Orleans, you’ve likely seen Jackson Square: a small park that sits in front of St. Louis Cathedral, the view of New Orleans’ beautiful white cathedral is one of the most classic shots of New Orleans. It doesn’t take long to walk around, but the real treat is what’s between Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral: in this small walking area, you’ll often find energetic street performers, from jazz musicians to jugglers, as well as plenty of people willing to exchange a bit of touristy New Orleans voodoo for a fee."

"You can take time for quiet introspection at the St. Louis Cathedral as you admire the architecture and artwork within this historic building. Located at the center of Jackson Square, this iconic cathedral has hosted numerous weddings over the years. It’s open daily from 8:30am until 4:00pm with Daily Mass at 12:05pm."

"Initially laid out with the rest of the old French Quarter, Jackson Square sits in front of the St. Louis Cathedral. Also called the Place d’Armes, it is the oldest space in the city. Trees and walkways were added to it in the 1830s and the equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson was added in 1856."

"Founded and constructed all the way back in 1721, Jackson Square is one of the oldest destinations in the whole city of New Orleans and is known to be the equivalent of the downtown area in other cities."

"To explore one of New Orleans' most famous historic locations, visit Jackson Square at Experience New Orleans. See street performers and live music in the heart of the French Quarter!"

"Located in City Park, the neo-classical, Beaux Arts-style New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) presents an impressive collection spanning the 15th-20th centuries. A great escape from the hectic pace of life in the Big Easy, strolling through NOMA grants visitors a look at Impressionist masterpieces by Monet, Pissarro and Renoir, as well as Surrealist works by Miro, Magritte and Ernst. Additional displays feature Faberge objects and tribal figurines from Hawaiian and Gulf Coast tribes."

"Mid-CityThe art museum that bears the name of the city is a grand one indeed (dating back to 1911), and its permanent collection of over 40,000 objects is definitely worth your time and money. Exhibitions range from classical to contemporary art, from traditional to avant garde, with of course an emphasis on local artists. If you’re a starving artist (and one who happens to be a Louisiana resident), you’ll be happy to know that you can visit NOMA for free every Wednesday."

"Bacchanal is the mecca of outdoor restaurants: a winery, a restaurant, and a live music venue, all in one. The focus of the cuisine is heavily situated around “Mediterranean minimalism” that compliments the diverse variety of wines offered by the bottle and the glass. Bacchanal dedicates wine options to smaller region producers, supporting the smaller and up-and-coming."

"A trip to the Bywater brings you to Bacchanal, one of the neighborhood’s largest outdoor areas. Wine and dine in the courtyard amidst a lively mix of jazz music, gourmet food and drinks. If you stumble upon a newfound wine, you’re in luck."

"If you have younger children, a couple of hours at Storyland (also located in City Park) would be a worthy investment of your time. Storyland is a child’s dream come true and a fairytale come to life. The imaginative outdoor spot is filled with 20 larger-than-life colorful sculptures and playscapes in the shape of storybook characters."

"Filled with 25 larger-than-life sculptures modeled after storybook characters, this unique playground boasts a dragon slide, Captain Hook's pirate ship, and the whale from Pinocchio. A post shared by nataliekcochran (@nataliekcochran) on Mar 13, 2018 at 7:11pm PDT"

"Storyland is a fun area in City Park full of statues and play areas from various stories. The biggest surprise to me was how big and impressive the area was. At 1300 acres, there are tons of statues you can pose with, all surrounded by majestic trees."

"As the elevator doors open onto the rooftop of the recently-refurbished Pontchartrain Hotel, two things hit you almost immediately: the buzz of conversation and the eclectic décor, with weird and wonderful artefacts and posters lining the way to the bar. The main room itself feels like a cool, post-war loft, festooned with sepia photographs, vintage typewriters, and even old letters and postcards. The cocktail menu deviates from the classics (though you can order those, too) but not in too pretentious a way."

"The rooftop bar at The Pontchartrain Hotel, dubbed Hot Tin (and so named after the play “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” by Tennessee Williams), offers choice cocktails, Champagne and one of the best views in the city. Once a penthouse, the chic bar provides 270 degree views of downtown New Orleans and the Crescent City Connection. The space has been modeled after a 1940s artist’s loft, filled with seating vignettes and curios that serve as interesting conversation pieces."

"A post shared by Hot Tin (@hottinbar) on Nov 22, 2019 at 9:44am PST. A premier rooftop bar located at Pontchartrain Hotel, the iconic hotel located in the Garden District of New Orleans, Hot Tin exudes the 1940’s flair and boasts of an approximate of a 270-degree view of the New Orleans skyline which is perfect for watching the sun go down. Hot Tin offers comfortable seating and an array of exquisite, signature cocktails that truly leaves you wanting for more."

"530 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 833-7121; www.faustosbistro.com. Italian sausage is sauteed with bell peppers, onions, garlic, Italian herbs and marinara sauce and served over angel hair pasta. Reservations recommended."

"Slim Goodies Diner might be renowned for their hangover helpers called “Slammers,” which are made with scrambled eggs, hash browns, and bacon, but they also serve a fantastic breakfast for those looking for healthier options as well. All-day breakfast dishes include crawfish étouffée with potato latkes, vegan-friendly veggie chili with hash browns, eggs, and smoked tempeh, fluffy omelets with various fillings, egg scrambles with bacon, ham, and country fried steak, and griddle specials like French toast, Belgian waffles, and buttermilk pancakes with fresh fruit and sweet toppings. Slim Goodies Diner is open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week."

"This breakfast and lunch spot is a local favorite on Magazine Street. Slim Goodies serves classic comfort food with bold twists, all made with fresh ingredients (and lots of love). Everyone loves the slammers: hash browns slathered in something delicious – think crawfish étouffée or chili with bacon and cheddar cheese – but the sweet potato pancakes are not to be missed."

"Ten years old and going strong, Magazine Street's quirky, always-slammed early morning to lunch time diner, is known for their Slammer options, a hangover-helper made with hashbrowns and scrambles of various sort (eggs, chili, tofu, what have you). There is also a potato latke/crawfish etouffee dish called the Jewish Coonass, not PC, but a fan favorite."

"When most people think of New Orleans bars, they picture people slamming down sugary Hurricane drinks and mass-produced beers. While there’s certainly plenty of that going on, the city is also home to a burgeoning craft beer scene. One of the best bars in New Orleans to get your hop fix is Courtyard Brewery."

"Open for just under a year, The Courtyard Brewery has already changed the New Orleans beer game. It provides a very different—but still excellent—craft beer experience from the nearby Avenue Pub. Co-founder Scott Wood brews and sells his own beers amongst a variety of hand-picked guest taps."

"It opened in 2014 and is well-known for being neighbor-oriented. Courtyard Brewery currently offers 27 drafts which brews cruisers can enjoy while eating at food trucks. You will find various food trucks just outside of Courtyard Brewery."

"2008 Clearview Parkway, Metairie, (504) 889-2837; www.eatatbens.com. A Big Ben is a two-patty cheeseburger topped with bacon, chili-cheese fries and house sauce."

"This magnificent Mid City Creole-Italian has survived it all, and while a post-Katrina renovation changed the layout of the restaurant, the food remains untouched by time; come for crispy paneed veal and luscious fettuccine alfredo, one of those old-school New Orleans combinations long-timers can’t get enough of, order the delicious red gravy that derives much of its sweetness from copious amounts of bell pepper, try the meatballs and the sausage, and the remarkably tasty pizzas, leading off with cold, crispy antipasto salads. You’re in good hands here. Dessert is next door at Angelo Brocato’s, one of America’s oldest (and best) Italian bakeries."

"Some Italian restaurants prefer to stick to one specific type of Italian dish when they put together their menus - think of an all pasta menu, and all seafood menu, or an all veal menu. Here at Venezia Restaurant, however, they prefer to let you keep your options open by offering up a little taste of everything for you to try. Whether they’re showcasing some fresh local seafood, some chicken parmesan, or even a whole pizza pie they’ve cooked up in their traditional stone oven, they’ve got a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy here at Venezia."

"People hang around the doors of this modest Metairie institution, night after night, the way barbecue lovers flock to the newest and hottest joints in Texas, except that R&O has been around since the ’80’s, that’s how much people love it here, and why shouldn’t they—the roast beef po boys are some of the most distinctive in town, but there’s so much else to eat here, too—shrimp salads, eggplant parmesan lunch specials, thin crust pizza, the works. Fancy it’s not, unforgettable all the same."

"For good reason: They’re reasonably priced, filling and about as egalitarian as a local food can be. Fried seafood po’ boys get much of the love, but consider the unsung hero of po’ boy land: the roast beef po’ boy. Here in the first suburb west of New Orleans proper is R&Os, home of the finest roast beef po’ boy with gravy that can be."

"This neighborhood eatery has all the breakfast fixins’, donuts, wings, burgers, and po-boys to keep you coming back all hours of the day. The donuts are simple and delicious, and the price is just right: it’s only 80 cents for regular and chocolate glazed, jelly filled, cream filled, chocolate iced and cake donuts. Honey buns are $1.75, and apple fritters are $2."

"Even if you’re not planning a trip out to the Chalmette Battlefield for a morning of history, you’d do yourself a service by planning a stop on the way for a morning pick-me-up at Gerald’s, an old-school bakery that sells new school donuts. Their melt-in-your-mouth sweet dough is the perfect base for giant apple fritters, classic glazed donuts, cinnamon twists, and even more fanciful options like the ones that come covered in M&Ms."

"While home to some of the best burgers in Greater New Orleans, locals love heading to Gerald’s Donuts for a quality sugar rush any time of day. They’re open 24 hours, so you’re never too far from one of their sweet, sugary treats. They also once took fifth place in the New Orleans King Cake Contest."

"Hot, fresh donuts are served 24 hours a day at Gerald's Donuts. The family-owned and operated establishments (three locations in total) also make king cakes all year round, not just during Mardi Gras. Classic cake donuts come in flavors like powdered lemon, blueberry, maple, and strawberry cream."

"Louisiana's Civil War Museum, formerly known as the Confederate Museum, is one of the largest repositories of Confederacy-related artifacts and memorabilia in the United States. Housed in a stone Romanesque-style building, this is the oldest museum in Louisiana. The Confederate Memorial Hall Museum opened to the public in 1891 and today houses the second largest Civil War collection in the world."

"Confederate Memorial Hall opened in 1891, making it the oldest collection of Confederate memorabilia in the US. It started after resident Frank T. Howard wrote a letter to the Louisiana Historical Association requesting acknowledgement of the Civil War’s survivors and victims. Here, you’ll embark on a journey through the military history and heritage of the South."

"What kind of ammunition and instruments did they use against one another?. The Confederate Memorial Hall commemorates the American Civil War by keeping a preserved exhibition of all the materials involved. Here you will get a chance to learn about all of the battles, trials, and about each person that played a vital role in the Civil War."

"The Whitney plantation is the first American museum dedicated to slavery. It has records of memoirs from literate slaves and their experiences. The Whitney plantation focuses on the institution of slavery. The Laura plantation is a creole owned plantation whereby the family tell the history of the their generation."

"Other plantations in the area to consider are the Laura Plantation, the Houmas House Plantation, the Nottoway Plantation, and the Whitney Plantation, among others. The Whitney Plantation is newly renovated and has an exhibit that focuses on the children of slavery that is said to be deeply moving and emotional."

"Whitney Plantation, on the other hand, focuses on slavery and what life was like for the slaves living on the plantation. There are personal narratives and exhibits of the slaves who lived on the plantation which can certainly be more emotional but important history to understand nevertheless."