First up is DAD. His name is Graflin and he is 57 years old! He enjoys racquetball every Monday (we joke that if we get married or had our funeral on a Monday, he would ask us to move it for racquetball lol) and a nice cigar and scotch at his favorite local dive. He is a DJ and makes movie theater seats. His favorite thing about New Orleans is the art, the music, and the culture.

favorite creole restaurant: “oh man, that’s like picking my favorite daughter. If I’m going for a higher-end restaurant, I like Broussard’s and Galatoire’s. That’s not taking anything away from Antoine’s. Those are all fine dining, so you can’t walk in with your jeans and t-shirt. If you’re looking for some place where you can sort of walk in off the street, where you can get a good dish with traditional creole, go to Coop’s. They have an excellent shrimp or crawfish etouffee. And I hate saying Coop’s because it is not a big place, you can’t make reservations, and I don’t need more people going there, but it’s great. Another great place that serves traditional creole food is the Gumbo Shop. Get their Gumbo and their crab cakes.” 

favorite bar: **A note first, my dad doesn’t drink except for a scotch or 2 each week with his cigar. We try to get him to drink margaritas or wine with us. He’ll taste a beer or a drink, but prefers his few scotches. “Depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. If you want a good place just to catch a drink, especially in the French Quarter, there are dozens of places to go. Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, Old Absinthe House, Sylvain’s. Sylvain’s is near Jackson Square. It’s dark, cozy, and has a gorgeous courtyard. There’s also a cute little place right behind St. Louis Cathedral called Pirate’s Alley. They’ll serve you a nice glass of absinthe and do the whole presentation. I don’t drink too much, and if I’m drinking it’s with a cigar. So if that’s the case, I go to Cuban Creations where I’m having a cigar and, they have one of the most fantastic top shelf liquor selections in the French Quarter.” 

favorite shop: “Sweet Pea and Tulip is pretty cool. They’ve got a lot of unique stuff. And of course you can walk by all of the artists on Jackson Square and get some unique art. You can find some interesting stuff at the French Market if you can get past the t-shirt and sunglass vendors. Decatur and Royal St are just filled with little shops. Roux Royale is really cute and is a bit more kitchen-focused.” 

favorite happy hour: “Domenica Pizza Happy Hour in the Central Business District has some great discount pizzas.” They also have a build-your-own charcuterie board.“

favorite part of town: “I like different parts of town for different reasons. Primarily, of course, which will be a cliche but it’s true, but the French Quarter and the Garden District. Each has their own flavor. FQ is bustling, loud, touristy, all those things both good and bad. You can’t swing a cat over your head without hitting a bar or a restaurant. But taking a streetcar ride to the Garden District, things slow down and change. You can take a gorgeous walk through the homes, eat at Commander’s Palace (they have 25cent martinis during weekday lunches). A few blocks further off the streetcar line is Magazine St. Once you’re down on Magazine, you’re surrounded by shops and restaurants. If you feel like taking it down another notch, take the streetcar up to Audubon Park and Tulane. Take a picnic blanket and a snack and enjoy Audubon Park. You can also drive out Esplanade to City Park and New Orleans Museum of Art, and you can have a great day at NOMA and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, which is right behind NOMA. And of course, if you get to that point and you need a break, they have a Cafe du Monde right by NOMA. 

favorite coffee shop: “Getting a pretty good cup of coffee in the FQ is not difficult. CC’s Coffee Shop and PJ’s Coffee Shop are all over the place and are pretty good. BUT if I were to go for a cup of coffee, where I am going is Manolito, which is on Dumaine near Decatur. They make a fantastic Cuban Coffee. They aren’t a coffee shop. It’s a Cuban-themed bar and cafe. So don’t show up at 8am looking for a cup of coffee, because they ain’t open. But for a late night cup of coffee, they are the spot.” 

favorite brunch: “There are a dozen places, especially around the FQ to grab brunch. The most popular is Ruby Slipper. They’ve got half a dozen locations between FQ, Central Business District, and Marigny. I also like Coterie, If you’re an early riser, Daisy Dukes has an early bird special which is CHEAP. Something like $5 for eggs, bacon, pancakes, the whole works. Over in Marigny, you’ve got Horns. In the CBD, you’ve got Ruby Slipper, up by Lafayette Square, you’ve got Cafe at the Square. 

favorite non-touristy thing to do: “Well, typically what I tell non-tourists to do has become touristy. Which was to go to Frenchman St. Which is not great because it’s become too touristy now, but it’s still a great thing to do. You’ve also got the Art Garden and Art Market up there to do. But they have the best bands in the city.”

favorite museum: “I’m a big fan of NOMA. It’s a world class museum and it is fantastic. It’s an easy drive or uber from the FQ. Cabildo is interesting too. It focuses on the history of New Orleans. There are several locations of the Historic New Orleans Collection, go visit some of those. They have a new location on Royal, and if you have an interest in Louisiana history, those are fantastic places to visit. There is the Williams Research Center, they frequently have exhibits also on various topics.” 

favorite NICE restaurant: “It’s hard to beat the big 5 in the FQ. Brennan’s, Broussard’s, Antoines, Arnaud’s, Galatoire’s. Each have a storied history and each have contributed to the cuisine we know and love. Banana Fosters was created at Brennan’s, for example. You’ve always gotta have these in the conversation. But you can also go outside the FQ. August in the CBD is great, you’ve got Peche in the CBD. Emeril has numerous locations in New Orleans. You also can’t forget Commander’s Palace in the Garden District. They have 25cent martinis during lunch. Antoine’s has a great lunch deal, too, and you can ask for a tour there. It’s the oldest of the french creole restaurants in NOLA. You’ve had presidents dine there and the history is fascinating.” 

favorite dessert: “I love going over to Evangeline on Decatur by the fire station after dinner and getting a very simple brownie a la mode or pecan pie a la mode. It’s simple, nothing high end about it, but I love it. 

favorite tip for tourists: “First of all, wear flats. Leave the high heels at home. Especially if you’re walking in the French Quarter. If you’re going to be riding the streetcar more than once, download the RTA Mobile Go app. You can buy the tickets on the app and it’s the easiest way to do it. And if anyone comes up to you and says “I bet I know where you got your shoes” **laughs** just keep walking.”

favorite gallery: “I like Galerie rue Royale. It’s on the corner of Royal and Toulouse. They’ve got Todd White, Marc Clauzade. But again, it’s almost like picking a favorite child. There are some really great galleries on Royal and Chartres.” 

if you could only go to nola one more time, what would your ideal day be: I thought I about killed him with this question. “I’d get breakfast at Ruby Slipper at Magazine and Washington. And If I had to take the streetcar to get there, that would make it all the better. A morning stroll through the French Quarter and Washington Artillery Park. For lunch, I’d probably grab a bowl of gumbo at the Gumbo Shop. In the afternoon, I’d walk through the French Market and Latrobe Park, and visit some of the shops on lower Decatur. Then I’d walk over to the Cafe Vacherie on Dauphine and Toulouse and get a little ice cream in the mid-afternoon. They’ve got locally made ice cream. Probably in the late afternoon or evening, I’d enjoy a personal private tour from Royal Tours. Their private tours are much better than the big tours because it’s just you and the tour guides. It’s not 30-40 people. Dinner, boy here’s the problem. I’m going to dinner at Broussard’s and maybe get the gulf fish amandine or the pompano Pontchartrain. Then I’m going by Evangaline for a brownie and to Manolito for cuban coffee. Then ending my night at Cuban Creations with a scotch and a cigar. May try to squeeze in music on Frenchman, too.”