Location, Location
French Quarter & Faubourg Marigny
Step outside the Lanaux Mansion and cross the street to explore the fascinating walkways of the French Quarter, or simply turn the corner for the lively music scene on Frenchmen Street. You’re less than a block from either.
The French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known locally as the Vieux Carré, is what most people picture when they think of New Orleans. And it’s not hard to understand why. Founded in 1718, this fabled neighborhood is like no other place in the U.S., with its narrow old streets running criss-cross between tightly-packed houses from 300 years ago. Its wrought-iron balconies, its flickering gas lamps, its secluded and romantic courtyards hiding the secrets of another age — all now serve as a picturesque setting for the famous restaurants, bars, music, shopping, and good times galore that make New Orleans a destination you’ll never forget.
Frenchmen Street & Faubourg Marigny
Sitting on our balconies or in our courtyards, you’re sure to hear the sounds of trumpets floating over the breeze from nearby Frenchmen Street. This short section of road running through the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood (adjacent to the French Quarter and just behind our house) is packed with famous music venues, where you’ll hear some of the best live jams anywhere in the world. Often, the celebrations spill out into the streets, and/or over into the next morning. Grab some friends and come dance the night away in this music lover’s paradise, just steps from your home here at the Lanaux.
Also within a few minutes’ stroll are the sprawling French Market, the beignets of Cafe du Monde, the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square, and the steamboats on the Mississippi river — not to mention more bars, restaurants, museums, curio shops, and art galleries than you could possibly ever visit in one trip.
The dream-like settings of Audubon Park and City Park, with their massive moss-covered oaks and glorious mansions nearby, are a short drive or bike ride away. Further afield, you have the deep Louisiana bayous full of gators and cajuns alike, plus historic battlefields and plantations to tour.
So grab a drink and start planning your trip now. Or come with no plan at all. Either way, having a great time in the Big Easy is, well, as easy as pecan pie.
Bring your appetite!
Speaking of pecan pie, in New Orleans we love to eat! The food here is an event. From the Lucky Dog cart to fine dining, there is something for everyone and every taste. With European, African, French, Caribbean, and Spanish influences in our cuisine, you won’t find these flavors anywhere else.
Food Festivals
- New Orleans Food and Wine Experience
- Oak Street Po Boy Festival
- Louisiana Seafood Festival
- Fried Chicken Festival
- Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival
- Tales of the Cocktail
- Tremendous Creole Gumbo Festival
- French Market Creole Tomato Festival
- Hogs for the Cause
- Boudin, Bourbon and Beer
Tasty Culinary Tours
A few suggestions of destination kitchen tours you might want to book for your visit include the following:
- New Orleans Secrets
- DrGumbo Tours
- Nightly Spirits
Foods ya gotta try!
Andouille—a smoked sausage made with pork shoulder roast, garlic, and other spices; often used as an ingredient in dishes such as gumbo and jambalaya
Crawfish Étouffée—tomato-based sauce cooked with crawfish and seasoning. Served with rice
Gumbo—Typically 2 kinds: chicken and sausage or seafood. Cooked with “The Holy Trinity” celery, bell peppers, onions, chicken, or seafood stock often with okra and served over rice
Jambalaya—a dish of rice and meat (often a combination of andouille sausage, chicken, and shrimp) cooked with vegetables and seasoning
Blackened Redfish—a redfish filet, coated with a mixture of seasonings and flash-fried in a red hot cast-iron skillet; the skin of the fish is charred black, while the inside is moist and tender
Boiled Seafood—boiled shellfish such as crawfish, shrimp, and crabs, often served with boiled corn and potatoes. Check with your server about what is in season
Muffuletta—a sandwich on a muffuletta bread (a round Italian bread with sesame seeds), with olive salad, filled with various meats and cheeses such as ham, capicola, salami, mortadella, mozzarella, and provolone
Red Beans and Rice—kidney beans cooked with “The Holy Trinity” celery, bell peppers, and onions with some type of cooking pork. Typically served with sausage and white rice
Fun Things to Do
Take a ride on the
Steamboat Natchez
Get an authentic riverboat experience, journeying back in time to when cotton was king and New Orleans was a budding port town that dazzled visitors with its colorful Creole culture. Board the historic riverboat for a morning or afternoon float down the mighty Mississippi. Stroll the deck, admire the iconic paddlewheel, enjoy live music, and snap picturesque shots of the beautiful urban shoreline. This family‐friendly excursion offers an optional tableside lunch.
(Please note that the beloved Natchez is in for repairs as of Summer 2021 and that the majestic City of New Orleans steamboat has taken its place until further notice.)
Carriage
Tour
Get a taste of 18th-century New Orleans while exploring aboard a mule-drawn carriage. Join a small group of no more than eight people for an intimate evening tour through the French Quarter. Your driver will add their own bit of flavor and history while you sightsee, people-watch, and take in the architecture. Enjoy hearing the city’s most salacious secrets as you clip-clop leisurely past iron-laced balconies, art galleries, homes, and shops. Be sure to ask your driver to point out great spots to eat or stop in for a cocktail.
N.O. Cooking School
Class
Experience the fun, food, and folklore of New Orleans at this demonstration cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking. Every class includes a 3- or 4-course creole and cajun meal, copies of the recipes, and a local brew.
The National WWII
Museum
Witness a different side of New Orleans’s history on a visit to the dynamic National WWII Museum. While away the hours exploring wartime artifacts and discovering fascinating facts and histories at this world-class museum — considered one of the top museums in the nation!
And there’s so much more — Just ask us!
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