beckyw

I'm going to Mardi Gras this year. What places should I go to.

SSStitches

New Orleans? Cafe du'Monde, the French market and the square. Pat Obriens for a Hurrican (their signature drink) or a Bloody Mary.

Geri B

As many as you can squeeze your way thru to!

lynnie

please take pictures and tell us about your trip

kjdavis4

Drago's restaurant at the Hilton. Great chargrilled oysters. The Monteleone Hotel has a very cool carousel bar. We also like Bourbon House Restaurant on Bourbon Street, they have great food and bourbon milkshakes for dessert. Be ready to be in a lot of crowds. I didn't carry a purse. The parades are so much fun. If you like craft beers, the Avenue Pub, is a fun place and their food is good. Riding the street car is also fun. Have fun and be safe!

ptquilts

If you are looking for a family-friendlly Mardi Gras, Mobile AL is the next largest celebration (69 parades this season!!) . No "Girls Gone Wild" types allowed.

Wanabee Quiltin

I really like the parades, both in New Orleans and in the Mobile, Fairhope, Foley and Gulf Shores AL area. All the Alabama parades are children friendly. I am very careful where I keep my money/credit cards as the crowds are pretty heavy. Cafe du Monde has the best coffee and donuts ever. I'm not much on drinking or even food so I can't help you there. I think the fun for me is just looking at the people in New Orleans, we were just there for 3 weeks camping and I just plain love that city. The French Quarter is the most unique city in America.

Battle Axe

The only parade we (18 Spring Break College Students and two advisors) went to was the cabbage throwing one. I have no idea what it was called. We got there early and I spotted a group, maybe 4 or 5, of nuns setting up their chairs. Since I was a little freightened by the whole thing, I suggested to the others that we should park ourselves next to these nuns. I had no idea what to expect.

I questioned the nuns as to why they were sitting at a this parade. They said they ran a soup kitchen and this was a large source of food for their kitchen of feeding the homeless. They expected to catch cabbages and other vegetables and then would freeze them to use thorough the year. Since we had flown down there and would have no reason to take our cabbage back on the plane I offered to catch some for them. They were thrilled.

You can learn a lot from a nun who is begging a drunk to throw a cabbage at her. We also got onions, potatoes, beads and some underwear. But when they came by with cabbage I would get right up to the float and beg right along with those nuns. One of the other students ended up with the undies, I took some beads home and the nuns had so much cabbage it was just great.

After the parade I watched as a man with a small station wagon came and loaded up all the loot. It was so heavy in the back that I thought it was going to tip the front wheels off the pavement. I wish I had a video for U-tube of all that.

eimay

Those would be my priorities, too. And maybe a muffaleta. (spelled wrong)

cashs_mom

I haven't been to NOLA in years, but there used to be a restaurant called "Two Sisters" in the quarter. Excellent food and wonderful atmosphere. There's also a Brennan's, but it most always has a long wait. Dang, there's another nice place and I can't remember the name now.

Edit: Okay, it was bugging me so I had to go look it up. We ran across this one by accident one day. Mr. B's Bistro. Excellent tuna. Wonderful atmosphere and great service. We went back every time we were in NOLA.

Also, I saw Two Sisters. It's called "Court of Two Sisters". It's great.