<div>For those of you staying/hanging out in the Quarter/Downtown...</div><div>
</div>The Donald Link joints
(Cochon, Cochon Butcher, Herbsaint).... The Butcher is my favorite lunch spot in the city: Bacon Melt is incredible. Pastrami top-notch. Cold Roast Beef is a favorite too. There's sure to be a ton of people in town, so if you want to go to
Cochon (get: woodfire oyster roast and the smoked brisket) or
Herbsaint (best gumbo I've ever had) I'd go ahead and make reservations now. Oh and don't be afraid of the line at
Cochon Butcher (there's pretty much always one). Very little seating, but they get food out quickly. Hell, you could even call in an order and just take it to Lafayette square park and eat.<div>
</div><div>
Luke Happy Hour (3-6 everyday) - I've enjoyed this many, many times. 50 cent P&J oysters and half-price cocktails. A true steal.</div><div>
</div><div>The FQ burger debate: Don't get me wrong,
Port of Call makes a good burger, but I prefer
Yo Mama's.
Yo Mama's has more options and the quality of the burger is the same, if not better(and there's less of a line to deal with). Although, if you go to
Port of Call and drink a Monsoon while you wait, you'll forget all about the line.
<div>
</div><div>Another nice point you touched on: The Lower Decatur area (
Molly's, Pravda, Coops, El Gato Negro) There are a few really cool bars and some solid late night eating options. -
Molly's is one of my favorite bars in Nola. Great atmosphere, inexpensive drinks, cool bartenders.
Pravda is a cool place too with a nice patio out back. As pike said,
Coop's has some killer jambalaya and the fried chicken is really good too. Right around the corner is
El Gato Negro (really good mexican food and great margaritas). Every margarita is made with fresh fruit and the food is delicious. Get the Queso Chorizo Dip or the Pork Chops with mushroom and chorizo sauce. If you want some good pizza late night in the Quarter, and you don't feel like eating a Lucky Dog, check out
Angeli on Decatur (open til 2 on Thus and 4 am on Fri/Sat)</div><div>
</div><div>Sure that cover band at Bourbon Street Blues Company is awesome when you're hammered, but if you want great live/local music head to
Frenchmen Street. Pretty much every bar on the street will have live music, but a few places standout. As jamdawg96 said,
d.b.a. always has a great show for $5 cover and an awesome beer and liquor menu.
Blue Nile always has solid shows as well.
The Spotted Cat is more low-key and doesn't have cover (one drink min.) and there's always some sort of jazz quartet or small group playing. Stop in, have a beer, listen to a few songs and bounce to the next bar. Hungry on Frenchmen?
Three Muses has a fantastic tapas menu. What to get: Lamb Sliders (with tomato chutney and goat cheese...LEGIT) and Beet Bruschetta. Ok, so it's late and you want a good drunk meal? Go to
13 Monaghan and order the Tater Tachos. It's pretty self-explanatory. It's nachos with a slight twist: Tater tots instead of tortilla chips.</div><div>
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