Simply Put… The Soul Of The South

21/03/2025 0 By michaela@tainuipress.co.nz

For more than 300 years, New Orleans has been inspiring stories. The Spanish, French, African and Caribbean influences create a cultural gumbo of distinctive architecture, cool jazz and celebrated cuisine that only New Orleans knows how to dish out. From award-winning attractions to immersive experiences, this timeless city offers something amazing around every cobblestone corner.

As the birthplace of jazz, live music permeates and enriches everyday life in the city. All kinds of music from traditional jazz to zydeco to rock and the blues can be found here…on street corners, in music venues and at many festivals throughout the year.

If you are looking to expand your culture and history knowledge, New Orleans is the place for you! In addition to the city’s old architecture and historic buildings, New Orleans has a wealth of museums centered around not only the city’s past but regional and national history, as well. Stand beneath a sea of World War II fighter jets at the National WWII Museum or learn the history of African American communities at the Ashe Cultural Arts Center.

New Orleans is also a magnet for art and creative types. Browse art galleries, antique shops and unique stores all along Magazine and Royal Street or stop in at one of the incredible art museums.

Well known for cocktails and Creole cooking, New Orleans is home to hundreds of restaurants. From traditional dishes to globally inspired flavours and from white tablecloths to picnic blankets, New Orleans chefs create food for your taste buds and nourishment for your soul.

The city’s invigorating spirit is sure to inspire, captivate and motivate you to jump in and see and do so much. Discover the spontaneous joy that is the Crescent City’s calling card. Start creating your New Orleans story today!

Top 8 Things To Do:

Swamp Tours: If you’re visiting Louisiana, there’s no doubt you’ve heard about the region’s mossy swamplands. Just a short drive outside of the heart of New Orleans, tour companies offer swamp/bayou tours on boats, where you can see (and even feed) gators and other wildlife. Many companies offer transportation to and from hotels, making it even easier to access these nearby swamps.
Cajun Encounters Tour Co. embark on tours of the renowned Honey Island Swamp. Glide through ‘gator territory’ aboard a small, flat-bottomed boat, while local expert captains share fascinating insights about the swamp and its natural inhabitants. For your comfort and convenience, they offer pickup services from numerous French Quarter hotels and visitor centres. Their tours are led by top experts in the field, many of whom have spent their lives on the water and hold specialised degrees, ensuring you an authentic and unforgettable experience.
Many of us, of a certain age, will remember Dennis Weaver travelling on an airboat through swampland in the late-60’s TV show Gentle Ben. Well Airboat Tours by Arthur can give you that same experience…and then some!
Their tours go through swamp, over marshlands and between the moss-draped trees. There are over 33 species of bird in this region, so you are likely to see hawks, herons, egrets and, maybe even bald eagles. You’re also likely to see alligators up close and personal, unless it’s winter time.
Family owned and operated since 1994, the tour starts just 25 minutes from New Orleans’ airport. Your guides are US Coast Guard captains and are lifelong residents of the bayou – very knowledgeable and aware of the ecology of the region.
Cemetery Tours: New Orleans is a city surrounded by water and built below sea level. This is why the ‘dearly departed’ spent eternity entombed above ground. In New Orleans, graves are family affairs, with the remains settling over time to make room for the next generations to move in.
Ornate and historic, funky and other worldly, New Orleans cemeteries are home to everyone from music hit makers to voodoo queens. Tour companies will show you who’s who and explain the history and traditions.
Pay homage to fallen yellow fever victims at St. Louis Cemetery No.1, the oldest bone-yard in town, or visit some of the newer and just as elaborate places.
By visiting New Orleans (or NOLA as it is colloquially called) wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the beautiful and historic St. Louis Cemetery No.1 – the official tour immerses visitors in the legend and lore present within its marble tombs.
All guests must book online or in-person before arriving at your designated time slot. Due to its popularity if you don’t do this you are unlikely to get in as spaces fill quickly and there is no guarantee of same-day availability.
Mardi Gras World: The early days of what has grown into Kern Studios started with Roy Kern, a local artist-turned-sign- painter who worked his way through the Depression by painting names and signs on the bows of freighters and barges.
Roy and his son Blaine built their first Mardi Gras float together, on the back of a mule-drawn wagon in 1932. Unable to pay his mother’s medical bills, Blaine offered to paint a mural in the hospital, which caught the eye of a surgeon who was also the captain of a Mardi Gras Krewe (an organisation in charge of one of these massive floats). This captain invited Blaine to design and build floats for his Krewe, and Kern Studios was officially founded in its current form in 1947. One float led to another and before long Blaine became the city’s leading parade designer and builder, working with Rex, Zulu and other legendary krewes.
Blaine Kern travelled throughout Europe to apprentice under the world’s leading float and costume makers. During several trips to Italy, France and Spain, Blaine became inspired by the extravagant concepts and animation that marked the European style of float building.
He brought these ideas to New Orleans and developed the monumental scale and lavish ornamentation of today’s spectacular Mardi Gras floats. Blaine Kern was instrumental in the formative years of some of New Orleans’ biggest parades and Super Krewes and is still known as Mr. Mardi Gras.
After many requests for private tours of Kern Studios from people wanting a sneak-peak of Mardi Gras, the Kerns decided to open the working studio to the public. In 1984, Mardi Gras World was created as a tourist attraction to provide visitors a behind-the-scenes look at our work. Widely successful, the attraction draws hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world each year.
WWII Museum: The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American experience in the war that changed the world… why it was fought, how it was won and what it means today, so that all generations will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn.
America’s National WWII Museum ensures it will:
– Inspire people, young and old, to embrace the lessons of this monumental global conflict from its stories of heroism, human tragedies, voices of liberation, and the fruits and responsibilities of victory
– Create and maintain a world-class museum campus of pavilions and exhibitions
– Engage worldwide audiences by providing access to collections, exhibits and oral histories through innovative outreach, distance learning, new media and creative museum experiences
– Interact with diverse communities to expand their understanding of the history and meaning of America’s role in World War II and its relevance for today and for the future
– Become a place for people to understand and feel America’s strengths and values
– Serve as a catalyst for cultural tourism to strengthen the economic and community development of New Orleans and Louisiana
Preservation Hall: The story of Preservation Hall dates back to the 1950s at Associated Artists, a small art gallery at 726 St. Peter Street in the French Quarter. Upon opening the gallery, the proprietor, Larry Borenstein, found that it curtailed his ability to attend the few remaining local jazz concerts, and he began to invite living legends of New Orleans jazz to perform ‘rehearsal sessions’.
During this period, traditional jazz had taken a backseat in popularity to rock ‘n roll and bebop, leaving many of the players to work odd jobs – venues that offered live New Orleans jazz were few and far between. Before long Borenstein’s sessions took on a life of their own; enthusiasts of the music genre gravitated toward the gallery, including a young couple named Allan and Sandra Jaffe.
The jam sessions at 726 St. Peter became much more frequent, so much that Borenstein moved his gallery to the building next door. Performances were held nightly for donations and were organised by a short-lived not-for-profit organisation…’The New Orleans Society for the Preservation of Traditional Jazz’. Shortly afterwards Preservation Hall was born.
Frenchmen Street: Once a hidden gem among locals, Frenchmen Street is now recognised as one of New Orlean’s best spots for finding live music. The sounds of jazz, reggae and blues spill out of the clubs making for a buzzing and vibrant atmosphere. Audiences flock to Frenchmen Street from all over the globe, to get a taste of authentic New Orleans music.
Frenchmen Street is located away from the hustle and bustle of Bourbon Street and tucked between the French Quarter and Marigny neighbourhoods, running all the way to the residential area of Gentilly.
The street is supposedly named after a group of five French patriots (or seditionists – depending on your view) who were executed in 1769 near the river end of the street.
Visit during daylight hours and you’ll see the historic side of Frenchmen Street, laden with architecture that distinguishes itself from the rest of the city.
Walking Tours: New Orleans is flat, so walking is the best way to see it up close and personal. Guided rambles, designed to peel back the city’s history through an informed commentary, are powerfully supported by the sights and sounds you’ll see along the way.
Explore Ghosts, Voodoo, Vampires, the occult and haunted history with Bloody Mary tours. Join small groups or private city cemetery haunted tours and go inside exclusive haunted houses for paranormal ghost hunting, Seance and psychic parties! Bloody Mary’s tours are authentic supernatural adventures designed for the more discerning traveller. Find exclusive locations, unique events, original research and a lifetime of experiences. Experience a behind the scenes approach to the other side of her hometown!
Known for its mystique-laden history, New Orleans is a city where spooky stories lurk around every corner, and you can experience them yourself on a remarkable Ghosts and Legends Tour. Discover New Orleans’ dark side on this two-hour haunted history ghost tour, filled with incredible storytelling about paranormal and haunted places.
Hear tales of famous hauntings from a local guide, and visit the French Quarter’s most infamous and eerie locations…hotspots for paranormal investigators and historical videographers. By the end of your Ghosts & Legends Walking Tour, you’ll see the Vieux Carré in a different (and profoundly more ominous) light.
Walk around the French Quarter, the oldest neighbourhood in New Orleans. Visit ghostly sites where ghastly spirits have been documented. You may even document some yourself, as 90% of participants have been able to do on tours!
Vue Orleans: Vue Orleans is a 360 degree taste of the city – offering breathtaking views atop one of the tallest buildings in New Orleans.
From the outdoor observation deck, at 34 stories high, you will be able to view the history-rich urban architecture, the surrounding wetlands and waterways all while enjoying a sunset cocktail.

Events:

French Quarter Festival: The French Quarter Festival (April 10th – 13th) is a one-weekend annual celebration of all things New Orleans’ and Louisiana’s music and cuisine in it’s most favourite neighbourhood…2025 is the 40th anniversary of this lesser known festival.
Jazz Festival: Jazz Fest (April 24th – May 4th) is an annual festival celebrating the music, art, culture and heritage of New Orleans. Over the years it has worked its way into the hearts of locals and visitors alike.
Mardi Gras: Mardi Gras is a one to three-month stretch of the year in which streets come alive with music, art and costumed revellers. Beginning on 12th night (January 6th) the best season is upon this fantastic city…king cake, bead-tossing and parades begin and only increase until the actual ‘Mardi Gras Day’.
There’s so much to celebrate during Carnival season, where locals and visitors alike join in on the fun. Spectators gasp at colossal Endymion floats and delight in the political satire of Krewe du Vieux. There’s something to do every week during Mardi Gras season.
Southern Decadence: August 29th – September 1st, 2025. Southern Decadence is a street festival/party that began back in 1972 as a going away party. The event started out very small and initially was just among a group of friends who called themselves ‘Decadents.’
Since the group had so much fun over Labour Day in 1972, they decided to plan another event for the same weekend in 1973. Each year the event kept growing and blossomed in to the event it is today. In simplest terms, modern-day Southern Decadence is a weekend-long festival taking place in and around the French Quarter, that includes drag shows, bar events, pool parties, community events and much more.
New Orleans Wine & Food Experience: The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience is a primer event, showcasing what this city does best…eating and drinking. In its 33rd anniversary year, the festival has become one of the most celebrated culinary events in the US, attracting many well-known gourmands and connoisseurs.
Each year, hundreds of wineries and restaurants participate. Menus feature local flavours and innovative new creations inspired by diverse cuisines. Top chefs from around the city create culinary experiences like no other.

Dining:

Commander’s Palace: Since the Brennan family took the reins in 1974, Commander’s Palace has been on a mission to revolutionise hospitality and create lasting dining memories. They believe every guest who walks through their doors should feel like family, thus Commander’s has become the dining experience, with warm hospitality and superb service, it is known for today.
Their pursuit to push the envelope of cuisine through innovative and award-winning new Haute Creole cuisine is a heartfelt tribute to the trailblazing matriarch, Ella Brennan.
With an all-star line-up of current and previous chefs Commander’s Palace is committed to producing exceptional cuisine, excellent talent and New Orleans’ best hospitality. Executive Chef, Meg Bickford, ensures modern New Orleans cooking meets Haute Creole in her kitchen.
Their “Paddock to Plate within 100 Miles” policy means that they strive to cook the distinctive Louisiana flavours they are renowned for today. The Commander’s team knows its history but lives by the credo that…”all their best meals are ahead of us.”
www.commanderspalace.com
Antoine’s: It was spring in 1840, when New Orleans was queen city of the Mississippi River, when cotton was king and French gentlemen settled their differences under the oaks with pistols for two and coffee for one.
‘Dixie’ had not yet been written. It was destined to become the marching anthem for Confederate forces in the Civil War. This was the city young Antoine Alciatore adopted, after stopping in New York, to establish a restaurant that would endure under his family’s direction for more than 180 years and set the standard that has made New Orleans one of the great dining centres of the world.
It was on St. Louis Street, just one block from the spot the famed restaurant occupies today, that the 18-year old Alciatore started what was to become simply ‘Antoine’s’…a synonym for fine food. He felt at home in the French- speaking city of lordly aristocrats and their extravagances, an ideal audience for his culinary artistry.
After a brief period in the kitchen of the grand St. Charles Hotel, Antoine opened a pension, a boarding house and restaurant. It was then that he made arrangements for his fiancée to join him from New York. She came to New Orleans with her sister and she and Antoine were married. Together they worked to build up their pension with a culinary emphasis.
New Orleans’ gentility was so taken with the restaurant that it soon outgrew its small quarters and Antoine’s moved down the block and eventually, in 1868, to the spot on St. Louis Street where the restaurant stands today.
In 1874, Antoine being in ill-health, left his family, leaving the management of the restaurant in his wife’s hands. He felt he had not much longer to live and wished to die and be buried in his birthplace in France. He told his wife he did not want her to watch him deteriorate and said as he left; “As I take the boat for Marseilles, we will not meet again on earth.” He died within the year.
Roy Alciatore (Antoine’s grandson) managed the restaurant through some of the nation’s most difficult times, including the Prohibition era and World War II. His contributions still remain vibrant today.
The 1840 Room, a replica of a fashionable private dining room, still contains the great silver duck press and is a museum of curios treasures including a cookbook published in Paris in 1659.
The long line of the Alciatore family members and descendants has guided Antoine’s to continued greatness, through the Civil War, two World Wars, Prohibition, the Great Depression and Hurricane Katrina.
Countless celebrities have dined in Antoine’s dining rooms. Lining the walls are photographs of the rich and famous who have feasted amid the splendour…musicians, politicians, military personnel, sports figures, royalty…the list is endless.
George Bush, Bill Clinton, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Pope John Paul II, Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Tom Cruise, Kate Hudson, Jimmy Buffett, Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby to name just a few!
www.antoines.com
Compère Lapin: Compère Lapin(kom-pare la-pan)
– French for “brother rabbit”
– Traditional Caribbean and Creole folktales featuring a mischievous rabbit named Compère Lapin
– Restaurant helmed by Chef Nina Compton in the heart of the Warehouse Arts District in New Orleans
Meals aren’t about trends, shock value or opulence. Meals are about moments, memories and those who surround you at your table. Compère Lapin believe in the complexity of simplicity and the power of pure flavours. History, vast and varied, deserve to be memorialised and romanticised by dishes that at once remind us of home and transport us to somewhere new. They don’t make food for everyone else…they make food for you.
Inspiration for the menu comes from the traditional Caribbean folktales featuring a mischievous rabbit named Compère Lapin that Chef Nina Compton read during her childhood in St. Lucia. Drawing on the story’s themes of exploration and play, she mixes the indigenous ingredients and rich culinary heritage of New Orleans with those of her Caribbean roots. Tapping into her classical French culinary training and deep experience with Italian cuisine, the result is a playful menu that takes food you know and makes it food you love.
www.comperelapin.com
Parkway Bakery & Tavern: Poor boy sandwiches (also known as po boy) can be found in fine dining establishments, mom-and-pop diners, corner stores and gas stations throughout Louisiana. They represent the bedrock of New Orleans and a proud working-class ethic.
The shotgun house of New Orleans cuisine, poor boys is the ambassador of New Orleans culture, because the sandwich is as diverse as the city it symbolises. Crisp French loaves encase virtually limitless ingredients: roast beef shrimp, oyster, catfish, soft-shell crabs, as well as french fries and ham and cheese.
When the New Orleans poor boy is ‘dressed’, the reference has nothing to do with clothes…’Dressed’ means that lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and mayonnaise are added.
There are many names for a sandwich on a length of Italian or French bread split horizontally and filled with cold cuts, cheese, vegetables and dressing…submarine, sub, grinder, hero, hoagie, spuckie, zeppelin, zep… the list goes on.
All are delicious, but an authentic poor boy is served on French bread and has distinctly Southern and working-class origins. Some may view the poor boy as a variation on a sub, which originated in Italian immigrant neighbourhoods in the northeast, but the poor boy has more in common with the oyster loaf that got its start in New Orleans and San Francisco.
www.parkwaypoorboys.com

Accommodation:

Caesars New Orleans: This AAA Four Diamond Award-winning hotel puts you in the middle of one of the world’s most exhilarating cities. Blocks from the French Quarter and Caesars Superdome, featuring unparallelled accommodations and amenities, Caesars will treat you to an authentic and luxurious New Orleans experience – all encompassed in…2 towers…12 restaurants…& 790 rooms.
Escape the everyday and experience a fun and friendly casino atmosphere at Caesars New Orleans. Join helpful dealers, attentive servers and friends, new and old, as you hit your lucky streak. With endless chances to win, where will you play first?
www.caesars.com/caesars-new-orleans/hotel
Hotel Monteleone: The French Quarter’s Most Celebrated Hotel. Since 1886, the Hotel Monteleone has provided luxury and historic accommodation for travellers to New Orleans. Experience timeless luxury in the heart of the French Quarter when you stay at Hotel Monteleone, your home away from home.
The Historic Carousel Bar & Lounge! New Orleans’ first, and only, rotating bar offers the young-at-heart a pleasant, subtle rotation around a world-class cocktail bar. Get there early though as it is addictive to just sit there all day and watch the world turn around, and seating is limited to just 25 people. Open 11am till midnight with live entertainment Thursday thru till Saturday.
The Carousel Bar opened inside the historic Hotel Monteleone in 1949, becoming New Orleans’ first and only rotating bar. Its carousel theme and unique design is a treat you won’t find anywhere else, offering guests a pleasant, subtle rotation around a world-class cocktail bar every 15 minutes.
Known as the grand dame of Royal Street, Hotel Monteleone is one of the last great family owned and operated hotels in New Orleans. Since 1886, five generations of Monteleones have dedicated themselves to making their hotel what it was, and still is…a sparkling jewel in the heart of the French Quarter.
With over a century of history, Hotel Monteleone has earned numerous awards and prestige through dedicated service and a commitment to comfort. This historic hotel is an official literary landmark designated by the Friends of the Library Association and is a member of the Historic Hotels of America, the Preferred Hotel Group and Associated Luxury Hotels International.
www.hotelmonteleone.com
Eliza Jane Hotel: Experience New Orleans near the French Quarter. No other city has perfected the art of storytelling quite like New Orleans. This is where festivals and celebrations are a part of everyday life; the sounds of music linger on every corner and plates are overfilled with beignets and Crawfish Etouffée.
Once a printing house and bitters factory, The Eliza Jane is a decadent respite between the French Quarter, Central Business District and Arts District. It’s where centuries-old history and impeccable style meet…a place where guests want to stay awhile and take it all in, from the garden courtyard to the literature- themed lounge.
Served in a factory-turned-brasserie with a style all its own, Couvant is where fine ingredients and reimagined French-Southern dining enliven guests to gather together.
Inspired by the region’s abundance, eclectic influences, good wine and high spirits, Executive Chef Ryan Pearson creates a menu that gathers people to the Southern table like only this city can.
www.hyatt.com/unbound-collection/en-US
The Royal Sonesta:
Stay in the heart of the French Quarter, minutes away from Jackson Square, the French Market and Algiers Point, at this luxury Bourbon Street hotel… The Royal Sonesta New Orleans.
Experience a unique atmosphere of timeless refinement, with elegant guest rooms and suites, authentic hospitality, a Food is Art philosophy, wrought-iron balconies and a lush courtyard at their AAA Four-Diamond rated hotel.
Embark on a sensory journey inspired by the Food is Art philosophy at The Royal Sonesta New Orleans. This Bourbon Street hotel is home to five dining venues – Desire Oyster Bar is by far my favourite – get a seat at the window and watch as the world that is Bourbon Street passes you by.
From the savoury delights of classic Creole and Cajun cuisine to expertly prepared Gulf oysters and award-winning seafood gumbo, there’s something to satisfy every taste and palate.
Quench your thirst with a carefully curated selection of cocktails, wines and a diverse array of whiskeys, all within the cosy ambiance of their in-house bars. Start your day right with special coffee drinks brewed at the on-site café. For a truly well-rounded experience, head to their iconic jazz club to enjoy delicious bites, cocktails and captivating performances.
www.sonesta.com/royal-sonesta/la/new-orleans/royal-sonesta-new-orleans