Brents Best of New Orleans Guide to Food, Booze and Fun: By no means exhaustive, but a great place to start.

FOOD:
Great Reasonably Priced Eats - Juans Flying Burrito: Quirky local take on Mexican. Punk vibes and great margoritas. 2018 Magazine Street or 4724 S. Carrollton. - Lebanons Caf: Incredible Middle Eastern fare and massive portions. 1500 S. Carrollton. - Thirteen: Great drunk food whilst out on Frenchmen Street. Tater-tachos are a MUST. 517 Frenchmen. - Steins Deli: Best sandwiches in the city. Try the Sam. Youll thank me. Also home to an amazing bottled beer selection. 2207 Magazine. Great Pricey Eats - Commanders Palace: Stuffy and touristy but worth trying for lunch once (especially since they have $0.25 martinis). 1403 Washington. - Cochon: Amazing carnivorous offerings and inventive takes on Cajun cuisine. 930 Tchoupitoulas. - Bayona: Susan Spicers French Quarter haunt is a legend. Go. 430 Dauphine. - Lilette: Their veal cheek salad is like licking warm butter off the fingers of God. 3637 Magazine. Great New Orleans Cuisine - Mandinas: Perfect spot for New Orleans staples with an Italian twist. Fried seafood, veal cutlet and red beans are all solid options. 3800 Canal. - Liuzzas By The Track: BBQ Shrimp po-boy is heavenly. 1518 N. Lopez. - Franky and Johnnys: Beer served in frosty mugs goes great with any fried seafood offerings. The jukebox is nonpareil. 321 Arabella. Great Po-Boy Shops - Domilises: Hot-sausage, bbq beef and fried oyster/shrimp po-boys are transformative. This place has more soul in its little pinky than most of us could hope to accrue in a lifetime. Hours are finicky so do your homework. 5240 Annunciation. - Parkway: Everything is quality, especially the roast beef. Sweet potato fries are a must. If youve got room, splurge on the bread pudding. 538 Hagan.

Great Brunch/Breakfast Spots - Camellia Grill: omelets the size of your forearm and pecan waffles. Need I say more? The waiters are also entertaining as hell. Perfect hangover cure. 626 S. Carrollton. - Surreys: Lower Garden District joint with delicious fresh squeezed juices and robust brunch offerings (Did someone say Bananas Foster French Toast?). 1418 Magazine. - Elizabeths: Funky Bywater joint that packs a serious brunch punch. In addition to a great Bloody Mary, the food is serious. You cant go wrong with the Duck and Sweet Potatoe Hash served atop a cornbread waffle. 601 Gallier Street. Great Places for Sweets - Hansens SnoBliz: go wild and get your snoball packed with a scoop of ice cream. This place single handedly makes summer tolerable. 4801 Tchoupitoulas. - Plum Street Snowballs: cornucopia of flavors and provides a great neighborhood feel on a hot afternoon. 1300 Burdette. - Creole Creamery: most inventively crafted ice cream flavors Ive ever tasted. Blueberry Mojito and Steens Oatmeal Raisin Cookie are my faves. 4924 Prytania. Great Late Night Food - Avenue Pub: one of the few good spots to grab tasty, non-fast food grub after hours. The Swamp Reuben and the St. Chuck Duck sandwiches will have you finding excuses to stay up late. Oh, and the beer selection is off the chain. 1732 St. Charles.

BOOZE:
Great Dive Bars - Snake N Jakes: Literally a shack. With Christmas lights. If you ever out late enough to go here, GO. Youll make memories. And forget them. 7612 Oak Street. - Milan Lounge: Speakeasy vibe. Great place for a quiet drink on a weeknight. Boardgames and darts, too. 1312 Milan. Great Classy Bars - St. Joes: their mojitos are unreal and reasonably priced. 5535 Magazine. - Delachaise: higher end bar with great cocktails and small plates. 3442 St. Charles. - Cure: old fire house converted into gorgeous mixology den. 4905 Freret. Great Sports Bars - Finn McCools: Great Irish pub and the perfect place to take in a World Cup match or give your brain a workout

Cooter Browns: Perfect place to suck down a dozen oysters while watching any major sporting event. Loud, roudy, delicious greasy food and lengthy beer list. What more could one want? 509 S. Carrollton.

Great Beer Selection - The Bulldog: endless beers on tap and credible bar food. 3236 Magazine. - Avenue Pub: well-edited selection of obscure brews. 1732 St. Charles. Great Cheap Booze - Ms. Maes: $3 Long islands. Done. 4336 Magazine.

FUN: There is something fun to do EVERY night of the week in New Orleans.
Monday - Hi-Ho Lounge Pickin Party: Bluegrass jam session that attracts an interesting crowd of hipsters, vagrants and serious musicians. $1 red beans and rice make this a great way to take in good tunes and eat cheap. 2239 St. Claude. - Quiz night at Finn McCools. 3701 Banks Street. Tuesday - Rebirth Brass Band @ the Maple Leaf: Might be the best music show you ever go to. $12 to get in but totally worth it. GO. 8316 Oak. - Kermit Ruffins @ Bullets: If you have the balls to take a walk off the beaten path, check out this neighborhood spot in Gentilly. Much more local than Kermits Thursday night gig at Vaughans. 2441 AP Turead. Wednesday - Pint Night @ The Bulldog: Free pint glasses with your beer purchase. Great way to fill a new kitchen. 3236 Magazine. - Treme Brass Band @ the Candlelight: used to be an amazing local gem, now mostly populated by gutsy Scandinavian tourists. Busloads of them. Still worth checking out. 1129 N. Robertson. Thursday - Soul Rebels @ Le Bons Temps: $5 gets you a night full of sweaty, booty bumping grooves from one of the citys hottest brass bands. 4801 Magazine. - Kermit Ruffins @Vaughans: crusty dive in the Bywater. $10 cover includes red beans and rice and a great show by a local legend. Visiting celebrities often stop by for a taste of the real New Orleans. 800 Lesseps. Friday and Saturday - Frenchmen Street. The whole street. Get a Monsoon at Snug Harbor and just dip in and out of places until you find your vibe.

Sunday - Palmetto Bug Stompers @ DBA: free swing lessons before an amazing traditional jazz group takes the stage. No cover. Great way to end a weekend/start a week. 618 Frenchmen. - Loose Marbles @ Spotted Cat. Across the street from DBA. Very similar style of traditional jazz music but it continues later into the evening. 623 Frenchmen. Getting Outside: - Audubon Park: Perfect place for a run or picnic. - City Park: Home to golf courses, museum and running trails. - Bayou St. John: Great place to take in a sunset or host a BBQ.