Editor's Note: Vern Lanegrasse is a native of New Orleans and spent many years there before moving to California.
I really dreaded going back home to New Orleans. I didn’t know what to expect after seeing the disaster on TV. At first I had trouble driving around the city as most street signs haven’t been replaced. Once I got settled in my hotel, I reviewed the maps, checked with friends and it finally felt like “ole” times.
Sure there is a lot of destruction, but the pace of the city is fast and furious. The Canal Street business is a disaster, but the French Quarter is alive and looks as it was. It received very little damage.
Uptown on St. Charles Avenue there is some damage to the grand old homes, but the Universities are up and running and looking as if nothing ever happened. The Garden District looked fine, but not all the homes have been repaired. The ride to the Lake Front showed you that some of the homes were completely gone, others hardly hurt and some in great need of repair.
During the day the downtown is business as usual and at lunch time the restaurants are filled. Due to the lack of help, some restaurants open only for lunch and others are open only for dinner. If you are planning a trip, I advise calling ahead and make your reservations so you will not be disappointed.
I had lunch at the Bon Ton Café, 401 Magazine Street, which is the best Cajun restaurant in the city. The Acme Oyster House, 724 Ibervill Street, always has the best and freshest oysters in the city. For coffee you must try Café Du Monde, 800 Desire Street and for lunch a long time favorite of mine is Tujague’s Café, 823 Decatur with the best shrimp remoulade and brisket of beef in tomato sauce you ever had. Dinner found me with Joann Clevenger eating her signature dish of fried green tomatoes with remoulade sauce in the Upperline at 1413 Upperline.
Galatoire’s at 209 Bourbon Street has the best Creole food in the city since 1905. They have great waiters who will tell you what is best in the kitchen that day. My last night in the city I thoroughly enjoyed John Besh”s Restaurant August, 301 Tchoupitoulas Street. It is a gorgeous setting with exquisite food. The chef is a genius. It was my first visit and when I return it will be a definite stop for me.
The nights are still glorious in New Orleans and filled with laughter and people determined to survive and “let the good times roll”.
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