heading to Harrash's New Orleans for WSOP Circuit, need suggsetions.

[wonderwes]

Greets. Several friends and I are making the trek from Austin to New Orleans to play in the smaller tournament events that are going on at the WSOP Circuit. Now I am actually staying in the downtown La Quinta next door (cheap rate) and plan to stay there for 4-5 days. Its been a good 5+ years since I was down in the french quarter.

I am looking for some good suggestions around the area. Any places to go eat in the area. Also what keys bars are fun to visit around Bourbon street. Also, my hotel info said about having to valet your cars. Is this the best option or is there a huge parking garage that is better?

Anyone else going to the WSOP circuit events? I wonder how packed it will get.

[tripdad]

i played in atlantic city. avoid the satellites if you can, the blind structure is brutal. better to play in a $500 buy in event, if you ask me.

good luck!

[Chobohoya]

Go to Galatoire's. Get there early and sit downstairs, it's amazing.

[zuluking]

Valet is the way to go.

Palace Cafe on Canal Street rocks for lunch or dinner.

The aquarium is a must see.

The sports bar at the Hilton on the river has some great "bar" food.

Go shopping.

Good luck.

[PotatoStew]

I was just there last weekend -- if I was there a day earlier I could have tried playing in their WSOP satelite tournaments, which would have been fun.

Restaurant-wise, Mulates was a lot of fun. The service wasn't too great, but the food and drinks were good, and they had live music and dancing. It's a few blocks down Convention Center Rd (or whatever it's called) from Harrah's. If you want something fancier, Brennan's Restaurant (http://www.brennansneworleans.com/) was awesome -- great service, ambiance and food.

For music, try to hit Frenchman's street, to the east of the French Quarter. We saw a live jazz band at a club there -- good stuff. That area, we were told, is less touristy and is where the locals go to hang out.

For parking, we found the generic garage across the street from our hotel had cheaper rates then the valet parking. If you're just going to leave your car alone the whole time, I'd look into something like that. We didn't use our car while we were there, so it wasn't inconvenient to have it parked somewhere else, and we probably saved about $20 by doing it.

[PoorLawyer]

Acme Oyster Bar

[LittleOldLady]

I am looking for some good suggestions around the area. Any places to go eat in the area. Also what keys bars are fun to visit around Bourbon street. Also, my hotel info said about having to valet your cars. Is this the best option or is there a huge parking garage that is better?


[/ QUOTE ]

Parking in the Quarter is at an expensive premium. Take the option offered.

Another excellent place for lunch (or an expensive dinner) in the Quarter is Bayona. Make reservations as far in advance as possible for our famous restaurants, although Galatoire's doesn't take reservations for downstairs (they do for upstairs but that is social Siberia).

Bourbon Street has all the bars, strip joints, hookers, con artists, pickpockets, shops selling vulgar t-shirts and out-of-season Mardi Gras trinkets, gutterpunks and vomiting tourists anyone could want. For atmospheric only-in-New Orleans bars, try Napoleon House and Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop (the most photographed building in the Quarter)and then there is Pat O's.

Another option is to take the streetcar Uptown and to Midcity and eat in the places real New Orleanians eat....

LOL

[Barry]

[ QUOTE ]
Another option is to take the streetcar Uptown and to Midcity and eat in the places real New Orleanians eat....


[/ QUOTE ]

... like Jacques-Imo's, way uptown on Oak Street.

[jetsg4]

if your hotel is close to harrahs, and you don't plan on driving anywhere, park in the harrahs garage and leave it there. i have done that almost every time i've stayed there. it's rediculous when a hotel that you are a guest at charges you $15 a day to park... don't know if yours is, but some do...

JET

[LittleOldLady]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Another option is to take the streetcar Uptown and to Midcity and eat in the places real New Orleanians eat....


[/ QUOTE ]

... like Jacques-Imo's, way uptown on Oak Street.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly the place I had in mind--expect to wait for a table though. And there are others too......

LOL

[PoorLawyer]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Another option is to take the streetcar Uptown and to Midcity and eat in the places real New Orleanians eat....


[/ QUOTE ]

... like Jacques-Imo's, way uptown on Oak Street.

[/ QUOTE ]

mmmmmmmmmm I second the motion.........they opened in NYC just to let people know. Havent been yet.

[James Lang]

I will also be traveling to NOLA for the WSOP circuit (from Virginia though), I'm staying at the same La Quinta too (heard it was a bargain). This is my second time there this year...was there for th Sugar Bowl in January. I would suggest eating at Crescent City Brewhouse if you want some good po-boys.

[MicroBob]

I second the motion for Frenchman Street.
Much less touristy and very good jazz at small clubs.

Depends on your personality though. Frenchman is fairly bohemian-like. Some people naturally like the touristy stuff...and Bourbon Street is fun if that's what you're in the mood for.

On Frenchman we tend to gravitate to Blue Nile or Spotted Cat.
On Bourbon Street you can pretty much go wherever you like. Most of the bars aren't really that different....although Pat O's is an exception.

We're also a fan of Molly's at the Market bar on Decatur but it's just a relax-have-a-drink bar with a jukebox...not a loud club.

Just got back from New Orleans actually and the GF and I did Bourbon Street for the first time in several visits as we celebrated her birthday. Good times.


There are about a zillion good restaurants in New Orleans and in the French Q and all you really need to do is just walk around. That strategy has always served us well.

Even Bourbon House and Red Fish Grill at the end of Bourbon Street are worthwhile.

[wonderwes]

Very good feedback here. The more of a low key resturant, the better. After all we are poker players, not high traveling business types.

For James, you probably got the closest hotel next to Harrah's/ . I showed this link on Google maps. You can see how close it is. I ordered my room for La Quinta off hotels.com to get that rate. Check there, expedia, and orbitz to see if you get a better rate.

Google map to Harrah's (http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=29.951744,-90.068218&spn=0.009044,0.014012&t=k&saddr=301+Camp +St+New+Orleans+La&daddr=512+Canal+St,+New+Orleans ,+LA+70130&hl=en)

If you play a 10 seater satelitte, what is average running time of those games?

I might try the option to park in the Harrah's garage for $15. It would be the exact same price for valet. I wonder if the garage gets full and you dont even have the option. There has to be additional garages besides that one.

My concerns is how many freaking people will be at the WSOP circuit. Will the main poker room always be full for cash games?

What other 2+2 people will be at this event?

[Spicole]

Jacques-Imo's is hands down the best place I've dined at in New Orleans.

I second the suggestion for Molly's on the Market, as well. Great jukebox.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

Valet parking at all the hotels I've seen is between $22 and $27 per car per 24 hours. Since I'm staying in N.O. for 12 weeks and there happens to be a parking lot right across the street from me, I got a monthly pass from them for $145/mo. If you get a hotel in the area Harrah's is in (I'm a block away), then you'll probably walk everywhere. The only time I get in my car is to go to and from work each day. There's a doubletree right across the street from Harrah's - I'd have to say that's the closest hotel, but there's a ton that are all within quick walking distance. If you want to park in the Harrah's lot, they'll validate it for you in the poker room. You're supposed to play for half an hour somewhere in the casino, but I've seen them stamp it for people as they put them on the waiting list. If the lot right there is full, they've got another lot across the street and there's a tunnel from it to the casino under the street.

I'll be in town during the WSOP circuit, but I don't plan on playing any events. It's the weekend of May 19, right? I'm going to have friends in town visiting, so I probably won't be in the area except that I'll probably be on Bourbon Street at night.

[Barry]

[ QUOTE ]
Jacques-Imo's is hands down the best place I've dined at in New Orleans

[/ QUOTE ]

Let's see for appetizers:

Fried Green Tomatoes
Eggplant Jacques-Imo
Alligator(?) Cheesecake

The cornbread is to die for.

For entrees:

Any fish with any sauce! But I like the swordfish with the Voodo mojo sauce.

I've always been too full for desert, so I don't know about those.

Yeah, get there early, or you can just eat at the bar. Visually it's a hole in the wall, but well worth it.

[feelixthegreek]

Frenchmen Street all the way. A restaurant I love called Adolfo's is located there above a bar called the Apple Barrel. I've eaten there as much as I 've eaten anywhere in the city. Small and not fancy but very good veal and fish. Plus you can bring your own wine. For that I suggest Vieux Carre spirits on Chartres street by K-Paul's restaurant.

Good to see Molly's on the Market get love on this thread, too.

[wonderwes]

Roll call.

Is any other 2+2'ers going to be at this event. If so, what dates and which events?

Myself: 17-20th
$200 and $300 tournament events. And any others I can satellite into.

[feelixthegreek]

I'm playing the first $200 event, and after a self-assessment decide if I want to play in the $300 event, too.

I wonder if the event will have any effect on the lower stakes cash games.

[wonderwes]

I'll probably either sport my black UB hat or my blue playstation2 hat. So if you see me there, come say greets.

[va_chier]

few blocks on poydras towards lake from harrahs. good po-boys and such.

[bnobs1]

[ QUOTE ]
few blocks on poydras towards lake. good po-boys and such.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good point.Also, I would suggest to hit Central Grocery on Decatur a few blocks south from Harrah's for a Muffalatta.

[Wintermute]

"Also what keys bars are fun to visit around Bourbon street."

Pat O'Brien's. If you want to work the Durty Durty like I did, here's the plan: hit this place for a couple hurricanes. When you get asked to leave, be sure to get a hurricane for the road. Also be sure to mention to the chick standing next to you at the bar that you could make a meal out of her ass for a week.
Next, go bar hopping around to random bars in the quarter, ordering hand grenades and shark attack's. (Don't ask what's in it, just drink it.) If you have the chance I highly recommend mentioning to the bartenders girlfriend that her ass looks like it's perfectly shaped to have the hand grenade bottle shoved right up it. Sweet.
Next, head to the casino. On the way out of the corner, be sure you yank the hell out of a policeman's horse. Be sure you dodge the kick (I did thank god).
At the casino, run up $800 in blackjack and take it to the NLHE game with no cap buyin. Catch AA in the BB first hand you play, raise the 7 limpers to 15x the BB (to $75) and when you get 4 (!) callers, shove the rest of your stack in the dark. Flop will come KKx, and some dickhead with K7 will call you and take the pot down.
Then aim for your hotel, but get separated from your friends and lost, and end up crashing a party in an upscale hotel somewhere in downtown. When you're asked to leave, yell obscenities about how these people aren't any better than you are, etc etc. Somehow find your way back to the hotel, pass out.

I also highly recommend the Gold Club as far as titty bars go. Hustler is OK, but I found myself yelling "TRIMSPA!" a lot there, and definitely remarked to one stripper that she looked like a down syndrome version of Tara Reid... Gold Club is awesome, very hot ladies there and one in particular that has a dirty librarian vibe that cost me about $350. Well worth it though.

[hast]

I live near New Orleans and thought about driving down to try the low end satellites. Has any one played in the satellites at other sites for the $200 or $300 buy-in tourneys? What is the structure and the field like?

[feelixthegreek]

I asked about it in the MTT forum, and they said the fields are pretty tough, or at least tougher than what you get in your run of the mill online tourney. That's about all I've learned, though. I think there'll be about 600 entries for those early tournaments.

[blatz]

Felixthegreek...I'd say Im pretty much of a regular at Molly's...you ever see a short loud red haired Irish Jew(Christ, I guess I gotta add balding, too, although I'd rather not) say Hi. I'll let ya buy me a beer. Nah, forget it, I'll be big and buy you one.

My 'it's 6 am and I don't seem to be tired so quick off the top of my head guide for tourists'

A small step down, drinking wise, from Molly's but with the added bonus of off duty strippers is Erin Rose on Conti, off Bourbon.

If you want to take a cab ride uptown, Dick and Jennies is a prize for eating...especially at the price, and in the quarter, Adolfo's is as local as you get for dinner. Spending cash and like french? Restaurant August; fair priced lunches, too.

Local band to see is the Jazz Vipers, especially at the Spotted Cat. Apple Barrel directly under Adolfo's will also do you right for booze/local music. Depending on how much local color you think you can handle, Mother In Law Lounge and Saturn Bar are both, umm, something to see, and worth a cab.

Late night food delivery to your hotel...Verti Marte...anything with shrimp.

Wile away some early evening hours at the Napolean House, and drink something that your grandfather would. And its a fine place to pick up your mandatory Muffaletta.

Most importantly, meet locals. Good people, and everyone here loves to tell tourists the best places to go. (But if they disagree with me, they're opinions are probably wrong)

[feelixthegreek]

Are you regular enough that your likeness is represented on the mural in the back room? That would be impressive. I don't get to spend nearly as much time there as I'd like, but I'll keep an eye out. I'm the guy that isn't actually Greek.

[mosta]

I'm going to walk over from the warehouse dist right now and maybe some other nights. probably won't play in any tourney events, but if I see an interesting game I can get into... . If anyone's feeling sociable, I'll stand out on the tall side. For restaurants, another place closer to the casino, in the bistro style, that is very very good is Eleven 79 Annunciation (name = address). It's where annunc. goes under the interstate/GNO Bridge. More Mediterranean seafood style, so perhaps not ideal for the "NO" experience.

[Mangatang]

I'm heading out right now for the $200 event. I couldn't believe the line yesterday for registration. I got there when registration began (4:00 PM, and the line was already out the door). I barely got in, assigned to table 61 (out of 62 tables). I don't know how we're supposed to register for the other events, if we're playing in that day's event.

I plan on playing in the $500 on Friday and the $1000 on Saturday (and maybe a super satillite for the big one).

[CrazyN8]

I'll be there but just for vacation...I was thinking about coming down for the $200 event but will be down next week, instead.....bringing the little lady.

[Mangatang]

They had 809 players for the opening event (the biggest field of any of the WSOP circuit events this year).

I had two people go all-in on my turned nut flush (smaller flush and a flopped set). The river paired the board and knocked me out. Tripling up would have been nice.

Oh well, let's hope the poker gods are with me on Friday and Saturday.

[NoTalent]

[ QUOTE ]
"Also what keys bars are fun to visit around Bourbon street."

Pat O'Brien's. If you want to work the Durty Durty like I did, here's the plan: hit this place for a couple hurricanes. When you get asked to leave, be sure to get a hurricane for the road. Also be sure to mention to the chick standing next to you at the bar that you could make a meal out of her ass for a week.
Next, go bar hopping around to random bars in the quarter, ordering hand grenades and shark attack's. (Don't ask what's in it, just drink it.) If you have the chance I highly recommend mentioning to the bartenders girlfriend that her ass looks like it's perfectly shaped to have the hand grenade bottle shoved right up it. Sweet.
Next, head to the casino. On the way out of the corner, be sure you yank the hell out of a policeman's horse. Be sure you dodge the kick (I did thank god).
At the casino, run up $800 in blackjack and take it to the NLHE game with no cap buyin. Catch AA in the BB first hand you play, raise the 7 limpers to 15x the BB (to $75) and when you get 4 (!) callers, shove the rest of your stack in the dark. Flop will come KKx, and some dickhead with K7 will call you and take the pot down.
Then aim for your hotel, but get separated from your friends and lost, and end up crashing a party in an upscale hotel somewhere in downtown. When you're asked to leave, yell obscenities about how these people aren't any better than you are, etc etc. Somehow find your way back to the hotel, pass out.

I also highly recommend the Gold Club as far as titty bars go. Hustler is OK, but I found myself yelling "TRIMSPA!" a lot there, and definitely remarked to one stripper that she looked like a down syndrome version of Tara Reid... Gold Club is awesome, very hot ladies there and one in particular that has a dirty librarian vibe that cost me about $350. Well worth it though.

[/ QUOTE ]

awesome /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[MicroBob]

definitely awesome.




except.....


[ QUOTE ]
Next, head to the casino.

[/ QUOTE ]


it needs to be clarified that this a bit of a hike from the Pat O's area of Bourbon St.
So if by 'head' you mean to 'stroll' (or 'stumble' as the case may be) be advised that it's not exactly next door.

If you're drunk enough that walking is just kind of annoying (or if it's raining or something), AND since you plan on winning at the poker-tables anyway, you might want to consider splurging for a cab.

Otherwise, I find no problems with this general New Orleans game-plan...and have employed it on a few occasions myself (save for the part about shoving the hand-grenade up the GF's ass....I just wasn't aware that was part of the routine...somehow I always seem to miss the really important parts).