Hello all!! Ive been reading all of your suggestions for the first timers in Nola and have been seeing Commanders a lot, I have put that on my list for bread pudding. My boyfriend and I are coming to New Orleans this weekend for his birthday, it was a last min decision thus i am writing this so late, sorry wish i had more time to plan:( So far i have us arriving at 9am friday going to the hotel and heading straight out to Cafe Du Monde, walking around the french quarter and doing a cemetery tour. Heres where i need your help, we arent super fancy people and we like the local eats type of places but of course delicious, we love music and its my beaus birthday so i need a great not too fancy restaurant to celebrate! uhhh a few more curve balls, we dont drink nor eat meat or shell fish, just regular fish, so i know that nixes a bunch of new orleans style fares :( Is there any hope for us to have delicious eats in Nola? Are the swamp tours worth it, we leave sunday at 630pm, we only have the cemetery and blue nile jazz on the agenda so far. We are staying in the quarter.

If you want delicious eats check out: GW Fins, Peche, Cochon, Balise, K-Paul's and Stanley.

First off. Write some reviews when you are down here and keep writing when you get home.

Second, thank you so much for actually doing some research. You don't know how awesome and rare that is.

Third, I think Honey Island is the most affordable Swamp tour for what you get. I've not heard anything bad about them from people I have actually spoken to personally.

Fourth, your dietary restrictions kill my heart and I'm afraid I can't help there...but we have some vegans and vegetarians on here who will probably give you some great suggestions.

P.S.
Aunt Voula What do you mean he don't eat no meat?

Aunt Voula: Oh, that's okay. I make lamb.

I didn't see that you don't eat meat, I thought it was just shellfish. Scratch Cochon. The others will have some good options for you, especially GW Fins and Peche.

For less formal eats, get a po-boy at either Verti Mart (mushroom mountain!) or Parkway (caprese). The big veg restaurants in town are Carmo, Seed, and Good Karma Cafe.

Thank you guys ssoooooooooo MUCH!!!!

I shall write lots of reviews for all the places we go!!

@bobby my grandparents said the same thing "oh okey you don't eat meat, I make you chicken"

@marielle I just made reservations to GW Fins, thanks!!

@Suzanne will definitely try the po boys and will stop by those veg restaurants I've been seeing carmo and good karma :))

@libby V Veggie po Boy, YUMMMM !!!!!!

If you do like mushrooms, one of my favorite sammaches is from Verti Mart. Suzanne mentioned it. As a meat eater, it's a damned fine sammach.

Good luck.

I highly recommend an airboat/swamp tour (weather permitting) it was a lot of fun

@bobby @michele p there's a groupon for ultimate swamp adventures, have you guys heard anything about that?

Nope. I don't even bother with groupons. So many reviews showing shady businesses letting you waste your money buying them and then not honoring them.

I'm with Bobby on the Groupons. Go with an established tour company.
And you will be able to eat fish dishes without shellfish. The higher end the restaurant the more able they will be able to deal with dietary restrictions, especially if you give them a heads up first!

Take a stroll on the moonwalk and through Woldenberg Park...great views of the Mississippi and it's free!

Awesome I'll make a reservation with Honey Island, thanks guys.

@jen L the park sounds perfect!! I was looking for a good place to watch the sunset, you must have read my mind!!!

Any suggestion for kingcake?

Manny randazzos in Metairie has the best king cake.  They're open for xmas King cakes now.

@aaron M Wonderful!! Thanks

Don't listen to Aaron. Go to Manny Randazzos in Matairie instead. :)

He's right. By far my favorite. Too many just take like Bready cake with tons of cinnamon.

Btw, if you really want a nice view, cross the river on the ferry and watch the downtown light up from the Westbank side. It's beautiful.

Green Goddess is my favorite restaurant in the FQ for "not too fancy, possibly a vegetarian in the group." Service usually isn't great, and the space is weather depending: mostly outdoor tables, inside space not as good. But the food that you get for the price is amazing.

Also, I think Haydel's has the best King Cake. But people can argue in circles about this. Whatever you do, don't get it at Whole Foods. They have no idea what they're doing.

Add carmo to your list!

If you go to carmo and don't like it, don't post about it. He will attack you.

Don't eat king cake. King cake is just a dry ass cinnamon roll covered in sugar. Go to a French bakery and get a gallete de rois instead. Trust me on this one.

Okey so itinerary so far....

arrive to Nola at 9am
swing by Manny Randazzo from airport since we have to pass it
Hotel in FQ
Take street car to Breakfast at Surreys Cafe
Take street car back for scenic route and walk around the quarter
Regroup at hotel
Sunset on the moonwalk and stroll through Woldenberg park
Dinner resverations at GV Fin
Cemetery tour after dinner
Saturday
Brunch at Green Goodness
Cafe Du Monde for snacks
Honey Island Swamp Tour
Lunch at Carmo
Regroup at hotel
Frenchmen St Blue Nile for music and dancing
?? late night eats??
Ferry to the westbank for a nice walk before heading back to hotel
Sunday **Actual Birthday
Havent found a brunch place yet :/ Thinking Commanders but thats sooo fancy
Souvenir shopping and more beignets
flight at 630pm

Thoughts Anything i should add or omit?

Cemetery is not after dinner lols it's at 1pm after lunch\breakfast

Girl welcome to the city of best brunches you've ever had!
Commanders
Court of two sisters
Warehouse grill
Dantes kitchen
Copelands
Elizabeth's
And about 100 more....

Dante kitchen sounds AMAZING!!!Do you guys have a recommendation for dinner Saturday night?

I don't think the ferry runs after 8p. You don't wanna get stuck.

Casual? Verti Mart. Classy? 3 Muses

Ahhh Okey no ferry ride then :(

They expanded the hours. Saturday's hours are: Saturday: 10:45 a.m. to 11;45 p.m.

Oh okey nice!!!

So flight was delayed and we missed the cemetery tour and surreys cafe...manny kingcake is closed, Any runner up places that are good?

Not really. Maybe go with Bert's suggestion of a totally different treat. There are some incredible candy places in the Quarters.