• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • Cookies
  • Bread
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Cookies
    • Birthday Cake Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans
  • Shop

What To Do In New Orleans This Spring, 2018

April 26, 2018 by Joy the Baker 22 Comments

Friends!  

Are you on your way?  Has the sound of brass bands and the smell of gardenias, beignets, and fresh strawberries called you home to New Orleans, yet?  We’re down here living our best days and it only makes sense if you join us!  

It’s Jazz Fest season and it feels like the city is swelling with visitors.  The vibes are good, the river is movin’ fast, and the flower beds are healing from that bully of a winter frost.  

Here are a few of my favorite things in the city right now – mostly food related because, well… what else would you expect from me?  

I hope you’ll come experience this city for yourself soon.  Come for the Louisiana strawberries.  Come before the curtain of heat and humidity descends upon us and only the most willfully relaxed survive.  We’ll keep the daiquiris cold and comin’. 

The truth is, some of the best stuff in New Orleans happens tucked behind unassuming double shot gun front doors, or outside of neighborhood coffee shops on a Saturday morning. 

The best way to know what’s going on in cozy dining rooms, outside local coffee shops, or tucking within overgrown backyards… well, take to Instagram.    

These are my favorite flower growers, produce growers, dinner makers, and bakers in the city.   You’ll find that they’re out and about in the city spreading the good of New Orleans heart and soul, earth and passion:   

Pistil and Stamen,

River Queen Greens,

Mosquito Supper Club, 

Levee Baker, and Jamboree Jams, and Port City Pantry.

And of course – The Bakehouse is my cooking workshop space and we’d love to have you in for a class! 

Also follow Visit New Orleans for city inspiration. 

I have two favorite breakfast places in New Orleans.  

Paloma Cafe in the Bywater is my almost everyday good coffee / great breakfast.  It’s great for a solo magazine or laptop situation.  It’s also fantastic with a breakfast date or small group.  The food is simple but exciting, delicious, and so fairly priced PLUS their lunch and wine list is supreme!  Can I also just tell you that they make homemade tortillas for their breakfast tacos?  But listen – just save me a seat because this is my go-to.  

Brunch at Jack Rose Restaurant in the Ponchatrain Hotel is an unstoppably fun weekend brunch spot.  The dining room is totally over the top irreverent (and dang fantastic), the menu has the most delicious savory brunch staples, they have CHAMBONGS (which is exactly what you thing: champagne, beer bong style), and don’t you dare leave the restaurant without order at least two items from the dessert menu because their pastry chef Erin just have the most delicious imagination in the city. 

If you want to know where I’m eating dinner this spring the answer is Marjie’s Grill.  The fried catfish (pictured above ON A FISH PLATE!) is literally the best I’ve ever had, the house cocktail is delicious, the patio is perfectly sweet and if you’re in town and want to step away from the usual suspects – hit up Marjie’s for southeast Asian + southeast American, uniquely delicious cuisine!  

And more good news!  Pizza and wine at Echo’s in MidCity makes for a pretty perfect early evening! They use fresh milled flour from Bellegarde, their pizza crust is just lightly sour, their tomato sauce is super bright and pleasing and it’s dang good wood-fired pizza so don’t miss it! 

This Spring in New Orleans is revealing itself to be such a stunner.  It’s walking weather… and sure, while the humidity will sneak up on you, it’s absolutely gorgeous out.  If you’re in town, take some time to walk the city and find all the blooming magnolia and gardenias.  We’re all as love-drunk as the bees.  

Some other fine walking destinations and places you might want to pop-in include: 

Oleander on Royal – an incredible new art gallery in the French Quarter. 

Porter Lyons – beautiful jewelry in the French Quarter.

St Claude Social Club – a boutique for the coolest ladies.  

Century Girl Vintage  – a beautiful and feminine vintage boutique, plus look for pieces from Marrow Creative! 

•  For inner peace: Reyn Yoga and Nola Yoga Loft. 

•  My favorite sandwiches:  Turkey and the Wolf – the fried bologna (seriously) and the braised collard green (double seriously)

•  For a bottle of wine and maybe a bit of cheese:  Farbough Wines and Keife and Co. 

•  Where locals eat on a Wednesday: probably Houston’s or Juan’s Flying Burrito

•  My favorite sunset cocktail space:  Hot Tin (the rooftop bar at the Ponchatrain Hotel.  Take the elevator on the right to the Penthouse… you’ll see what I mean.)

•  Best healthy salad bowls and smoothies and juice:  The Daily Beet (in the CBD or St Roch Market) 

•  Best place for a lady sprucing:  Buff Beauty Bar (for hair and nails), Paint’d for cute nail designs, Mad Nails for one of a kind nail art by Morgan. 

See you here soon!

xo Joy

Previous PostNext Post

Filed Under: Beyond the Kitchen, New Orleans

Previous Post: « Strawberry Shortcake Doughnuts
Next Post: Let It Be Sunday, 169! »

Reader Interactions

All Comments
I Made This
Questions
  1. Kate McLean

    July 31, 2018 at 9:12 pm

    Yay!! I think we are coming… will you be doing another Things-to-do-in-New-Orleans post soon? We are planning to come in November. Maybe some fall recommendations?

    Reply
  2. Carly

    June 19, 2018 at 9:57 am

    Thank you thank you thank you for the Paloma cafe rec!! My first good coffee and meal since I’ve been here (I’m vegetarian and from the PNW and therefore have been struggling with everything being fried and meaty everywhere we go). My espresso and breakfast at Paloma were to die for – just sad I only discovered it on my last day in town!! Now I’ll have to come back to make it to the rest of your recs!

    Reply
  3. Kristin

    May 22, 2018 at 4:46 am

    woo! i’m headed to New Orleans for the first time next month! i’m going for work but hoping to have some time to explore. and did you see Crime Con is going to be there next year?? i already have my tickets.

    Reply
  4. Leila

    April 27, 2018 at 11:36 am

    I’m getting married at the end of June and if we can scrape together enough cash after the wedding, the plan is a NOLA honeymoon in October! Not traditional, but I’ve wanted to go for as long as I can remember and my fiance is 100% down. We’re far more into local favorites than the traditional tourist spots and I’ve bookmarked all of your posts over the years knowing that I’d make it there someday. I’m crossing my fingers that one of the Bakehouse workshops will fall during our trip, since they look so fun :) Anyway, I’ve followed your blog for the last 9ish years and have to say thank you, especially for sharing your awesome experiences in New Orleans since you decided to call it home – it’s made me even more excited to eat, drink and walk/dance my way through this amazing city!

    Reply
  5. Codrut Turcanu

    April 27, 2018 at 7:06 am

    I love New Orleans music,.. and would love to try food as well… keep up the great work!

    Reply
  6. Anna

    April 26, 2018 at 9:32 pm

    Yusssss! Happily here for my 5th round of Jazzfest with my ma, looking forward to checking out some of these.

    Reply
  7. Felicia

    April 26, 2018 at 7:25 pm

    Timely and awesome!!! Will be there over the 4th of July :) Can not wait to feel the heat, humidity, love and spiritual vibe…Flea

    Reply
  8. Ronni

    April 26, 2018 at 1:42 pm

    And now all I will think about, for the rest of my days, will be the Collard Green Melt.

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      April 26, 2018 at 10:48 pm

      It really is that good!

      Reply
  9. Jamie P

    April 26, 2018 at 12:40 pm

    I want to throw in a vote for R&O’s Restaurant in Bucketown for an excellent Po’Boy! It is a little out of the way and totally untrendy (read: dive) but their Shrimp Po’Boy is my absolute favorite of all time. Make sure to ask for tartar sauce and don’t be shy about loading it on. P.s. the Roast Beef Po’Boy isn’t half bad either ?? I can’t wait to try all the other places you mentioned!

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      April 26, 2018 at 10:49 pm

      Thank you Jamie! I’m definitely going to R&O! Extra tartar sauce, always.

      Reply
  10. Amy G.

    April 26, 2018 at 12:15 pm

    See you Wednesday! I can’t decide where my first Po boy will be from, Parkway Tavern, Domilise’s, Guy’s, or the Parasol!!!!!

    Reply
    • Suzonne

      April 26, 2018 at 6:09 pm

      Guy’s!!

      Reply
      • Debbi

        April 27, 2018 at 6:41 pm

        I agree, Guys!

        Reply
    • joythebaker

      April 26, 2018 at 10:50 pm

      Giiiirl, get that Domilise!

      Reply
  11. Tina

    April 26, 2018 at 9:17 am

    Perfect timing Joy! I’m visiting in a month and you have become my go to guide! Where is your favorite place for a po boy in the French Quarter?

    Reply
    • Suzonne

      April 26, 2018 at 6:13 pm

      Johnny’s has a great fried shrimp poboy and Verti Marte is a good bet, too! And if you want a Muffaletta, I think Central Grocery on Decatur Street is still the best.

      Reply
    • joythebaker

      April 26, 2018 at 10:53 pm

      I really like a spot just down the way from the Quarter in the Marigny called Gene’s!

      Reply
  12. Beth Thomas

    April 26, 2018 at 7:10 am

    I’m headed to NOLA next month and your post got me even MORE excited, if possible! Thanks for the insider info, we may bump into you at one of your spots!
    Beth

    Reply
  13. Ramona

    April 26, 2018 at 6:38 am

    Thank you for this! All of these sounds wonderful!

    Reply
  14. Mallori Allen

    April 26, 2018 at 6:34 am

    We were in New Orleans in March. Still thinking about the fried bologna sandwhich from Turkey and the Wolf. Can’t wait to come back and try your other suggestions!

    Reply
  15. Alexis

    April 26, 2018 at 6:19 am

    I’m going to be in town for a conference in August (gulp), so hopefully we’ll get a follow up with some more great recommendations for after the curtain of heat and humidity descends!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Beyond the Kitchen

Slice of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting on a plate with a fork.
The 10 Most Classic Recipes on Joy the Baker

We’ve baked some real classics this past month, friends! Thank you for letting me sneak coriander and ginger into classic lemon bars and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.  My tastes lately dictate that a little depth of spice has its place in every classic recipe. Over the past 15 years as Joy the Baker, I’ve…

Read More

Oscars 2023 Party Menu

Since I was raised on movies, the Oscars ceremony is my Super Bowl. I look forward to it all year long and always try to watch all the contenders. Of course I’m in it for the films, the celebs, and the clothes. But I also love a good theme party—who doesn’t? My ideal Oscars party…

Read More

Fat Tuesday aka Paczki Day

Happy Fat Tuesday everyone! We’ve arrived at the day before Lent, where everyone loses their minds and indulges before 40 days of meatless Mondays and fish fry Fridays. Chicago, while having faith from all corners of the world, is an incredibly Catholic-centric city – kind of like New Orleans. Growing up non-denominational Christian I never…

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

JOY @ WILLIAMS SONOMA

SHOP THE CAKE LINE OF CAKE MIXES!

DRAKE ON CAKE

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

Check it out on Instagram

Drake on cake instagram.

 

BREADS YOU’LL LOVE

jambalaya buttermilk biscuits in a row

Smoked Sausage Jambalaya Buttermilk Biscuits

inside of warm cinnamon roll on plate

How To Make The Best Single Serve Cinnamon Roll

Orange roll on a plate with a fork.

Christmas Morning Orange Rolls

LET’S MAKE COOKIES!

a stack of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies with a bite taken out of the top one with milk

Classic White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

wider shot of lemon bars stacked on a plate with a bite taken out of one lemon bar

My Favorite Classic Lemon Bars Recipe

completed recipe close up shot of a blondie so the toasted almonds, chocolate chips, and sea salt can be seen

My Best Classic Blondie Recipe

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker and author of books and magazines
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
💁🏻‍♀️Classes with me @thebakehousenola
🍰 Products with @williamssonoma

joythebaker
Almost 🌀🌀 about everything on the March to-d Almost 🌀🌀 about everything on the March to-do list that didn’t get done but here’s proof of all the living a list can’t really touch.
Do you know my friend @ellenmariebennett of @hedle Do you know my friend @ellenmariebennett of @hedleyandbennett? She’s a 💎 of a friend and here’s what our quick visit last week looked like! Lots of cheese and chats, with help from Mr. Nico and Olive Oyl the chicken. 💙#apronsquad #cheeseboard #losangeles
🍓🌼 Pan Dulce is the best way to bake spring! 🍓🌼 Pan Dulce is the best way to bake spring! Full recipe linked in the @joythebaker bio! Xo
Second coffee: the perfect way to re-start the day Second coffee: the perfect way to re-start the day. 
✨Beignet Café au Lait✨⁣
⁣1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk⁣⁣
Splash of vanilla extract⁣⁣
½ cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks⁣⁣
2 cups fresh brewed strong coffee⁣⁣
½ cup toasted cinnamon cereal, lightly crushed⁣⁣
Powdered sugar for topping⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Place sweetened condensed milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Add half of the whipped cream and fold to combine.  Add the remaining half and fold until you have a fluffy sweet cream. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Divide brewed coffee between two mugs. Spoon dream on top.  Sprinkle cinnamon cereal between the cups.  Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy immediately.
Life Skill No. 458: How to Make 1️⃣2️⃣ Cup Life Skill No. 458: How to Make 1️⃣2️⃣ Cupcakes with just 1️⃣ Stick of Butter⁣
⁣
Full recipe linked in my bio! xo
Someone call @foodnetwork because Dad and I need a Someone call @foodnetwork because Dad and I need a baking show stat. Here’s our very best chocolate chip cookies and all the little tips that make them perfection. ✨🍪 Find the full recipe linked in the profile!
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up