ALL things considered, these are pretty good days for New Orleans. The Saints are owning the NFC (8-0!). The fall weather’s fine, and is supposed to stay fine. (Well, at least now that the deadly Ida has been downgraded to a weak tropical storm, aiming at Florida.)
Hungry? There are approximately 1,000 restaurants open in New Orleans as of a couple of months ago — that’s a couple hundred more than there were before Katrina. The Quarter’s bustling, getting there’s fairly affordable. Speaking of, have you seen those hotel rates?
Now’s the time to make a break for it; we’ve got eight sound (if we do say so ourselves) arguments to help you make the right decision.
1) GET BOMBED You’ve probably never seen a museum orientation film like “Beyond Boundaries,” the 4-D flick playing in the new Victory Theater at the city’s ever-growing National World War II Museum. Produced by Tom Hanks and voiced over by dozens of his celeb pals, Boundaries brings home the agony and the never-endingness of The Good War. In future, all history will be taught like this. Afterwards, calm frayed nerves with $7 classic cocktails at the museum’s new American Sector bar and restaurant (nationalww2museum.org).
2) WATCH YOUR CARTOONS It’s no accident that the historic New Orleans Museum of Art in beautiful City Park is the only North American stop for “Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio.” The exhibit, a peek into the tough behind-the-scenes work that went into creating classics such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, is a result of the Disney creative team falling in love with New Orleans while in town working on the House of Mouse’s upcoming “The Princess and The Frog” flick, a French Quarter-set animaganza. (New York release is Nov. 25.) A must for Mickey lovers everywhere, the 8,000 square-foot show opens Sunday and runs through Mar. 14 (noma.org).
3) GET YOUR ART ON From cutting edge galleries to avant-garde public installations, post-Katrina New Orleans, always a creative place, has become a must for those who appreciate art. Start your tour at the Contemporary Arts Center or the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, both on Camp Street, then work your way down to the galleries of nearby Julia Street. Pick up a little something on your way out at the city’s Arts Market (next date Nov. 28), held al fresco in an Uptown park (artscouncilofneworleans.org).
4) NO CAR REQUIRED While the best donuts will always be in suburban Metairie (Morning Call = mmm, mmm good), rental are so so pricey (and so are the French Quarter garage spaces), it is worth foregoing beignet bliss at least this once, just to see how navigable this town can be without wheels. Greener buses almost float up and down fascinating Magazine Street, the streetcar is back on leafy St. Charles Avenue, and when you really need them, cabs are no more than $15 or so from the Quarter into Uptown. One-day passes are $5; buy them when you first board. How’s that for convenient? (norta.com)
5) FRENCHIFY YOUR CHRISTMAS December in New Orleans means free concerts, light displays, traditional Reveillon dinners and plenty of other special events, all month long. Learn more at fqfi.org. Also hit the annual Treme Creole Gumbo Festival and Holiday Bazaar on Dec. 12, for a glimpse into the Quarter-adjacent Treme district (jazzandheritage.org).
6) GO LUXE FOR LESS It used to be that bed and breakfasts were the best way to go in this town crawling with them – meet locals, feel more at home, etc. But these days, with five-star properties either in or near the French Quarter going for what can often seem like a song, it’s hard to ignore the siren call of the big guys. For instance: through Dec. 31 at the Ritz-Carlton, stay 3 nights starting at $199 each and get two free, plus breakfast, internet and parking (ritzcarlton.com). All over town, ask about the Papa Noel rates during December — for instance, across Canal Street at the schmancy Windsor Court Hotel, rooms start at $149 (neworleansonline.com/christmas).
7) EAT IN THE ‘HOOD What’s that about 1,000 restaurants open around town? That’s right — and with numbers like these, competition is stiffer than ever. From casual hangouts like the super-fab Orange Couch in the Marigny Rectangle area (2339 Royal St.) to corner bistros like the chic and friendly Coquette on the fringes of the Garden District (2800 Magazine St.), New Orleans neighborhood drinking and dining is getting smarter all the time – best of all, it’s doing so mostly without sacrificing authenticity and atmosphere.
8) SPEAKING OF FOOD You’ve heard about the bacon craze sweeping the nation. New Orleans sees that and raises you its candied bacon, a delicious dish that’s on the menu at Elizabeth’s in the Bywater (601 Gallier St). Then there’s that local favorite, the praline, zipped up with chewy chunks of high-quality bacon at Chef Donald Link’s smart-casual Cochon Butcher, around the corner from his famous Warehouse District restaurant (930 Tchoupitoulas St.) And let’s not forget Bacon praline scones. You’ll find those at Fuel Café on Magazine Street, a previously lackluster coffee house where chef Maribeth del Castillo is now spicing things up with pastries like these, plus a good weekend brunch (4807 Magazine St.).