Where to brunch in New Orleans: morning rooms worth the queue.
Where to brunch in New Orleans. the morning rooms worth the queue, and the kitchens still doing it right at noon.
Commander's Palace in New Orleans is the Garden District grande dame on Washington Avenue, with the canonical New Orleans Sunday jazz brunch, 25-cent martinis and eggs Sardou.
Order: Turtle soup with sherry, then eggs Sardou.
Tip: The 25-cent martini (3 max) is the brunch tradition; jacket suggested for the men in the upstairs Garden Room.
Atchafalaya in New Orleans is the Louisiana Avenue Creole brunch room on the Garden District edge, with a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar, duck hash and live music on weekends.
Order: Duck hash with sunny eggs; build a Bloody Mary at the bar.
Tip: Saturday and Sunday brunch with live music; arrive 09:30 or hold for the 13:00 turn.
Elizabeth's in New Orleans is the Bywater corner cafe at Chartres and Gallier that invented praline bacon, with eggs Benedict, biscuits, grits and Real Food Done Real Good as the kitchen motto.
Order: Praline bacon as a side with the redneck eggs Benedict.
Tip: No reservations. Arrive by 09:00 on weekends or wait an hour for the brunch turn.
Willa Jean in New Orleans is the CBD bakery cafe and bar on O'Keefe Avenue, the James Beard pastry chef Kelly Fields room with cornbread, biscuits and a long brunch and bakery counter.
Order: Cornbread with cane syrup butter; then the cheddar biscuit sandwich.
Tip: The cornbread arrives with cane syrup butter as a starter; order it even at breakfast as part of the meal.
Saba in New Orleans is Alon Shaya's Magazine Street modern Israeli room at Nashville, with shakshuka, matzo-ball brioche French toast and a long pita bread service on weekend brunch.
Order: Shakshuka with whipped feta; matzo ball brioche French toast.
Tip: Sunday brunch is the most popular service; book a fortnight ahead. Mezze plates come quickest.
Coquette in New Orleans is the Magazine and Washington Garden District room with a Sunday brunch service of soft scrambles, biscuits and a small caviar list above the eggs.
Order: Soft scramble with caviar; biscuits with farmstead butter.
Tip: Sit upstairs for the corner-window view; the downstairs runs faster and louder.
Bywater Bakery in New Orleans is the corner cafe on Dauphine Street in Bywater, with king cakes through Mardi Gras, breakfast plates and the Chantilly cream cake year-round.
Order: Chantilly cream cake and a breakfast plate.
Tip: King cakes are seasonal between Twelfth Night and Mardi Gras; the chantilly slice is year-round.
The Ruby Slipper Cafe in New Orleans is the CBD brunch counter on Magazine Street at Common, with eggs Cochon, bananas Foster pain perdu and a daily lunchtime queue.
Order: Eggs Cochon with biscuit; bananas Foster pain perdu.
Tip: No reservations; arrive 09:00 weekends or expect a 45-minute wait. The eggs Cochon is the cult brunch order.
Peak food season in New Orleans is year-round.
Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.
service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. New Orleans rewards trust.