The places in New Orleans the guidebooks miss.
The places in New Orleans the guidebooks miss. locals-only counters, after-hours rooms and the spots tourists walk past.
Open-air Saturday market in New Orleans East beside Mary Queen of Vietnam church and Ly's Supermarket; Vietnamese elders sell garden herbs from 5am to 9am.
Why locals love it: The 06:00-09:00 Saturday-only Vietnamese church-parking-lot market in New Orleans East that locals know and most tourists miss because it ends before brunch.
Tip: Bring cash in small bills and arrive before 08:00; vendors pack up at 09:00 sharp.
Algiers Point cafe-roaster on Pelican Ave from Eliot Guthrie (2015); seasonal single-origins, year-round blends, breakfast pastries Thursday to Monday.
Why locals love it: The Algiers Point cafe ten minutes across the river by ferry from Jackson Square, with single-origin pour-overs and a quiet patio that almost no tourist crosses to reach.
Tip: Take the Algiers Ferry from Canal Street; ten minutes across and Congregation is two blocks from the dock.
N7 is a wine bar room in New Orleans. Look for the unsigned wooden fence on Montegut between Royal and Dauphine; the garden seats open at 17:00.
Why locals love it: The unmarked French wine bar in a Bywater garden on Montegut Street, behind a tall fence with no street sign; you walk past the front three times before you see it.
Tip: Look for the unsigned wooden fence on Montegut between Royal and Dauphine; the garden seats open at 17:00.
French Quarter patisserie on Ursulines in the historic Brocato ice-cream parlour; from-scratch viennoiseries with sweet, savory and Creole sausage fillings.
Why locals love it: The French Quarter patisserie courtyard most tourists walk past on the way to Cafe du Monde, a 1913 Brocato's space with classic French pastry and a hidden Old World garden.
Tip: Walk through the front cafe to the back courtyard, the prettiest seat in the Quarter for a pastry and espresso.
Bayou St John Mediterranean kitchen on Ponce de Leon, spun out of the Fat Falafel truck; Israeli-leaning falafel, hummus and kebabs Monday to Saturday.
Why locals love it: The Esplanade Ridge Mediterranean room on Ponce de Leon behind the Fair Grounds, with falafel and a daily-changing mezze plate locals know but tourists rarely find.
Tip: The falafel plate and the seasonal mezze board are the canonical orders; cash and card both accepted, no reservations.
Twelve Mile Limit (Cocktail bar) in New Orleans: The backyard barbecue smoker runs Thursday to Sunday; ask the bar what's plated on the smoker that night.
Why locals love it: The Mid-City corner cocktail bar on South Telemachus, named for Prohibition-era rum running, with a serious cocktail list and a backyard smoker that locals know and tourists miss.
Tip: The backyard barbecue smoker runs Thursday to Sunday; ask the bar what's plated on the smoker that night.
Parleaux Beer Lab is a belgian room in New Orleans. Dogs are welcome on the back patio; the pizza pop-up runs Friday and Saturday evenings most weeks.
Why locals love it: The Bywater nano-brewery on Lesseps Street with Belgian ales and a dog-friendly back garden, off most tourist itineraries because it sits past the main Bywater food row.
Tip: Dogs are welcome on the back patio; the pizza pop-up runs Friday and Saturday evenings most weeks.
Magazine Street bakery from Christina Balzebre (2017): sourdough from locally milled grain plus pastries with local eggs and dairy, Thursday to Sunday morn.
Why locals love it: The Uptown levain bakery just off Magazine Street at 9th, with sourdough loaves, kouign-amann and a Cuban pastelito programme that runs off the main Magazine browse path.
Tip: Bread sells out by 11:00 Saturday; pastries hold longer. Cash discount at the register.
Pagoda Cafe is a brunch room in New Orleans. Outdoor counter and walk-up window only; the breakfast tortilla with house granola is the cult order.
Why locals love it: The Seventh Ward breakfast and lunch boutique on N Dorgenois near Bayou Road, in a small pagoda-roof building locals love and visitors south of Esplanade rarely reach.
Tip: Outdoor counter and walk-up window only; the breakfast tortilla with house granola is the cult order.