STEPS

TRAVEL FITNESS DINING

PHOTO BY EGOISTE

DESTINATION: NEW ORLEANS

TEN YEARS AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA,

NEW ORLEANS PROVES THAT WIND,
RAIN, AND COLLAPSED LEVEES CANT
BRING HER DOWN.
By Matthew Wexler

STEPS

TRAVEL

DOWN AND OUT IN

NEW ORLEANS
ts been a decade since an epic civil engineering failure
flooded 80 percent of New Orleans. What seemed insurmountable in 2005 is a potent memory for todays Crescent
City, which is thriving in its own unique, scrappy way. Weve
got 10 reasons why you should pack your duffel and head to
the bayou, but thats like ordering a first round when youre in
for the long haul.

include Tennessee Williamss home and enjoying potent cocktails like the Hemingway Daiquiri
at Hotel Monteleone and the Pimms Cup at
Napoleon House. Glfdevilliers.com
August and Lke
Foodies gladly go for broke at James Beard
Award-winning chef John Beshs flagship restaurant, August, located in a 19th century FrenchCreole building and featuring contemporary
French cuisine and local ingredients. For a more
casual but equally delicious meal, Lkes
brasserie setting is the perfect backdrop for favorites like stuffed P&J oysters, Creole-style
gumbo, and three exclusive beers on tap. August,
301 Tchoupitoulas St, restaurantaugust.com;
Luke, 333 St. Charles Ave, lukeneworleans.com

Mardi Gras Museum at Arnauds

Mardi Gras is, of course, New Orleanss marquee
event. Next years celebration will take place
February 9, but if you cant make it to town to
shake your booty for some beads,
be sure to stop by legendary Arnauds in the
French Quarter for a visit
to the Mardi Gras Museum.
Here youll find dozens of
costumes worn by Germaine
Cazenave Wells, who reigned
as queen of more than 22
Mardi Gras balls from 1937 to
1968. 813 Rue Bienville, arnaudsrestaurant.com

Le Mridien New Orleans

Large-scale artwork appears throughout the redesigned former W Hotel, and those who want
to soak up more culture to offset the booze can
take advantage of its Unlock Art program, which
offers complimentary admission to the Contemporary Arts Center, the New Orleans Museum of
Art, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art.
333 Poydras St, lemeridienneworleanshotel.com

The Twirl
Take an evening stroll with New Orleans historian and drink connoisseur Glenn Louis DeVillier
on this gay heritage and drinks tour. Highlights

Morning Call in City Park

Though Caf Du Monde is a New Orleans landmark, consider savoring your chicory caf au lait
and beignets at Morning Call in City Park before

strolling through the adjacent Sydney and

Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. 56 Dreyfous
Dr, morningcallcoffeestand.com
Le Mridien
New Orleans

Ursa Major
After establishing themselves in the emerging
Bywater neighborhood with the opening of
Bootys Street Food, businessand lifepartners Nick Vivion and Kevin Ferrell recently
opened Ursa Major with an equally ambitious
menu and zodiac-inspired cocktails. 611 OKeefe
Ave, ursamajornola.com
GoNOLA
Today I see the LGBT community in New Orleans
becoming more connected, says Ryan Cochran,
marketing manager of Communify, a local, gayowned marketing firm. I am seeing progress in
how we can all work together and create a
louder, prouder voice in the South. Cochran says
to keep an eye on GoNOLA, the citys official
tourism blog, which just launched an LGBT section that will help visitors stay on the pulse of
whats hot. gonola.com/lgbt-new-orleans N

PHOTOS: ALEX DEMYAN (NOLA STREET); EGOISTE (SOUTHERN DECADENCE); LE MERIDIEN COURTESY OF LE MERIDIEN; URSA MAJOR COURTESY OF URSA MAJOR

Southern Decadence
What began in 1972 as a going
away party for a group of
guys crashing at a house on
Barracks Street has grown
into a weekend street festival of debauchery. Parades,
contests, and free music ensue
throughout the weekend, culminating in the aptly
named Hung Over and Broke closing party. September 27, southerndecadence.net