I can recommend to you “The Essential Oyster”, by Rowan Jacobsen.
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last night we started at Luke’s happy hour, a dozen raw oysters ($1.50 per) and 6 fried oysters ($2 per), half-price wine and beer by the glass, given the quality of the oysters, the wine/beer list, cooking, service and decor, seemed like a crazy bargain and they generously threw in some extra fried oysters
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walked over to Cochon where we started with their delicious spicy fried Boudin, I had their Louisiana Cochon, which turned out to be a beautifully braised piece of pork shoulder over perfect collard greens. My wife had a fabulous slab of redfish fillet which I valiantly helped her finish.
It was a fun, buzzy room with good drinks and an open wood fire for some dishes. I spoke to the couple to the right and overheard the conversation to the left, both were very knowledgeable about food.
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Looks fantastic! That’s quite a hunk of fish!
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it is indeed, we were supposed to split the two dishes but my wife declared herself full after a couple of bites so I managed to eat most of both dishes.
We’re rethinking the whole oyster happy hour followed by dinner plan, we can’t seem to eat as much as we did three years ago, of course not reflected in my body weight 
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The portions seem a lot larger than nyc, that’s part of it I’m guessing
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Both mains are gorgeous and they do look fairly large.
This 
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That’s why you have the oysters for brunch / lunch 
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Oysters are $1/each during happy hour and $3+ the rest of the time. So that strategy is an expensive one.
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Ah. Well, a dozen oysters have never stopped me from enjoying dinner afterwards, even though we also don’t eat a lot.
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Same. There’s always room for oysters!
Oysters for starters, oysters for dinner, oysters for dessert.
The way, the life, the truth.
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This is one of the things I love about NOLA–virtually everyone, of whatever class or station, is deeply knowledgeable about food, drink and music.
Yesterday afternoon we walked a self-guided tour of the garden district and, while we were in range of both seawitch and superior seafood, decided to limit oursleves to a single stop at seawitch.
We ordered a little more judiciously than the night before, 12 raw oysters, 12 chargrilled and a seafood platter for sharing. The $1 raw oysters were good but the star of the show were the chargrilled oysters in a lemon butter and garlic sauce showered with grated cheese.
We were a little surprised that the platter wasn’t as generously portioned as our experience at other Nola restaurants but it was fresh and well-prepared. Probably wouldn’t order anything but oysters were we to return.
Best,
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Here’s a photo of the famous commanders palace
And here’s a photo of the Lafayette Cemetery, the second oldest in New Orleans, right across the street:
Our self guided tour stated that everyone is interred above ground into family crypts with two chambers. They are only able to squeeze two bodies in at a time so how do they house up to 80 family members in a single crypt?
Turns out the crypts are big stone structures and it gets awful hot in the summer so bodies quickly decompose and after a year, bones are bagged and moved to the back of crypt, making room for the next lucky occupant.
The commanders palace has been in business since 1893, a remarkable run by any measure. Still, am I the first person to wonder if the restaurant’s success might be due to the proximity of the cemetery?
Turtle soup indeed!
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If not too late…
Yes Chargrilled Oysters at Felix’s over Drago’s
Agree with the Brigtsen’s comment about heavy food and not particularly memorable, but the Seafood Platter (“Shell Beach Diet”) was good if they still offer. Its been 10 years since.
Best Beignets to me are still in the original CDM, but City Park is great
Love Peche, Herbsaint in that order.
No trip is incomplete without the guilt after BBQ Shrimp at Mr B’s
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The BBQ shrimp at Mr. B’s was the only thing in New Orleans that gave me heartburn (or maybe it was from the too many glasses of wine I had when we had to wait so long). 
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Probably not. But Commander’s is in the Pantheon of NOLA restaurants, and it’s (and it’s doyenne’s) story is worth learning. Some of it is trite and tired, but IMO it will probably outlast 2024’s must-visits.
Did you saunter past Parasol?
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The best ice cream in the city is not at an ice cream shop. Laozi ice cream, who sells at pop ups, and you can only buy quarts, is hands down the best ice cream in the city IMHO.
Probably doesn’t work for travelers who do t have a freezer but he is a mad scientist when it comes to flavors
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