I just listened to him on YouTube and he’ll be PERFECT for my mother. Thank you!
Big thanks to everyone for helping me think this through. Just talked to sis and switched a few things around based on your recommendations (and convinced her to scrap Le Crepe Nanou in favor of Paladar 511!). So, here’s the current state of affairs:
Saturday: Walk and/or take the streetcar around the FQ. Drinks at Carousel Bar (sis insists!) and dinner at GW Fin’s, followed by live music at the Davenport Lounge
Sunday: jazz brunch at Commander’s Palace, followed by shopping on Magazine Street (my sister is a shopping hound so this will probably be an all-day or most-of-the day affair, with plenty of stops for refreshments). If there’s time/energy, we might squeeze in Mardi Gras World before heading back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner. I have a 7:00pm reservation at Paladar 511 and we’ll probably check out the Art Baazar and/or a club or two on Frenchmen St. before calling it a night.
Monday: Beignets at Cafe du Monde before our City/Cemetary/Garden District tour from 10-1pm (the meeting point is just a block or two from CdM). Then we’re open until dinner at Cochon at 7 - we might do MGW if we weren’t able to fit it in on Sunday, take the ferry, and/or go see Preservation Brass at Preservation Hall. I need a spot for lunch, though - probably near our hotel as I assume we’ll want to go freshen up after the tour before we sit down to eat. Perhaps Besame, for something a little different? It seems like most of the places right around our hotel are either Creole or seafood (or both), and I think we have enough of that in the line up. Or they’re closed for lunch on Monday, LOL. Other options?
Tuesday: see anything we missed in the FQ before Brennan’s for breakfast/early lunch at 10:45, then off to the airport.
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I love the Carousel bar! And the drinks are actually great!!
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Actually, I just realized that the last half hour of this tour is just the bus back to the meeting point - so we could simply skip that, stay in the Garden District for lunch, and then go back to our hotel or on to our next activity on our own. Would open up the lunch options considerably, I think!
I finally got out my trip notes. Here were some highlights.
Drinks
Napoleon House
Antoine’s
Bacchanal (also cheese plate)
Erin Rose
Carousel
Food
Dragos (oysters)
Jacques Imos (our group of friends loved this place on our last visit)
Brennan’s - classic
Cafe du Monde - obviously
Central Grocery - muffaletta
Music
Frenchmen st. (I have these all written down, no clue where we actually ended up, blame the cocktail bar list 
) - Spotted Cat, DBA, Blue Nile
Howlin’ Wolf
Love New Orleans, can’t wait to hear back!
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Hahaha, I think that’s how you know you had a great trip! I have Napolean House on my list as a good place for muffaletta/other casual eats, will note we can get drinks there too. Although it sounds like we can get drinks literally ANYWHERE in New Orleans!
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Napoleon House is known for their Pimm’s cup. In fact, many places in New Orleans are known for a particular drink. I’m not sure this is the best list, and I’m sure others will chime in, but it’s a start: https://nola.eater.com/maps/iconic-new-orleans-cocktails-where-to-find-them
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For your Monday lunch, I’d suggest pizza at Domenica.
Definitely do that. Way more options along Magazine, and you’ll be able to broaden out from just Creole food if you want. Honestly I’d just stop wherever along Magazine you get hungry, crack open Google Maps and eat at anyplace with 4.5 stars or above. Saffron (Indian fusion-y), La Petite Grocery, Shaya (Israeli), etc. are all good options in the boutique-y part of the street. If you make it all the way up to my neighborhood, there is Saba (also Israeli, similar menu as Shaya but slightly fancier/pricier).
You could do Napoleon House if you need a lunch back in the FQ. Is it touristy? Yes. Do I still eat there? Also yes. Their muffuletta is my favorite in town (I get the quarter sandwich and that is quite enough for me, BTW). Somehow, magically, they can always find a seat for you, which is a rare thing at a FQ place on a busy weekend. The food’s not top-notch but it is solid, and the atmosphere is unbeatable.
Great work switching out Crepe Nanou for Paladar 511. Sooooo much better.
