Itinerary

Thursday, May 22

• 11:00am - Muffin & Matt arrive and check-in at the Sheraton.

• Lunch/Afternoon - Choose your adventure or sync up with Muffin & Matt depending on your arrival time. We will likely grab lunch around Canal Street and then explore the French Quarter.

• 4:00pm - Welcome Happy Hour at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar, 941 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70116.

• Dinner/Evening - Dinner on your own or explore with the group. Early start on Friday so don’t go crazy.

Friday, May 23

• 8:15AM - Group Swamp Tour Boat Excursion with Cajun Encounters

  • Meet at the lobby of the Sheraton for a group departure at 8:30am. We will be transported by minibus about 45 minutes out to swamp for a tour beginning at 9:30am. The tour will last approximately two hours and we’ll be back downtown by about 12:30pm. Check out their website for details on what to expect and advice on what to wear/bring.

• Lunch - On your own or with smaller groups. Recommend Mr. B’s or Acme Oyster House.

• Afternoon - Group free time. Muffin & Matt will likely post up at Pat O’Brien’s (718 St Peter, New Orleans, LA 70116) mid-afternoon.

• Dinner - On your own.

• Evening - Friday night in the French Quarter.

Saturday, May 24

• Choose Your Own Adventure. Muffin & Matt will likely check out Frenchman’s Street or the Garden District. We will communicate plans day of. See below for recommendations.

• 7:00pm - Group Dinner at Antoine's Restaurant at 713 St Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130.

  • Dress Code is Business Casual: Jackets and collared shirts are strongly suggested for gentlemen. We kindly ask all guests not to wear athletic or beach clothing, baseball caps, or flip-flops. Antoine’s dress code will be enforced at the discretion of the manager.

  • Dinner will include open bar and a preset menu:

    • Apps/First Courses: soufflé potatoes, oysters, shrimp remoulade, crawfish cardinal, and Antoine's Salad

    • Main Course: Choice of chicken or fish.

    • Dessert: Baked Alaska

• Evening - Bourbon Street

Sunday, May 25

• Choose Your Own Adventure. Muffin & Matt will likely check out Frenchman’s Street or the Garden District (whichever we didn’t do the previous day). We will communicate plans day of. See below for recommendations.

Monday, May 26

• Check out and departures.

Transportation

New Orleans is very pedestrian-friendly, especially in the French Quarter, Business District, and Marigny neighborhoods, where we will be spending a bulk of the time. Parking in these areas is limited and expensive. If you’re staying at the Sheraton or in/around the French Quarter, I would discourage renting a car. Grabbing an Uber, Lyft, or taxi from the airport to downtown is easy and about a 20-25 minute drive. The New Orleans street car system also provides easy access from the Canal Street (between French Quarter and Business District) to the Garden District, if that’s an area you’re interested in exploring (which I would recommend). Transportation for the Swamp Tour will be provided.

Side QuestS

The Sites

• Audubon Zoo (accessible by Street Car or Uber)

• French Quarter (highly recommend exploring the French Quarter on foot, especially shops and galleries on Royal Street, Jackson Square, French Market, and the waterfront)

• Frenchman Street (neighborhood northeast of the French Quarter known for jazz music - stop in anywhere and grab a drink)

• Garden District (take the Street Car from the Carondelet St/Bourbon St stop down St. Charles Ave to explore the homes, shops, and restaurants of the Garden District. Recommend aiming for the Magazine Street shopping district or Lafayette Cemetery #1 and exploring by foot from there)

• Mardi Gras World (take the shuttle and do not attempt to walk, from personal experience)

• National World War II Museum

• St. Louis Cemetery #1 (just outside the French Quarter)

Dining French Quarter

• Acme Oyster House, 724 Iberville St, New Orleans, LA 70130

• Brennan’s (especially for Brunch), 417 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

• Café Du Monde, 800 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116

• Coop’s Place, 1109 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116

• Galatoire’s (requires a reservation and jackets for the guys), 209 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130

• Market Cafe, 1000 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116

• Mother’s (for Po Boys), 401 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70130

• Mr. B’s Bistro, 201 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

• Napoleon House, 500 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Dining Garden District

• Commander’s Palace (recommend a reservation; combine with a trip to Lafayette Cemetery #1; check dress code), 1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

• Cochon (technically in the Business District; get a reservation), 930 Tchoupitoulas St Ste A, New Orleans, LA 70130

• Superior Seafood and Grill, 4338 St Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70115

The Bars (Muffin’s Recs)

• The Carousel Bar & Lounge

• d.b.a.

• Fritzel's European Jazz Pub

• Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar

• Mayfair Lounge (real dive bar in the garden District)

• Old Absinthe House

• Pat O'Brien's

• Pirate's Alley Cafe

• The Spotted Cat Music Club

• Tropical Isle (multiple locations)