Gator's Guide to New Orleans

Wednesday, 30 December 2009 09:30

They may not be playing for a national title, but the Gators still have a tough test this Friday, Jan. 1. After the Crimson Tide lost to the Gators in the SEC title game last year, they seemed to give up on the season, and took a beating from an undefeated Utah team in the Sugar Bowl. Florida now risks suffering the same fate in a similar matchup with the Cincinnati Bearcats in New Orleans.

In an interesting twist, Coach Urban Meyer announced on Saturday he would be stepping down after the Sugar Bowl due to health concerns. Meyer has long been reported to have an arachnoid cyst on his brain which causes headaches in times of stress. In addition, he was admitted to the hospital after the SEC championship game for dehydration and chest pains. Meyer backtracked on Sunday, changing his resignation to an indefinite leave of absence. It is unclear at this point if Meyer will return in time to coach next season.

The actual game, however, is just one part of the bowl experience. The city of New Orleans is legendary for its nightlife and party atmosphere, and New Year’s Eve in the Big Easy is even wilder. Here are some suggestions to help you navigate the hectic revelry.

Food
Before you start exploring a city known for its drinking culture, you are going to need a solid foundation of food. New Orleans is famous for its Cajun delicacies, so be prepared for a steady diet of gumbo and crawfish. New Orleans is more expensive than our small college town, but the food is well worth the price.

One of the most famous and traditional Creole restaurants is Galatorie’s (209 Bourbon Street). Founded in 1905, Galatorie’s offers traditional Cajun fare and represents the history and tradition of New Orleans both in cuisine and atmosphere.  Mike Anderson’s Seafood (215 Bourbon Street) serves Creole seafood at a moderate price in a casual atmosphere. Menu highlights include fresh shucked oysters and all-you-can-eat catfish.

Just past the French Quarter, an old local grocery store attracts tourists and locals alike to its sandwich counter. Central Grocery Company (923 Decatur Street) is the home of the muffaletta and offers a faster alternative to seated dining. For those unfamiliar with the term, muffaletta is a bread similar to focaccia, and the sandwich bearing its name usually consists of salami, mortadella, mozzarella, provolone with an olive spread. If Creole or Italian isn’t your thing, make the trip to Dooky Chase Restaurant (2301 Orleans Ave) for their legendary fried chicken. While it may not look like much from the outside, Dooky Chase offers some of the best home-cooked Southern cuisine in town.

New Year’s Eve
Any discussion of New Orleans nightlife automatically begins with Bourbon Street. For those who haven’t been, it’s everything you’ve heard about and more. Upstairs balconies overflow with raucous crowds shouting down to the streets, and beads and booze are in abundance. Bourbon Street runs northeast from Canal Street to the French Quarter. The upper area of Bourbon Street (closest to Canal Street) hosts many of the area’s strip clubs such as Larry Flint’s Barely Legal Club and Rick’s Cabaret. Further down, karaoke and live music blare from the many watering holes, and the epicenter of the bar scene is the intersection of Bourbon and St. Peter Street. This is where you will find The Cat’s Meow, a rowdy karaoke bar known for its raunchy atmosphere.

Most of your time on Bourbon Street, however, will not be spent in one or two bars. The real party is on the street, and many establishments set up cash bars facing the sidewalk. Drinking on the street is legal as long as you keep your drink in a plastic container (metal and glass open containers are still illegal). Bars offer “to-go” cups at the exit, and most patrons for simply pop in for a fresh round and hit the streets again.

Two staple concoctions are required for any first Bourbon Street experience, and both are served in large souvenir plastic cups, perfect for pedestrian travel. The first is the original Hurricane from Pat O’Brien’s, comprised mostly of rum. The Hurricane is one of New Orleans’ many cocktail creations; the second, the Hand Grenade, is billed as “New Orleans’ Most Powerful Drink” and is a green mystery punch of grain alcohol and numerous other liquors. Served at Tropical Isle, this devious drink goes down easy and kicks hard.

As the clock approaches midnight, follow the crowds to the Jax Brewery in the French Quarter, and old brewing and bottling plant which now houses numerous tourist shops. Rather than dropping a ball to count down the new year’s arrival, in New Orleans, people gather to watch the mythological figure Baby Bacchus descend as midnight approaches. After the new year arrives, fireworks explode over the Mississippi River, and then it’s back to the bars to celebrate. New Orleans has no official last call, and bars don’t close till the last drunk stumbles off.

Off-bourbon
Not all the partying takes place on Bourbon Street, however. Many locals seek to avoid the tourist atmosphere, and if you are looking for a more native experience, there are plenty places to choose from, particularly in the Uptown or Garden districts.

F&M Patio Bar (4841 Tchoupitoulas Street) is hugely popular among Tulane students, especially late at night. It has both outdoor and indoor seating and a photo booth to help you remember your visit. Balcony Bar and Café (1104 Harmony Street) is another college hotspot overlooking Magazine Street. The first floor is your standard young adult bar, but climb the spiral stairs to the balcony for one of the best vantage points on Magazine Street, the center of uptown nightlife.

Ms. Mae’s (4336 Magazine Street) is a beloved dive bar that recently re-opened after a fire forced it to temporarily close its doors. Mae’s is known for its dirt cheap tricks and for never closing. That’s right; Mae’s is open 24 hours a day. No real food is served, only potato chips. This is the place to go when you want to really just drink.

Finally, no trip to New Orleans is complete without live jazz. Tipitinas (501 Napoleon Avenue) is an upscale jazz club in true New Orleans fashion. You will be hard-pressed to find a place to sit, but Tipitinas is one of the original jazz venues in the city and rarely disappoints.

Game Day
The Superdome is located in the congested Central Business District and does not have a surrounding parking lot like other stadiums. Tailgaters park at whatever surrounding buildings and parking lots are made available, making tailgating very disjointed and unorganized. In addition, the city places restrictions on grilling around the stadium, and as a result, there is no central pre-game location. However, the stadium is less than two miles from Bourbon Street and the French Quarter, so many fans simply choose to barhop there and walk over shortly before kickoff.

Much like the Gators, Cincinnati comes into the Sugar Bowl with its own motivations and back story. Brian Kelly, who coached Cincinnati to an undefeated record and a Big East championship, recently left the team for Notre Dame. Kelly will not coach the Bearcats in the Sugar Bowl, and his premature departure left some of his players angry.

After Kelly’s announcement at the senior player’s banquet, senior wide receiver Mardy Gilyard vented his frustration to media at the event. “City of Cincinnati, don’t worry about nothing, we got ya’ll,” he said while pointing to the camera. “With or without [Kelly], we are going to make this show happen.”

Cincinatti went 12 – 0 playing in the Big East and finished ranked No. 3 in the nation behind Alabama and Texas. The Bearcats were left out of the national championship mainly because both Texas and Alabama were viewed to have played tougher conference opponents in the Big 12 and SEC, respectively. Therefore, the pride and image of the Big East rests on Cincinatti’s shoulders.

This, combined with a feeling of abandonment by their former coach, will motivate the Bearcats to come ready to play. The Gators, unlike last year’s Alabama team, must do the same to prevent the most successful senior class in SEC history (and possibly Urban Meyer) from finishing with back-to-back losses.