The French Quarter in New Orleans covers 85 blocks, one of which is at the southwest edge of the district and features two iconic oyster bars, three classic restaurants owned by members of the Brennan family, and a legendary bar in the Monteleone Hotel. For people who like great food and drink, the one block stretch along Iberville between Royal and Bourbon streets is 400-feet of some of the best New Orleans has to offer.
Along Iberville are two fabled oyster bars, Felix’s (circa 1940) has a portion of its sit- down counter made of marble which has depressions where elbows have rested sucking down raw oysters for more than 60 years. And across the street, Acme’s has been serving customers since 1910 with oysters delivered directly from the gulf alive and fresh and shucked in the same day.
A good shucker pries open more than 1,500 oysters every 8 hours as a row of countermen are busy opening oyster shells inches away from patrons sitting at a long bar slurping down the delicacies. Although oysters are the star serving at both restaurants, I have found each one has their own specialties. The chargrilled oysters at Acme’s are marvelous and I believe they also serve one of the best, deep, dark roux gumbos in the French Quarter. For those who may not like oysters (which thankfully leaves more for the rest of us), Acme’s offers wonderful meat pies, fried crawfish tails, and crab cakes with a side of Corn Maque Choux.
Felix’s features several different varieties of oyster preparations, including Bienville, Rockefeller, Remoulade and charbroiled. It also has a good selection of other Creole favorites including crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice, BBQ shrimp and an extra special turtle soup. No matter what our plans in NOLA entail, a regular stop is always either Acme’s or Felix’s oyster bars.
The Brennan family has been associated with excellent Crescent City restaurants since 1943. It began when Owen Brennan bought the Absinthe House on Bourbon Street and later opened Brennan’s Vieux Carre Restaurant across the street which later moved to Royal Street in 1956. From those early roots, members of the Brennan family have opened several restaurants (7 in the French Quarter), three of which are within a short distance along the Iberville walkway: Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse, Red Fish Grill, and Mr. B’s Bistro.
All the Brennan locations serve excellent meat dishes and Dickie Brennan brought those 75+ years of expertise to be the star attraction at his steakhouse. It has been awarded many accolades including Travel+Leisure Magazine’s Best Steakhouse in America. Whether grilled, seared, oven-roasted or broiled, the offerings from steak, rib eyes and filets to lamb, prime rib and chateaubriand are the Best of Brennan.
Across Bourbon Street from the steakhouse is the Red Fish Grill; a downhome, laid back eatery which has won the Best Oyster Po-boy at the annual New Orleans Po Boy Festival 9 times. It has been honored as one of the “Five Best Restaurants in New Orleans” by The Daily Meal five different times. It is open for brunch (10am – 3pm) Friday through Sunday and dinner beginning at 5pm Wednesday – Sunday.
I was drawn to the Red Fish Grill because I love redfish and they did not disappoint with a hickory grilled version which you could cut with a fork. Their BBQ oysters are flash fried and have won culinary accolades from Forbes and USA Today. Every time I go to Red Fish Grill, I have a serving of Alligator Sausage & Seafood Gumbo which ranks as one of the best gumbos in the French Quarter.
One block away on Royal Street is Mr. B’s Bistro, another one of the Brennan clan’s notable restaurants. It has also assembled accolades from prestigious dining publications including Food & Wine, Gourmet, Travel and Leisure and Bon Appetit.
Mr. B’s signature dish is Ya Ya Gumbo, a combination of chicken and andouille sausage in a country style roux. Two famous entrees to consider are their bacon-wrapped shrimp and grits or Mr. B’s BBQ shrimp. Their bread pudding is created from a recipe handed down from several generations of Irish Brennans.
Directly across the street from Mr. B’s is the Monteleone Hotel dating back to 1886 when Antonio Monteleone, a Sicilian nobleman, purchased an existing 64 room hotel at the corner of Iberville and Royal and helped turn it into one of America’s most distinguished hotels. It has attracted many literary giants as guests including Hemmingway, Tennessee Williams, Faulkner, Truman Capote and others who relished the heritage, dignity and ambiance of the hotel.
As soon as you pass through the front doors of the historic hotel the renowned Carousel Bar is to your right and draws you to its lounge. There you will see a large bar which resembles a carousel. Since 1949, patrons on 25 stools slowly revolve around bartenders fixing drinks. Signature cocktails include the infamous Hurricane, the Southern favorites Mint Julep or Ramos Gin Fizz, and a Manhattan like mixed drink from the 1830s (and sometimes called the official cocktail of New Orleans), the Sazerac. And, every night there is live entertainment featuring some of the best jazz musicians in New Orleans.
There are several pocket areas in the French Quarter which are like the Royal to Bourbon on Iberville block long corridor. Certainly, the rowdy Bourbon Street, Jackson Square, live jazz in Marigny, the shops along Decatur and Peters streets, and many more and wonderful destinations are worthy places to visit. However, 1/85th of the French Quarter, from Royal to Bourbon along Iberville, features some of the best bistros, restaurants, bars and jazz to be found in a stretch only 400 feet long. It should be included on your next trip to New Orleans.
– Bob Lynn has owned an advertising agency for more than 40-years and writes anything from commercials to brochures, so getting an opportunity to create something that isn’t selling a product or service is a true joy for him. He contributes stories for Downhome ranging from travel and restaurants reviews to book critiques and our What’s Special About Today feature.
