2024 Best of the Big Easy Writers' Picks

The Best of New Orleans

Where Y'at Magazine's writers weigh in on the best things to do in New Orleans. Read on for some of the best kept secrets and hot takes about all things NOLA.

Best Place for a Good Cry

City Park

If you're going to be depressed, at least do it somewhere pretty, right? Wish to f**k with the pretend runners and families attempting to enjoy some quality time together? Hide behind your favorite tree as you sob uncontrollably so they'll be under the impression the park is haunted. The story will spread like wildfire and you'll create a new spooky tale that will last generations. -Joey Cirilo

Best Place to Catch Hepatitis

Bayou St. John

Is that an alligator? Maybe. A floating Converse sneaker? Definitely. When the weather heats up in New Orleans, there's no better place to cool off and catch hep-B than a quick dip in Bayou St. John with the city skyline providing the perfect backdrop. Feeling froggy? Go fishing after your swim and cook whatever you find for dinner. -Joey Cirilo

Best Place to Dog Watch in the Bywater

Petite Clouet Café

If you think people who live in the Bywater have character, you should meet their dogs. Spend the day at this dog-friendly Bywater café and you are guaranteed to be entertained. Furry, fluffy, and hungry dogs join their coffee-loving owners to get a free dog treat from the café daily. Bring a book or laptop and pretend to work until the next dog struts through the door. -Cynthea Corfah

Best Place to Forget You're in New Orleans

Spyre

This holistic health center feels like being at a tropical resort. Inside is a sauna, a dry float bed, a meditation room, a gym, multiple yoga rooms, and a café that serves delicious healthy meals. Outside is a saltwater lap pool, hot and cold plunges, an outdoor shower, and lush plant life. It is the ideal serene escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. -Cynthea Corfah

Best Place to Get the Coffee Jitters on Freret

Mojo Coffee House

When you need to be resuscitated by espresso, this local coffee shop is the place. A large latte is made with four whopping shots of espresso so you can—almost literally—jet through your day. Drink some water, wear a sweat-resistant shirt, and take deep breaths as these invigorating coffee drinks filter through your bloodstream. -Cynthea Corfah

Best Free Dental Services

NOLA Streets

Drive through most any side street and neighborhood road and the number of potholes or construction sites are enough to knock out any difficult teeth you may have. Who needs a dental extraction when you have a car and your favorite bar to numb the pain afterwards? Follow @lookatthisf**kinstreet on Instagram for craziest potholes gone awry. -Frances Deese

Best Place to Blow Your Entire Monthly Grocery Budget

St James Cheese Company

Doubling as a cheese shop and charcuterie board specialty store, St James Cheese Co. is also a great escape from reality. The allure of being able to order your own high quality charcuterie board or specific amounts of their specialty cheeses may find you meal prepped with meats and cheeses out the woodworks. Should you find yourself in a cheese induced coma, know that you were warned. -Frances Deese

Best Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie in the City

Costco

Fill your tank up with gas and then swing over to the food stand at the Costco for one of the best cookies around. They're serving up a giant chocolate chip cookie made with butter, brown butter, and packed full with chocolate. It'll only set you back $1.50, and it will not disappoint. -Reine Dugas

Best No-Contact Zone for a Bike Ride

Mississippi River Trail

The levee that starts at the Fly in Audubon Park has a smooth path that leads all the way to Kenner and beyond. Not only will you catch a constant breeze, but there are no cars in sight to honk at you or worse when you're out two-wheeling it on a sunny day. -Reine Dugas

Best Place to Experience the "Old" Meets "New" French Quarter

BK House and Gardens

This 1826 house is now a museum and event space. Take a tour or enjoy one of the many public events held year-round. Their new Rhythm & Roses spring concert series features live music in the garden beneath string lights and amidst freshly blooming rose bushes. -Amy Kirk Duvoisin

Best Place to Let Your Kid Get "Lost"

Longue Vue Gardens

A great spot for a good old-fashioned game of hide and seek, as well as a place older kids can explore without straying too far out of sight. The interactive Discovery Garden is designed for kids of all ages, complete with a beautiful "secret" bamboo garden. It's chock full of informative signage that grown-ups will enjoy, too. -Amy Kirk Duvoisin

Best Hidden Pop-Up Restaurant

NOCHI

Right before graduating from New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (NOCHI), every class operates a pop-up café, strutting their stuff for two weeks at the school. The themes change with each pop-up: French, Caribbean, Spain, and even Viet-Cajun have been executed with vigor and alacrity. Find out when and reserve quickly as seats go fast (nochi.org). -Phil LaMancusa

Best Local Food Guru

Poppy Tooker & Ian McNulty

This is a tough one because mainly there's two. The good news is that they're easily accessible. Poppy Tooker has weekly residency on WYES' Steppin' Out and Louisiana Eats! radio and podcast. Ian McNulty writes about restaurants and food culture on NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate newspaper, and Instagram. -Phil LaMancusa

Best Bet on the Next Mayor

Helena Moreno

You heard it next here—Helena Moreno. Quietly and effectively moving up over the years, from newscaster to president of the New Orleans City Council, with calm assurance taking the tough issues from women's rights to gun safety head on. If she decides to run, she'll be hard to beat. -Phil LaMancusa

Best Place to Buy Crack

Kitchen Witch

Creole Crack that is. After Kitchen Witch Cookbook Shop closed after 20 years here, the demand for their spice blends did not abate. They have sold and shipped worldwide, considered the best by more than a few. Available through their website (kwcookbooks.com). -Phil LaMancusa

Best Way You Can Make a Dent in Global Warming

Plant Trees with SOUL

Sustaining Our Urban Landscape (SOUL) is making a difference with the reforestation of our city. This reduces heat, cleans our air, mitigates flooding, and provides habitats for birds. Volunteers are needed for tree planting/maintenance, and those with physical limitations assist in other ways. Make a difference environmentally with monetary donations. And if time/money are challenges for you—no shame, no blame—shout and sing the praises of soulnola.org. -Debbie Lindsey

Best Heat

Sona's Homemade Hot Sauce

Habanero and Louisiana peppers, along with garlic, olive oil, and magic, make for the best hot sauce ever doused on just about everything. Cardboard would be a treat with this sauce. You can find it at Fatimas's Cozy Corner. Sona, one of the culinary goddesses there, also sells jars of this delight when peppers are in season. -Debbie Lindsey

Best Deviled Eggs in New Orleans

Cure

Cure, the bar that resurrected Freret, is known worldwide for cocktails. Its dishes complement the drinks. Deviled Eggs Cacio e Pepe are inspired by Italian "cheese and pepper," rich with mayo, extra-virgin olive oil, Pecorino Romano, and hints of roasted garlic. Others toss caviar or bacon on their eggs, but like a classic martini, less is more—minimal ingredients, perfect execution. -Andrew Marin

Best Sushi Pop-Up

Greta's Sushi

Before Greta popped up here, she honed her sushi skills at restaurants around the country, including Uchi. Merging her passions for Japanese culture and environmentalism, she pairs sustainable seafood with local produce, e.g. Gulf tuna nigiri with ginger nikiri and dare. And she's the only chef around who makes farm egg tamago instead of buying premade at Hong Kong Market. -Andrew Marin

Best Place to Channel Your Inner Miyagi to Prepare Yourself for any Potential Cobra Kai Attacks

New Orleans Shotokan Academy

In the Broadmoor Arts & Wellness Center is NOSA. Run by father and son Kyriakos and Dimitri Papadopoulos, this dojo has a friendly atmosphere. Once enrolled, you are treated like you are family, not only by Kyriakos and Dimitri but by the other members. If you are looking to start karate and don't want a hyper-competitive environment, check out NOSA. —Donald Rickert

Best Place to Get a Free Tattoo of A Catahoula Dog Wearing a Plague Doctor's Mask

Catahoula Tattoo

This Mid-City tattoo shop has a great vibe, not hemmed in by the limited space. Owned by Dominic Sgro, it has an active presence on Instagram and YouTube, showcasing the constant live music there. The all-female staff, aside from Dominic, are talented and fun. They have their own coffee and the occasional special events. Get a tattoo at Catahoula Tattoo—maybe even a free one. -Donald Rickert

Best Way to Show Off Your Love of the Big Easy Without Looking like a Tourist

NOLA T-Shirt of the Month Club

Owners John and Jackie started this venture, and it's been amazing what they accomplished. Located on Magazine Street, they have the best, softest t-shirts—imbued with NOLA references. John passed away this last year, but his legacy—the t-shirts he designed and made—are still here for all to enjoy. Check out what they created here, and the legacy John has left behind. -Donald Rickert

Best Local Haunt to Celebrate the Green Hour

Pirates Alley Café and Absinthe House

Quietly concealed behind St. Louis Cathedral, this is not only my favorite place to imbibe my elixir of choice, it is also an often overlooked ghostly landmark. Rumored to be haunted by the ghost of pirate Jean Lafitte, it is featured in both of Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire adaptations and AMC's upcoming season of Mayfair Witches. -Greg Roques

Best Vice City Vibes

Hungry Eyes

Hungry Eye's mood is like stepping into an early Duran Duran video—a neon-lit, Nagel-illustrated vaporwave fever dream extolling all of the exuberant excess of the early '80s. Come for the food, stay for the vibes. -Greg Roques

Best Outdoor Gym with a View

Clearview Shores Park

Early morning or late evening workouts are perfect at Clearview Shores Park. After your run along the waters of Lake Pontchartrain, you can head over the hill to the Fit Lot Outdoor Park, which features strength equipment, an elliptical and arm ergometer, and steps for box jumps and more. Enjoy the fresh air breeze as you work out. You'll feel inspired. -Celeste Turner

Best Birthday Cake for the Person on a Diet

Villere's Florist

Treat that special someone to a beautifully-arranged birthday cake blooming with colorful flowers and sweet-smelling roses. No calorie counting needed with this birthday celebration, and the cake will last for weeks after the actual birth date. Villere's Florist is known for its great customer service, fresh flowers, and perfect cakes that are sure to brighten up any room for that birthday buddy who is watching his/her waistline. -Celeste Turner

Best Walk to Disorient Yourself

Audubon Park

Stroll the golf course paths at Audubon Park after sunset, and there's no telling where you are. With high tree-lines and meandering paths, the serenity of the Olmstead Company's vision quickly becomes confusing. Have no fear, if the park patrol doesn't find you, the drone following you will get you out safely. -Robert Witkowski

Best Authentic Cajun Flavor When Living in England

Kary's Roux

When outside of Louisiana, the authentic flavors of Acadiana are hard to find or even emulate. Near impossible to find beyond the Atchafalaya watershed, the seasoned jambalaya and gumbo mixes of Ville Platte's Kary's Roux quell the taste buds of exiled locals despondent from flavorless food. "It doesn't taste like that red 'French Quarter Jambalaya,'" affirms Lafayette-native Scott Belmore, living abroad in London. "Kary's is the real deal." -Robert Witkowski