Nasty weather as I write this in Brooklyn: cold, dark, unrelenting rain. Weather app says “100% chance” of precipitation today. Yup. That’s about right, there, Appie.
So we turn our attention now to warmer climes. New Orleans, say. In summer you can melt a Buick on their sidewalks, yessir, but today it’s going up to a sunny 62 degrees with ZERO percent chance of rain. And doesn’t that sound nice? Sounds like a perfect day to hike around town, Wayne Curtis-style (a NOLA writer who advocates urban hiking and tippling) and pop into a couple bars along the way. Pit stops, if you will, to recharge and refuel for the journey. Here’s six places you could visit if you walked from the Irish Channel uptown to the Bywater. I’ve drawn them all, printed them up, and will show them starting December 10 at Fort Defiance in Brooklyn (365 Van Brunt St. in Red Hook) with an opening reception that night from 6 – 8 p.m. Owner and NOLAphile St. John Frizell will serve up a batch of red beans and rice, and Judd Nielsen will be busting out the tunes on the keyboard.
And if you choose to visit these Great Good Places in person, here’s your route:
Parasol’s (2533 Constance St. at Third) My favorite bar in New Orleans, and home to one of my top three best roast beast po-boy sandwiches AND Billy the bartender, who’s warm and chill at the same time.
From Parasol’s you walk down Magazine Street into the French Quarter and hang a left to
Erin Rose (811 Conti St. near Bourbon) Yep, it’s near Bourbon, but miles away in personality. A local-fave with local flave. Bonus points for bartender Rhiannon Enlil and the Killer Po-Boys pop-up kitchen in back.
From there it’s a quick jaunt down to Decatur Street on the riverside flank of the Quarter to
Molly’s at the Market (1107 Decatur St. at Ursulines) Sort of a sister of Erin Rose (they used to have the same owner, the legendary Jim Monaghan), it’s another Quarter bar that locals can get behind, with a writerly pedigree and dynamite frozen Irish Coffee to keep you truckin’…
back up to Bourbon where at the quit(er) end of that nutty street you’ll hit
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop (941 Bourbon St. at St. Philip) Get a cold Abita, sit on a chair outside facing Bourbon and soak it in. If you’re there at sunset, all the better. The sky fades from blue to pink to that weird orange glow as the city lights bounce off the low clouds as they slide by fast.
Hop to it. You’ve got to get out of the French Quarter and over to
Buffa’s Lounge (1001 Esplanade Ave. at Burgundy) Perfect corner dive bar in front, restaurant and music in back. Maybe you’ll catch Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand playing their regular weekly gig. Have a good stiff drink. Oh, and get the shrimp creole.
Now that you’ve had a bite, you can make the long, last leg of your hike to
The Country Club (634 Louisa St. at Royal) Porch drinking and dining up front, pool in back and a peach of a restaurant and bar in the middle. Gorgeous place to end your journey across New Orleans. Have a drink. Your sixth. You’ve earned it. And some pie. Got your suit? Hit the pool and watch the wild rumpus start.
Six places, 4.2 miles. But you can check them all out at Fort Defiance from Wednesday December 10 through January of 2015 at Fort Defiance in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Join us! And don’t forget about the closing party on January 5, 5 – 9 p.m.! That’s burger night at Fort D, folks. Don’t miss it.
From Parasol’s…
to the Country Club….
