New Orleans Visitor Guide

Welcome to New Orleans and NCA!

Here’s some great food, music, and more to enjoy around the edges of the conference—all recommended by Soomo’s most trusted NOLA locals.

And don’t forget to stop by our booth at NCA to enter our raffle and test drive our latest affordable courseware, Public Speaking for Everyone.

Our favorite restaurants

Ruby Slipper: “Where there’s nothing we won’t put an egg on” (can get crowded)
Stanley: All-day breakfast, Louisiana specialties, delicious sandwiches, house-made ice creams, and milkshakes
Horn’s: Stellar breakfast and brunch (just off the beaten path)

Tartine: Cozy and casual, French-inspired sandwiches and salads
Cochon Butcher: “We make all of the meat that goes onto our sandwiches”
The Daily Beet: Vegetarian café offering salads, grain bowls, and cold pressed juices

Pêche: “Simply prepared contemporary dishes, rustic creations cooked on an open hearth, as well as fresh oysters and Gulf fish”
Coquette: “Contemporary southern cuisine with an emphasis on locally sourced product and international inspiration”
Shaya: “Israeli staples with Southern flavors and modern techniques” (farther afield)

Take It from Ian
Ian McNulty is a fantastic food and culture writer who covers everything from corner stores to the best higher-end fare in town. Take a visual tour of Ian’s recommendations.
38 Essential Eats in NOLA
The Eater 38 is a fantastic guide to the best food the city has to offer. Their map is especially helpful, and in this year’s lineup you’ll find a generous mix of cuisines, price ranges, and dining experiences.

Some highlights and recommendations from our local guides.

Tin Men at d.b.a. (6 p.m.)
New Orleans trio Tin Men features sousaphone, washboard, and guitar.

John Boutté at d.b.a. (7 p.m.)
with Oscar Rossignoli, Nobu Ozaki, and Caleb Tokarska

Seratones and Sweet Crude at Tipitina’s (18 and up; doors open 8 p.m.)
Seratones, a funk-soul-rock group, is joined by Sweet Crude, a mesmerizing new group with vocals sung in Louisiana French and English.

Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel
“This operatic fairy tale is NOT just for kids! Sure, your kids will love it, but an added bonus is YOU will too. Humperdinck’s love of folk melodies shines in this lush, beautiful, and complex score.”

Lettuce at Tipitina’s (18 and up; doors open 8 p.m.)
“Relentlessly soulful funk outfit has essentially lived on the road, embodying, night after night, the sly wink of its moniker: Let us play!”

The Best Music Calendar
WWOZ’s Livewire Music Calendar contains local listings for music while you’re in NOLA.
Tipitina’s Calendar
This much-loved venue for live music has several shows worth checking out while you’re in town!

Exhibit at the Four Seasons (plus great views of the city)
Explore the history, music, and culture of New Orleans and see the Crescent City from a new perspective, 34 floors up.
Two Chicks Walking Tours—Garden District and French Quarter
These “talented and sassy” guides are “storytellers who serve you history with a side of little-known facts and shocking tales.”
St. Louis #3 Cemetery Tour
When the tour is over, grab some beignets at the nearby City Park Café Du Monde or stroll through the largest live oak grove in the world!
Honey Island Swamp Tours
Daytime and sunset/night tours provide an up-close-and-personal chance to meet some of NOLA’s wildest life.
New Orleans Neighborhood Guide
Prefer to explore on your own? Here’s a handy guide.