Travelin' to New Orleans -- an LTH guide at your service

Hello fellow LTHers!

Just wanted to drop in and offer my services (and a shameless work plug) to anyone planning an eating excursion/vacation/business trip, etc. to New Orleans.

I left Chicago in 2009 and moved south, back home to Louisiana and into a dream job: writing about food for NewOrleans.com. Since then, I've taken on a bigger role in the company, but good eatin' is still my top priority.

I don't have nearly enough time these days to noodle around on the forum and post like I used to (some of y'all may remember A Swine Time: Cochon de Lait Festival). So I'm extending an open invite to LTHers to get in touch with me if you need any help putting together an eating itinerary or traveling to/visiting New Orleans (or anywhere in Louisiana, for that matter). Mardi Gras, Super Bowl 2013, French Quarter Fest, Jazz Fest, Tales of the Cocktail, convention/business...or just because. Whatever you're coming to town for, please feel free to drop me a line with any questions: editor at neworleans dot com.

In exchange, I hope you'll consider booking your hotel in New Orleans (or any New Orleans tours/attractions/stuff we offer) with us -- NewOrleans.com is a locally owned and operated business (sorta like Expedia or Orbitz, but exclusively N.O.).

French Quarter hotels
New Orleans hotels
Hotels near the Superdome

Thanks! I look forward to hearing from y'all!

-Colleen Rush (a.k.a. crrush)

Greetings, Colleen. Good to hear from you once again.

I love NOLA, and I will definitely use your service to book my next trip. Not sure when that will be, but always glad to have a recommendation of a site that can help me plan.

I learned a ton about Chicago food from Colleen even though I've lived here a lot longer than she did (almost my whole life). She just has a knack for culinary discoveries. I cannot imagine a better source of information about NOLA, especially for people who frequent these forums, than Colleen. This makes me even more excited to visit the Crescent City again. It's been far too long.

Thanks, Colleen, for the heads up.

=R=

Thanks y'all! I miss my Chicago food family, but life is good in New Orleans, too.

Lotta new, interesting restaurants opened in 2011 and soon to open (including Rick Tramonto's collaboration with John Folse: Restaurant R'Evolution in the Royal Sonesta hotel). John Besh and former Galatoire's exec chef Brian Landry just opened a seafood restaurant in the newly re-opened Hyatt Regency. A burger joint that topped Herbsaint/Cochon chef Donald Link's list of favorites in 2011.

I know most people come down here for the Commander's/Galatoire's/Antoine's experience, but there's so much more happening. I look forward to hearing from my favorite intrepid eaters!

Colleen,

I have thoroughly enjoyed your Facebook posts. My future visit will include contacting younger. Since we met at Somwthing Different in extremely rural VA in an out of the way and off the beaten path area you know what I will like.

Maiden voyage this week for trade show. Not much time to get out and about, but did find something otherworldly enjoyable. It was a fairly short walk to Acme Oyster (since 1910). Cool atmosphere. Anyway they make these chargrilled oysters that won me over. They has some type of buttery Cajun spiced mix in them with a little melted parm on top, not too much, just right. Then to be able to sop the bread into those leftover buttery mix was heavenly. Curtis the bartender kept us in good spirits along the way. Three nights, three visits. Could not resist.