Travel: Venture beyond Bourbon Street to find a city full of tradition, never traditional

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Legendary as a town where the party never ends, New Orleans’ reputation does not stop at just letting the good times roll.

Beyond the flamboyant façade, lies an equally shimmering tapestry of history and art, for the Big Easy cherishes the rich narrative that birthed such a unique metropolis.

The city has embraced the restoration of some of its most eclectic and historic buildings, now repurposed into boutique hotels where a stay, like an extra layer of fluffy, delectable pastry in an already mouth-watering croissant, adds to the sensory feast that is a visit.

The trend to make the old into new began a few years ago, with projects such as the Ace Hotel, a former art deco furniture factory, and with NOPSI, a hotel created from an old public service building. Old warehouses became the Eliza Jane Hotel and a St. Charles Avenue mansion was reborn as The Chloe Hotel.

Opened last year amidst NOLA’s Lower Garden District is Hotel St. Vincent, formerly the St. Vincent’s Infant Asylum. Once a refuge for both young and old, the 1861 asylum, surrounded by 19th century Greek Revival and Italianate mansions, was rebirthed as a 75-room deco-disco oasis on the corner of Magazine and Race Streets.

St. Vincent’s story starts in 1835, when Irish orphan Margaret Gaffney arrived in New Orleans and later opened a bakery. The kindhearted Margaret, known locally as “Our Margaret,” generously funded the asylum. Margaret Place, a park near Hotel St. Vincent, serves to celebrate the humanitarian.

The hotel’s stylish rooms encircle a lushly landscaped courtyard and pool where guests view films poolside during summer months. In-house restaurant San Lorenzo, named for the patron saint of cooks, is an ode to coastal Italian cooking with regional NOLA influences as well.

The highly walkable neighborhood of Magazine Street, although not far from the frolic that defines the city, is lined with restaurants such as The Bower, where Chef Marcus Woodham depends on the delicacies of Louisiana farmers’ markets for his inspiration.

The restaurant takes its name from the trellised walkways of early 19th. century gardens. Eating al fresco amidst the ivy-covered walls is a must-do.

For a heaping helping of the eclectic at breakfast, stroll to Molly’s Rise and Shine, newest adventure for Chef Mason Hereford, co-author of “Turkey and the Wolf, Flavor Trippin’ in New Orleans.”

Since this is the place for creative breakfasts, the crowds of office workers, joggers, moms and tourists arrive early to partake from the playful menu and feast on cool décor that includes everything from E.T. full-size figures to vintage Wheaties boxes.

From Molly’s, it’s a short drive to NOLA’s NOMA, the New Orleans Museum of Art. The city’s impressive repository of everything art is eminently situated in pretty City Park. Considered one of the top art museums in the South, NOMA opened in 1911 with only nine works, a far cry from the 40,000-piece collection it has since  amassed.

Bask in the glory of works by Degas, Magritte, Cassatt, Modigliani, Renoir and Warhol, among the A-listers represented. The museum is also noted for its strength in African and Japanese works, the decorative arts, photography and glass.

On 11 acres adjacent to the museum is the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, a world-class outdoor art environment where 90 works by the likes of Henry Moore, Saint-Gaudens and Robert Indiana are displayed against a backdrop of live oaks, cypress islands and a central lagoon where ducks love to frolic.

Elyn Zimmerman’s 70-foot glass bridge illustrates the changing courses of the mighty Mississippi with swirling lines and stunning colors.

After the infusion of art, stroll through City Park to Ralph Brennan’s Ralph’s on the Park, perfectly situated among live oaks and colorful clapboard houses. The farm-to-table destination offers locally sourced ingredients that make for a memorable lunch — or dinner. Try the Truffle Fries and Shrimp Skully, together with the Blackened Redfish or Fried Catfish and Shrimp Etouffe for lunch, abetted by Ralph’s Rosé All Day at $5 a glass.

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Speaking of Ralph Brennan, no NOLA visit is complete without brunch at Brennan’s in the French Quarter. It is not surprising that lines wrap around the block when Brennan’s opens at 9 a.m., because the restaurant is listed among the top 100 for brunch in the United States. Breakfast at Brennan’s, an immersive epicurean experience, includes splendid ambiance, impeccable service and unforgettable dishes such as Oyster J’Aime as appetizers and Eggs Hussarde and Eggs St. Charles for the main event, all, of course, accompanied by bubbly or perhaps a classic Sazerac cocktail.

When the day is done, head to heavenly Hotel Peter & Paul, another NOLA gem of a restoration, this time in the city’s Marigny district, a bohemian enclave of colorful shotgun houses, jazz clubs and Frenchmen Street, where late-night bites, dancing, art and music continue until the wee hours.

You wouldn't think a hotel within walking distance from so much activity would be serene, yet the former church, rectory, convent and schoolhouse, now transformed into a super-chic hotel, is a sanctuary of peace and comfort with 71 guest rooms, special events venue in the former church and a wine bar and restaurant from the James Beard-nominated Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits.

It took four years for the massive transformation to happen. Steeped in history, the 19th. century complex of buildings earned Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Award and Fodor’s Finest Hotels kudos in 2021. Travel+Leisure named Peter & Paul one of the best new hotels in the world in 2019.

Located in the former rectory, the saintly Elysian Bar nods to Elysian Fields, the blissful paradise of the blessed, and pays equal homage to the city’s famed Elysian Fields Avenue. Grab breakfast at the Café, formerly the rectory’s chapel. Visit the jewel box bar, named among the best in the world by Esquire, and where the bar itself is a piece of art. Dine in the two parlors, both with Italianate fireplaces, or opt for the atrium in the light-filled rectory courtyard.

Less than a 10 minutes’ drive from Hotel Peter & Paul is Vue Orleans, where the rich history and culture of the city converges atop the Four Seasons Hotel (the former world trade center) by the Mississippi River. The $30 million high-tech venue, which opened early in 2022, dazzles, even with its 33-story elevator ascent. It starts the experience with a 60-second condensation of the Crescent City’s formation before delivering visitors to a 360-degree observation deck with interactive exhibits that include piloting a riverboat down the Mississippi.

Dress in full Mardi Gras regalia, explore the city’s culinary mélange in the Story Café and move to the rhythm of NOLA in immersive musical experiences. One more elevator ride to the 34th floor is the outdoor observatory for plein air encounter with NOLA.

Another Four Seasons attraction is Chemin a La Mer, where Chef Donald Link celebrates Louisiana’s culinary heritage with dishes that incorporate classic French techniques and flavors inspired by the West Indies.

The Chilled Blue Crab Claws with chile vinegar are among the many memorable selections of the restaurant’s oyster bar. The Seafood Tower, with crab claws, steamed shrimp, ceviche and half a dozen oysters, is unforgettable, particularly when enjoyed with Chemin’s killer views of the Mississippi as backdrop.

Walk off your meal with a visit to Sazerac House, a paean to the historic drink New Orleans wrought.

The libation gained momentum back in the 1850s in New Orleans’ famed “coffeehouses.” A complimentary tour that meanders through three floors of the ornate, historic building explores how the Sazerac is woven into the fabric of New Orleans’ customs, traditions and culture. A variety of cocktail samples, also free, are offered on each floor.

Time to check into lodgings, and One11 Hotel beckons. The brand-new One11, in the old Sugar District that is part of the French Quarter, arose from the 1884 seven-story brick building once home to the American Sugar Refining Company. Now reimagined with all modern comforts, One11 boasts that it is the first hotel to open in the French Quarter in half a century.

Industrial chic meets history at One11, with high ceilings, exposed beams and glass showers. The eighth-floor “Sweet” offers a private outdoor terrace with unobstructed views of the Crescent of the Mississippi. From One11, the French Quarter is your oyster, a short walk away. Life is indeed sweet in this suite.

Clancy’s, an Uber ride away from One11, represents the epitome of the white tablecloth Creole bistro, tuxedo-clad waiters and all. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the building on the corner of Annunciation and Webster has been the location of a restaurant or bar. It's a NOLA corner known as Audubon, where perfectly manicured Creole cottages reside.

Crisp Clancy’s is beloved by locals for its wine as much as for its dishes. Wine Spectator lauded the restaurant’s 9,500-bottle inventory, naming Clancy’s among the top 10 restaurants in New Orleans. Fortunate patrons who happen to visit when the soft-shell crabs are on the menu know this is a must-order.

In New Orleans, the good times roll, and not just on Bourbon Street, in this city steeped in traditions, but never traditional. 

Maria Sonnenberg is a Melbourne-based freelance lifestyles and travel writer.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: What to do in New Orleans beyond the French Quarter