The bottom line is that Upperline is a top New Orleans restaurant

When I visit a city, I keep a list of all the places I want to go back to. When I visited New Orleans seven years ago, Upperline was at the top of that must-return-to list. And on my recent return visit, it did not disappoint. In fact, everything was just as I remembered it, only better.

The secret ingredient at this popular restaurant is owner JoAnn Clevenger whose presence is always felt, whose taste is always seen in the colorful art collection on the walls, and whose warm spirit pervades the restaurant.

Going to Upperline is a bit like having dinner at the charming home of a good friend. Locals consider it the special occasion place to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and other significant milestones. The evening I was there, it was the birthday celebration for one local man, and the anniversary of a New York couple. The man, a barbershop quartet performer, so enjoyed his dinner that he burst in to song, much to the delight of the other patrons. The artist wife of the anniversary couple presented JoAnn with a pin she had made because she was so pleased with being able to get into the popular restaurant.

I watched all this, noting that it was as if people were making offerings to the high priestess of dining in this food-focused city.

The High Priestess of Dining in New Orleans

JoAnn just seems to do everything right, year after year. For 22 years. In 1995 she won The Wine Spectator Award and has gotten it every year since.

For all the accolades and praise from locals, it is hard to believe this highly regarded restaurant has only 85 chairs.

Upperline offers two types of prix fix. The Taste of New Orleans ($38.50) includes seven favorites served in three courses. The only choice you have to make is dessert.

First course: Duck etouffe over corn cakes, turtle soup and andouille gumbo

Second course: Fried Green Tomato with Shrimp Remoulade, Spicy shrimp with jalapeno cornbread and Roast duck with ginger peach sauce.

Third Course: Warm Bread Pudding with Toffee Sauce or Upperline Pecan Pie.

If you are hungrier than that, I’d recommend the Thomas Jefferson Louisiana Purchases Dinner. The four course dinner is $40 and allows you to choose almost any of the signature dishes. With a four wine selection it is $65.

For details on the special dinners see www.upperline.com

Upperline
1413 Upperline Street
504-891-9822
You can take the cable car up St. Charles or it is about a $12 cab ride from the French Quarter.

For More Information

Renaissance Arts Hotel
700 Tchoupitoulas Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 USA
Phone: 1-504-613-2330
Fax: 1-504-613-2331
Toll-free: 1-800-431-8634

What I Wish I Had Known Before I Went To New Orleans
There are two kinds of people who go to New Orleans, those who want to party and those who don’t. If you don’t plan to stay up all night, be sure to express that preference when you check in and request a quiet room, perhaps on a courtyard. Or consider staying outside the quarter if you value a good night’s sleep.

I stayed at a to-be-nameless hotel (not in either of the two hotels recommended above) in the quarter and called down to the front desk because of all the noise. They were prepared. They sent up earplugs. That was not enough. Two sleeping pills and six hours later, I learned there was a long list of people who wanted to change rooms. I waited (and slept) all day in my room waiting for another room, wanting to be sure not to loose my place on that special list. The helpful front desk person told me that more people than usual had called down to complain the night before.

Most Literary Time To Plan Your Visit
The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary, March 20-26, 2006. Weather is cool, reception is warm, topic is hot.

Best Place To Get Online For Free
201 St. Charles in the food court Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm

Best Local Place To Shop
RHINO
(which stands for right here in New Orleans)
504-523-7945
www.rhinocrafts.com
A non-profit educational organization whose purpose is to expand public knowledge of and stimulate public awareness in contemporary Louisiana fine crafts.

Bywater Art Market
Affordable Local and Regional Art
3rd Saturday of every month
Markley Park—Piety and Royal Street in Bywater 504-944-900

Several locations and all good for you and the environment. My manicure lasted for three weeks—a record for this frequent traveler who is moving luggage constantly and typing on my computer.
http://www.travellady.com/Issues/April05/1353ForgetVoodoo.htm

Great Guidebooks
Feet On The Street
Rambles Around New Orleans
By Roy Blount, Jr.
Crown Journeys
www.randomhouse.com

Eating New Orleans
From French Quarter Creole Dining to the Perfect Poboy
By Pableaux Johnson
Countryman Press
www.countrymanpress.com

2005 New Orleans Restaurants
With bonus Nightlife section
ZagatSurvey
www.zagat.com

Stories In Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography
Written and photographed by Douglas Keister
Dead men may tell no tales, but their tombstones do—and now there is a book that will help anyone become an expert on just what it is they are trying to tell us. Graveyard tours and funerary architecture are HUGE in New Orleans so you may want to study up.
Gibbs Smith, Pubisher
www.gibbs-smith.com

Helpful Map
MAPQUEST NEW ORLEANS City Map . This large scale detailed street map folds up to 2”x3”

I’ll Drink To That
The Museum of the American Cocktail is dedicated to providing education in mixology and preserving the rich history of the American Cocktail. The exhibit is on display at the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum at 514 Chartres Street, now through September 2005- over two hundred years of cocktail memorabilia from the outstanding collections of the founders.

Another Great Tour
Since July of 2004, City Segway Tours has been gliding through the city of New Orleans offering a new way for tourists and residents to visit the popular historical sites of this fabulous city. The 3-4 hour tour begins at the golden Joan of Arc statue in front of the office, then heads to Governor Nicholls Street Wharf before moving along the riverfront through Woldenberg Park to the Aquarium of the Americas and Harrah's Casino. Riders then take the ferry across the river to Algiers Point, glide down the Jazz Walk of Fame to visit Mardi Gras World and through the streets of Algiers. The tour crosses the river again, heads down the Riverwalk to end back at the Joan of Arc statue.

If you are not familiar with the Segway HT, it is the first self-balancing, electric-powered transporter designed to enhance the productivity of people by increasing the distance they travel and the amount they can carry. The Segway HT uses a breakthrough technology called dynamic stabilization, enabling it to work seamlessly with the body's movements. It operates in any pedestrian environment and is perfect for City Segway Tour purposes.