ALL STARS ON NEW ORLEANS

Some say if you seen a city, you’ve seen them all, but these folks have never been to New Orleans, a rare luster in the world as the only one of its kind of place. It’s exactly the type of city, which is sure to leave a memorable and lasting impression— a place to truly experience the five senses—especially now as millions of people are sensitive to the future of this great city in the context of a post Katrina world. “New Orleans is very much a ‘tale of two cities’ to use a Dickens analogy” says Mary Beth Romig, Director of Communications and PR for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, “the parts of our city vital to our economy and vital to our hospitality industry are alive and thriving, but the other side are the neighborhoods knee deep in recovery, but they too are coming along. The best thing people can do to help us in our recovery is to come and enjoy all the city has to offer.”

And the best time is definitely in February as this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend falls right on the heels of the Mardi Gras Season and the city couldn’t be happier about hosting the best of the best in professional sports. “It shows the nation and the world that we are a great destination and can host big events like no other city. After Katrina, seeing is believing when it comes to New Orleans and we have to show the world that we are not “wiped out” like many people think.”

Most of the downtown areas which suffered the most damaged are on the rise like City Park, one of the oldest in the country, thanks to industrious volunteers and generous donors like New Orleans Saints Reggie Bush who personally contributed over $80,000 to rebuild the beloved Tad Gormbley Stadium within the park. In the Ninth Ward, Bradford Marsalis and Harry Connick Jr. has galvanized with Habitat for Humanity to develop Musician’s Village, an enduring project to build homes for the city’s displaced musicians after the storm. Most recently, Brad Pitt has urged a call of arms to rebuild 100 eco-friendly homes in the Ninth Ward through his Make it Right Foundation. While many families still remain away from their flooded neighborhoods, it’s this pouring outreach of activism, kindheartedness, attention, which proves that New Orleans with its characteristic flair is not going anywhere and plans to show off exactly why its’ a place worth saving and visiting.

The Ritz Carlton leads the tourist march with its $150 million renovation after a fifteen-month closure. With impressive suites redolent in rich New Orleans’ inspired design, luxurious amenities like 24-custom service, which includes an on call butler and round the clock room and concierge service—this is no longer your grandfather’s Ritz. The revamped space features a luxurious 25,000 square feet spa with twenty-two pampering services, wrapped in Big Easy comfort and relaxation like the Monsieur therapy packages, which includes lunch at the charming Spa Café. For dinner, the new Mélange restaurant highlights the best dishes from the city’s most renowned restaurants under the backdrop of legendary trumpeter, Jeremy Davenport. The parlor style Library Lounge showcases Master Mixologist, Chris McMillian who teaches classic New Orleans’ cocktails and the booming voice of blues queen Marva Wright wafts through the stately On Trois lounge.

The W Hotel sticks to its branded slickness with two locations in the city. The French Quarter spot offers a sophisticated, subdued getaway and houses the award-winning Tuscan restaurant, Bacco. The nearby Central Business District location is bit more spacious with a few more perks, like the hotel’s premier restaurant, Zoë, a Parisian brasserie of ambitious cuisine and Rande Gerber’s Whiskey Blue stands out with its smart design and exclusive velvet-rope.

The International House is the brainchild of local developer Sean Cummings and ranks as one of the chicest boutique hotels in the city, especially its atmospheric bar/lounge Loa, a seductive, gothic swanky escape. Also, the five-star Windsor Court captures the romantic allure of the French Quarter as a five star retreat with breathtaking suites and deluxe guest rooms, a specialized Spa-to-You service, boutiques and dining.

The city’s diverse culture has rightfully earned New Orleans the distinction as one of the best gastronomic destinations in the world. “We have more restaurants open today than ever before in our city’s great culinary history,” says Romig. Many of city’s talented chefs continue to draw from these traditions and status, creating excitingly ambitious restaurants and menus. John Besh’s, Restaurant August, in the bustling Warehouse District is a critically acclaimed darling for its pedigreed chef. Superb dishes such as Foie Gras prepared three ways and slow-cooked Berkshire pork belly with butter-poached Maine lobster consistently delight and dazzle. The refined décor with dangling chandeliers, wood paneling and French chairs lend a soothing and purely satisfying dining experience.

Stella! shines with Chef Scott Boswell at the helm executing brilliant global inspired dishes like the Japanese Mero Sea Bass, glazed in Sake and Miso over a tasty blend of noodles, lobster bisque and 24 karat gold leaves. Stella! boasts a fine wine selection to pair such bold, creative dishes amidst a charming Provencal setting in the ambient Quarter. Another buzz generating spot is Le Petite Grocery nestled in the Garden District; an elegant French bistro meets New Orleans panache. Chef Justin Devillier’s wellexecuted menu features sublime dishes like the Louisiana Bouillabaisse smothered with fresh regional seafood, herbs and a rouille crouton in a setting of simplified elegance.

Antoine’s, Commander’s Palace, and Galatoire’s are the city’s bastions of the fine dining experience with iconic reputations, impeccable service, and famed cuisine, with creations like Antoine’s origins of the Oyster Rockefeller. Emeril Lagasse actually honed his skills at Commander’s Palace, before opening his eponymous restaurant, which launched his meteoric fame. Emeril’s is located in the Warehouse District and the menu showcases his “‘New’ New Orleans” cuisine, which celebrates the city’s tradition with mouthwatering dishes like his delectable Andouille Crusted Texas Redfish and decadent Apple Pie Bread Pudding. The festive space has a glass encased spice display, bold in color and flavor, as well as an impressive wine room, which features a well-regarded sommelier. His second restaurant, Delmonico’s Steakhouse, sits on St. Charles Avenue, granting visitors a subdued alternative.

For Crescent City provincial favorites head to Dooky Chase’ a legendary restaurant—recently renovated after massive damage from Katrina—for hearty roux gumbo; Central Grocery for the city’s famous muffaletta, a stacked sandwich filled with Italian meats, cheeses, and a signature olive salad finish; Parasol’s for a perfect roast beef po’boy; Casamento’s a low key, eighty year old haunt for the freshest and most flavorful oysters. And of course, a visit wouldn’t be complete without a stop at Café Du Monde for sugared beignets and a cup of café au lait, Creole coffee enriched with chicory and history of Jackson Square.

“People should not feel bad about coming here and having fun,” says Romig. Bourbon, while notoriously enjoyable and seedy, isn’t the only place to have a rollicking time in the Big Easy. Jazz connoisseurs should run to Frenchman Street, in the historic Marigny neighborhood with a stop at Snug Harbor, a two-tier, intimate space that features Ellis Marsalis, patriarch of the talented family, on his standard Friday night sets as well as other celebrated artists from the area and around the world throughout the week. Sweet Lorraine’s is another sophisticated venue to catch the tunes of blues and jazz greats nearly every night in a spacious hall that includes a worthy restaurant and upscale bar.

New Orleans has always been a gambling town and Harrah’s Casino modernizes the riverboat heritage with over 115,000 square feet of ten varieties of table games of more than one hundred tables, twenty of which are poker tables as well as many other entertainment highlights from clubs to fine restaurants, including Besh Steakhouse.

Venture to Audubon Park for a day on the greens, the new Dennis Griffith design is considered to be one of the greatest public courses and one of the oldest in the country. The well manicured green sits under a maze of regal oaks and deliberately placed lagoons to add challenge to the course in an absolutely breathtaking urban oasis. The famous Audubon Zoo is tucked in the back of the park and is great stop for families to see the famous white tigers and alligators, a lush Louisiana swamp, and a diverse collection of some of the world’s greatest animals in these wondrous surroundings.

New Orleans is truly a feast of sensations, in every facet of one’s experience. There’s nothing like witnessing weathered colonial structures lined across French old streets, or gazing toward grand American mansions with passing streetcars of a bygone era; the melodious sounds of swinging jazz, brass bands, Acadian or Cajun fais do do, or the colorful vernacular ringing through the streets. Where else can one taste a diaspora of culture, which spans across Europe, Africa and the Americas or smell the blooming sweet olive, magnolias and sweltering swampy heat. Only in New Orleans will one touch a totally unique culture and completely grasp the importance of why this American star must continue to gleam in all its glorious splendor.