To be honest, I am a very poor judge of time. I still consider the Italian Barrel in the Quarter to be a "new place" even though it has probably been there 15 years, just because I remember when my friend ran a smoothie shop in that location for a while pre-Katrina. I am not the "run to a new place" kind of guy as much as an "Oh yeah, I've been there 50 times, let's go again" kind of bore... But I started going to Shift because I knew the chef/owner/waitstaff power couple fro

We love eating. That is far from an original thought in this city. We love talking about food, also not unique. We have whole blog posts about Cajun Seafood, Frady’s, Loretta’s, and St Roch Market. We have interviews with folks who have local food spots like 3 Muses and Shift. I have made my living for almost 2 decades telling stories about the origin and history of neighborhood food. Besides those there are plenty of other places, some talked about plenty and some hardly men

The author disagreeing with Tennessee Williams in front of a mural near the Streetcar route 2015 I will be the first to admit Tennessee Williams spelled better than me, and it’s highly probable he wrote better than I do. While I once got engaged at the Tennessee Williams table at Galatoire’s, he certainly never ate at the Jeff Shyman table at Cajun Seafood. So, yes, he beats me on all counts… almost. The man could never have excelled in the tour guide business—I definitely ha

1. Three Muses is always a favorite on Frenchmen, obviously, because you don't make folks choose between a great dinner, a tasty cocktail, and world-class live jazz (along with every other style y'all have playing there)—you mix all three perfectly. How do you manage to keep all three of those creative plates spinning seamlessly every single night? It sounds exhausting to me. Well….. I don’t know exactly how seamless it is these days, lol and it certainly has evolved many tim

I don’t have my future completely mapped out. I know I’ll keep eating, drinking, biking, and talking because those are the things I’m best at. I also doubt I’ll ever end up on death row. But if I ever have to order a last meal, I know exactly where it’s coming from: Cajun Seafood on Claiborne Ave. The whole reason we run our New Orleans Culinary Tour is to show people the incredible quality, variety, and cheap-as-hell brilliance of our neighborhood food. We focus on the Tremé

My whole adult life in New Orleans, I have lived within 10 blocks of the St. Roch Market. I lived walking distance away pre-Katrina when it was still Lama’s, I lived walking distance away when it was an abandoned symbol of a recovery going nowhere in the years that followed, and I still live walking distance now that it is a vibrant international showcase for local chefs. Only one thing has been steady: I’ve liked all of its eras. Oh, and even though it is walking distance, I

Lafcadio Hearn did love New Orleans the same way I do—not only warts and all, but celebrating those warts. He loved the smell, the beauty, and the lackadaisical lifestyle, and like me, his main fear was New Orleans being dragged into the modern day...a fight we have been waging for hundreds of years with mixed results.

I love New Orleans, from the seeing the most obscure swampy corner in our inflatable kayak to the teeming Mardi Gras parades where you can't hide from the millions. You'll find many jaded folks putting down the old school New Orleans treasures, but that's not me. The New Orleanians of the past were right, and here are some of their best. Should we go to Preservation Hall, or is it too touristy? Preservation Hall is absolutely touristy, but only because us locals have been pa

The Ultimate Guide to New Orleans’ Faubourg Marigny: History From Washington Square Park If you want to experience New Orleans culture outside the French Quarter—where folks are picnicking (thanks to our liberal public drinking laws), kids are playing, and musicians and other local color are loitering—your journey couldn't start anywhere better than in the historic Faubourg Marigny. And cradled right at the gateway of this vibrant neighborhood is Washington Square Park, a bea

Welcome to our Meet the Neighbors blog series, where we highlight the incredible local businesses, creators, and characters that make our block what it is. Since we are all New Orleanians here, I am patiently awaiting the responses from my friends down the street about their shops. Patience isn’t just a virtue here—it is a necessity for survival. As I wait, I figured I’d practice by interviewing myself! So today I am sitting down with me—the founder of A Street Tour Named Des

To be completely honest, this list is biased because I made it. But if you’re looking for a slow, easy day while waiting for the music to kick off on Frenchmen Street later in the evening, you need a solid slate of neighborhood things to do nearby. (Note: I did double-check the list with my mom, my child, and my dog, and they all agreed that even though a tour with us is the only thing on this list that costs money, we deserve the top spot. This is why I am nice to my family.

Trying to decide between an awesome bike tour which will be the highlight of your trip, or a plain old bus or a walking tour for your trip to New Orleans? Here is a quick breakdown from someone who has been guiding tours through NOLA's historic neighborhoods for 18 years. An Easy Guide for How to Decide Choose the Bus Tour if: Your dream of coming to New Orleans always involved sitting on a bus looking out of a dull window. Choose the Bike Tour if: You want a slow, flat, effo

Following my last post's dive into the neighborhood magic of Frady's One Stop, it’s time for another of the many types behind our local food. After 15 years of leading culinary tours on the Creole side of New Orleans, I’ve seen great places pop up, and better places close down. A lot of tasty memories live with my customers and me. Cheezy Cajun will always have a place in my heart with their cheese-filled boudin balls. I still dream about Chef Micah Martello's shrimp and grit

The Map of My Last Meal on Earth There is a lot of joy in my job. If you asked any New Orleanian what they would like to spend an afternoon doing, you would get a huge variety of answers... eating, drinking, socializing, costuming, playing music, second lining, fishing off the canal... our lives are good here... but I'd guess the top answer would be "telling captive strangers where we love to eat." I live the dream. At every stop on our culinary tour, I repeat, "This is one o

Wondering if a New Orleans bike tour fits your trip? From solo travelers and casual riders to seniors and families, here is a local guide on what to expect.

Well, if you like a good looking tour guide letting you know the answer, watch the video above. If words do you better, read below. If you have too much time on your hands and want to know the same thing twice, do both! Wondering what happens if the weather looks bad before your ride with us? First off, forget weather forecasts days in advance—they mean very little in our tropical climate. Barely pay attention the night before, and only pay a little attention when you wake up

Getting our bearings in the beautiful Marigny. Here is why a first-day bike tour is the ultimate way to unlock the rhythm of New Orleans. To paraphrase the old expression: "When was the best time to take a bike tour in New Orleans? On your previous visit. When is the second best time? On the very first day of your next visit." Obviously, I’m biased… but I’ve been riding bikes and guiding long enough to know. I’ve heard it from enough customers who finished a ride and immediat

When you start researching bike tours in New Orleans, you’ll see companies using every type of bike imaginable. Electric bikes, multi-gear comfort bikes with handbrakes… hell, maybe even New Orleans by Unicycle (okay, I made that last one up). All bikes are good bikes...and every bike beats a car. But at A Street Tour Named Desire, we stick strictly to classic single-speed beach cruisers. Check out the shortish video below where I tell why, (and do a really poor immigration o

We would not take you out on our streets if it was not safe. These are the same streets I bike with my own child on. We have been running tours for 18 years as a Street Tour Named Desire, and previously as Confederacy of Cruisers, and besides one kid who once stuck her arm in a stray dog’s mouth (not recommended), we have never had anyone get hurt on our bike tours. We choose our routes carefully, completely avoiding the busier roads with faster drivers. By sticking to the t

We will also sharing our writing on these subjects and more on our new Medium Blog, we started with our favorite about the joy of visiting New Orleans Classic Tourism spots, even for a jaded local. And my piece on Tennessee Williams is up, too...