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King cake in New Orleans is a sweet pastry served during Carnival season. Most have cinnamon, icing, and purple, green, and gold sugar. Some come with cream cheese, fruit, or praline filling. If you’re trying one for the first time, a classic cinnamon cake is a good place to start. But finding a good king…

The New Orleans Hurricane drink is a strong rum cocktail made with passion fruit and citrus. It tastes sweet, sometimes quite sweet, which can make the rum easy to miss. You’ve likely seen one in the French Quarter. It’s often red or orange, served over ice in a tall, curved glass. But two Hurricanes can…

The best muffaletta in New Orleans has thick sesame bread, Italian meats, cheese, and plenty of olive salad. That last part matters most. It gives the sandwich its salty, sharp taste. Without it, you’re eating a fairly ordinary meat and cheese sandwich. If this is your first trip to New Orleans, you may have a…

New Orleans New Year’s Eve is much easier to enjoy when you plan the day before you plan midnight. A French Quarter food tour, time by the river, and a few hours on foot can easily fill December 31. Just leave yourself a real break so you are not tired before the main celebration begins….

New Orleans is a fun city to explore on your own. You can eat well, hear live music, visit museums, and wander through historic streets at your own pace. The key is not to overplan your first day. Keep it simple, and know how you want to get around after dark. That will help more…

New Orleans happy hour often kicks off around 3 or 4 p.m., though every place has its own schedule. If you are visiting for the first time, it is easy to get stuck comparing drink prices. But the better question is usually where you want to spend the next couple of hours. The French Quarter…

If you are looking for the best crawfish étouffée in New Orleans, a food tour is a great place to start. You get to try this Louisiana favorite while a local guide tells you what is on your plate. At Tastebud Tours, we walk through the French Quarter, taste local dishes, and share the stories…

The best soul food in New Orleans comes from a long food history. Think gumbo, red beans and rice, po-boys, and other local favorites. If you want to try a few of them, a walking food tour can save you a lot of time. This helps even more if it is your first trip. There…

Yes, you can find gluten-free food in New Orleans on a Tastebud Tours experience, but not on every tour. The regular walking food tours do not offer gluten-free food swaps. If you need to avoid gluten, two food tour options at Briquette may work better. They are the Bubbles and Bourbon Brunch and The Briquette…

Yes, New Orleans is generally safe for tourists. But be a little more careful after dark. That is the short answer. New Orleans is a real city, so crime does happen. The good news is that the numbers are better now. Homicides are at their lowest level since 1969. They are also down 24% in…

When is crawfish season in New Orleans? If crawfish is a big reason for your trip, aim for March through May. That is the main part of the season, and April is a particularly good time to visit if you also want to walk around the city and enjoy its food scene. You can find…

New Orleans in December is a great time for a food tour. The weather is cooler, the French Quarter is easier to walk, and warm dishes like gumbo feel just right. Good food is easy to find here, but choosing where to eat is the harder part, especially if your trip is short. That is…