New Orleans on the Half-Shell: A Native's Guide to the Crescent City

Rating:
Summary: Great Guide to a Great City
Review: This book is probably of most use to the seasoned New Orleans traveler, as it deals with the city from the perspective of a native telling you the best places to go. Think about it - would a New Yorker send you to Tavern on the Green or to their favorite local hangout? Would a San Franciscan send you to Ma Maison or to a hole-in-the-wall sandwiched between a Chinese grocery and a laundromat? Well, "New Orleans on the Half-Shell" is no different; local, unknown places take the front seat here, leaving the touristy places to the other guides.

This is not to say that there is no consideration for the casual tourist here. You'll get all the information you need from this slim volume, from shopping to dining, tours to bar-hopping. But I'd recommend that you use this particular guide in conjunction with another, more complete guide, specifically the terrific Insight guide that doubles as a history book and cultural primary.

On a personal note, I found my favorite restaurant in all the world in "New Orleans on the Half Shell", a place not mentioned in any other guidebook. I won't tell you where it is; you'll have to read it yourself to find it.

Rating:
Summary: Great Guide to a Great City
Review: This book is probably of most use to the seasoned New Orleans traveler, as it deals with the city from the perspective of a native telling you the best places to go. Think about it - would a New Yorker send you to Tavern on the Green or to their favorite local hangout? Would a San Franciscan send you to Ma Maison or to a hole-in-the-wall sandwiched between a Chinese grocery and a laundromat? Well, "New Orleans on the Half-Shell" is no different; local, unknown places take the front seat here, leaving the touristy places to the other guides.

This is not to say that there is no consideration for the casual tourist here. You'll get all the information you need from this slim volume, from shopping to dining, tours to bar-hopping. But I'd recommend that you use this particular guide in conjunction with another, more complete guide, specifically the terrific Insight guide that doubles as a history book and cultural primary.

On a personal note, I found my favorite restaurant in all the world in "New Orleans on the Half Shell", a place not mentioned in any other guidebook. I won't tell you where it is; you'll have to read it yourself to find it.