New Orleans, LA

Don't get me wrong; bar food has it's place in the culinary world. Heaping piles of nachos can be quite tasty and a gooey basket of cheese fries can curb a craving that can be satisfied in no other way. But when picking a sports bar where I can enjoy, what I hope to be, a good game and a few beers, I look for a place that can branch beyond the generic bar-food menu. The Ugly Dog Saloon does just that, and they do it well.

New Orleans, LA

While a New Orleanian can find a grocery store that sells gin or a club that plays jazz at any hour, it may seem distinctly more difficult to find a good poboy at a late hour in New Orleans. According to a website that advertises itself as “the best after hours destinations that New Orleans has to offer,” one can find late night sustenance at a casino, a national chain blues establishment, or a daiquiri place known for its “pretzels.” Pretzels? Being a New Orleanian is less about chain establishments and pretzels than about poboys and institutions, like Cooter Brown’s Tavern and Oyster Bar. It is named for a man (or legend) who lived along the Mason-Dixon line during the war between the North and the South. With family on both sides, he chose not to fight on either side. Instead, he got drunk for the duration of the war.

New Orleans, LA

Great food begins with great ingredients. For that very reason more than 1,500 people wake up early every week to visit the Crescent City Farmer's Market. Area farmers and a host of other vendors continue a tradition that is hundreds of years old by bringing their goods to sell directly to the city-dweller. On Tuesday mornings in historic Uptown New Orleans and on Saturday mornings in the heart of the bustling Warehouse District vendors sell the highest quality ingredients available in the region. Whether you're a full-time chef, searching for fresh ingredients for your family, or a visitor looking to experience the city from the inside out, the vendors at the Crescent City Farmer's Market make it easy to create a full meal with Farmer's Market findings.

New Orleans, LA

Tucked between the antique stores and T-shirt shops on one of Magazine Street's funkier blocks, Juan's Flying Burrito offers diners a casual, inexpensive and delicious meal.

The food is Mexican-inspired, but the atmosphere is not. Rock music generally plays through the long narrow dining room. The open kitchen separates two seating areas -- both adorned with brightly colored paintings of flowers and skulls. It's not likely that the wait staff will win any awards for spectacular service. But the deliciously satisfying fare for relatively few dollars generally influences the casual diner to overlook the informal service.