New Orleans at the end of March?

oh no, don't don ANY of the things #7 suggests.

Jacques Imo's is overpriced touristic versions of the same food you can get at any little hole in the wall -- see brla's food reccomendations, above.

Hand Grenades are A) lame, B) will mark you out as a stupid tourist, C) aren't even that good, and D) will give you the WORST hangover.

the fortune tellers at Jackson square are, generally speaking, scam artists who tell everybody the same thing. their tarot decks are stacked, they have a spiel, it's basically creative panhandling. ok, if you want to give those guys money, sure thing. but if you want to get your fortune read, go deeper into the quarter and search out someone.

brla, I live in the Marigny and I have to disagree that it's run down or has shabby architecture. In fact, it actually has a lot of beautiful architecture. Now, I agree that if you want to see the Marigny it's best to do so during the day as it's mostly a residential neighborhood and there's no reason to be wandering around at night, but it is a nice neighborhood.

I also have to disagree with #10's opinion of Jacque Imo's. I can't even count the number of great meals I've had there. Although I do agree about the hand grenades. Why would anyone want to drink those things?? They just aren't good.

Well, i misspoke. I should have said buildings in shabby shape rather than shabby architecture. Its not the architect/design fault that so many of the homes there have fallen into disrepair. Im not going to post duelling pictures to prove a point but Im sure you know as well as I or anyone that walks through there that some improvement can be made in that neighborhood as it pertains to upkeep etc. I also am quite willing to mention that there are some real gems there architecturally too though. I only posted my opinion and you or anyone is free to disagree with me. I think advising tourists to stick to Frenchman in Marigny is appropriate. I dont freak out walking through there after dark but then again I dont freak out very easily. Most virgins to the city I think would.

Hand Grenades, on the other hand, are not a matter of opinion. They suck. Also, the hurricanes from Pat Os arent the best ones in town. Too much grenadine and not enough fruit juices. Go to Lafittes for the best hurricanes.

Jacque Imos....well, to each their own. Im indifferent.

I just reread my post #6. I misspoke there too. Central Grocery is on Decatur, not Royal. Sorry bout that.

yeah, #12, the real test comes the next morning...

seriously, hand grenades suck. the only way i'd even remotely go there would be if it were my 21st birthday and only night EVER to be on bourbon street. and i'd have one, realize how much they suck, and switch to any number of much better things. seriously, you couldn't PAY me to drink a hand grenade. even if you put it in a different shaped glass so nobody'd know.

and i did have very good fried green tomatoes at Jacques Imo's, i'll give them that. but in my opinion, meh. anything else on the menu you can get anywhere else in town, probably better.

RE: #10. et. al.

1. The original post was tongue-in-cheek. These are the familiar things tourists may like, not necessarily locals. I suppose its akin to suggesting McDonald's to a visitor to America from Mars. And,I long ago I tired of all the NO bands that sound like Galactic, but I would still recommend some to a visitor.
2. I'll stand by Jacque-Imo's as a unique place to dine, although I think the idea of eating in the back of a pickup truck is a bit corny. And BTW, Mother's is terriby overrated. 11 dollars for a plate of red beans? And Central Grocery's muffs are far from the best I've had. In fact, the first and last time I had one there, it was pre-made and then heated up, anathema to the rules of food preparation.
3. Hand Grenades are basically a sickly green, sweet coverup for grain alcohol. Since many tourists are going for maximum effect in 'they' alcohol consumption, what better choice? Do proceed with caution.

I'll stand by Jacques Imo's, too. There are a lot of things on their menu that you can't find anywhere else, like their shrimp and alligator sausage cheesecake, deep fried roast beef poboy, and my favorite dish, the paneed rabbit over oyster tasso pasta. I think it's a great place to dine.

And pete, I have to agree with you on Mother's being way overrated. I don't understand what people see in that place. The last time I ate there it was awful.