Page 350 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

348  THE DEEP SOUTH

0 Bourbon Street close to Arnaud’s, is another
premier New Orleans
Map D3. @ 3, 55, 89.
restaurant (see p372). Lafitte’s
Today Bourbon Street is Blacksmith Shop, at 941
synonymous with sin. This Bourbon Street, is considered
legendary street, named after one of the finest bars in
the French royal family of New Orleans. Constructed
Bourbon, is lined with bars sometime before 1772, it is
that offer vats of such lethal a good example of the brick-
concoctions as Brain Freeze, between-posts French-style
Nuclear Kamikaze, and Sex on building, in which soft local
the Bayou, most often to the bricks are supported by cypress
accompaniment of blasting timbers and protected by
rock or blues. Other places plaster. Inside, several small
offer everything from peep fireplaces warm the place on
Master bedroom at the Hermann-Grima shows, topless dancers, and cool evenings, and there is
Historic House strip joints, to drag shows and also a small patio containing a
gay bars. During Mardi Gras, sculpture of Adam and Eve,
9 Hermann-Grima the sidewalks and overhanging created by an inventive artist
Historic House balconies are jammed with as payment for his bar bill.
crowds and drinking revelers. Despite its name, there is
Map D3. 820 St. Louis St. Tel (504) Some of the most famous no concrete evidence that the
525-5661. @ 3. Open 10am–3pm establishments near this lively pirate brothers, Jean and Pierre
Mon, Tue & Thu–Sat. Closed public street include Pat O’Brien’s Lafitte, operated a smithy here
hols. & 8 7 ∑ hgghh.org
(St. Peter Street), which is well- as a front for their smuggling
This gabled brick house is one known for its rum-based activities. They were also
of the French Quarter’s few “Hurricane” cocktail, Preser- prominent slave traffickers,
examples of American Creole- vation Hall (St. Peter Street), selling “black ivory” to
style architecture. It was built a top-quality jazz venue, and Louisiana’s prominent slave-
in 1831 by William Brand for Arnaud’s (Bienville Street), a holding families. The brothers
Samuel Hermann, a German- restaurant that is a true New earned local gratitude by
Jewish merchant who lost his Orleans classic. Galatoire’s, warning the Americans of
fortune in 1837 and sold the the planned British attack
house to Judge Felix Grima. on New Orleans in 1815, and
It features a central doorway they fought bravely in the
with a fanlight and marble ensuing battle.
steps; another window with a Just up from Lafitte’s is the
fanlight graces the second oldest gay bar in the country,
floor. Inside, the floors and Café Lafitte in Exile. It is so
doors are made of cypress. called because, until the early
The three-story service quarters 1950s, gays frequented the old
are in a building off the Lafitte’s; when the bar changed
parterre garden behind the hands, its new owner refused to
house. They contain a kitchen renew the lease, and its gay
with a rare four-burner patrons establi shed their new
wood-fired stove with a Fire fountain at Pat O’Brien’s, near quarters here. It has remained a
beehive oven. Bourbon Street popular alternative ever since.
A View of Royal Street
Antoine Peychaud’s
The pride of the French Quarter, Royal Street Pharmacy (#437) An
is lined with beautiful buildings that have Brennan’s (#417) Built antique shop offering a
been carefully restored. Today, they are around 1802 for a Spanish range of fine objects is
now housed in the
occupied by elegant stores and restaurants. merchant, this building pharmacy where the
became a bank, and then a cocktail was born.
restaurant in 1954. Its
Moss balcony seal is made of
Louisiana State Bank Antiques cast iron.
(#403)

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp368–70 and pp371–3

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