The Wildings could not travel on Friday. The Russinoffs refused to miss Friday night in the French Quarter. The happy compromise: The Beviers and Russinoffs arrived Friday; everyone left Monday.

Hotel: The Bourbon Orleans

Ask for a room that overlooks the pool. These are away from the street noise. Rooms 340, 342, 344 and 346 share a narrow balcony.

Acme Oyster Bar. The Beviers and Russinoffs walked down Bourbon Street soon after our 9PM arrival. We slugged back raw oysters and Abita Amber beer. The Acme closed its doors at 10pm. Lin, Susan and I went to dinner while Dave stayed behind to watch the rest of the Knicks-Spurs game.

Irene's Cuisine. We dodged raindrops to the other side of the Quarter. Dave showed up after we had finished the shrimp and corn bisque. We shared entrées of duck in cherry sauce, softshell crab and chicken roasted with rosemary and garlic.

Café du Monde. The Beviers had to try it. We had coffee and beignets in the morning. We went elsewhere (a Community Coffee outlet) the rest of the weekend.

Mother's. The Wildings arrived late Saturday morning. We bought umbrellas and hiked down Royal Street through a downpour to Mother's for lunch. Matt and Martha shared an oyster po boy and a Ralph (ordered sloppy). Dave and I followed suit. I also tried a cup of shrimp creole. Susan had a debris biscuit. Lin got some filé gumbo and a piece of apple pie that she passed around the table. After this lunch no one achieved a state of sincere hunger the rest of the weekend.

Street Beverages. At various stops on Bourbon Street, we had an assortment of hurricanes, daiquiris, hand grenades, and a mint julep. This kind of drinking began in earnest late Saturday afternoon.

Brigtsen's. We took a cab to the Carollton section of the city to Brigtsen's (Bright-sens), which is situated in an old house. We ate in the parlor. Several started with the creamless shrimp bisque. The entrées included veal with oyster sauce, pecan-crusted mahi-mahi, sauteed seafood, and roast duck. The duck was labeled as a signature dish and was quite tasty. The guide books call this Cajun. While very good, it did not seem particularly regional.

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop. A little bit away from the crowded part of Bourbon Street. The cab driver said that this place makes the best hurricanes. I think the liquor was detectable because it was floating on top.

Arnaud's. Brunch at noon. The Shrimp Arnaud (grilled shrimp in remoulade sauce) was a good appetizer. Lin ordered the oysters en brochette, which seemed to be the best pick for an entrée. Martha, Matt and Susan had poached eggs. I ordered the softshell crab. Dave had crawfish tails in a rich lobster sauce, and his first gin fizz. We went the full 9 yards with dessert, including bananas foster and crepes suzette.

Felix's. We stopped early in the evening at Felix's. Dave told us to get away from the table. The waiter explained that you only get freshly shucked oysters at the bar. With the encouragement of the barman we knocked down 5 dozen.

Dickie Brennan's Bar. After Felix's we decided to take a street car ride. We loaded up with hurricanes and daiquiris of various flavors and headed for the nearest stop. The street seemed pretty quiet. The concierge of the nearby Marriott advised us we would have a long wait. We found Dickie Brennan's and caught our breath until another plan emerged.

Evelyn's. Mainly a bar, but has a small kitchen. Dave knew of this place from a past visit. We tried some red beans and gumbo. Dave had the creole meatball sandwich. Evelyn refused to call us a rude name, despite encouragement from us and some regulars. This is a place worth re-visiting.

Lucky Dogs. Sitting in the hotel lobby late Saturday night, someone admitted to a very slight hunger. The men hit Bourbon Street to forage. We came up with Lucky Dogs. Not sure anyone ate them.

Zachary's. The Wildings and Russinoffs rode the street car and stopped for lunch. The buffet included fried chicken, red beans and rice, seafood pasta, and filé gumbo with andouille and crabs.

Central Grocery. Dave and I picked up muffalettas for the road.

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