Bold new ingredients stir up the ever-simmering melting pot that is the Big Easy

Hot Bed

On the edge of the French Quarter, the intimate Maison Orléans is styled like an aristocratic French home, with butler service (504-670-2900; doubles, $444–$495; w). At the opposite end of the design spectrum is Loft 523, a former dry goods warehouse whose airy, loft-style rooms (à la New York City's SoHo) have floor-to-ceiling windows (504-200-6523; doubles, $319; w).

Food Town

Favored by Garden District locals, the Bluebird Cafe serves up pancakes and grits, often to Hawaiian tunes (504-895-7166; entrées, $2–$8). Of the down-home meals served at Dunbar's Creole Cooking, the rice and beans is the standout (504-899-0734; entrées, $7–$15). For pure indulgence, order the chocolate soup topped with a coconut macaroon at the new French-Creole August (504-299-9777; entrées, $17–$31).

A Little Night Music

The clubs here aren't about posturing and exclusivity. In the French Quarter, musicians jam on the tiny stage at the infectiously friendly mainstay Donna's Brass Band Headquarters (504-940-5442). A member of the Marsalis clan can often be seen playing at Funky Butt, nearby (504-558-0872). In the Faubourg Marigny, D.B.A. draws a crowd with its wide range of beers and single-malt whiskeys (504-942-3731). For a unique night out, dance and bowl to live zydeco at Rock "n" Bowl (504-482-3133).

Goods Aplenty

Artisans are everywhere in the Crescent City, but the best crafts are on Magazine Street. At Shadyside Potsalot, Charles Bohn fashions simple Japanese raku ware (504-897-1710). The New Orleans School of Glassworks demonstrates the glassblowing techniques used to create the shop's intricate sculptures (504-529-7277). Nineteenth-century carved santos from the Philippines are among the eclectic offerings at Orient Expressed Imports (504-899-3060).