Historic Sites in Jefferson

"If you’re down in the CBD or headed toward the French Quarter, one small church lies hidden on Rampart Street. Peering through the doors, you see a rather simple sanctuary and some of the homeless asleep on the pews. The real beauty is to either side of the altar: the shrines to St. Jude and Our Lady of Guadalupe."

"The Beauregard-Keyes House is significant and worth a tour for its Greek Revival architecture, lovely quaint garden, and for once having been the residence of Confederate General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard, a New Orleans native who ordered the first shots of the Civil War and remained a hero in the South long after the war was lost. Ursuline nuns used the property from the early 1700s until the 1820s when the new house was designed to combine elements of a Creole cottage with Greek Revival features, including a Palladian facade, curved twin staircases, Tuscan portico, and generous dining room. In 1945, author Frances Parkinson Keyes was looking for a place to write and live in New Orleans."

"The Beauregard -Keyes House museum includes past residents such as Confederate General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard and American author Frances Parkinson Keyes. The house has elements of a Creole cottage with Greek Revival features, including a Palladian façade. It also has twin curved staircases leading to a Tuscan portico."

"Tours run twice every evening (5pm and 8pm) and include visits to the Lalaurie Mansion (where American Horror Story Coven was filmed), LaFitte’s Blacksmith Shop, and more. Our guide had plenty of creepy tales to share and clearly believed a lot of the ghost stories herself, which made it all the more fun. Our tour group was a little on the larger side, but otherwise, the experience was entertaining."

"Wander down to Governor Nicholls Street to see Lalaurie Mansion, once the home of actor Nicholas Cage, and one of the homes used for American Horror Story Coven. There are also other fancy homes like the New Orleans home of Angelina Jolie down this beautiful street."

"A quintessential New Orleans neighborhood spot on the corner of Panola Street and Burdette Street, Riccobono's Panola Street Café is located in the heart of Uptown and is well loved by locals and visitors alike. Food-lovers flock to this neighborhood café to tuck into classics like Crab Cakes Benedict, a host of specialty three-egg omelets with various fillings, Belgian waffles, huge stacks of pancakes, and breakfast sandwiches. Signature dishes include liver and onions and hearty breakfast plates of bacon, eggs, country ham, sausage patties, fried green tomatoes, hash browns, grits, English muffins, and toast."

"What you're getting: A three egg omelette If you’re looking to start the day with a hearty, lumberjack-style breakfast, Panola St. is the place you should be headed. Overstuffed triple egg omelettes, huge stacks of pancakes, Belgian waffles, and generous Benedicts are the hallmark here. And hey, if you want liver and onions, you can get that, too."

"A Sausalito omelet includes sauteed spinach, mushrooms, green onions, garlic and mozzarella cheese and is served with grits or potatoes, toast or biscuit."

"Famous for its doberge cakes since 1949, Gambino’s Bakery ships cakes (and king cakes during Carnival season) all over the map. Order a half and half (lemon and chocolate) or opt for a chocolate peanut butter cake, or maybe a coconut cream. The designer cakes are swank."

"4821 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 885-7500; www.gambinos.com. Lemon and chocolate doberge cakes feature six layers of buttermilk cake, buttercream filling and fondant icing."

"Dorgenois Street, Dwight Henry’s Buttermilk Drop Bakery and Cafe is a place where you can get warm, melt-in-your-mouth glazed donuts, golden brown apple fritters the size of baseball gloves, and his award-winning fried buttermilk drops with a delicious sugar glaze. Crunchy on the outside and cake-like in the center, buttermilk drops are a unique local favorite. Dwight’s bakery sells them every day beginning at 6 a.m."

"Donuts, quick breads, and the eponymous buttermilk drop can be found at this local favorite. What is a buttermilk drop?. Well, it’s kind of like a donut hole, but more substantial, made with buttermilk, coated in cinnamon sugar, and (proudly) invented in New Orleans."

"The addictive, crisp on the outside, tender on the inside buttermilk drops are the draw here, and you should have a couple, but you would be a fool to pass on the breakfast platter with fried catfish for $5.50."

"A little more than a year old, Wishing Town Bakery Cafe took over the former Morning Call on Severn Avenue, neighbors to the complimentary Sharetea Nola. While also a bakery, Guangzhou-born couple Vivi and Kevin Zheng version of Chinese specialties are some of the best in town. An extensive array of dim sum and cold noodle salads round out a menu of beautiful cakes and pastries, perfect for a celebration."

"833 Howard Ave., (504) 299-8792; G’s Kitchen Spot, Balcony Bar, 3201 Magazine St., (504) 894-8888; 4840 Bienville St., (504) 483-6464; www.gspizzas.com. A Bienville Supreme pie includes pepperoni, Italian sausage, ground beef, mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, black olives, mozzarella and tomato sauce."

"After exploring the Mid-City cemeteries, stop by G's Pizza to refuel. This funky little spot is tucked away on Bienville (there are two other NOLA locations, too), and they serve delicious pizza, pasta, salads, and sandwiches. I love their NOLA Green Roots Pizza!"

"Just minutes from the St. Charles Streetcar is La Macarena Pupuseria and Latin Cafe - a colorful, eatery specializing in pupusas and other El Salvadoran cuisine. While it is known for its delicious pork-stuffed pupusas, flautas and specialty chicharron, La Macarena’s menu also includes a number of delicious plant-based Salvadoran specialties. Their Vegan Bliss Brunch comes complete with a vegan pupusa, tamale, black bean tostada and Mayan seasoned veggies."

"LemonShark Poke, a sushi bar and Hawaiian spot that offers poke and more in the Garden District, is another much-loved go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 83 Yelp reviews. Head over to 2901 Magazine St. to see for yourself. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor."

"LemonShark is a restaurant that serves locally crafted poke. Passion is our most important ingredient as we bring you the beauty of raw fish flavors in every bite."