Best Place to Get a Mojito

3. El Gato Negro Mexican Restaurant (81 French Market Place, 525-9752)

Best Place to Get a Margarita

2. El Gato Negro Mexican Restaurant (81 French Market Place, 525-9752)

Best Late-Night Dining

3. Angeli on Decatur (1141 Decatur St., 566-0077)

Best Menu for Vegetarians

1. Cafe Bamboo (435 Esplanade Ave., 940-5546) — New Orleans has a rep for being less than accommodating to vegetarians, but since the opening of Bamboo earlier this year there is a new haven for meatless and even vegan feasts. The menu lists conventional vegetable-based dishes, along with an array of “mock meats” made from textured soy products.

Best Antiques Store

2. Greg’s (1209 Decatur St.)

Best Farmers Market

2. French Market

Congratulations guys!

Relative newcomer Pravada came in at #29

1113 Decatur St.

http://www.myspace.com/pravdaofnola

The absinthe-minded Lower Decatur bar melds steampunk couture with St. Petersburg gothic, but with more beer than borscht. The social Soviet hideaway could be a high-brow dive for you and your comrades, with a spacious back patio and absinthe served in the French method, or stick with a beer and a copy of Tolstoy. Na zdorovia!

Molly’s at the Market is the neighborhood standby that stayed open for the Katrina hurrication is #49.

1107 Decatur St., 525-5169

http://www.mollysatthemarket.com

Somewhat faded from its glory days, Molly’s remains thick with tradition, helping keep its place in regulars’ hearts and minds. The rallying point for St. Patrick’s Day and Halloween parades, it can be relied on daily for a diverse and colorful clientele at its bars and hanging from its front window.

So, next time you’re in the neighborhood, stop in and have a celebratory drink with these winners!  You won’t even have to leave the block.

St. Patrick’s Day parades begin rolling Friday when Monaghan’s 25th annual Irish Parade paints the French Quarter green at 5:30 p.m., beginning and ending at Molly’s at the Market, 1107 Decatur Street. Beads and Irish-themed trinkets will be tossed to the crowds by riders in horse-driven carriages, led by the Storyville Stompers marching band and the Kazoozie Floozies.

Be sure to wear green and come get your Blarney on!

Map nicked from the bar’s official website: Molly’s at the Market

Good luck Harry and Elizibeth, we’ll miss you.
Read the article at the New York Times.

UPDATE: It has come to our attention that you need to register to read the article. BugMeNot.com has a large database of working login/passwords for annoying sites like this.

Conway and Jim

Hard at work on the Weather Channel

The Artist’s Market located at 85 French Market Place and 1228 Decatur Street is open 10am-5pm weekdays and 10am-6pm on weekends.

View Storm Stories at Weather.com
Download Storm Stories from LowerDecatur.com

Business owners on Lower Decatur Street have been relying on each other to stay afloat. The strip of stores sits behind the French Market, a top tourist attraction. Rhonda Findley and David Gordin own Funrock’n, which sells vintage and retro T-shirts, toys, tin lunch boxes and features a $1 joke rack. Findley says if they can get customers into their store, they can promote other stores on the street. This is a hard-core group of small-business owners, said Findley.

They article also says:

Angel also owns Chi-wa-wa Ga-ga, a clothing store for small- breed dogs. Fiorella’s Cafe, known for its world famous fried chicken, is next to Funrock’n. The Artist’s Market, which features work by local artists, including paintings, photos, jewelry and sculptures, is across the street from the French Market. Le Garage specializes in vintage military surplus, collectibles and other New Orleans themed items. Rock & Roll Collectibles features the largest selection of vintage vinyl in the city. Most businesses on Lower Decatur reopened shortly after Hurricane Katrina. We’ve been open since Sept. 5, said Jan Burrows, owner of The Artist’s Market. Mainly we had relief workers and some locals but not too many.

Read the whole City Business article here.