Since I grew up in New Orleans, there are a lot of things that I thought were just a “normal” way of life.

Like Hurricane parties where you play games by candlelight, eat everything in the freezer because the power was out for days, and stuff towels under doors to keep the flood waters out. You went to bed hearing the rumble of the streetcar tracks, and you got a week off for Mardi Gras simply because there was literally no way to get to school or work with all the streets blocked for parades.

We didn’t have sandwiches; we had po’boys, and everyone knew what a mirliton was (a type of squash) and how it made its way to the Thanksgiving table in oyster dressing. French words sprinkled our vocabulary, and life was scheduled around festivals. Funerals were musical, and weddings always included a second-line.

It’s with mixed feelings that I write this, because so many people think New Orleans is just Bourbon Street debauchery with strong drinks called hurricanes and hand grenades; and while there’s some of that, the New Orleans vibe overall has the romantic patina of a European city. Now that I have some distance, living out in Southern California, I can appreciate my upbringing and my adult life in New Orleans as so special and unique.

I will always be a New Orleanian at heart. And that’s why I’m writing this local’s guide to the city that I love in the hopes that you can enjoy your time there as much as I did. Its unique culture is visible in the architecture, streets that change names and directions, eclectic music, language, and incredible food.

(And don’t forget a little bit of security show and sessions, while you’re at it.)

Feel Like a Local: The Basics

We have weird streets. New Orleans has a unique dialect where mispronunciations became the norm. “Burgundy Street” is pronounced bur-gun-dee, not like the color. “Chartres Street” is chart-er, and “Carondelet Street” is coor-ondo-let. The boss-level test is “Tchoupitoulas Street,” pronounced chop-a-two-las. Streets change names across major thoroughfares. St. Charles Avenue becomes Chartres across Poydras. Carondelet becomes Bourbon across Canal Street. Just roll with it.

We have weird accents. The native accent is called “Yat,” named after “Where y’at?” It sounds more New York than Southern – a mystery to tourists and locals alike.

Neighborhoods are called wards. New Orleans uses parishes instead of counties, divided into wards instead of districts.

Here are the key areas:

French Quarter: The tourist heart with St. Louis Cathedral, Pontalba buildings, and the Cabildo. Browse Royal Street's galleries and antique shops. Don’t skip a Lucky Dog from a cart. Surprisingly, plenty of locals live a unique lifestyle you’ll only see in Paris or southern Spain.
The Marigny & Bywater: Cross Esplanade Boulevard for bohemian magic. Start with wine at Bacchanal’s patio, end with music on Frenchmen Street.
Garden District: Romantic streets lined with live oaks and lavish French colonial and Victorian homes. Magazine Street offers fantastic restaurants, cafés, bars, and boutiques.
Uptown: Blends into the Garden District with Tulane and Loyola Universities, Audubon Zoo, and “The Fly” riverfront park, where locals have crawfish boils. Grab a snowball at Plum Street Snowballs for a traditional treat.
CBD & Arts District: Convention Center, Superdome, museums, and Caesar’s Palace Casino. You're probably staying here.

How to Get Around

Much of the city is walkable or a streetcar ride away. Only the St. Charles line runs 24/7.

The Food

There's a saying: “New Orleans is the only place where you'll be eating lunch thinking about dinner.” Mediocre restaurants don’t survive here. Even gas stations serve the city’s best Mediterranean food and fried chicken.

New Orleans cuisine comes from its beautiful, sometimes tragic history. Creole culture has many origin stories, from Louisiana natives who weathered various occupations to freed slaves who mingled with French Catholics.

Creole vs. Cajun Creole cuisine is eclectic, mostly French but Caribbean-influenced. Dishes typically start with roux, a creamy base sauce. Think rich sauces, local seafood, complex seasoning. Examples: shrimp creole, red beans and rice (Monday staple), gumbo.

Cajun cuisine is more rustic and simple. The “trinity” of onion, bell pepper, and celery starts most recipes. They used the whole animal for hog's head cheese, andouille, and boudin sausage. Examples: jambalaya, dirty rice, shrimp étouffée, seafood boils.

Over hundreds of years, these cuisines have melded. Each culture created its own versions; tomato-based jambalaya is more Creole, browner versions are more Cajun.

The po’boy deserves its own category and festival. Created by the Martin brothers, former streetcar conductors who opened a restaurant. During the 1929 streetcar strike, they served free “oyster loaf” sandwiches to “poor boys” out of work for four months. Po’boys are served “dressed” (lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, sometimes pickles). Famous versions include fried shrimp, traditional oyster, debris (roast beef drippings), and BBQ shrimp (actually shrimp in garlic butter sauce). Hot spots: Domilise's, Parkway Bakery & Tavern, Mahony's, Johnny's.

The Muffuletta, another famous sandwich, was first seen at Central Grocery in 1906. Served on round Italian bread with sesame seeds, loaded with Italian cured meats, cheeses, and signature olive salad. Still available at the original Central Grocery on Decatur Street.

The Drinks

Bar culture is huge here. We have a citywide festival called Tales of the Cocktail every July. Here are a couple of highlights:

The Sazerac: Official cocktail of New Orleans, America's first mixed drink: sugar cube, Sazerac Rye Whiskey, Herbsaint, Peychaud's Bitters, lemon peel. Invented in 1838. Best at The Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel.
The Hurricane: The most famous New Orleans drink is deceivingly strong and refreshing. Light and dark rum, passion fruit, orange and lime juice, orange slice, and cherry. Famous version at Pat O'Brien's. Be careful…they sneak up on you.
The French 75: A sophisticated cocktail with a champagne base, gin or cognac, and a hint of lemon. Best at Arnaud's French 75 Bar.

The Desserts

Beignets: Often imitated, never duplicated. Rectangular fried dough dusted with powdered sugar, served fresh and hot. Café Du Monde is the late-night hot spot.
Bread pudding: Good use for stale French bread. Famous versions: Palace Café’s White Chocolate Bread Pudding, Muriel’s Pain Perdu, Antoine’s Pudding de Pain.
Bananas foster: Invented at Brennan’s in the 1950s. Bananas are roasted in butter, sugar, and cinnamon, then rum is added and set ablaze tableside over vanilla ice cream.
Doberge cake: Seven-layer cake with impossibly thin yellow cake layers and rich chocolate custard pudding. Some versions are half chocolate, half lemon-curd. Classic versions at Gambino's Bakery and Croissant D'Or.
King cake: Only eaten during Carnival Season (after Jan. 6). Contains a small plastic baby representing baby Jesus. A doughy ring, like coffee cake, sometimes filled with cream cheese or cinnamon, covered in purple, green, and gold sugar, decorated in Mardi Gras colors.

Dining Tips

Eat at the bar: First-come, first-served seating where you’ll meet interesting people and locals.
Split up big groups: Easier to seat 2-3 people than 8+.
Snack around: Many bars offer great small plates. Belly up to oyster bars or grab to-go from pop-ups.
Make reservations but be flexible: At places like Antoine’s, Galatoire’s, or Commander’s Palace, be ready to wait in the bar. Nothing happens on time in New Orleans.

The story of New Orleans has created a culture that could never be replicated. Still, you can experience it in every bite, every sip, and every conversation with locals who are proud to share their city's magic.

And (of course) The Show

I’m excited to attend GSX in what I consider to be “my city” and introduce the security world to HiveWatch. Here’s where you’re going to be able to find us:

On the show floor: Booth #3452 – Let’s chat! We can introduce you to the platform, show you a quick demo, or simply say “hi!” Set up a time with us here to discuss next steps.

Attend a panel: HiveWatch is part of a must-see discussion with our friends from Anthropic and SAP on “How AI Really Works in Security Operations.”

Here are the questions panelists will answer:

What does AI currently look like for security teams?
How can AI be used to create change? Streamline operations? Allow resources to be scaled?
How can implementing AI-centric technologies contribute to organizational resilience?
What privacy/security considerations do organizations need to think about when evaluating AI?

It’s a can’t-miss opportunity to hear from some of the best in the business.

Let me know what you think of this guide! See you at the show.