6K Sunday, December 25, 2011 GuideLive.com TRAVEL dallasnews.com The Dallas Morning News The BigEasy beckons Revitalized New Orleans boasts terrific surprises Some of New Orleans’ historic hotels are right on top of the French for new, frequent visitors Quarter action. Photos by Eric Mohl/Horizon Writers’ Group Many French Quarter buildings feature ornate ironwork. By KAREN CATCHPOLE Horizon Writers’ Group EW ORLEANS — What other city has a coin laun- dry in a building that used to house the recording studio where Fats Domino, Little Richard, Ray N Charles and Dr. John recorded seminal tracks? Where else will your favorite local bartender hand you a to-go cup so you can take your favorite adult beverage with you? When was the last time there was real, live dancing in the streets where you live? You don’t have to go far to find Take your adult beverage along music in New Orleans. with you as you stroll around New These are just a few of the things Breakfast near bed Orleans and see the sights. that keep me coming back to New Orleans, also known as the Cres- My top breakfast spot has always cent City or the Big Easy. New York been Camellia Grill, which is locat- may be so nice they named it twice, ed in a building that looks like a but they named New Orleans three miniature Southern plantation times. house. The perpetually smiling I’m not the only one who loves waiters all seem to have worked New Orleans. here their whole lives, serving diner In 2010, the city hosted 8.3 favorites to early risers and all- million visitors who generated $5.3 nighters. This Garden District billion, the highest tourism revenue classic requires a journey from the in the city’s history. All over town, French Quarter all the way up St. hotels, bars and restaurants are Charles Avenue. Now Camellia opening and icons are being Grill has opened a more convenient spruced up to get a piece of the French Quarter location (540 action. Chartres St., 504-522-1800, camel- During a recent trip to New liagrill.net). It replicates the ele- Orleans, I branched out beyond my gantly S-shaped marble countertop tried-and-true favorites and ex- and the Southern diner menu of the plored fresh finds. Add them to uptown original, including creamy your list of New Orleans musts to be freezes, but without the commute. French Quarter architecture such as this, the Olivier House Hotel, was sure you’re experiencing the best of inspired by the French, who settled New Orleans, and the Spanish who the latest developments. See REVITALIZED Page 5K rebuilt after devastating fires razed the city. The Dallas Morning News dallasnews.com FROM THE COVERS GuideLive.com Sunday, December 25, 2011 5K Tintin turns up throughout Brussels Continued from Page1K quaffing beer in this city could Doré. Somewhat off the beaten fascinating study of the artist result in a connection with the tourist track, this funky, histor- Hergé and a vast collection of next to me. ubiquitous Tintin. After I ic place was once a favorite the artist’s personal photo- Brussels, of course, is spent one day wandering haunt of Hergé’s. (It was also graphs, sketches, documents known for its food: waffles, around and through the fairy popular with Magritte and the and original drawings. chocolate, mussels and frites. tale-like Grand Place, I ended surrealists.) The walls of the Back in Brussels, I couldn’t It’s also famous for its beer. I up at the unassuming store- cozy rooms are covered with leave for the United States quickly learned that even front of Le Fleur en Papier old photos, verses, framed without a visit to the popular letters and more. Even better, Place du Sablon. In the Upper they made their own choco- Town of Brussels, it’s home to lates! (Who knew beer paired many respected chocolate so well with chocolate?) shops: Pierre Marcolini, Leon- Later, on my way back to my idas and Godiva. I was on my hotel, I strolled through the way to the famous chocolatier ornate and fashionable Gal- Wittamer when I discovered eries St.-Hubert. With its that the life-size statue of Tin- 19th-century domed glass roof, tin in front of the Comic Strip St.-Hubert is known for being Café was almost right next the first shopping arcade in door. I would have stopped and Europe, and it remains one of had my photo taken with the the most elegant. Champagne city’s favorite character, but I shops and chocolate stores didn’t have much time, and Tourism Flanders abound within, including the there was a line. As much as I Tintin and his sidekick Snowy, appearing high atop the Neuhaus Chocolatier, with a now consider myself a fan of offices of Le Lombard, are a Brussels landmark. window display entirely devot- Tintin, I still know I’m more a ed to Tintin. Prints from Her- fan of chocolate. gé’s books were backgrounds to When you go Tintin-decorated tins spilling Donna Tabbert Long is a Hotel Amigo: Rue de l’Amigo1-3; roccofortehotels.com out chocolates, each wrapped freelance writer in Minnesota. The Comics Café — Brasserie, Bookstore, Gallery: Place du in a miniature frame from a Grand Sablon, 8; open every daynoon to midnight; Tintin cartoon strip. “Blister- comicscafe.be ing barnacles,” as Hergé’s char- Belgian Comic Strip Center: Rue des Sables, 20; open Tuesday acter Captain Haddock might to Sunday10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; comicscenter.net say; they seemed like the per- Le Fleur en Papier Doré: Rue des Alexiens, 55; open Tuesday to fect souvenir. Saturday11 a.m. to midnight and11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday; Serious Tintin admirers fleurenpapierdore.be could no doubt recite all of Neuhaus Chocolatier: Galerie de la Reine, 25-27; open Monday Captain Haddock’s alliterated to Saturday10 a.m. to 8p.m. and Sunday and holidays 10 a.m.-7 curses from Hergé’s 23 com- p.m.; neuhaus.be pleted Tintin books. Such Hergé Museum (Musée Hergé): Rue du Labrador, 26 B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve; open Tuesday to Friday, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. admirers will definitely want and Saturday and Sunday from10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; to visit the Musée Hergé, locat- museeherge.com; tintin.com ed about 30 minutes out of the Pierre Marcolini: Rue des Minimes,1; marcolini.be city in Louvain-la-Neuve. Godiva: Place du Grand Sablon, 47/Grote Zaval 47; godiva.be Even fair-weather fans will Leonidas: Place du Grand Sablon, 41; leonidas.com find the short journey worth- Wittamer: Place du Grand Sablon, 6,12,13; wittamer.com while. The magnificent con- For more information on visiting Brussels, go to: temporary building is built to Donna Tabbert Long/ visitflanders.us; visitbrussels.be; American Airlines offers several evoke the feeling of a ship, Special Contributor flights to Brussels daily from Dallas/Fort Worth International Liliane Opsomer/Special Contributor relating to Tintin’s travels to La Boutique Tintin near Airport. Tintin is depicted in a mural of a fire escape at 37 Rue de exotic lands. The museum is Brussels Grand Place sells l’Etuve in Brussels. more for grown-ups; it offers a all things related to Tintin. When you go Revitalized New Goop.com — run by actress Gwyneth Paltrow, a New Orleans booster whose brother and father both went to Tulane University — offers city tips and publishes guest posts from her fabulous friends. Recently, singer Michael Stipe offered his Orleans beckons best-of list (goop.com/newsletter/96). Hotel openings to watch: ■ The Hyatt Hotel in New Orleans had been closed since Continued from Page 6K both genders) enjoy traditional Hurricane Katrina damaged it in 2005. It re-opened on Oct.19 dishes such as oysters Rocke- after a $275 million renovation that upgraded the 32-story Happiest happy hour feller along with a perpetually hotel to a Hyatt Regency (601Loyola Ave., 504-561-1234, full cocktail glass served at neworleans.hyatt.com) complete with a John Besh restaurant. An army of restoration their tables, which, it is as- ■ In the spring of 2012, the W French Quarter (316 Chartres workers and a $170 million sumed, they will not vacate St., 504-581-1200, starwoodhotels.com) will unveil a $10 million budget — the largest single until dinner time. renovation, including new guest rooms designed with tarot investment in post-Katrina “Welcome in!” is the greet- card and jazz themes, and a Cajun tapas bar. revitalization in downtown ing you get when you enter the ■ The landmark Audubon Building, which stood vacant for adecade, is returning as The Saint Hotel (931Canal St., New Orleans — have brought assertively blue Commander’s Eric Mohl/Horizon Writers’ Group the Roosevelt Hotel (123 Bar- Palace (1403 Washington Ave., 504-522-5400, thesainthotelneworleans.com). The Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar dates to 1732 and is said to beaux-arts building, completed in1909, will feature opening one St., 504-648-1200, the 504-899-8221, commanders be the oldest building used as a bar in the U.S. rates of $149 and a rooftop bar. rooseveltneworleans.com) palace.com) in the Garden painstakingly back to life. One District. Where Galatoire’s team of workers spent more feels like a private club in checked into Soniat House with the April unveiling of Access than a year refurbishing the which visitors are tolerated, (1133 Chartres St., 504-522- their new Apple Suites kitted Getting around: Cabs come when they’re called in New crystal chandeliers in this Commander’s, which was 057, soniathouse.com).