See Nola

Patio Bar (at the Balcony Music Club)

1331 Decatur St. (French Quarter) 504.599.7770. Wednesday through Sunday: 6pm to until. Owned by the Balcony Music Club and connected to the Balcony Music Club, the Patio Bar is an effective hideaway from Decatur Street crowds (that end up at the Balcony Music Club). A long narrow alleyway leads to a small, beautiful courtyard faced with french doors, exposed brick, iron chairs. There is a comfortable bar with a newly installed copper wall. There are well drinks that run about $4.00. There are attractive light fixtures. Drawbacks include an internet jukebox, flat screen television, and a fratty drinking contingent. But the courtyard is an excellent and unexpected place to talk, relax. Video Poker. 

Butcher

930 Tchoupitoulas St. (Warehouse) 504.588.pork. Monday through Saturday: 11am to 10pm. Closed Sunday. Credit Cards. This effort by the fine dining people who run Herbsaint and Couchon seeks to restore the idea of neighborhood butchery (at least in the form a restaurant theme). The interior mixes nostalgia (white-tiled walls) with contemporary (Dwell-inspired bar stools). At night, they bring out the votive candles, which makes this place sorta date friendly.  Along one wall, cases display an assortment of expensive meat products. The back wall features a "swine bar" that sells made-to-order dishes and booze. No waiters, counter service only. Our pork belly sandwich was tasty but a little weird. Was that mint they put in there? It was small for $10.00. The gin and soda (we didn't specify but they gave us Bombay) was well-poured, and moderately priced for a place like this ($6.50). Seven potato chips accompanied the sandwich along with a single pickled jalapeno. Staff was friendly, and the place small and intimate. Hip patrons were well-dressed in a sort of "this economy does not bother me" kind of way. Some of the patrons even walked out the door with cuts of meat wrapped in paper -- just like the olden days. 

The Reservoir

2045 Magazine St. (Uptown) 7 Days: 11am to 7pm. Cash only. Check out this thrift store for great deals. Decent dress pants for six dollars. Whole suits for $25.00. These are prices that put other thrift stores to shame. And their taste ain't bad. Not over the top tacky chic nor racks full of discarded cell phone company uniforms. The place is small, but they use it well. Also included: cocktail glasses, a dvd rental service, local music, books and a vintage golf ball personalizer inside a wood case ($6.00). Close to Stein's.

Rawhide 2010

740 Burgundy St. (French Quarter) 504.525.8106. 7 Days: 1pm to 5am. We ended up at Rawhide around 3am or so. Hardcore porn played on two televisions hanging from the ceiling. About twelve men sat at the bar, sipping their drinks. A couple college students played pool, one of them exclaiming that this was their first night in New Orleans. At the start of some signal -- that we must have missed -- most of the men got up from their stools and sauntered to Rawhide's dark, cavernous backroom, near the bathrooms. The bathroom doors kept closing and opening.  Occasionally someone would come back to the bar and sit down. We sipped our expertly poured bourbon and coke (cheap and strong) and enjoyed the company of the cheery bartender who politely ignored the rush for anonymous bathroom time. Dark and red neon, decorated like a sex club from an 80s movie, this is supposed to be a gay leather bar, but it seems like everyone is welcome. Video poker. BBQ every Wednesday at 7pm.