New Orleans essentials from a local

Kaliecia Smith has been driving a buggy in the French Quarter for the last 2.5 years with the help of Claudia.   (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

George Rodrigue’s “Blue Dog” character peeks out of windows in the French Quarter.  (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen is a popular place to dine in New Orleans.  (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Diners enjoy the view -- and the food -- from a balcony at Johnny’s on St. Louis Street in the New Orleans French Quarter.   (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

You can’t visit New Orleans without stopping by the Cafe du Monde in the French Market for a cafe au lait and an order of beignets.   (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Andrew Jackson tips his cap to the Crescent City from New Orleans’ Jackson Square. Facing the square is St. Louis Cathedral.  (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Miss Sophie Lee performs with her band at the Spotted Cat Music Club on Frenchmen Street in the Faubourg Marigny district of New Orleans.   (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Marc Francis of the Young Fellaz Brass Band hits a high note on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans.   (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

The Praline Connection gets its name from a favorite New Orleans treat. The city’s cuisine is featured prominently on the menu.   (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Coquette on Magazine Street is among the many restaurants along the six-mile corridor from Canal Street to Audubon Park.  (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Freret Street in Uptown New Orleans has become a go-to place for casual restaurants in the last couple of years. High Hat Cafe is a must for those craving Southern specialties.   (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Waitress Mary Tillman gets in the Mardi Gras spirit at Dat Dog on Freret Street in New Orleans.   (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Dat Dog has cooked up a couple of Super Bowl hot dogs, including the Sea Dog -- cod with hot sauce and purple tartar sauce.   (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Cochon, which features Cajun Southern cooking, is a popular spot on Tchoupitoulas Street in the Warehouse District of New Orleans.   (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Emeril Lagasse has three restaurants in New Orleans, including his flagship Emeril’s on Tchoupitoulas Street in the Warehouse District.  (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Chef Phillip Lopez describes the menu at his year-old Root as “modern American cuisine rooted in old-world flavors.” Root is on Julia Street in the Warehouse District of New Orleans.   (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

A classic New Orleans scene: Two of the city’s historic streetcars pass each other on the neutral ground of St. Charles Avenue.  (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

All aboard the historic St. Charles streetcar for a trip into yesteryear. The beloved green Perley Thomas streetcars rumble past Garden District mansions, Tulane and Loyola universities and Audubon Park.   (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Mansions are many along St. Charles Avenue in the Garden District. The best way to see them? The St. Charles streetcar.   (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

The Natchez is one of several riverboats operating along the New Orleans waterfront.  (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Passengers aboard the free Canal Street ferry get a glorious view of the New Orleans skyline at dusk from Algiers Point on the West Bank of the Mississippi.   (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)