But we digress.

Ricci also caught live music at the Maple Leaf Bar, a narrow dance and music hall in New Orleans' Carrollton neighborhood, just down the street from Jacques Imo's, a restaurant favored by locals. "I can't remember who we saw at the Maple Leaf," she says. "But that was a good, fun place to hear music."

Tip Three: If You're Going To Drink, You've Got To Eat
Christina Ricci didn't make the tough transition from child star to adult actor without some baggage. Growing up fast does that to you. And, among other things, Ricci has publicly battled anorexia. Knowing this makes me feel flat-out uncomfortable asking her for details on where and what she ate in New Orleans. Then again, how can we talk about New Orleans and not talk about its unique butter-and-spice-fueled cuisine and its fabled restaurants?

Ricci makes it easy for me. For one thing, she's confidently declared that her eating disorder is well behind her. For another, the first restaurant she mentions is Mother's. "I, of course, loved Mother's," she says. "It's great."

It is that. Mother's is a sandwich shop, a New Orleans institution near the Superdome. It's noted for its long lines and for its sometimes ill-tempered staff. But mostly, Mother's is known for its po' boys, which are stuffed so full that it's almost necessary to unhinge your jaw just to eat them. The only thing low-carb or fat-free at Mother's is a glass of water.

There's not a lot of health food on the menu at Ricci's other favorite, either. "Tujague's was excellent," she says. That's probably because the restaurant has had so much practice. The traditional Creole eatery, located between the French Market and Jackson Square, opened in 1856 and claims to be the second-oldest restaurant in the city behind Antoine's. Charles de Gaulle ate there. And, for what it's worth, so did Monica Lewinsky.