"One of the first places I would go is Uglesich's. It's nothing but a hole in the wall in a dubious part of town, but people are lined up around the sidewalk. Until maybe recently, only the locals really went there. There is nothing refined or touristy about it. It gives you the true local flavor in terms of the food and the clientele. My favorite thing is the garlic trout. I save up all my calories to go there."

Sights
"I love the historical homes in the Garden District. I always look for 'the wedding cake house.' It's the one on St. Charles Avenue that looks like a wedding cake. That's what's so incredibly charming about New Orleans. I just love all that Creole architecture and the mix of the Spanish and the French. It's really the closest thing we have to Europe. The other great thing about New Orleans is the cemeteries. The oldest is St. Louis No. 1, where the famous scene from Easy Rider was shot. I find the cemeteries fascinating. I love reading the dates and the epitaphs."

Culture
"This local businessman named Roger Ogden donated over 1,000 pieces of art to the University of New Orleans Foundation. They're going to have this Odgen Museum of Southern Art at the University of New Orleans in 2002. It's going to be mostly Louisiana art. That will be a real addition to New Orleans. Until then, you can see his art in a small gallery at 603 Julia Street."

Local Cuisine
"I'm totally into oysters. I go to the Acme Oyster House, where you just sit and eat dozens. They're shucked fresh right there … and ice cold beer. Love it, love it, love it."

Dinner
"I might go to one of Emeril's restaurants, like Delmonico. It was decorated by Holden & Dupuy in New Orleans, and I love their work. It's really warm, with traditional dark wood. It's classic food and a real grown-up restaurant."