New Orleans Has Had a Lot of Famous Visitors Lately. Here’s Where They Ate. (2024)

New Orleans has long been an accidental playground for celebrities, with tons of actors and musicians making regular visits and a surprising amount who call the city home (at least part-time) — stars like Jennifer Coolidge, John Goodman, and Solange. This past spring, between Jazz Fest, major headliner tour stops, and Bocuse d’Or, New Orleans had a stream of famous visitors, and they made sure to support the city’s restaurants, old and new. Here’s a roundup of where these well-known personalities dined, so you can eat like a celebrity, too.

New Orleans Has Had a Lot of Famous Visitors Lately. Here’s Where They Ate. (1)

Megan Thee Stallion at Morrow Steak

Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion made a much-anticipated tour stop in New Orleans on June 10, and while she was in town she visited the city’s splashiest new restaurant: Morrow Steak. The vibey downtown steakhouse, which local restaurateur Larry Morrow just opened earlier this month, posted photos of Megan and GloRilla on the bar to Instagram a few days after their show at the Smoothie King Center with the caption, “Private Dinner.”

Keith Lee at Fantasy Tacos

TikTok food critic sensation Keith Lee visited Baton Rouge in mid-June for his most recent food tour, leaving mixed reviews for the four restaurants he visited (The Bayou Affect, Smoke Bayou, Dr. Feel Good, and Fork N Spoon). But he couldn’t leave Louisiana without a quick stop in New Orleans, which he declared his favorite food city of 2023 after visiting last year. At the end of his week in Baton Rouge, he made the hour-and-a-half journey to Fantasy Tacos, a Mexican fusion restaurant in Gretna on the West Bank of New Orleans. Much like his previous experiences at New Orleans spots like Monday (a Larry Morrow restaurant), and B Sweet Bistro, Lee had high praise for the restaurant.

New Orleans Has Had a Lot of Famous Visitors Lately. Here’s Where They Ate. (2)

Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller at Emeril’s and Miss River

On June 12 and 13, the esteemed Bocuse d’Or Americas Selection was held in New Orleans, marking the first time the international competition took place in the U.S. As such, some of the world’s most famous chefs descended on the city, and they made sure to spend their time off dining well. On the last night of the competition, Emeril Lagasse and his son, E.J. Lagasse, hosted Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, and Gavin Kaysen (who make up Ment’or) at Emeril’s, Lagasse’s flagship New Orleans restaurant. The group also visited Miss River, Alon Shaya’s Four Seasons New Orleans restaurant, enjoying flaming Baked Alaska, and had lunch delivered from Turkey and the Wolf, Mason Hereford’s acclaimed sandwich shop, for Team USA during the competition. It’s very likely that Turkey and the Wolf’s collard green melts and fried bologna sandwiches helped lead them to victory.

Lana Del Rey at Tic-Toc Cafe

Lana Del Rey first got Cajun Country buzzing in mid-May when she posted a photo of her in Des Allemands, Louisiana, less than an hour outside of New Orleans, where she hit up Airboat Tours By Arthur for a swamp tour. Turns out that wasn’t the only stop she made on her way to Hangout Fest in Orange Beach — last week she posted shots from New Orleans, an artsy roundup of film-style photos of the singer on city streets, in front of a Budweiser painting in the French Quarter, and at Tic-Toc Cafe, a Metairie diner. We probably would’ve recommended one of New Orleans’s other excellent greasy spoons, but the aesthetic was on point.

Mick Jagger at Antoine’s and Commander’s Palace

All the way back in late April and early May when Jazz Dads and their ilk descended on New Orleans, one of Jazz Fest’s most long-awaited headliners was dining all over town before and after their gig. Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger ate dinner at New Orleans’s grand dame of fine dining, Commander’s Palace, on Wednesday, May 1 ahead of the Rolling Stones’ show on Thursday, May 2. According to the restaurant, executive chef Meg Bickford served the singer’s group soft shell crab, the restaurant’s famed shrimp and tasso Henican, gumbo, and bread pudding souffle. Then on Friday, May 3, Jagger visited French Quarter stalwart Antoine’s for lunch, where he posed with a Jazz Fest-themed Baked Alaska.

New Orleans Has Had a Lot of Famous Visitors Lately. Here’s Where They Ate. (3)

The Killers at Atchafalaya

The Killers were also in town for Jazz Fest 2024, helping kick off the first weekend of the festival with a performance on Friday, April 26 (and a performance at Tipitina’s the night before). Band members Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning, Dell Neal, and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. dined together at Atchafalaya, Tony and Rachael Tocco’s Uptown Creole restaurant known for brunch, shrimp and grits, and gumbo.