Anniversary flowers in New Orleans

In most cities an anniversary bouquet is sent to a house. In New Orleans it is at least as likely to be sent to a hotel room, because the anniversary itself is frequently a weekend downtown — a couple from Baton Rouge or Mobile books two nights in the Quarter, a couple from Lakeview books a room they can walk home from, and out-of-state children send flowers to their parents' hotel for the fortieth. That makes the hotel map the working map. The Roosevelt New Orleans at 130 Roosevelt Way, with the Sazerac Bar and the Blue Room off its long lobby, and Hotel Monteleone at 214 Royal Street, the Quarter's family-owned landmark with the revolving Carousel Bar, take the most anniversary volume. Windsor Court at 300 Gravier in the CBD, the Four Seasons at 2 Canal Street in the converted World Trade Center tower, the Ritz-Carlton at 921 Canal, the Royal Sonesta at 300 Bourbon, the Omni Royal Orleans at 621 St. Louis and the Bourbon Orleans at 717 Orleans cover the rest of the Quarter and downtown. The design-forward tier runs Maison de la Luz and the Ace Hotel on Carondelet, Hotel Saint Vincent on Magazine in the Lower Garden District, Hotel Peter and Paul in a converted Marigny church complex, The Eliza Jane on Magazine, NOPSI on Baronne, The Jung on Canal and the Higgins Hotel on Magazine beside the National WWII Museum. Uptown there is The Pontchartrain at 2031 St. Charles, The Columns at 3811 St. Charles and The Chloe at 4125 St. Charles, all on the streetcar line.

The restaurants are where senders lose money, so it is worth being blunt. New Orleans anniversary dinners happen at places where the room is the occasion — Galatoire's on Bourbon, Commander's Palace on Washington Avenue in the Garden District, Antoine's on St. Louis Street, in continuous family operation since 1840, Arnaud's on Bienville, Brennan's on Royal, Broussard's with its courtyard on Conti, Muriel's on Jackson Square, GW Fins on Bienville, Restaurant R'evolution inside the Royal Sonesta, Herbsaint on St. Charles, Compère Lapin and Cochon in the Warehouse District, Peche on Magazine, and Uptown at Clancy's, Upperline, La Petite Grocery, Shaya, Pascal's Manale and Brigtsen's in the Riverbend. Most of these kitchens will not accept a floral delivery during service, and several have no place to put one — a dining room at seven on a Saturday has no counter to spare and no staff to hold a vase. Some will take an arrangement earlier in the day and set it on the table if you call the restaurant yourself and arrange it; that is a conversation between you and the maître d', not something a florist can promise on your behalf. The reliable pattern is the one locals use: send the flowers to the house or the hotel room in the morning so they are there when the couple gets dressed, and let the restaurant be the restaurant. If the dinner itself is the surprise, the hotel room is the better stage anyway.