re: Best lunch for first meal in NOLA

Mother's is overrated, imo. So is the entire French Quarter for more than an hour or two unless you like vomit, crowds and shitty humans.

I'd say check out the warehouse district, instead, if you haven't already. A great place for lunch is Cochon Butcher. Lots of simple but unique things on the menu and all the beers or wine you might want to try. You won't be disappointd.

Then just wander bar to bar in the area afterwards. You've got everything you could want over there, but without the tard crowd.

The area around Mannings is fun too. Plenty of places to eat oysters on the sidewalk and drink and people watch, but away from the tourist vomit shite show and the worst of the vampire freak crime.