Weekend Cheat Sheet: Father’s Day Fun

What better way for dad to spend this Father’s Day than by keeping it completely casual? Get him out of the suit and tie, and into some shorts and flip-flops for a kicked-back weekend that takes him nowhere near the office!

 

Friday

Lunch at: Sample a taste of Philadelphia in New Orleans at Liberty Cheesesteak, a tiny sandwich shop opened by friends Mike Casey and Joe Seremet a little over three years ago. Located on the bustling Freret Street corridor inside a small space that once housed the first Dat Dog, Liberty Cheesesteak offers several different types of hoagies and subs — from the original The Wiz with cheddar cheese sauce and a Chicken Steak with chicken instead of steak, to an Italian Sub with provolone, mortadella and salami. They also feature fantastic fries, all hand-cut and twice cooked, which you can order tossed in crab boil seasoning, smothered in Wiz (cheese) or plain Freret-style with nothing but a bit of salt. 5031 Freret St., (504) 875-4447, libertycheesesteaks.com

Get hoppy at: Kick back and enjoy the craft beer experience at Second Line Brewing, located just a skip from New Orleans City Park. Thursdays through Sundays, this local brewery throws open its doors and busts out the patio furniture for folks looking to sample their latest brews. Try the Route 47 Red IPA, the popular Batture Blonde Ale or one of the Revelers (like a Chocolate Milk Stout), while talking all things hops with your brew bros. Though Second Line Brewing itself doesn’t serve food, if you get a hankering for something to eat, you can sample red beans and rice or shrimp and grits from the King Creole food truck parked outside every Friday night. 433 N. Bernadotte St., secondlinebrewing.com

Get in on the game at: What could be finer than kicking off your weekend with a night of bowling in luxurious yet casual surroundings at Fulton Alley in the Warehouse District? Located less than two blocks from Harrah’s Casino, Fulton Alley is a bowling alley like no other. Featuring plush leather seating and lane-side table service, why would you want to bowl anywhere else? But, if knocking down pins isn’t your thing, Fulton Alley also features a game parlor replete with darts, chess, foosball, bocce ball, shuffleboard and more. 600 Fulton St., (504) 208-5569, http://fultonalley.com/
Saturday

Revive at: Gorge yourself on the bountiful breads and pastries to be had at Maple Street Patisserie. Pastry Chef Ziggy Cichowski will knock your socks off with his daily array of fresh, hot doughnuts; croissants; bear claws; turnovers; muffins; fritters; cookies; and more. Get a fresh sausage biscuit with egg or a ham and a cheese croissant. Spoil yourself with warm, chewy bagels and cream cheese or a decadent, custard-filled Napoleon. You can score a cup of Community Coffee at Maple Street Patisserie or take all of your pastry goodness next door to PJ’s Coffee and scarf them with a mocha or two. 7638 Maple St., (504) 304-1526, maplestreetpatisserie.com

Feel the need for speed at: Home to the largest karting facility in North America, NOLA Motorsports Park is the perfect place to take dad and all of his friends for a day of racing! The park offers 30 acres of track area, seven of which are lighted for nighttime racing and three different circuits can be managed to provide over 80 configurations. Get a short, 10 minute kart session or stay for the whole day and schedule some track time with IndyCar driver and all-star kart racer Jay Howard who excels at teaching racers of all ages and experience levels. NOLA Motorsports also offers a great Karting Pro Shop for serious racers who own their own kart, or those looking to add to their collection. 11075 Nicolle Blvd., Avondale, (504) 302-4875, nolamotor.com

Dine at: Considered by many locals to be a home away from home, Joey K’s Restaurant & Bar is a cozy, neighborhood cafe located on the corner of Seventh and Magazine streets, offering everything from po-boys and seafood platters to chicken fried steak and stuffed bell peppers. Lounge inside or out with Abita Amber on tap served in a chilled glass goblet and feast on good, old-fashioned foodstuffs like a cup of red beans and rice, All-U-Can-Eat fried catfish, chicken Parmesan or a juicy cheeseburger and fries. Famous for their daily specials, on a Saturday night you could enjoy meatloaf with baked macaroni, fried fish tacos or check their chalkboard for something completely different. But don’t leave till you’ve had a taste of their blackberry or apple cobbler a la mode … you won’t want to miss it. 3001 Magazine St., (504) 891-0997, joeyksrestaurant.com
Sunday

Breakfast at: Start out your Sunday with a spicy Bloody Mary or crisp Bellini at one of the Ruby Slipper’s many locations. This hyper-local chain prides itself on great service, killer brunch cocktails and stellar breakfasts like barbecue shrimp and grits; eggs cochon with slow-cooked and apple-braised pork debris atop a buttermilk biscuit; the BL2T with fried green tomatoes and fresh tomatoes on brioche; or the ever-popular bananas Foster pain perdu. The mid-city location on S. Cortez Street was the first to open right after Hurricane Katrina and this casual breakfast spot has become so popular, they’ve opened three other locations in the city; one in Pensacola, Florida; and another due to open soon in Orange Beach, Alabama … yep, it’s that good! Multiple locations, therubyslippercafe.net

Root, root, root for your home team at: It’s that time again when the smell of fresh-cut grass and the roar of the crowd magically transforms grown men into excitable little boys … it’s time for the New Orleans Zephyrs baseball team to take to the field! Grab a hot dog or a bag of roasted peanuts and watch the team take on the Colorado Springs Sky Sox or the Omaha Storm Chasers at “the shrine on Airline” Zephyrs Field. You might even score perfect timing and make it for a Family FUNday Sunday where all the fans can get out on the field after the game to run the bases and pretend to be a big-time ball player. Go Zephyrs! 6000 Airline Dr., Metairie, milb.com

Relax at: Try not to think about work in the morning, and grab a pint and some good grub at Tracey’s Original Irish Channel Bar. Place your order and grab a table where you can watch the game and dig into a roast beef, fried shrimp, hamburger steak, chicken Parmesan or even a French fry po-boy all served on crusty Leidenheimer bread. Get a side of boudin balls, meat pies or an Irish Sundae with potato salad and roast beef debris. There’s plenty of seating both inside and out, and you can’t beat the view of oak-shrouded Magazine Street in the Lower Garden District. 2604 Magazine St., (504) 897-5413, traceysnola.com