J9 & K explore N'awlins!
We arrived in New Orleans after our cruise on Thursday morning ready to explore...
First stop - Cafe du Monde, of course. Mmmmmm...Beignets!
We stayed in a great little B&B in a restored French Quarter home called the Banana Courtyard. It was perfectly situated between the French Quarter and Frenchman street. Mary and Hugh own the place and are extremely gracious and knowledgable hosts. They'll offer you a beer and walk you around the French Quarter a bit to get you oriented when you check in. Great place to stay!! Frenchman street is where the local music scene is, and has more great restaurants. One of them is Marisol where we had an extravagant French meal. They have one of the best selections of cheeses in the country. Mmmmmm...Cheese.
Out and about in the French Quarter - the Brewery! Mmmmm...Beer. (Do you see a trend forming, here?)
Out and about in the French Quarter - Jackson Square! I love that the kids in the foreground of this picture are having a balloon-sword duel!
Out and about in the French Quarter - Street Performers! They were everywhere. Painters and palm readers and musicians and clowns and human statues, oh my! This guy was an escape artist.
Pretty trees in bloom. I think this is a Magnolia.
The mighty Mississippi! Mmmmm...muddy water.
A balloon flower that a clown made for me. I later gave it to a little girl since we were leaving that day.
This mural was on the side of one of the clubs on Frenchmen street. It reminded me of my kitties! After all, I hadn't see them in a week! Thank goodness I've got such great friends who help take care of them while we're away. Thanks guys! You know who you are!
The day we left, they had the annual Krewe of Barkus parade. As our cab driver described it "that's the parade for all the gay boys to dress up their dogs." Despite this comment, there were families of all types involved in the parade. We saw two little pugs dressed up like bumblebees, complete with antennae. I asked to take a picture with this well-dressed Chocolate Lab in honor of Sondra's doggie Guinness.
On our last day, we had brunch at the Court of the Two Sisters. I kept thinking to myself that Jamie and I need to go there together some time! Best Mimosas in town and a buffet brunch that you've got to see to believe. I think we got the best seats in the house next to the wishing well!
We left New Orleans on Sunday, a little fatter and a little sassier! I feel like we just barely got a taste of what the city has to offer, and I can't wait to visit again! If anyone happens to be going, here are some restaurant recommendations, in no particular order, from Kearson and I:
- Rio Mar. Hands down the best meal we had. Seafood is the feature, with 3 different types of Ceviche (all excellent) and a friendly waitstaff. A little off the beaten path, but a short cab ride from anywhere in the French Corner.
- The Gumbo Shop. Near Pat O'Brien's. Comes highly recommended by the locals. Great place to try the best classic New Orleans fare - Etouffe, Gumbo, etc. I had a roasted chicken dish that was so good I nearly incapacitated myself trying to finish the whole thing. Despite being stuffed to the gills, if you go here, DO NOT SKIP THE BOURBON BREAD PUDDING! It's out of this world.
- Cafe du Monde. Of course you have to go here and not just because it's a tradition. The Beignets are to die for. However, if it's your first time, the waitress will likely ask you if you want "2 orders of Beignets and 2 Cafe Au Lait?" Each order of Beignets has three of the confections, and I found 6 to be a bit too much for the two of us. I suggest starting with one order to share. You can always order more and if you do, your second round will be fresh from the fryer!
- Marisol. As I mentioned above, fabulous french cuisine and a cheese lover's paradise. The presentations are incredible, as well. The service is authentically French, which means it might feel a somewhat stuffy in comparison to the laid back atmosphere out in the Quarter. So, if you've just come from Bourbon street after happy hour, you might put this off until you are a bit more composed.
- Port of Call. Speaking of coming back from Bourbon street after happy hour, Port of Call would be the perfect stop. We unfortunately didn't get to try any of their famous burgers and baked potatoes. We did try their signature drink, the Monsoon. Look out for this one! There's so much alcohol in it that it creates an endothermic reaction as the alcohol evaporates and it freezes the cherry garnish in it solid. Thank goodness it was close to the B&B!
- Pat O'Brien's. If you must, stop in for a Hurricane. DO NOT, under any circumstances, order food here. I know you are tipsy, and hungry, and Crawfish Nachos sound like they couldn't be all bad, but the food here is watered down tourist crap and should not be encouraged. You'll get better Creole and Cajun cuisine at TGI Friday's. Yes, this is a lesson learned by experience. If you do not heed this warning, I guarantee you'll be kicking yourself for wasting your empty stomach on food that sucks in a town where the the best food you'll ever have is probably less than 2 blocks away.
- Acme Oyster House. This was recommended to us by Chad and Nathalie, and they did not steer us wrong. Po' Boys are awesome here! Go for the "combo" shrimp and oyster, and if you like raw oysters, try their "sushi" style oysters on the half shell. Comes with Wasabi. Mmmm! Come hungry, be prepared to wait in line for a little while, but it is worth it and the line will only get longer if you come back in a while. If you like whole boiled crawfish order them here! They come by the pound in a mesh bag and looked great. I myself am too lazy to deal with them whole, though I love the meat.
- Mr. B's Bistro. Came highly recommended by Hugh and Mary. We only stopped in for an appetizer to get out of the rain, so didn't get much exposure to their food, but the service and their Bloody Mary was great and they didn't even give us a dirty look for taking up one of their tables for only drinks and apps during their busy lunch rush. Next time, I want to go back for their brunch!
- Court of Two Sisters. Great outdoor patio and Mimosas (they bring you your own bottle of Champagne and a carafe of OJ so you can mix your own). I'm not that big a fan of buffets, but everything was fresh and well-prepared. The hollandaise on the eggs benedict was delicious - rich and lemony!
Click here to return to What's New.