New Orleans has so much going for it. Mardi Gras, jazz, art and food. Ah, the food is my favorite. Recently, the cravings got to be too much so I convinced my boyfriend to go along with his cousin and husband to go.
Arriving within hours of each other at the airport, our first stop was to quickly drop the bags and go hunting for Cajun and Creole food. We ended up at Nola Poor Boys and Bar on Frenchman Street. This area is known to cater to locals and tourists alike. It has everything from high-end restaurants to more casual bars like we ate at. We ordered fried okra, Boudin balls, soft shell crab on a huge bed of fry’s, red beans and rice, along with crawfish and bisque soup. The waitress was amazed that we ate it all. Delicious! The portions were good size and flavorful for bar food. A couple of blocks away, we walked through an art fair with local artists. Always wanting to support local artists, I purchased a print that I will place in my bar area.
The next morning was all about satisfying that food craving again with brunch at Antoine’s Restaurant. Antoine’s is a white table cloth NOLA staple. Having been around since 1840, as the country’s oldest family-run restaurant, its claim to fame is superb food. We were treated with a lie jazz group that hardly accepted our request. To top it off bottomless mimosas!
Walking off all of those calories is easy, in New Orleans. We meandered all through the Bourbon Street/French Quarter area, stopping in shops, munching on pralines and admiring hundreds of Mardi Gras masks.
New Orleans is the birthplace of Dixie. The Citizen State Bank issued its own $10 bank note with the work Dix on it, the French word for 10. As people spent these notes, the area began to be known as the land of Dix which was eventually shortened to Dixieland, an area synonymous with music, legends and Dixieland bands.
No visit to NOLA would be complete without a cemetery tour and stories of Creole witches, voodoo and curses. There are a variety to pick from. Because the water level is high, the dead are placed in above ground crypts that often hold families. We were told that the bodies are placed in shrouds and because the sun bakes them along with the humidity, compositing happens fairly quick allowing the remnants to be pushed into the back of the tomb allowing for another body to be added. You really do live with your ancestors for an eternity in this town.
The next morning, we treated ourselves to beignets covered in powered sugar and chicory coffee mixed with milk at Cafe Du Monde. Established in 1862, it’s another icon in New Orleans. We went to the original on Decatuer Street but today, there are a number of Café Du Monde coffee shops spread throughout the city and you can buy beignet mix at most tourist stores. I’ve also seen it at Word Market. The Cafe is open 24-hours a day and only closed on Christmas Day. If you get there later in the morning, expect to stand in a long line. We got there around 8:00 am and the outdoor seating was full but the inside still had a few tables available.
With more than 250,000 artifacts and 9,000 personal accounts, the 6-acre National WWII Museum will help you to walk off a few of those calories. The Museum was built in 2000 and when you enter, you receive a dog tag (plastic card) with the name of a veteran that you can learn about as you go through the museum. Two of the dog tags our group received were of Walt Ehlers and his brother. Walt was a National Medal of Honor recipient and I had the honor of meeting him years ago. Just a consequence? I think not. Smile. You can easily stay here for hours, reading the stories and looking at the artifacts including full-sized airplanes and jeeps. As history buffs, we hung out here for five hours, taking a break in the canteen for lunch, until they kicked out at closing.
For me, the roux cooking class we booked through Mardi Gras Cooking School was the highlight. We met Chef Preston at 6:30 who taught us knife skills, how to easily shell and devine a shrimp while drinking beer and wine. Together we made shrimp ettouffee, gumbo and bananas foster. While we were eating, Chief explained his definition between Cajon and Creole saying that Creole is a mixture of types of food, combining preferences and seasonings over time. Creole combines Italian, Spanish, African, German, Caribbean, Native American and Portuguese influences. Other definitions say that Creole food is considered to be city while Cajon is referred to as country food. And, Creole food typically used tomatoes and tomato-based sauces. I would highly recommend this class and want to go back for some of their other options. They will be adding a drink mixology class soon.
Our last stop while working our way to Birmingham was Oak Alley Plantation. While tickets are pricey $27/$30, Oak Alley is a photographer’s dream. The entry way to the main house is lined with 200 to 250 year old oaks and the “back door” is lined with 100-year old oaks. The Magnolia trees were just starting to bloom while we were here. Additionally, there is a restaurant that serves Creole food. I had a fried green tomato BLT. The pictures speak for themselves here and I would love to come back and stay in one of their rooms.
New Orleans is a really fun town. It’s one of my favorites for food, music and just having a good time. I would also recommend a swamp tour if you haven’t been on one. Live gators and creepy moss….
Here is a synopsis of the places we visited.