New Orleans bound! Jazz. Food. Culture. Visiting this vibrant (in all its sense) city for an early 30th birthday celebration.
However, before we were able to soak in all the fun and sun, we had to deal with some unfortunate situations.
We left bright and early at to get to the airport. What seemed to be promising start led to a 2h wait to clear customs and passport control only to have us miss our flight by minutes. Thanksfully, our agent came through big time for us and was able to get us out of Canada by rebooking with another carrier! Second reality check came when we got to New Orleans and noticed the dampness in the air which made what seemed like a warm fall/spring day seem way colder.
First Impressions :
We stayed in the middle of all the madness and action in the French Quarters. The streets are a little grungy, a little scrappy but tons of energy without any pretention. The streets look like they've preserved a lot of the French/Spanish history through its architecture. I love the large balconies and the galleries. The bigger the better. An evidence of wealth if you had a gallery with many posts! The food smelled amazing, and even though we were in the most touristy area of Nola, everything was still affordable with a hearty portion.
Not having been armed with any southern history prior to the trip, I was super curious about the naming conventions of the southern cities in Louisiana. Here's the Cliff’s notes version of its history we learned through our walking tours:
Founded by the French and named for King Louis the XIV. France sent its less desirable people (ex. thieves, prostitutes and criminals) to colonize the new land;
France ceded control to Spain after losing the 7 year war and an increase of slaves were brought over to work on the plantation;
Purchased by the Americans for a hefty price tag of $15M through the Louisiana Purchase.
And that’s why a lot of the streets, architecture and food have a French or Spanish origin. Love how Americanized most of those words have became over the years, evolving with the southern influences.
Around town (NOLA)
French Quarter:
You know that ONE street in every big city that is filled with bars, booze, and entertainment (with a reputation for being a total tourist trap destination), Bourbon Street in New Orleans is THAT street. The first time walking down Bourbon street was sensory overload: bright neon lights, smell of food mixed with other less pleasant odurs, sound of street drummers and tappers, and sights of ladies flashing people on balconies for mardi gras beads!
Extending 13 blocks from Canal to Esplanade street, Bourbon is famous for its bars (oyster, drinks, karaoke and jazz) and strip clubs. We stayed very close to Bourbon so our first night we ventured out to experience the pre-mardi gras madness. Locals and tourists alike were really into the celebration.
If you were like us and only had 3 nights in the French Quater you must try these drinks: hand grenade, shark attack (a show and a drink), and the hurricane. They are all way stronger than they appear - the shark attack is made with ever clear, a 90 proof alcohol.
Bywater:
A little distance away from downtown is the Bywater neighbourhood – colourful row homes with a carefree boho vibe. I loved the colourful painted houses with shutters, and of course, being Mardi Gras season every house is decked out with carnivale colors and beads. The low level houses are very reminiscent of Caribbean vibes and have lots of French and Spanish influences. Extremely laid-back and easy-going atmosphere, extremely different from the hustle and bustle of French quarters.
We had our first brunch of the trip at Cru Raw and Bubble Bar NOLA - not just any brunch...a drag brunch! Big hair, big energy, big personality. We went for the Sunday brunch from 11am to 1pm. If you are not a strip club type of person, this can be a good alternative to have a cleaner (and classier) experience! You still have one dollar bills to tip them - they may or may not come sit all over you and give you a wig facial. The drag queens had outlandish outfits and went all out. They were all so nice and took pictures with diners afterwards. The food had excellent taste, nice presentation, decent portions for brunch. The servers were friendly & attentive. A cute and intimate restaurant with lots of up and personal interaction for the show. It was easy to have a conversation in between performances. I would return and recommend to friends visiting New Orleans for great food and a fun experience.
Jackson Square (and surroundings)
Our second evening, we ventured out to Jackson Square (named after general Andrew Jackson), to meet up with our tour group for our "ghost" tour (spooky!). Like most main squares in Europe, these places were a place of public gathering ... for the good and the bad. How about taking the family to a public execution after Sunday church at Jackson Square?! Less shocking when this was the norm back in the day.
The walking tour took us to visit many legendary locations such as Pirates Alley and The Hotel Monteleone, hearing lots of tales of the chilling history of this "haunted" city. The most disturbing story surrounded around the location of American Horror Story Coven.
New Orleans is rumored to have a strong presence of ghosts and spirits.
The stories on our tour were less of the super natural kind and more freaky circumstances. The Good Friday fire of 1788 and great NOLA fire 1794, both originating from the same building in the Vieux Carre. Rumors are the guy responsible for the fire is still lamenting over his role in the fire and wandering the halls of the former building. Some other stories of "vampire girls" who were maidens brought over from France to keep the early NOLA settlers company, who after months of living below deck during their journey had become so thin and pale, people thought vampires have landed when they stepped off the boat.
The most disturbing story was the one that inspired American Horror Story. We visited the house of Delphine LaLaurie, who according to her story was quite the cougar, having married 3 times! When a fire broke out in the LaLaurie residence on Royal Street, the police found an old cook chained to the stove. She admitted to starting the fire as a suicide attempt to avoid being taken away by LaLaurie and being punished. Firefighters broke down the doors to the slave quarters and found mutilated bodies, slaves with their skins flayed and lips sown shut, all were emaciated. Long story short, LaLaurie paid a fine and escaped to France when the neighbours got angry. No true punishment for her crimes. Our tour guide said the house is 'cursed' as it's been transformed, renovated and repurposed many times over the years and nothing has stuck. Even Nicholas Cage lost money on the house when he bought it - but then again he was also a bit cray so he probably didn't care.
When you are in New Orleans, you can do more than read a book or see a movie to experience the macabre. You can take a tour and get up close and personal!
Garden District:
Heading uptown we went to Commander's palace for our birthday lunch. The neighbourhood has so much elegance and charm with massive gated mansions. We got a map to track down some of the famous residences. Around the area were the Lafayette cemetery; Magazine Street for local shopping and antiques, and the Commander's Palace restaurant. Unfortunately the Lafayette cemetery was still closed for renovations - a resting place for people who died of yellow fever and rich families with tombs big enough for generations.
Martinis are a state of mind - Is Commander's still offering $0.25 martinis with lunch entrees? Yes, this is still a thing (unless you were like me and opted out of near-free martinis for hot water with honey lemon to sooth a cold)! Commander’s Palace is a dapper host who wows with white-linen dining rooms, decadent dishes and attentive Southern hospitality. Offering a nouveau Creole menu. We had the set 3-course menu starting with turtle soup, followed by stuffed quail, and ending with a soufflé bread pudding.
In this old and lavish side of town, it's completely the opposite to the French Quarter. Lots of greeneries, flowers, palm trees with massive properties. However, just like every other part of town, most houses have some kind of Mardi Gras decor on their doors, fences or driveways. On 2707 Coliseum street is the Nolan house - aka the Benjamin Button house, used in the movie as a nursing home. Lots more manors and elaborate iron-adorned houses on First to Third Street. Loved strolling through the quarters in this area. It was very refreshing to leave behind the crowds and noises and see a different side of NOLA!
...a little further ahead in Lower Garden District:
Our last stop on the trip was near the port where we toured Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World. A $20 ticket gets you a quick intro video and a slice of King Cake (one lady on our tour found the baby Jesus)! It was pretty cool to see the idea and building process. A 2-D drawing can be transformed into digital art, then printed onto foam, cut into layers, and assembled to form a gigantic parade 3-D float. They make over 40 parade floats a year in addition to making custom floats for corporate accounts. Fun to get up close and personal to the floats - some were getting prepped for their maiden voyage down the Mardi Gras parade 2020. Kind of like being in Santa's workshop seeing the creative magic take place!
NOLA Eats
Comfort, fried, hearty, flavourful, salty – pretty much sums up the common elements of all the typical southern dishes. Dishes are typically very generously portioned good for sharing. The oysters definitely trumps those of any I’ve had in Canada. Some were triple the sizes of Atlantic / Pacific oysters back at home. Gulf of Mexico is where lives the extra jumbo oysters.
Our free food tour by foot was great from a historical and information perspective, however I would not recommend doing this on an empty stomach. If you're looking for a substantial food tasting tour, this is not it!
Two primary flavours of cooking down in the south:
Cajun is descendent from the Acadian settles and often referred to as, country food. It was often looked down upon by city dwellers because the Acadians ate anything and everything for nutrition and reducing waste when food was scarce. I totally related to this practice of making the most of your ingredients. Very similar to country life in China during the revolutionary days (so I was told by my grandparents). No part of the animal goes to waste!
Creole from the influences of mixed (African, French, Native) decent. In comparison to Cajun food, Creole is seen as more 'elevated' or 'fancier'. Typically uses tomatoes in the creole version versus its Cajun counterpart. Our guide explained this concept of the "trinity" in Creole cooking which takes 3 main ingredients : onion, celery and bell pepper. A common combination forming the base of Creole cooking.
These are some of the iconic New Orleans food / dishes as well as a list of locally recommended places for food and attraction. If you go, see how many you can check off!
Po-boys sandwiches (lettuce, tomatoes and pickles) - served to the poor boys begging for food on the street.
Muffuletta - tasty Sicilian sandwich with cold cuts, cheese, and olive salad brought over by Italian immigrants.
Char-grilled oysters – massive Gulf oysters grilled, some are seasoned with added toppings like mushrooms and spinach.
Crawlfish - Jan to May is Crawlfish season. I had mine in an étouffée but the boiled ones are tastier (because you gotta work for it)!
Gumbo - Official State cuisine of Louisiana. A stew with a strong stalk, thickener and the "Holy Trinity" of vegetables (celery, bell peppers, and onions).
Jambalaya - From "jambon" - French for ham, and "ya ya" - indigenous African for rice. Seafood, sausage or chicken ...?
Dirty Rice - Tried this at one of our food tour stops. Typically made with liver or other unwanted animal organs, this is really flavour rice with some kind of ground meat.
Étouffée - French for 'to smoother' - I had mine with crawlfish but it can be with any seafood over rice.
Alligators - Meat or Fish? We tried fried alligators on a po-boy sandwich and the flavour was like meat but the texture looked like fish. Yours to discover!
Turtle soup - An app at the Commander's Palace. It has an herby smell/taste. The main ingredient was mostly pork.
Beignet and café au lait - The tastiest 2x2 breakfast food in NOLA is fried, fresh, hot and powdered. No wonder it's also Louisiana's state donut
Praline - A creamier version of fudge. A dessert I had way too much of...and possibly hauled home a few boxes.
King Cake - A round cake covered with icing or ganash with a plastic Jesus. Whoever finds the Jesus is king/queen for the day - but catch! They have to host the next party and bring the next King Cake.
Dedicating this post to my dear friend Angela! Thank you for a fun and memorable trip and doing a lot of the leg work in planning our 30th celebration!! Wish I wasn't sick and could rage on longer! xoxo love ya girlie <3
February 15 - 19, 2020
**Local Recommended Spots by our Guide Kayla**
Food and Cocktail Attractions
Southern Food and Beverage Museum, 1504 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. (adjacent to Toup’s South)
Sazerac House, on the corner of Canal and Magazine St. (museum and distillery)
Breakfast
*French Toast, 1035 Decatur (I love their ratatouille toast; Toast also has locations uptown and in Gentilly)
Croissant d’Or, 617 Ursulines
*Ruby Slipper, 3 locations (Magazine St.. and Canal St. downtown, Burgundy St. in the Marigny).
Stanley, corner of St. Ann and Chartres St. on the downtown side of Jackson Square
*Cafe Conti, 830 Conti Street (assortment of crepes; shrimp & grits, omelets)
Cafe Fleur De Lis, 307 Charters
Clover Grill, 900 Bourbon St
*Gallier's Restaurant & Oyster Bar, 129 Carondelet
*Brennan's, 417 Royal St
*Willa Jean, 611 O'Keefe St. (CBD)
Johnny’s Po-Boys, 511 St. Louis (CASH ONLY)
*Horn’s, 1940 Dauphine St.
Po-Boys
*Parkway Bakery, 538 Hagan Ave. (Bayou St. John)
Killer PoBoys, 811 Conti
*Johnny’s Po-Boys, 511 St. Louis (CASH ONLY)
Melba’s, 1525 Elysian Fields Ave
Mahony’s Po-Boys & Seafood, 901 Iberville St. (spare rib po-boy)
Muffulettas
Alberto’s Cheese & Wine Bistro, French Market (Gluten Free and Vegetarian available)
*Central Grocery, 923 Decatur St
Napoleon House, corner of St. Louis and Chartres (toasted version)
Cajun
*K-Paul’s, 416 Charters St. (best place for gumbo)
Cochon, 930 Tchopitoulas
*DTB, 8201 Oak St. (Carollton; Contemporary Cajun)
Atchafalaya, 901 Louisiana Ave (Contemporary Cajun/Creole)
Mulate's, 201 Julia St. (food is mediocre, but a great place for Cajun music and dancing)
*Bon Ton Cafe, 401 Magazine St. (CBD)
Mosquito Supper Club, 3824 Dryads St. (Thur-Sat, Reservations ONLY, locally sourced, family style, fixed menu)
Creole (haute cuisine)
Commander’s Palace, 1403 Washington Ave., Uptown (dress code)
Antoine’s, 713 St. Louis St. (smart casual; French cuisine)
Galatoire’s, 209 Bourbon Street (dress code)
Arnaud’s, 813 Bienville St. (smart casual, collared shirts)
Brennan's, 417 Royal (best turtle soup; dress code)
Creole (casual)
Jacque-Imo’s, Oak Street off Carrollton (take the St.. Charles St. Streetcar)
Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, 2301 Orleans Ave. (Treme; cab or uber/Lyft, lunch buffet, dinner nightly)
Lil Dizzy’s Cafe, 1500 Esplanade Ave. (Treme)
Willie Mae’s Scotch House, 2401 At. Ann - Lunch only (Treme; cab or uber/Lyft)
Orleans Grapevine, 720 Orleans Ave. (casual/romantic environment; great courtyard)
Neyow’s Creole Cafe, 3340 Bienville St (Mid City)
Contemporary Creole/New American
*Seaworthy, 630 Carondelet St. (local oysters + oysters from other regions)
*NOLA, 534 St. Louis, Emeril Lagasse’s FQ restaurant
Tableau, 616 St. Peter St. (Next to Le Petit Theatre)
*Bayona, 430 Dauphine St. (Chef Susan Spicer)
*Cane and Table, 1113 Decatur St.
Brigtsens, 723 Dante St. (Riverbend/Carrollton)
Boiled Crawfish (Seasonal Jan-May)
*Clesi’s Crawfish & Catering 4323 Bienville St. (Mid City; 3-5 lbs per person is a standard order)
Bevi Seafood, 236 N. Carrollton Ave (Mid City)
Three Legged Dog Tavern, 400 Burgundy (some nights, they usually put a sign out in the morning)
Landry’s Seafood House, corner of Jax Brewery, across from Jackson Square
Seafood & Oysters
*Gallier Restaurant & Oyster Bar, 129 Carondolet St.. (best raw oysters in town, try The Gallier)
Superior Seafood, St. Charles Ave at Napoleon Ave (Uptown; take the St. Charles Streetcar)
Royal House Oyster Bar, Royal & St. Louis
*G.W. Finn’s, 808 Bienville
Felix’s Oysters, across from Acme on Iberville St., (also on the lakefront 7400 Lakeshore Drive)
*Pêche Seafood, Magazine & Julia, CBD (get the whole fish!!)
*Seaworthy, 630 Carondelet Street, CBD (East, West, and Gulf Coast oysters; wild and sustainably raised seafood)
*Emeril’s Delmonico, 1300 St. Charles Ave ($0.99 Chargrilled oysters 5pm-7pm)
Vegan/Vegetarian
*Meals from the Heart, Inside the French Market
Bennachin (African), 1212 Royal
Green Goddess, 307 Exchange Place
Mona’s Cafe (Middle Eastern), 504 Frenchman
Seed, 1330 Prytania St. LGD (Vegan)
Good Karma Cafe, 2940 Canal Street, Mid City (Vegan)
The Daily Beet, 1000 Girod Street (Central Business District)
*Tal's Hummus, 4800 Magazine Street (Uptown)
Sneaky Pickle, 4017 St. Claude Ave (Bywater)
*Small Mart, 1301 Decatur (Take out only, Indian vegan and vegetarian)
*Carmo, 527 Julia Street (Central Business District)
*MoPho, 514 City Park Ave, Vietnamese inspired, City Park (veg/vegan specials on Thursday night; some vegetarian offerings other nights)
*Longway Tavern, 719 Toulouse St. (veg/vegan option usually available, ask your server)
*HiVolt Coffee, 1829 Sophie Wright Pl. (lower garden district, vegan/vegetarian options)
Breads on Oak, 8640 Oak St (Carrollton; Vegan bakery and cafe)
Brigtsens, 723 Dante St. (Riverbend/Carrollton); offers $35 pre fix vegetarian menu
Sweet Soulfood, 1025 N. Broad St. (daily specials include vegan versions of jambalaya, gumbo, and red beans and rice.)
Many restaurants will accommodate vegetarian diners. When making a reservation at a non-vegetarian restaurant, let them know you are vegetarian and ask if they can accommodate you.
Italian/Italian Creole
Irene’s, 529 Bienville St.
Adolfo’s, 611 Frenchmen St (above the Apple Barrel bar)
Marcello’s, 715 St. Charles Ave (CBD)
Angelo Brocato, 214 N. Carrolton Ave (gelato/pastry; Mid City, pair with City Park/New Orleans Museum of Art)
Mandina’s, 3800 Canal St (Mid City)
Mona Lisa, 1212 Royal St
*Sofia, 516 Julia St (CBD)
King Cake (order for shipping nationwide, Jan. 6 thru Mardi Gras Day)
Rouse’s Supermarket. www.rouses.com
Randazzo’s. www.randazzokingca ke.com
*Croissant d’Or. www.croissantdornola.com (traditional gallette des rois)
Haydel’s. www.haydelbakery.com
Sucre, 622 A Conti St (French Quarter), 3025 Magazine St (Uptown)
*Dong Phung, 14207 Chef Mentor Hwy (New Orleans East, James Beard Award)
Family Friendly
Jacque-Imo’s, Oak Street off Carrollton (take the St.. Charles St. Streetcar)
Lil Dizzy’s Cafe, 1500 Esplanade Ave. (Treme)
Neyow’s Creole Cafe, 3340 Bienville St (Mid City)
Deanie’s Seafood, 841 Iberville St. (French Quarter)
Oceana Grill, 739 Conti Street (French Quarter)
Mother’s Restaurant, 401 Poydras St. (Central Business District)
Joey K’s, 3001 Magazine St. (Garden District)
Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza, 4024 Canal St. (Mid City) and 4218 Magazine St (Uptown)
*Picnic Provisions and Whiskey, 741 State Street (Uptown)
Notable Local Favorites ( & some of Kayla's favorite spots to eat*!)
*MoPho, 514 City Park Ave, Vietnamese inspired, (pair with City Park and New Orleans Museum of Art, excellent wings)
*Cafe Degas, 3127 Esplanade Ave; Bayou St. John (lemon ice box pie & if they have vichyssoise, get it!!)
Restaurant R’evolution, 777 Bienville St., famed chef John Folse (Death by Gumbo)
Shaya, 4213 Magazine Street (John Besh modern Israeli cuisine, reservations recommended)
*Saba, 5757 Magazine Street (Chef Alon Shaya, modern Israeli, casual)
*Pêche Seafood, Magazine & Julia, CBD (get the whole fish!!)
*Bacchanal Fine Wine and Spirits, 600 Poland Ave (live music, casual courtyard dining, no kids)
*Willa Jean, 611 O'Keefe St. (CBD)
Compère Lapin, 535 Tchoupitoulas St. (caribbean inspired)
*Restaurant Patois, 6078 Laurel St. (intimate setting; excellent French cuisine)
*St. James Cheese Company, 641 Tchoupitoulas (CBD) or 5004 Prytania St.
Toup's Meatery, 845 N. Carrollton Avenue (Isaac Toups from Top Chef)
*Gallier Restaurant & Oyster Bar, 129 Carondolet St. (best raw oysters in town, try The Gallier)
Baru Bistro & Tapas, 3700 Magazine Street (Latin/caribbean)
*Boucherie, 1506 S. Carrollton Ave. (Intimate/Cajun Inspired)
*Lula Restaurant & Distillery, 1532 St. Charles Avenue (local distiller of rum, vodka, and gin; very good food)
**Maypop, 611 O'Keefe St. (Vietnam/Louisiana fusion, my favorite!)
*Saffron Nola, 4128 Magazine St. (Indian with a twist of New Orleans)
*The Vintage, 3121 Magazine St. (premium stuffed beignets, coffee, lunch, bar, late night)
*Bakery Bar, 1179 Annunciation (doberge cake, brunch, great cocktails, try the Breakfast Board and the grits!)
*Jamila’s Café, 7807 Maple Street (Tunisian, Mediterranean; family owned)
*Marjie’s Grill, 320 South Broad Street; Mid City (mix of South Louisiana and Asian flavors; locally sourced)
*Carrollton Market, 8132 Hampton Street (Uptown/Carrollton, accessible by St. Charles Streetcar, new favorite!)
*Gris Gris, 1800 Magazine St.; LGD (Cajun inspired dishes)
Couvant, 317 Magazine St.; CBD (Classic French cuisine)
*LUVI, 5236 Tchoupitoulas St; Uptown (pan-Asian, amazing raw bar)
*La Petite Grocery, 4238 Magazine St.; Uptown
*Upperline, 1413 Upperline St., Uptown (classic New Orleans French Creole)
*Cafe Minh, 4139 Canal St (Mid City; Vietnam/Louisiana)
*Justine, 225 Chartres St. (French Brasserie)
*Meauxbar, 942 Rampart St. (Modern French Bistro)
Bar Marilou, 544 Carondelet St. (CBD, speakeasy vibe, great cocktails, good small plates)
*Stein’s Market & Deli, 2207 Magazine St
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