As previously mentioned, Ben and I took a little post Christmas trip to New Orleans over the holidays. I know a lot of my readers (as in, 6 out of all 8 of you, hah) have been to NOLA or spent extensive time there. I've been a few times myself....as a little kid, as a high school student mortified to be with my parents, as a wild sorority girl on a wedding weekend trip, and most recently as a single working girl thrilled to be out on the town during Mardi Gras. My trip with my guy was definitely a laid back couple getaway. These have all been great trips, but they've also all been very different trips, almost like they each took place in different cities.
That's one of my favorite things about New Orleans...it somehow manages to feel new and familiar at the same time. On this particular trip, I got the new experience of sharing New Orleans (or part of it, at least) with Ben for the first time. Not to brag or anything...but I think I did a pretty decent job.
After checking in at the Hotel Saint Marie on Toulouse, we wandered over to Pat O'Briens for a hurricane in the courtyard...a must for a NOLA trip. Then over to Jackson Square to take in the sights, including some pretty hilarious dancing street performers at the amphitheater on Decatur Street. After climbing up to check out the river we walked across the Quarter over to the Royal Street Oyster House for dinner...really a split second choice since we didn't have a plan, but we had a GREAT experience there. Then back to the room to bundle up against the cold before heading back over to Cafe du Monde for some dessert beignets and coffee and chicory (of course). A nice evening walk around the quieter parts of the Quarter was followed by drinks back at the piano bar at Pat O'Briens. Definitely seems like a pretty generic touristy NOLA day, but between watching Ben's reaction to everything and getting to indulge in a few things I haven't enjoyed in awhile it was a pretty perfect day.
Day two started with a quick walk-through at the French Market. When I was younger I always wanted to speed past the produce and foodstuffs in order to dig through cheap sunglasses, scarves, jewelry, mardi gras masks, etc. As an adult the trip is precisely the opposite. Afterwards we popped into a hole in the wall bar called Turtle Bay on Decatur to partake of a great deal on beers, and then discovered that the bar menu sounded too good to pass up. Thus lunch became loaded nacho french fries (amazing) and sweet potato fries with maple syrup and powdered sugar for dessert (also amazing). A little more wandering and a quick rest break later, we were headed over to get in line for Acme. The chargrilled oysters made the meal for me, but I have to say...I am only a fan of community style seating when it's in a spacious and relaxed atmosphere. Being tightly packed into the middle of an 8 top table and having to yell across at each other was a little stressful, to say the least. We bar hopped in and out of a pretty relaxed spot that I unfortunately can't name before landing BACK on the same section of Decatur Street at a bar called Pravda. Definite old school Russian theme, but somehow done in a phenomenally effective and comfortable way. I'd dashed into this bar on a previous trip while watching the Krewe de Vieux parade and even then had made a mental note to come back. Ben and I settled in and stayed awhile. I LOVE the red shaded table lamps...it makes things so cozy.
For our last full day we made a strategic decision...hit up a few spots suggested by folks, but only long enough for a snack and a drink at each spot (to avoid post-lunch sluggishness). We stopped into a pretty touristy restaurant on Bourbon called LaBayou. I was quite hesitant, given the wealth of negative reviews I'd found on my Yelp application, but between a good solid Bloody Mary, pretty darned tasty boudin balls, a not-too-crowded or noisy space, and a really awesome waiter...my experience was nothing but pleasant. Our next stop (after an indulgent stop in at Urban Outfitters, so sue me) was the Crescent City Brewhouse, which was very...average. I might have had a different reaction had we been able to sit on the balcony, but in spite of a few tables eating out there during obvious lunch hours, the hostess bluntly informed us it was closed and started walking toward an inside table without giving us the option of a further request. The inside decor kind of seemed like we could have been in any American restaurant in any city, and while the house crafted beer was good, I don't know if it was worth a stop in on limited vacation time. As we neared Bourbon again Ben finally gave in to the desire to try a hand grenade (seems like you can't make a block without seeing that tell tale tall neon green cup). It occurred to me that I'd never had one myself, so we ducked in to the correct spot (too much neon, too much tropical print, too much loud music, too much everything) and grabbed a couple to go. Were we younger the drinks might have been the kickoff to a wild night...but for us the only real result was the need for some rest time before heading over to the Marigny for dinner.
We didn't have a set plan on where to dine in the neighborhood, but since Lisa had previously suggested we visit Snug Harbor for the music, I decided to check out their food on Yelp. I discovered that people LOVE it...and a couple hours later, Ben and I were in love as well. A wonderfully cozy spot that doesn't take itself too seriously, with great patrons, great staff, and a dish called Fish Marigny that was possibly my favorite of the trip. Ben was pretty thrilled with his fried oyster sandwich (more like a platter that happened to have a bun and dressings) and loaded backed potato (larger and with better toppers, like sauteed mushrooms) as well. Full and content, we moseyed down a few doors to d.b.a., a bar that was recommended seemingly by everyone I know in Oxford, and had the best bar experience I've had in awhile. Our petite bartender was wonderful, paying attention to our preferences and making suggestions for future rounds. A group sitting in one of the window areas had a couple of great doggies on leashes. The man in his fifties sitting a couple seats down was easygoing and friendly. The New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings played perfect happy Dixieland jazz. Hah, and my white russian concocted with vanilla vodka and Mint Chocolate Baileys? One hell of a dessert.
Before leaving town on our last day we popped into Coop's Place, THE spot for jambalaya according to a few locals. The food was great, the bar cat residing in the window just beside our table (and occasionally hopping over my lap and bounding off the corner of the table to reach her windowsill) was hilarious, and the bloody marys were the best of the trip. Our last stop was at Envie, a coffee shop a couple of blocks down with the best cast of NOLA characters you can imagine, a wonderfully clean but character packed interior, and fabulous coffee. These two places were ALSO on Decatur, in the same area as the previous bars. I think that this stretch of street will become a pretty standard stop for us in the future.
Hope y'all enjoyed a few of the nine billion pictures Ben took during the trip...
