Our waitress could not have been more helpful. We told her where we were headed and she made sure we got to our destination on time. Very gracious - thank you!! The Abita Brewing Company "tour" consists of the opening of their beer taps, followed by a brief (15 minute) tour and more beer at the taps. You pour it yourself for almost one straight hour of enjoyable drinking. This dynamic little brewery is environmentally friendly, super-green, and uber-friendly. Check them out at http://www.abita.com/.
Everything was crisp, cold, delicious. You can find some of their beers at places like BevMo or Wine and More. Their Abbey Ale is undeniably one of the best beers ever. But PLEASE... have a designated driver sampling their oh-so-delicious root beer. That was me by the way. Somebody had to be sober enough to attack the 24 mile causeway across Lake Ponchartrain. Which by the way is a scary piece of highway. It bumps along "floating" over the lake and you can't see any land for miles and miles. Very eerie indeed, especially with my crazy family. Into New Orleans we finally tumble and it's still hot and humid. Very sticky outside and it will remain so for the next four days. We are used to the dry heat of Arizona and the humidity just sucks the life out of you. Unless you enjoy that feeling of damp underwear all the time! We stayed in another SpringHill Suites and were just as disappointed with this one as the one in Memphis. I hate to complain, I really do. But seriously... our room was not tidied during our stay, towels were not replaced, toilet paper was not brought around again. Breakfast was awful, flies and gnats swarming the food... ick. I'm beginning to wonder is it ALL SpringHill Suites? Is it us? We love Marriott branded hotels, so something is up around here. Suspiciously uncharacteristic of their usual high quality, service, and friendliness. Ah, well. Enough!
We stopped into The Avenue Pub on St. Charles Street for a quick drink and relaxation. It feels like a place that local people may frequent. There were some attractive 20-somethings enjoying themselves while we were there. The downstairs was pretty smoky, but the upstairs patio was brilliant. We watched the sunset as we enjoyed some local charm and a sip or two. The outside patio/balcony is probably a very happening place during Mardi-Gras. I believe the parade wanders right past this fine establishment. Their website is http://www.avenuepub.com/ and will let you in on all their action.
Our first dinner was at Luke, which is on St. Charles and is adjacent to the Hilton Hotel. Visit their website at http://www.lukeneworleans.com/. This little restaurant is owned by John Besh and Oh My Land... what delicious treats are in store for you here! The service was smart and efficient. We were there during happy hour and thoroughly enjoyed their 1/2 price drinks and .50 cent oysters. Yum! We had a large meal of appetizers including their onion tart, a charcuterie plate, grits (To DIE for!) and a wonderful beet salad. Their cocktail confections were amazing - try the Sidecar for sure. I think this may have been one of the best surprises of our entire trip. Try it.
Late night found us at Vaughn's Lounge - a neighborhood bar that was hyped well on Yelp. I don't know that they even have a website though. We were there to see Kermit Ruffins, but he was ill and after a two hour wait we were treated to his replacement, a wonderful jazz quartet. Very good music, loud place though and cheap beer. We all had Coors - the Banquet in old-fashioned cans. Nice stuff.
Next morning found us headed for the National World War II Museum. It was right around the corner from our hotel and we took a few hours to gain a little historical knowledge. The events of World War II are time-lined throughout the building and you wander through the events that you've heard your grandparents speaking of. All of the battles, artifacts, profiles, 1st hand reports, maps, and pictures are there to enlighten you. We were so pleased with this visit and can't recommend it enough to people interested in history. Too bad there was no mention of the Arizona code-talkers though?! But, great job, truly. Their website can be found at http://www.ddaymuseum.org/ and is truly informational.
We sauntered on down the street to another amazing eatery - Cochon Butcher which is just beside Cochon Restaurant. Heavenly stars above, another delectable charcuterie plate with cheese awaits us. Try the pork belly 2/aoli sandwich or the cubano sandwich with delicate and crunchy housemade chips. My mouth is watering at the thought. Oh, and their olives were house cured and delicious too. The Warehouse District is filled with interesting places like this one. Find out more about Cochon at http://www.cochonbutcher.com/.
I love tea. I love afternoon tea, spiced tea, hot tea, icy cold tea, and the ambiance of tea rooms. Luckily we found The Bottom of the Cup Tea Room ahead of time. It was hot outside and walking here from Cochon - we were thirsty. There are enough choices here to make your head spin. Every kind of fruit flavored, herbal, caffeinated, de-caf, etc. are here for the taking. They take their time with your tea. Brewing it, icing it, and allowing you to linger. Whilst... you have your palm read or your cards done. Yes! Erin and I did this and we are so glad we tried it. Not scary at all and I have a new appreciation for my future. Do it at http://www.bottomofthecup.com/ and you won't regret it.
Any time you wander through a city for the first time you are surprised and amazed by all you see. New Orleans is no exception. There is so much to see on the street, in the shops, through the alleys, etcetera. Keep your eyes open here. Bourbon Street is a bit dirty, but the rest of the city is warm, friendly, clean, and delicious.
We couldn't keep ourselves away from Pat O'Brien's for a hurricane (http://www.patobriens.com/)
Brennan's Restaurant for original bananas foster (http://www.brennansneworleans.com/), Cafe du Monde for beignets (http://www.cafedumonde.com/),
and the Central Grocery for original muffaletta sandwiches (http://www.centralgroceryneworleans.com/).
We had to do the touristy stuff, right? We weren't disappointed in any of these areas and loved every minute of these tasty visits.
One of the best things we did was take a bike ride with the Confederacy of Cruisers (http://www.confederacyofcruisers.com/). This enjoyable morning ride with Lara meandered us through the streets and neighborhoods of New Orleans. We saw homes that were tragically involved in Hurricane Katrina; we saw rebuilding efforts; we saw a wonderful charter school for students involved in the arts; and we enjoyed libations at a darling little neighborhood bar. The Bloody Mary's here are phenomenal. I think the bar was named Marie's but I can't swear to it and I didn't write it down. Bah! But take the bike ride - you won't be disappointed. The rate is very economical, the exercise is good for you, and get this... you CAN drink while you ride in the Crescent City. Who'da thunk that? Enjoy yourselves I say.
Just around the park from where we picked up our bikes was a little bakery. Can't remember the name but they had the iciest ginger limeade I've ever had. Sweet, tart, and delicious. This little neighborhood had a few bars and restaurants that were well worth visiting too. Check them out. One other super incredible place we visited was Meltdown Popsicles in the French Quarter. I can't find their website but you can ask anyone where they are, or check out Yelp for more information. This sweet woman makes homestyle popsicles with ingredients like pineapple/basil or strawberry/mint or sweet creamed coffee. Mmmm-mmmmm-mmmm.
Last, but certainly not least we headed over to St. Louis #1 Cemetery for their early morning tour. So interesting. The wall vaults, the huge society tombs, the family tombs, the crumbling burial areas. It was a terrific creepy morning with thunder and lightning approaching.
Off to Parkway Bakery and Tavern for the (seriously) best Po'Boy Sandwiches ever. Delicious meaty gravy and fried shrimp dressed to perfection or catfish or any other number of interesting combinations. This place survivied Hurricane Katrina and continues to serve the lucky inhabitants of NOLA with a damn-good sandwich. If you already live in New Orelans visit them right away at http://www.parkwaybakeryandtavernnola.com/.
Our afternoon on this last day was pleasantly spent at "Laura, a Creole Plantation" just outside of the city. It took about 45 minutes to get here along the river and we are so happy we spent the few hours visiting. Our guide was the owner and we learned things about the Creole lifestyle, the Code Noir, slaves, free people of color, etcetera. I cannot emphasize how lovely this tour was. Don't deny yourself the visit if you have the time. For more information go to http://www.lauraplantation.com/.
New Orleans was filled with historical images, ghosts, eerie sightings, delicious food, wonderfully warm people, oysters, po'boys, beignets, and some of the seediest bars on Bourbon Street. There's something here for everyone and I'm so glad we got a chance to visit.
Now.. get out there and see the world!
Deb :)
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