My Friends... there are just some things seen that cannot be unseen.
Point 1 - Older (than me) woman walking down Bourbon Street wearing nothing but her shorts and saggy boobs painted as a spider's web. And when I say "saggy" I mean it. I know saggy!
Point 2 - Older (than me) sharing her boobs in the Old Absinthe Bar and loving it! God love her.
Point 3 - Small man in wheelchair doing a striptease. Yes. That can never be unseen.
You could be done with my blog entry right about now, or you may continue, but the punch lines are already given.
We ventured to New Orleans with our son and his sweet sweet girlfriend over Halloween Weekend. What an adventure!!
We made our home base The Elysian Fields Inn (www.elysianfieldsinn.com) and had a superb stay. Lovely and comfortable bedrooms, delicious breakfasts, and a great location walking distance from Frenchman Street and the French Quarter. Our hosts Bob and Michelle were gracious and friendly, sharing loads of information about the area. We couldn't be happier with this find and will likely stay here again and again. Kudos!!
Friday Night Fun: When we told Michelle at Elysian Fields what we had planned she was a bit unbelieving, but we planned and conquered! First stop was Cafe Rose Nicaud on Frenchman Street (www.caferosenicaud.com) for some spunky spiked ginger limeades. Sweet, tart, delicious, and icy cold to help combat the humidity of the city. Now Frenchman has your music scene and the joints were hoppin' even in the early afternoon. Loads of jazz, blues, rock, and you name it up and down the street. Our self-guided historic walking tour took us past several notable buildings throughout the French Quarter including the Cornstalk Hotel, the Ursuline Convent, and Jackson Square.
There are so many colonial and antebellum buildings throughout the quarter to peek at.
Dinner was (for the very first time!) at Pierre Maspero's (www.originalpierremasperos.com) on Chartres Street. Super friendly service with terrific recommendations for chicken and waffles, crawfish etoufee, crab cakes, and more. I would eat here a second or third time for sure. Next up we stopped into Arnaud's Lounge for a "French75" cocktail. This delightfully bubbly beverage was created right here at Arnaud's (www.arnaudsfrenchrestaurant.com) and was one of the highlights of our trip. No... the saggy boobies were NOT a highlight. The lounge was classically genteel, as you may well imagine with tuxedo-ed wait staff who were most gracious. My favorite drinking establishment of the entire trip I'd say. We popped over to Kingfish next where one of the country's greatest bartender resides and sadly... he wasn't there. But his cocktails were there and they were New Orleans Strong! The service was great, the drinks were marvelous, but the snacks were a pass for me. I thought the recommended Boudin Balls tasted like last week's meatloaf in a ball. Ick. But hit them up for some local flavor (www.kingfishneworleans.com). Next we sampled some sticky barbecuey ribs at Beachbum Berry's Latitude 29 Tiki Bar, right across the way from the great Mississippi River. We favor tikis around here and couldn't wait to try this bar - highly recommended it was from USA Today. The food was pretty good and the mac salad was especially nice. We shared one of those giant-ass drinks in a tiki bowl with extra long straws and it was sweet but not overly alcohol-based. Which can work in your favor or not depending on the mood. Good stuff - check them out at www.latitude29nola.com. They still can't compete with Frankie's Tiki Room in Las Vegas, but I'd give 'em a shot.
One of the coolest things we happened upon was a gorgeous creole wedding street parade. The bride and groom were stunning in their white gown and caftan and the guests were colorfully done up in gowns, tuxes, hats, parasols, and the like. Their individual sparklers cast a lovely glow upon the entire affair as they strutted down the steps and out onto the street for their 1/2 mile parade. What a joy to witness!!!
We could not and you should not pass up coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde. They are hard to miss in the heart of the French Market on the Esplanade near the river. The magic of those fried pillows of dough literally covered with powdered sugar will send you to heaven, along with their chicory based coffee. Yum. This is a don't miss when visiting - everybody goes here and it feels crowded, but so what?? Cafe du Monde @ www.cafedumonde.com.
Lastly, we stopped into The Spotted Cat Music Club (www.spottedcatmusicclub.com) on Frenchman Street. There are loads of choices here, but the washboard jazz group drew us in. We stayed for their Friday night line-up and enjoyed VERY close personal space with strangers from around the country. Great music, cheap beer, and a lively evening.
Whew... and that's only Friday!!
Halloween Saturday belonged to Zach & Sierra with their planned itinerary... incognito of course.
First stop was Hex Witch Witchery for some psychic readings (www.hexwitch.com) and shopping in a darling shop on Decatur. Candles, books, incense, jewelry, and more here for your other-worldly needs. Zach and Sierra both loved their readings, by the way. Next stop was the Museum of Death (www.museumofdeath.net). Now I was a bit nervous about making this pit stop, but to say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. This 'personal collection turned museum' held a fascination for murder and death with exhibits of Charles Manson, The Hillside Strangler, John F. Kennedy, serial killer artwork and hand-written letters, morgue photos and films, and mortuary instruments. Fascinating, really truly... but not for the faint of heart I'd guess. We lunched at the Napoleon House (www.napoleonhouse.com) and had the best muffalettas of our lives. Thick salami with cheese and the tangiest olive salad on a hearty bread. Great ice-cold beer on tap and courteous service here - great lunch. We wandered the French Quarter and sampled a bit here and there enjoying the absinthe frappes (and old-lady boobs) at Jean Lafitte's Old Absinthe House (www.ruebourbon.com/oldabsinthehouse) and the classic ambiance at May Baily's House. This Victorian-inspired locale (in the old Storyville) was once a brothel, and the red velveteen furnishings aptly depict the old ground floor of a madam's residence. They have no website but you can find them at 415 Dauphine Street in the French Quarter. We spent a few hours here during a rainstorm and found it to be a charming stop. Drinks only!
I loved stopping into the Cathedral located at the top of Jackson Square. The St. Louis Cathedral was originally built in 1720, and the bell tower from 1815 tolls every hour on the hour beautifully. The interior is magnificent, and the exterior is one of the most photographed sites in all of New Orleans. Tours are available and Mass is celebrated daily. This is a thriving parish in the heart of the city. Check out their website at www.stlouiscathedral.org. It is an inspired beauty.
Dinner can best be described thus: a fantastically delicious po-boy prepared by a nasty local guy (who hates sandwiches) at the Verti-Mart corner market. If you're looking for any kind of recommendation, we suggest you decide what you want before you walk in the store and be prepared to give your order directly. Then wait patiently for some serious delish. The food is fantastic, but gentility is just not here. We ate on the street in the rain just across from one of the most gruesomely haunted sites in all of New Orleans - La Laurie Mansion on Royal Street. Zach regaled us with tales of the murderous history as the rain spattered our costumes. Eerie....
We finished the evening at Mag's 940 - a local favorite right next to our Bed & Breakfast. Recommended by Bob and Michelle, this neighborhood watering hole was loaded with personality. The bartenders were witty and quick, the beer was cold, and the hurricanes were better than anything uptown. If you dare visit - www.mags940bar.com.
And on to Sunday... Jeff had reserved a wonderful culinary bike tour for this day but the rain interrupted our plans. Taking the unplanned itinerary can sometimes be such a joy, and it was this day. We stopped into the Louisiana State Museum (www.crt.state.la.us/louisiana-state-museum) to view exhibits on the U.S. Mint and New Orleans' favorite son Louis Armstrong. This man can plan and he can sing, but there were quite a few things I didn't know about Louis. Perhaps you knew that he feasted on beans, beans, beans for most of his life because he said they favored his constitution.
This FREE museum was accessible and interesting. We ventured on to the Cabildo (www.louisianastatemuseum.org) for more on Louisiana's vibrant history. Right next door on Jackson Square is the Presbytere (www.louisianastatemuseum.org) with a wonderful exhibit downstairs depicting Hurricane Katrina and her aftermath. Upstairs you'll find a Mardi-Gras exhibit that has gorgeous gowns and trinkets. We would't have any of these if it hadn't been raining and we loved them.
My favorite meal (by far) had us noshing on char-grilled oysters, redfish beignets, and alligator po-boys at the Royal House Oyster Bar (www.royalhouserestaurant.com). The service was compellingly attentive and friendly. This house was packed but you couldn't tell by the gracious service. Fresh food served with grace - Yum City.
We stopped through the French Quarter Market and did a little snacking and shopping and people-watching. Luckily I had on my Drew Brees jersey so everyone admired our spirit as he threw for an ungodly number of yards and seven (7) touchdowns. Wow. NOLA loves them some Drew Brees!
Our dinner was pretty spectacular too as we started at Cafe Amelie (www.cafeamelie.com) settled into a shady courtyard hidden smack-dab in the middle of the all the hubbub in the French Quarter. We started with hot tea, a few cocktails, and a 9-layer torte that knocked us over with flavor - mild citrus and temptingly moist. Wow. Dessert first and then over to the Crescent City Brewery which I will not review with you because of their soggy fries. There's better beer everywhere in NOLA, believe me.
Nighttime shenanigans continued at Mag's 940 again near our hotel. Come on in ... loads of costumes for the Day of the Dead and a Sideshow to boot. Here's where it got the craziest. I can only say again that some things you see are better left unseen. The Squidling Brothers Sideshow Carnivolution was playing. They have a website of their very own (www.squidlingbrothers.com). You can check this out if you really want to know.
And Monday - New Orleans would not be New Orleans without a trip to a cemetery. We were withing a walking mile of St. Roch's Cemetery and were not disappointed with our visit. Walking through a few neighborhoods with remnants of Katrina still marked out front was a bit sad.
And the grey skies overhead contributed to the eerie (but wonderful) feel at St. Roch's.
I took this pic because my great-grandmother's name was Imhoff and this cemetery was originally a German-immigrant cemetery.
This Marine group was preparing for a funeral and 21-gun salute.
We stopped into St. Roch's Market on our way back to our B & B and were totally stoked with the choices - Korean, Creole, fresh fish, crepes, smoothies, cocktails, and more. Great little local market with an uptown vibe. Fresh and fun. Check them out at www.strochmarket.com.
If you are headed to New Orleans, and have any questions - just ask. It's a great vibrant busy exciting and fun city to wander through. There's a seedy side to NOLA too but just like any other big city you may visit. If you stay at Elysian Fields Inn, please tell them that Deb and her family from Arizona sent ya.
Bye-Bye Y'all.
Deb :)
Arizona!!
Cottonwood focus!!
