Ira Visits New Orleans

Hi All,

Flew in/out on AirTran from ATL. About $200/ticket. Being limited to 2 quarts of carry on stuff was a pain.
Flights uneventful. Cab to/from NOLA airport is a fixed $33 for 2 people. Cheaper than the shuttle.

Stayed at the Country Inn and Suites on Magazine St. About 12 min from Jackson Sq. $72/nite
http://www.countryinns.com/new-orleans-hotel-la-70130-2424/laorlean

Nice bkfst, decent bagles, eggs were OK, make your own waffles, fruit

Bourbon Street has degenerated into an over-amplified, very noisy melange of strip joints and Coney Island bars.

Visited the usual places, plus the Hermann-Grima House (http://www.hgghh.org/) where we learned why New Orleans is "Norlens". The foundry mark on the cistern reads E. E. Parker, N.Orleans, 1831"

The New Orleans Museum of Art was worth a ride out on the Canal St trolley. http://noma.org/
(The trolley is $1.25 ea way – exact change only. $5 for a day pass. $12 for 3 days)
Lunch at the café was very nice. Smoked salmon on country bread, cheese plate (choice of 3 kinds) with chutney, Cajun-spiced pecans, bread, 2 glasses wine - $44.

Lunches at Acme Oyster House - about $30 (http://www.acmeoyster.com/)and K Paul’s Louisian Kitchen - about $40 (http://www.chefpaul.com/kpaul). The oyster Po Boy at the Acme was better than the crab. The crab Po Boy at K Paul’s was very good. The chicken Marchand (boned thigh stuffed with diced breast) at KP’s was excellent. At lunch KP’s makes a pretense of being just a cheap joint – plastic plates, cups and cutlery – otherwise it is pleasant.

Dinners at: Muriel’s (http://www.muriels.com/), very nice; Brennan’s (http://www.brennansneworleans.com/), even nicer (not cheap); Mulate’s (http://www.mulates.com/) – we especially liked watching the folks dancing to the Zydeco band. (I especially liked the Boudin sausage.)

Ate too much, drank too much, enjoyed ourselves greatly.