Eat, Drink, and Turn 30: A New Orleans Trip Report
Mar 9th, 2009, 11:32 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 459
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Eat, Drink, and Turn 30: A New Orleans Trip Report
The purpose of this trip was all about having fun and New Orleans did not disappoint! I knew we were heading to the right town when I surveyed our early morning flight and discovered the majority of people were already partaking in adult beverages. I hadn't seen boozing on a plane that early since my last trip to Las Vegas.
We partied and played and ate and threw beads. Yes, we did come to appreciate some of the finer things and culture of New Orleans, but this is not what this trip was about. I may not give you much of a history lesson with this trip report, but I will give you my opinion on the best bourbon list in town and the best oysters.
LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULEZ!
Who: My fiance (30th birthday), three of his closest friends (all single guys- 29, 31, and 39), and myself (the girl, just turned 29). Another one of his friends (35) and friends wife (30) joined us for the day on Saturday.
When: March 6th-8th, 2009.
Logistics:
-Transportation: Three of us flew direct on US Air from CLT. Taxes and fees included for $250 per person. Another guy flew from Baltimore (connecting through CLT) on USAir and one guy flew from Nashville direct via Southwest. The two who joined us for the day on Saturday drove over from Gulfport.
From the airport, it was $12 a piece (plus a $2 surcharge per carload for fuel) to the French Quarter. The ride was approximately 15 minutes.
- Hotel: Maison Dupuy on Toulouse. $139/per night for a Courtyard facing room with two double beds. Yes, the hotel is located a bit closer to Rampart, but did we notice? Not at all. The only time we walked back towards Rampart was to check out St. Louis Cemetery #1. Otherwise, we were 2 blocks from Bourbon Street and we thought we were well located for the price. The rooms are nothing fancy- but nice. The bed was really comfortable. The courtyard is beautiful. They do use the courtyard for many events- a wedding, a reception, and a wine tasting all occurred while we were there. However, we were able to sit in the courtyard in the mornings.
- Weather: It was GORGEOUS! 80 degrees and sunny with a nice breeze. The azaelas and other flowers were in full bloom. We couldn't have asked for better weather.
Day 1:
We all landed at the airport by 10:15 am. The others joined us and surprised my fiance- he had no idea that we were going to New Orleans until we got to the airport and had no clue his friends were joining us. We were at the hotel before 10:45am and I was able to check in. We had asked for early check in upon making the reservation. Got right in, got to the room, dropped the bag and we were off.
I had already planned for us to have lunch at Acme Oyster House and since I was the only female, the men obliged. Acme Oyster is located at Iberville and Bourbon- less than a 10 minute walk from our hotel. As we were walking towards Bourbon Street, I noticed the town was already alive and hopping. On Toulouse, there were all these people dressed in green and there were floats and music blaring. Mardis Gras was over and it wasn't St. Patrick's day yet, so I was quite confused. I noticed several people were wearing T-shirts that said "March Practice"- I'm assuming they were all practicing for the actual St. Patrick's day festival that will be coming up in a week or two- no matter, these people were all having fun and it just set the right tone for the weekend.
Before our trip, I had prepared myself for the fact that New Orleans may not be the cleanest, best smelling town I've ever been in. I was prepared and I was going to be ok with that. I've been in the infield at the Kentucky Derby when it rained the entire week before and I don't think anything can be as foul as that. Therefore, I was ready to welcome the Bourbon Street stench with open arms. However, as we turned onto Bourbon Street, I noticed that there wasn't much of a stench at all. Since it was 11am, the street washers had already been through, the shopkeepers had already been sweeping, and not much partying had occured in the day yet, it was actually pretty clean. (Note- I did walk down Bourbon at 7:30am on Saturday morning and it definitely smelled worse- I think we actually just hit it at the right time on Friday).
As we walked, I took in architecture and the blooming flowers. Maybe it's because of the streets and ally-ways and wrought iron, but New Orleans reminded me a lot of Charleston.
When we came upon ACME oyster, I walked in the front door and was promptly told by the hostess to stand in line between the black ropes. There was no line yet, so it took me a minute to figure out what she meant. I ffinally figured out that outside the restaurant, there are two black belts. I lined the guys up and as soon as I did, she asked how many were in our party. I told her there were 5 of us and we'd love to sit at the oyster bar if it was open. Unfortunately, the Oyster Bar was packed, as was the entire restaurant, but there were 5 bar stools at the regular bar. She asked if we would be ok with sitting at the regular bar. I looked at our group and knew the bar-bar would be perfect. Several dozen oysters on the half-shell and 3 pitchers of beer later, we were ready for our next stop.
Before we left, I printed out a little map of the French Quarter and marked the bars or restaurants that had been recommended by Fodorites or friends. That way, if we ever found ourselves in need of refreshment, I would be able to find a good place nearby. This map really came in handy.
After we left ACME, we were going to walk down towards the water to check out the Mighty Mississippi. However, one block down Iberville, we became distracted by Hotel Monteleone and the Carousel Bar (On Royal).
The Carousel Bar is a beautiful old bar where the bar stools slowly rotate around the bar. Not to worry, they do not rotate too quickly- probably a rotation every 15 minutes. It was 12 oclock and the bar was half full. We found 5 bar stools, placed our order with Marvin- a fabulous bartender- and away we went. Before the Carousel Bar, I had never paid much attention to what was kept behind the bar. However, as you are circling a bar, you get to see everything- the entire liquor selection, the garnishes, the glasses... I noticed there was a large container of eggs. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what drink had raw egg in it... the guys pointed out that there is some hangover cure out there that has an egg in it, but the only hangover cure I ever used was a Bloody Mary. Therefore, I asked Marvin what the eggs were for. He said The Carousel still makes Gin Fizz the old fashioned way- with eggs whites. When he said that, I remembered reading somewhere that the old fashioned Gin Fizz is a dying drink and that if you're at The Carousel Bar you should try one. No one needed to twist my arm any further, I ordered up a Gin Fizz to-go. Why "to-go" you ask???? Because you can.
If you're wondering, the Gin Fizz was good. Interesting, not at all what I was expecting. Lighter than a White Russian and a little bit fruitier; tasty, none the less.
From the Carousel Bar, we made our way down to Decatur. I stopped in Southern Candy Makers and picked up Pralines for the group and some assorted packages to take back to Fiance's parents to say thank you for watching our dog. As soon as I walked back outside, I opened the box of Pralines and we all dug in. So sweet, so delicious!
We continued our walk down Decatur, popping in and out of places. Stopping at Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral. Just meandering through the city, checking out the artists that surround the square, and soaking up New Orleans. Once we found ourselves on St. Philip St, I knew we should check out Jean Laffite's.
Allegedly, Jean Laffite's Blacksmith Shop is the oldest bar in the US. I'm not sure if it is or if it's just legend, but none the less, it was worth the stop. The building looks old, even compared to the surrounding buildings! It is rumored that it is one of the only buildings that survived the great fire of 1788 (is that the right date?)... the Bar itself is basic- no frills, worn brick, worn tables. We were there during the day, but they say at night it is only lit by candles. It definitely has character. Although the drinks are overpriced for New Orleans, I'd recommend it to others if only for the cool vibe it puts off.
After leaving Jean Laffite's, it was back down Bourbon Street for us. Pat Obrien's courtyard was calling our name. Luckily, there was a table open at the top patio. Although no food is served on that patio, the famous (or infamous depending on how many you have) Hurricanes are readily available. Just sitting on Pat O's patio enjoying cocktails with great people made me truly content. Although New Orleans is a great city on its own, traveling with good people really make a trip.
After Pat Obrien's it was time to head back to the hotel to unwind and get ready for the evening. In the courtyard of the Maison Dupuy, there had been a wedding earlier in the afternoon and the flowers were still around the fountain and the white lights were still strung from the trees. They were setting up for a wine tasting and it was nice to just sit at our window and people watch below.
After unwinding and showering up, it was back Bourbon Street for the evenings festivities. It seemed like the street was alive with music. As you walked, you could hear a little bit of everything- an old juke box, a rock band, really bad karaoke, you name it and you could hear it. Best of all, at Cafe Beignet on Bourbon there was a fabulous jazz quartet playing. We ducked in and just listened for a while.
We spent the rest of the evening bar hopping, if you will, and grabbed dinner not once but twice. The first time at La Bayou on Bourbon Street. It wasn't anything spectacular, but it wasn't bad. One of the guys took a liking to the bartender, so we stayed a little bit longer than I would have liked, but it was still fun. And lastly, the guys decided they needed to eat again before we headed home. So we ran into Chartres House (which coincidentally was just bought by the same people who own La Bayou house and they have the EXACT same menu) and grabbed a cup of gumbo. Around midnight, we headed back to the hotel to get some sleep before another busy day in the Big Easy.
We partied and played and ate and threw beads. Yes, we did come to appreciate some of the finer things and culture of New Orleans, but this is not what this trip was about. I may not give you much of a history lesson with this trip report, but I will give you my opinion on the best bourbon list in town and the best oysters.
LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULEZ!
Who: My fiance (30th birthday), three of his closest friends (all single guys- 29, 31, and 39), and myself (the girl, just turned 29). Another one of his friends (35) and friends wife (30) joined us for the day on Saturday.
When: March 6th-8th, 2009.
Logistics:
-Transportation: Three of us flew direct on US Air from CLT. Taxes and fees included for $250 per person. Another guy flew from Baltimore (connecting through CLT) on USAir and one guy flew from Nashville direct via Southwest. The two who joined us for the day on Saturday drove over from Gulfport.
From the airport, it was $12 a piece (plus a $2 surcharge per carload for fuel) to the French Quarter. The ride was approximately 15 minutes.
- Hotel: Maison Dupuy on Toulouse. $139/per night for a Courtyard facing room with two double beds. Yes, the hotel is located a bit closer to Rampart, but did we notice? Not at all. The only time we walked back towards Rampart was to check out St. Louis Cemetery #1. Otherwise, we were 2 blocks from Bourbon Street and we thought we were well located for the price. The rooms are nothing fancy- but nice. The bed was really comfortable. The courtyard is beautiful. They do use the courtyard for many events- a wedding, a reception, and a wine tasting all occurred while we were there. However, we were able to sit in the courtyard in the mornings.
- Weather: It was GORGEOUS! 80 degrees and sunny with a nice breeze. The azaelas and other flowers were in full bloom. We couldn't have asked for better weather.
Day 1:
We all landed at the airport by 10:15 am. The others joined us and surprised my fiance- he had no idea that we were going to New Orleans until we got to the airport and had no clue his friends were joining us. We were at the hotel before 10:45am and I was able to check in. We had asked for early check in upon making the reservation. Got right in, got to the room, dropped the bag and we were off.
I had already planned for us to have lunch at Acme Oyster House and since I was the only female, the men obliged. Acme Oyster is located at Iberville and Bourbon- less than a 10 minute walk from our hotel. As we were walking towards Bourbon Street, I noticed the town was already alive and hopping. On Toulouse, there were all these people dressed in green and there were floats and music blaring. Mardis Gras was over and it wasn't St. Patrick's day yet, so I was quite confused. I noticed several people were wearing T-shirts that said "March Practice"- I'm assuming they were all practicing for the actual St. Patrick's day festival that will be coming up in a week or two- no matter, these people were all having fun and it just set the right tone for the weekend.
Before our trip, I had prepared myself for the fact that New Orleans may not be the cleanest, best smelling town I've ever been in. I was prepared and I was going to be ok with that. I've been in the infield at the Kentucky Derby when it rained the entire week before and I don't think anything can be as foul as that. Therefore, I was ready to welcome the Bourbon Street stench with open arms. However, as we turned onto Bourbon Street, I noticed that there wasn't much of a stench at all. Since it was 11am, the street washers had already been through, the shopkeepers had already been sweeping, and not much partying had occured in the day yet, it was actually pretty clean. (Note- I did walk down Bourbon at 7:30am on Saturday morning and it definitely smelled worse- I think we actually just hit it at the right time on Friday).
As we walked, I took in architecture and the blooming flowers. Maybe it's because of the streets and ally-ways and wrought iron, but New Orleans reminded me a lot of Charleston.
When we came upon ACME oyster, I walked in the front door and was promptly told by the hostess to stand in line between the black ropes. There was no line yet, so it took me a minute to figure out what she meant. I ffinally figured out that outside the restaurant, there are two black belts. I lined the guys up and as soon as I did, she asked how many were in our party. I told her there were 5 of us and we'd love to sit at the oyster bar if it was open. Unfortunately, the Oyster Bar was packed, as was the entire restaurant, but there were 5 bar stools at the regular bar. She asked if we would be ok with sitting at the regular bar. I looked at our group and knew the bar-bar would be perfect. Several dozen oysters on the half-shell and 3 pitchers of beer later, we were ready for our next stop.
Before we left, I printed out a little map of the French Quarter and marked the bars or restaurants that had been recommended by Fodorites or friends. That way, if we ever found ourselves in need of refreshment, I would be able to find a good place nearby. This map really came in handy.
After we left ACME, we were going to walk down towards the water to check out the Mighty Mississippi. However, one block down Iberville, we became distracted by Hotel Monteleone and the Carousel Bar (On Royal).
The Carousel Bar is a beautiful old bar where the bar stools slowly rotate around the bar. Not to worry, they do not rotate too quickly- probably a rotation every 15 minutes. It was 12 oclock and the bar was half full. We found 5 bar stools, placed our order with Marvin- a fabulous bartender- and away we went. Before the Carousel Bar, I had never paid much attention to what was kept behind the bar. However, as you are circling a bar, you get to see everything- the entire liquor selection, the garnishes, the glasses... I noticed there was a large container of eggs. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what drink had raw egg in it... the guys pointed out that there is some hangover cure out there that has an egg in it, but the only hangover cure I ever used was a Bloody Mary. Therefore, I asked Marvin what the eggs were for. He said The Carousel still makes Gin Fizz the old fashioned way- with eggs whites. When he said that, I remembered reading somewhere that the old fashioned Gin Fizz is a dying drink and that if you're at The Carousel Bar you should try one. No one needed to twist my arm any further, I ordered up a Gin Fizz to-go. Why "to-go" you ask???? Because you can.
If you're wondering, the Gin Fizz was good. Interesting, not at all what I was expecting. Lighter than a White Russian and a little bit fruitier; tasty, none the less.
From the Carousel Bar, we made our way down to Decatur. I stopped in Southern Candy Makers and picked up Pralines for the group and some assorted packages to take back to Fiance's parents to say thank you for watching our dog. As soon as I walked back outside, I opened the box of Pralines and we all dug in. So sweet, so delicious!
We continued our walk down Decatur, popping in and out of places. Stopping at Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral. Just meandering through the city, checking out the artists that surround the square, and soaking up New Orleans. Once we found ourselves on St. Philip St, I knew we should check out Jean Laffite's.
Allegedly, Jean Laffite's Blacksmith Shop is the oldest bar in the US. I'm not sure if it is or if it's just legend, but none the less, it was worth the stop. The building looks old, even compared to the surrounding buildings! It is rumored that it is one of the only buildings that survived the great fire of 1788 (is that the right date?)... the Bar itself is basic- no frills, worn brick, worn tables. We were there during the day, but they say at night it is only lit by candles. It definitely has character. Although the drinks are overpriced for New Orleans, I'd recommend it to others if only for the cool vibe it puts off.
After leaving Jean Laffite's, it was back down Bourbon Street for us. Pat Obrien's courtyard was calling our name. Luckily, there was a table open at the top patio. Although no food is served on that patio, the famous (or infamous depending on how many you have) Hurricanes are readily available. Just sitting on Pat O's patio enjoying cocktails with great people made me truly content. Although New Orleans is a great city on its own, traveling with good people really make a trip.
After Pat Obrien's it was time to head back to the hotel to unwind and get ready for the evening. In the courtyard of the Maison Dupuy, there had been a wedding earlier in the afternoon and the flowers were still around the fountain and the white lights were still strung from the trees. They were setting up for a wine tasting and it was nice to just sit at our window and people watch below.
After unwinding and showering up, it was back Bourbon Street for the evenings festivities. It seemed like the street was alive with music. As you walked, you could hear a little bit of everything- an old juke box, a rock band, really bad karaoke, you name it and you could hear it. Best of all, at Cafe Beignet on Bourbon there was a fabulous jazz quartet playing. We ducked in and just listened for a while.
We spent the rest of the evening bar hopping, if you will, and grabbed dinner not once but twice. The first time at La Bayou on Bourbon Street. It wasn't anything spectacular, but it wasn't bad. One of the guys took a liking to the bartender, so we stayed a little bit longer than I would have liked, but it was still fun. And lastly, the guys decided they needed to eat again before we headed home. So we ran into Chartres House (which coincidentally was just bought by the same people who own La Bayou house and they have the EXACT same menu) and grabbed a cup of gumbo. Around midnight, we headed back to the hotel to get some sleep before another busy day in the Big Easy.
Mar 9th, 2009, 12:20 PM
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 459
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Day 2:
We were up and at'em early. Bodies still on East Coast time and an inability to sleep past 7:30 no matter how late we were out the night before, forced us to be wide awake by 6:30am.
My goal for the morning was to ride the St. Charles street car to Carrollton to go to Camile's for breakfast. I knew you were supposed to catch the street car at Canal and had heard it was relatively easy to do. So, 4 of us, were up and out the door by 7:30am.
Down Toulouse we go, as we were approaching Bourbon, I did notice the street smelled a little bit worse than the day before. The late night partying that ended only 2 hours before left a lingering smell of stale booze. The street cleaners were still out working hard and just hadn't had a chance to double back down Bourbon. Thus, we decided instead to walk down Royal to Canal.
Royal is a very cute street with lots of stores full of art and gifts. I had no idea of the quality of art and antiques in New Orleans! I was very impressed. It was early this morning and a lot of stores were not open yet, so I promised myself that I would return to do some shopping later in the day.
Once we got to Canal, we saw several streetcars going up and down the street. We found a stop and waited. A streetcar came that said "St. Charles" on it, so we got on. After we had paid ($1.50 each way) and were sitting down, the conductor asked where we were going. I told him we were going to Carrollton and he said we were on the wrong street car. Oops. Oh well... we decided to just ride that one around and see where we ended up. Turns out, it went down by the Riverfront (and no, the streetcar did not say "Riverfront" on it). It was a nice morning and it was neat to ride a real streetcar- wooden benches, conductor, and all- if only for a little bit. We got off at Dumaine, walked along the river and decided we would do breakfast at Cafe Du Monde.
As we approached Cafe Du Monde, the line was already a mile long! There was a Cafe Beignet across the streeet and we decided we would stop in there instead. Omelettes (for me and two of the guys) and a "Decatur" sandwich (for fiance), some coffee, and we were on our way. The food was fine- not great, not bad, just fine. It was relatively quick and not too expensive. We did a little more walking around and then we headed back to the hotel to hang out until our friends could get in to town from Gulfport.
We met our friends at a Bar on Decatur for Bloody Mary's around 10am. The name of the bar escapes me, but the Bloody Mary's were spicy and hit the spot. From there, we walked a bit and found ourselves at Lazy River at Jax Brewery. We saw the sign that said "Pat O's on the River" and were hoping to sit outside at Pat O'briens. However, Pat O's on the River is for their private events and isn't open to the public. However, the same company owns Lazy River on the bottom level and they had an excellent patio/deck as well.
After an hour or two of catching up with old friends at Lazy River, we decided we were hungry and we wanted more oysters. I suggested ACME again because I was so impressed with the quality of food and service, but we thought we should check out somewhere else. Someone suggested Felix's Oyster Bar across from Acme- big mistake. After waiting in line for 45 minutes for Felix's (and to be fair, ACME had a huge line as well), we were seated at Felix's. The service was bad and the food wasn't very good. Maybe we just hit it at a bad time, but in a town like New Orleans there are so many places to find good food, why pay for bad food??
Although lunch was a bust, not to worry, there were more cocktails to be had! Many cocktails on many patios later (and singing a karaoke song or two), we were on the balcony of the St. Louis Blues Company throwing beads to the revelers below. Friends wife and I bought several bags of beads at a souvenir store and it was one of the best investments I made all night. Even though it wasn't Mardi Gras, the streets were packed and people were looking for beads. It was just sheer fun and the pictures of us on the balcony were worth the $20 in beads.
Dinner that evening was at Yo Mama's on St. Peters. Great Burgers and good potatoes (no fries with the burgers). I ordered the gumbo and it wasn't the best I had had. Not to worry, the alligator sausage bites were wonderful! And I stole enough bites of burger to satisfy the hunger. More walking, then a nice single barrel bourbon at the Bourbon House and then another night cap at a great bar on Bourbon- I can't remember the name of it though- With glass front windows that fold open and a wonderful bourbon list as well, we continued to people watch and party.
Needless to say, the night continued way into the wee hours of the morning.
Day 3-
By Sunday morning, the weekend was catching up to us. We're not quite the 21 year olds we used to be! However, I was up early again and decided to head out to find a good croissant. I had wandered down to Jackson Square and had yet to find what I was looking for. I popped into a bakery and asked if they had croissants and the girl working the counter said they didn't sell them, but the best croissants in the quarter could be found over on Ursulines at a Patisserie between Royal and Chartres.
In all our other walks, we hadn't been further down than St. Phillips. It was nice to walk down Royal toward Ursuline. That part of the quarter was bustling not with tourists, but with people who live there. I watched as they were out walking their dogs, getting their morning paper, and enjoying the beautiful Sunday morning.
I found the patisserie by the large croissant sign that hangs over the doorway. There was a line, so I knew it must be good. 4 croissants, a ham and cheese lunch croissant (Fiance likes to eat sandwiches for breakfast), and an orangina for me to go. The boys were all still in bed- they had a little too much fun the night before- so I took my time getting back. I walked in several of the shops along Royal, made a few purchases, and headed back.
The guys were slowly waking and getting ready and packed. We had a 2:15 flight, so we needed to be leaving for the airport by 12:15 or so. Thus, after everyone was packed, we checked out of the hotel, and ate croissants in the courtyard. After breakfast, we walked over to St. Louis Cemetery #1. Although we didn't pay for a guided tour, one of our friends had taken the tour on a previous trip and he gave us his own version. We looked at the various society monuments, the different styles of tombs, and paid our respects to Mary Laveau. By then, it was time to get back to the hotel to catch our taxi to the airport.
Our trip to the airport and our flight home was relatively uneventful. I did notice that not nearly as many people were drinking on the flight from New Orleans as were on the flight to New Orleans
It was a great weekend- great food, great drinks, great people. My fiance was truly surprised and elated with his birthday weekend and we both can't wait to get back.
We were up and at'em early. Bodies still on East Coast time and an inability to sleep past 7:30 no matter how late we were out the night before, forced us to be wide awake by 6:30am.
My goal for the morning was to ride the St. Charles street car to Carrollton to go to Camile's for breakfast. I knew you were supposed to catch the street car at Canal and had heard it was relatively easy to do. So, 4 of us, were up and out the door by 7:30am.
Down Toulouse we go, as we were approaching Bourbon, I did notice the street smelled a little bit worse than the day before. The late night partying that ended only 2 hours before left a lingering smell of stale booze. The street cleaners were still out working hard and just hadn't had a chance to double back down Bourbon. Thus, we decided instead to walk down Royal to Canal.
Royal is a very cute street with lots of stores full of art and gifts. I had no idea of the quality of art and antiques in New Orleans! I was very impressed. It was early this morning and a lot of stores were not open yet, so I promised myself that I would return to do some shopping later in the day.
Once we got to Canal, we saw several streetcars going up and down the street. We found a stop and waited. A streetcar came that said "St. Charles" on it, so we got on. After we had paid ($1.50 each way) and were sitting down, the conductor asked where we were going. I told him we were going to Carrollton and he said we were on the wrong street car. Oops. Oh well... we decided to just ride that one around and see where we ended up. Turns out, it went down by the Riverfront (and no, the streetcar did not say "Riverfront" on it). It was a nice morning and it was neat to ride a real streetcar- wooden benches, conductor, and all- if only for a little bit. We got off at Dumaine, walked along the river and decided we would do breakfast at Cafe Du Monde.
As we approached Cafe Du Monde, the line was already a mile long! There was a Cafe Beignet across the streeet and we decided we would stop in there instead. Omelettes (for me and two of the guys) and a "Decatur" sandwich (for fiance), some coffee, and we were on our way. The food was fine- not great, not bad, just fine. It was relatively quick and not too expensive. We did a little more walking around and then we headed back to the hotel to hang out until our friends could get in to town from Gulfport.
We met our friends at a Bar on Decatur for Bloody Mary's around 10am. The name of the bar escapes me, but the Bloody Mary's were spicy and hit the spot. From there, we walked a bit and found ourselves at Lazy River at Jax Brewery. We saw the sign that said "Pat O's on the River" and were hoping to sit outside at Pat O'briens. However, Pat O's on the River is for their private events and isn't open to the public. However, the same company owns Lazy River on the bottom level and they had an excellent patio/deck as well.
After an hour or two of catching up with old friends at Lazy River, we decided we were hungry and we wanted more oysters. I suggested ACME again because I was so impressed with the quality of food and service, but we thought we should check out somewhere else. Someone suggested Felix's Oyster Bar across from Acme- big mistake. After waiting in line for 45 minutes for Felix's (and to be fair, ACME had a huge line as well), we were seated at Felix's. The service was bad and the food wasn't very good. Maybe we just hit it at a bad time, but in a town like New Orleans there are so many places to find good food, why pay for bad food??
Although lunch was a bust, not to worry, there were more cocktails to be had! Many cocktails on many patios later (and singing a karaoke song or two), we were on the balcony of the St. Louis Blues Company throwing beads to the revelers below. Friends wife and I bought several bags of beads at a souvenir store and it was one of the best investments I made all night. Even though it wasn't Mardi Gras, the streets were packed and people were looking for beads. It was just sheer fun and the pictures of us on the balcony were worth the $20 in beads.
Dinner that evening was at Yo Mama's on St. Peters. Great Burgers and good potatoes (no fries with the burgers). I ordered the gumbo and it wasn't the best I had had. Not to worry, the alligator sausage bites were wonderful! And I stole enough bites of burger to satisfy the hunger. More walking, then a nice single barrel bourbon at the Bourbon House and then another night cap at a great bar on Bourbon- I can't remember the name of it though- With glass front windows that fold open and a wonderful bourbon list as well, we continued to people watch and party.
Needless to say, the night continued way into the wee hours of the morning.
Day 3-
By Sunday morning, the weekend was catching up to us. We're not quite the 21 year olds we used to be! However, I was up early again and decided to head out to find a good croissant. I had wandered down to Jackson Square and had yet to find what I was looking for. I popped into a bakery and asked if they had croissants and the girl working the counter said they didn't sell them, but the best croissants in the quarter could be found over on Ursulines at a Patisserie between Royal and Chartres.
In all our other walks, we hadn't been further down than St. Phillips. It was nice to walk down Royal toward Ursuline. That part of the quarter was bustling not with tourists, but with people who live there. I watched as they were out walking their dogs, getting their morning paper, and enjoying the beautiful Sunday morning.
I found the patisserie by the large croissant sign that hangs over the doorway. There was a line, so I knew it must be good. 4 croissants, a ham and cheese lunch croissant (Fiance likes to eat sandwiches for breakfast), and an orangina for me to go. The boys were all still in bed- they had a little too much fun the night before- so I took my time getting back. I walked in several of the shops along Royal, made a few purchases, and headed back.
The guys were slowly waking and getting ready and packed. We had a 2:15 flight, so we needed to be leaving for the airport by 12:15 or so. Thus, after everyone was packed, we checked out of the hotel, and ate croissants in the courtyard. After breakfast, we walked over to St. Louis Cemetery #1. Although we didn't pay for a guided tour, one of our friends had taken the tour on a previous trip and he gave us his own version. We looked at the various society monuments, the different styles of tombs, and paid our respects to Mary Laveau. By then, it was time to get back to the hotel to catch our taxi to the airport.
Our trip to the airport and our flight home was relatively uneventful. I did notice that not nearly as many people were drinking on the flight from New Orleans as were on the flight to New Orleans
It was a great weekend- great food, great drinks, great people. My fiance was truly surprised and elated with his birthday weekend and we both can't wait to get back.
Mar 9th, 2009, 12:25 PM
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 459
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We found the hand grenades, but I decided I didn't exactly need one I found plenty of other beverages!
Also, someone on another post had asked about smoking. We had one person in our group that smoked and a lot of the bars have banned it. We asked and Marvin, the bartender at the Carousel, said that it is not allowed in any restaurants or bars attached to restaurants... some other bars have gone smoke-free on their own or only allow you to smoke in their patio areas.
I found plenty of other beverages!Also, someone on another post had asked about smoking. We had one person in our group that smoked and a lot of the bars have banned it. We asked and Marvin, the bartender at the Carousel, said that it is not allowed in any restaurants or bars attached to restaurants... some other bars have gone smoke-free on their own or only allow you to smoke in their patio areas.
Mar 9th, 2009, 01:20 PM
#6
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,540
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What a great report - I started smiling at the first sentence and didn't quit through the whole story. We'll be there in 3 months and I'm READY TO GO! Thanks for taking the time to write it up - you really did a good job.
Mar 9th, 2009, 02:32 PM
#7
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,871
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank you for the fantastic report. This line made me laugh. I never had a gin fizz, but if I return to Nola I will go to the Carousel bar and toast you!
"I ordered up a Gin Fizz to-go. Why "to-go" you ask???? Because you can."
"I ordered up a Gin Fizz to-go. Why "to-go" you ask???? Because you can."
Mar 10th, 2009, 05:27 AM
#10
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 951
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great report on my favorite city! I totally agree with your assessment of Acme versus Felix's. Felix's has good broiled oysters with toppings (Rockefeller, etc) but overall food quality and service is superior at Acme.
A tip if there is a line at Cafe du Monde: Instead of waiting for a seat and table service, go to the takeout window and get your beignets and coffee to go. Walk up over the levee and sit looking out at the river, or take them across the street into Jackson Square.
A tip if there is a line at Cafe du Monde: Instead of waiting for a seat and table service, go to the takeout window and get your beignets and coffee to go. Walk up over the levee and sit looking out at the river, or take them across the street into Jackson Square.
Mar 10th, 2009, 05:37 AM
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 459
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We got an ordered of the broiled oysters along with some on the half-shell at Felix's and I wasn't impressed with those either. It may have just been an off day, but my dollars will be going elsewhere next time we are down.
Thanks for the trip on Cafe du Monde! Next time, we will definitely be making it a priority to swing by there!
Thanks for the trip on Cafe du Monde! Next time, we will definitely be making it a priority to swing by there!
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
easygoer
United States
16
Jul 17th, 2008 08:14 AM
EnglishOne
United States
10
Jun 18th, 2003 11:11 AM
