New Orleans is open for business, but needs your help!
Sep 25th, 2006, 07:59 AM
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New Orleans is open for business, but needs your help!
My wife and I just spent the weekend in the Big Easy, our first trip since Hurricane Katrina. We’ve been down many times before and were hopeful to find a city on the way to recovery a year after the levees broke.
If all you were to see was the French Quarter, you might think the city escaped unharmed. It was in full swing, gearing up for the big Monday Night Football game at the Superdome. There were lots of people and most everything appeared to be open.
While we didn’t tour any of the damaged areas, we did talk to a lot of the people working in the restaurants and stores. Although no one showed it on the outside or was outspoken about what they had been through, if you asked how they were doing or how they’d been affected, they’d tell you. We collected numerous stories from people who’d lost everything. Who’d lived in six different hotels/apartments/friend’s houses over the past year. Who’d finally received insurance payouts and bought new places. Whose children had finally settled at their 3rd high school over the past year.
You could see how the experience had affected their souls, in some ways making them stronger. A lot of people might have moved on from the city, and who could blame them, but those who stayed seemed up for the challenge. And although you could hear a lot of sadness and some bitterness in their voices, there was also a little defiance and a whole lot of resilience in their stories. Everywhere there were banners proclaiming the reestablishment of their city; restore, rebuild, rebirth, reNew Orleans. This is what touched us most.
We stayed at the Place D’Armes hotel, just off Jackson Square on St. Ann. It’s one of those places I’d walked by a lot on previous trips and had always wanted to stay. With the great rates posted on their web site, it was a perfect time to check it out. We got a deluxe room and believe we were upgraded as our room was more of a suite with a separate lounge area. The room was on the 4th floor in the louvered roof so there was only one small window, which worked out great for sleeping late, a luxury we don’t get at home with our 2 year old who was staying at Nana’s for the weekend.
The hotel has a small but attractive lobby, a beautiful labyrinth courtyard, complimentary continental breakfast, and although we didn’t use, a pool that was popular given that it was a hot and humid weekend. The staff was WONDERFUL. Very pleasant, taking care of all our needs, and appreciative that people were coming back to their city.
Getting in on Friday afternoon, our first stop was Razoo’s on Bourbon for a few 3-for-1 all day happy hour beers (Abita of course). From there it was over to Johnny Po-Boys for the most amazing shrimp sandwich I’ve ever had. I’m amazed at how something tasting so good can be so affordable. It truly hit the spot. Then it was to go see Glenn the bartender over at Pat O’Brien’s to have him serve us a hurricane or two. He’s been there for over 34 years and probably sees thousands upon thousands of tourists come through, but after a few minutes of reacquainting ourselves, he always seems to start remembering things about us. Truly a great guy.
As usual, the Hurricanes went down too well. We needed to take a walk up and down Royal to do some shopping and walk off our mid afternoon haze. A quick trip back to the hotel and we were ready for dinner. New Orleans has many famous restaurants, renowned for their famous chefs and signature dishes. But since it was my Birthday and therefore my choice, I took my wife to my favorite place, Sammy’s on Bourbon Street. I first visited Sammy’s when I was just out of college, nearly 15 years ago. I happened to have their sampler platter; gumbo, jambalaya, and a simply amazing piece of crawfish etouffee pie. I’ve had the same dish there every visit to New Orleans. And as always, it was simply awesome! I can’t tell you if there whole menu is good, because I’ve never had anything else. But I can vouch for the sampler. It’s good.
After dinner we took a quick walk up Bourbon, but I had a surprise in store for my wife. We jumped in a cab and I took her over to the Rock and Bowl on Carrolton where Rockin’ Dopsie and the Zydeco Twisters were playing a concert. Rockin’ Dopsie is one of the best Zydeco musicians I’ve ever heard. His CD’s are all over the city and he is a local institution. The Rock and Bowl is just as it sounds, a local bowling alley that has a stage where they have live bands. The show was just amazing! There were probably 200 hundred people and everyone was dancing and singing along, if not bowling with the music. We had an absolute blast. The band was awesome and it seemed like Dopsie knew just about everyone there. He brought a young couple just about to be married up on stage and announced he’d be playing at their wedding reception. Then he brought a couple who’d been married for 10 years, telling everyone he’d played at their wedding too. We totally felt like we’d crashed the best party going on in town.
After getting a taxi back to the Quarter, we stopped at Café du Monde for some world famous beignets and chicory coffee and then called it a night.
Saturday we slept in, finally getting up for breakfast at Café Pontalba, on Jackson Square. This had been recommended to us by our favorite waitress at our local pub here in Cincinnati. She had worked there before Katrina and was getting ready to move back to the Big Easy and go back to work there. She called down to let them know we’d be coming in and we were warmly greeted and served a delicious breakfast of Crab Cake Eggs Benedict and Eggs and Grits. Yum.
We spent some time that morning shopping around the French Market which is slowly coming back, and then around the stores on the Square. That afternoon we had signed up for a Culinary Tour of some of the famous French Quarter restaurants. We made the arrangements through the following site: http://www.zerve.com/Culinary/Tour1031
Although this particular tour didn’t involve any tasting (the tasting tour is on hold until the restaurants get back to normal hours), it was still a great experience. We met our guide Kelly outside Antoine’s. We got to see the kitchens and dining rooms of several of the oldest restaurants in the country; Antoine’s, Arnaud’s, Brennan’s, Tujagues. We also got information on other establishments like K-Paul’s, Napoleon House, and Café du Monde. Kelly also gave us a history of how the different inhabitants of New Orleans influenced the food being served, resulting in the Cajun and Creole blend it is today. It was a very informative two hours and would be great for anyone interested in fine dining, cooking, or just taking a sneak peak at the private dining rooms where celebs might eat when in town.
If nothing else, the tour got us hungry! We had a pre-dinner appetizer at Napoleon House (muffaletta) and then after a quick drink at Pat O’Brien’s piano bar, we headed over to K-Pauls for dinner. I’ve already overused this word, but it was awesome!!! I had a cup of gumbo and the beef tenders and my wife had the seafood bisque and the shrimp etouffe. The service was outstanding and during dinner, a three piece brass band would occasionally strike up a wonderful rendition of ‘When the Saints go Marching In’. The only unfortunate part of dinner is that we forgot to leave room for dessert. After waddling out of the restaurant, we took a quick walk down Bourbon Street and decided to call it a night.
Sunday was our last day, but we tried to do as much as we could. We started with brunch at Brennan’s. After seeing it on the culinary tour we could not resist the place that put breakfast on the map. Needless to say, it was awesome! The omelet I had and the eggs Housard my wife enjoyed were perfect. We then had their signature dish, Bananas Foster. Very very good.
Some more shopping around the Quarter and then we stopped in at the Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone for a late morning pick me up. If you’ve never been, it’s worth a look. I won’t spoil it, but sitting at the bar is a moving experience.
Then sadly it was time to get our bags and go. A quick cab ride back to the airport and our weekend was over.
Hopefully you can see that we had a great time. New Orleans is open for business. The people are there and are ready to serve. What they need most now is for more people to come down and see them. The city is largely dependent on tourists. There is still a ton of work to be done to rebuild neighborhoods and businesses. The people there are committed to getting it done. If anyone is up for the challenge it is them.
So, here’s what I’m calling for; Anyone who has been there should go back. Anyone who’s not been there should give it a try! Go down and enjoy yourselves. Spend lots of money on some of the best food, accommodations, artwork, and souvenirs you can find. Tip people very well and thank them for being there, for working so hard to preserve part of the United States that is as unique from both an architectural and cultural perspective as it gets. They will be ever so appreciative and you will feel ever so good about being part of their recovery. reNew Orleans!
If all you were to see was the French Quarter, you might think the city escaped unharmed. It was in full swing, gearing up for the big Monday Night Football game at the Superdome. There were lots of people and most everything appeared to be open.
While we didn’t tour any of the damaged areas, we did talk to a lot of the people working in the restaurants and stores. Although no one showed it on the outside or was outspoken about what they had been through, if you asked how they were doing or how they’d been affected, they’d tell you. We collected numerous stories from people who’d lost everything. Who’d lived in six different hotels/apartments/friend’s houses over the past year. Who’d finally received insurance payouts and bought new places. Whose children had finally settled at their 3rd high school over the past year.
You could see how the experience had affected their souls, in some ways making them stronger. A lot of people might have moved on from the city, and who could blame them, but those who stayed seemed up for the challenge. And although you could hear a lot of sadness and some bitterness in their voices, there was also a little defiance and a whole lot of resilience in their stories. Everywhere there were banners proclaiming the reestablishment of their city; restore, rebuild, rebirth, reNew Orleans. This is what touched us most.
We stayed at the Place D’Armes hotel, just off Jackson Square on St. Ann. It’s one of those places I’d walked by a lot on previous trips and had always wanted to stay. With the great rates posted on their web site, it was a perfect time to check it out. We got a deluxe room and believe we were upgraded as our room was more of a suite with a separate lounge area. The room was on the 4th floor in the louvered roof so there was only one small window, which worked out great for sleeping late, a luxury we don’t get at home with our 2 year old who was staying at Nana’s for the weekend.
The hotel has a small but attractive lobby, a beautiful labyrinth courtyard, complimentary continental breakfast, and although we didn’t use, a pool that was popular given that it was a hot and humid weekend. The staff was WONDERFUL. Very pleasant, taking care of all our needs, and appreciative that people were coming back to their city.
Getting in on Friday afternoon, our first stop was Razoo’s on Bourbon for a few 3-for-1 all day happy hour beers (Abita of course). From there it was over to Johnny Po-Boys for the most amazing shrimp sandwich I’ve ever had. I’m amazed at how something tasting so good can be so affordable. It truly hit the spot. Then it was to go see Glenn the bartender over at Pat O’Brien’s to have him serve us a hurricane or two. He’s been there for over 34 years and probably sees thousands upon thousands of tourists come through, but after a few minutes of reacquainting ourselves, he always seems to start remembering things about us. Truly a great guy.
As usual, the Hurricanes went down too well. We needed to take a walk up and down Royal to do some shopping and walk off our mid afternoon haze. A quick trip back to the hotel and we were ready for dinner. New Orleans has many famous restaurants, renowned for their famous chefs and signature dishes. But since it was my Birthday and therefore my choice, I took my wife to my favorite place, Sammy’s on Bourbon Street. I first visited Sammy’s when I was just out of college, nearly 15 years ago. I happened to have their sampler platter; gumbo, jambalaya, and a simply amazing piece of crawfish etouffee pie. I’ve had the same dish there every visit to New Orleans. And as always, it was simply awesome! I can’t tell you if there whole menu is good, because I’ve never had anything else. But I can vouch for the sampler. It’s good.
After dinner we took a quick walk up Bourbon, but I had a surprise in store for my wife. We jumped in a cab and I took her over to the Rock and Bowl on Carrolton where Rockin’ Dopsie and the Zydeco Twisters were playing a concert. Rockin’ Dopsie is one of the best Zydeco musicians I’ve ever heard. His CD’s are all over the city and he is a local institution. The Rock and Bowl is just as it sounds, a local bowling alley that has a stage where they have live bands. The show was just amazing! There were probably 200 hundred people and everyone was dancing and singing along, if not bowling with the music. We had an absolute blast. The band was awesome and it seemed like Dopsie knew just about everyone there. He brought a young couple just about to be married up on stage and announced he’d be playing at their wedding reception. Then he brought a couple who’d been married for 10 years, telling everyone he’d played at their wedding too. We totally felt like we’d crashed the best party going on in town.
After getting a taxi back to the Quarter, we stopped at Café du Monde for some world famous beignets and chicory coffee and then called it a night.
Saturday we slept in, finally getting up for breakfast at Café Pontalba, on Jackson Square. This had been recommended to us by our favorite waitress at our local pub here in Cincinnati. She had worked there before Katrina and was getting ready to move back to the Big Easy and go back to work there. She called down to let them know we’d be coming in and we were warmly greeted and served a delicious breakfast of Crab Cake Eggs Benedict and Eggs and Grits. Yum.
We spent some time that morning shopping around the French Market which is slowly coming back, and then around the stores on the Square. That afternoon we had signed up for a Culinary Tour of some of the famous French Quarter restaurants. We made the arrangements through the following site: http://www.zerve.com/Culinary/Tour1031
Although this particular tour didn’t involve any tasting (the tasting tour is on hold until the restaurants get back to normal hours), it was still a great experience. We met our guide Kelly outside Antoine’s. We got to see the kitchens and dining rooms of several of the oldest restaurants in the country; Antoine’s, Arnaud’s, Brennan’s, Tujagues. We also got information on other establishments like K-Paul’s, Napoleon House, and Café du Monde. Kelly also gave us a history of how the different inhabitants of New Orleans influenced the food being served, resulting in the Cajun and Creole blend it is today. It was a very informative two hours and would be great for anyone interested in fine dining, cooking, or just taking a sneak peak at the private dining rooms where celebs might eat when in town.
If nothing else, the tour got us hungry! We had a pre-dinner appetizer at Napoleon House (muffaletta) and then after a quick drink at Pat O’Brien’s piano bar, we headed over to K-Pauls for dinner. I’ve already overused this word, but it was awesome!!! I had a cup of gumbo and the beef tenders and my wife had the seafood bisque and the shrimp etouffe. The service was outstanding and during dinner, a three piece brass band would occasionally strike up a wonderful rendition of ‘When the Saints go Marching In’. The only unfortunate part of dinner is that we forgot to leave room for dessert. After waddling out of the restaurant, we took a quick walk down Bourbon Street and decided to call it a night.
Sunday was our last day, but we tried to do as much as we could. We started with brunch at Brennan’s. After seeing it on the culinary tour we could not resist the place that put breakfast on the map. Needless to say, it was awesome! The omelet I had and the eggs Housard my wife enjoyed were perfect. We then had their signature dish, Bananas Foster. Very very good.
Some more shopping around the Quarter and then we stopped in at the Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone for a late morning pick me up. If you’ve never been, it’s worth a look. I won’t spoil it, but sitting at the bar is a moving experience.
Then sadly it was time to get our bags and go. A quick cab ride back to the airport and our weekend was over.
Hopefully you can see that we had a great time. New Orleans is open for business. The people are there and are ready to serve. What they need most now is for more people to come down and see them. The city is largely dependent on tourists. There is still a ton of work to be done to rebuild neighborhoods and businesses. The people there are committed to getting it done. If anyone is up for the challenge it is them.
So, here’s what I’m calling for; Anyone who has been there should go back. Anyone who’s not been there should give it a try! Go down and enjoy yourselves. Spend lots of money on some of the best food, accommodations, artwork, and souvenirs you can find. Tip people very well and thank them for being there, for working so hard to preserve part of the United States that is as unique from both an architectural and cultural perspective as it gets. They will be ever so appreciative and you will feel ever so good about being part of their recovery. reNew Orleans!
Sep 26th, 2006, 04:07 AM
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Barbara, I wish I could have stayed for the game, but unfortunately it only takes three days for my 2-year old to wear out my in-laws who were nice enough to watch her for us.
SAnParis, it was a little less crowded than it's been in the past. That meant it was easier to get reservations at the good restauarants. The Saturday night crowd on Bourbon was closer to what I've seen in the past. I think with the game on Monday a lot of people timed their visit for Saturday/Sunday nights vs. the standard weekend.
Who didn't jump out of their seats last night when the Saints blocked that punt? What a game!!!
SAnParis, it was a little less crowded than it's been in the past. That meant it was easier to get reservations at the good restauarants. The Saturday night crowd on Bourbon was closer to what I've seen in the past. I think with the game on Monday a lot of people timed their visit for Saturday/Sunday nights vs. the standard weekend.
Who didn't jump out of their seats last night when the Saints blocked that punt? What a game!!!
Sep 26th, 2006, 07:26 AM
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Great report, and I'm thrilled to see another Cincinnatian visiting New Orleans. Dh & I also leave our kids w/my parents & inlaws when we visit NO so I could relate to having limited time and trying to fit it all in!!
You know it's a good year for football when the Saints & Bengals both start the season 3-0 (now I better go knock on some wood)!
You know it's a good year for football when the Saints & Bengals both start the season 3-0 (now I better go knock on some wood)!
Sep 26th, 2006, 09:12 AM
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Snowrooster, it might be that we have several destinations in common. I am correct in recalling you travelling in the Caribbean (St John or Vieques)?
I'm happy for the Bengals too. Although, and I probably shouldn't say this, I moved here 9 years ago from Pittsburgh. Can't say I was too happy last weekend watching one of my teams lose (although I was watching from Ryan's Irish Pub in the French Quarter).
I'm happy for the Bengals too. Although, and I probably shouldn't say this, I moved here 9 years ago from Pittsburgh. Can't say I was too happy last weekend watching one of my teams lose (although I was watching from Ryan's Irish Pub in the French Quarter).
Sep 26th, 2006, 09:22 AM
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We just returned to central Ohio after being in New Orleans last week also, and while it was still fun it was certainly different than past vacations. I didn't see any carriages moving through the Quarter until Friday afternoon and the crowds were a lot smaller than I expected for a weekend night. It was wonderful being back, and the people living there are so glad to have "company". They are definitely fighting to get back to where they were pre-Katrina and any help we can give them as tourists is appreciated.
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