New Orleans souvenir ideas?
 

We're going to New Orleans for five days ... our first time there, and our (adult) kids have hinted that local souvenirs to be presented to them upon our return would be welcome ... what should we look for? We will have to pack whatever we get - but we're planning to check one bag, so it's not all carry-on.

Anyone have ideas for some things to bring back to a pair of twenty-somethings?

A hurricane glass from Pat O'Brien's...along with a bag of hurricane drink mix.

Pralines.

Something with a fleur-de-lis on it. I bought a t-shirt with a fleur-de-lis symbol and "Rebuild New Orleans" on it after volunteering on a Katrina rebuild...but you can also find the symbol on everything from jewelry to salt and pepper shakers.

You can also buy chicory coffee and beignets mix from Cafe du Monde (you can also find the coffee and mix at grocery stores and souvenir shops), but I've seen the coffee and mix in grocery stores outside Louisiana.

Anything representing a chili pepper. They like it spicy. ;)

decorated Mardi Gras masks are fun

the voodoo dolls (with pins!) that I brought to friends a few years ago were a big hit

Tobasco hot sauce items (shirts, mugs, ties, etc)

alligator skulls are big with the guys I know (yuck!)

cajun cooking stuff (spices, jambalya mixes, etc)

Then there are the cheapest and easiest to pack - beads!

I love the masks- that's what we brought home when we went.

Café du Monde sells their beignet mix. You can buy chicory coffee as well.

Wow - thanks for all the great ideas. I am printing this thread out to take with me!

My daughter collects shot glasses, so I always buy her a shot glass whenever I travel.

We brought back masks for the kids but I would bring back Muffeletta mix in a jar next time.

Last year when I went down to help clean up, I got a t-shirt with a fleur de lis that said"Drove My Chevy to the Levee but the Levee was Gone"
Sure said "New Orleans" to me.

Oh gosh eileenleft--that song was popular when we lived there, and I've always loved it. Never thought of it in that context, but how prophetic!

If you bring back pralines, bring a chewy and a crispy version.

Me, I vote for chewy.

How about CD's of some of the musicians from the area?

CDs of local musicians have been a hit with my souvenier recipients and any food items :)

Hit "post" too soon. I have also brought back artwork - either originals or prints done by local artists. Those where big hits too.

<<Last year when I went down to help clean up, I got a t-shirt with a fleur de lis that said"Drove My Chevy to the Levee but the Levee was Gone"
Sure said "New Orleans" to me.>>

I laughed so hard when I heard about those tshirts!!!! I grew up right next to the 17th street canal (on the side that didn't break) and I really want to get one! It's sad - but SOOOO clever.

Head to the French Market and get some beignets and cafe au lait from Cafe du Monde. Then head down the street PAST all the shops to the flea market. Cheapo prices, wide variety of the same things in the stores.

Saint's gear?

Pralines
Bottles of remoulade sauce
Hurricane drink mix

Grcxx3--we too lived on the 17th St canal, the side that didn't break. Lake Ave in Metairie. We could literally see the tops of the boats passing on the levee from our 1st apt, post marriage.

Yup - I was on Lake Ave for 10 years growing up! We were just 2+ blocks from Vets Blvd.

Some of the things I brought back were Cajun cookbooks, pralines, beignet mix, Mardi Gras masks, Cajun CD music, Tabasco cheese sticks, cajun spices, and my handy alligator bottle opener. There are specialty stores that sell Tabasco brand products only.

You can also get postcards with cajun recipes--they are pretty good and actually better than some of the recipes in the cookbooks. I still use my postcard recipe for ettouffe but substitute shrimp in place of the crawdads.

I also brought home frozen crawfish. I got them at the farmer's market. They will pack them with blue ice in a styrofoam chest and in a cardboard box. That's as local a souvenier as you can get! Be sure to buy the crawfish boil seasonings.

Grcxx3--we were neighbors then. :) We were about 2 blocks (north) of Veterans as well.

Another idea for souvenirs...Jazz Festival posters. They might even increase in value over time. We have a 1st edition signed and numbered one from 1976 that was worth about $800 last time I looked. I think we paid $3, purchased in my husband's hotel gift shop. That was one of the first of the festivals, and small then (but some great artists--BB King was there.)

Someone mentioned artists prints and again, it's something you could luck out with. We have several early original Leo Meiersdorffs. At the time they were going for $10 per figure and are now all several hundred each, so...you never know!

OO - you reminded me.....you can also get some really neat ceramic tiles with the images of the various Jazz fest posters. I keep meaning to do this for my DH - and keep forgetting!

I have a feeling I was on Lake Ave LONG before you. We were there (corner of Lake and Raspberry, I believe) from 1971-81. BACK THEN, there was a shopping center at Vets, with a Hancock's Fabric, World Bazaar, Baskin Robbins, etc. Then behind that was a rather seedy red brick, 2 story apt block. We were in the next block.

Uh - you're not FROM New Orleans are you??? Cuz NO ONE uses N, S, E or W to give directions!!!! The location you're referring to is on Lake Avenue, 2 blocks "lake side" of Vets!!!!! :)

Grcxx3. Nope, not born and raised. We were neighbors. :) We lived in New Orleans from 1969 to 1976, but by 1973 had moved into our first house in the Terrytown section of Gretna. Actually we moved out of that apartment to the other side of City Park in 1971 before our first child was born. That seedy apartment building might have been our first home?? LOL Did it have a mansard roof? Ours wasn't seedy (to us anyway) but was typical of what 20 something newly weds (us) might rent--which today we'd probably think was yes, seedy! My how tastes change.

eileenleft-
funny t-shirt. My mind was running more towards the Led Zepplin tune "When the Levee Breaks"

lots of good suggestions - I can't think of any more to add right now.

Alligator jerkey, fer sure!!

I love NOLA! This thread is really bringing back great memories! I think it's time to go back. :)

(sorry for the highjacking, scdreamer! just reminiscing!)

OO - don't worry, I don't think you were in the apts I was referring to. Sounds like you were between Lake Ave and the levee (since you could see the boats). We were between Lake and the next street, the name of which is escaping me at the moment.

Don't worry about hijacking the thread! It's all great entertainment ...

Well, we just got back late last night - five days in New Olreans, my first time there, and I sure hope not my only trip. What a wonderful time we had! The time just flew by, and there were a few things I didn't get to do and see, but for the most part we took in a lot of music and sights and F-O-O-D. Oh my god, I never knew there could be so many good things to eat!

A short trip report: We stayed at the Hotel Provincial, and thought it was perfect. The location, about three blocks east of Jackson Square on Chartres Street was perfect. If you stay there, as for a River View room, and you will be treated to the strains of blues from the French Market wafting up to your window - not too loud, but great background atmosphere.

Saw some fun jazz at some of the funky clubs on Frenchman Street - easy walking distance from the hotel.

WE did most of the touristy things that are expected - walked along Bourbon Street on Saturday night (crazy) and had dinner at Commander's Palace (I thought it was a bit overrated - the food was okay, and the service was frantic ... not at all elegant or relaxing, as we had anticipated). Loved having cafe au lait and beignets at Cafe du Monde in the early hours of the moring - weather was so perfect, we could be out at all hours in shirtsleeves. Took a horse drawn wagon tour - we waited until our last day for that one, which in retrospect would have been better the first day, as there were some places pointed out to us that we had missed on our own.

We rented a car for two days - drove out the River Road and toured a couple plantations (Laura and Nottaway) - that was a fun day. I was surprised to see all the industrial chemical and refinery plants along the way ... and that the levees completely block the view of the Mississippi. We climbed the levee a few times to see the swollen river - it is very high right now.

We also took a few hours to drive through the hurricane damaged areas of the city - out to the seventh and ninth wards ... it is sobering to see the damage and to know that for each boarded-up and abandoned home, there is a sad story.

We ate way too much food ... WAY TOO MUCH ... had oysters at least twice a day, and I have to say everywhere we had them, they were the bst I have ever had. Fresh, plump, sweet. Yum!

We ate twice at a little restaurant called the Coffee Pot - very close to Preservation Hall on the same side of the street. The ladies who work the place are the most amazing cooks - their homemade creamy crab soup is one of the most delicious dishes I have ever eaten.

All in all - we loved New Orleans!

scdreamer - so glad you had a good time!!!!

<<Commander's Palace (I thought it was a bit overrated - the food was okay, and the service was frantic ... not at all elegant or relaxing, as we had anticipated).>>

I have never been for dinner - only lunches - and those have been fine, but my DH has the same opinion as you. As a result.....even tho I know the owners...we never go there!

<<I was surprised to see all the industrial chemical and refinery plants along the way ... and that the levees completely block the view of the Mississippi>>

Yes, the "chemical corridor" is not the most pleasing sight....but we are very grateful for those levees!!!! It is disconcerting for first time visitors, however, to be driving along River Road and see big ships in the river that are HIGHER than are higher than you are!!!


Okay - now the important stuff......what souvenirs did you buy?????

Grcxx3 - thanks for asking about our souvenirs! We came home with lots of goodies ... the hard part will be in handing them over to their intended recipients ... I guess we'll just have to go back to New Orleans someday and pick things up for ourselves.

We brought back: Two lovely feather and sequin masks for our 22 year-old daughter. They were on sale at the flea market two for $5, and they are really fancy. Also brought back a bunch of the little dollar voodoo dolls for gag gifts to co-workers.

We brought back Aunt Sally's pralines in pretty boxes, cans of chicory coffee from Cafe du Monde, pretty decorated coffee mugs, a book of slave lullabies with a cd included (our older daughter is expecting our first grandchild in June).

We also bought jars of cane syrup and other preserves at the gift shop of the Laura Plantation, as well as a book of memoirs by Laura LaCoul.

Bought a very nice tee-shirt with a stylized trumpet player on the front.

I think that's just about everything. I wish I had remembered to bring back a jar of the muffalata mix ... another reason to return!

Thanks, everyone for all the great ideas.