New Orleans in 48 Hours

Last weekend I went to New Orleans.  It is my third time to head through the city.  Several years back....when I was running, I had added the New Orleans Rock N Roll half marathon to my wish list.  It was the last one left sitting on that list.  Unfortunately, I haven't been running much in the last year.  I kept telling myself I would start, but life has been a little hectic lately.  Running takes time.  And more than the time to get physically ready, I just haven't been there mentally.  It was such a good thing for me for several years, but now I'm sort of floundering.  I ran a race in December and I trained a LITTLE.  My body mostly relied on adrenaline and muscle memory.  Since that time, I have not done a single thing.  I had already signed up for this race as 'motivation' to get my butt in gear, but all I wanted to do the last few months has been huddle under blankets and read.  So....heading down to New Orleans with a very short time scheduled I wasn't sure if I would even do the race.  I decided last minute to walk it.  It took forever.  Side note, if you DO like to run, this was a really easy course.  I'm not sure there is a single hill.  The only challenge is the significant number of pot holes in the road.  It was a course filled with jazz bands and it took us through some of the French Quarter, which was fun.  In the end, it's finished.  I'm not signing up for any races any day soon and I'm going to go relearn what it is that gets me motivated.
As for the rest of the stay....it was all about the food.  There were some not so great meals, but the highlights were....Atchafalaya.  The plus is there was a great jazz band and the food was really good (chicken and biscuits for me, but apparently the shrimp and grits is what brings all the people).  It was hopping with locals and we ended up waiting 2 hours for a table, but the band and the weather saved that from being a miserable wait!

After the race I grabbed these things that were very much like Beneits, but they had rice inside and this strange lemon honey water, but they were strangely good.  The best part was the atmosphere at the restaurant, Cane Table.  It was a quite little nook behind a thriving sidewalk along the French Quarter.  It's no Café Du Monde, but it was a neat atmosphere with (well deserved) good reviews.

I also grabbed dinner with my pal Maurine's little sister, Joy who lives near by and I got to meat her baby boy.  We headed to Mother's.  Again, the line out this door was outrageous, but the food really was good!  It's an old deli.  I got the ham b/c my uber driver assured me it was the best ham around (which the sign says), but they had a ton of great looking deli sandwiches.  It was a nice break from all the traditional grits/chicken/jambalaya etc.  I would definitely go again.

...and as if I didn't eat enough.  I also snagged a biscuit at Copeland's at the airport.  Normally, I wouldn't post about a biscuit, but, by George, this was one might-tee fine biscuit.

This is a bit of a hodge podge of a post, but the truth is, I need it to live here.  Should I find myself in New Orleans a 4th time, these are some of the experiences I don't want to forget!

Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler

Last week, I headed to New Orleans for a work conference.  I've been eagerly awaiting an opportunity to get back to New Orleans.  I went once, more than ten years ago, and I loved the city, and I wanted to explore it as an adult.  I've really wanted to go post Katrina, and was impressed by how well things were hopping during my visit.The conference I attended over four days was excellent (In addition, I laughed so hard with the company I kept, it was hard to convince anyone we were, actually, sober), but work did prevent us from getting to explore a lot of the city during the daylight hours (shock), and a lot of the historical buildings were closed by the time we got out of our meetings.  I need to go back and take more pictures.  The injustice, I know.  Life is so rough.   Having said that, we did get a chance to walk along the French Quarter, look at the architecture, obsess over the iron work (maybe that was me?), and eat great food.  I have a week of Mardi  Gras projects planned for this winter, but I must admit, considering how crowded Bourbon Street was during the middle of the week in October, I'll cross attending Mardi Gras off the future list.  So, if Mardi Gras isn't the time to go, I have to recommend October, the weather was fabulous.  Here are a few of my favorite things. 
The last time I went, I missed Cafe du Monde, this time, we headed there on the first night. 

Yes, beinets really are that fabulous.  Heather said it best, they taste like funnel cakes, but....better!  And while I'm speaking of food (which I'm a little bit of an expert on after as much eating as I did).  We went to a restaurant in the French Quarter called Irene's.  It was the best meal we had, hands down (thanks for all the advice from the people I pestered in advance, we took it, and I saved the ones I wasn't able to utilize this trip).  My very favorite pralines were from a company called Sweet Sensations.  I loved the Creamy Pralines, but they also had an Amaretto Praline that was to die for from the same company (sold in random stores)!  We also hit up Brennan's at the advice of many people, and as the guide book said, I ordered a banana foster. 

The fire display was impressive, but, in the end, Irene's is the place I'd recommend.  One thing I have to note about New Orleans, the wait staff didn't give change, really, they kept it unless you asked for it, this included everyone from the street vendors to nice local restaurants. 99.9 percent I tip much more than the change (too many of my friends have worked service, and so I tip for all the non-tippers), but I like to have the option.  We had some great service, and some of the worst service available, but consistently good food, and consistently...no change. 

We enjoyed some jazz on Bourbon Street the second evening. 

What I love about New Orleans are all the open patios, and restaurants, thanks to this open atmosphere jazz seeps out from all throughout the French Quarter as you walk along. 

New Orleans at night is covered with street artist, ghost walking tour guides, tourist indulging in drink on the street, ...and then trying to traverse the broken sidewalks (compliments of all the enormous trees shading the pathways), police patroling the legal street drinking, locals wearing, umm, limited clothes, horse drawn carriage tours, and music.  I love all the old buildings, the iron, and statues...

Trolley Cars....

...and the beads that tell of  past parades and adventures. 

They hang from trees, lamp post, electrical lines, shop racks, and the necks of tourist.  They are more prominent than mask. 
On our second full day in town, we headed via trolley to Magazine Street.

I don't think we made it to most of the shops we read about, but we did walk by a cemetery in the garden district.  It was supposed to have closed at 3, but they were late in closing, so we were able to walk in quickly. 

New Orleans is below sea level, so there are rows and row of  burial sites that rest above ground level.  Most are so close together, it's almost impossible to walk through the rows, but they are really beautiful, old tributes with detailed stories about the families that rest here. 
After 4 days of shops, eating, conferencing, and eating, with a stop or ten to eat....  I know I'll be back, I have to, the shops were mostly closed, the plantations were totally ignored, and there are far too many desserts that need my attention,  they need me. 

Minus a few hundred pictures of iron 'letters,' and the typical, black mail photos I collected, here are some more photos.
Linking To: 
French Obsession