Today Mardi Gras is being celebrated in New Orleans, and though I’m a little too old to be flashing my jiggly bits for dime store beads, I’m not too old to ingest a hurricane or three and pour myself into a cab at the end of a night in the city with my seester and her friend Liz.
Friday morning I’ll throw a bag in the car, grab the iPod, load up on caffeine and hit the road; landing ultimately in cajunville.
The trip isn’t a response to my previous jumping-out-of-my-skin post and subsequent comments a go-go, but rather is a trip we’ve had on the books for a few months. Said fabulous sister somehow landed herself a free weekend at The Ritz in NOLA, and chose to share it with us. *Yeay* for sisters and girls weekends in exciting locales! Yeay for non-questionable lodging!
Having never been to New Orleans before and having recently been afflicted with a condition commonly referred to as “gottatakeapictureofthatitis”, I’m stoked. I’m stoked to fly by the seat of my pants, and I’m stoked that Liz is an LA native who will make certain I don’t miss any of the must see/do’s, I’m stoked to spend time practicing my writing about a place with such a rich history and a stormy (pun intended) past and I’m stoked that the weather is gonna be nizzzzeee.
On my list of things to see/do/ingest/take pictures of/experience: French Quarter, Bourbon Street, beads in trees and other leave behinds of “Trash Wednesday“, étouffée, jambalaya, gumbo, po’boy , ride a riverboat, visit a fortune teller, go on a ghost walk/haunted history tour, stay up past my bedtime and listen to some live jazz, *do not throw up*, hug Jennifer a lot, laugh till my belly hurts, listen to Liz and jot down the hilarious and brilliant things she says, make sure to get another bat-face picture.
With a list like that it wouldn’t seem there’s any room for spontaneity, but I assure you: there will be.
Anything in particular you think I should see/do or not see/do?
Can. Not. Wait.
05 Feb 08
1:09 pm
Hooray!
05 Feb 08
2:11 pm
I’ve made some amazing memories in that town… It’s great fun… enjoy and be safe.
05 Feb 08
2:59 pm
SOOOOOOOOOOO FRRRIIIIGGGGGGGGEEENNNNN JEALOUS RIGHT NOW!!!!
05 Feb 08
3:18 pm
Frozen coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde. Enjoy.
05 Feb 08
5:40 pm
The graveyard tours are pretty cool, too. My first trip to NOLA started and ended on Bourbon Street. The second trip seemed to let my grown up out for a while, and I very much enjoyed the French Quarter and Lake Ponchatrain, as well as the graveyard tour. It’s really a lovely city. Have fun, and carry your money taped to your belly. There are some fast fingered pick-pocketers in them parts!
05 Feb 08
5:55 pm
Give a honk when you pass by the Waugh Exit coming into Montgomery! Gotta at least visit Pat O’Brien’s to say you have been there.
05 Feb 08
10:09 pm
Anything in particular you should do??? Hell yes. Make sure your vaccines are current! You’re visiting a different world.
(Louise a.k.a. Liz)
06 Feb 08
3:20 am
Preservation Hall
06 Feb 08
11:58 am
oh i’m so jealous. i’ve never been! can’t wait to see the post-trip-photos!
06 Feb 08
12:19 pm
Chicory coffee. LOTS and LOTS of chicory coffee. Try it black, but also try it with lots of cream and sugar. Or should that be sugah? Very jealous!
Snug Harbor (http://www.snugjazz.com/) is another neat place to go — Ellis Marsalis’ place.
If you go to Pat O’Brien’s, try the Cyclone and the Purple People Eater. The Skylab is nasty - but the glass is cool. (http://www.patobriens.com/specialtydrinks.html)
06 Feb 08
2:24 pm
Don’t fall for the ‘where you got your shoes at?’ bet. Take the St. Charles line for a ride and eat some oysters at the Acme Oyster House on Iberville (get a charred oyster for me).
-or-
Go visit $ager’s birthplace in Baton Rouge… bbrrraaaaap!
06 Feb 08
3:58 pm
a friend of mine who has a place in NOLA sent me a list of these restaurants a while back when i went to visit. however, im not sure if i went in to any of them, because i had one hurricane too many several days in a row
but if you can remember, and whilst you’re walking along and happen to see one of them….go for it! here are his comments…
The ones I’d recommend overall:
Emeril’s (or Nola) — he’s totally overexposed, but the food’s good. He’s probably not going to be there, though
Uglesich — complete scary dive hole-in-the-wall seafood joint. Take a cab both ways (the neighborhood sucks)
Brigtsen’s — great nouveau take on local cuisine in a small uptown shotgun
Jacques-Imo’s — one of Amy and my biggest favorites. Funky takes on cajun food.
Dick and Jenny’s — homey and fancy simultaneously, w/ great updates on creole cuisine. It’s a cab ride away, though
Peristyle — amazingly delicious, and semi-fancy. Rich locals seem to eat there. Take a cab even though it’s close — it borders on a bad area.
Palace Cafe — fun Brennan restaurant on Canal St (nearby). I think I like it more than Amy does, but still
Liuzza’s By the Track — great dive for gumbo and po-boys (second-best fries in town too, I think). It’s not close to you, though (and don’t get confused by a different restaurant just called “Liuzza’s”)
Mother’s — a little past its prime, maybe, but huge roast-beef po-boys (called “debris,” here) are still pretty damned good
Petunia’s — the French Toast (”pain perdu”) place
Gabrielle’s — fancy (with lots of food that’s too rich or veal/lamb/etc oriented for us to eat) and good, but a little far away and remote
And don’t forget:
Elizabeth’s (for breakfast — call ahead to make sure that they’re open, because you’ll have to cab over)
Cafe Angeli — it’s just a pizza and sandwich place around the corner on Decatur St, but I sure wish they had one in Atlanta.
Irene’s Cuisine — old school Italian, across the street on Chartres
07 Feb 08
11:10 am
Most excellent suggestions, one and all.
I shall report back on my adventures. Over.
10 Feb 08
7:28 pm
Ok, just sayin’…ya’ll don’t believe ANYTHING Maigh says about New Orleans. I was there and NONE of it happened. More or less.
Hit me with your best shot!
11 Feb 08
11:15 am
hahahahahahaha
ooooh my legs still hurt