The Big Easy

Laissez les bons temps rouler – the motto of the historic city of New Orleans. I have been going to NOLA for what seems like my whole life. History, amazing food, and music that speaks to the soul is how I would describe the Big Easy. As some of you know Mike works for the Yankees. Due to baseball season running our lives we planned a trip to New Orleans in the off season. I was extremely excited, not only because I LOVE the city, but because my Canadian beau had never been. (I hate going to New Orleans in the summer – mainly because it is really hot, humid and smells bad) We chose to go the first week in December, which worked out great as Blake had a weekend with her IttyPop (grandparents).

You will see most of the places I share below are in the French Quarter, or very nearby. The quarter is very walk-able, so we did not see a need to rent a car. If you want to venture out of the quarter, you can grab an uber easily.

I will start with where we stayed, The French Market Inn (If you choose to stay here ask for a room with a balcony for an added bonus). This historic hotel is on the edge of the quarter, located on Decatur street. It is walking distance from all of my favorite spots. Which brings me to dinner our first night – Tujague’s (also located on Decatur street). I LOVE Tujague’s. I have been eating there for over 10 years. Tujague’s is over 160 years old and has amazing short ribs and the best bread pudding I have ever eaten. If you are a foodie (like Mike and I) I suggest ordering a lot and sharing – that way you get a taste of everything. You also must order a Sazerac (the iconic drink of the city) before closing out your tab. Speaking of iconic New Orleans drinks, after dinner we walked over to the original Pat O’Brien’s and ordered a couple of hurricanes. A Pat O’s hurricane is a New Orleans staple and a must have. I would recommend only getting one – they are sugary and will give you a hangover. Continuing from Pat O’s we stopped by the Tropical Isle and grabbed a Hand Grenade for the walk back to the hotel. Prior to turning in for the night we stopped at Emeril Lagasse’s restaurant (NOLA) and split an order of the BBQ shrimp – so good.

Day two started in typical New Orleans fashion with Motrin and a short walk to Cafe Du Monde. Cafe Du Monde has been in business since 1862 and has the best beignets and cafe ole in the city. CDM is located on Decatur street and is first come first serve; do not wait in a line full of tourists waiting for a table. I would recommend going inside and stalking a table until it is free. Also, don’t wear black. There is powdered sugar everywhere and you will leave covered in it. After a solid breakfast of coffee and powdered sugar it was time to start drinking again so we headed to Napoleon House on Chartres street for a couple of Pimm’s Cups (which turned into a few each). We even stayed long enough to split a muffuletta – and it was delicious. The rest of the day was a bit of a blur, but we ate (second) lunch at Tableau, located next to Jackson Square. Tableau is fairly new, meaning it hasn’t been around 100 years yet. I ordered the BBQ shrimp and grits and did not share at all. Just as a FYI the BBQ element wasn’t the ketchup-based BBQ sauce that I am used to – it was a rich creamy sauce that I still have dreams about. (We also stopped back by this place at night after dinner and had drinks on the rooftop patio) The rest of the day was just wasting time until dinner. We made reservations at Galatoire’s, on Bourbon street. We chose to sit in the bistro and enjoy the live jazz band while sampling the many types of oysters on the menu. Post dinner we stumbled upon one of my favorite street performers, Tanya Huang. Tanya has been performing in New Orleans for over 15 years, and her music will bring tears to your eyes. You can look her up here. We had “Togo drinks” and stood and watched her for at least an hour.

Day three didn’t have any set plans, so we walked around stopping in a variety of places. We landed at Court of Two Sisters for a jazz brunch. Post lunch we headed down Bourbon street and stopped in at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop. Lafitte’s is one of the city’s oldest surviving structures and has been serving drinks to locals since the 1700’s. For dinner on night three we went to my favorite restaurant in the city, Antoine’s. Antoine’s serves French-creole cuisine and has been around since 1840. Our family has a waiter (that is the way the restaurant works) and his name is Paul. Every time we go, Paul is our waiter and he has been for years. They are known for the original oysters Rockefeller – GET THEM even if you don’t like oysters.

Our trip was short and sweet. I have included some of my other favorite places in New Orleans that we didn’t have a chance to go to this trip.

Delmonico– Emeril Lagasse’s steakhouse in the lower garden district
Commanders Palace – located in the garden district
ACME Oyster House – French Quarter
K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen – French Quarter
Palace Cafe – Canal Street

If you haven’t ever been to New Orleans, you should plan a trip. Writing this post has me wanting to go back. I recommend avoiding the months of July and August, it is insanely hot. If you have any questions on other places to stay don’t hesitate to reach out to me – I have stayed all over the city.

Happy Traveling!