New Orleans - The Big Easy
New Orleans in the summer; hot, sultry and stifling. So, why do you go now, Diggs? Well, it’s all about the food, the music and the ambiance. There is an upside to the heat and humidity, no lines for anything.
Finding quality food is not an issue in “Narlans,” in fact I would dare say that any trip here can easily be built around gastronomic delights. It seems that on almost any block in the French Quarter you are going to find a renowned restaurant, possibly where one famous chef or another got their foothold in the culinary trade. Of the many Chefs, Emeril Lagasse is enjoying the height of celebrity at the moment and has three establishments in operation.
Speaking of Emeril, there are real jewels of restaurants sprinkled throughout New Orleans that really, really should be considered. It is always good to consult the locals on dining and both of the following recommendations turned out to be excellent.
First, Olivier’s Creole Restaurant at the corner of Decatur and Iberville. This gem has been in the same family for five generations and beyond food, the Southern hospitality is everything you’d expect. Prices, moderate. Even though the ambiance is upscale, shorts are acceptable attire. Reservations, not required, but I certainly would encourage you to make them. I am going to recommend pecan encrusted oysters as an appetizer. I have never had oysters that style and am going to have to try to recreate them here at home.
Second, now this one is a bit harder to find, try Adolfo’s. It is one of the best-kept secrets and is located above the Apple Barrel at 609 Frenchman Street. As far as I can tell, they do not advertise. Is it worth the trouble to find? Absolutely. Casual, casual, casual. $5 wine, great food, cozy and just a neat place to go. The Apple Barrel, which is dingy to say the least, is renowned for the live jazz performances. Reservations? I don’t even know if they take them. Would I go again? Yes.
Speaking of music, Tammy and I, quite by happenstance, found this great little spot called The Palm Court. It is on Decatur Street just a few blocks from Jackson Square. This is upscale compared to the Apple Barrel and does serve food. Can’t report on the quality of dinning since we did not indulge, but from what I saw, very tempting. The band was excellent and the music venue is different every night. These are not your run of the mill musicians, these guys are the caliber that play with the like of Harry Connick and Michael Buble. If you are lucky you will get to observe, as we did, the owner, Nina, as she works the crowd in what I can only imagine is Sazerac inspired elegance.
I would guess that every city has its own signature cocktail and while most people would associate a mint julep with the plantations and the south. New Orleans claims the Sazerac as the quintessential drink of choice and the first real cocktail. The story goes that it was blended in New Orleans in the early 19th century by a pharmacist named Antoine Peychaud. He mixed French brandy and his own recipe for stomach bitters then poured the concoction into one of those double ended egg cups commonly called a coquetier. Well, after of couple of these the pronunciation of coquetier became slurred to “cocktail,” hence the name. And the name Sazerac, you ask? Sazerac is the brand of cognac used in the original drink. Try one of these at the Fairmont Hotel Sazerac Bar. The hotel actually pays an annual fee to the Sazerac Company for the use of the name. Order your drink “straight,” only tourist asks for ice.
Of course there are other libations that originated in New Orleans. Give any of these a try - Absinthe Frappe, a Ramos Gin Fizz, a hand grenade, or a Hurricane. Of course, if you are going to indulge in a Hurricane, you must do so at Pat O’Brien’s. One drink in particular, which by the way did not originate in New Orleans but is worth sampling, is the French 75. Watch out, while eloquent, tasty and refreshing, it lives up to its namesake; it makes you feel like you were hit by a French 75mm artillery shell! One is enough.
Bourbon Street, well, it is Bourbon Street. I’m not quite sure of the attraction to it. In my humble opinion, you see it once and that is enough. It has its own unique mélange of loud music, those who have over-indulged, an unusual aroma that permeates the district, and tourist traps. Here you will see everything, and I do mean everything! If you by chance book a hotel on Bourbon Street, do not intend to sleep. We stayed at the Dauphine Orleans which is one block north of Bourbon Street. It is quite, clean, and has air conditioning. I would recommend this hotel, but there a plenty of others to choose from. If you go, do take into consideration that blocks in the French Quarter are small and everything is within walking distance. Oh, while I’m thinking of it, Bourbon Street is not named for the whiskey but for the French ruling dynasty Bourbon.
If you believe in such, or not, voodoo, ghost and vampire tales abound in New Orleans. There are probably as many ghost and cemetery tours as there are spirits. The tours will all take you to basically the same locations throughout the French Quarter. Same stories, different versions, various gimmicks. Believe or not, it is a great way to tour the Quarter and learn a bit of history. Fortunately, our tour started at 8:30 PM and ended around 11:00 PM. Fortunate, you ask? Well, 91 degrees, well over 90 percent humidity and no breeze, at least the sun was not beating down on us. I have got to tell you however, sweat was rolling down our backs the entire tour. Only the occasional breeze made things tolerable. Did I mention that in the summer New Orleans is HOT and HUMID?
Our tour began at Jean Lafayette’s Blacksmith Shop. This is the oldest bar in America, started by the namesake, and was originally where he smelted his booty. Andrew Jackson and Lafayette met here to plan the Battle of New Orleans in 1813. A lot of history, and according to “Bloody Mary” the tour guide, a lot of spirits at this locale. Part of her tour was ghost photography inspired, so the occasional picture was a must. Now, if you believe in ghosts, there are objects called orbs that one might occasionally capture an image of in a photo. You cannot see them with the naked eye, but they do show in photos and are acclaimed as spirits. I have a few in my photos, but call me a skeptic, I have a feeling these are most likely dust reflections on the lens. I’ll attach photos, you decide.
One house on the tour, in particular, has an evil past and is notorious for being the most haunted property in New Orleans. The Lalaurie Mansion is reported to be the sight of sadistic acts and experiments committed upon the servants and slaves of Delphine LaLaurie in the 1830’s. The actor Nicholas Cage purchased it in 2007 along with Anne Rice’s former home. Just as a side note, Nic had a few tax issues and had to sell both properties last year. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie own a house about a block east of here.
The Garden District is just a trolley car ride away from the French Quarter and, of course, you can find all sorts of walking tours there. Ours started out in a cemetery during a rain storm, but ended in front of an exquisite mansion, the sun shining. The Garden District is full of luxurious homes from two or more generations ago. We viewed homes belonging to, among others, Anne Rice and John Goodman. There was the home where the movie “Benjamin Buttons” was filmed and there was the Commander’s Palace Restaurant. By the way, at the Commander’s Palace the deal of the day is last night’s chef’s recommendation served with twenty-five cent martinis for lunch. Watch out, while you are getting a wonderful meal the officious staff will push expensive wine on you. This is the type of place to go to see people and been seen. Jackets and ties are recommended wear. Bring your fat wallet.
Another venue of tour that I would recommend is a plantation tour. There are self-drive tours and bus tours. Typically, the plantation will be approximately an hour out of town with not much to see between locations other than swamp or bayou. We took a Gray Line tour to the Oak Alley Plantation. This plantation in particular is considered the Grande Dame of the Great River Road. Twenty-eight oak trees, planted over three hundred years ago, line the entrance. They even have guest quarters if you wish to stay. Beyond the mansion and the grounds, the trees in themselves are magnificent. It is a four hour tour, including travel. Worth every penny of the fare.
Like I mentioned earlier, these tours are a great way to explore history, so I will leave the rest of these tours to your imagination and your visit to New Orleans.
I know you are asking yourself what about the BP oil spill? Well, these folks are concerned and the fear is the availability of seafood is going to diminish. A dozen oysters a year ago were $4, now they run about $12. Will it kill the city? Naw. New Orleans has survived much worse and will continue to do so.
I won’t, but I could go on and on about “Narlans.” I love this city. I will throw out just a few other ideas for you if you ever consider going:
Have brunch at The Court of the Two Sisters. About $30 a head. Great location and super variety on the buffet. Ambiance is a huge plus here.uvariety on the buffet. Ambiance is a huge plus here.
If you like raw oysters, try the Crescent City Brewhouse. They brew their own beer and the oysters are fresh, large and affordable.
Also consider the Acme Oyster House or Felix’s Oyster Bar, both are on Iberville Street across from each other.
Don’t bother with The House of Blues. Very poor service and nothing more than a tourist trap. Too commercialized for my liking.
Of course, you must go to Café du Monde for coffee and beignets.
No need to bring or rent a car. The trolleys will get you wherever you need to go and everything can be walked, just keep off of dark isolated streets and stay sober.
The locals are very friendly. They say you can tell tourists apart from the indigenous folks because the locals always greet you. And they do.
Laissez les bon temps roulez!
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