Total Basset Case: NOLA

Oct 30, 2012

NOLA

Sorry for my absence yesterday friends, I was in a gumbo coma (or maybe it was the getting up at 5am for our flight)
Anyway, Mister and I spent the long weekend in New Orleans and had the best time!
We had been wanting to make it to NOLA for quite some time now and our friend Sam and Celeste's wedding was the perfect opportunity to book a flight! 

We left early Thursday morning in hopes of maximizing the amount of meals we could squeeze in during our trip. 
#notajoke 
We did not have a shortage of restaurant recommendations (this girl was extremely helpful!) for our trip and we were so excited to eat such great and iconic food.
We definitely succeeded in eating our fill. 
I think we are still in a food and drinking coma. 
(I.e. it's chicken and salads for us for awhile.)

When we got off the plane on Thursday we headed directly to Cafe du Monde. 
It did not disappoint. 
They really aren't kidding about those beignets. It reminded me of a bigger and doughier funnel cake, absolutely covered in powdered sugar. 
 After picking up some more friends at the airport, we headed to Parkway for lunch and po boys. This place could definitely be called a hole in the wall but was a great find and had an extensive selection of po boys. I had the sausage and Mister had the fried shrimp. 
Both were top notch and a great introduction to NOLA food. 

After lunch the boys had to pick up their tuxes and we discovered the magical land of drive thru daiquiri stands. Yeah you read that right, it's a drive thru and they only serve daiquiris. Who know such a thing existed??
Thursday night we headed to dinner (see a theme developing?) in the French Quarter at SoBou. Holy delicious food (and very cool decor). We sampled quite a few of the tapas items on the menu and then I had a small burger and their mac and cheese. 
SoBou also had these amazing wine machines where you stick in a card and can choose what wine you want and then it pours a taste, a sip, or a glass. 
They also had the beer taps at the table. 
Very, very cool. And also a little dangerous. 
 After dinner we took our first jaunt down Bourbon Street. We didn't stay out very late that night but it was very interesting to see what Bourbon Street was all about. 
Just about anything goes down there.
Halloween was quite the the site to see and experience.

Friday morning the boys were off shooting guns and doing boy things so I went exploring. Our hotel was right on St. Charles and all down St. Charles are the most beautiful homes and buildings. 
I kept spotting beads everywhere.
Trees, power lines, lamps posts, balconies...I can only imagine how many more there are around during Mardi Gras.

The architecture around there is just incredible. I had a great time just wandering around, staring at the homes and wondering if any of them would let me move in. 

That night we had the reversal dinner at Zea and had the most amazing ribs and cheesy grits. True southern goodness. 

Saturday morning we decided to explore the French Quarter a little more. Besides the fact that the temperature dropped about 20 degrees from the day before, it was a great morning. I think I could spend a few days just wondering the streets and on and out of the little shops. 
  Saturday evening was the wedding and it was so beautiful!
It was held outside on the the golf course at Audubon Park, it was a little chilly but a quick and lovely ceremony followed up by a very fun evening.
 The food at the reception was so, incredibly good (shocking I know).
Mashed potato bar, praline brie, mini corn cakes with pulled pork...
And to top it off, the grooms cake was a doughnut cake!
How cute is that?!
Those are maple bacon doughnuts at the top...I am not normally a doughnut person but I had to taste one of those and it was out of this world.
The perfect combo of salty sweet.
 
Sunday morning the Mister and I met some friends at Surrey's Cafe and Juice Bar.
I am still thinking about that meal.
I had creole baked eggs with sausage and the most delicious biscuit that has ever been a biscuit.
After brunch Mister and I walked up and down Magazine Street just popping in and out of shops and enjoying our day.
Later in the day we took the street car around to see more of the houses and ended up walking around Tulane and Loyola.
We really had a nice afternoon and enjoyed our time together.
 Much to my dismay the street cars were not as I pictured...i.e. they didn't let me hang off the side like the Rice a Roni commercial.
However, It was still a very fun way to see the city and a form of transportation I could get used to.

We wrapped up our evening with dinner at The Irish House.  
Their chef, Matt, just recently won Chopped!
Again, stellar food.
#brokenrecord

And that was our first jaunt to NOLA!
We are already talking about going back.
I mean, there are about 468 more restaurants we need to try!

How was your weekend?
Have you been to NOLA, what was your favorite part?

Don't forget you have until tonight to enter the Frosty Paw's giveaway!
Winners will be announced on Wednesday

19 comments:

Sam said...

I was sooo excited to read this! I have been wanting to plan a trip to New Orleans for so long! I think the BF & I will be heading there soon after seeing all of this food! haha. Oh, & the drive through daquiri bar doesn't hurt either! Glad you guys had a good time!!

Nikki said...

Hubby and I have both been to New Orleans, but separately. I'm dying to go together!

Lauren Nicole said...

I have always wanted to visit NOLA. I stopped temporarily to board a cruise ship one time, but that's not going to cut it. I need to go where that wine machine is and that drive thru daiquiri stand. Did you notice on the menu, there is a 44oz "Mega" Long Island Tea? That would knock me on my ass in about 2.2. Just sayin!

xo, oolalalauren.

Michelle said...

I really want to go to NOLA! Looks like so much fun.

Tonya said...

I love NOLA. It is one of my most favorite cities. Ever. I loved the Hurricane. Delicious. So glad you got to go. There is literally no place like it.

Lacey S said...

Oh, I love New Orleans! I went 3 years ago for my birthday and it was wonderful! We ate at one of Emerils' restaurants (sorry, can't remember which one!) and it was amazing. Plus, a few hole in the wall places for gumbo and po boys.

Cafe Du Monde of course! The outdoor market is fun & we took a walking tour of the Garden District (where the celebs live! lol) and it was really cool.

Oh, and aren't maple bacon donuts to die for? Geez, I'm hungry now :)


Lacey @ And They Call Me Mommy

Bethany said...

You need to head to San Fran to hang out the sides of the trolley!

You just made me extra hungry too!

Tess said...

So fun!! And SO yummy. I've never been to Nola but I'm adding it to my list now.

I was just at a restaurant with one of those cool wine pourers that I seriously want to install one in my house!

Darby Hawley said...

Sounds like you all hit all the famous NOLA places and had so much fun!!! Those beignets look delicious!

Lindsey said...

ummm all I took away from this is that I need some beignets in my belly right now. LOVE NOLA. LOVE CAFE DU MONDE!!!!!!! So jealous. And now I want to go back stat.

Helene said...

new orleans has my heart!! great pictures and looks like you had a blast. Cafe du Monde is my favorite!

Anne said...

How fun. That was my main regret about my work trip was that I had conference dinners and couldn't try more restaurants! Cafe du Monde I thought was shockingly cheap for the amount of deliciousness you get, and I loved St. Charles street too. This makes me want to go back and take my hubby this time!

SMD @ lifeaccordingtosteph said...

That sounds like a great trip, I've never been to NOLA. It's on the list.

I'm obsessed with Chopped so I definitely saw that episode. That's cool that you ate there.

Heather said...

gotta love our drive-thru daiquiri shops!
i was on bourbon saturday night!!!!
my husband and i want to go to sobou very soon!

Allison said...

This looks amazing. I've never been either, but I'm going now just for the food! Now I'm starving! Glad you had fun!

Because Shanna Said So said...

I love NOLA! All the history and magic! Glad you guys had a great time and ate like Kings and Queens! That groom's cake is AWESOME!!!

Kait said...

All of my observations in no particular order:

I love that little braid in your hair with the bag of bourbon..and more importantly BAG OF BOURBON.

Those powdered sugar beignets (spelling?!) look heavenly. Also, the doughnut cake! GIVE ME SOME OF THAT! HOLY AWESOME! I now have an amazing idea for Dane's groom cake..not that I'm even engaged yet.

Could you and mister be any cuter? Stop it.

Cheese grits. Yum

That is quite enough random. I'm now going to turn on every single light I can find, because we just got our power back. YIPPEE

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Unknown said...

This post makes me so happy and so homesick at the same time, haha. I'm so glad you had such a blast! Next time we need to coordinate our trips to NOLA! Anytime on the tips girl, I'm just so glad you loved it :)