Travel | New Orleans: Part 2

As promised, I am following up with part two of my recap of my recent trip to New Orleans. If you missed the first post, you can find it here. 

Friday was our last full day to explore so we had to make the most of it. I’m almost embarrassed to recap our day, but we were determined to get it all in, including stopping at all of the food and beverage spots on our list. We started with beignets and coffee at the famous Café du Monde. The beignets were worth every powdered sugar-dusted calorie that touched my lips. 

We sipped on mimosas at the Carousel Bar and Lounge located in the Hotel Monteleone. Yes, the bar actually moves, but not up and down and at a turtles pace — much slower than the carousels you would find at the fair. It was such a cool concept, one we didn’t want to miss out on experiencing. 

A few blocks away we found our way to the popular ACME OysterHouse. Yes, this a total tourist spot, but hey, that’s exactly what we were. We were told that if we ate there to sit at the oyster bar and let the oyster shuckers haggle you while they impress you with their shucking skills, so that’s exactly what we did.

Meet “Stormin’ Norman” our oyster shucker and server for the afternoon. 

This gentleman was a tough one to crack. He didn’t smile, he told us like it was, and he didn’t laugh at our friendly humor. However, we somehow managed to find a somewhat softer friendlier side to him after about 20 minutes. Oh and he never once looked at a single oyster he was shucking. You could tell this wasn’t his first rodeo. Norman is quite famous in the food industry and has traveled the world, catering to the rich and famous. When we asked what to order, he had no suggestions, only that he wouldn’t order anything off the menu because it’s not how he would make it. Well, all right then. I made my own judgment and went with char-grilled oysters, a bowl of jambalaya and oyster shooters of course. 

Next, the long-awaited stop at Bourbon Street!

I was informed that I couldn’t leave without stopping at Tropical Isle to try a hand grenade, otherwise known as a cup filled with a mixture of sugary alcohols that will leave you with a headache for days! Excuse the photo, the sun was clearly in my eyes. 

Oh, and a shark attack was on the “to-drink” list as well. This one was worth the show that came with it. If you follow me on snapchat, then you know what I’m talking about. And yes, you get to keep the shark. 

There was one last place we had to squeeze in before we headed back to the hotel to change for dinner. A more refined stop. A stop for bubbles at Brennan’s came highly recommended and was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Every Friday at 5 pm in their courtyard, they do a Champagne sabering. Not only was this the most adorable courtyard I’ve ever seen, but they also offer bottles of bubbles for a bargain, which is part of the lure of the place. Even with the discount, it’s still a little pricey, but totally worth it. 

We ordered a little yellowfin tuna tartare to hold us over until dinner. We actually weren’t able to finish our bottle of rosé before we had to leave, but no worries were had and no rosé was wasted. Our server brought us a bottle stopper and we hit the road, in a cab, of course. 

The last stop on our food tour of NOLA was MOPHO, a neighborhood restaurant serving Southeast Asian- inspired dishes using ingredients from Louisiana’s pantry. The restaurant is also home to the 2016 Food and Wine best new chef, Michael Gulotta.

We had some of the best brussels sprouts that I’ve ever tasted. 

We also had the melon salad, the Mopho Tom Sam Salad and the slow roast lamb in green curry. Lamb is not something that’s typically on my radar, but we were told it was one of the most popular dishes, so we had to order it. Packed full of flavor and heat, this dish did not disappoint. 

Another amazing dinner in the books. One last tour of the nightlife and a few cocktails later, we called it an evening. My trip to New Orleans was definitely one I will never forget! 

If you're traveling to New Orleans anytime soon and are interested in hearing more about the places I've mentioned, feel free to reach out!