New Orleans Travel Recap | Part 2

I'm back with you today to share part two of my recent trip to New Orleans. Be sure to check out part one if you missed it.

One of my favorite things about traveling is discovering hidden gems, the kind that are off the beaten path and not on the radar of most visitors. We happened to stumble upon just that, an adorable little breakfast spot with delicious food, oozing with southern hospitality and charm.

Bywater Bakery is just a short walk from the cottage where we were staying. Serving both breakfast and lunch, this spot is the perfect place to satisfy your hunger and caffeine needs. The warm greeting we received as soon as we walked in left us feeling right at home.

By the time we nibbled on breakfast and finally made our way back out, it was time to head to our next stop on the food tour. On another note, this is the top I mentioned in my first post that I found at a local boutique the day we got there. It's definitely a top I'll get a lot of wear out of this Spring.

If you're planning a trip to New Orleans, Willa Jean is a must! I've had this place on my radar from the minute I came across a photo of it on Instagram. With a rustic chic vibe on the inside, sunlight pouring through the windows, and beautifully plated food coming out of the kitchen, this is the perfect spot for an afternoon brunch. 

If we had room in our bellies to order one of everything we totally would have. Everything on the menu sounded so amazing, like this cornbread...it was everything! I'm not even a cornbread fan but this may have converted me.

Call it basic if you want, but the avocado toast was too pretty not to order.

One of the new things to the menu and most popular, according to our waiter was the fried chicken sandwich with serrano slaw on a hawaiia roll. Holy yum...worth every calorie!

I also couldn't resist trying a bite of the crawfish roll served with remoulade and celery on a buttery bun. I wouldn't say that I'm the biggest fan of crawfish either, but piling it high on a sandwich with all of those ingredients was a game changer. 

Extra caffeine was in order after all of the food we consumed. Three words: Milk Money Latte. I would ride in the car 11 hours all over again just to have another glass. 

We couldn't exit without trying the frosé as well. 

It appears that all we did was eat and drink on this trip and I can't deny that, but, there was also some sight seeing in the mix. Like this visit to the oldest structure in the U.S. that's used as a bar. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is a small, dark, hole in the wall on the corner of Bourbon Street. What's better than a little bit of history mixed with an ice-cold beverage?!

We blame the adult beverages for the purchases that happened on our way to our next stop. I'm obsessed with my new matte black shades from Krewe.

Another must visit place when in New Orleans, Brennan's Restaurat, preferably at 5 o'clock on a Friday to enjoy their champagne sabering in the courtyard.

We intentionally made an early dinner reservation so we could slip right in the restaurant following happy hour in the courtyard. The inside of this restaurant is so unique with glamorous dining rooms, all wreaking of southern charm and sophistication. With a menu rooted in Creole traditions, dinner was a tough choice, but here's where we landed. Grilled foie gras "sweet potato casserole" — ahh-mazing!

 Gulf shrimp bolognese with and creamy grit agnolotti and Tuscan kale.

Risotto with Cherokee Rose cheddar cheese, smoked maitake mushrooms, collard green purée, and a brown butter sauce. This was my favorite!

 And a classic steak diane.

Dessert photos not included. We had another unforgettable evening and meal!

If you're interested in reading up on more about the trip, hang around for the final part of my recap and a summary of restaurants that should be on your list if you're planning to visit anytime soon!

Currently Loving

I have a mixed bag of things to share with you today. You may have seen me mention some of these items on my Instagram stories lately. I thought were too good not to share in a blog post!

First up, this little wooden pineapple bowl from Open Door Shop. It's the perfect versatile dish that can be used for things such as a salt cellar (perfect for my favorite salt), jewelry dish, or on the table for small snacks like nuts or olives. Open Door Shop is local retailer selling a collection of beautiful goods for the home. The good news, you can also shop online! They have so many cute things!  

A few months ago I wrote a post sharing my thoughts on Arctic Zero fit frozen desserts. Recently they came out with a new line of flavors for 2017 and I gave them all a try. These frozen desserts satisfy the sweet tooth with out the guilt, plus there's some protein in there which is always an added bonus. Well the verdict is in. While I think that all of their flavors are pretty tasty, they knocked it out of the park with their Peanut Butter Swirl flavor! Of all of the flavors I've tried, including those from last year, this one is hands down my favorite! There are only 300 calories in the whole pint, which is great because I could easily consume the whole things in one sitting.

Last week I went to the Teil Duncan art show at The American Theater and fell in love with all of her pieces. Teil is a local artist painting mostly figurative and non-objective work in the most beautiful array of colors. As I previously mentioned, we are updating our bedroom and I would love to hang one of her beauties in our room. The beach scenes and animals are my favorites.

Remember the recent purchases I mentioned in my recap of our New Orleans trip? These pretties were one of the things  I was referring to! I'm obsessed with the St. Louis matte black sunglasses from Krewe. They are also available in rose gold, but in-store only. I loved them both but decided to go with these!

We recently transitioned from a queen size bed to a king as part of our bedroom makeover. I had no idea what we were missing out on. The additional space is amazing! Here's a look at the bed we purchased. Similar options here, here and here.

New Orleans Travel Recap | Part 1

As most of you have probably gathered by now, my husband and I are constantly on the go. So of course when our good friends asked us to join them on a trip to New Orleans, we couldn't say no. My best friend's husband turned thirty and we couldn't think of a better place to get together and celebrate!

I've been asked several times what the highlight of the trip was and of course, aside from spending time with our sweet friends, the food was at the top of my list! I'm also pretty excited about two purchases I made while I was there, but more about that later. I didn't want to overload you with too many photos in one post, so I decided to break up my recap. Be sure to check back later for part two!

We rented a charming little cottage located in the Bywater neighborhood – a trendy, hipster area just five minutes downriver from the French Quarter. Our cottage was so adorable. The outside was bright and colorful as are most of the other cottages in the neighborhood. The inside was beautifully decorated and provided the perfect space for a party of four.

Some interior photos sourced from VRBO.

If you follow along on my Insta stories, you may be aware that Whit and I decided to drive (from South Carolina) instead of fly. The trip wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but needless to say, we were very ready for some good food and cocktails by the time we arrived. 

We headed towards the French Quarter, making our first stop at Pat O'briens for an infamous hurricane. A drink a little too sweet for our liking, so we kept moving.  After a quick google search for the "best po boys near me" we were directed to The Bourbon House, a premier oyster bar and seafood restaurant, offering an extensive selection of bourbon. My assumption is that this place is most likely a tourist spot, the kind that visitors venture to in Charleston. But we were in fact tourists and I'm so glad google led us to this spot. This place had the best charbroiled oysters I've ever tasted. We loved them so much, we ate their twice during our trip. They also had my favorite seasonal beer on draft which was another added bonus.

I'm not a bourbon drinker, but I would assume this list just about covers anything and everything a bourbon lover could want and more. 

We had just the right amount of food to coat our bellies and continue on exploring the city.

The weather was beautiful the entire time we were there. The first day it was 80 degrees- I was ready for it, but my pale skin wasn't. 

We stumbled across the cutest little boutique and I couldn't resist purchasing a blue and white top I spotted on the mannequin. I love shopping at local boutiques when I travel. I always feel like my purchases have a little more meaning. You can see what I purchased in part two of my recap, coming soon. 

Dessert before dinner is totally acceptable when it involves warm powdered sugar covered beignets from the infamous Cafe Du Monde. 

Enough to tease our tastebuds, we refrained from getting more in order to save room for dinner at La Petite Grocery. Located in the central business district in a quaint cottage that housed a grocery store in the 1800s, La Petite Grocery's Chef Justin Devillier is serving up fabulous Louisiana fare. Here are a few things that crossed our table. 

For starters, we split the ricotta dumplings and the roasted brussels sprouts with cane syrup butter, pecans & smoked bacon.

I decided to go out on a limb and try one of their most popular dishes, turtle bolognese with bucatini, sherry, parsley & fried soft boiled egg. It was a risk I'm glad I took, because my meal was delicious. If you can get past the name, I recommend giving it a try. 

We also tried the gulf shrimp and grits, roasted lamp chops and the LPG cheeseburger. Let me just say this, when a nice restaurant has a cheeseburger on the menu, it must be something special, and this one sure was! Made with house pickles, onion marmalade, arugula, whole grain mustard, aioli & gruyere on a soft bun served with hand cut fries — my husband made an excellent choice.

Check back later for part two of my recap as the food saga continues!