Last Friday I kicked off a fun quiz and invited y’all to guess where in the world I was. Many of you guessed correctly—the Big Easy: New Orleans! A special mention goes to T.B. Markinson and Lorraine Kleinwaks for guessing right on the first day.
I’d been to New Orleans once before, during Mardi Gras. I was 18. The city has a decidedly different feel when masked people aren’t throwing plastic beads at you from atop floats. I hope you enjoy a short photo tour of the city.
Mardi Gras beads adorn fences and light posts all year long.
Home in the Garden District. I could show a dozen photos of homes — each more gorgeous than the next.
This is one of the few surviving “cornstalk” wrought iron fences in New Orleans. This style was one of the most expensive to produce.
Having drinks on the porch at The Columns hotel and watching the streetcars pass. Highly recommended!
Reggie hanging out on the Mississippi River levee. The levees on the Mississippi River have been expanded since Hurricane Katrina.
Lovely French Quarter digs.
Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral on a rainy morning, but…
that didn’t stop me from waiting in line at Cafe du Monde for beignets. Cafe du Monde might serve other items, but I never thought to look at a menu.
Word of advice: do not wear black while eating beignets. Beignets are fried dough covered with powdered sugar.
Grilled pecan pie at the Camellia Grill, a greasy spoon in the Carrollton neighborhood. The place was closed after Hurricane Katrina until April 2007. The front door was covered with hundreds of notes from neighbors who missed it.
This was easily the best thing I ate in New Orleans. The best time to go is after midnight. Even then, expect a line.
I was told this was calorie-free. What?!?
Hansen’s is a hole-in-the-wall bungalow on Tchoupitoulas Street opened by Ernest and Mary Hansen in 1939. Now the place is run by their granddaughter. They serve snow cones to which you can add a variety of flavors…
I chose cream of nectar. It doesn’t look like much, but it’s refreshing on a hot day.
I can’t leave you without a grainy photo from a night out in the Marigny neighborhood listening to the charming Kermit Ruffins on horn. Yes, he is wearing blue suede shoes.
Thank you for posting your answers. You helped raise $54.00 for Rebuilding Together New Orleans, an organization that helps repair and rebuild homes for people in need using a combination of volunteers and professional labor.
Have you been to New Orleans? Have a great weekend, everyone!
Looks like you and Reggie had a great time. I love your tour of all the best places to eat. That’s the way we travel too! Have a great weekend–Patti
That pecan pie will rank up there as one of my all time greatest desserts! 🙂
Wonderful! Sounds delicious.
Lucky you! And how nice that Reggie got to go as well. Enjoyed the photos very much. That house in the Garden District is spectacular.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed the photos! The homes in the Garden District are amazing. Each one is more beautiful than the next. It was difficult to not take photos of each one.
Great pictures! I’m very pleased to see that Reggie is enjoying vacation, too. Godsend and I wish we were eating beignets right now here at The Grind. Milton would go out of his mind for a slice of grilled pecan pie. He LOVES pecan pie, but I don’t think he’s ever had it grilled. I sense he’d be over the moon if he ever had it served that way.
I’d never had grilled pecan pie either. It’s the specialty of the house, and it was delicious. Milton would definitely love it. I’m afraid all future pecan pie will never live up to these high expectations.
Love these pics, Jackie. And yes, beignets – oh, how delicious.
There was a little bird that sat next to me while I was eating the beignets. He got covered in powdered sugar! 🙂
Looks like that was a fun time, Jackie!
It was indeed! I wish I could have stayed longer. 🙂
Le Bon temp roule! Bad Fench spelling. I lived in NO for three years and loved every minute! Great job capturing the spirit!
I didn’t know that you’d lived there, Emily! What a great city. I hope I hit all the highlights.
I’m rather late to the party, but, hey, laissez les bon temps rouler! I hope Reggie got an even covering of beignet sugar.
(Also, I love Rebuilding Together. Yay, you!)
Amazing how something as simple as fried dough can taste so delicious. As I was eating the beignets in the park a little bird sat at my feet. Before long his head was completely covered in powdered sugar. He didn’t seem to mind though! 🙂
I’ve been to New Orleans many times, but haven’t been there in over 10 years. Your post inspires me to make another trip! As much as I love the music and the history, the food there is just out of this world. Glad you had a fun visit.
It’s hard to have a bad meal in New Orleans! I hope you get to visit again soon. What a great city.
Great tour, Jackie. Looks like you hit all the best spots! I’ve never been, so this was a treat for me.
I was thinking of you as I was taking a photo of the wrought iron fence. It’s tricky to get a clear shot that shows the details but isn’t oversaturated. 🙂
What a great visit! (For us following along, too!)
I had a terrific time. New Orleans is a fantastic city — so much to explore!
Great photos, Jackie, including Reggie! Lorraine
Thanks, Lorraine! It was a wonderful trip.
Those were some nice photos…I’m definitely craving those beignets … They looked really good. Grilled pecan pie? I’ve never had it, but on the to do list for sure! Thanks for the trip around the neighborhood, I’ve never been to The Big Easy with all that food, ambiance, and music sounds like a good place to visit.
What is it about fried dough that is soooo delicious?! Seems like such a simple thing.
I tried to eat just one, but I sucked down three in under a minute.
You should go just for the beignets! 🙂
I could never just eat one. 🙂
Sorry I missed the quiz, Jackie (and the pecan pie 🙁 ) It does look a beguiling city. 🙂
I think New Orleans has a little something for everyone: delicious food, good music, and lovely walks. 🙂
Loved this collection of photos! So special! <3
There were so many great photos of my time in New Orleans. It was hard to select just a few. 🙂
Thanks for taking us along on the tour. I think I gained 5 pounds just looking at that pie – it’s my hubby’s favorite kind. Yum!
I think I’ve ruined myself for pecan pie. How could any future pie possibly compare?
This is a city I really want to visit. I was afraid too much was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina but it still looks gorgeous. Did you feel it was changed?
That’s a great question, Caroline. It was amazing how much progress has been made after such an all-encompassing disaster. I did come across some abandoned buildings, but in the areas I visited, the vast majority of homes and businesses had been rebuilt/refurbished. During my trip, I was struck time and again by the resiliency and spirit of the people.
New Orleans is a city that captures the imagination. And… there are some very interesting cemeteries that will inspire you. 🙂 I should have included a few of those photos. Maybe that will be a future post.
I hope you’ll share those photos. The cemeteries would be my first stop! I love Anne Rice.