Before heading off shore for a few days of deep sea fishing last week, our group (my folks & some family/business friends) wanted to hit New Orleans for some good Cajun food and a "little" drinking. Now while I do love the city, I could've skipped it and headed straight to the boat because I LOVE me some deep sea fishing.
But I digress...
New Orleans is a city unlike any other...rich with history, culture and some amazing food and music. For those of you who haven't been to NOLA, definitely do a little research about the history of the city and what not before you go. But definitely go.
It's a quick flight from Austin and we land with a hustle in our step as dinner reservations loomed merely a hour from leaving the airport. Now it's only 15 min from the airport to downtown, but once we arrived in the French Quarter traffic came to a crawl. With our hotel right on Bourbon street and said street closing at 7 pm each night, we had a little detouring to do to get to our location.
In the past, we've stayed at the Windsor Court , which is a very fancy hotel with high tea served every afternoon and antiques in each room. It's a very lovely experience and it still surprises me that it's one of my dad's favorite hotels. For those of you who know my dad, you understand what I'm saying. For those of you who don't, well let's just say that while well educated both formally and in life, he's a boots and jeans guy and not what I'd call "fancy." And the Windsor Court, she's a fancy lady.
Now that I'm completely off track, let's bring it back to the story.
This time, we stayed at the Inn on Bourbon, which sits at the corner of Bourbon and Toulouse. Great great location for being in the middle of the action. Terrible location if you have a balcony room opening up to Bourbon Street when it's not Mardi Gras. You guessed it! My room was just round the corner and when I went to bed, it was loud. Real loud. Guess I should've had one more cocktail before going to sleep...
For dinner that evening, we walked down a few blocks to Galatiore's. I've eaten here once before and enjoyed the experience. The service is nice but no shorts are allowed and men have to wear a dinner jacket. (Don't worry if you left yours at home, they have quite a few that you can borrow. Size, color, and cleanliness are variables to consider however when packing your bags.) Now I'm all about experiencing well established restaurants and this place is one with a long standing tradition in NOLA. It's known for serving authentic French Creole cuisine and is run by the fourth generation of the same family. However, this evening, I was not impressed. The food was solid. The fried soft shell crab and shrimp remoulade salad appetizers were flavorful and my red fish special was very well prepared. The service was good, but the overall experience was a B- at best.
My complaints? I'm glad you asked.
The place was packed and extremely noisy. Super noisy really. So loud that I thought I needed a hearing aid just to hear my mom across the table. On top of the noise, every 10-15 minutes (and sometimes less than 5 minutes apart) the head waiter would ding a glass to get everyone's attention to announce a birthday or anniversary. Really? Yes. Really. The first time it happened I thought nothing of it but after the 15th time, I was appalled. This is not TGIFriday's or some Mexican food restaurant but a $30+ a plate restaurant!! I suggested to our table that for every announcement made the fellas should get to ditch their jackets for 15 minutes. I felt bad for those guys in 98 degree weather plus humidity with a not so cool A/C running to HAVE to wear a dinner jacket in this not so classy environment. Disappointed to say the least.
Now, let me tell you about a great experience...breakfast the next morning at Brennan's. This is a MUST DO when you're in New Orleans. The restaurant has a great history and if you have time, go check it out on their website. I found it to be an interesting read and insightful of the restaurant's success. Brennan's is also home to Bananas Foster...a tasty cinnamon, sugar banana desert flambeed table side and served with vanilla Blue Bell ice cream. The service here is amazing. The dress code is casual, even with it's formality, but if you want to dress up, I say go for it!! Brennan's offers a Prix Fixe menu with three courses of yumminess!!
Our table selections included...
Starter:
-Southern Baked Apple with Double Cream (OMG! It's like Thanksgiving in your mouth!) -Oyster soup
-Turtle soup (actually better than it sounds and a creole staple.)
-Okra gumbo
Main dish:
-Eggs Sardou: Poached eggs on artichoke bottoms nestled in a bed of creamed spinach and covered with Hollandaise sauce
-Eggs Hussarde: (A Brennan's Original) One of the dishes that put "Breakfast at Brennan's" on
the map. Poached eggs atop Holland rusks, Canadian bacon and Marchand de Vin sauce. Topped with Hollandaise sauce.
-Shrimp Sardou: Deliciously spicy fried shrimp atop sliced artichoke bottoms nestled in a bed of creamed spinach and covered with Hollandaise sauce. (I'm getting THIS next time!)
-Eggs Shannon: Poached eggs atop fried trout, served in a bed of creamed spinach and topped with Hollandaise sauce.
-Eggs Bayou LaFourche: Poached eggs atop Andouille Cajun sausage and Holland rusks. Topped with Hollandaise sauce.
Dessert:
-Louisiana Chocolate Pecan Pie: served with Homemade Vanilla Blue Bell ice cream
-Bananas Foster: A Brennan Creation and now World-Famous. Bananas sautéed in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and banana liqueur, then flamed in rum. Served over vanilla ice cream. Scandalously Delicious!
-Crepes Fitzgerald: A Brennan Creation. Crepes filled with a delicate filling of cream cheese and sour cream served with a topping of strawberries flamed in Maraschino. Scrumptious!
*Descriptions courtesy of Brennan's website.
As for drinks, they are famous for their Bloody Mary's and I personally love the Mr. Funk (champagne, cranberry & peach schnapps).
You may think it's a bit pricey, but let me promise you this...the food is great, the service amazing and the portions large. In short, it's worth every penny!
Now I don't want to forget that before our late breakfast at Brennan's, Mom, Dad and I took a walk to Jackson Square to look around, take a few pictures, and get our pre-breakfast beignets from Cafe du Monde. What's a beignet you ask? Well as my cousin put it, it's "a little treat sent down from heaven." It's a French doughnut if you will. A fried piece of dough, rectangular, and covered with powdered sugar. This place must go through tons of powdered sugar each week. They are quite generous in their application of the sugary substance. Delish!
After enjoying a beignet or two to tide us over before breakfast, we walk around the French Quarter window shopping and picking up a few postcards to send home. The day is hot and humid and only gets more intense as the day continues. While the summer months are not the best time to go with the heat and humidity, in NOLA the good times always roll.
With our visit complete, we load up and head south towards Venice, Louisiana for the next adventure. And my next blog entry.
Until then happy travels and many laughs...
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