We wanted to go on a short family vacation and struggled to agree on the location. We did not want to fly outside the country (COVID), wanted to go some place warm (did not want to go back to Florida), did not want to fly too far (California got eliminated) and eventually agreed on New Orleans. I have been there a few times, but many years ago (pre-Katrina). New Orleans has this reputation of a wild party city (which it is) and the kids had some apprehensions about going there with parents. I had to convince them on all the “fun” things (the exciting Cajun / Creole foods and some NOLA unique beverages) etc. etc. Did not need much arm twisting, they quickly agreed.

I never really took the time to read about the history and culture of New Orleans. So I decided to do some reading about New Orleans, it’s history, cuisine, unique facts and crazy anecdotes about this City. I learnt even more during our visit, mostly from talking to Uber/Lyft drivers, bartenders and common people.  neworleans.com offers excellent information on local information, some good information on wikipedia and a few other sources. I have plugged in some of this “gyan” (learning) in the blog. So, here goes….

New Orleans was founded by French in 1718. Then came the Spanish and then it was back to the French. New Orleans being a large port, it was always an attractive target for capture. Eventually, in 1803 the United States “bought” Lousiana from the French (they paid $ 15 M in what is famously known as the Louisiana Purchase). Culturally, New Orleans is an eclectic hybrid of African-American, French and Spanish influences. The Creoles (French or Spanish descendants born in the colony) , the Cajuns ( the original French Colonists) and the slaves from Africa & West Indies are the three groups of people that created this unique potporri of cultures in NOLA 

New Orleans is essentially an island between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, New Orleans is a city defined and shaped by it’s various waterways. The eastern side of the the river is New Orleans and the west side is called Algiers. Both sides are connected by the Greater New Orleans Bridge (also known as the Crescent City Connection). Louisiana is the only state in America whose political subdivisions are parishes and not counties. The state is divided into 64 parishes and the city of New Orleans is divided into 17 wards and subdivided into precincts. 

The historic heart of the city is the French Quarter, known for its French and Spanish Creole architecture and vibrant nightlife along Bourbon Street. The French Quarter is a mad potpourri of historic landmarks (Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, Madame LaLaurie’s mansion); timeless traditions (ghost tours, street musicians and artists, Mardi Gras beads) and endless late night revelers (curbside parties, plastic cups with Hurricanes and other alcoholic beverages). This Crown Jewel of New Orleans is curious mix of the old and the new…

Given the crazy times that we live in, we had planned for this vacation to be mostly around food and drink and try to avoid crowds and stay outdoors as much as possible. This meant no visits to jazz clubs on Frenchman street, rides on the NOLA tram cars or crowded bars. Late evening visits to Bourbon Street were anyway struck off the list as a pre-condition to get the girls to sign up for a family visit to NOLA. We knew that NOLA offers a lot to delight the culinary appetite and has started researching restaurants (and bars) in the week leading up to our travel. We had a few places pre-selected from past visits and online research.

We arrived in New Orleans on Wed evening and the “fun” started right away. We were stuck on I-10 on our way from the airport to the AirBnB for 2 hours as there was a major accident on the highway. It was late by the time we reached our home for the next 5 days. We stayed int he ByWater area of New Orleans. We decided to order some food delivery. We ordered some Chicken Po Boys and Veg Gumbo. Check out my blog “Culinary Delights of NOLA” to learn more about the New Orleans Creole and Cajun delicacies.

Day 1 – We decided that we should start our adventure in the French Quarter. We “Uber’ed” (actually it was Lyft) straight to Pat O’ Briens. What better to start your NOLA vacation than with an alcoholic beverage. It did not matter that it was only 11.30 am (it is still drinking time somewhere in the world). We ordered the famous Hurricanes. Served in a hurricane lamp shaped glass, we sipped into New Orleans’ favorite libation. (There’s some really interesting history to the Hurricane covered in my next blog). Loaded with a LOT of rum, the Hurricane put us in the right mood to enjoy the French Quarter. The streets were not very crowded ( the night must have ended here for many folks only a few hours ago). We head out to get some lunch at The Gumbo Shop on Peter Street, close to Bourbon Street. The Gumbo Shop is very famous for, you guessed it, their Gumbo. (That’s the Hurricane effect !). We ordered some Seafood and Okra Gumbo, Shrimp Creole and Vegetarian Gumbo. It was yum, yum, yummy. Gumbo is a very traditional dish here in New Orleans. With a heritage claiming both French and West African roots, gumbo is a thick stew served over rice and made with flourand a wide variety of ingredients such as celery, peppers, okra, onions chicken, sausage and/or seafood. 

After our Gumbo experience, we walked through the historic Jackson Square. In many ways, Jackson Square is the heart of New Orleans. This city square is the epicenter of the French Quarter. Early French colonial New Orleans was centered on what was then called the Place d’Armes ( lit. ‘weapons’ square’). … Following the 1815 Battle of New Orleans, during the first half of the 19th century, the former military plaza was renamed Jackson Square, for the battle’s victorious General Jackson. We stopped to enjoy the music by a group of street musicians in the square.

We walked over to another New Orleans speciality – Cafe Du Monde. World famous for their Beignets and Cafe Au Lait (with coffee and chicory). Beignets have their roots in France and best described as square donuts doused with powdered sugar or some refer to them as sugar pillows. The coffee here is quite special. It is not uncommon to see long lines of people waiting for their turn to indulge in this gastronomic experience. After a few Beignets and coffee, we returned to our NOLA home for some rest before heading out for dinner. 

We had planned to get Cocktails at a New Orleans and  Indian fusion restaurant called Saffron. This is on Magazine Street (fun fact – The street took its name from an ammunition magazine located in this vicinity during the 18th-century colonial period). Saffron had very unique and exotic cocktails – Holi Smoke ( Bourbon, cyan, cacao, tulsi, pineapple, lemon, Indian snack mix) or Na_Ma_Slay Punch ( Indian rum, Indian gin, darjeeling tea, east India sherry, array, st. Germain, ginger allspice, lemon). The cocktail experience was quite the big_easy nirvana.

We had dinner reservations at Shaaya, an Israeli restaurant with a southern touch. We were seated outdoors on the patio. The food was served family style with lots of appetizers and small plates. It was an amazing dining experience. The roasted cauliflower and fried chicken hummus were the best. Warm Chocolate Babka was a good way to round up the evening. 

Eventful and exciting first day in the big easy. It was a party for our taste buds and teaser for what was to follow over the next few days. 

Day 2 – After a beautiful sunny day yesterday, there was some rain today and we had to plan around this. We planned some indoor activity – a visit to the famous WW2 museum. The museum is quite big and very impressive with interactive exhibits and a 4D movie experience. 

We went to Rosie’s on the Roof at the Higgins Hotel on Magazine street across the street from the Museum. (History: Hotel was named to honor Andrew Higgins, who designed and built over 20,000 boats in New Orleans that were used in every major amphibious assault of World War II). I had seen pictures of Rosie in the past with the “we can do it” tag line. Never knew the full back story to this (did not study American history). Here’s what I learned about Rosie – She is Rosie the Riveter, a fictitious character created to honor the 6 million women who took up non-traditional jobs during WW II. Rosie remains one of the most iconic images to come out of that conflict.

We enjoyed the views of the New Orleans skyline from the rooftop  (views of the present city bridge and the French quarter). 

We had dinner reservations at Carmo, an eclectic tropical bar and cafe. The food at Carmo was quite amazing. They have some very unique seafood, vegetarian and vegan dishes on their menu. Ceviche (vegan) and Creole Fish were outstanding.  

As we drove through various parts of the city over the last couple of days, the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was still quite evident. There were many homes and commercial property that were abandoned in a few neighborhoods. Our Lyft driver shared his experiences from that terrible tragedy. Most of the city was flooded, under several feet of water, over 2000 lives were lost and the city suffered several billion dollars of damage.

Day 3 – We had reservations for brunch NOLA style at Ruby’s Slipper in French Market. They had a southern twist to almost all the dishes on the menu. My favorite was Sweet Hot Chicken ( Spicy fried chicken with Mike’s hot honey and French Toast bites with a drizzle of maple syrup. Ruby’s mimosas were refreshing and served in generous portions. While the rest of the fam ordered the Ruby Special Mimosas, I ordered the Big Easy Ginger Lime flavor Mimosa ( it was torqouise blue in color). After a leisurely brunch, we walked over to Canal street. 

Our Lyft driver gave us a short history lesson about the historic Canal Street. After the Louisiana Purchase (1803), a large influx of other cultures began to find their way into the city via the Mississippi River. Along the division between these two cultures, a canal was planned. The canal was never built but the street which took its place received the name. Residential, commercial and government buildings flourished along Canal Street in the 1800s, which became the dividing line between the primarily Creole French Quarter side, and the primarily American sector, which is now known as the Central Business District. Tensions often arose between these two groups, but Canal Street was a “neutral ground,” a name that now extends to any median in New Orleans.

Canal Street is a happening place, lots of shopping, movie halls, hotels (and several mobile outlets of WeedWorld !!). We went to the historic Roosevelt Hotel to see the Christmas decorations. The lobby was very festive and colorful with holiday decorations. It was very busy and chaotic too. Lots of people here to enjoy the festivities. 

Later in the evening we went to Bacchanal a wine bar / garden where they had live music. It was a unique, relaxed experience, sitting outdoors enjoying wine and lovely jazz music. Quite contrary to what the name “Bacchanal” suggests. A thunderstorm that moved in from the gulf ended our evening rather abruptly. 

Our 3 days in NOLA were quite exciting and eventful. Very giddy with lots of history, food and drink. One more day to go..

Day 4 –  

This was our last day in NOLA. We had a few items to check off the list and a few others to do a repeat or three-peat. Our first stop was Felix’s Oyster Bar on Bourbon Street to get a taste of their famous Chargrilled Oysters. I am not an Oysters guy.  Watching our daughter relish the Oysters was good for me. I tried some of their Shrimp Cocktail. They were the best that I had ever had, very fresh and yum. We had fried pickles as a side. One item checked on the list, we walked over next door to Big Easy Daiquiris. The Voodoo Daiquiri is often also called “Purple Drank” is a New Orleans specialty. The sweet grape-flavored frozen daiquiri is spiked with bourbon and Everclear (190 proof, grain alcohol), and is apparently very strong. We were not brave enough to try this early in the day. We got a couple of not-so-strong and “non-voodoo” Daiquiris. I did not find anything special about the Daiquiris. I may have  appreciated them more on a warmer day. 

We walked back to Jackson Then for the three-peat at Cafe Du Monde with their Beignets and Coffee. There was about a half hour wait to get our caffine shot of NOLA special chicory rich  coffee and our favorite “sugar pillows”. 

Last evening in NOLA, we walked around the Bywater neighborhood. We found a Beirgarten (Bratzy y’all) close to home. We walked in got ourselves from German beers. There was a band playing the blue and folks enjoying Brats and Schnitzels with their German beers.

This wrapped up our visit to NOLA. There are many many more things to do in NOLA. We did not have time or avoided due to the Omicron drama that we are all living. The Natchez Steamboat cruise experience, the swamp tour, jazz clubs on Frenchman St and many many more things are now left for our next visit to NOLA in a post-COVID world. Yes… I still believe that there is such a world in the not too distant future. I am an eternal optimist.