The Wanderer's Agenda

Here’s a snapshot of my first time visiting New Orleans. I went with three other first-timers: my momma, my childhood friend Eva and her momma Erica (who was gracious enough to invite us to spend time with her on her work trip). We all live in different states now – Florida, Iowa, Illinois and Virginia – but when we get together it’s always a blast!

DAY 1 

12:00 PM – Airport/Hotel

Landed at MSY around 10:30 AM but had to wait for my mom’s flight that was delayed from Miami (but, of course). We then jumped in a cab to downtown (fixed rate of $35 for two people) and arrived at the Hilton Riverside.

If you have a chance, stroll down the riverwalk and enjoy the views! If you have an urge to shop, visit the outlet mall right along the boardwalk.

1:30 PM – Walk through the French Quarter

Time to explore the city! The French Quarter is like no other (well, except maybe in France). The architecture, the culture, the jazz and the smell of food was overwhelming as we zig zagged through the streets until we met up with Eva at Huge Ass Beers… where they make fun of you for ordering small beers by giving you a glass labeled “half ass beer”.

Here a couple things that really stood out as we trekked around the French Quarter:

• Parades: There were many random parades and most seemed to have no purpose but had police escort (interesting job?). We learned that in New Orleans, it’s really easy to organize your very own parade… just follow these steps.
• Skywriting: It felt like there was constantly new words being drawn in the sky with an airplane (from “faith” and “love” to “America”). Well, if you have $$$ and/or are interested in spreading nice messages, you can pay for someone to fly a plane and write words in the sky for you.

2:00 PM – Lunch at Café Amelie

Somehow we stumbled upon the cutest little restaurant called Café Amelie, located on Royal Street in the French Quarter. If you’re not in a rush, make sure to sit outdoors because the courtyard is amazing. We were (or should I say “I was”) already hangry due to the travel delays so we settled for sitting inside, which was still adorable and quaint.

Some of the best food we had on our trip was at Café Amelie. Highly recommend the baked oysters appetizer and the shrimp and grits (one of my favorite meals of the entire trip).

3:30 PM – Coffee break at Café Du Monde

Stopping by Café Du Monde on Decatur Street for some coffee and beignets is an absolute must while visiting New Orleans. The order of beignets comes in threes, so we made sure to get two orders for the four of us. Don’t forget the café au lait (which reminded my somewhat of a café con leche). Trust me, you won’t regret it…

Just look at the happiness on their faces:

4:00 PM – Explore Jackson Square

There’s a ton to do around Jackson Square which is a historic park in the French Quarter. It’s also the site where Louisiana became United States territory after the signing of the Louisiana Purchase (hence it’s name “Jackson Square” named after President Andrew Jackson).

On the northwest side of the square sits St. Louis Cathedral,  the oldest cathedral in the United States. Take a moment to visit the church – it truly is beautiful inside with chandeliers draping the inside.

Around the square, you’ll find artwork hanging along the fence, artists painting caricatures, musicians playing jazz and locals reading tarot cards. My favorite part of walking around the square was sitting to watch the street performers… they even lined up a group of about 10 tourists (including Eva) and somehow jumped over them. It was ridiculous!

5:15 PM – Walk down Bourbon Street 

Walking around the French Quarter can get exhausting… especially depending on the time of year you visit. We decided to stop at The Courtyard Grill at Bourbon Heat to rest our feet and grab a drink (or two). Lucky for us, it was buy one get one free beers so the mommas were double fisting it out.

8:30 PM – Dinner at Vessel NOLA

After resting at the hotel for a bit and freshening up, we decided to explore a different neighborhood – Mid-City. We found a restaurant on Yelp called Vessel NOLA that was about a 15 minute Uber ride from the hotel. You can also take the Canal Street streetcar and stop at Scott Street (this leaves you one block from the restaurant).

What makes this place special is the building. The restaurant sits in an old church that was built in 1914 but later turned into a restaurant in 1977. Vessel NOLA opened in June of 2015.

Not only is the venue spectacular, but the food was delicious… we each cleared our plates. I had the house fettuccine, shrimp, oyster, crawfish, house tasso, creaole cream dish. I’m drooling just typing that.

DAY 2

9:00 AM – Breakfast at The Ruby Slipper Cafe

We woke up early the next morning to ensure we arrived at The Ruby Slipper Cafe before it got too crowded. As we walked to the restaurant on Magazine Street, we used the Nowait app to put us in “line” before we even got there. Once we checked in with the hostess, we only had to wait another 10 minutes (we saved about an extra 30 minutes)!

The menu was fantastic. I’m a huge fan of eggs benedict and this menu exceeded my expectations. I ended up choosing “The Peacemaker” that allowed me to choose two different types of benedicts: Chicken St. Charles and the Hot-Smoked Bennie. A-MAAAZING. The best part of it all was the biscuit that replaced the benedict’s typical english muffin… mmmm I’m still dreaming about this meal.

10:30 AM – Mister Gregory’s Coffee

After breakfast, we walked to Mister Gregory’s on North Rampart Street while we waited for our Voodoo tour to start. On the way to the coffee shop, we stopped by Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel which features a grotto on the side of the church that’s worth a drop-by.

11:00 AM – Voodoo Tour

We signed up for a Voodoo Tour through Free Tours by Foot which offers name-your-own-price tours run by local tour guides. I’ve signed up for these on previous trips and this one did not disappoint.

On our 1.5 hour tour, led by Sandy (no, not Sandra Bullock…but more about her later), we learned about:

• The significance of Congo Square
• Slavery and the Code Noir in New Orleans
• The Haitian rebellions
• The Voodoo Queen of New Orleans
• Depictions of voodoo in Hollywood pop culture and New Orleans culture

I have to say, this tour was more about the history of New Orleans than about the voodoo religion itself…very informative! We each paid the tour guide $10 cash (the majority of other tours we saw were charging at least $25.00).

1:00 PM – Frenchmen Street

After our tour, we decided it was time to explore outside of the French Quarter. We walked about a mile to Frenchmen Street in the Fauborg Marigny neighborhood where the area is filled with authentic jazz clubs.

We popped into the infamous Spotted Cat Music Club to grab a drink and cool down. Although it was the middle of the day, we were welcomed by a live performance. Make sure to bring your cash with you as the bar has a strict “cash only” policy (there’s an ATM inside in case you forget). The majority of bars in the city share this same policy.

2:00 PM – St. Roch Market

Another half mile away and we found ourselves at the St. Roch Market ready to eat! Come hungry because this food hall has a wide variety of delicious vendors.

We chose a cheese board and a meat board from Elysian Oyster Bar (because you can’t order just one).  The cheese board included: triple cream blue cheese, manchego Spanish firm, taleggio, pecans, baguette pickled veggies. The meat board included: soppressata, hot capocollo, shrimp mousse, strawberry jam, creole mustard, pickled veggies and crostinis.

5:00 PM – City Park

After a brief break at the hotel, we checked the schedule and walked to Canal Street where we then jumped on the streetcar that would drop us off directly in front of City Park. Get on the “City Park/Museum” (do not get on the “Cemetery” line) line and get off on the last stop which will leave you at the entrance of City Park. Note: the streetcars only take exact change; one-way is $1.25 and an all-day pass is $3.00.

City Park is a must-do for those who enjoy the outdoors or love photography. There’s a ton of activities in this 1,300 acre park including a botanical garden, museum of art and sculpture garden, mini golf and even an amusement park. As one of the nation’s oldest urban parks, I’d go with time to fully enjoy all that there is to offer (if you want to visit the gardens or museums, make sure to check the closing times before making your way across town).

Before leaving the park, take a stroll down Anseman Avenue (off of the City Park avenue entrance) which has some of the most gorgeous views within the park, including the Bayou Bridges and magical oak trees.

7:45 PM – Dinner at Red Fish Grill

As our stomachs growled, we made our way back to where the streetcar had dropped us off. However, this time we got off on the Bourbon Street stop. About a block away, we found ourselves in front of Red Fish Grill.

We started off dinner with a dozen oysters (the waiter recommended the BBQ oysters, but we stuck with the traditional ones). For my entree, I ordered the Jerked Black Drum (fish dish) that had blackened jerk black drum, roasted pineapple, butternut squash puree, black-eyed pea relish and a cream sauce drizzled on top. For dessert, we opted for the Bananas Foster Ice Cream cake which is literally lit on fire at your table.

9:30 PM – Bar hopping at Bourbon Street

Since we didn’t explore Bourbon Street on our first night, we had to this night. We decided to go bar hopping (yes, even with the mommas) and see what Bourbon Street was all about.

Our first stop was at the karaoke bar called The World Famous Cats Meow. As soon as we arrived, Eva was inspired to go on stage so we signed up to sing “Redneck Woman” by Gretchen Wilson. Unfortunately, there were too many people signed up to sing so we ended up skipping out before our turn. I must give a shoutout to the karaoke host – he sang in between each group and was …. let’s say entertaining.

Pop into Funky 544 for some live music and blues-twist on more contemporary songs. Or if you want to dance the electric slide to various songs.

Chris Owens Club & Balcony (at least on Sundays) is the spot for some Latin music! We danced to salsa and merengue hits until we felt guilty not buying a drink at the bar.

Our last stop was The Beach on Bourbon where the band was very engaging with the audience. It was an older band but playing more modern songs and I’d have to say I was surprised at how good they were.

DAY 3

8:45 AM – Breakfast at Surrey’s Cafe & Juice Bar

On last full morning in New Orleans, we jumped in an uber to Surrey’s Cafe & Juice Bar on Magazine Street. We wanted to get there early and figured there wouldn’t be too many people there on a Monday morning. When we arrived, there were no tables ready but we only had to wait for 5-10 minutes.

The cafe is really funky. There’s local art hanging all across the walls and each tabletop has it’s own eclectic design. It felt pretty homey.

Since Surrey’s is a juice bar, we knew we needed to try the juices. We got orange/carrot, strawberry lemonade and fresh squeezed orange juice. Yummy! To eat, I chose what they call the “Costa Rican breakfast” which was two eggs on top of white rice with cheddar cheese, pico de gallo and fresh avocado slices.

10:00 AM – Still Perkin’

We loved our walking tour so much, we signed up for a second tour – this time we’d be exploring the Garden District. Our meeting stop was at “Still Perkin” a local coffee shop right next to Lafayette Cemetery #1.

10:30 AM – Garden District & Lafayette Cemetery #1 Tour

The Garden District Tour started out at Lafayette Cemetery #1. Aside from seeing the cemetery depicted in movies, I didn’t know much about them. Our tour guide was pretty much a local expert as he volunteers with a local non-profit organization called Save Our Cemeteries during his spare time. We learned how complicated it is to preserve and protect these historic cemeteries as ultimately it is up to the families to maintain the tombstones.

On this tour, you’ll also learn how the Garden District came to be, as it was a place where newly arrived “Yankees” came to build their homes and create their own city outside of the French Quarter. If you’d rather do a self-guided walking tour, Free Tours by Foot also provides you with some neat resources.

Many famous people have homes in the Garden District, including: Peyton & Eli Manning (their childhood home), Sandra Bullock, Nicholas Cage and John Goodman. It’s also the location for some movie scenes such as Django Unchained and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

If you have time, grab lunch at the Commander’s Palace where the martinis are 25 cents each with the order of an entree (limit to 3 martinis per person).

12:15 PM – Garden District Book Shop

Before heading to lunch, we stopped into the Garden District Book Shop where there’s various books about New Orleans. Try and stop by, especially if you need a new book for the flight back home.

1:00 PM – Lunch at District Donuts Sliders Brew

About a half mile away, we found ourselves back on Magazine Street at the District Donuts Sliders and Brew. This restaurant has a very hipster-y feel to it.

I ordered a blueberry soda, pistachio glazed donut, two sliders (chicken and reuben) and Eva shared her cheese waffle fries with us.

2:00 PM – (Window) Shopping on Magazine Street

After we stuffed our tummys, we walked down Magazine Street and stopped into:

• Trashy Diva’s Shoe, Clothing & Lingerie Boutique (vintage & retro-inspired store)
• Miette (artsy boutique with locally made jewelry, home accents and clothing)
• Free People (women’s clothing chain; this is not a local store)

If you walk on Magazine Street in the opposite direction, there are many more local shops and restaurants.

Five miles down Magazine Street, you’ll eventually hit Audubon Park which is another park in the city that has gorgeous oak trees, tennis courts, riding stables, a zoo and aquarium and the famous Tree of Life. It’s also directly across from Tulane and Loyola Universities. The St. Charles streetcar will take you all the way to  edge of Audubon Park from the Garden District if you don’t want to walk all those miles or be tempted by the intriguing boutiques.

6:00 PM – Dinner at The Gumbo Shop

We went back to the hotel only to find out Eva’s flight had been cancelled for that evening. So after some time rebooking the flight and shuttles/buses (and taking a much-needed nap) we went back to the French Quarter for dinner.

I ordered a blackened fish po’ boy with some chips on the side. The food was decent, but definitely not my favorite.

7:30 PM – Burlesque Bingo at Bar Mon Cher

Next up on the to-do list was Burlesque Bingo at Bar Mon Cher! Every Monday, Bar Mon Cher host’s Burlesque Bingo where participants can win prizes… as long as you buy a drink. One drink gets you one bingo card for one round.

Left Lucy was our Burlesque Bingo host – unfortunately, we didn’t win but we had some fun! After one round of bingo, we left to explore the French Quarter some more on our last night.

9:00 PM – Exploring the French Quarter

There are so many options for exploring the French Quarter. We walked into various shops (trying to pick out souvenirs), coffee shops are still open, and music fills the streets.

One place I’d recommend grabbing a drink at is The Carousel Bar & Lounge where the bar is literally a carousel and rotates around. There’s only 25 seats at the bar, so make sure to get there early or with some time to kill!

9:30 PM – Harrah’s Casino

Our last stop before heading back to the hotel was Harrah’s Casino. This was my first time at a casino, so I don’t have much to compare it to… but we had fun at the penny slot machines (specifically this one pictured with the corn). My mom ended up winning about $50.00! I on the other hand did not have “beginner’s luck” and left losing $10.00.

Overall, I felt that New Orleans had so much to offer and for different types of people. Definitely a great destination for bachelorettes or birthday parties… but also a wonderful place for foodies, history buffs and wilderness explorers.

New Orleans is a place I’d love to visit again. Next time I’ll visit:

• The National World War II Museum (locals were raving about it)
• The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
• The Backstreet Cultural Museum
• Faulkner House Books
• Algiers via ferry
• Pat O’Briens bar
• Elizabeth’s for brunch
• Additional Free Tours By Foot tours
  • Ghost Tour
  • French Quarter Tour
  • Frenchmen Street and the Marigny Tour
  • and more
• Audubon Park

Till next time!