Fairly traditional for breakfast in New Orleans is café du lait and beignets. Most tourists go to Café Du Monde and this morning we were no exception. We left our hotel with this quest in mind.
The ladies that work there look bored – I guess who wouldn’t be. There’s really no change in the guest orders, only the quantity. It’s a mindless job and one that could probably be done when a person is half asleep.
It is a short walk to view the ‘mighty Mississippi river’.
Turning 180 degrees, the St. Louis Cathedral dominates the view.
We were able to enter the church and pay our respects.
Five-ish blocks away was the St. Louis Cemetery #1. Unfortunately we discovered that the only way to enter this cemetery was to be on a guided tour for $20. However, St. Louis Cemetery #2 was another five-ish blocks and was free and could be entered on your own – yep, that’s where we walked.
The tombstones were in various stages of disrepair but were still interesting.
New Orleans is known for their ironwork and the cemetery was no exception.
I found this really cool plaque (Jordan B. Noble) and had to add it to my collection of photos.
He lived to be 90 years old, was an emancipated slave, served in the War of 1812 (at the tender age of 14)and ultimately was a veteran of four American Wars.
We had worked up an appetite and a gentleman at the Neches Brewery in TX told us we had to stop at Acme Oyster House for their chargrilled oysters. So we did!
We split a dozen……….
……..before topping them off with gumbo. Adrienne had the seafood gumbo (large bowl) and I tried the chick & sausage gumbo (small bowl). I typically don’t eat gumbo at any restaurant because Eric makes the BEST gumbo.
I might be slightly biased, but his was the first gumbo I had ever tried and he has tailored his recipe for my tastes. I love the smoked chicken that Eric includes in his recipe. This gumbo was pretty darn good – had a nice kick to it. 🙂
This afternoon was pleasantly spent at the Crescent City Brewhouse.
I had the Red Stallion beer. We sat at the bar and watched one of their employee shuck dozens of oysters. We were full from our lunch meal and couldn’t eat another thing.
Dinner that night was at one of Emeril Lagasses’s newer restaurants, NOLA. They had ‘small plates’ and gave us a chance to try a variety of things and not get over-stuffed. The first place to come out was ‘cowboy caviar’ on johnny cakes. Guacamole was underneath the goodies on top. I could have licked the bowl clean. Fried green tomatoes with shrimp was another small plate. The tomatoes were good but the shrimp was cooked to perfection – not over done. The last two places was an oyster & brie pot pie, with bone marrow and gumbo. Okay, I’ll admit. I missed the menu description and didn’t realize it came with bone marrow. The first thing Eric said was ‘Who are you and what did you do with my wife?’. I gamely tried a tiny bit………………..and told Adrienne, the rest is yours. She was very happy.
I’m saving the best small plate that night for the last………………………dessert! It was a white chocolate bread pudding with macerated strawberries. OMG! I truly don’t know which dessert I liked best. This or the banana’s foster from the previous night. Both are to die for – just saying. 🙂
We ended both nights drinking a local beer on our balcony – just because we could. I had the one in the middle.
Our last meal in New Orleans was breakfast at Camellia Grill near the Garden District. It is a landmark diner which opened in 1946.
The restaurant only offers counter service and it is well-known for its long-service waiters. My meal was traditional breakfast food, a waffle, sausage link and an egg over-medium.
We took a scenic route to get there, following the route of the St. Charles Streetcar line. Many beautiful homes line the streets and we passed by Loyola and Tulane universities.
Travel on this day will finally get us into Florida with Apalachicola, FL being our night’s destination.
I had one more photo to add before leaving New Orleans. These priests were almost an attraction themselves. They were enjoying the city as tourists and tourists were taking photos of them. It’s just odd to see them utilize smartphones.
Darden Travels 