Travelogue: New Orleans Days 1-2

My first time in NOLA. Of course, we stayed in the French Quarters and did all the touristy things.

 

Dinner at SoBou — which stands for “South of Bourbon St.”

Alligator corndogs.

 

First gumbo in NOLA.

There was a rustic yet modern feel.

Stayed at the bar. The bartenders were welcoming and knowledgeable. There’s a metallic baby in that drink.

Creative small bites. Yellowfin tuna tartare cones with basil avocado ice cream.

Foie gras burger: Pan seared Hudson Valley foie gras, sunny side up yard egg, duck bacon, & foie gras mayo on a caramelized onion brioche bun served with pork cracklin’ & a mini Abita root beer and foie gras ice cream float. The ice cream float was my favorite. It comes in a separate glass and didn’t taste like foie gras at all, but I loved it!

Crispy oyster tacos.

Crispy chicken on the bone.

The great thing about NOLA is that if you don’t finish your drink at the bar, you can ask for a sippy cup to go.

We ended the night early because we had to get ready for the next morning’s bike tour — a drinking one, nonetheless.

I found Confederacy of Cruisers Bicycle Tour on Yelp. They have tours for eating, drinking, and just plain bike tours around town. They’ll take you away from the French Quarters to other areas that are not as touristy.

 

Our tour guide was so cool.

She took us to a local pub. 5 drinks are included in the tour.

We got to the riverfront.

These are backpedal bikes, which led to my fall -_- We didn’t get to finish the tour because of a little accident… BUT I would still recommend the tour to anyone who is even slightly more agile than I am.

We had to hit up the #1 tourist spot in the French Quarters — Acme oyster house.

Their chargrilled oysters were highly raved about, but I found them to be extremely anorexic in size although tasty.

Seafood etouffee with fried crawfish was good, but not worth the price tag.

Walking around NOLA, you find a lot of balconies that are decorated with beads and shiny balls.

Love the architecture here.

Walk east and you’ll find yourself at the French Market. The farmers’ market is not exactly what it sounds; there are vendors that are restaurants selling dishes of food. The flea market is exactly what it sounds like.

 

 

 

Selling soaps.

 

 

Tshirts.

 

 

It’s New Orleans — of course they would sell alligators…

 

 

You could find these masks everywhere. I already have one at home from years ago when my friend went to NOLA.

 

 

The “farmers’ market” had lots of these little storefronts that sold food.

Next, we stopped by Cafe Du Monde for their famous cafe au lait and beignets.

 

 

We didn’t want to linger around and fight for seats, so we stood in line to get them to go. Even THAT took about 20 minutes…

 

 

We passed by Jackson Square, a National Historic Landmark and perfect photo opportunity.

 

On the way back, we found many stores that sold pralines and candy. Souvenirs galore!

 

 

There are many art galleries on Royal St. Very interesting window displays…

 

 

I ate the beignets when we got back to the hotel. I thought they were overrated but good enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. They’re kinda like fried zepoles in New York.

 

I also got a fried oyster po-boy from Verte Marte, a deli on Royal St where you can get anything on your sandwich. It’s very popular and gets crowded. There’s no seating so it’s just a grab-and-go.

After that po-boy, I passed out from walking all day (and eating all day).