Over Memorial Day weekend, I went for a three-day trip to New Orleans, and I have to say -- I LOVE that city! Well, I love all of it except for Bourbon Street; it's like an 24-hour undergrad frat party on steroids, obnoxious drunk people, loud music, open containers and all.
But, the rest of the French Quarter was marvelous! (I say French Quarter, because I spent most of my time there... but more on that below).
So, here's a rundown of NO likes and dislikes:
DrinksThe Worst: Hurricanes. Omg, these drinks are disgusting! When J-Pop and I told people we were coming to New Orleans, everyone was, like, "OMG, you need to get a hurricane from Pat O'Brien's!" So we did. And it was horrible! I took two sips and had to throw it away. Gross! (also, J-Pop did not like coffee with chicory, but I did not mind...)
Gross hurricane from Pat O'Brien's...
The Best: Sazerac. Mmmm... J-Pop and I are calling this "the happy drink" from here on out. A delicious mix of rye whiskey, cognac and bitters. Sipped slowly. We finally found a place that made them our last night in NO (most places did not have rye whiskey, the key ingredient), and it was so worth the wait. Deeeee-lish!
The sazerac! Yum!
FoodThe Worst: Honestly, I don't have anything in this category.
The Best: Beignets at Cafe du Monde. Shrimp creole, jambalaya, red beans and rice, gumbo, po-boys -- all these at various NO eating institutions... All. AMAZING.
Beignet from Cafe du Monde
Things To Do:
The Worst: Bourbon Street.
Let me not dissuade you from walking down Bourbon at least once, preferably at night, so that you, too, could witness the ridiculousness that is this street. Loud people, even louder music, smell of spilled beer, "gentlemen's clubs," huge to-go cups filled with alcohol of one's choice... So overrated.
Typical site on Bourbon Street
The Best: A number of things fall into this category, so let me name them all:
- Cafe du Monde - delicious beignets. My recommendation, go early to avoid the lines, and go to the take-out window. Get your beignets and coffee, and eat them in the park across the street.

- Preservation Hall - AMAZING old school New Orleans jazz. J-Pop and I went there our last night in NO. It's a jazz institution in NO, and you cannot NOT go to it. Imagine it: one room the size of an average classroom; five wooden chairs, an old piano and a drum set on one side; three rows of wooden benches and standing room in the back; brown and gray walls with old photos and paintings covering up the dents; four ceiling fans; no microphones. I seriously felt like I was transported back into the 1930s.
Preservation Hall Band
- Frenchmen Street - A little south-east off-shoot of the French Quarter, Frenchmen Street is a little strip of bars and music joints that definitely satiated our thirst for some non-Bourbon Street fun. We ventured there on Sunday night, and found a hoppin' yet much chiller scene with what looked to be a higher concentration of locals than anywhere else we've been. We found ourselves in this little joint called Jim-Beaux's and listened to New Sound, an amazing ensemble of young jazzists, including a kick-ass drummer and a mean clarinet player. Unfortunately, Jim-Beaux's was not very discriminating with its clientele, so we ended up being the "lucky" audience of an self-centered exhibitionist who considered himself a part of the band and decided to do interpretive dancing to each one of their songs. His wild flalings about the dance floor scared--and deeply annoyed--not only us, but also the musicians who on more than one occasion had to dodge one or more of his limbs that eratically whirled about the stage. Nonetheless, it was a great venue, and I hope to return there when I come to NO again.
New Sound @ Jim-Beaux's on Frenchman Street
- Bourbon French Parfums -- I have found my signature scent at this 164-year-old perfumery on La Rue Royal! Kus Kus is deliciously sweet and concocted right there in the heart of the French Quarter. I fell in love with the place right away, and J-Pops and I sniffed and sampled many of their wonderful fragrances. I left with a sample five-pack of their most popular scents: Kus Kus, La Plouie, Margarite, Sans Nom and La Vie Nouvelle. I am sampling them all now and will probably order a bigger packet of Kus Kus when I get through this little bottle. It's like summer and rain and candy and kisses all rolled into one!
We also took a Katrina tour that took about 3 hours and drove us all around New Orleans to show us the impact of Hurricane Katrina. I was shocked that there is still so much damage almost five years later. Here are some pics:
On Sept 8, '05, the search team from Arizona didn't find anyone here. On Sept 24, '05, a team from Florida found 2 bodies at the house... after the water had receded.
Many houses remain abandoned five years after the hurricane...entire neighborhood blocks of empty houses.
Many businesses haven't come back yet. This Dollar General store was the only place open on this entire strip mall.
Overall, it was a great trip, and I would recommend it to everyone! It's a beautiful place, wounded but recovering, and it is extremely welcoming and warm. Tourism is one of the major industries in New Orleans, and they really need all the help they can get.