New Orleans….
‘Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler’ is a quintessential Louisiana phrases which means, ‘let the good times roll.’
I was completely taken by surprise when I fell in love with New Orleans. If the food doesn’t wow you the culturally rich atmosphere sprinkled with a haunted past will. You will need several visits to take it all in. We have visited twice in the past couple of years and I still have plenty of places to explore. That said if you are in New Orleans for a short stay I highly recommend the following….
Food
My favorite restaurant is Muriel’s! Muriel’s happens to be Beyoncé’s favorite too! Beyoncé, along with a cadre of stars like Jennifer Hudson, Monica, and Kris Jenner, rented out the beautiful (and delicious!) Muriel’s Restaurant in the French Quarter to celebrate the birthday of one Tina Knowles (yes, mother to Bey and Solange).
We did not rent it out however had a lovely sit-down dinner with some friends. New Orleans seafood is exquisite. We opted out of the fixed menu and ordered A la Carte. I had the Pecan Encrusted Baby Drum which was pan sautéed with oven roasted pecans and Louisiana crawfish relish, laced with a lemon butter sauce. The meal was mouthwatering and extremely filling however we did not pass on dessert.
The Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée was definitely worth it! Be sure to ask about the ghost table and the history behind it!
Beignets… No trip is complete to New Orlean with out a stop at the Original Cafe Du Monde . Its menu consists of dark roasted Coffee and Chicory, Beignets, White and Chocolate Milk, and fresh squeezed Orange Juice. The coffee is served Black or Au Lait. Au Lait means that it is mixed half and half with hot milk. Beignets are square French -style doughnuts, lavishly covered with powdered sugar. Be sure to visit the original shop in the French Market.
Tours
For many decades the city of New Orleans has embraced a reputation of refuge for the lost souls wandering the streets of the French Quarter. We decided to explore the dark side with the Voodoo Bone Lady who is a fifth-generation voodoo priestess – no one knows the eerie underworld of America’s Most Haunted City better than her.
They offer tours that cover ghosts, voodoo, vampires, and zombies as well the famous St. Louis Cemetery. One thing’s for sure — you’ll walk away with chills crawling up your spine. They will take you deep into the voodoo world of New Orleans like you’ve never seen, or knew of. I suggest the 5 in 1 tour however I did the cemetery tour which was filled with history and culture.
You may not actually get a tour with the Voodoo Bone Lady. We had our first tour with the actually Voodoo Bone Lady however our second and third tours was with a local who did not disappoint. I did notice that our groups were significantly smaller in size and more intimate than the neighboring tours we passed on our path.
Stay: We stayed at Hilton New Orleans Riverside. I did like being away from the hustle and bustle of Bourbon Street. However, I definitely plan on staying at one of the many notorious haunted hotels closer to Bourbon Street next visit.
Spa: I try my best to sneak in a spa visit when I travel and definitely was grateful I did in New Orleans. I was not disappointed in the WALDORF ASTORIA SPA. I actually found it on Groupon! It happened to be midweek and I was the only soul (no spooky pun intended) in the place. The lobby of the hotel was exquisitely decorated for Christmas. An actual Choir singing was singing Christmas carols in the lobby. I ended my spa visit by having a cocktail in the bar adjacent to the lobby soaking in all the Christmas delight. I walked away relaxed but eager to go home and decorate my house for Christmas. I definitely had to up my Christmas décor game after visiting that Lobby.
Cocktail: The famous Carousel Bar & Lounge in Hotel Monteleone is a long-time favorite New Orleans hotspot. The classic New Orleans hotel bar is the city’s only revolving bar. For decades, it has lured guests in to take a spin on the 25-seat, bright, circus-clad Merry-Go-Round. Great place for a cocktail and people watching however if you are not a fan of whiskey I would skip the signature cocktail, Viexxx Carre, and get something more to your liking. And then hold on for the rideJ
Please note none of the above links are affiliates. They are just my recommendations! Enjoy!
