We spent a few days in New Orleans last month while B had a conference for work. We stayed at the Riverwalk which turned out to be a convenient, centralized location for the activities and restaurants we were going to. The weather held up nicely and we didn’t had a bad meal there!
Our first meal was at Mulate’s which was recommended by the concierge. Very casual spot with live music. We ordered a cup each of crawfish etouffe and jambalaya, Cajun seasoned alligator bites and grilled fish for little S. Little did we know that the grilled catfish off the kid’s menu was going to seasoned with spicy Cajun flavors! Nevertheless, everything was really good and a great introduction to this wonderful food city. Oh, and the bread pudding studded with raisins and covered in vanilla sauce was the best! We didn’t think that we could finish it because it was so huge…but we were wrong!
The following morning, we spent some time meandering through the streets French Quarter and Jackson Square. It was still pretty early and although there were quite a few people out and about, it was a very calm vibe. We decided to wait in the take-out line for beignets at Cafe du Monde, which was so delicious! Although, they reminded me very much of Thai donuts. Stella loved them and could almost finish an entire one by herself! Lunch was at the Gumbo Shop where we tried the seafood and the chicken/sausage gumbos.
While B was at the conference, S and I went to the Audubon Aquarium which was so much fun for little S. There were exhibits for jellyfish, seahorses, frogs, otters and penguins. There was a white alligator (not an albino because his eyes were black and he had a black spot on his back). S liked the puffer fish, petting the sting rays, watching some sort of fish pop in and out of holes and the toddlers play area. Such a great afternoon!
Dinner was at Pesche, one that was highly anticipated. Seafood was delicious and not your typical preparations. Sort of modern Southern I guess. Not as earth shattering as I expected, but good. I would try their sister restaurant for sure.
The following morning started off late with beignets (from the Riverwalk location which did not have a line at all) and a walk back to the warehouse district whee S and I had lunch at Cochon Butcher, a popular sandwich and deli spot. I thoroughly enjoyed my Cubano sandwich but was a little put off that I could not order it with the jalapeno sauce on the side so that I could share it with S. At any rate, I wouldn’t say it would be worth a special trip but really hit the spot before we headed out to the Children’s Museum which was close by.
The Children’s museum was a dream for S! She loved the Gulf inspired play fishing boats, the miniature sized grocery store and restaurants and the pioneer area where French quarter in the 1700s came to life with a general store selling wheat, soap and coffee and a courtyard where she could do laundry using a washboards and help nurse some baby pigs. So so cute!
Our favorite dinner in NOLA was a Bayona, where I had the a WONDERFUL quail salad. The quail was tempura-fried accompanied by a perfectly balanced sweet and sour vinaigrette. Little S devoured it too!
The next day was started off with a street car ride to the Garden District where we had a casual lunch at Milkbar, walked quite a ways to Creole Creamery for a well-deserved treat. Little S got her favorite: strawberry with rainbow sprinkles. The grown-ups had a flight including Magnolia and Petit Four. Dinner was not that impressive at JW Fins. Too much hype for what it delivered.
Nesting On A Hill 