Stepping into the NOLA sunshine, I could feel the excitement radiating from our group. As I soaked in the city, Canal Street oddly reminded of the Embarcadero in San Francisco. It also felt slightly similar to the Strip in Las Vegas with its casinos and cabarets littered amongst the bars and restaurants. As we walked around, I made a mental note to myself that this could be an ideal bachelor party destination.
The French quarter emanated a different vibe, almost like that of a 3rd world country. The buildings were rundown, yet exhibited an air of fun and free spirit. You could tell that the evening before was pretty wild as storefronts would hose down the sidewalks to wash away the remnants of debauchery.
Our first stop was to Café Du Monde, the original café and beignet stand in New Orleans. Upon our arrival, we were seated quickly and Jojo ordered a couple beignets, café au lait for the gents and a hot cocoa for Tiff. Before I continue, let me first explain what a beignet is. Beignets are basically French pastries that are fried, very similar to a doughnut. The dough is very light and airy and is usually served with confectioners sugar and/or fruit. The ones we got were plain with just the sugar and they were simply delicious. Combined with the café au lait, the flavor profile just melted in your mouth. If you ever make it out to bayou, be sure to hit this spot up.
After our light breakfast, we snapped a few pics in front of the St. Louis Cathedral and made our way over to the waterfront to admire the waters of the Mighty Mississippi. There, we gazed out to the massive delta and gulf.
With our action photos checked off the list, we headed over to Bourbon Street to shop for pasalubong (souvenirs) for some of our lucky folks back at home. I felt like we were in a flea market because every worker would try and hook us to come into their store. Inside, we would get into haggling contests for the lowest prices available. Some stores had the coolest trinkets for sale and if we could, would have been gone on a spree. However, time was running short and we had to partake in our Cajun feast before we left the great delta.
For lunch, we decided to try out Café Beignet, another spot that sold beignets but also served lunch fare. We perused the menu and ended up ordering a massive Cajun feast consisting of fried catfish, shrimp, crab cakes, fried okra, chicken and sausage jambalaya and gumbo. Everything was excellent and yet again, we sat there comatose for a few minutes, thankful for all the food.
Hunger pangs satisfied, we headed back to our hotel to pack up belongings and continue on our journey. Our short time in New Orleans was over and we had barely scratched the surface of its wonderful areas, culture, and eateries. Nevertheless, we knew that this visit was merely an appetizer because deep down we knew that we would probably visit again. Mardi Gras perhaps? Now that would be another great experience. For now, it was off to Dallas, TX to visit Joe’s childhood friend Andrea. Dallas? Hmm, I think we’re going to wear our 49er jerseys tomorrow…
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