NOLA

New Orleans is just a hop, skip and a jump from home for us so JP and I try to make it over their as often as our time and money will allow. Well, this past weekend we used my birthday as an excuse to "laissez bon temps rouler". And "rouler" the "bon temps" they did! I always feel like I'm in another country in NOLA since the city is so rich with culture and tradition.

Our adventure always starts at Pat O'Brien's for hurricanes. That's the best bar to chat people up and get their story. This time we met a man who lived next door to my family in FWB. What a small world! After that, we meander (stumble) all through the quarter popping into whichever store, eatery or bar that piques our interest. The first time we went together, we were in search of a unique place to eat for dinner and happened upon this little alley with a restaurant called The Pelican Club. After taking a look at the menu, we made a reservation for later that evening and no regrets. It was so good, JP treated me to a fabulous birthday dinner there again this trip. We had scallop-stuffed artichokes (or maybe it was the other way around) and the perfect steak and wine pairing. We then made a donation to Harrah's...haha...and called it a night. We would have loved to hit up The Dungeon or Frenchman Street for dancing but the hurricanes did us in earlier and we were spent.


Our hotel had a Bloody Mary bar Sunday morning. I tried bacon-infused vodka with mine but I honestly couldn't taste it. That might have been due to too much A1 because I have a slight affinity for it. JP tried his with pepper-infused vodka and we both agreed they were some of the best Bloody Marys we've had. We got a little New Orleans history from our bartender, Rex, and walked to Central Grocery for a muffuletta breakfast. Did you know that the owner of Central Grocery started making the sandwiches to feed the men who worked nearby at the wharves? And obviously they were just so freakin' good and took off like nobody's business. Now for the coolest part of the trip. On the walk back to our hotel, we took some random streets to try and avoid the hustle and bustle. We passed a decrepit old building that had abandoned slot mailboxes. JP flips each one of them up and comes to one with a folded piece of paper in it. We unfold it and it was a kind note from a stranger for whoever found it. So we paid it forward and replaced the found note with one of our own. I think next time we should see if it's still there or if there's a new one. It's fun to find and spread good vibes!