Dixie Detours: NOLA!

New Orleans is a sultry dream. I can’t imagine anywhere else in America that’s even half as beguiling or idiosyncratic. Probably the most dynamic city in the US, it is without doubt the most spontaneous and freewheeling. When I think about other destinations across the planet that offer experiences comparable to what I’ve happened upon in NOLA, I find myself coming up with a list of my absolute favourites places. Put simply, NOLA rocks (it shucks, jives, slides, saunters, shimmies and rolls too). This was one Dixie Detour I was so glad to have made.

I had been to New Orleans before – a few times actually during my early 20s and well before Hurricane Katrina wreaked her havoc. Suffice to say, I had a lot of youthful (read: drunken) fun then and had since always hoped to return. But living abroad and such just kinda got in my way and suddenly somehow twenty odd years slid in between my last time there and the present day. So, when a chance to get back to NOLA presented itself, I jumped on it. Certainly excited about the prospect of paying a more mature visit to a city of which I held such fond (if hazy) memories, I was honestly a little nervous too, wondering if good ole Nawlins could live up to my romanticised recollection.

Kemey was equally eager to visit. Indeed, since planning our first trip together to the States a few years ago, New Orleans had been the most regularly mentioned destination either of us would bring up (probably the most enthusiastically spoken about too). I’m pleased to report that NOLA more than met my expectations and pretty much blew hers away.

Below are just a few more of the many highlights from our visit to New Orleans. I could blather on and on about how much I love this city; why you ought to go there if you never have; and why you should return even if you’ve been dozens of times already. But, I’ll keep this post succinct and allow the rest of the good stuff from my trip to unfold in due course here on my blog and across some other outlets I write for. That seems like the most Nawlins-y way to go about spreading the gospel.

No matter what you’re into – food and drink … music … art … sports … nightlife … or simply hanging out and having a captivating conversation – NOLA provides in generous proportion and with singular style. Go!

Stay

Kemey and I set up camp at the Maison Dupuy Hotel. Things I loved about it: especially courtesy and helpful valets, reception, and concierge; the heated pool in its chilled out courtyard; a pretty decent fitness centre; free WiFi with a strong signal.

I also loved the location. In the French Quarter on Toulouse Street between Dauphine and Burgundy; the hotel was right up close to the action but removed from the all the mess around Bourbon Street. We had no troubles getting around the city. Heading into and out of town by car was a breeze as well.

When you book, request a balconied room. Our room was perfectly fine (particularly considered we spend most of our time exploring the city) but we couldn’t open our window in our room. It would have been almost ideal to have had a balcony over the courtyard, if only to let some fresh air in (the weather was wonderful during our stay).

Find out more at maisondupuy.com.

Eat and Drink

You could spend a lifetime writing about the New Orleans dining scene (hmmm … there’s an idea!). I did my best to slurp up as sizeable a spoonful of gumbo as possible during my brief stay. And I’ve gotta tell ya, it was really an overwhelming endeavour. The options for eating out were vast with restaurant standards set extremely high. Being in such close proximity of so many excellent eateries made choosing where and when to have a meal tough considering the opportunity cost associated with sitting down at one iconic establishment as opposed to any other. All that was a ‘good problem’ to have though, and I was plenty satisfied with every bite I took while there. Here’s a look at some of my favourite eats:

Adolfo’s: On Frenchmen Street (NOLA’s fabulous so called “locals’ Bourbon Street”) above live music venue the Apple Barrel, this cosy candlelit Creole/Italian eatery exuded charm. I loved my escargot starter, my barbecued shrimp main, and my bottle of Lousiana’s own malty quencher, Abita Turbodog. And I down right lusted after Kemey’s plate of trout stuffed with crab, shrimp and crayfish. No room (at all!) for dessert, we paid about $65 (tip included) for an outstanding dinner.

More at the restaurant’s facebook page:
facebook.com/pages/Adolfos-Restaurant/122414214436780?rf=111955575528476

Carousel Bar and Lounge: Was the room spinning? Nope, but the bar was! A 25-seat “circus-clad merry-go-round” transformed into a spinning cocktail bar may sound like tourist hell, but there was actually something classy about it. Besides, all the true louts were being kept busy over on Bourbon Street. A fixture for sophisticated French Quarter elbow benders from near and far, the Carousel Bar inside the elegant lobby of the Hotel Monteleone is a must for any boozy bucket list. What to drink? I had the Sazerac (Sazerac Rye Whiskey, Herbsaint, Peychaud Bitters, Simple Syrup, $9) and would have had another if I hadn’t have had to dash off to dinner elsewhere.

For more details, go to hotelmonteleone.com/new-orleans-dining-entertainment/carousel-bar-lounge.

Domilise’s Po-Boy & Bar: Our first meal in the city came by way of a recommendation of a friend who used to live in New Orleans. It was at the top of her list of only two or three recs. Our last night in NOLA, we got an approving nod from a long time resident when we explained how much we had loved our lunch there. Something of a foodie institution without any high faluting airs about it, Domilise’s Po-Boy & Bar serves gargantuan po-boy sandwiches made with fresh baked “French bread” and heaps of whatever you want jammed inside it. God, I could sure go for another one of Dom’s shrimp po-boy ($12 for a large) right now, washed down with a ice cold can of Dixie Beer. Fantastic food aside, the vibe there was as languidly relaxed as gets down in Dixie. Escape the tourist fray and head uptown to Domilise’s for what might turn out to be the best sandwich you’ll ever eat.

Here’s the Google+ listing:
plus.google.com/111575809209666843895

La Boulangerie: Another tasty uptown find, La Boulangerie is an artisanal French bakery well worth shouting about. Before hitting the road for Lafayette, the next stop on our road trip, Kemey and I had a fantastic pastry breakfast there. Parisian born Kemey approved greatly by the way, and I thoroughly enjoyed my iced coffee and would love to go back to sample the shop’s home made ice cream. I loved all the works up on the walls by local folk artist Simon too.

La Boulangerie’s Facebook page:
facebook.com/pages/La-Boulangerie/115942938428843

Palace Cafe: At the edge of the Quarter right on Canal, Palace Cafe is a fine dining restaurant with kinetic atmosphere. Service during our dinner was gracious, informative and expeditious. And the food was to die for. Check it out: umami-licious crab meat cheesecake ($9, and yes really!); deeply flavoursome duck and roasted garlic gumbo ($8 or $16); luscious catfish pecan ($17); and classic New Orleans dessert bananas Foster ($7) are but a few scrumptious dishes. The wine list suggested a smart sommelier and the cocktails are awesome. Try the Gingerbread Sazerac (Sazerac Rye, New Orleans Praline Liqueur, Meletti Anisette, gingerbread bitters, $11) for an inspired taste of contemporary creole mixology.

Visit the restaurant online at palacecafe.com.

Keep an eye out for more highlights from my time in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Florida along with suggestions for planning your own southern sojourn. If y’all ain’t never been to the places mentioned in my Dixie Detours miniseries, I reckon you’re missing out.