It's Good Mood Food

One of the best parts about a trip to New Orleans is all the delicious food. We managed to eat our way through a small part of the city, and enjoyed ourselves along the way.

We actually started out on our layover at DFW. Cousin's Bar-B-Q.

Later that night in New Orleans, we went to one of our favorites, Acme Oyster House.

We sat at the bar, and got a close-up look at shucking oysters. He showed us the difference between a good oyster and a bad oyster, and told us the shells are hauled away to a landfill. That's a big ol' pile of shells!

Jim eats his oysters ice cold on the half shell (raw).

I prefer mine chargrilled and sizzling in garlic butter. Delicious!

We shared a peace maker po-boy.

After dinner, we headed to Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop for the best hurricanes in NOLA.

And walking back down Bourbon Street, a guy handed us this sign, grabbed my iPhone, took our picture, and held out his hand for a tip. Oh my. When Jim handed him $1, he said, "I took 3 pictures." So Jim gave him 2 more dollars. #hustler

We stopped at Arnaud's Jazz Bistro for dessert, and ordered the Bananas Foster.

Delicious!

And we were serenaded at our table by the Gumbo Trio.

They were taking requests,

and did 'When the Saints Go Marching In' for us. For obvious reasons. :)

Back at our hotel, we topped off the evening at the Sazarac Bar. I had the Ramos Gin Fizz.

Jim had the official cocktail of New Orleans, often said to be the oldest known American cocktail, the Sazarac, for which the bar is named. Thus ended our first day in New Orleans. Whew!

On our second day, we had a lunch reservation at Commander's Palace, a well known restaurant in the Garden District. We planned to take the streetcar, but due to repairs being made to the tracks, they weren't all running, so we took the bus. Not quite the same ambiance as the streetcar.

It was our first visit to Commander's Palace, and we were not disappointed. From the moment we walked in, we were treated to some of the best service we have ever experienced in a restaurant. The wait staff is a well practiced team, and each play went off flawlessly. (Like that football analogy?)
We started with the gumbo. We always like to start with gumbo. There's really nothing quite like it. Yum.

Jim ordered the shrimp and grits.

I had pulled pork over red beans on a tortilla.

Of course the 25 cent lunch martinis were fun too. I had the cosmopolitan.

And for dessert...

Creole Bread Pudding Soufflé
Rich bread pudding whipped into a light fluffy soufflé
~ Whiskey sauce added tableside

Oh. My. Word. Possibly one of the best desserts I have ever had. And I am a self-proclaimed dessert aficionado. I will go back there just for this. And the whiskey sauce? I showed great restraint by not licking the bowl. So. Good.

After lunch we tried to take a picture of us outside, but we are really no good at selfies. You should see the other attempts. Lol.

We took a long walk on Magazine Street to do a little shopping (and get a little exercise). We were able to catch a crowded streetcar for part of the trip back to the French Quarter before it stopped and linked up with a bus to take us the rest of the way.

For dinner on Friday, we ate at The Court of Two Sisters.There is a lovely courtyard where we ate our dinner.

Jim ordered creme brulee for dessert. I never see creme brulee without thinking of the classic line, "Creme brulee can never be jell-o. YOU can never be jell-o." Great movie.
And that ended our second day in New Orleans.

On Saturday, after a quick stop at Fleurty Girl, we headed over for breakfast at Brennan's. A New Orleans tradition. I started off my breakfast with a Fleur de Lis. Appropriate, I thought.

One thing I love about meals in New Orleans is the crusty bread. I'm a bread girl anyway, and it is sooo good.

I had Eggs Hussarde, which is: Poached eggs atop Holland rusks, Canadian bacon and Marchand de Vin sauce. Topped with Hollandaise sauce.
Very tasty, and one of their signature dishes.

Of course, for dessert, Bananas Foster is a must. According to the menu, it is:
A Brennan Creation and now World-Famous. Bananas sautéed in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and banana liqueur, then flamed in rum. Served over vanilla ice cream. Scandalously Delicious!
I so agree.
Jim and Wayne before the flaming.

On the fire.

An impressive flame, don't you agree?

Wayne was quite the showman.

Delicious, as promised.

We were feuling up for the sightseeing we were planning for the afternoon.

A delightfully delicious start to the day. Even I like breakfast at Brennan's. And I'm not a breakfast girl at all. Unless it's well after the break of dawn.

Thus ends our New Orleans food fest (for the most part). The rest of the trip included the mighty Mississippi and the Superdome, coming up in my next post. Stay tuned!