Last week I whisked myself to New Orleans for a mini vacation. I wanted to get out of DC: the tickets to New Orleans were dirt cheap and I found a great deal on a hotel through Priceline! All I had to do was pack my bag and decide how entertain myself. I knew that would not be an issue in the city full of great food, nice people and fun things to do.
Below are instagram photos of some of my favorite bites of food and a few nonfood related activities. By the way, shockingly I managed not to gain any weight while in New Orleans...must have been all the walking around.
Willa Jean: open space, high ceilings, waiters in checkered shirts and jeans, and AMAZING food! I came first for brunch and sat at the bar sipping on a Bloody Mary and digging into shrimp and grits. I enjoyed this restaurant so much, I came back for my last lunch in New Orleans and ordered a fried chicken sandwich. Divine!
I had by far the best chocolate almond croissant at La Boulangerie: warm, soft on the inside with a hard sugary exterior, and plenty of almonds! They also had satsuma juice instead of orange juice: a great splurge! Start your day with this breakfast and then walk off the calories by doing some shopping on Magazine Street.
Shaya: make sure to make reservations and come with a group of people so that you can share plates of hummus (the one topped with lamb and fried chickpeas was great), freshly made hot pita, and lamb. Leave space for dessert!
The minute I bit into the hot fried dough, I was transported back to my first time in New Orleans. I did not care I had to stand in line, Cafe Du Monde is a must. Make sure to bring cash: they are old school and don't take credit cards. Also, don't wear black clothes because without a doubt you'll be covered in powdered sugar.
I told you there was a lot of great food! Make sure to check out my instagram account and #NewOrleansJan2017 for more of the things I ate!
For something different, I took a ferry to Algiers Island {Thanks Naomi for the recommendation!}. It was a quick ride and only $2 each way: bring exact change!
The Island is pretty sleepy, but I did enjoy walking around and taking photographs of all the colorful houses!
After booking my trip, I contacted New Orleans CVB and they graciously sent me a VIP pass that I used to get tickets to a few attractions.
First up, The National WWII Museum. My favorite part of the museum was The Victory Garden. Of course I had to take a photo under the tomato poster. For those who are into history, you can spend hours in the museum and even experience a submarine simulation!
Even though I wasn't in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, it was fun visiting the Mardi Gras World and seeing where the props for the floats are made!
My favorite museum by far was Ogden Museum of Southern Art. If you happen to be in New Orleans on a Thursday, as I was, make sure to check out this museum for the after hours program: this time there was live music and a lovely stranger bought me a glass of wine! The fact that their stickers are my first initial was a bonus.
If you don't want to pay for a museum, just walk around! Take a street car to The Garden District and check out old gorgeous houses. You'll definitely spot a few or more beads hanging on the gates.
I'll end this post on a sweet note: this is a chocolate chip cookie with sea salt I brought back from Willa Jean. It helped me ease back into the work week.
Have a great weekend!
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