VACATIONS FROM HOME: A RAINY WEEKEND IN NEW ORLEANS

A CONFEDERACY OF PAUNCHES
Confederacy of Paunches

The rain in New Orleans the first weekend in October while we were there was incessant. It was either an annoying drizzle or torrential bands of precipitation that flooded the streets and lashed at us sideways as we meekly tried to defend ourselves with umbrellas. Occasionally we were teased with brilliant shards of fierce sunlight that baked us, but this would only last a few minutes before the clouds began to gather again.

The water table of New Orleans is already high and the sewers would burble and the gutters flowed like the Mississippi itself during the waves of rain and as we tried to “swim” from destination to the next we just gave up trying to circumvent the puddles. You know how your fingers wrinkle when you’re in the bath too long? That was what the bottom of my feet looked like after venturing outside on one of our days on our recent visit to New Orleans, and this was all before Hurricane Isaias formed in the Gulf.

Despite the inclement weather, Janet knows New Orleans is one of my favorite cities to visit and had planned the trip in celebration of my birthday this past August. She also invited a number of our friends to join us with the intention to eat and drink our way through the Big Easy.

LAISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS ROULER (let the good times roll)

The rain may have dampened our spirits a bit, but we managed to gorge ourselves on food, drink and music, and our paunches expanded accordingly.

The city too was still alive with the occasional marching Krewe sashaying through the French Quarter or a second line brass band leading a “Happy Birthday” parade while wearing ponchos to go along with their white 8-point brass band caps. Also, the Atlanta Falcons were playing the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football and there were hordes of “Dirty Birds” prancing along Bourbon Street.

And, we were occasionally pelted with beads tossed from the iron wrought balconies along Bourbon, even though the ladies in our party didn’t need to shout out “throw me something mister” or to “show the girls.”

another dozen please

MANGER TROP (eating too much)

Food was a priority on this trip and we had planned out our 4-day eating soiree to encompass everything from Creole at Muriel’s on Jackson Square to Cajun at Mulate’s in the Warehouse District which also doubles as dance hall with live French Cajun music, to Italian at Paladar 511 in Marigny to Gulf seafood at Jacques Imo’s in Uptown.

MURIEL'S JACKSON SQUARE

MULATES

PALADAR 511

JACQUES-IMO'S

We also had raw, Rockefeller, Bienville and chargrilled oysters at Felix’s and Blue Bayou.

BLUE BAYOU

JACQUES IMO'S
CORNBREAD

FELIX'S

We were never ever able to make it into Acme Oyster House as there were too many Dirty Birds clogging the line to get into the famed restaurant.

ACME OYSTER HOUSE

OYSTER DELIVERY

We had breakfast at several area eateries near the Monteleone Hotel where we stayed. The portions everywhere were massive. We ate at Mena’s Palace and Jimmy J’s Café, both located on Chartres and we made a pilgrimage to Mother’s on Poydras. This iconic restaurant has been serving breakfast all day, red beans and rice and everything in between since 1938, and we got there just in time beating the lines waiting to be served.

And of course, there were also beignets and strong coffee at Café du Monde.

Time to make the Beignets

MOTHER'S RESTAURANT NEW ORLEANS

JIMMY J'S CAFE

MENA'S PALACE

CAFE DU MONDE

Now, in New Orleans there are so many restaurants and so little time. This is just our small sample size of our time there, but anywhere you go you’ll have a great meal.

YOU CAN’T JUST EAT
Hand Grenades on Bourbon

Drinking on Bourbon Street is a given. You can ask for a plastic cup for your drink or purchase a hurricane, sazerac or hand grenade or a boring beer and slalom your way dodging boozy pedestrians and stoic mounted police.

The Carousel Bar

Monteleone Hotel

You’re not going to get a martini on Bourbon Street nor would you want one, but you can at the Carousel Bar at the Monteleone Hotel. Designed to look like a merry-go-round, the bar actually does spin, slowly, taking 15 minutes for one revolution. Seats at the actual Carousel are a priceless commodity, but the back bar has live music.

Martini and Vieux Carre

They make a great martini and the Vieux Carré which was invented here in the 1930s. The concoction starts with brandy and rye whiskey and then vermouth, Bénédictine, and Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters are added.

The Carousel Bar

Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House

On the corner of Iberville and Bourbon Street. There’s quite a number of bourbons available in this high-ceilinged airy place. It may take you some time making a selection. Reasonably priced. There’s a restaurant, but we went there for the Angel’s Envy, and the rain was drenching us.

BOURBON HOUSE, NOLA

So many bourbons...only one liver

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop

Bourbon Street

Another notable place popular with locals and tourists is this place that looks derelict at first. They claim to be the oldest structure in the United States to be used as a bar, dating from 1722. Very popular and three deep at the bar on a Saturday night. You probably wouldn’t order a martini at Lafitte’s, but I’ll bet they make a great Cosmo.

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop

LAFITTE'S BLACKSMITH SHOP

FAIS DO-DO

Music not only can be heard in various places around town, but the streets are literally filled with performers, all supported by the city of New Orleans. Buskers and mini-Krewe parades or brass bands are everywhere, weather permitting. We went to a couple of places to hear jazz, French Cajun music and Dixieland Jazz. And, I must warn you, where there's music and drinking Janet is sure to get involved.

The Spotted Cat

Frenchman Street

In Marigny we took in a set of traditional jazz musicians performing that night. All along Frenchman Street jazz, blues and reggae spilled out into the street from the countless clubs in this lively area of town. Other notables are d.b.a and the Blue Nile.

THE SPOTTED CAT

Ftizel’s

Bourbon Street

We went to Fritzel’s two consecutive afternoons to listen to some whimsical Dixieland Jazz and didn’t mind paying the one drink per set minimum, (which didn’t include a tip for the band).

FRITZEL'S JAZZ

Bayou Club

Bourbon Street

We danced to French Cajun Music at the Bayou Club part of Tropical Isle, the inventors of the Hand Grenade drink, which is next door. Janet and I had ourselves a little fais do-do or cajun dance party.

We would also dance at Mulate’s and Janet even joined the band with her washboard and spoons!

TROPICAL ISLE AND BAYOU CLUB

NOLA POLICE & HAND GRENADES

What’s in a hand grenade on Bourbon Street?

The Hand Grenade Recipe

1½ oz Gin.
1½ oz Grain Alcohol.
1½ oz Melon Liquor.
1½ oz Vodka.
1½ oz Rum.

POPULAR DRINKS OF NEW ORLEANS

WWII museum New Orleans

ATTRACTIONS

Believe it or not there's plenty of things to do in New Orleans that doesn't involve food, drink or music. There's history and the Mississippi River!

Steamboat Natchez

A casualty of the weather was a trip on the Steamboat Natchez. We've taken this trip in previous visits, but none of our group wanted to brave the rain. Next time.

STEAMBOAT NATCHEZ

Garden District Walking Tour

The area that is currently known as the Garden District was once part of a Livaudais Plantation which was parceled out to wealthy Americans not wanting to live in the French Quarter starting in the 1800s. Original development had just a couple of houses on each block, surrounded by a garden, giving the area it’s moniker.

We braved the torrential rain which threatened to wash us into the Mississippi to reach the meeting point for a tour with Two Chicks Walking Tours. The rain held off enough, but soon after the tour ended the sky erupted.

John Goodman's home (for sale)

Our tour guide pointed out several homes of celebrities including John Goodman, Sandra Bullock and Anne Rice the author. The highlight for me was seeing the Manning family home, now under renovation. I can picture Eli getting a wedgie from his tormenting older brothers Peyton and Cooper on the front lawn.

In front of the
Manning family home

TWO CHICKS WALKING TOURS

St. Charles Streetcar

St Charles Streetcar

It was our intention to take the oldest continuously operating streetcar in the world to our next destination. As we waited for the St. Charles (aka the Number 12) Streetcar we got soaked. We purchased 1 day passes at the near by Walgreen’s on Royal for all of .80 cents each, and despite the rain the ride was enjoyable and the wooden benches didn’t seem so unforgiving.

Of course it would have been better on a sunny day and for the price it's a great way to see New Orleans

The St. Charles streetcar goes from Carrolton to Canal. We got off at Oak Street to eat at Jacques-Imo’s.

The Canal streetcar can take you to the cemeteries. We opted to avoid that excursion because of the rain.

TRANSIT MAP ST CHARLES STREETCAR

The National World War II Museum

945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130

Our friends expressed an interest in this incredible museum. It was not on my original radar, but truthfully we were very grateful to visit this remarkable museum. We could have spent several more hours than the 2 ½ we allotted ourselves to learn the history of this conflagration.

We walked there when the weather was so-so and got drenched on the way back. Ugh.

THE NATIONAL WORLD WAR II MUSEUM

Ignatius C. Reilly statue
on Canal

JOHN KENNEDY TOOLE

For those of you who don’t “get” the tagline of this article it is a pun on the title of the Pulitzer prize winning novel A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES, by John Kennedy Toole. His sad story was he committed suicide when he couldn’t get the novel published, but years later his mother found the manuscript and pushed to place it with a publisher.

Pictured here is the statue of Ignatius C. Reilly, the main character of the novel in front of what was once a department store, and where the novel begins.

Dunces and paunches

Beignets and Vieux Carré

Music and bourbon

Let it rain I don’t care

More oysters please and etouffee?

Throw in some grits and I will stay

"Who Dat?", They chant at the Superdome

If I had my choice I’d never go home

Thanks for reading…and hand me that towel please.

Thank you Janet, for planning this wonderful trip.