New Orleans - A Taste of the Big Easy |
Written by Debra C. Argen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in August 2005, the city has been working hard in its efforts to rebuild and attract visitors. Visiting New Orleans in July 2008 during the Tales of the Cocktail, I was so pleased to see vital signs that the visitors are returning, namely that the restaurants were busy, there were people in the art galleries and shops, and the traffic on the roads had increased, all good indicators that things are picking up - finally. Make no mistake though, there are people still waiting to return to their homes, and I met several people on this visit who despite almost three years after the hurricane, are still not settled. Yet, despite all odds, these people are survivors, they keep on moving with a smile, they are the soul of New Orleans, and what makes this city so endearing. Like the arrondissements in Paris, each district in New Orleans has its own very distinct personality, style, and magic. To truly appreciate this wonderful city, it is necessary to step outside the French Quarter and experience the other parts of the city as well.
In addition to the convenience of staying in the French Quarter, and its close proximity to many sightseeing attractions, the hotel has two restaurants: Le Café, and the elegant Hunt Room; Carousel Piano Bar & Lounge, Spa, Business Center, Fitness Center, and an outdoor pool located on the top floor of the hotel. For those interested in the paranormal, the hotel has a legacy of having some friendly spirits among its midst, although I have never encountered any, except the friendly spirits at Tales of the Cocktail, during my many stays at the hotel. Hotel Monteleone The French Quarter is very easy to walk, and we always make time to take a leisurely stroll down Royal Street to browse in the antique stores that specialize in furniture, crystal, silver, jewelry, cocktail shakers, bar accessories, and statuary, as well as the eclectic art galleries that line the street, and the interesting boutiques.
Brennan's Restaurant For something new on Royal Street, you might enjoy experiencing The Absinthe Museum of America (scheduled opening July 19, 2008). Absinthe was a highly popular spirit from 1875-1913, and was illegal in the United States for the last 97 years. Recently, Absinthe got the green light in a manner of speaking in the United States, and once again Absinthe is flowing in New Orleans, which is the perfect time, as the cocktail, the Sazerac, which uses Absinthe, was named the Official Cocktail of New Orleans in July 2008. Open daily from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. The Absinthe Museum of America
The St. Louis Cathedral The impressive bronze statue of General Andrew Jackson on horseback is the focal point of Jackson Square. Enter Jackson Square through the elaborate wrought iron gates opposite St. Louis Cathedral or the Decatur Street entrance, and take a stroll through the pretty gardens in this attractive park.
Next to The Saint Louis Cathedral is The Cabildo where you can learn about the history of Louisiana and New Orleans.
We also always enjoy visiting The Presbytere, the museum has a year-round Mardi Gras exhibit. If you have always wanted to experience a New Orleans Mardi Gras, here is your opportunity to don a few costumes, take a few photographs, and learn about the history of Mardi Gras, one of the highlights of the New Orleans social season. The Presbytere Walking through the French Quarter, or taking a quaint horse-drawn carriage ride, I could not help but admire the houses with romantic, lacy wrought iron balconies graced with feathery ferns and colorful flowers hanging from baskets, and the courtyards barely visible through the gates, providing an enticing almost voyeuristic view of the gardens.
In the newly renovated French Market, colorful vendors' stands festooned with typical New Orleans and Mardi Gras souvenirs, clothing, and jewelry beckoned. In the past, the French Market was a great place to purchase hot sauces, locally grown pecans, and produce, but as of July 2008, that area was yet to be completed, but looked ready to open shortly.
When we exited the French Market at Esplanade, we saw a sign for the Old U.S. Mint located directly across the street, and decided to visit. It was a serendipitous discovery, as in addition to the interesting information we learned about the U.S. Mint, which operated in New Orleans from 1838-1909, and served as a mint for both the U.S. and the Confederacy, the museum had a special exhibition, Treasures of Napoléon, which featured an impressive collection of 250 artifacts of Napoleon's including his letters, personal items including snuff boxes, clothing, books, and paintings.
Although I had been to many exhibitions on Napoléon around the world, I learned many new things at this exhibition including that "The bee is one of France's oldest symbols dating back to the ancient King Childeris I (c 437 - 481) who was found with 300 inlaid bees of gold and garnets. Napoleon chose the bee as his personal emblem, therefore anointing himself as successor to the King, 1300 year legacy of French Sovereigns."
The museum has rotating exhibits as well as the permanent U.S. Mint collection, is open Tuesday - Sunday from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, and is closed on Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Admission is charged but is free for children under 12 years.
The French Quarter is teeming with house museums each with its own fascinating histories. Since we had previously visited the Hermann-Grimma House, (built in 1831, 820 Saint Louis Street), and the Beauregard-Keyes House, (built in 1826, 113 Chartres Street), this time we visited Madame John's Legacy, which we learned about through speaking with a staff member at the U.S. State Mint. Madame John's Legacy, built in 1788, is the oldest house in the Mississippi River Valley, and is one of three houses that survived the two fires in the French Quarter in 1788 and in 1794. The house is a Louisiana French Colonial design, and is a rarity in the French Quarter. Although the house is unfurnished, it offers visitors a glimpse at its architectural style.
Madame John's Legacy is open Tuesday - Sunday, from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. There is no admission charge. Madame John's Legacy Jazz is the heartbeat of New Orleans, and as our readers know from reading the Music Scene, we are huge Jazz fans. There is something about traditional New Orleans Jazz that gets your feet tapping, your hands clapping in time to the beat, and your body swaying in your chair. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band captures that famous traditional New Orleans Jazz sound, and the night that we went to hear them play, the air was thick and humid, saved by a cool breeze of an overhead fan. However, no one in the room gave much thought to the temperature, as the wooden benches were packed, and the Jazz was hot.
Preservation Hall opens at 8:00 pm on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and the music starts at 8:15 pm and ends at 11:00 pm. Admission is $10 per person, and all ages are welcome in the non-smoking environment. Preservation Hall Decatur Street is one my favorite streets in New Orleans, as Café du Monde, Aunt Sally's, and the House of Blues are all located here. Every trip to New Orleans requires us to make a pilgrimage to visit the trio of the senses.
Café du Monde is one of our favorite late night haunts, as it is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with the exception of Christmas Day. Of course, we made time in our schedule to stop for an order of beignets, made to order and steaming hot, just the way we like them. Look for the distinct Café du Monde green and white striped awning across from Jackson Square. Café du Monde
Aunt Sally's The House of Blues is another one of our New Orleans music club haunts. During this visit, we caught the high-energy band, Old 97's plus Sleepercar, with our friends, Rob Clemenz and Rick Duplantier, who turned us on to this talented band. After the concert, we hung out in the private club, the Foundation Room, where we had a few cocktails.
House of Blues Two other interesting museums that we always enjoy visiting are The Museum of the American Cocktail and the Pharmacy Museum. The Museum of the American Cocktail finally has a permanent home located in the Riverwalk Marketplace. If you are fascinated with the history of the cocktail, then this is a must-see museum. The museum has a wonderful collection of all things cocktail from old bartending books, stills, bottles, shakers, and so much more, and also has a Gift Shop. The museum is open Monday - Saturday from 10:00 am - 7:00 pm, and on Sunday from 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Admission is charged. The Museum of the American Cocktail The Pharmacy Museum is also an intriguing place to visit, as Louis J. Dufilho, Jr., who lived in New Orleans, became America's first licensed pharmacist in 1816, and opened up his apothecary shop in 1823. The museum tells the history of pharmacy and there are wonderful artifacts on display. It is also fitting, as it was a pharmacist who created bitters, first used as a digestive for stomach upsets, and pre-1900 were the required ingredient in a cocktail, as without bitters the libation was known as a crusta. The Pharmacy Museum is open Tuesday - Friday. Please call for tour times. Admission charged. Free admission under 6 years. The Pharmacy Museum I love to look at vintage fashion, and the Mardi Gras Museum located inside Arnaud's Restaurant is a treasure trove of styles. This museum is on my "must-visit" list every time that I visit New Orleans. This sensational exhibition includes the elaborate gowns worn during the Mardi Gras Balls by the Mardi Gras Queens and the costumes worn by the Mardi Gras Kings, as well as black and white photographs taken when the Queen and King wore them.
Arnaud's Restaurant
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas If you want to try your hand with Lady Luck, visit Harrah's New Orleans Casino, located at Canal Street at the River. Harrah's New Orleans Casino A new area that we discovered on this visit is the City Park district. City Park is the 6th largest city park in the United States, where Spanish moss languidly hangs from the gnarled oak trees conjuring up images of the old South. This area was heavily damaged with flooding during Hurricane Katrina, but has been restored, and walking through the park we were impressed with the gardens, the stone bridges, and many historic buildings including The Peristyle, built from 1907 - 1917.
City Park is also the home of the New Orleans Botanical Gardens, Sidney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Gardens, Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, Storyland (a children's playground), and the New Orleans Museum of Modern Art. Across from City Park is the restaurant, Ralph's on the Park where we hosted a Spirited Dinner as part of the Tales of the Cocktail. Edward and I were the guest Bar Chefs for the special cocktail pairing dinner where a few of the courses included the cocktail "Marie's Garden" (Hine Cognac, tomato juice, homemade pesto, lime juice, Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters, hot sauce) paired with a Creole Tomato Salad with baby Arugula, Vidalia Onion, and Shaved Parmesan, with a basil vinaigrette; the cocktail "Fenneltini" (Fennel infused Pearl Coconut Vodka, Extra Dry Vermouth) paired with Fennel Crusted Yellowfin Tuna; and the "Toast of the Town" (Mount Gay Rum Eclipse, Domaine de Canton French Ginger Liqueur, Half & Half, Fee Brothers Caramel Cordial Syrup, with melted dark chocolate and crushed pecan rim) paired with Chocolate Pecan Pie.
Read more about Ralph's on the Park in the Restaurants, Chefs' Recipes, Liquor Cabinet, and Luxury Products - Gifts sections.
The Garden District, bordered by Jackson and Louisiana Avenues between St. Charles Avenue and Magazine Street, is another one of my favorite areas of New Orleans to admire the varied examples of architectural styles of French, Spanish, English, and Greek revival mansions.
To get the true Garden District experience, take the St. Charles Streetcar to the Garden District. The route will take you past Tulane University and Loyola University, and will provide an inviting glimpse of the magnificent mansions. Afterwards, hop off the streetcar to explore the area and take a walking tour. As you walk past these stately homes, notice that while some of the homes have gardens in the front of the house (English), others have gardens in the back of the house (French).
As a grand finale to this visit to New Orleans, we had Sunday Brunch with our friends, Rob Clemenz, and Rick Duplantier at Commander's Palace, where the Jazz was hot and the cocktails deliciously cold on a warm July day. We began with The Papa Doble (white rum, cherry liqueur, fresh lime, and grapefruit juice), Holly Berry Martini (Stoli Citros Vodka, Chambord Liqueur, and Pama Pomegranate Liqueur, and fresh lemon juice), and the Sazerac, the Official Cocktail of New Orleans, (Sazerac Rye Whiskey, Peychaud's Bitters, Herbsaint, twist of lemon), and ended with frozen crème brulee, and bread pudding. In between, we enjoyed multiple courses, beginning with a delightful amuse bouche of conch fritter.
Commanders' Palace is open for lunch Monday - Friday from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm; Dinner Monday - Sunday from 6:30 pm - 10:00 pm; and for Jazz Brunch on Saturday 11:30 am - 1:00 pm; and on Sunday from 10:30 am - 1:30 pm. Before you leave Commander's Palace, pick up their Walking Tour of the Garden District, which provides insightful history of the homes, as well as the Lafayette Cemetery. Commander's Palace What is especially attractive about New Orleans is its close proximity to so many cities; from New York it is a mere 3 hours and 15 minutes on a non-stop flight, making it a fabulous weekend getaway. So, what are you waiting for? New Orleans has so much to discover and is a perfect destination at any time of the year whether you want to experience Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday is February 5th, in 2009), the Jazz Festival (end of April), the Food and Wine Festival (May), Tales of the Cocktail (July), Reveillon Dinners (month of December), or just want to soak up a little of its delightful ambience. Laissez les bons temps roulez!
Important Information for New Orleans New Orleans' vocabulary, especially when it comes to gastronomy, may be a bit of a challenge to visitors. To assist you with understanding the gastronomy, I have included some vocabulary to help you sound like a native ... at least you will be able to read the menus.
Read other articles on the Tales of the Cocktail and New Orleans in the Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, Chefs' Recipes, Liquor Cabinet, Awards, and Luxury Products: Gifts sections.
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