So… there aren’t a lot of food pictures from New Orleans. In fact, there aren’t a lot of photos taken after 11 AM at all. I’ll try and explain.
Here’s what happened at 10 AM.
We started the morning off innocently enough. After a quick stop at the hotel’s continental breakfast (less than thrilling, but no big surprise) we hit the streets of the French Quarter with exploration on our minds. We strolled through the streets, catching a rare glimpse of New Orleans just waking up. Sidewalks were being hosed off, erasing the debauchery of the night before. Old folks and families snapped photos, and scuttled by before the drunkies could start their rowdy business.
By the time we reached the French Market around 9:00 AM, sellers were just rolling out their goods. We stopped at the French Market Seasoning stand for some coffee and a Crawfish Sausage, and breathed in the fresh morning air.
Shortly after, we wandered through the rest of the Market and back toward Jackson Square. On our way, we decided to give in to the Nola ways, and pick up a morning cocktail.
After that, things started getting a little crazy. It seems like it all happened so fast.
The buggy ride.
Making friends with a mule.
Bourbon Street.
Voodoo.
Before we knew it, it was 2 PM. Time to head home and get dolled up for the 3 PM wedding we had hit town to attend. I left the camera home for the wedding, but it’s a shame that I did, because I would have loved to get some shots of the food. Martha, the bride, and Tajel, her Maid of Honor, are both food writers. As you can imagine, the food was to die for. Appetizers included Rabbit Croquets with Hot Pepper Jelly, Pecans and Bleu Cheese Endives, and Caviar Deviled Eggs. For dinner, I had Duck with Foie Gras and Lemon Confit. Yum, yum, yum.
After dinner, the wedding party and many of the guests headed down to The Spotted Cat, a jazz club on Frenchmen Street. After several shots, beers, and cocktails, Heather and I decided it was time to make a run for it. We said goodbye to her friends and hightailed it to Cats Meow on Bourbon Street, probably the most fun karaoke bar on God’s Green Earth.
And? We lit that place up. There was dancing, singing, bumping, grinding, high-fiving, hula hooping, and of course, more cocktails. That’s right, we did it all, but alas, it couldn’t last forever. We finally headed back to the hotel around 3:30 AM, leaving a thumping, bumping party behind us. We could have gone all night, I tell ya, but we knew what tomorrow was bringing: at least eight more hours of driving. The next morning wasn’t pretty, but we got through it.
Next stop? Austin, Texas!
