For the last few years we have planned a post summer getaway. This year it was especially needed due to the crazy-bananas amount of gigs we would be playing during July and August. We had a staff meeting (Mr. Jones, and I) and decided that New Orleans would be our destination. This was a pilgrimage of sorts because Jeff was indeed born in the Big Easy. He was a Navy brat, so he lived there from zero to two years before the family moved on. Never the less, I expected a plaque to have been erected somewhere in the city. The search continues.
I once again took the AirBnb route. I found a place right on historic Saint Charles Street, away from the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter, but accessible through the also historic Trolley line. It was a room located above a cool pizza joint!
Wanna Slice?
Our plan was to come in on a Saturday morning, but flight prices made it more economical to come in late Friday night. Dark pictures of our room to follow…
Clean, neat linens adorned the bed. There was a hint of bleach in the air.
Neatly folded towels.
Funky Artwork above an antique door turned to a desk.
Coffee Station.
A myriad of extras one might need.
More local art.
The bath was clean and equipped more amenities than any hotel.
Now that we were all settled in at our digs, we needed to find a bit of food. At this point it was well past eleven o’clock local time but not to worry, just steps from our spot were not one, not two, but three 24 hour bars! We ended up at the Blind Pelican.
The Blind Pelican
Allegedly…more on this later.
We bellied up.
I honestly didn’t expect palm trees. Really.
So, this place was not only steps from our room, but I had it on my list of to-do’s because they have .25 cent oysters! When you arrive at 12:30am, they tend to be sold out. Not to worry, we had another southern speciality.
Fried Green Tomatoes with Crab, Shrimp and Spicy Aioli.
A couple beers later and we were cooked….
Good Morning Saint Charles!
Our room looked right over the streetcar line.
This historic Trolley line runs all the way from the Garden District to the French Quarter. For just $1.25 per ride or $3.00 for an all day pass, you have transit. The thing is… it saves your feet, but not any time. Typically, the trolley gets you to your destination a few minutes later than if you hoofed it.
All Aboard!
How many children have fallen out of these windows?
This was our stop. The main drag was quite a bit more expansive and cosmopolitan than I expected.
The main thoroughfare.
Look at us, out and about so early!
Today was Saturday, so I decided that heading right into the heart of Bourbon Street may be unadvisable, due to crowds or just plain craziness. Instead we would be experiencing an authentic River Cruise!
Ticket Center
The Natchez
Plenty of room for now.
No waiting.
We posted up at a table right by the rail. It was nearly 11:30, so high time for a drink.
A rum punch for the lady.
Bloody Mary for the Gent.
That’s one translucent Bloody there. They just waved the tomato juice over the top.
Although the Natchez is a reproduction, built in 1975, it is an authentic steamboat built with authentic parts. Here’s a more descriptive listing from the website:
“Her powerful steam engines were built for U.S. Steel Corporation’s sternwheeler CLAIRTON in 1925. Her genuine copper and steel steam whistle is a treasured antique. Her copper bell, smelted from 250 silver dollars to produce a purer tone, once graced the S.S. J.D. AYRES. Her 32 note steam calliope was custom crafted and modeled after the music makers of the Gilded Age.”
The views along the Mississippi we’re accompanied by a live narration. This made the cruise. The Captain (in the most delightful Creole accent) explained the historical areas of the city as we swept past.
St. Louis Cathedral straight ahead.
This next building I had assumed was damaged by hurricane Katrina, as many of the structures we passed were, according to our narrator. Not so. This circa 1892 rice mill sat abandoned for decades. The interior was riddled with graffiti and most notably, a fine compliment on the exterior for passers by on the Steam Boat. It is rumored that this message was painted by the infamous Banksy. The building was purchased by investors and was subsequently renovated into posh Lofts. The one requirement: tenants cannot remove any graffiti from the brick interior walls.
Rice Mill Lofts.
These Barracks have such a storied past, I’ll just let you read more about it on your own time HERE.
The Jackson Barracks.
The Domino Sugar Factory working full time to powder Beignets.
Another feature of this cruise was live Jazz Music. It wasn’t too elaborate, but the boys got the job done.
“When the Saints…”
A little taste:
Some helpful signage in the engine room.
A lot of scary moving parts.
This area was about as neat as Mr. Jones’ work bench, which is to say, not very.
A view of the muddy Mississippi from the lower deck.
Two hours flew by and it was time to re-enter port.
The communications system was a bit archaic.
It was getting on time to eat. We made our way over to the Warehouse District for a late lunch.
Colorful facades.
Fulton Street cut through. Very modern and commercial.
Gorgeous flower boxes.
Jeff needed to take a load off.
My chair is THIS BIG!!!
We arrived at our destination. This place has been on my radar for years! I saw it on a show called After Hours with chef Daniel Boulod. My dear children were astute enough to remember this and gave me a generous gift card for my birthday the previous July. I totally didn’t lose it!
Cochon means pig.
Why didn’t I take this?
We started with cocktails, as you do. They must change their cocktail menu frequently because I couldn’t find these descriptions any longer. Suffice it to say they were perfectly balanced and quite enjoyable.
Mine
His
The place is not fancy by any means. It’s all about the food. Of course, snout to tail pig is their main focus, but there was so much goodness on the menu, it was hard to choose.
Simple dining space in a converted warehouse.
We ordered everything from the appetizer side. I enjoy small plates of intense flavors and this is where you tend to find them. First, some more beverages.
Local beer for the Mr.
A dry white for me.
smoked pork ribs with watermelon pickle
These were smokey as advertised and fall-apart tender. The pickle didn’t add to much to the party, but it looked nice.
fried alligator with chili garlic mayonnaise
Yup, alligator. It was our favorite bite. Light, crispy and tender. It tasted closest to pork. The most surprising element was the mint and parsley tossed in with the garlic mayo. It just added a brightness that made the dish.
pork cheek sauce piquant with hominy grit cake
I was most looking forward to this dish, but it was the least exciting of the three. Don’t get me wrong, the cheeks were tender, the grits were beautifully prepared and the sauce was suitably savory. It just didn’t have that “pow” that the other dishes delivered.
Chicharrones bar snack or fried pork rinds.
These were not on the menu. I heard someone else order them and said “Hey, what for???”. You just have to know to ask.
We were sufficiently filled up and ready to walk off our lunch all the way back to our flat. After a good long nap we were off to find some N’awlins jazz. It was emphatically suggested that we get ourselves to the Spotted Cat Jazz Club.
We found it!
The trouble was it was PACKED!!! Like, shoulder to shoulder, anxiety attack packed. We stood outside and listened for a bit and it was awesome. We could have stuck it out, but at this point it was starting to rain pretty hard.
Here’s a little peek of what we got to experience pressing our noses against the window:
We decided to bail and head across the street to a much larger establishment called d.b.a. I still don’t know what this stands for, but it is one of the first clubs in the area to go smoke-free. Did I mention that you can smoke indoors here? Vegas prepared us for this. This place was also pretty busy. Jeff bellied up to the bar to get us a couple local brews. I spotted an empty, tiny nook with bench seating right at the window. Perfect!
They’re all out there.
While I’m in here.
First rate people watching.
There was indeed a band here that started ten or fifteen minutes after we settled in. We stayed in our cubby enjoying the views of Frenchman street for a bit longer. I wasn’t giving up our prime seating!
The band was good…I think. They weren’t very jazzy.
A view from the wings.
The rain had subsided and we were getting pretty hungry. We decided to take a stroll back to our neighborhood. The streets were starkly empty for a Saturday night.
St. Louis Cathedral closer-up.
Beautiful architecture.
Everywhere.
Jazz it up!
Once again, we landed at the Blind Pelican. This quickly became our “Cheers”.
Wings.
Crawfish Quesadillas.
The food here is Meh, but it’s open late and the beer is good. No complaints from this lady. Thank goodness we were mere steps from our adorable suite. We summarily crashed hard. We needed a good sleep to get ready for our big day on Bourbon Street.
Up Next: Our first day on Bourbon Street…Hello!!!!????