N'awlins: Post Mardi Gras

What can I say?  New Orleans in late March was just what I needed.  The weather was warm; the music, hot.  The food was intoxicating; the people, friendly; and the drink, flowing.  I could have stayed longer and since it's 32 degrees outside here at home, I should have!

I started my trip at 12:39 pm at the train station in Ann Arbor.  The day was glorious, in the 50's, and felt like spring was here.  I shared a seat with a retired second grade teacher as we headed to Chicago.  This was to become a theme for me.  Educators, retired or otherwise, outnumbered any other profession represented by the various people I met on this trip.  She lived in Detroit but was hoping to sell her home and to join her remaining siblings in their home country, Canada.  Once in Chicago, she went her way and I went to the lounge to wait for The City of New Orleans.  While my incoming train arrived late, this train left right on time and as it happens, arrived in New Orleans within fifteen minutes of its published arrival time.  On this leg of the trip I shared a seat with another teacher.  She had been spending her spring break visiting her mother in Chicago along with her two and five year old daughters.  She taught sixth grade language arts in Memphis.

As she and I talked of education and child-rearing, her two daughters sat peacefully playing educational games on iPods in the seats across from us.  Before too long it was dinner time.  They had cold pizza.  I had health bars, an apple, and a small bottle of water.  After dark we all settled down for the long night and sleep.

Unfortunately, I slept very little.  I wasn't prepared for the cold or the difficulty of sleeping in a less than horizontal position.

When morning came, I had another health bar, an apple, and the last small bottle of water I brought with me.  I know it doesn't sound like a lot but I felt full.  Knowing I was going to be eating well for the next several days, I thought I was being smart by dieting now.  The rest of the journey was uneventful and we arrived at the New Orleans train station as I stated above, within fifteen minutes of our scheduled arrival time.  I immediately got a taxi and headed to our hotel.  My sister hadn't yet arrived so I proceeded to unpack all the while anticipating a soaking hot tub as it had been over 24 hours since I bathed, brushed my teeth, or washed my face.  Add to that my lack of sleep.  I needed to relax and rest before heading out for the evening.  No such luck as Jeana arrived before I had emptied my suitcase.

A quick bath, a fresh set of clothes, a clean face and teeth and off we went.  Our first stop was the Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone.  A glass of Chardonnay for me, a beer for her.  Chips were provided but knowing I was going to be eating chargrilled oysters soon, I avoided spoiling my appetite.  As we caught up on each other's news, we sipped our drinks.  I began feeling a bit odd but then, the Carousel Bar revolves and my own sense of spinning, I attributed to that.  Once our glasses were emptied, we headed to Acme. 



As has generally been the case for the Acme Oyster Bar and Grill in the afternoon, there was a line, a short one but a line nonetheless.  As Jeana and I continued to chat, I felt a bit disoriented, feeling vertigo, and needing to stablilize myself.  I reached out to the wall.  Try as I could, the growing sense that I was about to pass out could not be denied or avoided.  As I lowered myself to put my head between my knees, I had visions of myself sprawled on the filthy sidewalk, viewed as just another drunk.  How humiliating!  As I slide down to a squat, my sister reached out to me noting with alarm that I was clammy.  I asked her to get me some bread or crackers or something to put on my stomach.  Bless her heart, she jumped right to it and before I was out, I was chewing on crackers.  While I seemed not to have any saliva with which to soften the dry crumbs, just having them in my mouth seemed to fortify me.  I pulled myself up, all the while chomping on crackers.  Almost as soon as I was standing, our name was called and we were quickly seated at the bar.  I was better but not yet normal.  As I lay my head on the bar, I told the waiter I wasn't feeling well.  With good humor and a knowing smirk, he asked me if I was drunk.  See?  I knew that was the conclusion anyone would draw upon seeing me in my condition.  I stiffened my back, raised my head and looked right at him and declared, "I'm hungry and dehydrated, not drunk!"   A glass of water and a basket of crackers quickly appeared. 




Half a dozen chargrilled oysters and three pieces of French bread dipped in the drippings later and I was back to normal.  The lesson here is that health bars and two small bottles of water in 24 hours followed by a glass of Chardonnay is not a good idea!  Believe me, I did not repeat that on the trip back home.

Saturday Jeana and I explored the Quarter after having a large brunch on Jackson Square.  At 2:00 we joined a number of other people for a Historic Culinary Tour of New Orleans.  It started at Antoines and then moved through about nine other restaurants while we also received commentary on others that we walked past.  At each stop, we were given samples -- gumbo, shrimp remoulade, red beans and rice, pralines, muffaletta, gelato, jambalaya, and others.  Absolutely no chance to repeat my physical fiasco of the preceeding day!  At La Davina we had the best chocolate gelato I've ever had, Aztec.  A bit of cayenne, cinnamon, and lots of chocolate.  Yum!  They also served what the guide called an improved version of the muffaletta.  I have to agree that adding cheese, a different kind of bread, and toasting it like a paninni was much better than the original I had back in November
.

While I made it to Cafe du Monde three times before leaving New Orleans, I assure you I did not join this line on this day.  I find that getting there earlier in the morning, say 6:30 or so, and later in the night, say after midnight, makes getting cafe au lait and beignets much faster and better.

 While Mardi Gras was well over, there was evidence of the festival festooning some on the buildings.

On this trip, I noticed more street performers than I had in other post-Katrina trips.  More importantly there were more street musicians.  The group below is fantastic.  I had heard Doreen, the clarinetist, during a pre-Katrina trip to New Orleans but this was the first time I found her performing since.  It was a joy to hear her and to see the crowds form as she played.

 In addition to the great music, we found new places to eat.  The Green Goddess was our culinary highlight.  Off Exchange Place, it is just a very small hole in the wall but the food is to die for!  I had "bangers and mash", a wonderful duck sausage sided by mashed sweet potatoes blended with orange and spices, covered in a sauce that was both sweet and carried a spicy punch.  The dessert menu was equally enticing but I was far too full to take advantage of it.  A kind of New Orleans, Carribean, soulful food of complex flavors -- I could have eaten there every day and wish that I had.  Unfortunately for us, we discovered it on Sunday, had reservations at Snug Harbor for Monday.   It was closed on Tuesday.  We left on Wednesday. 

To learn more about The Green Goddess, check out this link:
http://www.greengoddessnola.com/

 Down the alley from The Green Goddess was the Somethin' Else Cafe, a great place for breakfast. 

 This jazz band and vocalist, along with Doreen, filled most of my daytime hours.  I could have listened to them nonstop.

 In the evening, we headed to Frenchman Street and more good food and music.  The Three Muses proved to be especially appetizing in both areas.  They specialize in jazz and small dishes.  Feta fries, pork belly, mojitos.  Hmmm....

I spent a lot of time exploring the warehouse district.  Emeril has a restaurant there.  There's a place called w.i.n.o. (Wine Institute New Orleans) that carries over 120 different wines you can purchase by the ounce.  A willing staff will tell you more than you need to know about each.  The Red Slipper is not far from it and made for a great breakfast stop.  Bread pudding pancakes, yummy!

 

Didn't get to check out the wares or sample the food at Hot Chocolate! but sure enjoyed looking at the window display.  Sweets, chocolate, and sex toys!  What a combination!

Spent quite a bit of time sitting at the bar in the Napoleon House.  Struck up a conversation with the gentleman next to me.  From Chicago and dealing in books, we had enough in common to keep us both interested while I had lunch.



It was with regret that I left New Orleans.  The weather was perfect; the food, great; and the music, rousing.  I returned to Michigan, cold weather, spring just a promise but not yet a reality.