"There's certain things in life that I love. One is architecture. And music, culture, food, people. New Orleans has all of that." ~Lenny Kravitz
New Orleans is known for its food and it did not disappoint! We feasted every night and had some type of beignet every day. My family is big on trying different foods. We did a lot of shared meals this trip, mainly because there were so many good foods to try! We try to get a mix of local restaurants and we got to try some fairly famous places during our trip. Since we were traveling during Thanksgiving, my Mom was concerned what would be open. We had no issues trying the buffet at our hotel (Marriott on Canal Street) complete with beignets of course and a Thanksgiving meal at Palace Cafe with bananas foster en flambé. Check out the list below to read about the restaurants we went to and the different foods we tried, including alligator, turtle soup, and bread pudding beignets (which I highly recommend!)
1) Remoulade
Remoulade is a casual version of the famous Arnaud's restaurant, so it was a bit more affordable. This was our first night in NOLA, so my family opted to split some sampler platters. They have 3 different versions of sampler platters with New Orleans' favorites. This was the perfect choice for our first night and everything was really good. My Mom really wanted to try their famous shrimp arnaud. The remoulade sauce had a bit of a zing to it. Highly recommend this restaurant, especially if you're want to try some of the food that NOLA is known for in a short trip. I also thought this helped so we would know what we really liked for later in the trip.
Shrimp arnaud- Shrimp in Remoulade sauce $9.95
Taste of the Bayou- Filé gumbo, crawfish pie, jambalaya sampler $17.50
Taste of Louisiana- Turtle soup, Natchitoches meat pie, crawfish étouffée $17.50
Muffaletta- Italian cheeses, meats, and olive salad on muffaletta bun $9.50
http://www.remoulade.com/lunch-and-dinner-menu/
2) Café du Monde
The famous beignet cafe! It basically open 24/7 year round and usually has a crowd. They have 2 options- a to-go window or an area to sit down and eat. You should expect a bit of a wait for both. On our first morning, we got beignets and hot chocolate to-go to eat in Jackson Square. Later in the week, we sat down and got to experience the line system. The waitstaff is incredible, moving people in and out of tables, and carrying trays towering with beignets, water, and their hot beverages. You can buy Café du Monde souvenirs around town, including beignet mix and coffee. Be aware that the take out line only accepts cash! A tourist trap, but famous for a reason! Love them beignets.
Set of 3 Beignets $2.73
Hot chocolate $2.73 (small) or $4.10 (large)
Coffee depends on the type but similar
http://www.cafedumonde.com/
3) Evangeline Restaurant
"Look how she lights up the sky. Ma belle, Evangeline." I'm a huge fan of Princess and the Frog, so my Mom instantly noticed that this restaurant has the same name as the prettiest firefly that ever did glow. The food did not disappoint. The restaurant is a quaint spot on Decatur Street that features some variety on iconic NOLA food. Be sure to check their hours- they are closed Mondays and Saturday and Sunday are the only days that they are open for breakfast.
Okra Evangeline- really yummy appetizer $7.95
Fried alligator- I wanted to try alligator and these appetizer bites were really good! Perfect to give us each a taste of alligator $13.95
Pasta Evangeline- Fettuccine with shrimp in an olive oil type sauce $18.95
Bread pudding beignets- Truly a highlight and a revelation. A mash-up of 2 NOLA classics that was ridiculously good $7.95
4) Carousel Bar
My internship supervisor recommended this fun bar in the Hotel Monteleone. There is a a beautiful, old carousel that spins around while guests drink. There is a larger lounge area, but be warned that if you want to sit at the carousel, you will probably have to wait. There was live jazz music playing and it was a really fun and different experience. My family does not normally drink, but we all enjoyed what we tried.
Pimm's Cup- a well-known NOLA drink, Pimm’s No 1, strawberry, cucumber, lemon juice, simple syrup $12.00
French 007- I tried this drink, mainly because I thought the pomegranate flavor would be good, Mathilide Poire, Pomegranate liquor, sparkling wine $12.00
https://hotelmonteleone.com/entertainment/carousel-bar/
5) WWII museum
The World War II museum is quite large with several buildings actually. My Mom, Dad, and I stopped in for lunch at the American Sector restaurant. As you would expect, it was overpriced museum food. However, it was actually quite good, especially if you need a break while viewing the museum. They also have a small soda shop with quick-bites like sandwiches and hot dogs.
Shrimp po’boy- This was a good chance for me to get a po'boy for lunch $16
Barbeque shrimp and grits- Something a little different, that was right up my Dad's alley $19
Louisiana Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo- My Mom enjoyed this and it was a decent price $12
6) Palace Cafe
You may notice a theme here, but I consider this one another Princess and the Frog reference (Tiana's Palace). This was the perfect spot for our Thanksgiving meal and it was right down the street from our hotel. We all got the Thanksgiving special with turkey, stuffing, green beans, mashed potatoes, oyster dressing, cornbread, cranberry sauce. Everything was quite good. My Mom and I split bananas foster ($10.00), which is where they set the dessert on fire in front of you to sauté it. It was quite the interesting taste and I recommend trying it for the experience. My Dad and sister are both allergic to bananas, so they split a lemon curd cheesecake ($9.00).
7) Johnny Po’boys
We stopped by this well-known po'boy shop as our last meal of the trip. They really have a large variety of any type of po'boy you could want!
Moufelleta and alligator sausage po'boy- My Dad and I did a half and half combo. It was a great decision
Oyster po'boy- Market price
Shrimp po'boy