The Big Easy, Redux

Our College Road Trip started with a side venture to one of the world's great destinations, New Orleans.  We drove from Newnan and only had 24 hours in the Crescent City, but our family packed quite a bit of adventure into our short time there. 

After checking into one of our usual family-friendly hotels, the Hilton Garden Inn, we headed into the heart of the French Quarter for some meandering and food.  Normally, we scope out all the hot restaurants and old favorites including Susan Spicer, Emeri Lagasse and Galatoise.  We still miss our perennial favorite, the local hangout Uglesiche's.  It opened in 1924 and was destroyed in Katrina.  Their cookbooks are wonderful and work very well. This trip we were craving oysters and Cajun appetizers and we stopped first in a restaurant called Remoulade.  Owned by the same folks who created the venerable Arnaud's, Remoulade is just as delicious but more low key.

They could't even wait until I took the photo before snagging one of the oysters!

We enjoyed oysters, shrimp bisque, gumbo and turtle bisque at Remoulade and then we sauntered back out into the Quarter.  I took my requisite photo with the Big Ass Beers to Go guy

Still hungry, we stopped for barbecued oysters at Royal House Restaurant. Oh my gosh, These are crave-worthy and I think we will have an oyster roast at our farm soon because we can't wait until a return visit to New Orleans to enjoy them again!

We also had marinated crab fingers, po boys and red beans and rice.  Yum!

The next morning was Easter and we went to church at St. Louis Cathedral.  While we are not Catholic (we are Presbyterian) we have been to weddings in this incredible cathdral which is the longest continuously operating chuch in the US - since 1718.  We got there early and it was a good thing since it was SRO.

After church we shopped, bought some art and went to one of our favorite places for brunch,

Restaurant Stanley.  They have a sister restaurant, The Stella, that is also incredible. Restaurant Stanley is right next to St. Louis Cathedral and down the street from Cafe DuMonde.

Before we headed out of town, we attended one of New Orlean's ubiquitous parades - the Easter Parade!  It was a gas and the participants tossed all kinds of stuff from the floats including of course, beads.  We have now been to the Rose Parade and Easter Parade this year...we'll see what else is on tap the rest of the year.

We called this young man "The King of New Orleans" because he represented the cool, preppy sophistication of Southern Gentility that we know and love.  We met him earlier and he was great. 
On to Baton Rouge!