Arrived in New Orleans

Wednesday, August 14

It was just a short five hour drive from Panama City, Florida to New Orleans, Louisiana.  The price for gas was rather high in Panama City and since we still had 3/4 of a tank we opted to get gas along the way.  The price of gas in Sarasota was pretty reasonable.  We had our choice of no-name stations at $2.21 per gallon.  Other stations were about five to ten cents higher and prices were even higher down south near Naples.  Once we crossed into Alabama we were able to get gas generally at $2.21 and found it was even lower in Mississippi.

We arrived around 12:30 pm and drove straight to a restaurant we’d seen in Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  The restaurant, called Bourrée at Boucherie, is located in an older house in a charming older neighborhood about five miles from downtown.  There’s really no parking on site but we managed to squeeze in somehow.  Trying to find a space on the street could have taken quite a while.

We ordered a shrimp po boy, fries cooked in beef fat (an option for $1.00 extra) and a sweet tea.  The shrimp was cooked in butter and spices before being stuffed into a fresh roll with spicy sauce.  The shrimp were delicious, and we preferred this preparation to the usual fried variety, but the sauce and the bread were unbelievably good.  The fries, made from fresh cut potatoes, were covered with a spicy rub.  They were simply the best fries we’ve ever eaten.  Even the sweet tea was excellent.  The total was $20.89.  We’d definitely go there again.

(Shrimp Po Boy)

When we arrived at our hotel we were informed that they had no self parking.  The only option was vallet – and it cost $45.00 per night.  The closest public garage was blocks away and cost almost as much so we grudgingly opted for the vallet service.  Ouch!

After settling in we walked down to the Riverwalk.  The last time the two of us were in New Orleans was in 1996 – before hurricane Katrina caused all of that damage.  We were anxious to see how things had been rebuilt.  We remembered Riverwalk as a fun place with eclectic shops and huge panes of glass overlooking the river.  That no longer exists.  What stands in its place is an outlet center with low end shops and almost no view.  It was very disappointing.

Next we walked over to Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter.  The cafe has been in existence since 1862 and is well known for its beignets and chicory coffee.  The powdered sugar from the beignets gets everywhere and makes the tables and chairs quite sticky.  The waiters do their best to keep things tidy but it’s an uphill fight.  Deborah hunted around until she found an acceptable table and before we sat down the waiter was asking for our order.  Beignets come three to an order so we ordered just one.  We also got a large iced coffee and two glasses of plain water.  It was really hot and we needed the water (why do we always seem to come to New Orleans in August?!!!).

(Beignet at Cafe Du Monde)

The little french donuts never disappoint and the coffee was quite good.  Some people don’t like the chicory but I thought it added an exotic flavor.  Interestingly, chicory was first added to the coffee during the civil war when coffee beans were scarce.  It was a way of adding flavor to beans that were not first quality.  It became a tradition at Cafe Du Monde and they’ve been doing it ever since.

The cafe is just across the street from Jackson Square.  The middle of the square boasts a large statue of Andrew Jackson sitting on a horse.  Jackson is popular there because he won the Battle of New Orleans during the Revolutionary War.  He was president during the time of the Louisiana Purchase and the agreement was actually signed in that very square.

Fun Fact: We just visited Andrew Jackson’s house, The Hermitage, on our way through Nashville.

(Jackson Square)

Finally, we turned down the very famous Bourbon Street.  New York City boasts nothing as crazy as Bourbon Street in New Orleans.  It’s fun just to walk the area.  Hot and tired we finally got back to our hotel for a much needed rest and shower.  It’s going to be hot and humid for the next few days.