Picture of the Day: New Year's Fireworks in New Orleans

New Orleans, Louisiana
1.01.2012 

Picture of the Day: Holiday Decor in New Orleans

New Orleans, Louisiana
1.02.2012 

Picture of the Day: Making Beignets at Café du Monde

New Orleans, Louisiana
1.01.2012

Picture of the Day: Tombs at Saint Louis Cemetery #1

New Orleans, Louisiana
United States
1.02.2012 

NOLA Road Trip Day 7: The Long Road Home

Unfortunately, Wednesday was our last day in New Orleans. We had a really wonderful time so we were sad to see our trip coming to an end. Frank even joked that we should come back for the NCAA Final Four even if Michigan (his alma mater) or Duke (my alma mater) wasn't in it. I think any excuse is a good excuse to visit New Orleans. 

Before leaving town we had to take care of a few very important things, like eating breakfast one last time at Cafe Beignet. It is amazing how a person can eat beignets for breakfast three out of four days and still want to go back for more. Someone seriously needs to open a beignet shop in Ann Arbor. 

Of course we ended up getting beignets (just as delicious as ever!) but I also got a croissant filled with ham and cheese and Frank got a crawfish omelette with bell peppers and Swiss cheese since this was going to be our last sit down meal of the day and we needed something a little more hearty than just beignets to fortify us for the very long day of driving ahead.

Being the day after the bowl game all of the Michigan Sugar Bowl gear was on sale for half off in the stores around Canal Street. I had to take advantage of this and got a sweatshirt and a t-shirt for a grand total of thirty dollars which is a steal compared to the prices that are charged for Michigan gear back home. I couldn't believe that they even had t-shirts for sale with the final score on them less than 12 hours after the game was over.

We also had to make a stop in a praline shop so we could bring some of the famous sweets home. French settlers to Louisiana modified the original French recipe by substituting readily available pecans for almonds and adding cream as a thickener. Yum!

By the time we hit the road it was nearly eleven o'clock Central Standard Time and we had a 1060 mile drive ahead of us. Frank was a superman and drove the whole way, making it back in just over fifteen hours.  When we finally arrived in Ann Arbor it was nearly three in the morning and we were both absolutely exhausted. It was a wonderful trip but it was nice to be able to sleep in my own bed again.

If you are interested, check out the rest of our road trip to New Orleans here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6

NOLA Road Trip Day 6: Game Day

Tuesday was the day that we had been waiting for and the purpose of the whole trip to New Orleans; at last it was finally Sugar Bowl game day!

We got a late start on the day and decided to go for an early lunch at Johnny's Po' Boys, where I had a half of a shrimp po' boy and a cup of gumbo and Frank had a shrimp and oyster po' boy. The po' boys were absolutely fantastic and during a trip full of good food they were one of the best things we ate in New Orleans. Luckily there wasn't any wait when we went since we had seen lines going down the street the day before when it was closer to lunch time.

After lunch we headed to the Louisiana State Museum at the Cabildo which we had tried the visit the previous day but had been closed for the holidays. The Cabildo was the seat of colonial Louisiana government and is famous as being the site where the Louisiana Purchase was signed. We saw a lot of great exhibits about the life before and after the Louisiana Purchase, the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812 and the Civil War. The coolest thing I learned was that Napoleon had strong armed Spain into returning Louisiana to France in 1800 with the Treaty of San Ildefonso but kept it secret until it was quickly transferred in 1803 so Napolean could sell it to the US to raise funds for his war with Great Britain.

We then went next door to the Presbytere to see the Living with Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond exhibit. The exhibit was well done showing what led up to the hurricane and the damage it inflicted on New Orleans. In the front hall they had on display Fats Domino's piano which had been damaged in the storm. The best part for me was a video installation set in old windows where residents talked about how Katrina affected them and what makes New Orleans so special that they felt compelled to stay and rebuild. It was a nice, hopeful message after seeing all of the destruction.

We then headed upstairs to see the Mardi Gras: It's Carnival Time in Louisiana exhibit which showcased the tradition of Carnival and Mardi Gras in Louisiana. They had a lot of wonderful costumes on display and I liked that they showed how things were celebrated in areas beyond New Orleans as well.

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Bourbon Street which was packed with fans in town for the Sugar Bowl. It was fun to see everyone dressed up in their Michigan and Virginia Tech gear and I was happy to see that the Michigan fans out numbered the Tech fans. There was tons of spirit in the air and I can't even count how many times I yelled 'Go Blue!' or sang The Victors that day. 

About an hour and a half before game time we headed over to the Superdome. There was a huge party in Champions Square with a band performing so we hung out there until it was time to go into the stadium.

For the game we had awesome seats, but it was a not a great game to watch. Michigan looked rusty from being off since the end of November, but Virginia Tech kept making mistakes which kept us in the game. At the end of four quarters the score was tied at 20 so we headed into overtime and we ended up winning 23-20 with a field goal by Brendan Gibbons. Even though it wasn't the best game it was a great result and a wonderful way for Team 132 of the Michigan Wolverines to end a very successful season.

If you are interested, check out the rest of our road trip to New Orleans here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 7

NOLA Road Trip Day 5: Historic Cemetery Tour & Good Eats

On Monday morning we began our day by quickly grabbing some beignets for breakfast and then meeting up for a cemetery tour. Our guide, Gwen, was wonderful and we were lucky to have a small group. 

We headed to Saint Louis Cemetery #1 which was built outside of the city boundaries at the time. Because of New Orleans' location built on a swamp it was necessary to built burial vaults above ground. We learned so many fascinating things, like how there was a law that a vault could not be opened for a year and a day after the last deceased person was interred there for fear of spreading disease, like yellow fever. Most of the tombs are currently painted white, but that was due to the Americans and the originally the tombs were brightly painted by the Creoles. A project is underway to remove the white paint and return the tombs to their original colors.

The cemetery has tombs for a wide variety of people from voodoo queen Marie Laveau to a future resting place for Nicholas Cage, but the most interesting tomb for me was that of Homer Plessy, famous as the plaintiff in Plessy v. Ferguson. I knew the basics about the case and its being overturned by Brown v. Board of Education, but I learned some new details. I had no idea how carefully orchestrated everything was and that Homer Plessy was chosen to by the Citizens' Committee of New Orleans to ride in the whites-only railcar to specifically challenge Louisiana's laws of segregation. The train company was even involved in the setup, unfortunately not for altruistic reasons but because they didn't want to pay for separate facilities. I couldn't help but wonder how different the course of history in the U.S. would have been if the Supreme Court had decided the case differently and struck down segregation in 1894 instead of sadly upholding it for the next sixty years.

After our tour we walked back through the French Quarter enjoying the gorgeous, sunny day.

For lunch we decided to head to Napoleon House for a delicious muffulleta sandwich of ham, Genoa salami, pastrami, Swiss cheese, provolone cheese and homemade Italian olive salad on Italian bread. We also got sides of some other tasty New Orleans favorites, jambalaya and boudin sausage. In addition to having delicious food, Napoleon House has a storied history deriving its name from a plot to house Napoleon there after his exile.

After lunch we headed over to Jackson Square to check out the museums in the Cabildo and Presbytere, but they were closed until January 3 for the holiday.

After spending the rest of the afternoon hanging out with other Michigan fans in town for the Sugar Bowl, Frank and I headed out to dinner at Jacques-Imo's Cafe. We had an hour wait, but it was definitely worth it and we were able to hang out next door at the Maple Leaf Bar. We started with an appetizer of shrimp and alligator sausage cheesecake which was incredible. Our salads had a great dressing and were served with a fried oyster on the side. For dinner I had crawfish etoufee and Frank had the carpet-bagger steak with bleu cheese, onion, oysters, and hollandaise. Both meals were incredible and our sides, especially the mashed sweet potatoes were delicious.

Between our New Year's New Orleans trip and our pre-Christmas New York trip I have been eating ridiculously well and have been feeling quite spoiled. What better way to end one year and begin another than with good food?

If you are interested, check out the rest of our road trip to New Orleans here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 6, Day 7

NOLA Road Trip Day 4: Exploring Museums & the French Quarter

New Year's Day was our first full day in New Orleans and we definitely made the very most of it with a day packed with visiting museums, exploring the French Quarter and of course eating good food.

Being in New Orleans we had to start off our day by getting beignets at Cafe Beignet in the French Quarter for breakfast. The beignets were perfect light, puffy squares of fried dough covered in powdered sugar and were an absolute mess to eat. Frank also got the Creole hash, but while the sausage in it was delicious the potatoes weren't the best. Overall the cafe had a great cozy feel and even had a cat in residence sleeping the morning away tucked under one of the tables.

After leaving Cafe Beignet covered in powdered sugar we headed to the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. The museum was full of exhibits about ingredients that are essential in Southern cooking as well as the history behind some classic Southern dishes. It definitely had a Louisiana slant to it, but it was really informative (Did you know that by the mid-1800s Louisiana produced a quarter of the world's sugar supply?) and as a person who loves food I really enjoyed it. 

Next we headed to the National World War II Museum. I didn't understand the connection of having the museum in New Orleans until I learned that the "Higgins Boats" which were vital to D-Day operations were manufactured here. The museum was really interesting and I especially enjoyed learning about the elaborate methods the Allies used to try to convince the Germans that the invasion would take place at Calais instead of Normandy, such as deploying inflatable tanks and dropping paratroopers that were actually dummies. There were so many stories of hardship, sacrifice and valour and I can't imagine what it would have been like to be one of those troops. Seeing the exhibits and reflecting on all the death and destruction took an emotional toll on me. I have conflicted feelings, believing that you cannot stand by as atrocities occur but at the same time lamenting that war ever exists. I strongly believe it is important to know history and learn from it. As I've traveled over the years I've been to Hiroshima and Nagasaki to see the museums about the atomic bombings, visited the memorial at Pearl Harbor commemorating the attack, saw the concentration camp at Dachau and stopped at the Japanese internment camp at Manzanar all the while fighting back tears at each place. I wish that we lived in a world where that was no war and I hope we never see a conflict that engulfs the whole world like WWII ever again. 

After leaving the museum we somberly walked over to Mother's Restaurant for a late lunch. There was a substantial line extending out of the restaurant but it moved fast and I was surprised how quickly our food came up after we ordered. I had an absolutely delicious famous Ferdi po' boy with ham, roast beef, debris, and gravy. Frank had a seafood platter with fried catfish, shrimp, oysters and soft-shell crabs. He loved it all but the fried oysters were particularly fabulous.

At five o'clock we went on a twilight walking tour of the French Quarter. I am generally wary of tours but if they are done well they be really interesting and fun and this definitely fell into that category. With only six people on our tour and an excellent guide I would highly recommend it. As an avid reader I was excited that we stopped by buildings where Tennessee Williams (now a boutique) and William Faulkner (now a bookshop) previously lived. I learned so many interesting things on our tour. The half circle windows were actually once used for ventilating a hidden storage floor of the buildings between the ground floor and the floors above. The Pontalba buildings on Jackson Square popularized the use of cast iron in place of wrought iron in New Orleans since it allowed for more intricate designs. The posts sticking out from the sides of the hanging lanterns were used as ladder rests back when the lamps were gas and needed to be lit by hand each night. Pretty neat tidbits, aren't they?

The most fascinating thing that I learned was that the architectural style that is predominant in the French Quarter actually has its roots from the time that the Spanish ruled New Orleans. The bricks made from local clay are very soft so the buildings need to be covered with something to protect them from the elements. During the period of French rule the buildings were clad with cypress from the nearby swamps but this left the French Quarter susceptible the being wiped out by fire since the wooden buildings were so close to each other. Two great fires ravaged the area in 1788 and 1794 and the Spanish rebuilt using stucco to cover the brick and iron for railings and posts instead of wood to reduce damage that could be caused by fire in the future. 

After our tour we had a late reservation at Emeril's NOLA Restaurant. We started with an appetizer of crispy duck livers with slow cooked Southern greens, caramelized onions and Creole mustard aioli which was wonderful. For our salad course Frank had the fried green tomatoes with citrus poached shrimp, baby arugula and white remoulade sauce while I tried the Maine lobster and celery root tossed in a green onion-buttermilk dressing with roasted beets, spiced walnuts and arugula. I loved how crisp the celery root was and I think I need to develop a slaw recipe with it. For our main course Frank had the buttermilk fried breast of chicken with bourbon mashed sweet potatoes, country ham cream gravy and sautéed sugar snap peas while I had the hickory-roasted duck with whiskey-caramel glaze, buttermilk cornbread pudding, haricot verts-fire roasted corn salad, natural jus and candied pecans. Frank's chicken was tender and delicious and the sweet potatoes were nothing short of amazing. My duck was incredible and Frank could even smell the smokiness of it from across the table. We also couldn't resist getting a bowl of smoked cheddar grits to accompany our dinner. They were so good that if that was all that I had eaten that night I would have gone home happy. It was an incredible dinner and a great way for us to end a wonderful day.

If you are interested, check out the rest of our road trip to New Orleans here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7

NOLA Road Trip Day 3: New Year's Eve in New Orleans

With a long drive ahead and an early dinner reservation in New Orleans we grabbed a quick Chick-fil-A breakfast (Two days in a row! Yeah!) in Memphis and hit the road. We made good time through Mississippi, crossed Lake Pontchartrain and arrived in New Orleans by late afternoon.

After checking into our hotel and getting changed we headed to Cochon for dinner. They had a four course set menu for New Year's Eve with four options for each course. To start we were served a small bite with chicken liver pate, which we both love. I got the boudin stuffed quail with pickled greens and mustard seeds, the roasted marrow bones with beet, farro and pickled onion salad and rye toast and the roasted skin on pork loin with egg noodles, mustard greens and satsuma glazed carrots for my three dinner courses. Frank started with the jalapeno sausage and oyster casserole with cornbread and kale and then had the pork, black eyed pea and cabbage gumbo and the shrimp and grits with tasso and chicory for his dinner courses. Everything was delicious but my favorite was the marrow bones while Frank particularly loved the shrimp and grits. The surprise of the evening, however, was how amazing our dessert course was. I had sweet potato and pumpkin pie with cinnamon marshmallow and candied pumpkin seeds while Frank had the turtle cheesecake with sweet and salty pecans. I don't think either of us had ever eaten such a light and fluffy cheesecake before. We had a great time, but would you expect anything less from a restaurant whose name means pig in French?

After dinner we met up with some other Wolverine fans that were in town for the game and headed to Bourbon Street to check out the New Year’s Eve scene. I had thought Beale Street in Memphis the night before was raucous but that was nothing compared to Bourbon Street. It was teeming with people celebrating and the balconies overlooking the street were packed as well. As we were wandering up and down Bourbon Street people watching we saw some members of the Michigan football team including Denard Robinson, Kevin Koger and Fitzgerald Toussaint. Toussaint is my favorite player on the team and I luckily got a picture with him.

At eleven thirty we decided to head to the Mississippi River to see the fireworks. Jackson Square was completely packed with people but we waded through the crowd and found a nice spot to see the display. At midnight the fireworks show began and was a spectacular way to ring in 2012. Happy New Year!

If you are interested, check out the rest of our road trip to New Orleans here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7