Planned us a little road trip down to New Orleans

As previously mentioned, I lived in new Orleans for 6 months. Towards the end of February, just before Mardi Gras, I decided to use some of my strategically acquired funding to retrieve items from my storage unit down there.  I did not want to make the drive alone so I enlisted the help of my friends Julia and Steve.  Steve volunteered his vehicle and we set off toward my old apartment, it would be about a 16 hour drive.  On the way down we stopped at a Jack In The Box for food since they do not have any locations in our area.

Once arriving we all cleaned ourselves up and headed out to one of my favorite sushi spots from when I lived there, Tennou and for a sweet treat from Parrot Pete's. We had dessert first, because Tennou was not quite open.  Julia and I shared a petits four and a key lime cupcake.

Photo Credit: PoisonMegz

After we finished off our treats, we headed over to Tennou to enjoy some sushi.  This trip was going to be a no calories spared type of trip, the very definition of decadence. This is the spread of sushi that I decided upon:

Photo Credit: PoisonMegz

I ate nearly all of it, but we wound up with leftovers and lots of sharing going on as well.  After the sushi it was time to head over the river and into the French Quarter to try and catch the Krewe of King Arthur parade and as many beads as we could. 

Photo Credit: PoisonMegz

 

        Photo Credit: Stephen Moist


The parade was followed by lots of random wandering about the Quarter.  We stopped in and out of shops and after dark sampled several different local specialties.  We started at Acme Oyster House, where of course we had oysters, but also fried craw-fish tails and Boo Fries (fries with roast beef gravy and cheese).  The oysters were fresh and succulent and we went through them rather quickly.

Photo Credit: PoisonMegz

After the late night snack we headed down to Flanagan's Pub to go on one of the walking ghost tours, something I had not gotten to do while I lived in NOLA. Our tour guide was cute as a button and made the stories come to life.  I have always been interested in the supernatural and ghost tales and it was an amazing experience. This is one of the stops on the tour:

Photo Credit: Stephen Moist

The ghost tour was the end of our evening in the Quarter, we went back to the apartment and ventured down to the hot tub only to find that it was not working.  So instead we all just headed to bed.  The following morning we headed back to the quarter to have beignets and coffee at Cafe Du Monde.  

Photo Credit: PoisonMegz

Now, if you have never had a beignet you absolutely must put them on your culinary to-do list.  I have fond memories of these light airy French doughnuts.  My step-grandmother Ella would make my brother and I beignets in the mornings when we stayed the night at her and my Papa Burt's home. 

After breakfast we sought out Voodoo Authentica to browse the shop.  I walked away from the store with two candles.  We also stopped in a few other Voodoo or Magick themed stores.  After our shopping trip we headed back to the main part of the Quarter to find Coop's Place for our lunch stop.  We ordered the taste plate which consists of a cup of seafood gumbo, shrimp creole, Cajun fried chicken, red beans & rice with sausage, and rabbit & sausage jambalaya.  We upgraded to the jambalaya supreme which also has shrimp, crawfish, & tasso as ingredients.  We split everything up and chatted with a couple at a nearby table, who left before we were finished and took care of our bill without saying word.  That taste place really does taste like New Orleans, it had every flavor I missed.

Photo Credit: PoisonMegz

After lunch we tried to make it to Saint Louis Cemetery #1, but they were already closed upon our arrival.  So we walked back by Jackson Square to watch some street performers, where we caught a B-Boy show.  

Photo Credit: PoisonMegz

The next day would sadly be our last, and we were going to wake up early to go have brunch in the Quarter and see Saint Louis Number 1 while it was open. I wanted to get a peak at the tombs of Marie Laveau and Monsieur Dupre, the Voodoo Queen and King of New Orleans.

We were going to go for crepes, but upon reading the menu of Jager Haus we changed our plans last minute. We ordered a sweet potato belgian waffle and a tradtiona flamm'kueche.  The waffle was almost too pretty to eat and was perfectly sweet.

Photo Credit: PoisonMegz

The flamm'kueche was something none of us had ever tried before. It was basically an extra thin crust brie and onion pizza with bacon, crème fraîche and scallions.  It was probably the best thing I ate on the entire trip, making my goal to find a recipe so I can master it myself at home.

Photo Credit: PoisonMegz

After finishing our meal we hustled on down to the cemetery and split off to take photos and explore.  This is one of the tombs that had the most impact on me.

Photo Credit: PoisonMegz

It took some searching but I finally found Marie Leveau's tomb and partook in the wish ritual.  My wish has yet to come true, but I think I may have wished for the wrong thing anyhow.

Photo Credit: PoisonMegz

Photo Credit: PoisonMegz

On the way out of the cemetery we passed the future resting place of Nicholas Cage and I had to snap a photo of it.

Photo Credit: PoisonMegz

After the cemetery we headed back across the river to pack up, get some lunch, and head to my storage unit.  The only thing left on my to-do list for food was Cane's chicken.  We each got a Caniac to enjoy.

Photo Credit: PoisonMegz

Somehow with all the phenomenal food in New Orleans; I frequently miss Cane's more than anything else.

We got to my storage unit and loaded Steve's car up with as much as we could fit before getting back on the road to Bloomington.  Along the way we stopped at a gas station outside Ponchatoula for some fresh strawberries and I picked up some homemade jellies and a boudin sausage.  After that we drove until we were hungry and Steve decided to stop at a Krystal Burger.  This was my first Krystal Burger:

Photo Credit: PoisonMegz

And I would come to regret it, because about an hour or so later I started to feel nauseated and after stopping at the beautiful Lake Lincoln State Park in Mississippi for some more photo ops....

Photo Credit: Stephen Moist

Photo Credit: Stephen Moist

The only photo of Steve:

Photo Credit: PoisonMegz

Beautiful outdoor church:

Photo Credit: PosionMegz

We got back on the road and shortly thereafter had to pull over for me to become violently ill, which would happen an additional four or five times along the way.  Even with getting sick the trip was still more than worth it and I'm so thankful Steve and Julia got to join me and to Steve for donating the use of his car AND doing all the driving.  They definitely make good road trip buddies and hopefully we will be able to do it again some time, after all I do have half a storage unit left down there and another trip would just be absolutely decadent of us...

xoxo

Poison