Traveling is the greatest thing there is. Seeing the architecture, meeting the people, eating the food, etc. of a new place is the best kind of education and personal growth out there. This past weekend in New Orleans was one of the most fun and fulfilling experiences of my life. NOLA has it ALL: BEAUTIFUL sights, interesting people, and some of the best food I’ve ever had. Honestly, this trip was ALL about the food, so… Let’s just jump in!

1. Mother’s – holy po’boys. Mother’s is a local right of passage type of place. It’s been around since the dawn of time, and its history is as rich as the bread pudding. BEST BREAD PUDDING IN ALL OF THE ENTIRE FACE OF THE EARTH. The end. Don’t debate me. The fried shrimp po’boys were off the charts too. Great introduction to the trip!
2. Bourbon Street – if you didn’t come here, you didn’t go to New Orleans. We hit up a lot of bars, strip clubs (some by accident) and restaurants all around the area. There was fun in every corner! Some key nighttime stops in the area:
   1. Touchdown Jesus: someone told one of my friends about it, and we didn’t know what it was… until we saw it. Go towards the back of St. Louis Cathedral at night, and you’ll be greeted by the one and only!
   2. Pat O’Brien’s (Pat O’s if you’re cool): such a chill, cool, open bar, with some of the best hurricanes in town.
   3. Preservation Hall: oh man. What an experience! This was one of the unexpected stops we made. We were walking all around Bourbon and we saw a big line for this place, and we had no idea what it was for. We asked one of the people in line and they mentioned it was a Jazz show. That’s all we knew. We were too late to make it to the 7 o’clock show, so we lined up for 8. If you’ve ever wanted to travel in time, this is the place to do it. You walk in to this old, barely lit building, onto a very small area, standing room for the most part, with a small stage and some old chairs and instruments. The band starts playing. I don’t care how much jazz you’ve listened to in your life, you haven’t truly heard it until you’re here. The band was absolutely flawless and incredible. They took requests (donations required; go towards the back of your wallet if you want to listen to the classics, aka “The Saints”). Worth every minute, every penny. No food or drinks inside, it’s only a one-hour show.
3. Atchafalaya: I can’t remember if we need to thank Yelp or Trip Advisor for this one, but holy brunch. We were trying to schedule a meal at The Court of Two Sisters, but their staff told us they were packed so we had to look elsewhere, and we found this GEM in the Garden District. It’s not one of the globally acclaimed stops, but rather a local hidden treasure, which we are so glad to have found and which I will recommend from here to the end of time. It’s about a 15 minute car ride from downtown. PS – we had multiple restaurant experiences all throughout the city where they told us long wait periods that turned out to be 10 minutes, or said they were full, but really weren’t. It seems like a common (stupid/douchey) practice in Nola. Go anyways.
4. Pralines: typical New Orleans dessert. Best place to get them for the best price is right on Jackson Square at the New Orleans School of Cooking. Must try and must buy a few boxes to bring back as gifts (to yourself… so you can grieve the distance between you and your Nola trip).
5. Criollo Restaurant & Carousel Lounge at Hotel Monteleone: delicious food (obviously need to try the bread pudding for dessert), great ambiance and awesome “digestive” setting a few feet over at the Carousel Bar! Never had a chance to actually sit on the carousel bar, but nonetheless it was an awesome sight.
6. Court of Two Sisters: gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish, king’s cake, bread pudding… This place has ALL of New Orleans’ gastronomic heritage under one roof. It’s not the best version of each food, but it’s definitely a fun experience and good value. Recognized throughout as a must for tourists.
7. Garden District: beautiful walk. Also, if you’re a fan of the American Horror Story “Coven” season, you can pass by the house where they filmed, and picture yourself as the Supreme while you’re at it.

There are plenty more things to do (we also visited Frenchmen Street, the Mardi Gras warehouse, a number of cemeteries, and more!), but I’m going to stop the list here because I’m getting depressed I came back home 😦 Here’s a little highlight gallery for your reference and my continued weeping…

Little crawfish at The Court of Two Sisters

I had to get a mask

Bourboning

Colorful delight in the Garden District

Only in New Orleans

The Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone

Bread Pudding at Criollo

Barney lost in the middle of Jackson Square

Boxes on boxes of Pralines making their way back to FL

At the Mardi Gras museum wearing some cool costumes

Preservation Hall Tickets

Touchdown Jesus!