664562 Tue Nov 03 21:10:28 -0800 2009 2 9 New Orleans 0 5154054 hey so i thought i'd post my trip report while it's still rather fresh in my mind, especially considering all the helpful tips/hints, what have you from you wonderful folks. first off, i'd just like to say how much i truly love your city and its very unique vibe, and it pains me to be back to soulless westchester county, NY, where the people hardly ever ask how you're doin today (i work in a grocery store, so i deal w/ the public daily!), and it definitely bums me out. anyway, so i missed my connecting flight last saturday to new orleans by less than 10 minutes i figure, so there went my dinner plans. i ate at the atlanta airport, which i know is sacrilige, but i didn't land till almost 11, so i had to eat something. but when i finally did land, my friend and i headed over to cooter brown's, where he had a burger that he ended up sending back. now, ive never eaten there (this was actually my first time in the place), but i heard they had decent food and a crazy beer selection, so i wanted to check it out. it was pretty dead for a saturday night, but i just drank my southern pecan on draft and was just happy to be in new orleans. i was pretty tired, and since we were heading out to henderson the next day, we just went home. the next day we drove out to whiskey river to see geno delafose, since i had never been to the place and was dying to go. i love this part of louisiana so much, and my friend took me to poche's, where i had my only link of boudin the whole trip! i also had the crawfish etoufee and rice dressing as my side. i knew i shouldn't have gotten the etoufee, but im such a sucker for it...it was way too salty for me. the rice dressing was darn good though, and it actually reminded me of a jamaican dish i get ~ rice & peas w/ some oxtail gravy, yum. i love the little bits of meat mixed in w/ the rice, and that w/ the boudin made me a happy camper. poche's is a typical cajun plate lunch place, w/ taxidermy on the wall, and that's about it for atmosphere...right up my alley. so we left there and went over to some park before heading to whiskey river. it was really pretty, but the skeeters were eating me up alive! i am no fan of this, so we didn't stay too long, and just drove back to henderson. the music was awesome, as was the place, but i unfortunately drank way too much whiskey, and kinda ruined myself for the next couple days. next time, i need to build my tolerance up a bit before i leave! so monday came, and my friend dropped me off at the creole inn in the marigny. i was happy to be on my own so i could explore and finally go eat in the city! i was unsure of where to eat lunch, then i remembered the green goddess. i walked thru my new temporary hood, and thru the quarter, soaking it all up and enjoying the scenery. of course it was cloudy and looked like rain all day, but thankfully it held off. i finally found the restaurant down exchange alley, a hidden alley right behind the police station i think, and across from the pelican club. after much debating, i ordered the chilaquiles, and asked for a scoop of crab on top. the cook came out (paul), and apologized for forgetting about me since i was sitting outside, and said he was gonna put the crab on it cold, not hot, which i thought was a better choice. it was a good, hearty meal, extremely filling, although i should've asked for my eggs scrambled, but the tortillas were homemade and the crab was super fresh. i would have never ordered mexican in new orleans, but it just sounded so good at the time, and the crab really jazzed it up, plus i wanted to hit a newer spot. their menus are really unique and fun to study, and i'd definitely go back. paul came out to ask me how everything was, and before he walked off, i asked him for a birthday dinner suggestion. i told him i planned on going to clancy's, and coincidentally, he was asking his parents to take him there as well the next evening for his bday! i was glad i asked that's for sure, but more on that later. after lunch, i walked around and came across a place advertising those ghost and cemetery tours. i figured since i had never done one, i might as well, and esp. since halloween was in a few days. it ended up being a fun tour, and i learned things i never knew about the city. my tour guide was pretty knowledgeable, and she added just the right amount of drama. there was a bar break at jean lafitte's, but feeling a bit too ill from all the whiskey i drank the day before, i lamely passed on a drink. but i'm happy to report that i got to see the piano player for a few minutes! so after the tour ended (at the olde absinthe house), i was of course hungry, so i asked the tour guide where to go, and she said she likes coop's for late night eats (not too many choices it seems at this time of night). i instantly liked coop's, and took a seat at the bar. i was a bit overwhelmed by the menu, so i asked a patron what he recommends and he asked me what i was in the mood for. fried seafood was what i really wanted, so i went w/ the combo on a bun. it was really yummy, but i wished it had come w/ fries cuz they looked so damn good. i must say that there's lots of things on their menu that sound good (crabmeat stuffed jalapenos, shrimp creole, some of the pasta dishes...), but i wonder how good they are. i wouldn't be surprised if the $20 entrees are just as good as their po boys, it just seems like that kind of place. also, and this is what i love about NOLA, the guy i asked for food recs ended up ordering a side of fried crab claws so i could try them (plus he wanted a little snack). they were rather tasty, and i thought that was really kind of him to let me try them (i bet the marinated ones are good too!). i ended up goin back to coop's a couple nights later when i found myself in the same predicament again...but on the way home i stopped at d.b.a. and caught the most amazing brass band whose name i have no clue. all i know is the singer played the trombone and scatted so amazingly. he was singing about the saints and not to let them down; it was pretty funny actually. good times, and no cover; just dont forget to put something in the tip bucket! so tuesday was my birthday, and i decided to go to liuzza's by the track for the bbq po boy. it was only 2.5 miles away from where i was staying, so i decided to walk. 2.5 miles is nothing for me, plus it's good to stay active whilst consuming such heavy food. of course, it looked like rain again, but again, it never did. i think i walked thru treme (i just took esplanade all the way to lopez), and it seemed like it was a not-so-great hood, then fairly decent, etc. i feel like this happens a lot in NOLA, one minute you're in a decent hood, then it gets totally sketchy. anyway, i was psyched when i got there, and these types of places are usually my fave. now this was to be my first bbq shrimp po boy, and while it was good, it wasn't the great sandwich i was expecting. it almost seemed like the shrimp was in a light gravy w/ lots of spices, and i was really wanting grilled shrimp in a sweet style bbq sauce lol. also, i had asked for a 1/2 sandwich, but the guy told me they can't do that w/ that po boy. well why not? it says on their menu a 1/2 po boy and a cup of soup for $8.95 or whatever. i did not try the gumbo though, cuz i didn't wanna spend that much on lunch since i was doing clancy's for dinner, so i'm wondering if i missed that much (i only had one cup of gumbo my whole trip, and it was at coop's). oh well, liuzza's was cool, and i liked the bartender who took my order, but i'll have to order something else if i go there next time. i will add that the reuben looked good, and i read something about the garlic soup which sounds good too. after lunch, i walked to the quarter so i could hit the pharmacy museum. i missed this place last time, so i wanted to make sure i got there this time around. it is a really neat little museum, in a house that the first licensed pharmacist in america lived and worked in. there's lots of weird surgical instruments, an old soda fountain, medicine bottles, etc. if you're into that sort of stuff, i'd definitely recommend it! after the museum, i walked around the quarter a bit more before returning to the inn to change for clancy's. i ended up getting a cab over there, and although i had made a reservation for 1 at the bar, it wasnt necessary. i sat down, looked at the menu, and asked the bartender if they do half orders of the smoked soft shell crab entree. he told me they do not, and i told him i thought that'd be to much food for me, but i ordered it anyway. ho-ly cow! i loved that crab so much, i told the bartender what a joke it was i thought i wouldn't be able to eat all of it. i could've eaten a second one no problem! honestly, it was one of the best things i ever ate in my entire life, and i'm usually not into crab. i don't know if it's because i never had anything (at least to my knowledge) in a meuniere sauce, but that crab was so light and perfectly smoked, oh man i can taste it now. and the crabmeat they put on top, well the taste sensations just didn't end. even the potatoes were cooked perfectly! i can only imagine what some of the other stuff on the menu tastes like, like that crystal soft shell crab appetizer. i wish i can turn all the people i know onto this stuff, i bet it'd make them less stressed and happier folks! but after dinner, i ordered a coffee, which was strong and very tasty, but i told the bartender it didn't feel right not eating anything sweet w/ my coffee, so i ordered a slice of coconut cream pie. it was a piece of heaven. i think it had a graham cracker crust, and it was very thick w/ toasted coconut on top; a perfect way to end such a delicious meal. after dinner i walked all the way to the maple leaf cuz i wanted to see the rebirth brass band since it was tuesday night. a long walk was in order after that dinner, and although it was a little long, the neighborhood was pleasant and it wasn't too cold. i think i ended up walking along st. charles most of the way, and i should've just hopped on the streetcar, but i was stupid, and there weren't many people around to ask where to catch it. anyway, i finally made it to oak st., not knowing the band doesnt start till 10 or 11, wishing i had dinner a bit later. oh well, i just hung out a bit, but bein by myself, that sometimes feels like forever. the maple leaf is a cool bar though, although the door lady could have cared less that i was standing there waiting to pay while she gabbed it up like there was no tomorrow. anyway, they finally went on, and they just tore it up. it was awesome seeing local legends on their home turf, and digging the energy of the place. i love how everyone mixes altogether at these music shows, i feel like i hardly see that. i didn't stay for the whole set, cuz i knew i'd probably have to take a cab back to the marigny, and i didnt wanna get home super late. during the break though, i love how the guy was bbqing outside, and there was another dude who was making stuff like oysters and brie that i got to taste, and which was delicious imho. i told him i had a big dinner, or else i would've gotten some. i'm surprised there wasn't someone selling bread pudding from a cart or something like that... btw, NOLA needs some dang food carts, esp for all the late night revelry! i heard of a taco truck on frenchman st., i wonder how it is? anyway, i'm wrapping this report up here, and will start another one, since it's so freakin long! thanks again to all the recs you gave; they were greatly appreciated! Tue Nov 03 21:10:28 -0800 2009 22888 unocal 1 5154453 Clancy's smoked SS's are to die! that's my go to along w/oysters and brie. Happy Belated! Wed Nov 04 05:49:32 -0800 2009 5154054 195694 edible complex 1 5154489 BBQ shrimp are not grilled nor do they have a sweet bbq sauce on them. True New orleans BBQ shrimp are cooked head on in lots of butter, hot sauce, lea & perrins etc. The bbq shrimp poboy at Liuzza's is not even done that way, small shrimp probably cooked in some butter and other spices but nowhere near as good as real bbq shrimp. Sorry you were disappointed in that sandwich, but I have alswys thought it was way overrated. Wed Nov 04 06:05:19 -0800 2009 5154054 154901 roro1831