New Orleans, Louisiana
Ahhhh NOLA ( as it is affectiontly called) should be a must visit if you are a foodie/music lover! NYC is one our favorite cities to visit but I can truthfully say that if NOLA was within a few hours driving distance, NYC would have competition!!!
Jessica turned the BIG 40 this year and I knew she wanted to take a trip, but as teachers we are limited on weekends to places that we can get to and from relatively quickly. We hope to travel to all 50 states at some point so why not cross off NOLA and make it an extended weekend?
I love to plan trips from start to finish so I started researching the best of the best places in NOLA several months before our trip. I won’t bore you with all our pictures but I will give you our “Best of NOLA” highlights.
After seeing the prices of the Hotels in the area we decided to try our hand with an Airbnb. Some of you may have joined the Airbnb trend years ago, but we were always a bit hesitant. Needless to say, we are very much on board with all our Airbnb friends.
We had the perfect location on the corner of Canal and Camp Street which was within walking distance to the top of Bourbon street and directly adjacent to a Streetcar stop. Two Girls Trip Tip: Do NOT rent a car in NOLA. Parking is absolutly crazy and almost impossible to find. Everything is within a reasonable walking distance, and for those that can’t walk or choose not to, Uber and Lyfts are plentiful in the area.
We arrived a few days after Mardi Gras had ended but the parties continued on, day and night. Live music, street entertainers and most importantly…FOOD! We were in heaven!!
We had our must do list ready to go, and I knew we had alot to fit into the weekend so we hit the ground running on day 1 and grabbed a Uber down to the heart of Bourbon street.
Highlight #1 Nola Poboys
First stop on our list was Nola Poboys which is known for having the best Poboys in NOLA! The line was out the door, and as any foodie knows…..that’s a very good sign 🙂 We made our way in to the “hole in the wall”…..you know, a place that doesn’t look like much but makes it’s most important impression with the food.
We ordered a Catfish Poboy, a Turkey Poboy, Seafood Gumbo and an order of Debris Fries. Yes we were the only two eating but we felt that it was our obligation to try as many things as possible. After all, we knew we would be blogging, so technically, TECHNICALLY this was a work trip 😉
The Poboys were gigantic and enough for two people!!! The Gumbo had a slight kick incorporating that famous bold Cajun flavor. NOLA was already firing on all cylinders, and we instantly knew we were in for a flavorfull weekend! Our Debris Fries took a bit longer but let me tell you…they were well worth the wait!! Swimming in the most delicious and tender short rib gravy, surrounded by ooey gooey cheese, these fries were like nothing we’ve had before!!! It was like an upscale version of Poutine! They could have been a meal all by themselves and we had plenty leftover. Well, that is until later that night when we finished them off. Nola Poboys can be found at 908 Bourbon Street.
We continued our way down Bourbon Street and I have to be honest, it was clean but the smell was less than desirable! LOL! We had been warned about that prior to the trip, and I can only imagine how those smells developed over Mardi Gras and with all the shenanigans that go on 24/7. I also want to mention that there is NO open container law so for those that enjoy an alcoholic beverage you are free to drink in public. Interestingly enough we walked over more than a few people that may have enjoyed too many libations and ended up snoozing on the sidewalk. Completely harmless…..just taking a little nappy nap!
Highlight #2 Jackson Square
Jackson Sqaure is one of the most recognizable landmarks in NOLA. This National Historic Landmark, located in the heart of the French Quater hosts over 2 million visitors a year. The 2.5 acres also serves as an open air artist colony and home to many street performers, making it a great place to grab a bite and spend an afternoon. We absolutely loved all the live jazz music in and around the square. The music geek in me was in heaven!!!
Highlight #3 Cafe’ Du Monde and Cafe Beignet
If you’ve been to NOLA and have experienced the powdery, light and airy goodness of a Beignet. For our Portuguese followers I would say they are the French version of a Malassada. A Beignet is fried dough in teh shape of a small rectangle coated with confectioners sugar. Also known as….little bites of pure heaven!!!! There are many places that serve Beignets but we think we found the top 2…..number 2, soon to follow. Two Girls insider hint: if you head to the far right of the building, that line is cash only and tends to move faster. I’m not ashamed to say that Jess and I made three separate vistis to Cafe’Du Monde. https://shop.cafedumonde.com/ Cafe’du Monde is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week!
** I want to mention that there are several places that sell Beignets, and one of our other favorites was Cafe’Beignet which was about 25 steps from our Airbnb. https://www.cafebeignet.com/
Highlight #4 Greenwood Cementary and St. Charles Streetcar
After a night of digesting and rest , we hopped on the St. Charles Streetcar and headed down Canal Street to the Greenwood Cemetary. We had about a 30 minute ride (with stops) along Canal street and it was a nice way to see parts of canal street that we wouldn’t have seen otherwise. The Trolley route is very easy to understand (unlike the NYC subway) and costs $1.25 a ride. Two Girls Foodie Fact: The St. Charles streetcar in the oldest continously operating streetcar line in the world!
If you’ve never been down South, or you live in an area where flooding isn’t an issue you would be surprised to see that mausoleums are prevelant. In low lying areas this is the only way to bury the dead as the structures can handle flood waters as oppsed to burying under the ground. It’s interesting to see how they differ from family to family.
After walking around for an hour or so, we jumped back on the Streetcar and made our way back to our Airbnb. At this point, we hadn’t had lunch yet, and just as we were about to reach our stop we saw a huge line out the door of a place called Willie’s Chicken Shack. Two Girls Trip Tip: When you see a line out the door… RUN as fast as you can to that door! The locals always know the best places to eat! This became an unexpected highlight!!
Highlight #5 Willie’s Chicken Shack
Willie’s has 8 locations throughout the French Quarter and Downtown New Orleans and we were lucky enough to have one adjacnt to our Airbnb!! HUGE WIN! The place is loud and the chicken is flying out of the place like it’s on fire! Jessica is a big fan of friend chicken so she would put Willie’s to the test.
I am happy to say that Willie’s passed with flying colors! Hot, crispy, and juicy with a blend of spices like no other we’ve had, we knew this wouldn’t be our last time running across the street. In our opinion KFC and Popeye’s having nothing on Willie’s.
They have things other than chicken on the menu and we tried ordering Jambalaya each time we went but they were always sold out. Next time Willie’s….next time! The chicken also comes with the most delicious honey glazed biscuit ( SOOOO GOOD!) and seasoned fries. If you visit NOLA you must make a trip to Willie’s!!!
https://willieschickenshackneworleans.com/
Highlight # 6 Diva Royale Drag Queen Dinner, Brunch and Cabaret Show
Who doesn’t love a good drag show? With New Orleans having such a lively and fun atmosphere we figured that a drag show would be a fun way to celebrate Jessica’s actual birthday. Diva Royale is hard to locate based on the GPS directions because there isn’t a flashy sign, or any sign for that matter. With that said, we happened to walk by the door at just the right time as a head popped out and asked if we were looking for the Drag show. We entered a fairly dark club type room that was filled with people watching the show before ours was to begin. We grabbed a seat in the back and took it all in. The bar off to the left was bustling and everyone looked to be having a great time. I didn’t take pictures as I knew I would need a flash and I didn’t know if that would be allowed during the performance.
When it was time for our show to begin we were shown to our front row VIP seats. When I purchased the tickets I was thinking that I would tell them it was Jessica’s 40th birthday. Maybe they would sing to her? Maybe they would bring her on stage? Maybe she would kill me if any of those things actually happened. LOL! Needless to say, I kept my mouth shut.
Ivy Dripp was the host and she was amazing!! Several Drag Queens performed, some doing more than one act and they were fantastic! Extremely entertaining and looked better than I ever could in a dress and heels. We didn’t eat dinner so I can’t speak to that but as far as the show goes, it was well worth the ticket price of $55 each for a 2 hour show. Just a really fun night out! https://www.dragqueenshow.com/new-orleans-drag-queen-show.html
Highlight #7 FOGO de CHAO Brazilian Steakhouse
For our last night in town we wanted something a little more upscale for dinner. Two Girls Foodie Fact: The name Fogo de Chao means “ground fire” and summarizes the traditional method of roasting meats over an open fire. Fogo offers traditional Brazilian Churrascaria with fire-roasted high-quality meats, and a what can best be described as a giant charcuterie board. Fogo describes it as their Market table with ingredients inspired by Brazilian farmlands and natural staples of Southern Brazilian cuisine.
The Market Table would have been satisfying in and of itself, but as self proclaimed foodies we feel as it is our duty to blog all aspects of a restaurant. In this case the Churrasco interactive dining experience of having mouth watering meats carved tableside by waiters. The meats including Picanha ( signature sirloin), Filet Mignon, Ribeye, and Lamb, just to name a few were absolutley fantastic! Flavorful, tender and brought non stop to the table until we flipped our card to red signifying that we would be stopping and calling for a crane company to help extricate us from the table. Everything from start to finish was top notch and although dessert was offered we knew we would be heading down to Cafe’du Monde to get a few more Beignets before heading home in the morning.
If you haven’t done a Brazilian Steakhouse and you happen to be in New Orleans call an Uber and head to 614 Canal Street and tell them Two Girls Spooning sent you! 🙂
https://fogodechao.com/location/new-orleans/
Highlight #8 Ragin Cajun Air Boat Tour
Even if you are terrified of Alligators ( like Jessica) this was a must do on our list before we left. Ragin Cajun is about a 40 minute ride outside of the heart of New Orleans. For an added cost, Ragin offers hotel pick up and drop off. You are given a pickup time and Ragin Cajun take cares of the rest. Door to door service! This was great for us because it gave us plenty of time to shower and get ready for dinner at Fogo de Chao later that night.
Upon arrival ,we excitedly went to check in and sign our waivers. Yes, you have to sign a waiver but honestly, I wasn’t afraid…Jessica? Maybe a little 😉
There are several options from which to chose so take a good look at the website and decide what would work best for you. https://ragincajunairboattours.com/new-orleans-swamp-tour/page/4
We chose a small group tour ( about 10 people) and Jessica and I somehow ended up right in the front seat. Little did we know that would be the dirtiest seat of all. The airboats are very loud so everyone is given headphones to dampen the sound, but you are still able to hear the Captain as he searches for Gators.
Our Captain ( his name slips my mind) was fantastic and extremely knowledgable which made the ride fun and enjoyable. We all kept our eyes peeled for Gators and if he spotted one before us he would slow the airboat down so we could all get a good view and take some pictures. There were lots of Gators to see and in between ( wish permission from our Captain) it was time to crank the speed up and get down and dirty. He let it rip on the long straits and then did a few donuts in the mud…Jessica and I were covered and loving every minute of it!!
Jessica left with all her fingers and toes so she was happy..LOL! We highly recommed the Ragin Cajun Airboat Tour if you are in the area and have time.
If you’ve been hesitant to go to New Orleans for any reason trust us when we say GOOOOOO! The atmosphere, music, people and of course the FOOD will leave you wanting more.
Hey New Orelans……these two girls will be back!!!! 🙂
