It's March, and this March is all about green. Green is one of the three main colors of mardi gras. And, today is Fat Tuesday. So in honor of this day and the city we most associate with it, I want to share with you my unyielding love of New Orleans! If you have not experienced New Orleans, Louisiana (called NOLA by those in the know) then you haven't lived. Period. This city has a style, flair, flavor, sound, and vibe that is so uniquely its own it just can't be missed. And talk about knowing how to party! NOLA gets down like no other! I've been there about 8 times because I love it and enjoy it so much! Here are some of my recommendations, tips, and thoughts to help you have a great first time in one of the greatest cities in the world!
First of all, it's cheap. Flights are low, hotels are very reasonably priced, food and drinks are well below what you're used to, and it just kind of surprises me every time I'm there. But then again, I live in California where everything is over-priced and taxed to the hilt. I digress. The point is, it's a steal to hang out in New Orleans! I fly Delta, and love them! The Louis Armstrong airport is a breeze to get in and out of, and is only about 20 minutes from the city center. Traffic isn't bad. Cabbies are a hoot. And it all just flows from the second you're wheels down. Exit the baggage claim area, and watch the cabs pull up and whisk tourists straight into town (no Uber) for around $25 - $35. And you'll always have some great music being DJ'd by your driver!
When to go? Well, we have all heard about Mardi Gras (happening NOW), the annual celebration to end all celebrations that kicks off Lent before Easter. And it is epic. However, my favorite event in NOLA is Jazz Fest! Jazz Fest is the PERFECT time to experience NOLA. Held in the Spring when the southern weather is great, The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (aka Jazz Fest) has been held for 50 years! It is a two weekends long festival that celebrates Louisianan culture, indigenous and popular music, incredible food, art, and performers!
This year is the 50th anniversary, which is so exciting and the weekends are the last in April and first in May! Be sure to check out the performers (there are a TON!!) but to name a few, this year will feature The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, Diana Ross, Jimmy Buffet, Pitbull, Katy Perry, Van Morrison, Al Green, Gladys Knight, Ani DiFranco, Earth Wind and Fire, Chaka Khan, Bonnie Rait, Alanis Morrisette, Aaron Neville, Ciara, Tom Jones, the Doobie Brothers, Ziggy Marley, Aloe Black, Chris Stapleton, Santana, Big Freedia (love ya girl!), The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Better Than Ezra, Herbie Hancock, Boz Scaggs, Rebirth Brass Band, Los Lobos, and literally over one hundred more! And the local musicians are who really steal the shows along with the unreal food stalls at the festival that feature the most delicious local cuisine you'll have! Go to a hardware store when you get into town, buy a couple of camping chairs (with sun umbrellas if you can), and some sun screen and head to the fairgrounds. You'll never regret a single second of it! It's like stepping into another world of new friends, food, fun, dancing, shopping, and music. Move over Coachella, the clout is with JazzFest.
The whole city is on fire for Jazz Fest, and since I've been many times this is real talk. The year after Hurricane Katrina I went to Jazz Fest to show love and support for my favorite city and to throw some much-needed money into its economy! What a resilient city and what incredible people NOLA has! After the concerts had ended we were walking back into the French Quarter and randomly stumbled upon a full blown impromptu block party taking place in the parking lot of a Shell gas station. Seriously. People bought the beer from the gas station's market and then tore it up by the pumps and in the parking area. It was one of the most fun parties I have ever been to in my life, and it was nothing more than gas station beer, grimy concert-goers, and someone's old fashioned boom box. We laughed, made new friends, danced, and sang the night away under the neon lights displaying the cost of a gallon of gas. Coming from the town that turns funerals into parades and parties, are we really surprised that the Shell station was the place to be that night? *That* is New Orleans.
NOLA has such charm. From its street cars toodling by, to the sounds of zydeco spilling into the streets from homes, restaurants, clubs, and bars, to the breathtaking mansions in the Garden District, and the cuisine that is considered some of the best in the world. New Orleans is an adventurers - and a history buff's - dream come true. I especially love how old the city is, and its rich history and architecture! The French influence is absolutely everywhere, giving NOLA a distinctly European flair that is perfectly blended with good old American southern hospitality and culture! It's also just...cool. One night I ran into Willie Nelson in a back alley. Another night, just walking down the street, I heard Parliament Funkadelic killing it inside a club. So I just went on in, and spent the night in funky bliss. NOLA just rolls like that.
My favorite hotel is the Windsor Court, which is an elegant boutique hotel located in the Central Business District about a block or so off of Canal Street. A perfect spot to access everything! The Westin CBD is a good option, too. My goal is to stay at the Hotel Monteleone, and if you can, check it out and report back. Located right in the middle of the French Quarter, it's an elegant property with a stunning lobby and old world charm. It's been a few years since I've stayed at the Windsor Court, and my goal is to go back soon and provide you all with a detailed review so stay tuned!
Food, food, and more food! Go for the food, stay for the music. Literally. When Kim K. was pregnant, she would fly to New Orleans just to eat. And I don't need to be pregnant to feel that urge. I have literally flown in just to eat my way through the city for a weekend. Anthony Bourdain called New Orleans one of the most unique gastronomic destinations, and he was so right! New Orleans has its own flavors that are not replicated anywhere in the world. It is a culinary experience like none other. I love this old episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations all about NOLA food and NOLA post-Katrina. For those who have never been, I recommend the classics. Eat at Commander's Palace (go for lunch and the 25 cent cocktails and walk off your meal at the Lafayette Cemetery across the street), Galatoire's, Jacques-Imos, Arnaud's (where the food is hot and the live jazz is hotter), Tujague's, Cochon, Broussard's, and August where Ross Dover and Patricia Morton have elevated and fused french, modern American, and creole cuisine. It's on Tchoupitoulas Street (pronounced Chop-ah-tool-us). These hallmark restaurants give the beginner a truly pristine NOLA foodie experience. And the dishes, oh the classics! Shrimp étouffée, trout almondine, gumbo, oysters any way, red beans and rice, pralines, bread pudding, blackened red fish, jambalaya, muffulettas, crawfish, bananas foster, and on and on. We always grab a po' boy at Domilise's, recommended to us by my sister-in-law who grew up in NOLA, and given the official stamp of approval by Mr. Bourdain himself. Incredible! And sure, go get beignets and a cup of chicory coffee at Cafe du Monde too.
There is so much to do and see in New Orleans that I could write all day. Are you an art fan? New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) in City Park is spectacular. If nothing else, go see the gigantic 1788 painting of Marie Antoinette by Louise Elizabeth Vigee Le Brun. Feeling romantic? Take a carriage ride through the Garden District and have it drop you off at Commander's in style for a late lunch. Or stroll down Magazine Street and do a little local shopping. The new National World War II Museum (thank you Tom Hanks!) is just amazing and so worth seeing. When Hop and I went (HOP = Husband of Pearl) actual WWII veterans sat in wheel chairs greeting patrons, answering questions, and telling stories. I was so moved that I cried from sheer gratitude, pride, and love. Definitely check out the French Market with its 6 blocks of covered outdoor stalls offering everything under the sun! (It's just down from Cafe du Monde a few blocks from Jackson Square where the "horse" drawn carriages wait to pick you up and transport you back in time. And the French Market is perfect for picking up souvenirs!) Maybe go to Mardi Gras World and see all of the crazy floats from the parades.
Love ecology? Take a swamp tour of the Honey Island Swamp. Gators, herons, turtles, and more. It is absolutely stunning! Want to chill for a while? Kick back for a couple of hours on the Creole Queenpaddlewheel boat while you sit outside, drink cocktails, and chug on up the Mississippi River taking in the levees, plantations, mills, and the sheer expanse of this gigantic river. You'll know she's ready to embark when you hear the delightful calliope music singing to you from her steam pipes. So charming! Like the supernatural? There are so many fascinating NOLA Ghost and Voodoo Tours, and the tour guides are just the best! What characters! Or stroll through some of NOLA's oldest and most historical cemeteries (something I never miss!).
Love music? Head to Frenchmen Street where the locals and tourists alike venture away from the frenzy of Bourbon Street to take in the live music and cocktails. Want to get crazy, or just watch some? Stroll down Bourbon. Go for the beads, stay for the drinks. Pop in to Preservation Hall and have your Bourbon Street and jazz music fix at the same time in this iconic music hall. Hop and I like to take in an early dinner at one of the classic restaurants (early is easier to get a reservation too!). We lay down a good, solid base of creole cooking and then head to Pat O'Brien's to sit on the patio, by the fire fountain, with hurricanes in hand, doing some people watching before we head out to drink and dance the night away on Bourbon and Frenchmen. I like Pat O's not only because its a fun place, but because the first time my Dad went to NOLA when he was young he drank at Pat's and had a truly memorable time!
I like the history, the connection, and the symmetry of that. And that, in a way, is how you come to feel about New Orleans - its history is your history. It's people are your people. It's food is your favorite food. And even if you weren't born there, it gets in your blood. And it stays in your blood. New Orleans calls to me every year or two, like a siren luring me back. But I gladly take the call, and never miss the opportunity to head south, lighten up, let loose, and laissez les bon temps rouller! (And you should too!)