Portable Mind: A sort of travel guide

72 Hours in New Orleans - cocktails

 
 

One of my primary missions in NOLA was to find a great local watering hole undiscovered by tourists. Through a recommendation on Twitter, I'd booked a reservation at miLa, which features cuisine constructed by two disctinct influences: that of Louisiana, and that of Mississippi. My dinner was a simple and savory halibut with mustard sauce made decadent when paired with cheddar and chive cornbread. One of the nicest features of the restaurant is the seating. The booth design dims the sound of surrounding conversation, making it a good place to catch up with an old friend.

 

miLa is located in the Renaissance Pere Marquette hotel, which houses Bar Uncommon - infamous, if only for it's bartender Chris McMillan. Chris is a 4th generation bartender, founded the Museum of the American Cocktail, and crafts both original and classic cocktails without the pretention one might (or, does) find in New York or San Francisco.

 

Irene has been scolded by bartenders over her preference of flavored spirits like raspberry Stoli; some have even refused to make her the drink she wants. Chris didn't judge; rather, he created an original drink just for her that involved muddled ginger, gin and fresh strawberries. His instinct was spot on, and she downed the first drink before he could even begin making her another (different from the first, her second again began with muddled ginger, but went in the direction of tequila, fresh green apples, and lemon juice). My drink was called New Orleans is Drowning - bourbon, cognac, campari, simple syrup, and bitters. Quite delicious.

 

While mixing drinks, he talked about the history of the ingredients, the differences between bars in NYC (classic and artisanal style) v. San Francisco (local and organic ingredients), told us about some up and comers in New Orleans (Cure), and answered the ultimate question: if he were to go have a drink in NOLA, where would it be? Answers: Swizzlestick, French 75, and the Sazerac Bar at the Roosevelt hotel. His knowledge of cocktails and the history of New Orleans is deep, and it is a poetic experience to sit at his bar.

72 Hours in New Orleans - dining

Breakfast was, of course, at Cafe du Monde. No trip to New Orleans would be complete without several cups of the famous cafe au lait partnered with light-as-air beignets drowning in a pile of powdered sugar. It was enough to keep us going for awhile as we wandered through the French Quarter, though the temperature hovered around 29 degrees.

We ended up, as you do, in Reverend Zombie's House of Voodoo, and Irene couldn't help herself - when the cashier mentioned to her that one of the house psychics was available to do a reading, she handed over $20 and disappeared. Though, I think the major selling point was that they had a heater in the back. While she got the low down on her future, I chatted with the huge tattooed skinhead dude, who was totally sweet and told me where to get great Vietnamese soup. 

Who knew.

72 hours in New Orleans - dining

 

Our days in New Orleans were dictated by where we were going to dine each evening. I'd booked a reservation at Herbsaint, where I'd been before and the fond memories have lingered ever since. The restaurant is located about 2 blocks from Le Cirque, in a renovated building with large windows that look out onto St Charles avenue and the passing streetcars. There is a lovely front bar, and the dining room is open and airy - almost like dining outdoors.

Irene had the short ribs, and I had one of the evening specials - skate with a blood orange and bacon sauce, cooked perfectly, with a side of roasted cauliflower and a sazerac. Both dinners were perfect, and Herbsaint did not disappoint. I've read some reviews that complain about the wait staff, but our waitress was lovely. It's the atmosphere that I love - a quintessentially New Orleans vibe that permeates into the dining room. The couple at the table next to us, finishing up their dinner and already a few cocktails in, joined our conversation when we were discussing how to spend the next three days. They enthusiastically added to my rapidly growing list of places to dine, drink, and hear music by telling us about:The Rivershack Tavern and the Mapleleaf for live music; for dining: Patois and Lilette; and, for trouble: F&M Patio Bar, where customers dance on the pool tables. To wit, a quote from Yelp about F&M: I like to arrive around 2 am when the crowd really begins.

Decisions were going to be tough.

72 hours in New Orleans - arrival

Irene’s first encounter with a local was the taxi driver at New Orleans International Airport, a sweet grandmotherly type with missing front teeth and a tendency to laugh uproariously at herself. She welcomed us, took our bags, stuffed them in the trunk of the cab, and eagerly began talking to us about where to go on our visit. She provided us with information on what taxi cab companies to use (United Cabs), where we could find a Wal-Mart, and a few gory details on the dangers of driving a cab post-Katrina. She was, perhaps, crazy - while chatting nonstop with us, she was also talking to her boss - though, there wasn't a radio dispatch turned on nor an earbud in her ear. I couldn't help but sneak glances at the letter to God written on her logbook, and wonder if her boss was indeed... ?

We'd landed in the Big Easy for a long weekend away. I hadn't been back since before Katrina and I was eager. I felt as though I was visiting an old friend after years apart. When asked what we were planning to do on our girls weekend, the only response I could come up with was - Eat. If I knew anything, it was that there was a wealth of spectacular dining experiences to be had. 

Because of the vast and geographically diverse list of restaurants, I chose Hotel Le Cirque in the warehouse/arts district - it sits perfectly between between the French Quarter and the Garden District. Le Cirque is a simple but comfortable boutique hotel; and the rate for my weekend was $99 per night. Our room lacked a mini bar, but had a coffeemaker; bath amenities were sparse (shampoo and soap); but the hotel has a spa, and restaurant/wine bar that opens at 5pm. The only issue we had with the hotel was on our final night, when I was reminded that the walls are too thin. We turned in early (2am) and were kept awake until after 4. 

But, I'm getting ahead of myself.