The Front Row Blues in the Big Easy
After the long epic day of art, pride and jazz, we decided to just stay in bed and take it easy. Just kidding. Of COURSE we didn’t stay in. I mean, we only had one day left in New Orleans, and you can sleep on the plane. Probably. Anyway, join us as we unpack our last day where we visit the blacksmith shop, eat oysters and get the front row blues in the Big Easy.
First…Coffee, please
I won’t lie. When I woke up on Sunday I was feeling a tad “under the weather”. But I’m not one to let how I’m feeling impact what I’m doing so I ordered a cure…coffee and lot’s of it. Thankfully room service was the same price as going down to the cafe, so we had no incentive to get out of our jammies too early.
When traveling, we tend to make friends. And thanks to the electronic age, we can stay in touch with them and continue to see each other for years to come. That’s what happened down on Frenchman Street the night before. We met a couple at the first jazz club and we hung together all night. In fact, we got a text shortly after breakfast from John and Alison. They wanted to know if we were still on for brunch. Welp, there was no time to stay in bed when friends and brunch awaited! Time to rally.
Brunch with new buddies at Ruby Slipper
Apparently a brunch-only chain, with multiple locations near the Central Business District (CBD) of New Orleans and also in Florida, Ruby Slipper specializes in southern-style brunch favorites. They’re so popular, that if you go at 10am on a Sunday, you can wait for more than an hour outside on the sidewalk. Two things were super helpful that day for our party of 4:
- Stephen checked the website and found they had an on-line waitlist, so we got “in line” before we actually got in line
- They serve Bloody Marys and Mimosas to the people in the queue.
We had some time to while away so we took a poll of the foursome on what to do next. The ideas included the French Market District and a bar in a former blacksmith shop, owned by a pirate. Oh and it’s one of the oldest bars in the United States. Can you guess which option we chose?
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop
Throughout the city, there are plaques talking about “Lafitte”. Some talk about piracy, some about heroism in the War of 1812, and of course, there is the blacksmith shop. Turns out, it was all the same man, Jean Lafitte! I don’t know which of these was his “side hustle” but the Hurricane I had, was deee-lish.
The Bucket List Discussion
Since we were all flying home the next day, the conversation turned to what we didn’t get to experience yet in town. Since we already:
- Had beignets at Cafe DuMonde
- Went on a ghost tour from Jackson Square
- Had gumbo, jambalaya and red beans and rice at Pierre Maspero’s
- Saw priceless works of art at NOMA
- Danced the night away on Frenchman street
- And had a Hurricane at Lafitte’s
We were feeling pretty accomplished. The only thing our friend’s missed on their list was “having a drink at the Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone”. Since it was mid-afternoon on a Sunday, we felt our chances were good. Challenge accepted.
Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on our side but we did enjoy some cocktails while sitting on the sofa next to the Carousel.
The Happy Hour Oysters
It was nearly 3pm, so we decided to part ways for some downtime before the evening’s festivities. We were only about 2 blocks away when we got an urgent text from John, telling us that Gallier’s Oyster Bar had a happy hour special – oysters for only a dollar. So the options were, go back and rest or dollar oysters. I think you know which one we chose.
We had dinner reservations at 5pm, but after a pound of oysters and crackers, we decided that maybe a snack would be a better move. We could do something healthy, like a “Kind Bar” or we could try a dessert that combines gelato and espresso. It seemed clear by this point that the safe options were likely not on the menu that day.
Snacks at Drip Affogato Bar
Not only was the food AH-MAZING, check out their funky interior and fun napkins.
Having The Front Row Blues in the Big Easy
Our trip ended with front row seats to the Boxmasters at the House of Blues. Lead singer, Billy Bob Thornton, was far friendlier than his persona in “Bad Santa” or “Fargo”. (Thankfully!)
We even got to go home with a little souvenir from the band.
That’s a wrap!
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Happy travels!
