If there is one thing I will forever remember about Louisiana, New Orleans in particular, it's the food. If you haven't been yet, you wouldn't, couldn't, understand. It's not just the beignets, though those magical treat would be enough for me. It's all of it. The beignets, the ice cream, the gumbo, the po'boys, the crawfish, the catfish. I could go on, but I wont, because then you would never make it through this blog. Or you would and you would hate me because then you would need to book a ticket to Louisiana just for the food. I'm still running that risk by posting that, but I'm okay with that choice. Here are some of my favorites from the trip (and I'll tell you where they are in case you buy that ticket).
Cafe du Monde
So good. I can't describe to you the joy of eating a beignet from this place. Would definitely return to New Orleans just for these babies. Find Cafe du Monde across from Jackson Square.
Cafe du Monde Part 2
We're back! Yeah, we came back a few times. Who could blame us? The beignets are 3 to an order for only $3!!! Plus the coffee is not bad either. Seriously it would be a sin not to try one of these.
Cafe du Monde Part 3
At this point, Bowen has tried to marry Morgan and her beignet, which she couldn't resist and just had to eat. Powdered sugar got over everything. It was hilarious. Guys, food like this creates good stories, so head out for a beignet. No joke though, leave now.
El Libre
A Cuban sandwich shop in the French Quarter not too far from Cafe du Monde. The sandwiches are super tasty and the decor is a writers dream. Filled with Hemingway quotes and pictures, and with a cozy alcove up the stairs, this place is a great place to study or read and have a bit of lunch.
Affogato
Not sure if you've heard of this genius but...
Coffee poured over ice cream, ice cream melting under hot coffee. Enough said.
Drip Affagato Bar
Yes, this is a snapchat, yes it is poor quality, but forget that. Focus on the ice cream.
We went back a few times. I realize that I can make coffee to pour over my own ice cream, but the ice cream here was just so good. It was also near our hotel, so that didn't hurt.
Find the Drip Affogato Bar at the corner of Carondelet St. and Girod St. in the Business District.
Creole Creamery Part 1
We came here a few times, though I didn't realize the sign on the outside of the shop said McKenzie's until the third trip. Not sure how that fits in, but I can assure you that the creamery has some great ice cream. They have the classics as well as a never ending list of special ice creams they are trying out. There are so many to choose from that you might be there all night.
Find the Creole Creamery in the Garden District, riverside of the St. Charles streetcar.
Creole Creamery Part 2
Not only is the ice cream really tasty, but it's also super pretty to look at.
Creole Creamery Part 3
This was our last time at the creamery, and I can't help but think it was because Bowen could not face the place again. On this last visit, Bowen decided to take on the Tchoupitoulas Challenge. 8 scoops of ice cream, 8 toppings, and a can of whipped cream, all to be consumed in one sitting. He was hopeful, but in the end the bowl was too big and his stomach to small. He said he would do it though, and he followed through, so I give him props for that.
Salon by Sucré
A little bit pricey, but a lot a bit worth it. Another place we went back to a few times. We just couldn't get enough of that mac and cheese. Crawfish, mushroom, regular, they are all so good! You can find Salon above the Sucré sweet shop near Jackson Square and the St. Louis Catherdral. Makes sense since the food is heavenly.
Salon by Sucré
An up close look at the mushroom mac and cheese. 10/10 recommend.
Sucré
I don't have a picture of the dessert we got from the sweet shop below where we had lunch, but I can tell you that the gelato is great. They also have a lot of really cool pastries to choose from.
Golden Chips
On to yet another favorite - Golden Chips. Here you can find some of the best french fries and some bomb chicken tenders. Yes, I do realize I just said bomb, but it was warranted. They serve you the fries and tenders in cones which they put in these really cool trays. Needless to say I'm in love with this place.
You can find this delicious treat on a side street near Jackson Square, but may I suggest you use maps since it's a bit tricky to find.
Golden Chips To Go
If you don't want to stay in the shop to eat, and you may not want to since it is small and gets pretty smokey when they are cooking, you can take your food to go. May I suggest Jackson Square. That is where we took our food, and it was really nice.
Golden Chips To Go Cont.
Pro tip: if you do end up taking your food to Jackson Square, sit on the benches to eat. We found that the cones fit perfectly in the lattices. But don't feed the birds, they will swarm you.
The Daily Beet
Louisiana is a home for fried food, and while I love it, and I am not complaining, my stomach was not so much obliged. We felt like we needed something healthy after two weeks of fried catfish and crawfish and po'poys. So, we found this health food place called the Daily Beet near Lafayette Square on Girod St. They have some really good smoothies, salads, bowls, and my personal favorite: avocado toast.