24 Hours in New Orleans

This week Mom and I made our way south for a quick visit in New Orleans and to see Gramps in Covington. We arrived in New Orleans at 2:30pm on Tuesday, and by 3:30 on Wednesday we were on our way across Lake Ponchetrain towards Covington. Although we only had 24 hours in New Orleans, we made sure we experienced the best the town has to offer, from "World-Famous" French Quarter bars to traditional French-Creole cuisine, Oysters on the half shell to Shrimp Po' Boys, we made the most of a short trip. Here's how the trip broke down:

2:30PM Halloween comes early in Uptown

We checked into the Hampton Inn, Garden District, on St. Charles Avenue, conveniently located about halfway between Uptown and the French Quarter. We took a drive around the area, through Tulane and Loyola's neighboring campuses, through Audubon Park, past Audubon Zoo, and past many traditional Uptown homes. A city known for cemeteries and Voodoo culture, New Orleans takes Halloween seriously! Many of the homes had decorations on porches, in yards, on the house, and these were not amateur, store-bought cobwebs and such, but rather well thought out Halloween experiences. A yard full of Skeletons all with clever names, or a haunted house that had transformed its entranceway into dilapidated columns, with a sign "Nightmare on State Street" across the front. Halloween decorations were not limited to Uptown, and in fact, were more prevalent and canny in the Quarter.

5PM My First Hurricane

Mom made sure that our trip included a visit to the famous Pat O'Briens bar on St. Peter Street in the French Quarter. She also made sure to let me know a trip to Pat O'Briens wasn't complete without a Hurricane. I wasn't sure what was in a Hurricane, but it was 26 oz of something very sweet, so sweet that I was unable to finish it!

Pat O'Brien's Hurricane:
In a 26 oz. Hurricane glass, mix
4 oz. of Pat O'Brien's Hurricane Rum or a good Dark Rum
4 oz. of Pat O'Brien's Hurricane Mix
Fill with crushed ice
Garnish with an orange and cherry

Pat O'Briens has been around since the days of Prohibition, but in 1933, it was converted into a legitimate establishment. In the 1940's, the Hurricane Drink was created, due to a shortage of Whiskey. Since Rum was available, and bartenders began creating new drink

We sat outside at tables in a beautiful courtyard, with a large fountain that had a fire coming out of it in addition to water! The clientele was a mix of locals and tourists, eager to experience the tradition. Inside, there is still dueling pianos, with a show either during the day or at night, every day of the week.

6:30 An Oyster Appetizer

From one New Orleans tradition to another...Mom and I walked a few blocks to the Acme Oyster House in search of some Oysters before heading to our 7:30 dinner reservation. the original Acme Café was opened on Royal Street in the French Quarter in 1910, but moved to Oberville Street in the 20's. As their website says,"Acme has been pleasing the palates of discriminating diners ever since." When we arrived, there was a long line outside, but we jumped to the front in hopes of getting a seat at the bar. Just our luck, there were 2 seats available!

We each ordered martinis and a dozen chargrilled oysters on the half shell. The cafe was packed, with trays of fresh seafood being carried around, and men shucking oysters just a few feet away. These men were truly showmen, chatting up those sitting at the oyster bar, showing off their mastery of shucking an oyster - of finding the best place to insert the blade and pry open the shell in a matter of seconds.

Our oysters arrived within 15 minutes, steaming hot with a gorgeous aroma of butter and cheese! The recipe is simple, and effective:
Top raw oysters with Creole Seasoning (Tony's or similar), garlic butter and Romano cheese. Grill on high 2-3 minutes, add more garlic butter, grill ad additional 2-3 minutes and serve hot with lemon and french bread.


7:30PM The Tradition of Galatoire's

I grew up hearing stories about the famous restaurants in New Orleans that my mom and her family frequented while growing up. Places such as Antoine's, where walls are filled with memorablilia and dining rooms have themes, such as the Rex Room, named for the elite Mardi Gras Krewe, featuring pictures of my grandfather and other family members hang.

Galatoire's celebrated 100 years in 2005, and six years after Katrina, it has remodeled and received a face lift, but the menu, service and ambiance are exactly the same and full of time honored customs and traditions. Located at 209 Bourbon Street, the French-Creole restaurant has a nondescript facade, no neon signs or loud music, no tourist drink offerings or cabaret girls lingering outside - instead, patrons arrive in dresses and jackets and often come for lunch, and stay for dinner.

We