Everything But The Kitchen Sink - NoLa Edition

Just got back from a fantastic weekend in New Orleans for my brother's graduation (Magna Cum Laude!) from Tulane University.All of the graduation festivities were great, but a huge highlight of the trip for me was the food! My brother is even more of a foodie than I am. And, after 4 years in New Orleans, he was eager to show my family some of his favorites, and also explore a few food spots he hadn't made it to yet.

Soon after landing, we headed towards a tiny BBQ joint called creatively named...The Joint! Damn good BBQ. And very cool to be able to see the smoker in action!

After graudation, we went to Willie Mae's Restaurant for some fried chicken. Willie Mae and her employees consider this to be the best friend chicken in the country. We begged to differ, but it was still very tasty...and a fun experience.
Graduation dinner was at Upperline Restaurant. The owner has an insane collection of art that decorates every inch of the restaurant and gives it a really awesome ambiance. It's almost equal parts art gallery and restaurant! And, the food was out of this world. I was a more adventurous eater than I've been in probably 15 years on this trip. A few things I had solely because of the "when in Rome..." philosophy: turtle soup, fried oysters, duck, gumbo, shrimp. Glad I tried all of this to get the full NoLa experience, but don't think I'll be eating any of that again any time soon!


And, here are a few food-related odds and ends from the rest of the weekend:

Pralines (yum) cooling in the French Quarter

Crazy assortment of Cajun spices - Voodoo seasoning, anyone?
(click to enlarge)

A lot of cities feature sculptures that are painted by local artists and places throughout the city. Cows in Chicago, apples in New York City, turtles in Charleston. In New Orleans, it's streetcars. And, this one happened to be painted like a shrimp po' boy!

Such a great weekend. As the song goes, I now "know what it means to miss New Orleans!" Congrats, Z...I am so proud of you!!!

Comments

Ivan D said…
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