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Hello, New Orleans!

May 12, 2012 by Joy the Baker 111 Comments

new orleans

Some cities are just filled with magic.  London has magic.  St.Louis has spooky magic.  I think my Venice home has a good amount of sparkle magic.  But New Orleans… New Orleans is aalll magic.

I was lucky enough to visit this special city last week.  Because it was my first visit to New Orleans, I.. a) melted in the humidity.  b) was horrified by my frizzy hair.  c) drank daiquiris in the streets.  d) ate beignets several… SEVERAL times.

Want a peek?  Here we go!

new orleans

In every new city visit, it’s really nice to start with a map.

Two big streets and a curve in the grid.

new orleans

Evening hours in the French Quarter.

Horse heads everywhere.

new orleans

Evening hours outside of Saint Louis Cathedral.

Dark and romantic.

new orleans

Evening hours inside this smokey, candlelit bar.

There was piano music, people huddled in conversation, and a really smelly drunk dude that danced me into a corner.

Tell me you’ve been danced into a corner… that’s real.

new orleans

Ham, butter, and brie on a baguette is one  of the best lunches EVER.  Thank you St. James Cheese Company!

Louisiana beer is also as fine as could be.  I’ve come to appreciate the wonders of the Strawberry Abita.

new orleans

There’s a salad in that Bloody Mary… and I’m totally drinking this pineapple daquiri in the street!

It’s like a party everyday!

new orleans

Any menu that serves Champagne and Fries is a menu I want to be reading.

I mean… come on!

new orleans

Late night beignets at Cafe du Monde.

Yes… these were the second round of beignets I had eaten on this day.

Yes.. I ate a whole order myself.

Sometimes I have trouble sharing.

new orleans

I spent a day at Jazzfest!

Crawfish bread.  Cold beer.  Gospel tent. And Ne-yo singing R&B Jamzzzzz!

new orleans

Is this magic JR and the Inside Out Project!?

I think it is!

new orleans

Look how rad humanity looks!

new orleans

We ate big trays of crawfish!

It was awesome… but I’m still not sure how I feel about this.

new orleans

Back to the beignets… clearly.

I was on a strict beignet diet.

new orleans

In New Orleans I got to meet my oldest blog friend, Evan!

Evan and I have been chatting for the past four years.  She knows about various boy and cake disasters.  It was so nice to meet her and squeeze her pregnant belly.  Love!

new orleans

The cemeteries in New Orleans.  So old and worn.

This particular cemetery had damaged headstones.  These piled up pieces feel beautiful and unfortunate.

new orleans

The cemeteries are beautiful… and also put just a tinge of fear in my heart.  I don’t know what that is…

New Orleans is magic.  The food.  The sites.  The people.  The energy… you can feel it in the air.

Pro tips:

There is no need to lift your top for beads… you can get those anywhere.  They’re even hanging from trees… no joke.

Order more beignets than you think you’ll need… because you’ll need them.

Stand in line for fried chicken at Coop’s Place.

Don’t share your crawfish bread at Jazzfest.

Thank the people that make New Orleans magic.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Elizabeth @ Coppertop Kitchen

    May 15, 2012 at 7:53 am

    Agreed! We went there for a long weekend to celebrate our first wedding anniversary, and it is indeed very full of magic. It barely feels like America, to me, because it’s so old and voodoo-ey. I can’t wait to go back again – three days was not enough. I need more beignets.

    Reply
  2. bea

    May 15, 2012 at 4:47 am

    Hi Joy! I’ve been reading for over a year but have never commented. THANK YOU for your “there is no need to lift your top for beads” comment. I’m a proud New Orleans girl living in the midwest, and it saddens me to hear people assume that going topless for beads is the only thing to do in my city. We are so much more than that! Glad you had a good trip- thanks for the beautiful photography and awesome recipes!

    Reply
  3. sarah

    May 14, 2012 at 7:15 pm

    nola takes a part of my heart every time i go there & i gladly open up that space for her. you definitely sip a hurricane at lafitte’s, sneak those extra beignets & eat (numerous times) at coops (: or at least i do, anyways!

    Reply
  4. Rebecca @ Sink Or Swim

    May 14, 2012 at 2:24 pm

    Lovely! One city I can’t wait to visit!
    (and I am all about a biegnet diet!)

    Reply
  5. Lindsey (One Sweet World)

    May 14, 2012 at 10:37 am

    Fantastic post. You captured New Orleans so well in your photos and descriptions! It’s truly one of my favorite places. I spent about 12 days there in March, and that apparently wasn’t enough because I’m meeting some friends there THIS WEEKEND!! Wooo!

    Reply
  6. Stephie @ Eat Your Heart Out

    May 14, 2012 at 8:59 am

    I visited New Orleans with my family when I was ten. Let’s not talk about accidentally ending up on Bourbon Street at 10 pm…(when you’re 10, it’s really quite the education)…and instead let’s talk about how I can STILL taste those Cafe du Monde beignets all these years later. Oh lordy.

    Reply
  7. Andie

    May 14, 2012 at 8:38 am

    As a native to the region, I’m so glad you enjoyed your visit to New Orleans. You are correct, there is a magic here that can not be duplicated anywhere. I think that magic is part of why I have never been able to leave!

    And I am glad you were able to enjoy such great eats, especially beignets. I am a firm believer that everyone should be able to eat beignets whenever they want! :)

    Reply
  8. Melissa

    May 14, 2012 at 7:20 am

    I love how you’ve captured your time in the city! New Orleans is a place I’ve always wanted to visit. Some day soon!!

    Reply
  9. anna K.

    May 14, 2012 at 6:51 am

    NOLA is so magical. I used to live 3 hours away in MS & it’s like going to a completely different world! Makes me happy you immersed yourself and enjoyed the hell out of it! Now that I’m living in North Carolina (moved 3 months ago), it was great to see this post and live vicariously…

    Reply
  10. Melissa

    May 14, 2012 at 6:43 am

    Great pics makes me want to go to NOLA asap. Especially for the champagne and fries!

    Reply
  11. Kayla

    May 14, 2012 at 6:31 am

    Looks like you had a great trip! The photos are all so great and really capture the culture I too experienced in NOLA!

    xo Kayla

    Reply
  12. Jessie

    May 14, 2012 at 6:08 am

    Oh, how I love NOLA! I went there 8 years ago and I have been dreaming of going back ever since. I love all the magic, food, music, and ghosts that it holds. I ate beignets at Cafe du Monde ever single morning when I was there. Did you have a muffuletta? The ones at Central Grocery are the best… Oh, how I love and miss NOLA! Great pics!

    Reply
  13. Lori

    May 14, 2012 at 6:02 am

    OMG! I was there for the last weekend of jazzfest too. Enjoyed a cemetary tour, drank my bloody mary’s with salad, and after viewing your pictures I’m wondering if you were following me around! Lol.
    It is a totally magical city.

    Reply
  14. kale

    May 13, 2012 at 11:31 pm

    OK so wait. The Champagne and fries. Is that…a bottle of Champagne? Or a glass? Is the glass generous? Did you order that??!

    Reply
  15. Ann P.

    May 13, 2012 at 10:29 pm

    New Orleans is one of my favorite places in the world. I went there on a voluntourism trip last year, and the people there just stole my heart. Not to mention the food, the music, the history, the architecture, the crazy energy! You are right, it’s truly magical. Next time you go, hit up The Maple Leaf bar on Tuesday night for Rebirth Brass Band! I’ve seen them once in NOLA and once in San Diego now, and they are offffff thaaa hoooook :D

    Reply
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