Posted Monday, April 9, 2007

Happy Birthday to Me
A last minute trip to New Orleans was the perfect way to celebrate surviving this past year... especially the last 5 months of it. New Orleans was chilly, but the spicy delicious food made it a wonderful 58th birthday trip, anyway.

It's been a challenging year... especially the last 5 months. Let there be no doubt, having both knees replaced is NOT for the fainthearted. Many times during the surgery and recovery I've doubted that I had the strength to face the next day. But thanks to the loving care of my darling husband and the prayers of family and friends I could celebrate my 58th birthday ready to travel and joyful for being alive and healthy. So, when Michael suggested we take a spontaneous trip to New Orleans I was ready to go.

We stayed in the heart of the French Quarter at the lovely Hotel Monteleone. I can recommend the hotel highly. Our room was small but lovely and the bed was really comfortable... a must in my current state of recovery.

We planned extensive walking... and walk we did. The Quarter is compact and doable even for me. Our first full day in town was filled with walking to Cafe Du Monde for hot sugary beignets... lunching at Petunia's especially enjoying the spicy creole Bloody Mary's, hanging in Jackson Square people watching (while sipping a Hurricane), and finishing the day with a delicious dinner at Muriel's.

Unfortunately, the weather took a chilly turn for the rest of our visit. When I say CHILLY... I really mean SLEET, winds, and rain COLD. But aside from missing out on a planned carriage ride, the weather did not dampen our spirits. The wonderful spicy New Orleans cuisine kept us warm.

The absolute highlight of our trip was Friday lunch at Galatoire's. During my hurried trip research I found out that Friday lunch was a local NOLA tradition and Galatoire's was THE place to be. No reservations are accepted for the preferred lower dining room; all comers must cue up and take their chances. When we got in line I was not concerned as the line seemed short; but I underestimated the impact of the paid 'line-sitters' there to reserve tables for New Orleans elite. I was relieved when we were awarded the second to last two-top for the 11:30 seating. At the time, however, I didn't realize what a wait it might be for the second seating.

While waiting for the doors to open we got the insider's scoop on what to order from two absolutely adorable locals all decked out in tasteful suits and his and hers matching straw hats. Easter bonnets were not uncommon in the among the largely local diners waiting with spicy Bloody Mary's and deceptively deadly Milk Punch cocktails for seating to begin.

It was clear that most everyone knew everyone else. They had their favorite tables... and favorite waiters... and once seated no one was in any hurry to order. In fact, by the time we finished our incredible lunch 2 hours later many tables were just receiving appetizers. Linda told us that often the lunchers would still be hanging till 5 or 6 o'clock! Guided by the advice of our new friends and, of course, the guidance of our waiter, Linda, we ordered the perfect meal. Every item was delicious... Michael's garlic salad.. My oysters en brochette... My drum with lump crab in a buttery sauce... Michael's creole chicken... and of course, banana bread pudding and creme brulee..

Dinner that night... YES.. there was dinner... was at Remoulade's, a Bistro by the famed Arnaud's. The plan was to eat light... and by and large, we did. Bundled up in our warmest Key West garb, we took a brisk stroll down Bourbon street on our way back to our lovely, WARM hotel room. Another great day in the Big Easy.

Day Three.. and the weather was COLDER.. Undaunted we walked to Croissant D'Or Patisserie for some pretty good croissants and HOT chocolate. After warming up in the hotel after breakfast we decided the day was too cold for the planned carriage ride, but we headed off to the river to find the RiverWalk shopping area after a lunch at the famous Napoleon House Cafe. (Yes, we did sample the New Orleans favorite sandwich, the Italian muffuletta) Along the way we decided to get tickets for the IMAX 3D movie on sharks... it seemed like a WARM place to spend some time. But when we came out it was SLEETING... enough of the walking, a cab was the quickest way back to our cozy hotel room.

By dinnertime we were still feeling the chill and not that eager to go out. Even though it was my actual birthday I was about to settle for room service. Only the limited room service menu gave us the impetus to head out into the windy, rainy night. We didn't go far.. our destination was Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse right around the corner from the hotel. We got a table in the WARM dark wooded bar (no reservations required) and enjoyed a very nice steak dinner. The highlight for me was the coconut cake... NOT to be missed if you find yourself eating there.

So.. Happy Birthday to ME!!! We ate and drank our way through the French Quarter... a BENDER according to Michael. (I'm sure all that walking mitigated all those calories!) I can highly recommend a trip to New Orleans as a wonderful, festive way to celebrate living. With any luck at all when you go the jet stream won't be trying to extinguish the warmth of the Big Easy with Canadian cold air.

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