Nola

Laissez les bon temps rouler...Let the good times roll

We've all heard about The Big Easy and the biggest party of the year, Mardi Gras, but New Orleans is much more than giant slushy drinks and boobs for beads. Its food spans beyond just seafood and beignets. It's architecture knows history and pain. Nola embraces their imperfections and takes the good with the bad. The city tells a story of tradition, celebration and color.

Day one brought us rain, which meant staying dry inside. Our inner tourist sent us to visit the floats of Fat Tuesday at Mardi Gras World, where they share the history of the carnival season and give a look at the craftsmanship that goes into each float. Highly recommend.

We ventured over to get brunch at Seed, a vegan restaurant serving up a wide menu and some New Orleans favorites. On our menu for brunch: chicken and waffles with a side of potatoes and a tofu po' boy. Anyone surprised I got tots on the side? No, I didn't think so.

Much of the afternoon was spent trying to find refuge from the rain, visiting the Voodoo Museum and partaking in the tradition that is Bourbon Street. After some time, the rain subsided and we ventured to St. Roch Market to enjoy an early evening snack turned dinner before the festivities of Krewe de Vieux. Not suitable for children, Krewe de Vieux gave us a small taste of what Mardi Gras season is all about. Also not suitable for blogger life, I won't go into too much detail regarding this adults-only parade, so go see it for yourself.

After a long day, we slept in Sunday to rest up (let's face it, we're getting old and need our beauty sleep). We ventured to the Garden District for the day, focusing on Magazine Street, a six mile stretch full of local shops and restaurants. Unconfirmed, and with a few breaks and detours along the way, we walked about four miles of Magazine Street. Note to all when traveling to Nola, a lot of shops are closed on Sundays, but we made do and came across plenty of great places, such as The Market and Sunday Shop.

With a quick pit stop at District Donuts for some fluffy dark chocolate raspberry goodness, we continued on our way. District Donuts is no secret. The line gets long, but moves fast and is worth the wait. And since we weren't full, we enjoyed another bite to eat later on at Dat Dog, a local favorite with a spacious patio and a great radler on tap for me to enjoy with my veg dog and superb fries.

From donuts and dogs, we took to the brews of the city and hit up Nola Brewing and Port Orleans Brewing, just a mile apart. Nola Brewing won my heart with their wide variety of sour beer, but Port Orleans had a great taproom. Checking out the local breweries is a must no matter where we travel.

For dinner we went off my list. Green Goddess was tucked away in a narrow alley full of lights strung between the restaurants, creating an intimate and relaxing space to enjoy dinner outside in January.

Before we knew it, it was our last day, but no trip to Nola would be complete without some beignets from Cafe du Monde. And while delicious, the atmosphere was not. Crowded, disorganized and messy, we grabbed our morning treat to go and sat on the terrace overlooking Jackson Square. Without a set plan for the day, we decided to wander and explore the French Quarter beyond the tourist traps. We enjoyed the colorful buildings and unique architecture, appreciating the cracked and chipped paint that somehow added to the beauty of the city.

To end on a foodie note, we grabbed lunch at Willa Jean before our flight and enjoyed what was my favorite meal of the weekend, pimento grilled cheese and spicy creole tomato soup. Not only was the food great, but the restaurant itself was light and airy with high ceilings and modern rustic decor.

Cheers, Nola. You treated us well.

My favorite stops and shops:

Food:

1. Willa Jean

2. Dat Dog

3. District Donuts

4. Green Goddess

5. Seed

Local brews/watering holes:

1. Nola Brewing Co.

2. Port Orleans

3. Courtyard Brewery