Finishing Up a Weekend in NOLA

Part 2 (Saturday night - Sunday) of my NOLA post.

St. Louis Cathedral by night

After Cafe du Monde, we did a little more walking around and then headed back to freshen up for, you guessed it, more eating. Earlier in the week, I snagged the last Saturday night reservation for K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen, one of NOLA's most famous restaurants. I found out about K-Paul's from one of my coworkers, who insisted I must go. When he said he looked at the dessert he ordered there like a (I quote) "heroin-addicted puppy," I was sold. Later talking with my dad, it was cool to learn that he had previously dined at K-Paul's as well.

K-Paul's was opened in 1979 by the famous Chef Paul Prudhomme. Chef Paul invented the blackening process. Tyler and I ordered their two most popular dishes. I had the blackened twin Filet Mignon served with Debris Sauce, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Amazing!  Tyler's dish once again (this has been happening too often!) outdid mine. He opted for the surf and turf special, which included one blackened beef tender along with a blackened Louisiana Drum.  

Although we were stuffed beyond belief, I wasn't leaving without trying the "heroin puppy" dessert, which was called the Chocolate Hill. This bad boy was a homemade, rich chocolate bundt cake with a chocolate ganache underneath and white and dark chocolate drizzled on top. OMG! One of the best desserts I've ever had.

While K-Paul's is up there on my list of great restaurants, I must say the filet from the Back Creek Bistro (my dad's restaurant) takes the cake for best steak in my book (and Tyler agrees). He doesn't pay me for advertising, either! Now, the Chocolate Hill is a different story. :)

We got changed after dinner (K-Paul's is definitely business casual attire), swung by Pat O'Briens on Bourbon Street for a famous Hurricane, and then walked to Frenchman Street. Frenchman Street is a two-block-long area packed with about a dozen music clubs and some of the best live music we heard all weekend. We found out about the hidden gem of Frenchman Street from some locals that Tyler knew from work. It doesn't have all of the neon lights and madness that you'll see on Bourbon Street, and that was A-ok with me.

Tyler's coworkers recommended that we go see Little Freddie King at d.b.a., a live music club that features nightly local acts. Little Freddie King is a blues guitarist who based his style off of the original Freddie King. The show was fantastic. I kept wishing my dad was with us because he would've loved the show. And a special bonus - d.b.a. had my new favorite Abita Grapefruit IPA on tap!

Sunday

Brunch is a popular Sunday activity in New Orleans, and since I missed it yesterday (whoops), we had to go today. After doing a little research, we settled on Stanley, a restaurant right by St. Louis Cathedral that was inspired by Tennesse Williams's "A Streetcar Named Desire." There was about a 20-30 minute wait, but Stanley is one of those restaurants that texts you when your table is ready, so I used that time to pick up some of the famous NOLA pralines for my coworkers.



Tyler and I both ordered Stanley's Omelet sandwich, complete with eggs, cheese, bacon, ham, grilled sweet onions, and spicy chipotle mayo. We shared an order of Creole breakfast potatoes. Another great meal.

    After brunch, we spent 2-3 hours roaming the city. We walked Frenchman and Bourbon Street (both look much different during the day, haha), explored art galleries, and enjoyed the great weather. After seeing many people with their to-go cups, we stopped and shared a Bloody Mary with okra.

Loved the streetcars

Frenchmen Street

Before taking me to the airport, we stopped in St. James Cheese Company for a snack. Such a cool place. We had a cheese and meat board served with bread and accompaniments. I couldn't tell you what everything was called, but I do know that it was all very tasty, with the aged Gouda and prosciutto being our favorites.



I had a wonderful time during my first trip to New Orleans...I just wish it had been longer! This city is bursting with culture-from the eclectic people, to the authentic music, and I can't forget the delicious food. I'm hoping for another go-around with Bourbon Street someday, hopefully with my college friends, who would without-a-doubt love it.