NOLA Bound...Day 3

Last, but not least, Day 3: we slept in today to better prepare for a late, final night.  Once we were showered and ready to roll, the girls and I made it a point to leisurely shop all day.  But before hitting up Royal Street, we made a stop at a bar across the street from our hotel for some lunch.

Food stop #1: Jimani Lounge & Restaurant on Chartres Street for some red beans and rice, BBQ shrimp po’ boy and a banana bread and chocolate stout, split 3 ways.  Delicious!

We were ready for another day of exploring all the French Quarter had to offer.  We walked up, down and across the streets of New Orleans from Bourbon Street to the Mississippi River.  Mid-afternoon, we decided to take a break and hit up the ultimate tourist stop – the horse drawn carriage rides.  Operated by a classic southern man, with a drawl that made you want to hang on his every word; and his partner-in-crime and horse pulling the cart, Sugar Daddy (aka Killer), this leisurely tour was a great way to get an overview of the city from a local.

For an afternoon snack we decided to get dessert and drinks from Café Amelie. I loved the laid back atmosphere and how beautiful the courtyard restaurant was. I had heard from several people that courtyard dining in New Orleans was a must and turns out it was a great afternoon treat.

For dinner, we headed to the Loews Hotel for dinner and drinks at Café Adelaide. This was our final stop on our New Orleans food journey, and we tried a little bit of everything – horseradish-biscuit crusted oysters, New Orleans Shrimp Remoulade Salad, Adelaide’s Spinach Salad and the Cayenne Five Spice Rubbed Ahi Tuna…such great food and a great recommendation!

The rest of the evening consisted of Bourbon Street and a lot of it!  However, I did have 2 top picks:

• Cats Meow - an interesting and very lively karaoke bar.  Check out the dual animal print pianos! 
• The Original Dungeon - certainly and eye opening experience, especially compared to the light-hearted and cutesy karaoke bar we had just visited,  the dungeon was dark and somewhat spooky but a very cool late night stop.

New Orleans hands down was one of my favorite trips for the year so far! The people are friendly, the food is delicious and it’s not outrageously expensive, it is definitely a great destination to visit with a group of your friends!