A Momma, Her Man, Their Blue Eyed Girl and Crazy Weimy: the BIG easy

Last Sunday evening, Gordon and I were doing some fine dining in New Orleans. If I recall correctly that is what we did most of our quick trip - dine well. We flew out early last Sunday morning for Gordon to attend a Young Leaders in Asphalt Conference with NAPA. We left our girl behind with all of our family (wise decision and she enjoyed her time with them). We had longed to experience NOLA.. and experience it was. We had a wonderful time and I brought home a new love for creole dining (and cooking). I also brought back an appreciation for what I have right here at home.

So first things first. We stayed at a Ritz Carlton. Holla! And right outside of those fancy doors, walk fast - look over your shoulder and don't carry your nice camera in plain view. We were on Canal Street and the crime rate there is high. Oh yeah, Bourboun Street (two blocks down).. no need to go back down that again. It was nasty, for lack of a better word...and not all that safe feeling either. Paramedics were shoveling drunks off the streets. Every time I breezed back into the Ritz, I actually breathed in a sigh of relief...like I am back and all is well again.

Moving on... there are great things in New Orleans.. you just have to find them and we did! I walked the rough three blocks to the street car stop and went uptown to Magazine Street. There are blocks and blocks of things to see.. shoppes, old architecture, beautiful cemeteries. I went to a cooking class at Crescent City Cooks and that was the most fun! Gordon saw a plantation were a refinery now resides..this was on his tour with NAPA. His biggest take home was that the refinery (where asphalt plants like Lee Hy get their liquid asphalt) pays a 10 million dollar electric bill per month. It took me a while to get that one embedded in my brain. We ate beignets and bananas fosters. The bananas foster were invented in NOLA at Commander's Palace and that's where we had them - awesome place to eat. Everywhere we ate was amazing. I cannot stress that enough.. places like Arnaud's, Mr. B's Bistro, Salus, Cafe Du Monde...I ate crawfish and BBQ shrimp for the first time ever - loved them both!