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Girl Gone Travel

North America, Travel
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July 26, 2010

Gator, Gumbo, Crawfish, and Beignets…Eating Good in New Orleans

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Ah, New Orleans. I still remember the excitement with which I visited and New Orleans didn’t disappoint. In fact, it exceeded expectations. One of the things we enjoyed the most was the food. Oh the glorious food.

I had a list of things to taste and hit the ground running once we got out of the car.

Our first stop:Oceana Seafood in the French Quarter. The mission: Eat gator. Yup. Alligator meat, a common dish in the area, nothing I had ever had in my life.

I didn’t know how to feel about it really. But I went for it. I ordered their Original Alligator Sausages. The sausages were topped with a craw fish (another dish I never had before) and mushroom cream sauce. In addition, I ordered the Louisiana crab cakes and a Hurricane to wash it all down. Luckily, I had my husband to share it with, as it is no surprise that none of those dishes are not particularly healthy.

I took a deep breath and ate a piece of sausage. It was both greasy and gamey. Can’t really say it was my favorite meat, however the seasoning was awesome which made me go back for a few bites before I moved on. The cream sauce was delicious as well, and I really liked the crawfish. The crab cakes were also very good. They had a little kick to them and were full of flavor. I topped it all off with a salad. It really was too much in one sitting to try, but I was happy I did. Check this place out for their great seafood selection, from breakfast to dinner.

My next dish to try: Gumbo. I actually had a few servings of gumbo at different places, but there is only one place where I was really impressed. Deanie’s Seafood in the French Quarter served us a delicious seafood and okra gumbo. Now, I am not at all a fan of okra, and wondered about this particular dish. But, I tell you, no other gumbo anywhere else I tried surpassed Deanie’s. Even if you have something else off the menu, make sure to start with a generous cup of their gumbo. You won’t be disappointed.

We had another very memorable eating experience, also not something we expected, at Louisiana Pizza Kitchen, a short walk away from our hotel, Le Richelieu. We wanted pizza and this was close. That was really the extent of our thinking when we choose it. But man, were we in for a treat.

I ordered their gumbo as well. A chicken and andouille sausage version that wasn’t bad, but did not really compete in terms of the amount of flavors from my previous gumbo experience (though it was pretty good after adding a few drops of the hot sauce on the table). In my opinion, and again no surprise here, Louisiana Pizza Kitchen’s strength is in their pizza. I ordered a crawfish étouffée pizza which till this day makes my mouth water. I am guessing that their jambalaya pizza would be amazing too. The place is small and comfortable, not at all over-crowded or pretentious. The brick oven really added to the flavor of the pizza and I wish I had discovered this place sooner than I did as I would have come back a few more times to try their other pizza specialties. We loved sitting outside, watching the sunset over the French Quarter as we drank some local beer and enjoyed our little night out.

Last, but certainly not least: the beignets. I mean, really. How could one say they experienced New Orleans and not have eaten a beignet or two (or three, or four)? Deep fried, powdered-sugar covered, little bits of doughy heaven is what they are. And the place we kept going to have them: Cafe Du Monde, which by the way, is where EVERY tourist goes to have their beignet experience. Personally, I hate eating where all the tourists eat when I am touristing around myself, but there really wasn’t enough time to discover where else to grab these awesome treats early in the morning. The lattes are also highly recommended, and just know that five orders of beignets are like 10 or more, add coffee and it comes to about $27.  We quickly learned that maybe that was too much…though I refused to order less than four.

The place is crowded, with very, very small round tables covered in an invisible layer of hardened and sticky sugar. The servers aren’t the friendliest people you will meet. I surmise that in the end they knew the truth. They knew they had beignets and thus you were their hostage and really even if they didn’t smile, or greet us with a cheerful “Good Morning!” we went back. Again and again. Because we didn’t care. We wanted our fix and only really needed to interact with them long enough to order a large dose goodness to let them know we were not fooling around nor counting calories. My only advice is don’t wear black. It will not be pretty.

Ah, yes. Eating good in New Orleans. Of course, we could’ve done a lot more damage to our waistlines had we been there longer, but our short visit was enough to give us a few wonderful culinary experiences. Ones we hope you will revisit should you make your way to the wonderful city of NOLA.

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Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

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4 Comments
  • Erica
    July 26, 2010

    OH GOD I LOVE CRAWFISH. NOM NOM NOM

    Every Spring we await crawfish season… friend get together, pitch in for a couple bags of live crawfish, corn, and red potatoes and boil them with cajun seasoning. Add a keg of beer and you have a feast!

    Reply
    • Carol Cain
      Erica
      July 27, 2010

      Ooooooh!! That sounds AMAZING Erica!! Will have to stop by to you next time I'm around your way!

      Reply
  • Erin@MommyontheSpot
    July 28, 2010

    Everything looks delicious!! I wish Cafe du Monde shipped their beignets.

    Reply
    • Carol Cain
      Erin@MommyontheSpot
      July 28, 2010

      OMG. Me too!

      Reply

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About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

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Life has been a LOT lately, and I am indulging in Life has been a LOT lately, and I am indulging in it. 

Especially enjoyed this recent walk through town as a storm slowly brewed. 

It felt lovely. 

#fingerlakes #corningny #newyork
MARK YOUR CALENDAR! @travisjcain will be painting MARK YOUR CALENDAR! @travisjcain will be painting a beautiful new mural at Elmira’s Mural Fest this year (weather permitting on Saturday, if not on a less rainy day)! Last year he painted this board which was recently on display still at @communityartselmira. 

Hopefully we have a sunny day and you can come out to support Travis and all the muralists that day! See you there!

#elmirany #painter #artist #communityarts
Sometimes it’s like I never left. #newyork Sometimes it’s like I never left. 

#newyork
SHOUT OUT to our oldest, @davidacain_, who carries SHOUT OUT to our oldest, @davidacain_, who carries with him the entrepreneurial spirit he’s inherited from his parents. 

While successfully working in supply chain management for a global corporation based in NYC, he continues to manage and operate his own product, @getcalma, a comforting heated eye mask that is currently on the Amazon top seller list for two years in a row and has a growing consumer following! 

We are so incredibly proud of David and his growing success as an entrepreneur and in his career, and know the future will continue to be bright for him!

To learn more about Calma and make a purchase, visit his website at GetCalma.com. 

#proudmomma #getcalma #entreprenuer #smallbusiness
The time has come to move on from my role as a bar The time has come to move on from my role as a barista at @the_garage_at_rye and towards my next adventure. 

I started this journey with a curiosity for a craft I admired and wanted to learn more about. It turned into a job. Then a serious passion. And now here I am, launching Café Cómodo (KOH-moh-doh), which means “Comfortable/cozy” in Spanish, a pop-up café serving espresso and seasonal drinks at local farmers markets and private events! (@cafecomodony)

Starting yet another business was never my intent…and yet, I fell further in love with the craft, the industry, and the culture.

I owe so much of what I have learned to @seschieber, who took me under her wings and taught me so much (and still does) and who embraced my nerdiness and eagerness with patience and kindness….and in the process became one of my dearest friends. Working alongside her has felt like winning the golden ticket. She further instilled in me a respect for the craft, the industry, and a commitment to always strive for a quality product, even in a world of Dunkins and Starbucks. 

Grateful for @abbdawes, @hannahmariee93, and Amanda who tolerated my clumsiness at the start while I fumbled my way through the register and the various drink recipes!

I wasn’t sure where this journey would lead, and as I look back at these clips I realize how much I have changed in the process. It’s not always a place that impacts you, but rather the people in it.

I will miss the regulars I’ve gotten to know whose names and drink orders I memorized and who I looked forward to serving. 

I’m so grateful for everything I learned, beyond just making coffee, because I know it will help me to further grow as a leader, an entrepreneur, and a team member wherever I go and in everything I do next.

I won’t miss the dark morning wake ups and long drives before sunrise though! 

I’m proudest of myself for wanting to develop a new skill and ✨DOING IT✨ even when it felt awkward, nerving, and impossible. I hope you will follow me on this next chapter and come say hi at the market (and hire me for your next event)!

Thank you to Charlie Hunter, owner of The Garage for this opportunity.

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Recently took a moment to slow down and enjoy the Recently took a moment to slow down and enjoy the sounds of this beautiful place I call home. 

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