When we chose the Crescent City for vacation this year, we did not realize that it would coincide with the biggest football game of the year – especially when the Saints would win its first Super Bowl ever. Restaurants closed, parades were planned, and even the elephants got in on the excitement. On Saturday, we explored the Insectarium near our hotel, then chased it with crabmeat maison & shrimp remoulade, seafood gumbo, trout amandine, and shrimp etouffee at Galatoire’s, the classic NOLA establishment where the menu never changes and the waiters have served for decades. Chicory coffee and beignets from Café du Monde dusted our coats and wrapped up the night. On Superbowl Sunday, we awoke early for a quiet walking tour of the Garden District, and even managed a last minute reservation for the Sunday Jazz Brunch at Commander’s Palace. A detour to visit the furry inhabitants of the Audubon Zoo, however, left us stranded without a cab. We walked for nearly an hour before sharing a cab with a flock of LSU Saints fans, arriving 30 minutes late for our reservation but just in time for the last seating. The gumbo Ya Ya, turtle soup, and pecan-crusted gulf fish were yummy, but the Eggs Cochon de Lait and creole bread pudding soufflé with whiskey cream sauce stole the show. After some lightning-fast service and a restaurant tour by the waiter, we were rushed out the door for the staff to make the kickoff. At dinner, our lone waiter kept deserting us for the TV in the kitchen. The Saints won moments after we left the restaurant, and we were swept along to Bourbon Street to participate in the celebration. We spent Monday touring the Honey Island Swamp, where we spotted one round nutria but no ‘gators. A po’boy from Mother’s kept our hunger at bay as we perused this year’s floats at Mardi Gras World before dinner. At Mr. B’s Bistro, their tender Mississippi rabbit was no match for the barbequed shrimp, easily the best shrimp dish I have ever experienced. On Tuesday, we toured the French Quarter and feasted on fried chicken at Willie Mae’s Scotch House – supposedly the best in the world, but not worth the adrenaline rush of traveling through that dangerous neighborhood when we attempted to walk to Parkway Bakery for their award-winning po’boys (and we found them closed!). An afternoon visit to the Aquarium and a snack of sweet Louisiana oysters kept us busy until dinner at August, John Besh’s flagship and New Orleans’ finest restaurant. With a view of the parade from our table, we enjoyed excellent crabmeat gnocchi with black truffle and another decadent cochon de lait, despite a disappointing tasting menu. Our flight home was thwarted by snowy weather, leaving us stranded with a “distressed passenger” stay at a nearby Holiday Inn overnight. Like our trip to Montreal, our journey through Creole cuisine in New Orleans reminded us that French gastronomic influence simply opens doors to foodie heaven.
