New Orleans Trip – Day 2 of 4

This is part of the New Orleans series.  You can see the previous post here:

New Orleans Trip – Day 1 of 4

French Quarter, New Orleans, LA.

Day Two

I woke up with determination.  I had things to do, and places to eat.  Most importantly, places to eat.

After grabbing an iced latte and a Muffuletta Sandwich in the hotel’s cafe, I was on my way.

The Muffuletta Sandwich

Wait. What is a Muffuletta you ask?  It’s basically a deli-meat sandwich with an olive salad spread.  What gives it the name is the bread.  Muffuletta is not only the name of the sandwich but also the name of a Sicilian (Italian) bread that is slightly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

The sandwich was invented in New Orleans by the Italian immigrants who owned the Central Grocery and Deli.

Cafe Du Monde, New Orleans

First on my agenda was heading out to the original Cafe Du Monde in the French Market. Established in 1862, it is now one of New Orleans most popular attractions.

I decided to save on time and take a Lyft over there.  I got there before 9AM and it is already full of people.  My Lyft driver informs me that I am lucky because, usually, there is a line outside.

In true New Orleans fashion, there was music to go along with the food.  Posted in front of the cafe was a man entertaining people with his rendition of Amazing Grace and other gospel songs.  He was singing for free, although tips were very welcome.

I was relieved to quickly find a place to sit down.  The first thing that caught my eye was the assembly line of employees waiting to pick up their orders.

I promptly placed my order for Beignets (of course) and I had to try a cup of their famous Chicory Cafe Au Lait (coffee with milk) I kept hearing about.

The coffee had a beautiful aroma that I wanted to bottle up and take with me.  The taste was more subtle: richer than a regular cafe au lait, but not in your face.

Here I am about to enjoy some crispy Beignets and some Chicory-flavored Cafe Au Lait.

Next, I decided to walk around and enjoy the sights.  The streets were lined with horse driven carriages.

St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans

Across from Cafe Du Monde, you could see the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral.

I decided to walk across and get a better view of the other side.  The street was full of merchants and musicians.

Aunt Sally’s, New Orleans

Along my walk, I noticed some freshly made pralines in a store front window.  I had to stop in.

Aunt Sally’s Pralines is an adorable shop, with all kind of goodies, from their famous freshly made pralines, to local cookbooks, and more. It was here that I was able to find a canister of Cafe Du Monde’s chicory coffee.

Needless to say, I also selected a couple of cookbooks to take home with me.

Corner Oyster House

After some more walking, I decided to stop for a quick lunch before heading to the International Food Bloggers conference.

The Corner Oyster House was conveniently located so I decided to give it a try.  Also, they had  a number of items from my must-try New Orleans foods.

I settled on trying a cup of their seafood gumbo and an Oyster Po-Boy Sandwich.

International Food Bloggers Conference

The first session gave attendees a choice between two options:

• Storytelling Through Video, and
• Setting up for Success

I went with the setting up for success option since I just set up my blog. This session gave us some great tools that we can use on our blogs.

The second session gave us a choice between two options:

• Creative Blogging Income, and
• FTC Disclosures

Again, being a new blogger, I ended up going to the creative blogging income workshop because I would eventually like to make a living doing what I love doing.

The third session gave us a choice between two options:

• Travel Opportunities for Food Bloggers, and
• Put Your Food Photography to Work for You

This time I went to the travel opportunities because I love to travel.

After the sessions, they had an expo with different restaurants in the area giving a small taste of their food.  One of the places that stood out was Mother’s Restaurant.  They offered a taste of their Jambalaya.  In addition, their generously offered us the recipe to their Jambalaya to share with our readers.

Brennen’s, New Orleans

After a day full of excellent workshops on food blogging, I was ready for a special dinner.  I decided to go to Brennen’s, one of the restaurants I’ve been wanting to try to a while now.

As some of your may know, Brennen’s, established in 1946, invented the flaming desert, the Bananas Foster.

Moonshine

I started off my meal with a Crescent Moon cocktail.  The cocktail gets its name from the main ingredient, Moonshine. Other ingredients listed were Bourbon, egg whites, lemon, sugar, and all spice.

Roasted Oysters

First, I decided to try to Roasted Oysters. They were made with a smoked chili butter and a Manchego crust.  The oysters were HUGE and the chili butter gave them a delicious smokiness.  I could eat these all day.

Titan of Crab

Next, I ordered the Titan of Crab.  This dish had local jumbo crab, with a mint remoulade, tomato concasse, and jalapeno-tomato gelee. Fancy, right?   While not a titan in size, the dish certainly was a titan in freshness.

The Bananas Foster at Brennen’s

Finally, the part of the meal that I have been waiting for: the Bananas Foster!  A staple in many high class restaurants across the nation, the Bananas Foster was invented here at Brennen’s.

What a way to end the day!

Look for part number 3 next, and don’t forget to check out my other travel adventures.