Thankings 2011

We went to New Orleans for Thxgiving 2011.  Frankly, I can't think of a better way to enjoy the holiday.  Maybe a warm, beautiful beach? Any place where you can enjoy piles of seafood, really.  I love N.O.  It is everything I need it to be.  We will definitely go back.  One day, I'd like to go with friends.


The first thing we did when we rolled into town was find Felix's, recommended by Food Orleans. [Jen's recommendations are solid.]  Felix's is interesting in that it is an actual oyster bar where you step right up and have your oysters at the bar.  There is sit-down dining, but if you are just stepping in for a quick beer and a dozen oysters on the half shell, the bar is ideal.  We went to Felix's THREE TIMES.  The food is first-rate (steer clear of the coleslaw) and the atmosphere is just the way I like it -- no frills, genuinely friendly servers, Dixie Beer in the bottle, Stella on tap, strong iced tea, and Crystal Hot Sauce.  We can vouch for the red beans & rice, fried shrimp poor boy, craw fish etouffe, and blackened grilled shrimp.  Be cautious with that horseradish!  I got heavy-handed with it and it actually blinded me for a moment and made me feel as if I were about to go into cardiac arrest.  


On this trip, we consumed meat.  You can veg in New Orleans with relative ease, but we wanted no restrictions.








Oysters R in Season:



We popped in right before we left town:



For Thxgiving day, we had our Big Meal lined up for 7:30 p.m. @ Commander's Palace.  We regretfully did not plan very well for breakfast or lunch.  A lot of places were closed.  That's what we get for assuming New Orleans never takes holiday breaks.  So, we popped into this place called St. Charles Tavern on St. Charles Ave.  It was terrible.  The food was just o.k. (they actually served a broken hollandaise sauce to me!), but it was the service that made us sorry we ever stepped foot into that establishment.  A waitress, not our own, approached and asked if we had intentions of ordering breakfast, as if our sitting there drinking coffee was really putting her out.  After it became clear that our order was never entered, the service went from bad to worse. I'll never understand when people foul up and then are total b-holes about it.  I would understand if ATM & I were jerks, but we're not.  Even after all of that, ATM still had to inquire about our food situation.  Not a typical New Orleans experience.  Avoid.


O.K., so Commander's Palace.  Wow.  That place is incredible.  I want that to be our Thanksgiving tradition.  I have no photos because you just don't do that there.  You arrive dressed to the nines and you'd better have a reservation.  While an abundant, most professional and courteous waitstaff whirls around you, tending to your every need (including ones you didn't even know you had) you drink wine, Laphroaig, and eat the best food.  ATM & I partook in a tiny culinary adventure and tried escargot for the first time.  We figured that if you're gonna go there, you do it somewhere like Commander's.  Our bravery paid off because it wasn't just good, it was delightful!  It came drizzled in bone marrow jus on a piece of garlic toast.  It was nothing as I imagined.  The closest thing I can compare it to is overcooked macaroni pasta?  It tastes like whatever you cook it in, really.  For our main course, we had the traditional turkey dinner, chosen mostly because I really enjoy P & J Oyster dressing.  Everything we had on our plate was tops.  We rounded out dinner (and our bellies) with their bread pudding & espressos.  Goodness.  Contentment.  Thankings.  I had to be rolled out of there.  We are really looking forward to it again.  If you go, save your pennies, because that kind of thing don't come cheap!


I'm going to take this opportunity to proclaim "to hell with Black Friday!"  It's a terrible annual event that makes me horrified at people.  Like, more than usual.  For the past several years, I've called it by another name: Buy Nothing Day.   Sometimes, that's hard to do, especially if you're away from home.  So, we shopped from local businesses like Southern Candymakers (they make the best pralines) and Peaches Records.  We usually don't eat at chain restaurants (although St. Charles Tavern nearly made me reconsider) and try to buy local whenever we can. It is so easy to not buy landfill items like t-shirts & magnets & mugs & beads & candles & shotglasses you don't even want.  Look, I don't really enjoy proselytizing about, well, everything, but, you know, it's how I roll.  Everything you do affects someone or something else, a lot of the time in an adverse way.  So, be mindful, right?  If you must shop, shop local, whenever possible.  Reduce waste, in all areas of your life.  All that to say that perishables make the best gifts. I enjoy it when people share food from their travels, so I try to do the same.  

Chocolate and sweet potato pralines from Southern Candymakers:




These are a hit with my co-workers:



Pretty treats from Sucre:






MASSIVE PHOTO DUMP!


It should be called Cafe DUH Monde, because, duh, you have to go, amirite:


 Courtyard kitty:

 

Saint Louis #1:




 











Our room:


Native American-inspired Mardi Gras costumes:









Night blimpin':



Breakfast on the balcony (Thanks, Mom!) :



Pauvre bete:









Real good start to this bloody holiday season.