Patrick and I just got home from a wonderful weekend in New Orleans celebrating my 25th birthday with our good friends, Mallory & Andrew. They were exceptional hosts to their fun city!
We had a delicious dinner on Friday night at Cochran. Starting the night late after a long drive, our dinner reservations weren’t until 10pm. The restaurant was packed well into midnight. We sampled several small plates of unique cajun food, including fried alligator. Which kind of tasted like a tangier bang bang shrimp. Absolutely delicious.
After dinner we headed out to the number one tourist destination in the French Quarter: Pat O’Briens. The long line to the piano bar was definitely worth the wait. We scored a little table front and center and sipped on hurricanes while listening to the dueling pianos do their thing.
Saturday we had brunch at The Ruby Slipper Cafe. I highly recommend this place if you are visiting NOLA in the near future! This was further outside of the French Quarter and was mostly filled with locals. Yet another place with a very long wait, but that usually means you know the food is going to be oh-so-good.
The four of us sipped on mimosas and bloody’s while waiting on our table.
Once inside the quaint little restaurant, I had the best shrimp and grits, hands down, that I have quite possibly ever had. I was a bit weary of BBQ sauce that early in the AM but it was perfect.
Patrick ordered the Eggs Benedict, however these were a little non-traditional, loaded with beef hash and horseradish.
And do you see that little (big) pancake in the corner of the picture? That was the side item. I will definitely be brunching here again one day.
After brunch we headed down to the French Quarter. That, and more New Orleans goodness to come soon.
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