Five Restaurants to Visit While in New Orleans.

I’m back with my second write up about my experience in the Big Easy! This time it’s all about food, as the New Orleans Convention and Visitor’s Bureau made sure we were kept full at all times. . I thought I knew what good food was being from the South and all, but I had no idea what I was in for when it came to dining in New Orleans. First off let me tell you that I gave up all hope for counting Weight Watcher points as soon as I got off the plane. My Weight Watchers app probably would have crashed after my first meal. I was there to eat and eat I did.

In my first post “Falling in Love with New Orleans” I told you about the amazing Shrimp Poboy I had at Commerce. The outdated look of the restaurant may catch you off guard, but seriously it’s a diamond in the rough. I think they staff could tell I had no idea of how to order there, but after a smile and a bit of instruction I felt right at home. My first dinner was at the Famous Arnaud’s, where I was serenaded by an exceptional group of men singing a tune called “Mardi Gras Mambo.” I may or may not have remixed this song in my head. 

If you’re looking for a complete dining experience in New Orleans, one of the places you have to check out is the newly renovated Brennan’s New Orleans. We arrived for Breakfast at 9am and didn’t leave until after 1pm. The menu offers a three separate three-course breakfast as well as ala carte items. Since I wasn’t counting points, I decided to have a little bit of everything (I’m not kidding). I dined on Bread Pudding, Turtle Soup, BBQ Lobster and sooo much more. My favorite entree had to be the Crispy Veal Cheek Grillades.  Georgia cheddar grits, egg over easy, and Creole spices really made this dish melt in your mouth. It was so rich and soo good. Of course, my meal wasn’t complete without a Banana’s Fosters dessert prepared table side. 

 

 

 

Banana Fosters made table side @BrennansNOLA. #followyourNola #NewOrleans #neworleanscvb #foodie #mustvisit #yum

A video posted by Melody Kewl (@being_melody) on Jan 14, 2015 at 10:27am PST

For a fun dining experience try an interactive cooking class at Langlois Culinary Crossroads. This is a great place to visit if you want to have a girl’s day/night or if you want to be a little romantic and take a cooking class with your significant other. It was here that Chef Amy and Chef Tess schooled us on how to make a proper roux as well as taught us how to make crepes. Although, I still haven’t forgotten that shade Chef Tess through when she told me I didn’t have a proper upbringing since I didn’t know how to make a roux and was from the south, but I’ll let that slide because she made some amazing food.  I learned that the key to a great crepe is in the flip, and the flip takes some serious wrist action as you can tell by the look on my face.  My partners in crime on this amazing trip Erin from My Thirty Spot, Camille from My Mommy Style, and Elise from WTFab showcased their Crepe flipping action also. While there we also dined on an amazing gumbo. I said I didn’t want anymore grits during our trip, but I literally cleaned my bowl. If you’re looking for more of an “at home” atmosphere, you have to go to Upperline. The restaurant atmosphere is so inviting that it’s like your sitting at your grandmother’s dining room table having a family meal. I was very fortunate to share this meal with my newly founded New Orleans blogger family pictured below. Joann, the owner of the restaurant, stopped by our table and gave us the full history of the establishment as well as a few life lessons. It was here that I tried my first Fried Green Tomatoes and surprisingly enjoyed them! Make sure you try out the Spicy Shrimp with Jalapeno Cornbread and Aioli. It’s has a serious kick but if you like spicy food you’ll love it. Joann took the time to pose for a picture with us seen below. Also pictured are Aneta from The Wander Lust Kitchen and Becky from The Cookie Rookie!  

 

Learning some incredible life wisdom from Joanne at Upperline. I wish I had a tape recorder. Brilliance. #FollowYourNOLA

A photo posted by Becky (Gall) Hardin (@thecookierookie) on Jan 15, 2015 at 8:16pm PST

 

If you don’t visit any place, else you have to visit Peche Seafood Grille located in the warehouse district. Hands down this had to be my favorite place to eat . I honestly had no room left in my stomach for any of this food but once it was set on the table I quickly pulled out my reserve stomach, loosened my belt and dove in. I see now why they’ve won two James Beard Foundation Award. I suggest everything on the menu. Absolutely Everything! Can you believe this was my first time having brussel sprouts?

 There are so many places to visit in New Orleans, and we sampled quite a few locals, but these happened to be my absolute favorite. The New Orleans CVB website has quite an extensive list of places you should visit as well. If you’ve been to New Orleans where are your favorite places to eat? I’m already making my list for my next visit!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of New Orleans Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. The opinions and text are all mine.