After my bad week of DMV difficulties and boil alert blues, I was determined to help get New Orleans back on my good side. This turned out to be fairly easy since, I have recently learned, New Orleans is action-packed in October. There are festivals, festivals and more festivals, plus the usual fun New Orleans has to offer year round.
In the last seven days, I have found a number of things I love in New Orleans, so I thought I would share them. If you ever need a few reasons to fall in love with New Orleans all over again, I suggest you try a couple of these five things:
1. Eat a macaron at Sucré
When I was studying abroad in Paris, I used to stop at a bakery after class. One time I tried a macaron and it was one of the best things I had ever tasted. I heard that macaroons weren’t as good in the U.S., so when I returned to the homeland, I stayed away from any American macaroons and let the Parisian taste linger in my memory.
But when Chris and I met up with some friends to see "Argo" (which is a FANTASTIC movie—go see it), we decided to head to Sucré on Veterans Boulevard after the film. There were the macarons, sitting in the shiny glass case, waiting to be eaten. Taking New Orleans’ foodie reputation into account, I decided New Orleanian macaroons would be okay.
They were more than okay. They were AMAZING! My favorite was the almond macaron. I will be back, Sucré. Leave some macarons for me, please.
2. Attend a fashion show at NOLA Fashion Week
On Sunday afternoon, I went to two fashion shows which were part of NOLA Fashion Week. Despite the broken air conditioning, the two shows were great. It started with a display of Construct Jewelry, which was followed by designer Amanda deLeon's show. The two events provided a great venue for networking and it was cool to see New Orleans' fashion subculture. The city obviously isn’t a fashion mecca like New York or Milan, but there are lots of talented designers here. If you have time this week, attend one of the remaining events at NOLA Fashion Week. Click here for the week’s schedule.
3. Act touristy with family members
My aunt and uncle from Massachusetts came for a visit Monday and Tuesday. It was great to see them, but it was also a chance for Chris and I to be touristy in our new home. We started at the Degas House, where my aunt and uncle were staying for a few days. It was an interesting experience for them because the bed and breakfast doubled as a museum, and for one night, they were the only people there. Not your typical bed and breakfast, but New Orleans is not your typical city, which they quickly learned.
We then ventured to the French Quarter for people watching and food. We wanted to go to Acme Oyster House—yes, touristy, I know—but that was packed with a line down the sidewalk. We decided to go next door to Bourbon House. We got oysters, Abita beers, BBQ shrimp and more New Orleans food perfection. For dessert, we walked to Café Du Monde for their famous beignets. It was an evening of indulgence, but that’s what you do in New Orleans. People on diets would be miserable here.
4. Attend an outdoor concert
Over the weekend, Chris and I went to the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival in Lafayette Square Park. It was a great event, especially since it was free. I was skeptical at the beginning because my hometown has a huge blues and BBQ festival once a year that draws big acts, such as Al Green and Robert Randolph. But the cool thing about New Orleans is there are outdoor concerts all the time. I hope to attend more over the next couple of weekends.
5. Talk to a friendly stranger
Another thing I love about New Orleans is how friendly people are, even if you don't know them. Chris and I met some friends Uptown for dinner last week. As we walked back to the car, we walked by a man on the sidewalk. He seemed like any other stranger that would walk in and out of our lives for a brief second, until he suddenly said "Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?"
It was a very random comment from a very random person, but it made us smile. We still tell people about our encounter, and we use it as an example of the kind people of New Orleans.
So what have I missed? Do you have any New Orleans favorites to suggest to a newcomer?
