Highlights from my recent trip to New Orleans (with pictures). I’ll write a separate post detailing the Crescent City Cup Scrabble tournament, but there was much more than Scrabble to be experienced here.

-Vacherie, a restaurant on the corner of Toulouse and Dauphine (its name is French for “cow pasture”). Best sandwiches I’ve ever had. The chicken salad was made with dried cranberries, cream cheese, and sour cream, blended with relish and egg. This became a lunchtime staple during the tournament.

-Café Beignet, nestled in the back of Music Legends Park, which is a quaint gap of jazz legend memorial statues and a live music stage on Bourbon Street. Beignets and coffee with Scrabble friends Dave Wiegand, Evans, Conrad, and Leesa became somewhat of a morning routine. The sparrows love coming here to beg for beignet scraps, as evidenced by how fat they were. Also tried Café du Monde by the riverfront of the French Quarter with Conrad, Kate, and Tim. Excellent beignets with Cafe Au Lait and chicory. Easy to see why the cafe was overcrowded.

-Audubon Park, with its two-mile running loop between St. Charles and Magazine Street. One and a half loops starting at St. Charles (I took the streetcar from Canal Street next to the French Quarter) made for a quick 5K that ended at the Audubon Zoo. Didn’t get a chance to walk the Labyrinth at Audubon (no doubt inspired by the Chartres Catherdral labyrinth), but that will be on my itinerary for a second trip to New Orleans. Lots of beautiful Southern Live oaks (iconic of the old south), which thankfully didn’t bother my raging oak allergy.

-The Audubon Zoo and Aquarium housed several endangered species I’d wanted to see, plus some other favorites. Got to see Asian elephants, white Bengal tigers, marmosets, giraffes, alligators, a komodo dragon, a female mountain lion, several Kori Bustards, sharks, manta rays, black-footed penguins, an orangutan, and a Southern white rhinoceros. I wrote a mountain lion-based novel entitled Caterwaul a few years ago, so I especially wanted to observe the mountain lion there. She didn’t disappoint. Gorgeous cat, inspiring, but surely not a creature I’d want to tussle with. The sharks, penguins, komodo dragon, and rhino were my other favorites. Could easily have spent a second day here.

-Royal Street Deli with Chris, Kate, Nadine, Tim, and Conrad. Conrad and I both ordered what was advertised on the menu as “grilled cheese with bacon” for four bucks. Turned out to be an amazing grilled mozzarella with maple-glazed bacon. Under-promised and over-delivered. Went down great with a Guinness, but I went back later for an Abita Turbodog at Chris’s suggestion. It’s also a dark ale, hints of coffee and chocolate like a Guinness, but not as thick and foamy. Brewed just an hour north of New Orleans, on the other side of Lake Pontchartrain. I now have a second favorite beer.

-Café Amelie – Possibly the most beautiful restaurant I’ve ever dined at. Entered the Princess of Monaco Courtyard at night, where it was dimly lit and empty except for two charming hostesses wearing shawls at the hostess stand. The scene looked like something out of Victorian or American Gothic lit, like Irving or Dickens or the Brontë sisters. Our group of six quickly swelled to a group of twentyish Scrabble players and we were reseated inside the carriage house. Had the seared muscovy duck breast and one hell of a doberge red velvet cake. Wow. Unfortunately I was too busy soaking in the ambience to take any pictures that night.

Café Maspero – Leesa and I stumbled upon this place while looking for a late dinner and were drawn in by the muffaletta options (she was eating vegeterian). It was my first ever muffaletta and it took some serious work to finish off that much meat and olive salad in one sandwich. Paired with a Guinness Extra Stout, this was a very satisfying meal. Leesa was similarly pleased with her veggie version. I swear this entire city was build around food. We also toured the art galleries on Royal Street. The haunting trees of Tanner and the Escher/Giger/Daliesque work of the Antieau Gallery were two of our favorites.

The New Orleans Saints – Amazing football spirit in this city, which I was delighted to see. The Saints’ Superbowl win of 2009 as the city rebuilt from Hurricane Katrina is such an inspiring story. Drew Brees is a favorite athlete of mine and I’ve cheered the Saints on for several years. Got to watch the end of Saints vs 49ers divisional playoff game at the bar inside the Inn on Bourbon. Was hoping to experience Bourbon Street madness following the playoff victory, but the 49ers pulled out the win and Bourbon Street was noticeably quieter that night. There was plenty of madness beheld other nights, though.

The city reminded me quite a bit of Quebec City, except that Quebec isn’t as food-oriented (but it is much cleaner) and the good times aren’t so much centered around alcohol. Quebec does hold the edge in fitness, where I was able to run La Promenade des Gouverneurs and the Plains of Abraham with more space and quiet than St. Charles Street in New Orleans would have given me. Audubon Park appeared to be the best run in the Crescent City, and it was peaceful and convenient, so I have no complaints. I would definitely visit New Orleans again. There was plenty to do by myself and with friends, and still sights and tastes to discover.