Hey everyone!

I’ve had a few people traveling to New Orleans lately, my good ole hometown, and I figured I would create a blog post with my favorite spots and info. Obviously, there are more things than on this listing, but these are my favorites and/or recommendations.

First on the list? City Park, New Orleans. Click here for website.

Why? Because everything about the place represents “home” to me. There are hundreds of oak trees that are over 100 years old, all with dangling Spanish moss that twinkles at sunset.

A note of warning – do not take the Spanish moss off the tree or pretend that it is a wig. There are chigger bugs that live within the moss! Ack!

There are walking paths, driving paths, some beautiful spots to sit by the water and feed the ducks, the Peristyle with its unique architecture (many romantic movie scenes have been filmed in this spot), and even a Morning Call (a beignet coffee spot for locals).

Around City Park is an area nicknamed “Mid-City.” Not to be confused with Central City, which is a dangerous place! 

Bayou St. John winds its way near the park, along with shotgun homes painted in Victorian colors. Definitely worth a drive around the park and surrounding area. Whenever I get back to visit New Orleans, I make sure to at least drive through the park even if I don’t have time to stop and relax. It’s refreshing just to be amidst that area again. 

Trivia: my high school is right near City Park, and on the last day of high school, I hurled my Chemistry notebook into Bayou St. John. I’m sure I was not the first, or the last. 

Next up: Casual Spots for Coffee and Beignets:

Café du Monde – popular tourist place in the Quarter (on Decatur Street) for beignets and coffee. Next door to an open-air market which is interesting to walk through. The vendors sell spices, sauces, etc., some of which you can’t get anywhere else. http://www.cafedumonde.com/
Tip: If the line is long or there are no seats left, you can get your order to go, but eat the beignets fairly soon. They do not travel well.

Morning Call in City Park (about 10 min drive from Quarter) – has beignets and coffee just like Café du Monde. What’s the difference? Tourists go to Café du Monde, locals go to Morning Call. The location in City Park is fantastic, though. Spacious, amongst live oaks draped with Spanish moss, you can sit inside or outside (seating is actually a lot easier at Morning Call since Café du Monde is usually crowded with tourist lines). http://neworleanscitypark.com/in-the-park/morning-call

The City Park area is worth driving around. Architecture of the homes nearby, Bayou St. John, the park itself, plus coffee at Morning Call. They also have wifi, by the way.

General Good Eats & Places:

Zea’s Rotisserie & Grill – My NOLA addiction, the place I *MUST* go every time I’m home. Sadly their NOLA location is closed, but there is one 10 min away from the NOLA airport. Depending on your flights, if you can afford the time to stop here for lunch or dinner, it is worth it. Best red beans and rice on the PLANET. http://zearestaurants.com/locations/harahan/

Note: There is also a Zea’s in Metairie, within Clearview Mall. 

French Quarter Restaurants:

You really can’t go wrong on food or drink anywhere in the Quarter, but below are some fave spots:

Tujague’s – located near Jackson Square in the French Quarter. On the pricier side, but one of my favorites. It’s the 2^nd oldest restaurant in New Orleans. Seafood, cocktails, crawfish etouffee to die for.  Website is http://www.tujaguesrestaurant.com/

Crescent City Brewhouse – located right near Jackson Square. This is an ideal seafood, hamburger, salad, lots of different beers and brews. It’s close proximity to many sightseeing things in the French Quarter, decently priced, and the atmosphere is nice and laid back. Website is http://www.crescentcitybrewhouse.com/

Irene’s Cuisine – 539 St Philip St, Italian, only open for dinner. Go hungry!

Antoine’s  – one of the old, upscale restaurants with seafood in the Quarter. Pricey.

Court of Two Sisters – one of the old, upscale restaurants with seafood in the Quarter. Pricey.

Brennan’s – on Royal Street. Not sure if you’re there for a Sunday brunch, and it’s expensive, but it’s a 7-course breakfast like no other.

Deanie’s Seafood – awesome seafood, long lines. Popular spot.

Felix’s (oysters) – If you like oysters, this is the spot. It’s in the Quarter. Acme House is a secondary place, but Felix’s is king.

Muriel’s Jackson Square – Nice brunch spot right on Jackson Square.

For bars/pubs – Any in the Quarter will be decent, but a few notables:

Johnny White’s – I’ve never been but heard good things. It’s best known as the bar that never closed during Hurricane Katrina. http://www.johnnywhitesfrenchquarter.com/

The Carousel Bar in the Hotel Montleone – LOVE this spot! It’s a revolving carousel and unique place. Worth it to go in and grab at least one drink to enjoy the atmosphere. http://hotelmonteleone.com/entertainment/carousel-bar/

Lafitte’s Bar – oldest bar in NOLA. Decent drinks, kind of a dive but interesting history. http://www.lafittesblacksmithshop.com/Location.html

Music

Music – If you want good music, unless someone is playing at Preservation Hall, forget Bourbon Street and head toward Frenchman Street. It’s on the outer edge of the Quarter but walkable. The Maison is my fave spot, but there’s also Snug Harbor and other popular music venues.

There’s also the Garden District which has some classics like Commander’s Palace and other venues. Gorgeous homes, lots of spots to eat and drink.

Note about Garden District: Do be cautious at night – if you go there in the evening, I’d recommend Uber/taxi right to where you’re going. Do not walk around at night browsing the homes! Popular mugging spot.

Other Activities Besides Eating and Drinking in NOLA? Are there such things?

Lake Ponchartrain/Across the Lake – The Causeway Twin Spans across Lake Ponchartrain are approximately 23-24 miles. The drive is going from Metairie over to the Covington area. If you get the chance to take the drive, here are my suggestions:

1- Bring peppy music with you. That “thump-thump” of the 23 mile bridge gets old, and it’s very easy to start to doze off. You’re on 2 lanes driving across water, not a good idea to fall asleep!

2 – Somewhere around the middle of the drive, you will no longer be able to see land. For most of the drive, you see the buildings you left behind in Metairie, and you see tree shapes eventually of the places you’re going in Covington. But for a few miles, you can’t see ANYTHING except water in every direction. It’s pretty cool, especially if you drive across at sunset.

Aquarium / IMAX – right along the Riverwalk in Quarter http://audubonnatureinstitute.org/aquarium

World War II Museum – on the outskirts of the Quarter – may want to Uber it since parking is bad. Great history and so much to see. http://www.nationalww2museum.org/

Riverboat Cruise – http://www.steamboatnatchez.com/

And there you have Elaine’s listing!

Let me know what your favorite spots are to add to the list. And if you like books set in NOLA, check out Water’s Blood (Urban Fantasy/Romance) and Penance (Urban Fantasy/Romance/Good v Evil), both of which are set in New Orleans Mid-City.

Welcome to 30 Days of Grits, Day 24!

Today we have a Cajun twist to the grits recipe! Many thanks to New Orleans native Michelle Gaines for sharing this recipe:

Crawfish Smothered Grits with Cheese:

INGREDIENTS: 1 pound crawfish tails, peeled (or shrimp) 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt – divided 1 ½ teaspoon Cayenne pepper – divided 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil 1 cup onions, chopped 1 tablespoon garlic, minced 2 cups chicken or beef stock 3 cups heavy cream (can substitute half and half) 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking white grits 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or 2 slices real cheddar cheese) Sliced green onions for garnish

DIRECTIONS: In a large bowl, toss together crawfish tails with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Melt butter (or olive oil) in a 3 quart heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the onions, rest of salt and cayenne. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are soft. Add crawfish and garlic. Continue to cook for 2 minutes. Slowly stir in stock and cream to the pan. Taste mixture and re-season if necessary. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer an additional 2 minutes. Add the grits and stir continuously until they are very tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in cheese until just melted and mixed through. Serve piping hot and garnished with green onion.

*whew* I am SURELY gonna cook me some of these!

Remember that NO GRITS NO GLORY is available for pre-order now and releases Oct 1st!

Today is a day I always remember. August 29, the anniversary of when Hurricane Katrina hit. Today is the 9th anniversary.

Most people on the Gulf Coast remember today like our parents remember when JFK was shot or when Pearl Harbor happened. It’s a date that changed people’s lives.

I’m proud of my home town for its ability to be resilient in the face of destruction and hopelessness. I’m upset that many things still haven’t come back, and many people decided not to. Most of all, I sit in reverent silence and am thankful for my friends and family.

I wrote a poem after Katrina happened – today I share it with you. It’s on the Freebies page of my website. Click here to read it.

We are coming up on the 9th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, on August 29.

Some of my local friends down in New Orleans sent me this link that shows the city then and now. The only real visual of this I saw in person was the big pile of garbage in Lakeview. That stayed there for several months afterward.

Keep remembering. Keep New Orleans safe :)

FYI – next year (2015) on Aug 29, I plan to release a women’s fiction novel about 2 sisters in the aftermath of Katrina and how they view the city. So stay tuned!

Hello all,

Well, the day is here. August 29, a day that will leave in infamy (at least for me and many Gulf Coast residents). The day Hurricane Katrina hit the coast of Mississippi, followed by the levees breaking in New Orleans. Hundreds were killed, thousands lost their homes and property, even more had to relocate and/or start over.

In the midst of the aftermath, I wrote a poem about New Orleans. Even though I no longer live there, I did grow up there. I miss all the beautiful parts of New Orleans, or NOLA as she often called with affection. This poem was my letter, my means of handling all the grief and sadness for my hometown. I hope you enjoy –

The Lonely Saxophone

copyright 2005-2013 Elaine Calloway

The saxophone’s melancholy notes dance in the humid air like lightning bugs flitting about in summertime. The musician is nowhere to be seen, but his music can be faintly heard along the lazy Mississippi River. The rich, slow music is the heartbeat of New Orleans, this port city surrounded by water. The Big Easy.

As the city awakens, noises fill the air but the saxophone still plays. The Creole Queen riverboat makes a loud whistle as she takes tourists down the river. Mounds of crawfish, shrimp, and spicy seafood abound here. Clapping visitors surround street performers in Jackson Square, wanting to see their favorite acts. Horse-drawn carriages make the ‘clop clop’ sound down the narrow French Quarter streets.

As my spirit absorbs these surroundings, I smile as I listen to the sad notes of a lonely saxophone, playing faintly as a constant backdrop to my home. The tunes may change, but the music goes on.

Black iron gates flank the streets in this Crescent City. Cherry-red geraniums bloom in decorative pots, and window boxes attempt to contain flowers bursting with pink, white, and purple. The flowers and the ivy cascade from the black iron balconies; they look like children dangling their feet before taking a swim.

The spirit of New Orleans – its people and its music – welcomes them all. At the time, I believe that the music will never stop.

On August 29, I was proven wrong. Katrina’s fury drowned the city’s own and the heart of New Orleans stopped beating. Cries for help and sobbing remained.

I gasp back tears as I see the rusted saxophone start to sink, its hollow insides consumed with Katrina’s waters. I hope that one day I can hear the music again. Until then, the absence of the lonely saxophone is deafening.