There’s something romantic about waking up in the French Quarter. Especially for a writer. I laid in bed as the sun crept through the blinds. The bed was so comfortable, I could have stayed in it much longer, but New Orleans was calling me. Well, I should say the bells of St. Louis Cathedral were calling me... The ringing reminded me that Mass was starting in 10 minutes. I do love the sound of church bells in the morning. It reminds me of waking up to the sound of hundreds of church bells ringing out in various patterns every Sunday morning, in every city throughout Europe. For me it's therapeutic.
I got up and threw open the French Doors and… Cue the record scratch. It was almost as if the hurricane season humidity of this Mississippi River port town punched me in the face with the force of an LSU linebacker. Yowzers! Nonetheless, I quickly got dressed and headed off to Mass.
After Mass I of course went to Cafe du Monde for beignets. Since my daughter and I first watched Princess and the Frog together, beignets have been our thing. Sadly, I still have not taken her to New Orleans for the real thing, but I do bring her home beignets mix from Cafe du Monde every time I come here... Oddly enough, I do not like the coffee at Cafe du Monde, so I opted to walk up the street to PJ's Coffee, which started as a local New Orleans coffee joint in 1978 by Phyllis Jordan. They now have 117 locations.
Now with all the coffee and beignets I could possibly need, I headed back to my hotel to try to get a little work done, before going out later to catch some music! I felt good as I opened up my laptop, that is until said laptop would not start. So instead of getting some work done while enjoying my delightful breakfast, I spend the rest of the day on with Apple troubleshooting my dilemma. The helpful Apple tech support pro finally told me that I would need to bring my computer in, as there was a hardware issue, but that the next available genius bar appointment in all of Louisiana, was not until next week. Nooooooo!
But I have a blog to write, and work to get done. And live music to see. I can’t go home now. My commitment to my midlife crisis summer trip of 2022 is as solid as ever! So, now putting my producer hat back on, I found a Best Buy with an open box Macbook Pro, got in an Uber, drove over the Mississippi River to said Best Buy, and was back to my hotel in about an hour. After going through the setup, the progress bar said it had about three hours to go. So, I was off to Frenchman Street, my favorite street for music in the French Quarter.
Of all of the music I saw tonight, by far the very best of the evening was Ed Willis Blues 4 Sale. In between his final two sets, Ed sat down with me at my table next to the open front window to cool down. Continuing my Law of Attraction tour, Ed and I spoke at great length about music, raising kids (both of us have teenage girls), how New Orleans has changed and about a gig he once played at a big private party in Agoura Hills CA. Totally random! His final set of the night was an epic display of musicianship by each of the players! By the time I got back to my hotel from my night of music on Frenchman Street, my open box Macbook was ready for me to tap on some keys!
Surprisingly, it was not as hot the next morning as I threw open the French doors to my balcony. I stepped out in the moderately muggy morning air, and felt a few rain drops. And then a few more. By the time I was dressed, and halfway to meeting the Custers and Winklers for brunch at The Court of Two Sisters, the sky was letting loose! I ducked under as many overhead awnings and balconies as I could, and remained relatively dry before reaching the front gates to this legendary establishment that features a popular Jazz Brunch.
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OMG. This is definitely not Hometown Buffet. I think we did four rounds each, maybe five... Legit Creole, and traditional breakfast options served buffet style in the dining hall, while we listened to traditional New Orleans classics from the house jazz trio. The Bloody Marys complimented the food, atmosphere and great conversation, as the rain continued to fall in the courtyard outside. Just when I thought I might be done, I made one last trip to the buffet for Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce, and a Bananas Foster a la mode that was simply to die for. Close to needing a wheelchair, or wheel barrel to get back out the front door, I finally cut myself off…
Feeling the need to walk off our massive brunch, we all decided to do a walking tour of the French Quarter. I led the way to the first stop, “Preservation Hall.” It has been one of my favorite venues every time I have been in New Orleans. OK, but here’s the problem. I couldn’t remember the cross street, but knew this joint was on Bourbon Street, so I looked on Google Maps. Wait, I said to the group. It says Preservation Hall is on St. Peter Street, between Bourbon St. and Royal St. The place I always thought was Preservation Hall, is on the corner of Bourbon St. and St. Peter St. All these years I have been going to a joint called Maison Bourbon, which has a sign outside that says “Dedicated to the Preservation of Jazz.” Actually, the “P” is missing, so it really doesn’t even say “Preservation.” Sigh. I admitted my gaffe to the group, explaining that even though it was not the right place, I had seen some amazing traditional jazz at this bar many, many times…
As our walking tour continued, it began to rain again, but despite the drizzle, it was still extremely hot. We ducked into a cute little restaurant on Frenchman St. called Frenchman All Day so we could cool down. It was Aperol Spritzers and white wine for the parents, and soft drinks for the kiddos. After we had all cooled down, everyone went the separate ways, with the exception of Andrew and I. We continued our search for good music while there was still some daylight left.
Andrew was determined to find a small bar he had been to years ago, Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar. After a little searching, we found it! It’s definitely worth a stop next time you’re in the French Quarter. The small building was built in the 1770s during the Spanish colonial period. The bar is one of the oldest structures in New Orleans. And if that’s not a good enough reason to stop in, the bartenders are nice, and the drinks are refreshing!
We purchased tickets for the “REAL Preservation Hall,” and were treated to a blow away performance of traditional New Orleans Jazz by a sextet. Sorry, they were a 6-piece band, but it’s much cooler, and funnier to call them a sextet… Now, I’m not going to lie. The music was amazing, but the venue is more like an old barn, and without air conditioning. With a full house of standing room only jazz purists, I began to feel a little woosie. So much so, I unlocked my knees just in case… I can say without reservation, I was not the only one feeling this way, as people fanned themselves through the whole performance. Luckily, Andrew asked them to turn the overhead fans on, which definitely helped. This all said, the performance outshined the discomfort, and I would definitely go back there again. Oh, and they don't allow photography, so I had to steal a pic as the band was walking off stage. I know, I know. I'm a rebel... ;)
Our last stop before heading back to our respective hotels was the Carousel Lounge at the Hotel Monteleone on Royal Street. This round bar is so cool! The bar, and barstools are on a big turntable that is constantly in motion. The bartenders and serving area are stationary, so as you come around, you order when you arrive at a bartender! Like some of the other places I have mentioned in the French Quarter, it’s worth checking out, if you happen to be in New Orleans!
I rode the street cars, walked along the Mississippi River, ate gumbo and went to see one of the above ground cemeteries that New Orleans is famous for. Unfortunately the latter was a bust, as the cemetery was closed. I nonetheless snuck a peek through the gates to see some of the creepy, unkempt crypts.
My final night in the French Quarter would be again on Frenchman Street for more music. I caught the last set of a younger, but traditional jazz band called Smoking Time Jazz Club. They were so good that I bought my dad a couple of their CDs. Yes, he still listens to CDs, and requested I bring him back something good. Mission accomplished!
As always, my days and nights in New Orleans did not disappoint! Near perfection... In a very imperfect way.
My love affair with this storied town will continue until death do us part. Peace out, NOLA.
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