new orleans

La Boulangerie

Chocolate Almond Croissant

How most girls feel about designer shoe boutiques is how I feel about bakeries.

I gawk at the artistry, I’m enchanted by the selection and it’s hard to settle on a single item. There should be a fifth member of the Sex and the City crew who’s a foodie searching out places like the Big Gay Ice Cream and Prune for the best eats in NYC. In stilettos no less.

On this dreadful Monday I would give a pair of Jimmy Choos for a Chocolate Almond Croissant and cappuccino. I’ve been fantasizing about La Boulangerie.

La Boulangerie is a french bakery located Uptown in the heart of Magazine street among trendy, quirky shops. A welcome respite from Creole and Cajun food (although not necessarily lighter) they offer sandwiches, breads, soup, quiche, coffee and of course, pastries.

During our annual New Orleans trip, despite having eaten a continental breakfast at Avenue Inn, my mom and I fueled up for a day of shopping with a snack at La Boulangerie. Stumbling upon it’s pretty gold and blue awning, we popped in and took our place in line. Pouncing on an open table, I sat while my mom ordered so I have no opinion about the service.

We split a Chocolate Almond Croissant and I soaked up each bite accompanied by sips of a single shot cappuccino. The croissant was filled with sweet almond paste and chocolate, which I would have preferred more of, but then again who doesn’t like more chocolate. The substantial pastry was tender, flaky and strewn with almond slices.

Much like Sucre and other area bakeries, they offer special King Cakes during Mardi Gras season, both a traditional and French version. I was tempted to buy one, but the thought of lugging around a cake box and then five extra pounds post-consumption was a strong deterrent. Needless to say, everything looks and smells heavenly.

I believe La Boulangerie now accepts credit cards and cash, but I didn’t pay for this round. Get there early because like a secret sample sale, the good stuff runs out fast.

Don’t just take my word for it, New Orleans food bloggers Foodographer and The Hungry Nomad have also written about their experiences, in addition to the Cynical Cook. If you liked this post, read more of my Restaurant Stories.

La Boulangerie
4600 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone 504-269-3777

Crackberry

Crackberry

Valentine’s eve is upon us. It’s cold, rainy and all I can think of is Pinkberry. Or as it’s known on the streets, Crackberry.

Pinkberry has no need for one more iota of press or undying confession of admiration. It probably scoffs at my undeterred crush.

For whatever reason I haven’t researched more thoroughly yet, I feel as though their frozen yogurt is a superior quality and if they would let me, I’d position myself with an unhinged jaw directly under the pineapple/coconut flavor levers. One shining difference between them and other mainstream froyo places is that you buy a size and then have the opportunity to fill the space with any of the available toppings (versus paying per ounce). I made my mom eat their glorious frozen yogurt with all the toppings the container could hold twice in one day.

The nearest Pinkberry is in New Orleans or Birmingham and I haven’t decided whether that’s actually a good thing or not. Right now, not. To get your Pinkberry fix, there are two locations in New Orleans – one near the French Quarter on Canal and one on Magazine in the Garden District/Uptown.

Pinkberry
French Quarter
300 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone 504-899-4260
http://www.pinkberry.com

Uptown
5601 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 7011
Phone 504-899-4260

A French 75 at French 75

The French 75 at French 75

When all else fails, have a cocktail.

If the city of New Orleans ever needed a new tagline, that could be a strong contender. Appropriate for a place where there are daiquiri bars with drive-thru windows. A city known for it’s passion of the never-ending party has an equally impressive number of bars, restaurants and signature drinks to indulge in.

Ever striving for the quintessential experience, I try and hit Crescent City landmarks on every annual trip with my mom. Thanks to the He Said/She Said NOLA blog, I can now cross #30 off the Only in New Orleans: The 100 Essential Experiences list.

Following a long day of shopping on Magazine street, po’boys at Parasols and a heart wrenching Saints football game at Pat O’Briens, we were dragging our feet but didn’t quite want to call it a day just yet. Meandering away from the loud, neon noise of Bourbon street we ducked down a dark street in search of a cocktail.

Adjacent to Arnaud’s restaurant, French 75 bar is the perfect quiet side-stop to sip on it’s namesake drink, the French 75. Having no knowledge of the actual ingredients,  it includes champagne which is all I needed to hear. It was delightful, bubbly and just sweet enough topped by a twist of lemon.

There are two window tables, mirrors lining the walls and a very polished, classy bar feel. We slowly savored our drinks with a cone of salty, warm gougères. The cocktails aren’t cheap, but in lieu of a beer on Bourbon I’d take a French 75 at French 75 any day.

To learn more about the French 75 cocktail, read the articles below:

• French 75 history and recipe: Esquire
• French 75, a little history and basic recipe: Gourmet magazine
• French 75 recipe: Epicurious

French 75
next to Arnaud’s restaurant
813 Rue Bienvilles
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone 504-523-5433
http://www.arnaudsrestaurant.com/french-75/

Check-in to the Avenue Inn B&B

Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast

Anyone who greets me with with a freshly baked cookie is a friend for life.

The Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast innkeepers, Joe and Bebe, must have a lot of friends because that’s exactly how our stay began.

Having procrastinated on securing accommodations until after the holidays were over, I was in a panic because our annual mother/daughter New Orleans trip was two weeks away and nearly every establishment I checked was booked. Being new to the points/travel game, I started searching chain hotels in the French Quarter but found none less than $300 a night. Then I tried low balling bids on Priceline with no success.

Unwilling and unable to shell out a thousand dollars for a hotel, I focused my search on B&Bs. I remembered our positive stay at the Royal Street Courtyard Bed and Breakfast but unfortunately they were full. Luckily after combing through Tripadvisor, I came across a thread on New Orleans B&B and Inns and jotted down a list of possibilities after reading user reviews.

Comparing location, availability, amenities and cost narrowed my options to the Avenue Inn and Sully Mansion. They both had available rooms with two beds. Ready to ensure we had a place to stay and always looking for a deal, I was intrigued by the “Book it Now” offer under the Special Deals link on the Avenue Inn website. One short call later and we had a room.

I drove in Friday afternoon, picked my my mom from the airport and headed to Saint Charles in search of the Avenue Inn. Bebe called us a couple times to confirm our arrival and make sure we weren’t lost. There is no sign labeling the inn but it’s right next door to a New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood Co. restaurant.

During check-in, that’s when we were handed two warm, chocolate chip cookies and listened to Joe explain the house parameters. I felt bad for rushing him through his spiel, but we had reservations for Boucherie.

We stayed on the second floor in room #11 which has two double beds, a table, an armoire, vanity mirror and dresser, private bath, television, two walls of windows and plenty of space. The wireless internet is kind of slow, but it sufficed for being free.

The Avenue Inn is a great place to stay in New Orleans for many reasons, here are some of the highlights:

• Free parking! Park either on the street or in the on-site parking lot around the back. The alternatives are valet or a $30 per day fee at most places in or around the French Quarter, or scrambling for public parking at a slightly cheaper daily rate.
• The streetcar stops directly in front of the house. The streetcar system rocks, they run all the time and it’s cheap ($1.25 each ride or $5 for a daily pass). Learn more about New Orleans Street cars and visit the Regional Transit Authority website.
• Location, location, location. Being between Uptown and the Garden District, we walked ten minutes south and were on Magazine street. The French Quarter and Canal street is a 15-20 minute streetcar ride away.
• From 7-10 a.m. they offer a generous continental breakfast which includes items such as bagels, breads, a homemade baked good, pastries, cereal, yogurt, cheese, hard boiled eggs, biscotti, fruit, oatmeal, coffee and hot tea.
• Throughout the day (and night), you can grab free bottles of water and snacks such as cookies, animal crackers, an assortment of chips, raisins and fruit cups.
• The room was large, clean and reasonably priced – a bargain for New Orleans. The house is beautiful, quiet and has an outdoor patio.
• The inkeepers, Joe and Bebe! They are warm and accommodating without being intrusive.

In a previous life Joe and Bebe have years of corporate hospitality service behind them, which has complimented the ten or so years of running the B&B. Read about them on the website.

At one point Joe mentioned that a majority of the general public doesn’t even consider B&Bs when traveling, which I believe due to the number of rooms open when looking online. So, I kind of want to keep this a secret but our visit was wonderful and I highly recommend staying at the Avenue Inn.

Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast
4125 Saint Charles Ave
New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone 504-269-2640
Toll Free 1-800-490-8542
http://www.avenueinnbb.com

In the Meantime

What I’ve been up to…

Detoxing from our annual mother/daughter New Orleans trip and anticipating our return to the wonderful Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast.

Mourning the Saints loss to the 49ers in the playoff game, especially that first quarter.

Editing hoards of photos from recent eats including Eslava’s Grill, Boucherie, Sucre, La Boulangerie, Parasol’s, El Gato Negro, Theo’s and Slim Goodies Diner.

Wishing for another French 75.

Thanking our service men and women after a repeat visit to the National World War II Museum, and recommending the book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand to anyone and everyone.

Counting down the days until Mardi Gras!