Bringing Down the White Picket Fence
A Couple's Quest to Live Globally
I always say, “To travel is to eat,” and I believe food is the ultimate gateway between the traveler and the local. There is no better way to embrace the culture of a country than to dig your hands, your fork, your bread, into the culinary delights of a foreign place. Food gives you opportunities, not only to taste, but also to converse with the people who cook it and serve it. It opens your mind to new ideas, flavors, and delicacies and alters your palette, sometimes in ways you can’t even imagine. Perhaps you return home and become a little more critical. What makes French baguettes so perfect? Why doesn’t bread at home taste like this? Perhaps it makes you more adventurous. You never thought you’d have pigeon with mashed potatoes and it would taste so good. Perhaps it makes you a storyteller. You can’t imagine how amazing a poached egg tastes when you puncture the yolk with your fork and it bursts and runs over the greens in your salad. Perhaps, because of food, you become all of these things: an adventurous storyteller with strong opinions.
Paris is a food paradise and I am not here to tell you about all of the fancy and expensive places to eat. In fact, most of the places I will recommend to you are no bigger than my home kitchen. Some are what you might call hole-in-the wall establishments that could easily go unnoticed. Others look and feel like the typical Parisian cafe. Most importantly, all are delicious.
Let’s eat, shall we?
Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie (http://www.comptoirdelagastronomie.com)
34 Rue Montmartre, 75001 Paris, France
Starting out in the Montorgueil area, is a restaurant I adore, especially when it is raining. Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie has phenomenal French onion soup, which goes perfect with their outdoor seating area, complete with canopy and heat lamps. I love nothing more than to stroll over here on a rainy day and order a piping hot crock of onion soup, a basket of soft, fresh, French bread, and a glass of red wine. It is what I call a perfect afternoon, soaking up my bread in the delicious broth, sipping my wine, all while watching the Parisians dash through the rain with their colorful umbrellas.
That’s not to say that you can’t visit Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie on a sunny day. The food is always delicious no matter what the weather. The escargot is always a good choice and is Paul’s favorite selection from the menu. We caution you though. Tables are close together and should an unexperienced tourist take a seat next to you and look a little confused by the escargot utensils, be alert for the unexpected snail-shell to come flying your way. On our most recent visit, Paul learned this the hard way, when the traveler next to him shot his shell right across Paul’s white linen shirt. I warned Paul there was a chance this might happen as I noticed our neighbor seemed a little perplexed by the hardware. I was fearful I might take a snail to the head at any moment, but, alas, it was Paul who became victimized by the bewildered escargot flinger. Many apologies were offered, along with the “slippery suckers, aren’t they?” quote supplied by the comedic traveler seated nearby. The French servers were shocked and appalled, but Paul took it well. If you haven’t been slimed by a flying snail, then you just haven’t lived, right?
Other amazing options are the foie gras ravioli, the cassoulet, and the house made charcuterie. And don’t forget to go next door to their market for all of your picnic essentials, including wine, sandwiches, meats, and cheese.
Willy’s Wine Bar (http://www.williswinebar.com)
13 Rue des Petits Champs, 75001 Paris, France
To this day, I still say the best salmon I’ve ever had in my life was at Willy’s Wine Bar. It was cooked to perfection, with a crispy crust and a tender, juicy and pink, flaky center. Every forkful was magnificent and I raved for days about how much I loved Willy and his all too cool wine bar. This is also where I learned just how heavenly and essential it is to top your salad with a poached egg and sop up the yolk and greens with a French baguette. Believe me, it’s divine.
I hoped to recreate the above mentioned meal on our most recent trip, only to find it wasn’t available for lunch on the particular day of our visit. Paul opted for the croque des bois – chèvre frais roquett which translates to goat cheese and arugula on a toasted baguette. He was very happy with his choice. For me, I went for the smoked salmon appetizer (smoked in-house) and the swordfish with homemade salsa. I’m not sure what the cooks at Willy’s do to make their fish taste so fresh and flavorful, but it always comes out succulent with the same crispy crust on the outside and tenderness on the inside. Match this with a cold glass of white wine and you have a very satisfying meal.
The space itself is decorated with “Willy’s Bottle Art Posters”, beautifully black framed and white matted artwork that pops and catches your eye as soon as you walk in the door. Each poster commemorates a particular year and, each artist’s creation strives to capture the essence of the Willy’s Wine Bar experience. Most importantly, you can order these posters and have them shipped directly to your door so you can always have a little piece of Willy’s Wine Bar in your very own home. We already have ours all picked out. Can you figure out which one we we’ve picked? (http://williswinebar.com/en/products/posters/)
Frenchie the Wine Bar (http://www.frenchie-restaurant.com/en)
5-6 Rue du Nil, 75002, Paris, France
I’ve never actually had the pleasure of eating at chef Gregory Marchand’s famous restaurant Frenchie, but it’s on my list. For one reason or another, Frenchie and I have yet to agree on a good time to meet in Paris. One time I didn’t have reservations months in advance and most recently, Frenchie was closed for the summer for renovations. One day it will happen and I can’t wait for the opportunity. Until then, I will settle with Frenchie the Wine Bar, which is not actually settling, but more like relishing, if you ask me. Frenchie the Wine Bar is superb, with small tapas style plates to match a lovely selection of wine. Located just across from the restaurant and a few steps away from Frenchie to Go (the most recent Frenchie addition), the wine bar itself is tiny, so it’s best to get there early. Paul and I still talk about the unforgettable taste of the delicate cheese with honey and the incredible pulled pork sandwich we shared here. On this particular occasion the place was packed and there was standing room only. Paul and I gathered around a small table, sipping wine, and swooning over the food, while others stood outside on the Rue du Nil, eagerly awaiting a chance to join the Frenchie crowd.
Enza & Famiglia Trattoria Pasta (https://www.facebook.com/Enza.et.Famiglia)
89 Rue Saint Honore, 75001 Paris, France
When we rented an apartment in Les Halles for a month, we would frequently walk to the Tuileries garden via Rue St. Honore. Each and every time we walked down this street, a little restaurant with a red awning would catch my eye. Whether it be the outside tables on the sidewalk or at the few tables inside, there was rarely an empty chair at any of them, and this, of course, made me intensely curious. One day during one of our walks, I declared to Paul, “We need to eat at that restaurant” and he assured me that we could try it for lunch the very next day. We planned to get there right when they opened for fear that we’d never land a table if we waited too long. Luckily, we were the first ones to be seated on this particular day. I didn’t know it then, but this little restaurant with the red awning would soon become our favorite restaurant in Paris.
Enza & Famiglia Trattoria Pasta is an authentic Italian restaurant in a French city. Anyone who thinks it’s silly to eat Italian food in France has obviously never had the pleasure of combining a French baguette with homemade pasta and sauce. Take it from me, France and Italy should get together. They would make one tasty country.
There are no menus to hold at Enza & Famiglia. All of the food is scrawled across a black chalkboard in handwritten French. The menu changes daily and the pasta is homemade. On my first visit to this amazing restaurant, I had tagliatelle with shrimp and green beans in a sauce resembling a white wine sauce. On my second visit, I had caserecci with salmon and pousses d’epinards (leaves that resembles spinach). This again was in a flavorful sauce similar to the first dish. On both occasions Paul fell in love with his traditional Amatriciana with homemade fusili. Of course, I made sure to stick my fork in his bowl of pasta quite a few times to taste test it for him.
On our most recent trip, we discovered that Enza & Famiglia now run a pizza shop, just halfway around the corner from their trattoria. This restaurant is just as small, with a tiny work area for rolling out pizzas and a wood burning oven in the back. Chalkboards are handwritten and covered with a variety of handmade pizza options. Paul and I, who never quite get bored with pizza, made sure to devote one of our evenings to dining at an outside table at Enza & Famiglia Pizze vino. We shared a pizza with mushrooms and ham and we loved every bite.
Enza & Famiglia’s restaurants are like hidden gems and should not be missed. And don’t worry if you don’t speak French. The servers are always willing to translate the chalkboards for those who need it. Be sure to get the bruschetta too! You won’t be able to resist the ripe, red cherry tomatoes and fresh green basil nestled upon fresh French baguette slices. You will enjoy every morsel as you transport yourself to Italy without leaving the streets of Paris.
Le Paname
Le Paname holds a very special place in our hearts as it is the cafe located just below our first apartment. We started going to Le Paname on a regular basis to get our daily morning espresso and croissant, and after just a few days, the servers and owners of Le Paname began to expect us. You might say we became “regulars” and we began to grow very fond of the Le Paname family. Everyone who worked there was always so generous to us and were always welcoming and happy to have us. We were even very excited to introduce our mothers to Le Paname when they visited us for a week. We felt like we’d made some very special friends and we wanted them to meet our family.
When we returned to Paris this summer, Le Paname was one of our first stops and we were delighted to see some familiar faces still working there. While we often stopped at Le Paname in the mornings, it was also one of our favorite places to hang out in the late afternoon hours. You can sit at a cafe in Paris for as long as you want to and this was something we embraced at Le Paname. Le Paname also has some great food, including several different salads, a truffle pasta dish, steak frites, and a special cheeseburger that is quite delicious. While we try not to order typical American food while in Europe, we were tempted by this cheeseburger when we saw someone else eating it at a table nearby. Eventually we ordered one and we were pleasantly surprised with how good it tasted. It even had the special sauce! Rest assured, we ate it with a knife and fork, the typical and acceptable way to eat a hamburger in Paris.
La Terrasse de Pomone (http://terrassedepomone.fr)
jardin des tuileries, 75001 Paris, France
As you make your way past the Louvre, dodge past the men selling miniature Eiffel Towers and buckets of bottles of water, and make your way down to the magnificent Tuileries garden. With the Eiffel Tower perfectly situated in the background, pull up a seat at the tree covered terrace of La Terrasse de Pomone, a quiet cafe bordered by elegant statues, a picturesque fountain, and plenty of determined and hungry pigeons. This is the first place we visit upon our return to Paris. We come here for a sandwich that’s simple but extraordinary. My favorite croque monsieur comes from this little cafe in the gardens, a slice of ham between two large slices of bread with melted cheese on top. One might think a ham and cheese sandwich does not deserve the word extraordinary, and for that you may be correct. It is the salad that makes this sandwich unforgettable. With fresh greens and a light mustard dressing to accompany it, cut a sliver of sandwich, add a forkful of salad, and you’ll never look at ham and cheese the same again.
I love this cafe and although it may seem a little bit touristy being in a popular park just steps away from the Louvre, it is a reliable place with waiters who hustle and food that’s consistent. Plus, if you go there in the summer, you can hear the jingle and the laughter of La fete des Tuileries, a summer carnival within the park. You can even get a glimpse of this beautiful Ferris wheel.
Next up: Where We Eat (Part 2)
© Paul and Michelle Shappirio and Bringing Down the White Picket Fence, 2007-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Paul and Michelle Shappirio and Bringing Down the White Picket Fence with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Paris, that magical place that makes people’s eyes sparkle. Whether they’ve traveled there or not, the world swoons over Paris. Maybe its love, maybe its good bread and cheese, or maybe its just that glittering tower that draws travelers in and keeps them coming back for more. With all of its fascinating architecture, glittering lights, and bustling cafes, the city of Paris is dreamy and delicious and not to be missed.
I fell in love with Paris when I fell in love. My husband, Paul, the artist behind all of the photos on this blog, hid a diamond ring in his camera bag and whisked me off to Europe to get down on one knee beneath the twinkling Eiffel Tower. It was a grand gesture of romance, a girl’s dream come true, and an excellent way to introduce me to the other great love in Paul’s life-Paris. He took me in April. April in Paris is amazing.
A few years later, we returned to Paris, this time to live there for a short period of time. We spent the entire month of July 2012 living in an apartment in Les Halles, soaking up life in the city, eating croque monsieurs in the parks, toasting to the good life at some of our favorite wine bars, and strolling along the river. It was perfect.
This summer we returned to our favorite city by the Seine for a week. We rented an apartment in Saint Germain des Pres and visited all of our favorite places to eat, drink, and relax. As the Tour de France did its victory lap around the city, we stood just inches from the rush of bicyclists as they came storming past the Louvre. It was great to be back.
There is so much to see in Paris, so much to do, so little time to explore it all. Paul and I certainly do not consider ourselves experts on the subject, but we certainly can provide a plethora of suggestions to help other travelers out there who want to share in some of our favorite discoveries. So read on for numerous suggestions on how we best enjoy Paris and make sure to check back here for updates. There is always another trip to Paris in our future plans.
Where to Stay
We recommend renting an apartment in Paris as it is often more affordable than a hotel. It is also more comforting to come back to an apartment, open the windows, put your feet up in the living room, and snack on wine and cheese from the kitchen. In comparison to a hotel, you would have to do all of this from your bed, as European hotel rooms are much smaller than typical American hotel rooms.
We always rent our apartments from RothRay Apartments (http://www.johnparis.org/rothray/) and we’ve been more than pleased with Ray’s services. So far we’ve rented two different apartments, both of which were clean, fully furnished, and beautifully decorated. Complete with high-speed Internet, washing machine, clean linens, and a welcome bottle of champagne, you won’t be disappointed with your accommodations. Plus, Ray is delightful. He meets you at the door, gives you a quick tour of your temporary Parisian home, and is available by phone or email if you have any questions or problems.
If you’d like to get up close and personal with the apartments we’ve stayed at, click on the following links. Our first apartment in Les Halles (#4b) can be found here: (Scroll down to #4b) http://www.johnparis.org/rothray/marais-montorgeuil-and-pompidou-areas/
Our most recent apartment in St. Germain-des-Pres can be found here: http://www.johnparis.org/rothray/st-germain-des-pres/
If you feel an apartment is just not what you are looking for and want the added luxuries of staying in a hotel, we recommend staying at one of the three hotels from the Nos Maisons Parisiennes Groupe Familial (http://www.hotel-paris-rive-gauche.com/en/). All three hotels are family owned and managed, one by the mother, one by the father, and one by the daughter. We’ve stayed at two-Londres Eiffel and Signature St. Germain-des-Pres. The Londres Eiffel is located just about a block away from the Eiffel Tower, while the Signature St. Germain-des-Pres is located about a block from the fashionable and trendy Boulevard St. Germain. If you are lucky, from both locations, it is possible to score a room with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Sometimes you get it without even asking. The rooms are quaint, but beautiful and clean, and some have a small balcony, perfect for the evening hours when the Parisian air is intoxicating.
Next up: Our Guide to Paris-Where to Eat
© Paul and Michelle Shappirio and Bringing Down the White Picket Fence, 2007-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Paul and Michelle Shappirio and Bringing Down the White Picket Fence with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Be on the look out for Bringing Down the White Picket’s Fence’s guide to Paris! We will feature all of our favorite things to see and do, recommend places to stay, and give you great suggestions for some amazing places to eat and drink!
© Paul and Michelle Shappirio and Bringing Down the White Picket Fence, 2007-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Paul and Michelle Shappirio and Bringing Down the White Picket Fence with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
In July 2012, Paul and I rented an apartment in Paris for a month. It was quite possibly the best thing we’ve ever done. It was an absolutely thrilling experience to drop ourselves into a city in a country an ocean away from our own, to communicate in a language we didn’t speak, and to live a lifestyle so culturally different from the American way. We are changed because of Paris and our view on life and the way it should be lived has been transformed. Paris is like a stamp on our identities now. It has shaped who we are and how we see the world, opened our eyes to how other people live, and made us overwhelmingly aware of the value of slowing it down a bit.
In July 2013, we packed up our two-door black Jeep Wrangler and drove across the United States of America, from New Jersey to Oregon and back. This, in comparison to Paris, was exhausting, expensive, and entirely not our idea of a relaxing vacation. It was work, hard work, and although we don’t regret the trip, we don’t ever care to do it again. There was reward in it, for sure, and we have some amazing stories to tell, but it wasn’t Paris. It just couldn’t match up.
So here we are in July 2014, and no, we didn’t go away for a month this time. Although we have the months of July and August to bask in whatever we wish (sort of), we felt it important to spend part of our summer vacation here with family and friends, something we’ve been unable to focus on while away for months at a time. Therefore, we took a 12 day vacation to London and Paris, with four days in London and eight days in our favorite little city by the Seine.
This post is completely devoted to all things London, our little discoveries and our suggestions. While our stay in London wasn’t at all lengthy, it was a great starting off point for future visits. Hopefully, some of our experiences will provide our readers with a basic idea, or guide, in getting to and around London, and most importantly, eating well while doing so.
How To Get There
We’ve flown to/from London on both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic and have been very pleased with both. This was our first time flying Virgin Atlantic, and I must say, they’ve got that extra something we just love. I don’t think it is entirely due to the “Feel Good” pack they give you at your seat, complete with toothbrush, eye mask, pen, lip balm, ear plugs, and socks. There is something more about this airline that just makes you feel a little bit better. The purple lighting? The excellent flight attendant service? Sir Richard Branson? The fact that they got us from Point A to Point B without any delays or catastrophes? I’d say all of these good things add up to a great airline. Plus you can join their Virgin Flying Club and earn miles towards future flights as well as earn rewards through their partners, one of which is the Starwood Preferred Guest program, which we so happen to adore.
We flew straight into Heathrow and took the Heathrow Express Shuttle Service straight to our hotel. Not the best experience considering we reserved it for 9am pick-up and when our flight got in considerably early, 7:30 or so, we still had to wait until 9 for a driver to arrive. Note to Heathrow Express: Don’t tell your customers to call if your flight gets in early, just to tell them they have to wait until their scheduled pick-up time. We learned quickly that the best mode of transportation in and out of Heathrow is the Underground. We took it to get back to Heathrow for our flight home and it was an easier and considerably cheaper option. The only reason we didn’t take the Underground when we arrived in Heathrow was because our hotel advised us that the safest ways to get in to the city were by taxi or shuttle bus. Forget that, just take the Underground. We took it a couple of times during our stay, once late at night, and both times I felt considerably safe.
Hotels
As I mentioned earlier, we are big fans of the Starwood Preferred Guest program and, since we are Gold members, we are always trying to accumulate our stays in hopes of attaining the coveted Platinum status. Last year we came so close, only 7 stays away! Then the calendar year bumped us back to where we started, and we are now pretty well convinced that unless we get jobs traveling the world and living out of hotel rooms, we are destined to be Lifetime Gold Members. That’s okay, though. Gold has many, many perks.
Seeing as Starwood has hotels all over the world, I thought it might be lovely to get an official Starwood stay out of our time in London. We settled on the Le Meridien Piccadilly, in yes, Piccadilly Circus, the Times Square of London. Times Square gives me the shakes by the way and the last thing I’d ever want to do is put my head down anywhere close to an M&M World. So why would I opt for a hotel in the same utterly Disneyfied, TGIFridayed, believe it or not there was a Ripleys, part of London? Well, now, that’s a funny story.
I thought I was getting this amazing deal when my eyes landed on a sale on the Le Meridien Piccadilly website. Seeing as I couldn’t find anything in London even close to affordable, I snagged a 3 night stay and then realized, after Paul’s reaction to the credit card bill, that I didn’t convert the pounds to dollars like I thought I did. To this day, I swear I used the conversion feature on the website, but unfortunately, that $215 dollar a night stay I thought I was getting turned out to be 215 pounds, which is equivalent to $363 per night. I usually don’t make these kinds of really dumb mistakes, but we all have our moments and this was one of mine. Luckily, Paul took it well, but I’m sure I’m destined for the “Are you sure it’s dollars?” question for many, many years to come.
The Le Meridien Piccadilly was a very lovely hotel and the rooms were somewhat larger than the typical European hotel room. We were happy with our accommodations, but unfortunately, we seemed to be the only Americans that were content with the hotel’s services. Almost each and every time we passed the front desk there was somebody complaining to a manager about something that wasn’t to their satisfaction. I was sad to see the way some customers spoke to the staff and found their tone towards employees of the hotel to be downright rude and abusive. I even heard one woman proclaim she just “wasn’t going to pay” for the food she had in the hotel restaurant. Her behavior was so disgusting I thought she might stomp her foot and have a temper tantrum if she didn’t get her way. I just don’t quite understand the sense of entitlement so many people carry, and to be honest, it really bothers me. There are certainly better and more polite ways to communicate to others, even if you are dissatisfied with their services.
While I was very happy with Le Meridien, I would not recommend staying in Piccadilly Circus, unless you love all that crowded craziness. In fact, originally we wanted to stay at the Lime Tree, a small boutique hotel in Belgravia, a residential district of London . We contacted them well in advance to make a reservation and they were completely booked. Perhaps the next time we visit London we can score a room at this cozy little establishment. The Belgravia area seems more our speed. Check it out here: http://www.limetreehotel.co.uk
Attractions
London is incredibly expensive. While prices are comparable to New York City, keep in mind, the dollar and the pound are not equivalent in value. Right now as I am typing this, 1 US Dollar is equal to 0.59 British Pound Sterling. So when you purchase two tickets to ride the London Eye, this great big amazing Ferris wheel with incredible views, it may seem like 29.50 pounds a ticket is not that bad. But when you convert that price per ticket to dollars and multiply it by two, you are looking at shelling out $99.60 to ride a Ferris wheel. While that may seem completely insane (and it is), you absolutely have to, and I emphasize, have to take a ride on the London Eye. It is not your ordinary Ferris wheel. You ride in an air-conditioned capsule with a bunch of people you don’t know. Of course you can have your own private capsule, but remember, that’s going to cost you a lot more pounds, which is going to break your bank in dollars. Forget that and ride with some strangers! You can walk around or sit and see magnificent views of Parliament and Big Ben. You rotate at a very slow speed so don’t worry that you spent almost $100 to go around one time. In my opinion, it is worth every penny and something you can’t miss when visiting London.
Paul and I walked and walked around the city of London and took in some pretty great sights along the way. Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, Speaker’s Corner, Covent Garden, and many more. We kind of saw the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace considering we had a viewing space right up against the gates, but once the dashing red suited soldiers with fuzzy hats came marching in, so did the crowds. I highly recommend you don’t stand anywhere near the royal gates of the palace unless, of course, you like having your personal bubble of commoner space completely invaded. I much prefer to keep my commoner bubble free of any intruders.
Let’s talk Fat Tire Bike Tours. Do you think it is absolutely crazy to ride a bicycle around London? Of course it is! So what did we do? Hopped on some beach cruisers and pedaled our way over the Tower Bridge, along the crowded paths beside the Thames, through the eerily quiet financial heart of downtown London, and into Leadenhall Market. For you Harry Potter fans, Leadenhall Market is Diagon Alley, where Harry buys his wand, among other essentials required by the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Since we’ve taken several bike tours through Paris, we thought an evening bike tour of London was just what we needed, not only to learn about the city and see some sights, but also to enjoy a warm evening bicycling through a new place. Unfortunately, biking in London in the evening is quite a challenge. It is absolutely nothing like bicycling through Paris and it is nerve-wracking at times, especially when trying to steer your bike through large numbers of people. Luckily, at the end of the tour, you abandon your cruiser for a couple of pints at a 400 year old pub. Trust me, you will need these to settle your nerves.
I must say we were a little disappointed with Fat Tire London. The tour guides were wonderful, but the “office” is nothing like Fat Tire Paris. We had to meet at a subway station and walk as a group to a lonely garage in a rather unpleasant location to pick up bikes. In Paris, you meet at the Eiffel Tower and pick up your bikes at a shop, complete with bathrooms, t-shirts, water, and other items. There is something just a bit more welcoming about the Paris shop in comparison to the remotely situated London garage. We just didn’t feel safe returning our bikes to this barren location at 10:00 at night and walking the streets of London alone and in the dark. The tour guides were completely willing to walk anyone back to the Underground station who felt unsafe doing so on their own, but we opted to walk back to the Underground station with a group of people who were on the tour with us. Safety in numbers right?
Either way, Fat Tire is a great concept, and believe it or not, a company started by a guy from Texas. You can Fat Tire it around Paris, London, Berlin, and Barcelona, but we hear Paris is the best. Of course, this gives us all the more reason to travel to Berlin and Barcelona to check it out for ourselves.
Food
Food, glorious food! Unfortunately, London seems to carry around this reputation of culinary blandness, which I totally don’t understand seeing as there are a great many wonderful chefs that come out of London and some fantastic tasting food. Hopefully, London has outgrown this age old reputation, with cuisine influenced by people from all over the world. With only three days in London, it was hard for us to experience all of London’s great restaurants, but we did find three places that really hit the spot.
Dishoom. Oh Dishoom how we love thee. Dishoom is a Bombay Cafe in Convent Garden serving up the most delicious Indian food I’ve ever had the opportunity to indulge in. The food is truly fantastic and the naan is heavenly. Paul and I ate at Dishoom three times during our three-day stay! Our first day in London we went for lunch and fell in love with the menu. We shared a hearty bowl of rajma-chawal (spicy kidney beans served over basmati rice) and a piping hot serving of the house black dal. Of course, we scooped all of this up with the soft and delicious handmade classic naan. We couldn’t resist returning for breakfast and having their famous bacon naan roll, which was too good for words. Of course, we couldn’t leave London without having a final dinner at Dishoom. Paul, my husband who likes to stick to what he loves ordered up the rajma-chawal again, while I fawned over a bowl of mattar paneer, the best vegetable curry I’ve ever had the pleasure of scooping up with my naan. The tofu was nothing like any tofu I’ve ever had in my life. My best advice: go to London, go straight to Dishoom. If you aren’t staying near Covent Garden, they’ve got another location in Shoreditch. Just go.
Of course, you can’t go to London and not eat fish and chips. Well, I guess you could, but that would be silly. For our 4th anniversary dinner, we considered going somewhere really fancy and expensive, and then we thought, nah, who needs that when you’ve got fish and chips just down the street? So, in an effort not to walk very far and not spend all of our precious pounds in one spot, we hit up FishWorks, a rather cute little restaurant just halfway around the corner from our hotel. Now, I’m sure all the fish and chip experts of London are thinking there are better fish and chips elsewhere, but honestly, Fish Works was good. The fish was huge and battered just right and the chips were just the right crunch. We sat right near the open windows along the street and had a rather romantic dinner with a great bottle of wine and a side of mushy peas. Mushy peas are exactly that, mushy, and just not my thing, but I tried them at least. Unlike Paul who just didn’t even go there.
Our third little gem in London was a charming little place called Bill’s. We later found out there is more than one Bill’s, actually there are several locations, all around London and beyond. Bill’s is one of those places you just feel good about walking in to, with chutney and other jarred and bottled goods for purchase along the walls, and inviting wooden tables and chairs just tempting you to sit down and have good conversation and a great meal. At Bill’s, Paul and I took the opportunity to order the traditional English breakfast, another English concept you just have to try while traveling in London. Paul went the more traditional route and got the full on eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, mushrooms, and tomato extravaganza, while I took a less artery clogging route and opted for the Bill’s vegetarian breakfast, complete with poached eggs, guacamole, toast, hummus, mushrooms, basil, and toast. I often leave my vegan lifestyle at home while I’m taste testing all the incredible things the world has to offer, but I still like to take the healthier route whenever possible. That isn’t to say I didn’t taste the bacon and sausage on Paul’s plate. I enjoyed it of course. Every bite.
Goodbye London
I started this post by saying we spent four days in London and we did. Upon our return from Paris, we spent quite a bit of time at the Sheraton Skyline Heathrow Hotel, as our flight didn’t depart until a day later. I usually don’t take the time to give any love to airport hotels on the blog, but I must say, the Sheraton Skyline Heathrow is a fantastic hotel! Complete with a pool in a covered atrium, a pool bar, several restaurants, and a Starbucks, you won’t be disappointed with your stay. In fact, Paul and I always say, if you want a good meal at a hotel, go find a Sheraton. They never disappoint, and we’ve stayed at A LOT of Sheratons!
Stay tuned for my next post, our detailed guide to the city of Paris. Until then, cheerio!
Useful Links-
Hotels–
Le Meridien Piccadilly-http://www.lemeridienpiccadilly.co.uk
Lime Tree Hotel-http://www.limetreehotel.co.uk
Sheraton Skyline Heathrow-http://www.sheratonskyline.com
Attractions
London Eye-http://www.londoneye.com
Fat Tire Bike Tours-http://london.fattirebiketours.com
Food
Dishoom-http://www.dishoom.com
FishWorks-http://www.fishworks.co.uk
Bill’s-http://bills-website.co.uk
Who could think of a better time to visit Hoover Dam? I mean everybody enjoys traversing the desert in mid-July in 110 degree heat, right? After the extreme camping in the Grand Canyon, we continued our journey on to Las Vegas. While all of that outdoorsy bonding with the elk was indeed gratifying, we could not ignore the lure of a fancy hotel room and all of its basic amenities, like running water and electricity. On our way I insisted we stop at Hoover Dam. It is truly spectacular and I didn’t want Paul to miss out. Yet, as our Jeep continued to wind down the highway towards the borders of Arizona and Nevada, we kept a close eye on our dashboard and its constant reminder of the rising temperature outside. By the time we reached Hoover Dam at about 1pm, we had reached the peak of the heat that day and had arrived just in time to find a parking spot in the furthest available parking lot around the dam itself. It seemed we weren’t the only fools who found it necessary to visit one of the country’s biggest spectacles in engineering on the hottest day of the year.
We spent a total of 10 minutes at Hoover Dam. We didn’t even want to open the doors of the Jeep to venture outside, and when we finally did, the hot air slammed into us like a wall. We descended the many steps from our parking space high above the dam and wiped beads of sweat from our faces as we walked. Paul snapped a few photos as we admired the steep walls and rushing water below. Then we ascended the stairs as quickly as we could and rushed back to our Jeep to blast the air conditioning. At this point, we were Vegas bound and had about 30 more miles to go before we reached the famous Vegas Strip.
Using our Hotel Tonight app, we scored a room at The New Tropicana for $40. See our Santa Fe post to read about how much we love Hotel Tonight. The New Tropicana is really a DoubleTree by Hilton and is the renovated remains of the old Tropicana. It is not affiliated with the Tropicana in Atlantic City, and for this reason, does not honor Tropicana cards. You must register for The New Tropicana card to earn rewards. We read some pretty negative reviews about the former Tropicana hotel, and, because of this, I approached The New Tropicana with a bit of reservation. However, there was no reason for concern. We made an excellent choice.
While The New Tropicana does not look as immense or as Disney-like as some of the other hotels on the Strip, we highly recommend it for many reasons. First, the lines at check-in are not nearly as intense as the lines at some of the bigger hotels. In fact, if you do encounter a line at check-in and you complain about it, I urge you to go stand in line to check in at the Venetian or Caesars. Those places are huge and, as a result, insane amounts of people are checking in each day. Second, the Strip around The New Tropicana is not as crowded as it is in other areas. You can actually walk between casinos and not get trampled on by thousands of drunken tourists. Third, The New Tropicana has a fabulous outdoor pool and deck that makes you forget you’re in the middle of the hot desert and gives you a much-needed break from the jingling of slot machines. Fourth, it’s $40 a night and it’s clean! For this reason, we added another night to our stay just to savor in a good night’s sleep before the cross country adventure headed towards California.
Finally, let’s talk about food. In my opinion, this is the most important piece of the traveling pie. In an effort to have an elegant and tasty dinner, we relied on one of our favorite New York City chefs to bring Italy to Vegas-Mario Batali. Being huge fans of Lupa, Mario’s NYC masterpiece in the Village, we headed to the Venetian to eat at B & B Ristorante, a restaurant by Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich. We started our dinner date with an appetizer of silky burrata with olive oil, followed by our carefully chosen main dishes. Paul ordered the Bucatini “all” Amatriciana while I decided on the Spaghetti with One Pound Lobster. I know what you are thinking. Who orders spaghetti with a one pound lobster? The waiter promised me it would be delicious and I’m glad I trusted him on this one. The lobster, already removed from the shell, was succulent and flavorful and was a perfect complement to the blend of spaghetti, spicy budding chives, and sweet garlic. While my meal was excellent, I could tell that Paul found his Amatriciana to be just average. Unfortunately, we left B & B Ristorante with mixed feelings. We love and adore Mario Batali and everything he stands for in NYC, but there was something missing from our experience in Vegas. Perhaps it had less to do with the food and more to do with the intimate experience we always have at Lupa that seemed to be nonexistent in Vegas. Or maybe it was because the prices are extravagantly higher than what we normally pay in New York City. I’m not sure we can really put our finger on what exactly disappointed us the most, but we think, in large part, we are obsessed with Lupa and we held it to Lupa standards. Obviously, our beloved little Italian eatery in the Village is one of a kind.
Aside from eating and relaxing, Paul and I found time to wander the Strip a little. We found ourselves strangely traveling the world “Vegas” style. Here are a few of the places we wandered into…
Egypt…
New York City…
Venice…
After we traveled around the world in just one walk, we headed to this joint. Paul wanted to see it. It’s a real hoot if you ask me…
Then, we wanted to see for ourselves if Caesar really lived here…
And just in case you are wondering, no, we didn’t make a stop in Paris on our Vegas worldwide tour. That’s just not my tower…
AFAR travel magazine and Starwood’s Westin hotel chain chose to feature Paul’s photo and my writing on their “Westin Finds from AFAR” website! This is the second time we’ve been featured and we are thrilled! Check it out to read my review of Brasserie Beck, one of my favorite restaurants by Robert Wiedmaier! Now you can find our travel tips on the Westin Finds from Afar Washington, D.C. page and their New York City page! Since we are super devoted Starwood members and aspiring magazine contributors, we couldn’t be happier! Thanks for the love Westin and AFAR!
Westin Finds from AFAR-http://westinfinds.com/us-dc-washington/the-westin-washington-dc-city-center/eat/
Brasserie Beck-http://brasseriebeck.com/#!/washington-dc/home/
From the start of our cross country trip, my husband wasn’t thrilled about the whole “camping” thing. In fact, after our first sleepless night in the tent in West Virginia, I was pretty sure we’d never set up our expensive and luxurious L.L. Bean canvas mansion again. He’s not the camping type, but I convinced him it was the only economical way to get across the country and back. Luckily, he became absorbed with building campfires and making each one better than the last, and I think this became a positive distraction from the realities of sleeping in the wilderness.
It wasn’t until we hit the Grand Canyon that my husband proclaimed that camping was the very best way to experience this beautiful natural wonder. In fact, we believe it is the only way to really see all the Grand Canyon has to offer. Literally we only skimmed the surface. We didn’t venture into the depths of the canyon itself, but camping on the rim afforded us the opportunity to sit on the edge in the early morning hours, sip our cups of coffee, and watch the sun rise in the company of the elk munching on the leaves of the trees. And that, my friends, is remarkable.
Our recommendations for viewing the magnificent Grand Canyon are simple. There are two campgrounds on the Southern Rim, one that takes reservations (Mather) and one that does not (Desert View). Mather Campground is down in Grand Canyon Village. This campground provides all the luxuries of home-a large laundry facility, showers, and even a grocery store nearby. While this may all seem tempting and preferable, skip it. Instead, drive 20 minutes east of Mather to Desert View. During your drive you may be tempted to stop several times to marvel at the scenery, but save this for after you reserve your first-come, first-serve campsite. There are no showers here, no Fluff and Fold, and no Stop and Shop, but you will see the Grand Canyon, including its wildlife, with little interruption. In the evenings, stroll over to the rim to sit on the edge and listen to the scheduled ranger talks. They are really quite interesting and open your mind to the art and culture that the Grand Canyon has inspired over time. Once the day-trippers make their way out of the park, the Grand Canyon is yours. At night, the sky is the blackest you’ve ever seen and the stars are brighter than you can imagine. In the morning, before the tourists arrive, it is just you and the elk. They get so close you can practically touch them, but we don’t advise trying to do so.
Most importantly, get up as early as possible. There is nothing more amazing than having the Grand Canyon all to yourself.
You’ll never see anything quite like it.
Cheers!
© Paul and Michelle Shappirio and Bringing Down the White Picket Fence, 2007-2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Paul and Michelle Shappirio and Bringing Down the White Picket Fence with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Put Santa Fe, New Mexico on your list right now. Let me tell you why.
I’ve done this cross-country venture before. This was my second visit to Santa Fe. The first time, my mom, my friend Shannon, and I set up camp in the Santa Fe National Forest before strolling around the town square for a few hours. We all agreed Santa Fe was a special place, beautifully thriving in culture and art, perfectly set in southwestern grandeur. We loved every minute of it, but alas, returned to our tent in the forest with adobe dreams in our heads.
Maybe it was a blessing in disguise that the Santa Fe National Forest was closed when Paul and I rolled into town. Due to dry conditions and the deadly forest fires surrounding the area, our camping options were limited and, in this case, nonexistent. Perfect excuse to book a room at a luxurious inn and spa, right?
Of course! And thanks to the coolest app I’ve ever found, Hotel Tonight, we got that luxurious inn and spa for a steal!
Stop reading this blog for a second and download Hotel Tonight on your phone. Just do it. If you love to travel you shouldn’t live without it. It is truly the best app any traveler could have. Why?
Hotel Tonight is a hotel reservation app that sells unsold rooms at quality hotels for last minute prices. How does it work? Sales begin at 12 noon on the day you need a reservation. Pick your city of choice from the list and peruse the deals. How could we say no to a $100 hotel room that usually runs around $400 a night?
We booked a room at the beautiful Inn and Spa at Loretto. It was gorgeous, inside and out. We made sure to take advantage of the pool and bar area, as well as enjoy a few tranquil sips of coffee on our balcony overlooking a peaceful and quiet early morning in Santa Fe. Yes, we got a balcony too in that deal.
But, I don’t want you to think our trip to Santa Fe was just a lovely hotel stay. It was also much more than just a stroll through the plaza, the famous part of Santa Fe that contributes to its small town coziness. What made Santa Fe most special to us was an unexpected meeting with a very important person: the one and only, Sara Eyestone.
Google Sara Eyestone and you will find an endless number of articles and websites devoted to her artwork. She is an extremely talented American artist, famously known for her exquisite floral paintings and still life portraits. The flowers in her paintings are so vivid they make you want to reach out and feel the delicacy of the petals, if only you could do such a thing. There are no other words for her than she’s “just amazing”. But we love her for more than just her incredible talent with a paintbrush. She’s a treasured Shappirio family friend.
Years ago when Paul’s family lived in Ocean Township, he was lucky enough to call Sara Eyestone his neighbor. His mom and Sara became good friends and, when Sara moved away, first to San Antonio, then to Santa Fe, they lost touch. On this trip, while settling into our hotel room, the idea to contact Sara suddenly struck Paul, and he quickly looked for her contact information online and sent her an email saying we were in town. Minutes later she responded, and within an hour after that, we were meeting up with her and her husband, David, at La Posada de Santa Fe Resort and Spa. Little did we know, Sara is the art curator at La Posada, which with some stroke of luck, just happened to be around the corner and down the street from the hotel in which we were staying.
I was so thrilled to finally meet Sara and, after we caught up over some drinks at the luxurious La Posada, Sara and her husband took us out to dinner at Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen. Here we feasted upon delicious vegan vegetable fajitas, wrapped in authentic homemade tortillas that were being made to order in the corner of the dining room. The meal and the experience was fabulous and we thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. We found we had so much in common, including a love of Whole Foods and vegan cooking. We were so grateful to have spent this time catching up with Sara and David and plan to set up a trip for the future so Sara and Paul’s mom can reunite in beautiful Santa Fe.
With the great hotel deals we were getting, Paul and I decided to spend another night in this quaint New Mexican town. After driving through Texas for what seemed like an eternity, another day of rest in Santa Fe was just what we needed. We booked another night at The Inn and Spa at Loretto and spent a lazy day walking around town, leisurely ducking in and out of art galleries, and dining on sopapillas at the Guadalupe Cafe.
So have you put Santa Fe on your list yet? If I haven’t convinced you, perhaps the links below will.
Sara Eyestone’s website here: http://www.saraeyestone.com
La Posada: http://www.laposadadesantafe.com
The Inn and Spa at Loretto: http://www.innatloretto.com
Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen: http://www.marias-santafe.com/index.htm
Guadalupe Cafe: http://thepinkadobe.com
Don’t forget to download Hotel Tonight! http://www.hoteltonight.com
Next post: Arizona
No, Paul and I are not lost in New Orleans. No need to send out a search party. I’m completely aware that we’ve been home from our road trip for a few months now and I’ve only blogged as far as Louisiana. I’ve got quite a few more posts to go and many places and adventures to report from the cross-country excursion. Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to find time to write and, honestly, I’ve been lacking inspiration at times. Between the intense responsibility, energy, and time of our teaching jobs and the harsh realities of life we’ve been faced with recently, I’ve found it hard to focus and concentrate on one of the things I love to do most: write.
So I’m making a promise to myself and our readers. I will complete one post a week until I finish the Road Trip USA series. There you have it, in writing, the commitment to myself and to all of you, that I will make time for doing what I love-putting our adventures to words.
Texas. Ask Paul about his cross-country experience and the first place he will probably mention is the Lonestar State. Not because it was his favorite, but mostly because we felt like we spent a great deal of time trying to get out of it. While Texas may look big on a map, the immense size of it can best be felt when trying to steer your vehicle across its vast terrain. It’s massive and overwhelming, especially when you’ve got half a country to still get through.
Houston, We Have a Problem
Paul and I are not science people by any means, but we share this intense interest in space exploration and everything and anything NASA. We get up at absurd times in the middle of the night to watch rockets soar through the sky and we get weekly International Space Station emails telling us the best times to “Spot the Station”. It only made sense to us to make our first stop in Texas the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
After navigating our way through the less than scenic parts of Houston’s oil industry, we arrived to the space center exhausted and hungry. Thankfully, the generous parking attendant granted us free parking upon our arrival and we were able to quickly make our way to the space center food court. Usually, I find food courts in museums and other educational centers to be less than tasty, but when you are hungry and tired, you can’t be picky. Fortunately, the Houston Space Center food court offers food of better quality than one would expect and Paul and I were able to feast on a delicious and healthy vegan pita sandwich.
After lunch, we headed out on a tour of Mission Control and the Saturn V rocket. Mission Control in Houston is where we get the phrase, “Houston, we have a problem” from the famous Apollo 13 moon mission. It was truly spectacular to sit in the same room where Mission Control communicated with the many astronauts who were given the rare opportunity to step foot on the moon.
The Saturn V rocket mightily lies in a large warehouse just a few buildings down from Mission Control. Imagine how small we felt walking around the most powerful rocket ever built, a 30 story tall rocket that propelled 27 Apollo astronauts into space. Amazing!
After our tour of the Johnson Space Center, we headed to Target to purchase a new camp stove. As mentioned in an earlier post, our hand-me-down camp stove burst into flames in the Great Smoky Mountains, and therefore we were left to make a much-needed Coleman investment.
Our campground, Brazo’s Bend, was the only campground in the area we could get a reservation for. We were a little nervous about this due to the “alligator” warning on the campground’s website. This almost caused us to abandon our Brazo’s Bend plans and just get a hotel for the evening, but in an effort to save money for the bigger cities ahead of us, we made the decision to brave it out at Brazo’s Bend. Upon arriving into the park, we realized the alligators were probably going to be the least of our worries. The venomous snake signs were more of a concern as they were posted all around the park.
As if all of these wildlife warnings were not enough to make us second guess ourselves, during the set up of our tent, Paul’s feet were attacked by crazy ants! They attacked when he least expected it, and upon feeling his feet catch on fire, we both looked down to see his feet completely covered in ants. It was gross, and the painful welts they left behind put my husband in a less than delightful mood. I should also mention, these painful sores covered his feet for the remainder of the trip.
We barely slept that night. It was hot and humid in the tent, and I was constantly worried about snakes and alligators. When it was time to get up in the morning, we were more than ready to say goodbye to Brazo’s Bend forever.
Y’all Float?
I was really eager to bring Paul to New Braunfels, Texas, a town I had visited on a previous cross-country trip. During my first visit to New Braunfels, I spent it tubing leisurely down the Guadalupe River with a friend and his sister, a resident of New Braunfels. At the time, I found this little Texas tubing town to be unique and fun. It is also home to one of America’s largest water parks, Schlitterbahn.
On this trip, I planned for Paul and I to camp beside the river, grab some tubes, and wind our way down the Guadalupe. I should have known better though. I just should have known better.
There are numerous campgrounds along the Guadalupe. This is something I didn’t realize on my first visit there. I also didn’t realize that these campgrounds are just one large out of control party. We stayed at the Mountain Breeze campground, a place that provides tubes and transportation for floating down the river. While this sounds like it should have been a great experience, it was a complete nightmare.
First of all, the river wasn’t moving. It was stagnant and so were the tubers. Add some hot Texas July weather to this equation and you’ve got a recipe for yuck. For this reason, we chose to pass on the tubing experience. This, of course, perplexed our campsite neighbors to the point that one of them asked us with a rather confused look, “Y’all float?”.
Then there was the sleeping part. Due to the intense amount of partying going on and the boisterous campers surrounding us, we spent another entire night, wide awake without any chance of sleep. We awoke in the morning exhausted and irritated while all around us the late night party crowd were passed out in their tubes.
There were two good things about Mountain Breeze Campground: the parking attendant and the tacos. The parking attendant took great care of us. Honestly, I think he was a little worried about us. I think we gave him the impression that we didn’t belong with the college fraternity crowd and he was concerned for our safety. He also let us know how to find the police if we needed them in the middle of the night. Quite reassuring I might add.
The tacos at the snack stand were incredible. I think the most amazing part is that the parking attendant who has worked at the campground for many years, didn’t even know about the caliber of the tacos at the snack stand. They were so good we had them for both lunch and dinner. They were truly authentic, filled with perfectly spiced pulled pork or chicken, and garnished with homemade hot sauce. When we saw our friend, the parking attendant, throwing some tacos down later in the day, we felt so proud of ourselves for uncovering the hidden secret of Mountain Breeze. They were literally the best tacos I’ve ever had in my life. And they were dirt cheap too.
Groggy in Austin
Our next night was spent at the Sheraton in Austin. While I’d like to say we saw a great deal of Austin, we barely saw it at all. We were so exhausted by our first two sleepless nights in Texas, that we saw more of the bed in the hotel than we did of the city of Austin. Paul did our first load of laundry in the sink (he’s so domesticated) and we ate lunch at a place called Chupacabra Cantina on Sixth Street. Paul had portobello tacos and I had portobello fajitas. They were delicious, but honestly, I think we were both too exhausted to enjoy them fully. We ate lunch, returned to the hotel, and went straight to bed. After all, we had to hit Lubbock in the morning.
Ghost Town USA
Lubbock, oh Lubbock. Did you have to be the halfway point between Austin and New Mexico? After a rather scary drive through Ghost Town USA, we arrived to the KOA Lubbock just in time for the sprinklers to be turned off over our campsite. Adjacent to a noisy highway, we set up our tent over soggy ground, ate a small meal of beans and salsa, and had some interesting conversation with a man traveling through on a trike, bound for Colorado. His claim to fame was that he lives in Smithville, the small town famous for being the setting for the movie Hope Floats. I love that movie. I just love it.
We settled into our tent over wet grass and beneath a tree filled with angry birds. Just when the birds began to calm down and we breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, “Oh, we’ll finally get some sleep”, an enormous freight train came barreling past. Lucky for us, the KOA was perfectly situated between the highway and the train tracks, surrounding our tent with a constant barrage of noise throughout the entire night.
Goodbye Texas, Hello New Mexico
We awoke early the next morning and sped our way to New Mexico. After what seemed like an eternity, we finally made it out of Texas. It took us four days, a lot of sleepless nights, and hundreds of miles of driving to get across the Lonestar State. We are happy to report, we made it out alive.
If you didn’t know already, New Orleans just might be the most delicious city in America.
I could go on and on about how due to the impending Fourth of July weekend, we had to drive straight to New Orleans and skip Memphis and Elvis and his blue suede shoes. I could tell you how terribly disappointed I was that I wasn’t able to tour Graceland (for the third time), and that, as a result, Paul still hasn’t gotten the opportunity to see the mansion or the airplanes or the amazing shag carpeting in the “Jungle Room”. But let’s get to the point, shall we?
We stayed at the Hotel Indigo in the Garden District of New Orleans. I highly recommend this hotel for various reasons. #1-It is not on Bourbon Street. #2-The bartender is your best resource and you’ll leave wishing she’d be your new best friend. #3-The St. Charles Avenue streetcar stops right outside the lobby doors. #4-Huge rooms with hardwood floors. #5-It is not on Bourbon Street-did I mention that?
After a day’s worth of driving through the less than scenic parts of Alabama and Mississippi, we were delighted when we arrived into the city of New Orleans. Mentally, it is very difficult to separate New Orleans from the devastating images etched in our minds from Katrina, especially when you see the massive bodies of water surrounding this low-lying city. It is not hard to comprehend how it happened when you see it. Geographically, New Orleans is situated just right to be tremendously delicious yet extraordinarily vulnerable.
After checking in to the hotel we headed down to the bar for a drink and a snack to hold us over before dinner. This is where I had the most amazing and succulent crawfish dip and I officially proclaimed that “if everything in New Orleans is as tasty as this dip, we are going to get along very well”.
We had dinner at Emeril’s Delmonico, a darling little restaurant within walking distance from the Hotel Indigo. Our bartender at our hotel told us a rather intriguing story about this iconic dining facility. If I got the story right, two sisters owned and operated Delmonico for most of their lifetime. As they got older and were unable to maintain the restaurant, they looked to sell their establishment to the one and only Emeril Lagasse. Despite all other offers, they would only sell to Emeril. As a result, Emeril’s Delmonico serves up fine Louisiana Creole cuisine in a historic and elegant atmosphere.
While both of our meals were fantastic, I definitely had food envy over Paul’s appetizer. His plate of crispy pork cheeks over dirty rice was quite possibly one of the greatest things to ever touch my palette. Had I not already ordered my entrée before I tasted these, I probably would have placed two more orders of appetizers and skipped the entrees altogether. As our main meals Paul had the jumbo gulf shrimp bordelaise and I had the Louisiana drum meuniere. While both of these dishes were flavorful, the pork cheeks were by far the most delectable.
After a delightful evening at Delmonico’s, we returned to our hotel and, despite our bartender’s urges for us to go listen to some jazz at a local venue, we headed to bed. We were excessively exhausted from our lengthy trek from Nashville to New Orleans.
The next morning we hopped the St. Charles Avenue streetcar (the oldest functioning streetcar in the world) and rolled down to Bourbon Street. Bourbon Street is bustling with bars, tacky t-shirt shops, restaurants, some establishments I don’t even wish to mention, and an abundance of people who want to keep the party going as long as they possibly can. While we may have checked off another popular tourist trap on our “Things We Never Need to Do Again” list, we also found our way onto a street that was much more our speed: Royal Street. Just a few blocks to the right and parallel to the Bourbon Bash, Royal Street is quiet and serene. It is also home to Cafe Amelie, a sweet little dining establishment with outdoor seating and a menu that will make you sing.
Cafe Amelie is where I had my first taste of Louisiana shrimp and grits. The best way to describe how incredibly fabulous this dish tasted is to picture my first bite. It was so good I closed my eyes and fell back in the chair. As if that wasn’t enough fireworks to make my Fourth of July memorable, my catfish sandwich that followed was heaven on ciabatta and Paul’s muffaletta was the most delicious combination of salami, mortadella, and ham to touch his lips in a long time. You can say the vegans took a vacation from being vegan on their vacation. After all it was Independence Day.
After lunch we stepped into some shops here and there and listened to jazz artists in the streets. Next, we made our way back to the streetcar and stopped at The Blind Pelican for a few drinks. As if we needed to add more excitement to our day, we happened to sit right next to two people who were on their first, and definitely last, date. I’m not sure who it was more awkward for, them, or Paul and I. It obviously wasn’t going well and it didn’t help to have two happily married people nearby swooning over each other. Luckily, after they left, a lovely couple from Florida took their place. We struck up good conversation with these folks, which in turn resulted in many orders of 25 cent oysters. Never in a million years would I trust 25 cent oysters to be safe to eat, but the couple sitting next to us had ordered five dozen the day before and were back for more. Since they were still standing, I took my chances and quickly found out why The Blind Pelican is famously known for the 25 cent oyster. They were fresh, delicious, and dangerously cheap. I’m a sucker for raw oysters and although I was outrageously full from lunch, I made sure to put a few orders in to keep my hunger at bay for the rest of the day.
In the end, I am happy to point out that Southwest flies direct to New Orleans and I’m ready to book us two seats. This is a city we just have to revisit and eat our way through. There is so much more for us to explore and taste in this little city that’s thriving with talented chefs and overflowing with southern charm.
Check out our recommendations for New Orleans!
The Hotel Indigo
http://www.ihg.com/hotelindigo/hotels/us/en/new-orleans/msyin/hoteldetail
Emeril’s Delmonico
http://www.emerilsrestaurants.com/emerils-delmonico
Cafe Amelie
The Blind Pelican
http://www.theblindpelican.com
Next Post: Texas
Bringing Down the White Picket Fence 