We made it swiftly and safely to New Orleans – beer in hand on Bourbon Street!
Our flight was quick and easy.
That pear made another return! This time I ate him 
I knew we weren’t having dinner for ages, so I had a bigger snack than usual -
And I had a Vega Whole Food Bar.
The bar was just OK. I really didn’t like it at first – the taste was very strange. But as I nibbled through (and I took a looong time to nibble), I liked it more and more for the seeds and other crunchy things. And the nutritionals are stellar – a lot packed into one little bar. I don’t like berry flavored things, so maybe I was just sent the wrong flavor. I’d like to try another!
Soon enough we were in the French Quarter with Andrew!
We had dinner reservations at 7:45 and decided to walk to K Pauls, our restaurant, and stop at a bar on the way. Andrew took us to an international beer house where we sample some brews
I got a Lazy Magnolia Pecan Ale – YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They were able to give me a 10 oz cup – loved that since I didn’t want to drink too much.
Loved the beer!
Karen stopped in a got a hand grenade. It was suppper sweet – not her style –but I think she liked it for the fun.
NOLA has some funny signs!
We went to K Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen for dinner – the founder of blackening spice!
We had the Ferrari-Carrano Fume Blanc for the table to share, and I had 2 small glasses throughout the evening (it was one of those “keep her glass full” kind of waitresses
HOLY BREAD BASKET!!
They brought TWO of these to the table – jalapeno cheddar, pecan muffins, biscuits and traditional rolls. Matt and I split one of three of them – SO GOOD!!!
We wanted to do the food all traditional New Orleans, so Matt ordered the Frog Legs. I had a bite – just like chicken! The spicy sauce was actually quite good!
Karen got the fried oysters. Best oysters of my life!! I had one -
I ordered a house salad with dill dressing. Simple, but good -
I decided to pass on an entree. Honestly, I could have just had bread, wine and salad and been perfectly satisfied!!! The Vega bar held me over really well (and the beer helped 
) So Matt and I split the Blackened Drum Fish for an entree. It was good, but waaaay too salty. Hope it wasn’t that blackening seasoning!
My salad-size plate with some of Karen’s fried flounder (which totally exceeded my expectations!) I had a piece of drum fish, veggies, mashed potato bite, flounder and another half of a jalapeno roll.
Lastly, we shared a bread pudding seven ways! But you know what – that white stuff was butter and not ice cream. It was waaaaayyy too rich. Surprisingly, I only had one bite and that was enough.
The boys decided to go out for more drinks, and Karen, Gran Bett and I walked back to our hotel.
I am really pleased that I am not too full or too tipsy tonight. Hopefully I can keep soaking up the NOLA fun without sacrificing my feel good mode.
Goodnight guys!
{ 61 comments… read them below or add one }
Look at all the good eats! I really fried oysters as well and those looked extremely tasty.
Enjoy your stay!
I love how you share in restaurants. It makes so much more sense than ordering an entree per person, because restaurants give you so much freakin’ food!
Have fun in New Orleans lady
So glad that you are enjoying my home! Have a terrific time and do not forget beignets in the morning!
BTW, in case you do not know, Friday lunch at Galatoire’s is the place to see and be seen. Jacket required.
All us locals go get a burger and a Monsoon or Red Turtle at Port of Call, too… Do not miss it! There will be a line. Wait.
I’m glad you made it safely! Have a great trip
Yum! Enjoy NOLA, looks like you’re doing a great job so far.
www. HelpMeghanRun .com
wow everything looks so good at your dinner, can’t wait to see the rest of your weekend!
Good for you, Kath… I probably would have taken out the bread basket…and the bread pudding!! Looks like it will be a fun weekend for you!
Can’t believe you saw Kitchen Wtich. I LOVE that place! If you’re near there this weekend you shoudl take a look – they have new and used cookbooks and about 3 years ago at least had this awesome homemade cajun spice that is GREAT on sweet potato fries.
SO FUN, though I almost threw up when I saw the bowl of melty butter puddin.’
Come on, Kath…you know you thought of me when you saw that Huge Ass Beer sign. If only it had said Hugh Jass.
Now THAT is a bread basket! I’m glad to hear you’re having a good time in New Orleans so far.
Yes, I”ve never seen such a bread basket!
Glad you got there safely! The fodd looks amazing.
Wow, NOLA looks like my kinda place! Bread baskets are my absolute favorite part of a meal. What a festive and tasty city. Enjoy!
Jenn
Oh my…that pool of butter would have gotten to me too, Kath! Definitely a bit much.
All the rest of the food looks delish though!
Glad you arrived safely! Looks like the trip is off to a great start!
I was just in NOLA for a conference last month! One of my friends got a hand grenade, and it was super sweet. I have to be honest, though, and Bourbon St. was a little scary at night!
I love you, guys. You don’t waste a minute in your lives! Have fun!
P.S. Kare looks amazing!!!
I’ve never been to NOLA, but would love to!
The rolls looks great! Have fun
Looks like “healthy” doesn’t fit the bill in New Orleans. But the food looks decadent nonetheless!
What a fun night!
Love the entree sharing! Such a great idea! That is one of my favorite ways to eat too…I love having lots of different bites of variety!
Enjoy the rest of your time in NOLA!
New Orleans is such a fun place! I went there on a Hurricane Katrina relief trip a couple years back. We obviously wanted to explore the city too, so we would do back-breaking work from 7AM-4PM everyday, and then go out on the town from 8PM-2AM at night. Tiring, but an amazing experience.
Yum! That looks like a great way to start of your New Orleans trip!
I love how you know not to go overboard at dinners out. I’m gunna try sharing a meal next time instead. Meals are usually way too large anyway!
Great to see you in NO. Looks like you are having a fantastic time. Keep the pictures coming.
zest!
Looks like you had a fabulous night. Whoa – bread basket!! It looks delicious – I wouldn’t have known what to try first
Great job with eating last night and enjoying everything in moderation. Glad you felt good about the night afterwards.
wow – great job on your food. that’s a great idea – just getting a salad, then splitting an entree, or trying other bites. i should totally do that – especially since, like you, I would be happy eating lots of the awesome bread instead!
what a fun time!! that beer/food looks so amazing! Honestly I can’t believe thats butter loaded on that bread pudding…yikes.
glad you got there safely!
the pecan ale sounds so good!
Ditto on the signs! In Metarie, the next town over, there’s a sign I always saw next to my favorite sushi restaurant. It was a bar and out in front it said, “Free Head With Beer.” Choose your own interpretation….
I’ve never been to NOLA and I’d love to go at some point!
Lazy Magnolia was founded by some of my high school alums!
As a foodie in New Orleans, you really absolutely have to go to Dick and Jenny’s for dinner. It’s farther uptown, away from the more touristy spots, but WORTH IT. I went to school in NOLA and grew up a few hours away, and it’s the best, hands down.
I love the way you guys all share – it reminds me of my family! Whenever we get dessert, it’s one piece of cake or cheesecake – and seven spoons!
I have never been to New Orleans, but would definitely want to go now… it looks like a lot of fun!
I am an absolute sweet tooth, but have never seen so much butter on a dessert… I can understand how one bite could be enough!
Looks like such a great time! I’ve always haven’t to go to New Orleans. There’s so much history there. Enjoy it!
I am so jealous! We had reservations there on our visit and arrived and they had lost power, so we never got to try it, looks so yummy! However, we did manage to find plenty of other good food to eat while there haha
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New Orleans definitely looks like a place I would love! Beer on the streets? I think so!
That’s great you are having a good time! Food looks great too!
Have a wonderful day today!
I love NOLA!! Enjoy your trip!
PS- Karen wins the cool mom award….I’m pretty sure my mom would balk at the hand grenades and hurricanes!
Ick. Too much butter makes my tummy hurt
They should replace that big glob with some ice cream!!
Glad you made it!! You’re making me want to visit NOLA basically right now – it looks like great city!!
NOLA looks like so much fun! I’ve never been, so I am excited to see the rest your trip! Have fun!
I’ve never been to New Orleans. What a fantastic trip!
I’m glad you make it to New Orleans safely. It looks like you’re having a wonderful time.
Mmm that bread basket looks so tasty, especially the pecan muffin! YUM!
What a wonderful dinner spread!!! have a lovely trip!
You’ll have to try out a raw oyster bar while you’re down there too! I hear they take their oysters very seriously in NOLA!
WOW Kath – looks like you guys are having a great time! New Orleans is on my top 10 list of places I’d like to go to in the US!
aahhh! That looks like so much fun, and your beer sounded divine!
That bread basket looks like it would be the end of me!
I love the idea of sharing in restaurants! In minimizes cost and waste while maximizing taste and variety. Have a fun Friday
I lived in New Orleans for a few years, and I must say, I also have a picture of the “huge ass beer” sign”. Tickled me, too.
Glad to hear you made it safe and sound! I bet that flight felt like nothing after the one to Africa!
What a great first evening in New Orleans. Enjoy your trip!
Mmm…a Mississippi beer…I approve! Enjoy and I’m sorry you learned not to run down Bourbon St the hard way…even thinking of running and smelling pee and beer makes me want to throw up. And it just gets worse with the humidity and heat!
Funny thing is, it’s almost a nostalgic smell for me…gross.
WOW. That’s a mighty pat of butter on that bread pudding. A bit too much! The frog legs are particularly enticing. Yum.
go Mom, go mom…way to live it up/that pic with the fancy drink is too cute.
Fun times! My future sister-in-law graduated from Tulane last Spring, and some of your pics look familiar (Huge Ass Beers to Go haha).
I love a variety of breads – these all look great! I also love bread pudding – but with a glob of butter on top?? Ew. I’ve seen chocolate sauce, whipped cream, ice cream, etc… but never butter.
I second the recs for Port of Call and Dick & Jenny’s. Both are always crowded (POC w/ tourists and locals; D&J w/ mainly locals) but worth it. POC is much closer to where you’re staying – on the edge of the Quarter on the Marigny side. D&J is uptown.
I’ve gotta get there some day. It is, after all, one of the food capitals of the world. Safe travels to you and hope you have a blast the rest of the time there.
That is butter on the bread pudding?! Wow. I can see how that would be way too rich, And really, why wouldn’t you want ice cream instead of butter?
I would love to get to New Orleans one day – there is an awful lot of the US that I haven’t traveled.
I love that you loved Lazy Magnolia’s Southern Pecan! It’s Mississippi’s only microbrew, and I’m very proud of my home state’s beer
Wow that is the most awesome bread basket I’ve ever seen!
can i just say…both you and your hubby are both SUCH good looking beautiful people!
I realize this is an old post, but I just wanted to comment that I’ve been to that International Beer House in New Orleans, they have sooo many beers! Did you buy a Chuggler when you were there?