Next year marks the ten year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina; the storm that stole 1,833 souls. I had the pleasure of visiting New Orleans pre-Katrina, and just recently, post. I have to say that New Orleans did not lose its charm and instead maintained her classy, ever gracious self. In a city where one can wander the streets with alcoholic beverages in their hand, one may think the city is reminiscent to a modern day Gomorrah, but instead you find yourself amongst the friendly folks. Filled with southern hospitality and a great appreciation for life, the citizens of this city went above and beyond to make me and my associates feel at home.
The general public is from all walks of life. Folks of New Orleans aren’t known because of their outer appearance, but by the way they treat you. Men, women, black, white, foreign and native alike all held one thing; they were courteous, and full of life. They didn’t treat you as if you were a visitor in the city but more like family they’ve known for ages. What some may have found abrupt, I saw as a group of people breaking down the barrier of tourists versus locals. One felt at home everywhere they went.
The history etched in the city is what makes it so majestic. Plaques of the Spanish officials the streets are named after, jazz bands playing in the streets, the buildings untouched on the outside, and the smells of classic creole and southern dishes wafting through the streets make you feel like if you closed your eyes you could be walking the streets when New Orleans was first becoming what it’s now known for today.
The food was glorious! I think I had grits with every meal. Having grown up in the south, I’ve always been a fan of good ol’ fashioned southern style dishes, and the delicacies I tasted were simply out of this world. Simple dishes were given a twist, classic dishes were fused with new world flavor, and some dishes were served in paper bags as they had been for the past 50 years. No matter what your taste preference is, you were guaranteed to find something that would not only taste great but would also blow you away. And the freshness in their sea food can’t be compared to anything else! A dish that is common to New Orleans was Alligator. Alligator was a common find on every menu we came across. What I thought was a rare food was being ordered left and right with no surprise but as if the most common fare ever. I’ll admit I wasn’t brave enough to try the Alligator but I did understand just how popular a dish it is.
All in all, New Orleans captured my heart. I left a little bit of it there and plan to return shortly to not only get it back but fill it with even more love for that wonderful city.
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Xo, B
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