This post is WAY overdo. I can come up with a million excuses why it’s so late but truth be told, I just had more important things to do than salivate over these memories from New Orleans again.

Today, however, I was ready.

It’s been well over a month since The Husband and I spent 4 glorious days eating our way thought New Orleans. These are some of the highlights.

Borgne

Our first stop was at a John Besh restaurant that was recommended to us online. We arrived in New Orleans pretty late and were able to get a table without reservations on a Thursday night.

The restaurant was fairly casual with an interesting layout near the bar. Overall the service was good, a little slow but it was late and you can tell the whole place was winding down.

The menu was minimal, typed on plain paper with a some handwriting mixed in.

The first thing I do when I’m at a new restaurant is scan the menu for local specialties, things I’ve never tried or rarely have a chance of trying. That’s why Duck Poppers, Crawfish Bombas and Turtle Soup caught my eye.

And that’s why we ordered all three!

Everything was delicious! I’ve never had turtle soup before. In a weird way it reminded me of clams. The turtle meat was in small chewy bites.

For my main course I went with the Fish in a Bag, which was the catch of the day but I honestly can’t remember what type of fish it was.

I thought it was slightly overcooked but still good and light since we enjoyed all those appetizers.

Overall it was a great meal. Not my favorite of the trip but we didn’t regret going there!

Cafe Du Monde

Our next stop was Cafe Du Monde.

Everyone and their mother recommended we go there for one of their famous beignets.

Cafe Du Monde only really serves two things: the beignets and coffee. I, unfortunately, am not a coffee drinker so I didn’t get to experience their famous Cafe Au Lait (coffee mixed with hot milk) but I did dig into a beignet and chased it down with a cold chocolate milk.

It was good but not earth-shattering good. Maybe my expectations were too high? Honestly, I think I had better beignets in Savannah!

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed them but next time I won’t wait on the excessively long line for some simple fried dough with powdered sugar. It reminded me of Voodoo Donut in Portland. Good, not great, but the reputation has grown so much it’s a must try for yourself when you visit.

Cochon

We met local friends from Baton Rouge who highly recommended this lovely restaurant .

Thankfully we had reservation as it was packed! The atmosphere was casual and fun but a little loud. I loved the small plate options on the menu and we decided to order a bunch to share.

I didn’t take many photos. I was enjoying the company and conversation too much but I did pause when my entree came out.

That’s Rabbit and Dumplings and it was AMAZING! I’m normally not a dumpling girl but I made an exception as this was a menu item I’d never seen before.

The whole meal was fabulous and our waiter was super nice even though he seemed stretched too thin at this busy dinner spot.

Apolline

Based on yet another recommendation (thank you, Brandi!) we HAD to go to Apolline for brunch.

It  was a cute little place in uptown New Orleans. Small but cozy and a little loud, but that may have only been because we were seated next to the most annoying group on the planet.

Before I even get into my entrée I have two words for you: cinnamon bacon.

Holy yum!

Brown sugar, pecans, bacon — I mean come on! The Husband didn’t like it as much as I did but he’s not a food-person. Trust me, cinnamon and bacon SHOULD be in the same sentence.

For my meal I ordered something I’ve never tried before (again, no laughing) — Shrimp and Grits.

All I’ll end with is: Why didn’t anyone tell me Shrimp and Grits were so good!? Mix in that andouille sausage and wowza. That’s a combo made in heaven!

Mothers

Yes ANOTHER recommendation. (Are you sensing a theme?) The Husband and I hit this local establishment just a few blocks from our hotel.

Another new dish for me: po’ boys!

I decided to go with the famous “Ferdi Special,” which included all the meats because I literally couldn’t decide.

In addition to the ‘po boy I ordered a small side of their gumbo and jambalaya because, well, they had gumbo and jambalaya and I was in New Orleans!

Mother’s was yet another good not great experience for me. I really liked the vibe there. You ordered at the counter and they brought your food to the table. The sign wasn’t lying when it said “World’s Best Ham” — the ham on the sandwich may have been the best I’ve ever eaten but overall, I’m not a fan of the ‘po boy. I ended up just eating the meats and sides, which were super yummy. The Husband had gumbo and I jambalaya so it all worked out as usual.

Commander’s Palace

Along with Cafe du Monde, Commander’s Palace was recommended by almost everyone I asked.

We made reservations on our last night for our official anniversary dinner.

The wait staff was excellent, very attentive and courteous. And we may have gotten the best seat in the house! Upstairs and right by the window.

We told our waiter we were celebrating our 14th anniversary and to recommend a wine. I can’t lie, we know nothing about wine. I usually just depend on friendly restaurant staff to make a recommendations and we just go with it.

The syrah was great! We really enjoyed it.

I didn’t snap a photo but we started with a sample all three of their soups. All of them were amazing including the turtle soup which, honestly, blew Borgne’s version out of the water. They added the traditional sherry on top and it really made a difference.

I also ordered a spinach salad, which was divine but nothing compared to my main course of quail and corn bread stuffing.

It was amazing!

Unfortunately The Husband didn’t like his dish as much. I believe it was wild boar (I’m totally rubbing off on him — he’s ordering new things!) he said it was just a little tough and overcooked.

For dessert we shared a strawberry shortcake, which the staff decorated for us.

It was a great anniversary dinner! And I agree with all the recommenders. It wasn’t the best restaurant I’ve ever eaten at but it’s for sure worth a visit if you want a fancy night out.

Honorable Mentions

In addition to the fabulous restaurants we visited there were quite a few other stops I need to mention.

The food at the French Quarter Festival was fantastic. So many options it was hard to pick! But once I spied alligator sausage kabobs from the Lakeshore Harbor stand I knew what I was ordering.

It was some of the best sausage I’ve ever eaten and that sweet mustard-based sauce was a wonderful compliment. It was also the perfect option to walk around the festival with.

Our last day we hit the French Market and tried two spots. One for seafood where we ordered steamed Gulf shrimp and fried crawfish tails. Both were amazing!

We also shared a muffaletta, which is basically a toasted Italian sub on round bread with an olive spread. I didn’t think I was going to like it becuase I’m not an olive fan. Well… I was wrong!

It was my favorite sandwich of the trip. I’d order it over a ‘po boy any day!

The night we took the ghost tour we also stopped in at Yo Mama’s for a drink and their famous Peanut Butter Burger. The photo doesn’t do this thing justice. It was fantastic!

Yet again, The Husband wasn’t a big fan. He’s CRAZY! I’d order it again in a heartbeat. It’s definitely not an everyday burger but it’s for sure a every-time-I’m-in-New-Orleans burger.

Besides Yo Mama’s our other favorite bar was The Swamp.

We spent an entire afternoon there — good music, fun staff, and, ummm, 3 for 1 beers?  Yeah.. the Husband was in heaven.

We really had an amazing time eating (and drinking) our way through New Orleans.

If you’ve never been it’s worth a trip!  I’d love to go again with a group of friends.

It’s a fun city for sure!