Took a quick trip to New Orleans. Hadn't been in ages. High on the list of "must do" activities was taking Culinary Backstreets' walking tour in the city. The one hitch? My ankle has been a freakin' mess and I knew I would be hobbling a bit as I made my way.
I needn't have worried. This is, after all, The Big Easy.
Chatting with our guide James, while swooning over a Praline-filled Beignet at Loretta's, I was assured that a slow stroll was more than acceptable. That said, would have been happy to stay at Loretta's all day and have another order of the Beignets.
Eventually, I was convinced to amble to the next stop - which luckily was only a couple blocks away.
Always good to hit a bar before noon. Molly's at the Market was a go-to in the aftermath of Katrina, due to its working pay phone and working taps. Not sure if the Frozen Irish Coffee was on hand then, but it sure was when we hit it...
Lightly boozy and heavily delicious.
The slow and steady tour went on and on from more stops in the French Quarter to places in the Marigny and then over to the Treme. First stop in the latter was Lil' Dizzy's, a family-run lunch spot with some seriously good Southern cooking. Think Gumbo, Hot Sausage Po-Boys, and some amazingly crisp Fried Chicken...
It took a lot of willpower to finally leave Lil' Dizzy's, but I was told that the next place was worth the effort.
It was.
Just a few blocks away, this welcoming sight greeted me...
That pot on the fire? Filled with grease for the weekly Friday Fish Fry. Open since the 1950's, Little People's Place has been more than a bar in the Treme. Family-owned and run, it is a community gathering place that means so much to its neighbors in the 9th Ward.
How much? Just take a look...
This, my friends, is a meticulously created diorama of the bar's interior, built by a long-time regular. This is love.
There was one more stop on the tour. No photos taken. It was a stop for a Sazerac at Bar Tonique on Rampart. Now, this was the right way to end a long day in New Orleans.
After all that, took an Uber back to the hotel, put my foot up and iced my ankle for a while. Still had the faint taste of anise and rye on my lips though.
I do like The Big Easy so very much.
Nice slice of NOLA!
Posted by: Peter | March 23, 2024 at 03:38 PM