Eating Through NOLA: Part 2

Hi there!

The city of New Orleans just celebrated Mardi Gras, a huge street party that reminds me of the Christmas carnival we have in Calabar, Nigeria.

I visited New Orleans a few weeks before Mardi Gras, but even then the city was ready with decorations in the green, purple and yellow colors that are synonymous with the event.

This is the only city I’ve been to where people were drinking and partying en masse at 2 pm. Granted, this was on Bourbon Street which is famous for its nightlife. I guess “night” in the month of Mardi Gras starts in the afternoon. Haha!

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As part of our quest to try some of the best foods NOLA has to offer, we stopped by these restaurants for a sit-in meal.

Our Airbnb host (Liz) was kind enough to give us a list of her favorite places to eat, so we checked out a few of those too!

Tip: The easiest way to find a great spot to eat is to ask someone with experience; like a New Orleans native.

Surrey’s: Tucked into the trees on Magazine street is one of the best places to eat breakfast in NOLA’s garden district.

This restaurant was a top pick on Google AND the list Liz gave us. Eating there was inevitable. Feeling like something savory, I ordered the crabmeat omelet while my boyfriend -who has a sweet tooth- ordered the bananas foster french toast. My food was yummy but the french toast was inspired!!

I tried Satsuma juice for the first time here. If you’ve never had it, it’s like orange juice, but much nicer.

The walls here are covered in quirky artwork that’s all for sale!. Just keep in mind that they only take cash for these items.

Tip: You want to withdraw some cash for your stay in NOLA because you’ll find that some places only take cash.

Bayona: It took us a while to find where to have dinner but when we finally decided, I think we made a lovely choice. Bayona is a 200-year-old cottage turned restaurant whose chef (Susan Spicer) has been cooking there for 26 years. The staff was nice, the food was delicious, and the ambiance was warm, cozy and romantic.

We were given bread as an appetizer and ordered the grilled pork chop and grilled duck breast for our main courses.

Processed with VSCO with s1 preset — Grilled Pork Chop

My only gripe with Bayona is that since it’s considered fine dining, the portions are quite small. We may or may not have had hotdogs later that night to compensate.

New Orleans Cake Café: This cute little café serves up huge portions of delicious breakfast food in a quirky environment that’s much like Surreys’. The chairs are mismatched and the bright orange walls are covered in pretty paintings. Ravenous, we both ordered french toast with a side of eggs, avocado and a $1 cupcake!

Processed with VSCO with se2 preset — Unwittingly, my outfit matched the walls

Whether I’m back home in Florida or traveling, I love finding great places to eat. What are some of your favorite restaurants or foods from anywhere in the world? Let me know in the comments!