Grabbing a bite at the New Orleans Vampire Café

I can think of no city in the United States that embraces vampire legends quite like New Orleans.  Being considered one of the most haunted cities in America helps, as do the above-ground cemeteries throughout the city and the vampire-themed tours that are easily found in the French Quarter.  Then there are places like the New Orleans Vampire Café, which take the theme to a whole other level. 

Frankie and Johnny’s – a true find in New Orleans’ West Riverside neighborhood

I love exploring New Orleans’ various neighborhoods.  Each one has something unique to offer, which is why Punky and I try to get a little more familiar with a different one on each trip we take to NOLA. 

I am also passionate about po-boys, which are perhaps the definitive New Orleans sandwich (sorry, muffuletta).  So, we also look for a new po-boy shop (or at least a menu with po-boys prominently featured) on each trip to the Big Easy. 

When you put these two interests together, it’s easy to understand what made our discovery of Frankie and Johnny’s in the city’s West Riverside neighborhood such a great find. 

A commoner dines at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, New Orleans, La.

Some New Orleans restaurants are timeless due to their years of excellence serving up authentic, classic cuisine inspired by the area’s abundance of influences.  Others are timeless due to their reputation as historic landmarks that every food lover visiting the city should seek out.  But few, if any, can compare to Dooky Chase’s Restaurant for its combination of historical significance with classic Creole cooking.  It had long been on my own short list of “must try” places to eat in NOLA, and after going there, it will be an experience I won’t soon forget.  

Located on the corner of Orleans Avenue and Miro Street in New Orleans’ Tremé neighborhood, Dooky Chase’s Restaurant (or just Dooky Chase, as it has become commonly known) has been a prominent Black-owned family restaurant since 1941.  But what really makes it historically significant is its role in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement as place where community leaders could gather and discuss strategy in relative safety.  Frankly, Dooky Chase’s Restaurant was too popular to shut down. 

Scenes from the Audubon Zoo, New Orleans, La.

It doesn’t take a lot of browsing on this blog to realize how much I love the city of New Orleans.  There’s undoubtedly a lot to like, from the music to the food to the “anything goes” party atmosphere that makes New Orleans in a lot of ways a playground for adults.  Unfortunately, the city’s reputation also leads some people to believe New Orleans is not a family-friendly city.  I strongly disagree. 

Whenever I hear people planning vacations and want to exclude New Orleans out of concern there will be nothing to do with kids, I’m ready to list off several places to take them.  And at the top of that list is the Audubon Zoo.

The site of the Audubon Zoo is part of the even-larger Audubon Park in New Orleans’ Uptown area.  Its origins as a zoo go back to the mid-1880s with its first major expansion taking place during the Great Depression when most of the zoo’s oldest remaining displays were built. 

Things overheard in a New Orleans bar

Another wild and crazy Mardi Gras season has come and gone, and for the first time in many years I was able to partake in some of the craziness in New Orleans.  In the Big Easy, Mardi Gras is more than a season, it’s a part of life, and there’s no better time to visit and embed yourself among the people who live there.   

Whether it’s carnival time or not, there’s no place like New Orleans, and that’s reflected in the bar conversations you overhear or take part in while you’re there.   And as you can imagine, Punky and I spent a fair amount of our wild weekend in New Orleans drinking establishments – some famous, some infamous and some tourists rarely find.  With that in mind, here are just a few memorable quotes you’ll (probably) only hear in a New Orleans bar: