Happy Anniversary Baby!!

We started the day with a New Orleans' classic: Beignets at Cafe Du Monde. Several people had warned me not to wear dark clothing when I ate here and now I know why. My first bite resulted in a snowstorm of powdered sugar. I ate mine with iced cafe au lait since it was 87 at 10am this morning.

Spent the day walking around the French Quarter. This whole place is just magical and I now understand why people fall in love with this city.

We swung by Leah's Candies, which is right across the street from our hotel, for some freshly made pralines.

We celebrated our anniversary at NOLA. I remarked to Baird that going to New Orleans and not eating at an Emeril restaurant is like visiting Chicago and not looking up.


We were given a complimentary celebratory appetizer of a fried oyster and scallop ceviche with crispy garnish. I hate oysters, but this one was unbelievably tasty!

Then came the appetizer we ordered: pan roasted crab cake with smokey eggplant puree, feta cheese, kalamata olives, crispy spinach and citrus butter.

Roasted Garlic-Reggiano Parmesan Bisque with Basil Pesto.
It was so delicious I resisted the urge to lick the bowl!


Salad was Jumbo Lump Crab and Celery Root tossed in a Green Onion-Buttermilk Dressing, Roasted Beets, Spiced Walnuts, Arugula and Balsamic Vinaigrette

My entree: Garlic Crusted Texas Redfish Cooked in the Wood Burning Oven with Brabant Potatoes, Crimini Mushrooms, Bacon and Sauce Beurre Rouge. The crust on the redfish, combined with the sauce, was a brilliant mix of complex flavors that just about made me swoon.


Baird's entree: Hickory-Roasted Duck with Whiskey-Caramel Glaze, Buttermilk Cornbread Pudding, Haricot Verts-Fire Roasted Corn Salad, Natural Jus and Candied Pecans

A perfect finish: custom-made dessert!

NOLA specializes in "Service + 1," the idea of going above and beyond.

Because I wore a black skirt, I was given a black napkin so there wouldn't be white lint all over my skirt when I left.

At the end of the night came the biggest surprise of all:
I got to keep the entire menu from NOLA.
I also got to meet Chef Michael Ruoss, Chef de Cuisine for NOLA, and he signed my menu.

There's no better way to top off a perfect day in New Orleans than with an over-the-top meal at NOLA. And the perfect ending to the perfect day was going to Fritzel's European Jazz Joint on Bourbon Street to listen to live jazz until the wee hours of the morning.