"Oh, My Nola!"

Brad had his Pediatric Board Review in New Orleans all last week, and of course I couldn't resist joining him for a few days!! Before I got there, he would call and say, "I have 30 minutes for lunch. Where should I eat today?" I was able to direct him to some yummy places within walking distance of his hotel ~ Tujague's, Acme, and several others. I went down on Thursday, and although he was busy in his classes, I had a wonderful time ~ and he was able to join me for some of it, as well. :)
That night, we had dinner with Melissa (Wilson) and Jeff Berniard at Herbsaint, which was delicious, and went to the Columns (an old favorite of mine!) for drinks. It was such fun to get to see Melissa, one of my dearest and oldest friends, and her husband, Jeff! Friday, I walked around the Quarter, ate breakfast at Cafe du Monde, and did some shopping before Melissa picked me up after work. She drove me around Uptown before showing me their home. We picked up Brad for lunch at noon. The plan was to go to Domilise's for the world's best poboys, but they were on vacation that week (my luck, of course ~ Dot rarely takes a vacation, and when she does, I happen to be there for the first time in 3 years!), so we went to Camillia Grill instead. It just opened again, and it was wonderful to be back there, eating the wonderfully greasy food and seeing a couple of familiar faces behind the bar. After taking Brad back to class, Melissa and I shopped on Magazine Street to finish out the afternoon.

Friday night, we had a date night. I took Brad to Nola, one of my favorite restaurants, and we had a perfect meal after enjoying a drink in the courtyard at the Napoleon House.


Saturday, Brad had classes for half the day, so he finished just in time to join me for a Jazz Brunch at The Court of Two Sisters. We had enough turtle soup, etouffee, jambalaya, and bananas foster to keep us stuffed for days. I had been shopping around in the Quarter before that, and we went to the French Market and a little bit of the Satchmo Festival before heading to Imax for "Hurricane on the Bayou" ~ a definite must-see ~ but bring the tissues, because that is some of the most emotional 45 minutes I have ever sat through in a theater. We went to White Linen Night down on Julia that evening; Melissa and Jeff joined us towards the end, and we finished off the evening with a late-night snack of queso and chips at Superior.

No trip is complete without the required shopping, of course. Brad and I have several traditions when we travel; we have to get a Christmas ornament, magnet, and poster/print from each destination. Brad bought Elizabeth a Nola bib, and Melissa got her a fleur-de-lis sleepsack (thanks so much again!!). We got several surprises for Alli, as well ~ one to wear (a t-shirt), one with which to play dress-up (a mask), and one to eat (pralines ~ which she now loves and calls "plalines")....
Sadly, we had to leave on Sunday. I hated leaving a city so close to my heart, and the only bright spot was being able to return to my baby girl, who had spent time with all of her grandparents in Atlanta while we were gone. I loved being back in New Orleans for a few days; it was a bittersweet trip. The city is looking very good since the storm in some places (the Quarter, most of Uptown), and unchanged in others. I am so proud of the citizens of New Orleans for their strong spirit of revival, and I am proud to have called such a beautiful, amazing city home for nearly 5 years. I will be dragging Brad back every chance I get ~ and I encourage all of you to do the same! New Orleans is a tourist destination, and they need us to visit.

"Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans???"