Brunch and Breakfast

We didn’t eat out a lot for this meal, but two of the places we tried were definitely shining stars.

Who Dat Coffee Cafe is just outside the French Quarter, and definitely worth a visit. Sitting outside is a nice treat. Ate here our last morning and wished I had done so earlier so I could come back again.

Ruby Slipper has a great atmosphere as well as food. We ate at the one located in the Marigny neighborhood. Since they can sometimes be busy, we got our food to go. I was pretty impressed with how well they packed the meals, too. They made sure to keep things separate that might make other items soggy, etc. You can get on their waitlist ahead of time, and you can also order online which makes things extra handy. Staff were fun, and it was a chill place so would be worth dining in if you feel up to it.

Traditional Foods

Sometimes people wonder if the world-famous Cafe du Monde is really “all that.” Oh yes! I have heard many people say the beignets from the location in the City Park is the best, but it’s definitely more difficult to get to if you don’t have access to a car. The historical one by the French Market is still darn good and has a fun environment. When there aren’t COVID restrictions, they’re open 24 hours a day, and there is less of a line in the evenings and early mornings. During restrictions, get there when they first open in the morning. I’m not a fan of their coffee (chickory based), but if this is your first visit to NOLA, you should give it a try just for the experience.

Po’boys are a delicious meal and a piece of New Orleans history. I’ve tried different locations, and I’ll definitely say that so far the best I’ve had are at NOLA Poboys. Eating at the restaurant can also be its own experience. It is very laidback, and your “plate” is the covered table. Don’t have to worry about being judged for licking your fingers here!

NOLA is also famous for its oysters. I can’t stand oysters, so when a food tour took the group to Felix’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar I figured I’d just be enjoying my iced tea. However, when they arrived they looked so good I figured I’d give it a taste just because the tour guide was really trying so hard to talk them up—chargrilled oysters with butter and cheese. And she was right! I ate my whole serving.

You’ve probably heard of the muffuletta sandwich. I’ve had them in other places and have never been overly impressed. Until Central Grocery and Deli. The original owner of this place is the one who invented this sandwich, and it was absolutely delicious! Just standing inside the store had my stomach growling because of the wonderful aromas.

Fried chicken isn’t necessarily a New Orleans-specific tradition, but Willy’s Chicken Shack is definitely worth a visit. If it’s hot outside, make sure to treat yourself with one of their frozen cocktails, and you can buy an extra shot or two as well. Don’t forget, in New Orleans you can walk around the city with your cocktail in hand (geaux cup) so feel free to take it with you while you walk around after your meal.

Commander’s Palace

Yes, this place gets its own section because it’s that good. They do have a dress code (mostly for men, but it isn’t overly dressy), and I hate bringing nicer clothes on a vacation. This place is worth it! Not only is the service absolutely impeccable, but the food was amazing!

Some people who haven’t visited the South might be shocked to see turtle soup on the menu. Know that these are local snapping turtles which are plentiful in the swamps. This particular recipe goes back to the late 1800s. It’s worth giving it a try.

You will definitely want to make reservations as it is quite popular. Lunch service is less busy and also offers their famous 25-cent martinis.

The bread pudding souffle is absolutely worth having, even if you don’t typically enjoy this type of dessert.

Other great foods

Dat Dog is another place you’ll want to try. Tigger especially loved their alligator sausage.

Dian Xin is a Chinese restaurant that is really quite good. They have a lot of dishes that are more typical outside of America. Very flavorful. It was actually the best Chinese food we’ve had outside of Asia.

Which are your favorite places to eat in New Orleans?

Why Whitney Plantation?

This is a very unique plantation and museum as it is the only plantation focused on slavery in Louisiana, and one of the few museums of its kind in the world. This is especially significant considering the fact that New Orleans was the capital of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Typically, there are guides who share the perspective of life on the plantation from the perspective of the enslaved people. Because of COVID restrictions, however, they are currently not offering that part of the experience. There is a free app (Android, Apple) which you download to your phone which provides text, video, and audio guides at the various stops.

If you forget to download it before your visit, the visitor center does have free WiFi.

Even though I had learned a lot about this time period in school, our experience at Auschwitz really showed how important it is to visit these places. Learning about this horrible time in history from books and movies is one thing.

Reading their stories while you’re standing in the same spot has quite the different impact.

jails

Getting There

Whitney Plantation is located about an hour’s drive from New Orleans. Public transportation isn’t really an option, and while services like Uber and Lyft can get you there, returning will be quite a challenge with that service.

We went with Gray Line. The ticket covers your admission into the plantation and transportation to/from. It was air conditioned and had a very clean bathroom on the bus which was an extra plus. They leave from where the steamboat docks in the French Quarter, so it’s nice and easy.

Their website lists it as a 5-hour experience (because of possible traffic as you near the city on the return). You have about 2 hours to tour the plantation, and that was a good amount of time.

Sugar kettles used to produce refined sugar

What to Bring

When we went, the buses were heading out at noon. This plantation does not have a cafe or restaurant, so we ate our lunch before heading out. There are picnic tables there if you wish to wait, however. They also have some light snacks available for purchase.

Definitely bring water. They had water fountains inside the visitor center so you can refill a reusable bottle. They do have cold beverages for sale as well.

Most of the paths are compact dirt and are flat. They have some misting stations spread intermittently throughout the grounds to help you cool off which was a nice touch.

If you’re sensitive to sunlight, you may want to bring an umbrella or wear a hat since you will definitely have a good amount of sun exposure.

German Coast Uprising memorial

Spots for Deeper Reflection

There is great signage, and the app is wonderful for teaching you about the sites.

We spent a good amount of time at the Wall of Honor. This wall contains the names of enslaved people known to have lived there. Also included are stories from those were enslaved. These first-person narratives were gathered as part of the WPA Federal Writer’s Project. Definitely take the time to walk along and around the wall to see the names and learn more about their life.

The memorial for the German Coast Uprising was also quite powerful. The slaves who took part in this “rebellion” were executed. Some of them had trials which were really only ceremonial. The juries were usually plantation owners. After their executions, their severed heads were lined along the river for 60 miles as a warning to others.

Field of Angels memorial

The Field of Angels is a memorial to the enslaved children who died in the St. John the Baptist parish (a county in Louisiana) between 1823 and 1863. In this time period, there were 2200 children who died in this parish. And likely that number was higher. Of those, 39 died at Whitney Plantation. Most of these children were younger than 5 years old.

Note: When visiting the German Coast Uprising and the Field of Angels memorials, they may appear differently than shown in these photos. We came shortly after a special event. Here was info I received from the museum after our visit:

“We hold an annual blessing of the grounds that is conducted by Vodun practitioners. This belief system is from the regions where Africans who were captured and sold in the Americas continued to practice in the Americas. We honor their memory using their traditions. (On the North American continent, this belief structure evolved into what many people know as Hoodoo.)

“Specific offerings—food, money, alcohol, tobacco—and the incorporation of specific colors (used to honor and acknowledge specific Oguns who are responding to the appeals of the ancestors who are communicating to them on our behalf) are used during these ceremonies.”

It is so important we visit these historical places. We must never forget!