Catching up

What better day to do some catching up than today. Jason and I are both home from work, hunkered down in the house while Blizzard 2011 is upon us. Most of St. Louis is shut down and it's been sleeting for hours. It's supposed to change to snow this afternoon and we could see 10-24 inches! I don't think I've ever witnessed a storm like this. I'm not complaining though. I love being home with Jason, still in my pajamas, dinner in the crockpot and relaxing on the couch. It's a cozy day and I'm going to enjoy it!

Last week Jason had a business trip to New Orleans and suggested that I join him. Neither of us had ever been to New Orleans and while it was a quick trip we enjoyed exploring the city and of course the food! I flew into New Orleans Wednesday evening and we joined Jason's boss and friend for dinner at Mister B's Bistro. We had a fantastic meal complete with barbecue shrimp, gumbo and steak.


The bbq shrimp. Soo good!

And messy. The waiter tied bibs on all of us before serving the shrimp. They are still in the shells so peeling them is a bit challenging but well worth it!

Thursday afternoon Jason had some down time and it gave us the chance to really explore New Orleans. It was sunny and 60 degrees out. Perfect for walking around the French Quarter. We had lunch at Johnny's Po-Boys, one of the many places recommended by our friend Jessica, the New Orleans expert! Johnny's is a tiny family owned diner that has been around since 1950. Jason had a crawfish po-boy while I had a muffaletta. Yum!

After lunch we continued on to Jackson Square. At the heart of the French Quarter, Jackson Square is a beautiful courtyard full of history as well as an open air artist colony, museums, restaurants, and shops.



The St. Louis Cathedral


There were lots of street performers.


I decided to do a tarot card reading. As you can see by the look on my face, I wasn't really buying what this guy was telling me, but it was entertaining!

After walking around the square we went across the street to Cafe Du Monde, famous for their beignets and chicory coffee. The beignets were delicious!


We took a carriage ride through the French Quarter. This was probably our favorite part of the day. Our driver was a New Orleans native and was very knowledgeable about the history of the city. It was a great way to get a view of the entire French Quarter.




Johnny Depp recently bought this house

His nearby neighbors Brad and Angelina's house

Thursday night we made reservations at Nola, an Emeril Legasse restaurant, for an early birthday dinner for Jason. It was definitely the best meal we had in New Orleans and probably in the top 5 best meals we've ever had! We both ordered the shrimp and grits and it was to die for. It's one of those meals that you just melt with every bite it's so good. We ended the meal with chocolate bread pudding with sweet potato ice cream. It was also delicious!!



Friday afternoon we headed back to St. Louis to celebrate Jason's birthday with our friends and family. More to come!