Living in N’AWLINS (New Orleans)

Happy New Year, Fam! I took a break from my blog to focus on Samuella’s Kitchen for a bit but I am back! I recently turned 23 (life is just moving too fast!) and I decided to take a trip to New Orleans with a good friend of mine. We were deciding between Mexico or Puerto Rico until I stumbled upon a great deal for New Orleans. This deal was for 5 days, 4 nights and we paid $232 per person. Visiting NOLA has always been on both of our lists, so we said, why the heck not and booked it that instant! We stayed at the Wyndham Hotel in the French Quarter and the location was perfect; we were in the middle of NOLA and everything was within walking distance. Initially I was skeptical about the hotel because I have a rule of 4.5-stars and above when I travel but I decided to take a chance on this spot since I knew we would not be spending a lot of time inside the hotel.

Here’s a recap of my favorite places to eat and visit in NOLA:

Places To Eat:

Jimmy J’s Cafe: N’awlins’ Funkiest Lil’ Café. Best known for brunch; super cheap and super delicious!
The Praline Connection: Good soul food restaurant with mediocre drinks.
Ruby Slipper Cafe: Cheap eats, it can get very crowded but thankfully they have lots of locations within walking distance – depending on where you are staying.
Oceana Grill: For our last night in NOLA, we wanted to get all dolled up and go for a fancy dinner, but it was raining and all of the “fancy” restaurants in NOLA are just normal steakhouses. I chanced on this through a search on Google and it was amazing. I was a bit hesitant as it is considered a seafood place and I do not eat seafood much, but this place was amazing! Our waiter was extremely funny, and the drinks are literally the best drinks I had during the entire trip.
The Rum House: Lovely atmosphere serving Caribbean and Latin American bites. The restaurant is not expensive at all and they are extremely generous with their portions. The waiter here was also top notch. I am a very picky eater and I must have asked him a billion and one questions. He must have cussed me out in his head but physically, he was really sweet and not pushy.
Two Chicks Café: Breakfast, Lunch, and Juice Bar. I was really looking forward to this place, but their food was just bleh. Again, I am extremely picky when it comes to food but I was expecting so much flavor from this place, but their food was just very basic and lacked seasoning. Yup. It is possible that a restaurant in NOLA will not season their food well. Welp.
Morning Call: Cash only; tourist attraction with subpar beignets, hot chocolate, and teas.
Café Du Monde: We had the beignets at Morning Call prior to visiting Café Du Monde and I was happy it happened that way – saved the best for last. For the best beignets, definitely visit this spot. Super yum!