my little nola list

an old colleague asked me for some suggestions related to restaurants and things to do in New Orleans...while not comprehensive in the slightest, I thought I would share it with the blog world...feel free to comment and build upon this list.

Do you want Uptown (pretty old houses and quaint bars)?

Do you want French Quarter (touristy yet fun)?
Do you want the Warehouse District (clubs)?
Do you want the Marigny (a different genre of live music in every bar)?

Breakfast/Brunch
Elizabeth's (Marigny) - hole in the wall with yummy praline bacon and a bottle of cheap champagne
Stanley's (French Quarter) - yummy food by renowned chef yet cheaper version of his fine cuisine on Jackson Square
Camellia Grill (Uptown or French Quarter) - diner food, uptown is original
Surrey's (Lower Garden District and Uptown) - doesn't serve alcohol but you can bring your own. delicious breakfast.
Coulis (Upper Garden District)
Cafe du Monde (French Quarter) - Beignets

Lunch
Red Fish Grill (French Quarter) - fun and cool oyster bar for raw oysters or order the yummy bbq oysters off the menu
Port of Call (French Quarter) - the best hamburger and baked potato, top it off with a monsoon
Butcher (Central Business District) - sandwich shop of awesome restaurant Cochon, lots of yummy meats, sausages, and pimento cheese sandwiches to go with a local beer
Lilette (Lower Garden District) - Bistroish place to have a fun long lunch with wine and your girlfriends
St. James Cheese Company - yummy cheese selection and great sandwiches to sit out side and enjoy
Central Grocery (French Quarter) - Mufaletta
Parkway Bakery (Mid City) - Divine Po Boys
Sylvanian (French Quarter) - New Yorkish type restaurant with good hamburgers/sandwiches
Drago's (In the Hilton Downtown) - the original is out in metairie otherwise i'd send you there but this is the home of the woodfire grilled oysters doused in butter in parmesean cheese and butter and to die for!

Bars
Cooter Browns (Uptown) great bar to watch sports and drink lots and lots of different beers
Oak (Uptown) trendy wine bar
F&M's (Upton) dance on the pool table until the wee hours of the morning
Absinthe House (French Quarter) about the quaintest place to grab a beer on bourbon, most new orleanians go there after celebrating something
The Beach on Bourbon (French Quarter) fun place to dance and ride the whale
The Cats Meow (French Quarter) karaoke
Preservation Hall (French Quarter) jazz
Pat O's (French Quarter) great patio bar and piano bar
The Gold Mine (French Quarter) late night dancing and flaming dr. peppers!

Dinner
Galatoire's (French Quarter) - if you want one over the top fun dinner. Classic creole cuisine. Make sure to sit downstairs...they don't take reservations and the wait can be long and worth it because its the place to celebrate life and make a scene in the classiest of ways
Cochon (Central Business District) - really cool southern dishes mostly with meats but the best whole fish in town
Jacque-Imo's (Uptown)- so eccletic and fun. you have to walk thru the kitchen to get to the crazy back porch but EVERYONE loves a trip to Jacque Imo's. Right near the Maple Leaf and Oak Bar so you can grab a drink there if there is a wait.
Eat (French Quarter) - BYOB
Rock N Sake (Central Business District) - Salmon Zest roll and amazing other special sushi. Rock out to jams while throwing back sushi and sake bombs
Ralph's on the Park (Mid City) - Beautiful scenery and delicious cuisine
Crepe Nanou (Uptown) - Every locals favorite restaurant/french cuisine
Adolfo's (Marigny) - hole in the wall italian
Three Muses (Marigny) - tapas and live music

Dessert
Snowballs at Plum Street Snowballs or Hansen's (Uptown)
Sucre (Lower Garden District) - literally every type of dessert (and champagne!)
Creole Creamery (Uptown) - homemade ice creams in the most unique flavors

To Do
Swamp Tour
Shopping on Magazine Street - miles and miles of all sorts of shopping
Historic Homes in the French Quarter - Hermann Grima House and Beauregard Keyes Hosue
Carriage Ride around the French Quarter - oh the stories you will hear!
Katrina Exhibit at the Cabildo
Ogden Museum of Southern Art - great place to sip wine and look at awesome art on a Thursday evening with live music, or you can go any other night, too.
WWII Museum -- 4D Tom Hanks Movie
Streetcar Ride
Walk around Audubon Park
Take the Ferry across the Mississippi River to Algiers Point to look at pretty old house and grab a beer -- Ferry picks up on the skirts of downtown/French Quarter

Total Fascination

I am totally fascinated with the pomegranate.  I have never really eaten a whole one, one that has been turned into juice or used in a recipe.  My roommates eat them all of the time, so they have sparked a recent interest. 

As a result, I decided to buy two to display on a cheese board that I am making for my cousin's baby shower tomorrow.  I thought it would be pretty and festive for the holidays.  I arrived home from Whole Foods to disect my first pomegrante, and luckily my roommates were there to support me through this process.  Read proclaimed I picked two good ones, and Nicole demonstrated how to get the seeds out of the fruit.  Slice the whole fruit in to quarters. 

Fill a bowl with water, and then immerse the fruit in the water while you rip the seads out.  The white border will float to the top while the seeds float to the bottom.  (Science can be so cool, but someone please elaborate on the lesson learned...is it that the seeds are more dense and that's why they float to the bottom?  I think so, but science is clearly not my forte.  Although, I did win the science award in eighth grade.  I digress....)

I kind of felt like I had been hiding under a rock for not having had this experience until now, but my roomies reassured me by proclaiming the pomegrante is an exotic fruit.  And because I enjoy history so much, here's a brief synopsis from Wikipedia on the history of the pomegrante.

A pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall. The pomegranate is mostly native to the Iranian Plateau and the Himalayas in Northern India. It has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times, and today, is widely cultivated throughout Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Egypt, China, Burma, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the drier parts of southeast Asia, the Mediterranean region of Southern Europe, and tropical Africa. Introduced into Latin America and California by Spanish settlers in 1769, pomegranate is now cultivated in parts of California and Arizona for juice production.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the fruit is typically in season from September to February. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is in season from March to May.

An ancient fruit, pomegranate is mentioned in Europe as early as the Iron-Age Greek Mythology in the Homeric hymns. Yet, it has still to reach mainstream prominence as a consumer fruit in commercial markets of North America and the Western Hemisphere.

Nicole, you weren't wrong about it dating back to Greek mythology!  You can read more about the history of the pomegranate as well as the health benefits it provides here. 

Cheese Tasting

Lauren Wakeman and I went to a cheese tasting at St. James Cheese Company about two months ago.  Great activity and all you can eat cheese and wine for 20 bucks.  What a steal.  The local cheesemongers had just returned from the American Cheese Society Conference in Seattle, Washington.  Thousand upon thousands of cheeses were sampled in a very short time.  St. James brought back the winners (and some of the losers) to recreate their own American Cheese Society tasting.  Among the cheeses: Bonne Buche, Saint Genevieve, Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Marieke Gouda, Tarentaise (Thistle Hill), Tarentaise (Spring Booth), Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, Avolea Clothbound Cheddar, Buttermilk Blue and Echo Mountain.  Flavors of salted caramel and grass were tasted throughout the sampling.  Best in Show went to Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Upland Cheese Company in Wisconsin and Bonne Buche from Vermont Butter and Cheese.  St. James offers tastings on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  You can check out their schedule here. 

To add to this wonderful cheesy experiment, Lauren and I had the privilege of sitting at the table with a couple from Michigan who were on their honeymoon.  Who would have thought two honeymooners at a cheese tasting in New Orleans?  Just love it. 

So, next year the American Cheese Society Conference is in Montreal.  It is open to the public.  Who wants to go with me?!

This is the cheese wheel they give you to help you determine the smells and tastes you are experiencing.

Fall in NOLA Update

Jessica made the McKenzie cookies, and Alma made it to the pumpkin patch!  Slowly but surely, we are celebrating fall in New Orleans. 

Sir Dudley Digges

Sir Dudley Digges in Residence on Audubon Street

My dad's name is Dudley Digges Morgan, III.  Dudley Digges isn't just one of those names you find in a name book or happen upon when walking down the street (like the name Taylor).  This name is rooted deeply in my family history, and it dates back to a British Member of Parliament in the 1600's and later a "Virginia Adventurer," an investor who ventured his capital in the Virginia Company of London, Sir Dudley Digges.  My dad is a true lover of history and genealogy, two interests he has passed along to me.  Thus, Sir Dudley Digges and his manor home, Chilham Castle, have been a large part of dinner table conversations for most of my life.  Needless to say, when the Morgan family decided to make a pilgrimage to the United Kingdom, a trip to Chilham Caste was indeed included on the itinerary, even if it only was to peer through the gates of the Castle through the town square. 

Well, I should have known better, but for months, my mother was scheming behind my father's back trying to find a way to get him inside the castle. My mom is great at surprises, and somehow, on a whim and a prayer, she always manages to pull them off. And, this task of getting her family in to the castle, she seemed to meet with much ease.

So you may ask, how did we get in to the castle that is privately owned by a lovely British family?  This is a side story indeed worth telling, due in large part that it is another example of my dad's deep love for history and our ancestral roots.  My mother serves on the board of the Stratford Hall, home of the Lees of Virginia and the birthplace of Robert E. Lee (a.k.a the place where Alexander and Ashby fell in love!).  She assumed this position as a result of my grandmother Rosalind "RaRa" Morgan who served on the board over 50 years ago, and a friendship my mother made with Kathy Hendricks, while her son Nat and I attended college together at Sewanee.   

Stratford Hall is located on the Northern Neck of Virginia, and its Board of Directors represents the the fifty United States and the United Kingdom (we must not forget our roots when preserving our history!).  The United Kingdom representative, Liz Vyvyan, is actively involved in historic preservation in both the States and the United Kingdom, and therefore my mother asked her if, by chance, she knew the owners of Chilham Castle.  It just so happened that she did.  Indeed, a small world it is, thanks to Mrs. Vyvyan!  So, while my father was emailing chilhamcastleinfo@gmail.com begging for the right to enter beyond the gates, my mother exchanged a few emails with the Lady of the Manor, and we were in.  In, not just beyond the gates, but in for lunch and a tour with the Wheeler family, the current owners of the Castle. 

Getting to the Castle was the only kink in my mother's plan.  We stayed a bit too far from the Castle the night before, and we got lost on the British highways.  You could have cut the tension in the car with a knife.  My mother was furious, plain furious, that we were running late to Chilham, and my dad thought she was just mad for the umpteenth time about him not getting the GPS in the car.  Little did he know...

Driving in to Chilham Square

When we finally arrived in the town of Chilham, my mother told my father to drive on up to the gates of the Castle that she, herself, was going to find a way to get us inside.  She told my dad to ring the door bell to which he replied, "Lynn, I am not ringing the doorbell."  I was ready to get out of that car, so I marched right up to the buzzer, rang the bell, and exclaimed it was the Morgan family.  The gates magically opened, and my father's jaw dropped. 

And the Gates to the Castle opened for DDM, III

Tessa Wheeler, the Lady of the Manor, greeted us outside of her home.  We were terribly late, so she ushered us in to the drawing room to meet her weekend guests that were anxiously awaiting to meet the Manor's ancestral guests.  It is customary in the Wheeler household to invite a cross-section of guests to the Manor home each weekend.  The current owner, Stuart Wheeler, remarked that when he was young he was invited to a weekend estate with a diverse array of people, each with a different story to tell, that it made a lasting impression on him and he hoped to be able to recreate it for his friends one day. 

After a few Pimms and story exchanges with the guests (one of which will likely compete in the 2012 Olympics in London), we were invited in to the stately dining room.  Tessa Wheeler had a beautiful old book where she recorded her seating arrangements for each meal, and after reviewing the assignments, she directed us to our chair for the dinner.  The perimeter of the dining room had a stunning banner of the family crests of each inhabitant of Chilham Castle.  We dined on lamb and vegetables, red and white wines, consumed a cheese course, dessert and port, and then we retreated to the drawing room for coffee and liquor.  I could have crawled in to bed, but we had yet to tour the house. 

My words will not do justice to the beauty of the gardens and the castle, so I hope you enjoy the pictures below of the Morgan Family at the ancestral Chilham Castle.  It is my hope that readers, like my father, will comment on my rendition and provide a bit more detail to important parts of the story and this history that I am missing.  I will say this though, many people dismiss their family history or do not give it the attention it deserve (or make fun of their father for being too in to it), but it is truly fascinating to visit a place where you're family once lived and prospered.  In a country as young as America that is rapidly growing and expanding, it is important to pause and reflect on the past and preserve it for future generations.  The Wheeler's are great stewards of the property and the history of the Digges family, and to them, the Morgan family is grateful for their interest and their hospitality. 

Above the threshold to the Castle, the inscription reads, "The Lord is My House of Defence and My Castle".

And beneath is engraved, "Sir Dudley Digges A.D. 1616 and Lady Mary Kempe"

Click on photos to view

Above the Threshold

The Approach

The Man in front of his Castle

The Morgan Family at Chilham Castle

The gardens

The back door

The Two Digges

Dad and Tessa

The Morgan family with the Lady of the Manor, Tessa Wheeler

The entrance to Chilham Castle

Dudley Digges compares his portrait (pictured at top of blog) to the one owned by the Wheeler's.

Sir Dudley Digges at home in Chilham

For more photos from our visit, please click here. 

Rare Cuts

My mom's birthday present did not arrive on time, so in need of a filler present, I headed over to Rare Cuts on Magazine and Nashville. I have been watching this store revamp itself from a Quilt House to a Steak House. Much to my dismay, the store has yet to open.

But, when I walked to the door, there was a notice, "For more information, please call our store in Harahan." Being the ever so curious person I am, I dialed the number to inquire more about the store's opening. At the other end of the line was a guy who graciously responded to Taylor Morgan's notorious 20 questions. What is the concept of your store? What will it look like when I walk in? Do you cater? How are you different from other stores? Yada Yada Yada, my typical 101.

At the end of the conversation, I asked if the store offers gift certificates. Of course, they do. These days what store doesn't? Problem though, it was 5 o'clock. I was due at my parents for a 5:30 birthday celebration. Rare Cuts boy was in Harahan, and I was Uptown. How was I going to get the gift certificate in my hand? Rare Cuts boy graciously offered to bring it to my parents house to help make this an extra special present for my mom. How's that for customer service?

Upon arrival at my parents house, I invited Rare Cuts boy in to my house to share with my mom the cool concept behind their store. They offer "meat tastings" in your home, restaurant quality meat in their store, and a meat of the month club. My parents are now dying to try out Rare Cuts. If all goes according to plan, the store will open on Tuesday. Back to basics with a local butcher shop that offers complimentary Bloody Mary's on Saturdays. Be sure to check them out.

Coolest Dessert Ever

Compliments of Chef Alma

Ashley doctored up eight flavors from Baskin-Robbins to make Mom's birthday "cake". She copied a recipe/picture from Bon Appetit, and the outcome of her dessert was so much better than the magazine. Flavors include Rainbow Sherbert, Mint Chocolate Chip, Cookies and Cream, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, Pistachio Almond, Jamoca, World Class Chocolate, Caramel Praline Cheesecake.

Oh, P.S., this "cake" came with the coolest sparking candles ever.

Happy Birthday to the Best Mom in the World!!

My mom may not see this tribute to her on her birthday, since reading my blog remains on her to do list. Around the house, there are tablets with lists of things my mom needs to do, and I kid you not "Read MTM's blog" is written prominently in the middle of the tablet and circled a few times. (I tried to get Alma to snap a photo of this wonder, but my mother recently cleaned the entire house and threw away her to do lists even though she hadn't completed all of the tasks).

So, Mom, if you are in cyberspace reading this post to you:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Everyone thinks their mom is the greatest, but I really do. You are a terrific planner who plans wonderful celebrations. You bend over backward to get things accomplished. You give 110% to everything because you want everything to be perfect.

I even love the looks you give me when I need to sit up straight, take smaller bites, do not approve of my outfit, need to join in the conversation. While the looks are annoying at the start, I know you are trying to make me a better person. I appreciate your pushing me to always go the extra mile.

Tonight we will celebrate with champagne, cake and presents at the house, and then we will attend a family party at the de Laureals house. Mom technically already celebrated her birthday on our trip to London at our stay at Lords of the Manor, the most divine small luxury hotels of the world. What is cool about this place is Mom and Dad came here on their 5th wedding anniversary, and Mimi and Grandad followed soon thereafter to experience the wonder of which Mom and Dad raved.

While at Lords of the Manor, we celebrated with tea, crumpets and champagne on the lawn. We then retreated to our rooms to freshen up, and then we had a 5 course meal in their 2 Michelin Star restaurant. Chef Alma remarked that she was on, "Cloud Nine," and that was enough to please my mom forever. My mom does not like things, she likes moments and experiences, and I know this dinner was a favorite for her.

Mom, Happy Birthday. Enjoy your day. You deserve it. I love being a Margaret with you, and thank you for teaching me everything I know. I aspire to be as great as you are. XOXO

The 35 GBP Cab Ride

Mom, Ash and I got a late start on Wednesday morning after our big Tuesday night out. Mom had big plans for tourist attractions, Ash and I intended to get out of them. So, in an attempt to not feel like such failures at touring London, we hailed a cab and made the driver drive us around Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guards. Ash and Mom hopped out of the cab to get close, while I held the cab, but the police officers made us drive on and it was kind of a freaky chase to get mom and Ash back in the cab before we were all potentially separated from one another for the rest of the day. After they got back in the cab, the cab driver chased the horses around the Palace, and we got a legit close up view.

Then, it was back to the Angel area where we went to the Antique markets in Camden Park. We spent a good three hours there, much longer than we should have, but we got some good loot. P.S. In Camden Park, we found the equivalent to the British Pinkberry, but not nearly as cool, not to worry!

We then left the area lugging a huge bag full of antique silver through several tube stops to end up at Cafe Pasta (so unlike the Morgans) in Covent Gardens.

After a wonderful lunch of portabello mushrooms with cheese and pesto, antipasti platter, pizza, pasta and salad, the Morgan's headed to what is now their new favorite store, Orla Kiley. My new favorite store is Liberty of London. Such a cool department store. Normally, I think trinkets in a department store are rubbish, but I swear I wanted every single thing in the store.

Orla Kiely

Liberty of London

Alexander, this post is for you!

After a wonderful trip to Westminster Abbey, we settled down in a pub for a traditional pub meal. It might have been my favorite meal the whole trip due to the uniqueness of their traditional fare -- meat pies, sausages, fish and chips, mushy peas, Yorkshire pudding, gravy. Its so fascinating to me that these items are their go to staples. Al, if you're curious, mom and I settled on the Bloody Mary sausages, which we decided were too mushy, and the sampling of meat pies. :)