New Orleans is a place I’ve always wanted to visit and I finally went. The city was every bit as magical as I imagined it would be. 

Michael and I traveled with his sister and brother-in-law, who grew up in New Orleans. It was great to be able to explore with a local. He was basically our own personal tour guide and took us to all the tried and true places while spouting little history bits along the way. 

Here’s the best things we ate, drank, and did (which was primarily eating and drinking).

ATE & DRANK

Meatball po’boy at Spitale’s Deli. This was one of the best sandwiches I have ever had. The bread! The meatballs! The sauce! All to die for.

It was also one of the messiest sandwiches I have even eaten and found sauce and lettuce in my hair long after the sandwich was gone.

Muffulettas at Central Grocery, the birthplace of muffulettas. This is a definite “must eat” in New Orleans. I’m pretty sure Michael dreams about this sandwich.

Fried oysters & a sazerac at Drago’s. These oysters are honestly one of the best things I have ever eaten in my life. I kid you not. Also, the bread dipped in the buttery sauce is life-changing.

Beignets & chicory coffee at Cafe du Monde. This was one of the highlights for me. The line will be long, but it will move fast and will be totally worth it. See that mountain of powdered sugar? Pro tip: don’t wear black and don’t put your elbows on the table.

Cocktails & snacks at Cane & Table. This place was beautiful with its exposed brick walls and chandeliers. All the cocktails are amazing and the food is really good.

Vieux Carres at Carousel Bar, the birthplace of Vieux Carres. If you’re not a rye whiskey fan I still highly recommend going. There is a legit moving carousel in there!

Frozen daiquiris on Bourbon Street, because you can.

Monsoons (AKA Blackout Juice) at Port of Call, the birthplace of Monsoons. Be careful here. These don’t taste like alcohol at all despite being 98% alcohol. I got the small version and I still didn’t finish it, because I didn’t want to die.

Last but certainly not least, Bourbon milk punch at the Bourbon House. OMG these were so good. It’s like drinking a milkshake with just a little taste of bourbon. We had three over the course of three days and plan to recreate them for Christmas.

DID

Walked around Bourbon street. You have to.

Explored Frenchman Street and listened to live music. There is live music everywhere. Some places will charge a cover and some will make you buy a drink or two.

St. Louis Cemetery #1 tour with French Quarter Phantoms. This tour was awesome and I highly recommend going on one. Our tour guide (Lizzie) was both knowledgeable and entertaining. We learned about killer caterpillars, death by moldy clothes, the various ways early settlers tried to bury people, Nicolas Cage’s grave, Marie Laveau, and voodoo. 

Watched parades. This isn’t a difficult thing to try to do. We saw at least 4 parades in one afternoon while walking around. 

Walked around Jackson Square. I forced Michael to take a selfie with me here and it was the worst part of his trip.

We obviously ate, drank, and did more than I listed here, but these were the highlights!

Please go to New Orleans!

You will not regret it. I promise. I can’t wait to go back and explore more!