Aaaaah, New Orleans . . .

We made it back from a few days in New Orleans.  Drove down from Weatherford to the city.  We got off on Poydras, went about five blocks, turned right and one more block to the hotel.  That was easy and convenient.

 We met James and Joan and Jacob, Anne and children for a stay in New Orleans.  We stayed at the Old 77 Hotel and Chandlery on Tchoupitolas Street.  Old 77 was a quaint place, newly configured, perhaps a couple of years old at best.  Chopped up old warehouses coupled together to make a hotel, restaurant and art dealership.  It was nice though sort of dated walking around tiled floors, then carpet, then wooden (and noisy) flooring.  The place was well done and the location was convenient.

Then we ate our way through the city.   First night we ate at the Pelican Club, a restaurant off Bienville, across the street from the Monteleone Hotel and down the alley.  The food was great.

The next night we ate a Commander's Palace across from the cemetery in the Garden District.  My great great grandfather is interred the cemetery.  And some of our relatives of later generations are also interred there with him.  Commander's, owned by the Brennan family, was spectacular.  We entered the place, went through the kitchen, passed the bar and patio to another dinning room out back.  The dinning room had a couple of large oak trees in the center.  Our waiter was Peter and he was magnificent.  The food was out of this world including the deserts.

The following night we ate at Emeril's Delmonico's on St. Charles Avenue.  The dinning room was up stairs and we were on time for our reservation.  We had a large round corner table in the front dinning room.  Service was again terrific and the food was excellent.

Friday, we had to get up and drive back to Texas.  Jacob, Anne and children caught the train, the City of New Orleans, for Chicago and James and Joan flew back to Austin, Texas.  We had a great time, drank to much, and ate to much, gained three or four pounds and loved it.

The weather cooperated, it was cool but dry and we walked to the French Quarter to have beignets at Café Du Mode.  Being old hands at it we walked past the long line of tourists wanting to sit outside, or the long line at the "togo" window and went in the small but cramped inside dinning area at got the first available table.  We actually got two tables adjacent to each other and had instant service.  No wait, just coffee and donuts.

We later walked down to the French Market, browsed around, caught the street car on the levee and rode back to Canal Street.  From there is was just a stroll back to the Old 77.

We passed a great time, enjoyed ourselves and the children but we were ready to go home.