Bonus! Lan's 11a - 14a in New Orleans

This is the first time I've been to New Orleans post-Katrina and it is definitely different. I'd guess that only 60-70% of the businesses have reopened and the ethnic makeup of the town has most certainly changed. As evidenced by some comments from my taxi drivers and some libelous t-shirts sold in stores, there are definitely some racial tensions between the post-Katrina Mexican population and the native black population.

Passing the Superdome on my ride into town from the airport, many of the businesses around the area had still not opened. Although they'd thought of condemning the Superdome after all that went on after Katrina, it looks like there are events going on in there again, a year and a half later. Since I was in New Orleans on business, I spent my days at the New Orleans convention center (acutely aware that this was where people went to as a safe haven after the levee broke).

Hotel rooms are scarce (& expensive) and flight schedules to New Orleans are few and far between. However, the native New Orleans residents that have returned are still as polite as I remembered from my first visit several years ago. The food is still delicious and fattening, but I'm very glad that I was able to visit New Orleans prior to the flood.

Driving on the freeways, water stains mark the height of the flood. Taxi drivers, waiters, and hotel staff all have their evacuation and survival stories, but what matters most to them is that they survived and they came back. The media has forgotten the Katrina victims. Sadly, a tornado hit New Orleans a few weeks ago, killing a woman who was staying in a FEMA trailer and ripping the roof off of a house that had JUST finished repairing the roof after Katrina (taxi driver told us and showed us the roof).

We didn't see Brad or Angelina.

I'll be back in 3 weeks to visit more bars, but here are the new bars I was able to visit on my 5-day stay. Because I'd been to New Orleans before, some of the bars we visited didn't make this list:

The Alpine
620 Chartres Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
504.523.3005

We walked into this bar because there was a cute husky doing tricks inside, and the bar itself had large doors that virtually made it an outdoor bar. Once you walk through the bar, you enter a beautiful courtyard where dinner is served (we'd already eaten). The bartender, who reminded me of a Pink Lady from Grease, made me a wonderful Bloody Mary complete with horseradish, pickled beans, jalapenos, and olives.

***



Boondock Saint
731 Saint Peter St
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 525-4950

The bathroom at this bar is teeny teeny tiny (but clean!). Had another Bloody Mary here with pickled beans and olives. I love Bloody Marys in the South! The bartender had neat tattoos and kept calling us honey. I love Southern manners.

***



Le Booze Bar @ The Royal Sonesta Hotel
300 Bourbon Street
New Orleans, LA 70130

After a 4-course chef's tasting at Emeril's NOLA (with wine pairing), I was already pretty drunk. However, the night was beautiful and balmy, so we thought we'd walk off all the fried butter and take a stroll down Bourbon Street. Since I hadn't been in this bar before, we stopped in. Once again, we were pulled in by the wide open doors. If I weren't already tipsy, I probably would have turned around upon entrance. Every asshole in this bar (undoubtedly in town for the same convention I was) was smoking a cigar. I got my glass of champagne, drank half, and got a to go cup from the bartender. I love the concept of alcohol to go--God bless New Orleans!

***

Bourbon Cowboy
125 Bourbon St.
New Orleans, LA 70130

Here, I rode a bull. Well, I wouldn't really call what I did riding. Balance is not a strength of mine.

Until next time, y'all!