Portable Mind: A sort of travel guide

72 Hours in New Orleans - dining

Breakfast was, of course, at Cafe du Monde. No trip to New Orleans would be complete without several cups of the famous cafe au lait partnered with light-as-air beignets drowning in a pile of powdered sugar. It was enough to keep us going for awhile as we wandered through the French Quarter, though the temperature hovered around 29 degrees.

We ended up, as you do, in Reverend Zombie's House of Voodoo, and Irene couldn't help herself - when the cashier mentioned to her that one of the house psychics was available to do a reading, she handed over $20 and disappeared. Though, I think the major selling point was that they had a heater in the back. While she got the low down on her future, I chatted with the huge tattooed skinhead dude, who was totally sweet and told me where to get great Vietnamese soup. 

Who knew.

72 hours in New Orleans - dining

 

Our days in New Orleans were dictated by where we were going to dine each evening. I'd booked a reservation at Herbsaint, where I'd been before and the fond memories have lingered ever since. The restaurant is located about 2 blocks from Le Cirque, in a renovated building with large windows that look out onto St Charles avenue and the passing streetcars. There is a lovely front bar, and the dining room is open and airy - almost like dining outdoors.

Irene had the short ribs, and I had one of the evening specials - skate with a blood orange and bacon sauce, cooked perfectly, with a side of roasted cauliflower and a sazerac. Both dinners were perfect, and Herbsaint did not disappoint. I've read some reviews that complain about the wait staff, but our waitress was lovely. It's the atmosphere that I love - a quintessentially New Orleans vibe that permeates into the dining room. The couple at the table next to us, finishing up their dinner and already a few cocktails in, joined our conversation when we were discussing how to spend the next three days. They enthusiastically added to my rapidly growing list of places to dine, drink, and hear music by telling us about:The Rivershack Tavern and the Mapleleaf for live music; for dining: Patois and Lilette; and, for trouble: F&M Patio Bar, where customers dance on the pool tables. To wit, a quote from Yelp about F&M: I like to arrive around 2 am when the crowd really begins.

Decisions were going to be tough.

72 hours in New Orleans - arrival

Irene’s first encounter with a local was the taxi driver at New Orleans International Airport, a sweet grandmotherly type with missing front teeth and a tendency to laugh uproariously at herself. She welcomed us, took our bags, stuffed them in the trunk of the cab, and eagerly began talking to us about where to go on our visit. She provided us with information on what taxi cab companies to use (United Cabs), where we could find a Wal-Mart, and a few gory details on the dangers of driving a cab post-Katrina. She was, perhaps, crazy - while chatting nonstop with us, she was also talking to her boss - though, there wasn't a radio dispatch turned on nor an earbud in her ear. I couldn't help but sneak glances at the letter to God written on her logbook, and wonder if her boss was indeed... ?

We'd landed in the Big Easy for a long weekend away. I hadn't been back since before Katrina and I was eager. I felt as though I was visiting an old friend after years apart. When asked what we were planning to do on our girls weekend, the only response I could come up with was - Eat. If I knew anything, it was that there was a wealth of spectacular dining experiences to be had. 

Because of the vast and geographically diverse list of restaurants, I chose Hotel Le Cirque in the warehouse/arts district - it sits perfectly between between the French Quarter and the Garden District. Le Cirque is a simple but comfortable boutique hotel; and the rate for my weekend was $99 per night. Our room lacked a mini bar, but had a coffeemaker; bath amenities were sparse (shampoo and soap); but the hotel has a spa, and restaurant/wine bar that opens at 5pm. The only issue we had with the hotel was on our final night, when I was reminded that the walls are too thin. We turned in early (2am) and were kept awake until after 4. 

But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

 

From today's NYTimes: The Cost of High Anxiety About Flying grounds me psychologically as I prepare to travel this week, and - if all goes according to plan - every month in 2010.

 

emptyLA

This photo is from a very cool book I just discovered (via tumblangeles) - empty L.A., a photography book about one of my favorite cities. It's a bit eerie. Some people have commented that the images show us just how ugly Los Angeles is, but I don't feel that way. I see pieces of a city that I once lived in, quieted and vulnerable.

The photographer, Matt Logue, works in the film effects industry. Kind of explains his eye.

a taste of Italy from the Silver Spoon cookbook

Eggs with tomatoes - or, the more romantic version: Uova Al Piatto Con Pomodori

Dan made this fantastic lunch for us today. You should try it - under 30 minutes to make, and utterly delicious. His post and the recipe here.

the burden of poptech

The title of this post sounds worse than it actually is. PopTech, the annual conference in Maine that brings together thinkers and doers in the arts, education, science, media, technology, medicine, and politics, is a life-changing, inspiring event. However, on the Sunday morning that follows, one can't help but ask: What Am I Doing With My Life? 

I missed the first day, and it's unfortunate. One of the people I really wanted to hear speak is John Fetterman, the courageous and innovative mayor who is revitalizing the depressed city of Braddock, PA. Here is the PopTech post about his talk, and another post from Sharon Glassman at HuffPo. 

So, enter Day 2. The theme of the day was thinking differently, of shifting our mindsets; which, honestly, is the overarching theme of PopTech anyway. But, the speakers who were first up on Thursday asked the audience to change they way we relate to technology and think about the natural world. Here are the highlights:

Michael Pollan and Dean Ornish, on why we should learn how to cook, eat food that our great grandmothers would recognize, and make sustainable choices; Alec Ross, the determined senior advisor for innovation in the State Department who makes me hopeful; Will Allen, who alongside John Fetterman, is truly an American hero; the ridiculously brilliant Neri Oxman, and Mark O’Connor, who brought tears to my eyes with his unbelievable talent.

cancelled.

My birthday last week slipped by without much fanfare, which is totally fine with me; except that it’s always a good reason to take a trip. I’d planned on traveling to LA, but the trip was cancelled. Now, I'm most likely not traveling until December. Try not to get too depressed.

So what to give myself for my birthday (because, you know, this only happens once a year)? The $395 perfume or $348 bag? Each one is worth the price of a plane ticket, so I figure, it’s almost the same as if I’d hopped into seat 6A on Continental from EWR - LAX last Friday.

Almost.

devastated.

 

I grew up with this magazine, learned about food and travel by reading the exquisite editorial features, and still treasure each edition like a favorite book.

From today's New York Times:

Gourmet did not lack for impassioned readers. Alice Waters, the California restaurateur, said she nearly started crying when she heard of the closing. Gail Zweigenthal, a former editor in chief of Gourmet, said she was saddened. “I think it was the first magazine that taught people how to navigate the intricacies of foreign travel, where to stay, what to eat,” she said. “It was such a special magazine. It had such history.”

Tasting Notes: Ridge Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley

More from our vacation...

Some quick tasting notes:

1. Decant complex reds. Seriously, I didn't think decanters were anything more than lovely glass pitchers for wine. Until our laid back, but keenly knowledgeable pourer at Ridge taught us the difference. He poured us a tasting of wine that had been open for a day and decanted, or aerated; and wine that had just been opened. Turns out, there is a huge difference in taste. So much so that I now think seriously about drinking a red that has just been opened (for me that is serious thought). Complex reds: Zinfandels, Cabernets, Petite Sirahs, Syrahs, and any other reds that are heavier blends.

2. The glass does make a difference. Again, I doubted this to be true, figuring it was just some marketing ploy by Reidel. Our pourer gave us a red in two different glasses and asked us to smell, then taste. The difference in smell was so pronounced between the two glasses, I didn't even have to taste the wine to know that it would be better in the proper glass (in this case, it was a Cabernet in a glass with a larger bowl vs a glass with a smaller, narrower bowl).

And Ridge wines? All fantastic, and you can get most of them anywhere in the country. The tasting room is located in Dry Creek Valley, a gorgeous drive from the crowds of St Helena. Highly recommended.