At Canal Place. Top is All Saints, Jeans are AG, shoes are Urban Outfitters, and bag is Rebecca Minkoff.

A beautiful vintage gown from Century Girl.

My personal favorite piece from the Ashley Longshore gallery.

Waiting on a French 75 before dinner at Arnaud’s

Fried fish Po Boy from Royal House. A carb-lover’s dream.

You’ll leave Cafe du Monde with a sugar high and sticky fingers. It’s totally worth it.

Fried chicken hummus & fresh-out-of-the-oven pita bread at Shaya.

Bread Pudding Soufflé at Commanders Palace.

A few weeks ago, I visited New Orleans for the first time. As a newcomer in the Crescent City, I was instantly hooked by the classic southern architecture, fantastic food, & dangerously awesome open container laws. Here’s everything we did, saw, & ate while exploring the Big Easy:

Shopping

The shopping in New Orleans includes the perfect mix of eclectic local finds & big-name stuff. If you’re looking to shop designer or chain stores, check out Canal Place. There, you’ll find standard favorites like Saks, Louis Vuitton, Tory Burch, & Anthropologie.

If you’re looking for more one-of-a-kind shops, head over to Magazine Street. This (long) stretch of shops, bars, & restaurants will keep you occupied for hours. Make sure you check out Century Girl, an upscale vintage and designer shop with everything from 70’s Gucci Jewelry to vintage silk robes & wedding dresses. This place looks like the inside of your impossibly chic grandmother’s closet. You’ll definitely find something special to take home with you.

The Ashley Longshore gallery on Magazine is another must-do. Her artwork is packed with personality and a punch. Stop in & take it in, even just to find some inspiration & a smile.

Drinking

New Orleans is the place to be for a great cocktail. You shouldn’t come to the city and not enjoy a French 75, a delicious, slightly tart champagne cocktail. For this, go to Arnaud’s French 75 Bar. This cozy spot gets crowded quick, but most people only stay for one or two before or after dinner, so it’s not hard to snag a table after a few minutes of eyeing someone who is signing their check.

Another classic NOLA haunt is the Carousel Bar inside Hotel Monteleone. Again, it’s hard to grab a spot at the bar (it’s an actual revolving carousel, so who wouldn’t want to have a drink there?) so try your luck and see what happens.

If you want to hear some great live music, head down to Frenchmen Street. It’s a whole lot of fun without all the craziness of Bourbon Street. Music spills out from every bar and you can easily spend an entire night there without cabbing anywhere else.

Eating

Of course, I saved the best for last. I wish I could have gumbo every single day of my life. I ordered it three days in a row in New Orleans. Our first dinner was at Restaurant R’evolution, which ruined all other food for me. Forever. If you’re looking for a nice dinner in New Orleans, look no further.

For a casual lunch spot, we stumbled upon The Royal House. It’s a cute cafe in the middle of the French Quarter (think Po Boys, shrimp, oysters, & giant Bloody Marys). Ask to sit on the upstairs porch if it’s not too warm outside.

Next up was the impossibly trendy and fun Jack Rose. It’s in the Pontchartrain Hotel. Here you’ll see one of Ashley Longshore’s greatest works, a canvas featuring Lil Wayne holding the Jack Rose signature dessert, a mile high ice cream pie. It’s the perfect photo-op before you head to your table. Here I continued on my gumbo tour, & this one certainly did not disappoint.

Jack Rose is the perfect place for a celebration. We saw birthday & bachelorette groups drinking out of Chambongs and getting down to the eclectic playlist. This is NOT the place if you’re looking for a calm. quiet dinner!

Beignets are an institution in New Orleans, but don’t just go anywhere for them. Cafe du Monde is the #1 pick if you want the real experience. Pro tip: don’t wait in the giant line! All you have to do is find an unoccupied table in the covered area & a server will be over to greet you shortly. You’ll be full of sugar & coffee before you know it.

*Check out this list for other noteworthy places to grab a plate of Beignets in New Orleans.

Shaya is the perfect place to go once (or if) you get tired of traditional New Orleans creole dishes. Mediterranean flavors rule here & you can expect to eat the best hummus & pita you’ve ever had. The back garden area is a great place to sit & have a mimosa for lunch. Everything is family-style, so order a handful of items for the table!

If you want to do a Jazz Brunch, spring for the Commanders Palace experience. It felt like I was in Disney World the entire time (in the best way possible).

The menu is pre fixe-style. I chose to start with a French 75 &biscuit with gravy and fried oysters. Our entrees ranged from pork & eggs benedict, pecan-crusted gulf fish, & blackened shrimp.

Around the time we got our entrees, the band showed up to give us a private show in our secluded room. It was such a memorable experience. They even let us put in a request for them to play!

Everything was amazing at Commanders Palace, from the drinks, to the music, to the A+ service. All of this, however, could not compare to the dessert we enjoyed. The baked apple crisp with homemade spice cake made me feel all the Fall goodness I could ever dream of. The deconstructed praline pecan pie parfait was creamy, dreamy, & delicious. The next, though, was the bread pudding soufflé, which was the clear overall winner. Underneath a soft meringue topping was a hot bowl of bread pudding. Our server topped it with a hot maple whiskey sauce & we were in heaven. Don’t miss out on this place.

Apples with Spice Cake at Commanders Palace.

Heavenly seafood gumbo at Restaurant R’evolution.

With Lil Wayne at the Ashley Longshore gallery.

A view from the park while walking to get morning coffee and beignets.

XX,

C&C

@cornbreadandcashmere

@cornbreadandcashmerecloset