The Napoleon House in New Orleans has an interesting history:

The optimistic plot to provide refuge for the exiled Napoleon Bonaparte by the original owner, Nicholas Girod, Mayor of New Orleans from 1812 to 1815, did not come to pass for the emperor. The building has been known as the Napoleon House ever since, either as an Italian grocery store to a restaurant with countless servings of the signature Pimm's Cup and long list of classic Creole favorites.

Remaining true to itself, the deeply patinated walls, uneven floors, luminous photography, and a sea of quotes from famous to regular guests covering the walls between the weathered paintings, speak to the many decades of dedicated service and one of the world's greatest bars.

I ordered the "Pimm's Cup Original": Pimm's Cup has New Orleans lore the popular drink made its mark at the Napoleon House bar in the late 1940s amongst the bon viveur set. Unique to its maker, it is a gin based aperitif mixed with fresh lemonade, 7 up, and a sliver of cucumber that would be a refreshing cocktail that cools you off during heated summer days in New Orleans.



It's made with a British gin based liquor & lemonade, splash of lemon-lime soda & cucumber garnish. And, it's absolutely phenomenal. I could drink these all day every day. Sweet, refreshing and comforting.

After the accidental sazerac at the imposter bar down the street, we made our way to The Roosevelt Hotel Sazerac Bar.

SAMPLE THE WORLD’S FIRST MIXED DRINK AT THE SAZERAC BAR. 

Named after what many consider to be the world’s first mixed drink, The Sazerac Bar carries as much history as its potable namesake. Just gazing at the famous Paul Ninas murals flanking the African walnut bar takes you back to the grandeur of old New Orleans – a time when Huey P. Long would stroll in, order a Ramos Gin Fizz, and spend the next couple of hours talking to his constituents. 

Restored to reflect the spirit of the original establishment, elegant bar stools and plush banquettes invite locals and visitors alike to enjoy hand-crafted cocktails and free-flowing conversations. Make your night one to remember by starting it off in style at a New Orleans institution recently named the #1 Hotel Bar in the U.S. by thousands of voters in the 2018 USAToday 10Best poll.

This bar is beautiful, complete with folks dressed to the nines and an $18 sazerac. You read that right. I even got it to go because, well, you can drink on the streets in New Orleans. So, an $18 drink in a plastic cup.  



But, can I say I had a sazerac at THE Sazerac Bar in New Orleans? Yes. Yes, I can. Can't say I loved it, though.

Buckle up, because I have a story for you.

A Sazerac is a strong drink with sugar, rye whiskey, herbsaint, bitters and lemon. It's a signature of New Orleans, and most people say you must try it at The Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel.

So, we took an Uber to the corner where it was located, saw the sign that said "Roosevelt" and strolled in.

We strolled into the Roosevelt Hotel Bar, NOT The Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel. The former is a bit more rough-around-the-edges dive bar while the latte is the classy place known for the drink. We didn't realize this until we were half a Sazerac deep and a local was describing the area to us.

I proceeded to finish my (very strong) drink so I could have another at the bar next door.

Cochon was one of my splurges while in New Orleans. It's a bit pricy, but it's totally worth it. The restaurant focuses on southern cajun cooking, and it was one of the first reservations I made.

Say hi to Kaitlynn!

AT COCHON, CHEF LINK HAS RECONNECTED WITH HIS CULINARY ROOTS, SERVING THE TRADITIONAL CAJUN SOUTHERN DISHES HE GREW UP WITH. CHEF LINK AND CHEF/CO-OWNER STEPHEN STRYJEWSKI ARE WORKING WITH LOCALLY SOURCED PORK, FRESH PRODUCE AND SEAFOOD, FOCUSING ON TRADITIONAL METHODS, CREATING AUTHENTIC FLAVORS OF CAJUN COUNTRY.

First, we started with these fresh, hot rolls that were unreal. I even convinced Kaitlynn (anti-carb) to eat one!

Then, it was fried alligator with chili garlic mayonnaise. If I didn't think about it, this tasted good. It was similar to chicken, but maybe a bit more firm.

Then, I had to try fried boudin. It's loose mix of ground pork (which includes liver, heart, kidney, blood), rice, onions, and seasonings molded into a ball, breaded and deep-fried. It is in line with "whole hog butchery" so none of the scraps go to waste.

And, it was really tasty! The texture threw me off for a second because it's similar to raw beef, but the flavor was delicious.

Finally, I tried the chicken and andouille gumbo. You can't go to New Orleans and not try gumbo. It has a very deep, rich flavor.


And this was Kaitlynn's, which I believe is fried livers.

Overall, a really fun dinner experimenting with new dishes and trying new things. Every single thing was new to me - and that's exactly how I like it!

Mother's Restaurant is an old-school spot in New Orleans that claims "World's Best Baked Ham."

There was a bit of a line outside, which stretched down the walkway. And, once you got inside, it wrapped around the dining room until finally getting to the counter where you can order.

Once we were inside, I looked over the menu and wanted to try a little bit of everything.

I thought I could get a sampling of that in their "Famous Ferdi Special" po'boy, which has ham, roast beef, the original debris with au jus gravy. I also got a side of "Jerry's Jambalaya."

Once we took our seats, we waited for the food to arrive.





The sandwich is pretty big - even the small. The meats are roasted fresh in restaurant ovens and carved on site. served on New Orleans french bread. But mustard was good to add a little zing.

The jambalaya had a bit of a kick, and it was so, so good! Definitely add this as a side if you're here.

What's your favorite dish here?

There is just something so special and sweet about little coffee shops and bakeries. I just can't resist when I pass by one. That was the case with Envie.

I went for a frappe cafe au lait, which was just SO good.

And, I was able to (barely) resist all these goodies!

It's brunch time! The Ruby Slipper Cafe is well-known to be one of the best spots to down eggs benedict in the area, so we lined up bright and early to get our seat - and there was already a line 15 minutes prior to opening!

The Ruby Slipper Cafe is an award-winning cafe famous for our breakfast, brunch & lunch offerings. We bring New Orleans flair to southern breakfast standards, brunch classics and fresh lunch dishes. We were founded in New Orleans, Louisiana in 2008. From there we have grown to 10 locations! Six in New Orleans, one in Baton Rouge, La. and three stretching along cities on the Gulf Coast including, Mobile, Orange Beach and Pensacola Fl.

First things first: cocktails. I ordered a "Ruby Slipper," which is a mimosa with OJ and pomegranate. 

I didn't get a ton of pomegranate in mine - but what a concept! I'd like pomegranate in every drink of mine for the rest of time, thanks.

Next up came the hard part: Choosing which benedicts I wanted.

Fortunately, they have a genius option called "The Peacemaker," where you can mix and match two signature benedicts.

I ended up ordering two of their best-sellers:

EGGS COCHON
Slow-cooked, apple-braised pork debris served over a buttermilk biscuit, topped with two poached eggs, finished with hollandaise

CHICKEN ST. CHARLES Fried chicken breast served over a buttermilk biscuit, topped with two poached eggs, finished with a pork tasso cream sauce


You truly can't go wrong with either. Both fabulous.