Have you heard of Appalachian Tea?
It's new business opening up on the West Side, and they've been hosting tastings here and there as they prepare for the opening of the location.
When I saw there was a tea + Girl Scout cookie pairing, I thought that this would be my perfect intro.
As a Girl Scout alum, I get excited seeing how local businesses are using the cookies as part of their marketing. 'Tis the season.
Let me be the first to say that I know next to nothing about tea. Really. So I was really excited to learn a bit more.
When I first arrived, I was able to pick out my own teacup. There were some beautiful floral ones, but for some reason this tiny blue one stuck out to me. Maybe because it was tiny, therefore less tea - since I'm sill learning! But that was mine for the tasting.
Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookie and Gunpowder tea.
Girl Scout Tagalong cookie & Assam tea.
Girl Scout Samoa Cookie & Rooibos tea.
Girl Scout Trefoil cookie & Lady Grey tea.
What is your favorite kind of tea?
Coop's Place became an inside joke for Kaitlynn and me after we tried to go on the first night, and they closed early. After that, we kept trying to make it back but it wasn't until the last day we were able to swing by.
Coop's Place is a laidback, down-home bar and kitchen. We were ID'ed as soon as we stepped in, but then we took a seat and looked over the menu.
I ordered the "Coop's Taste Plate" which had a cup of seafood gumbo, shrimp creole, cajun fried chicken, red beans & rice with sausage, and rabbit & sausage jambalaya. It was all sort of mixed up on this one plate of goodness.
The gumbo was good - much lighter than the prior one I tried. And the rest was all just so, so good. The shrimp creole blew my mind, and the jambalaya was right there, too. My mouth is watering as I write this.
Brennan's Restaurant stands out with its salmon pink exterior along the street.
Brennan's Restaurant is a New Orleans restaurant tradition since 1946. Chef Slade Rushing's innovative Creole menu borrows influences from French and Spanish ancestry with modern updates and distinct seasonal offerings. Old-world elegance inspired dining rooms, and personable, attentive service, create a unique and sophisticated experience.
It has been named one of the top 100 brunch places in America. Oh, and one more thing: They created bananas foster.
We'll get to that in a second. Let's start with brunch.
I ordered "Eggs Sardou," which had Crispy Artichokes, Parmesan Creamed Spinach, and Choron Sauce. Just, wow. I want more crispy artichokes in my life.
So, so good. Crispy and creamy and veggies and eggs. Just delish.
Then, we ordered bananas foster at the end of our meal.
It's prepared tableside.
Butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum and banana liqueur and bananas are cooked. The alcohol is added and ignited. It then caramelizes the bananas a bit, which is served over vanilla ice cream. Ours didn't really ignite. So we ended up with the sauce, but not so much the flambe. Still tasty!
And, look at these bathrooms.
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.
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