Join us as we make our way through New Orleans, uncovering all the jazz to take in, restaurants to try, shopping to peruse, museums to visit, and more. If you missed yesterday’s newsletter, start there, then come back and pick this one up.

Day Two:

Beignets are a must in New Orleans; think of them as the city’s donut. You can’t go wrong with Cafe du Monde, Cafe Beignet, or our new favorite, Hot Benny’s. If you go to Cafe du Monde, think about heading to the City Park location for a more local vibe. Grab a box of the mix to take home; it’s a great Christmas morning treat. After filling up on beignets, head to a museum.

New Orleans is full of many different types of museums, something for everyone. I suggest spending the morning visiting the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art, or The National World War II Museum.

After a morning of culture, do a little shopping on Magazine, Uptown, and the Bywater. A few shops I love to pop into are:

Book lunch at San Lorenzo for a nice, fancy meal. I ordered the Caesar salad and a side of truffle fries. So delicious!

Walk off lunch by wandering through Congo Square within Armstrong Park. This park played a significant role in the Black community and as a hot spot for jazz music. Going back to times of enslavement, Congo Square was a constant safe place for the Black community. ⁠On Sundays, you can find the Congo Square Drum Circle performing from 3-6 pm.

We headed to Hotel Peter and Paul, another beautifully designed hotel within a former church, for happy hour. It was the calm and downtime we needed after a morning of exploring and learning. The lounge is kid-friendly, but the bar is 21+.

After drinks, head over to Dooky Chase’s to learn about the importance of this institution in the Civil Rights Movement and visit Treme’s Petit Jazz Museum.

Top your night off with reservations to have one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten: Saffron. We ordered several dishes and split everything. It was amazing! The style is Indian, but it’s not what we’ve come to expect from Indian restaurants in America. It’s so forward-thinking and plated as if it were a piece of art. Be sure to order the ginger creme brulee. Wow! So good!

***

See you here for one more post, rounding out days three and four. Thank you to Explore Louisiana for inviting us to town! – Erin