New Orleans: Planning What to Eat Next!!

They don't call New Orleans the "Big Easy" for no reason.  Things are laid back there and that is just a cultural thing.  It is also why bringing up a kid there is a pretty unique experience.  There is football season and our beloved Saints...where one must wear some sort of Fleur de lis outfit at least once a week.  And then there is the food.  New Orleans is all about the food, therefore, every time we visit, we try to eat out somewhere we have never eaten before.  This past weekend was no different and Beckett seemed to enjoy every bit of it!

We arrived in New Orleans on Friday and, of course, the first thing that one begins to think about when arriving in the Crescent City is...FOOD!  That seems to be the topic of conversation as one meal ends; to then being planning where one will dine at the next meal.  We started the weekend off by dining at a John Besh restaurant, Borgne (http://www.borgnerestaurant.com/restaurant-bar/menu).  This was the first Besh restaurant we had visited and found it to be very good.  It had more of a modern feel than most New Orleans restaurants we have visited,  but as usual, New Orleans dining did not disappoint us.  Or Beckett for that matter, whose parents forgot his baby food at home; he didn't seem to mind eating off of our plates!

Saturday morning rolled around and we took Beckett to Story Land (see previous post) at the New Orleans City Park.  This 1300 acre park boasts many activities for young and old alike, so when I noticed that there was a sculpture garden nearby, I knew we had to visit it.  Surrounded by huge trees, a pond and benches, this quiet and thought- provoking garden could quickly become a favorite area for me.  I snapped a few photos of some sculptures I really liked...

                                                     How about this HUGE safety pin?!

                                                          And our beloved Blue Dog.

           I LOVE this sculpture!  It makes me think of that Beatles song, "All You Need Is Love".

                                                             Or how about this spider?

There were so many more beautiful and interesting sculptures there and what a great place to just bring a book and sit and read in the quiet.  After visiting the sculpture garden, Robby and I took Beckett back to David and Codi and headed to the Saenger Theatre (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saenger_Theatre_%28New_Orleans,_Louisiana%29) to our Broadway Across America show, "Memphis"...

After another great show...you've got it...we headed out to eat AGAIN!  This time we had reservations at "Manning's" (.http://www.harrahsneworleans.com/restaurants/mannings-eat-drink-cheer.html#.UymWN14aN0k ).  A really cool sport's bar with a New Orleans flair and a more casual atmosphere, we enjoyed everything from seafood to burgers and even green beer that evening.  OH...and Beckett got to enjoy some MORE food off of our plates as well!

We would be heading home Sunday morning but what could be better than a New Orleans brunch?  We picked one of the Top Ten Brunch restaurants to dine in that morning, "Elizabeth's"(http://www.elizabethsrestaurantnola.com/)...

Don't let the exterior of this restaurant fool you, like many great places to eat in New Orleans, "Elizabeth's" is housed in an older building that has WONDERFUL and different brunch options.

            I had the Fried Green Tomatoes, topped with Poached eggs and a Hollandaise Sauce.

                                                    And I fed Beckett my Cheesy Grits!

After brunch and before heading out, we walked to a nearby wharf that overlooks the river...

What a great weekend we had once again in NOLA visiting our kids and grandson.  We can't wait for the next visit.  And are already planning the next weekend of delicious meals!

                     And this little one said he is definitely leaving his baby food behind again!