Cocktails in New Orleans: A First Timer's Guide

Sometimes you leave home to find yourself. This was what my trip to New Orleans felt like for me. I was struggling with being alone in isolation for two going on three months and the walls were honestly staring to close in. I needed to get away and I don’t mean to sound dramatic but I HAD to leave the city. I really didn’t need to go all the way to New Orleans but I had cancelled a trip to Puerto Rico that left me with hundreds of dollars in Jet Blue travel credit so my friend Walid and I decided to pay the $60 round trip cost of the flight and book a hotel stay and voila we were heading to NOLA!

My girl Sharlene had her birthday in NOLA this March and I was unable to make it so I knew that I needed to visit at least once! The day came and I was off to NOLA! Massachusetts requires masks when you are outside your home and all airports and airlines require them while on their premises as well as in flight. So I was masked from when I left my apartment that morning until I landed in NOLA. That was definitely a first! I thought that there would be delays at the airport but between checking my bag and TSA, the process took about 20 mins. The airport clearly marked the 6ft WHO and CDC requirement for social distancing all the way from check in to boarding. I appreciated that most people followed the recommendations.

THE ARRIVAL

Getting to NOLA was like stepping off the plane into a new world. My lungs expanded more, I immediately felt energized despite the almost four hour flight. NOLA was immediately different from Boston. As masks were not state mandated, some people had them on and others didn’t. So it was initially confusing to me if I should keep the mask on or take it off. I figured that I would keep the mask on when in public and take it off at the hotel or when having meals.

NOPSI HOTEL

The hotel was incredible. My friend Walid is a wiz at finding hotel deals – let’s pause real quick and say we all need a Walid. We stayed at Nopsi Hotel. It’s a hotel in downtown NOLA with Americana decor, the comfiest beds, an incredible double doored bathroom and a super helpful staff. The hotel also boasts proximity to Bourbon street! No Ubers necessary! Oh, did I mention that the hotel had a rooftop pool? Y’all I needed the break so bad that within minutes of checking in, I was changed and poolside in the hotel cabana? Y’all I hadn’t been in a body of water since last year! I’m a water baby and I felt like I was getting back to myself the longer I soaked poolside.

Rooftop Pool

I think it goes without saying that in June, while Boston is approaching summer and definitely warmer that the earlier months of the year, NOLA was still sooo much hotter! I’m talking high 60Fs-70Fs in Boston and low to high 80Fs in NOLA! My melanin was activated and I was glistening from the heat and humidity. I remember stopping and being grateful. Literally saying a prayer because I recognized how much I needed this respite and how blessed I was to be able to take it.

#NOLADining

Dining in NOLA was honestly my number one reason for visiting Louisiana. I don’t get going to a place and not eating like the locals. I love finding the watering holes that are off the beaten path that only locals know about. And yes, I also very much enjoy fine dining people! It’s called balance *insert smirk faced emoji*. When we landed in NOLA we found both! We enjoyed local dining at Red Dog Diner, some crawfish from Cajun Seafood (have you really been to NOLA if you haven’t had crawfish?) and also enjoyed the very fine dining at Josephine Estelle and Broussard’s (that etoufee? Lawd help us!). And so eat we did!

TO THE FRENCH QUARTER & BEYOND ...

Ok, so we ate and then it was time to explore! NOLA blew my mind. Parts of the city feel like you are walking through an old Spanish colonial city and then you cross the street and are in modern day America. That was wild! I enjoyed the architecture. The Spanish influence woven with the French references from street names to food all made New Orleans so much more than just another travel destination. NOLA became an experience – almost a pilgrimage where a full appreciation of what it means to marry the old and new met.

New Orleans carried us throughout the city with its very own soundtrack: a melange of jazz, hip hop and some Latin vibes. Yes, I was dancing in the streets. Yes, I stopped to enjoy the many street performers who had me riveted and swaying as I strolled the French Quarter. New Orleans was a whole vibe. I get how Mardi Gras can become a week long fête!