Cemeteries and Swamp Tours in New Orleans

Believe it or not, we did more than eat and drink while we were in New Orleans. We spent a lot of time walking around the French Quarter (and enjoying the Mississippi River view), and even did several historical sightseeing tours.

One of my favorite tours of our trip was of one of the graveyards located in the French Quarter, St. Louis Cemetery #1. (I don't have the name of the tour company, since Z's parents were generous enough to book it - but after a quick Google search, it looks like most of the tour companies in that area get good reviews).

The tour started at Cafe Beignet, and as we walked toward the cemetery, our enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide told us some history about New Orleans and the French Quarter.

Eventually, we made it to the gravesite, which was unlike any cemetery I had ever seen. 

This particular cemetery is only the size of about one square block, but it is the resting place for thousands of people - dating back to the 1700's. In New Orleans, the water table is very high, so burying bodies in the ground like we do here in New England could - and has - caused coffins to float above ground. To prevent this from happening as much as possible, early settlers implemented the above ground tombs that fill NOLA's cemeteries today. Families can purchase a tomb and have all of their family members buried in that same "grave."

You might be thinking: How do they fit generations of coffins in one tomb? The rule of thumb in New Orleans is, as long as a body has been in the tomb for a year and a day, cemetery workers can remove the remains from the coffin and place them in the back or the side of the tomb, making way for a new coffin. The summers are so hot in New Orleans that most corpses are basically incinerated after one summer. Crazy, right? And a bit morbid...but I found this all very interesting!

I sadly have no photos of the other tours we took, but we did go on a fun and informative bike ride with  Confederacy of Cruisers, as well as a canoe trip down the bayou/swamp. (I, again, don't have the name of the company we rented canoes from, but there are a ton of places that offer them around NOLA). 

One last thing I saw and loved in New Orleans: chandeliers.

Almost everywhere we went, ceilings were adorned with the most unique, beautiful, and sometimes elaborate chandeliers. The photo above is from the room Z's parents and brother stayed in at a B&B in the Garden District. 

We had such a fantastic time in New Orleans. I'm already eager to go back - there is so much more to see and do!

Happy New Year, everyone!! What are you looking forward to in 2013? I'm excited to get married, and to dive into my new career. :)

Eating Vegetarian in New Orleans

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! We had a fantastic time in New Orleans. We saw a lot, we ate a lot, and we drank a lot. I have quite a bit to share with you, but I am going to try to recap the trip in two posts. I am ambitious.

To start, I'd like to share what it's like being a vegetarian in New Orleans. In a nutshell: It's not hard to find something to eat, but the locals will laugh at you once you tell them you don't eat meat. We're foreigners to them, and rightfully so - almost every menu we glanced at included mufalettas, bacon, and/or alligator. However, almost every menu we perused also included at least one or two vegetarian options, if not more - you just need to go to the right places.

We stayed in the French Quarter, and Z's family stayed in the Garden District, so most of the restaurants we tried were in those two areas. Here are some of the best spots we tried on our trip:

Turtle Bay New Orleans

Let's be honest: Turtle Bay had few vegetarian food options, but they did have good beer on tap (such as NOLA Hurricane Saison). We did try their French fries, which were wonderfully crispy and salty, although obviously pre-frozen. The main reason - besides the beer - we returned to Turtle Bay on several evenings was because of the Photo Hunt at the bar. That game is addicting, and nearby patrons joined in the fun on more than one occasion. 

The Avenue Pub

This place was recommended to Z for their impressive beer list, but their food was also decent. Their vegetarian entrees were basically non-existent, but we did share an order of their Homemade Hummus ($6) and their St. James Cheese Plate ($11.50). The hummus was perfectly smooth, and I loved the crumbled feta and fresh tomato on top. The cheese plate was also impressive, consisting of more than enough cheese to share among two people. 

Crescent City Brewhouse

This spot was again recommended to Z for their beer list, but we stopped in for lunch one day and had a great salad. I believe it was the Beer Garden Salad, but regardless, it was fresh, tasty and not overly dressed (like many salads we had in New Orleans were).

Vieux Carre Pizza

If you're looking for a slice in the French Quarter, this is probably the only place to get one (their is allegedly one other place, but we never found it). Boston pizza definitely has them beat, but after a few daiquiris on Bourbon Street, a slice of cheese definitely hit the spot. (They also offer a vegetarian pizza, but were out of slices the night we visited).

Restaurant Stanley

Hands down, the best breakfast/brunch we had in New Orleans was at Stanley. Our neighbor for the week recommended this place, and we were so glad we went. Their peppery Bloody Marys ($8) are garnished with pickled green beans and olives, and we paired our Bloodys with the egg sandwich (it's not listed on their online menu, so I don't have the price). We ordered our egg sandwiches without the bacon, but they were still piled high with fresh eggs, spicy mayonnaise, sauteed onions and cheese. This was the ultimate Hurricane hangover cure.

Other notable places we dined at include Domenica (best meal of the trip, by far - I highly recommend ordering their Wild Mushroom Pizza ($13), without the bacon), and Verti Marte Deli, for their breakfast sandwiches. Upon walking into Verti Marte Deli, you might be hesitant to order there - but I swear, their egg sandwiches were incredible, and only $3 a pop.

One final note: Every place we went to was willing to tweak a menu item to make it vegetarian (one place, in the NOLA airport, even made us a vegetarian sandwich on the spot, because they were out of veggie burgers). So, don't be afraid to ask!

Early next week, I'll share with you some of the other places we saw and tours we took while in New Orleans. Until then, have a great weekend!