Cocofloss visited New Orleans in April for a quick taste of Creole culture. Straddling the Mississippi River near the Gulf of Mexico, the city outshines its unique and musical reputation.
Visit Preservation Hall in the French Quarter where a band of musicians, young and grey, sing traditional New Orleans jazz with so much raspiness, joy, and soul. Stroll down Bourbon Street and if you’re lucky, catch a wedding procession – a wide-smiled bride, fancy parasol in one hand, husband in the other, tailed by a brass band in full swing, a wedding party, and celebrating passerbys.
Dance some more at the lofty-ceilinged bars on Frenchman Street. Jig along to the melange of hypnotic Louisiana French, the quick accordion, triangle, and scurrying washboard – swamp and Creole pop, at its best. Later in the night, sip a mint julep at another jazz bar and bounce along to classics from The Jungle Book and “Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In.”
The New Orleans menu is crawling with delicious fritters – beignets at Cafe du Monde are worth the wait – and critters for the adventurous – gator meatballs, rabbit stew, Creole crawfish, turtle soup, and gumbo. Visit historic Commander’s Palace to experience white-glove service that includes a personal jazz serenade (Louis Armstrong, perhaps?), homestyle entrees, and Bloody Marys. For a contemporary splurge, finish up at August. The new restaurant’s Gone with the Wind interior, glittering chandeliers, perfect cuts, and desserts (how we love that banana pudding) will impress.
Oh New Orleans, how much fun you are! We’re still dancing inside.
Thanks to Tiffany (New York, NY) for taking Cocofloss to NOLA!
Where are you taking #cocofloss? Submit pics & travel tips to team@cocofloss.com. Earn Cocofloss and Coco-swag.
Trivia
1. In [this movie], a hardworking waitress dreams of opening the nicest restaurant in New Orleans.
2. New Orleans was established as [this country’s] colony of Louisiana.
3. [This practice] describes an underground religion that originated from West African, French, and Spanish influences.
4. The term Creole was originally used by [this nationality] settlers to distinguish those born in Louisiana from those born elsewhere. Today, Creole describes people whose colonial roots were in New Orleans.
5. In [this contract], the United States acquired 827,000 miles of land west of the Mississippi for $15 million.
6. New Orleans dentist Levi Spear Parmly was the first to champion flossing in America using [this material] thread in his 1819 book A Practical Guide to Management of the Teeth.
7. In the 1950s, New Orleans was a major import hub for bananas. [This dessert] was created and named after Richard Foster, the chairman of the New Orleans Crime Commission.
answers: 1. Princess and the Frog 2. France's 3. Voodoo 4. French 5. Louisiana Purchase 6. silk 7. Bananas Foster
