Forget about New York’s Times Square, for college football fans the place to be this New Year’s Eve is New Orleans.
If you haven’t been following my guest blogs in the FOOD category then you might be unaware that the state of Hawaii has experienced a mass exodus. Half the Islands’ population is in the Big Easy right now anxiously awaiting the kick-off to the biggest college football game in University of Hawaii history.
Tuesday night the Hawaii Warriors take on the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl. Which means if you plan to bid farewell to 2007 in New Orleans you will be doing so with a bunch of my family members and friends. (They’ll be easy to spot-—they’re the ones dressed in six layers of clothing given that any temperature below 70 is considered “freezing” to them.)
But, before our beloved Warriors get the chance to beat up the big Dawgs of Georgia my pals will be hitting various New Orleans hot spots on New Year’s Eve. Jackson Square is where most New Year’s Eve revelers will start their celebration. The festivities get started there at 8:30 p.m. with parties and live music. At midnight a lighted gumbo pot drops from atop the Jax Brewery. That’s followed by a fireworks display, which illuminates the night skies over the Mississippi. The revelry continues for the rest of the night at various restaurants and bars in the nearby French Quarter.
That’s all fine and dandy, but the information most of my friends wanted from me (since I have visited New Orleans in the past) was where to eat. If you have ever visited the southern city you know that despite its world famous attractions and picturesque River Walk the single most popular activity in New Orleans is eating. The food there is phenomenal and there is no shortage of spectacular restaurants to visit. Here are some of my favorites:
Café Du Monde. There are a ton of places to get a beignet in New Orleans, but Café Du Monde is legendary for fixing the fluffiest, pillow soft doughnuts covered in powdered sugar. The chickory-laced café au lait is popular as well.
Central Grocery. This is where I sank my teeth into a traditional muffuletta for the first time. A muffuletta consists of Italian bread layered with cheese and cold cuts, drizzled with olive oil and mounded with a chunky salad made with at least three kinds of olives. Trust me, you don’t want to leave New Orleans without trying this incredible sandwich.
Acme Oyster House. Locals will tell you that you can’t leave the city without having an oyster shot–a raw oyster in a shot glass or in the shell, with a hit of the house hot sauce. They’re right and the Acme Oyster House is the place to get it.
Commander’s Palace. This legendary ultra-luxe restaurant is known for its Sunday brunch, though getting in is hard if you don’t have a reservation (and getting one those isn’t easy either). If you are lucky enough to get a table you can’t must try the regional specialties, including turtle soup, fried green tomatoes, Bananas Foster, steamed crawfish, etouffée (a seafood stew), gumbo, blackened red fish, and andouille sausage.
Emeril’s. If you are a Food Network fan then you would be remiss if you didn’t have at least one meal at Emeril Lagasse’s New Orleans restaurant. Try the Barbecue Shrimp with Rosemary Biscuits or Double Cut Pork Chop. Dinners are pricey, but your stomach will thank you for it.
What are your favorite New Orleans attractions?
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