Thursday, September 6, 2018
New Orleans Southern Decadence 2018 vacation, day 7 of 8. Breakfast with Patrick at French Truck Coffee: everything croissant with chive cream cheese filling and cafe au lait for Patrick, ham and cheese croissant and iced chai for me. Walking tour with Glenn Louis DeVillier: When Empires Collide! Creoles, Americans, Pirates, and the War of 1812. We started from Antoine’s Annex on Royal Street, and it included the HNOC Williams Residence and the rooftop of the Royal Omni Hotel. We learned from Glenn a lot of interesting details of New Orleans history. On the tour he told us about a novel called Mandingo and a fictional plantation called Falconhurst, we briefly met Boudreaux at Antoine’s, and we stopped briefly at Leah’s for praline and brittle tastings and made a few purchases. After the tour, Patrick and I rode UberX to lunch at Cochon Butcher: we shared a carolina pulled pork sandwich and a side of mac and cheese. Patrick had Barq’s in a bottle, I had lemonade. We rode Lyft to Gracious Bakery where we met Chris G and rested briefly with iced coffees before a self-guided walking tour of historic Garden District mansions and nearby Lafayette Cemetery and Commander’s Palace restaurant. Patrick had compiled the tour based on internet research. We rested with drinks and bathroom breaks at Still Perkin’ at The Rink shopping mall. We continued the tour. When we were done, we walked Chris to his accommodations at Andy’s family’s timeshare at Wyndham on St. Charles Avenue and briefly toured the pool area. Chris returned to his room to rest. Patrick and I rode Lyft to The Old No. 77. Patrick bought two New Orleans t-shirts in the lobby then showered while I bought water from the corner store and rested. We rode UberX to a rooftop bar called Hot Tin, meeting Chris for a last round of drinks before our departure. We arrived early, securing seating on the patio before moving to a nearby table due to an infestation of ants. Wolf in sheep’s clothing for Patrick, Mexican firing squad for me. We said our goodbyes to Chris. Patrick and I rode UberX to dinner at Bistro Daisy. Gulf oysters poached in Herbsaint cream with bacon, fennel, spinach, and tornbread croutons and crispy leg of duck confit and roasted breast slicesover roasted mushroom choucroute with Riesling reduction and roasted shallots for Patrick. Soup du jour and mahi mahi fish of the day for me. Dessert: baked alaska. Drinks: La Rosette and Seelbach. UberX back to The Old No. 77.