I had a 2 hour break yesterday for lunch. Grabbing my camera and a quick street dog, I hurry out to explore a little more of New Orleans. I decide to head toward the Riverfront, eager to see the Mississippi River.
This mighty river runs for over 2000 miles from Minnesota all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi has been a critical part of the existence of New Orleans, both for personal and commercial transportation.
Just a few blocks away, I quickly make my way. It has been raining this morning and with the stifling temperature it is muggy and humid. The sun is trying to poke out from the blanket of remaining clouds. Around a corner the spontaneous jazz again. I stop to listen to an impromptu session on a side street, then continue on.
There it is, Riverfront Park. I hurry across to the pier and am greeted by the River.A large barge makes it way toward the expansive bridge in the distance.
A ferry, reminiscent of the famous steamboats, shuttles passengers back and forth between downtown New Orleans and the island of Algiers.
A red brick walkway curves along the river, lined with lamp posts sporting colorful banners featuring such attractions as the Butterfly Insectorium.
The promenade is quite empty this time of day. Three brave tourists scurry by on Segways. I think how much fun that would be. A lone business man eats his paper bag lunch under the shade of a red umbrella.
A glance at my watch tells me it is time. I will come back another day and explore it further but for now I smile and head back, stopping briefly at the Starbucks along the way for a much needed Peach Green Tea Lemonade (Half sweet of course!) and to pick up my habitual Starbucks souvenir mug of New Orleans.
"If you brought your Mama here, what would you recommend?"
That's the question we ask the young hostess outside of the Creole House restaurant just down Canal Street from our hotel. It is drizzling and I am hungry from an information packed day sitting in a frigid conference room.
A quick glance and the smiling hostess points to the Cajun Redfish. "My Mama loves fish and this is the best. This is what I would suggest for her." The equally young waitress joins in. Without hesitation, she too recommends the same dish. Redfish, she continues, is a wonderfully mild, meaty fish, flavourful but not fishy. And definitely a signature dish for New Orleans. I am sold.
We settle in and I order the Redfish while my companion opts for Oysters and Jambalaya. How much more New Orleans can you get? There are Oyster bars on every corner and at least two on every street in between.
Jeremiah is our server, young, friendly and very accommodating. Noticing the preoccupation of most patrons with catching the latest on their phones, Jeremiah informs us, "I have not had a phone for 2 years." That seems astounding, especially for a young person. "Why is that?" I am curious. "I made some bad choices when I was tied to my phone," he explains, " so I decided I wanted to live my life a different way. I don't miss it," he continues, " it is better this way." A very astute observation for one so young!
The redfish did not disappoint. Flavourful but not spicy or fishy. Nicely panko breaded with a creamy Cajun sauce, served with spinach and mushrooms. The oysters also live up to the promise and we devour every tasty morsel, only to be confronted with the dessert choices.
Slowly making our way back to the hotel, full, satisfied and a bit uncomfortable we chat about the day, looking forward to tomorrow when I will have a free morning to explore.
Come with me.....
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