Tuesday, April 1

In the afternoon we boarded an Amtrak train at Penn Station for the 30 hour trip to New Orleans. We took a bedroom, which at $2,000 was quite an expense, but not having to deal with airports and having a relaxing journey with all meals included (reasonably good food, far superior to airline food) made it worth doing. The bedroom was tight but better than the roomette we took to Savannah last fall. We remembered our 1982 trip to California, on which the bedroom was larger, so this was disappointing.

Wednesday, April 2

Arriving in New Orleans at 8:30 PM, we took an Uber to the hotel, The Pelham, where we spent 5 days.

The photos don’t really do it justice. The room was very large and had 12 foot ceilings. The bathroom was very large as well, and there was a long entrance hall with a coffee bar and a double closet.

The history of the hotel is quite interesting. The land it was built on was originally a plantation owned by the founder of New Orleans, Jean-Baptiste LeMoyne de Bienville. The current building, dating to the mid 19th century, was the home of James Caldwell, who founded the first English-speaking theater in New Orleans as well as the New Orleans Gas Lighting Company. He named the house Pelham Manor, after the most prominent actor in his theater. The building probably housed others related to the theater, and likely many social events were held there. It does not bear any resemblance to typical single-family houses of the period.

Wednesday, 4/2

We started out in the morning by visiting the New Orleans Museum of Art. It’s a rather austere building.

The art and furniture on display, though from prominent artists and craftsmen, is not of the quality found in major museums. The only thing I thought worth photographing were displays of “Fairytale Lusterware” pottery made by Wedgwood.

After the museum we had lunch at Turkey and the Wolf, in the Garden District.

It took a long time to get there, but it was fortuitous that, arriving after 1:30, most of the customers were leaving so we had no problem getting a table. We shared a fried baloney sandwich and a cabbage salad, probably their 2 most lauded dishes. and they were delicious.

Following lunch we took a short walking tour of the Garden District, which is filled with gorgeous historic houses. Then back to the hotel.

Dinner was at Cochon.

Food and service were excellent. Standout dishes were wood-fired oysters and rabbit stew with dumplings.

Friday, 4/4

Morning: Longue Vue house and gardens, in the lake district on the eastern edge of the city.

Though designed to look like a 19th century house, it was actually build in the 1930s, and furnished with antiques.

It was surprising the flower gardens were not yet in bloom considering that temperatures were in the 80s.

We then went to Emeril’s for lunch.

Food, service and comfort level were outstanding. The lunch prix-fixe is $125 for 4 courses plus an amuse-bouche, pre-dessert sorbet and cookies after. The first menu is Stanley’s and the second is mine, the only difference being the choice of main course.

After lunch we toured the Hermann-Grima house in the French quarter. I didn’t get any good photos. It was interesting but not spectacular.

After a rest at the hotel, we had cocktails at the Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone.

The photo is blurred because the bar is a carousel that moves. It’s a ridiculous scene, with everyone hovering to try to grab a seat at the bar so they can tell their friends they did. We found a comfortable chair and sofa just 10 feet away, where a waitress quickly served us. It was much more civilized.

Dinner followed at GW Fins on Bienville St.

We were seated quickly, in a comfortable booth with a view of the entire room. Service was prompt, and though the food was very good, it didn’t quite compare with what we had at Cochon the previous night.

Saturday, 4/5

Plantation tour:

We were picked up around the corner from the hotel for the one-hour bus ride to Laura Plantation.

The guide here was exceptionally knowledgeable and gave us a wonderful tour with a huge amount of information. The house is simpler than most plantations houses but has a fascinating history.

After the tour, we were picked up for the 5-minute ride to the second plantation, Oak Alley.

This is the sort of grand house one normally associates with plantations. Photography is not permitted in the house. The guide was very good but it seems that there just wasn’t a tremendous amount of written information about the property, so much remains a mystery.

We arrived back at the hotel at 4:30.

Dinner that night was at R’evolution on Bienville St., which is highly regarded and I was excited to try.

It’s elegant and the service is impeccable. The food was out of this world. The dishes we had were:

Roasted oysters, death by gumbo (a stuffed quail in a gumbo sauce), stewed rabbit, rack of elk, cherry shell with ice cream and cherries inside.

A bottle of Kokomo zinfandel was $60, a very good price as it retails for $32.

I would rate R’evolution right up there with Emeril’s, and without the pretentiousness.

Sunday, 4/6

The day started off with light rain as we headed to the steamboat tour on the Natchez.

Unfortunately the rain was heavy on and off, but it was an enjoyable trip nonetheless. The history of the port and the river are explained in detail. I had inadvertently purchased the buffet brunch. Since our plan was to eat afterward at Brennan’s, we just had a few bites. The food is acceptable, but I can’t say I would recommend it.

Brennan’s, on Royal St. is one of the classic New Orleans restaurants.

The food was good but not exceptional. I enjoyed my turtle soup very much, and the crab and avocado toast was very tasty as well. Stanley liked the Scotch egg. My gulf fish amandine was well-prepared with a nice sauce, but wasn’t exactly rousing. Overall a pleasant lunch.

For dinner we went to Compere Lapin on Tchoupitoulas St., just a few blocks from the hotel.

Rustic chic atmosphere, delicious food and excellent service. Loved the tuna ceviche, papaya salad, conch, fried chicken, goat stew and chocolate cake. Again a well-priced wine from the Langhe, less than twice retail. Seems to be customary here.

Monday, 4/7

Gallier House

Lunch: Peche Seafood Grill, Magazine St.

This is a very popular spot. We decided to keep it light and ordered 2 small plates each. Stanley started with a gumbo and I had fried catfish with pickled greens in an Asian style broth. Then we both had fried oysters with a salad. We shared a salted caramel cake for dessert. It was a very enjoyable meal.

Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Camp St.

A fairly small museum, with most of the works having been donated by Roger Ogden. Many artists are represented, most of them not well known outside the region.

Dinner: Atchafalaya, Louisiana Ave.

Charming restaurant, lovely service, great food. Crab raviolo was outstanding, crawfish bisque excellent. Pork chop and shrimp and grits both excellent. Chocolate semifreddo great as well. Wine, an Ermitage for $60 was once again a bargain.

Tuesday, 4/8

Boarded the train for the trip home. When the conductor came by to check the ticket he notice it was for the 9th, not the 8th. I have no idea how I made that mistake, and there was nothing else available in the sleeper cars. So we were changed to coach, which turned out to be a better choice than the bedroom. Not only did we get a refund of $1,300, the seating on this train was very comfortable, with plenty of legroom and seats that recline more than what we are used to. This made sleeping much more comfortable than with the bedroom. Unfortunately, not being in a sleeper meant no use of the dining car, but the cafe was decent enough. Having done this, we would be unlikely to use the sleeper if we take another trip in the future. We arrived home the next evening, a bit ahead of schedule.