Cooper Jane's Big Easy Favs

Happy Thursday Lovely People! I know that I have not been posting so much lately but I do have a fun one for you today. This past weekend I visited the city of New Orleans for a friend's Nerdy Thirty Birthday Bash and had one heck of a fun time. (What happens in The Big Easy stays in The Big Easy, am I right?) Anyways, I had such a great time touring the city that I wanted to tell you about a few of my favorite places that I am sure you would love too!

1. Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar: The hubs and I headed straight to this bar after a long day of traveling. It is located in the Warehouse district but was fairly close to the French Quarter where we stayed.   Lucy's is a laid back dive bar sort of place that is frequented by a more local crowd. I had my first Fireball shot here (I don't do shots but wow, these were good. Apparently they are a New Orleans favorite because they were available in every bar that we went to. Honestly tasted exactly like a Fireball candy.)

2. The Cat's Meow Karaoke Bar: This was probably my favorite place on Bourbon Street and actually from our whole trip... I loove me some karaoke. Every other song is sung by bar employees which keeps the crowd excited in case there are any karaoke duds. Ha. I sang "Party in the USA" with the girls and the Hubs sang "Trouble" with his best bud just for me! Swoon.

3. SoBou: The gang gathered for lunch at SoBou (Meaning South of Bourbon) and were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the eats. Think upscale, street food such as Pork Rinds and Queso, Butternut Squash Beignets, and Foie Gras Burgers. Our whole group enjoyed our meals and it didn't hurt our wallets too badly. Most dishes were between $10.00 - $15.00!

4. Royal House Oyster Bar: This was my favorite restaurant that we dined at during our travels. I ordered the Sauteed Crab Claws and was blown away at how much I enjoyed the dish, particularly the lemon-butter garlic sauce. We were seated on the second story with the windows open and fresh air coming in... glorious! The restaurant is a little pricey but is completely worth the splurge in my humble opinion. It is located in the historic French Quarter.

5. Coop's Place: This popular French Quarter eatery attracts a crowd (it was even featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives) so if you go at peak hours you will most likely find yourself waiting in a line outside the door. The fare is Southern Louisiana home cooking and everything I had was delicious: Fried Alligator, Fried Mushrooms, Fried Chicken... wow, this place did not do anything for my waistline but YOLO right?

6. Cafe Du Monde: Last but not least, Cafe Du Monde! This place is an institution in New Orleans and I've always heard that you HAVE to go here for a Beignet and Cafe Au Lait. "They" were not wrong. These things tasted like a heavenly cross between a funnel cake and a donut. So warm and flaky you will enjoy every bite. Then you wash it down with a delicious Cafe Au Lait. Then you go to bed because your day isn't getting any better.