From there, we strolled up cheesy Bourbon Street with our cocktails and had a good laugh at the really gross strip clubs... one in particular featured a large black woman covered in stretch marks and not much else, trying to lure passersby into the place. Guessing they provide happy endings? ha-ha
We classed it up a bit after that and went to one of chef John Besh's 6 restaurants, Luke. I love it. We got a dozen P&J oysters and I had my first Sazerac cocktail. From Wikipedia:
The creation of the Sazerac has also been credited to Antoine Amadie Peychaud, the Creole apothecary who moved to New Orleans from the West Indies and set up shop in the French Quarter in the early part of the 19th Century. He dispensed a proprietary mix of aromatic bitters from an old family recipe. According to legend he served his drink in the large end of an egg cup that was called a coquetier in French, and that the Americanized pronunciation of this as "cocktail" gave this type of drink its name. Around 1850, Sewell T. Taylor sold his bar, The Merchants Exchange Coffee House, and went into the imported liquor business. He began to import a brand of cognac named Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils.
At the same time, Aaron Bird took over the Merchants Exchange and changed its name to the Sazerac House and began serving the "Sazerac Cocktail", made with Taylor's Sazerac cognac and, legend has it, the bitters being made down the street by a local druggist, Antoine Amedie Peychaud. The Sazerac House changed hands several times and around 1870 Thomas Handy took over as proprietor. Around this time the primary ingredient changed from cognac to rye whiskey due to the phylloxera epidemic in Europe that devastated France's wine grape crops.At some point before his death in 1889, Handy recorded the recipe for cocktail and the drink made its first printed appearance in William T. "Cocktail Bill" Boothby's 1908 The World's Drinks and How to Mix Them,though this recipe calls for Selner Bitters, not Peychaud's. After absinthe was banned in the US in 1912, it was replaced by various anise-flavored spirits, especially Herbsaint from New Orleans.
The defining feature of the Sazerac is the preparation using Peychaud's Bitters and two chilled old-fashioned glasses, one swirled with a light wash of absinthe for the slight taste and strong scent. The second chilled glass is used to mix the other ingredients, then the contents of that are poured or strained into the first. Various anisettes such as Pastis, Pernod, Ricard and Herbsaint are common substitutes for absinthe when it is not available; in New Orleans Herbsaint is most commonly used.
After that we strolled down Royal Street admiring some of the prettiest architecture in the French Quarter and a fabulous antique store:
From their website: Antonio Monteleone was an industrious nobleman who was operating a very successful shoe factory in Sicily when he heard great things about America. The call of adventure motivated him to pack the tools of his trade and head for “the land of opportunity.” Antonio arrived in New Orleans circa 1880 and opened a cobbler shop on Royal Street, the busy thoroughfare of commerce and banking in America’s most European city. At the time Royal Street was indeed the grand street of the “Vieux Carre”, as the French Colonial’s sometimes called the new town. The Hotel Monteleone history of all sorts behind it. Being one of the premiere hotels in downtown New Orleans the Monteleone caters to the world during the famous Mardi Gras Festival.
In 1886, Mr. Monteleone bought a 64-room hotel on the corner of Royal and Iberville streets in New Orleans’ world famous French Quarter. The setting was ripe for Antonio to spread his entrepreneurial wings when the nearby Commercial Hotel became available for purchase. That was only the beginning of an amazing historical landmark that is one of the last great family owned and operated hotels in the city. Since 1886, four generations of Monteleone’s have dedicated themselves to making their hotel what it was and still is- a sparkling jewel in the heart of the French Quarter.
There have been five major additions to the Hotel Monteleone. In 1913, Antonio Monteleone passed away and was succeeded by his son Frank who added 200 more rooms in 1928, a year before another horrible crash in the U.S. economy. The Hotel Monteleone was one of America’s few family- owned hotels to weather the depression, and remained unchanged until 1954. That year the fourth addition required the razing of the original building and the foundation was laid for a completely new building that would include guest facilities, ballrooms, dining rooms and cocktail lounges. In 1964, under the direction of Bill Monteleone, who took over after his father passed in 1958, more floors, guestrooms, and a Sky Terrace with swimming pools and cocktail lounges were added. A number have film scenes have been shot here too.
Our next stop was Rubenstein's, a distinctive men's store. They celebrated their 85th year in business in 2009. The Rubenstein family continues to provide their own legendary brand of personalized service from their historic site at the corner of Canal Street and St. Charles Avenue. 85 years later, a family member will still greet and help you! It is not uncommon to find Andre, David and Kenny Rubenstein attending to customers, just as their father and grandfather had so many years ago. They offer the finest clothing and shoes for men. They offer complimentary valet parking, personal shoppers and free delivery. While many things have changed over the years in the crescent city, the shop still offers expert alterations, gift-wrapping, office or home appointments and made-to-measure suits and tailored clothing. A $6,300 Brioni suit jacket....
The upstairs houses a haute couture design shop... the head designer and owner of Harold Clarke Coutuier Atelier was there and posed with one of hi gowns for me. An elderly gentleman, he has clothed and designed gowns for many a celebrity! There was one spectacular beaded gown with a train displayed at the top of the stairs and boasting a $25,000 price tag. The gown being a one-of-a-kind original, he wouldn't allow me photograph it ;-(
Our next stop was yet another New Orleans tradition, Galatoire's:
Galatoire’s traditions have been preserved with little change through the decades. (Table hopping is encouraged and locals "just put it on their tab".) There has been a slight modification of the restaurant’s once impenetrable policy of no reservations. Known for years by its characteristic line snaking down Bourbon Street, patrons would wait for hours just to get a table— especially on Fridays. One Friday, President Ronald Reagan placed a call to then retired U.S. Senator J. Bennett Johnston who happened to be waiting in line for a table. After the President’s call had ended, Senator Johnston graciously returned to his position in line.
Today, Galatoire’s does accept reservations for second floor dining. The first floor policy remains first come, first served at Galatoire’s. Senator or not. For over a century, Galatoire’s tradition for classic fare done simply and without showmanship has continued to build the restaurant’s reputation. In its fourth generation, Galatoire’s remains to this day family-owned and -operated. Through the years, 209 Bourbon has remained at once, nestled in the heart of the Vieux Carre, yet never far from Jean Galatoire’s picturesque city of origin in the foothills of the majestic Pyrenees.
Their Friday "old guard liquid lunch" is a tradition. The upstairs bar becomes packed and locals who often get in line early in the morning (or pay vagrants to stand in line for them!) The waiter Benedict (COOL guy to my left) told me a drunk man once "relieved himself" on the tile floor, then fled from the bar. Unfortunately, the woman next to him was the wife of a federal judge and the man had paid by credit card, making it easy to track him down. Not too smart. ha-ha.
Since Harrah's Casino was right there, we decided to go in an play the slot machines. Still carrying beers in brown paper bags (ha-ha) we walked in and blew a few bucks... when in Rome ;-)
Our last stop was a mile or two uptown, also via bike, on St. Charles Avenue. We closed out the evening with some Rainbow Rolls at Hoshun Sushi. A perfect and memorable night! Have I mentioned lately that I love New Orleans?
