When we first arrived in NOLA I was very surprised by how much swamp land there was as the airplane was landing. Then when we were driving to our hotel I was amazed at all of the old, rustic buildings everywhere. I could immediately tell that NOLA was a town full of great history. For lunch/dinner we went to the Gumbo Shop, and I got a sautéed shrimp poboy. It was very delicious; I could definitely tell that we were near the ocean because the shrimp tasted so fresh. I also got homemade chips with my meal, and they were very fresh and delicious as well. It was a very fun first day in NOLA.

Sunday was probably one of my favorite days. We started out by having lunch at the French Market. I first got a banana royale smoothie, which had vanilla ice cream, chocolate, and banana in it; it was very yummy.  Then I got a seafood boat from Real Creole Bar-B-Shrimp seafood dock. The seafood boat I got had fried shrimp, fried catfish, and delicious buttery bread in it. The seafood was so fresh, and the catfish was so tender it nearly melted in my mouth. After lunch we walked around and looked at all of the stuff for sale in the French Market. I also got a freshly squeezed strawberry lemonade before we left the market, and it was very sweet and refreshing. The French Market was one of my favorite places because there was so many different foods to try, and they were all so fresh! For dinner that night, we went to Acme Oyster House. We waited in line for about an hour, but it was well worth the wait because the food was very good. I got a plate of fried oysters and fried shrimp  and a side of hush puppies. I had never had oysters before, but I was glad I tried them because they were delicious.

Today we went to Cafe du Monde for beignets and fresh squeezed orange juice. It was pretty great because we did not have to wait in line, and the beignets were hot, delicious, and covered in powdered sugar! Next, we went back to the French Market and got some delicious, buttery corn on the cob. We then walked around NOLA and did a little souvenir shopping. We were soon hungry again, and luckily we stumbled across Little Vic’s where we got gelato. I got teramisu and pistachio gelato, and it was the best gelato I had ever had. Finally, for dinner we went to Today’s Cajun Seafood where I got shrimp pasta. Once again, I found the shrimp to be very fresh.

Today for lunch we went to Willie Mae’s Scotch House for the most amazing fried chicken ever. I got three pieces of fried chicken with a side of macaroni and cheese and peas. This was my favorite meal out of the whole trip because the chicken was so juicy and tender, and the macaroni and cheese had great flavor, and it was extremely cheesy. After lunch we went to an alligator farm where I got to play with baby alligators; it was so much fun, and I really enjoyed learning about the alligators. Later for dinner we went to Clover Grill  where I got a waffle and a side of home fries. It was very good, and I loved the fun loving atmosphere at this restaurant. Finally, we walked down Bourbon street where we got to listen to some amazing music being played by a brass instrument band on the street.

Today we ate breakfast at the hotel, and then we went back to the French Market where we looked around some more and then ate lunch. I got lunch at Real Creole Bar-B-Shrimp Seafood Dock again, but this time I got the barbecue shrimp, which was spicy, sauteed shrimp served over a very buttery piece of bread. I also tried a sample of crawfish, which was very good as well. I really liked the spices that they cooked the crawfish in. Lastly we went to Southern Candy Makers’ where I purchased a lot of chocolate, and I got to try a sample of a praline. The praline was very sweet and delicious. I really loved the time I got to spend in NOLA. I think that the food really expressed all of the different cultures that are in NOLA, especially the French and Italian cultures. The food was all very delicious, and I loved learning about all of the history of NOLA as well as being among such friendly people and talented artists.