We have a filling breakfast at our hotel complete with beignets, those deep-fried, powdered sugared puffs of sheer delight. We're off to explore the French Quarter along with my parents. A six block walk down Chartres Street brings us to St. Louis Cathedral which is the oldest cathedral in the United States, attaining it's status in 1793. The cathedral was greatly rebuilt in 1850 and is beautifully maintained.
Out in front of the Cathedral is Jackson Square with it's line-up of fortune tellers, artists and street performers. We meander through them, smiling as we go. A few blocks away toward the Mississippi River we find a local artist gallery. Dad and William take a break on a park bench while Mom and I shop. Our son Paul and his fiancé Kara join us for some beverages as we make our way back to the hotel for naps and to get ready for the rehearsal dinner.
The dinner is held at Antoine's, founded in 1840 and one of the oldest restaurants in New Orleans. We are in the Twelfth Night Room. From the memorabilia on the walls I learn that the twelfth night of Christmas is the first night of Carnival season. In 1871 the Twelfth Night Revelers formalized the tradition of chance picking the Carnival Queen and her Court. The young ladies choose from slices of cake. Those with a silver bead in their slice become members of the court and the one with the gold bead is the queen.
The dinner is held at Antoine's, founded in 1840 and one of the oldest restaurants in New Orleans. We are in the Twelfth Night Room. From the memorabilia on the walls I learn that the twelfth night of Christmas is the first night of Carnival season. In 1871 the Twelfth Night Revelers formalized the tradition of chance picking the Carnival Queen and her Court. The young ladies choose from slices of cake. Those with a silver bead in their slice become members of the court and the one with the gold bead is the queen.
We have an opportunity to meet the groom Patrick's family and catch up with ours both within the dining room and out on the covered porch. There are three different wedding parades that go by on the street below. What a fun tradition!
The menu is classic. Shrimp remoulade, oysters and lump crab are just the start to an exceptional meal. Pompano or chateaubriand are the main course accompanied by potatoes au gratin and creamed spinach. The skilled waiters quietly remove the dinner plates while the head waiter sets up the front table with a huge baked Alaska. After dinner there are cigars out on the porch for those who are interested. William and Patrick puff and chat into the evening.
The menu is classic. Shrimp remoulade, oysters and lump crab are just the start to an exceptional meal. Pompano or chateaubriand are the main course accompanied by potatoes au gratin and creamed spinach. The skilled waiters quietly remove the dinner plates while the head waiter sets up the front table with a huge baked Alaska. After dinner there are cigars out on the porch for those who are interested. William and Patrick puff and chat into the evening.
RSS Feed