That lovely mid-week beach break for the Fourth of July sure did allow the weekend to sneak up on me!
I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for quite a while now because I’ll be heading to Orlando for the day tomorrow to celebrate my best friend Laurel’s 27th birthday! (Orlando friends, a trip to 4 Rivers is on the agenda. Can’t you see why I’m so pumped!?)
Aren’t we a vision in our ‘80s formalwear? I am still in love with Laurel’s crimpy bangs. She was slammin’!
I cannot wait to see Laurel and two of my college girlfriends, Leah and Cherayne, tomorrow. I have a feeling there will be lots of talk about our end-of-August trip to New Orleans for Leah’s bachelorette party. If you’ve ever been to New Orleans or live there and have any awesome bachelorette party recommendations (restaurants, bars, activities, etc.), I’d love to hear them!
Tonight I’m also looking forward to dinner plans with two of my girlfriends and our husbands. This weekend should be an all-around good time!
Lunch
Lunch today rolled around rather quickly thanks to a very productive morning.
I made myself a bowl of chicken and vegetables (Brussels sprouts and broccoli), sautéed in Garlic Gold meyer lemon vinaigrette and sprinkled with chopped cashews.
It’s amazing what the simple addition of a handful of nuts can do to an otherwise basic meal. They kicked this chicken ‘n’ veggie bowl up a notch, that’s for sure!
See ya when it’s officially the weekend! 
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Wow, those crimped bangs really are rockin’!
What a fun weekend you have planned 🙂 I love girl time. It is such a needed activity!
Cashews all the way baby. I think it’s the crunch that really ‘adds’ something to the dish, ya know? Looks simple and awesome.
I’ve never thought of adding cashews to chicken and veggies….although now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure I’ve added them to stir frys before…
I was in New Orleans once several years ago…I unfortunately don’t remember exactly where we went, but it was SUCH a fun city! You’ll have a blast!
Yay, weekend!
I’m sure you and your girlfriends are going to have such a blast in New Orleans. I was there two years ago and absolutely loved it! With that said, I didn’t go with a big group and I definitely got the sense that it’s one of those places you need to experience your best friends. I’m excited for your trip :).
I just came back from New Orleans! My sister lives there. If you have time, check out Magazine Street! It is lined with cute shops and restaurants!
GREEN GODDESS.
It is a little hole in the wall in the French Quarter, seriously it has like 6 tables, but the food is TDF. We went 3 times in one weekend.
I’m loving that it’s almost the weekend again! I’m headed to the beach in Maine with my dog – just the two of us! It will be fabulous 🙂 Hope you have a great time in Orlando! I miss my college friends too much!
Not sure when you will be in New Orleans, but the Red Dress Run is August 11th. It’s not a timed race, but everyone wears a red dress (even the guys). That’s a super fun outing for a bridal party.
Haha I went to New Orleans and my friend and I ran into a bachelor party and spent some time with them! And then they were on my plane home the next day… haha awkward.
Dying to throw in a ‘TWSS’ comment about the addition of nuts 😉
Must go to Pat O’s and get a hurricane!! They had even my prudish friend dancing on tables!
There’s a place near the French Quarter called Mother’s. It has the most amazing food I’ve ever had. You get on what looks like the hot food line from high school, order your food, pay, and then take a seat and wait for someone to bring out your food. It’s low key and A-MAZ-ING. I cannot recommend it enough! Also, if you don’t get iced coffee at Cafe du Monde you’re missing out.
http://www.mothersrestaurant.net/
Pat o’Briens: hurricanes and dueling pianos. Also, Cafe Du Monde for late night beignets!!
Sounds like a fun weekend in store! 🙂 I’ve never been to New Orleans. It’s definitely on my list of places to visit sometime.
Ahhh I would be very pumped too, if I were you! 😀 And New Orleans sounds so fun and intriguing! Someday, someday….And that garlic gold sounds good. Was it as great as it sounds?
Ahh New Orleans, one of my favorite places-
In the french quarter you need to go to Cafe Du Monde for sure – they serve beniets and coffee 24/7- perfect snack to soak up the drinks from Burbon street.
I would recommend doing a ghost tour- the one that leaves from Reverand Zombie’s Voodoo shop is the best- it’s a great way to see the quarter and learn a lot of history about New Orleans.
Also make sure you ride the trolley car down St Charles Avenue and check out the beautiful homes in the garden district.
For Brunch on Sunday (if y’all are there) you need to do the jazz brunch at Court of Two Sisters in the Quarter- TO DIE FOR!
Obviously I could go on and on! New Orleans is an amazing city- you will have a great time!
I live in New Orleans and you have got to try Surrey’s on Magazine for brunch! Phenomenal. Everyone raves about Cafe DuMonde, but I think the best beignets are at Cafe Beignet in the French Quarter on Royal – plus it is way less crowded!
Shopping on Magazine would definitely be a great afternoon girls’ activity during the day and almost any bar in the French Quarter will love that you are a bachelorette party. You guys will have so much fun!
As a few people have said, Pat O’Brians is a great place for some traditional New Orleans drinks, like their signature Hurricanes! Cafe Du Monde is a MUST for a morning after going out or a late night snack. Definitely get their cafe au lait and beignets! Plus it’s right in Jackson Square where there are great other great restaurants and shops to see! I have to say one of my FAVORITE places in New Orleans is Galatoire’s. It’s also located near Jackson Square and going there has been a family tradition ever since I remember. They serve some of the best traditional New Orleans food and there is always someone there celebrating something (usually with a boa 😉 ).
Hope you have a great time!!
Totally with you on the nuts front. Cashews make a meal awesome instantly!
Bars – Pat O’s piano bar is a must do for a bach party, Cat’s Meow on Bourbon is a fun karoke bar, Carousel Bar inside the Hotel Monteleone is a fun spot, Gold Mine for late night dancing to old school music — those are all in the French Quarter/Bourbon area.
Restaurants – Rock n Sake for sushi is a super fun atmosphere before a night out. Surrey’s brunch is amazing. Green Goddess is great.
Jackson Square is great to check out during the day. Cafe du Monde is there on Decatur for beignets.
Magazine Street has all the boutique shopping as well as TONS of more great restaurants and Whole Foods.
The streetcar goes from downtown through Uptown along St Charles and is a fun way to see parts of the city and is super cheap. Fresh Market is on St. Charles.
Working out — running along the Mississippi River levee, around downtown, or down St. Charles are all great routes. We have an amazing Bikram Yoga studio and I teach a cardio/strength circuit style class called Hour Blast in the Uptown area that’s super fun and a killer workout.
There are tons of hotel options but you can also look at renting a condo. We did that for one of my friend’s bachelorette parties since most people didn’t live here and it worked out great.
If you have any questions or want more suggestions let me know! 🙂
Sounds like a great weekend you have planned…have fun! 🙂 Your lunch looked yummy btw!
I love New Orleans and have been several times since my BFF lives in baton Rouge. My recommendations:
If you can, get a hotel on Bourbon with a balcony. You will be guaranteed a good time just people watching. A few packs of beads to throw out would be fun too!
*Cat’s Meow- A super fun karaoke bar!! It is on Bourbon and very popular.
*Cafe Du Monde for a Cafe Au Lait and Beignets. So good!!
*Palace Cafe for an out of this world meal. I personally recommend the pecan crusted catfish. Simply the BEST!!
*Pat O’s is fun too and they have a nice little piano bar area.
We recently moved to Winter Garden and there is a 4 Rivers location 2 miles from my house…I had to step away from the Bread Pudding, an addiction may have been forming 🙂 I’m afraid when football season rolls around and my fiance’ orders it every Saturday! Hope you enjoy your time in Orlando and of course, 4 Rivers!
Nothing better than a simple proteni + veg dish – rocked the garlic shrimp and veg last night!
New Orleans is the perfect place for a bachelorette party! I went to LSU so I spent a lot of time in N.O. in college.
It depends on if you want to stay on Bourbon Street mostly, but there are a lot of fun places in Uptown and near the quarter for alternatives. F&M’s is a fun dancing bar, Miss Mae’s is great for cheap drinks (and people watching!), Frenchmen Street has a lot of fun bars and isn’t far from Bourbon, Drago’s has the BEST oysters (charbroiled and raw), Dante’s Kitchen in uptown is hands down my favorite restaurant–great for dinner or brunch, and Cochon Butcher is a delicious little sandwich shop in the quarter. Of course there are the classics such as Cafe du Monde and Mother’s. Wherever you find yourselves will be fun and delicious though 🙂
Ah, 4 Rivers is the best! You must try their bread pudding, and the mac and cheese!! So yummy, enjoy!!
My husband and I go to New Orleans any chance we get and actually just got back 2 weeks ago from a visit. You will love it!
Our must haves are the chocolate bread pudding at Bourbon House, chargrilled oysters at Dragos and most importantly Irene’s Cuisine. Irene’s is in the quarter but more of a local place than touristy and the soft shell crab dish is TO DIE FOR! We also much prefer Frenchman St to Bourbon because of all the music and culture.
Have fun!
I was just there a couple weeks ago for work and New Orleans is a WILD place!!
As far as restaurants, it looks like everyone beat me to it but I definitely agree with the Cafe du Monde suggestion – delicious beignets and chicory coffee!
Also, two great lunch spots – Johnny’s Po Boys and the Gumbo Shop (also for a casual dinner). Both were delicious and offered authentic New Orleans food!
We didn’t really get to explore the night life too much but walking up and down Bourbon Street was entertaining enough! 😉 We stayed in the Astor Hotel (Crowne Plaza) on the corner of Canal St and Bourbon – great location! I suggest making your way to the corner there at some point during the night, there is a large band of highschool guys who play fun music while people dance in the street, very entertaining!
Have fun! You girls will have a blast!
You HAVE to go to Jacques Imo’s while in NOLA but you have to make reservations–that place is popular! Cafe du Monde, Mother’s, and Dick and Jenny’s are all big winners too! Magazine St has lots of cute shops.
I actually live in new orleans and go to school in bean town 🙂
Must go to:
1. Commander’s palace– it’s actually owned by the aunts of a friend i used to know in 8th grade. The food is genuinely amazing and the owners come around the tables to personally greet each guest.
2.http://napoleonhouse.com/
This is hands down the best new orleans food I’ve ever had… and that’s saying something since I’ve lived here for 11 years! It’s cheap, not too crowded, and well, has been around forever.
3. Cafe’ du Monde
4. Riverwalk– an outdoor/indoor mall that’s nearly in the heart of new orleans
5. Jackson square!
Hope this helps! 🙂
I went to NOLA for the RnR race, and my friend and I had a blast shopping on Magazine Street. We ate at this awesome place called The Rum House and had the best dessert at Sucre. I got the cutest vintage ring at a place called Trashy Diva. There’s lots of vintage-inspired stuff but cute jewelry.
1) Cafe du monde
2) Jaques imos
3) coops place
4) port of call
Went there with my boyfriend in April and we had such a great time! Stayed in a nice B&B called Nonis place–absolutely great/cute place she was such a doll! Have fun!!
I love the idea of adding nuts to things. Yesterday I had overnight oats in my empty almond butter jar….but it needed a little something. After looking around I found trail mix with all sorts of nuts and sunflower seeds. A handful of that and voila!
Have so much fun in Orlando with your friend! Perhaps you need to break out the 80’s gear again! 😉
I went to New Orleans for my 21st birthday and had a blast!!
Highlights and MUST do’s:
Storyville Restaurant and bar-This restaurant was right down from our hotel, Chateau Bourbon on Iberville. The food is great and the wait staff is very friendly. We made several visits to this place during our stay and stayed good friends with the wait staff even after we left NO.
The Bourbon Cowboy (off of Bourbon and St. Louis)-This was by far the BEST bar we went to in NO. Hands down. We made a stop here every night. We all rode the mechanical bull, died laughing at the stand up comedians, and enjoyed the great drink specials. If you go during the day, they do buy 1 get 3 specials! Great crowd at night and perfect for a fun bachelorette party.
The Cats Meow (off of Bourbon and St. Peter)-Fun bar if you like karaoke. We had fun listening to people sing horribly!
Desire Oyster on Bourbon Street -We had breakfast here one morning and it was spectacular. Probably my favorite part of the trip. My entire family ate together (a little hungover, mind you) and just enjoyed the atmosphere. The food was amazing. I highly recommend eating breakfast here one morning.
Jackson Square-Great entertainment spot! Lots of things to do, music, shops. Great for some daytime scenery!
Pat O Brien’s and Cafe du Monde were too crowded for us. It may be because we went during the Red Dress Run, but the waits were just way too long.
Tips:
Beware of the women that want you to take tube shots on Bourbon. Before you know it, you just took 4 weak shots for 30 bucks…ouch!
Stay on the east side of Canal Street after dark–it gets a little sketchy. Stick to crowded places and be safe!
I have visited a NOLA a few times for work, check out a few (each very diverse) places that really enjoyed!
http://perfectaffare.blogspot.com/p/restaurant-reviews.html
Restaurant August
A Chef John Besh beauty. This quant restaurant sits a few blocks from the riverfront, in the central business district. This building front, a historic French-Creole style building is inviting yet modest in its curb appeal. Once you walk inside it is sheer southern service. It can come across a little “hoity-toity” but if you flash a smile, say yes sir and yes ma’am you will do alright. I grabbed a crisp white wine at the bar which was quaint and nicely detailed with dark mahogany wood and cozy furniture. I was escorted to my table and quickly greeted by a man in a firmly pressed white shirt and white napkin draped across his arm. The menu was pleasantly overwhelming, the detailed descriptions and delectable selections made it hard to decide. Oyster trio appetizer, Gnocchi with blue crab and truffle (yes please!) and foie gras…and that was just the starters. I truly enjoyed the Oyster Trio – Rockefeller, Fried and Casino all served in small shot glasses, a 1.5 oz portion of heaven. The service was flawless, the waiters described the dish in detailed, brought all item out in a uniformed parade and tended to our needs as if we were royalty. For my entrée I opted for something a little different that my usual entrée choice, veal. The veal chop served on Polenta with the most decedent red wine sauce. The veal was served on the bone and cooked medium rare to perfection. The rave reviews that Chef Besh receives are to be believes, this dining experience was a true pleasure.
Dragos
To put it politely, it was orgasmic. The “Baked Oysters” are Dragos are sinful. They serve up a dozen baked oysters covered in butter, parmesan cheese, and garlic and brought out piping hot on sea salt. They serve this dish with one thing; a large side of crusty baguette so you can soak up the buttery goodness. Rich, yes…heaven, definitely. It is hard to believe that something so simple can be so delicious…all while located in the lobby of a hotel. There is nothing else to say here…I need a moment. Yum.
Corporation Bar & Grill
Sounds official, right? I was introduced to this gem by the local exhibit labor guys at my last tradeshow. It is located just across the street from the convention center and if it successfully feeds hard working men…it must be good. Well, when you walk through the pink brick entrance, stylishly decorated with plastic chair on the sidewalk, you find a closterphobic smokey little bar but walk to the back and order and it is the ultimate pleasant surprise. The small chalkboard tells you the day’s menu, limited but vast. Red Bean and Ric daily but I opted for the Oyster Po-Boy, dressed. Now when you order something dressed that means mayo, lettuce and tomato, don’t think twice, just do – when in Rome. I grabbed my soda in a styrofoam cup from the bar and sat…ORDER 72. The sandwich came out piping hot topped with about a dozen HUGE fried oysters. The oysters were cooked perfectly, lightly fried and their juicy, creamy integrity in tact. Sadly, I couldn’t finish the entire sandwich and that says a lot because I hate to leave food on a plate.
Clancy’s
It’s now time to head away from downtown, Yes. A friend of mine who is a local provide us an evening itinerary for “How to live like the locals.” It is much different than your perception of downtown Bourbon Street, its much much better.
Emeril’s restaurant NOLA is amazinggg and Court of Two Sisters is delicious too – neither are cheap, but if you’re doing one nice dinner, I would definitely pick one of those! Cafe du Monde for beignets & iced coffee for sure!
I enjoyed a mid-week trip too, but it was such a tease. When it was Wednesday I kept thinking that Thursday was going to be Sunday or Monday! Happy weekending! 😀
I go to college in New Orleans and honestly don’t think i’ll ever be able to leave the place! once you go it truly captures a piece of your heart. for good eats i’d recommend the following:
-Commander’s Palace (if you’re looking to splurge, this place guarantees an amazing meal and hands down is known as one of the best restaurants in nola)
-The Gumbo Shop- it’s right in the french quarter and is great for a lunch or dinner at a reasonable price, you HAVE to get the blackened chicken poboy its out of this world!
-Jacques-Imo’s- my FAVORITE restaurant in nola, extremely creative and unique menu, quirky decor that oozes new orleans character, if i could recommend anywhere it would be here! you WILL NOT be sorry
-Camilla Grille- great for a reasonably priced breakfast that is still a uniquely New Orleans experience
Hope you have fun! New Orleans is such an amazing city with so much charm and character! I actually ran my first half marathon there in March and i would recommend running on the streetcar tracks on st. charles as most locals do. you’ll get the beautiful views of new orleans mansions and will be guaranteed you don’t get lost since you stay on the straight tracks!
I 2nd the Green Goddess recommendation – a link on the restaurant website has an article about the co-owner who has left the restaurant to open a bigger place.
http://www.greengoddessnola.com/
I live in New Orleans and it is definitely the greatest city on Earth! You are getting tons of great suggestions of places to go. If you aren’t planning on being in the Quarter every night, I’d suggest staying in Uptown. There are tons of great bed and breakfasts and you can take the streetcar to the Quarter. August is usually still considered the off season so you might be able to get a great deal. You can run in Audubon Park or on the levee. There are also a lot of great running groups in the city.
Skip Court of Two Sister’s for Sunday brunch; it’s overpriced and not that great. I’d try something like Ruby Slipper or Commander’s Palace for Sunday brunch. Pat O’s and Cafe Du Monde are solid recommendations. Try DBA or someplace like that for music. Jaques-Imo’s is a must.
I’ve never been to New Orleans, but it seems like such a fun city!
thank goodness for that 80’s disclaimer under the pic. I was worried about you for a second.
Have an awesome, fun, and wonderful time this weekend 🙂
Hahahaha the crimpy bangs are awesome!!
CONSTANTLY looking for ways to make chicken TASTY so thank you for this!!! ha ha. Have a stunning weekend! Be on the look out because I will be commenting on your blog more, I can tell – it’s right up my healthy alley! 🙂
Royal Treasure on Royal St. is my favorite jewelry boutique in New Orleans. The pieces are made by local artists, and the owners are very helpful and kind. I still get tons of compliments on the locket I bought there 5 years ago.
Love adding nuts to meals! Tend to forget they’re a great way to add extra protein to sweet and savory stuff 🙂
If you’re a fan of BBQ you will LOVE 4Rivers! I suggest the pulled pork sandwich, they get it right everytime. I usually get the sweet potato casserole and mac&cheese as my sides although I’ve been meaning to try the bread pudding. Enjoy!
Your chicken n’ veggies bowl looks so great! Thanks for the idea!
Check out my latest recipe @ bakingblissful.blogspot.com
Yes agree with the blissful baker that your chicken n’ veggies bowl looks delicious!