Well!

I apologize for the lateness in this post. It’s been a whirlwind few weeks. Since the last post, I’ve eaten at Lola’s, Capdeville, Serrano’s, Bacchanal (twice!), Slice, Maple Street Patisserie (three times!), and Rock N Sake. Those are all I can think of off the top of my head. Not to mention that it’s SUMMER TIME (YAY!) which means SNOWBALLS!

(Just a short disclaimer … these photos aren’t all that great … apologies in advance!)

Day Two of French Quarter Fest was a blast. As I mentioned in my previous post, I had a friend in from Philly, and so I did things a little “different” this year. My old standby of staying put on Day One was fun, but Day Two, she was interested in strolling around and seeing some of our friends. It was seriously crowded on Day Two (which was really Day Four of FQF — Sunday). Here, take a looksie:

There were so many people, it was hard just to get across the street. By the end of the day, NOPD had Decatur Street blocked off in front of Jackson Square because of the crowd. That didn’t stop us from braving those crowds for these scrumptious snacks, though!

The goat cheese crepes from Muriel’s are my favorite crepes of all time. Soft and slightly spicy crawfish goodness but balanced oh so delicately with the goat cheese … oh my. I could eat a pan full of these and never get tired. There’s something about them that just makes you want to ask the chef in a barely audible whisper, “hey, you … chef … yeah, you … um .. is there crack in here?”

I didn’t get a chance to try the Strawberry & Nutella crepes, but my friend assured me that they were great … it was gobbled up so fast, it was gone before I knew it. We found a nice shady spot with  good view.

Having sufficiently devoured our snack, we went on for something a little more traditional … but “to-go” (aka “take-away”). Walking and eating beignets is not the most eloquent of acts, but it does bring you back to childhood.

Next, we ventured into the Quarter (which is VERY unlikely me at ALL), and made our way down to the Mint. We saw this along the way and BOY was I excited!

After meandering through the Quarter, we got the French Market. A friend of ours has a tent down there, Amie Davis. We spent the rest of the day in her tent, hanging out and enjoying the passers-by and breeze. (The photos were too large to post, but if anyone is interested in her contact info or shots of her work, let me know.  Her gallery (Kawliga) is part of the St. Claude Arts District. You might also find her work at the Skull Club. Of course, she is always down at the French Market. Just ask for her; someone will point the way.)

After we let some of our first course digest, we went on to the third round! What a beautiful day of beautiful food and beautiful people!

By then, we were completely full .. so we just let the day pass on by, without a care in the world or a place to be … the only sadness of the day, however … was when this happened:

After several hours of relaxing, we decided to make our way back over to the car. It was a good mile-long hike back, and we took the river most of the way. It was a gorgeous day. Fit for a king (and a queen!).

Before we left, though, we couldn’t resist just one more stop at the food tents. We brought home a little treasure trove of pork nachos, bbq ribs and another crawfish bread. You didn’t think I’d go a whole day without more crawfish bread, did you?!

And thus brought the end of FQF 2011. My most favorite festival of all time. I only wish it were a year-round event … I’d be such a happy camper.

Here’s to next year, and another great Fest!

~ nolafoodie