Tag: city guide

City Guide: New Orleans

City Guide: New Orleans

by smharff ♥ 0 Leave a Comment
New Orleans is home to some of the coolest bars in the country,
but its so much more than great cocktails.

Many people associate New Orleans with Bourbon Street, but there is more to New Orleans than boozy cocktails. New Orleans is also home to an amazing food scene, charming architecture, lovely antiques and plenty of culture, all of which makes it the perfect destination for a quick get-away.

Recently, my husband and I flew in on Saturday morning for a long weekend stay. We checked in to The Roosevelt Hotel, a historic beauty currently managed by the Waldorf Astoria. We’ve stayed there many times in the past, and as always, we were welcomed with top-notch service.

After checkin, we decided to grab lunch at Cochon Butcher, a lovely spot in the Warehouse District featuring a variety of small plates. There, we sampled several options, including standouts like the chargrilled oysters, gator bites and corn cakes with crawfish.

Enjoying a stroll through the Garden District, my favorite NOLA neighborhood.

Next, we toured Garden District, my favorite NOLA neighborhood. You can access it via the charming St. Charles streetcar. The ride affords you a fantastic view of the historic mansions lining this wide boulevard.

Once there, we made our way to Magazine Street, which is home to a variety of boutiques, upscale bars and elegant casual restaurants. We made several stops at some of my favorite shops, including Perch, an antique shop full of French imports, Pied Nu, a clothing boutique offering a well-curated sampling of some of my favorite housewares brands, and Sunday Shop, a lovely boutique offering a well-curated mix of antiques and elevated housewares.

A well-curated mix at Sunday Shop, one of my favorite boutiques on Magazine Street.

That evening, we had drinks at the Sazerac Bar in our hotel. It is said that Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong performed here, which only adds to the allure of this elegant, buzzy bar. I love the beautiful murals lining the walls, and the cocktails are excellent.

Cocktails at The Sazerac Bar. This elegant space is lined with beautiful murals.

After drinks, we had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Mr. B’s Bistro, and then we decided to visit the lobby bar at The Eliza Jane, a beautiful boutique hotel housed in a series of linked 19th-century warehouses. I’d love to stay here in the future, or at least have dinner at their hotel restaurant, Couvant.

The very elegant bar at The Eliza Jane Hotel.

Sunday morning means one thing in New Orleans–it’s time for an epic brunch! We started our day with a really special one at Salon by Sucre; I enjoyed the “afternoon” tea, which included multiple courses featuring beautiful, delicious treats. On our way out, I purchased four candied violet-studded dark chocolate bars to take home. They are amazing, and I never leave New Orleans without them.

The first course of the tea menu at Salon by Sucre, featuring Earl Grey honey scones,
Kouign-amann bites and Chai tea madeleines with honey comb and butter,
all sprinkled with powered sugar and flower petals.

After brunch, we walked through the French Quarter, stopping to admire Jackson Square and the surrounding buildings. We then opted for drinks at one of our old favorites, the Napoleon House, where they make an excellent Pimm’s Cup.

The elegant Napoleon House, a New Orleans institution.

After drinks, we did a little window shopping along Royal Street, home to several excellent antiques shops, many featuring items imported from France. My favorite is Antiques de Provence. It is made up of several connected buildings, and features a secret terrace in the back. Here you can find a wide assortment of vintage Chanel costume jewelry, giltwood Louis Philippe mirrors, ornate chandeliers and an incredible collection of olive jars, urns and other garden pottery.

Elegant imported French antiques at Antiques de Provence.

In the late afternoon, we headed to another Café Amelie, where I had incredible shrimp and grits. The restaurant is located in the former home of an American heiress, a woman who went on to become the Princess of Monaco, long before Grace Kelly did the same.

Shrimp and grits at Cafe Amelie.

After lunch, we visited some other favorites, such as Keil’s Antiques and Krewe Eyewear, a newer local brand carrying a great assortment of eyeglasses and sunglasses.

If you are looking for fine European antiques, you can’t go wrong with a visit to New Orleans.

That evening, we walked to dinner at Justine, a French brasserie high on design. I enjoyed a crudité bowl, a croque monsieur, and an incredible gateau basque. I could write an entire post about this sophisticated restaurant, which featured beautiful seating areas, original murals, excellent service and great food.

One of several cool murals at Justine.

On our final morning, we had beignets at Cafe du Monde, another must-do. It’s touristy, but these treats are so good I can’t help but recommend them. We walked around the French Quarter once more before heading back to our hotel to gather our things and go.

Have you been to New Orleans? If so, what are your favorite places? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Stephanie

City Guide: Quebec City

City Guide: Quebec City

by smharff ♥ 0 Leave a Comment
A trip to Quebec City gave us a chance to visit beautiful
Montmorency Falls, one of the world’s tallest waterfalls.

Last year, we decided to spend a week in Montreal and Quebec City, and it ended up being a really fun trip for our family. We enjoyed the first half of our trip in Montreal, but I’m so glad we decided to take the train to Quebec City for the second half of the week.

We arrived in Quebec City on Thursday morning, then checked in to a suite at the Quebec City Marriott Hotel facing Place D’Youville for one night. It was a great location, within easy walking distance to all the things we wanted to see. From there, walked through the Place D’Youville, past the Porte Saint Louis, the famous city gate, and through the charming streets lined with lovely, quaint buildings.

Charming storefronts abound in Quebec City.

We stopped in several of the charming little shops near our hotel on our way to the Terrasse Dufferin, the boardwalk linking the famous Le Chateau Frontenac, a resort hotel, with the St. Lawrence River.

The famous Le Chateau Frontenac, a classic resort hotel,
located on the boardwalk facing the St. Lawrence River.

From there, we walked to the Place Royale, one of the prettiest squares I’ve ever seen, where we viewed the Quebec City Mural and visited the Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, a quaint old church with a large ship’s model hanging from the ceiling.

Visiting Place Royale, one of the most charming public squares I’ve ever seen.

We continued around the corner and took the funiculaire back up to the Terrasse Dufferin. This was helpful, as Quebec City requires you to walk up and down steep steps all day. We then visited La Citadelle, a very old fort overlooking the river. While there, we toured the Musee Royal 22e Regiment, a military museum with interesting displays of military regalia.

A beautiful display of umbrellas offered shade from the sun on a side street near the funicular, an elevator that offered visitors a ride back up to the Terrasse Dufferin.

After, we walked past Les Jardins du Parlement, a small, lovely garden in front of the Parliament building, and past the Fontaine de Tourny on our way back to the hotel. On our way to dinner, we watched street performers perform, then we had poutine and gourmet cheeseburgers at Les Trois Garcons.

Murals documenting the history of Quebec City can be found in several locations.

After dinner, I walked by myself back to the Place Royale, then went down the Escalier Casse Cou (the breakneck steps) and descended into the Quartier Petit Champlain, a charming area full of quaint shops. While there, I found a lovely little Provencal shop featuring items imported from France, where I purchased a set of amazing Laguoile steak knives from France, along with Provencal napkins and a cute Champagne kitchen towel. 

The next morning, we had croissants and tea at Paillard, then let Cameron play in the water feature in the Jardins de l’Hotel-de-Ville. We then joined our private driver for a trip to beautiful Montmorency Falls, an incredible waterfall that is one and half times higher than Niagara. While there, we took a cable car up to the top, then walked across a bridge over the falls. The view from there was incredible. This was definitely another one of the highlights of our trip. 

The boys at the top of Montmorency Falls, one of the highlights of our trip.

After, our driver took us to Saint-Jean-de-‘Ile-d-Orleans, an agricultural island in the center of the river. While there, we visited a maple farm where we sampled maple products, then had amazing pizza at La Boulange, a cute bakery, and chocolate at Sainte-Petronille, a chocolatier.

Hiring a driver to give us a tour of the falls and the island was definitely worth it. Not only did she take us exactly where we wanted to go, but she shared the region’s history and answered all our questions. The hotel was able to help us arrange this with short notice, but I’d advise you to make arrangements in advance to ensure you don’t miss out. Both boys enjoyed the day, and slept on the train all the way back to Montreal.

Overall, our trip to Montreal and Quebec City was a fun adventure. It allowed us all to experience something very different from our home state of Florida, without leaving our time zone, or spending too much time getting there and back.

Where are your favorite places to travel with your family? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time!

Stephanie