Since we reserved yesterday for indulging in what the French Quarter has to offer, we wanted to dedicate today to seeing the rest of New Orleans. There was no way we were leaving Louisiana without having some real southern fried chicken. We Yelped the best places around and came across Willie Mae's Scotch House. It was a little difficult to get to - nestled in a residential neighborhood with quite a bit of construction going on, but we were so determined to eat there that we didn't let any of that deter us. Because of the construction, parking was difficult, but we saw a couple of cars parked on a sidewalk near the construction site so we followed suit and parked next to them. Willie Mae's claims to have "America's best fried chicken" so we each had an order of that plus sides of sweet potato fries, mac n' cheese, and corn bread. We both agree that Willie Mae's fried chicken is leagues beyond anything on the west coast. The chicken was fried in a batter that wasn't too thick. There was just this perfect light crispiness of the chicken skin with a tasty hint of spiciness. Our only qualm was that it was a bit too salty for our taste. Some people prefer their chicken salty like that, but we are not those people. It's definitely worth eating, we were both satisfied. Oh, and their sweet tea is also a must-try!
After eating such a hearty meal so early in the day, we went to City Park to get in our daily dose of exercise. Oh, and we got it alright. We rented out a pedal boat and worked out our legs for a good hour just paddling out all around the lake, under bridges and everything. It was a lot of fun, but it was also a lot of sweat. Louisiana summers are not kind with their high heat and high humidity, but we still had a good time.
After paddle boatin' around, we could only walk around the park for another 10 minutes or so before the heat overwhelmed us and we were craving something to cool us down. We Yelped a local smoothie places and discovered Lemonade Parade, along with the New Orleans version of shave ice - snoballs. We each ordered a snoball - candy apple and ice cream flavored - and shared a prickly pear lemonade. Both snoball flavors were so good and the lemonade had such a unique and refreshing flavor.
We don't remember exactly how we came to the decision to watch Maleficent in theaters, but we did so we sought out a nearby theater. Our first choice was a miss at Prytania Theatre - supposedly New Orleans' oldest operating theater. We thought it'd be cool to see the movie there, but unfortunately a private party was taking place during our showtime and there was no public notification so we drove all the way there only to be turned away. Lame. So. Lame. We were then informed by some kind elder ladies who were trying to see Maleficent as well that it'd be playing at Theatres at Canal Place, so we made the drive over. That had to be the absolute silliest theater we have ever attended. In fact, there is no better description for what it was other than silly. Just to give you an idea of what we experienced:
It turns out that the theater wasn't far from Decatur St. so we made the walk for one last visit to Cafe du Monde so happily close out our last night in Louisiana. On the way, we stopped into few more shops for some final souvenir shopping.
As a final word on our stay in NO, let it be known that southern hospitality is real. Even as Riks' second time visiting NO, she affirms that that is definitely one constant. Everywhere we went, just about every person we walked past, near, or encountered exchanged a greeting, a kind word, or a compliment. Customer service was just that - service FOR customers. And everyone around made us feel truly welcome in this great city. We're just sorry that our stay was so short.
[TKC Road Trip Pro-Tip #7: Yelp is one amazing, must-download app! It's helped us discover some of the most incredible places throughout our trip.]
Until next time, New Orleans,
Nics & Riks
We don't remember exactly how we came to the decision to watch Maleficent in theaters, but we did so we sought out a nearby theater. Our first choice was a miss at Prytania Theatre - supposedly New Orleans' oldest operating theater. We thought it'd be cool to see the movie there, but unfortunately a private party was taking place during our showtime and there was no public notification so we drove all the way there only to be turned away. Lame. So. Lame. We were then informed by some kind elder ladies who were trying to see Maleficent as well that it'd be playing at Theatres at Canal Place, so we made the drive over. That had to be the absolute silliest theater we have ever attended. In fact, there is no better description for what it was other than silly. Just to give you an idea of what we experienced:
- People were dressed to the nines at this place - we're talking suits and dresses fancy
- No one under 18 years of age is admitted
- There is assigned seating
- There is a waiter service. Yes. Our assigned seats came with pull out mini-tables with a button to push for service. The menu had everything from just your regular M&Ms to gourmet pizza and a selection of fine wines.
It turns out that the theater wasn't far from Decatur St. so we made the walk for one last visit to Cafe du Monde so happily close out our last night in Louisiana. On the way, we stopped into few more shops for some final souvenir shopping.
As a final word on our stay in NO, let it be known that southern hospitality is real. Even as Riks' second time visiting NO, she affirms that that is definitely one constant. Everywhere we went, just about every person we walked past, near, or encountered exchanged a greeting, a kind word, or a compliment. Customer service was just that - service FOR customers. And everyone around made us feel truly welcome in this great city. We're just sorry that our stay was so short.
[TKC Road Trip Pro-Tip #7: Yelp is one amazing, must-download app! It's helped us discover some of the most incredible places throughout our trip.]
Until next time, New Orleans,
Nics & Riks