New Orleans Fleeting Visit

I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Convention Centre recently on a business trip. It is located just across the road from the New Orleans Convention Centre and within walking distance of the River front and French Quarter areas. It is about 30 minutes from New Orleans airport.

My room was a good size, with two queen beds. There was plenty of storage, with a large set of drawers and double wardrobe. The room also has coffee maker, microwave, and mini-fridge. The microwave is a bonus if you fancy a snack, but the hotel does not supply any cutlery or plates, etc., so be careful what you want to microwave, or pop down to the restaurant to borrow some utensils. I also had a chair and table and a large TV and Internet access. The bathroom was clean and functional.

In the hotel lobby, there is a small shop which sells drinks, microwavable food, milk, and other bits and pieces you may have forgotten, such as toothpaste, soap, etc. You just pay for the item at reception. There is also a restaurant in the lobby from where they serve a buffet breakfast every morning. You can choose the continental breakfast, which consists of fruit, yoghurt, muffins, pastries, bagels, toast, etc., or you can have the full breakfast which, in addition to the continental, includes bacon, sausage, burgers, eggs, hash browns, grits, etc. The restaurant also serves lunch and dinner, but I did not get the chance to try these offerings.

Just off the lobby is a business centre which offers meeting rooms for guests and also has a room for Internet use, faxing, etc. They also have boxes, envelopes, etc., that you can use to ship goods within the USA and overseas via UPS and Fed-Ex. Being so near the convention centre, they are quite geared up for business guests.

I found my three-night stay here to be quite pleasant, and if you are staying here in order to visit the convention centre, it is ideal. However, if you are a tourist, choose a hotel located nearer the main tourist areas.

As part of my business trip, I was invited out by my American colleagues for a meal at Ralph’s on the Park. It is located opposite New Orleans City Park. None of us had been there before, so we weren’t sure what to expect.

We got there quite early and we were one of the first groups to occupy the tables. We were a group of nine and were given the long table you can see in the photo attached.

We were initially served by the head waiter, who described each of the menu items for us and made recommendations for both the food and wine. The service was excellent, and after the head waiter had taken our orders, we were then served by a lovely waitress who happened to be seven months pregnant--poor girl.

When our appetizers arrived, most of us had ordered different options, and we all ended up tasting each other's food, as they all looked so nice. I had chosen the chilled summer soup, which was watermelon and tomato. This was a very unusual taste but very nice nonetheless. Other options chosen included oysters, escargot, mushroom goat cheese brioche, BBQ shrimp, and various salads.

Next was the main course, and again, we all seemed to choose different items, so we ended up trying each other's. Options this time included grilled fish of the day, which was fantastic, roasted chicken, lamb chops, and various other fish dishes. All were fantastic in both presentation and taste.

My favourite part of the meal was the dessert, but then, I do have a sweet tooth! I chose soft chocolate cake, which, fortunately, a couple of others had also ordered, so I didn’t have to share it. It was a lovely light chocolate cake with cherries and fudge sauce and vanilla ice cream – superb. Other desserts included blueberry tart which was also delicious, apple cake and various ice creams. Everyone enjoyed their desserts.

Our boss is a bit of a wine connoisseur, and he thought all the wines served were excellent, so thumbs-up there too. I don’t drink wine, so I cannot comment.

In summary, the atmosphere was great, we had so much fun, the waitress was excellent, the food was excellent, and all in all, we all had a fantastic time. I can thoroughly recommend this restaurant.

Riverwalk in New Orleans is a large shopping centre right on the banks of the Mississippi River, and you can access it from several locations. If, like me, you enter via Convention Centre Boulevard, you will walk straight into the food-hall area. There is a large seating area with lots of places to buy just about every sort of food you can imagine.

Now, I have been in many US food halls in many US shopping malls, but this was something different. Being in the Deep South, there is lots of Cajun and Creole cooking, and the smells and sights that greet you here are amazing. I didn’t count them, but there must be 40 or more places to get food. Many of the places have examples of their food on plates on top of their counters, and the colours are amazing. There is just about everything available here, such as chicken, pasta, pizza, seafood, Cajun, Creole, desserts, chocolate, and best of all, Haagen Dazs ice cream.

There are plenty of areas along the mall where you can walk outside to see views of the river, with seating and telescopes for your pleasure.

At the other end of the food hall, you enter the shopping mall area. This section has many gift shops and general touristy-type memorabilia. If you want Mardi Gras beads any time of year, just about every shop sells them. If you then walk farther down, you get into the main shopping area. Here you will find branded shops such as Gap and many more.

When you exit the mall at the other end, you come out by the river where a couple of the big Mississippi river boats are moored. You also come out to a lovely fountain and access to the local aquarium.

The Riverwalk is definitely worth a visit, if only for the food!

Jackson Square is located in the French Quarter of the city and is dominated by the three tall spires of St Louis Cathedral.

This is a stunning part of the city, and the cathedral is beautiful, as you can see by the pictures. To one side of the cathedral is The Cabildo, former headquarters of the Spanish colonial government. These buildings are so photogenic, you will just want to gaze at them.

Opposite the cathedral is the square itself, which is a lovely park-like area. There is a bronze statue of Andrew Jackson, who saved New Orleans during the war of 1812.

There is little more to say about this area, other than it is beautiful and worth a visit.