It's been years since I visited the Big Easy, and since it is the next best place to get a French fix, I jumped at a chance to get reacquainted. This trip, I accompanied my son Andrew, who wanted to celebrate his 40th birthday in the city known for jazz, beignets, Cajun cuisine and WrestleMania XXX. This wrestling extravaganza was the main reason for our trip; Andrew has been a wrestlemaniac since he was a kid. 75,167 fans from all 50 states and 37 countries would converge on the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to see their favorite wrestling personalities battle for the belt and the title of World Heavyweight Champion. The event is broadcast live in the U.S. on WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) Network and via cable and satellite providers on pay-per-view in more than 100 countries and 20 languages.
New Orleans was abuzz with excitement, hosting one of the largest entertainment spectacles in the world, with banners and billboards along Canal Street and in the French Quarter. It's no wonder that the red carpet was rolled out for wrestling fans of all ages, genders, and nationalities, with the millions of dollars being spent on sold out hotel rooms and booked restaurants.
We started in the French Quarter and the infamous Bourbon Street. It was 10:30am and with intermittent rain there was little bead throwing, but Hurricane cocktails in their long-necked plastic glasses were everywhere. With 233 bars in the Quarter, each establishment is trying to outdo their competition with a drink or theme that sets them apart. Although Bourbon Street gets the press, Royal Street, my favorite, is a block away with its hidden gardens, quiet restaurants and inns, wrought iron terraces and galleries and antique stores. As we strolled to Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral, we came across the Moonwalk, named after a former mayor, bordering the mighty Mississippi. Observing the river from this vantage point was somewhat disappointing with it's murky water and abandoned warehouses that dot the river's edge.
A hop on the double decker tour bus offered us a great perspective of the city that is both historic and modern. Our last stop was the New Orleans Convention Center. Andrew and I spent several hours inside and surprise, surprise! A tandem wrestling event, called WrestleMania Axxess, was being held inside, allowing access to wrestling stars for fans that just can't get enough of the wrestling experience before the big event.
After walking for what seemed miles, we escaped the hype for a nearby restaurant called Root. Located in the Warehouse District, it has an unconventional menu with hip twists such as pig's ear and shrimp-stuffed deviled eggs. Root was named one of Bon Appetite’s 50 Best New Restaurants, and awarded Best New Restaurant by New Orleans Magazine. Root is definitely not your father’s New Orleans restaurant.
The next afternoon, Andrew headed to the Superdome and I hopped the bus to the Garden District for a walking tour. Most of the District has been restored to original condition. The commercial area is having a resurgence of boutique businesses and galleries that are attracting a new generation of shoppers and foodies. My evening concluded back on Royal Street at Café Amelie for dinner under the trees. The Café is situated in a lovely French Quarter courtyard, with a carriage house that was home to Alice Heine, America's first Princess of Monaco. Right across the street is the Cornstalk Hotel, which is the most photographed in the Quarter, identified by the cornstalk wrought iron fence in front.
As Andrew and I waited for our flight home, we shared a beignet, a bowl of gumbo and a milestone birthday in a place that never seems to grow old. It continues to reinvent itself, maintaining the heavyweight title of the Most Interesting City in America.
