Had coffee and a pastry for breakfast. Walked through Harrah's Casino to the Canal Street entrance. Louis, a very nice southern gentleman was manning the security station, and he gave me good directions to where I could catch the streetcar to the Garden District.
The streetcar is $1.25 exact change (and at least one of the women drivers is not so friendly or helpful). I used my GPS to identify some points of interest (Emeril's Delmonico, for one) along St. Charles Avenue. I alighted at Washington Avenue.
Commander's Palace is a New Orleans institution (and previous stomping grounds of Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse). I looked at the menu, and since it was only 11:10 am, I was able to get a table without a reservation. By 12:15 the place was packed. The meal and service were EXCELLENT (one of my waiters had just graduated from Tulane). I could not pass up the 25 cent Melon Martini (weekday lunch special when ordering an entree). I had Turtle Soup, Sugarcane Smoked Pork Tenderloin & Crawfish (with Andouille Sausage-Potato Galette, and Chardonnay & Tasso Marchands de Vin). The Creole Bread Pudding Soufflé was a perfect dessert. My experience at Commander's Palace was fantastic and worth the $50 (including tip).
After lunch, I ventured a little way into Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, but kept the visit quite brief because of:
- Rumors about safety in New Orleans Cemeteries,
- Flashbacks of Easy Rider (though it was shot in St Louis Cemetery No. 1),
- A sudden rain shower, and
- The fact that many Chinese people don't like to go to cemeteries when they will be gambling.
In the late afternoon, I went out into the Arts District right behind Harrah's Hotel to see if I could find out what was being filmed on the street and in some old warehouses. Sylvester Stallone was filming The Expendables. Although they were blocking off the street to cars, they were nice enough about letting pedestrians watch the action if we stayed on the other side of the street. I am a long-time Stallone fan and it was fun to see him up close.
Had some Gumbo Soup for dinner at the McAlister's Select Deli on the casino floor courtesy of Total Rewards Points.
