Cafe du Monde and Cheesecake

No matter the age, you can’t resist the character of the historic French Quarter while sounds of brass bands fill your ears. How can anyone resist the charm of Magazine Street's shops and restaurants while being engulfed by the smell of Lilette or Slice? Who can resist being blanketed by confectioner’s sugar at Café du Monde? I know a certain 4 year old visitor who couldn’t.

With the in-laws and one of the nieces in town for the weekend, we decided to give them a whirlwind tour of some of that French Quarter character near Jackson Square. I’ll admit, the city’s oldest neighborhood is touristy and a bit overpriced, but it’s something everyone should experience at least once. We started by navigating our way through the usual weekend traffic on Decatur and snagged a table near the iron railing Café du Monde. After getting the niece to finally try what she called “beignet doughnuts”, we polished off her creamy hot chocolate and exited the bustling outdoor dining room.

As soon as we stepped back on Decatur, the St. Augustine Marching 100 had just fired up a free show at the amphitheater directly across from Jackson Square.

Even though the sound of brass resonating through the historic square made me want to pick up tuba playing as my second job, we quickly continued our tour of The Quarter in hopes of making it back to the house for the Alabama- LSU game.

My initial hopes were crushed. Three hours, and two overpriced stuffed animals later, I was finally back in my recliner. We just made it back for the start of the second half, but my time in the recliner on a windy Saturday afternoon was very limited. As soon as the game ended, we were off again.

This time, we set off for Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro. I know, going here is like going to Taco Bell in Cabo, but when you're dealing with a 4 year old and a mother-in-law that doesn't eat any seafood and is fairly picky about anything "different", you are pretty limited in New Orleans. The Cheesecake Bistro provided us with an extensive and diverse menu ranging from fried seafood platters to steaks and creole pastas. I kept the niece entertained by "driving" a boat through something she kept calling blueberry land until the fare arrived, which took almost 40 minutes. Normally the wait wouldn't have bothered me, but in a place that reminded me of a somewhat upscale New Orleans version of Applebee's or Chotchkie's, I at least expected a quick turn around time from the kitchen. My ricotta stuffed ravioli with crawfish cream turned out to be pretty tasty, and Erin's Chicken Marsala wasn't half bad either. Because the portions were huge, and we had cheesecake on our mind (I mean, we are in Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro), we decided to pack up the leftovers, and order two slices of cheesecake to go.

The chilly Saturday night ended up being a night that most 4 year olds can only dream of- one slice of fudge brownie cheesecake, one slice of bananas foster cheesecake, and Toy Story 3.