Off to Cajun Country

The final tax deadline for the 2009 year was yesterday, and boy was it busy in my office.  It was a busy week overall for Mark and me.  We had a wonderful dinner with Trish from Pink Preppy Lilly Lover's hubby Wednesday night.  Since it was such a beautiful fall night, we met at a restaurant on St. Charles Ave. called Delachaise.  It is a wine bar with a bistro menu.  The guys both had the steak frites and I had the most delicious grilled ham and cheese sandwich EVER!!!  It was St. Andre, tuscan ham, and arugula on toasted ciabatta, but the best element of the sandwich was the addition of fresh rosemary.  WOW!!!  It was so great to meet Matt and share a New Orleans night with a new friend.

Last night, we had one of those perfect Nawlins-y evenings.  The weather was just right for a stroll through The Quarter.  So before meeting some friends for dinner, we walked down Royal Street towards Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse (where my sister is the pastry chef).  They have a $5 bar menu that is just too good to pass up.  For just $5, you can choose from a selection of amazing small plates and also two different cocktails.  I had the crawfish and artichoke dip which was very very tasty and a spiked Arnold Palmer, and Mark had the steak skewers and a martini.  We walked to dinner in the nearby Marigny neighborhood  which is packed with jazz bars and little restaurants.  We chose Adolfo's because we love the food and the atmosphere.  It is a small Italian place that sits above a music bar.  Our friends had never been, and I can say by the end of our meal, I think it my be a new favorite for them!!!  If you make it there, I highly recommend the Spinach and Italian Sausage Cannelloni...  DIVINE!

As for today, we are about to take off on a country drive.  We're headed to New Iberia, LA for some quality time with some old friends.  I'm looking forward to driving through Houma on the way and stopping at Big Al's for seafood.  I'm also looking forward to the peace and quiet that comes with a nice drive through Southwest LA on a cool October day.  It's the time of year when the sugar cane farmers light the cane fields on fire, and the smell in the air tells you it's officially Fall.  There is absolutely nothing better...

Yall have a good weekend!!