I have been to New Orleans umpteen times, each time with a totally different experience.  I suspect here in lies the secret of the town we endearingly call The Big Easy.  New Orleans, means many different things:  the Jazz Festival, Mardi Gras, an anniversary, a fun get away.  This time it was to celebrate my sister’s 40th birthday.  This post should be titled: the Seesters hit the Big Easy — the seesters, all 5 of us and a seester-in-law, had a fine time.  Once you read this post, you’ll see what we really did.  We really ATE and ate well.  If you want to eat well, New Orleans is an easy flight from Nashville.

Our first stop was a famous place on the north side of Lake Ponchartrain called Middendorfs. Middendorfs is a quintessential American dive and its specialty is fried thin catfish.  We waited about 20 minutes to get in and were then served HUGE platters of thin catfish and mugs of chilled Dixie beer.   OK, I have never had thin catfish, but as I asked about the process of “thinning it” I found out that long knife toting elves in the kitchen literally cut paper-thin slices from HUGE catfish.  The end result is deeeelicious.  This is worth the 20 miles out of your way drive.

Jacques-Imos Cafe is located in uptown NO and (again) looks like a dump from the outside (notice a theme?).  Once inside, it was a rockin’ find as plates of crayfish etouffee and gumbo raced by accompanied by exotic drinks for all.  We were escorted next door to another dump-like building and feasted on maux choux ( a Cajun version of succotash with zip), and a fried eggplant shell filled with seafood delights in a lemon cream sauce (calories don’t count on vacation).  Yum.  The owner of this popular joint,  Jacques Leonardi, is a character.  If you want your own private dining experience, the car in front of the restaurant is available.  I’m serious – check it out below.  I give Jacques-Imos a sincere thumbs up.

your own private dining car at Jacques-Imos

By Saturday lunch, my jeans were tight and the idea of yet another fried anything made me queasy.  So with complete reluctance,  I headed into another dive called Domilises. This hole in the wall has about 10 tables with an exposed kitchen and the fryers going full-tilt-boogie.  Huge loaves of the famous Leidenheimer French bread were housed in baskets on the floor!  Not sure how that passes health code…   After ordering my morning coffee and a cold Dixie beer – placed together before me-  I sank my teeth into the BEST and most INCREDIBLE shrimp po’ boy I have ever had.  Another crowd favorite of Domilises is their thin roast beef sandwich with gravy.  I think it was inspired by the Rex himself.

Cafe’ Du Monde.  Everybody goes to Cafe’ Du Monde while in New Orleans.   But navigating Cafe Du Monde on a busy weekend morning takes some skills.   So, here’s my skills lesson: what you do is walk around back and wave a $5 bill at the cute man in the white hat.  He will hurry up, take your order and in less than 5 minutes, hand you a bag of piping hot beignets and cup of  ‘jo.  There are any number of places to sit and savor the delicacies of Cafe’ Du Monde.

The best pralines in New Orleans can be found at Southern Candy Makers.  Owned by the Tomkins Family, it was voted the best in the US by Bon Appetit magazine.  You can order online at www. southerncandymakers.com.

Herbsaint. How could I go to New Orleans without the sage advice of foodie, Julia Reed, creative director of Taigan and enthusiastic resident of the city?  Julia immediately emailed me her list of fave restaurants.  Herbsaint topped the list.  If it is good enough for Laura Bush (yes, Julia hosted Laura) then,  it is good enough for me.  We ordered every appetizer imaginable and then our entrees.  Plates of duck confit, dark roux gumbo, and mussels in broth arrived and yes, the food was divine.  Dropping Julia’s name (hey, I wanted  a good table and waiter) gets you primo treatment. You can read more about Julia in the StyleBlueprint interview. My sister Annie rangled the Coconut Cream Pie recipe from Herbsaint.   It’s to die for!   Herbsaint won the 2007 James Beard Award for Best Chef.

Chef Donald Link of Herbsaint

In the next couple of weeks, I will write part II:  Where to shop, where to stay and where to play.

To sister Sarah, Happy 40th!  Bon Appetit and de Reve’ la Vie.

Ann West and Elizabeth Dingess, travel agents extraordinare'

With the 2nd annual Belle Meade Vacations Travel Show slated for this Thursday evening at Cheekwood, I knew I had to find out how the travel agent business was doing in this day of endless online travel sites and discount bookings. I wondered, “How are Travel Agents surviving?”

For over 5 years I have hiked with two of the most experienced travel agents in town, Ann West and Elizabeth Dingess of Belle Meade Vacations. With that being said (full disclosure here), I am NOT their best customer.  With a couple of wins under my travel belt and probably as many flops, I thought it might be interesting to look at the travel agency business in light of the recession, the internet and our ever-changing virtual world.

I posed this question directly to Ann and Elizabeth, “Girls, is your business doing OK?”  They both smiled and replied, “Our business is good and in the past six months, REALLY GOOD.”

Here’s is what Ann and Elizabeth have to say….

Booking travel is tricky, especially internationally. There are so many details (like forgetting to renew your passport) where a misstep can ABSOLUTELY ruin your trip.  Having a complete itinerary with all the i’s dotted and the t’s crossed, is worth its weight in gold.  For your agent, the itinerary is the GPS of travel; they know where you are, if (and when) something messes up.  Both Ann and Elizabeth have more than one horror story of missed planes, forgotten documents and unforeseen circumstances.  When you’re in a pickle, your travel agent is there 24/7.  Based on 30 years of relationships, these two can pull you out of a jam QUICKLY.

Some trips simply necessitate a Travel Agent:

1. anything exotic like Africa, China or India
2. most cruises due to the complicated lingo and upgrades
3. all important occasions like anniversaries, honeymoons and birthdays
4. and pretty much (now that I know) EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.

Belle Meade Vacation’s affiliation with Virtuoso allows them to pass on upgrades and freebies to you. Access to Virtuoso perks is like having access to the American Express Platinum Club– exclusive benefits and great perks.

Let’s face it, traveling is about the ADVENTURE, not about the HASSLE.

This Thursday Belle Meade Vacations invites you to their 2^nd Annual Travel Show.  Most of the exclusive travel companies will be there to answer questions and give advice.  If you’re like most seasoned travelers, you have some idea where you want to go, you just want to know the best way to go.  I may just go to simply get ideas and start planning.  I can’t imagine something more fun.

Safari in Africa catch your attention? Me, too.  Mark Nolting, president of the Africa Adventure Company will be there.  His customized expeditions are first class with private guides and tours.  You can rough it by sleeping in a tent or stay in one of the gorgeous lodges.  I hope you know that “roughing” it is a relative term with Mark’s company.  Let’s face it, a wrong turn in the bush is not a good idea.

Sleep under the stars in your African tent.

Elephant crossing

What:   Belle Meade Vacation Travel Show

Where:  Cheekwood with valet parking at the Botanic Hall

When:  Thursday, January 21 from 5PM-7PM

Who: Some of the companies attending will be Four Seasons Hotel and Resort, Lindbland Expeditions, Orient-Express, Abercrombie and Kent, Canyon Ranch, The Africa Adventure Co., St. Regis Hotels and many more.

Imagine your perfect vacation. I did exactly that when my husband said it was time to get away.  It was time to replenish and relax after a long and somewhat taxing year.  I knew what I didn’t want:  I didn’t want to navigate a big city, or spend 6-7 hours on a plane going to an international destination.  I didn’t want to drive to a place like Asheville, and the Gulf Coast was still too cold.   Bottom line– I didn’t want to work too hard to find relaxation.  What I really wanted was a quiet beach – perhaps, somewhere new to add a little adventure.   I typed my list: easy travel connections, beach, interesting restaurants, reasonable costs, quiet, secluded and safe.  Also, more importantly, we needed to book our stay on a short notice.

The gorgeous Grace Bay

Here is what we came up with: Turks and Caicos.

Turks and Caicos is located at the Southern end of the Bahamas Island chain known as the British West Indies  and is often overlooked as a vacation destination. If you say “Turks and Caicos,” most people acknowledge they’ve heard of it, but that’s about it.  Interesting, because of all the vacation destinations in the Caribbean, Turks and Caicos has the best website.  All the hotels, condominiums and all-inclusives are listed in alphabetical order, by island and by rating, with great photos of each locale.  Most flights connect through Miami, however American Airlines offers direct flights from New York, US Air from Charlotte and Delta from Atlanta.  All airlines fly into Providenciales, the main Island.

One benefit of selecting Turks and Caicos as a beach destination is that once you clear customs at Providenciales Airport, you can cab to your hotel, check in and be in your lounge chair, on the beach with a fancy umbrella cocktail, in less than 3o minutes.

Most of the big hotels are located on Grace Bay, one of the prettiest and most dramatic beaches I’ve ever seen.  The water is so intensely blue it gives you pause, as you know you’ve never seen a color quite like it.  I booked a room at Le Vele, a small Italian inspired boutique hotel and condominium located smack dab in the middle of Grace Bay.  As we pulled up to the hotel, my husband asked me, “How did you hear about this  place?”  My reply, “I didn’t.  I just liked the look of the place on the website.”  Yikes.  I can tell you from experience those gut decisions can either work for ya’ or against ya’.  Thankfully, this time it was the former.

Le Vele, an Italian inspired boutique hotel

Le Vele was perfect for what we needed.  It was small and intimate with only 22 rooms.  The general manager, Clayton Thomas, and his staff were incredibly accommodating from greeting us upon our arrival with a rum punch to assisting my husband in finding his briefcase left in our cab from the airport.

I love how the rooms are like mini-apartments

In the morning, we awoke to a basket of croissants and fruit left by the staff, then wandered a short way over a dune to the beach with chair and umbrella awaiting us.  After a couple of hours of swimming and sunning, we faced our toughest decision of the day: whether to head out to the right or left down the beach in search of a late lunch.

StyleBlueprint HQ located on Grace Beach

There are some great restaurants on Providenciales, we were told, but for us, the restaurants within walking distance on the beach were perfect.  Grace Bay’s restaurants cater to all types of palates with conch being a staple in the Islands.  Conch is considered a poor man’s lobster and is absolutely delicious.   We ordered conch in all sorts of ways from fritters to chowder, but our absolute favorite were the award-winning conch wontons served at the Bay Bistro located in the Sibonne’ Beach Hotel.

The conch wontons at Bay Bistro are fabulous

Walking down a quiet beach on a starry night on our way to dinner was its own special treat. There’s nothing like looking up together and seeing the same falling star to make you feel good about where you are.

Turks and Caicos offers wonderful options for massage, facials and therapeutic treatments at several hotels.  We booked a massage at Point Grace Hotel, which has a small spa cottage tucked away from everything which affords you an outdoor massage experience not to be missed.  As you fade away under the masseuses’ hands, a gentle breeze from the ocean lulls you into an altered state. It’s a little bit of heaven.

A view from the veranda at Turks and Caicos

Of course, Turks and Caicos offers every snorkeling and diving experience known to man, I just wasn’t up for moving off of my chaise lounge. The Islands are under British rule so driving can be somewhat precarious as you drive on the left side of the road.  The shopping is fine, but not as sophisticated as St. Thomas or other destinations in the Caribbean.  Turks and Caicos is about the beauty of the place… and it’s astounding.

For more information about Turks and Caicos, the New York Times featured the island in the travel section on Sunday November 15, or pick up last month’s Architectural Digest and read about Donna Karan’s oasis of a resort.

If you decide to book Le Vele, be sure to ask for Clayton.  He’s the unofficial ambassador of the Island and rest assured, all your needs will be taken care of…

Turks and Caicos awaits your weary bones, ready to refresh and inspire!