Roadtrip Stop: New Orleans

Texas was a long drive, but we got to see some family and good friends. I think we were excited for this next stop the most.  After a grueling drive from the Dallas/Fort Worth area, took about 8-9 hours, we arrived at New Orleans.

We want to mention the hotel for our stay, Country Inns and Suites in downtown New Orleans. It was worth booking in advance for the cheap price and we enjoy our room and service. The location allowed us to be in walking distance to every place we visited.

We stopped to eat at Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, popular for their charbroiled oysters, which was recommended through one of our friends.  They were cooked with a garlic butter sauce and topped off with some parmesan cheese. We also had to try some fresh oysters and some of Louisianas local brews, Abita Lager (recommended for all you drinkers out there). Still not satisfied, we ordered a fried catfish dish which lead us to believe the only thing worth going to this restaurant for are the oysters alone.

After filling our tummies we took a break back at the hotel. We then headed out to explore the French Quarter a bit and eventually wound up on B0urbon Street. We had a few drinks but one we recommend trying is the hand grenades from Tropical Isle. It definitely completed our full New Orleans experience. We walked back to the French Quarter to get some coffee and beignets at the infamous Cafe Du Monde. A bit disappointed on the service, we literally waited 20 minutes before switching waiters and being served.  The beignets, however, were very much worth it. They were literally covered in powdered sugar, and after we finished we looked like we got just out of a blizzard!

The last thing we did before leaving New Orleans the next morning was make a trip to Johnny’s Po Boys. We ended up ordering a half and half po boy consisting of shrimp and softshell crab. It was the first time we had a softshell crab po boy, we thought it was over rated at first till we hit the huge cluster of crab which made us a instafan.

Drago’s Seafood Restaurant

Hilton New Orleans Riverside
2 Poydras St
New Orleans, LA 70140

Tropical Isle

721 Bourbon St
New Orleans, LA 70116

Cafe Du Monde

800 Decatur St
New Orleans, LA 70116

Johnny’s Po Boys

511 St. Louis St
New Orleans, LA 70130

Roadtrip Stop: Pita Jungle & The Grand Canyon

From Vegas we headed straight for The Grand Canyon! This was our first time visiting the National Park and it was quite a breathtaking experience. Arizona was probably our favorite place to drive through. The scenery was so distinct from the West and East Coast.

Our hotel location was in Flagstaff, AZ, a small, college like town. Pita Jungle had a hipster yet classy feel with a mixed crowd of people. They had a wide selection of Mediterranean food as well as healthy veggie dishes.

Our appetizer was a pick from our norm. We had Dolmades, rice with tomatoes, onions, and parsley wrapped in grape leaves, drizzled with olive oil and lemon. Pita #1 was the Shwarma and #2 was the Falafel pita. The chicken in the shwarma was a little bland but the falafel pita was pretty good.

Location: 320 S Regent St Flagstaff, AZ

Pitajungle.com

Grand Canyon Pictures:

Roadtrip Stop: Las Vegas

To kick off the beginning of our road trip, we stopped at Vegas! It was a surprisingly easy 8 hour drive from Norcal, we were excited to get this week started. Our initial hotel pick was the Palazzo but due to it being booked, we chose Planet Hollywood.

Vegas Strip

We wasted no time to get to our dinner spot at the Rio, Carnival World Buffet. The wait time was around 20 minutes, not bad as we got there before the large crowd came in. We went for the food that we typically wouldn’t find anywhere else. We were all over the Crab Legs! Even though they were served cold they still were fresh enough for us to enjoy.

The Rio

The Cosmopolitan – We really enjoyed the vibe in this hotel. I think we may stay here next time.

The rest of the night we just walked along the strip and enjoyed the Vegas lights!

Until next time Sin City….

Edit: Leaving Vegas we veered off to take a helicopter ride to see the Hoover Dam, an engineering marvel for its time. This was our first time riding on a helicopter! The view was just amazing.

Road tripping from California to Florida!

We have been MIA for a little while because we are currently road tripping back home to Florida. If you don’t know already, Roger is saying good-bye to his time in the Air Force. He is finally ready to come home, and I flew to California so we could start our west to east coast road trip! From California our main stops include Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Albuquerque, Dallas, New Orleans, Gainesville, then St. Petersburg FL!

Look out for more posts from our food adventures during our trip!

Dad’s Famous BBQ

Something we always look forward to for family gatherings!

Jai Lao Papaya Salad

We are honored to dedicate this post to the Jai Lao organization, based in San Ramon, California. The organization helps alleviate financial hardships for Laotians in Laos. Specifically, they hope to improve schools and education for disadvantaged children.

Papaya salad is a Laotian dish that stands out the most. One of the prime ingredients is padaek, a thicker fish sauce made of fermented fish. It doesn’t sound so elegant but don’t knock it till you try it! The ladies of Jai Lao makes the best papaya salad I have ever had (sorry mom). They brew their own padaek, from scratch. Everything in the papaya salad blends well together but the padaek adds that extra kick.

By the way help their cause by checking out their website and donating here: Jai Lao.

-Roger