Bon Moment NOLA : New Orleans History, Food & Travel Blog

Join me on a food or cocktail tour during your down time from Festin'! There's a ton of festivals in New Orleans and I'm part of the lucky crew that has worked many of them, so I have an inside scoop. The city just wrapped up 2 weekends of Jazz Fest, so I thought it was a good time to reflect on Fest Season in NOLA & offer some tips. Festivals to plan your New Orleans visit: Jazz & Heritage Fest French Quarter Fest Festival International de Louisiane Essence Fest Hogs for the

Attending a risqué performance (featuring local musicians, drag queens, dancers, circus acts, and comedians) is a classic New Orleans experience. Because show schedules frequently change, it is recommended to check event links below for updated calendars. Before hitting a show, join me for the French Quarter Cocktail Tour- rethink the drink with a tour of the city's vibrant cocktail history and experience the French Quarter like a local! Venue: The Allways Lounge The document

If you're looking to drink like a local in the French Quarter (and learn a little along the way), avoid the tourist traps and book my French Quarter Cocktail Tour! "Must Drink" Basics: The New Orleans classic cocktails What are the most popular cocktails in New Orleans? Sazerac: Starting off with the city's official cocktail! Take a free tour at the Sazerac House to get full history of this drink and more- the movement of alcohol through trade routes, the role of apothecaries

Louisiana's journey to becoming "Hollywood South", a journey of New Orleans in film. - source Louisiana pioneered film and TV tax incentives in 1992, sparking a boom that survived even the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. However, state budget caps imposed in 2015 crippled the industry's growth, driving many cost-conscious streaming productions toward cheaper international hubs like Canada. To reclaim its title as "Hollywood South" and bring production back to New O

It's easy to pay too much for a mediocre meal in the French Quarter- as New Orleans' tourist hot spot, in a city known for its food, there is no lack of opportunist establishments cranking out overpriced, subpar dishes that they pass off as an authentic taste of Creole classics. Here is a list of restaurants I CAN recommend in the French Quarter- all are vouched for by service industry workers and locals alike for good eats in the French Quarter. While you're at it, see how m

Foodie souvenirs from New Orleans make affordable, iconic souvenirs and gifts for friends, co-workers, or family members - and it's a good idea to buy an extra one for yourself to recreate New Orleans meals at home. Authentic local brands can be found at grocery stores across the area, including Rouses, Breaux Mart, Robért's, Canseco's, Dorignac's, Zuppardo's, and Langenstein's. Food is iconic in New Orleans so it's the perfect gift to bring back home. Here is a photo gallery

People from landlocked areas put "See food, eat it- eat all the seafood" on their must-do list of New Orleans. With the Gulf of Mexico, massive Lake Pontchartrain & the many bayous that the Mississippi feeds into, the "Sportsman's Paradise" of Louisiana is known for its sport fishing and the seafood industry is an integral part of our economy. Crawfish, shrimp, crabs, oysters & fish are the crown jewels of the plate, so take every chance to enjoy our best assets at one of the

There are many groups who travel to New Orleans with at least one friend or family member with a dietary restriction that makes it difficult to eat out in our food obsessed city. Whether they have to watch what they eat for health reasons, have a food allergy or are a vegetarian but still want to be part of the fun, eating good food New Orleans is for everyone! While most upscale restaurants provide vegetarian choices, the list below highlights places that will satisfy both v

Want to make the most of your trip to NOLA during Carnival? Book at walking tour with Bon Moment NOLA - Learn history while you eat and drink like a local. Experience some of the best spots in the city in just 3 hours! When is Mardi Gras? Mardi Gras day moves around on the calendar based on the date of Easter, so you'll need to check every year when Mardi Gras falls for that year. Mardi Gras parades start WEEKS before Mardi Gras day- this is the biggest mistake I see tourists

New Orleans hot days & rainy afternoons can ruin outdoor plans, but you can turn them into great opportunities by exploring the city's top indoor activities and air-conditioned museums. Whether it's a rained out activity or one those insufferably hot summer days that need a few hours in the air conditioning, carpe diem at one of these indoor activities and museums. Did you know my walking food tours & bar crawls are rain or shine? I'll never cancel on you, so book a Bon Momen

Join forces with your fellow travelers to knock out as many boxes of favorite New Orleans foods to get Blackout Bingo, or compete to see who in your group can achieve Bingo first. Buy a drink or dessert for the winner on your last night out on the town! Book a Bon Moment NOLA Food Tour to check off iconic dishes during your visit to New Orleans! INSTRUCTIONS: Using your phone, click on either Bingo Card image below Hold the image and choose Download or Save Open the saved ima

PRO TIP: You can take the St Charles streetcar to my Garden District Walking Food & History tour on your way to save time & experience more of the city in one afternoon! "How do we catch the trolley?" is an often-heard tourist question that sounds so, so wrong to New Orleans ears. From our friend Google: "Trolleys looks like regular buses but they are completely electric and have twin poles on the roof of the bus that draw power from double overhead wires. If it connects to a

Join me on a tour to experience the BEST tastes of New Orleans! Get off the beaten path to enjoy New Orleans food, culture and history like a local. Our tours are for foodies of all kinds- all ages, solo travelers, couples, friends & family groups and corporate outings. I had the pleasure of sharing stories, history & travel tips about New Orleans with Brent Peterson of the podcast "Destination Eat Drink" during the end of 2023! Listen below & subscribe to his podcast for mo

Tour the vibrant New Orleans cocktail scene like a local with Bon Moment NOLA & discover local spirits, historic bars, and mixology history in the non-touristy bars of the French Quarter- Book a French Quarter Cocktail tour Sazerac House - A museum to New Orleans' signature cocktail Location & Duration: A self-guided cocktail history tour located at the Canal St. edge of the French Quarter that takes about 1.5 hours to complete. Topics Covered: The history of New Orleans' sig

Start your visit to New Orleans with one of my walking food tours or bar crawls and get lots of amazing tips on things to do, eat great food, and learn exciting history from a local guide! We're the city that makes plans for dinner while at lunch, but there's also quite a few lesser-known things to see & do in New Orleans when you need a break from eating and drinking. Beyond top attractions like the WWII Museum and NOMA, we have museums focused on local culture, food, and hi

Eat like a local in New Orleans & get out of the French Quarter! Join me for an all-inclusive food & drinks tour in the Garden District or Marigny Bywater neighborhoods! Looking for a bar crawl that's better? I also offer a Cocktail Tour of the French Quarter and a New Orleans Craft Brewery Tour! People visit NOLA with their loose pants packed, ready to try all the city has to offer. Don't get sucked into the same old touristy places that any Google search can pull up. Here'

I have the PERFECT thing for your group trip to New Orleans: We offer group discounts & private tours. Give your gang a unique and memorable experience in New Orleans with a Bon Moment NOLA all-inclusive tour. Enjoy food, cocktails and history and let us do the planning to create a memorable, curated New Orleans experience for your group! Birthdays, bachelors & bachelorettes (and everyone in between): New Orleans is full of so many options but it gets overwhelming to plan! Yo

Wanna get out of the French Quarter to eat New Orleans food where the locals go? Book a food tour with me in the Garden District or Bywater neighborhood. Designed for culinarily curious foodie travelers seeking an authentic, non-touristy experience! Why reinvent the wheel when Eater has done such a good job rounding up an exhaustive list of some of the best eats in town. In New Orleans we discuss what's for dinner over lunch, so don't waste any calories on less than stellar m

Want to see more hidden gems in New Orleans? Avoid the tourist traps, hear the stories & have great drinks with ghosts at places like Muriel's when you book your French Quarter Cocktail Tour with me! Lots of people come to New Orleans to get spooked and hope for a brush with the paranormal. Hottest Hell and Spectral City Tours offer the best ghost tours & haunted history in New Orleans, but here's the story of the haunting of Muriel's as told by the great tour company Ghost C

Gumbo History & Fast Facts Cultural Significance: Gumbo represents the iconic culinary epitome of New Orleans, blending Cajun, Creole, Indigenous, African, Caribbean, Spanish, and French influences into a single dish. The Essential Roux: The most critical step is cooking a flour-and-oil roux until it reaches a deep, dark mahogany color (resembling dark chocolate), rather than a light or blonde shade. Origin of the name: Okra and indigenous filé (ground sassafras leaves added