The Mystery of the Old Absinthe House Bar

Does the shakey first photo here mean you are still drunk from the weekend? No...you are just experiencing a genuine FauxD© 1950s shot of the Old Absinthe House Bar on Bourbon and Conti. Below is a previously posted shot of the same location:

How the same building looked in 2002, when it was the home of Mango Mango Daiquiris. I’m guessing they didn’t pack as much punch as Absinthe. Today, it appears it is known as SLUSH Frozen Cocktails; 4 stars, nine reviews. Maybe I should put it on my to-do list for the next trip to Nawlins. Or maybe not.

In looking up Old Absinthe House Bar online, all I can find is information about this completely different building on Bienville and Bourbon, which is Jean Lafitte’s Old Absinthe House.

Until somebody steps forward, I can’t tell you which one is older or what the difference was between them. Did the French Quarter really need two Absinthe Bars?

See more Bourbon Street photos at my main website.

Pete on Bourbon

Sorry - not sorry - but we are back in New Orleans! Today‘s vintage image is from June 1965 and shows a dashing gent posing in front of Pete’s Place at the corner of Bourbon and St. Ann Streets in the French Quarter. The club opened in November 1960; previously it was La Lune.

From the website nola.com: Jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain, who was known to music fans around the world, often joked that he attended the “Conservatory of Bourbon Street,” eschewing his studies at Warren Easton High School in favor of the musical education he received as a teenager playing in French Quarter clubs. “We tried to call it the French Quarter Inn [note the sign in the photo above], but everyone ended up just calling it Pete’s Place,” Fountain told The Times-Picayune in 1987. “I think my name is still out on the sidewalk.” Fountain recorded two live albums in the club, “Pete Fountain: French Quarter Inn” and “Pete Fountain on Tour.” In 1968, Fountain relocated to a larger space at 231 Bourbon St. He continued performing there until 1977, when he moved to a club in the newly opened New Orleans Hilton Hotel, now the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. Although Fountain died in 2016, he remains an icon on Bourbon Street. His life-sized statue is one of nine included in New Orleans Musical Legends Park at 311 Bourbon Street.

The photo on the side of the club was from the cover of his 1963 album “Plenty of Pete,” which included such classics as “Stardust” and “Just One of Those Things.”

Today, this location is known as Oz, a gay nightclub:

See more Bourbon Street photos at my main website.

New Orleans vs. New Orleans Square, Pt. 4

What to do in New Orleans, Louisiana? So many choices, but how about something sedate like City Park? Hop on a Streetcar named Desire, oops, I mean St. Charles, and venture out to the Museum of Art:




Or perhaps you’d prefer something a little more kitschy like Storyland:



The New Orleans version of the Three Little Pigs:



For those that enjoy cemeteries (yes, there are a few of us), Saint Louis Cemetery is one of the most famous:



The future eternal home of Nicolas Cage is located here:



Back in the Garden District you can find the less famous Lafayette Cemetery:



If you love Mardi Gras, you’ll want to see where most of the parade floats are created and stored:



To get yourself prepared for that annual celebration, how about a beverage at the famous rotating Carousel Bar inside the Hotel Monteleone? HIGHLY recommended (but get there early!).



With all the rich food and booziness of New Orleans, seeking out the Athletic Club might be a nice change of pace. For me, it’s probably the best/coolest gym I've ever gone to.



Got a thing for Vampires? Visit Oak Alley, used for the exteriors of “Interview with the Vampire”:



For a home tour closer to the French Quarter, the 1850 house is located on Jackson Square:



Need to pray away those French Quarter sins? Also on Jackson Square is St. Louis Cathedral:



This is not the piano that killed the Wicked Witch (or was that a house?), but rather the grand piano of Fats Domino on display at the Presbytere Museum (also on Jackson Square). This is what Hurricane Katrina did to it:



Well readers, now you have four posts worth of information on both New Orleans in Louisiana and New Orleans Square at Disneyland. Which one would you rather visit?

See more New Orleans, Louisiana photos at my main website.

New Orleans vs. New Orleans Square, Pt. 2

I had to cover food; anyone that knows me is aware that the restaurants have a heavy bearing on whether or not I like a city. Antoine’s in New Orleans was one of my favorites, but I had noticed the quality had definitely deteriorated on my last visit. The front of the restaurant could have been part of the inspiration for Disneyland’s Blue Bayou. Below is a shot of a delicious steak I enjoyed at Galatoire’s; probably one of the best I have ever eaten.

And dessert...the cheesecake was incredible. When I travel and dine, I do not count calories. That's what the daily routine is for.

New Orleans is known for its beignets and coffee that you would get at the world famous Café du Monde:

At Disneyland’s New Orleans Square, I once enjoyed these Mickey Mouse shaped beignets at the Café Orleans. Good...but not quite as good as their New Orleans cousin.

The exterior of the Blue Bayou Restaurant at Disneyland, one of my favorite places to dine at Disneyland. While the food may not necessarily be out of this world, the experience and atmosphere help make up for that.

Their Monte Cristo sandwich was a staple for me until they changed the recipe and made it a bit more healthy. The fried cheesecake was also a casualty of that trend.

The nearby Mint Julep “bar” offers a refreshing non-alcoholic version of the southern beverage.

When Walt wanted a VIP supper club at Disneyland, it’s not surprising that he picked New Orleans Square as the location. While the city of New Orleans may be known for its decadence and partying, many of the restaurants have a very strict dress code not found out here in Southern California.

A lamb chop from my dinner at Club 33.

Speaking of partying, here is one of the most famous tourist traps in New Orleans, Pat O”Brien’s. It is known for its radioactive red Hurricane drink.

Club 33 added a jazz lounge/bar of its own back in 2014. Very few watering holes in New Orleans are this refined and sedate.

Still, it’s a fun place to sip and savor a beverage while at Disneyland.

Overall review of the food comparison is very similar to that of the architecture and atmosphere; if you want the deliciously decadent artery clogging experience, go to Louisiana. If you prefer your food sanitized and a little less greasy with drinks that are less potent, go to Disneyland.

Will there be a third post in this series? Of course!

See more New Orleans photos at my main website.

New Orleans vs. New Orleans Square

One of my favorite cities in the U.S. is New Orleans; my favorite section of Disneyland is New Orleans Square. Although I love both of them due to some similarities, they are definitely different beasts.

The first thing I like about both is the architecture. Walt himself loved the real city, and his designers did a wonderful job of capturing the look of the buildings, the balconies, and to some extent, the atmosphere. One is kept clean; the other not so much. Interestingly enough, New Orleans is designed (for the most part) on a grid with squares, including its most famous, Jackson Square.

At Disneyland, there is no square in New Orleans Square. Instead, the pathways curve around and make you think the area is larger than it actually is. Brilliant design!

The nooks and crannies of both places draw me in as well. At Disneyland, the now inaccessible Court of Angels was a favorite haunt of mine.

New Orleans is full of these little courtyards; they’re just not maintained quite as well, which is probably preferable to me. Something about that Great Expectations decay really gets me!

Both places are full of life, people, and creative activity.

New Orleans is just a lot more edgy and unexpected. I like that, too.

Lots of great music to be enjoyed; Disneyland’s is scheduled:

…and New Orleans’ is typically random and not quite as polished. Again…totally fine by me.

More on this topic tomorrow! See more REAL New Orleans photos at my main website and New Orleans Square.

Dinner at Brennan's

Brennan's is one of my favorite restaurants for dinner in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Located on Royal Street, it is a NOLA classic!



A customized mirror in the entryway:



On my last visit, since I was by myself I ate my dinner (and drank my beverages) at the Roost Bar.



The atmosphere is light and airy here, with a bit of a Key West feeling.



A nearby dining room:



The bar itself, complete with my first beverage of the evening:



Loved the light fixtures (what a surprise!):



Resembling bird cages, they were the perfect accent to this themed area:



I started out with the Gulf Shrimp & Green Tomato Salad:



It's been awhile, but I do believe my entree was the Parmesan & Herb Crusted Lamb Loin:



Bananas Foster is the showstopping dessert that most get here; however, I wanted to try something different, so I picked the Pineapple Financier:



For a classy evening at a legendary restaurant, Brennan's is the place.

More shots of Brennan's on Royal Street on my main website.