‘Tis the Season to be jolly and celebrate Noel in NOLA. Yep! That’s New Orleans, Louisiana. Fantasy has the perfect plan for you to add more joy, more fun and more food on the Culinary Christmas RV Rally, where guests ‘make merry’ with holiday treats and festivities.
Ever tried a muffuletta? Nibbled a beignet? Savored on Étouffée? From po-boys to gumbo, to jambalaya — the tastes of New Orleans are unique, delicious and unlike food anywhere else in the world. Diverse cultures here blend their traditions and culinary skills, creating the tasty foods of New Orleans. Now we will sample that fare at some of the world’s most renowned restaurants, all decked out in Christmas decor.
‘Laissez les bons temps rouler’ – in other words, ‘Let the good times roll,’ and we do. It’s a beautiful time of year in New Orleans – before the craziness of Mardi Gras, but during a time when the locals still go all out to celebrate the holiday.
One of our first and finest dining experiences is a stop at Emeril’s Delmonico to enjoy a delicious Welcome Dinner. Located in New Orleans’ Garden District, Emeril Lagasse reopened the historic Delmonico restaurant in 1998. Continuing the century-old traditions, Delmonico’s is now serving a modern style of Creole cuisine with a warm style of service.
Though rooted in the culinary delights of NOLA, your meals are surrounded in activities, tours and events. An early stop is at the National World War II Museum, which tells the story of America’s participation in the war that changed the world, why it was fought, how it was won and what it means today. The visit is highlighted by the Victory Belles Holiday Show – singing the songs that inspired the Allies to victory. It’s all followed by a delicious luncheon feast from John Besh, chef and native son to the South.
On our city motor coach tour the following day, we discover New Orleans’ true beauty through the elegant antebellum homes of the Garden District, the trees lining St. Charles Avenue, the hallowed halls of Tulane and Loyola Universities and the mysterious City of the Dead with above ground tombs and decorative ironwork. We also visit the Old Ursuline Convent, built in 1752 and the oldest building in the Mississippi River Valley. At Lake Ponchartrain Causeway, we view the world’s longest bridge; at Jackson Square, we explore an open-air artist colony. The Pharmacy Museum features a rather odd collection of crude drugs, medicines and pharmaceutical equipment, including (yuk) live leeches. We also relive the history of the Bayou St. John neighborhood and enjoy its beautiful holiday decorations and lighting.
The Vieux Carré, more commonly known as the French Quarter, is the largest and best-preserved district 0f nineteenth-century architecture in the United States. And the best way to see it is on our prearranged guided walking tour, featuring the city’s music and cuisine at the same time. After experiencing some of these well-known venues, we lunch at Antoine’s Restaurant, now owned and operated by fifth-generation relatives of the original Antoine Alciatore. Here, we enjoy some of the finest French-Creole cuisine and impeccable service – after all, this establishment has been cooking and serving since 1840!
You will be swept away one evening aboard a bus through the city to marvel at the twinkling Christmas illuminations, lighting our way to blazing bonfire pyres along the levee. We finish the night with a stop at Café Du Monde for their famous roasted coffee and beignets.
It’s Christmas – not yet time for Mardi Gras, but we check it out on an arranged insiders’ tour of Mardi Gras Headquarters to witness float decorating, the Krewe warehouse and other Mardi Gras novelties in the works. After this exploration, we lunch at K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen, serving both Cajun and Creole dishes. This legendary restaurant features open kitchens, a beautiful courtyard and a balcony overlooking the French Quarter. The late Chef Paul Prudhomme opened K-Paul’s in 1979, and the restaurant quickly became a sensation, with diners lined up nightly. A couple of years later, Chef Paul Miller rejoined Chef Prudhomme at K-Paul’s, and today, Chef Paul continues to run this iconic restaurant.
We have a day dedicated to the lifestyle and food found along the plantations of the riverbanks. Traveling up the west bank on Mississippi River on Plantation Road, we soak in the Southern charm of both Oak Alley and Laura Plantation homes, both decked out in their holiday finery. Your evening concludes in a tradition unique to the Cajun style of Christmas – the lighting of sky-high bonfire pyres that light the way for Papa Noel to find the homes of the children. This is a century-old celebration of the traditional Cajun Christmas.
On our last day of the Rally, we begin with breakfast at Brennan’s. Acclaimed Chef Slade Rushing’s dishes are rooted in Creole traditions and bolstered with contemporary New Orleans influences. Signature dishes such as Bananas Foster, Eggs Sardou and Grouper Amandine line the menu. The Old-World elegance, fanciful décor and pampering service might make this your most memorable meal! No worries, you can work off those calories with some Christmas shopping in the French Quarter. Then it’s time to kick-up our heals at a traditional New Orleans-style outdoor concert.
Fantasy’s Farewell Dinners are always special, but none could be as spectacular as this evening at Tujague’s Restaurant. This classic neighborhood French Quarter restaurant has been in business for more than 150 years, originally serving the dock workers and seamen who crowded the riverfront. Tujague’s has since become a recognized local institution that has continued to serve their traditional specialties – shrimp remoulade, beef brisket with horseradish, ‘cap’ bread (a Tujague’s original) and rich, dark coffee in a shot glass.
All is calm, all is bright. On our final night together, we open our hearts and our voices for some traditional Christmas carols. The beauty of this New Orleans Christmas will remain with you for many seasons to come.