NYC Uploaded

Pictures from this trip are mostly of food.  For pictures of birthday shenanigans, you'll have to ask one of the two birthday girls.  :)

NYC 2010

NYC, Day 2

Though the primary objective of this trip was to celebrate some birthdays, I was also determined to cram in as many meals as possible.  Despite my exhaustion and how drunk I got last night, I wasn't about to trade lunch at the Momofuku Ssäm Bar for a few extra hours of sleep. 

Unfortunately, I forgot to write down all the dishes we ordered, and since it's a seasonal menu, I can't find them online anymore.  Pictures to be uploaded later, but from what I remember:

steamed pork buns – hoisin, cucumbers, scallions
pork scrapple – fried egg, benton’s bacon, plum
spicy pork sausage & rice cakes – chinese broccoli, crispy shallots

 Everything was delicious.  While the steamed pork buns were really good (and what everyone talks about), I'd prefer to spend my money on some of the other dishes, since it's not that hard to find good pork buns in Chinese areas.  Another party at the restaurant actually ordered the bo ssäm, which is the pork butt feast, available only for parties of 6 or more and must be reserved in advance.  Next time, Ssäm bar!

Connected to the Ssäm Bar is the Momofuku Milk Bar, which offers items such as the cereal milk soft serve (exactly what it sounds like) and crack pie (toasted oat crust, gooey butter filling).  If you're wondering if it was any good, know that we came back for a second helping after dinner and got mostly the same things.  Cereal milk soft serve sounds like such an obvious thing to do, yet I haven't seen it around.  Yet another excuse for a return visit.

NYC, Day 1

In town to celebrate joint milestone birthdays, I took my first ever red-eye flight, for the start of a long day.

On tonight's planned agenda:
9-11pm: pre-party at birthday girl's apartment
11pm - 4am: PARTY!!
4am: after party eats

Considering my 7am arrival time, that's an especially long day.  Also daunting is the current freezing temperature. Dress warmly and to impress?  What?!?

But before all of that, there was lunch at Grammery Tavern, one of my favorite restaurants.  I was all set to order the mushroom lasagna after hearing so much about it, but got the pork special instead.  The pork was incredibly tender and juicy, it was almost like beef.  I can't even remember what else was on the plate, so I'll let the picture do the talking.  Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my face.

Rome Uploaded

Rome, Day 6

The conference finally ended today a little after lunch, so I decided to use my remaining time to run through the city and check out the Roman monuments in the glow of twilight.  While I've been to most of the sites in Rome before, there's something very beautiful about how they look in the setting sun.  Also, ever since my first trip to Rome, I've been drooling over the thought of gelato from San Crispino - hands down the best gelato I've ever had.  While I was in the area the other day, the shop hadn't opened for business yet, so today was my last day to get some gelato, cold as it is.  This place only uses fresh, seasonal ingredients, so every visit could very well be different!

Walking around by myself at night (with a camera, no less) always makes me a bit paranoid, but somewhere between gawking at the ruins and sending text messages to people back home made me lose my focus, and I looked up to find this guy standing in front of me, just staring.  After introducing himself, he kept volunteering to give me a tour of Rome, take me to dinner, and also kept asking what hotel I was staying at.  On the one hand, he wasn't completely creepy about it, but at the same time, it just seemed like something out of those educational videos about travel safety.  Don't talk to strangers!  Beware of seemingly nice men who want to take you places! 

In any case, here's my favorite picture from the night.  There's nothing quite like the Roman Colisseum bathed in moonlight, and seeing it literally stopped me in my tracks; it's simply breathtaking.

Rome, Day 4

Nothing exciting to report today, except this amazing view that I woke up to.  It's been raining a little (wouldn't know, I'm mostly indoors), so it's been a bit hazy.  I wish I knew how to properly capture the amazing light breaking through the clouds.

Rome, Day 3

Woke up early today to take full advantage of the half-day before the 1pm start of the conference.  Unfortunately, I didn't wake up as early as I wanted, so I only managed to make it down to the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain.  After this, I'll most likely be inside the hotel working for the next few days, networking and feigning excitement about my work.  Boring, boring, and even more boring.  At least there will be plenty of food and alcohol to ease the pain.  I should probably also mention that this hotel serves the world's best coffee, so at least there's that to look forward to.

Rome, Day 2

I'm not going to have much time to myself during this trip, so with today's free day before the conference, I decided to head to Vatican City, even though I've previously been.  I may not be Catholic, but I can certainly appreciate the religious and historical significance of St Peter's Cathedral, as well as admire the beauty of the architecture and sculptures within.  I realize it makes for a cheesy post, but I challenge you to step inside and not be taken aback.  If you do visit, don't forget to make the climb to the top of the dome.  Besides the much needed exercise, the views are spectacular.

Unfortunately, my excursion was cut short due to a conference call I had to take back in my room, but at least the panoramic view from my balcony is nothing short of breath taking, which made concentrating even harder.  The front desk was right to suggest that I switch from street view to city view, even if the beds are smaller.  This is just a part of my view - the domed building to the right is St. Peter's Cathedral.  If I can ever figure out how to stitch my photos together, I'll post the panoramic.

Rome, Day 1

After all the trips through Frankfurt, my upgrade for today's flight finally went through, and I got to enjoy United's new international business class, and in a rear facing seat, no less!  With the lay flat beds and 15" TV with over a hundred hours of movie and TV programming, who wants to get out of their seat?  The only weird thing is that when the curtain isn't drawn, you sometimes wind up staring straight at the people facing forward.  Also of note is that one of my flight attendants was Lois Lane, and I was wearing my Superman shirt, so everyone had a little fun with that.  "Would you like some dessert, Superman?  Why, that'd be lovely, Ms. Lane!"  Unfortunately, SFO has the highest concentration of elite frequent flyers, making these upgrades harder to come by, which makes this upgrade even more painful, since I now know what I'm missing.

My connecting flight to Rome was rather uneventful, except for this little gem, which after last time, has made me a fan of the Lufthansa in-flight magazine. Seriously, who would buy used aircraft seats?  Who is the target market here?  Would someone sitting in an airplane seat actually see this ad and want to place an order?  I wouldn't even want a new one!

Ramos House Cafe

I originally found out about this place from a random food blog and shared it with Hanie since it was between Cerritos and San Diego, but later learned that she already knew about it. I don't make the trip down to San Diego very often, so I jumped at the chance to check it out on my drive back from San Diego.  Tucked away in a quaint neighborhood with some old Western + Native American charm, The Ramos House is literally at someone's residence, with the dining area located on the outside patio.  If it weren't for the hourly train passing by (it's adjacent to the tracks), you really feel like you've been transported to some charming little town in the middle of nowhere. 

To start, there was the popcorn garnished corn chowder, which tasted ok, but wasn't as exciting as it sounded.  My entree (duck hash w/ wild mushroom eggs & herb sauce), however, had the opposite effect.  While it looked like a regular scramble, the fresh ingredients and fluffy eggs were absolutely fantastic.  While the portions are large, I didn't necessarily feel like the dishes were very heavy (I finished my entire plate).  Looking at the menu, there are a bunch of dishes that I would love to come back and try.  There's also a great weekend brunch for $35 that sounds like a great value. 

Starlite Express

The first time I had a Moscow Mule was when Ken made one for me at Tina's. While I liked it, I always forgot the name when ordering drinks at a bar. Tonight, after dining at Phil's Phil's Phil's!!, Joel and I met up with Jason at the Starlite for some drinks, and knew I had to order the Moscow Mule when I saw it on the cocktail list.  Unlike other mixed drinks, the Moscow Mule is made with vodka, ginger beer and lime, so there's a low risk of it being overly sweet.  As an added bonus, the Starlite Mule is served in a cold copper mug, which remaind just as cold an hour after I first got it (don't worry, no risk of your lips sticking to the mug).  I'm pretty sure I could drink this all day, and now I'll definitely have to compare it with others.  At the moment, it's my drink of choice.  Great drinks, great atmosphere, and even better company.  What's not to like about this place?

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Heading down to San Diego for a conference, I decided to fly into LAX and have my sister drop me off at the Amtrak station aimed for San Diego.  The last time I took a train in California was back in elementary school, so I was a bit excited about the ride down.  Of course, had Hanie or Jason told me just how scenic the trip was, I would have been even more excited.  Once you get out of Orange County, a lot of the track runs right next to the water.  Here is a sample view from where I sat, no zoom used:

$22 for one-way ticket from Fullerton to San Diego may be more expensive than driving, but with the views and traffic-free trip, it's well worth the price!

Denver, Day 2

Didn't do much today, given the amount of drinking that happened last night after the baseball game. After somehow waking up, we met up with Andrew and Amy at Lola for brunch, then chilled at the Hou residence before catching our various late afternoon flights.

Not sure if Ken was nursing a hangover, but during brunch, he ordered the house bloody mary which had a different tang and spice to it, which Ken likened to "Taco Bell hot sauce". That's not to say that it was gross, just different. While I like tomato juice, it never occurs to me to order a bloody mary, so I can't really compare it to anything.

As for my entree, I ordered the pork and waffle benedict - braised pork belly, pickled cherry syrup, and BBQ hollandaise, all served on top of waffle squares. Each bite was both sweet and savory, with a little BBQ tang to it. The pork itself was tender and juicy, and I could have easily ate it on its own. While the flavors were initially really good, it started to get a little too sweet for me halfway through the dish. It's very tasty, but I'd recommend sharing.

Denver, Day 1

MLB Trip 2009 - Destination: Denver, Colorado.

Not only is Denver home of the nation's largest international airport, it's also home to the Doctors Hou and their amazingly chill (and adorable!) baby, Madeleine. Joel found a good online rate at the Hotel Monaco in downtown, and apparently, they provide you with a pet goldfish if you ask. I named ours, "Mitch".

Beatrice & Woodsley
Saturday was a jam packed day, which started off with brunch at Beatrice & Woodsley, which on one side has a chic industrial look, but on the other side appears to be a modern lounge for wood elves. It may sound funny, but with the tinted yellow windows filtering the high noon sun and the sheer curtains surrounding the booths, it was all very relaxing and somewhat whimsical (as Joel likes to call it). To start, we got an order of monkeybrains, which were donut holes filled with bananas foster, I think. I don't actually remember much about them, so probably not a good sign. They weren't bad, just not as memorable as they looked. For my main dish, I ordered the buttery grits with spicy pulled pork, and if I remember correctly, most in our group ordered the same. The buttery grits, at the bottom of the dish, balanced out the salt and spice of the pulled pork. I personally, however, enjoyed using the runny yolk from the egg over easy to balance out the pulled pork, but then again, I like eggs on almost anything.

Coors Brewery
After brunch, we went back to Andrew and Amy's, before heading off for some brewery tours. The original plan was to go to Fort Collins for the New Belgium Brewery tour (Fat Tire), but since the schedule didn't work out, we ended up going to the Coors Brewery instead. Included in the free tour, you get free samples and two free beers. Most of us stopped listening to the audio guide almost immediately, mainly because it was cheesy, but let's face it - talk about beer just makes you want more beer. The coolest thing about the tour was actually seeing the factory floor, watching the cans traveling across the belts to be packaged into the various boxes. The line for free beer at the end of the tour was both long and unorganized, and given our tight schedule, we ended up only getting one beer each.

Casa Bonita
For those of you who have seen the South Park episode (just the clip here), Casa Bonita is an actual establishment in Denver. Ever since we've talked about going to Denver, there's been talks of going, so we attempted a quick visit in between Coors and the ball game. The plan, get in, look around, and haul ass to the baseball game. Casa Bonita, however, had other plans.

For starters, there's really no way to properly describe this place. Ken probably sums it up best when he says "it's a Mexican Disneyland in a strip mall, but 10 times worse". The first thing you notice when you step inside is the smell of chlorinated water and the faint sounds of children's laughter. The reception area is reminiscent of 1980s Circus Circus, Las Vegas, and the only thing to greet you is the amateur video looping on the wall mounted tube TVs, starring the various entertainment personalities. The price of admission is a full meal, the cheapest costing $12. Since there's no way to sneak a peek of the actual restaurant from the reception area, our plan was either buy $12 worth of drinks or just hand over the money. Despite our best negotiating efforts, the cashiers wouldn't budge, so we each had to order entrees. Much like the typical cafeteria, the food line starts with wet plastic trays, but soon after, you're greeted by a pair of faceless hands, pushing out food from a hole in the wall. A woman in a hair net and latex gloves confirms your order before handing you the plate, all the while basking under the red glow of heat lamps. The majority of us ordered the taco salad or the nachos, which aren't much to write about.

Once inside, we were seated at a table next to the waterfall, giving us front row seats to the various incarnations of the Casa Bonita cliff diving show, which basically featured a cast of high school students and a man dressed in a gorilla suit. Besides the cliff divers, there's also Black Bart's cave, arcades, and the random person selling plastic light sabers. While I don't think I'd necessarily make a return visit, I'd recommend anyone in the area to make the trip, as it's really something to experience. Once you do, you'll understand just how difficult it is to accurately describe the place.

Coors Field - Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants
Since most of us were full from Casa Bonita, we mostly just snacked at Coors Field during the game. While Dodger Stadium has Dodger Dogs and AT&T Park has Gilroy garlic fries, Coors Field has Rocky Mountain Oysters, though I'm not sure people actually go to the park for them. Andrew actually got an order, and we all took a slice, despite knowing what it was. Thankfully, they were very thinly sliced and heavily breaded, so you really couldn't tell or taste anything except breading. Andrew, however, had to finish it all. Balls, balls, balls.

New Orleans Uploaded

New Orleans, Day 6

Before saying farewell to New Orleans, Joel and I had lunch at Liuzza's By the Track, which was a little out of the way, but totally worth it. Liuzza's seems like a nice neighborhood joint, where the locals frequent and know the staff, so I felt just a little out of place while we were there. The staff, like all locals, was nice, and the food pretty much made me forget about any perceived awkwardness.

To start, Joel and I ordered a bowl of gumbo and garlic bisque. Liuzza's take on these two soups is a little thinner than others, but they're no less delicious. The garlic bisque is truly garlicy, and since it's more liquidy than creamy, it's easy to want to pick up the bowl and just gulp the whole thing.

Liuzza's version of a shrimp po boy is also a bit different. It's not so much a sandwich but a plate of shrimp, drowning in a garlic pepper gravy, with two hollowed out rolls of bread to soak it all in. Needless to say, it's fantastically delicious. Just looking at the picture makes me drool.

So long, New Orleans. I can't wait to come back and try more of your restaurants.

New Orleans, Day 5 - Part 2

Last dinner in New Orleans! I'm sure my waistline isn't going to miss all of these tasty meals, but my eyes and mouth are quite sad.

Tonight, Joel and I had reservations at Nola, one of Emeril Lagasse's three restaurants in New Orleans. The restaurant itself was a lot more casual than I expected, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

To start, we both ordered soup, though I originally wasn't planning on it. After Joel ordered the gumbo of the day, our server suggested I get the garlic bisque. To share, we ordered the duck confit and fried egg pizza. Since I couldn't decide on my entree (the lady at the table next to me was raving about the redfish), our server suggested the shrimp and grits.

Roasted garlic-reggiano parmesan bisque with basil pesto

DE-LI-CIOUS. I don't think I've ever had a garlic bisque before, but this was amazing. It had a slightly thick consistency and a slighly creamy texture from the cheese. The garlic flavor was strong, but not overpowering, and I'd gladly finish an entire pot full of this. Unfortunately, the picture I took does not do the dish justice at all. Joel's gumbo was also quite good, but in all honesty, I was focused on my garlic bisque.

Duck confit and fried egg pizza with parmesan cheese, truffle oil and baby arugula

I don't see how you can go wrong when you have a fried egg as a topping. If you take a close look at the picture, you'll notice two fried eggs on our pizza. Our server came by to tell us that he asked the kitchen to put an extra egg on ours, as they normally serve the dish with just one. That's extra bonus points on top of the ones he already earned for recommending the garlic bisque. The pizza itself was a bit doughy, which I liked, but be warned if you like your dough on the thinner, crispier side. The dough balances out the saltiness of the duck nicely, the argula adds a nice crunch to the bite, and the runny egg yolk helps tie everything together.

Shrimp and grits - sauteed gulf shrimp, grilled green onions, smoked cheddar grits, apple smoked bacon, crimini mushrooms, creole tomatoe glaze and red chili-abita butter sauce

Once again, bonus points to the server for his suggestion. What really made this dish was the combination of flavors. The smoked cheddar grits were very creamy, but not too rich, and the tang of the glaze with the butter sauce made for a very flavorful bite. Serving portion was just right, as I don't think my arteries would be too happy with me if I ate any more (that and my on again, off again shrimp allergies would probably kick in).

Buttermilk fried breast of chicken with bourbon mashed sweet potatoes, smithfield ham cream gravy and sauteed sugar snap peas

This was Joel's dish, and the serving size was huge. It almost looked like there were 3 half chickens on his plate. It was very tasty, but just a little too much. Joel and I noticed it was cheaper on the lunch menu, so perhaps portions are a bit smaller then.

NOLA banana pudding layer cake with a graham cracker crust, homemade vanilla wafers and a warm fudge drizzle

Since our server did such a good job with his previous recommendations, we let him choose the dessert. The banana pudding layer cake was very good, but the accompanying ice cream was so incredible, that I barely remember anything about the cake. The "drunken monkey" was a banana ice cream with mint chocolate chips, rum, and who knows what else, but it was to die for. I was already so incredibly full from our meal, but I'm pretty sure my stomach shoved everything out of the way so I could eat more ice cream. It was so delicious that I felt compelled to tell the new couple next to us who just ordered, to leave room for the banana ice cream. So good, it'll make you talk to strangers.

While very much a casual setting, the service we got was quite good. I feel like it goes without saying here in New Orleans, but everyone was extremely nice. We had one main server, with a couple of helpers, and our food was always served at the same time. Whenever one of us got up to use the restroom, someone would come and fold our napkin. And of course, our server was quite right with his recommendations. The only blip was when one of the guys took a little too long getting Joel's ice tea. Otherwise, a very wonderful dining experience.

To walk off the meal, we walked around Bourbon St for a little bit, then decided to change into more casual attire and partake in the Friday night Bourbon St shenanigans. What happens on Bourbon St stays on Bourbon St, but one of the best lines of the night came from the hostess at Razoo's, who was shouting directions from the stage: "Clap your hands!! White people, try to get as close to the beat as possible!!!"

New Orleans, Day 5 - Part 1

For lunch today, Joel and I went to the Central Grocery in the French Quarter for some local muffuletta, which I've never had before. I should have asked how large the portions are, because I mistakenly asked for a whole sandwich, when clearly half would have sufficed. The muffuletta itself is like your typical Italian sandwich, but with an olive salad of sorts spread in the middle, which makes for a pretty salty bite. If you don't like olives or a messy sandwich, I'd recommend steering clear of this hometown favorite. As far as Italian sandwiches go, I personally prefer the Godmother w/the works at Bay Cities Deli in Santa Monica, but the muffuletta isn't bad.

After lunch, we went back to Cafe Du Monde to try the hot cafe au lait (we got iced last time) then tried to walk things off by walking around the city. Then, since we only took the streetcar to the Garden District yesterday, we got back on and rode it to the end of the line and back, passing Tulane and Loyola University, which happen to be next door to each other, located on St. Charles Ave. I think I'm in love with the architecture here. The mansions are all so grand, and look nothing like what you would find on the west coast (unless you're at Disneyland).

To cap off the afternoon, we stopped by the On Trois lounge at the Ritz Carlton for early afternoon cocktails. I got the Pontchartrain Punch (raspberry vodka, Chambord, lemon/lime juice, splash of house champagne), while Joel got the Pomegranate Martini (vodka, Pama liquer, lemon/lime juice) and Hemingway Daiquiri (light rum, Maraschino liqueur, lime juice, grapefruit juice), of which the latter prompted our server to bring up Sex and the City. I don't normally blog about mixed drinks, but I'm doing so to remind myself of what I should be ordering in the future. All three drinks were quite tasty, and I didn't feel like the alcohol flavor was overpowering in anyway. That said, they must have been quite strong, because we were buzzing for a couple of hours.

New Orleans, Day 4 - Part 2

Ahh, Commander's Palace. I happened to catch a few episodes of Top Chef New York right after I found out about going to New Orleans, and just knew that I had to get reservations for this place. Joel thankfully felt the same and made reservations for us.

Shortly after we arrived and ordered, the table next to us got their dessert. Guessing from the menu, I think it was the Café Brûlot, which is flamed and prepared tableside. They first rinsed the glasses with brandy and let it burn off, which is what first caught our attention. Then, the waiter poured a quarter glass of brandy, lit the entire thing on fire, and basically poured from one glass to another, creating this flaming waterfall of sorts. For more flare (pun definitely intended), the waiter also intentionally spilled some on the tablecloth and on his hand, to show that it was a cold burn. Not quite sure what thedessert ended up being, but I'm glad we got to benefit from the show.

As for our meal, Joel and I forgot to take a picture of the menu, so I'm piecing together from memory, and some of the sample menus I found online.

Soup 1-1-1 - demi serving of:
Turtle Soup Au Sherry (A Commander's classic spiked with sherry)
Gumbo Du Jour (Rich stock slow cooked with fresh regional products)
Soup du Jour (Varied cooking techniques combined with fresh seasonal ingredients)

Of the soups, my personal favorite was the gumbo, which was dark, but very rich in flavor, although the other two were a very close second. The turtle soup was a little saltyfor my taste, but the turtle meat itself was shredded into small pieces and was actually very tender (the sherry sauce was also a nice touch). The soup du jour was a "local soup" and was like the gumbo, but not as thick or dark and a little clearer.

Foie Gras "Du Monde" - Foie gras beignets with foie gras café au lait, candied pecans, and chicory coffee “mist”

The foie gras beignets were absolutely delicious, and I can't stop thinking about them. The lightness of the beignets complemented the richness of the foie perfectly, and the foie infused chicory cafe au lait was a nice finish. I'm not sure why I was so surprised by how good this dish was, considering each item is already good individually.

Veal Chop Tchoupitoulas - Roasted and served with goat cheese-thyme stone ground grits and brandied wild mushroom demi-glace

Sliced Rack of Colorado Lamb - Hickory grilled and Creole mustard crusted Char-grilled mushrooms, bacon fat mashed potatos, Louisiana Muscadines and smoky lamb jus röti

I got my lamb cooked medium rare, and I'm convinced this is the perfect temperature for lamb. The meat was very juicy and flavorful, didn't have too much fat, and the base of bacon mashed potatoes was as tasty as it sounds. I don't remember much about Joel's veal dish because I was so in love with my lamb, but I do remember it being good.

Creole Bread Pudding Soufflé - The richness of bread pudding whipped into a light fluffy soufflé ~ served with velvety bourbon whiskey sauce

To finish things off, the bread pudding soufflé - light, fluffy, and creamy, with just a hint of whiskey. I can't think of a better way to end a meal.

Some reviews I found said that Commander's Palace was a tourist trap, but considering the meal we had, I'd gladly be trapped in the restaurant. The staff, like most of New Orleans, is incredibly nice and friendly, and for those of you interested in service, Joel and I were each served at the same time. The meal definitely lived up to the hype, and we were so full that Joel and I walked the entire two miles back to the hotel just to help digest. Full as we were, I wouldn't change a single thing about the evening.

New Orleans, Day 4 - Part 1

Deviating from our diet of local cuisine, Joel and I went to Port of Call today to get some burgers for lunch. Joel had mentioned this place to me before, and one of Linda's friends last night also recommended it as the place with the best burgers in town. It was a nice leisurely walk through Bourbon St, which was good, considering all the food we've been eating. Almost immediately after we set foot outside, it started to sprinkle, but more on that in a bit.

The interior of the place is dark, with a nautical theme throughout, and is where I imagine local pirates must frequent. Or something like that (I really wouldn't have been surprised if someone behind the bar had a peg leg). The burgers themselves are hand formed and gigantic, and come with a side of baked potato. They're good, but not the best burgers I've had. Joel and I both got the mushroom cheeseburger, and surprisingly finished the whole thing.

Walking back to the hotel, we made it almost halfway before the
rain just came pouring down. We decided to seek shelter underneath an awning at a bar, thinking the downpour would subside in a few minutes. Joel and I ended up waiting for 30 minutes, while the lightning and thunder danced and clapped around us, until we finally saw a cab come by. We were almost soaked running across the street to jump in the cab, so I'm glad we didn't attempt to make it back to the hotel earlier. I suppose it would have been better if we brought our umbrellas, but it was raining so hard, I think we would have been wet either way. The one good thing about the rain is that it was a lot less humid afterwards.

After the rain finally subsided, Joel and I took a ride on the streetcar to the Garden District, where we admired all the beautiful southern mansions. Wouldn't mind living in some of these houses, but I'm sure they cost a fortune. The Garden District isn't too far away, but I'd definitely recommend taking the streetcar - there's something very soothing and old school about it.