po' boys in new orleans

new orleans is a food city.

to me, a food city means that a place

not only has incredible places to eat, it also

has its own food and way of eating. new

orleans hits it out of the park when it comes

to the food. you have some of the southern

influence, some of the french, and a lot of

the new orleans original. from beignets to

gumbo to jambalaya to po'boys to crawfish,

i think we covered the spectrum in our short

visit. somehow we kept eating and eating!

today i'm sharing one of the classic spots

that makes new orleans and its food

special. parkway bakery & tavern

is a well-known place in the big easy,

which is evidenced by the lively line

down the entire sidewalk. the difference

here is that it's not right in the french

quarter or a touristy spot -- it's north

where you have to work to get there.

this makes it feel like a true hotspot

when you see locals and in-the-know 

visitors in the line. it's a neighborhood

landmark and a true "new orleans

tradition." even president obama has

dined here! if you want to try a good

authentic po'boy, this is your spot.

^^ we took the streetcar from the french quarter

up to the area near bayou st. john where you

will find parkway. next, you will find a line:

but, it's fun line full of happy people because 

it's new orleans and that's the way things are!

straight to the good stuff : i got the golden fried

shrimp po'boy .. a classic! it was delicious, especially

with the unique remoulade sauce they have here.

a po'boy is a traditional sandwich that came from the

term "poor boy" since it was a cheap way to feed the

working class with leftover french bread slices. it it

still served on french bread with all different

kinds of meat / fried food and lots of fixings.

let's not forget the cold barq's rootbeer and

the sweet potato fries ....... perfect compliments!

chase had the popular roast beef all dressed up with

toppings and gravy galore. it was amazing & filling!

two really unique dishes we tried were:

fried pickles (above), and ... ALLIGATOR::

i was not so sure about this dish, but i think it was

my favorite of all. who knew alligator was so delicious?

this is a great stop in new orleans, and i can't

wait to share more in my new orleans guide!

^^ and a little behind-the-scenes of when we do a feature :)

thanks for having us, parkway!

we can't wait to come back next time we're 

in new orleans...we'll probably be full until then!

you can find parkway at

538 Hagan Avenue | New Orleans, LA 70119

xo

a stop through san antonio, texas

san antonio has always caught my attention

for some reason. the fun riverwalk, the

great food, the alamo, the old town charm..

all of these things have pulled me in and 

made me want to visit when i've heard

about them! since we were in austin and

heading to houston to see friends, i knew

we had to take the long way and stop on

through san antonio...finally! i am so glad

we made it here, because we both really

liked this town. chase LOVED the history

packed into this little city, and i loved the

fun atmosphere and charming streets.

we left austin and hit the road for a texas road trip.

it felt kind of weird to be in a car and just have open

road and our own schedule, since our SF city life is

fast-paced with no car and all public transport, catching

trolleys, etc. it was nice and relaxed to just drive through

the texas countryside and stop where we wanted! it made

me decide we for sure need to do a cross-country road trip

and stop at all the tiny fun towns you'd never go to one day.

we pulled into san antonio, and you can see why i

immediately loved it! it feels like the old west.

the alamo was a great stop. our texan friends told us 

they don't like the alamo, but us history-lovers (especially

chase) couldn't get enough. we used our field trip app

to read up on all of the stories while in line, and it was

fun to walk through it. it's not a long stop, and i love that

it's free for the public! it's a must-stop in san antonio.

the charming little trolleys and horse-drawn carriages

add to the appeal and slow pace of the town i think!

we wandered down to my favorite part, the riverwalk!

i LOVE things like this. it's right in the center of town,

lined with restaurants, little markets, stands, and people.

you can take boat rides down the river, and there is

live music every few steps. it's bustling and amazing!

next time we are coming and staying right on the riverwalk!

it was so pretty along here, but it is winter...so i

cannot even imagine it in summer! hot, but beautiful.

pretty buildings and desert cacti... scenes of texas!

one final stop through market square, and then we 

were back on the road headed toward houston.

bye, san antonio!!

we stopped off in luling, texas {near famous lockhart}

for some of the best texas barbecue i've ever had.

it just looked like this random little stop until we

walked in and saw about 300 people packed in there

in line...and they were mostly all locals. that's when you 

know it's good! we survived the line and got our bbq,

and it really was AMAZING. brisket with charred tips,

and the best, tangiest house bbq sauce. SO good.

at the end of the line you go into the little smokehouse to

order, and you see how authentic it really is. they cook this

meat to perfection over multiple days...and you can taste it!

on to houston to see friends!!

xo

austin, y'all!

austin kicked off our four city tour this

president's day weekend, and it was a

great place to start! after hearing so 

much about this up-and-coming city

in texas we may have been a bit over-

expectant, but we eased into the texas

lifestyle and had some of the best food

here. austin is a great mix between the

laid back texas vibe combined with

 its own personality + flavor mixed in

there. it took a bit of time for us to find the

best parts, but i always enjoy discovering a

new place and uncovering the hidden gems.

what's not to love about a state capitol,

old vintage signs, and cowboy hats everywhere?

we were really excited to find the charming street

of south congress -- this area is exactly how i

pictured austin, and it is a colorful, laid-back,

unique place with a lot of texan charm.

allens boots is a MUST- stop in austin. you walk in

the doors and the amazing, pungent smell of leather

hits you. then you stagger around the thousands of

cowboy boots...every size, shape, and color...just 

taking them in. it is TEXAS through and through.

^^ just perusing for a pair... jk, they are seriously

in the price range of $800-$1000 here! and such

quality -- those texans don't mess around!

BOOTS on BOOTS on BOOTS

after that shopping we stopped at the famed

torchy's tacos in their charming food trailer location.

it was some good eating, but the house made green chili 

QUESO

is really the award winner here for us. it makes regular

queso seem like a joke! the flavor is perfected, and

there is a huge scoop of their homemade guacamole

right in the middle as you dip the queso. this is all 

eaten with their homemade chips, underneath the

colorful lights and big texas skies. i approve!

i also approve of the doughnut truck right down the

street ... gourdough's! BIG FAT DONUTS is the 

perfect slogan, because that's exactly what they are.

 i stuck with the simple "naughty & nice" flavor which 

is cinnamon sugar with honey butter drizzle. it was 

melt-in-your-mouth good and so thick and fluffy! 

chase got cake batter, yum! there are endless flavors.

 ^^ the best kind of date is a donut date.

we walked all along south congress on full stomachs 

and explored the darling shops and markets ^^

walking the river by downtown, and stopping at more famous

food spots. i don't know if i'm proud or embarrassed

about how much we ate in this delicious city!

don't forget to throw in some sparkling coconut flavored

la croix (why is this drink only popular in the south?!)

and some live street music to complete the great day!

can't pass up a good candy shop! especially when 

it has our VERY favorite sour cherry slices. ^^

it was fun to explore UT's campus, see their giant football

stadium, (hook 'em horns!) the LBJ presidential library,

the greek row (we found chio & sig) and the fun area.

i adored the darling restaurant environments

along south congress. dusky, relaxed, perfect! ^^

^^ our fifth food truck stop of the day ... but who's counting?

as if we needed more treats! ^^

those beautiful texas skies produce some good sunsets ^^

 thanks austin, for a real good time!

xo

^^ and let's not forget the constant country music

blasting in our rental car as we pulled out of austin

and drove on to san antonio + houston. texas forever!