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Where does the time go? Our trip to New Orleans for New Years was over six months ago! I have been working nonstop during the day and wrangling a wild little toddler the rest of the time, and blogging (along with pretty much everything else) fell off of my radar. I’d really like to get back to posting at least once a week. We’ve had some great travel and dining adventures; it turns out our kiddo loves dining out, live music, and visiting new places as much as we do!

For now, a quick recap on New Orleans eats . . . you can read other posts on our New Orleans travels here:

New Orleans with a Baby: Where We Stayed

Scenes from New Orleans

The Royal Life in NOLA: Stay at Royal Sonesta New Orleans

Restaurant R’evolution New Orleans

Lunch in New Orleans: Cochon Restaurant

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On our most recent visit to New Orleans, we traveled with a bunch of friends, which made a getaway with a baby easier and more fun. Lots of eyes and hands meant we could relax a little. We are thankful to everyone willing to have our noisy little guy along on their vacation! On our first night, they all went to Commander’s Palace, and since a late, fancy dinner wasn’t kid-friendly, we ate a few small bites as we wandered the city. A stop for Abita Amber and some taco dip in the lobby of The Royal Frenchmen Hotel was perfect for getting out of the rain. The hotel was at a noisy intersection, so we felt right at home bringing a baby there! I am always pretty anxious that he is going to bother someone, so we try our best to find appropriate places to be out with him. After, we returned to our suite at Rathbone Mansions and ordered some incredible Mediterranean takeaway and had a date night on our balcony after his bedtime.

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We kicked off New Year’s Eve in New Orleans with mimosas at the absolutely beautiful Auction House Market Foodhall, which I would love to return to 100 times to try everything this space has to offer, including poke and sushi, empanadas, oysters, macarons, coffee, and of course, cocktails!

For New Year’s Eve lunch, we were lucky so get out of the rain (again!) to snag corner bar seats at Peche, which was at the top of my New Orleans list. It lived up to expectations, with incredible service, great gin drinks, and seriously delicious seafood gumbo and shrimp. A sleeping baby and rain falling outside made this one of my favorite meals on the trip.

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While we weren’t staying Sonesta on this trip, I had to make a stop to take in the beauty of the Royal Sonesta courtyard and for a French 75 at Desire Oyster Bar.

This courtyard is a true oasis in the middle of New Orleans, and somehow it wasn’t crowded, despite the holiday and bowl game happening. It was the perfect stop for quiet before heading back out onto bustling Bourbon Street.

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For our New Year’s Eve dinner, we ate leftover takeaway in our suite and went to bed early with the hope of getting some sleep. Fireworks all.night.long made that impossible! Luckily brunch at one of the best spots, Brennan’s, was in our plans, and strong coffee, Champagne, and lobster helped to perk us up for another day of exploring the city.

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The décor at Brennan’s is one of the best parts of the dining experience. Be sure to wander all of the rooms and the patio if you can!

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On our first visit to New Orleans, Café Amelie became a go-to, thanks to their beautiful courtyard and welcoming hospitality. We stopped to indulge in their great cocktails while surrounded by lush greenery. I love this spot!

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We missed the French Market on our first visit to New Orleans, so we made a point to visit this time, and I had my first ever muffuletta. I am a huge fan of olives, and I absolutely loved this. The market has such a fun atmosphere and so many options for food and drinks. If you are planning a visit to New Orleans, I definitely recommend it!

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Last, but not least, was our dinner at Atchafalaya, which was amazing. My photos didn’t come out due to the dimmed lighting the private dining room our group had, but this was definitely one of the best meals I have had. Shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, boudin-stuffed beignets. . . it was Southern fare elevated to  whole new level, with service that we’re still talking about. While not in the French Quarter, Atchafalaya is definitely worth taking an Uber to. There were a bunch of bars and shops around it as well, and I would definitely like to go back to explore the area.

In other news, the new owner of my old blog URL, traveleatlove.com, has copied a ton of my content and is using it as their own. I am in the process of dealing with it legally, but in the meantime I will be keeping an eye out to see if they steal this post!

Tags: brunch, cocktails, Food, New Orleans, Travel, wine

Getting away from home, even for just one night, is such a refreshing, perspective-changing experience, and I always look forward to the opportunity to take a short trip, especially since so much of our travel is long-haul. A few weeks ago, I left my little family behind, and I took the Peter Pan bus from Boston to Northampton for an overnight stay at Hotel Northampton and to spend some time in Hampshire County in Western Massachusetts.

Disclaimer: Both are long term clients, and my stay at the Hotel was kindly hosted.

Hotel Northampton

I love staying at Hotel Northampton for its beautiful interiors (including newly renovated rooms), historic Wiggins Tavern, the beautiful, light-filled atrium, and great food. Free breakfast is always a plus!

Hotel Northampton

Hotel Northampton

Every detail of the Hotel is beautiful, and every stay feels like a special experience. You should see it at the holiday season!

Hotel Northampton

Hotel Northampton

Wiggins is one of my favorite spots in Northampton. It’s super cozy and offers great food and cocktails. You have to have the lobster bisque!

Hotel Northampton

Hotel Northampton

Hotel Northampton

While I was in town for an Indigo Girls concert at Smith College, I had some time to do some wandering, which included a stop at Provisions, a beautiful wine, cheese, and so-much-more store in Northampton. I’d love to visit when the weather is nicer to grab picnic items from Provisions and to enjoy the beautiful nature found in Hampshire County.

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Northampton

Northampton is a lovely, eclectic town with great shopping and food and a fun and whimsical spirit. It’s also an ideal wellness getaway, surrounded by hiking and biking trails, and offering an abundance of relaxation activities, including soaking in a hot tub at East Heaven. We opted for an outdoor hot tub, and the contrast between the cold air and the steaming tub was blissful.

Hot Tub

Also blissful was my first visit to the new Black Birch Vineyards location. I loved their old spot and really enjoy their wine, so it was fun to see their new home and to relax with some wine and a winery cat!

Black Birch Winery

Black Birch Winery

I love winery animals!

Black Birch Winery

Traminette and Cab Franc are two Black Birch favorites. Hampshire County is full of great wineries and breweries and is worth a visit just to try the local tipples alone!

wine bar

To sip on wines from further afield, ConVino is the perfect spot! This dark and cozy wine bar has a great wine list, and while we didn’t eat, I have heard their food is fantastic and definitely want to return.

I also want to return to Hungry Ghost Bread, the warmest most bakery-smelling bakery I have ever been to! The smell of fresh bread drifting out the windows is intoxicating, and once they open, the goods start moving fast!

Hungry Ghost Bread

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Luckily I made us get there early (to wait outside in the cold) and we got what we wanted for breakfast. Next time I need to take a few loaves home.

Hungry Ghost Bread

Finally, and saving the best for last, I got to visit my beloved Bueno y Sano twice in 24 hours. I devoured hot sauce and black bean tacos like it was my job, and it was the best. I could eat Bueno every day and would if it was closer!

Bueno y Sano

There’s so much more to do, eat, drink, and see in Hampshire County, and since it’s just two hours from Boston, it makes for a fantastic place to get away for an overnight or even long weekend. I can’t wait to go back!

Tags: getaways, Hotel Northampton, Northampton, wineries

It seems that St. Patrick’s Day week is the perfect time to look back on our most recent trip to Ireland and to share some of the incredible food we ate while in Galway. Our eating (and drinking!) included a mix of old favorites and places that we hadn’t tried before. I am currently craving all of the below!

Curious about our past travels to Ireland? Visit my travel posts page!

Galway Christmas Market

We visited Galway during the annual Christmas market, one of my favorite times of year to go. The market features shopping, entertainment, rides, and of course food and drink. Mulled wine and hot dogs made on a massive round grill, topped with onions and mustard, are two market favorites we indulged in more than once!

We got away for a date night in Galway, and we decided on Ard Bia, an old favorite, cozy and romantic, with the wild River Corrib emptying into the sea alongside it.

Ard Bia Galway

The menu is focused on Irish ingredients, and we indulged in dishes like potato and tarragon gnocchi, Burren smoked haddock bake, local salad with Galway goat cheese, and a beautiful trio of dips, including a vibrant beetroot one.

Ard Bia Galway

Ard Bia Galway

Ard Bia is simply beautiful, bathed in candlelight, and adorned with dried flowers and greens. The walls are lined with Irish treats for purchase, including the Achill sea salt I bought to brine our Thanksgiving turkey!

Ard Bia Galway

Ard Bia Galway

One of the spots that was new-to-us, but a Galway favorite, was Papa Rich, which has several Galway locations. We ate at the Newtownsmith location which had beautiful river and cathedral views and incredible street food style meals.

Papa Rich

Spicy Sambal Goreng and a crisp beer made especially for Papa Rich made for the perfect lunch. I wish we had Papa Rich in Boston!

Papa Rich

Xi'an Street Food

Also new-to-us was Xi’an Street Food, where we shared some incredible dishes including Amber Fire Szchuan Style (With chips! I love that this is an option in Ireland!) and a hand-ripped noodle dish, which they are known for.

Xi'an Street Food

We celebrated my in-law’s anniversary at a beautiful special occasion spot the Park House Hotel. A long and lovely lunch included the smoked salmon platter, complete with veggies, salads, mashed potatoes and bread, and a to-die-for Toblerone cheesecake for dessert.

Park House Galway

Toblerone CheeseCake

Last but certainly not least, we made it a point to visit one of my favorite cocktail spots, Tribeton, for a couple of their beautiful gin drinks in their stunning setting. Tribeton is also a great date spot, though we went early enough that it was baby-friendly as well!

Tribeton

We’re looking at our travel calendars to see when our next trip to Ireland makes the most sense. . . baby flies free until he is two, and we plan to make the most of it!

Tags: cocktails, Food, Galway, Ireland, Travel, travel blog, wine

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