I know, I know. You are all waiting for the second installment. I'll post it when you least expect it. Like...next Christmas.
Hey, these things take time!
05 May 2011
01 May 2011
Part 1: The Unseasoned Traveler (Needs More Salt)
This is the first post in a series of...a few... posts which will haphazardly chronicle my recent trip to New Orleans, Louisiana for the NO Marriott Shake Ya Brass! Jazz Fest Experience. I was blessed and lucky enough to have a good friend who is a travel writer and was invited to do a story on the NO Marriott. Or the travel company. I honestly can't remember which, so I'm not naming names. Other than the very important ones that you, dear reader, will need to remember.
I'll begin with Delta Airlines. More importantly, the airport in Akron, Ohio. This airport is the shortest drive from my home, therefore the first choice. That's the only reason I'll use it again. If it were a house, they would describe it as "Cozy and charming". They'd lie to you. Security was pretty lax and involved one disorganized line that wrapped around to the check-in desks. I would say it moved quickly, but I'm pretty sure that I dozed off while standing there.
I hesitate to call the biscuit tin with wings an airplane. I believe it was the Airbus, seating an estimated total of 140. It was straight out of the early 80's, complete with dilapidated seats and the stale smell of body odor and farts. It was grand. We were late on take off due to Akron having had to close a runway for repairs. My 7:00am flight turned out to be 8:00am, which made me late for my connecting flight in Atlanta by about 2 minutes. TWO MINUTES. Urgh.
The attendant at the arrival gate was reluctant to be helpful. I'm not sure I blame her, I'd hate that job. Do not rely on the Delta app to rebook your flight, I kept getting an error. Also keep in mind, the digital boarding pass on your Delta App is not available everywhere. Short version - I was booked on the next flight out which turned my 35 minute layover into almost 2 hours. Not terrible, as I've never had to navigate my way alone in that airport. Hell, I've never navigated alone in any airport. Tracie is not a seasoned traveler. In fact, this is her first flight ALONE.
*cue heartwarming music*
Enough with the whining about air travel. I got to NOLA safe and sound, and still before my travel partner. My driver (oooooo fancy!) was waiting by the baggage claim in Louis Armstrong with a sign with my name on it. I took his picture, because I'm a Yankee Yokel.
This is Bruce, possibly the nicest person I have ever met.
If you ever happen open the occasion that you would need a limo service in New Orleans, call up American Luxury and request this man. Also, tip generously.
We'll skip what happened once I arrived and checked in, because it pretty much involved de-stinking and a nap. I will tell you - the elevators in the NO Marriott are just nuts. There is a key-pad in the elevator bank with an LCD screen. You punch in your floor number, and it assigns an elevator, A - H. Very strange, and I had to have the lady checking me in repeat what I needed to do to get an elevator. I adapted pretty quickly, no mishaps there!
My friend arrived around 4 or 5 in the evening, and we had dinner at 6. I really can't give too many details about that because it involved neither menu, nor detailed itinerary for the evening - and my short-term memory is garbage. I'm the person that has to have pictures and souvenirs, or I forget the whole damned thing. Luckily, I have pictures! Not of the gumbo (picture my sad face).
What I can tell you is that Chef Mark Quitney is a genius in the kitchen. Genius may not even be appropriate, because what he does with gumbo is magic. My favorite food is Cajun food, and I was hesitant to like anything gumbo related that did not have pork andouille sausage. Chicken sausage is notoriously dry, but the flavor is unmatched. The chicken andouille sausage in this gumbo was not dry at all, and was magnificent! I died of happiness when I tasted this gumbo. And that's seriously all I remember from that dinner. I like to think it's because the gumbo was just that delicious. The salad was simple, but garnished with shallots. I had to ask what they were, and now I know why they're always raved about. Shallots are nummies. Yes, I said nummies. Somewhere, my friend is shaking her head in complete embarassment.
The woman I was seated next to - we'll call her Fork Lady - claimed to be a travel and food reviewer. Not only was she unbearable in conversation, but she had the audacity to request hot sauce for the gumbo prior to even tasting it. Chef Quitney is giving us a wonderful description of how he created his recipes, why he chose the wines and where they came from, and Fork Lady is just drip-drip-dropping glops of hot sauce into her gumbo. I was embarrassed. Aside from that, she was rude and bossy and continually interrupted the head chef during his monologue.
I digress, I'm not going to focus much more on Fork Lady. I just made a promise to myself and my friend that we would avoid sitting near her in the future. Instead, behold the fresh red fish.
After dinner, full and tired from the trip, we retired to our room to shower and rest up for the early wake up we were facing on Thursday.
Before I end this post, let me tell you that the lobby area of the NO Marriott is gorgeous. The Fahrenheit Lounge in the center was dim and luxurious with a full service bar. Easy navigation to the Starbucks and gift shop, staffed by the most helpful and polite people I've ever met working in a hotel. The room? Not as fancy. Very basic, and I mean very basic. Two double beds that were nicely made up, a desk and desk chair, an easy chair and a flat screen tv. The bathroom was like a closet with plumbing. I was told that NO Marriott had recently renovated the lobby area, so I am left to assume that room renovations will follow. At least, that's what I'm hoping. The magic of the hotel ends as the elevator opens to your floor.
Stay tuned for Part Deux.
I'll begin with Delta Airlines. More importantly, the airport in Akron, Ohio. This airport is the shortest drive from my home, therefore the first choice. That's the only reason I'll use it again. If it were a house, they would describe it as "Cozy and charming". They'd lie to you. Security was pretty lax and involved one disorganized line that wrapped around to the check-in desks. I would say it moved quickly, but I'm pretty sure that I dozed off while standing there.
I hesitate to call the biscuit tin with wings an airplane. I believe it was the Airbus, seating an estimated total of 140. It was straight out of the early 80's, complete with dilapidated seats and the stale smell of body odor and farts. It was grand. We were late on take off due to Akron having had to close a runway for repairs. My 7:00am flight turned out to be 8:00am, which made me late for my connecting flight in Atlanta by about 2 minutes. TWO MINUTES. Urgh.
The attendant at the arrival gate was reluctant to be helpful. I'm not sure I blame her, I'd hate that job. Do not rely on the Delta app to rebook your flight, I kept getting an error. Also keep in mind, the digital boarding pass on your Delta App is not available everywhere. Short version - I was booked on the next flight out which turned my 35 minute layover into almost 2 hours. Not terrible, as I've never had to navigate my way alone in that airport. Hell, I've never navigated alone in any airport. Tracie is not a seasoned traveler. In fact, this is her first flight ALONE.
*cue heartwarming music*
Enough with the whining about air travel. I got to NOLA safe and sound, and still before my travel partner. My driver (oooooo fancy!) was waiting by the baggage claim in Louis Armstrong with a sign with my name on it. I took his picture, because I'm a Yankee Yokel.
This is Bruce, possibly the nicest person I have ever met.
If you ever happen open the occasion that you would need a limo service in New Orleans, call up American Luxury and request this man. Also, tip generously.
We'll skip what happened once I arrived and checked in, because it pretty much involved de-stinking and a nap. I will tell you - the elevators in the NO Marriott are just nuts. There is a key-pad in the elevator bank with an LCD screen. You punch in your floor number, and it assigns an elevator, A - H. Very strange, and I had to have the lady checking me in repeat what I needed to do to get an elevator. I adapted pretty quickly, no mishaps there!
My friend arrived around 4 or 5 in the evening, and we had dinner at 6. I really can't give too many details about that because it involved neither menu, nor detailed itinerary for the evening - and my short-term memory is garbage. I'm the person that has to have pictures and souvenirs, or I forget the whole damned thing. Luckily, I have pictures! Not of the gumbo (picture my sad face).
What I can tell you is that Chef Mark Quitney is a genius in the kitchen. Genius may not even be appropriate, because what he does with gumbo is magic. My favorite food is Cajun food, and I was hesitant to like anything gumbo related that did not have pork andouille sausage. Chicken sausage is notoriously dry, but the flavor is unmatched. The chicken andouille sausage in this gumbo was not dry at all, and was magnificent! I died of happiness when I tasted this gumbo. And that's seriously all I remember from that dinner. I like to think it's because the gumbo was just that delicious. The salad was simple, but garnished with shallots. I had to ask what they were, and now I know why they're always raved about. Shallots are nummies. Yes, I said nummies. Somewhere, my friend is shaking her head in complete embarassment.
The woman I was seated next to - we'll call her Fork Lady - claimed to be a travel and food reviewer. Not only was she unbearable in conversation, but she had the audacity to request hot sauce for the gumbo prior to even tasting it. Chef Quitney is giving us a wonderful description of how he created his recipes, why he chose the wines and where they came from, and Fork Lady is just drip-drip-dropping glops of hot sauce into her gumbo. I was embarrassed. Aside from that, she was rude and bossy and continually interrupted the head chef during his monologue.
I digress, I'm not going to focus much more on Fork Lady. I just made a promise to myself and my friend that we would avoid sitting near her in the future. Instead, behold the fresh red fish.
After dinner, full and tired from the trip, we retired to our room to shower and rest up for the early wake up we were facing on Thursday.
Before I end this post, let me tell you that the lobby area of the NO Marriott is gorgeous. The Fahrenheit Lounge in the center was dim and luxurious with a full service bar. Easy navigation to the Starbucks and gift shop, staffed by the most helpful and polite people I've ever met working in a hotel. The room? Not as fancy. Very basic, and I mean very basic. Two double beds that were nicely made up, a desk and desk chair, an easy chair and a flat screen tv. The bathroom was like a closet with plumbing. I was told that NO Marriott had recently renovated the lobby area, so I am left to assume that room renovations will follow. At least, that's what I'm hoping. The magic of the hotel ends as the elevator opens to your floor.
Stay tuned for Part Deux.
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