What comes to mind when you think of New Orleans? Maybe voodoo rituals around the Witch Queen Marie Laveau, or the above ground cemeteries (because much of the city is below sea level). For some, it’s the pissheads theme park that is half of Bourbon Street. For others, it’s the deep culture revolving around a quality combination of music, food, and more sophisticated imbibing.

My advice… always join the ‘others’! There is an enchanting and somewhat chaotic elegance that emerges out of so much of what this city represents. Above all else, this is an authentic place… as unAmerican as an American city can be. It’s almost as though the Louisiana Purchase came with a covenant… that this city is and always will be Nu Awlings, come what may! 

For a start, just check out the calming backdrop of the National Museum of Jazz performance venue. Here are the enchanting Belinda Moody Trio…

The creative spark is visible wherever you wish to find it. Avant garde jazz or the raw power of a Grammy award winning brass ensemble are available on successive nights at Snug Harbor…

Even the street scene exudes an eloquent passion in its music. Take Royal Street at lunchtime, for example. Doreen and the guys would easily seduce your musical inclinations for nothing more than a drop of cash in the bucket…

The finest of dining has been explored in previous posts. However, it is also supplemented with signature favourites, such as the Palace Cafe unique Crabmeat Cheesecake. As elegant a dish as you would wish for… and the subtelty of that creole muniere sauce could defuse any international conflict.

So, what about the intoxicating element of this entrancing city? Big Ass Beers on Bourbon look more like something that should come with a geiger counter attached. If you want something more sophisticated, try the Roosevelt Hotel famous Sazerac Bar to sample the world’s first cocktail…

Or maybe Hotel Montelione is the place for you… waiting to take a seat on the Carousel Bar? Surprisingly, they do a Sazerac, as well as a Cosmopolitan.

But if you’re looking for a real blast, why not drop in on Pat O’Brien’s for a Hurricane or a Fuzzy Leprechaun. Beware, the former packs a quadruple rum (amongst other things), while the latter packs a double vodka (also, amongst other things). Elegance can sometimes come with a cerebral challenge if one is just not quite enough!

Until we speak again, remember that elegance may come with not doing that which you’ve done before!

Ineligence also comes with its own warnings…