Breakfast on Esplanade Ave., New Orleans, LA

Ready for breakfast

Imagine enjoying a New Orleans breakfast in one of the sunniest rooms on Esplanade Avenue.  We like to go the the farmers' market by American Can on Bayou St. John, about a half mile from La Belle Esplanade B&B, for fresh produce.  

Our particular favorite market is in the Arabi section of St. Bernard Parish.  We meet Josie there, where she provides us with preserves and pickles.  Her cherry jelly is one of our favorites, as is her pickled mirrilton.  

Cafe style seating

I get to take my motor scooter to Alois Binder Bakery in the Marigny in the wee hours of the morning to pick up a loaf of fresh po' boy bread for Josie's jellies.  Some days I stop by Cake Cafe, also in the Marigny, to pick up some souffles or a dozen of the most interesting onion bagels you've ever tried.  The hole is stuffed with diced onion.  Other mornings take me to the Buttermilk Drop in the 7th Ward, where I pick up their signature dish: buttermilk drops.  

A buttermilk drop is a local donut confection.  I've had many midnight "only in New Orleans" moments listening to grizzled men in the dead of night discussing how to make the perfect buttermilk drop.  I know one gentleman who has spent his professional life trying to fill one with jelly.  "It just can't be done," he says.  "A buttermilk drop is a cake.  You can't fill it, no matter how hard you try."  From what I gather during our conversations, he is still trying.

The buffet table is a salvaged door

True to the city, our coffee is locally sourced and infused with chicory, the New Orleans way.  It will get you ready to start the day with a spring in your step.

Color makes life interesting

As can be seen on Mr. Henry's breakfast menu, the citizens of New Orleans don't settle for two fried eggs with potatoes.  They prefer a meal that will stick to their ribs and keep them satisfied.  Yes, liver for breakfast, though we don't serve liver at La Belle Esplanade bed and breakfast.  Instead, we serve crawfish pie, alligator bites, muffalettas, and, on Mondays, red beans.

Some days I get to go up Bienville Street to pick up some fresh empanadas, filled with either chicken or fruit from Norma's Bakery.  This is a tucked-away treasure of a business located behind the Canal Street streetcar headquarters.

Every day presents a different meal at La Belle Esplanade bed and breakfast.  While we take great pride in the dining room, guests also dine al fresco on their balconies or in the garden out back.

Thank you everyone for booking a room at La Belle Esplanade, and thanks to all for your kind comments and reviews.  We humbly do what we can to make your stay in New Orleans a memorable adventure that you will fondly recall for years to come.

A votre sante.