NOLA Special

The Steves discuss their fifth wedding anniversary in New Orleans.

Trip Highlights Discussed

• Our Roadtrip Playlists
• Tank and Bangas
• Perre Antoine's Jambalaya Omelette
• Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar's Sur-Fur Menu for Dogs
• Grapevine's amazing Small Bites and service
• Juan's Flying Burrito's life-changing burritos
• The Bad Bitches History Tour
• Drag Queen New Orleans Tours with Quinn
• The Garden District walking tours
• Southern Paws and Chiwawa-Gaga dog stores
• No Rules Fashion
• Bloody Mary's Seance's and Weddings
• Hand Grenades
• Bar Tonique
• Grand-Pre

Transcript

Steve: 0:02

Hello returning happies and new listeners. This is Steve Bennet-Martin, and this

Stephen: 0:06

is Stephen Martin-Bennet and walk them through a lifetime

Steve: 0:09

of happiness, the podcast where we take you on our journey through some of the movies, television shows, and other bits of pop culture that are helping keep us happy while hopefully bring a smile to your face along on the way.

Stephen: 0:19

And today we're doing something a little different. We're giving you a glimpse into our lives because. It's our fifth

Steve: 0:27

wedding anniversary. Yes, it is. And so rather than talking about the movies, television shows and other bits of pop culture, we're going to be talking about our trip to new Orleans.

Stephen: 0:37

Yes, because I can go ahead and tell you right now. That that made me extraordinarily happy.

Steve: 0:44

Yes. Me as well. I would say that it was probably one of the happiest vacations that we've ever been. None.

Stephen: 0:49

I would say it's definitely for me, my favorite vacation we've ever been on. Yes.

Steve: 0:55

And so we will be resuming with our conversations of our favorite movies next week. But in the meantime, enjoy the special look into a trip to what it was. Pretty for the most part, a dog friendly weekend, new Orleans,

Stephen: 1:08

because rim it, Ken's got to go with us.

Steve: 1:10

Yes, he did. And so we started off driving from Florida to new Orleans. It was about a 10 hour drive. It was, we travel extraordinarily well together. It ends up, it

Stephen: 1:20

turns out that we do because there was no bickering. It wasn't. Do you need to go to the bathroom? No. Or can we please pull over? Like there was nothing. It was, yeah. Pointless and singing and talking and

Steve: 1:37

resting, you could say. And I know for, for, for myself, the road trip playlist that I've been listening to on Spotify recently has been feeling myself, which is when you're trying to be feel like you're that bad bitch. But what were some of the songs on our main playlist that we listened to together, that you were nice enough to set up that you love?

Stephen: 1:53

So I went through and I was creating a playlist, but I didn't realize how long it had gotten. And it was like seven and a half hours of music. So you've got my favorite songs from the eighties, nineties, two thousands. And some of the best songs of the last decade sprinkled in there as well. You've got some Paula Abdul, you've got Madonna. You've got EISA base from the nineties, which was just exciting to hear again, there is Abba. Well, that was avid teens from the two thousands. Yes. And future podcast person. Ronnie diamond is the one that introduced me to avid teens.

Steve: 2:35

Yes. And so that, and then we also did a lot of tink and Bangas getting us in the new, new Orleans mood. Yeah. You told me they were new Orleans based. It was a surprise for me

Stephen: 2:45

gas tank and the Bangas and they are this R and B hip hop soul jazz group that mixes music and spoken word and amazing lyrics. And they're fantastic. And they are based out of new Orleans and they had their first real, like post COVID concert this weekend. And we did not get to see them out maybe next time, maybe

Steve: 3:12

next time. So yes, we did make it safe with our road trip. That was a really nice road trip. Just being on the open road, testing out your new Jeep. Yep. Testing

Stephen: 3:20

out the new Jeep and where you were staying in the trauma. Which we were three blocks away from the French quarter. So,

Steve: 3:28

but we got to feel like we were locals.

Stephen: 3:30

Oh my gosh. Like staying in the Tremaine, this cute little neighborhood where everyone was so friendly when you walked by. And it was just really, really great. And one of the things most people recognize new Orleans for is the food. Yes.

Steve: 3:47

And I can tell you that. I mean, we're going right back to Sam Barden night just to get something that I know will be good because I miss all of my new Orleans food. I've had so much fish. In me the past week. I love it. But it's, it's funny that the place that we always talked about before that we were looking forward to the most wasn't actually even like a Cajun style or new Orleans style place. It was Juan's flat

Stephen: 4:08

burrito. Juan's flying burrito is our favorite restaurant in new Orleans. And we always go to the one over in the garden district on

Steve: 4:16

magazine street. You're the one on CBD and the other one are also great as well. Yeah. But yes, that one and it is Creole Mexican, as they said on the menu. So that one did make me feel a little bit better than it did have a little bit of a special trying to it, but it was just so good. The flying burrito had the three different proteins, like the shrimp and the meat and the chicken,

Stephen: 4:35

the Teresa and the chicken and the shrimp. And it's, life-changing like, This burrito is so good. It's very

Steve: 4:43

rare that I have food in my mouth that makes me have orgasm noises, but I was being an, ah, like the entire time I was eating. It was so good.

Stephen: 4:53

The other restaurant that I was most looking forward to us finding, and I couldn't exactly remember where it is and now it's going to be forever in my memory. Cause I. We passed by it so many times. It's

Steve: 5:04

also funny because it's one of the main ones you have to pass to get from our homes. So,

Stephen: 5:08

But it was parade Antwan and they are home of the jambalaya

Steve: 5:13

online. Yes. So you combine the jambalaya, which is famous in new Orleans

Stephen: 5:19

and there's just so

Steve: 5:19

good. Yes. And then you add that into an omelet, which has a breakfast food, therefore making it one of Steven's favorite meal,

Stephen: 5:25

and then they had a cheese sauce with it and it's just. So good all

Steve: 5:30

in a row. It's very rare that you can go five years without having something and having to be as good as you remembered it. Yep. And you even had the same thing again, the next morning for breakfast, I was

Stephen: 5:39

like, it's that good? I might as well do it again because I talked about it for five years.

Steve: 5:43

Yes. I did one with a little more of the, the other different seafoods and it had more peppers and stuff and it was equally good as well. But the jumble, I accomplished something special to try while you're in no new Orleans, you have to go to portray

Stephen: 5:55

Antwan and it is, yeah. At the corner of St. Anne and Royal street. Yes.

Steve: 6:02

And there's Remy's favorite restaurant. We were there actually was because they had a dog specific menu and that was Lucy's retired surface bar. Yes.

Stephen: 6:12

And that was, he absolutely loved that there were four or five items on the menu.

Steve: 6:19

It was a surfer menu. If you are.

Stephen: 6:23

Haha. And. Like their food was good. And, but we mainly went there so that Remy could have a meal that was just for him. And he did, and he loved it and it was in the food was good. The service was fantastic. Like. Everybody in new Orleans is so

Steve: 6:41

friendly, so friendly. Yes. I mean, as, and that brings us to our, even our last restaurant, other great grapevine that we love so much. Yes. We bought our waitress. There was beautiful and lovely. And

Stephen: 6:51

it had the best courtyard and tapa and yes. And yeah, we did three small plates that we shared and then they did

Steve: 7:01

I love the filet there that they have with the potatoes, that sauce, the

Stephen: 7:04

medallions, and Oh, everything was so good. And like, we did not have a bad meal while we were there. And you can't always say that on a vacation, but I don't think we've ever had a bad meal in new Orleans.

Steve: 7:17

No, agreed. We haven't had a bad meal. We haven't had a bad trip to the

Stephen: 7:21

bars and we didn't even like. So we went only on three tours. This time we kept it smaller and

Steve: 7:30

a Torah day keeps the light cramps away

Stephen: 7:33

because we walked over 10 miles every single day.

Steve: 7:38

Yes, exactly. So we started off with the bad bitches of new Orleans tour,

Stephen: 7:43

which so that dealt with bad bitches, all the women that were in control. Of the crime or they were the murderers and, you know, the women that we're not going to let a man tell them what they could or could not do. Exactly. And so of course you had Madam who just killed a whole bunch of people and then experimented on them and then There of course was Marie Laveau, but in a good

Steve: 8:13

way. And it wasn't a bad, bad bit. She was more of just that. Ooh.

Stephen: 8:18

Yeah. And it was fantastic. We did a tour of the garden district and the history of the houses and the architecture. Sure. And

Steve: 8:27

I've never been a big nerd for architecture, but the way that Seth. Our tour guide to talk about. It was just awesome. And you could tell how much he loved it, but like looking at the columns as masculine with the iron worker as feminine was something that you never seen until you, like, they explain it that way and then you see it.

Stephen: 8:45

Yeah. And because you're thinking, you know, to create that iron work, that's like a Festus and the hammer and the like fire and stuff. And they're like to add iron work to the front of a house would create a feminine look, but the columns, they have the. Little curly things though. Those are all considered masculine because it's

Steve: 9:03

a long, thick pillar, babe. Do you see where I know that I get the whole penis reference? Yeah. What a surprise. We take something that could be maybe turned into a penis and they can masculine.

Stephen: 9:12

Yeah. And then our last tour was one done as part of drag queen tours with. Quinn

Steve: 9:21

and Quinn was probably my favorite tour guide,

Stephen: 9:25

my best tour guide. She was fantastic. And it was all about the history of sex work in new Orleans, as well as the queer history. And that really, she delved into a side of the history that. Everyone hears about it, but they all stay away from it. Yeah. Cause

Steve: 9:44

normally they're like, Oh yeah. I'm like at one point being that we were in the South, we might or might not have had slaves T he, and she's like, no, they owned people and it was bad

Stephen: 9:54

where they would sell them. And over here is where they'd sell their kids. And like, or here were all the madams and how the brothels are separated into brothels herb. Everyone or brought this for white people.

Steve: 10:06

And, and then like the broth us for the, the color people as they call them and like back then, and, you know, the way that they separate her at all was just really interesting the story, but the way that she told it, it was just so engaging.

Stephen: 10:19

So if you're going to new Orleans and you're looking for an interesting tour, definitely like

Steve: 10:26

for drag queen Laura Quinn.

Stephen: 10:29

Yep. And you're not going to regret it. Now the superstar of our trip. Yes was Remi.

Steve: 10:37

Yes. You would think that being in that it was for us, it would be you or me,

Stephen: 10:41

you would think so, but ever he was beloved by everyone. Yes,

Steve: 10:45

he was well-behaved

Stephen: 10:45

everywhere. He was well behaved everywhere. Everyone kept saying, Oh, how cute he is. And he never complained. He walked his little butt everywhere. Like we'd carry him some, but then he'd be like, I'd like down please.

Steve: 11:00

Yes. Well, it also helped that we spoiled him at two amazing shops or I would say they were for Bila

Stephen: 11:06

shops. So there was Southern paws.

Steve: 11:09

Yes, which is how every dog store should be with the way that they handled their bakery, where the baked goods, because they were affordable to make were affordable to buy. They were

Stephen: 11:20

$2 or less, most were

Steve: 11:23

like 65 cents for the little like sweet tart looking ones that Remy fell in love with. Like they, all, the food was beautiful. They did we got to do pictures with Remy, with the Easter bunny, which I can't wait to

Stephen: 11:34

see. It'd be getting those this week. So I'm very excited to see that. And then the other store that was a fashion boutique for dogs was called Chihuahua Gacaca

Steve: 11:46

fashion. Bow. Wow. Teak. That's what I want to call that. Right. He got his pajamas, he got a fabulous collar with the Mardi Gras bells that he got to wear out. He

Stephen: 11:57

got these rainbow legwarmers

Steve: 12:00

to keep his legs warm in the cold of winter.

Stephen: 12:03

And I tried to get him to wear a wig, but he wasn't not

Steve: 12:06

having it. She said, no, daddy, if you won't wear it, I won't wear wigs.

Stephen: 12:10

And I was like, sweetie, I will wear a wig. And he was like, Nope, I'm still not doing it. And it was. Super super adorable. And like, we will definitely post a picture of his PJ's and whenever he wears them, because they were like your Mike Brady pajamas, like button all the way up, one piece thing. Super cute.

Steve: 12:33

Yeah. And so Remy had a great time one place for, he was not able to come to though. Was one of my highlights, which after a long day of work, almost forgotten to put in our outline and he

Stephen: 12:44

almost got in trouble, but

Steve: 12:46

you were kind enough to help me remind me that we did get remarried. We

Stephen: 12:50

did it since this was for our five-year wedding anniversary. We went through with a voodoo remarriage recommitment ceremony. With bloody Mary of letting Mary's haunted tours and museum who we had done a tour with over our honeymoon five years

Steve: 13:10

ago. Yes. And so it was a great revisit of the old, as well as having the new experience with her, because that was like a group experience. And while we had the seance Tippett to begin with beforehand, which was awesome and it worked, and it was like three being a good way. It was the. Like we have to report back to some loved ones before we would share any sort of experiences because they were just something that like we're really, yeah. And it's really

Stephen: 13:34

personal, but it was impressive. But the ceremony itself was bloody Mary, the hair, which, and you and I, we did, we jumped the broom. She blessed us from the four corners. Call it upon different of the, of our ancestors and then the special founders of the voodoo of new Orleans to bless us. And, you know, there was blessed with fire and earth and air and water, and it was really special and yeah. She gave, we decorated two voodoo dolls that then she blessed and after she had bound our risk together, as we made vows and promises to each other again, then she took that binding and bound the voodoo dolls together. We need to spit on them later. We do, you have to, you have to feed them and you have to spit on them and give them part of yourself. Give them some of your hair, talk to them, whisper good words to them and put them in a place of prominence, which we have. Yes. It's

Steve: 14:42

by her TV says very prominent.

Stephen: 14:44

Yes. But it's also where we have our voodoo dolls that she blessed for us over our honeymoon.

Steve: 14:50

Yes. And so it was just a beautiful experience. And I just thank you so much for getting it. You're very

Stephen: 14:57

welcome. And I, like, as soon as we were talking about this, I was, and I was thinking, Oh, we should do something with bloody Mary again. So I just started looking through all the things she does and her business has grown since the last time and significantly

Steve: 15:13

storefront. Yeah. She's wonderful.

Stephen: 15:16

Yeah. And so I saw him there. Weddings. And so I called her up and I was like, look, here's what's going on. And she's like, we can do some special. Perfect. Well,

Steve: 15:27

it certainly was very, very special.

Stephen: 15:30

And one of the fun things that wasn't. Wedding related was a shop called no rules. Yeah. Yes.

Steve: 15:40

Because nothing draws us then high men's fashion for a place that follows in Newark.

Stephen: 15:46

Yeah. And I found this amazing Brocade waistcoat with long tails, which was.

Steve: 15:55

Gorgeous on you. It was

Stephen: 15:57

amazing.

Steve: 15:57

And I love it. Yes. And I got rainbow denim pants that are fabulous.

Stephen: 16:02

Yes. And then you had those like kind of harem pants type of things that looks so comforting. Yeah. Then

Steve: 16:08

it would be wearing around the house. But if I had a million dollars or if burlesque was still happening locally, where I could stress up every month, I would have had to open up a line of credit in that store. So many more things. Well, I mean, There was like a lot with like the, the way that they worked, like the men's leather. It was like a nice mix between like sexy and fashionable. Like, so it wasn't like Horace, like some of the other, like men's leather stuff that

Stephen: 16:34

I'm into, but this was like a mixture between the masculine and feminine and have a heart in the,

Steve: 16:40

Oh, they like the Raven feather shoulder shawl thing

Stephen: 16:43

where it was straight out of game of

16:44

Thrones.

Steve: 16:45

I would wear that around my shoulders, like with like all the time, all the time. Like that would be just part of my like daily walk

Stephen: 16:52

torque, just. And like no visit to new Orleans would be complete if there weren't some bars involved.

Steve: 16:59

Yeah. Yes, exactly. And as much as people always ask about hurricanes, that's not our drink at Orleans. No. And I don't think it's what the locals consider their drink either, because if you're looking up and down bourbon at what people are drinking, there's something you see, it's the hand grenade. Yes. And the hand grenade is the best. Mix of lighter fluid and sugar I've ever tasted.

Stephen: 17:20

So it is grain alcohol and this amazing blend of melon flavors. And it's so good. It doesn't taste like alcohol, which is

Steve: 17:31

why. Yeah. And then it is apparently the strongest drinking bourbon street.

Stephen: 17:36

And so, so good. And we also went to some. Off the, because we're

Steve: 17:46

you were locals for the week. We were living locally and an apartment. We were making friends with local because

Stephen: 17:54

we went to bar Tonique on North Rampart. And when you meant. Kelly and Kendall who are local and they were,

Steve: 18:02

yes. And so there was just you a great local bar with craft cocktails. Yes. And

Stephen: 18:08

then there was grand Prix, which is like our

Steve: 18:11

neighborhood Gates. Yes. The, the neighborhood gave our that we wish we had in Sarasota exist there because they have the gay bars, you know, up and down St. Anne and on bourbon street that were fun. But like, there was just like, you could tell that was one of the ones where the

Stephen: 18:26

locals go. Yeah, because like we walked in, the bartender was immediately like, who are you? You're new. Yeah. Personable friendly. Where you go to any of the bars on bourbon street and it's a transaction. They want you out of the way for the next people. We went to good friends and we stopped in at the raw hide. And then there was also Betty's. Sure.

Steve: 18:50

Yes.

Stephen: 18:50

Yeah. And those three weren't right on the strip. So the bartenders were friendlier. And

Steve: 18:58

yeah, but grand Prix was one where they were like, you know, how long are you in? Where are you staying?

Stephen: 19:03

When you should go to dinner here, go there. So make sure you go out and sit in the courtyard. And like, and like the drinks were

Steve: 19:08

like two bucks or three bucks. And they were stronger than the ones that were three times the price on both streets. So, yes. Definitely check out brand grand Prix if you're in the family and in the area

Stephen: 19:19

and like, This was probably, they said their second weekend of having business again, since the pandemic started. And so, you know, everywhere you go in massive required, whether it was a restaurant, a bar or shopping master required on your walking tours, masks are required. But nobody really fought it. And that was nice to see too.

Steve: 19:45

Yeah. I only overheard like one or two, Karen's making an issue of it. Sorry mom. Yes. Mom's name is Karen. So when I make fun of Karen's mom, doesn't like it, even though she's not a Karen,

Stephen: 19:56

the non Karen, Karen, that was, and so I'm happy that things in new Orleans are starting to come back and all of the businesses and the people that we've mentioned. We wish you guys, nothing but

Steve: 20:10

success and thank you for an amazing five-year anniversary trip.

Stephen: 20:14

Yes. Thank you for welcoming us into your home city and making us feel like we live there too. Yep. And Hey you, Hey, you, I love you. I

Steve: 20:23

love you. Yes. And I also love our listeners.

Stephen: 20:27

Yes. And they can find us on all the socials at happy life pod. And so that's Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. They can also get in touch with us by email. Yes.

Steve: 20:39

Email us, we would love to hear what your favorite parts of note new Orleans have been during your visits as well. So email us so we know where to go. Next time we go on our vacation and we can give you a shout out about how much we love it. So email us@happylifepodatgmail.com. That's H a P P Y L I F E P O d@gmail.com.

Stephen: 21:01

And until next time everyone

Steve: 21:02

stay happy.