no, thanks

after our lovely day with bunchy, we wandered the quarter by ourselves looking for a late dinner. we usually avoid bourbon street, but we ended up checking out pat o'brien's, the place that the hurricane cocktail built. this place is like disneyland for grownups; if there is any way they can rip you for more dough, they'll do it. their motto is "have fun," but i think their definition of fun is getting plastered and not caring that they slapped you with a bunch of add-on charges for souvenir glasses and a roaming portrait photographer (like riding splash mountain). it didn't look like nathan had much fun when he was disputing our bill, nor did the manager look like he was having fun or trying to encourage nathan to have fun when he was assisting him.

nathan and i favor the smaller, funkier places, the more off the beaten path the better. i am not one to snark at new orleans tradition, either; i remember my parents brought back a pouch of pat o'rien's hurricane mix from our trip years ago, and it languished in our pantry for many moons. every time i saw it, i was awash with nostalgia for new orleans.

if you ever come to visit the quarter and you're new to the city, i would recommend strolling through the restaurant to see their wild fountains (they spew water and fire) and picking up a hurricane to go-- remember, you can do that here!