A Honeymoon of Foodies

I think I've been unconsciously stalling writing this next series of posts because I'm afraid that my writing won't even come close to relaying how amazing the experience of our honeymoon was.  And it truly was that: AMAZING.

Let me use this little preface to tell you what we did.

You know that I have listed to the right one of the cookbooks that must be owned as John Besh's My New Orleans (and seriously, you must purchase it if you don't own it already).  It is a cookbook that is both an autobiography and a collection of recipes.  It needs to be read for its story first and then cooked from, because the personal and cultural history given of the foods you are about to cook will make you fall in love with your creation.  You will understand Besh's philosophy of cooking, and you will find yourself actually respecting the food you are about to eat.

Because of this cookbook and its divine recipes developed by a remarkable all-American guy, Chef Reiton and I nixed the thoughts of honeymooning on the beaches of St. Thomas and instead embraced an idea that suddenly popped into my head as deliciously un-honeymoon, seductive, and lavish: we decided to hop a short flight to New Orleans--the city where he professed his love, a city I had never seen, and the beloved city of our dear John Besh and his restaurants.  And our trip had a goal--albeit a very un-honeymoonish one: we would eat with relish and delight at every single one of John Besh's restaurants.

And so, with a bit of planning, we headed off to New Orleans, based ourselves at the Hotel Provincial (darling place, great staff, and fantastic location), and got ready to eat like we'd never attempted before.

Read on for a play-by-play of our John Besh Experience...