I know....ANOTHER POST
NOT ABOUT OCEAN SPRINGS......what is this all about? Well, this is my absolute favorite hotel in New Orleans and since I consider New Orleans to be an extension of Ocean Springs then I think this counts and you should also know and enjoy this special place......
Hotel St. Marie is an older, smaller hotel located on Toulouse Street, about a block off Bourbon. We have been staying here about twice a year for the last 10 years. After a 2 year hiatus, we returned to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary at the end of May. The quaint lobby and reception area remind you of another era. The front desk staff are always friendly and accommodating and with a bargain rate of 78 dollars a night we happily arrived early to check our bags, valet our car, preregister and begin wandering the French Quarter. We did notice some new changes at the Hotel St. Marie.........the bar, cafe and a restaurant, Vacherie had opened.
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Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
The restaurant menu had a delicious entree listed.....Rabbit cassoulet and collard greens for $19..we already had reservations at Muriels or we would have had dinner here. We did enjoy a great breakfast the next morning....hubby had a traditional egg, bacon, toast, etc for $10 and I had a fruit yogurt plate, with fresh Greek yogurt, walnuts, strawberries, grapes, oranges, grapefruit...$6....(2 people could have shared this) |
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| Outdoor dining in the courtyard, very pleasant and quiet! |
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| Cafe serves sandwiches, salads, soup....How about a chicken pesto sandwich and chips for $9? |
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| Plenty of seating in the cafe, with lots of light... |
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| Local pickled veggies to go |
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| Bar snack?.....try a charcuterie platter.....Andouille sausage, hogs head cheese, pimento cheese, hot pickled veggies and crackers....$13 |
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| View out of the bar of the street.... |
The quarter was buzzing with people, activity, new shops and restaurants. As usual, we made our way to
Coops Place to eat cheap and good.
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| Oh yes, the mimes and artists of the square continue to draw interest....... |
After lunch, we walked off the fried oysters, beer and homemade beef soup and gradually made our way to Felix's for raw oysters and returned to the hotel to get our room and take a quick swim in the pool....
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| Very neat, clean, fresh smelling room........and very quiet |
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| Our courtyard room overlooked a portion of the pool and outdoor dining area.... |
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| Morning coffee, anyone? |
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| Nice bathroom....with coffee maker and other amenities.. |
The pool provided a nice respite from the heat and we enjoyed visiting with other guests and comparing notes on our New Orleans experiences......on to HAPPY HOUR!!!!!!
What a bargain!........and a great bartender to top it off..........
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| Colorful artwork covers the bar walls.... |
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Champagne and gumbo with a view of Jackson Square.....what a great meal at
Muriels !
After dinner, it finally cooled down and we took a final walk around the quarter....
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| Lined up to see traditional New Orleans jazz |
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| Perfect location after 3 for 1 at the Cat's Meow.....Lucky Dog man is right across the street |
We love Ocean Springs, but we really enjoyed our visit to New Orleans and our stay at the Hotel St. Marie....if you are thinking about making a run to New Orleans.........Hotel St. Marie is a great place to stay!!!
Au Revoir..........New Orleans.........until we return again............
I PROMISE......... THE NEXT POST WILL BE ABOUT OCEAN SPRINGS!!!!
I stopped by the Twisted Anchor Tattoo Shop to find out how Matt Stebly's business is going. You remember, Matt is the great grandson of Walter Anderson and began his tattoo skills at another shop in Ocean Springs. Well, he has decided to make a go of it on his own and has set up in a small strip mall on North Washington Ave. Tattoos are not the only thing for sale in his shop.......much of his original art is for sale as well...
