J'AI MANQUÉ MA VILLE.

After being out relatively late, sleeping on the train was simple. I got up just in time to watch Texas turn into Louisiana. Watching those piney woods turn to gulf prairies and marshes is seriously special. I occupied my time with the usual train activities. Finally, I saw that glorious New Orleans skyline, and my heart lit up like never before. Even though I was not in this city long, I felt at home. Without hesitation, I routed myself to my old restaurant. My best buddy was now in charge of the operation, and I had to ensure he kept things in shape. It was nothing but love when I stepped through those doors, and the family was happy to see me.

One of my best buds, bartender Bobbo had an extra room for me during my time back in NOLA. His spot was in Treme, known for being one of the oldest neighborhoods in New Orleans. Some sources suggest that this is the oldest black neighborhood in the nation. Unquestionably this place has a rich and fascinating history. It was under major construction during my time here, even our shotgun was having its foundation worked on. We had the lovely local drug dealer just a few doors down. I overheard several shouting matches and even gunshots, but this is New Orleans, baby! When hanging on the porch, you'd often have to shoo off the wandering tweaker. Regardless of the surrounding situation, I was just happy to have four walls and a roof.

I was excessively enthusiastic about being back in town. My first morning started with a ten-mile run to visit all my favorite spots around the city. After concluding my workout, I linked up with my Spaniard (whom I met at the hostel in Austin) for a day of tomfoolery. She was a traveler like me; this was her last day in the city. It was truly a terrific Tom tour! Arguably one of the best NOLA food tours ever. We had red beans and rice, fried gator, escargot, gulf oysters, and plenty of beautiful beverages. It was a successful send-off, for sure!

My first week in New Orleans was non-stop. I missed countless establishments dearly, and visiting them was a must. I skated around the city, visiting my favorite bartenders, oyster shuckers, sommeliers, baristas, chefs, gutter punks, and local celebrities. Tamale guy always brings a smile to my face, I LOVE YOU BABY! Byrcie-boy is still slingin' some stellar wines. Jay still rocks his classic black and blue bowling shirt. Some things never change, it felt amazing to see all my people. Sleep was scarce, and I lived off espresso and booze, but I had to enjoy myself before the work started.

The original plan was to help my former chef open up a French brasserie in the Hotel Fontenot. Naturally, the opening date was delayed, but he offered me a position at the hotel's coffee shop. As we all know, I am a bit of a coffee enthusiast but have never been a formal barista. I happily accepted the offer. As a Tom of all traits, coffee is one that I am eager to master. The night shift was mine, which gave me ample time to study all the different variations of coffee drinks. The slower nights allowed me to perfect my craft on the machine.

You could find me at my home base when I was not slinging lattes. I spent most of my study time at the notorious Cafe Envie. This cozy corner cafe sits on the edge of the quarter near Esplanade. It looks like a Parisian cafe, but the people-watching is second to none. You have gutter punks, musical acts across the corner at the jazz museum, the grungy bywater hipsters, chess club on Tuesday nights, the french quarter wizards, the local homeless, tourists that ventured further than bourbon, and the nearby residents. I am content when I sit on that corner sipping espresso and studying. My favorite Envie memory this time around is a tie between the voodoo queen trying to fuck me, or the gutter punk overdose.

Between work and study, there was still plenty of time to hang out with the homies. Most of my minutes were spent with good ol' Donnie. Whenever we chill, all we do is talk about work. Our conversations are always centered around being more efficient and improving our quality of work. We are both passionate about our culinary careers, and bouncing ideas off each other is always acceptable. We chatted at our usual spots, Upper Quarter, Three Legged Dog, Erin Rose, and Backspace Bar. These spots are classics, but we decided to leave our comfort zone. The new finds we frequented were Cosimo's Bar, Ernest Cafe, Pal's Longue, and Buffa's. All listed above are fine establishments, and I highly recommend them.

I would be remiss if I did not talk about parade season. This is undoubtedly one of the busiest times of the year for the crescent city. Already known as a party city, NOLA turns into a different beast. There are parades practically daily for one month straight. This season I was more active in the festivities. My favorite parade was Krewe of Chewbaccus, which catered to fellow nerds like myself. The best experience was when I skateboarded down canal street in bumper-to-bumper traffic. My advice for parade season is to ditch the car if you plan on being in or around the quarter.

There are too many memories from my month in N'awlins. I loved skating the streets at three in the morning. Drinking with one of my old homeless homies was surely humbling. The jazz museum was a must-visit, another museum magnet for the collection. Crawfish on the Westbank was a required activity. The French meet-up group was still going strong, and Guy is forever the best. Chef having me over for dinner was certainly indulgent and unforgettable. How does that old expression go... time flies when you're having fun? Yeah, that's what happened, and just like that, I was on the red-eye flight to my next adventure.