One year down...

Yesterday was Kenny's and my first wedding anniversary. I can't believe it's been a whole year since we got married! It sure was a fun 12 months, so we decided to celebrate the occasion right. We came down to the place where our reception was held, the Omni Royal Orleans, and stayed two nights in the hotel. We were given a great room on the second floor overlooking Royal Street, complete with a big balcony! We were out there as much as we could stand the cold and the wind.

Our great balcony overlooking Royal Street

Sunday night we walked around the Quarter a bit and stopped at a little Creole restaurant for dinner. After trying both types of gumbo (seafood and chicken/sausage), crab balls, and shrimp creole, we were sufficiently stuffed. On the way back to our room we picked up a bottle of wine at a corner grocery store and braved the weather for a bit to drink it out on our balcony. A great way to end our anniversary eve!

Sunday dinner in the Quarter

Our anniversary morning dawned bright and sunny, but we took our time and enjoyed being lazy for a few hours. For lunch we went to Hipstix on Tchoupitoulas, which I've been wanting to try for a long time. It was good, but Pho Bang is better and cheaper! After lunch we had a couple of hours to kill before our next planned event, so I dragged Kenny to the Riverwalk. We found him a great khaki blazer at the Gap, which he needed since the weather was much cooler than he thought it was going to be! And of course, what visit to the RW would be complete without a trip to the Fudgery?? One word: YUM.

Lunch @ Hipstix

Our afternoon outing was taking a tour of the New Orleans Rum Distillery on Frenchman Street. Neither of us had ever been before, so it was the perfect chance to see how they make their delicious rum. Julie, the newest distiller, gave us a great tour of the small operation, which is owned by James Michaelopolous. We had such a wonderful time! Afterwards, since the day was so pretty, we walked around the Quarter for an hour or so to work off some of the rum we had tasted.

New Orleans Rum Distillery

St. Louis Cathedral

Trying to recreate my bridal portrait in Jackson Square!

A pretty New Orleans entryway

When we arrived back at the Omni we found a surprise waiting in front of our door! The Omni's catering manager, Celeste, had sent us a bottle of champagne and 4 huge chocolate covered strawberries. We worked very closely with her throughout the wedding planning last year, and it was so sweet of her to send us an anniversary treat. Thanks, Celeste!

Champagne and strawberries

For our anniversary dinner we decided to return to the place Kenny took me before he proposed two years ago. It's a great little place (now in a new location on North Peters) called Iris. Sunchoke and cauliflower soup and roasted duck for me; steamed mussels and bacon-wrapped rabbit for Ken. Throw in a great bottle of wine from Chile called Pinot Black and we had ourselves a fabulous meal.

In the lobby of the Omni, all decked out for Christmas

Dinner @ Iris

Dinner @ Iris

Before turning in upstairs we stopped at the Touche Bar in the Omni for dessert drinks. This is the place that our families apparently shut down after our wedding one year ago. The two of us had never been, so we couldn't think of a better way to end our night this year! Happy Anniversary, Baby...I love you!