Matt & Caryn's Adventures in NOLA: Magazin Pho

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Magazin Pho

This is another great little place about 5 blocks from the house. It was recommended to us by one of Matt's employees. If you have never had Pho, find a place and get some. It's a Vietnamese food that uses various broths and meats, and it is delicious!

A couple funny stories go along with this trip. The first revolves around the fact that this place is BYOB. Matt went a grabbed a bottle of wine while we were waiting on our food. After Matt had poured a couple of glasses, he got distracted by who knows what, and was caught by Caryn and a staff member drinking out of the bottle. It wasn't intentional, but I guess it goes to show that you can take the man out of the party, but you can't take the party out of the man...

The other stories almost put poor Caryn into the hospital. If you notice, each of the plates came with fresh sliced jalapenos. We each added them to our Pho, which gave it a nice spice, but not too bad. Caryn happened to notice Matt eating one of his jalapenos, and asked if it was hot. Now Matt had a chance to put Caryn through the ringer, but instead, he was honest, and let Caryn know that it was pretty hot. Now here is where the communication broke down. Caryn didn't know that there was a difference between pickled jalapenos and fresh jalapenos. She decided that she would be fine, and casually ate one...I believe her exact quote was immediate and to the point..."I made a mistake, I regret that." She followed that quote with the fast consumption of her water, then my water, then her wine, then she just soaked her lips in the ice left over from her water... Matt couldn't stop laughing. It happened before he could do anything to stop it. Needless to say, Caryn will not be eating fresh jalapenos any more.

This is a Chicken spring roll, served with a hoisin peanut sauce. I have a recipe for the house, but have yet to try it...more to come!

Matt got the combination of steak, and meat balls.

Caryn go the filet tips.

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About Us

OK kids, so here's the story. Over Easter weekend of 2013, we came to visit NOLA for a friend's wedding. We had a great time, and New Orleans quickly hit our radar for places to live. About 6 months later, we each applied for a position on a bit of a whim, and next thing you know, here we are!

While in NOLA, we want to submerge ourselves in the culture. This includes the food, music, festivals, and yes...Mardi Gras! In an effort to keep our friends and family in the loop, we put this together to showcase all that we've experienced.

Feel free to suggest activities, and places to visit, and we hope you enjoy!

M&C

Matt's Story

We mentioned applying on a whim, and it truly was. Matt found his position after Caryn, and it didn't really go as planned.

Before even applying, Matt sent an email to his would-be boss, and let her know a little about his current roles at the Renaissance Dallas Hotel. She suggested that he apply, and about three days later, he got a, "thanks, but no thanks" letter. Matt was pretty bummed, and a little confused.

A few days after that Matt received a message from the original lady he emailed, asking why he hadn't applied yet. Apparently, the application never even got to her. Matt interviewed over the phone with her and three other manager before he had a panel interview face to face. Matt was offered the job and started planning a move.

Matt's current position is Assistant Front Desk Manager at the New Orleans Marriott on Canal. This beast of a hotel has 1,274 rooms, 41 stories, and 80,000 sq. ft. of event space. Located two blocks from Bourbon St, you can bet that there is no shortage of action.

Caryn's Story

Things happened much faster for Caryn. She actually accepted a different position than what she applied for.

Originally, Caryn posted for a position called Rooms Controller. This position takes all your reservations, and assigns them a room number (now you know you know who to ask for if you have a special room request). It took a few weeks, but she eventually got an email wanting to set up a phone interview (this came on the heels of Matt's "thanks, but no thanks" letter).

After interviewing with a couple of people, she was told that the General Manager would contact her for a final interview. To her surprise, he asked her if she would be interested in applying for a Supervisor position. This would be a big step up, and allow her to get some great leadership experience, so of course, she said yes.

In case you couldn't figure it out on your own, they had already made up their mind to offer her the position. they wanted her ASAP, so three weeks later, she arrived in NOLA.

Caryn is a Front Office Supervisor at the New Orleans Downtown Marriott at the Convention Center. This hotel has 320 rooms, 15 stories, and over 24,000 sq. ft. of event space. Located directly across from the street from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, this hotel stays busy.