Matt & Caryn's Adventures in NOLA: Happy Birthday to Us!

Friday, February 28, 2014

Happy Birthday to Us!

It was "Birthday Week" for us this week (Caryn - Feb. 23rd, Matt - Feb. 27th) but with Mardi Gras gearing up and causing overtime at work, we decided to treat ourselves to a birthday dinner a little early last week. Thanks to a gift card from Matt's sister and brother-in-law, Elaina and Eric, we had the chance to visit Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse, a very popular and delicious steakhouse in the French Quarter.

The service was amazing and the food was just as good. We decided to splurge since it was a birthday dinner for both of us, and I'd say we weren't hungry for a good long while after this meal.

Thanks to Matt's knowledge of wine, we got a really great bottle of red.

An appetizer that Caryn was a bit wary of - but loved it! Escargot! Apparently when you put a snail and a cooked mushroom in your mouth, they taste the same.

Caryn's 14 oz. Ribeye - quite impressed that the whole thing was gone by the end of the meal.

Matt's Bone-In Ribeye. 24 oz. and topped with creole butter. Amazing!

The 1 lb. lobster that came alongside Matt's steak. Because what's steak without a side of lobster???

The two sides - Asparagus and Pontalba Potatoes: Diced, roasted potatoes sauteed with garlic, caramelized onions, wild mushrooms, ham and scallions.

Our server overheard we were celebrating our birthdays, and we were offered a complimentary dessert each and these extremely fashionable chef hats.

Matt's dessert - Creole Cheesecake with fruit reduction

Caryn's dessert - Creme Brulee. Matt let it slip that this is an easy dessert to make, just needs a torch. Perhaps he shouldn't have admitted that...

Of course there were leftovers for us to take home. This was a great dinner and we would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a good steakhouse in New Orleans. Service, food, and atmosphere were all top notch.

1 comment:

JaniceMarch 10, 2014 at 6:30 PM
Well, I am one crummy aunt never remembering your birthday. Glad you had such a great meal. You make me hungry just reading about it.
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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.