Matt & Caryn's Adventures in NOLA: Christmas Eve Reveillon Dinner

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Christmas Eve Reveillon Dinner

Since we both had Christmas Eve off, we had a decision to make: Make a nice dinner, or go out to eat? The decision was easy - let's make reservations. Christmas Eve managed to sneak up on us and the day before, we found ourselves searching for a menu we would love at a place that had a reservation at a decent time.

One of the traditions in New Orleans is what is called a Reveillon Dinner. It is defined as a long dinner with several courses the nights before Christmas Day and New Years. Since this was the most of what we found available, we jumped at the chance to experience another New Orleans tradition. We found reservations early in the evening at the Columns Hotel, previously mentioned in a post.

The dinner was amazing! Four courses: your choice of soup, salad, entree and dessert - all topped off with a champagne toast. We each made sure to get something different, and loved every bite. We will definitely consider this for next year.

Caryn standing in front of the Columns hotel - just a short walk away from the house!

Matt's choice - the Oyster Stew. Caryn even tried it - and liked it!

Caryn's choice - the Duck Gumbo.

Enjoying a nice evening together.

Matt's choice - Beets, frisee, and bleu cheese salad. Bed of crisp garden frisee with diced beets, bleu cheese, and molasses vinaigrette.

Caryn's choice - Columns House Special. Fresh organic mixed greens, with shaved red onion, goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. If it says "goat cheese", there's a strong chance Caryn is ordering it.

Matt's choice - Filet Oscar. 6oz grill filet with celery root, sweet potato and Yukon gold potato pave, topped with crabmeat and béarnaise sauce.

Caryn's choice - Veal Osso buco. Served with roasted garlic mashed potato.

Matt's choice - Chocolate ganache tart. Topped with a raspberry reduction. (We clearly couldn't wait once the desserts got to the table. We dove right in and completely forgot about pictures!)

Ginger Crème Brulee

Merry Christmas y'all!

After dinner, we decided to let each other open one gift, including Amos. There's no picture, but he opened up a squeak toy that he immediately took into the back of the house, where all we could hear for the next 30 minutes were constant squeaks. Somebody was excited!

Matt got a couple of books - Amazing Athletes and Cowboys Essential. Perfect for him!

Nothing like a pair of crazy comfy socks on a cold night.

We can finally throw away the Saints welcome mat that was at our door upon move-in. Thank you, Powells.. err.. umm.. I mean Santa.

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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.