There are so many to pick from for me personally, in the end I would have to say Pierre Maspero’s. This is getting chosen over Emeril’s because of the history behind it. The atmosphere is a trip into the past, into the 1700’s. The dim lighting reminds me of candlelight, the old wooden beams of the ceiling and the uneven tables that seem wobbly like the chairs. This is in addition to the amazing food and service. I would go back to it, in fact we did two nights later! I also have recommended it to everyone who asks. Eating in there can almost seem seedy but in a good way. The feeling of being secretive, a clandestine meeting along the wharf to discuss pirate matters. Instead of a mug of grog, it’s a very delicious mixed drink. No tin plates covered in slop but some of the best food in NOLA. My favorite part of the trip was a tie between the history and the food. Two things I love, learning and cooking, and eating local food. I would take a cooking class there. The best part of the class was the pharmacy tour and Milton’s tour. Mixing history and humor is the best way to get and keep my attention. You can tell both of them have a large passion for their city and its rich history. This exudes from them and you cannot help but catch that fever. I learned that the population of NOLA is so much more varied that you will ever learn on TV or from any other medium. You can only discover this by going there! The different cultures seem to blend and function together seamlessly like no other place in the states can or will. They exist in a cohesive peace that other cities can learn from. As for learning about myself? Well at my age and experience level along with the places I have traveled, people and cultures I have worked with it is hard to say what I have learned. That is a side effect of working on the teams in my military unit. I am able to blend in and function without trying. It becomes second nature for me, like breathing. My brother and I also worked internationally as bodyguards. So, I would say I have a leg up on a clear majority of people in this country, when it comes to travel and integration. Here I didn’t have to learn any language to communicate, this is always been important to me. You go to another country learn the basics of how to ask for simple things, it build respect with the locals and shows that your trying. Even greeting them in their native tongue and gestures can bridge that gap and open doors to friendliness. I did learn (or was reminded) that cities are too closed in for me, I had to take a break and sit by the river and breath cleaner air and fill myself with the openness by the shoreline. In the end, this is a city that I would return to.