When I stopped by the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau to pick up a packet, I asked the lady in the shipping and receiving department where she would go in the neighborhood for lunch if she was hungry for some of the famous local fare: Po' boys and gumbo.

She told me to cross the street and check outThe Trolley Stop, located right along the Charles Avenue trolley line. It has that hole-in-the-wall feeling down pat, very modest looking and friendly service that treats you more like a friend than a customer (they love to use the word 'baby,' as in, Whatcha need, baby?).

Feeling good about the recommendation upon entry, I sat at the bar. I think it's an absolute must when you're dining alone or with one other person, especially as a tourist - it's the perfect chance to chat up some locals and ask for further suggestions (at the very least - sometimes you make a friend). I ordered an Abita Amber and asked the waitress what she liked on the menu. She asked if I trusted her and I nodded my head, indicating that she should feel free to order for me. I received a roast-beef po' boy with a side of chicken and sausage gumbo, both of which really impressed me (Trick: When ordering gumbo, especially small cups, see if they'll put the rice on the side as you'll get more gumbo this way).

A po' boy is a submarine/hoagie made with New Orleans French bread, giving the sandwich a crispy and flaky backbone. This particular one at the Trolley Stop came with hot roast beef and an au jus, the juice seeping into the bread and providing a rich finish (and though I'm typically not a fan, the mayonnaise did well to balance the salty au jus). Open 24-hours on the weekend, my jesting thoughts were that I should come back: If I enjoyed it this much at noon, imagine how it would taste at 4 a.m. after a night out in downtown New Orleans.

I left with a huge smile on my face - satisfied physically by the authentic meal and mentally by the fact that I had found a gem of a place that I didn't know about that morning when I woke up. Maybe it's a travel writer thing, but I eat that sort of thing up, literally. There's a lesson in this as well: When you don't know one thing from the other, always follow the local advice.

Strolling the streets of Uptown New Orleans (Garden District) reminded me of St. Simonsand Savannah, the live oak trees providing plenty of shade (or in this case, acting as an umbrella) and creating a canopy effect at times. They are some of my favorite trees because of the way they spread out in the sky, and the way in which the Spanish moss can often be seen dangling over their branches.

It's the definition of a beautiful disaster: The moss will eventually suffocate the tree. I was told in Georgia the average live oak takes 300 years to grow, 300 years to live, and 300 years to die, and as I walked under them it was hard not to wonder how many people have walked under the same tree, how many have looked up at it and enjoyed it as much as I was in that moment. Cheesy, but true.

Also try: Coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde. I went into it thinking Cafe Du Monde would be touristy and overrated, however I was promptly proven wrong (the beignets are ridiculously good, honestly). You sit comfortably out of the sun under the shade of a large awning, and we could hear the music of the street performers come through with the breeze (the street performers can be quite good). They only serve coffee, juice, and beignets, so don't be scared off by a long line (which there will be). There are many tables and high turnover - we only waited 5-10 minutes on a Sunday afternoon (which happened to be Mother's Day).

I mentioned that I returned from New Orleans with sore calves, but I forgot to tell you about my neck.

I woke up on Sunday morning thinking I had simply slept on it wrong, however as the day went on it became clear: The muscles that support my head were sore... from dancing.

Soak up that image for a second: I sure as hell dug in, burying the head and looking at the floor, swinging the arms and losing sight of my surroundings. No idea why I was staring at my feet so much - my moves aren't that complicated.

If you've traveled with me or followed this blog over the past year, you know I have no clue what I'm doing on the dance floor, so I'm as surprised as the next that I enjoyed it for as long as I did. Who knows, maybe I'm coming around.

Or maybe it was because before we danced, we drank.

Come on - it's New Orleans!

Abita Brewing Company (Abita Springs, Louisiana)

I was familiar with Abita's flagship brew Purple Haze before my trip to the Big Easy - it's available on beer menus and at distributors throughout the country - but I had no idea the brewery had such a grasp on the city, nor that it produced such a solid line of beers. It began in 1986 about 30 miles north of New Orleans, and today it is rare that a local restaurant does not carry at least one of their products on tap.

I found the Amber to pair nicely with gumbo/sausage dishes and po boy sandwiches, and its makeup and structurereminded me of Yuengling Lager. Easy drinking, smooth, and a good cooking compliment, it's what I would refer to as a pitcher beer - most people in your group will find it agreeable (as compard toPurple Haze and its specific raspberry flavors).

I discovered the Andygator Dobblebock at the Bulldog on Magazine Street (they had five or six Abita beers on tap), and I thought it was a good showcase of the brewery's range. It's a high-gravity brew, meaning it's blended, in this case with pale malt, German lager yeast, and German Perle hops. At 8.0% alcohol, it drinks heavy and goes well with gorganzola/blue cheeses and crawfish dishes.

Lazy Magnolia Brewery (Kiln, Mississippi)

A little over a year ago I received a few bottles of Lazy Mag Southern Pecan in my beer of the month club (which is a fantastic gift idea, by the way), and I have since been awaiting the day when I could get it on tap, or at least find it in the store (the one frustrating thing about the beer club is that they overcharge to reorder specific beers).

I had not been in town for five minutes when I saw a six-pack of it on the grocer's shelf (love it when that happens - I'm the guy who typically stands there for ten minutes trying to make a decision). According to Lazy Mag, it's the first beer in the world to be made with whole roasted pecans, which I think adds a slight sweetness that you don't always get in brown ales.

I was surprised to read that it's the first in the world brewed with whole pecans - the traditional malty and caramel flavors of the brown ale seem to go well when paired with nuts in other forms (desserts, for example), so why not beer?

Sweetwater Brewing Company (Atlanta, Georgia)

When I was in St. Simons, Georgia, I wrote about how well the Sweetwater 420 (extra pale ale) went with the infamous Southern Soul Barbecue. From that same brewery comes theGeorgia Brown, and I suppose my fondness for it officially puts me on a brown-beer kick.

I got involved with this brew at the Atlanta airport of all places - they have a draft house in concourse B.  It's not overly heavy (both in terms of drinkability and alcohol content, 5%), and that makes it a good beer to have on the run in my opinion.

Even though the South is traditionally known for its booze (whiskey, bourbon), don't overlook the microbrews that hail from the area. Most of these breweries are relatively young - Sweetwater began in 1997 when the owners moved to Georgia from Boulder, Colorado.

Hopefully I'll do a beer story on Colorado my next trip out - the Rocky Mountain water seems to churn out good brews. Cheers for now!