Taste of New Orleans tinctured by Lost in the Trees and The Morning Code

I spent a little more time in New Orleans than I did in New York so I was able to spread my meals out a little more. Almost everywhere I went required some sort of wait, probably because of all the Anthropologists (fluffheads?). One of the most humorous things to me, was that the park outside of Cafe Du Monde was covered in powdered sugar and people were skateboarding and getting married in it like it was nothing. Here's what I enjoyed while I was there:

Bennachin's Restaurant Kone Ni Makondo
(Black-eyed peas in tomato sauce served with coconut rice and fried plantains)

Cafe Du Monde Beignets and coffee

Cafe Envie's Breakfast Veggie Wrap
(provolone, hash browns, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers in a tomato basil tortilla)

Capdeville's Truffled Mac and Cheese done vegetarian (full review here)

Chatres House Cafe Eggplant Po' Boy with fries (taken to go and eaten in the square)

Creole Creamery's Lavender Milkshake
J-Fur, Brad and Heisey did not like this flavor at all but there was something about it that intrigued me to the point that I have spent a few moments each day since I ingested it dreaming about eating it again.

Green Goddess Array of Vegetables with Two Dipping Sauces

Green Goddess Tomato Stuffed with Quinoa

Kupcake Factory Spiced Pumpkin Cupcake

For a snack: Zapp's Voodoo Gumbo Potato Chips

According to their first label, Trekky Records, Lost in the Trees is a "folk orchestra from North Carolina led by Ari Picker." It only takes about four seconds in "Walk Around the Lake" (the album version) for you to see exactly what a folk orchestra does. It sounds big in places, bigger than it should, like an acoustic Muse. It isn't the orchestra part of "Walk Around the Lake" that forces my ears to perk up and take notice though. It is Picker's ability to paint a set of pictures with his lyrics while simultaneously creating a different one with his music. Imagine alien lovers on a midnight stroll and you'll know what I'm talking about. In January, Lost in the Trees will be embarking on a month long east coast tour to support their latest release All Alone in an Empty House (buy here from Anti).

The Morning Code creates songs that are emotional and intelligent. Something that, according to their bio, "distinguishes the band from the flamboyant antics and melodrama of their "emo" peers. Emo with a brain, I can get into that. I can also get into free music. You can download free tracks from the band here. Despite being well known for a number of years (due to its inclusion in Last Day of Summer) I've been listening to "Silver" a lot lately.

The Morning Code-Silver