Despite its snazzy website, festive entrance, and promising Yelp reviews, my dinner at Vyoone’s was, in the final analysis, rather disappointing. The place itself is cute, but the highest grade I could give it is a C; my rating would’ve been lower still if not for the quaint décor and that undeniably delicious sauteed shrimp. At least, now I can say that I’ve been there. Not that it matters. Yet—there’s something inherently satisfying about being able to say you’ve been somewhere you hadn’t been to before.

            Louisiana itself is a state I’ve never traveled to before. For all the hype circulated by the media and personal acquaintances alike about the flavorful cuisine and colorful culture New Orleans offers, however, my experience of NOLA was a huge letdown. I can say that I’ve been there, and okay, that’s kinda satisfying, but frankly, I can see no real reason to visit the city.

            But, my judgment was hastily formed, I admit, based upon a few days’ observations. According to the chatty Lyft driver I met, the good restaurants in NOLA are not to be found in the touristy areas downtown where I was staying and where Vyoone’s is located. As a matter of fact, the food at another restaurant that I ate at during my trip, Drago’s Seafood in Matairie, was quite good (I wasn’t comfortable though, sitting on their hard wooden chairs). That’s the restaurant where I had my first glass of the incomparable “Mother of Mary.” Before leaving for the airport on my final day in NOLA, I simply had to have another glass of Bloody Mary, so I headed to the “Greatroom” on the lobby level of the Marriott Hotel, which is a bar, but they also serve light repasts. I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich to eat with my Bloody Mary, for a total of $30. Ironically, that turned out to be the best meal I had in NOLA.