Nora in Nola: A Guide to Maple Street

Nora in Nola

Maple Street

For my blogs, I decided to write about what I know best: food and shopping, both of which I take very seriously. I’ll start off with Maple street, a popular destination for students because of its proximity to campus and great variety of restaurants, bars, boutiques and coffee shops. 

Only a 5 minute walk from the LBC! 

Here are a few of my favorite destinations:SATSUMA: 7901 Maple, open daily 7 am-5 pm

SATSUMA: 7901 Maple, open daily 7 am-5 pm

http://satsumacafe.com/

Satsuma is one of the healthiest restaurants in New Orleans. Satsuma serves breakfast and lunch, and has a popular juice bar. I’ve been there way too many times for brunch – it always hits the spot! It’s not only a great place to go with friends on the weekends (be prepared to wait a few minutes, it gets packed!) but it’s also a great place to go to during the week to grab a juice/coffee and study. Another fun fact: many celebs stop by! It’s also great for people with allergies, as they offer freshly made gluten free bread. Their juices include apple, carrot, orange, grapefruit, beet, fennel, kale, cucumber, celery, lemon, ginger, spinach, and parsley – all fresh squeezed and organic! Here are my favorite things to order:

Bagel plate (see above picture) - $6.50, with cucumbers, tomatos, capers, red onion, sprouts and cream cheese (lox is an additional $3.50)

Open face breakfast sandwich - $6, one egg, baby arugula, tomato, avocado mash, and swiss on choice of toast, bagel or croissant

Mediterranean quinoa salad – (see above picture), chickpeas, spinach, cherry tomatoes, feta, olices, red onion, fresh herbs, lemon vinaigrette, and hummus on a piece of bread

Roasted pear and brie melt - $8.50, caramelized onions, walnut spread, balsamic glaze on sourdough or wheat bread

Sweet tart - $5.50 for a small/$7 for a large, apple, lemon, cucumber, orange and fennel juices

Satsuma is inexpensive, healthy and always makes me quite happy!

SWAP BOUTIQUE: 7716 Maple st.

www.swapboutique.com

Swap is a consignment boutique filled with “designer and couture clothing, shoes, purses and jewelry”. I always go there before a big event, interview or party to check out their great selection. I’ve also gone and consigned some of my clothing before, which is an easy way to make money! They are a little picky (they prefer designer and nicer brands), but are very easy to consign with (which requires an appointment). They also have great sales, so definitely go check it out!

WAFFLES ON MAPLE – 7712 Maple st.

http://www.wafflesonmaple.com/

Waffles on Maple is brand new, just opened last semester. However, it has skyrocketed in popularity among Tulane students! The atmosphere is very chill and the outside of the building actually looks like a waffle (see top right). I just went there this past weekend for the first time and have already planned out my next visit. They have sweet and savory waffles, as well as pizza, smoothies, crepes and omelets. Here’s what my friends and I got:

Banana Foster (top left) - $8.50, bananas in hot rum sauce, sprinkled with a dash of cinnamon and a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Sunny in Holland (bottom left) - $7.99, two fried eggs with Hollandaise, basically Eggs Benedict on top of a waffle

Better than Feta (not pictured) - $7.99, marinated sun dried tomatoes, ricotta, feta and fresh basil

Spinach and Artichoke (bottom right) - $8.99, creamy spinach and artichoke with melted mozzarella cheese

What’s nice about these waffles is that although they’re big, they’re not so large that you feel terribly bloated afterwards. I got a savory waffle this time, but am already planning on getting a sweet one next – specifically, Monkey madness, fresh bananas topped with whipped crème, striped with chocolate sauce and sprinkled with sliced almonds. Who wants to join??

GAE-TANA’S – 7732 Maple st.

http://www.gaetanas.com/

Gae-Tana’s is by far my favorite boutique in New Orleans. There’s only one, but it is filled with gems! My favorite earrings, bracelet and necklace are all from Gae-Tana’s. It’s relatively inexpensive, and the jewelry is so cute! Definitely check it out if you need to buy someone a gift (or even just want to treat yourself). They also sell “Nola” rings, bracelets and necklaces that many Tulane students wear, see below:

Well, there you have it – a guide to Maple Street! There are tons of other restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, etc, but use this as a jumping off point. You really could spend an entire weekend on Maple sampling all of the food and shopping. Where should my next neighborhood guide be? Hmm…off to explore, eat and shop!