Cajun Food in New Orleans & Houston

Last Thursday after clinic, I made a beeline for the airport. I flew to New Orleans, arriving at the hotel around 11:30 pm. The next day I attended the AIAMC (Association for Independent Academic Medical Centers) National Initiative Conference that is presently focused on J.E.D.I. (Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion) initiatives in medical education. I was able to meet a few leaders in the AIAMC face-to-face for the first time. I also reconnected with Dr. Bill McDade of the ACGME. Dr. McDade and I were on the AMA Council on Medical Education together when I was a medical student.

Cafe Du Monde, New Orleans, March 2022

Friday night after the conference wrapped up, I put on my casual clothes for a walk around downtown New Orleans. It brought back so many good memories. My first trip there was in fall 2011 as a third-year medical student. I was getting more involved in the AMA’s Medical Student Section and I was serving as Chair of the Reference Committee. That ended up being a launching pad to my election as Speaker for the AMA-MSS just six months later. During that 2011 trip, my hotel accommodations for the AMA House of Delegates got messed up and I found myself without a room for the last four nights of the conference. I got on Priceline.com and found an affordable room at the Loews Hotel near the convention center. As it turns out, this was where the AIAMC conference was held this weekend.

Friday, I grabbed some Cajun food -- gumbo, rice and beans, and jambalaya – at a local restaurant and then walked through a few blocks of Bourbon Street. It was not even 9 pm, and the street was already packed with people and full of noise. I veered off Bourbon Street to see the French Quarter and Café du Monde famous for its fresh beignets. I grabbed some Blue Bell ice cream and made my way back to the hotel while enjoying it.

Midday Saturday, I flew to Houston to see my college friend Mario. We hung out at his home for a few hours, and then went to a fancy dinner at Brennan’s (also a Cajun restaurant) for my medical school’s alumni weekend. We met several late-career physicians including a family medicine doctor from Houston and an OB/gyn from Dallas. It was a lot of fun! Afterward, we walked to a nearby bar called Holman Draft House where we were joined by my friends Andy and Greg. Andy and I were in the MD/PhD program together. Greg and I met through a running club in Houston. It was great catching up with them both.

Mario, Andy, and me in Houston

Sunday I slept until noon and then we went to a third Cajun restaurant called “The Boot” for some crawfish with Andy. Then Mario and I went to another local restaurant called “Loro” for some gourmet BBQ ribs that are only available on Sundays and Mondays. Loro opened only a month ago in the shell of a former church. The dining room was in the former cathedral and was beautiful. We ended up hanging there watching the NCAA playoffs long enough for my friend Greg and his girlfriend to join us. We split dessert with them, and then Mario took me to the airport to fly back to San Diego. 

Houston really grew on me during my nine years there. Visiting brings back so many cherished memories, and I’m thankful for my Houston friends.


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