Jane D.
Yelp
If you've been treating your body badly (and it's easy to do that in New Orleans where temptations abound), Botanicals Nola is a very nice place to visit for a reboot.
My littles get up early as it is, but with the added factor of jetlag, one kiddo woke up at 6 a.m. almost every day of our New Orleans visit, no matter how late she stayed up. We spent a lot of time wandering Marigny in the early hours, encountering some of the nicest, most polite unhomed people I've ever met, and tracking down just about every establishment that opened its doors before 10 a.m.
Despite what it says, St. Roch market doesn't really open at 7 a.m. Maybe the big front doors are unlocked then, but there's no sign of life at any of the businesses within until much later. After stopping by at 7:15 a.m. and then 8:15 a.m. on a weekday morning, we gave up. The kind Jehovah's Witnesses having a sit-down in the quiet market suggested that we try next door at Botanicals instead.
It was a great suggestion. Fruit and sea moss rich drinks and dishes abound, and I believe the entire menu is vegan. They have vegan waffles on offer, avocado toast, açaí bowls. We chose the açaí bowl with three different fruit toppings. The creamy, frozen, pureed açaí was sorbet-like -- perfect in the warm, humid weather -- and fruit toppings were fresh and sweet. The young woman who was working at the counter was quite courteous -- far nicer than I usually am that early.
Best of all in this pretty, Instagram-ready space: even the bathrooms were sparkling clean. Absolute win!