Noodle and Pie

I have a confession to make. Sometimes, I write posts because I love the bathroom, I love visiting with Lou and he inspires me. Sometimes, I write posts because I love the restaurant. The sidebar here is that if the restaurant I love does not have a cool bathroom (a la, Juan's Flying Burrito), I will not write about it. If it's boring, there is no need. If the John and the venue are awesome, that deserves a blog post.

A few months ago, I was driving down Magazine Street and passed a sign for "Noodle and Pie."
Oh my goodness, two of my favorite things: noodles and pie. The name made me silly. I was giggling to myself and vowed that I would find myself there some day. Two months later, I finally had the opportunity to go into this fabulous restaurant. The gist here is that you have ramen noodles for dinner and pie for dessert.   My last experience with Ramen was in college. You know, the small packages that you throw in the microwave for 3 minutes with the seasoned packages that are really responsible for the Freshmen 15? I loved them my freshmen year and it was the easiest way to dine while "studying." Needless to say, I was a little hesitant to try ramen again and was hoping for a safer alternative. At noodles and pie there was none, so I went ahead and ordered the vegetarian ramen and was pleasantly surprised. Both the entree and the pie were delicious!

Noodle and Pie has a really great atmosphere. On one wall are giant masks that look like they came from different tribes around the globes. The art work on the wall in front of me was bright and abstract and the kitchen bar was accented with lights. As my friend Jane and I were waiting for our noodles, I became curious. What does Lou have to offer here? The main dining area is fashionably decorated, will there be anything unique waiting for me? "Excuse me," I said, politely. "I must visit the Lou."

I opened the plain, white door and entered into a sweet little restroom. The walls were a soft teal blue that were cut in half by mosaic tiling and plain, box tiles underneath. The sink was atop a cabinet, and, on the side, sat pink soap benignly waiting to be used. As Lou and I were engaged in conversation, I sighed to myself, thinking, "well, it's cute, but there's nothing special about it." I stood up, turned around to wash my hands and was introduced to a birdcage that was holding my towels. I smiled and thought, "well, isn't that clever." I contemplated duplicating this in my own home because it was just adorable. Upon reflection, most places could just paint the walls of their restroom, put in the necessary appliances, and leave the restroom be. It would get rare attention and at times smell horribly of bleach and an old mop. Noodles and pie did not do this. They did not overstate the bathroom, but didn't ignore it either. This welcoming little nook was unassuming and functional with a hint of charm; just like the restaurant where it lived.

Birdcage! How clever :)

So, if you want something refreshing and different in New Orleans with a pleasant place to relief yourself before you eat your dessert, visit Noodles and Pie. It's adorable! I recommend the apple pie.