The Wanderers

This Is Not a Place…

2012-02-01T15:47:00.000-08:00

that you’d find by accident.

Last spring—May 2nd and 3rd to be exact—we wrote about our bizarre encounter with the local gendarmes in Franklin, LA, that caused us to beat a hasty retreat out of Franklin and in search of an alternative for lunch.

Fortunately, I was armed with a travel brochure of that general area and that is where I found this reference to Bon Creole Seafood (aka Bon Creole Lunch Counter)--“Overstuffed with shrimp, crawfish, catfish, or soft-shell crab, they’re big enough to share.” And thus we discovered what just might be the best poor boy in southern Louisiana.

“This quirky local hang out is one of a kind. It's got a small sign on top of the little building with nothing fancy on the outside. No pretensions inside, either. What they do, they do well.... Bon Creole has an uncomplicated menu. The place is clean and service excellent. There is ample table seating.... You'll appreciate the food, atmosphere and animals on display including a buffalo head and crawfish hanging on the wall. The place has character and so do the customers. Go, eat, drink, enjoy!” (rmccall at tripadvisor.com).

Or, as intlxpatr.wordpress. com says: “…we miss it the first time, and have to go around the block, AdventureMan says ‘I think I saw it, but it looked closed.’ I think I saw it, too, but it looked . . . like some dive. As we come around the second time, we see a button-down-shirt-and-chinos kind of guy coming out, so we know it must be open, and he looks like a working local, not some tourist like us.”

Most on-line reviews stress the quality of Bon Creole’s poor boys, but raves are also given for the lunch counter’s seafood gumbo. So on this visit I decided to start my meal with a small bowl. This was served Cajun style with both a small cup of rice and small cup of potato salad. The potato salad can either be mixed into the gumbo or, as I observed one woman diner do, you can take a small portion of the salad on your spoon before dipping the spoon into the gumbo. Knowing the size of our meal to follow, I elected to take the salad home where it became my dinner that night. Literally, the only thing I ate that evening.

So how good was the gumbo? It was made with a darkish roux, con-tained a plethora of small shrimp and pieces of crab, and was lightly seasoned with bay, thyme, and pepper. Again, let me quote from intixpatr: “’Oh, WoW!’ I say, and my eyes open wide. ‘Wow!’ AdventureMan is having the same experience. ‘This is REALLY good!’ he says. We are quiet now, eating this totally delicious seafood gumbo. We are both busy trying to figure out how they made it taste so seafood-y, lots of shrimp, maybe some crab, but the gumbo itself, essence of shellfish, is SO good. What if we had judged by the exterior and had ended up in some plastic and mediocre place? What if we had missed this totally awesome seafood gumbo? This gumbo was seriously GOOD.”

We then moved on to our perpetual (if you consider two previous visits to equal perpetual) choice—to share the large crawfish poor boy. Call them over-stuffed. Call then bursting at the seams. Call them what you want. They more than feed two. When you unwrap the sandwich from the paper, a cascade of fried crawfish tails comes pouring forth. Since it is early in the season, the tails are on the small side, but that makes them no less juicy and sweet. And, instead of plain mayo, these sandwiches are dressed with a mayo and hot sauce mix which accentuates the spice in the cornmeal-based coating. And the French roll is equal to any we have eaten in New Orleans.

Not too many days later, we again found ourselves in the New Iberia neighborhood. That is if you—like us when it comes to food—consider anything less than thirty miles distant to be “the neighborhood”. This warranted a return visit for one of Bon Creole’s marvelous poor boys. Having really enjoyed my potato salad leftovers, this time I suggested that instead of the gumbo and fries, we share a large order of potato salad.

While Chuck face reflected a grimace of pain--“No French fries,” he exclaimed. I did bring him around to my way of thinking. And he thanked me later. Bon Creole’s potato salad is made with chunks of potato plus some “mashed”-like potatoes and is flavored with a small amount of mustard, scallions, and both sweet and dill pickles. Really a fine potato salad.

This 4.5 Addie (only because I think the fries are shaken from a bag) lunch counter is one of our favorite Acadiana stops. As Adrian V at yelp.com explained: “There are few places that I have been to that actually epitomize what a cuisine is all about.... The menu is simple: gumbo, poor boys, and other lunch counter standards with daily specials, too. The key is that the quality is tres bien. The gumbos feel like that came from a Cajun grandmother's kitchen and the poor boys are freshly fried with delightful French bread. This is typically the first place I go on my trips to New Iberia and the last place when I leave!”

As we were finishing our lunch, we had a chance to speak with the woman who takes orders at the counter.
“Did you see the mural on the side of the building?’” she asked. “It doesn’t get as much sun so it hasn’t faded.”

So we went to take a look. “Well, this would give kids nightmares.” Chuck said.

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.

A Walk Around New Iberia

2012-01-31T20:11:00.000-08:00

It was a dark and stormy night.

We had listened to heavy rains all night. Sometimes a steady light rain on the RV can act as aid to sleep.

This was not one of those rains.

This was one of those pounding rains with frequent changes in rhythm and force, interfering with the hypnotic effect of a steady downfall that lulled one to sleep.

One of those rains that led me to think: "Did I leave a window open on the truck?"

The next morning revealed the results of the night's rain. From one to three inches of rain covered the RV park.j

As of this writing, we've been camped in Duson, LA, (about 10 miles west of Lafayette) for about three weeks. One of our first stops was New Iberia.

Glenn R. Conrad, writing about the history of New Iberia, asked,
"What's in a town's name? Some names say little about the town or its inhabitants; others tie together diverse heritages to form a community. New Iberia is one of the latter.

"New Iberia was founded on the banks of Bayou Teche in 1779 by a group of Spaniards from Malaga. It is the only extant town in Louisiana to be founded by Spaniards during the Colonial Era. The Spanish pioneers called their town 'Nueva Iberia' in consideration of their homeland. Their French neighbors along the Teche referred to the town as 'Nouvelle Ibérie'.

"Then, after the Louisiana Purchase, incoming English-speakers dubbed the site 'New Town'. In 1814, the Federal Government opened a post office here, and it was officially known as 'New Iberia'. Postmarks shortly thereafter reveal that the town was being called 'Nova (Latin for new) Iberia' and 'Nueva Iberia'.

"Then, in 1839, the town was incorporated by the state legislature as 'Iberia,' to the consternation of French speakers who supported 'Nouvelle Ibérie' and English speakers who favored 'New Town'. A compromise was worked out in 1847, and the legislature designated the town's name to be 'New (not Nueva, Nova, or Nouvelle) Iberia'. This exercise in nomenclature is, nevertheless, reflective of the town's varied cultural history. It does not, however, take into account the African-American contribution which was present from the beginning" (cityofnewiberia.com).

As we walked around the downtown area, we were attracted to the decorative brickwork on the facades of a number of buildings.

In 1899, a fire destroyed one square block of the primarily wooden commercial district. "As the century closed, New Iberians began rebuilding the stores of nearly one-half of the commercial district. A lesson had been learned concerning wooden structures crowded together. The rebuilt stores were constructed of brick with metal roofs and decorative metal facades. Today many of the buildings built in 1900 still stand, albeit with updated facades."

The outline of a "Bull Durham" sign is still visible on the wall of one of the buildings.

Some of the newer buildings rounded out our walk around the downtown area. Victor's Cafe is shown here.

The Evangeline Life Insurance building.

From What I’ve Been Told,...

2012-01-30T18:19:00.000-08:00

New Orleanians, or at least those who don’t live in the Quarter, have ceded the French Quarter to the tourists—especially on weekends. The streets are too crowded. The sidewalks are too crowded. And the restaurants are too crowded. And, for the most part, we have emulated that behavior. But knowing that our time in New Orleans was coming to an end, we ventured forth one Friday to wander the streets and have lunch.

Our tentative lunch destination was Johnny’s Po-Boys, a spot we had visited and liked about twenty-five years ago. While we were resting on a bench at Jackson Square, we toyed with the idea of returning to Stanley Restaurant just a half block away. Then we saw the mob milling by the doors. So we headed down Chartres Street where we passed a perennial favorite—the Napoleon House. Line out the door. When we turned onto St. Louis in the direction of Johnny’s we saw that the line was down the block and to the corner. Come on, folks. It’s a good poor boy, but not that good!

Then I looked across the street and realized that we were a few feet from NOLA, one of the three Emeril Lagasse restaurants in New Orleans. We had eaten and enjoyed dinner there during a Christmas visit fifteen years (or so) ago, so we decided to make this our lunch destination. And, there was no line out the door.

“Located in a renovated warehouse with a bright yellow stucco facade, large French door windows, and second floor balcony (right), NOLA is Emeril's casual and funky restaurant in the French Quarter.... Featuring an eclectic menu of New Orleans Creole and Acadian cuisine with an occasional ethnic twist, the rustic style of cooking showcases Southern Cajun, Vietnamese and Southwestern influences using Louisiana products (emerils.com/restaurants/neworleans_nola).

“Chef Emeril Lagasse received his first culinary experience from his mother, Hilda, when he was a boy growing up in the small town of Fall River, Massachusetts. As a teenager, he worked at a Portuguese bakery where he mastered the art of bread and pastry baking. Upon high school graduation, Lagasse was offered a full scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music, but decided to pursue a career as a professional chef. He earned a degree from the respected culinary fortress, Johnson and Wales University.... Lagasse then traveled to Paris and Lyon…. Returning to the United States, Lagasse practiced his art in fine restaurants in New York, Boston and Philadelphia before heading south to the Big Easy. Lured to New Orleans by Dick and Ella Brennan, Lagasse established his star at their legendary restaurant, Commander's Palace, where he was executive chef for seven and a half years” (emerils.com/restaurants/neworleans_nola).

And, as was the case for most New Orleans restaurateurs, Emeril’s restaurants were affected by the post-Katrina flooding. “Lagasse's troubles started when Hurricane Katrina hit…flooding 80 percent of the city and forcing a complete evacuation of residents. The storm damaged his three restaurants—Emeril's, NOLA and Delmonico's.... And even though Emeril's was reopened in early October 2005, and NOLA a few weeks later, Delmonico's was closed for over a year because of damage to the building” (blog.al.com).

Chuck decided to begin his meal with a bowl of that day’s gumbo—turkey and andouille, which was made with a not quite dark chocolate roux, large chunks of white turkey, and discs of andouille sausage. It tasted of hints of bay leaf and thyme and had just a slight heat from red pepper. It was from watching Emeril that I first heard about “layers of flavor.” Emeril maintains, for example, that a small amount of salt be added at each stage of the cooking process to achieve the maximum flavor of a dish. This gumbo was the perfect example. I kept sneaking my spoon across the table and Chuck finally pushed the bowl in my direction. Only one problem. I had to give it back.

He then decided to order the beef brisket.

“That’s a surprise,” I told him. “I was sure you would order the chicken.”

“Where’s that?” he asked.

“Second item from the top,” was my response. Somehow he missed this, but the buttermilk fried breast of chicken with bourbon mashed sweet potatoes, country ham cream gravy and sautéed sugar snap peas became his choice.

His plate contained two large pieces of boneless white chicken with a superbly light and crisp seasoned coating under which was the moistest chicken imaginable. I can only describe it as succulent. The mashed sweet potatoes had a hint of the smoky, oaky flavor of bourbon. And both the chicken and potatoes sat in a pool of cream gravy that was flecked with bits of ham. And all of this came with crisp cooked sugar snap peas.

My selection was the least “Southern” item on the menu—the seared rare yellow fin tuna (similar to and closely related to ahi tuna) with avocado, wonton crisps, cucumber, wasabi aioli and ponzu (a Japanese sauce with a sweet, sour, slightly salty flavor) vinaigrette. I have had quite a few meals of rare ahi, but nothing to date compares to this. Atop each fried wonton sat a slice of avocado and then a slice of beautifully rare yellow fin. The texture of the buttery fish and avocado were balanced by the crisp wonton. Add a dollop of wasabi aioli and a drizzle of the ponzu vinaigrette, and you have dining perfection. And the crisp cucumber “spaghetti” added to this textural balance.

And, of course, we had to have dessert—apple crostata with brown butter filling, cardamom ice cream, and candied orange zest. Now, as I have said before, I can’t eat oranges so asked our server John if the orange zest was just a garnish or an integral part of the dish. He very helpfully asked the kitchen and determined that, if we held the garnish, no orange was used in the construction of the crostata.

This matched the excellence of meal that preceded it. The pastry was flaky and buttery. The apples still had a bit of crispness. And the cardamom ice cream provided a slightly spicy taste to offset the sweet apples. The taste of cardamom is described at cardamomspice.com as a “complex flavor that can be described as slightly sweet, floral, and spicy with citric elements. It leaves the tongue with a warm antiseptic sensation similar to eucalyptus with an additional peppery after taste. Some have described its flavor as spicy and cola-like.”

A quick note about the service. It was attentive without being intrusive. Suddenly you would notice that your water glass had been refilled. And you never noticed the server.

And where is Kitty Humbug, you may be asking. Even I know better than to drag out a stuffed cat toy at an upscale restaurant like NOLA.

What a way to exit New Orleans than with a fine 5.0 Addie meal.

Exit New Orleans!!! The bon temps have just started to rouler!!! So many neighborhoods yet unvisited. So many meals yet uneaten. So much music yet unheard. What to do. Tear up the spring schedule, that’s what. We are still headed to Layafette until early March for Mardi Gras. Then, instead of working our way east to Florida (And who wants to go to Florida and hang out with a bunch of old people? And yes, I know I’m one of them.), we are coming back to New Orleans for another two months. We will be here for the French Quarter Festival and the two weekends of Jazz Fest. And we have just learned that Bruce Springsteen has been added to close the first weekend of Jazz Fest. His last appearance at this festival was the spring following Katrina where he brought the audience to tears by ending his performance by singing My City of Ruins which he wrote in 2000 as a tribute to his hometown of Asbury, NJ.

So the next time we write (that will be tomorrow) we’ll be in Lafayette, LA—another city where the bon temps rouler.

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.

I-310, The Vieux Carré Riverfront Expressway

2012-01-29T14:52:00.000-08:00

The year was 1946.

Newspapers may have carried an article about the city planners of New Orleans consulting with Robert Moses, the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York City, Long Island, Rockland County, and Westchester County, New York.

Although he was the shaper of a modern city, he was also one of the most polarizing figures in the history of urban planning in the United States. And in the 1940s and early 1950s, city planners in many smaller American cities hired Moses to design freeway networks for them.

His idea for New Orleans? An elevated freeway along the riverfront as part of an arterial plan for New Orleans.

"The preservationists had been fighting for years to protect the character of the Vieux Carré. They believed that the proposed Moses expressway was an alien twentieth-century intrusion that would irreparably harm the fragile beauty of the old city.

"Supporters of the expressway believed that, on the contrary, the expressway would help preserve the Vieux Carré by taking traffic off the narrow streets of the French Quarter. Baumbach and Borah* commented: 'Thus, the Second Battle of New Orleans became more than just a conflict between environmentalists and downtown developers over a freeway; it was a clash of values, a clash in attitudes, a difference in priorities and perspectives about the character and personality of the city'" (fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/neworleans.cfm).

Over the next couple of decades, the debate continued. Early applications for designation as a National Historic Landmark were voted down by the City Council.

A tunnel, an elevated expressway, and a six-lane surface expressway were also proposed.

"On July 9, 1969, Transportation Secretary John Volpe made it official. A press release explained why he canceled the Vieux Carré Expressway:

'Secretary Volpe said a depressed route alternative is not acceptable either because of its disruptive effects, excessive costs and construction hazards which might cause damage to the levee protecting the entire city.... "A careful review of the highway proposal and the positions of various interests," Volpe said, "convinced me that the public benefits from the proposed highway would not be enough to warrant damaging the treasured French Quarter. The Riverfront Expressway would have separated the French Quarter from its Mississippi River levee and water-front"'" (fhwa. dot.gov/ infrastruc ture/ neworleans. cfm).

Could you imagine New Orleans without an intact French Quarter? We much prefer the barricaded streets for use by street performers and pedestrians, the parked delivery trucks the make even one-lane traffic difficult, and the vehicles that park so near an intersection that turns are not possible to the congestion "relief" that I-310 was reportedly going to provide, and the views of weathered doors and balcony ironwork that would either be missing or obstructed due to the presence of an elevated highway.

Can you imagine a tunnel in the Quarter? Well, actually the tunnel was started in the early 60s and is only used for valet parking for Harrah's Casino. But, nonetheless, can you imagine a tunnel?

We are very grateful that "progress" has passed the Quarter by.

*Richard O. Baumbach, Jr., and William E. Borah, The Second Battle of New Orleans: A History of the Vieux Carré Riverfront-Expressway Controversy (The University of Alabama Press, 1981).

A Close-up Look

2012-01-28T20:13:00.000-08:00

We had the opportunity to take another leisurely walk around the French Quarter.

There was an occasional focus on the roof and the chimneys of a building, but the primary object of our attention was the decorative cast iron present on the balconies of most of the buildings.

We began at Bourbon Street's intersection with Toulouse and then headed south on Toulouse. We had walked the street often, but this was the first time that we had concentrated on the ironwork.

From a distance, the ironwork presented a rather uniform architectural
"trademark" for New Orleans, but when viewed through a telephoto lens, the intricacy of the designs was revealed.

We came to realize the uniqueness of the designs as we studied them from the sidewalk.

Examples of these designs are shown here.

To Tour Or Not To Tour

2012-01-27T19:47:00.000-08:00

Touring the French Quarter can be done in two general ways--one way is as part of a formal, informational tour. Whether it be by a horse-drawn or mule-drawn carriage, a van or bus, or by one of several organized walking tours, it is easy to acquire a pretty good history of a specific part of the Quarter.

But to experience the life of this vital part of New Orleans, one needs only to walk its streets.

This informal walking tour will encounter streets blocked
off--some for a portion of every day, others on special days--for performers, from a small ensemble to dancers, a mime, and a solo cellist.

Moving on to Jackson Square, the performers increase in number of range of skills. A very animated band performs, a number of psychics and tarot card readers are available for consultation, artists display their works on the fence surrounding the Square, others express their individual styles through their dress or their transportation, and individual performers carve out their space to display their talents--together they make up the colors displayed on the canvas of the Quarter.

Walking past the buildings in the Quarter brings us into contact with the exterior of the businesses and homes, but from the sidewalks, we can only get a glimpse of the courtyards of the homes. (We were unable to take part in a tour of these courtyards because the RV Park's shuttle's schedule did not coincide with the tour's start time.)

On occasion, we encountered scenes from the working world of the Quarter.

At other times, our walk would coincide with the formal tours. One example was the stop at the Cornstalk Hotel.

It was here that "Harriet Beecher Stowe stopped and was inspired to write Uncle Tom's Cabin from the sights at the nearby slave markets.

"Surrounded by a unique and intricate 165 year-old 'corn-stalk' cast iron fence, it is now a lovely hotel in the Victorian tradition of elegance.

"There is a lovely old story of an early owner who brought his young bride to live here far from her native Iowa. To soften some of her loneliness for the waving fields of corn back home, he caused this replica to be made in graceful iron so that from her front gallery she could forever see something of her native land.

"Ripe ears of corn a-shucked on their stalks are seemingly ready for the harvest, each kernel a work of art.

"Pumpkins form the base of the massive iron columns around which are entwined the pumpkin vines and the leaves and morning glories" (travelguides.com/bb/cornstalk/).

If we could establish an ending spot for a walking tour of the Quarter, it would be the Royal Pharmacy. Well, the Royal Pharmacy of 1935.

A stop at the soda fountain in this pharmacy with the floor covered in small hexagonal white tiles with a few black tiles placed throughout the floor and the tin plate ceiling would have been a fine spot for a soda, a sundae, or, maybe, a banana split.

"Could I get one of those 35¢ Butterscotch Nut Sundaes?" I asked.

The elderly gentleman, probably tired of being asked this same question by thousands of "clever" customers, answered, "Sure can, just come back 40 years ago."

Touchè, sir.

Imagine That a Menu…

2012-01-26T15:15:00.000-08:00

posted on a restaurant’s window is a magnet. Then imagine that I am wearing a full metal jacket. Immediate attraction. I can’t resist. So on our way to the truck after our visit to Moldaner’s Camera Shop, I was drawn to the menu posted on the window of the Babylon Café. I only had a few minutes but saw enough to know that the café offered a long and interesting list of appetizers many of which were new to me.

So later that afternoon I studied Babylon’s menu on line and immediately announced to Chuck: “We will eat here.” And so a few days later we found ourselves back on Maple Street in the Uptown section of New Orleans for an early lunch.

“Babylon Cafe's menu is as well turned out as anybody's, at as attractive a price. But what makes it stand out is its house-baked bread. It's like a fat pita, or a pizza without toppings. The round loaves come out hot, adding extra excitement to everything from a shawarma sandwich to a salad…

“The platters here are oversize portions of well-made kebabs, grilled lamb, chicken or beef shawarma, and all the rest of what you go to a Middle Eastern restaurant to enjoy. The better part of a page of the menu is filled with appetizers, enough of them to make a complete meal, particularly with a table of four or more…

“Babylon Café began in the most spartan of locations on Canal Street in the 1990s. When owner Najah Alsherees moved it in 2001 to the much larger, nicer Maple Street restaurant row, it extended its offerings and offered more creature comforts…. Most of the tables are in a large, attractive dining room with one curiosity: if you pull back the curtains from the windows on the left-hand wall, you'll gaze into a busy, unassociated laundromat. So don't do that” (Tom Fitzmorris at nomenu.com).

The café is just a large almost square room decorated with a couple of murals. The curtains have been replaced and the windows are now painted with Medi-terranean scenes. We were seated next to one whose color was predominately red which has cast a pinkish tone to most of the food photos.

As I said, it was the appetizers that caught my attention. Among the choices not selected were: a sampler plate with hummus, baba ganuj, labneh, tabouleh, two falafel, and two vegetarian grape leaves; Baba Ganuj—roasted eggplant blended with tahini, lemon juice and garlic; Labneh—thick Lebanese yogurt topped with olive oil and dried mint; Stuffed Grape Leaves—made in-house and stuffed with rice, ground meat, and vegetables; Vegetarian Grape Leaves stuffed with rice, cracked wheat, and vegetables; Spinach Artichoke Dip served with homemade bread; Spinach Philo (spanakopita)—Greek philo dough stuffed with spinach, feta, and ricotta cheese; Kibbeh—cracked wheat stuffed with seasoned ground beef, onions and pine nuts and served with a side of labneh.

There was also an item called Ful Madammus, which is “a kind of dried fava bean stew…considered by many to be Egypt’s national dish. There is an Arabic saying about this dish: ‘The rich man's breakfast, the shopkeeper's lunch, the poor man's supper’ which illustrates just how popular a dish this is. Once cooked it can be eaten plain, but is also eaten accompanied by all sorts of things such as vegetable oil, butter, buffalo milk, fried eggs, tahini or lime juice amongst other ingredients” (recipes4us. co.uk). Babylon’s version consisted of mashed fava beans with tomato, red onion, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Chuck’s order started with a cup of lentil soup which was made with red lentils, parsley, and
“spices” which was a tasty not-quite smooth puree. I appreciated that some texture remained.

Then we moved to a shared order of hummus that was described on the menu as a “Family recipe of blended chick peas, tahini, lemon juice, and roasted garlic all made from scratch.” With the hummus came a basket of pitas and some of the café’s magnificent homemade bread. The pitas which are also made in-house were fluffier than grocery store pitas and were nice and chewy. Dare I describe them as “puffy pillows of pita perfection?” And the bread is a favorite of on-line reviewers many of whom eschew the pita in favor of the bread.

The hummus—attractively presented—was an immense portion and was ultra smooth. But it seemed to be lacking something. We tried salt and that didn’t do much. We thought it needed more lemon. (Imagine me saying something needed more acidity.) Later, I read a review by Frankie W. on yelp.com stating “it reminds me of the Middle Eastern hummus I had while in that part of the world... and, just the same, it only really tastes right after you mix a bunch of olive oil (a bottle is always on your table) in with it.” Maybe that was lacking.

Chuck decided to order the Gyro Plate which came with a choice of two sides—salad, hummus, or basmati rice—and either pita or bread. The gyro meat came in semi-thick slices—not the more standard shaved slices—that had been quickly heated on a flattop with onions and tomatoes which intensified the flavors of the spices and garlic. I asked our server if the meat was prepared in-house and she told me no. This is one of the few items that they don’t prepare themselves but they ordered it from a halal processor in, she believed, Georgia. (“In Arabic, the word halal means permitted or lawful. Halal foods are foods that are allowed under Islamic dietary guidelines” [mideastfood.about.com]).

I embarked on an appetizer frenzy starting with an order of chickpea falafel. For some reason, I prefer my falafel to be served as little balls instead of patties (Don’t ask me why. I really don’t have an answer. It is just one of my many eccentricities.) and was pleased to learn that Babylon’s were the former. The chickpeas aren’t cooked. Just soaked in baking soda before being ground with other ingredients. Here the other predominant ingredient seemed to be parsley. The balls are fried and become ultra crunchy. The falafel came with a small cup of sesame tahini for dipping.

Then came my order of Zaater Bread. Zaater “is a generic name for a family of related Middle Eastern herbs…It is also the name for a condiment made from the dried herb(s), mixed with sesame seeds, dried sumac, and often salt, as well as other spices. Used in Arab cuisine, both the herb and spice mixture are popular throughout the Middle East” (wikipedia. com).
“(S)umac…is extracted from the berries of a flowering bush that grows wild in the Mediterranean region…and is commonly added to many Medi-terranean dishes for its lemony flavor” (suzyeats.com). Babylon’s version was a pita spread with a mix of oregano, sesame seeds, and sumac combined with olive oil. While the taste of the sumac was described at suzyeats.com as lemony, I thought it tasted more like rosemary infused with pine needles. I gave Chuck one of my wedges and sensed that he was far less enthusiastic than I was. I loved it.

My last choice was the Safeiheh or mini-pizza which was a pita spread with ground lamb and beef with tomatoes and spices. This didn’t really work for me and was my least favorite of all our choices. I thought it was quite dry (thank heaven for the accompanying sour cream) and had a “gamey” taste of overcooked lamb.

So did we manage to eat all of this food? Yes, eventually. Three small to-go containers accompanied us home and were eaten for dinner that night.

While there was one miss (the Safeiheh) and one near miss (the hummus) that seems easily correctable, but we enjoyed our lunch enough (especially the gyro meat) to give Babylon Café 4.0 Addies.

A Gem in the Clearing

2012-01-25T14:19:00.000-08:00

"Is this Moldaner's Camera Shop?" I asked. "I'm on Burdette Street, and my GPS indicates that I'm about two blocks from your shop. However, I'm in a residential area and don't see any businesses. And the one-way street is so narrow, I can't go any further."

An understanding response from Robert assured me that I was, in fact, just around the corner from his shop (left) and that the narrow streets in the area have stymied many others from finding a direct route to his business.

Fortunately, backing up for half a block was possible and a simple alternative route brought us to a hobbit-like setting of activity along a three-block section of Maple Street in the Uptown section (on South Carrollton Avenue near the Riverbend section of the St. Charles Streetcar route) in New Orleans.

It was as though we had emerged from the forest and found this clearing in which the residents could gather at Starbucks or PJs (left) and talk about "The Land Beyond" as they enjoy exotic coffees and teas--and foods.

Many of those who venture beyond the limits of this clearing are headed to the Lands of Tulane and Loyola*.

Others seem content to remain in the clearing and provide a welcoming setting for Outsiders who find their (our) way into this haven of good will. These hosts can be found at Jamila's, Singha Song Thai, the Chill Out Cafe (with American breakfasts and Thai cuisine) (left),

the Fresco Cafe, Ciro's Cafe, Bruno's Pub, or the Doors Pub (left) among others.

Before deciding upon a lunch site, we met with Robert (right), who talked about a number of good restaurants in the area in between questions and answers about my problems with the camera.

Without the camera problems, we would not have found this interesting neighborhood.

And one visit is not enough.

*nearby universities.

A Closer Look

2012-01-24T18:42:00.000-08:00

It was another slow walk around the French Quarter. Another opportunity to study the Quarter's colors and architecture. Another challenge to find details that are missed on a quick rush through the area.

Shifting our eyes from the ironwork on balconies, we turned to a close study of the doors of the homes and businesses of the Quarter.

But after a general survey of a few doors, we decided to concentrate of some interesting details on the doors. Whether it was the contrast of a polished door knob against the steel gray door or

a half-painted mailbox positioned between the door frame and a portion of the wall, these details were likely to be missed even on a slow walk. (The mail box's yellow sticker reading "Puckett Power Systems" would no doubt be missed entirely.)

Here the colors of the door and the neighboring building caught our eye. The candy cane and the cleverly printed "sign" reading "Private Residence, Thanks" served as a novel bonus to our search.

A card reading "Family and Friends Gather Here," a bell, and a bow provide a curious, but welcoming, invitation posted on this door (left).

But it was this severely weathered door that drew us closer for a longer look. It was difficult to believe that the large red area on the equally-weathered wall was not a planned addition at that particular spot.

Even the two shades of gray on this weathered door and frame were attractive enough to warrant a closer look.

In all examples shown here, the chipped paint only added more character to the doors and the buildings themselves.

And speaking of character, this building had signs of a proud history covering every square inch. Being positioned between two refurbished buildings only served to highlight the majesty of this historical structure.

The Christmas wreaths invited a closer look and seemed to encourage passersby to slow down and get acquainted.

And that closer look through windows with dust collected over the years provided a peek at the activity of this building.

A walk past this building later that evening revealed this line of people that began arriving 45 minutes early for the chance to sit on a few wooden benches or stand in the small room to hear that evening's performers at Preservation Hall.

Built as a private residence in 1750, Preservation Hall opened its doors in 1961 as a sanctuary, to protect and honor New Orleans Jazz.

That's character and history.

It Was a Beautiful Day…

2012-01-23T19:12:00.000-08:00

for lunch by Lake Pontchartrain. There was just one problem. You couldn’t see the lake except from this person’s vantage point.

We are in East New Orleans (“…the portion of the city to the east of the Industrial Canal and north of the Intracoastal Waterway. It is often called ‘New Orleans East’ as well, or simply
‘The East’. New Orleans East is a portion of the Ninth Ward of New Orleans.” [Wikipedia.com]) to visit Castnet Seafood, a combination fresh fish market and seafood restaurant visited by Ben Sargent on the Cooking Channel’s Hook, Line & Dinner. (Sargeant was also a contestant on the Food Networks program Chopped and, if my memory serves, was eliminated from the competition in the first round.) Castnet is where famed New Orleans restaurateur John Besh got his first restaurant job in 1962 as a busser, prep cook, and night cleaner.

In 2010, Brett Anderson of The Times Picayune wrote: “Kent Bondi was 19 years old when he purchased Joyce's Seafood in eastern New Orleans from a woman who lived in the apartment above it. In the early days, he stayed afloat selling 99-cent fried shrimp buns to the workers building the levee out front. Twenty years later, the same sandwich will set you back $3.50, and Bondi's corner of Hayne Boulevard, where you'll also find a snowball stand and Walker's Southern Style Bar-B-Que, seems to be where half the reduced population of the community goes to eat.”

As described by Ray Cannata at urbanspoon.com: “…you never know what mysteries and wonders can be found in the humblest of places. And this place is very humble. It is in the least funky and creative neighbor-hood in all NOLA…An area working hard to come back from 15 feet of water in Katrina, with very few restaurants and not more than two or three good ones. The place is a shack, looking at the levee. You are greeted with a six-and-a-half-foot high ceiling (in a city where the average ceiling height is twice that). It shares the building with a very good BBQ place…”

If you enter through the left door, you are in the fresh seafood market (left) which was hopping with customers at noon on a weekday. The right door takes you into the order-at-the-counter restaurant (right and below) which was equally busy with most of the customers being local workers ordering lunch for take out.

As you might guess, the menu is primarily seafood (almost all of the fried variety), but they do offer hamburgers and smoked sausage, meatball, roast beef, chicken, ham, and turkey sandwiches. And as an added bonus, you can get a whole turkey neck for just $1.99.

As we were ordering, I looked around for seating. All I saw was one stool along a counter and an unoccupied picnic table in front. So while Chuck was waiting for our food, I ran outside to capture the picnic table. Then dumb luck struck. I had picked up a take out menu and read a notation for “’The Other Side’ Sitdown/Dine-In Area.”

So a search party of one (that would be me) set forth to discover this new land. My explorations led me to a door that took me into both the BBQ stand and the utilitarian (see the cement floor from which a significant portion of the paint has been worn away) dining area it shares with Castnet. Interior decoration? Not unless you consider a few posters bearing the Saints schedule and a deer’s head inexplicably wearing a life preserver to be decorations. But who cares about décor (cleanliness yes—décor no) if the food is good and the price is right.

Chuck soon found me on “The Other Side” with our lunch. For him it was the (What else?) catfish poor boy which may have been the best version of this sandwich we have encountered on this trip. The difference was the catfish being served was larger—almost filet–sized portions, rather than smaller strips—so that the possibility of its being overcooked was minimized. The bread (bakery unknown) was appropriately crusty with the requisite—here in New Orleans at least—soft interior. With the sandwich, he ordered a side of seasoned fries that, while probably coming frozen from a bag, were nice and crisp.

I had a mighty hankerin’ for oysters, so I selected the oyster plate which came with a side of potato salad and what was described on the menu as “salad.” That is, if you call a few pieces of iceberg with a tomato slice and a small packet of dressing salad. The potato salad was of the mostly mashed potato variety and tasted slightly of mustard, onion, and some form of herb. It was pretty standard for Louisiana potato salad. Not bad. Not great.

The oysters were another story. Depending on their size, the platter contains eighteen to twenty-four oysters that were lightly coated. Under the thin crackling crust lies plump, juicy, and slightly briny—although not as salty as those that come for more northern, colder waters—oysters. The best time to harvest Gulf oysters is from October to May but I recently read somewhere that Gulf oysters are at their best now, and I can’t imagine them being any better. Even Chuck—no oyster lover—sampled one and admitted that it was pretty good.

The fish and seafood parts of both of our lunches were very good while the sides were average. Since the main component rules the ratings, Castnet earns 4.0 Addies.

Nearly Back to Normal

2012-01-22T16:03:00.000-08:00

As we walked along Decatur Street in the Quarter on a recent evening, we thought about our walk through these same streets a little less than five years ago.

Even though the French Quarter had suffered relatively little structural and water damage from Katrina, the hurricane, nevertheless, had a profound effect on this popular area of New Orleans.

Katrina had forced a significant portion of the city’s population to leave the city. (The population plummeted almost 54 percent, from 455,188 in July 2005 to 208,548 a year later, according to the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center.)

It was clear that this population loss had a great impact on one of the city’s main industry—the tourism industry, and especially the restaurant business. With the labor force reduced and the tourist traffic adversely affected, signs on restaurants reading “Open for lunch only” or “Serving dinner on Friday and Saturday only” or, simply, “Closed” were all too common.

With the restaurants and bars open for fewer hours, the other businesses in the Quarter suffered because of the reduced foot traffic. The result was the posting of similar signs in the antique shops, boutiques, and souvenir shops in the Quarter. Sadly, they read: “Moved” or “Call for an Appointment” or “Closed.”

Walking the virtually deserted streets of the Quarter early on a weekday evening during that time was an eerie experience.

With that image in mind, it was especially satisfying to be in the Quarter with the lights of open businesses filling the streets.

The display windows of one particular silversmith shop caught our eye. From the shop’s web page: “New Orleans Silversmiths was established in 1938 in the French Quarter. It specializes in modern and antique gold jewelry, and antique holloware.

(“Their) miniature animal collection is hand crafted in Italy. They are made of sterling silver with hand painted enamel.” Pictured here are just a few of the sterling silver animals in their collection.

The giraffes are in 3 sizes (2-3/4ʺ – 4ʺ tall) and are made of sterling silver and amber colored enamel with rich copper highlights.

The cats (1-1/8" tall to 1-3/8" tall) are made of sterling with hand-painted enamels in oranges and greys.

The hand painted enamel over sterling silver turtle (1-1/4" nose to tail) has a range of deep wheat to rich golden browns.

It is sure wonderful to see the life of the Quarter returning.

It Was a Good Sign

2012-01-21T18:14:00.000-08:00

As we were approaching Franky & Johnny’s, we saw the Leidenheimer Baking Co. delivery truck pulling away. We knew that, should we order a poor boy, it would be served on great bread.

Franky & Johnny’s is located in a residential neighbor-hood in the Uptown area of New Orleans and its building looks as though it was once a private residence. (“Historical-ly, ‘Uptown’ was a direction, meaning movement in the direction against the flow of the Mississippi” [wikipedia.com]). It is another of those New Orleans businesses with a loyal following of neighborhood residents who return time and time again for the comfort that can come from a familiar menu, staff who greet you by name,and the chance to come across friends.

“This is a favorite local hole-in-the-wall neighborhood joint with either zero atmosphere or enough for three restaurants, depending on how you view these things. And by ‘things’ we mean plastic checked tablecloths (above), a ratty but friendly bar (below), and locals eating enormous soft-shell-crab poor boys with the crab legs hanging out of the bread and their mouths.... Try that poor boy or the excellent red beans and rice with smoky sausage and other down-home dishes and know you are somewhere that isn't for tourists—and enjoy it all the more” (frommers.com).

“Franky & Johnny’s has been a quintessential neighborhood seafood restaurant in New Orleans since 1942. It is the sort of place that has seen good times and rough periods, like Hurricane Katrina, when the Cajun restaurant became a local gathering place for people to check in on each other’s safety.

“Today, the challenge continues to be economic fallout from last year’s massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Tony Cortello’s family has owned Franky & Johnny’s for the last 24 years, serving only seafood caught in the Gulf. The menu is known as ‘Uptown Cajun,’ and it’s got a reputation for always serving the best. ‘Our serving Gulf seafood is something our customers appreciate because it helps the local economy,’ says Cortello” (louisianaseafoodnews.com).

In addition to the poor boys and red beans and rice, Franky & Johnny’s is also known for their coated and fried green pepper rings and spicy crawfish. I saw a couple of diners feasting on the crawfish boil, but since this is very early in the season (March through June is the best time to harvest crawfish), they seemed to be very small. I’ll wait a couple of months.

We finally settled on sharing an order of onion rings, a catfish poor boy, and an order of red beans and rice with spicy sausage. Since they were listed on the appetizer menu, the onion rings came first. We frequently forget to specify that we want them when the rest of the meal is served. The rings were larger than we liked, were rather greasy, and had a coating that was prone to separating from the ring. Not the best onion rings that Louisiana has to offer—and I consider Louisiana to the epicenter of onion rings.

The catfish poor boy came on a buttered roll and contained smaller pieces of fish than usual. But the fish appeared to be mealy. There were no large flakes and the texture reminded me of one of those fish sticks I ate as a child. And this is the first restaurant I have encountered that charges extra if you want the poor boy dressed. Still, it did come on a Leidenheimer roll and that counts for something.

On the other hand, the red beans and rice were exemplary. The beans contained disks of smoky sausage and small bits of ham which may have given the dish a slightly sweet flavor. You could taste hints of thyme and bay, but neither was too pronounced. And the accompany-ing link of sausage was fine textured and hot as advertised on the menu. Since our priority was to finish those elements of the meal that would not reheat well, we concentrated on the onion rings and poor boy. That left a good portion of red beans and rice to take home for my breakfast the following morning.

Yes. You read that right. I did eat red beans and rice for breakfast.

Thus far, this is my least favorite of the neighborhood restaurants we have visited and can only award it 2.5 Addies.

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.

Walking Through the French Market

2012-01-20T18:43:00.000-08:00

A short walk from Cafe du Monde to the French Market took us past some street sculptures and murals.

I was not able to locate information about this sculpture around a fountain, but it looks like the beginning of a "second line," or the group that follows the band (the "main line") just to enjoy the music. "These participants walk and sometimes twirl a parasol or handkerchief in the air. This is called 'second lining,'
...the quintessential New Orleans art form--a jazz funeral without a body" (Nick Spitzer, Southern Spaces, 29 August 2006).

(But then again, this interesting sculpture may have nothing to do with my imagination.)

Nearby is this 4-foot tall bronze sculpture of a young woman, seated on a fountain ledge and leaning back on her two hands. This work is entitled Michelle by the sculptor Paul Perret.

Behind her is the mural, Window into the Past, French Market Yesteryear painted by Shakor and "...depicting renderings of the people and the rich diverse culture that formed the unique mystique of New Orleans’ French Market that exists today" (frenchmarket.org).

"The French Market District encompas-ses six blocks on the riverside of the Lower French Quarter. The district includes over 20 unique retail shops, performance venues, restaurants, cafes, a flea market and a farmers market."

I stood near the center of the Market and took these photos (right) and below to give the reader some idea of the distance covered by the shops and tables.

"The French Market,
'America’s Oldest Public Market,' has existed on the same site since 1791. What began as a Native American trading post has become a cultural and entertainment destination. The recently renovated farmers market is home to a diversity of food vendors serving prepared foods as well as fresh produce stands" (neworleans toursand attractions.com).

Alligator kabob, anyone?

The market is part strip mall with established food stands and speciality shops. The food stand above, the shop selling hats (right),

and the stand selling spices and a variety of hot sauces (left) would fit my understanding of the more permanent locations,

and this photo (left) shows a shop that would fit my definition of a farmer's market-type of booth.

Now these are either some of the largest boiled peanuts every seen or sweet potatoes with the "Boiled Peanuts" sign announcing the contents of the tray behind the sign.

And then there were a number of what I would call "flea market" booths. Typical of this type were the tee shirt table (left)

and the jewelry table (left). There was also a table with a number of gospel CDs where we spent several minutes.

The French Market is a few yards from the levee and the Mississippi. Our walk back to the shuttle took us along the River and the cruise ship Carnival Elation

and a cargo ship Montevideo Express.

But it was the DIRECTV blimp that put the 21st century stamp on this remnant of the 18th century.

What Do You Do?

2012-01-19T14:16:00.000-08:00

It’s been a busy day. You’ve walked the Quarter for hours. You’ve ridden the slow moving St. Charles Street Car. You’ve jumped on and off the Magazine Street bus. You are tired. You need something cold to drink. And, most of all, you need a sugar rush.

After a day on your feet in the Quarter, what better way to take a break than pie at the French Quarter Camellia Grill? “For what seems like 100 years, the Camellia Grill uptown on Carrollton Avenue has been the destination of choice for giant burgers, fries, onion rings, milk shakes, freezes, apple pie heated on an open grill, and chili. With its pink walls and shiny everything, the French Quarter location looks just like the uptown original, and the menu is a carbon copy. Seating is available at two U-shaped counters manned by big-personality servers wearing crisp white jackets…” (gayot.
com).

The two places have more similarities than differences. The waiters (the service staff is all male) present your straws with a flourish although the Carrollton staff seems to do it with greater panache. The counters in both are marble. Food prep is “short order” style. And both places provide you with giant heavy cloth napkins. Not standard at your average diner.

Camellia Grill is also known for its pecan pie which is warmed on the flat top, bottom crust first and then flipped to caramelize the nuts and sugar on the top. On this visit to the Quarter Camellia Grill, Chuck ordered the regular pecan pie (left), and I chose the chocolate pecan pie. Both were delicious and provided the pick-me-up we both required.

But something was missing. I just missed the historical ambiance of the original which can never be fully duplicated. But, should you find yourself on Chartres Street and in need of a break, this 3.5 Addie stop will fit the bill.
--------------
“New Orleans historic St. Charles Streetcar travels over 13 miles from Canal Street, through the Garden district, past Loyola and Tulane Universities and Audubon Park, where it takes a right-hand turn at Riverbend to continue up Carrollton Avenue.
Originally called the Carrollton Railroad, St. Charles Streetcars carried passengers between the French Quarter and the resort town of Carrollton.” (inetours.com)

We had planned to ride the streetcar to the end of the line, but discovered that major work is being done on the segment on Carrollton from Saint Charles to South Claiborne. Some might have been frustrated by the premature “end of the line,” but Chuck and I saw this repair work as a sign of New Orleans’ continuing progress.

But here we are at Saint Charles and Carrollton. What do we do? Just a block down is the Uptown Camellia Grill location, but we wanted something different. So we wandered into La Madeleine, a combination café and pastry shop. There had been a second outlet in the French Quarter for this chain, whose outlets number over sixty, but that has since closed, and the location in one of the Historic Pontalba Apartment building is now occupied by Stanley Restaurant. We gather that the Quarter residents did not embrace having a chain restaurant in their midst and left the Quarter La Madeleine to the tourists. This does not seem to bother the Uptown residents, and on the day of our visit the place was packed with seating at a premium.

The café has a full menu of soups, salads, sandwiches, and pastas, but we wanted dessert. Chuck chose the Sacher Torte. “The story of the world-famous Original Sacher-Torte began in 1832, when the all-mighty
‘coachman of Europe’, Wenzel Clemens Prince Metternich, ordered the creation of a particularly palatable dessert for spoiled high-ranking guests.

"’Take care that you do NOT make me look a fool tonight,’ he warned. That very day, however, the chef was unavailable! The order was reassigned to a 16-year-old apprentice in his second year, the quick-witted chap Franz Sacher…. One thing was certain; the specialty which was finally presented to the masters and mistresses was a resounding success: a soft and fluffy chocolate cake with the tasty apricot jam under the icing” (sacher.com).

My choice was the Bûche de Noël which is traditionally “made with a Génoise cake and chocolate buttercream, and garnished with powdered sugar, raspberries, and spruce sprigs. Bûche de Noël…is a traditional dessert served near Christmas…in France, Belgium, Canada, Lebanon, Vietnam, and several other francophone countries and former French colonies. As the name indicates, the cake is generally prepared, presented, and garnished so as to look like a log ready for the fire used in the ancient fire-festival of the winter solstice” (wikipedia.com).

While my slice only remotely resembled a Yule log, it--like Chuck’s torte--was neither too rich not too sweet (No, that green you see on the bottom of the slice is not mold), and both desserts deserve 3.5 Addies.
------------------
One afternoon we disembarked the River Front Trolley at the French Market. Our destination? Café du Monde. We were approaching from the back of the café and happened upon a scene probably not often seen by tourists. The final stages of beignet preparation. We watched the specialized roller cut the soft dough into squares. We watched the cook separate and stack the squares with his large but gentle hands. Then, in a motion too quick to be captured by the camera, he flung the dough squares behind his back into a giant vat of oil where they quickly browned and puffed. But enough of this. Let’s go eat some beignets.

We quickly found a table and fortunately the weather allowed the side awnings to be raised where we could watch the action on Jackson Square and listen to some jazz from a sax player.
We placed our order for café au lait and two plates of beignets. Piled high with powdered sugar, these present the ultimate in sugar rushes. What a 5.0 Addie way to end an afternoon in New Orleans.

And while Chuck and I were careful not to get the powdered sugar on our clothes, this didn’t present a problem for Kitty Humbug. “Who’s going to see the sugar on my white fur?”

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.

Spanish Quarter?

2012-01-18T17:22:00.000-08:00

Drop a blindfolded person into the heart of any major American city, and I wonder how long it would take that person to identify the city once the blindfold was removed.

In the case of New Orleans, if the blindfold were to be removed while in the French Quarter, I would bet the identifica-tion would be instantaneously. Not because the person would recognize a major building or structure, but because the sight of the wrought iron railings on many of the buildings would be a clear giveaway.

On a recent visit, this architectural detail was the focus of our time in the Quarter. It was one of the rare times that we have come into the Quarter with a plan that was quickly abandoned. We had drawn a map of the historic buildings that would serve as our guide for a walk around the well-known streets.

After spending several moments checking addresses and the zig zag route we had drawn up, we decided to just walk and look. And it was the wrought iron work that was the focus of our looking.

The LaBranche Building (above, right, and below) is probably the most photo-graphed building in the Quarter--and no wonder. The lacy cast-iron grillwork, with its delicate oak leaf and acorn design, "flows" from all three floors.

From a distance, the ironwork looks like lacework as it graces the second and third stories of this building. Because of the detail in much of the ironwork, I have chosen to highlight the work through close-up photographs.

While admiring the work on our walk along Royal Street, we recalled the question that is sometimes asked: "Why isn't it called the Spanish Quarter instead of the French Quarter?"

"Possession of Louisiana changed from French to Spanish then back to French control before being sold to the United States. Although Spanish rule was relatively short — 1762 to 1800 — it was during this period when two fires virtually destroyed the French Quarter. The first in 1788 burned over 850 structures and then another 200 were lost in 1794. Rebuilding was done in the Spanish style with wrought iron balconies and central courtyards" (inetours.com).

Then I learned that the majority of French Quarter balcony railings are actually made of cast iron not wrought iron. When I read about this difference and came across descriptions of charcoal iron, puddled wrought iron, and mild steel, I believed I was, instead of increasing my appreciation for the beauty of the product, becoming further removed from any concept of beauty.

While it's certainly possible to admire the elaborate, intricate designs from a distance, moving from the big picture to the close-up details reveals an entirely different level of complexity.

The change in plans for the walk through the French Quarter resulted in missing the history of some buildings and homes, but we were rewarded with a "tour" of the ironwork details of many historic buildings and homes.

Another Thing You Need to Know…

2012-01-17T16:35:00.000-08:00

New Orleans, or southern Louisiana for that matter, is not the epicenter of Asian dining. I remember asking numerous people—including restaurant owners who should be in the know—to recommend a good Chinese restaurant in Lafayette. My question was usually met with blank stares and mentions of a Chinese buffet. I don’t have good luck at Chinese buffets. Whether it is the excess of salt or use of MSG, I usually end up with a headache.

So I paid little attention to Jung’s Golden Dragon as we walked back to the truck after our lunch at Joey K’s. It wasn’t until later that I learned that Jung’s had been named New Orleans Magazine’s Chinese Restaurant of the Year in 2010. So, to coincide with our bus/walking trip of Magazine Street, we scheduled ourselves for a Chinese lunch.

Jung Tan and her parents operated the Golden Dragon restaurant in Metairie for thirty-three years. Ms. Tan studied at the University of New Orleans and majored in hotel and restaurant management and tourism. The Metairie location
“was a place where successive generations of locals learned about Chinese food, or at least its familiar American iterations. Relocated Uptown and significantly reimagined, this restaurant is still dishing out Chinese cuisine lessons, but now more of them concern flavors and traditions a great deal closer to the source material…

“With its new approach, Jung's joins a growing roster of local restaurants where diners can experience Chinese food more in line with how it's actually prepared and eaten in China.... Tan tested these waters a few years back at the old Golden Dragon in Metairie, where she served a traditional
‘Chinese breakfast’ on weekends. It didn't catch on with customers, but when she moved to Magazine Street in 2010, she instituted today's two-menu system full time.

“This restaurant space, encased in sleek lacquered paneling, is small but comfortable. The way to make a night of it here is to bring a group, secure one of the larger round tables and order dishes to share. That's the familiar format at Chinese restaurants anywhere, but with Jung's new menu there is a lot more to talk about as the dishes go around the table” (Ian McNulty at bestofneworleans.com). It is the color of this warm blond wood that gives our food photos their golden tones.

Thomas S on yelp.com writes: “Jung's Golden Dragon is the best Chinese food in the area PERIOD. Consistently delicious, and a quaint atmosphere with friendly service ads to the overall experience, but the food is why you should venture down Magazine street and look for the multi-colored glowing dragon.... The real beauty in Jung's is found in their daily specials and the Chinese menu. I don't want to let a cat out of the bag but ask for the Chinese menu when you sit down and don't be scared to go outside the box with ordering. I have tried something new each time and have come away very satisfied.”

We were given the white Chinese menu, but didn’t spend much time looking at it. Since I consider the lunch specials at a Chinese restaurant to be one of the greatest food bargains around, that part of the menu is where we directed our attention. All lunch plates are served with shrimp fried rice or steamed rice and your choice of soup (egg drop or hot and sour) or a spring roll or a fried wonton.

From the list, Chuck chose the Sesame Chicken with white rice and hot and sour soup. I selected the beef Szechuan style also with white rice and hot and sour soup. And we added an order of cold sesame noodles.

First to the table was the hot and sour soup which was a large portion for inclusion in a lunch special and was full of tree ears, meat shreds, and egg threads. The soup had a good balance of hot and sour with plenty of the former. At first you didn’t notice the heat, but soon it began to register in the back of your mouth.

Next came the sesame noodles. I give Jung’s their props for this version since it seemed to be made with Chinese sesame paste made from toasted sesame seeds rather than its poor cousin substitute—peanut butter. The noodles were almost al dente—certainly not over cooked—and the cucumbers balanced the softer texture of the noodles. My only complaint was that the dish seemed somewhat dry. I would have liked the addition of some soy and sesame oil to loosen it up a bit.

Chuck’s sesame chicken was a different rendering of this Chinese restaurant staple. We have also seen it presented as thin strips of chicken in a semi thick sweet and sticky coating. Here, the chicken was prepared as a whole piece and then cut. This made the overall dish less sweet which to some might be a good thing. What you missed was the profusion of crisp coating.

When I ordered my Szechuan beef, the waiter warned me that this dish is very spicy. No problem. I would call it more peppery than spicy which is a small but, to me, important distinction. My plate was full of very tender strips of beef along with broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, bok choy, and snow peas in a sauce that was peppery, sweet, and sour at the same time. It was good but I would have preferred less of the sour flavor which, coupled with the hot and sour soup, became too much of the same taste.

No way am I going to claim this is the best Chinese food ever but, in a region that is Asian-cuisine deprived, this may be as good as it gets and merits a 3.5 Addie rating.

"Funky" Magazine

2012-01-16T18:15:00.000-08:00

I would venture to say that the second most visited area in New Orleans--after the French Quarter--would be Magazine Street.

Named after a
"magazin"-- or warehouse--that was built on the street in the late eighteenth century, the lower part of Magazine was initially used as a storage area for commercial and industrial goods.

Today, this six-mile long "avenue of dreams" meanders from Canal Street along the curve of the Mississippi through the business district, the Garden District and Uptown before concluding at Audubon Park. Riding the Magazine Street bus is a perfect way to catch glimpses of each of these areas, and with the all-day bus pass, makes it possible to stop at several different locations along the route, such as, Hey Cafe (left),

La Divina Gelateria, with the sign outside that reads "OK, so we didn't have a White Christmas like the ones Bing Crosby used to know, but White Chocolate Peppermint Bark is better than snow anyway,"

or Stein's Market and Deli.

"For many generations, Magazine Street has been a mecca for bohemians and the well-heeled alike. Specialty and chain coffee shops offer Internet hookups for laptops and outdoor tables for those who prefer a more amiable atmosphere for casual and business conversations. Restaurants featuring a wide variety of cuisines are open long hours along this stretch, as are a number of nightclubs offering a wide variety of live musical genres" (neworleansonline.com).

For the well-heeled, there are businesses that offer “an exotic adventure for men” (a shave with a straight razor at Aidan Gill's For Men), restaurants that provide “an adventure in eating” (at Juan’s Flying Burrito), boutiques "offering a whimsical and eclectic mix of reasonably priced contemporary women's clothing" (Fairy), and shops that “offer unique indulgences, e.g., a jeweled collar, for the pampered pet” (at Petcetera) (goneworleans.about.com).

Also, "...it is the antiques and artwork that draw aficionados to Magazine Street like moths to a streetlight" (neworleansonline.com).

Since we would be more likely to find ourselves in the
"bohemian" group, we were drawn to the shops shown in the photos in this entry. Well, more accurately, we were drawn to the colorful exteriors of the shops and not into the shops themselves.

However, restaurants along Magazine Street offering local comfort food (Joey K's [see yesterday's entry]), ethnic food (Jung's Golden Dragon [see tomorrow's entry]), and other local specialities (Casamento's, Mahony's, and Tracey's [to be visited on our return to New Orleans in March]).

So, while some would use words like "quaint" and "charming" to describe some of the shops and boutiques on Magazine, we were drawn to the businesses described as "funky" and "off-beat."

So, for shopping, dining or just casual strolling, no place in New Orleans outside the French Quarter beats Magazine Street.

One Thing You Need to Know…

2012-01-15T17:01:00.000-08:00

you will have a wait when visiting a New Orleans neighborhood restaurant the week between Christmas and New Years. Everyone is home for the holidays and wants at least one meal at their local favorite. So it is no surprise that we had to wait thirty minutes for a table at our lunch at Joey K’s. Most of the customers were locals with a spattering of tourists who had seen this restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives along with four brave Atlanta Falcons fans wearing warm-up suits bearing the Falcons’ colors. Even though the Saints were to play the Falcons that evening, these four were greeted with courtesy—along with good natured jibes. “You’re going down.”

“A trip to Joey K’s for lunch or dinner is something like eating in your own kitchen. It’s comfortable, accessible, and the portions are huge. Many options are…well-priced…. Solo diners are a common sight, and they seem to get the same friendly, efficient service as everybody else. For some New Orleanians, Joey K’s evokes the laid-back days when many a corner was occupied by the same kind of low-priced, family-style eatery. There’s nothing exotic here: chicken-fried steak; spaghetti and meatballs; jambalaya; and a fried soft-shell crab dinner. Remember these words: “All you can eat catfish—every night…” (gayot.com).

“Fifty-seven restaurants have Magazine Street addresses, and Joey K’s is dead center in the greatest concentration of them. Most of its neighbors have forward-looking or ethnic menus, but Joey K’s is and always has been a throwback, serving the kind of food New Orleans neighborhood restaurants always have. Any suspicions that stuff is going out of style are laid to rest by lunch or dinner here. The place is always packed, even with the maximum number of sidewalk tables allowed by law….

“It’s a classic New Orleans casual menu, almost to the point of cliché, but they take all of it seriously and cook it well. The daily specials are particularly good, enough so that many of the customers know exactly which day to be there. Portions are almost grossly oversized…

“The restaurant is in a big room with big windows on two sides and some nooks and crannies here and there for added space. The place looks and is much older than the current restaurant. Although it looks like the kind of place where the main clientele would be cab drivers and cops, you see the entire assortment of New Orleanians here, including a surprisingly large number of Uptown ladies and businesspeople” (Tom Fitzmorris at orleanscitybusiness.com).

While sitting at our table, we marveled at the bustling and noisy scene. I am never sure if neighborhood favorites become so because of the food or because of the sense of community and continuity they provide. Even though service that day was slow, no one—including us—seemed to mind. The purpose of a Joey K’s is much more than food.

Our wait gave us the chance to study the fanciful and colorful artwork adorning the walls—all signed by a French-born artist by the name of Simon (Hardeveld). Simon is “one of New Orleans’ most iconic painters…a multi-talented artist whose studio is part museum, part music studio, and part menagerie—but all magical experience.

“’I paint New Orleans,’ Simon says. ‘I paint the flavors of the city. For twenty years now, she has been my inspiration.’ …(R)esident in New Orleans since the early 1990s, Simon has made a name for himself by capturing the essence of the city’s frequently informal, yet always piercing, wisdom: his signs, which he likes to call ‘Deja Vu Art’, offer reflections such as ‘Dieu Voit Tout’ (Ed Note: It think this means “God sees everything”) and ‘How You Want We Miss You If You Won’t Go Away?’” (Benjamin Morris at uptownmessenger.com).

We did notice Kitty Humbug studying one of Simon’s signs, but lacking cat eyes, we needed the advantage of the telephoto lens to see what attracted his attention. “Best of the World red beans and rice,” said Kitty. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

The menu touches a number of culinary bases. Creole options include shrimp remoulade, eggplant Napoleon, red beans and rice, jambalaya, and gumbo. Meat lovers can chose a grilled t-bone steak with baked potato. If you are looking for seafood, you can chose—in addition to the all you can eat catfish—broiled catfish, a fried oyster plate, a fried shrimp plate, a seafood platter (fried shrimp, oysters, catfish and hushpuppies), or grilled tuna steak. And on this day, you could chose between Italian (spaghetti and jumbo meatballs or veal, chicken or eggplant parmesan) and Irish, with one of the day’s specials being corned beef and cabbage.

Chuck decided to stay with his New Orleans favorite—the catfish poor boy with fries and a side order of the “Best in the World” red beans and rice. I must say that this was the best rendering of fried catfish that we have had since arriving in Louisiana. For once, the fish seemed to be fresh (never frozen) and under the cornmeal coating were large flakey pieces of sweet catfish. I thought that the fries were a bit dry as if they had sat under a warming lamp. And the red beans and rice, voted by Gambit Weekly readers as the “Best in New Orleans” seemed to be lacking something. Kitty was not impressed.

The Gambit Weekly readers also named Joey K’s as the “Best Lunch,” so I decided to order one of their daily lunch specials. My choices that day were: hamburger steak served with rice and gravy and corn; white beans with a fried pork chop; and corned beef and cabbage served with new potatoes. I saw the latter being served to another customer and the portion was so large that I knew I wouldn’t be able to finish. And I concluded that leftover corn beef and cabbage for breakfast would not be a good idea. The hamburger steak is—let’s face it—nothing more than a large hamburger patty under gravy. So, by process of elimination, it would be the white beans and fried pork chop.

If you think from the photo that the pork chop looks overcooked—you’d be right. It was rather dry—especially around the edges. But the beans were a different story. They had what Chuck’s lacked. They had a depth of flavor that came from discs of smoked sausage and were pretty close to Emeril Lagasse’s except for the substitution of white beans for red. Kitty Humbug approved.

This is another restaurant that I am glad we visited, but to which I have no burning desire to return and rate our meal no higher than 3.5 Addies.

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.

Touring the Quarter, Differently

2012-01-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

A first-time visitor with only a limited time to tour the French Quarter has a choice of bus tours, carriage tours, and walking tours. The focus of the tours ranges from identifying the important sites in the Quarter to specialty tours--cemetery tours, ghost tours, voodoo tours, jazz tours, or courtyard tours.

As noted by Frommer's: "Even if it's the only recreational time you spend in New Orleans, you owe it to yourself to experience the French Quarter.... The area is made up of just over 80 city blocks, and it's a living monument to history.... Somehow the place seems timeless, at once recognizably old and vibrantly alive."

On this visit to New Orleans, we have had the time to walk through the Quarter with no particular destination in mind, simply taking a slow walk to attend to the details of this beautiful section of this city that is unlike any other city in the US--maybe even the world.

We have heard long-time residents of the New Orleans repeat the expression: "Old is good, new is bad" and while the absolute meanings of this distinction may be overstated, the message summarizes the character of the Quarter--and maybe the city itself.

In our photographic walk presented here, we have presented scenes that we think show the city's character. A broken chair by a shop's entrance

or a giant advertise-ment long past its product's prime

or chunks of paint peeling off a building's facade may signal the need for an army of repairmen to "spruce up" the place and make it look sparkling new.

But that would be devasta-ting to the character of the Quarter. Each weathered, chipped, or past due item that one finds on a walk carries a message of strength, endurance, and will. Whatever adversity has befallen the item or its caretaker, it is countered by a stronger quality--a determination to continue, to withstand the rush to remove all signs of adversity and in the name of beautification to do away with the history of that item.

It is not a message of carelessness or disregard that is shown in the state of these items but rather an assertion of the importance of the history of the item, the building, or the message that must be preserved.

This valuing of the past and an unwilling-ness to "im-prove" or "fix up" these "mes-sengers of character" is further highlighted through the pairing with small touches of beauty. And each pairing emphasizes the beauty of the detail when paired with the character in the broken, chipped, or past due item.

Adding a colorful flower,

fern,

or scooter to the scenes would not have been as colorful against the background of a newly-painted door or building; nor would the faded background show as much character if it had not been paired with the small burst of unexpected color.

Our walk around the Quarter was a slow walk designed to see tiny details of scenes around us.

Perhaps the most important detail in this walk were the people that we saw. I took time to talk to this gentleman who was playing a lute outside what I assume was his home. His tune, "House of the Rising Sun," seemed to fit the mood and the discovery of our walk. The beautiful music played by this very pleasant lutist against the words "And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy; and God I know I'm one" seemed a similar contrast to that contained in the scenes above.*

Similarly, this person's (right) colorful outfit shows the lighter side of the present and contrasts nicely with the weathered remnants of the city's (recent) past.

This was not a walk to see buildings, statues, or historical places, but we think we connected to a greater degree with the city's character and will than we would have on any formal tour.

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*For an even more interesting contrast, I refer you to the Blind Boys of Alabama who sang "Amazing Grace" to the tune of "House of the Rising Sun" on The Spirit of the Century album.

Our Search for Breakfast…

2012-01-13T19:25:00.000-08:00

takes us into the Lakeview area of New Orleans. As their names suggest, Lakeview and Lakeshore are near Lake Ponchartrain, which, in truth, is not a lake but an estuary and is the second-largest inland saltwater body of water in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

“The Lakeview and Lakeshore area are compara-tively little visited by out-of-towners. It is known by locals for the parks along the lakeshore and restaurants…This area was hit hard by the flooding from levee failures during Hurricane
Katrina in 2005—some parts were under more than 10 feet of standing water for weeks. As of mid-2011 many businesses and attractions are back, and there are ever more signs of the pleasant prosperous part of town this was before Katrina” (wikitravel.org).

Our destination that morning was Russell’s Marina Grill, best known for fresh squeezed orange juice, Killer Bloody Marys, fried green tomatoes to die for, and for being the birthplace of the Onion Mumm (I also thought Outback invented this) .

“Perched near the near the start of Lakeshore Drive, Russell’s fits right in with the ‘harbor’ vibe of the whole area. Large windows wrap around the entire dining room giving it a nice wide-open feel. The pastel color scheme and aquatic-motif are a bit misleading, because at first glance Russell’s doesn’t really look like a spot that could dish up some mean omelets. But isn’t underestimation a treat nowadays? The best way I can sum up the feel of Russell’s is that it almost makes you feel healthy, while you’re knoshing on bacon and eggs…” (neworleanscondotrends).

Ray Cannata at urbanspoon.com describes Russell’s: “…Large cheesy mural of the local marina (and historic lighthouse), bad pastel 1980’s posters of beach scenes, awful sailboat art. But clean and comfortable and fits the very Lakeview-ish crowd there. Windows had small metal plaques under each acknowledging customers or friends who presumably sponsored windows or the rebuilding of the restaurant after the Storm.”

Zachary A. at yelp.com, says: “Russell's has changed and not changed very much in the few decades it has existed, but the ‘not changing’ part is the awesome kind and what I'm going to talk about…For years and years Russell's was the fore-runner in the classic American diner breakfast. All the meats and bread options you could want, fresh home-made everything (including biscuits and muffins!!!). It has competition now…but still you cannot find a longer (or faster moving) line for a sit-down, honest-to-god (free and constant) coffee-refilling, fresh-juice-serving, egg-white-and-pork-chop-available-inside, or outside-morning-victual plate anywhere in the city. Most of the servers in the morning have been there for a decade or more they usually know what you want before you do.”

Arrive at around 10:00 a.m. on a winter weekday, and you have the restaurant almost to yourself with only a few tables occupied and three diners seated at the counter. Or they might have been waiting for take out.

The breakfast menu contains the standard eggs/meat/potato combos, pancakes (including sweet potato pancakes), biscuits and gravy, waffles (including the Bananas Foster Belgium Waffle served with ice cream), and omelets. There are some interesting takes on Eggs Benedict with versions sitting on fried green tomatoes, fried catfish, or crab cakes.

It didn’t take Chuck long to decide on scrambled eggs with home fries, and a ten-ounce Chicken Fried Steak. My assessment of his meal is: the scrambled eggs more closely resembled a very flat plain omelet; the potatoes were flavorful from green pepper, onions, and garlic but could have been crisper; the sausage gravy was blah and tasted like flour (I’m glad I didn’t order the biscuits and gravy); and the chicken fried steak, while huge, had an excess of gristle. I do credit the kitchen for a nice crisp coating on the meat although I did think the coating was a bit too thick.

What brought us to Russell’s that morning was my craving for chicken and waffles and I read that Russell’s served an admirable version of this dish. “This popular breakfast joint is not exactly where you would expect to find this famous dish, but don’t be dissuaded by their more traditional reputation. They serve up an awesome rendition of fried chicken and waffles with a spectacular maple-Dijon dipping sauce.

“…Russell’s serves their waffles with white meat chicken tenders. Though dark meat on the bone often is more moist and flavorful than white meat, Russell’s cooks up some really delicious (and juicy) chicken fingers that are great on their own and even better on a waffle. They have a nice, crispy fried batter, that is salty enough to achieve the kettle corn-esque salty-sweet dynamic, but not so savory that it clashes with the syrup. The texture of the crispy fried chicken really complements the fluffy waffle, but the best part of the dish is the sauce. The maple syrup inspired sweet and salty dipping sauce has a hint of Dijon mustard and horseradish hiding behind the maple flavor. Together, it is a phenomenal dish and a super-filling breakfast” (Jenny Sklar at offbeat.com).

I agree with Jenny’s description with one exception. I didn’t find the waffle to be at all fluffy. In fact, I thought it was dry as if left in the iron too long. But the tenders (I didn’t miss the bones) were delicious—especially when dipped in the spicy maple dipping sauce.

Russell’s was OK. No need to hurry back. 3.0 Addies. I’d rather take the shuttle into the Quarter and have breakfast at Stanley Restaurant.

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.

Mistaken Identity

2012-01-12T19:04:00.000-08:00

New Orleans' French Quarter at night seems best represented by black and white photographs (if you exclude the colorful neon signs of Bourbon Street).

However, photo-graphing New Orleans at night required some skillful maneu-vering. Setting up a tripod without creating an obstacle for the Quarter's foot traffic was a challenge. It involved finding a suitable location in the street or on a sidewalk, taking the photo, and quickly moving out of the way of oncoming foot or motor traffic. The whole operation started more than a couple of pleasant (fortunate-ly) conversa-tions as people followed the line of the camera to see what I saw or found some humor in the camera and tripod positions in doorways or near traffic in the street.

The photos shown here were taken within three blocks of St. Louis Cathedral on two different evenings. I was more interested in the lighting of the scenes than in their location, so while you scroll through the gallery, I want to relate some stories about Identity.

Several years ago, on one of our first visits to the Quarter, we went to Olivier’s for dinner. We were greeted by the maitre d’ at this very formal, quintessentially New Orleans Creole restaurant, but after the greeting this gentleman seemed a bit perplexed. After a pause of probably five seconds—a delay which seemed longer because even this brief break in this gentleman’s competent execution of his role was unexpected.

He then asked, “Excuse me, but are you Jack Kemp?”

Now it was my turn to pause. Being mistaken for the former quarterback of the Buffalo Bills, congressman from New York, and HUD Secretary was a bit of a jolt. Before I could give much thought to seeing how far this mistaken identity could take me, I replied that I was not.

Interestingly enough, I don’t think he believed me, but he did not press the question further, and we all returned to our roles of host and guest of Olivier’s.

Fast forward to the present and our stop at the Visitor Information Center in the Quarter. We were talking with one of the staff members, when another one of the staff glanced over at me and, during a break in the conversation, interjected this comment: “You look a lot like that Mission Impossible guy.”

Believing that she did not mean Tom Cruise, I said, “You mean Peter Graves?”

“Yes, that’s who you look like,” she quickly replied.

“Well, thank you,” I answered.

Several minutes later as we were leaving the Center, that same person paused in her conversa-tion with another visitor to bid us a farewell with, “Take care, Peter.”

Then, a couple of days later, we were in a restaurant that required us to go up to a counter to place our order. After ordering, I turned to leave,and the counter person said, “Y’know, you look a lot like that guy from Airplane.”

“Leslie Nielsen?”

“Yeah, that’s the guy,” he responded. (I couldn’t help but think that he thought I looked like Leslie Nielsen from the back.)

“Thanks,” I said, “I thought he was really funny in that movie and Naked Gun.

And then there was the “combo mistaken identity.” Just a couple of weeks ago, we’re walking up Canal Street and a woman approached us and then stopped. She stared at us and asked, “What’s your name?”

Without identifying ourselves (I could feel some type of con coming on), we learned that we looked like a couple she had known a few years ago in the course of her work.

Although she was hard to convince, we parted after assuring her that our last name did not begin with a “T” and that we had not worked in the oil industry.

The reason for this "Y'know-who-you-look-like" phenomenon being localized in New Orleans remains a mystery. I may have to consult with Dr. Mark Sloan* on this matter.

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*Dick Van Dyke, another silver-haired TV personality, played a physician who was a consultant to the police in "Diagnosis Murder".

I Said Yesterday…

2012-01-11T14:15:00.000-08:00

that the lunch menu at Ancora was short. Well, the dinner menu is not much longer. Each night there is a bruschetta on Jeff Talbot’s marvelous Italian bread. There is a market salad. There are two contorni (side dishes). There is the Affettati Misti or selected salumi plate. There are six pizzas plus a “pizza of the day.” There are two desserts – biscotti and the special dolce or sweet. Pretty simple. But what the restaurant does with these few items is anything but simple.

On the evening of our visit, the offered bruschetta was topped with Swiss chard, bacon, and mushrooms. The market salad contained greens, beets, and grapefruit with a citrus vinaigrette. The contorni were roasted turnips or roasted cauliflower. And the pizza special was the Marinara with pork meatballs. The dolce was listed on the board as figs and walnuts.

We knew we would be ordering the Affettati Misti and a repeat of our Diavolo pizza from our lunch visit. But what to go with them. Chuck left the decision to me. Would I order the bruschetta or one of the contorni? I know that Chuck doesn’t like mushrooms so that nixed the bruschetta. So which contorni? Let’s go with the cauliflower.

This was the first item to reach the table. (You will note that the lighting that evening has given everything an amber hue.) The plate was piled high with cauliflower florets which had been roasted with olive oil, a bit of garlic, and a bit of Calabrian pepper then tossed with black olive halves and topped with grated cow’s milk cheese.

I was well prepared to eat most of this dish. I was mistaken. “Just take a small taste,” I said to Chuck. I should know better. How often have these words gotten me into trouble? He loved it. He ate his share. He may have eaten more than his share. There is something about high heat roasting a vegetable that takes it into another dimension. Roasting sweetens cauliflower’s sometimes bitter flavor, and besides, what doesn’t taste better with olive oil and garlic.

Next was the Affettati Misti, that evening a selection of five pork-based salumi crafted by Kristopher Doll who is the salumist for Adolfo Garcia’s New Orleans restaurants (Rio Mar, La Boca, a Mano, Gusto, High Hat Café, and Ancora Pizzaria). The forty-one year old Doll is from Lafayette, LA. In an interview with Todd A. Price at nola.com, Doll explains how he became interested in the art of charcuterie: “Line cooking was not something that I felt was ever natural for me. I had to work very hard at that. The charcuterie thing, I just had a knack for it. And I've taken it upon myself to learn all I can, scouring old Italian books and recipes. I try to keep true to the way I was taught: Learn the basics and respect the traditions. You can do variations on a tradition. If it calls for pepper, it doesn't mean that it has to be black pepper. There is white pepper, there is cayenne. Everything hits a different part of the tongue.”

In the interest of full disclosure, I wasn’t familiar with any of the five meat items and had to do some follow-up research. Starting at the top right in the photo , we were served Mugnano – hard peppery salami described at prosciuttopedia.com as “Mugnano del Cardinale (from) the province of Avellino, an ancient village founded around 1300 at the foot of the Partenio Mountains, an area characterized by light winds that blow south-southwest constantly, avoiding stagnant air and favouring the aging of the product that also acquires the aromas and fragrances transported by the wind that blows through beech, oak and chestnut forests.” I didn’t detect any aromas from the wind but this was a very tasty salumi.

Next was my favorite item on the plate, the Testa or hogs head cheese. This is “the Italian version of head cheese…It is a sort of sausage-meets-terrine made of cooked pork pieces and spiced broth set into a firm gelatin mold. Thinly sliced, you can eat it cold with crusty bread or warmed to release the gelatin broth's saucy goodness…” (menuinprogress.com). Now I have eaten German-style head cheese, that awful stuff made with large chunks of meat held together by rubbery gelatin. Instead, this was slices of a fine and semi-smooth product similar to patè.

On the bottom left is the Nduja (en-doo-yah) which is “The only spreadable salami, nduja originated in Spilinga in northern Italy (americansalumi.com). “Pork meat, lard, liver, and lights are ground together and stuffed into pig's bowels, then spiced with chili and aged up to 1 year; (it is) eaten as an antipasto, spread on bread, and incorporated in pasta sauces. (rusticocooking.com) The nduja was served on slices of Jeff Talbot’s Italian bread and was spiced with Calabrian peppers.

Then came the Lonza which comes from the shoulder and neck of the pig and, to me, closely resembled prosciutto. And finally there was a good, semi-hard fennel sausage.

In the tray’s center were slices of pickled mirliton (pronounced meela-tawns in certain parts of the state) which is a pear-shaped vegetable commonly used in Louisiana cooking. Chuck wasn’t overly fond of these, but I thought that the slightly acid taste helped cut the richness of the Testa and Nduja.

I was a little worried when I saw that someone other than Jeff was staffing the pizza oven. My concern was misplaced, and our Diavolo was the equal to that on our Saturday visit. As much as we both love the basic Margherita, we agreed that at Ancora the Diavolo was the favorite.

We had just concluded that, after all of that food, we didn’t have room for dessert. But that was before our server described the evening’s dolce—a toasted fruit (figs) and nut (walnuts) bread served on a mound of mascarpone cheese and drizzled with honey. Maybe we had room after all.

I find this restaurant amazing. The menu is short and the ingredients wouldn’t fit most people’s description of high end. On the menu that evening were Swiss chard, beets, turnips, and cauliflower and salumi made with heart, liver, and pig’s head parts. But what the kitchen does with these simple ingredients is astounding. As I said to our server, “The food is complex in its simplicity.” And the best testimony comes from my Favorite Traveling Companion. “I don’t believe what I ate tonight – cauliflower, heart, liver. And I enjoyed it all.” High praise indeed for this 5.0 Addie restaurant.

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.

So There I Was…

2012-01-10T16:02:00.000-08:00

lounging on the sofa while flipping through the November issue of New Orleans Magazine. I turn a page and there it was. An object of such beauty that I immediately told Chuck: “I need the computer now! There is something that I need to check.”

And that brings us to Freret Street in the Uptown District one Saturday morning where we found one of those small New Orleans commercial areas that seem to erupt spontaneously in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Freret Street had fallen victim, not to Katrina, but to the city’s still too high crime rate. But today, led by a number of restaurants and clubs, Freret Street appears to be on the way back.

“While it all seemed to happen in the blink of the time it takes a Kim Kardashian romance to run its course, Freret Street’s makeover has roots that go back decades, to when the once thriving neighborhood entered a steep decline. The 1985 murder of Bill Long outside his popular Freret Street business, Bill Long’s Bakery and Delicatessen, is still regarded by many New Orleanians as a watershed event that reversed the Uptown neighborhood’s fortunes…” (Brett Anderson for The Times Picayune).

Our mission that morning only allowed for an all-too-brief exploration of the eight-block Freret Street corridor. We did have time to observe the painting of a mural on the front of a building (above), a multi-colored fence (left), and a sign for the Freret Street Gym. (In case we had last minute Christmas shopping, the Gym did have some gift suggestions.)

But what was that beautiful object that prompted this visit? If you guessed pizza you’d be right. But not just any pizza. Neapolitan-style pizza. Wood-fired brick oven Neapolitan-style pizza. Welcome to Ancora Pizzeria & Salumeria.

“From its inception, Ancora was envisioned to be a simple concept focused on authentic Neapolitan pizzas and house-made salumi. The layout of the restaurant mirrors the kitchen’s priorities with the three-ton mosaic-domed oven prominently displayed in the open kitchen. The rest of the space is utilitarian—concrete floors, track lighting fixtures created from wine bottles, and stacks of oak logs that will eventually feed the fire. Silverware and napkins are stocked in paint cans on the table…Pizzas arrive blistered but pliable out of that oven which literally crossed an ocean to get here. The wood fire gives the bottom of the pizzas a smokiness that you can taste when each slice hits your tongue. Toppings feature a variety of impeccably sourced ingredients. Think hand-pulled mozzarella, anchovies, pickled peppers, and house-cured meats, including the best tasting speck this side of the Atlantic” (Peter Thriffiley & Rene Louapre offbeat.com/2011/10/01/dining-out-ancora).

“Ancora is a partnership between (Adolfo) Garcia…chef Josh Smith and Jeff Talbot, a chef who’d left his job at the revered restaurant Cyrus, in Healdsburg, Calif., to pursue his pizza obsession in Louisiana. When Garcia met his new partner, Talbot had, according to Garcia, ‘a $10,000 pizza oven in his backyard’ in Lake Charles, LA. ‘I saw where his head was at, and I was like, this guy’s obsessed with pizza,’ Garcia said. ‘He’s crazy, and I like his kind of crazy’” (Brett Anderson, The Times-Picayune).

“Partnering chef Jeff Talbot is the creative force behind Ancora. After a stint at the Michelin-rated Cyrus in California, the unyielding pressure to help maintain their coveted stars caused him to reexamine his lifestyle. ‘I wanted a place that my family and friends could come to and not be intimidated,’ he says. ‘I decided it was time to do something that the vast majority of people could actually appreciate…’

“From start to finish, Talbot’s naturally leavened dough takes three days to prepare and uses a starter he has fed for over six years. The result is a crust that is thin and drops slightly. Toppings are minimal and of high quality. Try the Bianca, topped with Fior di Latte (a cow’s milk mozzarella), fresh basil, olive oil, chili and garlic. Minimalists might reach for the Marinara, which highlights the pizza’s deceptive simplicity with just San Marzano tomatoes, garlic and fresh oregano” (Jay Forman for New Orleans Magazine).

Open Monday – Saturday for dinner, Ancora just started serving lunch on Fridays and Saturdays and offers a minimal list of menu options. So minimal that your choices are limited to four pizzas, each which comes with a small salad. But that was fine with us. What we wanted was pizza.

From the list of four, we decided to share a Margherita (fior di latte, tomato, basil) and a Diavolo (Naples salumi, fior di latte, tomato). The small salad was composed of red leaf lettuce that was tossed with a light olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing and topped with crumbled quartirolo cheese. This is a cow’s milk cheese and has a slightly tangy flavor, but not as tangy as goat cheese. We were off to a good start.

The first pizza to arrive was the Margherita. The minute I saw the crust with its giant charred bubble I knew that Ancora was headed in the right direction. The red sauce tasted like bright fresh tomatoes and the
fresh mozzarella was the slightest bit chewy. The only complaint, and it is a minor one, is that I would have liked the fresh basil to have been put on the pizza after firing and not before.

Next up was the Diavolo. A commenter on one of the Big Three (Yelp, Urbanspoon, Trip Advisor) blogs likened the sausage to pepperoni. Wrong. This is salumi and is in a class by itself. The high heat firing (900 degrees) crisped the salumi’s edges and intensified the spicy and salty flavor of the meat.

But any pizza is only as good as its crust. And Ancora’s crust was the best we have eaten. Better even than our pizza favorite, Settebello in Salt Lake City. The crust was still thin but had substance and a wonderful chewiness. And it was appropriately charred on the bottom and edges that added a whole new flavor dimension.

Before leaving, we had the chance to speak with Jeff Talbot and tell him how much we had enjoyed his pizzas. He was good enough to give us samples of their two house made breads--an Italian and a sweet fruit bread which are baked each morning in the same oven that bakes the pizzas and gives the bread an amazing crust and an airy center.

From our vantage point, we could see the chalkboard on which the evening’s specials were listed. Not shown in the photo is the content of the Affettati Misti or salumi antipasto platter which was not available at lunch. Since Ancora has its house salumi maker, we resolved to return—this time for dinner.

Tomorrow: dinner at Ancora.

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.

A Sliver by the River

2012-01-09T12:54:00.000-08:00

Fortified by lunch at Elizabeth's, we continued our tour of the Bywater section of New Orleans. Our drive covered land that had been plantations, carved from land grants made by the French and Spanish rulers.

"The early inhabitants of Bywater included Creoles; free people of color; and immigrants from Ireland, Germany and Italy. Many were creative types: glass artists, sculptors, painters, writers and musicians" (myneworleans.com).

"Professions of residents today are much the same as earlier settlers as these modern artists and artisans rediscover this historic and traditional working-class neighborhood and move their homes and studios into the mix of architecture here" (myneworleans.com).

"After Hurricane Katrina, many survivors flocked to the area as it was less affected by the storm, due to the slightly higher elevation closer to the Mississippi River. Bywater became part of what was known as the 'Sliver By The River,' meaning neighborhoods that saw no flooding, including Faubourg Marigny, the French Quarter, Irish Channel Area, and parts of the lower Garden District including St. Charles Avenue" (Mark Ellwood, Financial Times, 19 June 2010).

"Bywater contains a great wealth of 19th-century architec-ture. The late Victorian shotgun, available in singles, doubles and camelbacks, is very common here. However, there are
also Creole cottages, classic town houses, Victorian center-hall and side-hall cottages and almost every other kind of architecture from just about every period in the development of the city.

"Because of this richness of architecture and sturdy housing stock, artsy Bywater has been experiencing a surge of renovations in recent years. Investors have found home prices more affordable here than in the neighboring French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny and have begun to turn the gracious old homes into dwellings suited to their lifestyles" (myneworleans. com).

"The historic renovation business is booming in Bywater. Attracted by the neighborhood’s gorgeous architecture and “high and dry” elevation (anywhere from 5 - 8 feet above sea level), many projects are already completed or underway.
World-renowned architect Andres Duany noted,
'Ninety percent of Bywater’s architecture is gorgeous and historic'" (vrbo.com).

Many of the homes show the results of the attention to detail in the restoration of these historic homes. We have chosen to focus on these details rather than show a larger view of the homes. The combination of colors and the number of different colors appear more striking when presented in the smaller area covered by these photos.

Bywater is home to many artists and studios. Some of the sculptures can be found in the yards,

on fences, and

on doors of the homes of this community.

There were other homes that were in the early stages of restoration. But even through the chipped paint and shutters in disrepair, we could see beauty in these homes.

We found this description of Bywater that seemed to capture its appeal: "Nestled into the curve of the Mississippi as it winds its way down river from the French Quarter and the Marigny, Bywater is a relaxed neighborhood of shotgun houses and Creole cottages which is home to the most thriving bohemia in the city. Although the area endured moderate Katrina flooding, this vibrant, creative and eclectic place has barely missed a beat in digging out and transforming its trash into treasure. Here corner groceries and neighborhood bars coexist with artists' studios and late-night cafes in a way that truly says New Orleans...funky, cutting-edge, embracing and fiercely protective of its own unique energy. Whether you're looking for a home with lacy woodwork and heart-of-pine floors or a gallery selling fine jewelry and outsider art, Bywater has it all in a way that will charm, delight and astonish you.

"The area is home to young professionals, musicians, painters and photographers who find inspiration in its closely-packed houses and unexpected gardens. Bywater isn't just an area where history is preserved: it's an area where the 19th and 20th centuries live in cheerful cross-pollination with the 21st, and tomorrow's creations are nurtured in the warm glow of an intact and colorful past" (makeneworleanshome.com).

We happened upon this area, but not until later did we learn that it's a pretty good place for BBQ.

We loved the placement of the chairs against the building. And we loved Bywater.

In the End…

2012-01-08T18:23:00.000-08:00

it was the pig.

I had checked out two restaurants in Bywater. One was a BBQ place that had been visited by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. The second was a neighborhood place—they seem to sprout everywhere in this city—that had gotten good online reviews.

On our walking tour of Bywater, we came upon a white frame building adorned with numerous colorful signs.

Then I looked up and saw the sign:
“Eliza-beth’s”
“Real Food Done Real Good.” And then there was the flying pig which reminded me of a Christmas ornament I had seen in a New Orleans store window. The ornament was a pig and written on its side were the words: “Pigs Flew,” “Hell Froze Over,” and “The Saints Won the Super Bowl.”

Chef Bryon Peck at elizabeths-restaurant.com explains: “’Real Food Done Real Good’ was a slogan that was brought to Elizabeth’s with the first owner, Heidi Trull. I really liked this slogan and decided to keep it. My personal mission was to make everything from scratch. This means bringing in great product and treating it with the most care and creativity that it deserves. We do this, while creating a comfortable low key atmosphere with plenty of neighbor-hood funk…a place for everyone that is approachable and reliable....”

Fodor’s describes Elizabeth’s as “a real down-home Southern joint where the vinyl-print tablecloths look just like Grandma's, and where breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The menu offers everything from traditional poor boys…to a stellar seared duck to crispy fried chicken livers with pepper jelly. The fried-oyster poor boy is huge and irresistible. The staff is spunky, and so is the Bywater neighborhood clientele.

“The average tourist may not head over to the Bywater because, well, because it's not the Quarter. That's too bad—not only will they miss a true N'Awlins ‘neighbahood,’ but they will also miss experiences like Elizabeth's. Forget paying huge sums for average and goopy breakfast food. Here you eat…real cheap. Food such as Creole rice calas (sweet rice fritters), a classic breakfast dish that is nearly extinct from menus around town. Food calling for health advisories, such as the praline bacon (topped with sugar and pecans—‘pork candy,’ the shameless chef calls it; you must not miss this....) Out-of-the-way or not, this is one of the city's best restaurants (frommers.com).

The small dining room is awash with color. Some came from the four different patters of plastic table covers. Some came from the giant mural along one wall. But most of the color came from the art of “Dr. Bob.” “Self-taught outdoors artist Dr. Bob is a fixture in the Bywater, and you’re sure to recognize his signature work—the ‘Be Nice or Leave’ signs that appear in restaurants and bars around town. Dr. Bob’s work also turns up in the House of Blues and museums throughout the South. In addition to the signs, he’s known for his alligator carvings and sculptures of assembled found objects. Garbage-can lids, bottle caps (see the borders of the signs in the photos), pieces of junked musical instruments, and essentially anything that strikes Dr Bob’s weird sensibility is turned into art. His gallery is really a fascinating junkyard of art, with a sculpture garden comprising spray-painted lawn ornaments” (lonelyplanet.com).

And, of course, no artist can avoid at least one reference to “Who Dat”—a slogan most closely associated with the New Orleans Saints. “Who dat? is an English idiom originating from New Orleans for over a century. First referenced in poetry, the phrase was a common dialogue element between the performers and crowd at traveling minstrel shows in the region…. More recently, the phrase 'Who dat?' has become a chant of team support. It's most widely used by fans of the New Orleans Saints.... The entire chant is: ‘Who dat? Who dat? Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?’" (wikipedia.com).

When we arrived at just after 11:30 a.m., the restaurant was full except for two tables for two with the diners equally divided between breakfast and lunch eaters. Chuck was intrigued by a breakfast menu item called the “Big Bun” but instead decided to order the Strawberry Stuffed French Toast with a side of home fries. I was tempted by the house-cured pastrami with Swiss cheese on rye, but when I saw it served to another diner, I decided that the meat looked a bit fatty. So instead (Did I say I was worried about fat?), I chose the B.L.T. made with crisped hog jowls, chopped tomatoes, fresh spinach, onion, blue cheese, and champagne vinegar on ciabatta with a side of grit fries.

As soon as our server left with our orders, I look across the room and saw a staff member writing the day’s specials on a chalk board. This being a Wednesday, the specials were Chicken Fried Steak or Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans. “I’m going to see if I can change my order” Chuck said as he left the table. He returned with a smile on his face “Mission Accomplished.” It would be the meatloaf special.

And what meatloaf this was. The thick slab was juicy with a minimum of filler and had just a hint of spice. We surmise that the delicious gravy was made with a red wine reduction, but aren’t entirely sure. The potatoes were real mashed and came with complementary small lumps. And the long-cooked Italian green beans were amazing and were cooked with some chopped tomato, and again, I suspect, a hint of vinegar.

My choice was somewhat less successful. Yes, the hog jowls were crisp. (They are “the ‘cheek’ of the hog…taste and cook similar to thick cut bacon.... Hog jowl is used to season beans and peas or fried and eaten like bacon. On New Year's Day, hog jowls are traditionally eaten in the South to ensure health, prosperity and progress” [Amanda Galiano at littlerock.about.com]).

The spinach was abundant and fresh as were the chopped tomatoes. The ciabatta roll was appropriately crusty. But the dish was almost spoiled by the over application of an overly vinegary dressing. I understand that some acid was necessary to offset the richness of the pork, but so much dressing was used that the roll rapidly disintegrated into mush.

My sandwich came with my choice of sides and always--within reason--wanting to try something different I chose the grit fries. These were made by spreading cooked cheese grits on a sheet pan, letting them set, cutting them into strips, and deep fat frying. Had I been cooking the grit fries, I would have let them fry a little longer, but they were still delicious, although very filling.

So while I was less than thrilled with my choice, Elizabeth’s is still a keeper and earns 4.0 Addies. If we get the chance to return we’ll have to make it on a Wednesday and I’m going to order the meatloaf.

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.

By the Water

2012-01-07T18:40:00.000-08:00

"What area of the city or what attraction do most people miss because they don't have enough time to spend in New Orleans?" we asked the helpful woman at the Tourist Information Center in the French Quarter.

Among the areas she mentioned was the area called Bywater. She laughed as she mentioned the name, saying that it was down river from the Quarter and was given the name "because it was by the water."

"From our discussions about what you've seen, I think you'll enjoy this rather 'color-ful' part of the city," she added.

So, the next "open" day found us driving to the Bywater area.

"It is not clear how the name
"Bywater" was derived. Some say it came from an old telephone exchange that once existed in the area. Others say the "lower ninth" ward association sponsored a contest for students in the area to suggest a name. The winning entry came from a high school student who selected "Bywater" because the neighborhood borders the Mississippi River and the Industrial Canal. A group of businessmen used the name "Bywater" in promoting the area in 1947. The name stuck" (gnocdc.org).

"Today, Bywater comprises approximately 120 blocks of mixed residential and commercial character. The district’s history is clearly seen in its architecture and streetscapes. Today more than 87 percent of the structures in Bywater date from 1807-1935, making it a living museum of New Orleans life in days gone by" (bywaterneighbors.com).

The major house types in Bywater include Creole cottages,

shotgun houses (right), camelback houses,

side hall plan houses (left), and commercial buildings.

"The Bywater neighborhood has an interesting mix of residential, commercial and industrial activity, along the riverbank. The Pauline Street Wharf remains busy. Warehouses and industrial companies...use the river and canal for its businesses. And yet the neighborhood has become a residential hotspot for artists" (gnocdc.org).

As we traveled around the neighborhood, we thought we had discovered a new community within the much larger New Orleans community. We were struck by the colors of the homes and businesses. Was it the Caribbean/Creole influence "kicked up a notch" or an introduction of a Hispanic influence from the Southwest or a return to the bohemian lifestyle of the 60's (albeit somewhat restrained).

Traveling through the community, we found ourselves caught up in the self-expression of the residents. Clearly, there was a variety in the philosophy of those living in this area.

Some valued the history evident in the worn buildings and entryways and left the exterior untouched; others wanted to restore the homes and took care to precisely paint the exteriors with a fine eye. Others seemed to ask "What if I put these randomly-selected colors together on my home's "canvas?"

We arbitrarily divided the finished products into two groups: the group whose color combinations lean toward complementary matches and a second group whose approach is more "courageous," bringing in more daring pairings.

To show the colors of Bywater, we photographed some of the details--doors, windows, and accoutrements--of these homes. In all cases, we found beauty in these differences.

"Most buildings sit close together directly on the street, similar to the Vieux Carré’s built environment. Front yards and off-street parking are rare and most buildings are a single story built on exposed piers (putting them two to three feet above the ground). This environmentally-driven design was a blessing during Katrina as most Bywater houses escaped flooding because of their raised construction" (bywaterneighbors.com).

Finally, there is this information from the Houston Chronicle (May 26, 2007), entitled "Harmony in the Bywater."

"There are plenty of bars, restaurants and a few galleries. But for now there are no T-shirt emporiums clamoring for the tourist dollar and no typical attractions. Instead, something intangible, like a cosmic frequency heard only by a lucky few, is drawing like-minded souls to this bohemian little enclave. Bywater, New Orleans' third-oldest neighborhood, dates to the early 1800s, and stands just down river from the first- and second-oldest districts, the French Quarter and the Faubourg Marigny. Many of Bywater's artists and musicians moved there from the Marigny, driven out when tourists, clubs and restaurants began pouring in and real estate prices soared.

"The latest newcomers have brought change. Several good restaurants, such as Elizabeth's and The Joint, have joined old standards.... There are galleries, yoga studios and shopping ops for beautiful cast-glass at Studio Inferno and vintage everything at the eclectic Bargain Center. Many of the residents are out-of-towners who stumbled on the neighborhood on visits to New Orleans and fell in love with the magic of the place--and real estate prices half of what they'd expect back home."

Before moving on to our second designated group of more daring color combinations, we pause for a lunch break.

And there it was, our kind of place for lunch.

Today’s Adventure in...

2012-01-06T18:52:00.000-08:00

”eating New Orleans” takes us to the Lower Garden District--more specifically to a neighborhood known as the “Irish Channel.”

“The ‘Irish Channel’ was originally home to many of the Irish workers who came here in the 1830’s to dig the New Basin Canal, completed in 1840. This area of small cottages and ‘shotgun’ houses, located on narrow lots, continued to be inhabited throughout the 19th and 20th centuries primarily by blue-collar workers, who could afford the more modest prices (see February 26, 2011 for more on shotgun houses). The houses here are smaller than those in the Garden District and Uptown, but what they lack in square footage, they more than make up for in fine decoration and charm. Their close proximity creates a feeling of community and coziness, where neighbors can still share a cup of coffee or a moment of gossip over a backyard fence.

“Today, the Irish Channel is one of the most eclectic neighborhoods in the city, with residents drawn from every walk of life and every income level. Many families are multi-generation-al, having raised children and grand-children here, while others are among the city's newest arrivals. Located along the strip of high ground facing the Mississippi, the ‘Channel’ has gone from being a less-than-desirable address to being one that's extremely valuable, if for nothing else than its elevation…” (makeneworleanshome.com).

We are here to have lunch at Parasol’s, a restaurant visited by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and, according to New Orleans Magazine, the home of one of the ten best roast beef poor boys in the area.

“From the outside of this Irish Channel establishment, one would think dive bar. That assumption is confirmed as you enter the place. The bar is small, dark, smoky, and dingy in a good way…Sometimes lost in the whole deal is the back kitchen serving up some killer food. The kitchen crew serves up a variety of poor boys and traditional sides such as fries, wings, onion rings, etc. But what most people come here for is there roast beef poor boy. They claim to have the city’s best poor boy. That is a statement used by many who serve the famous sandwiches, but few can actually deliver on that. All of their poor boys may not be the best, but the roast beef is indeed the best one that I have eaten in a city full of wannabes” (thecajunfoodie.com).

As far as I can determine, Guy Fieri visited Parasol’s while it was being managed by Jeff and Jamie Carreras who have since moved around the corner to open Tracey’s on Magazine Street. The new owners, John and Thea Hogan have promised “to keep as many things as possible the same. ‘I know how New Orleans people are after having been married to one for a while,’ he (John) said. ‘You don’t mess with their stuff.’…’We want it to be the same fun neighborhood place that it is known to be. Funky and rickety…Everyone will recognize it when they go in’” (Brett Anderson - Times-Picayune).

We arrived shortly past 12:30 p.m. one weekday and the bar/ restaurant was virtually empty. The bartender asked if we were there for a drink, and we explained that we wanted lunch. Well, we could eat either at the bar or upstairs in the dining room.

The dining room it would be, although calling this place a dining room is perhaps an overstatement. The walls were painted a—let’s face it—ugly share of green. The table covers were green-and-white-checked plastic. And, if that’s not Irish enough, the men’s and women’s room were labeled “leprechauns” and “fairies,” respectively.

Orders are placed at what is more a window than a counter through which one can see the cook (in this case, Ricky, on the right in the photo above) preparing the sandwiches.

We passed on ordering a beverage from the bar, but we wondered if all we had to do was to open this door and place our order to the bartender on the floor below.

Our plan was to share the roast beef poor boy, but there on the specials board was a most intriguing item—a pulled pork poor boy.

OK. It will be one of each along with a side of fries (house-cut and twice-fried).

Ricky was kind enough to take a little time to join Kitty Humbug in this photo after bringing out the poor boys. K. Humbug was grateful for this consideration and wanted to be sure to recognize Ricky for his thoughtfulness.

The roast beef poor boy (top sandwich, photo on the left and in the photo below) was an improve-ment over that of Parkway Bakery’s. As described by Brett Anderson in the Times-Picayune in an article comparing Parasol’s and Tracey’s roast beef poor boys:
“Parasol’s sandwich was a masterpiece by comparison. The fall-apart beef came in a juicy, medium-thick layer between toasted halves of bread. A light painting of garlic butter on the bread signals the signature touch of the Hogan era, one that amplifies the beef’s flavor without overwhelming it.

“The crowds at Tracey’s and Parasol’s suggest there is plenty of room for both of them on Third Street. But in the neighborhood battle for roast beef poor boy dominance, Parasol’s comes out on top by living up to its legend.”

Well, it was good but it still seemed like pot roast to me—just served on a great crusty French loaf (Leidenheimer’s).

The superstar was the pulled pork poor boy. The lightly smoked and very juicy meat was topped with a layer of slaw. And there was a healthy measure of something spicy, either the dressing on the slaw or a Carolina-style BBQ sauce without a heavy vinegar presence. I could easily eat these on a regular basis.

As we were finishing, John Hogan came walking through the dining room. “Are you the owner of this fine establishment?” I asked. When he replied in the affirmative, I raved about the pork poor boy and he explained that this was one of the few changes made to the menu after they purchased the business. This needs to go on the regular menu and not just be offered as a special.

Just before we left, a couple joined us in the dining room. One of their menu choices—the Irish Sundae—a mound of potato salad topped with roast beef debris and horseradish. Yummo.

I am beginning to conclude that, just as I can’t find Texas brisket that I like, I won’t find a roast beef poor boy that “knocks my socks off.” But the pulled pork—that’s another story and justifies Parasol’s 4.0 Addie rating.

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.

New Orleans Is…

2012-01-05T16:57:00.000-08:00

so much more than the Quarter.

Philadelphia likes to describe itself and a “City of Neighborhoods.” And, yes, Philadelphia has its Frankford, East and West Oak Lane, Olney, Nicetown, South Philadelphia, and--not to be forgotten--Great Northeast sections. But New Orleans is no less a “City of Neighborhoods.” We have visited Bayou St. John (Parkway Bakery & Tavern), Faubourg Marigny (Snug Harbor), and Treme (St. Augustine Church), and today we return to Mid-City (Angelo Brocato’s) for lunch at Katie’s Restaurant.

Why Katie’s? Because it was visited by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Because it was named New Orleans Magazine’s 2011 Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year. Because it is another striking example of New Orlean’s post-Katrina rebirth.

“Katie’s opened as a corner lunch restaurant in October 1984…Founded by Mr. Leo Leininger…In December 1993, the Leininger family sold Katie’s to the Craig family…With over 20 years in the restaurant and service industry…Scot Craig took the helm. The hard work and dedication of his brother David and mother, Mary, enabled Scot to expand the operation into a full-service restaurant and bar. With ‘the boys’ in the kitchen, Mary became known as ‘The Hostess with the Mostess.’ She kept the dining room organized and kept the customers happy, full, and returning time and again.

“…The flood of business Katie’s enjoyed gave way to a destructive torrent in August 2005 when Hurricane Katrina washed seven feet of water through the restaurant and devastated everything (Ed Note: See the high water mark on the entrance door frame; standing here I would have been under water.)…With barely enough insurance proceeds to repair his home, which is above the restaurant, Scot feared Katie’s might be doomed.

Unrelenting, in the four and a half years to follow, Scot Craig worked to rebuild his life and Katie’s…On March 1, 2010 Katie’s opened its doors once more…Although bright, shiny, and new inside and out, the heart and soul of Katie’s as an old-school, family operated neighborhood restaurant, still echoes the vision of Mr. Leo Leininger. You’ll be greeted and seated by the Hostess with the Mostess and Scot is still in the kitchen…” (katiesinmidcity.com).

Proving that you can never count a New Orleans restaurant out for good…when the place opened again many regulars filed right back in. Katie's looks a bit different now. The bar is lined with beautiful bare cypress and now the kitchen is open to the dining room. There are some different flavors at Katie's now, too. In addition to the familiar mix of local seafood and red-sauce Italian dishes, there are now deli sandwiches…offbeat poor boys…and specialty pizzas…Everyone had to make some changes when they rebuilt after the levee failures—from restaurants to homeowners—and this new Katie's is another example of how a place can be better off because of those changes” (restaurants.wwltv.com).

Each table contains a full militia of Tabasco sauces. Occupying the front row are the Sweet and Spicy, Green Pepper, Garlic Pepper, and Chipotle. In the second row are the Habanero, Buffalo-Style, and two bottles of the original.

Katie’s menu is large—almost too large—and so after a brief flirtation with their Crawfish Beignet (specifically singled out by many on-line com-mentators) made with Louisiana crawfish, jalapeno peppers, onions, and three kinds of cheese then wrapped in dough, fried, and then topped with jalapeno aioli, we both looked to the sandwich and poor boy offerings.

There was no way we could consume The Barge—an entire Gendusa French loaf stuffed with shrimp, catfish, and oysters. But one was served—with the clanging of bells—to one brave table of diners. Among the other choices were: The St. Louie with fried Louisiana oysters topped with melted Provel cheese and bacon; Crab Cake Poor Boy (fried or grilled shrimp at additional charge); and Cochon De Lait Poor Boy stuffed with smoked cochon de lait and topped with home-made Creole slaw.

After much thought, I finally chose the Fried Green Tomato and Shrimp Rémoulade Poor Boy made with breaded slices of fresh green tomatoes then topped with grilled gulf shrimp and the restaurant’s homemade rémoulade sauce. This was a far superior version of the fried green tomato poor boy than the one I ordered at Liuzza’s (another Mid-City eatery) last February. First, the fried tomatoes hadn’t turned to mush under their coating. Second, the flavor of the rémoulade sauce didn’t overpower everything else. And, third, the boiled medium-size shrimp were delicious. Still, and this is the case with most poor boys that contain a fried product, by the time I reached the second half of the sandwich, the crust on the tomatoes had softened. I wish there was a way—without sacrificing the “dressing”—that this could be avoided.

Chuck chose Katherine’s Cajun Cuban filled with smoked cochon de lait, grilled ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles. “Cochon de Lait literally translates from French to English as ‘pig in milk,’ or it is called a ‘suckling pig.’ A Cochon de Lait is basically a Cajun pig roast of a whole young pig. The pig is slow roasted for 6 to 12 hours (generalhorticulture.tamu.edu). The sandwich was served on the same Gendusa’s French bread which was brushed with butter and then pressed. The pork was shredded, not sliced, and can only be described as succulently juicy.

Special mention must be made of the bread which rivaled Leiden-heimer’s for poor boy perfection. As described at bestofneworleans. com: “Another well-known baking family was the Gendusas. Like many others, the Gendusa family emigrated from Sicily in 1896. Emanuel Gendusa became proprietor of the City Park Bakery, and two of his sons, Angelo and John, worked with him in the early days. In 1934, Angelo opened his own bakery, called Gendusa's. Seventy years later, in 2004, Leidenheimer's purchased this company…During its heyday, Gendusa's bakery on Rampart Street supplied some of the best-known restaurants in the city....

“(Angelo) Gendusa and his brother John were partners in the bakery for a while, but they separated and John opened his own bread-making business. Today, John Gendusa's bakery is still in business…and has a particular claim to distinction. Back in 1929, New Orleans restauran-teurs/ brothers Bennie and Clovis Martin created the beloved poor boy sandwich during a streetcar strike… At the time, John Gendusa was supplying the bread for the Martin Brothers' restaurant, and at their request he changed the shape of the loaf. To accommodate the filling for the poor boy sandwiches, he made the loaf wider and without pointed tips. Traditional French bread had narrow ends, which meant much of the bread was wasted. Gendusa created a 40-inch loaf that stayed rectangular from end to end.”

It’s time to leave after our 4.5 Addie lunch and time for Mary (The Hostess with the Mostess) to take a quick break.

Oops.

Here come some more customers. Time for Mary to get back to work.

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.

Much More Than a Concert

2012-01-04T15:40:00.000-08:00

One of the performances in the Christmas New Orleans Style Concert Series was the Glen David Andrews Christmas Gospel Show. It was held in St. Augustine Church, the oldest African-American Catholic Church in the United States.

Upon its completion in 1842 in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, St. Augustine's became an integrated place of worship; slaves were relegated to the side pews, but free blacks claimed just as much right to center pews as whites did.

"Hearing that black church members were buying pews, white people in the area started a campaign to buy more pews than the colored folks. Thus, The War of the Pews began and was ultimately won by the free people of color who bought three pews to every one purchased by the whites. In an unprecedented social, political, and religious move, the colored members also bought all the pews of both side aisles. They gave those pews to the slaves as their exclusive place of worship, a first in the history of slavery in the United States. This mix of the pews resulted in the most integrated congrega-tion in the entire country: one large row of free people of color, one large row of whites with a smattering of ethnics, and two outer aisles of slaves" (aaregistry.org).

We had arrived early and introduced ourselves to Rev. Moody, with whose consent we took some interior photos.

The concert itself was marked by unrestrained joy. The energized trombone playing of Mr. Andrews combined with his spirited vocals were glorious. It was part celebration of Christmas and part revival meeting and a deeply emotional experience. We witnessed a glimpse of the performances at past New Orleans' Jazz Festivals that earned him the following reviews:

"... when a local artist breaks through at Jazzfest, it is a spectacular thing to witness. This fest it happened to Glen David Andrews...it was as if some otherworldly force took over him during a performance in the Gospel Tent that was completely transformative...." (OffBeat Magazine, June, 2009).

"He is one of the most amazing vocalists alive today -- his billowing baritone is like a horn instrument itself -- and he is an incredible entertainer. He sanctifies, electrifies, hellafies" (Houston Press).

"If you weren't in the Gospel Tent on Sunday at the close of New Orleans Jazz Fest 2011, you can't appreciate his ability to summon energies of prodigious scope in the name of God almighty. Approximating the power released by a six-pack of hydrogen bombs detonated at tent central, carrying his audience along on a wild ride from one detonation to the next, Andrews was searingly, exhaustingly astonishing" (nola.com).

But it was this incident in 2007 that exemplified the impact of Andrews' performance:
"When trombonist Glen David Andrews sang 'I'll Fly Away' during a memorial procession to honor tuba player Kerwin James, on North Robertson Street in New Orleans's Tremé neighborhood, he ended up in handcuffs along with his brother.... The charges, eventually dropped, included parading without a permit and 'disturbing the peace in tumultuous manner....'" (artsjournal.com).

As I said, Mr. Andrews' Christmas Concert was quite an emotional experience.

"Classiest Jazz Club in New Orleans"

2012-01-03T13:42:00.000-08:00

"No neon lights; only plain wooden signs to designate a dozen music clubs in the greatest concentration of live music venues outside the French Quarter."

Introducing Frenchmen Street, a two-block--long musical enclave where the “locals” hang out. "An entertain-ment district where, on any given night of the week--including normally dead Mondays--you can hear live sounds and a wide variety of music as only New Orleans musicians can perform" (neworleansonline.com).

Frenchmen Street is only steps away from the French Quarter. Cross Esplanade Avenue at Decatur Street and you are there. Our "there" was one of the most authentic New Orleans music venues for live jazz--Snug Harbor (photo above).

The club features a dining room and full-service Creole menu, a wood and exposed-brick bar room, and a split-level music room with cabaret seating for 90.

After a brief wait in line in the bar, we reached the Will Call window for our tickets.

"Sit as close to the stage as you can. If the bar gets noisy, those in the back of the room have a hard time hearing some of the performance. If you go upstairs, sit near the front of the balcony, because some of the seats in the back have a blocked view of the stage," was the helpful advice from the person at the window. "And please, no photographs during the performance."

We were fortunate to get tickets to hear the Ellis Marsalis quartet, one of the regular performers at the club.

He and his music seemed perfect for this intimate setting. He opened with "Emily." His elegant styling of this classic song was demonstrated by his soft touch on the piano keys. Every note was struck with the silky smoothness of a master.

He followed this with
"Delilah,"
"Sweet Georgia Brown," and a couple of Herbie Hancock compositions, among others.

Snug Harbor has been described as "the classiest jazz club in New Orleans" (The New York Times), and the presence of 77-year-old Ellis Marsalis, one of classiest jazz musicians, seemed an ideal complement to the setting.

Maybe I've been watching too many old movies featuring jazz musicians, but this evening was meant for listening to a skilled musician in a "musical landmark" (Rolling Stone), so black and white photos seemed to emphasize the experience and not the visual range of colors.

Snug Harbor is the city's premier showcase for contem-porary jazz. Here, jazz is presented as it should be: part entertain-ment, part art, and often, part intellectual stimulation.

Hurricane Katrina forced a temporary closure, and its closure was noted as a significant blow to the jazz heritage of New Orleans. The club succeeded in reopening a few months later, and continues to be an important venue in the regional jazz scene.

Call Me a Woman on a Mission

2012-01-02T12:44:00.000-08:00

My mission? To eat the barbecue shrimp at Deanie’s that I had seen on Man v Food on the Travel Channel.

There are two Deanie’s locations in the New Orleans metro area. One in Metaire (also called Bucktown) and another in the fringe of the French Quarter. (Neither should be confused with Deanie’s Café located in the Warehouse District and not highly praised by diners.)

The Quarter location is housed in a large space that is made more intimate by the creative use of dividers and plants. In this city madly in love with their Saints, Deanie’s is the home to the live broadcasts of “The Point After” Show on WWL Radio hosted by former Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert.

But Deanie’s doesn’t just celebrate football. The restaurant hosted a benefit for the America’s Wetland Foundation which raised more than $10,000.00 for the Foundation’s efforts to preserve coastal Louisiana and its delicate wetlands. As a part of the benefit, Deanie’s Seafood and the Chifici Family “commissioned a custom-designed glass art installation highlighting the bounty of Louisiana’s waters that is a centerpiece of the main dining room. The intricate, lifelike art display was designed by Bywater artist James Vella and dedicated to Louisiana wetlands champion, The America’s Wetland Foundation… The wildlife display features two tall herons standing on a bank surrounded by marsh grass. In the water are small vignettes: A large catfish nestled close to the bank, a school of redfish in the shallows looking for blue crabs, and in a deeper section of dark green grass, a school of speckled trout feeding on shrimp. Closer to the sandy bottom are sheephead, flounder and baitfish…The Deanie’s art installation is the largest collective sculpture that Vella—who describes himself as a ‘diehard fisherman who never gets to fish’—has created in his career thus far” (www.deanies.com).

As you enter, you walk past the bar area. Notice that it is almost empty, but not when we left, after a herd of “Ragin’ Cajuns” (University of Louisiana--Lafayette) fans arrived. “Prior to the 1960s, the team nickname was the ‘Bulldogs’. In 1963 then football coach Russ Faulkinberry changed the nickname of the football team to ‘Ragin' Cajuns’” (wikipedia.com). They were in town for an appearance against the San Diego State Aztecs in the Louisiana Bowl.

As soon as we were seated, our server brought a dish of red skin potatoes that had been boiled with a seafood boil mix. With the potatoes came bread and butter. Fortunately, both of us showed some measure of heretofore unknown prudence and only sampled the potatoes.

Knowing what I planned to order, I paid scant attention to the rest of the menu. As we were eating, I did see one server struggling under the weight of the Giant Seafood Platter--a mountain of fresh shrimp, catfish, soft shell crabs and crawfish dressing balls with fries and cole slaw. While this is intended to feed four, I swear that it could satisfy even the mammoth appetites of the Saints defensive line.

I was happy to see that the barbecued shrimp came as an entrée or appetizer portion. Good, I’ll order the appetizer and then round out my dinner with another appetizer. But what shall it be? Why not go the all shrimp route and add a half pound order of boiled shrimp.

“It is said that the recipe for New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp was born many, many years ago at Pascal's Manale Restaurant—a nearly 100-year-old eatery located on Napoleon Avenue in New Orleans. How the name came to be though, well, nobody really seems to know, because New Orleans Style BBQ shrimp are not smoked or cooked on a grill, and there is never anything remotely resembling a barbecue sauce that ever touches them” (deepsouthdish.com).

Every restaurant that serves BBQ shrimp puts its own spin on the basic recipe. One thing is given—the shrimp are served head and tail on and are swimming in a pool of oil or butter or a combination of both. Oh. Another given. These babies are messy to eat. There is no etiquette here. You just dive in and eat.

My dish held five jumbo shrimp which were quite good, but I thought that the oil/butter sauce was too “one note.” The original recipe is said to contain Worcester-shire Sauce, black pepper, rosemary, lemon, Tabasco, and garlic. I really didn’t notice any of these. All I tasted was what seemed to be seafood boil mix.

The boiled shrimp continued with the same flavors. They were large and impeccably cooked and were served with a very good horseradish cocktail sauce.

Chuck chose the Barbecue Shrimp Pasta described on the menu as “for those who do not want to get messy, we peel the shrimp for you and toss it with linguine in our barbecue shrimp sauce.” The very rich sauce also contained cream and cheese and the portion was almost too much for one person to eat. Chuck kept asking me if I wanted another taste. “Are you kidding me? Don’t you see how much food I have here?”

So, I came, I ate, and I see no need to return. As we were concluding our 3.5 Addie meal, Kitty Humbug looked around and asked: “Anyone have a wet nap? My paws are all messy!”

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.

There is No Shortage…

2012-01-01T13:29:00.000-08:00

of restaurants near New Orleans’ Jackson Square. There are three that try to attract the tourist crowd about which at least one on-line commenter remarks “Worst Restaurant Ever.” There is an upscale white table cloth restaurant which invites leisurely dining--not for someone in a hurry. And then there is Stanley Restaurant.

“Stanley is the brainchild of Chef Scott Boswell. Since opening his flagship fine-dining restaurant, Stella! in 2001, he entertained the idea of a more casual counterpart. Even before he had a location, Chef Boswell imagined a menu—a menu of traditional American comfort food with a twist...Chef Boswell could hardly wait to unveil Stanley to New Orleans” (stanleyrestaurant.com).

But like so many restaurants, Stanley Restaurant’s story is one of Katrina. “Proving the truth of the adage ‘necessity is the mother of invention,’ in the days following Katrina, when the Quarter was an isolated island of intrepid survivors determined to carry on regardless, and few, if any, places to eat were open (in New Orleans, that's how you know a disaster has hit), the chef-owner of Stella! began serving sandwiches and grilling burgers on the sidewalk. He ended up serving 3,000 meals in 9 days…” (frommers.com).

“Since Stanley was the first restaurant in the city to offer made-to-order food, it was an instant hit. Serving more than five hundred burgers a day to emergency workers and media was Stanley's way of supporting the city's valiant attempt to nurse itself back to life. With neither utilities nor a constant source of supplies, it was hard to keep up—but Chef Boswell and his team persisted non-stop...” (stanleyrestaurant.com)

Stanley Restaurant was the first new restaurant to open in New Orleans post-Katrina and occupies the space in one of the two Pontalba Apartment buildings (The oldest apartment buildings in the United States. Baroness Micaela Almonester Pontalba built the buildings in the 1840’s when Jackson Square was called "Place D'armes.") that once housed La Madeleine. Through the tall windows, one is afforded a glimpse of the activity on Chartre and Saint Ann Streets and on the plaza fronting the Cathedral.

“A chef's imprint is clear on Stanley's menu, from the ephemeral, buttery froth of Creole hollandaise over poached egg dishes to the cross-cultural oddity of the Korean barbecued beef po-boy. One reason Stanley works so well is that the culinary flourishes do not overshadow its primary role as a short-order eatery” (Ian McNulty at bestofneworleans.com).

Or, as described at nomenu. com: “Stan-ley is the cross-breeding of a poor boy shop and a Sunday brunch place. Like the mule and the moulard duck, it has qualities that its parents lack, but it is not likely to have offspring…You can get breakfast any time, but there's a lot of lunch here, too.”

So we find ourselves at Stanley Restaurant one evening for dinner before another Cathedral concert. The menu contains a number of breakfast options and some interesting twists on more familiar items: the French bread pizza with pepperoni, provolone, and mozzarella cheeses, basil pesto, romaine lettuce, and house-made spicy chipotle Caesar dressing; the omelet sandwich with eggs, smoked ham, smoked bacon, American cheese, grilled onions, and spicy mayonnaise on toasted whole grain bread; the soft-shell crab poor boy with cole slaw and spicy remoulade and Creole cocktail sauces on toasted French bread; poor boy sliders—smaller individual versions of the oyster poor boy, Korean barbeque beef poor boy, and club Stanley sandwich.

But I was here for the item that piqued my interest when I reviewed Stanley’s menu on-line—the Korean barbeque beef poor boy with marinated beef tenderloin, sweet and tangy Korean barbeque sauce and house kimchee on toasted French bread. Our server warned me that this would be a “coldish” sandwich since the beef is cooked rare to medium-rare and then topped with the kimchee. No problem!

This sandwich was—to quote Guy Fieri—“off the hook.” Tender and fat and gristle-free strips of meat were seasoned with a sauce that tasted of garlic, soy, and some form of sweet Asian sauce. And the kimchee was appro-priately spicy, but not as spicy as some kimchees I have eaten. (Kimchee is a traditional Korean dish of spicy fermented seasoned cabbage and is considered to be the national dish of Korea.) The downer was the bread from a French Quarter bakery on which the sandwich was served. The top half was too fluffy and the bottom crust proved to be resistant to cutting with knife and fork.

Chuck went to the breakfast menu and ordered the Bananas Foster French Toast which was made French bread, sliced bananas, house-made Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream, and toasted walnuts with Foster sauce. The dish contained five slices of French bread swimming in a pool of a sweet brown sugar sauce/syrup served with liberal slices of banana and toasted walnut pieces. This could substitute for dessert—but who would want to substitute dessert?

He also ordered a side of breakfast potatoes made with bits of onion, green pepper, and scallion rings and
“kissed” with just a hint of cayenne pepper for interest.

We checked our watches and decided that yes—we had time for dessert. We considered the banana split. We considered the Stella Uptown with three scoops of rum raisin ice cream, carrot cake, sweet cream cheese sauce, whipped cream, toasted walnuts, and a cherry, but we chose the Stanley Split with three scoops of chunky Chartres ice cream on a banana, fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries), chocolate sauce, whipped cream, toasted walnuts, and a cherry.

We so enjoyed our dinner that we returned a few mornings later for breakfast. I know that Chuck really wanted to order the French toast again but, in the name of culinary diversity, decided to order the Stanley Classic with scrambled eggs, smoked bacon, Creole breakfast potatoes, and toast. While everything was of the highest quality and impeccably prepared, it was still bacon and eggs.

I vacillated between the Eggs Stanley (cornmeal-crusted oysters, poached eggs, Canadian bacon, and Creole hollandaise on a toasted English muffin); Breaux Bridge Benedict (Charlie T’s boudin, smoked ham, American cheese, poached eggs, and Creole hollandaise); and Eggs Stella (cornmeal-crusted soft-shell crab, poached eggs, Canadian bacon, and Creole hollandaise on a toasted English muffin).

It wasn’t until the server came that I made my decision—the Breaux Bridge (named for a city near Lafayette, LA) Benedict. Almost all parts of this dish were perfect. The eggs were poached medium firm. The hollandaise was rich and smooth and bright with lemon. And the boudin was the best I have eaten with a meat to rice ratio that favored the meat and with shreds and chunks of pork rather than ground pork. (We will be spending three months in close proximity to Charlie T’s store and I plan to be a frequent visitor.)

The only downside was again the bread. Just as with my poor boy, I had trouble cutting the bottom crust.

I would love to give Stanley Restaurant 5.0 Addies but I just can’t get past the bread. So 4.5 Addies it will be.

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T12:08:00.000-08:00

We had mentioned (see the December 24 and 25 entries) that we would save the Christmas Eve fireworks display for tonight. Our first experience with the tradition of the bonfires at Gramercy, LA, several years ago did not include fireworks, so the inclusion of this display was a surprise for us.

Once the initial burst of brilliant flames, fueled by kerosene, had diminished, the flames achieved a steady burn.

With this, the mission of providing a guide for Papa Noel was likely to succeed.

This burst was interesting to say the least. I've never known a firecracker that would create what looks like the number "5" or the letter "S".

We end with this photo with an effect that we cannot explain. How the movement of the flame became paired with the stationary position of the explosive burst is very intriguing.

Sometimes I'd rather not know how thess effects occur; I'll just enjoy the result.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

It’s All About Time(ing)

2011-12-30T16:42:00.000-08:00

The shuttle leaves the RV park at 3:45 p.m. and arrives in the French Quarter at 4:00 p.m. The Cathedral concerts begin at 6:00 p.m. That leaves two hours for a pre-concert dinner, right? Wrong! You’d better be in the Cathedral around 5:15 if you want a good seat. Arrive after 5:30 and you might not get a seat at all.

So that makes finding a restaurant for dinner a challenge. So before our first Cathedral concert we decided to try a spot just a half block away and one that was new to us—The Gumbo Shop—which, it should come as no surprise, is best know for their gumbo.

“Each summer we poll our readers for Gambit’s popular ‘Best of New Orleans’ issue. In the ‘Best Gumbo’ category, Gumbo Shop is the winner every time”—Margo DuBos, Publisher, Gambit Weekly.

As you enter, you pass the heated courtyard and a small bar. We chose to eat in the main dining room with its tall windows facing St. Peter Street, dark murals or paintings, and interesting artifacts.

“Even given a few modern touches—like the vegetarian gumbo offered daily—this place evokes a sense of old New Orleans. The menu is chock-full of regional culinary anchors: jambalaya, shrimp Creole and rémoulade, red beans and rice, bread pudding, and seafood and chicken-and-sausage gumbos, heavily flavored with tradition…The patina on the ancient painting covering one wall seems to deepen by the week, and the old tables and bentwood chairs are taking on the aspect of museum pieces” (fodors.com).

“…In New Orleans, the French influence over local cooking was just the beginning. Throughout the years African slaves were often the cooks. Through one of the nation’s busiest ports have come new citizens from Germany, Ireland, the French Caribbean Islands, Italy, Greece, Croatia and more recently, Asia. The Choctaw Indians were already living in this swampy mosquito-infested piece of land, below sea level and shaped like a crescent on the Mississippi River. They introduced powdered sassafras or file—which they called ‘kombo’—to settlers as a staple for one of many styles of the indigenous soup we call gumbo—from the African word ‘kingumbo’ meaning the vegetable okra. A gumbo usually contains either file or okra as a thickener. Just as gumbo is a blend of many cultures, so is the origin of the word. However, the base of most gumbos is ‘roux’—flour and fat with seasonings that is browned to provide an almost nutty flavor (gumboshop.com).

Our plan was to each order a bowl of gumbo and share an appetizer. From the list of appetizers that included spinach and artichoke dip, blackened fish nuggets, grilled boudin with Creole mustard, shrimp or crawfish rémoulade, shrimp salad, blackened chicken salad, and blackened catfish salad, we chose the blackened fish nuggets. This proved to be a heaping plate of catfish pieces that were not overly spicy and had a somewhat grilled flavor. This was one of those cases where had the fish been removed from the heat thirty seconds earlier they would have been undercooked, but thirty seconds more cooking would have left them overcooked.

Chuck chose the Chicken Andouille Gumbo made with boneless chicken, andouille (a Cajun Sausage), okra, and seasonings simmered in chicken stock. This is the gumbo that has been selected by locals as the best in the city. This was a very good version, but I was surprised that it had been made with a milk chocolate colored roux rather than the dark and intense roux that I expect in a meat-and-sausage-based gumbo.

That dark roux seemed to be reserved for my Seafood Okra Gumbo, which contained okra, onion, bell peppers, celery, and a bit of tomato (remember that New Orleans is Creole cuisine and not Cajun) blended with shrimp and crabs. I subscribe to the theory that seafood gumbo should be made with a lighter roux that doesn’t overwhelm the delicate flavor of the seafood.

“The secret to making a good gumbo is pairing the roux with the protein. A dark roux, with its strong (dense) nutty flavor will completely overpower a simple seafood gumbo, but is the perfect compliment to a gumbo using chicken, sausage, crawfish or alligator. A light roux, on the other hand, is better suited for strictly seafood dishes and unsuitable for meat gumbos for the reason that it does not support the heavier meat flavor as well” (wikipedia.com).

The menu lists a third gumbo—Gumbo Z’herbes (sometimes called green gumbo) that I may have seen offered as a special at other restaurants but not as a regular menu item. “The tradition behind Gumbo z'Herbes is that it was usually made on Holy Thursday for consumption on Good Friday. Since Good Friday was (and still is) a day of fasting and abstinence from meat for Catholics, something meatless had to be prepared for dinner. Catholics in New Orleans normally had no difficulties with the Church's no-meat-on-Fridays rule, since we have such an abundance of seafood in the area. Good Friday was a bit different, however, since it is also a day of fasting. The regular Friday seafood feast had to be toned down dramatically in keeping with the tone of the day” (gumbopages.com).

One recipe I found on-line called for collard greens, chicory, dandelion greens, mustard greens, spinach, parsley, beet tops, carrot tops, or turnip tops. I may have to try this someday.

Well, we are off to hear some music following our 3.5 Addie light dinner.

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.

The Music of Christmas

2011-12-29T14:01:00.000-08:00

Our December 10 entry presented information about the free Christmas Concerts at St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square in New Orleans.

Since that first concert with Ellis Marsalis, we have attended four other performances. Since we were asked not to take photographs during the concerts, I will include some photographs of the activity around the Cathedral while giving a brief description of the performances.

We will take a look around Jackson Square (photo on the left, looking south from the Cathedral) and the different aspects of life that take place in the plaza in front of the Cathedral before heading into the Cathedral.

You will find a variety of musicians, costumed walking-advertise-ments, tarot card readers and palm readers, travelers on long journeys, visitors pausing on one of the benches, artists, photographers and their subjects (see photos #10 and #11 below), and a number of people watchers.

The first concert of the next four was a perfor-mance by Philip Manuel and Shades of Praise.

Songs included both secular and traditional religious songs. In particular, we enjoyed
"Mary Had a Baby" with its refrain:
"The people keep a-comin' an' the train done gone." Known primarily as a jazz vocalist, Manuel sung this beautiful traditional African-American Christmas song in an elegant style.

In contrast to the more energized interpretations of gospel songs, the interracial, interdenominational gospel choir presented "Silent Night." Three singers were featured, each singing a verse. Of particular note was the verse sung by a strong man with elegant facial features. We expected to hear a strong baritone or bass voice, but instead, and surprisingly, we heard a magnificent falsetto. It was glorious.

As an aside, my favorite artists' interpreta-tions of
"Silent Night" were those of Enya and The Tempta-tions. Shades of Praise's version, sounding very similar to that of The Temps, now shares second place with the Temptations.

The Preservation Hall All-Stars performed several familiar Christmas songs and carols. Santa had joined the group for the vocals and the trombone parts in this fun performance.

A few nights later, we attended an Irvin Mayfield concert. A jazz trumpeter, Mayfield noted before his perfor-mance: "I am very nervous about playing Christmas music, because if I mess up, everyone knows it."

Well, that may be the case when playing "Ave Maria" and "O Holy Night," but Mayfield performed these flawlessly. But with songs like "Winter Wonderland,"
"Let It Snow," and the Charlie Brown classic "Christmas Time is Here," his artistic interpretations shown through to the great pleasure of the crowd that lined the Cathedral's walls.

The fourth perfor-mance discussed today was presented by the St. Peter Claver Catholic Church Gospel Choir. The selections sung by this group were traditional religious hymns and showed the group's talents well.

The choir was joined by Clyde Lawrence for two songs. Mr. Lawrence led the chorus at McMain Secondary School and was Orleans Parish’s Middle School Teacher of the Year.

"...singing is life itself to Lawrence. The very core of his being is so packaged by musical notes that he was nicknamed 'Mr. Music' by a friend years ago" (myneworleans.com/New-Orleans-Magazine/July-2008).

As Mr. Lawrence walked down the aisle, one could tell that the gentleman with the Santa Claus build took joy in singing and teaching others how to enjoy their own voices.

And then he began singing. This jolly fellow's voice filled the Cathedral. As he sang "O Holy Night," his voice became stronger and the tones mesmerizing. When he finished with the words "O night divine," without a break he made the transition to "How Great Thou Art." There was neither a sound nor a movement among the audience until he reached "great" in the last three words of the song. Those in attendance rose as one and applauded loudly. He found it difficult to begin his walk back to his seat because the sign of appreciation did not soon wane.

The choir seemed inspired as they finished their last couple of songs, and this earned them an equally enthusiastic sign of appreciation from the audience.

When we left the Cathedral, we said very little; I think we both were still replaying the performance.

As we were doing some window shopping while waiting for the shuttle back to the RV Park, Mr. Lawrence came walking down the street. We took this chance meeting to tell him how much we appreciated his performance. A wonderful end to the evening.

The route back "home" took us up Canal Street with its decorations.

It Used to be Easy…

2011-12-28T14:49:00.000-08:00

to take the Vieux Carré trolley through the quarter and get off at Esplanade Avenue. Walk just a few short blocks and there you were at Port of Call, the home of one of the world’s greatest hamburgers.

But, alas, the Vieux Carré trolley no longer runs. I don’t know if this is one of the changes Katrina brought to the city or whether the trolley ceased running prior to that. But the always iffy parking situation in New Orleans had deterred a return visit until now. But we were not to be denied and on that day the Patron Saint of Parking blessed us with a spot on Esplanade just a block and a half away.

You enter through the weathered double doors (This is a nice way to say the door needs a coat of paint. But such weathered doors are part of New Orleans charm.) The first thing you notice is that this restaurant is dark—even when lit with a profusion of Christmas tree lights that will give a decidedly red tone to all of the food photographs. The next thing you notice is that the room hasn’t changed in the almost twenty years since our last visit.

“Port of Call is a New Orleans gem, a real, honest-to-goodness JOINT that does not pretend to be anything but a dive (New Orleans-speak for ‘Casual Restaurant-Bar for the Locals’)” (LA Barrister at city search.com).

“The Port of Call was established in 1963 as a steakhouse located on beautiful, historic Esplanade Avenue in the French Quarter. The Port started as a quiet, small neighborhood restaurant open only at night, and has grown into an extremely popular destination for locals and tourists alike. Today the Port of Call is world famous for the burgers and steaks. The awards are many including Zagat Survey's Best Burger, Citysearch Best Burger in New Orleans, and Gambit Weekly’s Best Burger” (portofcall
nola.com).

“Everything is wood--wood paneling, wood chairs, wood tables. A thick rope net covers the low ceiling and paintings of schooners and ships line the walls. A rustic seating area glows with the light of a metal ship illuminated by small, white Christmas lights. A friendly din rises from the mix of locals and tourists as everyone talks to everyone…” (Contributor at citysearch. com).

All of this nautical décor produced in Kitty Humbug a profound urge to engage in “pirate speak.” (Did you know that September 19th is International Talk Like A Pirate Day?) But not wanting to sound like a “Drivelswigger" (one who reads about nautical terms too much), he removed himself to a more holiday appropriate perch and resisted this impulse with nary an "Arr, me hearty Ahoy,”
“Avast,” “Shiver me timbers,” “Thar she blows,” nor “Hoist the mizzen” escaping his lips.

The menu is brief. There are three steaks—filet mignon, rib eye, and New York strip. There are the restaurant’s signature burgers with or without cheese. All burgers are a half pound with the beef ground fresh daily. Lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and pickles are served on the side. And the few sides are mushrooms in wine sauce and the Schooner salad.

Notice what’s missing? French fries, that’s what. All hamburgers come with a baked potato with butter.

We both ordered cheeseburgers which came more medium rare than medium. Port of Call’s burgers are smaller in diameter than most half pounders and thus are thicker and retain more juice which runs down your hand with the first bite. They are flame-broiled rather than grilled on a flat top and come served on a buttered toasted roll. Shredded medium sharp cheddar replaces a plain slice of cheese.

As RayRay504 at citysearch.com wrote: “…After a 20-minute wait for the burger, you hold it in you hands and try to fit it in between your wide-open lips. You bite down. ‘My, God,’ you say aloud, ‘Where has this been all my life!?’ You devour the sandwich and loaded baked potato. You're stuffed and overly satisfied. You feel as if you should pay the waitress an extra $20 for the unbelievably delicious orgy that was in your mouth and now in your stomach. As you leave the small dining place, you smile and ask yourself ‘When am I going back?’”

Food purists maintain that potatoes should never be baked in foil since this causes the potato to steam and become starchy. I don’t know Port of Call’s secret, but these were as fluffy a baked potato as one would want.

Before departing, I went to use “the facility” (if you get what I mean), and when I returned to the table I told Chuck that I needed to borrow his camera. The walls of “the facility” were covered with découpage that resulted in an almost dizzying effect as if one had consumed one too many Neptune's Monsoons—described on the menu as an old recipe used frequently as a last request by pirates condemned to walk the plank....

Like RayRay504 above, I want to know when I am going back for another 5.0 Addie cheese-burger.

Kitty Humbug suggests we go on International Talk like a Pirate Day.

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.

Get on the Canal Street Streetcar,

2011-12-27T12:35:00.000-08:00

making sure that you are on the one that reads “City Park and Museum” and not the one headed to the cemeteries. A block after the streetcar turns onto North Carrollton, you disembark and hurry to another of New Orleans treasures—Angelo Brocato's Italian Ice Cream & Italian Desserts.

“Angelo Brocato looks like it would be completely at home in Boston’s North End, Manhattan’s Little Italy or on Arthur Avenue in the Belmont section of the Bronx. But it’s not—it’s on one of the busiest streets in New Orleans’ Mid-city district…

“Shortly after the shop celebrated its 100th birthday, fate intervened. On August 29th, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the city and the rest, of course, is history. Sadly, Angelo Brocato was one of the worst hit businesses when the levees broke—over four feet of water poured into the shop and destroyed absolutely everything. Many thought that the place would never be rebuilt, but optimism was high in the Brocato family and announce-ments were made that the legendary gelato/ pastry store and cafe would again re-open… After over a year, on September 26, 2006, the store re-opened, to a great amount of fanfare” (Jason Perlow at offthebroiler.wordpress.com).

“A century ago, 12-year-old Angelo Brocato began an apprentice-ship in one of Palermo, Italy's elegant ice cream parlors where he learned the special recipes for the world's finest desserts. It was the beginning of a saga that would eventually take him to America and the realization of a dream…. In 1905, he opened Angelo Brocato's Ice Cream Parlor, a replica of Palermo's finest emporiums and one of the city's first sit-down parlors… One hundred years later, the Italian ice cream business is still run by his descendants and continues to bear the name, and the portrait, of its founder” (angelobrocatoicecream.com).

Brocato’s is not just ice cream. The cases are filled with an assortment of cookies that includes Italian Seed Cookies (Biscotti Di Regina), Italian Assorted Cookies (Chocolate, Pink, White, Yellow & Green Biscotti), Italian Fig Cookies (Cucidata), Italian Biscotti, Scadalina (Hard Cookies or
"Deadman Bones"), Anise Biscotti, Almond Biscotti, and Pigniolata (Sugar Coated Con-fections). Many of these are sold in “grab and go” bags.

And even though it is mid-afternoon and one needs to make considerable effort to reach Brocato’s, the shop was a beehive of activity with patrons ordering gelato, spumoni, cassata, and cannolis—often with a shot of espresso. “The new gleaming brass Italian Espresso/Cappuccino machine is the centerpiece of the new store. While many mourned the passing of their previous antique coffee machine, which served the store for many years, the new machine serves probably what is the best Italian coffee in the entire city” (Jason Perlow at offthebroiler.wordpress.com).

We gazed at the pastry case.

We gazed at the gelato case.

We gazed at the menu posted on three wooden boards on the wall. When confronted with such luscious yumminess, what do we order?

We decide to order a large three-flavor dish of gelato to share and two cannolis to take home for dinner that evening. From the list of gelato flavors, we opted for a scoop of Baci or Italian Kiss (Chocolate Hazelnut), a scoop of Caramel Cafe Au Lait, and a scoop of St. Joseph Chocolate Almond. The first tasted like an intense Nutella; the second was streaked with soft caramel; the third was dotted with large pieces of roasted almonds.

And the cannolis? These are filled to order so that the crisp shell doesn’t soften from the chocolate cheese filling, stuffed with chocolate chips and embellished with pistachios.

It is sad that so much of New Orleans was lost due to the post-Katrina flooding, but it would have been sadder yet if places such as Angelo Brocato’s hadn’t survived. I’ll close with a quote from frommers.com: “In a constant stream of heartbreak, the sight of this sweet, genuine ice-cream parlor, which was celebrating its 100th birthday…under five feet of water, its classic sign askew, was particularly painful. By that same token, the news that the Brocato family…would be back was particularly joyful and inspiring. And that's even before you get to the goods. They make rich Italian ice cream (made fresh daily), cookies, and candy in the kind of atmosphere that is slowly being lost in this age of strip malls and superstores.”

This is the perfect 5.0 Addie way to take an afternoon break.

It’s a Poor Boy

2011-12-26T18:09:00.000-08:00

Not a po-boy. Not a po’ boy. A POOR boy.

It was a beautiful December day in New Orleans. The temps were around seventy and the sun was shining. What better spot for lunch than the outdoor patio at Parkway Bakery & Tavern?

Our previous visit to Parkway (blog on 2/28/11) was on a weekend and not just any weekend. It was the weekend of the “Rock and Roll Marathon” and it appeared that all of the runners had chosen Parkway for lunch. But today there were only a few persons in front of us in line, and that didn’t give us long to peruse the menu. But enough time for Chuck’s interest to be piqued by one item. Is it a surprise that it involved potatoes? No. It was the Golden Fried Potato poor boy.

When it was our turn to order, Chuck queried the gentleman behind the order counter about this item. Even though there was no one behind us in line, the gentleman was obviously not interested in engaging in idle chitchat and somewhat hurriedly referred us to the back of the menu. “This is the original poor boy. Read about it here.”

Thus chastened, we quickly ordered, retreated to a table, and read: “Parkway Bakery was founded in 1911…on a vacant lot on the corner of Hagan Avenue and Toulouse Street…Parkway Bakery served as a neighborhood bakery producing delicious breads, donuts and a sweet roll which was named the seven sisters…In 1929, Parkway Bakery added the new ‘Poor Boy’ sandwich created by…Martin Brothers Coffee Stand and Restaurant. Bennie and Clovis said ‘What are we going to feed these poor boys’ thus the new ‘poor boy’ sandwich was invented to help feed the striking streetcar conductors…the original
‘Poor Boy’ sandwich consisted of potatoes and maybe a drizzle of roast beef gravy. Some people in New Orleans refer to the ‘Poor Boy’ as ‘po’boy’” (parkwaybakeryandtavernnola.com).

It was by chance that later that same afternoon I purchased a copy of New Orleans Magazine and found a column by Errol Laborde entitled "The Cause Continues: It’s 'Poor Boy,' Not 'Po-Boy.” Mr. Laborde wrote: “…once more this space presents its argument for the proper naming of our native sandwich. It should be ‘poor boy,’ not ‘po-boy.’…

“Our argument is based on history. The sandwich originated as an inexpensive way to feed streetcar workers who were on strike...Eventually the sandwich became popular and was served with various stuffings…Somewhere along way the name became corrupted to ‘po-boy.’…We wouldn’t be so concerned about the bastardized name except that it betrays the sandwich's origin. Few foods have a name that is as descriptive of its historical and cultural past as does the poor boy, so why disguise it?” (myneworleans.com/New-Orleans-Magazine).

Therefore, in the name of historical accuracy, I hereby resolve to always refer to this iconic sandwich as a “poor boy.” But enough of history, let’s get to lunch.

Neither of us ordered the Golden Fried Potato sandwich. From the extensive list of poor boys, Chuck chose the Home-Cooked Hot Roast Beef with Gravy and I the fried shrimp. Poor boys come as small or large and are dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and mayo. And the French bread comes from the Leidenheimer Bakery.

It should not come as a surprise that potatoes did figure in our dining selections with an order of fries and a dish of potato salad as sides (see the third photo below). The twice-cooked fries had an appropriately crisp exterior and moist and steamy interior. And the potato salad contained a good quantify of egg. But I forgot that most potato salads in Southern Louisiana either resemble mashed potatoes or are a combination of mashed and chunks. Parkway’s version was of the latter variety.

My shrimp poor boy was disap-pointing. Granted, it was full of shrimp but many of them seemed overcooked. My favorite shrimp poor boy remains the one served at Domilese’s here in New Orleans. The secret may be the substitution of hot sauce laced catsup for the more customary tomatoes.

Time for another digression. I remember an episode of No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel. He is sitting at the bar at Domilese’s and notes that his poor boy is lacking tomatoes. To him, this is a good thing, and he maintains that tomatoes on a sandwich act like a skid allowing the contents to slide out from the bread. Or as he is quoted on mybigeasylife.com as saying: “…Tomatoes would cause, ‘Layer slide. A techtonic shift in the sandwich.’” Think about it. How often has this happened to you? For me, this is a common experience.

But enough of our visit to Domilese’s, it’s time to get back to Parkway Bakery. Chuck’s roast beef poor boy was piled high with shreds and small slices of tender beef smothered in beef gravy. About half way through the sandwich, beef started cascading from the roll which had started to disintegrate. Still, we both agreed that this was a better version of the roast beef poor boy than we sampled at Domilese’s last February.

But Brett Anderson writing for The Times-Picayune was not as kind and described Parkway’s roast beef poor boy as follows: “…it’s cooked to such moist tenderness there’s little texture to it at all--and surprisingly little flavor. The bread on the Parkway sandwich I tried last week had already been soaked and steamed halfway to paste by the time I unwrapped it.

“The po-boy (Ed Note: It’s a poor boy.) couldn’t hold its shape past four bites. A more mannerly person would have finished hers with a knife and fork. I proceeded in the manner of an undomesticated primate presented with a bowl of porridge.

“I took no satisfaction in the 14 napkins required to clean myself afterwards. This is perhaps evidence that I don’t understand what some people love about their roast beef po-boys. They are Parkway’s biggest seller…”

Even though Parkway Bakery is loved by locals and tourists alike, this was not the best poor boy experience we have had in New Orleans and earns only a 3.0 Addie rating. However, the antique car, missing two tires, was an interesting addition to the outdoor dining area.

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.

Three Miles of Bonfires, Part 2

2011-12-25T17:39:00.000-08:00

We ended yesterday's entry saying that it was 6:55 and the siren sounding the "Light the Fires" direction was only five minutes.

However, the use of a siren may have been discontinued, one of the pyramid builders may have been designated as the "starter," one of the builders may have been unable to wait any longer, or...

At any rate, one of the fires was started a bit early, and a barrage of bright "pops" soon followed. (Cane reeds had been used in the past because they smoked heavily, popped and cracked loudly, and sent orange sparks into the air when burning. However, since these pops were so numerous and occurred within moments of starting the fire, we guessed that they were a type of fireworks.)

Also, with the aid of kerosene-soaked scraps inside the pyramids, the structures were immediately engulfed in towering flames.

The bonfires have undergone some significant changes over the years. Initially, the fires consisted solely of an anchored center pole, surrounded by recently cut sugar cane reeds held in place by an encircling wire. Later, builders added scrap wood and rubber tires.

Burning tires?

Fortunately, removing tires from the pyramids was one of the changes made over the years. The structures retained the traditional teepee shape, but with precisely cut logs, became artistic masterpieces.

Looking upriver and seeing about half a dozen fires, I wondered how the scene looked like viewed from Santa's sleigh. What a sight (or navigational tool).

(Note the example of the fireworks at the top of the photo above. We will show more of the fireworks in our New Year's Eve entry.)

Around eight o'clock, the fires changed from the explosive bursts to a steady burn in the pyramids.

We wondered how far into the night the fires would burn.

Heading back to the truck, we assumed that the strategy adopted by some viewers was to proceed slowly along the River Road, getting a glimpse of the entire length of the bonfires.

Looking at the line of headlights, I couldn't help but think of the closing scene in Field of Dreams (the line of headlights snaking toward the [Dyersville] Field) and thinking of the words: "If you build it, they will come."

Seems to fit in Gramercy, Louisiana, also.

Three Miles of Bonfires

2011-12-24T10:54:00.000-08:00

It was after 3:00 on Christmas Eve and already there were other early arrivals for the celebration that would begin in less than four hours.

We drove down David Street. On the north side of the intersection with Highway 44 was a sign reading "Welcome to Lutcher" and on the south side was another sign reading "Welcome to Gramercy."

Both towns of similar size had a combined population of approxi-mately 7000 people. In the next four hours, the total would climb sixfold, if past years' attendances were equaled.

We found a place for sustenance and then drove around the towns looking for the best viewing location. By 5:00, we had found a place to park.

The Kettle Korn vendor and the Funnel Cake sales people were set up by that time, and parking spots were becoming scarce near the levee.

We walked up the levee to get a closer look at the completed pyramids (shown below).

It has become a tradition in St. James Parish to set the pyramids afire to light the way for "Papa Noel," the Cajun version of Santa Claus.

"Some have also offered the theory that the bonfires served as navigational signals to guide ships along the river, or were used to light the way for the faithful to attend Midnight Mass.

"In South Louisiana of old, Christmas was a strictly religious observance, and it was New Year's Eve that was marked by the exchange of gifts and the "reveillon" to see the old year out and to greet the New Year. Lillian Bourgeois, tells of this custom of celebrating New Year's Eve with a gathering of family and friends who enjoyed a gumbo supper...and the burning of huge cone-shaped bonfires on the batture, the land area between the base of the levee and the water's edge (see photo, right). With the passage of time, these activities gradually moved to Christmas Eve" (Emily Guidry, Bonfires on the Levee, stjamesparish.com).

And the bonfires moved from the batture to the top of the levee.

Today, the batture near one section of the levee had boxes arranged neatly in rows. An inspection of the boxes showed names like "Fighting Rooster," "Widow Maker," and "Daisy Cutter" appearing on these boxes of fireworks.

Many visitors took the time to walk along the levee for closer looks at the pyramids, the typical shape of the structures that would soon be set on fire.

I took this photo of a family recording their visit to the bonfires of 2011.

While the pyramid shape is the form that the great majority of the structures took, there was at least one other form in the stretch we saw. I don't know is this is a Hummer, an SUV, or other similar vehicle, but it was unique.

At all structures there was a distinct smell of gasoline or kerosene, so the stops at any structure were brief.

The pyramids shown here and below are one relatively small section of the roughly 3.5 miles of structures that will soon be set on fire.

As sunset neared, the pyramids stood in silhouette against the last signs of daylight.

And the visitors continued to arrive on Highway 44.

It was 6:55 and prepara-tions for guiding Papa Noel to the children along the lower Mississippi River were about to begin.

(You can check our entry of December 9 for a summary of our visit to Gramercy earlier this month.)

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Celebration in the Oaks

2011-12-23T19:40:00.000-08:00

A "dry run" drive to the New Orleans City Park during the daylight hours was not without error. With the GPS and a city map assisting us, we found the entrance to the Park, took a wrong turn and headed down a one-way street--going in the wrong direction, passed a large parking lot, and finally found the entrance. We felt prepared to navigate our way to the Celebration in the Oaks, the city's holiday light display.

On the designated date, we left about 45 minutes before the opening time. The drive to the Park from the north was surprisingly free of traffic. I was feeling confident of finding a spot to park near the entrance to the exhibits.

Nearing the entrance to the park, however, brought some concern. Traffic from the south was heavy, but more importantly, parked cars lined the street for about two block approaching the entrance to the park. This did not bode well for finding a parking spot near the entrance to the exhibits.

It was over a half mile from the park entrance to the exhibit entrance. We entered the park and saw cars parked along the street.

"I think we're going to have to find a place to park before we go much further," I ventured.

"Keep going," was Kate's response.

There was no break in the line of parked cars, save for an isolated space or two as we continued on.

"Keep going," was the message.

We made the final turn that should take us to the large parking lot we had found on our "dry run." More cars lining the street.

It had been dark for only about half an hour. "I'm amazed there are this many people here already," I observed.

"Keep going," was the message.

Nearing the parking lot, I was relieved to see that it was nearly empty.

Unbeliev-able.

However, a sign announcing "Reserved Parking" both explained the reason for its emptiness and raised questions about the logic behind the decision to block off the entire lot.

But we continued, fully expecting to have to go to the exit and then make another attempt.

"Keep going, it's only a short distance to the exhibit area."

And then. There was the ticket booth and the entrance--and a stretch of about 40 feet right along the curb. No driveway entrance, no fire hydrant, no red paint on the curb, no "Reserved" sign--I could even drive the truck right into the spot. Amazing--and only about 50 feet to the ticket booth.

Beginning with the welcoming alligator (photo #2 above), we noticed some differences in the park's theme compared to that of a region more accustomed to a cover of snow at this time of year.

Photos #4-7 show scenes from "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" Cajun-style. The scenes are synchronized with a narration and, for example, show Santa arriving in his sleigh pulled by alligators and leaving with them flying through the air.

Photos #8-9 show the Dripping Snow Tree, which features 41,600 LED bulbs whose lights appear to fall from the tree.

The Amtrack model train is a blur as it "rushes" past the homes in this display.

Children from over 200 area schools created handcrafted ornaments that were placed on Christmas trees that lined the sidewalk in the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park.

The Celebration in the Oaks ranked 18th by Family Travel in the Top 50 Best Places to See Christmas Lights in America (parentables. howstuffworks.com). Last year some 122,000 people visited the display that extends from the day after Thanksgiving until January 1.

Lobbies With a View

2011-12-22T14:56:00.000-08:00

"It's been said that the French Quarter begins in the lobby of the Hotel Monteleone. In fact, this venerable establishment sits majestically at the foot of Royal Street giving guests the best point of departure for all things New Orleans."

In contrast to this point of emphasis on Monteleone's webpage, we saw the hotel as providing an entrance to the decorative sights of Christmas.

The colorful lights in the lobby caught our attention and drew us into the hotel.

We caught a glimpse of the Carousel Bar just to the right of the of the entrance to the lobby. This unique bar, which revolves very slowly "...is a part of New Orleans history. A favorite of New Orleans locals, it has a wild circus motif and is often filled with colorful local characters telling stories about Hotel Monteleone and our celebrated city."

(Just in case some of the "colorful local characters" did not want to be included in a photograph of the bar, we took a quick shot [above] and moved on.)

We took a seat in the lobby and spent time studying the table display (left) and people-watching.

One of the scenes that unfolded before us was that of a wedding party that seemed to be searching the lobby for someone. Had I been a bit more prominent in my presence, I could have picked up a few bucks, since the person they were looking for was the photographer.

We moved on to another hotel in the Quarter.

"Often referred to as the 'Jewel of the French Quarter', the Royal Sonesta New Orleans offers great choices in dining and entertainment...all located within our doors" (sonesta.com).

The lights of the trees and the brilliance of the chandelier provided examples of other "jewels" of the hotel.

I thought the lobby was beautiful. The somewhat muted red of the ribbons was the perfect shade to pair up with the gold of the walls.

"The Royal Sonesta Hotel is located in the heart of the historic French Quarter on one of the world’s most famous entertainment corridors, Bourbon Street."

I'm sure that these hotel lobbies are beautiful at other seasons, but at Christmas, they are magnificent.

“Move over kid,” Adler said...

2011-12-21T12:56:00.000-08:00

to Kitty Humbug. “This job calls for a pro. I didn’t get dragged to a succession of joints, dives, and greasy spoons to see you review the Jazz Brunch at the Blue Room.”

As Chuck was finishing his photo fest of the Roosevelt Hotel’s lobby, we were joined by Karen and Dick Allsing for a truly memorable experience.

“During the height of the supper club era in the early 1930’s there was one venue that continually drew the stars of stage and screen for unforgettable performances—The Blue Room. Locals and visitors alike would put on their Sunday best and head to The Roosevelt to see such celebrities as Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Durante, and Sonny & Cher to name a few. Today the spirit of entertainment and service lives on in The Blue Room. History is written with every note, every drink and every artfully crafted dish. Dressed in deep blues and rich gold, this storied space continues to welcome special performances as well as the culinary and cultural experience of Sunday Jazz Brunch” (therooseveltneworleans.com).

Upon entering the Room, we were invited to take a complimentary glass of either champagne or a mimosa (left in th photo above). (We would learn that these glasses would be refilled upon request during the meal. Also at no charge.)

Noah Bonaparte Pais at www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/the-roosevelt-hotel wrote when describing the hotel’s restoration: “And then, there is the Blue Room, perhaps the hotel's true trump card. The famed supper club hosted everyone…before going into hibernation during the Fairmont's latter years. But the venue is a large part of the vision for a reborn Roosevelt.

“The cobalt-carpeted room received a facelift as well, starting with overhauled lighting and sound…Technology is a real assistance to us (in the Blue Room)," says Roosevelt GM Tod Chambers. ‘This room before, as great as it was, didn't have these wonderful speakers, this lighting truss that's going to light the stage. It's a beautiful, historic room, yet loaded now with the most recent technology, and it makes it a lot better room for all of its potential uses. The ceiling's been redesigned acoustically. The sound quality will be good.’"

The brunch menu is part buffet (appetizers [photo above] and dessert) and part table service. Just my luck, I was seated directly facing the cold seafood bar which was piled high with cold boiled shrimp, crab claws, and oysters on the half shell. I could have made a meal of these alone.

But instead, my appetizer plate contained (from the top clockwise) an oyster with horseradish, a mini crawfish pie in a rich and flaky pastry, puff pastry encased oyster, barely seared carpaccio (Italian in origin, carpaccio consists of thin shavings of raw beef filet, which may be drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice or served with a mayonnaise or mustard sauce. The dish is often topped with capers and sometimes onions. It's generally served as an appetizer [epicurious.com]), another oyster, boiled shrimp and, in the center, a small slice of rabbit and crab pate with Dijon mustard and a cornichon (French for gherkin. Why not just call it a small pickle?)

Chuck, showing restraint, chose the pate and carpaccio and added a roll, a small dish of curried chicken (top), and some honeydew melon from the extensive fruit and salad section of the appetizer buffet bar. Other items sampled, but not photographed, were the Creole gumbo, small one-ounce servings of blended gazpacho, and small cups of white lump crab with asparagus and frisee in a light dressing.

Now it was time to make our entrée selections. Items not chosen by our party are: Banana Nut Pancakes with cinnamon, walnuts and honey; Hazelnut Waffles with blackberry cream and Nutella (an Italian hazelnut and chocolate spread sometimes referred to as the Italian peanut butter); Smoked Salmon Flatbread marinated cucumbers and pickled okra; Poached Eggs and Grilled Chaurice (Creole and Cajun sausage made from pork and normally spicy) with stone ground grits, sauce piquant, and crispy shallots; and Herb Marinated Grilled Half Poussin with fresh asparagus and oyster-andouille dressing.

I almost ordered the latter but decided that however you say it, poussin is still chicken—albeit a young chicken. So instead I ordered the Tasso and Shrimp Crusted Gulf Fish with sautéed French, fava, and wax beans, and shrimp velouté. Tasso is a smoked pork meat seasoned with cayenne pepper, garlic, and salt and is used as a food seasoning. I was concerned that the powerful flavor would overwhelm the mild fish (Gulf redfish), but my concern was unfounded. Just enough was used to impart a light smoky flavor, but it didn’t dominate the dish. What shown through was the mild and sweet flavor. And the fish was so perfectly cooked that it retained its medium-firm texture that I found not unlike lobster tail. And the velouté added another dimension of flavor. (A velouté is one of the five French “mother sauces” and is “a white sauce that is stock-based and thickened with a white roux. Velouté is a form of the French adjective velour, which means ‘velvet.’…The ingredients for a velouté sauce are butter, flour, and a light stock, which means the bones used have not been roasted [wisegeek.com]).

Dick selected the Louisiana Blue Crab Omelette with fresh herbs, Creole sauce, and gruyere which was accom-panied by a dish of potatoes.

Karen chose the Eggs Sardou which is described on the menu as Huey P. Long’s favorite with poached eggs bathed in hollandaise sitting on artichoke hearts and creamy spinach and accom-panied by a fresh tomato salad. The dish, which was created at Antoine's Restaurant, is “named for Victorien Sardou, a famous French dramatist of the 19th century, who was a guest in New Orleans when the dish was invented" (wikipedia.com).

And Chuck? His entrée was the Herb and Sea Salt Crusted Prime Rib (medium rare) with horseradish mashed potatoes and natural jus and a side of the same beans that graced my plate. Don’t see the photo? I think, after photographing the three of our entrees, he was in such a hurry to eat that he forgot to take a picture. I did sample a small piece of the prime rib and it was delicious.

It was time for a short food break and we sat back to listen to some cool jazz. (Cool jazz “is a style of modern jazz music that arose following the Second World War. It is characterized by its relaxed tempos and lighter tone, in contrast to the bebop style that preceded it. Cool jazz often employs formal arrangements and incorporates elements of classical music” [wikipedia.com]). In this case, provided by the James Rivers Movement.

“After his (James Rivers) high school graduation, he began to travel on the road… After playing with a multitude of prestigious recording artists, such as Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Jimmy Reed…, James returned to New Orleans, where he formed his own band. They played in various nightclubs that included Mason’s, Sylvia’s Lounge, and his all time favorite, ‘Tyler’s Beer Garden’, where he performed great music for fourteen years. While performing one night at Tyler’s, James was fortunate to meet the actor Clint Eastwood, who came to hear him play. Mr. Eastwood was impressed, and featured James in five of his movie soundtracks… James mostly plays private clubs now, but his all time favorite gig is now the Blue Room” (jamesriversmovement.com). The music was perfect for conversation and, for a brave few—which included Dick and Karen—dancing.

For one selection, Rivers played this instrument (right) which looked like a flute and sounded like a harmonica. At the conclusion of the music, Chuck asked what the instrument was, and after a laugh, Rivers showed him the instrument--a flute with a harmonica attached to it. (Chuck wondered if this arrangement made it easier to hold and play the small harmonica, but he didn't ask.)

But now it is time for dessert. At the urging of John our server, I started with the Bananas Foster (created in 1951 by Paul Blangé at Brennan's Restaurant), prepared a la minute or made to order. The dish contains bananas and vanilla ice cream, with the sauce made from butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum, and banana liqueur and as the final stage in the presentation is flambéed. I was so intent on watching the preparation that the young man at the prep station had to remind me to “Watch out for the flame.”

Chuck came back with a plate of mini desserts including a small dish of crème brûlée for me. As a child, I hated custard. But put a sugary caramelized topping on the custard and I can’t get enough.

The Addie scale wasn’t designed to rate an experience such as this. To say that the Jazz Brunch at the Blue Room earns 5.0 Addies is an understatement, but will have to suffice. And we are delighted that we could share the day with Karen and Dick.

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.

"Meeting" A Grande Dame

2011-12-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

"You must see the Roosevelt Hotel's Lobby," said our Visitors' Center resource person with emphasis. This strong recommendation was heeded on an earlier visit to New Orleans in December.

Now, several years later, we made it a point to see the lobby's winter scene.

"A favorite tradition for everyone who grew up in New Orleans is taking a walk through the Roosevelt Hotel Lobby in December. This lobby runs for an entire city block...and features a spectacular display of holiday wonderland decorations, as luxurious and memorable as the historic property itself.

"This year, the Waldorf Wonderland Lobby...is transformed into a canopy of white birch branches and thousands of twinkling lights along with a nostalgic look at some of New Orleans great eateries, enhancing the already spectacular holiday extravaganza.

"The lobby will also be lined with Christmas trees decorated with bows and ornaments, poinsettias and other holiday-themed displays. The festive, free attraction is a favorite near and far and is open to the public.

“'The Waldorf Wonderland Lobby is a must-see for visitors and locals,' said General Manager Tod Chambers. 'It’s our way of giving back to the community and recognizing that New Orleans is already a magical destination, made a bit more appealing at The Roosevelt Hotel'" (therooseveltnew orleans.com).

Pushing carts laden with luggage, hotel staff had to navigate the distance from the entrance to the registration desk and then the elevator, while deftly avoiding visitors and photographers filling the marble-clad walkway.

"The original Roosevelt Hotel had this name from 1923 to 1965. Before that, it was the Grunewald Hotel, and in the 1960s it became the Fairmont Hotel. But at all times it was quintessen-tially New Orleans.

"The Christmas decorating tradition at the Roosevelt dates to the 1940s, when the hotel created an angel hair lobby by covering the ceiling with white angel hair, glowing lights and hanging ornaments--and filling the lobby with Christmas trees, toys, wrapped presents, elves, angels and a child-size gingerbread house.

"When the hotel reopened as the Roosevelt, many people were eager to revisit the lobby. In the new Christmas display, the angel hair was replaced by a canopy of white birch branches decorated with lights and flocked, decorated fir trees" (bestofnew orleans.com}.

"After years under the Fairmont umbrella, the 504-room hotel, now part of the Waldorf Astoria Collection, underwent a $145 million renovation after Hurricane Katrina and reopened in late 2009.

"In a city that has more than its share of historic hotels, the Roosevelt, which originally opened in 1893, is the only New Orleans hotel that truly deserves the title of grande dame" (concierge. com/travelguide/new orleans).