Monday, September 1, 2008

Thinking of New Orleans


This is the late Austin Leslie, frying up his famous chicken at a Southern Foodways Alliance symposium a few years ago. Man, that was some glorious bird, which the New Orleans icon served with pickles.

I've been thinking about my friends in NOLA all weekend. Heard from one family who didn't evacuate, which is now looking like a gamble that's going to pay off.

Haven't heard mention that the storm disrupted Decadence Weekend, which is traditionally held over Labor Day. Our family unsuspectingly booked a trip to New Orleans one year during the clothing-optional (almost, not quite) festivities and my kid got quite an education. Yes, dear, that man is dressed as Napolean wearing a mini skirt. 

She also got served. Wine, that is. The laws are very Euro in this country's most exotic city. If you're with grown-ups, servers will pour kids a glass of wine. Isn't that civilized? Or, maybe further proof that, as some people say, New Orleans is the devil's playground. 

Yeah, you right.

I've been longing to get back down that way, to eat at my favorite places: John Besh's August, Willie Mae's, Central Grocery, the market in the Quarter that boils up a mean mess of crawfish. I'm going to book that ticket, too. Just as soon as hurricane season is over.

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