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Christmas Eve Brunch in Nola This past Christmas, Don and I changed up tradition and spent a few days in New Orleans. We lucked out with some last minute brunch reservations. We wandered from our hotel in the French Quarter and arrived at this iconic restaurant on Royal Street, at 10:30 am. Since 1832 I was excited to finally visit the Royal Street restaurant. The building has been here for 132 years, but it wasn't always a restaurant. The French, townhouse-style building was first home to the Cavalier family. In 1886 the house and street level store was purchased and two sisters from an aristocratic Creole family, opened up a fine notions shop. When we entered the restaurant on Christmas Eve morning, it was hard to picture the space, back in the day. Emma and Bertha would have displayed imported gowns and perfumes in their shop. I wonder where the arched doorway would have led, before it was turned into bar seating? I'm sure the brick fireplace kept the shop cozy on cold mornings. On pleasant days, the sisters would have escorted their special guests, back to the courtyard for cakes and tea. The Courtyard! It was nice to arrive before the things got too busy. The staff was cheery and relaxed, inviting us to take a look around and decide if we wanted to eat in, or out. The famous courtyard is the largest in New Orleans. It looked inviting with its wishing well and fountains. But it was a tiny bit chilly on that December morning. Royal Court and Grand Marquis I found more dining areas upstairs and in the front of the building. They weren't serving in the formal spaces, but it was fun to see all the chandeliers and white tablecloths. The Fein Family has owned and run the restaurant since 1963. I'm how these spaces were used before then. The Sisters closed shop in the early 1900's. I believe the building has been serving food and drink since the 1920's. The Terrace Back downstairs, we peeked in the Terrace Dining Room. It looked inviting, with a jazz trio and large windows, overlooking the courtyard. The dining room was bright and airy, but the green garden colors lured us outside. Table by the Fountain The air was cool, but we warmed up with coffee. Chicory! We knew we were in New Orleans. Our waiter Mario, kept the coffee coming. He said he'd only been at The Court for 2 years, but he had worked at another famous nearby restaurant for 42 years. "You were hired as a baby?" I asked. He laughed and said he started working at Brennan's, at age 12. Buffet It was nice to be some of the first guests to hit the buffet. What a wonderful spread! First I took a good look at all the options in the inviting, black and white serving area. There was an Eggs Benedict station and a meat carving station. There were Creole favorites, like turtle soup and crawfish pasta. Best of all, there were lots of Christmas sweets and pieces of Christmas King Cake! Feasting in the Courtyard While Don and I feasted, I waited for the right moment to share a little something with Mario. When there seemed to be a lull in activity, I pulled the old Ford Motor Cookbook from my bag. "Does this recipe look familiar?" I asked. Mario took a long look at the old book from 1959. He laughed at the courtyard image, that accompanied the recipe for Shrimp Au Gratin. "Where is this from!" Yay! I love adding a cookbook adventure to an already fun meal. It almost always gets a good reaction, but I had been a little concerned about sharing on a busy holiday. Mario showed the book to a couple other waiters, then he happily agreed to pose with us. So fun! Heading Out We finished up and wished Mario a Merry Christmas. Instead of heading out through the old house, we exited through the back of the courtyard. We passed through a gate, that seemed to match the wrought iron in the cookbook illustration. History How have these separate buildings been used over the years? Did many buildings share the courtyard equally? I left with so many questions about this old place. Cheers to three generations of Feins, for keeping this restaurant running on Royal Street for so many years. Cheers to Emma and Bertha! It was a fun dining adventure!
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Lunch Near the Great River Road It's been 4 years since we stopped for lunch at the Creole House. But the memories linger and it's time for a quick recall. Road Side Dining A few Octobers ago, Don and I were headed with "the kids" to tour the Whitney Plantation. Before crossing the Mississippi River, we drove through the small town of Paulina. Pop. 1,178. The Creole House, with porch and swing, looked like our best bet for lunch. Dark Wood and Dark Doors There was a tavern feel to the cozy building. There were Saints flags and banners and an area where live music happened, in the later hours. I was especially curious about the thick, rounded doors, on one wall. Surrounded in Wood Victoria brought our menus and I struggled to understand her Cajun accent. I wanted to ask more questions about the building, which looked old, with pine walls and ceiling. But I was having a hard enough time, just communicating about food. Peeking Around While our orders cooked, I explored. I loved the red windows that peeked into the kitchen. I should have counted the fleur de lis decor, since I spotted the first, on the roof. Fire Place and Christmas Tree The far end of the dining room looked very festive with a cozy fireplace and a Christmas tree... even though it was October. It looked like the inside of an old house and I wanted to know more. The Rounded Doors We chatted while awaiting our food and Victoria refilled waters. I asked about the wonderful doors, that looked like they should have been in a castle somewhere. She just said they separated the dining room and the bar. Creole Food! I wimped out and ordered a cheeseburger and salad, which was fine. But Scott and Chali played it right and ordered the big platter of fried shrimp, fish and oysters with onion rings, biscuit and a bowl of seafood gumbo. That's the way to do it! At the Counter While checking out at the counter, I managed to have a quick chat with Victoria. I didn't learn anything more about the curious building or the restaurant's history, but I learned about the wooden, pyramid decoration near the bubble gum machines. Victoria lit up, when I inquired! Bonfires on the Levee Tradition photo: bullwinklestravels.blogspot.com I believe this is pretty much what Victoria said... Every Christmas Eve, wooden structures line the levee. Locals gather to celebrate with friends, family and food, as the structures are lit. She said she'd grown up with the tradition and had fond memories. "The kids love it!" She smiled and added shyly, that she'd been a part of the pageant last year. I'm guessing that would be the Miss Festival of the Bonfires Pageant... but I'm not sure.
So I learned a little something fun. We'll have to return some evening and enjoy some live music in the cozy Creole House. Better yet, we'll come on Christmas Eve and sneak a peek at the glowing levee! Nola Stop in January Don and I finished up our January road trip with stop at my brother and sister-in-law's, in New Orleans. They already had Mardi Gras decor on the porch. We celebrated our reunion on Friday night, with Sazeracs! Off to Middendorf's On Saturday, we were up for a little Louisiana food adventure. We steered away from the French Quarter and drove about 40 miles northwest to Manchac, for a catfish feast. We pulled off of old US-51 and spotted a mighty worn restaurant, with "80+ Years" written on the roof. A New Look Luckily, just next door was a fresh looking building, with bright red doors and windows. Decorations and a View We were welcomed right away and led towards a cute upstairs space. On our way, I peeked in the larger dining room and noticed some fun things... a large tree growing up to the ceiling... gators? I love that Louisiana stuff. We passed a door, covered with green, purple and gold masks and feathers. Mardi Gras wasn't until March this year, but it's never too early to decorate! Since 1934 I have no photos of our cute room and table, but here is one of our window view. We could see the bridge we had just crossed, over Pass Manchac. We read a little history in our menu about the hurricanes that have flooded the iconic restaurant, that Josie and Louis Middendorf opened in 1934. The Middendorf family still owned the restaurant until a year after Hurricane Katrina. Luckily they passed along Josie's recipes for Original Thin Fried Catfish, to the new owners! Catfish! I am not a big fan of catfish, but I'm a huge fan of trying regional specialties! I actually really enjoyed the catfish, but have little to compare it to. The fried shrimp was yummy and the soupy, pickle-topped slaw was too! Our table also enjoyed some turtle soup and broiled shrimp. We were all pretty amused by the big, 20-cent price jump, for ordering broiled over fried! Exploring A trip to the restroom added a little entertainment. The gator door handle was mighty fine! Then I spent some time looking at old photos in the hallway. Issac Middendorf's survived Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, but took in 4 feet of water, with Ike in 2008. These photos from 2012, show the old Middendorf's building and the newer one, where we ate. Issac was 200 miles away in 2012, but the storm surge caused more flooding and damage. Ponchatoula - Strawberry Capital of the World We were too full for dessert when we finished our platters of catfish. We headed over to Ponchatoula for a little antique shopping. We could have made our feast day complete, if only the Strawberry Capital of the World... had some strawberry desserts for us! We found none. King Cake! Actually we didn't really look for any strawberry desserts. We were saving our appetites for this fabulous King Cake, back at the house. My sister-in-law made sure to pick this up from their fave king cake baker! It was indeed fabulous!
What a wonderful catfish and king cake day! Tiki Nola Style in 2017! I'm having a throwback spotlight... ...on a tiki-evening we enjoyed in the French Quarter. Up We Go! A year ago in May, we were in New Orleans for our son's graduation from Tulane Law. This was one of the places he wanted us to experience. You just have to do what your son wants, so we entered the white door and headed up the stairs. Two wicker chairs welcomed us, with some coconut art! Dark Tiki bars are almost always dark. It takes some nerve to flash your camera, when the locals are gathered at the bamboo-canopy-bar. Art on a Brick Wall Island art! The island masks and ship decor, were all worthy of my camera's sudden spotlight. Cozy Corner Luckily it was early and there was ample seating available. We found the best corner. Moai and Flames! Sitting beneath the Moai tiki god, we felt the need to order something equally bold. The flaming bowl of booze lit up the corner! Heidi and Jamie Our daughter and her fiancee were happy to demonstrate, how to share a rum-filled cocktail. They took it very seriously. Plus Boozy Bears To balance out the dangerous adult drink, we added a playful order of gummy bears on ice. Of course the bears were filled with alcohol, so it wasn't exactly balancing anything. The Kids It's kind of scary how many photos we have with our kids enjoying cocktail adventures. Oh well. With the Parents This guy graduated from law school the next day, so I guess all our parenting wasn't bad. Cheers to Scott and cheers to tiki bars!
Good Food & Good Neon! A retro, neon sign is enough to lure me to a restaurant. But the Tujague's history is much more impressive than the sign! Since 1856 It's hard to believe this sweet old thing sitting on the corner, was already 100 years old on the day I was born! In 1963 This is how an artist depicted the restaurant in 1963. The retro image shows Tujague's at a time when tourists were beginning to flock. 100 years earlier, farmers, butchers and other workmen from the French Market across the street, were the only customers. Cookbook Luckily I had this fine Ford Motor Company Cookbook with me, when we dined on May 18. How else would I have known, the restaurant specialty was Boiled Beef! Family Gathering in May We gathered outside Tujague's a couple weeks ago, to begin a celebratory weekend. Our son's law school graduation gave us lots to celebrate, but we'd already been celebrating for 3 years. Nola is a great place to visit and we've come often, to celebrate anything we can think of! In the Back Our group was seated in the backroom, beside a brick wall. It was a festive gathering of 2 families, so we were glad for the less formal atmosphere. There was a very stern presence in the room, however. She stared at us from a frame on the wall, beside a huge collection of tiny liquor bottles. For Starts I showed my vintage cookbook to our waiter, but he was a little too young to be impressed. Luckily, they did serve the specialty from the book. The menu's entree title, Boiled Brisket of Beef with Creole Horseradish Sauce, sounded much better than the book's name, Boiled Beef. The appetizer portion had a good zing with the sauce. The Creole Turtle soup was a yummy start as well. Smiles and Bread You can see beneath the smiles, there's and empty soup bowl. That's a good sign. The fact that there are still loaves of fresh bread only means I was holding back. I could have eaten all the yummy bread myself! The Famous Stand Up Bar A few framed photos of Tujague's old cypress bar, made me curious. My 10 pm photo shows only ghosts at the bar. The antique print, did make me wonder about all the men who drank beer or Sazeracs in the past 161 years. What kinds of deals were made? What were the jokes they told? Foot on the Railing I wonder who was the first woman to put her foot on the brass foot rail? I put my foot down in a most noncommittal way. The men in the photo look like they're staring at a woman (much braver than me) who dared to put her foot on the rail. Brave With My Cookbook Since it's 2017, I figured I was allowed to talk to the only 2 men in the bar, especially since I had my cookbook on hand. Our waiter may not have cared about the curious book, but William, the bartender was quite impressed. He flagged down the manager who took a picture of me holding the book open to the recipe. He said he was eager to show the chef, who unfortunately had just left. Sharing the Book There was one gentleman at the end of the bar, who was curious enough to take a peek at the book before I hurried back to the table. He seemed a bit amused by the book's simple recipe. Dinner is Served I didn't bother our waiter with picture taking, but I snapped a pic of the rest of the group, ready to dig in. Main Course My Vegetarian Gnocchi was creamy and rich and delicious. I could only eat half. Don's Speckled Trout Almandine was a healthier and even yummier choice. Relaxed By the time a few bread puddings were devoured, the group was fairly relaxed. Maybe those Grasshoppers or Whiskey Punches added to the relaxed state. Those are 2 of the drinks made famous at Tujague's Bar, many years ago. Heading Out Our party was last to depart. The front room was getting prepped for the next day's lunch. As we passed through the empty bar, we noticed the throne-like Crown Royal chair. Scott tried it out, sitting beneath photos of Tujague's previous owner, Steven Latter. Evidently Mr. Latter also enjoyed that throne, back in the day. It was a good and proper way to end the evening!
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The Dining Blog
This is a blog about Dining Adventures. Sometimes, I talk about food. Below, you can read how this started. On July 4th 2011, I set a goal to try 50 culturally diverse restaurants in one year! (I knew that was possible, living in the Houston area) I spent the year pulling in friends and family to join me, on some unusual dining adventures. I met some curious people, tried some scary foods and explored places and cultures I never would have otherwise. Even though I met my goal, I learned too much to end my adventures in dining. I have continued blogging about memorable dining adventures of all kinds, near and far... and all the discoveries and funny things I've learned along the way! Locations and types of dining adventures, are listed further down. Archives
November 2023
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