and boy did I embrace that life! Hoag and I went to New Orleans for his 2001 Baseball teams induction into the Tulane Hall of Fame for being the first team in the school's history to go to the College World Series. Wonderful time to catch up with guys he hasn't seen since college and reminisce about all the good ol days...
... and a great reason for me to have an excuse to eat everything that dreams are made of! We started to trip off right with a trip to Mr. B's with two of our favorite people who taught us the right way to eat BBQ shrimp. Apparently the right way does not involve allowing a shrimp head to explode all over your white sweater... but you live and you learn and you smell like shrimp until you get back to the hotel. C'est La Vie :)
The heart beat that flows through NOLA is something so contagious that I find my toes tapping and my pants shrinking with every move we make. There are few things that I love more than an impromptu street band with washboards.
Except for the famous Muffuletta's from Central Grocery... where I also stole my Fava Bean for good luck. ( There seems to be a lot of superstitions down there! )
A quick trip to the Tulane dugout to watch the youngen's practice while we caught up with Coach Jones and some old roomies made for the perfect Friday afternoon. The weather was impeccable!
And this is where the night turns... well it turns all right. Anyone who knows New Orleans knows this bar and knows that you don't leave this bar without drinking the tongue changing, mind altering, stuttering inducing hurricanes. Don't worry, I didn't take any photos except...
of this tile in the upstairs bathroom that I was totally and utterly in love with... at the time.
Needless to say, room service was in order the next morning but only in New Orleans can you get a poached egg on top of a crab cake, on top of a fried green tomato covered in hollandaise sauce. WITH GRITS! Be still my heart. I had a hard time getting out of bed that morning!!
Amazing Katrina Art
And after a rousing game of Tulane football... ok, not rousing, more like ... we stayed until half time... Hoag and I went to his favorite all time restaurant, Upperline, where I had fried oysters that melted in my mouth, this lamb shank osso bucco style that was barely hanging on to the bone with pickled greens and grits. Holy Moly, I felt like I was in heaven.
And what trip is complete without a stop into Mother's? We were supposed to get in their for the legendary Po Boys and the Debris but we had an early flight to catch but rest assured. This famous ham, eggs over easy, grits and biscuit was enough to leave me begging for more. And did I mention the coffee??? The chicory made me feel like I was drinking a mocha and I might of have three cups... ok maybe four.
It's a place I love. A place I dream of. A place where I don't even dare to try to replicate the flavors because they are the very model of love and tradition shinging through food and something I'll always look forward to.
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