Doing the Big Easy - Triple D Style (part 2)

My last day in New Orleans dawned and I was not feeling too great.  I think that with our weird winter weather at home combined with really pushing it in Austin as well as my first day in New Orleans led to my feeling really bad when I woke up.  The hotel I was at was really cold (and if you know me, then you know that it really can't too cold for me!) and I was shivering just walking inn the lobby and hotel corridors.  The cold aside, I was not going to let that slow me down!

My friend Jimmy told me that he had on;y a very short time to meet for lunch and we decided to meet a a very cool place near where he works and really not too far form my hotel.  We decided to meet in the small suburb of Jefferson at a very cool place called THE RIVERSHACK TAVERN.  This place is very much a shack and for lunch on a Friday it was extremely busy!  After waiting for a few moments they seated me and I waited for Jimmy to arrive.  The place is very cool!  Local signs and decorations adorn the place and one of the coolest things are the stools at the large bar.  The back legs of the stools are decorated as legs, some better than others and for some it really looked like real legs, so the people looked as though they were standing at the bar!  Jimmy arrived and we ordered, he decided upon a bowl of the Turtle Stew and I chose the Single Crab Soft Shell Crab Po Boy.  My sandwich was delicious.  I really like Soft Shell Crab, but don't get to enjoy it very often as they really aren't in season very often at home.

My Soft Shell Crab Po Boy

Jimmy told me that his stew was awesome, the best Turtle Stew he had ever had, with bits of turtle in every bite.  Although the place was packed and busy, the chef that cooked with Guy in the DDD episode came out to meet me and sign the book.  He seemed very happy that we had stopped in and I thanked him for a great meal and also how much I enjoyed him on the show.  He told me that this would be one of the last days to serve the stew as Turtle meat is getting scarce.  He actually changes the menu up with local flavor that he is able to get and cook.  On the episode he cooked Rabbit for Guy (Guy said in an Elmer Fudd voice, "Be Very Very Quiet, I Trying Rabbit!").  The chef told me that he has had to take it off the menu due to him not being able to get rabbit.

I said good-bye to Jimmy and we made plans to meet on the ship the next day.  From there I drove into New Orleans to try a few more places.  The next stop was a total disappointment.  I had been told that there would be alot of people at MAHONY'S PO BOY SHOP mostly due to the fact that on the DDD episode Guy visited the shop with famous chef Emeril Lagasse.  I got to the shop and went in to the counter to order.  the place was busy but not packed in the least.  As I got up to order I was informed that it would be 35 to 40 minutes before they would even get to my order.  As nothing on the  menu really jumped out at me I decided to pass on Mahony's.  In my opinion I think think that with the DDD show with both Guy and Emeril, Mahony's has gotten a bit "big for their britches" I mean I could understand if I had to wait for a table but it didn't seem that busy.  Oh well, onward and upward!

From Mahony's I moved on to a really cute small cafe not too far away called JOEY K'S.  This small diner-cafe had a nice lunch rush business but I was able to get a table right away and I decided to try a lighter meal choosing a bowl of Corn and Rice Chowder.

The chowder was very tasty and the people there were so nice.  I really liked Joey K's.  The staff happily signed my book and their large menu is quite appealing.  If I make it back to New Orleans I really want to try a full meal at this place!

From Joey K's it was onto the most unique place I visited in New Orleans.  PARASOL'S BAR AND GRILL is a small smoky bar with a really good local menu.  As I entered the bar was full and on the episode the place looked a lot bigger than it actually was.  I took a seat off the bar and just watched the interesting staff and floor show.  Parasol's uses the theme of "It's casual!" and it was!  The bar tender was dressed as a middle aged woman that had just  awoke, with curlers, bed jacket, bed hat, etc. with a beard and all the make-up done!  I ordered the Oyster Gumbo and it was really good but extremely spicy and came with a  slice of garlic bread to help quell the heat.  I was able to the get the bar tender to sign my book and we talked about my travels and then all of the sudden he told me "Get Out!'.  Taken aback I asked him how much and he told me to "Get Out!".  It didn't take me a long time to figure out that my soup was on the house, a first in my travels.  I will definitely go back to Parasols for both the great food and the fun atmosphere!

My Parasol's Bar Oyster Gumbo

Being pretty full I went to more more place about a mile away.  SURREY'S CAFE AND JUICE BAR.  I decided to save Surrey's for last because I knew I would be full by the time I got there and since Juice Bar is part of the name I could get a cup of fresh juice and that is exactly what I did.

I got a glass of their daily juice special.  Fresh squeezed orange and mango juice.  It was sweet at first tasty and then had a real tart ending, very tasty!  Surrey's was my last New Orleans DDD joint and put my DDD total to 227!

Later that night I met back up with my brother for dinner with his ABA group and we went to a famous Bourbon Street restaurant called "the Red Fish Grille".  the food there was awesome and I got an appetizer of Buffalo and Bleu Oysters followed by a main meal of Shrimp and Grits, both were awesome, you would not even have known that the Oysters were oysters as they had the taste of buffalo style wings with some great bleu cheese drizzle. 

From there we walked to a Dixieland Jazz place on Bourbon Street, where the music was lively and awesome.  I must admit that Bourbon Street was not my kind of place, I found it very much in your face, loud and raucous.

That ended my DDD trip to New Orleans.  The next day I boarded the Voyager of the Seas for a 7 night cruise, which was very nice.  The only down side was that it took a few days for my cold to subside, but a cruise with a cold ALWAYS beats the best day at work!

Doing the Big Easy - Triple D Style (part 1)

From Austin it was onto New Orleans and a cruise on the Voyager of the Seas.  I had a very early flight out of Austin and after a fairly short connection in Houston I arrived in "The Big Easy".  As a coincidence my older  brother Tom also would be in town for a huge Bar Association Meeting.  I waited for him to arrive and we headed into the city so I could drop him off at his hotel just about in the French Quarter.  After he checked in we walked over to the Quarter to check out the area and go to a place for lunch.  We went to a place called the Chartre House and although it wasn't a DDD place I did enjoy a small snack as I knew that there would be more places later in the day to try.

After bidding Tom adieu I headed north out of the the city to the town of Slidell.  My first New Orleans area restaurant would be a very low key, classic cafe-diner called LA PINES. 

My LA Pines Shrimp Po Boy



I ordered the Shrimp Po Boy.  Po Boys are traditional Louisiana sandwiches which come with just about any meat or seafood fillings that you can imagine.  Most people get them "dressed" which includes lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, etc..  They don't add the hot sauce but it is provided on all the tables and is quite popular amongst all of the locals.  After chatting with the staff and getting my book signed, The manager asked me to go and add a push pin to their visitors map, which was very cool!

From LA Pines it was onto the town of Mandeville which is at northern end of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway bridge.  I would be crossing the lake to get to my hotel for the next few nights but before heading over the lake I had to stop at a cool, small joint called LOUIE AND THE REDHEAD LADY.  As it was about 2pm, the place was pretty empty and I decided that after looking over the very extensive menu I would go light and try their Gumbo and Biscuit Special.

My Gumbo Lunch

The seafood gumbo was very tasty and real thick.  It came with a small garlic biscuit that really just made the meal.  Although neither Louie or the Redhead Lady were not there, I did get the manager to sign my book. 

From there I headed south on the Causeway toward my hotel, where I would be staying for the 2  nights prior to the cruise.  The causeway bridge is 24 miles long and after travelling about 10 miles into the lake you couldn't see either shore on the north of the south, so it was like driving on a bridge in the middle of the ocean.  It was pretty awesome.

After settling into the hotel I was off into the city of New Orleans to meet my cruise friend Jimmy and try a few places for dinner.  I met Jimmy outside one of the best places that I have encountered on my travels CASAMENTO'S.  This hole-in-the-wall joint specializes in Oysters.  As  we found a table I noticed the champion oyster shucker from the DDD episode was holding court behind the bar.  I immediately remembered him, Mike Rogers is a great great and can shuck an oyster like no body's business.  Mike was the guy who signed my book and he knew all about the book as hey didn't have his picture but some other guy who I don't think even works there anymore.  Mike is amazing he shucks the shells clean, I have never seen that before. 

Raw Oyster's on the Half Shell

My Oyster Loaf Sandwich

 Mike the Main Shucker Man at Casemento's

Jimmy and I shared a half dozen raw oysters.  They are presented with a cup and a wedge of lemon.  On the tables are all the condiments to making your own cocktail sauce.  A tray with Ketchup, Pure Horseradish, Salt and Pepper and Tabasco are there to make it to your own taste.  Jimmy made the mix and we ate them with saltines and they were delicious.  I also ordered a small Oyster Loaf sandwich.  I was amazed as the Fried Oysters were not all wet and soggy which is usually the way they come, it was really nice and delicious.  It was a great dinner!

Now, what to do for dessert?  On he Ice Cream episode of DDD Guy went to a local place called THE CREOLE CREAMERY.  At this ice cream parlor they make ALL of their ice creams and sorbets.  It was a really tough decision but then we saw a small sampler plate that included 4 small scoops, so that was the way to go.  I decided on some really interesting flavors.  One was a spicy peanut ice cream (an it had a bit of a spicy kick), another was the lavender honey ice cream and another was a vanilla cream with cream cheese, very tasty.  It made for a very good ending to my first day in the Big Easy.

DDD in Austin

For the fourth year in a row I booked a cruise that coincided with the Super Bowl.  Last year I met two couples from New Orleans while playing Progressive Trivia during the cruise.  We made up a team called "The Who Dats".  After that cruise ended we kept in touch and in the summer I got an email from them and they asked if I would like to join them in 2012 for the Super Bowl on a cruise on Royal Caribbeans Voyager of the Seas out of their hometown on New Orleans.  I decided that I would join them and it would be my first time in New Orleans, so it would be a double bonus.

As the day got closer I noticed that I would actually be done with work the Wednesday before the Saturday cruise departure, so I was thinking that this would make a great opportunity to try some DDD places before the cruise.  I really didn't need to get to New Orleans until Thursday so what to do and where to go on Wednesday.  I searched flights and DDD places and after thinking about Atlanta, I decided that Austin, Texas would be a good place to try.  I contacted my high school friend, Deborah, who lives there if she might be interested in joining me and not only did she agree, but she also volunteered to do the driving, which was great for me as cars are very expensive there. 

A word about Deborah, she is one of the most giving and great people that I know.  She gives tirelessly to the cause of Breast Cancer and to the treatment and health of animals.  While my sister-in-law was going through her cancer problems a few years back, Deborah helped both my sister-in-law and myself with understanding all the complications, I can only say that she is a very special person to me!

Mueller's Barbecue in Taylor, Texas

Mr. Mueller, Deborah and me

My Brisket Sandwich and Beans Lunch

I took the morning nonstop from Dulles to Austin and arrived into Austin about 11am.  Deborah came and picked me up and we headed northeast of Austin to the small town of Taylor about 45 minutes from the Texas capital.  Our destination was MUELLERS BARBECUE.  As we arrived and looked over the menu, the staff offered us a small burnt end of their signature beef brisket.  It was awesome, the bark was unreal.  Barbecue bark is that black or brown "skin" of the brisket that has all the spices that the chef has applied to the meat and alot of flavor.  I decided upon the small brisket sandwich with a side of beans, a real barbecue lunch!  I was able to meet Mr. Mueller, the grandson of the the man who founded the restaurant over half a century ago.  His father who passed away a few years ago was the chef who cooked with Guy on the show.  He gladly signed my book and while Deborah and I ate, we were very well attended to by the staff, who made sure that all was well.  This was not done just for us but everyone in the restaurant. 

From Mueller's we headed back to Austin and passed a really growing and thriving high tech area.  Austin is not only home to the Capital of Texas, but also the University of Texas Longhorns and the maker of the computer I am banging this blog on, Dell Computers.  We got back into Austin and headed to our next location GREEN MESQUITE. 

Jambalaya at Green Mesquite

The restaurant is a small place that serves up alot of different meals.  The decorations are retro and I really liked the joint.  I decided to get the Jambalaya, which Guy cooked on the episode.  It was very good with homemade sausage, which really gave the plate a kick of heat.  A really great meal! I was able to get the server and manager to sign  my book and away we went.

The next stop was probably one of the most uniquely decorated places I have ever been to.  It reminded me of Hillbilly Hot Dogs in West Virginia, I guess it would be the Hillbilly place of Austin.  Welcome to MARIA'S TACO XPRESS.  This is a funky joint decorated with statues and paintings all over the place with great seating both inside and out.  I was getting pretty full by this point and decided upon a taco and Deborah got a very appealing salad.  Deborah's friend came over and visited with us during this stop and it was nice making a new friend and hearing all about the Austin area.  As Maria was not in, the most senior employee signed my book, a really cool thing!

Maria's Taco Xpress

Unique Decor at Maria's

Being pretty full and still having a few places to try, we took a break and Deborah took me on a driving tour of Austin into the more ritzy areas of the city.  It was a fun ride in her funky VW Westfalia Bus.  It is sort of a mobile work space for her.  We had a fun stop where she performed some maintenance on the bus right in downtown Austin, pretty cool in my book!  Probably the highlight of the day wasn't a restaurant but a short hike that we took along the river, it was just a great respite!

We headed into the 6th Street corridor where Austin gets it nickname "World's Live Music Capital".  On the weekend this area is alive with music, bars and restaurants all over.  It is a very busy and lively area.  The night we were there it was not so alive, but that was ok with me.  We stopped at a bar called CASINO EL CAMINO.  This bar is known for it's hot and spicy burgers.  We spent a few moments with a drink and just sort of took into the funky attitude of the place.

They have a loft area with a pool table and really cool old movie posters on the walls.  A really fun and funky place.

From there we went to our last stop a classic diner-cafe called MAGNOLIA CAFE.  The tag line here is "Sorry - We're Open".  Magnolia has two locations and we went to the south side location, which is where Guy filmed the episode.  The menu is large and varied and I decided to go breakfast for dinner.

 I tried their signature Pumpkin Pancakes with real maple syrup.  they were delicious and  make a great ending to a wonderful day of great food and visiting with a very special friend.  Deborah dropped me off at the hotel and I had to get re energized for the trip to New Orleans very early the next morning, but that is a story for the next blog.

Thank you so much Deborah, it was a wonderful day!