We had a dinner reservation, and we set out for the six-block walk to another favorite restaurant, The Court of Two Sisters. We almost arrived late for two reasons. Even though the sky still had lots of clouds, we decided against carrying umbrellas. Of course, halfway there, it started to pour, and we had to huddle and rush from one awning to the next between bursts of more intense rain.
Then at the corner of the block with our restaurant, we saw someone I really wanted to meet: Grandpa Elliott. He was featured in the video a couple of years ago of the song “Stand by Me” performed by singers and musicians from all over the world. Here is the link in case you missed it:
Over 33 million views on YouTube! It was a distinct pleasure to shake his hand. He is probably one of the most famous street singers in New Orleans today. I have looked for him for years. Then, he got a phone call, so we continued onto the restaurant.
We entered the restaurant through a brick-lined arch which led to the bar. That is when we first picked up the smells from the kitchen, and they were nothing but good. The atmosphere was quiet – for the moment, as we were only the third set of diners seated. On the other side of the room, several tables pushed together held about 12 women and two or three men. We decided this was a “shelf” of librarians from the conference. I coined that collective terms a few years ago, and we always have fun playing “Spot the Librarian!” at these conferences.
It was a little after seven as we got our menus, but we could already hear the beat of music through the back wall. Bourbon Street was parallel to us, and it was a reminder that the music is always here in “Nawlins.”
This meal turned out to be the best of several great meals we had this weekend. We started with escargot and mushrooms, then cream of spinach soup with crab, a Caesar salad – expertly prepared at the table by our server, Michael. (So few restaurant do that anymore.) For an entrée, my wife got the filet. She wanted to make up for the regret she had last night when she ordered the fish, and then saw another diner’s filet. I had shrimp, crab, and crawfish with penne pasta in a rich, creamy sauce. For desert, we had our favorite, bananas foster, also made at the table. Did I mention the wine? We had a nice California cabernet – a surprisingly good house wine, with just a little hint of spice.
A slow walk back on Royal Street toward the hotel took us past a book shop that opens at nine in the morning, along with a couple of galleries and antique shops. Can you guess where I will be at 9:00 AM Monday morning? I know this stroll will cap off a great weekend in “The Big Easy.” I wonder where we will eat Monday’s lunch or dinner tomorrow night?
