Pontchartrain Pete

Pontchartrain Pete http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/ New Orleans Nostalgia in the Making. en Copyright 2007 Wed, 29 Aug 2007 16:21:31 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 2 Years Ago Today... Two years ago today, I spent the day in front of a computer DSL'ed to the internets, which was in front of a TV that went back and forth between CNN and the Weather Channel. I was at my parent's house near Hot Springs, Arkansas, having arrived there the day before, after fleeing my home in Slidell, Louisiana, in advance of Hurricane Katrina. I had been tracking the storm, which had hit Florida a few days before. I had an amateur theory that if a hurricane was in the Gulf, and it was north of say, Sarasota, Florida and east of the mouth of the river, there was no way it would end up hitting New Orleans. Every storm in the past inevitably curved to the east as it moved north; if it was east of the mouth of the river and north of central Florida, it would be impossible for it to hit New Orleans, right? Katrina almost fit this bill. As it crossed Florida and entered the Gulf, it started turning north. All the experts and computer models had it going east as it traveled north. It was to curve and hit back in the Florida panhandle somewhere. But it kept going west, and not north, and then started going north, but not east, on a path straight to New Orleans. And as it went north, but not east, it grew quickly, and big and strong. So Saturday night, I was at my cousin's house. We were trying to decide whether to leave or not. I'm on my own, but she had two kids, a husband, 4 cats, a dog, and a tarantula to move, so it was not an easy decision for them. Most everyone else I knew had already evacuated. As we watched the TV Saturday evening, there was still a chance the storm would turn east and hit Alabama. I got the two kids chanting with me, "Mobile!, Mobile!, Mobile!" while throwing a gris-gris gesture at the satellite picture, pushing the storm away from New Orleans. The five year-old thought that was fun. I went home, no decision had been made. At 5am on Sunday, my cousin called and woke me up. Exact quote, "Get your ass up and leave." It had not turned, it was still headed right for us, and was now Category 5. She and her husband came over and helped board up the house. I was already packed, and left around 8:30 to head north to Arkansas. A quick stop at the office to get my computer and some other stuff, and away I went. After a fairly uneventful 9 hour drive to Arkansas, I arrived at my parent's home just as the outer bands of Katrina were hitting New Orleans. Stay tuned for more... http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/08/2_years_ago_today.html http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/08/2_years_ago_today.html Wed, 29 Aug 2007 16:21:31 -0600 Eyewitness to History on Happy America Day Joey Chestnut, was expected to take back the crown for the USA. Indeed he did. Leading Kobayashi for all of the contest except for a brief moment with about 2 minutes left, Chestnut downed 66 dogs in 12 minutes, a new world record. It wasn't pretty. At the end, with a few seconds left, Kobayashi spewed out a dog's worth or two, or, as the ESPN announcers called it, had a "reversal." Wikipedia referred to it as a "Roman method incident" which could have led to his disqualification. After careful review of the spew, (eww), the judges ruled in his favor and the Tsunami ended in 2nd place with 63 dogs (officially) downed. ]]> http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/07/eyewitness_to_history_on_happy.html http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/07/eyewitness_to_history_on_happy.html Wed, 04 Jul 2007 19:03:38 -0600 Quarter Adventures, Part ??? Note: Well, official (late) blog congrats to Nola and CS on the early rising of Sun!!! Well, we finally made it to Mr. B's in the Quarter last Thursday. After a hard day's work helping Pete's mom and dad, who have been painting at the sister's still-hurricane-ravaged condo building out at the lake, we went down to the recently re-opened bistro for nice dinner. We started off with some cocktails; mom had a Chopin vodka and tonic with lime, dad a Crown and water, and I with a vodka martini, straight up with a twist. Sister stuck with iced tea. We decided on a crab cake and tasso shrimp for appetizers, both fantastic. Soup three ways for mom and dad--demitasses of gumbo ya-ya, seafood gumbo, and soup of the day, which was tomato-basil. I just had some of the gumbo ya-ya, Mr. B's signature thick, dark, smoky and spicy version of andouille and chicken gumbo. Entrees—dad the barbecue shrimp, mom a softshell crab, sister a bowl of the gumbo ya-ya and a tomato salad and I the shrimp and grits, despite my original craving for the grilled fish. Celebrity sightings: James Carville walked in while we were eating, and earlier in the week sister's landlord said hello to Angelina while walking on Royal Street. She was walking on the sidewalk, and passed a woman with a child in a stroller. Angelina told her hello, sister's landlord said hello, and was inside the house before she realized it was Angelina she had passed. ]]> http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/06/dining_adventures_part.html http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/06/dining_adventures_part.html Food French Quarter Sat, 16 Jun 2007 19:00:36 -0600 Greek Fest Nola's post on the Greek Fest. It was a good move to go on Friday in the evening. There was a nice breeze coming off the lake; it was very pleasant after sunset. The mini-food market inside was nifty. Nola bought some olives, CS a bottle of wine, and I opted for some pistachios and a couple of shots of Ouzo. OPA! indeed. I dove in right away with the food, joining CS in an initial dose of calamari. Add some lemonade, and another shot of Ouzo, and then I went for the souvlaki, which is a shish kebab of grilled marinated pork tenderloin, which they sold in a combo with some Greek sausage, also on a stick. The souvlaki was definitely the tastier of the two, and I should have gotten the hint that some of the people were requesting two souvlaki's instead of one souvlaki and one sausage in their order. Nola's awesome purchase of many pastries rocked; the almond covered crescents and baklava hit the spot for dessert. Getting there early was the key. Around 7or 8 the lines at the food booths were staggeringly long. There were also some booths with jewelry and art for sale. If you wanted, you could even climb Mt. Olympus (or Mt. Olympus, Jr.). We passed. ]]> http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/greek_fest.html http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/greek_fest.html Festivals Sun, 27 May 2007 18:34:17 -0600 A Little Slice of NOLA on the Northshore

The lady who owns the place is also an Abita Springs city council member and Mayor Pro Tem of Abita Springs. She's got a bunch of New Orleans memorabilia and old-fashioned hard-to-find kids items, like candy cigarettes, big wax lips and violet gum (the "Other Cool Stuff'). She's also the Northshore's source for New Orleans Nectar Soda and Angelo Brocato's Italian ice cream and bakery products. Yes, there's lemon ice on the Northshore. But the standout item is a re-creation of Ignatius J. Reilly's favorite drink, Dr. Nut. Working with New Orleans food guru and Dr. Nut aficionado Tom Fitzmorris, she's developed a sno-ball syrup which captures the almondy essence of this extinct New Orleans soft drink. Bot & Nola's is on Hwy. 59 just south of Abita Springs. There's a playground for the kids and umbrella-shaded picnic tables to enjoy your delicious treats. Summer's almost here, people.]]> http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/a_little_slice_of_nola_on_the.html http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/a_little_slice_of_nola_on_the.html Sat, 26 May 2007 17:07:29 -0600 Fleur de Lis Fore!Kids Foundation is sponsoring a public art project in coordination with the Arts Council of New Orleans. Fiberglass fleur de lis were given to 40 artists to decorate, and they are displayed at various locations around the city until October, when they will be auctioned off and the proceeds distributed to various charities the foundation supports. Nola and I performed a number of drive-by picture shootings this weekend, getting pics of all the fleurs we could find. Here's a page of pics, with more to come as we get the shots.]]> http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/fleur_de_lis.html http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/fleur_de_lis.html Mon, 21 May 2007 20:39:02 -0600 Dinner—Or, Proof that New Orleanians will Spend Every Minute of Lunch Planning Their Dinner Irene's Cuisine. The original plan was dinner at Mr. B's Bistro, which is one of my favorite places in the city. Mr. B's just recently reopened. Although IT did not flood the French Quarter, many buildings suffered rain damage. Mr. B's suffered doubly. Rain poured in the building, which is bad enough. What's worse, it's also one of the few buildings around here with a basement, where the restrooms and offices were located. The water gathered in the basement and had no place to go. I kind of had my heart and stomach set on going to Mr. B's. I checked the menu on the internet. I had it all planned out. Gumbo Ya-Ya. Hickory grilled fish. Or barbecued shrimp. Bread pudding for desert. But, change of plans. Mom called. "It's too far to walk to Mr. B's. We're going to Stella!." I'm thinking, Stella!—what Stella!? I wanna go to Mr. B's. Whaaaahaaahaaah. I check the internet. I find Tom's review. He likes it. He thinks someone should pop out of the kitchen and scream STELLA!!! every now and then. I find the menu. It looks adventurous. It looks expensive. It looks like:

Sake and Miso Glazed Japanese Mero Seabass with Udon Noodles, Roasted Local Green Garlic, Buna Shimeji Mushrooms and Lobster, Crab and Shark's Fin Broth

is not the same as a nice piece of grilled fish. And it looks like:

Avocado Shake with Espresso Granita and Jalapeño

is not the same as bread pudding.]]> http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/dinner.html http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/dinner.html Food French Quarter New Orleans Thu, 17 May 2007 19:26:11 -0600 The Wise Man of the Laundromat Editors note: I'm going against a promise I made myself that I would not blog about ordinary details of everyday life. But after doing laundry this morning, I decided an ode the Wise Man of the Laundromat would be in order. Please excuse the drudgery. Pete-in-Exile is forced to frequent a little laundromat in Abita Springs. I don’t mind this, as I can do 3 or 4 loads at one time, cutting laundry time by a good 1/2 or more. It’s not a bad little place. The machines work; it’s 75 cents a load, the building is pretty clean and it’s next to the town library and a stone’s throw from a pizza place, a coffee shop, 2 groceries, and the Abita Brew Pub.]]> http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/the_wise_man_of_the_laundromat.html http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/the_wise_man_of_the_laundromat.html Thu, 10 May 2007 20:18:30 -0600 Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans? had a home here for a few months. As reported on Nola.com (not to be confused with our honorable host Nolanotes.com), Brad Pitt "pines for his old New Orleans Home."

The thing he misses the most, he said, is bicycling through the streets of New Orleans at night. "Living in the French Quarter is a thrill for us," he said. "We have some semblance of real family life. People have been very, very gracious with us. If we're on the front deck, people go by and say, 'Hi.' Then they go on their way, very friendly."

That celebrities are treated somewhat nonchalantly in New Orleans is nothing new. Musicians Lenny Kravitz and Peter Buck keep French Quarter digs, as does director Francis Ford Coppola. Coppola's nephew, Nicolas Cage, is now his uncle's neighbor, having bought the Lalaurie house on Royal and Governor Nichols. Other celebrities who call or have called New Orleans home include Trent Reznor and Bob Dylan. Harry Anderson recently abdicated on his role as French Quarter impresario, giving up on the city after the re-election of Mayor Nagin last year. Pitt's comments echoed an interview with Reznor I remember reading a while back (1999? 2000?) whose favorite New Orleans activities were rollerblading in Audobon Park and jet skiing on Lake Pontchartrain. And not being bothered by people. ]]> http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/do_you_know_what_it_means.html http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/do_you_know_what_it_means.html Wed, 09 May 2007 21:39:00 -0600 Friday's Adventures: A Busy and Wet, Yet Unfruitful, Day with a Nice Interlude. Last Friday saw another one of Pete's excursions from the Northshore to the Big Easy. The occasion was meeting my sister and the plumber who is supposed to work on her condo out by the lake. Now, Thursday's weather forecasts were all doom and gloom for Friday. Flash floods! Twisters! Hail the size of canned hams! In fact, sleep was difficult from about 2-4 in the morning, lightning and thunder at the rate of about 1 per second kept even me awake. I got up around 7:30, not knowing how long the normally 1 hour or so drive to the city would take, given the possibility of street flooding and accidents on the roads. http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/fridays_adventures_a_busy_and.html http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/fridays_adventures_a_busy_and.html Sun, 06 May 2007 13:09:57 -0600 Numbers Game Jazzfest was putting up higher than expected attendance figures. Also, the French Quarter Fest (here, here and here) had over 400,000 people attending! With over 200,000 on Sunday alone! I mean, we knew it was crowded on Sunday, but Jeez!]]> http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/numbers_game.html http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/numbers_game.html New Orleans Sun, 06 May 2007 12:50:37 -0600 Speaking of Black Bears and Their Queens... Dead Pelican: "Mama bear, cubs pay surprise visit to Cottonport," which linked to this article in the Alexandria Town Talk. Apparently, Ursus americanus luteolus is making a comeback. Efforts by the Black Bear Conservation Committee (BBCC) seem to be paying off, as events like the Cottonport bear visit seem to be happening with greater frequency. The BBCC keeps track of these reports here.]]> http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/speaking_of_black_bears.html http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/05/speaking_of_black_bears.html Animals Wed, 02 May 2007 22:06:01 -0600 The Black Bear Queen Meets Miss Bunny Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals (LAFF). All of the queens of all of the festivals are featured on one page on the site. So I sent that link to Nola. "The crowns! The crowns!--did you see some of the crowns on those girls—there as big as their dresses!" she says. "You've got to blog about them." So here we are. Now, people who live in Louisiana know that once spring and summer roll around the area is crawling with festivals celebrating even the most obscure aspects of local culture. Fall is usually when the various parish (counties to you “others”) fairs are held. This makes sense because most of the parish fairs also serve as local agricultural showcases; fall is harvest time, etc.]]> http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/04/the_black_bear_queen_meets_mis.html http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/04/the_black_bear_queen_meets_mis.html Festivals Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:39:49 -0600 Stuffed Crabs, Crab Cakes and The Google Des Allemands (the catfish capital of the world--take a look at the Catfish Queens here). We would pull up to this nice little white house off the bayou, park in the shell driveway, and a little old lady would come out to greet us on the back porch. Her name was Mrs. Matherne, and she sold seafood goodies out of the chest freezer on her screened-in porch. Pete's Mom and Dad would always buy a dozen or so stuffed crabs.]]> http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/04/stufffed_crabs_and_the_google.html http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/04/stufffed_crabs_and_the_google.html Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:20:14 -0600 The Vietnamese Markets non-stop noshing and her blogging thereof (mainly the dim sum entry) got me thinking. I haven't been out to New Orleans East to shop at the Vietnamese markets in quite a while. On occasion, before the storm, I would trek out to the Vietnamese section of New Orleans East to visit the Vietnamese markets. I would usually buy some ginger and lemongrass, maybe some chili oil or fish sauce, and take time to gawk at all the odd ingredients inherent in Oriental markets. ]]> http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/04/the_vietnamese_markets.html http://nolanotes.com/pontchartrainpete/2007/04/the_vietnamese_markets.html Food Mon, 23 Apr 2007 19:51:46 -0600