It’s rather unbelievable that I’m home in one piece. Well, sort of. The jury is still out on my liver. Anyway, my past week in New Orleans for Jazz Fest was one for the books. That bucket list item was way checked. The Crescent City is such a dark seductress, whispering to you to just say yes. All. The. Time. “More is more” was our motto for the weekend—it’s how it has to be if you’re going to be a jazz vampire. Late nights at Tipitina’s (Galactic) and the Blue Nile (Robert Walter’s 20th Congress) could all too easily morph into early mornings at Igor’s and Chuck’s (oops). I feel like my years of going to Burning Man were like boot camp for the action-packed week I just spent roaming the clubs and restaurants and bars of New Orleans. Every time my alarm would be waking me up from my disco nap at 11pm so I could make it to a 1am show, I’d tell myself, “You can sleep when you’re dead. Get up.” We hit that city hard, and she punched right back.
More is more also applied to the feedbag we’d strap on every day at the fairgrounds/racetrack. Best damn festival food of my life: breakfast each day was the positively carnal crawfish bread, followed up with a dance with crawfish Monica, boudin balls with shrimp rémoulade, fried chicken, gumbo, jambalaya, and some café au lait in there to keep us upright.
The weather was the absolute pits: Thursday we were rained out completely, Friday it was a mud pit and cold (although Willie Nelson warmed our hearts), and things finally turned around on Saturday when we bought some mud boots and could deal with the slop and the sun came out. Fleetwood Mac in ankle-deep mud, sunshine on my shoulders with my sister at my side, good times. Black Keys on Sunday, so crunchy and good. A highlight was leaving the fields each day and hitting Liuzza’s by the Track for Bloody Marys in the street (had to get some vegetables somehow) and more live music. Wonderful people everywhere. So friendly and nice, everyone having a good time.
I’ll be doing a recap of where I ate and drank once I get my pictures edited and uploaded. Obviously there are a bunch to sort through. More is more.
Today I have a couple of breaking stories about upcoming projects from some very talented local ladies (whoo!), plus a fresh meat review of Chocolate Lab, a wino, some 707 news, and matchmaker action. Sunday is Mother’s Day, and in case you’re looking for a last-minute idea or two, here’s my post on 7x7. Also on 7x7, three of my favorite pop-ups right now, including two excellent brunch options for you this weekend. Dig in.
Okay, back to my crypt, I’ll see you on Tuesday.
The doors into the kitchen at Commander’s Palace. Probably the only “no” you’ll find in New Orleans. Photo: © tablehopper.com.View tablehopper Newsletter from Friday, May 10 2013
