Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler

I have been to Mardi Gras twice, both times courtesy of Uncle Sam. The first time as a young airman fresh out of basic training and sent to Biloxi, Ms. ,1976. I went down to Bourbon St with some buddies and it was something else. We tied our belts together so we would lose anyone. Seriously. If you don’t like folks in your personal space, it ain’t for you. It ain’t for me neither. But I went and it was good drunken fun.
I went back to Biloxi TDY for some more tech training when I was a buck sgt. Life it totally different when you are an experienced old 24 year old with a few stripes. My second Mardi Gras we spent in Biloxi and Ocean Springs. Landed at a friend’s house that was right on the main parade route in Ocean Springs so we sat on the porch and partied and people watched. It was 9000% more fun.

Those southern coastal folk. They do love their Mardi Gras!

BKB

That’s “roulez” you dang Cajun coonass wannabe! I’ve been to New Orleans and I can’t imaging how wild it must be during Mardi Gras. I consider that to be a major loss in my part.


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Lots of saggy titties get flashed. Lots of pert ones too!

BKB

I have zero desire to go for the mardi gras crapola. I would, however, comma, enjoy eating my way across the city, restaurant by restaurant in a gastrointestinal journey that could land me in the hospital.

Been there, done that ... smelled the urine! A fun time in my younger days ... not so much any more. I think I'm becoming curmudgeonly. Now GET OFF MY GRASS! :angry1

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Originally Posted by LJ3

I have zero desire to go for the mardi gras crapola. I would, however, comma, enjoy eating my way across the city, restaurant by restaurant in a gastrointestinal journey that could land me in the hospital.

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I'm with you Ticboy ... Lynn and I still go every year or so, but not during Mardi Gras. We DO eat our way across the city and enjoy every minute of it! In fact, we already have a trip planned this year ... just haven't made up our minds when persactly.

Back when I worked for MCI in Dallas about 1980, one of my work buddies and I got trained on a new piece of equipment hardly anybody else had seen. We both got called one day to hustle down to NOLA that very day to bring NOLA onto the MCI network using a piece of that gear. Amazing to think, but we had 11 cities on the network then. MCI was a baby.
Anyway, we got it working by that afternoon amd then hit Bourbon Street for a similar mission to Len’s. Only ours was to have a drink in every strip joint on Bourbon street. We finished about 1:00 AM. One of my more memorable business trips.

BKB

In college, one of my buddies was a spoiled rich kid. His parents bought him a brand new GTO for his high school graduation present. One weekend, we decided to head down to NOLA for a bit of partying. His dad gave him a Playboy Club Key Card (probably collector's items nowadays) so we hopped in his Goat and headed down to LoosyAnna. Our first stop was Iberville St. to hit the Playboy Club. We went in, ordered a drink (served by a bunny) and quickly decided the place wasn't for us (too many old farts). We guzzled our drinks and decided to head for Bourbon St. Now, we were only at the Playboy Club for maybe 15-20 minutes and his GTO was nowhere to be found when we walked outside! Like "Gone in 60 Seconds"! I know we somehow partied our asses off, but what's really weird is, I have no clue how we got back to Tennessee ... OR if he ever got his car back! I'm drawing a total blank here. :huh

Dang it! The Lenster got me thinkin' about the food in NOLA. When Lynn and I travel, we normally have a list of places we want to eat. Of course, we've hit all the well known places where every tourist normally goes, but we also like the "joints" that are off the beaten path. Our all-time favorite in New Orleans is Willie Mae's (Scotch House - it started out as a bar MANY years ago). It ain't much to look at, but it belongs on your "must do before you die" list IMHO. Now, when I say "off the beaten path" ... this place really is. It's also in a rather seedy part of town and is in an extremely "dark" neighborhood, ifyouknowwhatImeanandIthinkthatyoudo. Here's the joint before opening time.



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Trust me, you will be missing a real treat if you ever go to NOLA and not grow a set of balls big enough to visit Willie Mae's for some of her kick-ass fried chicken! One bite and it'll make ya' slap yo' mama! These pics were taken one year before Willie Mae passed away, but her great granddaughter is now running the place and nothing has really changed as far as the food is concerned. My go-to order is fried chicken, fried okra and red beans 'n rice. Larrupin! Expect a line, but ya' know what's weird? There ain't nobody in that line but white folks! Odd. (here's an example)

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Now, when you get there, the door may be closed to preserve the a/c inside, but somebody will step out to get you when a table opens up. If you don't know what to do, there's a sign at the door to direct you! Short and to the point. ;)


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So, here's Lynn holding our spot in line. (Trust me, it's worth the wait)


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Here's a pic of Willie Mae and her great granddaughter, Kerry. I'm sure Willie Mae is smiling down at Kerry for sticking with the secret family recipe. ;)


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Now, after eating at Willie Mae's, we headed back to the French Market to stop at Cafe du Monde (on Decatur Street) for some beignets. If'n ya' ain't been there for their beignets, dude ... you ain't tasted heaven!


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That’s a lot of powdered sugar!

BKB

Yessir! You’d have to shake that off first. ;)

Ha ha! I just remembered how I got snookered in NOLA once. Lynn and I were walking down Bourbon Street and a young black kid approached me. He looked down and said, "I bet ya' $5 I can tell ya’ where ya' got dem shoes!"

I was wearing a pair of Reeboks that I'd bought in L.A., we were living in Florida and staying in NOLA. I figured ... ain't no way he'll guess, so (mostly out of curiosity) I bit. "Ok," I said.

He looked down and said, "Ya' got's 'em right dare on yo' feets!"

Lynn just rolled her eyes and shook her head while I laughed my ass off! It was worth the entertainment and I gave him a five spot! ;)

Damn Posthole I was there in 1976 too. Just think we could have cuss each other out and not even known it !
You didn’t get in a fight with a short wirey feller did you??? ;)

An apey guy, with real hairy knuckles?

I damn near got billy clubbed by a cop on a horse for just speaking to the horse. Of course I asked the horse if he was tired of carrying that asshole around.
True story.
I’ve never found the NOLA mounted cops to have much of a sense of humor.

BKB

I don’t doubt that.

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Originally Posted by LJ3

I have zero desire to go for the mardi gras crapola. I would, however, comma, enjoy eating my way across the city, restaurant by restaurant in a gastrointestinal journey that could land me in the hospital.

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I'm with you Len. I love cajun cooking and one of my big regrets is never having took the time to learn how to do it.

Will

The few things I can cook in that regard all start with the holy trinity. Everything else seems to be secondary!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_trinity_(cuisine)

I used to workwith some guys who cooked a lot of cajun in a rice cooker at work. Man they could whup up some jambalaya that was awesome.

BKB

For some reason, I’m gonna have that old Hank Williams tune running through my head all day now.


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