New Orleans 2009 Thursday: Poydras is my Favorite Street

OK when we decided to go econo for the first part of this trip, I chose our room based on its proximity to Mother’s. When I woke up at the crack of noon, that was our first stop for po’boys.

Kristina, I’m sorry, but I went for the pure debris instead of the ferdi (ham and debris). You know when you cook a roast for a long time, then cut it, then leave it in the oven to heat up, you start to accumulate little bits of meat at the bottom of the pan? That, my friends, is debris. One of the finest foods known to man. It comes soaked in the pan juices too, and is guaranteed to soak through the bottom of the bread

So I have developed the habit of flipping the bread over and eating the debris or Ferdi po’boy upside down.

We also got grits and a po’boy bursting with deep-fried jewels of shrimp.

We headed down to the Mississipi to check out the aquarium, but we were running late and instead went to an underwater 3-D movie at the IMAX. Because underwater IMAX is badass.

That evening we walked across the street to another Nawlins classic, the Bon Ton Cafe. There was a slight wait, so we chatted with the super-cool bartender. Later he came by our table and allowed me to snap a photograph of him. Only later in the meal did I realize that we had been hanging out with the owner, Wayne Pierce. Amazingly, Shalai, the same waitress as Kristina and I had befriended on the Ash Wednesday during my trip there four years ago served us again. Even more amazingly, she remembered us and pointed out the table where we had been sitting!

2005

2009

We absolutely had to order the crab gratin. It’s one of those dishes that you dream about as your plane lands. Like as soon as you think, “I’m going to New Orleans” your second thought will be, “I’m getting the crab gratin!” The thumb-sized crab hunks in a rich creamy sauce were begging to be eaten on crusty bread.

For dinner we split the T-Bone in a cabernet sauce. OK, most people go to the Bon Ton and to New Orleans for seafood. But I am telling you, that was one of the best steaks I have ever had in my entire life. Hang on everybody, I’ve got to click over to Expedia again right now!

For dessert we shared the classic bread pudding. It tastes like they just pour pure uncooked whiskey over the top. It is definitely not something one person can handle. In fact, this entire meal was a team effort!

BON TON CAFÉ’S BREAD PUDDING

1 loaf French bread
1 quart milk
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp vanilla
3 tbsp margarine
1 cup raisins

Soak bread in milk; crush with hands till well mixed.
Then add eggs, sugar, vanilla and raisins and stir
well. Pour margarine in bottom of thick pan and bake
until very firm. Let cool; tnen cube pudding and put
in individual dessert dish; when ready to serve, add
sauce and heat under broiler. Serve with Whiskey
Sauce.

Whiskey Sauce

1 stick of margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
Whiskey

Melt margarine. Cream the sugar and egg until well mixed. Add melted
margarine and continue to dissolve. Add whiskey to
taste which should make sauce creamy smooth

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