Our whirlwind trip around the southeastern US was wonderful if a little hectic. We had an amazing meal prepared by my son - including my all time favorite - his Gorgonzola mushroom cream sauce on top of perfectly prepared beef tenderloin. We got to spend two nights in a hotel with the cutest four year old girl in the world who loved her "couchbed" and reading with PopPop until neither one could keep their eyes open. I learned to make waffles in a hotel lobby - who knew they had invented a countertop machine that dispenses batter by the tiny cupful and a waffle maker that requires only the push of a button - all to make a more extensive continental breakfast that doesn't require a cook?
The grandboys are hilarious - sitting next to a two year old in a car seat who sees a semi and all of a sudden yells "HONK" at the top of his 'outside' voice was way more fun as a grandparent that it ever would have been as a parent - especially to the parent driving who looked really startled even from where I was sitting in the back seat. The elder grandson and I had a great time doing puzzles - I swear I do not remember my children figuring out "puzzling by the shapes" at such a young age - it could be a gene from my late mother-in-law who thought I wasted a lot of time going by color and straight edges! We got to see the beautifully decorated pink and green bedroom that will be welcoming our next granddaughter, Maggie, home soon. I am sure my daughter-in-law is hoping for very very soon.
We got to spend a weekend in New Orleans - two dozen oysters with Dixie beer, a rehearsal dinner on a riverboat, lunch with special longtime friends (requisite fried shrimp po'boy) and a slightly damp garden wedding on St. Charles Avenue. The moment that made me smile was when the bride, dressed in an off-white, strapless satin gown, lifted her skirt to come down the stairs into the garden revealing hot pink peek-a-boo heels. She was a gorgeous bride and the winner of the middle-aged women group was her stunning mother. I think she is the same size she was when we met twenty-five years ago and she obviously enjoyed every minute of the party.
The city of New Orleans looks so much healthier than the last time I was there. We rode the streetcar out Saint Charles Avenue to visit friends and it was crammed with people who had been told to take the streetcar tour - somehow I got the distinct impression that no one mentioned it would take several hours to ride to the end of the line - get out, cross over and get back on and pass through the same area of town again all while packed in like sardines with other people - all clutching their purple streetcar "tour ticket". I never did find out if they paid more than the standard streetcar $2.50 (roundtrip) price.
There is a much stronger feel in the city - it might have something to do with 'dem Saints' winning the Super Bowl. We saw a faded sign in the window of a store that declared "Hell Froze Over Last Night" and then we saw the statue of Joan of Arc on horseback in the French Quarter was waving a Saints flag! We finally got to celebrate the win by buying t-shirts, golf caps, kids shirts, coozies and even a priceless shirt for my son-in-law (a huge Colts fan) that pointed out that - Yes, the Saints won.
On the way out of the country I spent a few educational days with an adventurous friend in Greenville where we had a spectacular meal at Doe's Restaurant, a local phenomena. It has been there almost forever, has survived the collapse of the neighborhood (we chatted with armed guard wearing a bulletproof vest, who escorted us to our car) and has won many national awards in the meantime, most of which any native can check off on their fingers. It is wonderful to see an establishment that has lasted so long and one that engenders such pride in the local folk. My father-in-laws friend, Dollye, grew up in Greenville and still fondly remembers eating there as a child. It reminded me of Annie's Restaurant in Pass Christian.
There is a wonderful story that the original owner would let people leave their unseasoned wooden salad bowls at the restaurant where they would be used daily until she deemed them 'seasoned' and returned them to their owners.
Everyone ordered the steaks but I had to try the grilled shrimp. I am so glad I did - they were incredible! I would love the recipe for the butter sauce - there is something special in it and I couldn't quite figure out what it was. Next time I am ordering an entire order of garlic bread to go with the shrimp (and the sauce). Doe's has won most of their awards for their spectacular steaks but they are also well known for their tamales, which are delicious but spicy in a different way than my neighbors 'true Mexican tamales'. Beer is a must with the 'true Mexican' version! Doe's require wine.
We decided to take a bottle of wine for the table the night we had dinner there. We were directed to a local liquor store where after we told them we were going to Doe's - they actually recommended a bottle of zinfandel that was "perfect with the tamales at Does"! I didn't realize exactly how funny this was until we got in the truck and were driving away and I realized that I had been talking so much with the wine seller who actually knew where Qatar was, I paid $37.99 for a bottle of wine to pair with tamales! I think the intent was truly to have a wine that was wonderful with the tamales. The owner of the liquor store had dinner at the next table and I think I caught him checking to be sure we had the proper wine as they had just served the tamales when he and his family sat down. The wine was good; we could have sworn it got better with each glass - maybe it just needed to breathe.
The trip back to Doha was not so bad, just long. I actually was given an invitation to the business lounge in Houston - made me feel that changing my clothes in the tiniest restroom in the airport was worth the trouble. The seventeen hour flight brought a great movie, a good meal, a nap and was almost perfect until my seat mate, a Belgian, proceeded to trim and file his nails just before landing, and ended the flight by cleaning his ears with his hot towel.
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