Oompahas in the Big Easy

Saturday, February 19: After our usual morning biscuits and jam at Beverly’s we bid adieu and drove to the Big Easy, Ruth’s New Orleans redux. After looking at Ruth’s old apartment in Mid-City our first stop was chocolate freezes at the historically popular Camellia Grill on St. Charles Ave at Carrollton near the end of the streetcar line. The queue was so long that by the time we got seated it was time for lunch. Chefs and wait staff engaged in loud repartee as they went about business [Photo at right] yet we were served within minutes. Our omelets were amazingly light and tasty, the atmosphere bright and cheery. We shared our chocolate freeze like two teenagers in puppy love…

As we left Camellia Grill we heard “oompah”, looked up and saw a wedding party across the street. We hurried to catch them and captured their whimsical spirit with this 30 second video clip.

As you know, New Orleans makes everything FUN – we stood for the first French Quarter Mardi Gras parade of the season put on by Krewe du Vieux. Formed in 1987 this krewe, shall we say, has satirical leanings (read: not for children). Its theme this year is “Twenty Five Years Wasted”, for example…. Prior to the parade the streets were packed from one side to the other [photo left] with tens of thousands of amazingly well-behaved people.

Of course we partook of classic New Orleans fare: red beans and rice on Decatur St.; café au laits and beignets at Café Du Monde.