New Discoveries: Music and Food

I’ve just learned that a long-time pal of mine lived in or near New Orleans for years – before he moved to Manhattan. Hearing this, I decided to ask him if he had any ideas about The Big Easy that I could write about. He sent back one sentence: “Yes, I really like Musical Legends Park and crawfish omelets.” Pretty terse, but it did the job. I had never heard of either one: both had slipped through the cracks – even after in-depth research for 165 blogs.

Photo by Valiant Made on Unsplash

EUREKA! MUSICAL LEGENDS PARK

You’ll find this charming spot that’s dedicated to the rich cultural and musical heritage of New Orleans at 311 Bourbon Street. It’s open on Sun.-to-Thurs. from 8am to 10pm AND on Fri. and Sat. from 8am to midnight. If you want more info please call 504-888-7608.

Best of all, it’s FREE! No purchases are necessary. One can just sit and listen to the music. Is there anything to see? Of course! Throughout the park you can gaze at life-size bronze statues of musicians such as: Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, Chris Owens, Ronnie Cole, Louis Prima (known for his raspy singing voice), Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas and Fats Domino who lived the longest of all of them. He died at 89, was married for 61 years (until his wife died), had eight children and sold more than 65 million records. His biggest hit was “Blueberry Hill.” CLICK HERE to hear Fats Domino in great form.

DINE ANYWHERE YOU WANT HERE

#1 One can order food right in the park or, as a visitor writes, “Enter the black gates and you’ll see a beautiful outdoor eating area with a small stage. There’s also a little bar and an area where you can order food – which they will bring to you. I had a delicious roast beef po’boy.”

#2 If you just want a quick bite you’ll find Café Beignet at the far side of the park where you can get great coffee, cold drinks and, of course, one of their famous beignets.

#3 Finally, if you’re starving, and in the mood for eats, here are four nearby restaurants: (a) ARNAUD’S at 813 Bienville St. (fine dining for the past 100 years), (b) DESIRE OYSTER BAR at 300 Bourbon St., (in the Royal Sonesta Hotel), (c) GW FINS located at 808 Bienville St., between Bourbon and Dauphine Streets and (d) FAIS DEAUX DEAUX at 327 Bourbon. It promotes its famous (infamous is a better word) $10 drink in a fishbowl. I refuse to review this. I mean: how low can one go? Go and find out for yourself.

IT’S HERE: CRAWFISH, CRAYFISH, CRAWDAD

From early March until mid-June it’s the peak season for crawfish in The Big Easy. Of course you can also get crawfish from mid-November until mid-August. The feminine noun, écrevisse in French, means crawfish in English.  

WHAT EXACTLY IS A CRAWFISH?

It has a stronger flavor and is usually much meatier than crab. Many describe the flavor as a combination of shrimp and crab. Actually, a crawfish looks like a miniature lobster.

Crawfish are served boiled, sautéed, baked or fried in different varieties and dishes. Here are three places in New Orleans where you can eat your heart out. (a) BIG FISHERMAN SEAFOOD at 3301 Magazine St. (they focus on hot, boiled crawfish), (b) COOTER BROWN’S TAVERN & OYSTER BAR is located at 509 S. Carrollton Ave. and is described as a sports bar with 17 TV sets and 400 beers (c) DEANIE’S SEAFOOD at 841 Iberville St. offers boiled crawfish, charbroiled oysters and barbeque shrimp.   

CLICK HERE for a Crawfish Omelet recipe. 

The hungry guy who wrote the directions for this Crawfish Omelet almost polished it off before he remembered to take a photo of his creation.

WHY RATHBONE MANSIONS? Did you know that Rathbone offers complete kitchen facilities? This means you can whip up a crawfish omelet for the family in no time. Everyone enjoys a home-cooked meal – no matter how good the restaurants are where one is visiting.   

PLEASE CHECK THE WEB for any additional information you may need about any of the places mentioned in this blog.

Shaun Nelson-Henrick