Herby K's in Shrimpboat, LA

Herby K's in Shreveport (kevin's hometown). We went during Thanksgiving break. We have been busy....

Herby K's is a forgotten neighborhood in Shreveport. People kept saying it was a "bad" neighborhood, but during the day it just looked empty. We met some of Kevin's high school buddies there. They recommended that you get there for lunch on a Friday around 11. They were correct- by the time we had finished (around 11:45), there was a line on the sidewalk. We got the Shrimp Buster. It was light, crispy, and yummy. Others at the table had gumbo that looked very good. We also shared the crab claw appetizer with some green herby sauce.

here is the Herby K haiku courtesy of Kevin...

Breaded, butterflied
Four giant trophies of shrimp
Fried angels on bread

Parasol's, New Orleans

This is Parasol's Po-Boy Shop and Bar. Just off Magazine St. at Third. We came for the roast beef po-boys and the therapeutic Miller High Life. Sunday noon. Brown gravy and a Saints game. Anticipation for this event almost made us skip my sister's wedding. I decided that we had better go to the wedding as planned, due to fear of death. Sunday was just another day away.
Gambino's bread tries to contain the beef and gravy taste explosion. It lost.

Willie Mae's Scotch House- New Orleans

We are back! We visited Willie Mae's Scotch House on Friday.

1. Do not trust Google Maps when visiting... Get actual old fashioned directions or look at a map. So many of the streets are torn up that google is not great.

2. Do not be turned off by the tourists. We saw more Japanese tourists than locals.

3. Order the white beans (butter beans)! Oh my god! the fried chicken is awesome... but the white beans!

HB and I were very excited about Willie Mae's. First of all, we saw a documentary produced by SFA about the rebuilding of the restaurant. It was a fascinating view of the reconstruction of just one little restaurant. It was kind of a microcosm of the whole city. HB's boss, John Currence, spearheaded the rehab.







Across the street is this amazing school, Phillis Wheatley Elementary School, that obviously has been abandoned and slated for demolition. I heard a segment on NPR about it a couple of months ago. It is such a shame to let this go- it has great lines and design.

This is from the NPR article-
It was designed with principles of sustainability and modernism in mind. It's elevated a full floor above the ground so that the flooding that can occur from time to time in New Orleans, including Hurricane Katrina, was not able to reach the classroom level. It also provided an outdoor shade and places for little kids to play because the supports are only in the middle of the building. And the extensions of the building are cantilevered about 35 feet from support, which is a very, very muscular kind of structure, the kind of thing that you usually see in bridge design rather than in building design.

We should be actively trying to save modernist buildings. Just because something doesn't have columns doesn't mean it isn't important or historical. I think the building is very beautiful!

Treasure found very very close to home

Who knew? James Food Mart in Oxford is less than a mile from our house. We needed a quick snack before heading up to the Grove on Saturday. We had the pimento cheese before, but we had never tried the chicken salad. I think the crackers are essential. Honestly, I think saltines make everything better. The chicken salad is elegant and subtle. I could see having it often. I think my days of making homemade chicken salad are over. Easy, classic, and good!

I need to go on a diet

This was possibly the easiest stop on the magical artery clogging tour. Kevin works at Big Bad and he personally made the fantastic andouille sausage. I got the Cathead biscuit with tomato gravy. The grits... biscuit...the gravy...Yum!

ps. the breakfast video on the BBB site is amazing

The Coziest Corner

I picked David up from the airport and headed over to the Cozy Corner. I can't believe I lived in Memphis for 4 years and never ate there. Oh well... We had the cornish hens and tried all four sides. I was a fan of the BBQ spaghetti, but the real winner was the beans. They were sweet, tangy, and spicy. The cornish hen was great. The flavors were subtle but very complex. I loved the white bread- I mopped up all the sauce. Another thing I loved about the place- it seemed frozen in time- food, service, interior.

Trowbridges in Florence

Downtown Florence is delightful. My friend, David Serlin, came to visit. He is writing a book about Helen Keller and a trip to Ivy Green was in order. After Ivy Green we headed up to Florence. We checked out Billy Reid (we got some incredible deals). Just up the street is Trowbridges. The olive and egg sandwich was perfect. Tangy, crispy, creamy, yummy.....

100 Southern foods map

HB and I created this map. Enjoy!

Pirate Cove, Josephine, AL

Depression Claudette on the Back Bay
the bar
the marina- someone want to charter me a boat...? I'll buy the burgers.
HB on vacay
The BURGER


The 25 minute drive from Perdido Key was well worth it. Pirate Cove's Mustard Gin Sauce is a spicy, tangy, vinegary concoction that propels a regular burger to road trip worthy status. Although we visited for lunch on Monday, we could see the appeal of a Friday night with live bands on the porch. Pirate Cove has a lawless feel that is an anedote to the corporate restaurants on the tourist strip. The Back Bay is very charming and relaxed. Pirate's Cove takes advantage of the setting to inspire an unique dining experience.

Chicken Bucket List

Here is the list. We are heading to the beach this weekend. The Burger with Gin Sauce from the Pirate's Cove is our first target.