Drove My Chevy To The Levy
Welcome! If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed so you won't miss the Blarties (=blog+party) on the weekends. To find out more about our Blarties check out this post, too. Looking forward to seeing you on the weekends!
Hey Boomers! I’mm baaaack. The suitcases are unpacked, the laundry is caught up, back to the rat race. I had a GREAT time in the Big Easy. Why can’t I win the Lottery? Then I could travel and blog from all over the World.
Well, New Orleans is alive and kicking. The French Quarter was filled with “Who Dat”, a chant of New Orleans Saints fans. The team played their first home regular season game against the Tennessee Titans Monday night. Besides the NFL Jerseys, the other popular attire was the souvenir shop tees, “I Drove My Chevy to the Levy and Levy was Gone”.
I’ve gotta hand it to New Orleanians, despite everything the city has been through, they haven’t given up. I overheard a few of the merchants in the souvenir shops and art galleries talking. They were reassuring each other business was going to pick up. They were discussing upcoming events and conventions coming to the city and were hopeful visitors would spend money.
The architecture of The Vieux Carre (French Quarter) has always fascinated me. The charm of both french and spanish design, but primarily spanish. *In the late 1700’s two separate fires destroyed much of the structures and buildings in the Quarter. Under Spanish rule, wood structures were replaced with courtyards, thick brick walls, arcades, and wrought iron balconies.
*New Orleans was founded by the French in 1718. The Rule then see-sawed from France to Spain, and back again until the Louisiana Purchase. Can you imagine Parisian women or anyone in France wanting to relocate to the swamps and marshes of southern Louisiana then?
*In the late 1720’s, “Casket Girls”, were brought from France to New Orleans to marry. Previously women were supplied to the colonist by raking the streets of Paris for undesirables, or emptying the houses of correction. To really appreciate the Vieux Carre, I suggest first time visitors take one of the Haunted History tours.
Hurricane Hope did only minor damage, eating my way through the Quarter. Pralines, Po-Boys, Shrimp Creole, Fried Alligator Nuggets, Beignets, Fried Crawfish Tails, Fried Oysters, Jambalaya, Chocolate Peanut Butter Oreos, etc. etc. I ate it ALL!
Before leaving Nawlins’, I stopped back by Southern Candy Makers. Making Pralines and candies daily; Creamy Original, Rum, Coconut, Peanut Butter, Chocolate, Cinnamon, and Rum Pralines. Judges at an Atlanta National Gourmet Show gave their Creamy Pralines the Best Candy Award. I can personally vouch for the chocolate and peanut butter ones. I not only brought some of them home, but also some Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Oreos too! Yummmm.
Southern Candy Makers opened its doors in the historic French Quarter Leap Year Day in 1992. They ship Pralines, Chocolate Dipped Oreos, Peppermint Bark, Tortues, Sugar-Free Candies and wide variety of candies and nuts nicely packaged for all occasions.
***UPDATE - Hey, I just wanted to add that Southern Candy Makers 2007-2008 catalog is coming out in a couple of weeks! Call 1-800-344-9773 to request a catalog.
If you’re planning on visiting the French Quarter, they have two locations; 334 Decatur and 1010 Decatur. When you purchase pralines in their store know they were made fresh that day, not last week, or last month. ***
Another favorite of note, Johnny’s Po-Boys, located on Saint Louis Street off Decatur. Johnny’s is a favorite of the locals, and an Award Winning restaurant. I will definitely darken their door step my next trip.
Bon Appetite
The Backseat Gourmet
*Resources: www.wikipedia.org (see “Casket Girls” and History of New Orleans)
Popularity: 26% [?]
Hi:
I love your blog — always w/well-thought-out, engaging details. And you went to my favorite-est place in the whole wide world . . . Looosiana.
A quick note about how N’Awlins is doing, though. Don’t step too far out of the Market District, or you’ll see reality. Take a road trip just over the Intracoastal Canal & you see the truth of Katrina. Homes still stand w/doors wide open. Look like a ghost town. Holes in the roofs & sides blown out. Garbage, rotting and overwhelming, in the streets.
I’ve a cousin who lives in that area & I went to see her demolished, unliveable home, where she now lives, still, in a FEMA trailer on the property. Right down the street is a house — eerily ruined — w/the words written in huge, painted white letters, “MOVED TO ALBUQUERQUE.”
Blessings — Linda Alexander
Comment by Linda Alexander — October 14, 2007 @ 10:14 am
Hi Linda,
Thanks so much for sharing. I too love Louisiana, I have family in Southern Louisiana. They were not affected by Katrina, but I was visiting them when we were issued mandatory evacuation due to Hurricane Rita just weeks after Katrina. Hours and hours of bumper to bumper traffic, and having a hard time finding Gas stations that had Gas to sell, some of the stations had been taken over by government/relief agencies (we were informed).
Before heading to the Quarter I contacted a business associate of mine that was South of New Orleans. His company was totally destroyed by Katrina. I had asked him if there was anything I should know before I got there and if it was safe with all the bad publicity?
He told me I would be fine, (he’s from the same city I am), as with any city/place don’t be out in the rough areas of town at 3 am, so basically use common sense.
My boss (he’s a huge humanitarian)went with a church group to Nawlins a few months after Katrina to help do repairs to homes. They slept in sleeping bags at a nearby church. He said the Owner of one of the homes
didn’t offer to help at all, he didn’t understand? Others were busy cleaning and repairing and trying to get things back in order.
There is so much work that needs to be done, and there are people there that care and those that don’t; and then there are those that are helpless or homeless. My heart goes out to your cousin and the victims of Katrina.
I followed Hurricane Katrina days before it landed and weeks after, watching and reading CNN, FOX, MSNBC, TWC, etc. I now watch the new TV show, K-Ville (Katrina-Ville), a post-Katrina crime show. They show footage of neighborhoods like you described. Again, I feel for the city of New Orleans and it’s people. They have a long way to go.
Regards,
Hope
Comment by Hope — October 14, 2007 @ 11:25 am
Hey Linda! Thanks! Hope, my Backseat Gourmet, (it’s no secret that I don’t cook) wrote this post about N’awlins, so she’s gets all the credit here.
I love having her write with me! She has a lot of great foodie things to share and a great personality.
Saw on the BBD’s list today that you’re back after working on the contract negotiations for your book, Reluctant Witness: Robert Taylor, Hollywood, & Communism. Of course, happy to hear you’ve been busy with that, but glad to hear from you, too!
Looking forward to getting your book…about when will it be out?
Comment by angela — October 14, 2007 @ 9:53 pm
Hey, Hope, I forgot to mention…Linda has some very interesting family history ties to Louisiana. Here’s a link to more info…
http://www.lindajalexander.net/bio.php
Comment by angela — October 14, 2007 @ 9:59 pm
Oops, wrong link. It’s this one…
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?AuthorID=9014&id=5920
Comment by angela — October 14, 2007 @ 10:06 pm
Ladies:
Sorry — I DID get Hope’s e-mail & will be digging into my mailbox in the next day or so. I appreciate the comments . . . I’m always happy to hear from folks who have a good idea of what reall has gone on in New Orleans since the storm. It’s hard when you’re not in a location to actually grasp the situation.
Angela . . . thx for the wonderful words! I wish I could figure out now how to juggle all of the various press & contacts & sites I need to juggle to make this work well. Any ideas?!
Blessings — Linda
Comment by Linda Alexander — November 1, 2007 @ 4:21 pm
Hey Lady! S’ok, we know you’ve been SUPER busy lately getting everything lined up for your book. I’m anxious to get my hands on it, too, so stay on it…LOL!
You’re very welcome! Ya know, I was checkin’ out your sites yesterday and wondered how you were managing…LOL! Nothing pops off the top of my head at the moment, but I’ll keep tossing it around and see if it hits on an idea. If so, I’ll email ya.
Comment by angela — November 1, 2007 @ 7:33 pm
I Am Not Finding My Favourite mp3 I just search this site I Cant Believe that this site Provide Old Mp3
“Good site to find old mp3″
Comment by Cookeville Homes — April 3, 2009 @ 6:20 am
i am impress from this site beacause i find my oldest mp3
Comment by Memphis TN HOmes — June 3, 2009 @ 2:28 am