New Orleans Friday: Pralines and Pirates

There is no music in the world that sounds like as much fun as a New Orleans brass band. The fun just picks you up and shakes you til you party!



We passed by the Praline Connection on the way down the street, and made the taxi driver stop so we could jump out. Serendipity. The main dining room was closed, but the attached shop had 3 tables and we grabbed the last one.

The coconut pralines (pronounced PRAWleens, not PRAYleens) were a little too sweet. The nuts cut the sugar a little better. I think we ate three of them overnight.



We shared a combination plate since we had already had crawfish a little earlier. The ribs, catfish and jambalaya were perfection. I ate all of the skin off of the chicken breast we were supposed to share and left just the flesh - it was that good. Good enough to screw over loved ones.



He was busy hogging the deep, earthy seafood gumbo to notice.



It was seriously some of the best food we ate in New Orleans, which is saying something. But I was also seriously drunk. I remember taking some pictures that aren't on my camera card of the owner, Mr Curtis, and I remember chatting with him for awhile and finding out the secret to their heavenly bread pudding - crushed-up pralines and amaretto. Hell yeah!

I remember this band playing outside.



We went to a party at The Skull Club, Lord David's after-hours place in a loft, complete with a speakeasy-style peephole. We had had a pretty long day by that time, so we only stayed for a few beers and

This guy had gloves with built-in metal claws. They felt really good when he scratched me with them, but then I felt kind of creepy and had to ask him to stop.