Deanies Seafood, Awesome Art Cars

To the Quarter again for weekend nosh? But of course. I don't care if it's full of tourists and drunken LSU students and transvestites, I like the French Quarter. I like the nasty daiquri shops, I like the street musicians, I like the freaks who pretend to be voodoo queens and the freaks pretending to be god-knows-what, I like it all. I enjoy acting as an impromptu tourist guide for lost people from Utah. I like watching drunk people attempt to pet 6 foot tall police horses. I like seeing the cops come and drag away yet another drunk and disorderly punk - because for all the total dysfunction of the Quarter, it's still a ton of fun. If that makes me a tourist, then such shall I be.

Anyway.


I had heard good things about Deanies on Iberville street, in terms of gumbo, which are terms I am always highly alert to. After some inefficient looking, I found Deanies on the OTHER side of Bourbon and wandered on in. I was startled to find that it was clean, neat, and orderly inside. The front desk lady had a big smile on her face and didn't even glare when I asked for a table for one.

I ordered the seafood gumbo with a side salad combo. 11 bucks.



This was some mighty fine gumbo, says I. Coulda been a little hotter, temperature wise. Otherwise: not too watery, not too thick, nice chunk of crab, nice chunks of shrimp. Good, rich, dense flavor. Didn't chuck too much rice in there. Livened up with a bunch of Crystal, this was a mighty fine gumbo experience. I also very much liked the honey-fig balsamic that came with the salad, although otherwise, I don't dig iceberg wedges very much. Even if they involve bacon.

Deanies also is reputed to have tasty po-boys, stuffed crabs, and broiled oysters, which I'll have to return to try. Other good news: prices are quite reasonable. And no one seems really pissed off.

I wonder what gumbo tastes like without Crystal. I don't think I care to know.

Today was a really darn nice day, the warmest since summer faded away. It was in the seventies today. A little overcast - which thwarted my photography practice plans - and I felt a raindrop or two, but it was generally just great. Tons of people were wandering around looking startled and happy in their summer clothes. I bet I looked just the same.



Tried to take a picture of Jackson Square. Well.

This art-car (and former hearse) was a total hoot. I think it's got a very poorly conveyed Jesus theme but it doesn't matter too much. I want to drive a car like that someday. Maybe when I'm 80 and have nothing better to do then glue Happy Meal toys to my fenders.