She said:
So, last post was the good, and here is the not so good (which I think we all agree is much more interesting):
Catch Restaurant: Magazine Street
The execution of the Tapas Crawl- in fairness, it was year 1
The closing of Donna’s Bar and Grill
Italian Barrel- this place is too expensive. The price-value equation leaves me scratching my head. Sure we had the best cheese board I have had in the city of NOLA, but $36 for a fish entree REALLY?
The crappy common-use grill in my courtyard- guess this is somewhat of a segue rant and serves no purpose to anyone except myself and my husband, but this has to be the worst grill in the history of grills!
Food poisoning in Venice- the beautiful city of Venice and I am sick in bed for a whole day from some mystery potion of bouillabaisse. I still feel bad for the poor soul who had to clean those carpets.
Mexican stand-off in a Parisian restaurant because we didn’t read enough of the damn Fodor’s book to know that we were supposed to ask for a check.
Catch- This place blew! So much so that I haven’t been able to step foot in Byblos again and don’t intend to try out their reinvented tapas place in the same location. I still can’t believe Tom Fitzmorris raved about it.
Seafood selection of Rouse’s in the French Quarter
Overall selection of produce in the French Market- comm’on guys, we can do better than this
Not having a bike- Husband- are you reading this?
Failure of New Orleans to post a ban on smoking in bars.
The Silver guys in the Quarter. There are too damn many of them, and no, I don’t intend to give you my hard-earned money just because you are painted silver.
Meritage- I am over these bull-shit wine dinners. “Here is a thimble of Joseph Phelps- have a nice evening!” Perhaps NOWFE can educate Meritage on how to pull off a successful wine dinner- first, start with some wine, not a sip, but a pour!
Bennachin- I know some people love this place, but I just don’t. It is ok at best and in the summer the heat in that joint is oppressive.
The fact that The Spotted Cat has jumped the shark
The continued downward spiral of the Marigny Brasserie- it is now all things to all people. If you don’t believe me, check out the menu. http://www.marignybrasserie.com/menu/menu.pdf Still don’t believe me? Check out the commercial…
http://marignybrasserieblog.com/
I am 100% ashamed to say we chose this place for our rehearsal dinner- it has changed, really it has.
That Marigny Brasserie menu looks like it should come in a ten-page, photo-book version a la TGI Fridays.
Yeah, and the commercial is worse!
a horse is a horse, of course of course. Unless that horse whores himself out to Marigny Brasserie & then jumps in the stock pot- hooves & all.
SAD……….
I like you two. Good writing. Witty. Yes, elitist, but who isn’t in their own way. But fellas I have a long issue with a fleeting mention from above. Smoking bans…the desire to enforce a non-smoking environment seems to me to be the height of narcissism (explanation in a sec). Look, I DO NOT smoke. And I am absolutely in a deeply resigned sigh as I take off my smoky smelling clothes at the end of a night spent in a cool but foggy venue…but I really have zero urge to enforce my mild discomfort as law. The reality is that by popular demand there are more and more venues going non-smoking. DBA, Tips, Chiki’s etc, etc,. Love it. And I think they know many of their clientel do as well. Beautiful. I have never actually not gone to a place because there IS smoking, but I have looked at the venue and smiled because it was in a non-smoking venue…mostly for the convienience of not HAVING to shower before bed (yeah, sometimes I don’t…if it’s been a long night). But what bothers me as much as smoking venues seem to bother pro-smoking ban proponents, are these people who think that the only thing a bar is missing is themselves. And if only there were a smoking ban, they’d go. So, let’s enforce that, so that everyone can be graced by these so-cool-you-don’t-even-know-it folks. Why can’t there be a balance? I live a few blocks from Bud Rips in Bywater. The clientel there all smoke (ok, I don’t know that, but I’d bet my house it’s 75%). I am the minority. Still love the place. Maybe I don’t go in as much as I normally would, but I have options. And I am somewhat of a peripatetic anyway, so I am not a real regular anywhere. But most of the people at Rips are everyday regulars, and thus the bread and butter. Who am I to show up, curl my nose, cough loudly at everyone with a cigarette, and demand they put it out. They were smoking before I got there…so now that I have showed they gotta put it all out?! Narcissism! Isn’t there room for both? Honestly, I think the non-smoking results will eventually be mostly achieved without regulation. It’s just the way the mood is going. But let’s not enforce one will over the other because of an aesthetic inconvienience. And, in my opinion, that is the real issue (often couched in public health, but let’s not go down that slippery slope in this city). Personally, I do not mind sharing with a bar/venue owner that I would come more, or, would prefer if there were less smoke. If he (or she) examines his customer base and says to himself that it’s not yet worth it, so be it. But let’s not immediatley leap to bans. Advocate and encourage, yes…but let’s go easy on the banning…of anything. It may be an unhealthy freedom, but unhealthy freedom is certainly one the unique attributes of the city. Otherwise, love your blog!
Anytus,
Thanks for the kind words and the thoughtful response. It made us revisit what we wrote a year and a half ago. And we think your point is valid: we should have stated our preference for smoke free, which is a VERY different thing for advocating legislation to effect it. Thanks for pointing that out.