Wherein I Say “Lunch” and “Ah”
by
I just returned from lunch at Galatoire’s and am writing while still under its magical spell.
I went with two friends, one of which is an attorney I work with and the other someone who once worked in my office. Her betrayal at leaving the firm, this many years later, is still not forgiven.
Anywho, where was I? Oh, yeah. So, while driving there, we came across this old biddy in a Volvo station wagon. She was hogging the road–driving down the middle and not picking a lane. She then stopped to drop someone off and one in my party said, “Oh, she’s probably dropping someone off for lunch at Galatoire’s.” We pulled into a parking lot, handed the keys to the attendant and turned to face Ms. Volvo standing behind me, keys in hand. Oy.
We get to Galatoire’s and get my friend’s favorite table at the front in the center by the window. And we ask for his waiter, Dorris.
And in walks Ms. Volvo.
Unconcerned with Ms. Volvo, we turned our attention to buttering our warmed French bread. And ordering a round of white wine for the table. Then we decided on what to eat. All the while, my stresses of the day were still playing in my mind; my cuticles still in jeopardy. I settled on splitting a Godchaux salad (lump crabmeat and seasoned boiled shrimp over a bed of lettuce served with a remoulade dressing) with one of my friends. Then I ordered the Crabmeat Sardou–which Galatoire’s describes as “tender artichoke bottoms filled with fresh lump crabmeat nestled in a bed of creamed spinach and drizzled with a wonderfully rich hollandaise sauce”–in honor of Daisy Duke. (Daisy, yes, it was Heaven.)
And then we just relaxed. And breathed. And enjoyed ourselves. And talked. We talked about David Vitter and the potential closing of the Catholic churches in NOLA and the funeral and accompanying write-ups about Al Copeland and about traveling and the state of the airline industry and about the LA Senate striking down naming the Sazerac as the State Drink and about family. Interspersed in this good conversation was good eats and good drinks. All served in good time and not rushed. And somewhere along the way, my cuticles were saved as my stesses finally went quiet and I was nowhere but in Galatoire’s enjoying the best the city has to offer with good friends.
In other words, it was just your typical lunch at Galatoire’s.
That does sound like Heaven. sounds like just what you needed!!
I really thought there was going to be a throw down with Ms. Volvo though.
I swear, you eat at the best places and places I never go. Maybe that’s what happens when I grow up in the ‘burbs of Nola. Wow, that sounds good.
Your lunching posts leave me hungry and jealous. But since I’m eating Burger King right now, I guess the joke’s on you.
As one of the friends joining Nola, it was quite an enjoyable meal. I do believe the if we had had the time and Ms. Volvo would have interfered with us one more time there would have been a throwdown. As it turned out we didn’t see much of Ms. Volvo once we got into the restaurant. It’s always good to have lunch with friends and get our minds on good things rather than dwell on our bad things.
I’ve never found the food at Galatoire to be least bit appetizing.
And thus I eat my twittered words.
Lord have mercy.
I am jealous.
And my only salvation is the Galatoire’s Cookbook my mother bought me for Christmas. I may have to whip it out tonight.
Heaven. On. A. Plate.
So envious of a classic New Orleans lunch…. you’ll have to start some sort of monthly group & keep us all up-to-date on the food
Commander’s Palace Creme Brulee makes a perfect blog photo!!
Have never even heard of Galatoire’s! I’m adding it to my list of restaurants to eat at before we leave NOLA. I must say, my list has expanded exponentially since we met.
Now, if you would include recipes for all these delicious meals you are taunting us with, I would find it in my heart to forgive you.
You had me at crab meat . . .
I managed to get to Commander’s Palace last night for my birthday. Having just purchased A Confederacy of Dunces and In the Land of the Cocktails, I decided upon an Adelaide Swizzle for a cocktail. It matched well with the coffee-encrusted pork tenderloin. Any stress I had from an entire day with my mother-in-law slipped completely away by the second Adelaide Swizzle.
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