Of Videos, Burgers, and Rock N’ Bowl.

Day three began a little later than usual, and since the breakfast place we wanted to go was closed, I grabbed a Café au Lait from a local coffee joint, Envie, and ate my chocolate donut from yesterday. Both were a perfect start to what would be another great day in New Orleans. 

We took off after that for another trip out of the Quarter, and this time we ended up nearby to Tulane and Loyola Universities at a little place called The Mushroom. The Mushroom is an independent record store that mostly relies on sales of used goods, and let me tell you they had the stuff. It would take you days to go though it all they have crammed in that little store, and since I didn’t have that time, I focused my attention on my forte, movies.

 After skimming through the DVD’s (where there was some deals to be had), I found they had copious amounts of VHS. While looking though them, I found a copy of Code Name: Wild Geese starring Borgnine, Van Cleef, Kinski, and directed by Antonio Margheriti, and it looks to be a typical ‘80’s actioner from the director of the classic Yor, the Hunter from the Future. Not that that’s a bad thing, I like typical 80’s action flicks. On the way out of the Mushroom, I looked down to see a huge tub of buttons 2 for $1, and I could not resist looking. A few minutes later, I was leaving with my VHS gem and vintage Judas Priest and Samantha Fox buttons. 

Then we were off to Café Reconcile to grab some lunch.  Reconcile is a really cool place. It’s well outside our normal stomping grounds, but well worth the trip. What they do there is take inner city youths and train them in all aspects of the service industry, from waiting to bussing the tables to cooking. With restaurants being one of the biggest draws in New Orleans, this prepares them for a career in food service if they so choose.

I perused the menu and chose the Fried Catfish with Collard Greens and Mac and Cheese on the side. The Catfish was melt in your mouth good, and it was definitely the best I’ve ever had. Speaking of best I’d ever had, I do love me some Collards, and Reconcile had some perfectly seasoned slow cooked greens that I just loved. The Mac and Cheese, I could take or leave, and I left most of it to make way for their award-winning desert, Bananas Foster Bread pudding. I had a hell of a time eating the whole thing, but I was not about to go out without a fight and managed to get it all down. 

It started raining as we headed back into the French Quarter, but I wouldn’t let it dampen my spirits (or apparently my propensity for bad jokes). So I headed out on my own to check out some of the shops on Bourbon Street and pick up a few souvenirs. Unfortunately, a little rain turned into a downpour, and by the time I got back to our room, I was soaked. After drying off, the whole family headed out to check out some antique stores until it was time to get some dinner in out bellies. 

We finally got a chance to eat at one of New Orleans best kept secrets, Yo’ Mama’s. If you looked on commercial sites for recommendations on where to eat, often you’ll come across them touting a place called Port of Call and their burgers. Let me tell you folks, they are dead wrong, Yo’ Mama’s is located in the heart of the Quarter, and serves a burger so good that I’ve spent the last 2 years since I’ve had one comparing every burger I’ve ate to it. Served along side a baked potato (no fries with burgers in NOLA), it really makes for one of the best and most filling meals you can have. Now you might say exactly how good was it, Bugg? It was so damn good that I could not take the time to make a picture because I had to get that damn thing in my mouth!

After dinner, we digested for a while, and then it was back to of the Quarter again to one of the most original attractions in the city. Rock ‘N’ Bowl is just what it sounds like. It’s a bowling alley that also hosts live music. Tonight they had Eddie Zip, a piano player of the traditional New Orleans style, and while he didn’t put on too much an energetic show,  kicking back with a few beers in a bowling alley, and listening to live music can’t be beat. I also picked up a kicking retro bowling shirt that I will proudly be sporting back at the Lair. 

That brings today to a close, and three days in and I’m still having a great time. I hate to think that my time is halfway over so I just won’t. So until later taters….

Yours truly,

T.L. Bugg 

P.S. As you daily bonus here is the exterior of the Rev. Voodoo shop in New Orleans. Anyone who’s seen Hatchet might remember this as the building Tony Todd peeks out of.