Tag Archives: photography

Syncopation, NOLA Style

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Where else can you enjoy a Strawberry Ice Cream Daquiri on a hot afternoon with a live soundtrack of exquisite, blues and soul?

Then there is the taste of a soulful bowl of Chicken & Andouille Gumbo just before being entertained by the melifluous voice of local jazz legend Charmaine Neville.

Or, you can interrupt your picking at side plates of alligator bites, brussels & bacon, and fried green tomatoes with a session by a Kermit (Ruffins, that is)?

Or even sample a brew of Dixie while accompanied by the Dixieland sound of the Steamboat Stompers?

And does all this happen in Cardiff, you ask? Think not, I reply.

Until we speak again, New Orleans is all about off-beat and unexpected variety. A place where true Jazz legends secretively perform in what to all intents and purposes looks like a run-down shack (i.e. the Preservation Hall). And, that my friend, is syncopation!

 

Gone Fishing!

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Whatever your level of budget or taste you can bet New Orleans is going to come up with something that will add to your lifetime gastronomic mind map. My relationship to fish is generally one of appreciating their grace and beauty rather than their taste; but there is a small range of the critters that had just better watch out when I am around!

When the company is right for a spot of the fine dining I recently found that there is no better place in the French Quarter than GW Fins (aptly named for a seafood joint).

Okay, maybe I did cheat a bit with a Crispy Belly Pork & Watermelon appetiser; but you would to if you had the chance! In any case, my companions were diving straight into the pond after the Fried Snapper Belly (complete with fin)…

Fried Snapper Belly and Crispy Pork Belly

However, it didn’t take me long to cross swords with the finest tasting Blackened Swordfish with Fried Shrimp, whilst viewing my companions Spearfished Cobia across the table.

Spearfished Cobia and Swordfish dishes

And, just for variety, there was also an example of the house speciality Scalibut…

Scalibut

Until we speak again, feel free to suggest further gastronomic challenges you would like me to take on your behalf… there is no end to the level of personal sacrifice I am prepared top make on your behalf. In the meantime check out GW Fins menu and wine list for salivation (definitely not salvation) purposes…

 

 

Birth of the Cocktail

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Once upon a time in 19th century New Orleans, a local pharmacist, Antoine Peychaud, created the first ever cocktail. I can only assume it was a quiet day for the business when he decided to create a unique strain of bitters, and to mix it with a range of ingredients most notably Sazerac Cognac… and in that moment the Sazerac Cocktail was created.

Within  no time the invention was celebrated in the aptly named Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel, and it was soon to be found in it’s own Sazerac House on Royal Street. Fast forward some 170 years, on 2nd October 2019 the original cocktail celebrates the opening day of its new shrine on the corner of Canal and Magazine Streets…

Sazerac House

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The original French Sazerac Cognac has been long since superceded by an American Sazerac Rye, but what exactly are you consuming before you eventually fall over?

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But, this shrine is not just a museum, it is also about to become the newest addition to the overall production line. Yours truly has signed the outside of the first barrel that will emerge from this new home… I only have 6 years to wait to taste it!

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Moving through this spacious well structured and informative museum leaves you with a strong sense of final purpose…

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Until we speak again, remember a few words of wisdom while indulging in this very moreish drop…

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Deja Vu

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Coming back to New Orleans again is one thing, but the irresistible pull of brunch at the Palace Cafe on Canal Street comes down to one thing. It’s not the neatly tailored waiting staff, or even the delicate combination of dark wood panelling, white linen tablecloths and shiny floor coverings. It’s not the coffee; far better can be found with a little bit of intrepid searching.

No, it simply comes down to their signature dish… a savoury take on a sweet idea, topped off with a creole muniere sauce of just enough spice. Yes, for my regular reader, I’m once again introducing you to the Crabmeat Cheesecake that is every bit as good to the taste as it is stunning on the eye…

Until we speak again, this cat is simply going to continue suffering in order to bring you these magic morsels!

Going French in the Quarter

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Liberte, Equalite, Fraternite… who cares when you are on vacation looking for a fine brunch without a heart attack inducing smothering of eggs and cheese? Well ladies, at least here you get your own entrance…

Croissant D’Or Patisserie on Ursulines is a must for anyone in the French Quarter of New Orleans looking for a small piece of France… American style (i.e. by not needing to go to France!… or even anywhere outside of America!).

The Brioche French Toast is to die for… well, perhaps not something so dramatic… so add the fruit bowl if you need a life support…

Until we speak again, there are better ways to go, apparently; but in Nou Awlings, who cares, as long as you’re indulging in what life has to offer…

Climate Change

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Fossil fuel dependence is gradually waning, renewable sources are on the increase, and nuclear power causes its usual divisions of opinion. However, down on the south bank of the river Thames power is being restored through a wholly different climate of change… and an old icon is getting a facelift as well as a complete new purpose in life.

Until we speak again, Battersea seems to be the word for architectural puzzles these days… not just for dogs!

Victorian Folly

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I thought Cardiff Castle was enough of a Victorian Folly, but just take a stroll a couple hundred yards back from the seafront of Brighton, and let your biscuit be taken!

So, why go to India when you can experience ‘it’ without so much of the heat and humidity? Who needs authenticity these days… Chicken Korma anyone!?

Until we speak again, Brighton Pavilion offers the kind of India you are unlikely to find in… err… India!

War of the Worlds

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Could that be one of the Martian killing machines lurking in the foliage? Surely the good people of Tongwynlais in South Wales will come to the defence in such times of threat to the planet.

Until we speak again, Castell Coch is well situated to surveil any prospective marauders… whether they be inquisitive Cardiff folk daring to venture towards the wild lands of the South Wales Valleys, or maybe even misguided Martians‘ in search of intelligent life!

Time Was…

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Memories of romance struck up on the ballroom dance floor on a Saturday night; and whatever went on beneath the boardwalk a little later on!

Until we speak again, may the remains of Brighton’s West Pier keep on stirring those pre-1970’s recollections… for those of you old enough to creatively distort any!

Summer in the city

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It’s the height of the summer season when tourists and locals alike seek to take those all important memorable photographic reminders. So, come to Cardiff and add to your collection of photographs of, er… metal!

We have a newfound worship of the stuff at the historic heart of the city as St John’s Church adopts a form of icon hibernation…

And if its culture you are seeking, just try the National Museum of Wales, with its strangely tent-like impersonation…

There just might be a case of contagion, as the museum’s corporation neighbour of City Hall belies its usual finery by angling to get in on the act…

Then there is the world renowned sporting arena of the Millenium Stadium (no product endorsements for financial institutions here!) sporting a partial makeover…

Fear not, surely views down St Mary Street towards the castle will be spared; but Hodge House has other ideas…

Until we speak again, you might be forgiven for thinking Cardiff has become the home of heavy metal!