Yesterday was my first official day of research in New Orleans for this particular research trip. I headed to the New Orleans Public Library which houses the city's archives to look at records related to the city's farmers' markets. I was so happy to run into Theresa who also happened to be researching at the NOPL that morning. It was great to have a research buddy on my very first day so that I didn't fall right into the isolation that characterizes so many academics' research experiences. We also made conversation with a dynamic, young scholar from UC Berkeley who was looking at a 19th century court cases about a drunken baker...how interesting!
For our lunch break, Theresa and I decided to go for red beans and rice (a classic Monday meal in New Orleans) at Mother's, which claims to have the world's best baked ham. We went for a late lunch (around 2:00) to avoid the crowds. The red beans were delicious and were super meaty!!! Theresa let me try some of the side dishes she ordered - a was a major fan of the turnip greens. I also picked up a "Mother's frequent customer card" (I imagine that I will be stopping by for lunch whenever I head to the NOPL). Once I eat there 12 times, I'll have skip-the-line privileges. YES!
After a full day of research, I headed home to grab my car and head back uptown for drinks with a few new colleagues and a few old ones too...
_______________________________________________________
When I used to live Uptown in New Orleans, I would take the St. Charles Streetcar nearly everyday on my way to work. More often than not, the Delachaise would capture my attention because of its brightly painted exterior and copious number of twinkle lights. Last night, I was finally able to make it there to have drinks with Theresa and two dynamic architectural historians who have done fantastic research on New Orleans food institutions. The conversation was captivating because our work overlaps and intersects in really fascinating ways. I could have sat outside with them all night long, but Theresa and I had to scoot off to meet another food scholar and her husband at Cure - a very chic cocktail bar on Freret St. We had such a wonderful time catching up with Danielle and her husband (who is a native of Chalmet, LA). Our conversation spiraled gracefully from the best Mardi Gras parades, to the most interesting New Orleans fusion food, to Mah-Jongg.
For our lunch break, Theresa and I decided to go for red beans and rice (a classic Monday meal in New Orleans) at Mother's, which claims to have the world's best baked ham. We went for a late lunch (around 2:00) to avoid the crowds. The red beans were delicious and were super meaty!!! Theresa let me try some of the side dishes she ordered - a was a major fan of the turnip greens. I also picked up a "Mother's frequent customer card" (I imagine that I will be stopping by for lunch whenever I head to the NOPL). Once I eat there 12 times, I'll have skip-the-line privileges. YES!
After a full day of research, I headed home to grab my car and head back uptown for drinks with a few new colleagues and a few old ones too...
_______________________________________________________
When I used to live Uptown in New Orleans, I would take the St. Charles Streetcar nearly everyday on my way to work. More often than not, the Delachaise would capture my attention because of its brightly painted exterior and copious number of twinkle lights. Last night, I was finally able to make it there to have drinks with Theresa and two dynamic architectural historians who have done fantastic research on New Orleans food institutions. The conversation was captivating because our work overlaps and intersects in really fascinating ways. I could have sat outside with them all night long, but Theresa and I had to scoot off to meet another food scholar and her husband at Cure - a very chic cocktail bar on Freret St. We had such a wonderful time catching up with Danielle and her husband (who is a native of Chalmet, LA). Our conversation spiraled gracefully from the best Mardi Gras parades, to the most interesting New Orleans fusion food, to Mah-Jongg.
skip the line privileges!!! winning at life!! love your blog!!
ReplyDelete