Good food in New Orleans

Ponce de Leon Street, New Orleans

I'm going to pull the curtain aside for a moment and let you in on a little secret that I let slip this morning to one of our guests.  Most of these blog posts are written a few weeks in advance.  I have a file I pick and choose from when it's time for an update.  Unlike some B&Bs, we don't hire a PR firm or professional writer to handle our image.  For the most part, it's just Frau Schmitt and your humble narrator, and Tammie the Housekeeper, of course.

Tammie the Housekeeper

Today, though, apropos of some recent correspondence, I felt I should break my regular schedule to share something a recent guest sent us about their stay.  This post is fresh.

Before I share that, however, we recently had a guest stay with us who is also named Tammy.  Her name, of course, is a homophone of our Tammie the Housekeeper's name; it sounds the same but it's spelled differently.  Tammy the Guest didn't smoke a pipe, but when people at the next table heard us address her, they couldn't help but ask me in a stage whisper: "Is that Tammie the Housekeeper??!!?"  Nope.  Tammie the Housekeeper showed up later that day, though, to the delight of everyone who met her.

Tammy the Guest said that she went to Orleans Seafood on North Claiborne Avenue, a few blocks from our house.  We didn't recommend it, but we would have if we had known she was thinking about it.  Orleans Seafood only has two reviews on Urban Spoon.  It's that kind of place.  I agree with the first review, it the kind of place that's "not for Cajuns from somewhere else."  I couldn't have said it better myself.

So what did our guest from the Berkshires write to us?  This:

Matthew, thanks again for a wonderful stay. When we awoke at home this morning we were disappointed that we couldn't walk downstairs to share yesterday's adventures, so I thought I'd share this post. As usual, Melanie was right, the hidden gardens were something special. We walked your lovely neighborhood one last time and stumbled into a passing parade. Truly the best send off we could ask for. Our last bites, sinfully delicious fried chicken at Dizzys. Our memories will linger.

I could take some lessons in poetic brevity, don't you think?  That last bit could almost be haiku:

Our last bites,

Sinfully delicious

Fried chicken at Dizzy's.

Our memories will linger

Almost.  I didn't say it was perfect haiku.  I can never remember how many syllables are supposed to be in each line. 

Li'l Dizzy's is also a few blocks away from us, on the corner of North Robertson Street and Esplanade Avenue, one block after crossing North Claiborne Avenue heading toward the French Quarter.  Li'l Dizzy's has 33 reviews on Urban Spoon. 

What I find most interesting is that neither of these places appears to have their own website.  They don't need one.  People who need to know about them, know about these places.  A person's got to eat, after all.  

Use your melon

I like this painting so much, I'm thinking about asking a local painter we know to make one similar to it to hang in one of our suites.  We're expanding the art collection at our inn.  We're always trying to make our surroundings more interesting.

We're always tickled to get correspondence.  Keep those cards and letters coming.  What will the next post be about?  I can't say I don't know because I told you at the beginning of this one that it's already written.  I'll tell you this much: it will be interesting.  At least one of us will think it is.

Until then,

A votre santé,

La Belle Esplanade bed and breakfast.