Jazzfest bulletin, New Orleans

We arrived yesterday, too late for the first day's music (flying on mileage, couldn't get a nonstop), not too late for dinner. sign of the times: each year it gets more and more difficult to tell the JazzFesties from the other travelers. Example from LAG to Charlotte leg of trip:

Me to older gentleman in straw hat, plaid shorts, sandals-- ooh, are you going to Jazzfest too?

Him (offended) no, my partners and I have a business meeting.

Oh, well. Arrived, cleaned up, dinner at Cochon. Boucherie plate starter-- a not bad plat de charcuterie, maybe a little skimpy. But then I loooved my woodfire roasted oysters so much that I cancelled my next dish and had some more ersters. The Diner had a fried oyster sandwich (not a po'boy, rather a creation on white toast)


followed by ham hocks with red beans n rice. Very meaty hocks, some of the meat scraped off and crisped, more still clinging to the wreckage. The bread basket looked like the usual white tasteless fluff rolls, so I was surprised and delighted to bite into old-fashioned lard bread! Mmm, mmm, mmm. And because I had had such a dainty little meal (only a few oysters, after all), treated self to a giant slice of deep dark chocolate cake. Worth it.

Today, Friday, spending the day at Jazzfest.

Some random snaps that you might enjoy:

Front side of Mardi Gras Indian suit, on exhibit as folk craft, along with truly awesome beadwork appliqué. This is where embellishment belongs!

This one is a ball gown for a Mardi Gras queen on a float, not a street Indian. Nice that the two very different groups were sharing the same exhibition tent!







 


some random crowd scenes. As you can tell this is not a fashion event but I'm lovin it. Dinner out tonight, more music tomorrow.