Oldest restaurant in NOLA–

YES!  A wonderful spot for an afternoon snack and tipple is the bar at Antoine’s Restaurant on St. Louis Street here in The French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. . .c’est magnifique–say WHAT!?

Antoine’s is the oldest restaurant in all of New Orleans (opened in 1840), and it still rocks.  They invented Oysters Rockefeller here–you gotta have ’em…they serve wonderful high-end Creole food here (in fact, our alligator soup is one of the tastiest soups we have ever slurped in NOLA)…they serve top-notch liquor here…they serve wonderful wines here…and the people are totally accommodating and welcoming to everyone who walks into this hallowed space.  If everyone on planet Earth could eat here one time, then there would be less turmoil in the world…true dat!

Definitely consider doing a drink, a snack, or a complete meal at Antoine’s the next time you visit NOLA. . .you will love it all–I gar-ron-taaaayy!!

I send you substantial and enduring vibes from Antoine’s in New Orleans. . .feel them. . .they will soothe whatever ails ya for a good long time.

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It’s lovely out there.

Sunrise, grilled oysters…NOLA–

POW!  The sun comes up YET AGAIN here in New Orleans, and we are hungry for some breakfast. . .where we gonna go?–hmmmm…

…the answer this time is Drago’s over in the Hilton Hotel right on the banks of the mighty Mississippi–jaaa!!

Drago’s is famous for their grilled oysters cooked over lively open flames that are kept big and hot by the expert grillers at this longtime favorite. . .the oysters are steaming, intensely seasoned, and totally mouthwateringly delicious. . .we eat dozens of these things along with tasty chicken and andouille gumbo, and all is right in the universe.  Everything is washed down with spicy bloody marys–MAGIC!

Others do grilled oysters all over town, but these are the tastiest and most dramatic, in my humble opinion. . .as Winston Churchill once said, “I am easily satisfied with the best.”–me too!

Please consider poppin’ on in to Drago’s the next time you are in NOLA…pull up a couple of chairs at the bar and enjoy the show–who dat!

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It’s lovely out there.

BJ’s Lounge…mmmm!

WOW!  Here we are hangin’ at BJ’s Lounge out in the Marigny section of New Orleans, and simply put: this is how all bars should be.

It is dark in here…it is rockin’ in here with a dude called Guitar Lightnin’ Lee playing rockin’ blues with his band…it is vibin’ in here with folks of every race, color, and creed laughin’ and dancin’ with one another…and it is soothing in here with multiple potent potables available to quench your thirst–cash bar only though, darlin’. . .thank-you-veddy-much.

BJ’s is in what appears to be an old house on the corner of Burgundy and Lessups Streets just a block or two from Vaughn’s, another classic Marigny hangout. . .the street lights create a nice glow outside, the bar lights add to the glow just a little bit, and this place beckons us to come inside, sip a beverage, and enjoy the show. . .mmm, aaaahh!

Please consider poppin’ out to BJ’s the next time you are in NOLA. . .no one has a bad time inside a lounge called BJ’s–WHO DAT!!

To see more amazing images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you know you want to.

It’s lovely out there.

Jumpin’-good grub!

BOOM!  We are wandering the streets and alleyways of New Orleans lookin’ for more good grub, and we decide to pop on into Felix’s on Iberville Street. . .mmm, aaaahh–what a FABULOUS decision!

Felix’s is an old time classic in the French Quarter here in NOLA…kinda dank and dungy but with outstanding oysters, seafood dishes, and drinks.  But now it is even better because they have busted through the back wall and expanded into the space next door that used to house a restaurant called The Bayou or somethin’ like that.

Now with the expanded space they have a roomier bar for folks like us who like to sit at the bar and gobble…plus, they have a couple of TVs so we can watch “the game” or whatever while inhaling oysters, spicy crab fingers, seafood gumbo, and bread pudding with whiskey sauce. . .oh yeah!  In addition, they have a good simple selection of wines–we choose a light sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio (hard to remember which at this point)–to wash everything down with, and we are totally good-to-go. . .jaaaa!!

Please consider poppin’ into Felix’s the next time you are in NOLA…the food is still top-notch, AND you will love what they have done with the place. . .LONG…LIVE…FELIX’S!!

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It’s lovely out there.

Great grub in a historic gem–

BOOM!  This is our new number one lunch spot in all of New Orleans: Dooky Chase’s in the Treme section of town. . .mmm, aaaahh!

Dooky Chase’s is a historic gem. . .tons of Civil Rights activity happened here with Martin Luther King, Jr. holding meetings upstairs, Thurgood Marshall strategizing in these very rooms as he worked on overturning Plessy v Ferguson, both W. and Obama have eaten here, etc. and so on…the list goes on and on because smart people know that it is important to honor those around us who have done great human stuff, and Dooky Chase is one of the greatest doers of the past.

Dooky himself died last year well into his 90s, but the restaurant is still in good hands with his 94-year-old wife, legendary Creole chef Leah Chase, remaining in the kitchen every day to make sure all of the food is as good as ever and that all of us patrons, pilgrims, and hungry souls are as satisfied as ever.

Dooky opened this restaurant in 1941…he married Miss Leah in 1946…and the rest is history.  Miss Leah can cook, and the packed room at lunch attests to the goodness of her food and her overall magical and lovely vibrations.

Lunch is buffet-style. . .during our visit we gobble potato salad, seafood salad, fried catfish, sausages, jambalaya, collard greens, fried chicken–MAGNIFICENT!, turtle soup, seafood gumbo, and rice, rice, and more rice…mmm, aaaaahh, just can’t get enough of this stuff.  We finish with peach cobbler–TOTALLY DELECTABLE. . .and everything is washed down with a tasty bottle of sauvignon blanc. . .PERFECT!

The food here is Creole greatness…the vibe here is human and warm and inviting…and the space is crisp and stimulating and enveloping.  We love Dooky Chase’s Restaurant. . .

. . .please consider eating here the next time you pop into New Orleans. . .you will love it, too–Miss Leah will be sure of that. . .thank you, Miss Leah Chase, see you next time, and happy 95th birthday on January 6, 2018–jaaaa!!

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It’s lovely out there.

Sunrise, brekky…NOLA–

MMM!  The sun is comin’ up over the eastern bank of the mighty Mississippi River here in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, and we are hungry. . .hmmmm, what to do?

Head on over to Cafe du Monde is the answer. . .we need some delicious sugar-coated beignets and two or three cups of steaming chicory coffee with milk, aka, cafe au lait NOLA-style. . .jaaaa!!

This place NEVER gets old. . .the French Quarter pulses, the sugar gets us HIIIIIGH, and the coffee gets our hearts pumpin’ into overdrive. . .we are good-to-go for the next hour or three until it’s cocktail time.  Oh yeah, laissez les bon temps roulez. . .who dat!!

I send you uplifting vibes from the heart of New Orleans. . .feel them. . .better yet, come on down here and check ’em out fer yerself some time soon.

To see more stupendous images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and eat and drink and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Monteleone magic–

BOOM!  Once again hangin’ out at the Monteleone Hotel in magical New Orleans, Louisiana, and everything is as good as ever…who dat!

The view of the French Quarter sitting on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River…the room service…I mean the ROOM SERVICE. . .mmm, aaahh!!  Champagne and gumbo make everything right every time. . .plus, the water pressure in the shower is second to none and oh-so refreshing.  Thank you, Antonio, for setting up what is now the most wonderful hotel in all of NOLA…jaaa!!

I send you simmering vibes from New Orleans. . .feel them. . .they are good for whatever ails ya.

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It’s lovely out there.

Jet fuel–

BAM!  So we’re hangin’ at O’Hare Airport here in Chicago waitin’ for our flight. . .what to do?

The answer is to head into the airport outpost of Publican, a wonderful Chicago restaurant, and gobble some goodness.  We can now attest to the fact that the Publican french fries are top-notch…plop a couple of sunnyside-up eggs on top, and we are doin’ much better.  Throw in a couple of spicy bloody marys, and we have plenty of fuel to make it to a comfortable cruising altitude of thirty-six thousand feet. . .oh jaaaaa!!

Definitely consider poppin’ into Publican the next time you find yerself hangin’ at O’Hare. . .you will love it–I gar-ron-taaaayy!!

To see more magical images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Hay Kickapoo!

BAM!  Our exploration of the midwest continues with a super-chill visit to Viroqua, Wisconsin.  As you can see above, the traffic is horrendous…especially the horse-drawn Amish buggies. . .”c’mon, buddy, can’t you see we got places to go here?!”  And the answer is, no, he can’t see that we got places to go. . .in fact, he knows that I am fibbing. . .we ain’t got nowheres to go here except to the coffee shop.  Busted again. . .ah well.

So, we head on over to the Kickapoo Coffee joint…we order up two medium house blends…we sit down with some locals…we sip our cups of goodness, and DAMN, this stuff is delicious–mmmhhhmmm!  We keep hearing how good Kickapoo Coffee is, and it is delightful to finally have a cup and experience it for ourselves. . .dark, rich, smooth, and full of coffee flavor–jaaaa!!  We like this stuff a lot and will most definitely seek more of it out in the future.

Plus, on top of this buggy traffic and delicious coffee we notice that we are surrounded by more classic Wisconsin rolling hills dotted with hay bales here, there, and everywhere making for a bucolic and overall soothing time spent in and around these parts.  In addition, there are over 200 certified organic farms in this area. . .this means there are lots of good food products available to us: veggies, meats, cheeses, juices, butter, etc.–all available at the Viroqua Food Co-op…check it out some time, you will love it–I gar-ron-taaaayy!

Legend has it that ‘Viroqua’ may have been the name of one of the daughters of an American Indian chief called Black Hawk.  Black Hawk was a Ho-Chunk Indian who once ruled in this area before the white man kicked him and his people out.  No one knows exactly why the town was named Viroqua back in the 18th century, but it may have something to do with the daughter/white-man-kicking-people-out connection.  Please fill me in if you know anything more about this.

And Kickapoo is the name of the river that runs through Viroqua. . .the Kickapoo River. . .another Ho-Chunk name from way back when.  Hay/hey Kickapoo…we love uuuuuuu!!

It seems that most things here in Wisconsin retain the Indian names of the past. . .along with the old French names for things…the German names for things…names from the U.S. Revolutionary War, the founding of the U.S., etc. and so on.  Names. . .they remind us of times past…they remind us of people who have come before us…they remind us of how far humans have come and how far we/they have to go.

For us, we are simply honored to have the time and opportunity to experience this place, these things, and these people right here, right now. . .and we look forward to experiencing as much more as possible before our time here comes to an end.

I send you Ho-Chunk vibes from western Wiskonsen. . .feel them. . .they will make you go, “aaaaahhh!”

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It’s lovely out there.

EVERYTHING is interesting–

In the mid-nineteenth century dudes and their families from Cornwall, England came to Mineral Point, Wisconsin to work the lead mines.  They pulled the lead from the ground…they built limestone structures that still stand today…they celebrated holiday rituals on the “prairie”…they laughed occasionally–I hope…they cried–most certainly, as we all do…and they moved upward and onward as the lead ran out and dairy farming became the thing to do.

It is an honor to spend time in the shadows of these hard workers and in the presence of their ancestors.  It is an honor to wander these fields and rolling hills…to breathe this air…to BE. . .HERE. . .NOW.

Keep exploring everything around you and within you. . .there is still so much to see, hear, smell, taste, and do and oh-sooooo little time.

I send you holiday season vibes from the fields, paths, prairies, and rolling hills of MP, WI. . .feel them. . .they are good for your circulation.

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It’s lovely out there.