A few weekends ago I proposed a makeshift trip to New Orleans. The initial group was Tammy, Ian. To our surprise, my brother expressed interest. He had never taken a trip to the Big Easy for pleasure, so he and his wife joined our group. We all learned something that weekend.
Coop’s Place was the highlight of the trip. Ian learned about this discrete little joint a while back and won’t leave Nawlins without getting his fix of the killer Cajun cuisine served there. If you peruse the site, I should point out they cook better than they photograph. This looks nothing like what they set before me. How good is it? I would drive 2 hours for a meal there without a second thought. The sausage: tender. The spices: perfect blend. The portions: generous. The ambience: authentic. Oh, and the gumbo! I am ashamed at what I have called gumbo until now. I plead ignorance. Coop’s introduced me to the good stuff. I recommend the sample platter …and a bottle or two of Chemay.
What is Chimay? Well, during out feast Ian’s eyes light up. He rubs them in disbelief and asks the waiter for two bottles of “Chimay”. From what I gather, Chimay is to beer as Mile’s Davis’s Kind of Blue is to Jazz music. People like different Jazz styles. However, all authorities in Jazz music agree agree. Kind of Blue is the best. All other Jazz is compared to it. People looking to start a collection should start there. Likewise, beer connaisseurs agree that Chimay is the best in show when it comes to beer. The Trappist monks win esteemed awards every year with their special brew. Ian was excited to have found the beer because it is not legal to sell in the good ol’ Heart of Dixie. The stuff comes in a wine-like bottle, is topped with a champagne cork and is served in deep short stemmed glasses. The verdict: Verify, yon Trappist monks make a good brew.
So, what did we all learn?
Ooh, speaking of Sarah: props to Sarah on her new jearb as web designer at the my ol’ alma marta.