Diary 01|10|2018. Almost Opera. Then Del Porto.

[divider type=""] Wednesday, January 10, 2018. One never knows everything going on around him, does one? Yesterday, Mary Ann invited herself and me to a classy shindig tonight at the Abita Brewpub. The main act was a slate of serious opera singers. Not as in "the Grand Old Opry," but real opera voices, at least two of which were in the operas we attended during the past year. What we didn't know is that this is a rather regular program, and that seats in the small dining room and bar are hard to obtain. Mary Ann beat me there and found it impossible to get a table. Next time we will know better. Now it was time to figure out where would go for dinner. I haven't had a single thing to eat all day, but if that helped the selection process, then, well. . . it made the process more difficult, as it always does when MA and I get to talking about where to have dinner. [caption id="attachment_45729" align="alignleft" width="300"] The bar at Del Porto.[/caption] We turned up at a restaurant with all the distinguishing qualities. Del Porto--which I think is not only the best Italian restaurant on the North Shore, but the best in the New Orleans area--proved that assessment again. We began with a cauliflower soup and a salad. A 22-piece frito misto then took over my attention. On this plate were, as the name suggests, an assortment of fried seafood morsels. This ranged from shrimp and scallops to pompano and a few other attractive scraps. MA continued to work on that salad, while I indulged myself in a pair of swordfish fillets, firm and cleanly flavored, if a little high at $32. I am finding more and more attraction to swordfish everywhere I dine these days, and this sampling of it equally excellent. I was stuffed by that time, but the waiter began pushing a plate of donuts, all about the same size of beignets and fried more or less the same way. A light dusting of sugar and cinnamon and some vanilla gelato finished all but one of the donuts. Back home, we discussed the progress of the Marys' current projects. I am not allowed to give reports on that until they reach fruition. Fruit, however, is still allowed. Del Porto. Covington: 501 E Boston St. 985-875-1006.