Friday, May 27, 2016.
Vinola. Royal Street Stroll. Brennan's.
Day Two of the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience kept me very busy. It began with the radio show, broadcasting from the lobby of the Royal Orleans Hotel, a few rods from the hotel's ballroom. There, when I arrived, NOW&FE's big event of the day was in full career, but far enough away to minimize the noise going into our radio microphones.
[caption id="attachment_51622" align="alignnone" width="480"]
Vinola in full career.[/caption]
Vinola is a young event in NOW&FE's schedule. The idea was to cherrypick the best wines brought in by the participating wineries, and to present this array of all-stars to people willing to pay $175 for a grander tasting than the Grand Tasting tomorrow. There is no question that this is the right price for Vinola, because the ballroom was a packed house. This can be blamed a little bit on the more probing questions that the typical Vinola oenophile asks, thereby slowing things down. But there were really a lot of people in there. So many that I could not encourage a single winemaker or even wine pourer to step over to my broadcast and give me a few minutes about their wines. This is always how we kept the radio show busy during past Vinolas.
Not helping this situation was a lunch for media at Brennan's, across the street. Mary Ann showed up, but even she deserted me for the siren song of the Brennan's affair.
So, with all the people I wanted to talk with engaged, I was a sitting duck for four guys who were in the building in advance of a wedding in which they would be standing. They'd had a drink or two, and thought that my show was part of the nuptials. The only way I could get rid of them as they prattled into my microphones was to go to a commercial, then get up and walk away, hoping they didn't follow me.
My program was saved by the traditional visit of my friend Jennifer Wall, the face and voice and brilliant smile of Barefoot Wines. That outfit produces and sells in the millions of cases every year. The wines are made for people who are just moving into wine from Coca-Cola, but a lot of people stop right there. She makes a good case for what she does, and I look forward to her annual visits.
When the radio show ended (to my great relief), Mary Ann came back with a glowing report on the Brennan's lunch. I had almost nothing from the Vinola food tables--Royal O chef Tom Wolfe was making grilled cheese sandwiches, and if there was a lot more food they were keeping it out of the way. It's a good thing I knew all the chefs, because the guards at the door at first turned me away because I didn't have a wrist band. They were breaking Vinola down when a pass was finally delivered. Oh, well. I can always eat at the Royal Street Stroll.
[caption id="attachment_51620" align="alignnone" width="480"]
The King and Queen of Cork. [/caption]
Almost since NOW&FE's inception, the Royal Street Stroll has been the point of entry for people who are just developing a taste for wine. The galleries and antique stores for which Royal Street is known were where attendees would find a few wines to try, along with enough nibbles of food that one didn't go to dinner afterwards. The price was low enough that a lot of wine neophytes showed up and enjoyed themselves.
That made the Stroll crowds oversized after a decade or so. The solution was to raise the price and position the food and wine so that people could get to it more easly. That bombed. For the past several years, the way you get the goods is to stand in line at one of the several food-truck-like distribution points, get something to eat and drink there, then immediately get into the next line.
I don't like standing in line. I thought that if I just walked around, I could catch slack periods and get enough food and drink to satisfy. We walked from the Royal O to Bienville Street, turned around, and went downtown to the other end of the Stroll at Orleans Avenue. Then we did another U-ie and headed back to Bienville, encountering Patrick Von Hoorebeck's Krewe Of Cork along the way. I had walked ten blocks, and as yet had only one bite of food (a beef bao from Dickie Brennan's Steak House) and no wine. As in zero. I didn't so much as see an open bottle.
I'm sure that the food and the wine was somewhere to be found. MA said, "Are we going to keop on with this much longer?"
"No," sez I. "How about dinner at Brennan's." She eagerly accepted the offer.
On our way, MA told me of two friends who raved about the Royal Street Stroll all year round. What a great deal it was. How much fun it was to check out the eats and drinks with friends.
"Are they here?" I asked.
"No. Both of them gave it up a few years ago. They say it's a ripoff now." The faint brown font that shows the price of the Stroll on NOW&FE's website says it's $135 this year. It wasn't that long ago when it was $35.
[caption id="attachment_51619" align="alignnone" width="480"]
Seared smoked tuna with black eye peas.[/caption]
Richard Shakespeare was still on duty at Brennan's. He was a longtime manager at Commander's Palace, then moved to Ralph Brennan's side of the Brennan Force. He is now one of the top managers at Brennan's. He found us the best table in the house, in the front room where the kitchen used to be. A very agreeable waiter took over and served us well all night. I have turtle soup--excellent, even if it is different from the old recipe here, which I still say was the best turtle soup ever. Then seared smoked tuna on black eye peas. Fish and beans always work.
[caption id="attachment_51618" align="alignnone" width="480"]
The new Jackson Salad.[/caption]
Mary Ann has the revised edition of Brennan's famous Jackson salad. It's not named for Andrew Jackson, nor for our grandson, but for the actress and Hollywood reporter Jill Jackson, who was always hanging around Brennan's in the old days.
Ralph Brennan came over and spent a good while with us. He says the new Brennan's is doing very well. He adds that the Napoleon House--which he also bought last year--is not only rolling right along, but has incurred much less time and trouble than he was expecting. Otherwise? "On any given day, I could hire thirty people, and I wish I had them to hire. But the whole industry is struggling with staffing nationwide."
Mary Ann and I agree that, as much praise as we have given to Brennan's, this unexpected visit shows a restaurant even better than we say it is. The design of the place is spectacular, while remaining true to the spirit of the old place.
I head home. Mary Ann decides she wants to check out a new NOW&FE event. This is out of character for her, because the Midnight Mania doesn't start until eleven tonight, in a place to be announced in social media. It's on Julia Street, and about fifty people are there. There is food and wine, of course. Six dishes, two of them centered on octopus. A little more planning appears to be needed.
Vinola in full career.[/caption]
Vinola is a young event in NOW&FE's schedule. The idea was to cherrypick the best wines brought in by the participating wineries, and to present this array of all-stars to people willing to pay $175 for a grander tasting than the Grand Tasting tomorrow. There is no question that this is the right price for Vinola, because the ballroom was a packed house. This can be blamed a little bit on the more probing questions that the typical Vinola oenophile asks, thereby slowing things down. But there were really a lot of people in there. So many that I could not encourage a single winemaker or even wine pourer to step over to my broadcast and give me a few minutes about their wines. This is always how we kept the radio show busy during past Vinolas.
Not helping this situation was a lunch for media at Brennan's, across the street. Mary Ann showed up, but even she deserted me for the siren song of the Brennan's affair.
So, with all the people I wanted to talk with engaged, I was a sitting duck for four guys who were in the building in advance of a wedding in which they would be standing. They'd had a drink or two, and thought that my show was part of the nuptials. The only way I could get rid of them as they prattled into my microphones was to go to a commercial, then get up and walk away, hoping they didn't follow me.
My program was saved by the traditional visit of my friend Jennifer Wall, the face and voice and brilliant smile of Barefoot Wines. That outfit produces and sells in the millions of cases every year. The wines are made for people who are just moving into wine from Coca-Cola, but a lot of people stop right there. She makes a good case for what she does, and I look forward to her annual visits.
When the radio show ended (to my great relief), Mary Ann came back with a glowing report on the Brennan's lunch. I had almost nothing from the Vinola food tables--Royal O chef Tom Wolfe was making grilled cheese sandwiches, and if there was a lot more food they were keeping it out of the way. It's a good thing I knew all the chefs, because the guards at the door at first turned me away because I didn't have a wrist band. They were breaking Vinola down when a pass was finally delivered. Oh, well. I can always eat at the Royal Street Stroll.
[caption id="attachment_51620" align="alignnone" width="480"]
The King and Queen of Cork. [/caption]
Almost since NOW&FE's inception, the Royal Street Stroll has been the point of entry for people who are just developing a taste for wine. The galleries and antique stores for which Royal Street is known were where attendees would find a few wines to try, along with enough nibbles of food that one didn't go to dinner afterwards. The price was low enough that a lot of wine neophytes showed up and enjoyed themselves.
That made the Stroll crowds oversized after a decade or so. The solution was to raise the price and position the food and wine so that people could get to it more easly. That bombed. For the past several years, the way you get the goods is to stand in line at one of the several food-truck-like distribution points, get something to eat and drink there, then immediately get into the next line.
I don't like standing in line. I thought that if I just walked around, I could catch slack periods and get enough food and drink to satisfy. We walked from the Royal O to Bienville Street, turned around, and went downtown to the other end of the Stroll at Orleans Avenue. Then we did another U-ie and headed back to Bienville, encountering Patrick Von Hoorebeck's Krewe Of Cork along the way. I had walked ten blocks, and as yet had only one bite of food (a beef bao from Dickie Brennan's Steak House) and no wine. As in zero. I didn't so much as see an open bottle.
I'm sure that the food and the wine was somewhere to be found. MA said, "Are we going to keop on with this much longer?"
"No," sez I. "How about dinner at Brennan's." She eagerly accepted the offer.
On our way, MA told me of two friends who raved about the Royal Street Stroll all year round. What a great deal it was. How much fun it was to check out the eats and drinks with friends.
"Are they here?" I asked.
"No. Both of them gave it up a few years ago. They say it's a ripoff now." The faint brown font that shows the price of the Stroll on NOW&FE's website says it's $135 this year. It wasn't that long ago when it was $35.
[caption id="attachment_51619" align="alignnone" width="480"]
Seared smoked tuna with black eye peas.[/caption]
Richard Shakespeare was still on duty at Brennan's. He was a longtime manager at Commander's Palace, then moved to Ralph Brennan's side of the Brennan Force. He is now one of the top managers at Brennan's. He found us the best table in the house, in the front room where the kitchen used to be. A very agreeable waiter took over and served us well all night. I have turtle soup--excellent, even if it is different from the old recipe here, which I still say was the best turtle soup ever. Then seared smoked tuna on black eye peas. Fish and beans always work.
[caption id="attachment_51618" align="alignnone" width="480"]
The new Jackson Salad.[/caption]
Mary Ann has the revised edition of Brennan's famous Jackson salad. It's not named for Andrew Jackson, nor for our grandson, but for the actress and Hollywood reporter Jill Jackson, who was always hanging around Brennan's in the old days.
Ralph Brennan came over and spent a good while with us. He says the new Brennan's is doing very well. He adds that the Napoleon House--which he also bought last year--is not only rolling right along, but has incurred much less time and trouble than he was expecting. Otherwise? "On any given day, I could hire thirty people, and I wish I had them to hire. But the whole industry is struggling with staffing nationwide."
Mary Ann and I agree that, as much praise as we have given to Brennan's, this unexpected visit shows a restaurant even better than we say it is. The design of the place is spectacular, while remaining true to the spirit of the old place.
I head home. Mary Ann decides she wants to check out a new NOW&FE event. This is out of character for her, because the Midnight Mania doesn't start until eleven tonight, in a place to be announced in social media. It's on Julia Street, and about fifty people are there. There is food and wine, of course. Six dishes, two of them centered on octopus. A little more planning appears to be needed.
