Diary 2/3/2018-Somber Morning, Missed Breakfast. The day was dominated by the funeral of Ryan Pearce. He was same age as my son Jude and had a lot of the same interests--filmmaking being one of them. Ryan and Jude were good friends for years. Lately, Ryan has been writing reviews for this publication, in my effort to get some new voices in our virtual pages. He was good at that job. Ryan's father Harlon Pearce is a major figure in the Louisiana seafood business, and so well known in that industry that the services brought hundreds of attendees. It's not yet known what brought about Ryan's demise, but it's a tragedy in every aspect. The Marys were to have met me Café B, Ralph Brennan's casual but excellent bistro in Old Metairie. We were going to have breakfast, then move to the Garden of Memories. As often happens, I went to the Garden first, while the girls went to Café B. My family (although the blame is usually laid on my door) never seems to get these coordinates right. The Marys reported that the breakfast was very good, and that it's too bad I missed it. They then moved on after the ceremonies to attend the wedding shower for one of MA's grown-up nieces. I would not see the Marys until much later in the day. After an hour-long walk, I rehearsed the hymns that I am supposed to lead the next day. It will be my second stint as the cantor of the ten-o'clock Mass at St. Jean De Chantal Church in Abita Springs. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When the Marys showed up at home, we entered our perennial argument as to where we will eat dinner. The winner most of the time is the Acme Oyster House. It took the prize again, mainly because the girls had eaten more than they really wanted today already. So had I, having downed a couple of finger sandwiches at the funeral. The matter of whether food should be served in a funeral home has not been decided. Some notable funerary venues at which there was food include my mother's; Chef Paul Prudhomme; and Henry Lee, the owner of the Genghis Khan and virtuoso violinist. That last one was an amazing spread. Anyway, it seems to me that there's something a bit off-kilter with the idea of eating in a funeral home. If I could dictate my own funeral, I'd say no to the food in exchange for my kind of music. That would be a blend of Bobby Short, the Sons of the Pioneers, and Holiday for Strings, the latter is the theme for my radio show. For once, I had a dinner idea that captured the Marys' attention. I pass in front of an Outback Steak House when I go grocery shopping on Saturdays. And I had done so today. It's been at least fifteen years since the last time we darkened the door of an Outback anywhere around New Orleans. Since then, the place has been significantly renovated. The first white tablecloth restaurant I ever dined in regularly was a local chain called Buck Forty-Nine Pancake and Steak House. I thought it was really something, and indeed it was better than its name might suggest. By the time I was done with the Buck Forty-Nine, I had moved on to USDA Prime steak houses, as well as to the upper ranges of the restaurant trade. It wasn't long until inexpensive steakhouses were off my radar. Outback had a connection with New Orleans (one of its original partners in Florida had managed some Uptown New Orleans bistros in the 1980s). But that was never enough to convince me. The kids liked the Outback in the 1990s, but it didn't move me much. But the word is that it upgraded their restaurants quite a bit. That seems to be true, but not across the entire menu. Although we liked the assortment of fried nibbles, the ceviche-like marinated tuna, and some of the soups, we also found some items that need rejiggering. The onions soup's pillow of floating bread with a blob of melted cheese floating about was uninteresting. Fortunately, they handle the beef well. This looked like my chance to do some research on ribeye and prime-rib. The Outback features those cuts well. The best of them is the 22-ounce bone-in rib roast, with great tenderness and juicy flavors. Too big to finish, I could pass it around to the Marys, who like that configuration of beef. After becoming convinced that this is a better steakhouse than the likes of the Bonanza and other brands from long ago. I was further surprised by the prices. They are at least $10 less expensive than comparable steaks. But then comes another problem: the sides, which I find less than polished. But the Marys may be good to try the place another time in a few weeks, and see if Outback is as good as it was tonight. Outback Steakhouse. Covington: US 190 (Causeway Blvd). 985-893-0505.
