Thursday, June 1, 2017. Dining At The Equator.
My daughter Mary Leigh tells me that she is free for the evening. This has become a rare state of affairs, what with the long hours she puts into designing, painting, and drawing for her employer. New friends have entered her social circle, too. What does she need an embarrassing old dad for? An ironic deterrent working against our dining together more often is that she and I can't decide where to dine. We always wind up in the usual places--those with wedge salads, steakhouses, chicken dishes, Mexican and Italian. The last two cuisines work against her current crusade for slimming down. I don't know why she feels a need for this. She is quite slender to my eyes, but what do I know? In a breathtaking solution to tonight's replay of that indecision. ML hits me with a surprise option. How about Asian? I know she likes Thai food, but we haven't had it in awhile. I approve of the idea and we head for Café Equator, across the street from Lakeside Mall. It's been a couple of years since my last dinner at Equator, but I have a long history of eating there. It began in Mandeville, oddly enough. It opened the Metairie spot later, after it became clear that the North Shore wasn't ready for Thai food. That wait would not be long, especially after Katrina, when the North Shore census of Thai restaurants rose to ten at one point. I was hardly the only customer then. But North Shore Thai eating seems to be on the wane lately. [caption id="attachment_55065" align="alignnone" width="480"]
Chicken and mushroom dumplings at Equator Cafe.[/caption]
We started with deep-fried dumplings with chicken and mushrooms as an appetizer. Liked that. Then pad thai with chicken for ML, and Panang curry for me. The version here seems to have been Americanized a good bit since my last visit. The sauce tastes good enough, but the vegetables have largely become a puree. Fortunately, those of us who love the many squeaking vegetables and steaming broth have an unusual option. Many dishes here are available "jungle style"--which is to say, the way that most Thai restaurants I frequent make them. (If you assign a meaning to the word "authentic," consider it welcome here.) It's much better than the metropolitan version I had here tonight.
ML, on the other hand, was well pleased with the chicken pad thai, including the lightness of the largely vegetable concoction. She will lose a half-pound tonight, is my guess. But she doesn't need to.
We head in opposite directions into the rain, which seems to have done on for the past two weeks, with no end in sight and a threat of flooding and tornados. Meanwhile, the hurricane season begins today. I'm going to predict somewhat less tropical activity this year, in the hope that if I say it, it will become true.
Cafe Equator. Metairie: 2920 Severn Ave. 504-888-4772. 