Saturday, September 19, 2015.
Italian Food On A Slidell Golf Course.
We get a call from the appliance repair man, who confirms my theory as to why our eleven-year-old washing machine isn't working properly. It has a digital control board that actually communicates with the dryer, telling it how it should dry. I think we had a power surge during one of the recent visits of Thor to our area, when lightning crackled with such power and consistency that one could drive by its light alone. The washing machine's pushbutton controller lost its mind after that. I played around with it for several hours, until I finally got the thing to empty the fifth batch of rinse water. After that, I let it rest in peace.
The repair guy says that the control panel will cost $865 to replace. That's as insane as the machine is. Mary Ann proceeds to Lowe's, where she buys a new machine for $376. It is the least expensive unit they have, and it lives up to MA's demands. The old machine had no vanes of any kind, and required some sort of extra-cleaning detergent. She thought the machine's action was too gentle. She wants the kind with a cone-shaped, finned rotor at the bottom of the barrel. My vote was for a front-loading machine, which I am positive is the best possible, but I don't really get a vote on this.
Perhaps most amazing of all, the guys would come to install the new washer tomorrow, and take the old one away. I have a suspicion that somehow that washer will be grabbed by somebody who knows where to buy control units for a dollar, and then sell it for $600. But I overlook that possibility and let it go.
Dinner at Joe's Ristorante, which has been recommended to me by a number of my listeners and readers. It's in a spacious building in the Oak Harbor area of Slidell, and is largely surrounded by a golf course. Three or four restaurants have come and gone here. Most of them were very good, particularly the first one, Stone's. If I were ask to analyze the history of the place, I think I'd suggest that the looping roads and canals through that complex of upscale neighborhoods is off the radar for everyone except people who live there. I printed a map so I could be sure of not getting lost, particularly on the way out. But I can't ignore all those calls and messages, so here we were, watching the sun go down in these very attractive surroundings.
[caption id="attachment_48936" align="alignnone" width="480"]
Shrimp and artichoke dip at Joe's Ristorante.[/caption]
A scan of the menu tells us that this is not among the likes of Del Porto, Fausto's, Andrea's, or Sal & Judy's. Here are the American-Italian favorites, with veal or chicken Marsala marking the border beyond which the ambitious cooks work. We start with shrimp and artichoke dip, a creamy, tasty sauce that looks like a pasta dish without the pasta. But if it's a dip, what do we dip into it? The only thing that might work is the bread, which is good but very soft. We wind up using forks.
[caption id="attachment_48935" align="alignnone" width="480"]
Lasagna, basic,[/caption]
A pair of good but elementary salads come out. After that, it's a tub of lasagna for MA and chicken Romano for me. The latter is pasta in a big dish with chunks of chicken, mushrooms, sweet peppers and jalapenos. All along, the waitress and the chef told me that this is a spicy dish. I like spicy, but this was near the limits, the jalapeno riding herd over all the other ingredients and flavors. It's not bad: it tastes as advertised, but would not be something I'd order again. (I need to invent a category that encloses dishes that fit that description.)
[caption id="attachment_48937" align="alignnone" width="480"]
Chicken Romano[/caption]
The service remains friendly and helpful all night. A man with an Italian accent seems to be the boss. He visits us a couple of times to introduce himself and thank us for being here. He returns with two glasses of port to go with the tiramisu I order for dessert.
[caption id="attachment_48934" align="alignnone" width="480"]
Tiramisu @ Joe's Ristorante.[/caption]
Through the evening, a woman sitting just inside the door sings standards in a beautiful voice with a karaoke background. I want to say hello and maybe even ask if she and I could do a duet. But I leave it alone.
Joe's Ristorante. Slidell: 300 Oak Harbor Blvd. 985-326-8637.
Shrimp and artichoke dip at Joe's Ristorante.[/caption]
A scan of the menu tells us that this is not among the likes of Del Porto, Fausto's, Andrea's, or Sal & Judy's. Here are the American-Italian favorites, with veal or chicken Marsala marking the border beyond which the ambitious cooks work. We start with shrimp and artichoke dip, a creamy, tasty sauce that looks like a pasta dish without the pasta. But if it's a dip, what do we dip into it? The only thing that might work is the bread, which is good but very soft. We wind up using forks.
[caption id="attachment_48935" align="alignnone" width="480"]
Lasagna, basic,[/caption]
A pair of good but elementary salads come out. After that, it's a tub of lasagna for MA and chicken Romano for me. The latter is pasta in a big dish with chunks of chicken, mushrooms, sweet peppers and jalapenos. All along, the waitress and the chef told me that this is a spicy dish. I like spicy, but this was near the limits, the jalapeno riding herd over all the other ingredients and flavors. It's not bad: it tastes as advertised, but would not be something I'd order again. (I need to invent a category that encloses dishes that fit that description.)
[caption id="attachment_48937" align="alignnone" width="480"]
Chicken Romano[/caption]
The service remains friendly and helpful all night. A man with an Italian accent seems to be the boss. He visits us a couple of times to introduce himself and thank us for being here. He returns with two glasses of port to go with the tiramisu I order for dessert.
[caption id="attachment_48934" align="alignnone" width="480"]
Tiramisu @ Joe's Ristorante.[/caption]
Through the evening, a woman sitting just inside the door sings standards in a beautiful voice with a karaoke background. I want to say hello and maybe even ask if she and I could do a duet. But I leave it alone.
