Monday, August 29, 2011.
Fading Memories. Petunia's.
Sixth anniversary of Katrina. As it did for most New Orleanians, it changed the lives of everybody in my family, Jude most of all. He truly would have been a different person had the storm not granted him the opportunity to reinvent himself at Georgetown Prep. What timing! Sixteen years old, the most malleable moment in one's life.
Katrina changed me least, as Mary Ann is quick to point out. Six weeks after the storm, I was back home, getting life's motor restarted and off in the same direction I headed before the blow. I thought it was essential for me to do so at the time. Although something might have happened if I'd pursued something new, it seemed too risky. It turned out all right. But not good enough for Mary Ann, who still holds that we blew our chance to escape stinky, poor, old New Orleans and become different people.
But I don't want to be a different person. Even though a lot of people wish I would.
It's just the two of us in the nest again, so I didn't bring any of this up over dinner. Nor did we dine in the nest, but at Petunia's in Mandeville. As happened when we tried it for the first time in years a couple of weeks ago, it was a much better restaurant than I remembered.
I had a hankering for a roast beef poor boy. And since it was Monday, some red beans, too. I had a cup of the latter as a sort of appetizer. The beans were thicker than I like, but the flavor was good enough. The poor boy involved nice, tender beef slices (maybe a little too thick), and an excellent gravy. Only one problem: the bread was a shade stale.
Mary Ann's dish showed rural style. On the North Shore, restaurants serving enormous platters with too many elements find that such offerings resonate with the customers. This platter showed more imagination than delicacy. Grilled chicken on the bottom, topped with a thick sauce of smoked sausage, crawfish and cheese. Already we were over the top, but the chef thought it needed one more thing. So he added two more things: links of spicy, very good boudin. Mary Ann was only able to eat half of all this. I wound up eating one of the boudins a couple of days later for lunch. I'd stop at Petunia's just for a couple of links of that.
Petunia's Place. Mandeville: 2020 Hwy 59. 985-674-3436.
It has been over three years since a day was missed in the Dining Diary. To browse through all of the entries since 2008, go here.
