Monday, August 30. Five-Year Flood. Mandina's Beans. It's appropriate that a tropical wave continues to sit on top of the city, brining much rain. On the South Shore, widespread street flooding occurred in Metairie. This was the day five years ago when the seriousness of the flooding from the Katrina-breached levees became clear. (To everyone except FEMA and Dubya, anyway.) Today's rain wasn't too bad here at the Cool Water Ranch, but enough to keep me from cutting the grass. It's a marshy prairie out there.
Later this week, our lawn will be checked out by a real estate appraiser. We're refinancing our mortgage, to get the much lower interest rates out there, and to get extra cash to pay tuitions. Unlike USC, Tulane won't space our bill out over the semester, and we don't have that kind of cash lying around. (Or anywhere else.)
The appraiser will see our house at its worst. The carport is jammed with junk Mary Ann was keeping in storage at our late neighbor's house. But Miss Betty died ten months ago, and all that would-be but never-will-be garage-sale stuff is sitting out there in a slowly collapsing pile.
I had red beans and rice on the brain. I satisfied the urge at Mandina's in Mandeville. The flavor was good, and so was the Italian sausage. But the beans were cooked much too thick, almost like Mexican refried beans. This has been the trend in red bean cookery for the last twenty or thirty years. I would like to see a reversion to the looser, juicier style I grew up with. I think there's a better flavor release, and a more appealing
texture.
Frank Marcello, who owns the Mandeville franchise of Mandina's and who seems to have a good grip on the place now, told me that the restaurant is open for Sunday brunch now.
Mandina’s. Mandeville: 4240 La. 22. 985-674-9883. Neighborhood Cafe.
