Saturday, February 19, 2011.
A Poor Boy Wedding Reception.
It was a lovely morning, nice enough for Mary Ann and me to have breakfast at a sidewalk table at Mattina Bella. Delicious as usual. I must remember to refrain from ordering omelettes with ham as an ingredient. Hot ham is not, I've decided, something I like. The heat sends the salt and other elements of the cure out of balance. People in places where ham is a big deal (Italy, Spain) almost never eat it hot. This is a corollary to my theory that hot muffulettas are inferior to those at room temperature. (Even when the room is at ninety degrees.)
Mary Ann visited the Parkway Bakery a few days ago to talk with owner Jay Nix about some business. He handed her an invitation to his wedding reception. After a ceremony in City Park this afternoon, the newlyweds adjourned to the Parkway for their reception. A poor boy shop for a wedding reception? Why not?
Indeed, few wedding receptions in my experience were this happy and enjoyable. Jay was certainly beaming, and Sandy wore a stunning, lacy wedding dress like a second skin. When I told her how beautiful she was in it, she said, "I bought it in a second-hand store for fifteen dollars. And see these pearls? Another fifteen dollars. My shoes cost more than everything else put together!" I once overheard a girl talk jealously about a friend who "puts on any old rag and looks fabulous." You've got to be gorgeous to pull that off, and Sandy is.
Also beautiful this night was Leah Chase, who was there with her son Edgar. It was the first stop on an itinerary that would take them to the symphony later. Miss Leah is deep into her eighties and has a little trouble getting around. But, unlike most people her age, she always has a broad smile on her face, and something important to say. "People are moving back into the neighborhood more and more," was her report tonight. Dooky Chase, her restaurant, is only six blocks from the Parkway.
Now here was Ron Pincus and his wife. Ron was the longtime general manager of the Royal Orleans Hotel. He now runs the Monteleone, and is responsible for the tremendous restoration to glory at that old Royal Street hostelry. He's also one of the classiest, most tuned-in people in the business. He let on that there might be a flagship restaurant in the Monteleone's future.
Jay's sister's son Justin, who manages the kitchen, put out a great buffet. It started with Caprese and pasta salads, terrific turtle soup and jambalaya. It peaked with roast beef and corned beef poor boys and--best of all--grilled lamb chops. Mary Ann couldn't stop eating the corned beef. "A guy was in here a few months ago and asked me where I got my hot dogs," Justin said. "He turned out to be the top guy at Vienna Beef, and he told me I ought to try his. I liked the hot dogs, but I also liked his corned beef. We buy a lot of meats from them now."
Wedding cakes are beautiful, but the groom's cake is always better. This one was eye-popping: four feet long and about six inches in cross-section diameter, made to look like a whole-loaf poor boy sandwich. Colored fondant made it look like lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, roast beef and mayonnaise were sticking out the sides. I wasn't a bit surprised to hear that this was the work of Jean-Luc Albin at Maurice's Pastries.
Live music played all night, the moon shimmered on the bayou, and Jay and Sandy were all smiles. So were we. What cool people they are.
