Sunday, January 15, 2012.
Football Depression. Holidays End. Cruise?
The balmy weather came to an end and we had hard freezes for a couple of nights. But now it's heading back into the sixties. I am thankful this is too chilly for the Marys to sit outside at La Carreta, from which Mary Leigh wants one more fix before she heads back to her dorm room at Tulane. And that will be the final--no kidding, this is it--end of the holidays for our family, after nearly a month of the two generations living together. Mary Ann and I will have to get our companionship from one another for awhile.
Lunch was good. We began with the usual boat of chili con queso. Mary Ann, trying to be accommodating to my tastes, said that we should get it with chorizo, the way I like it. What came out was more throughly mixed than usual, but the flavor was good and rich and spicy. I'm going to have to apply a limit on my intake of choriqueso (new word on Mexican menus lately, describing the dish above).
For the second day in a row (although I didn't realize this when I placed the order) I had shrimp stuffed with jalapenos and jack cheese, then wrapped with bacon and fried. Not as good as other versions of this dish I've had--I think the peppers should have been left raw and chopped more finely. Nor was it as interesting as the camarones diabla I had at La Carreta last time we came in. Meanwhile, the girls ate their usual salad (MA) and steak chimichangas (ML).
When we arrived, ESPN--the only television channel restaurants ever show, and why should that be?--had championship bowling on. It made having a conversation at the table easier, because who gives a damn about bowling? But then today's round of NFL playoffs began, and the girls went into their swoon over Tim Tebow's good looks. (I think he plays for BCS.)
Mary Ann and I are talking about a cruise for our twenty-third anniversary next month. Royal Caribbean has a ship in New Orleans for the first time since Katrina. Even though Mary Ann says she's had her fill for life of the itinerary, it's actually a bit different from the route we took on Carnival in 2002 and 2004. It will, however, bring me to Cozumel for the fifth time. At least I know where to eat now (Casa Denis).
One of the reasons we're considering a cruise is the wreck of the Costa Concordia in Italy. Mary Ann thinks that this will spook so many people that cruise fares will crash. So far, it hasn't happened. What I can't figure is how Mary Ann isn't spooked herself.
La Carreta. Mandeville: 1200 W Causeway Approach. 985-624-2990.
