A commoner reviews Mother’s Restaurant, New Orleans

I have a confession.  One main reason I was excited to walk with the Young Curmudgeon to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans was because I knew it would be convenient to stop at Mother’s Restaurant for dinner on the way back.

Stop me if you've heard this before (actually, don’t), but Mother’s is, hands down, one of my favorite places to eat in the Big Easy.  Mother’s has been a New Orleans institution in the Central Business District for more than 70 years, and once you've eaten there it’s easy to understand why.  Apparently, I’m not alone in that assessment, as the walls are lined with pictures of famous visitors through the years.  And if you’re a social media follower, you can keep track of who’s stopping by on their Facebook page.  (I go back for the food and drink pictures, but food has always inspired me more than fame.) 

The "World Famous" Mother's Bloody Mary, spiced just right :-)

A sobering day in New Orleans – the National World War II Museum

After two road trips in three weeks and logging 4,000 miles traveled, I suddenly have an abundance of topics to blog about.  So, I might as well get started where I left off.  And in case you were wondering, I haven’t forgotten to finish my list of 100 All-Time Favorite Blues Songs. I plan to time the wrap-up around Springfield’s annual Blues and BBQ festival; it just seems to be an appropriate thing to do.  So onward we go …

On our first full day in New Orleans, the Young Curmudgeon and I decided to check out the National World War II Museum, which required a somewhat lengthy (but really not strenuous, unless you are averse to humidity) walk from where we were staying in the heart of the French Quarter, through the Central Business District and to the outer edge of the Warehouse District.  Still, the walk alone was a good way to explore downtown New Orleans, pass by Lafayette Square, walk to nearby Lee Circle and window shop at the many storefronts and restaurants along the way. 

A commoner reviews Middendorf’s, Manchac, La.

This is going to read more like a glowing endorsement than an objective review, but in all honesty I've never had less than extraordinary food here.  And I come here almost as often as I make it to New Orleans. 

Middendorf’s is located just off Interstate 55 in Manchac (or Akers, as their mailing address uses), La.  It’s on the first of two exits as you drive southbound over the bayou.  As a town – and I use that term loosely – Manchac has more homes reachable only by boat than car.  Fortunately, you’ll find Middendorf’s in the “heart” of Manchac on old U.S. Highway 51, right before the bridge rises over Pass Manchac, a channel allowing boat traffic to go between Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchatrain.   

As you might imagine, Manchac itself is very scenic, has a feeling of being very much off the beaten path (a small building that serves as a St. John the Baptist Parish police station is located behind Middendorf’s restaurant), and is very much surrounded by water.  As my friend Tom Woolsey, who is very familiar with the area, once said, “It would be a great place to hide a dead body.” 

Random roadside observations: Louisiana and Mississippi

I've been meaning to share some memories from my recent road trip to Louisiana and Mississippi (notably Vicksburg) with the Young Curmudgeon.  I had promised such a trip to him for his high school graduation present, and it delivered countless memories and father-son bonding moments. 

Of course, long hours on the road produce varying levels of boredom while on the interstate.  I usually much prefer the roads less traveled, but sometimes you have to acquiesce to time constraints if you want to maximize your time at any given location.  Still, those stops along the way, mundane as they may seem at the time, can yield some interesting memories.