A smooth ride on St. Charles Avenue

I've been grumbling a lot lately about the endless amount of road and sidewalk construction around the city.  Now, a trip that would normally take 20 minutes stretches out into almost an hour and the horrendous driving habits of locals has just gotten worse since construction began. I often find myself shouting expletives out of my window, accompanied by obnoxious hand gestures and ugly leers.  But just recently, I experienced something to cheer about...

From the awkward turn in the Riverbend at Carrollton all the way to Nashville Avenue, there is a freshly paved road!  For approximately 16 blocks, St. Charles has no discernible bumps, dips or potholes and the ride is as smooth as silk.  You can feel the elation and joy coming off of the other drivers in waves, so stunned that they take the stretch slowly as if savoring the gentle ride that is so very uncommon to the Uptown neighborhood.  I'm sure I am speaking for other drivers when I say that I truly hope they plan to repave the entire stretch of St. Charles all the way downtown.

What really boggles my mind is why it took so long for this to finally happen, especially on St. Charles Avenue.  The Avenue is world-famous after all, lined with gorgeous mansions and live oaks...not to mention the streetcar line.  Why wouldn't the city make caring for this particular street a top priority?

Well, no matter what has occured in the past with road repair, I couldn't be happier about how it feels to drive down St. Charles Avenue now and I hope it lasts...thank you Boh Brothers!

Pure Yogurt Culture opens at long last

While I was looking the other way, the moment I had been so desperately awaiting finally arrived.  Right under my nose, Pure Yogurt Culture (8108 Hampson Street) opened at last!  The paper covering the windows came down and the newest dessert shop in my 'hood already had some steady clientele. When I walked into the clean, well-designed establishment, which featured a white bubble, drop-ceiling and textured walls, I almost felt like I was inside a vat of frozen yogurt and I didn't mind one bit.

Inset into the far wall were dispensers marked with flavors like Pure Tart (the simplest and most delicious in my opinion), Chocolate, Mango and Who Dat...a mystery mix of flavors that was a noticeable hit for incoming patrons. A group of young men from the nearby college couldn't get enough of it and recommended it highly to anyone who would listen.  I guessed the flavor to be coconut, but the vivacious owner, Herbert Leyton, told me to guess again.

A longtime resident of New Orleans, Leyton explained how he and his wife are a bit fanatical and have made it a point to taste frozen yogurt from shops all over the world like New York, Singapore, Jakarta, Germany and Hong Kong.  After getting laid off from a major oil company a year ago, Leyton decided to live the dream and finally open a shop of his own.  With a focus on fresh ingredients from local farmers and a passion for high quality, non-fat yogurt, his dream has finally become a reality and the proof is in the pudding...or in this case, the yogurt.

Although the concept seemed to elude one (extremely rude) customer while I was there, Pure Yogurt Culture is a self-serve frozen yogurt shop that I found both novel and convenient.  Grab a cup from the stand, fill it with yogurt, as much or as little as you like (feel free to mix it up), select your toppings and weigh your final creation.  Each personalized yogurt only costs a mere 45 cents per ounce.

Speaking of toppings, Leyton offered a variety of choices from fresh fruits like bananas, strawberries and pineapple to crunchier options including granola, Capt N Crunch and Fruity Pebbles.  He also provides condiments that lean towards the sweet tooth; M&M's, chocolate chips, Gummy Bears and Ghirardelli Syrups like chocolate, white chocolate and caramel.

With a sigh of relief and a huge smile, I devoured some delicious, Pure Tart frozen yogurt laden with fresh strawberries and watched the curious dessert-lovers file into the shop.  In the short time I was there, Pure Yogurt Culture enjoyed a steady stream of clients who seemed just as excited as I was to see this place open at last. I hope that my fears will be unfounded and Herbert Leyton will be a huge success despite the stiff competition from Cold Stone and Baskin Robbins that lie only steps away.  After all of his hard work, enduring passion and perseverance, he deserves to see his dreams made a reality. 

"Happy are those who dream dreams and are willing to pay the price to make them come true."

Todd White and Toe's jambalaya at the Galerie d'Art Francais

If you have not had the pleasure of attending a reception at the Galerie d'Art Francais, you are not only missing out on singular opportunities to meet incredibly famous and influential artists, you're missing the party of a lifetime.  The past Saturday, I was lucky enough to attend a reception touting Todd White's 2010 collection and it was one hell of a bash.

Art lovers from all over the world came to this exceptional event to meet the artist behind Sponge Bob Square Pants and possibly purchase one of his uniquely satirical paintings commenting on the shallowness of "society." Although there were several paintings that I wouldn't mind owning like "Derailing Trains" or "Summer in San Francisco,"  White's originals are way out of my price range.  Nonetheless, the opportunity to view his works and meet the man behind the magic was well worth the effort (and cost) of parking in the Quarter.

General Manager of the Galerie d'Art Francais, Ryan Tramonte, organized a fantastic party for White that had that uncanny, New Orleans knack for welcoming patrons from all walks of life. Not once did I feel uncomfortable or out of place among wealthy art collectors thanks to Tramonte's warm, genial reception which offered "comfort food" like a delicious pork jambalaya (made by Ryan's "Future Maybe Step-Dad" Toe) and tasty Muffulettas from who else but Central Grocery.  In addition to the home-style food, Ryan hired his favorite classic New Orleans band, Steamboat Willie, to play traditional jazz music to everyone's delight.

While the champagne was poured and the jambalaya was devoured, hundreds of delighted art enthusiasts strolled through the gallery to appreciate Todd White's most current works.  White himself mingled with the patrons and offered personalized autographs for fans purchasing his pieces.  He was all smiles, and perhaps a bit embarrassed, when his agent called the room to attention in order to introduce White and share a few personal tidbits about the artist.

Although amusing, the fact that Todd White used to sport a mullet in high school and has a predilection for bubble baths really didn't spark my interest.  What I did find intriguing was the carefully worded hint that White recently signed a deal with an international beverage company (one which has featured artists like Warhol and Rockwell) so we may be seeing White's distinctive design just about everywhere in the near future.

The reception pressed on and enjoyed a full house for most of the evening from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., a full hour after the celebration was scheduled to finish.  Salespeople scrambled to close some last minute purchases, extra food was put away and the remaining revelers trickled out of the door to head home.  Thanks to Ryan Tramonte and his staff, the reception at the Galerie d'Art Francais was an instant success and getting to meet a rare talent like Todd White was something I will not soon forget. 

You can judge a book by its cover: The Famous Gumbo Pot

Sticky from the humidity, tired and hungry, John and I wandered into a restaurant we chose purely because of its proximity to the car.  It had been a crazy day what with John being called into work unexpectedly and, after running some errands, I searched for an hour to find a parking place in the Quarter...even the lots were full!  I knew there would be a lot of tourist traffic, but it was 2 pm!  Shouldn't all these people be at Jazz Fest eating Crawfish Monica and listening to Kermit Ruffins or the subdudes?  Needless to say we were both feeling a bit ornery too, so we chose to eat conveniently as opposed to wisely.

On Friday afternoon, John and I ate at The Famous Gumbo Pot. This is my 34th cheat and I am down 59 pounds.

First off, I really have to address the word "famous".  Even though I was exhausted and hungry, that word itched at me, I mean, I had never heard of the Gumbo Pot before...have you?  A Google hunt revealed a Craigslist job posting and reference to a New Orleans-style restaurant in Los Angeles.  How could you be famous if no one knows who you are?

Anyhow, we both realized we were subjecting our wallets and stomachs to the whims of a restaurant positioned (and named) to ensnare the unwary tourist, but we were too tired to argue and decided to risk it.  We were seated at a patio table and quickly served a couple of beers while looking over the menu.  The prices were ridiculous, although fairly common among French Quarter eateries and we decided to go with what would be the most affordable...a couple of po-boys.  We also got one side of fries (the $14 po-boys did NOT include them) and I thought, since they were named The Gumbo Pot, I should taste a cup of their "famous" stew.

The po-boys came out first, John got a roast beef and I chose shrimp.  They both were very large and pretty tasty, even though the bread was not what we are used to.  John's po-boy could have used some more roast beef, it was a comparatively skimpy portion, but the sandwiches were easily the highlight of our meal.  When John tasted their duck and andouille gumbo, he laughed and said "Where's the roux?"  I tasted a spoonful and realized he was right!  It tasted like all of the rich flavor that comes from a good roux had been substituted by some kind of boil seasoning...perhaps Zatarain's? I am not positive what it was exactly, but I do know that if you are going to tout the name The Famous Gumbo Pot, you better have some really good gumbo.

I should have known that ordering dessert would only further my disappointment, but it was like seeing a car wreck happen right in front of you...you just can't look away.  Maybe I was a glutton for punishment or maybe I was hoping they would pull it together for dessert, but I ordered a slice of their pecan pie and crossed my fingers.  Pecan pie is fairly simple to make, they couldn't possibly screw it up too bad, right?

As it turns out, if you are seeking a way to completely rip off your patrons, you can very easily screw up the simple recipe for a pecan pie...just leave out the pecans!  I mean, I was shocked!  In this rather large slice of pecan pie there were only three or four pecans. Really?  For a $6 piece of pie I only get four pecans?

Well, I suppose that's what I get for being grumpy and impatient.  At the very least, anyone who reads this will be wiser for the ware.  If you want some pretty good gumbo, tasty po-boys and really respectable prices while you are in the French Quarter, go to the real original...go to the Gumbo Shop.