Project Placement

I finally found some posters I've been coveting of places we've been for a reasonable price! I got the New Orleans one from DeeDee:914 on Etsy. I found the other two art prints by Hero Design Studio on Fab.com * (which truly is Fab). I love that the San Fran and Chicago prints match, but wish I had looked around a little more. I found some awesome Chicago prints on Etsy. But I love that these three have the teal sky blue theme and wanted a common thread through our travelogue series. 

So then I framed everything, getting awesome prices and fitting all my odd sizes from Art to Frames. I usually get all my frames from Christmas Tree Shops, but they dont have large sized white wood frames. If you look at the rest of our house (besides the historical documents below), EVERYTHING is in Christmas Tree Shop white wood frames. Had to find something to match. Now, we're not sure about placement in the house, or even order of these prints. I do love them against the orange walls though. What do you think?  

*disclaimer: If you sign up for Fab using this link, you will get a $10 credit. I will get a $25 credit from your first purchase. And if you get people to sign up, and so on.

Beer dat!

  
Ok, in summary:

Saturday
Boston Beer Works, Logan Airport - Boston Common amber - Ah Mah Zing
Antler's, Dallas, TX - Shiner Bock, Bushmills
Irving Meyer's, Royal Sonesta, Bourbon Street - Gimlet, House Cocktail

Sunday
McGuires - sneaky rum drinks (strawberry rum), Abita Southern Pecan, Mrs. Packman, paper towel rolls every 2 chairs at the bar, stuffed burger, crawfish balls with aioli

Um, I have no idea where 

I had this!

Jacksons - Yummy drinks! One with thyme, one with rosemary (not on the menu!!!). herbs from roofdeck garden! Hung out with owner of bar, Missouri man, and cook? Day drinking.
Rendezvous - Pats game, Abita's, awesome playlist, major Saints fans, shopping break, video poker, WHO DAT? WHO DAT?
The Rum House - house sangria, trio of super ridiculous duck, pulled pork and lamb soft tacos, homemade sweet potato chippers
Bulldog's - beer tasting amazingness - we tried everything! or tried! a million little shot cups, cool local conversation
Huge Ass Beers - just what it says, and grain alcohol soaked cherry shots
Mechanical Bull Cart - Baily's on ice, beer
Rick's Cabaret - not enough alcohol to get me through

Monday
Clothing Store Mimosas - pink champagne, ok clothes, beautiful rustic antique hand crafted furniture
Coops - lamb barley something gumbo, rabbit sausage jumbalaya, Louisiana crab claws, duck quesdilla. standard cran-orange-vodka. Tyler: "Do you have chocolate milk? Woman: No, this is a bar sweetheart. (mindful nod from Tyler) But I do have regular milk" Tyler: "yes, please"
Ferry - mimosas with Jess
Pelican Club - wine: Austria - Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner ‘09, complimentary Champagne

Tuesday
Sculpture Penis Place (87% sure it's a place called The Ninth Circle on N. Rampart) - beers to go
Royal Street Deli - Cran-Pineapple-Vodka, jack and ginger, apple brie crustini, lettuce crossant lettuce turkey sandwich
13 - Frenchmen St. - Frozen Irish Coffee: one in bar, one to go! Bushmills on rocks
Checkpoint (I saw a cockroach, grossest bathrooms ever!) - pinball, 2 $2 PBR cans each, tried on hat but couldnt keep it. I beat the crap out of Tyler. Sopranos. Tyler: I wonder if this place has a pinball machine? Emily entering bar and seeing pinball machine: How did you DO THAT?
The Black Cat - taco, Raspberry and Watermelon margaritas
MRB - Shock Tops to go, video poker
Evangeline - soft opening, bar to ourselves, amazing back courtyard (converted parking lot, gigantic 150 yr old smoker), beers flights - 3 10oz beers, Alcide dopple-ganger - convinced him to try the Turbodog, even though I had never tried it myself! But he was looking for CHimay, and I thought this might hold him over. Always nice to find another Chimay lover.
Ryan's - hot to trot video poker. On a roll! PBR? Bushmills
D.B.A. - New Orleans Nightcrawlers. Must See! Mother of Tuba player. Ladies Dancing. Falcon Stout, more rum punches than I can count, Black Russians, Ginger beer cocktail - bartender's choice, wine all around, made Dad try random beers, something in a bottle i dont remember
13 - back again for To Go Cups! Frozen Irish Coffee for me and Jess! Babysitting the parents home!

d.b.a.

Your interpretation is as good as mine. we heard two different versions of the story -
1. They had a sign custom made in NY, and when it got back, it said d.b.a. which is not what it was supposed to say, but they ran with it. I wonder what it was supposed to say? Story from the bartender
2. d.b.a. = "doing business as" story from the bouncer.

Regardless, it was a riot night. Mom and Dad and Jess and Tyler. We all went out to hear rockin' music from New Orleans Night Crawlers. Must have been a 10 piece live band? We heard they just come here to jam. Well, if this is just jamming, I cant imagine what really playing is. Sax player on far left was holding the band together belting it out. Sousa phone player - his mom was in the audience. She was dancing her face off, and drinking Jack and diets. Go Sousa Phone player's mom! we even gave him a drink, because she couldn't have another. I was buying drinks for everyone. Black Russians, Rum Punches, Ginger beer bartender's choice concoctions, wine, great beer list - I kept making Dad try new things, he also kept taking beer coozies from the box near the door. I think Jess still has one. I kept going up to the bar, and then apologizing to the couple on the corner because I was always in their way. I explained by saying I had a whole family to feed! Gesturing to my parents, Jess and Tyler, who took up practically one whole side of the bar. She said, Oh good, because I was thinking wow, this girl drinks a lot! She finally got up to dance. She was like a gypsy.

I complimented a woman on her skirt, and she loved me for it, and her husband laughed charmingly. it was the third time someone had said something and she was thrilled. Talked to them for a while. My Mom came looking for me, as I was ordering another drink and I explained I was talking to the couple at the end of the bar. Mom went to the ladies and came back and said, oh that woman with the beautiful skirt? Haha, I said Yes! Go tell her that! The woman was thrilled again! so happy to have the compliments. so bright from it and talkative.

Jess and I had a great time dancing. Just being goofy to the music. Penguin walking and break falling (like those toys where you push the bottom and the giraffe falls over then gets back up). Sillyness. Tyler went home early, Jess, Mom and Dad and I danced late into the night. Yes! Mom and Dad were dancing like crazy! You couldn't not dance! The band was infectious.

We finally left and I told Jess to go and grab a frozen Irish Coffee from 13. she had previously said that she hadn't had any to-go drinks yet! I stood on the corner with Mom and Dad while Jess made her escape. She came running down the street with a cup for me too! So good of her! We got Mom and Dad in a cab and back to the hotel. I don't know what we were talking about, but by the time we arrived, we learned that the cab driver had lived in Somerville! Crazy world. Thanks, Sal, for the ride!

Got onto Bourbon Street and Mom went straight to the hot dog stand. Got one for Tyler, and of course Mom started chatting with the nearest young man. I guess she kept chatting and chatting, because I went upstairs with my half eaten hot dog and Tyler's and found Tyler fast asleep, so left the hot dogs in the bathroom and crawled into bed myself. I heard Mom was downstairs talking still way into the morning. Only on Bourbon Street, huh?

Good night New Orleans and Thank You!

Evangeline's

You know, we find places.

Walking by building, noticed menu, they have beer flights! Well, they dont look open. Tyler and I are muttering to ourselves. There's a guy having a drink in the all weather rattan club chair out front. Just sitting for a spell. Well, no, actually, he's the owner. The restaurant is having a soft opening that night, and won't we come in? Well, yes, of course! My mom when I text her: Only you two!

The back courtyard used to be a parking lot. Can you believe that?

120 (?) year old smoker. 

Fountains, hanging lights, stucco, exposed brick. Lovely.

I dont know if you can appreciate this bar, but it's a murky moody gray and burgondy.

This is where we met Alcide doppleganger, local guy who worked with his hands and very similar work ethic to Tyler. Met the bartender, his wife and family. She had on a beautiful dress and seemed to be the whispy romantic sommelier, we had beer flights of 3 10oz pours, we had butternut squash soup, we talked to everyone. Dark and comforting and the back garden was a place to feel like you were at home and always among friends. They had a fire going in the smoker as we were leaving. Mmmmmm. COuld have stayed a while longer. 

Ritas

Hmm, what an interesting bike. Sarcrifice? Where'd all those bones COME FROM? Funky? Intimidating? Gross? All of the above? 

Market

We stumbled upon this guy who made a video about train hopping and bumming around the US. He actually cast people and played a role in the movie. So, on one side the travellers are all cast characters that have a plot to stay within, but everyone they meet and interview are not sticking to a plot, and then he integrated the whole thing. Great soundtrack and stunning views of the country. Check out Cure for the Crash. Excellent website too, I just found out. 

                    

some expensive art at the market

Creative fleur de lis. I swear this town
is full of wit and creativity.

Need cash! so we went to every restaurant on the strip, and all had bogey ATMs. So we ended up at El Gato Negro. The ATM didnt work, but the drink sure did! 

Raspberry Rita. I got talked out of the Carrot one.
I really wanted to try it. Our waiter said not so much.
I still think I should have tried it, but this was
so delicious, it's not like I was disappointed.

Miss!

Watermelon Rita

MMMMM, perfect yummy tiny bites. And you think Tyler's sandwich fixation didn't rub off on me yet?

Have never seen this beautiful color of hibiscus!
So melancholy and moody.

Bathroom art at ... Ryan's? Ty? I don't remember. I just remember Shock Tops to go. 

Checkpoint waltz

Checkpoint

Scummy bar, low light (no light), pinball machine, characters





Yep, I actually saw people bring in their laundry to do here. Do not let it touch anything! I saw a cockroach. I wouldnt let Tyler put his bag on the floor. He did anyways. We each had 2 $2 cans of PBR. How can you go wrong? There was pinball, a hat to try, which was gross, a curmugionly bartender, some great looking men's hair, and some character all around.


This place had the WORST bathrooms that I have ever seen. I swear they haven't been cleaned since the bar opened. And last night's, week's, year's various remnants are still there. And this is the freakin' ladies room! Though I swear when it comes to bathrooms, you ladies are worse then men. Clean up after yourself! I don't care if you're drunk! Oh, and I had to get soap from the men's room and then go back into the women's room. No big deal, but I think the Men's room might have been cleaner. EWWW


How does he do that? Tyler: I'd really like to play pinball, I wonder if there's one here... I peer in the door - there is! Whack - how'd you do that? Tyler: With my pinball senses. 
something like that. 

I beat Tyllerrrrr. Nah nah na na nahh naaa!

Frenchmen - Day

So we never really thought we found Frenchman. We had to ask to make sure we were in the right place. Not too much to look at during the day. Not busy, quiet, short street. Good murals and you could tell it had a meaning for later. 

Stopped in at 13. Open air bar, was like a garage with the doors wide open. It was a beautifully sunny day some shade and a breeze and a drink. I was sold on the special sign though - frozen Irish coffee - how can you pass that up? 

MmmmMMM MMM!

There is a pelican in this picture!

One for the bar, one for the road, grabbed my second Irish coffee, and we were off again.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
Chick chick chickkkken!