YOU don't know Jack, but I do....

I just got back from a 4 day vacation to Jazz Fest in New Orleans, LA. My bestest, Lisa, and I had the time of our lives. I have never been to New Orleans and if you haven't either I STRONGLY suggest you go before it's underwater. What a great atmosphere where you can drink on the street and everyone calls you "baby". It's more like "Baaaaby" but everyone responds to it and no one gets offended that they were too referred to it.

The Fest was amazing, we rocked out to a ton of bands including the Counting crows, Stephen Marley,the Allman Bros, and my new favorite, Better than Ezra which I had no idea the lead singer was so funny. Here is a picture of people dancing to one of the Jazz bands. I guess there is a tradition of bringing funny little umbrellas to dance with if you like the music. So great!

We met so many people in New Orleans, I hope I can convey the characters and try to be brief all the same.

The first night we got there we met a guy from England (on the border of Wales mind you!) who was very young and I would guess lived out in the middle of nowhere England because I could only understand very little of what he was saying. Or it might have been the amount of drinks that guy had. This is Richard in my glasses. He thought they looked "brilliant".

The second night Lisa and I met a bunch of people. From Jenn and Frankie (Frankaline)

who showed us around town and introduced us to the "Spotted Cat" lounge where we met Johnny from Nantucket who is the one and only inventor of the "Handy Cane". Yes folks we met him in a small place but as you all know is a big man. If you are so ignorant and don't know know what the Handy Cane is click here. Don't worry, we didn't know either and he gave us a bad look when he found out we either: one-didn't buy real Christmas trees or two- were Jewish. Funny guy though.

Over all the people we met, my favorite by far was Alvin. Lisa and I went to a piano bar on Bourbon street one night and listened to an eclectic mix of hits performed by dueling pianos, when all of the sudden a man rushes in and stood in the small cranny made by the two grand pianos. He had what looked like the little white chef-hat like caps that you would see on the ends of a large turkey legs at Thanksgiving on each of his fingers. They might have been specialized pads but one couldn't imagine what he was doing with his fingers wrapped up like they were. We soon found out, when he started tapping on the bottom of a platter with a few coins on it to make tambourine sounding "kroosh, kroosh" on beat with the pianos. Then he started dancing. The man was so funny with his VERY tight black shiny short sleeved shirt and a gray vest, that people were throwing money on his platter like he was the piano man himself.

So, now the person who I really wanted to tell you about. Let me regress...

Before I left for New Orleans I received two separate phone calls from my sister and my father. Both said that they had been to NOLA and loved it and that I HAD to go to a place called Jacques-imos because they both said the food was to die for. So after the Fest on the second day Lisa and I took a cab to the most crowded restaurant I have ever seen and put our name on a 2 hour waiting list. Because we got there so late we were starving and the thought of waiting 2 hours to eat was murderous. So we thought we would stand by the EXTREMELY crowded bar that took up a good portion of the front room and see if we could get an appetizer to hold us over. We almost had to stand at the waiter's stand to get close enough to the bar where we ordered a glass of wine and some Jambalaya. THE BEST jambalaya on the earth, hands down. It also came with some fried green tomatoes which If I can say, were better than any thing I have tasted. ever. Just as we were raving at the quality of the food the man sitting next to us let us sit down and was telling us that he lived in NO and Jack Leonardi (the owner and head chef) was renowned for his recipes and opened a small food stand somewhere else in the city and that was always packed with people as well. As soon as he brought up the owners name, there came a voice over my shoulder "Oh don't talk about that man, he is a creep!" We turn around to see the great chef himself with the biggest smile on his face. So, because Lisa and I are so beautiful and friendly we engage Jack in conversation and over the course of the time it took to be called to sit and have dinner, Jack had bought us appetizers and drinks. So much so that I had to take our names off the waiting list because we we too full to eat another bite. And we had the most amazing dinner imaginable- for free (almost). So this blog is dedicated to my sister and my father. And Ern, You may not know Jack, but I do!