We had our bikes for a second day, and we decided to head toward the Garden District. John wanted to explore some of the antique stores on Magazine Street, but as we went past them none seemed all that compelling. So we went on to Audubon Park.
We had spent a little time here over 30 years ago when John and I did our first cross-country trip together. We wanted to go to our first World’s Fair. Not all that many people joined us and the 1984 New Orleans World Fair is regarded as a serious financial failure for the city. But the two of us had a good time. We stayed out in the dorms at Tulane University — everything was on a serious budget back them — and I can still remember hearing the animals in the nearby Audubon Park Zoo howling during the night. These ducks seemed calmer.
John wanted to have lunch at the Commander's Palace, one of New Orlean’s oldest restaurant. We had always dismissed it as a tourist trap before, the Southern equivalent of Fisherman’s Grotto in San Francisco. But John had read that it had received several James Beard awards for distinguished regional cuisine, so we decided to give it a try.
The food was indeed good, and it proved to be a fun place for lunch. They have 25 cent martinis, though customers are limited to only three! It seemed like half of the restaurant was wearing either bow ties or hats. Sondheim’s “ladies who lunch” are still alive and kicking in the Crescent City. But if the food is good, the decor even better. Happy plantation scenes! Really! The only thing missing was a statue of a Negro stable boy with a lantern.
New Orlean’s most famous cemetery is across the street. We never seem to be here when this place is open.
Everything about it, even the decaying walls, is perfect Southern Gothic. Oh, where are the vampires?
We had to rush back to the Marigny to return our bikes before the shop closed at five. We took a nap, and in the evening we went out looking for more down home cooking. We ended up at a soul food restaurant on Frenchman Street. The food was disappointing, but the atmosphere was fun.
