Art and Photography Blog

Photos of Inland South Marin County

I was in Marin County in early July and, as always find it one of the most beautiful places anywhere. This is another in a series on my experiences. I find the interior as beautiful as the coast. Here is the southern portion.  

                                  

 

Photos of the Flowers of Marin County

I was in Marin County in early July and, as always find it one of the most beautiful places anywhere. This is another in a series on my experiences. I find the interior as beautiful as the coast. The climate and people conspire to create some wonderful flowers. Here area few.   

                              

 

Photos of Marin County California Coast

I was in Marin County in early July and, as always find it one of the most beautiful places anywhere. This is the first in a series on my experiences. I begin with some images of the varied coast. 

                              

 

Photos of the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco

I was in San Francisco in early July and, as always find it one of the most beautiful places anywhere. It is one of the few cities I could live in. Here are images from the Japanese tea garden in Golden Gate Park. 

                                                  

 

Photos from the Levee in New Orleans at Riverbend

There is an area in New Orleans where St. Charles Ave. turns in Carollton Ave and the Mississippi River bends. I lived there for a few years in the 50s and often went to the river side of the levee. I saw baptisms in the river and camped out. Here are some images from this May. 

                            

 

Photos for the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans May 2012

I have written about the Lower Ninth Ward before – see Images of New Orleans Neighborhoods Part Seventeen: Lower Ninth Ward in 2010 and in 2006 - New Orleans Update Part One: the Paradox of Two Cities. I went back in May 2012 and saw some progress for the first time. There is still a lot of work to do but some rebuilding has occurred. Below are photos from this trip including the modern houses build through the foundation that Brad Pitt set up as wel as the area near the levee that was not so damaged as the rest. 

                                             























 

 

Photos of Some New Orleans Music Explorations 2012

This year I came to New Orleans right after Jazzfest when the hotel rates dropped but there was plenty of music. I have already covered the concerts at Armstrong Park, the Art Mart, and the Bayou Boogaloo Festival in Mid-City on Bayou St. John. So here is the rest of the story

I saw Emily and the Velvet Ropes at Mimi’s in the Marigny twice because she was so good, as were the Spanish tapas. I walked there on my first night and then came back on my last Tuesday as she said she was coming back. I do not have any pictures but she did a lot of traditional jazz and R&B. (2601 Royal Street (504) 872-9868).

The next night was Eric Gordan and the Lazy Boys – a good brass band at Vaso. (500 Frenchmen St (504) 272-0929).  Then I saw Walter Wolfman Washington do his regular Wednesday night gig at d.b.a. (618 Frenchman Street 504-942-3731)

    

Thursday after seeing Donald Harrison at Louis Armstrong Park whihc I cover in another post, I went Zydeco night at Rock N Bowl, a regular tradtion for m. I saw Brian Jack and the Zydeco Gamblers and the watched Celtics win their series over Hawks. The Mid-City Lanes Rock & Bowl is at 3000 S. Carrollton Avenue (504-861-1700)

Friday I saw Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers doing their new gig at the  Blue Nile which started at 7PM. He did two wonderful sets with his regular band and some younger additions. He started each set by inviting all the ladies in the audience to join him on stage while he sang the Black Eyed Peas, It’s going to be a good night.” I saw him again the following Ftriday and here are pictures from both sets. On the second Friday he turned the second set over to two young musicians with his band, an 18 year old trumpet player and 17 year old singer who had been with him the previous Friday. Blue Nile is located at 532 Frenhmen Street. (504-948-2583).

                       
Saturday I went to a Benefit Concert featuring Gypsy Elise De Sade, John Lisi & Delta Funk, Blues 4 Sale, and Band of Brothers  at BMC at 3PM 1331 Decatur St (504) 599-7770

                 

Later I saw the Iguanas (last slide onthe right above) at the Irvin Mayfield Club in the JW Marriott (614 Canal Street) 504-527-6712

Sunday I went to the Cajun Fais Do Do Featuring Bruce Daigrepont at Tipitina’s. This is another tradition for me and he has been doing it for over twenty years with many regulars in the audience that also come to Zydeco night at Rock N Bowl. (501 Napoleon St. 504-895-TIPS)

Tuesday I went to Bacchanlal for dinner and music outdoors and saw the Mark Welky Trio, a nice jazz group.  – 600 Poland Avenue in Bywater.

Thursday is was back to Rock N Bowl for another Zydeco night and saw Curley Taylor & The Zydeco Trouble

    

On Saturday I saw John Boutte do his regular 8 PM set at d.b.a. It was magical. He asks the audience to be quiet while he sangs and it is worth it to really hear him. 

     

Afterwards Joe Krown and Walter Wolfman Washington and Russell Batitse did 10 PM show. I like Walter better when he is on his own.

     

On Sunday I went to Bayou Boogaloo Festival in Mid-City on Bayou St. John that I cover in a separate post.

On Monday I hear David Doucet and another member of Beausoleil at the Columns. He did a great set. I have been watching the DVD of Beausoleil at Jazzfest and it was wonderful to see him live. - 3811 St Charles Ave (504) 899-9308

 

 

Some Images and Descriptions of New Orleans Lodging and Restaurants 2012

This is more description than images becaus eof the low light in most places. I spent three weeks in New Orleans in May. I stayed at the B&W Courtyards 2425 Chartres Street in the Marigny (504-324-3396 or 800-585-5731). (see below) The hosts, Rob and Kevin were great. I had a one bedroom apartment in the back with full kitchen so I did a lot of cooking in my place to save costs and also enjoy local food. The place was full of nice antiques and art. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the city. It also only a few blocks form Frenchmen Street and beyond that the French Quarter. 

For fodd I tried a few new places those I experienced before. Here are some of my experiences. The Bayou Boogaloo Festival in Mid-City on Bayou St. John had great food vendors. It is an annual event and covered is a separate post that has alreayd appeared as is the food vendors at the Art Mart that is a monthly event and was also covered already. 

The New Olreans Cake Cafe and Bakery is across the street from B & W Courtyards. I had anumber of meals there. Below you can see their shrimp and grtis. crab salad, and eggs and grits with boudin suasage. 

    

Mimi’s a Marigny - I went here twice because of the great food and music. They have great Spanish tapas.  The first time I had shrimp with creole sauce, calamari with saffron cream sauce, mushroom manchego cheese tart.  The second time I had shrimp with creole sauce, calamari with saffron cream sauce, and more. It is located at 2601 Royal Street (504) 872-9868

Luizza’s – Great Italian and Creole food. As their site says, “A Mid-City landmark since 1947, is only minutes from the French Quarter and Central Business District.The aroma is unmistakable as you walk in the door of the neighborhood bar and restaurant. This family operated restaurant is treasured by locals for its recipes of down-home Louisiana, Cajun, authentic Italian and seafood dishes. This is a place where locals of all descriptions, taxi drivers, businessmen on their lunch hour to tourists and conventioners, all come to try some real New Orleans/Italian hospitality.” I had fifed green tomatoes with shrimp roumelaide. It is located at 3636 Bienville Street  (504) 482-9120

  

MiLa for dinner is a very high end place and pricy but good. I had smoked redfish salad, crab salad at the bar.  MILa stand for Mississippi Louisiana. MiLa is the culmination of both the marriage of chefs Slade Rushing and Allison Vines-Rushing and their respective home states cuisines-Mississippi and Louisiana. This was my first time there. It is located at 817 Common Street, New Orleans, LA 70112.

Upperline is place I have been several times and is still good. Their duck three ways is great an dno longer on the menu but they did it fo rme anyway. It is located at 1413 Upperline Street. (504) 891-9822.

Bacchanlal is a wine shop where you buy your wine and they have a food vendor providing greta food along with music. I saw the Mark Welky Trio. It is located at 600 Poland Avenue 504-948-9111

Patois - is the best place to eat in the mid to high end.  It is located at 6078 Laurel St, on the corner of Laurel and Webster 504 895 9441

Dante’s Kitchen - I had spoon bread, escargot, gulf fish, sweet potatoes, coffee custard. It was all good. The name comes from the street it is located - 736 Dante Street, New Orleans, 70118 at the corner of Dante and River Road, (504) 861-3121

Stanley’s – I had walked by the place many times but because it was on Jackson Square I had assumed it was a tourist place. The food was actually excellent. I had a variation on Eggs Benedict with two poached eggs sitting on top of some boudin sausage from Charlie T’s in the Lafayette area, hollandaise sauce and French bread. It is now on my list of places to trust in the Quarter. We also had fried oysters and onion strings.

  

Then there was Dong Phuongthe great Vietnamese bakery and restaurant as you can see below. NOLA.com writes: “It's also one of New Orleans' finest purveyors of Vietnamese cuisine. The bakery is crowded at midday with customers snatching up fresh-baked banh mi, the Vietnamese-style French bread; banh mi thit, the sandwiches known locally as Vietnamese po-boys; and an array of exotic sweets -- mung bean bars that taste like Fig Newtons, gummy candies made from steamed yucca -- that will make you squint with wonder. The adjacent restaurant excels at steamy noodle soups.” We had some of each. It is located at 14207 Chef Menteur Highway, 504.254.0296.

               

 

Photos from the Concerts in Armstrong Park in New Orleans

In May there was a great concerts every Thursday late afternoon, early evening in Armstrong Park in New Orleans.  Don Harrison and his Indians were the headliner in the first of the two I attended. Allen Tousaint made a guest appearance. Here are the photos.