So Bonnie needed to go for beignets at Cafe du Monde,
about which she has read a lot. I shrugged and went
along. The beignets were as usual, and she loved
them; I still think they're just donuts and told her
so, to which she said that they were the best donuts
she had ever had. She had coffee to go with. Though
she professes to hate chicory, she loved this. I
carefully refrained from telling her that it was in
fact chicory coffee. I got hot chocolate, which was
as close to Swiss Miss as makes no difference.

--
As there was quite a bit of rain, instead of going
to Willie Mae's or the Acme or some other place of
eminence and good cheer, we retreated to the hotel
restaurant Drago's.

Though the place was pretty emptied out from the
lunch crowd, it took three staff and ten minutes
to get us seated, which we were, eventually, at
a six-top. Our waiter spent most of his time talking
to a couple of Spanish-speakers at another nearby
six-top. He was, however, reasonably attentive, so
other than the loudness of their conversation, I
have no big worries with that.

A platter of oysters was freshly opened, pretty
tasty.

Bonnie continued her comparison testing of gumbos,
getting a cup, which was nicely flavored and not
burnt. It didn't have much seafood character, though
smoky enough.

I went for the Stuffed Crab with Crabmeat Au Gratin
lunch, which came as a blob of bread stuffing with
more shell than crab, floating in a Parmesan-spiked
yellowish soup that had a little crab in it. It was
excessively salty but tasted okay but for the want
of seafood. This came with wedge potatoes, which
were hideously salty and flabby, and collards boiled
with artificial smoke seasoning, the best part of the
plate. Ah, well, you can't win them all.

-

We eventually did make it to the Acme, where the
bartendress greeted me like an old friend, which I
noted was probably a fake, as she had no reason
for knowing me from Adam - when alone, I have
usually plunked myself in the oyster bar part, where
I like to watch the oyster shuckers, and when with
others, we usually get a table. Bonnie thought
that the spiel was for real, which is a remote
possibility, as I have in fact sat at this girl's
area before.

I started with an Andygator, Abita's answer to a
Doppelbock. Other than a bit of sweetness and a lot
of alcohol, there's not much similarity. It is a
medium yellow with a light hops aroma and a good
head; on the palate, yeasty and grainy, quite
sweet. Not much finish. I switched to a Turbo Dog,
a brown ale that I enjoy, for seconds. Bonnie got a
Dewar's on the rocks, which goes pretty well with
the mild New Orleans oysters.

Of course we got a dozen, which were good-sized,
very fresh, nicely shucked with a minimum of
shell detritus. They were tasty, moderately
oystery, and not too salty. Good, not great.

We also got an appetizer serving of fried crawfish
tails, about a cup and a half, also fresh, also
moderately crawfishy, and not too salty. These were
very good, and I was all for getting another serving
for dessert, but after a little discussion, we decided
on another dozen oysters, which were bigger and even
better.
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