I met a woman named Beloved today. When I told her she had a beautiful name, she said, "dawlin', we are ALL beloved."
Beloved and I crossed paths today at an enrollment session for the agency I work for. She was meeting with one of our senior staff people, when she asked her, "Are you from New Orleans? Because I recognize your face." It turns out that Beloved came to Austin via Katrina and was one of the evacuees who took shelter in the Austin Convention Center. And my colleague was one of the first responders at the Convention Center, spending several days there listening to people's stories and comforting them. My colleague was stunned that she had been remembered, and it turned out that Beloved and her husband had decided to rebuild their lives in Austin after being plunked down here completely by chance. Her husband was working, and she has been taking classes.
As I helped Beloved check out, I stuck out my hand and said, "as one fellow New Orleanian to another, I'm glad you've decided to make your home here."
And then, as with every other conversation I've had with an evacuee, the conversation turned to food. What have you found, we ask each other. Where are the best red beans? Etouffee? Gumbo?
For the record, everyone speaks highly of Miss B's, which I haven't yet tried. And Gene's, which I have. I'm curious about this VII J's restaurant that was reviewed in the paper this weekend. My new friend Beloved told me that she was really impressed with the gumbo at Joe's Crab Shack, which came as a surprise.
But she saved the best for last.
"Have you tried Pappadeaux?" she asked. Not in a long time, I replied. "Dawlin'?" she told me. "Pappadeaux is a big Pappa-DON'T."
So there.
Beloved and I crossed paths today at an enrollment session for the agency I work for. She was meeting with one of our senior staff people, when she asked her, "Are you from New Orleans? Because I recognize your face." It turns out that Beloved came to Austin via Katrina and was one of the evacuees who took shelter in the Austin Convention Center. And my colleague was one of the first responders at the Convention Center, spending several days there listening to people's stories and comforting them. My colleague was stunned that she had been remembered, and it turned out that Beloved and her husband had decided to rebuild their lives in Austin after being plunked down here completely by chance. Her husband was working, and she has been taking classes.
As I helped Beloved check out, I stuck out my hand and said, "as one fellow New Orleanian to another, I'm glad you've decided to make your home here."
And then, as with every other conversation I've had with an evacuee, the conversation turned to food. What have you found, we ask each other. Where are the best red beans? Etouffee? Gumbo?
For the record, everyone speaks highly of Miss B's, which I haven't yet tried. And Gene's, which I have. I'm curious about this VII J's restaurant that was reviewed in the paper this weekend. My new friend Beloved told me that she was really impressed with the gumbo at Joe's Crab Shack, which came as a surprise.
But she saved the best for last.
"Have you tried Pappadeaux?" she asked. Not in a long time, I replied. "Dawlin'?" she told me. "Pappadeaux is a big Pappa-DON'T."
So there.
posted by Bookhart at
5:00 PM
6 Comments:
Wonderful!
By
Clark, at 7:18 PM
Tell Beloved that if she wants some seriously good and authentic seafood gumbo, she needs to go to Sambets on 183. It's by far the best I've ever had in my life. And they'll sell you a bottle of Abita root beer to go with it.
By
Badger, at 8:25 PM
You made my day again.
Thank you and Beloved.
By
Mama Malcontent, at 7:26 PM
mmm... almost gumbo weather, yes?
By
amamgets, at 9:37 PM
btw, about your last post? Remind me to tell you sometime of when I was asked to address the incoming provisionals (no real clue why), and the intro included my attraction to men from Star Trek. That was BEFORE I hit the dais and told them about disguising liquor in styrofoam cups.
But I'd already been the JL's ONLY volunteer for AIDS Services for Austin (early 90's-- a lot of family work). Yikes.
You go girl.
By
amamgets, at 9:43 PM
I always forget that you are from Nawlins too. Have I ever told you I used to live in Slidell? We should go try Mrs.B's sometime, or the new place. Everytime I think of Mrs.B's I think of Mrs.B's Bistro, the Brennan's off-shoot.
I want bbq shrimp dammit.
By
Jaye Joseph, at 9:14 PM
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