We Second Lined for Ms. Antoinette Today

She was a generous and light-filled soul. She once told me when I was dressed up like a frilly cupcake that I'd make a good Baby Doll and I was deeply honored. I imagine she and Ernie are together right now in some way and that makes me smile. The thought makes today a little less sad.

I didn't take any photos today because I wanted to be fully present for the procession. I think this photo is by N. Sublette.

Empress of the Universe Antoinette K-Doe called home Posted by: Alison Fensterstock in The Gambit, In Memoriam

In the early hours of Mardi Gras Day, Antoinette K-Doe, widow of the legendary Ernie and proprietor of the Mother-in-Law Lounge, passed away. Last Mardi Gras Day, Mrs. K-Doe had entered the hospital for heart failure, but recovered and was quickly back behind the bar. Mrs. K-Doe was a local legend and as proprietor of the Lounge and steward of K-Doe’s memory, an international icon. EDIT: Yesterday, along with dozens of other friends of Ernie and Antoinette, I spent Mardi Gras Day helping to serve beer at the Lounge. The Northside Skull and Bones showed up early to pay tribute to Miss Antoinette. Later, her friend Guitar Lightnin’ Lee played in the garden, and the Black Eagles Mardi Gras Indians sang “Indian Red” to her memory. Antoinette was a friend of mine and a very dear friend of my boyfriend, Lefty Parker. She considered herself his adoptive mother, and she was taking a fairly strong hand in planning our April wedding, which was to be held at the Mother-in-Law. One of the last things she ever told me was that our dog would need a special outfit for the ceremony, and that to offset the wedding’s cost, we should get sponsors. Antoinette used to baby-sit the dog when Lefty was out of town and he adored her, probably because she would feed him whole hamburgers, one after another. Antoinette was motherly to a whole host of downtown artists and musicians, including organist and puppeteer Quintron and Panacea, who she had painted on one wall of the Lounge. She, her cousin Tee-Eva and their friend Jeannie often bartended at Q and P’s underground parties at their home, the Spellcaster Lodge. Recently, she had made them a gift of her old limousine. After the hurricane, Quintron, Lefty, MC Trachiotomy and Generic Art Solutions’ Matt Vis took time out from repairing their own flood-damaged homes to work on the Lounge, until the Hands On organization took over in November ‘06 and finished the job. Just this past weekend, the new mural on the Lounge’s outer walls was finished. Antoinette loved publicity, and I was glad she got to see the mural written up in the Times-Picayune before she passed. After her heart attack last Mardi Gras, we visited her in the hospital a few times. It was frightening to see her looking so frail. The last time we saw her together was about two weeks ago, to discuss the wedding - she showed off her new trim figure and discussed the heart-healthy diet she’d been following. It still seems impossible that she’s gone. I can’t imagine having my wedding there without her, but I can’t imagine having it anywhere else.

Pussyfooters in 2009 Muses Video

Pussyfooters March in Muses Tonight!

Look for us behind float 16!

I will look like this:

Here is footage from Sunday's Lyon's Club Practice Parade. I am the one with the sliver sequin skirt behind the two cowgirls about halfway though the line. We stop "marching it out" to dance about halfway though the video...

Pussyfooters March Informally Sunday in Lyons Club Parade

This means we do all our dances in free style dress, which is fun to behold.

The parade is picking us up at The King Pin at 2:30 and we are rolling here and there and everywhere to end up at Grits, at a dancerly pace.

Come join us!

And check out this video of us dancing in front of Ms. Mae's:

Violet Portrait

I cannot remember if I have posted this yet. This is an ongoing portrait project. Only a wee bit more than midway though. Gouache does not photograph well so this looks moody.

Violet Ray
Gouache on linen

Au Pied de Cochon

In the previous posting, I said I would elaborate on the restaurant Au Pied de Cochon, our favorite restaurant in Montreal.

First: give yourself some time to watch Anthony Bourdain in his attempt to sample the menu. Even he almost died of a heart attack:



That said, here is the menu (I will explain what we ate below it):

Avec l'apéro Cromesquis de foie gras Saucissettes fumées marinées Langue dans le vinaigre Accras de morue Assiette de cochonnailles Entrées Langue de bison à l'estragon Verdure Tarte de tomates Soupe à l'oignon gratinée Mousse de foie de pintade Salade de croustillant de PDC Salade de Bleu, pommes, endives Salade de betteraves et chèvre Maquereau fumé à l'érable Tartare de bison Carpaccio de canard Rôti de porcelet Foie gras Tarte de foie gras cru au sel Foie gras tout nu Poutine au foie gras Hamburger de foie gras Foie gras aux pommes Terrine Foie gras au maïs Plogue à Champlain Tarte de boudin et foie gras au sel Duo de foie gras Cochon Boudin Maison Tarte de boudin Potée du PDC Pied de cochon Côte de cochon heureux La Coupe PDC (0.5 kg) PDC farci au foie gras Volaille Magret aux champignons Canard en conserve Pot au feu pour 2 Pintade pour 2 Bison & Cerf Champvallon Tartare Steak & frites Côtes levées Agneau Jarret d'agneau confit Abats Foie de cerf Rognons de cerf Pizza auz tripes Poisson Arrivage du jour de Nouvelle-écosse Les à-côtés Frites (au gras de canard) Poutine Purée de pommes de terre Purée du PDC	3.50 $ 3.50 $ 4.00 $ 6.00 $ 6.50 $ 5.50 $ 6.50 $ 6.50 $ 6.50 $ 7.00 $ 8.00 $ 8.50 $ 9.00 $ 10.00 $ 10.50 $ 11.00 $ 12.00 $ 19.00 $ 21.00 $ 23.00 $ 23.00 $ 23.00 $ 24.00 $ 24.00 $ 25.00 $ 28.00 $ 35.00 $ 12.50 $ 15.50 $ 19.00 $ 20.00 $ 21.00 $ 33.00 $ 45.00 $ 24.00 $ 36.00 $ 75.00 $ 80.00 $ 22.00 $ 23.00 $ 23.00 $ 25.00 $ 26.00 $ 14.00 $ 15.00 $ 25.00 $ p.m. 4.75 $ 7.00 $ 5.75 $ 7.50 $
Desserts Crème caramel Poire pochée et glace vanille Tarte au citron Glace vanille Pomme au four à l'érable Gâteau au fromage Crème brûlée Pouding chômeur Fondant au chocolat Pot de crème au chocolat noir tarte au sucre pour 2 Tarte aux fruits pour 2 tarte à l'érable pour 2 tarte aux pacanes pour 2 Churros à l'érable & Café Robidoux	4.75 $ 5.50 $ 5.75 $ 6.00 $ 6.00 $ 6.50 $ 7.00 $ 7.00 $ 8.00 $ 8.00 $ 10.00$ 12.00 $ 12.00 $ 12.00 $ 13.50 $
Boissons Boissons gazeuses Eau Eska plate Eau Eska pétillante Cafés Espresso, espresso allonge Espresso double Cappuccino Caffe latte infusions filtre Cafés alcolisés (supplément de 0,25$ décafféiné)	3.75 $ 6.00 $ 6.00 $ 2.75 $ 4.00 $ 3.75 $ 3.75 $ 2.25 $ 2.25 $ 8.00 $
Bières Pied de Cochon Griffon Extra Blonde Griffon Rousse St-Ambroise blonde St-Ambroise Stout Cream Ale Tuborg Moosehead Cidre du Minot	5 " " " " " 5.75 " 6

I had an oatmeal stout that isn't listed that was delicious and Canadian made.

We went in thinking it would be like Cochon in Nola. We enthusiastically scanned the list of nine foie gras appetizers, not knowing that each of which could easily serve as meal. We ordered foie gras tout nu and cochonnailles(an assortment of pork delicacies) to start. The foie gras came out as two 3/4 inch slabs (lightly seared) on a plate probably measuring 2.5 x 4 or 5 inches.

We could barely make it to the main course and for those of you who know us, that has never happened before.

I had the cassoulet (or about two delicious spoonfuls) and Billy had the PDC Melting Pot, a combination/sampling of several different dishes. These were beyond delicious but I was like a walking piece of foie gras at that point.

There was a couple seated next to us who obviously knew the chef. They ate appetizers like ours and then were served this large broiler pan sized heaping pile of meat -like 6 inches high. They dug in as is they hadn't eaten in days and polished it off with nothing left over. They were the tiniest little people, too. We felt pantsed by their gusto. When we engaged them in a conversation we found out that they are from Toronto and always come to Au Pied de Cochon, it also turned out that we had been bumped up to the room that they had reserved and cancelled at the hotel Gault because the group of people they were visiting with wanted to stay in the hip Plateau neighborhood rather than Old Montreal. Now that's a small world. Speaking of, did I mention that the concierge at The Hotel Gault used to be the concierge for the Ritz New Orleans before the storm?

We were very very pleased and almost comatose when we were finished with our hours long dining experience. We sat at the bar and watched the cooks which only added to our enjoyment. Ask for this seating arrangement when you make a reservation. And be ready to crawl home.

Food in Montreal

There was plenty of good eating in Montreal.* We went to a bunch a places, among them:

DNA -
355 Rue Maguerite D'Youville
They make all their own meats and stress using local foods and animals (known as Terroir in french, or localvore). They also give a tour of the kitchen. We ate ciassculo (house made salami), petoncles (scallops), parpardelle with four different hand harvested mushrooms, canard (duck), I also ate pork tartare -which was fantasic. When they figured out we are foodies, they gave us free charcuterie samples and mignardises (wee little deserts).

Warning: the address is tricky because there are two streets around the same area (Old Montreal) so mapquest it and don't assume the cab knows about this. Ours did not and we missed a fireworks display we planned to watch from our table.

L'Express
3927 St-Denis
Went here for lunch and loved it. I think this was our second favorite place, but neck and neck with DNA, which I would put at third place. Very authentic French Parisian-style Cafe. Billy had three huge bones full of marrow presented beautifully. We shared a delicious duck confit salad and I had Potage Oseille (sorrel and potato soup) -also delicious.

Ferreira
1446 Rue Peel
This restaurant was recommended and was more than fine, but not a favorite. Portuguese.

Au Pied de Cochon
536 Rue Duluth
Our favorite. This place almost killed us. See the next entry for a more detailed explanation of this adventure. This was actually the cheapest dinner we had in Montreal, with far more food per plate to boot.

La Montee De Lait
1424 Bishop
This restaurant was better than Ferreira but not a favorite, though I could see how light eaters may favor it. The food was tasty and one could choose to order either "3, 4 or 7 choix" (choice)from the menu, which was small. The portions were petite, fancy style. We were not as moved as we were at our favorites, where the personalities of each chef really shone through the menu. We were not unhappy with it, but had much to compare. Here is a favorable review.

Schwartz's
3895 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
A new favorite deli, and we love delis. The Smoked Meat sandwich is a must have:


We dropped into a Chinatown noodle joint to check it out. The noodles were good (not as good as New York Noodle Town) but the atmosphere was fun. The kitchen was behind these huge windows and the cooks would perform and make faces at the children eating in the dining area. Some shots:



*we liked the blog of a Montreal couple, Endless Banquet, for food and culture tips. We used it quite a bit to get around.

Montreal

We spent the time between Christmas and New Years in Montreal. We had never been before, and the weather was actually warmer than usual for that time of year so we were able to walk around a bunch without dying of frostbite. The weather was gray, however, but that added to the mood of Old Montreal, where we stayed. People were wiping out left and right on the ice, which made me grateful for having acquired ice legs growing up in Maine.
We stayed here, The Hotel Gault, the entire time. We had the incredible luck to be upgraded to what equaled a small NYC apartment on the top level. Very nice, especially at the winter rate.
The view, below, was of the St. Lawrence river (hence the big boat) and of Habitat 67 which was built for the 67 Worl'd Fair.

Another view of Habitat 67, from Wikipedia

I kind of liked the fog:

On the waterfront, above. Pretty park at dusk, below.

Some things that reminded me of New Orleans: The ships seen from the streets and the horse drawn carriages everywhere in the old section.

Pussyfooter Blush Ball

I am finally putting up a few pictures of the the Pfooters dancing at the Blush Ball. We raised a bunch of money for a great cause and debuted our costumes. I think we look like candy.

I am second in line. I have to remind myself not to sing along or chant
the moves to myself as the mouth movement makes for funny pictures!

Look for us in the Muses parade! February 18th.


We have a big tail:
And Ruthie caught one of the tail feathers in her mouth.