Shreveport, Knife and Fork

Is it possible to get a cold from eating too much? If so, that's what has happened.

Tim (who I'm beginning to think should have a blog code name, like "Meat&Cheese-Only" or "Gilligan") and I went to Shreveport for Thanksgiving break. His sister has an enormous, awesome house there with her fiancé so she graciously accommodated about 30 people for Thanksgiving dinner.

I'm particularly fond of Shreveport because it's the only place I've ever moved to all on my own, out of my own free will. That's not to say that I didn't want to live in Crawford or Boulder, just that I lived in those places because my family already did and those were my options. And well, DC is DC is DC is... not my first choice.

Shreveport is also particularly amazing because it's a weird place. It looks a little like a sleaze-pit sometimes (it's undeniable--and there's proof on the interwebs). HOWEVER: it also has a thriving arts culture that existed well before all the movie studios got wind of it and the restaurants are the perfect combination of varied, delicious, atmospheric (I said it) and (compared to other cities of its size) affordable. After the thanksgiving smorgasbord, we ate at a number of my Shreveport favorites because Meat&Cheese-Only's family--despite his seeming aversion to all things delicious--knows how to have a good time.

Friday:

The Blind Tiger
The Regular: Creole Pecan Catfish with extra mustard cream sauce, jambalaya and cajun fried corn.
This is the restaurant where Meat&Cheese-Only and I had our first date. There was a car wreck outside and I wore my foxtail. Those two things are not related. Anyway, unless you happen to show up on karaoke night, The Blind Tiger has good atmosphere, and even if it didn't the food is wonderful. The fried corn is a half cob of corn that is indeed battered and deep fried. Paula Deen--are you listening? The red beans and rice are thick (real thick) and the sausage is spicy. And the mixed drinks come in mason jars. Who could want anything else?

Saturday:

Superior Bar & Grill
The Regular: Superior Nachos con pollo. I love the way they build each nacho on the plate individually. I've never seen that done anywhere but Shreveport and it makes me resent restaurants that bring you a giant messy, soggy pile of nacho ingredients. It takes real TLC to make nachos the way Superior does. And their margaritas will knock you on your face, which is probably why all of their drinks are served in styrofoam cups. In addition, the chips are freshly made and the salsa is served in a carafe and each person gets an individual cup, so you can double-dip until your arm falls off if that's your thing.

PieWorks
The Regular: The Wing It.
Meat&Cheese-Only delivered pizzas here so I sometimes have mixed feelings about the place. On one hand, it's almost like home and I can order off-menu items and they'll still make them for me. On the other hand, when I SEE a PieWorks, this stale pizza stench fills my nostrils and I get a mini-panic attack remembering the way MCo's person and car smelled that year. However, their pizza is undeniably delicious. We ordered a Wing It (hot wings pizza), a BBQ chicken pizza, a fetamato and breadsticks. We tried to order a Heathbar pie, but they were out and comped us three pieces of turtle cheesecake. Which is a fine trade.

Superior's Steak House (for cocktails)
The Regular: A Tanqueray Gin and Tonic
But at Superior's, you have to order a cocktail, because they do them so well. I got a Lemon Drop, which made my hands completely sticky somehow, but still tasted like heaven. They also make a mean Cosmo. And they have live piano and are one of the few remaining restaurants to have Andes Mints at the exit rather than those terrible hard peppermints: I take this as a real sign of quality.

Sunday:

Strawn's Eat Shop on King's Highway
The Regular: Biscuits and Gravy, Home fries, Unsweet Iced Tea and Strawberry Icebox Pie.
This time, however, I got the "Hungry Man" special because I was craving pancakes. This is two eggs, toast, choice of meat, choice of potatoes (or biscuit or grits before 10), two hot cakes and a pound of butter. I think the real reason I hate DC is because while there are placed to get breakfast here, there is nothing, I mean nothing like Strawn's.

Part of it is simply local. We ran into Will, MCo's choir director from college there, which is just something you know will always happen when you walk in the doors. But it's also the atmosphere and the total disregard for frills or health conventions. You honestly cannot get a chicken fried steak like that here. And the pie? Forget it.

Sunday we had to leave. But had I been able to stay, I would have gone to Tacomania, Yeero Yeero, The Real Pickle, Oyster Bar, Counter Culture, Ichiban, Bear's, and I would have loved to go to Murrell's but apparently they closed, which absolutely breaks my heart. I can't see how, as there was always a huge crowd. Perhaps the no-smoking law really did take its toll on just one little place. Anyway, there are other places I'm forgetting (the Glenwood Village Tea Room!), but Shreveport is so full of things to enjoy. I would move back. I said it.