Lunch at Ralph’s on the Park from a while back — it’s right at City Park — the building was originally built as a coffeehouse / concession stand for it. We just got a couple of things at lunch.
I had the pickled beet salad: roasted pecans, goat feta, arugula, orange blossom vinegar
here, the fried chicken: wrapped in country ham, crispy collards, red eye gravy, red bean purée, boudin balls
Updated 6/16: Right now, Ralph’s on the Park is running their annual summer ‘three appetizers and a glass of wine’ $33 special.
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On the subject of collards and ham and fried chicken…
There’s now an official meal of north Louisiana — it was approved last month as House Concurrent Resolution No. 88, enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives and the President of the Louisiana State Senate. This is the official meal of north Louisiana. (all capitalizations here are from the original document)
Appetizer:
Mini Natchitoches Meat Pie
Main Dish:
Fried Catfish, Fried Chicken, Barbecue Ribs, Barbecue Chicken, Barbecue Smoked Sausage, Baked Ham
Greens:
Cabbage, Collards, Mustards, Turnips
(cooked with Smoked Neck Bones and/or Smoked Ham Hocks)
Peas and Beans:
Black Eye, Purple Hull, Pinto, Butter
(cooked with Smoked Neck Bones and/or Smoked Ham Hocks)
Side Dishes:
Baked Sweet Potato, Rice with Gravy, Potato Salad, Fried Okra
Breads:
Hot Water Cornbread, Skillet Cornbread, Homemade Biscuits
Desserts:
Sweet Potato Pie, Pecan Pie, Pound Cake, Peach Cobbler, Fruit Salad (sliced watermelon chunk
topped with fresh blueberries, peaches, and strawberries)
Condiments:
Homemade Mayhaw and Plum Jelly; Cucumber, Tomato, Onion, and Green Onion Salad; Hot Sauce; Homemade Pepper Sauce; Cane Syrup
Beverage:
Sweet Tea
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Niki’s West in Birmingham (where I get my collard green and rutabaga fix) has had to add to their sign of no-nos. It’s not only no tank tops, bare feet, and rollers on head — now they’ve had to be more specific about the tank top issue. And the idea that they’ve even had to broach the subject of a clientele in pajamas…
I can’t get too snooty here because the day they say something about people in yoga pants will be the day I have to get my act together too and not run in after class…speaking of which, the people at Whole Foods and Publix may not even realize I have real clothes. But you know who’s at the store when I go? Other girls wearing Lululemon and UnderArmour. It’s like we’re an army of moms, and V-necks and Wunder Under crops are our uniform.
There’s a woman I only see at the gym, and one day when she saw me at The Club — at a party I was hosting — she didn’t even recognize me. I had to introduce myself to her and it took her more than a couple of seconds to realize it was me. That was…awkward.
Anyway, if you do catch me in real clothes, here I am — in fact, this is me that day at the party:
Sporting the sun-squinty, wind-blown look! So trendy.