The Big Easy Wedding - Day #1

Monday through Wednesday passed in rapid succession after our trip to Canada.

This week I learned that our final exam only counts if it helps the student's grade. What a mess -- here's moment of clarity I found on Facebook.

But then I looked around at my bright classroom on a sunny day and felt better.

We left for the airport a little after 3pm, left our car at the Park n Jet, ate dinner at Legal Seafood, got on the plane, and made our way to New Orleans.

View close to New Orleans

We arrived at our hotel, freshened up, and headed for the House of Blues, where our first event was a meet and greet. We sat by ourselves for a while after saying hello to Swanna and meeting Christian, but then Sarah Shepard and Amanda Schweitzer showed up and we chatted with them.

Looking a little worse for the wear, I'd say -- not Sarah, us!!

Eventually, I introduced myself to Gitty -- when I told her that I was Sam Cassel's mother, she immediately knew who I was. And when  I told her I was ginger 755, she really knew who I was. That same pattern occurred every time I recognized a name from Instagram!

We stayed until 11:30 and stopped to take some pictures of the House of Blues.

The upcoming acts performing

Back at our hotel, we had a nightcap at the famous Carousel Bar. Bed at 12:30ish Central time!!

The long and winding road home.

This morning we were packed by breakfast time; our last delicious meal at Abacot.
I had a fried egg and sausage.

Bob had an omelette.

We said good-by to our hosts and the other guests and were on the road before 10AM.  I was trying to find some chenin blanc that I remembered purchasing 2 years ago -  I though I had gotten it at one of two wineries.  We stopped at the first, Jackson Triggs, but they don't grow those grapes.  However, we did get a few pictures of the growing grapevines in front of the winery. -- http://www.jacksontriggswinery.com/

We tried Trius again to see if I had missed the chenin blanc yesterday, but the manager again confirmed that this area is not the right microclimate for chenin blanc grapes.  She called around to other places, but no luck. Must have been dreaming, or perhaps they had one bumper crop with limited bottling a few years ago.  Oh, well.  After crossing the border in RECORD time, we took the fast way home (not through the heart of the Finger Lakes) and stopped in Conklin, NY, to try a German restaurant called Hallo, Berlin.  We were the only customers there for most of our meal, which was delicious!  Bob had a Dortmunder weisbeer; I had a dark beer. -- http://www.halloberlinrestaurant.com/

Enjoying a relaxing lunch near Binghamton, NY.

Bob had bratwurst, and I had curry wurst; we shared an order of spaetzle -- yummy.

 

We finally arrived back home at about 6:30 after a really great time in Canada. Waiting on our porch were places to visit to order granite, flooring, and paint for this year's renovation: redoing our kitchen!

Day 3 - Theater and such.

This morning's breakfast was eggs Abacot - with a sense of humor!

We ate a leisurely meal at Abacot -- here are some pictures of the back of the b&b -- so lovely.

After breakfast, we drove into town and then parked a few blocks away from the Festival Theater, the afternoon's destination. Near where we parked and across the street from an old folks home was this sign - hmmm.

We explored the opposite end of town and had lunch at Zee's, a restaurant right across the street from the theater. I had a charcuterie plate. -- http://www.niagarasfinest.com/properties/zeesgrill/

Bob had salmon, pickled beets, and greens.

We then saw Oscar Wilde's Mrs. Windermere's Fan. Although the production values and acting were good, the pacing was slooow. The play had been edited and not in a good way - Bob had just read it, so he was our expert! -- http://www.shawfest.com/

We stopped back at the b&b and then headed for a quick wine tasting at Trius before dinner at Peller Estates. We bought varied red wines and ice wine at Trius. -- http://www.triuswines.com/

Dinner at Peller was an event - the chef there had won the Canadian version of Top Chef two years ago. We tasted some wines before heading in to our five course tasting menu. -- http://www.peller.com/

Before the first course, we had a duck prosciutto amuse bouche.

Here we are looking good - behind us were two sisters who were also staying at Abacot. We joked about being hired by their husbands!

First course - Chard pistachio goat cheese with ice cuvée sparkling wine 

Second course -- Leek scallop soup paired with chardonnay

Third course -- Pork belly with asparagus and lobster paired with Pinot noir

Palate cleanser -- rhubarb cordial

Fourth course -- Bison tenderloin with fiddleheads, lima beans, and potatoes paired Cabernet Sauvignon 

Pre-dessert dessert -- Carrot cake with ice wine-soaked raisins and walnuts

Fifth course -- chocolate ice cream sandwich with cookies and cream ice cream and chocolate bits, caramel, and peanuts paired with late harvest Vidal wine

 

Two and a half hours of foodie heaven! Afterward, we offered the sisters a ride back to our b&b -- they had been planning to take a cab back. Bed at 10ish.

Day 2 -- Shopping, tasting, etc.

We were awake by 7am this morning and met the b&b owners, Ed and Irene. Breakfast was delicious, and we met two other couples, one from Ottawa and one who had lived in King of Prussia and currently Michigan.

After breakfast, we took a leisurely drive toward St. Catharine and then through town. Snagging a free parking spot, we shopped the town, one of my favorite things to do! As we walked around, the sky got brighter and brighter -- it's now a sunny but cold day.

My breakfast

Bob's breakfast

Too many choices for this afternoon's wine tastings!

Maple syrup!

Shaw and shopping!!

On the street as the skies brighten

Lake Ontario

Lunch was at the bar area at the Pillar and Post -- http://www.vintage-hotels.com/pillarandpost/default.htm

Good Canadian beer, eh? -- Sleeman honey brown ale  and Oast bitter

Lobby of Pillar and Post - Bob with the only kind of dog he likes!

Twin beds last night - king today!

After lunch, we did some wine tasting. The first winery we visited was Between the Lines, owned and operated by a German family. We had a lovely conversation with the mother of the co-owners, who came from a place near Aalen, Germany, the home of one of North Penn's sister schools. Delicious tasting! -- http://www.betweenthelineswinery.com/

The second winery we visited was Ravine, noted for its restaurant and organic wines. We had another interesting conversation with our server about the history of the place. More good wines were tasted and purchased. -- http://ravinevineyard.com/

The parlor in Abacot Hall

Dinner was at Stone Road Grill, probably my best find of all time -- and it's literally a block from our b&b! -- http://www.stoneroadgrille.com/
First course wine pairing

Beef tartare for me

Green salad with pickled beets for Bob

Bob's pickerel

My hoisin-braised short ribs and cheese plate in lieu of dessert

Ten-year-old candle and drippings

Bob and I standing on a banquette by aforementioned candle - not too embarrassing to be standing on booth seat. The host made us do it!

Bed by 10:30...great day in Canada!!