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Monday, August 27, 2018

Is this even true anymore?

There are hundreds of little stories we tell ourselves about the quirks of this city which may or may not be true.  Maybe some of them were true at one time but aren't any longer. Or some of them were lies that became sort of true when enough people found the kitsch of the lie attractive.  And there are plenty of these little folkways that deserve more scorn than celebration once we examine them closely enough.  Take, for example, the "regular clientele" at Galtoire's.
Still, the original restaurant at 209 Bourbon St. occupies a hallowed place in New Orleans dining. It is part of a small circuit of historic restaurants, including Antoine's and Arnaud's, that specialize in the city's unique French Creole cuisine, to the tune of shrimp rémoulade, eggs Sardou, chicken Clemenceau and trout meunière.

Popular with tourists, these old line restaurants are sustained by devoted local followings, with allegiances that often flow through family generations. They have developed valued roles in the city's social rituals.
Think about who, specifically, those generations of families are and the "valued roles" they play in not just our social rituals but the course of our civic life as well.  Do these little wealth clubs represent anything most New Orleanians should take any pride in recognizing? 

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