Marilyn's Place - as good as advertised

Over the past three years, I've become acquainted to Shreveport-Bossier dining in my many trips to the metro area. Early on it was by trial and error, some good, some not so good. But as Cokie explored her new surroundings and made friends with local students at her college, every dining experience soon after was a gem!

Still, there are new restaurants popping up all the time, so for advise on those I turn to the Eatery Review forum on Jeff Guerin's site at www.littlemissouriflyfishing.com
 
In the spring, Jeff wrote about a new place called Good Eats, and soon after Cokie reported she and her friends were making regular trips there.

Last month, Jeff found another new spot - Marilynns Place on Fern. He pointed out that this was New Orleans food gone north... and just as good!

Saturday night we were thinking Imperial Cathay (awesome Chinese food) but the crowd was thick.  So I said "Let's go try this place that Jeff recommended".  First, we drove within a block and missed it, then didn't find it again until 15 minutes later.  It's a converted gas station so it will fool you!

Jeff nailed it. Everything he said about the shrimp poboy was right on. The gumbo looked awesome, when I saw some young lady with it at their table.  But when I ordered  a cup (yes, they'll sell you a cup even if it's not on the menu) they had run out.  So instead they offered a few substitutes.  I said "I'll take the bread pudding".  They gave me 4 slices of bread pudding - one for each of us (no extra cost).  The bread pudding was delicious on it's own, but it comes HOT in a chocolate sauce to die for.  I'm still thinking about that pudding...

Cokie ordered the crawfish etouffee. She said it wasn't as good as Moms, but close. Since nothing is as good as Moms, that's a high recommendation!

The menu is all "New Orleans" and Cajun style food. The owner lived in The Big Easy at one time and fell in love with the ambience and the food.  Marilyns has personality and the music that plays fits it just right. You won't be disappointed.

Oh... and they serve beignets!

Catch's skimmer

Twice a year, the Red Stick Fly Fishers hold a marsh outing they refer to as "Catch-and-Eat", one in the Spring and one in the Fall.  Attendees fish Friday and Saturday. Everyone is asked to contribute a small portion of their catch (redfish, speckled trout, etc.) to a Saturday night fish fry.  In addition to fresh fish, we enjoy fresh shrimp, fried okra, fried eggplant, french fries and onion rings. Check your cholestoral before you make this trip!

We usually have 3 cooks serving 20+ folks.  Getting food cooked both quick and properly done isn't too big a challenge when you have a 14-quart black iron pot.  But getting the food out of the pot can be.  For that reason, a good skimmer is important.  Several folks have seen mine and inquired about my pro-quality skimmer.

Here's a link to the Eastman Outdoors webpage that has specs:
http://www.eastmanoutdoors.com/stainless-steel-skimmer

I received it for Christmas last year, and no kidding, it's probably the best present I've had in several years!

Last Saturday, we had a small army of relatives that gathered at my in-laws house for a seafood feast.  The combination of this skimmer, along with my black iron pot and propane burner, and I was able to fry enough fish, shrimp and crawfish for everyone in less than an hour!

The Eastman Skimmer used to be sold at Bass Pro. But apparently they've gone to a cheaper model (but not cheaper in price).  However, Gander Mountain carries it now. Makes an excellent Christmas gift.

Cokie at Concordia

My daughter Cokie and I took our annual spring fishing trip this weekend to Lake Concordia near Ferriday, in conjunction with the local fly fishing club's annual spring trip there. We stayed in Natchez since the lodge where the club was staying was booked up. I'm certain the Cokester didn't mind - by Friday night she was dead tired and appreciated the comfort of a bed, and not having to timeshare a bathroom!

We didn't spend much time on the water Friday due to a storm passing through, and in fact, traveled a bit to a more remote location where we took a gamble on catching large crappie. We did manage one "slab" and few decent fish, but the fun was catching several small bass that attacked our flies. The rain put them quite in the mood. Saturday was a "chamber of commerce" type day, deep blue skies, light wind, rather mild. Started off slow but the big bream really turned on about 11am. Cokie did most of the damage using a black/chartreuse jitterbee about 2 feet under a VOSI. Poor Dad managed just 3 keepers using popping bugs, while Cokie put 22 in the box. When we hit 25, we just turned the rest loose. No need to be greedy, especially when all the fish in the box were 7.5 to 8.5 inches!

Cokie had a great time fishing, but she also was excited about seeing several species of birds, a raccoon, a deer, and four small alligators. The best part of driving up from Baton Rouge to Concordia is the terrain. Nice and hilly. You reach Mount Dolorosio - towering 480 feet high - that overlooks the Homochitto River Valley, and you feel so distant from flat south Louisiana, yet less than an hour away.