They were the freshest of the fresh oysters New Orleans has every offered - served up by - shucker par excellence - Julius - opening the ugly shells - putting them on the marble top - even before I had made my way back from the Pascal's Manale bar (cash only) - buying drinks and tokens for the oysters (dozen or half dozen chips) - handing dollars to the same bartender who poured my same drink 30 years ago (pure speculation) -
We started with two dozen ($8.50 per) - P&J Oysters from the local beds - big - succulent - large meat - overflowing with "liquor" - ice cold - very special - the freshest tasting oysters I have ever indulged in and/or enjoyed as much - added Dirty Martinis - JD on-the-rocks - from the square bottle with the black label -
Back and forth - ferrying drinks and more tokens across the crowded barroom - it was the same ritual partaken in - 30 years previously - my first trip to New Orleans - then it was business - now it was my wife & daughter - a few roommates - another NY based parent -
More oysters - proffered onto the aged - stained - marble counter-top - for immediate oral inhalation - more drinks - the counts were lost -
A young woman came up behind me - like a boxing referee calling the round - "party of seven" - it was the hostess informing us that our table was ready -
Slowly - we peeled away from the counter - almost begrudgingly making our way to the dining room - leaving one experience - getting set for the next New Orleans tradition - i.e. - Pascal's Manale signature head-on BBQ shrimp -
It was a very long - wonderful night -
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