Mother (in the) Hood

     After a long morning riding in a tour van looking at the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina I was hungry.  After all it was past 2 pm and I had to forgo breakfast at The Chimes in order to get downtown in time for the guided tour.  I had heard some of the other folks in the van mention a place called Mother's that supposedly served up a good meal so I thought I'd give it a try.

     The only directions I had was that the restaurant was on the corner of Poydras & Tchoupitoulas Streets.  When I turned the corner, there it was, a decidedly non-descrip edifice with not much in the way of signage to convince me that I was indeed at the correct location.  So with some timidity I entered and was handed a menu to ponder.  It was not a quick read as there were lots of choices for either breakfast, lunch or dinner.  With an idea as to what I wanted for a mid afternoon meal I got in the cafeteria style line and waited to place my order with the cashier.  She took my order, rang me up and cheerfully informed me that I could take a seat anywhere and someone would bring my meal to me.  I'm not sure how they keep everyone straight with each order, but it didn't take long for my fried oyster platter to arrive with a side of red beans and rice and fries.  I had chosen those two sides from among a list that also included turnip greens, cabbage, and grits.  The pile of oysters was immense and they were both juicy on the inside and crisp and golden on the outside, just the way they should be.  Finally I had found some good New Orleans cooking without all the pretension of my previous meals.  I knew it was the real deal when at my table the only condiments were Tabasco, Crystal hot sauce, and Heinz ketchup.

     Mother's has an interesting history.  Founded in 1938 by Simon and Mary (Mother) Landry the working class eatery opens at 7 am each day and serves meals to longshoremen and attorneys alike from the neighboring waterfront and courthouse.  It is a uniquely NOLA institution, one of only a precious few that remain.  Originally their menu emphasized po'boys, red beans and rice and jambalaya.  But now under the ownership of Jerry and John Amato the menu has expanded, still serving up old favorites in addition to newer bold flavors.

     The quality of the food is excellent, relying on only the freshest ingredients.  But the quantity of the food is mind bending.  Consider that in 1 year they serve up 175,000 pounds of ham and roast beef, three quarter of a million biscuits, 90,000 pounds of jambalaya, 25,000 soft shell crabs and a full ton of hot sauce.

     And the walls are covered with a plethora of autographed photos of patrons, both the famous and the infamous.  All are served with the same prompt, friendly manner.  Perhaps their motto best captures their culinary style.  "Everyone gets fed, everyone comes back."  Mother's will be on my short list the next time I'm in town.