the swamp platter & stake conference

We were looking for something to do Friday night and happened upon this place: Harbor Seafood & Oyster Bar, 3203 Williams Blvd., Kenner, LA. Every review raved about their food, and when we pulled up the parking lot was packed. We walked in, though, and were confused. It looked like a market--no tables, no chairs, and raw fish everywhere. We stepped out and then saw the entrance to the restaurant. Awkward...

 It was a teeny little place and jam-packed. And the reviews were right. Good food abounded. Our waitress, who explained to us the mystery of the "Who dat?" stickers all over restaurants and cars [it's for the NO Saints], recommended the Swamp Platter for the first-timers. It included the following:
~ Crawfish Soup [Not our favorite... it had a fishy taste, obviously, but not the kind of fishy we thought. Like a swampy fishy.]
~ Turtle Soup [better than the crawfish. I finished it; Michael wouldn't eat it. We had to go get beignets to wash down the flavor ;)]
~ Alligator Sausage [spicy regular-ish tasting sausage]
~ Frog Legs [Michael liked them. I did not. The fact that it's the whole leg that you can bend at the knee was a little too freaky for me. Also, they don't taste like anything and are a little slimy.]
~ Fried Alligator [Just like everybody said, it tastes like chicken. Just tougher.]
~ Fried Crawfish Tails [My favorite part of the meal, I do believe.]

While we were waiting for the hostess to call our name, we spied an Asian market, and of course Michael couldn't resist. They had the good calrose rice, but only little bottles of kimchi. We're on the search for a cheaper market. Cross your fingers for us!

After dinner we walked over to the Cafe du Monde for Michael's first round of beignets and hot chocolate. Michael believes that hot chocolate is the best he's ever tasted. It's good. Real good.

So good, in fact, that we went again last night. Hee hee... Our excuse was that we went with Michael's new friend Andy [who is also doing a co-op with Monsanto]. Hooray for friends who live in our apartment complex and are willing to carpool to work! This means I have a car at least a couple of times a week, which is the happiest news.

Today and Saturday were stake conference. We sang with our ward choir at the adult session [to give you an idea of how good we were, the face our director gave us at the end of our last song was one of relief. Not that it was good, just that it was finally over. But we made some good friends doing it!]

We heard from a couple of new converts, the Baton Rouge temple president and his wife, and the stake patriarch, who helped to build the stake center we were in, which was getting re-dedicated.

Things may be a little bit different, but the Church is true no matter where we go and no matter who we hear it from. We're happy to be here.