Best 'O the Fest...

Music
1. John Butler Trio (not HENRY Butler!) at Gentilly on Friday.
2. Ruthie Foster at the SoCo Blues Tent on Saturday
3. Jumpin' Johnny Sansome's Harmonica Revue at the SoCo Blues Tent on Friday
4. Honorable mention: The Raconteurs, Amanda Shaw & the Cute Guys, John Prine, St. Joseph the Worker Music Ministry, Kenny Wayne Shepard, Papa Grows Funk, Jimmy Buffett

Food
1. Lamb chops at Orleans Grapevine on Monday night; a very nice restaurant find
2. Red fish at Herbsaint on Friday night where Diane from 'Frisco tells me about a jazz mass at St. Augustine Church
3. Stuffed chicken wings at NOLA on Thurdsay night while meeting Shirley MacLaine (sort of)
4. Honorable mention: cheeseburger/baked potato/Monsoon at Port of Call early Sunday afternoon, loaded up Lucky Dogs anytime/any Quarter street corner (can I get an amen, Gumbo!), oysters at the bar at Bourbon Street Oyster House, late morning Bloody Marys at Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar in preparation for the day's events

Miscellaneous
1. Jazz mass at St. Augustine Catholic Church on Sunday morning while my compatriots slept in.
2. Humble pie at Ryan's Irish Pub pool table (revisionist history may yet declare us winners).
3. The odyssey that was Johnny Gumbo and Oriana (from Oregona); much too involved to explain, you'll have to trust me on this one. Me too!
4. Honorable mention: "Coffee? Are we talking about COFFEE?" (waiter at Pat O'Brien's, in his best Allen Iverson persona, reacting to my drink order late Monday night)


Comments invited.