Grocery And Bar, New Orleans, LA - 2013
(Click on photo to enlarge.)
The River Shack Tavern was once a grocery, once a bar, and apparently was once both at the same time. The old painted signs reminded me of how different The Big Easy can be from the rest of the country.
Back around 1979 or so, I brought a college roommate home with me for a few days one summer. My friend Joe was from the little town of Crossett, Arkansas, and had never been to New Orleans before. Needless to say, he was in for a bit of culture shock.
My Mother needed a few things from the grocery, so she sent me and Joe to the now defunct Schwegmann's Giant Supermarket on Veterans Blvd. Schwegmann's had a snack bar near the store entrance that served snacks, po-boys, and, of course, beer. There were a few men standing at the counter having their after-work barley pop, which amazed Joe to no end. A bar in a grocery store? Wow! As we made our way through the aisles looking for the items on my Mother's list, Joe spied more than a couple of shoppers, men and women, enjoying a Dixie or a Falstaff while they "made groceries". They sure don't shop like that in Crossett! A grocery and bar - only in New Orleans!
Love the Rural History.
ReplyDeleteIt's so different from where I grew up.
It's fascinating and I do like the character of the grocery store.