But we digress.
Ricci also caught live music at the Maple Leaf Bar, a narrow dance
and music hall in
New Orleans' Carrollton neighborhood, just down
the street from Jacques Imo's, a restaurant favored by locals. "I
can't remember who we saw at the Maple Leaf," she says. "But that
was a good, fun place to hear music."
Tip Three: If You're Going To Drink, You've Got To Eat
Christina Ricci didn't make the tough transition from child star to
adult actor without some baggage. Growing up fast does that to you.
And, among other things, Ricci has publicly battled anorexia.
Knowing this makes me feel flat-out uncomfortable asking her for
details on where and what she ate in New Orleans. Then again, how
can we talk about New Orleans and not talk about its unique
butter-and-spice-fueled cuisine and its fabled restaurants?
Ricci makes it easy for me. For one thing, she's confidently
declared that her eating disorder is well behind her. For another,
the first restaurant she mentions is Mother's. "I, of course, loved
Mother's," she says. "It's great."
It is that. Mother's is a sandwich shop, a New Orleans institution
near the Superdome. It's noted for its long lines and for its
sometimes ill-tempered staff. But mostly, Mother's is known for its
po' boys, which are stuffed so full that it's almost necessary to
unhinge your jaw just to eat them. The only thing low-carb or
fat-free at Mother's is a glass of water.
There's not a lot of
health food on the menu at Ricci's other
favorite, either. "Tujague's was excellent," she says. That's
probably because the restaurant has had so much practice. The
traditional Creole eatery, located between the French Market and
Jackson Square, opened in 1856 and claims to be the second-oldest
restaurant in the city behind Antoine's. Charles de Gaulle ate
there. And, for what it's worth, so did Monica Lewinsky.