For Lunch Today ...

It's a rainy, blustery day outside today, but it's always a raucous rebellion at the Bon Ton Cafe during lunch on a Friday afternoon. The Pierce family throws one hell of a party in the dining room, which is usually packed full with gleeful patrons. Usually if you arrive much later than noon, you will find yourself at the bar waiting for a table. But if the proprietors ever considered expanding into a larger space, all they would need to do is hire their daughters to work the front of the house and the lines would form all the way down Magazine Street.

Eventhough it's still warm outside, you should start with a cup of the turtle soup. Actually, correction: you should start with a Rum Ramsey from the bar. The Bon Ton Cafe lays claim as creator of this potent concoction: 7 parts rum, 1 part bourbon, 1 part lime juice, and a little sugar (whether or not a dash Peychaud bitters are added is debated - I say the more the merrier). An order of fried catfish nuggets serves as a nice appetizer to share amongst the table.

For the main course, you can't go wrong with the Redfish Bon Ton, which is a nice broiled piece of fish topped with crabmeat and a little butter. Simple and delicious. The Soft Shell Crabs Alvin combines two fried soft shells with a dark meuniere sauce and, yes, more crabmeat. If you are taking the afternoon off, go with the unbelievable rich crabmeat au gratin that comes covered with a generous helping of cheddar. I hear they make a good filet with burgundy sauce as well. The only disappointment on the menu is that the side dishes are pitifully minute - the "boiled potatoes" is one new potato split in half and swimming in melted butter.

For dessert, you can either order another Rum Ramsey or have a slice of bread pudding with the most lethal whiskey sauce in the city. Either one contains enough alcohol to serve as a nice digestif.