GayMardiGras.COM GayNewOrleans.COM GayEasterParade.COM May 6-19, 2008 AmbushMag.COM MAIN~21 of 52

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1 GayMardiGras.COM GayNewOrleans.COM GayEasterParade.COM May 6-19, 2008 AmbushMag.COM MAIN~21 of 52

2 chop chop by Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain New Orleans Restaurant Guide Buffa's, 1001 Esplanade at Burgundy, serves breakfast 8am-4pm daily featuring homemade biscuits and sausage gravy, and real hash browns along with bacon, sausage, ham, eggs or omelettes. Lunch and dinner is also available here. Call for info. Bywater Bar.B.Que, 3162 Dauphine St., is noted for its gumbo, barbeque, pizza, sandwiches and specials. Hours are 11am-9pm Mon.-Fri., and 9am-9pm Sat. & Sun. Closed Wed. Call for additional info. MasterCard/Visa accepted. Cafe Amelie, 912 Royal St., offers romantic courtyard or indoor dining along with both eclectic culinary creations and drinks. Serving lunch and dinner, Wed.- Sun. 11am-9pm, Sat. breakfast 10am- 3pm and Sun., brunch 10am-3pm. Call for reservations or additional information. Clover Grill, 900 Bourbon St., is open 7 days and features breakfast including build your own omelettes. But let s not forget their fab burgers grilled right under a hub cap and then there s all those sandwiches, sides, desserts and shakes. Call or visit CloverGrill.COM. Country Club Restaurant, 634 Louisa St. Under the direction of new Chef Miles Prescott, you will find delightful menus offering French bistro cuisine including appetizers, soups, flatbreads, salads, sandwiches, wraps, entrees and desserts. Serving Monday, Wednesday & Thursday 11am 10pm, Friday & Saturday 11am 12midnight, Sunday 10am 10pm, Sunday Brunch 10am 3pm, closed Tuesday. Call for additional information or visit TheCountryClubNewOrleans.COM. Krystal, 116 Bourbon at Canal, Open 24 hours, it's one of the best stops for fast food with tasty burgers, hot dogs and breakfast. Call for more info. Magazine Perks, 4332 Magazine, serves gourmet coffee, sandwiches, pastries, danish and cakes. Open 7 days 7am-10pm. Call or visit MagazinePerks.COM. Marigny Perks, 2401 Burgundy, serves gourmet coffee, sandwiches, pastries, danish and cakes. Open 7 days 7am-10pm. Call or visit Meauxbar Bistro, 942 N. Rampart St., serves classic contemporary bistro fare in the Quarter on the edge. Serving dinner and drinks Tues.-Sat, 6-10pm. Call for reservations or information. Mona Lisa Restaurant, 1212 Royal St., features Italian specialties including salads, pizzas, sandwiches and both lunch and dinner entrees. Lunch 11am-5pm Thurs.-Mon., Dinner 5pm-10pm 7 days. Call for info. Petunias, A Restaurant, 817 St. Louis, is open daily 8am-10pm serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, crepes, po-boys, salads, gumbo, Cajun/Creole specialties and dinner. Call for more info. Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli, 1100 Bourbon St., was voted Restaurant/Deli of the Year once again and is open 24 hours 7 days. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the deli offers free delivery. Call to order. Riche, Fulton Street at Poydras inside Harrah's Hotel, brings Chef Todd English with his one and only French brasserie-style restaurant to the city. Just steps from the Convention Center and Harrah's Casino, call for reservations and information. Tomatillo's Restaurant, 437 Esplanade Ave., is open Tues., Wed. 11am-10pm; Thurs.-Sun. 11am-11pm. The restaurant refers to itself as "A Mexican Joint" featuring appetizers, soups, salads, make your own combination plates, house specialties, burritos, desserts, and of course, specialty margaritas. Call for reservations or information. cookin' with auntie dee...from Main-20 1 ½ teaspoons Creole seasoning 8 tablespoons clarified butter 2 tablespoons vegetable oil lemon juice Chopped fresh parsley Soak cleaned crabs in buttermilk for at least thirty minutes. Combine flour and Creole seasoning in a small bowl. Remove the crabs from buttermilk, dredge them in the flour mixture and shake to remove excess. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet. Cook the crabs two to three minute on each side, until they are lightly brown and cooked through. Serve them on toasted slices of French bread, sprinkled with lemon juice and chopped parsley. SHRIMP AND EGGPLANT CASSEROLE 2 medium eggplants, peeled and cubed ½ cup butter 1 large onion diced (1 cup) 4 ribs celery diced (1 cup) 2 medium bell pepper, diced ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley ¼ cup chopped garlic 1¼ cups diced cooked ham 1½ cups small shrimp, peeled and deveined ¾ tablespoon Italian seasoning 1 tablespoon blackening seasoning 1½ cups chicken broth 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon hot sauce ½ cup finely chopped green onions 1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese In a large pot, cover the eggplant with water, boil over medium-high heat for about twenty minutes or until fork tender. Drain well. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and mash well. Set aside. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet melt the butter. Add the onion, celery, green pepper, parsley, and garlic. Sauté until vegetables become opaque, about 10 minutes. Stir into the eggplant. Stir in all remaining ingredients, combining well. Transfer to a casserole dish. Bake for about twenty-five minutes or until the casserole is lightly browned on top. Serve with a cool salad and hot French bread. CRAWFISH CAKES ½ cup butter ¾ cup chopped onion ¾ cup chopped celery ¾ cup chopped bell pepper 2 cloves garlic minced 3 tablespoons hot sauce 3 tablespoons Creole mustard 1 tablespoon salt 1½ teaspoons ground black pepper 1½ teaspoons Tabasco sauce 1½ teaspoons lemon juice ½ pound finely chopped crawfish tail meat ½ pound whole crawfish tail meat 3 tablespoons butter ½ loaf stale French bread 1½ cups Italian-style bread crumbs 1 cup flour Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for about ten minutes or until onions are opaque. Add the remaining ingredients except for the last four and stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside. Soak the French bread in water for a minute or two, squeeze out excess water. Stir the bread into the crawfish mixture. Cook over medium heat five to seven minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in the breadcrumbs. Allow to cool completely. Roll the mixture into ½ cup balls and gently press them down forming into three inch cakes. Dust with flour. Saute in remaining butter over medium heat until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve warm. Till next time around, happy dining. You may contact me at donniejay@hotmail.com. AmbushMag.COM MAIN~22 of 52 AmbushMag.COM May 6-19, 2008 The One & Only Official Southern Decadence Guide SouthernDecadence.COM

3 GayMardiGras.COM GayNewOrleans.COM GayEasterParade.COM May 6-19, 2008 AmbushMag.COM MAIN~23 of 52

4 Trey celebrates his birthday at Oz Tommy & Persana in Heros vs. Villians, one of Oz s Fabulous Friday Parties SDGMs Marcus & Guadalupe flank Official Deli of SD, Quartermaster s Steve at The Corner Pocket SDGM Electra emcees Calendar Boy at Corner Pocket & is given the evil eye by fellow SDGM Gaudalupe DJ of the Year Tim Pflueger & Oz GM Tommy Elias Cody & Robert sling cocktails at Oz The Jezebels dazzle at Oz s Heros vs. Villians blowout The boys of Oz snap paparazzi Corner Pocket hostess Lisa & music man Don at the Pocket s Calendar Boy Contest Chase competes in The Corner Pocket s Thursday Calendar Boy Contest Bill & Cedric catch up on the latest Barry, George, Danny & George do the LSGRA Beer Bust on the Phoenix patio The Party Scene in the Big Easy ~ New Orleans Cuties Nick & Matt cocktailin at Dance Club of the Year Oz Anna Rexia is a show stopper for Heroes vs. Villians at Oz The Calendar Boy Contest brought Sean to the bar at the Pocket Popular bartender Brian back Shawn & Jim pop in for Happy Hour at Oz Gettin into Heroes vs. Villians at Oz Torin joins the Calendar Boy Contest at Corner Pocket Cuties Brian & Adam catching a beer at Cafe Lafitte in Exile MAIN~24 of 52 AmbushMag.COM May 6-19, 2008 The One & Only Official Southern Decadence Guide SouthernDecadence.COM

5 the pink pastor Lords of Leather president Gary & captain David welcome guests to the Lords Meet & Greet Party at JohnPaul s JohnPaul s John & Paul flank Don at their club on Elysian Fields by Rev. Clinton Crawshaw, pastor@bigeasymcc.com How to be happy AND gay Iam going to tell you a really dreadful story..a young man from Louisiana goes off to college in a distant city, and his parents don t hear much from him for about six months they are starting to get really concerned when a letter arrives in the mailbox in Metairie. It says.. The Party Scene in the Big Easy ~ New Orleans snap paparazzi Lord Ken does the honors for Lords of Leather Meet & Greet beer bust at JohnPaul s Lords Robert & Tim do the 50/50 Raffle for the krewe s Meet & Greet blowout LSGRA trustee J & Jeff join Lords of Leather Meet & Greet bash at JohnPaul s LSGRA president Lance & member-atlarge Mike at JohnPaul s Mercedes, Coca & Tyra rehearsing for the big Sunday night show at Oz Lord King Michael & JohnPaul s John pop in for the LSGRA Beer Bust Friendly Bar s Marty & Donnie joins Satyricon s Ringo in the Annex Tommy & Allen welcome you to Oz Dear Mom and Dad, Sorry I haven t written but things have been a little busy here what with the accident and everything. Just after arriving at college I fell out of a frat house window and broke my leg so the first month was a little frantic. I was lucky though, because the girl next door Svetlana was happy to help out, and it just happens that she is a physiotherapist, well a masseuse actually. She and I got along real well, and I have some good news for you! We are married! Life is difficult, what with little Ivan on the way and her immigration difficulties to iron out, but I hope you will come and join us soon and meet her. I am much better, but did get a urinary tract infection shortly after meeting Svetlana that had me quite ill but Svetlana says these things are easy to catch from bathrooms and even being sneezed at. All the above is a lie I am well, and never fell or met anyone called Svetlana, but I wanted you to remember the important things in life when I tell you that I am failing Physics and Math. Perspective reminds us to draw on our blessings to eclipse fear and sorrow, and even errant children marrying hookers. This is a pretty simple trick and yet happiness still seems unobtainable for millions. The kingdom of Bhutan measures the happiness of its people, and uses the resulting happiness index to drive government policy they see it as more important than Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or competitiveness, and in human terms it is! One thing that seems clear is that happiness does not come through owning ever increasing amounts of stuff, it does not come through status or good looks or any other passing thing unless we find a source of happiness that is invincible, that cannot be destroyed by disappointment or loss then we are always going to lurch from high to low, as we gradually discover that the latest toy or external amusement is not what we thought it was going to be. Then of course there are all the bogeymen of human life disease, death, bankruptcy, hurricanes, heartache our source of happiness has to be strong enough to weather all these gales. The GLBT community is presented with all the usual sources of commercial happiness from booze to Buicks and everything in between. Sometimes we are a little more susceptible to them because we are often uniquely injured by society and the traumas of growing up GLBT. When you add to the mix such sources of temporary highs as porn, pills and party drugs then by rights we should all be deliriously happy 24 hours a day - unless of course none of these things work. Unless of course that they are merely painkillers or snares to part us with our money, and the real source of happiness (here comes the Pastor bit) - a relationship with God where we understand how desperately, passionately, emphatically we are loved costs nothing at all. Only the eternal and unchanging can offer eternal and unchanging happiness. Only God can offer, in fact insist, that we deserve ecstasy the sort of overwhelming joy that nothing else can offer us. If we think happiness means a paid-off mortgage and a nice car then we are unlikely to seek more; we have to open our minds to the true grandeur of happiness, BIG happiness, eternal happiness - and quit settling for a cheap thrill or lining the pockets of big business. If we can claim the real thing then we can have the little joys to our heart s content, but without the real thing, the little diversions are never going to cut it! Rev. Clinton Crawshaw is the pastor of The Big Easy Metropolitan Community Church, which meets at 5pm every Sunday at 1333 S. Carrollton Ave (S. Carrollton and Willow). Pastor Clinton s sermons are streamed on-line at pastor@bigeasymcc.com Blog - thebigeasymccblog.blogspot.com Website GayMardiGras.COM GayNewOrleans.COM GayEasterParade.COM May 6-19, 2008 AmbushMag.COM MAIN~25 of 52