The life and death of a redfish

Like Toyotas and Hitchcock Movies, some food fads become plain ole American.
Nachos, gyros, margaritas, calamari, sushi, salsa, yogurt, gyros, even plain ole pizza got the Hollywood gourmet makeover. Then there was redfish.

Bout the same time Ozzy was bitin the head off a bat, Nawlins foodies were taking notice of Paul Prudhomme (y'know the dude so pondiferous he cooks in a wheelchair). His claim to fame was nutty roux and redfish. The kinda recipes traditionally conjured by po foks to mask the taste of of trash fish what nobody useta wanna eat.
The trash fish he famous'd was red drum.
The Boudreaus and Fonteneaus and all the other crawfish-pie Bayou boys call em redfish. Folks round her call em channel bass. I was 25 before I ever heard of somebody besides my old man using channel bass for anything but bait or pier photos.
Prudhomme spiced em fiery, burnt em black and called it Blackened Redfish.
Purty soon gastronome eggheads were enshrining Prudhomme as a porcine prophet. New york foodies took to him like a street hooker on a gold-trimmed Lexus. For the next 25 years every bayou boy with a pirou and a cane pole was out at the turn of the tide reeling in the once plentiful gulf fish, pricing it like snapper and sole and selling it to the big city boys. Nowadays since redfish has been fished out, every finned swimmer cept gefeltafish and blowfish is being offered cajun style. . .

Thanks to fireman and nurse.

Many thanks to the retired fireman and registered nurse (customers dining) who stepped forward as good samaritans to assist Danny our manager who was administering chest compression to a gentleman in cardiac arrest. Paramedics arrived, took over and the gentlemen was joking with the medics that they were yelling in his ear on the way out. Hopefully he will recover completely.

The Ferris Wheel

Everybody is psyched over our new Ferris Wheel. So am I kinda. But am stupified when I remember we had a Ferris Wheel, 45 fun rides, a spookhouse, a butt-tightening rollercoaster, a million-memories pavilion with 100 pinball and video games and we wrecking-ball'd all that down to make way for a new computer-operated Ferris Wheel. Maybe now we'll build a new computer-operated pavilion.

OFF SEASON

Off season is called that for a damn good reason. Thoreau who cooed, “Live each season as it passes, breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit…resign yourself to the influences of each season.” Well Thoreau didn’t know dookee about the Myrtle Beach restaurant off season.
In one fall full moon you rappel from the rarified air of Everest to the cash-register emptiness of the Marianas Trench. Some winter days you open the door and absolutely no one (zero, nada) darkens your door cept a map salesmen and a coupon-book purveyor dunning you for overdue bills and an Irish Traveler offering you a too-good-to-be-true asphalt patch.

Another except from Dino's book

The Rochester Newmans

The Rochester NY Newmans and their beautiful family dined at their favorite Myrtle Beach restaurant, Cagneys Old Place. 35 years straight they have arrived in matching pastel sport jackets. Whoops! This time they came in unmatched sweaters. Worried, we called a marriage counselor. Everything's still peachy. They're still lovey dovey. Mr Newman has a dollar bill signed by every Cagney's server since 1976. Our entire server history is all there on a dollar bill!

Tumbles out of his chair

Hand-wavin, veiny nose customer tumbles out of his chair while demonstrating his backswing. I help him up. He's laughin at himself, says he's fine as I hoist him up. Few swings later, he falls out of his seat again. Only this time he lands under the feet of the adjoining table. I go over and help him up again. I make a joke about his jerky golf swing, cozy him back into his seat, remove my belt and buckle it around him and the back of the chair. Everybody laughs, including him.

Few weeks later he calls and threatens to sue me for embarrassing him. Wants to know if some kind of monetary policy is available to avoid a lawsuit.
"What do you do for a living?" I ask.
"I own an insurance company."
"Then my advice is quit drinkin, increase your accident insurance and only dine in padded booths."

Greek Boy-Growing Up Southern

PRESS RELEASE:
For those who enjoy Ebook readers, Kindle, Nook, Ipad, etc.
Dino Thompson's HILARIOUS memoir "GREEK BOY-GROWING UP SOUTHERN" (a Myrtle Beach memoir) is NOW available on KINDLE & NOOK & iPAD readers for 8.99.

All 590 pages and 85 vintage photos will be available for DOWNLOAD at $8.99.
Now you won't have to get tendinitis holding the 3-lb printed version or phlebitis setting it on your lap. But of course if you still love print, you can go to www.greekboy.info and order the printed version or drop by Flamingo Grill or Cagneys.

Let Dino know if you have any ideas how to get the word out.