I had no idea what I was going to write about this morning.  My mind drew a blank but I didn’t panic.  When I don’t know have any ideas, I venture out and experience. It happened again.

Most of know that yesterday was Fat Tuesday. So what does this have to do with the wine?

There is a wine that can go with anything.  I believe that.  It’s not rocket science.  Even if it’s not conventional or following social code, who cares?  Mardi Gras has never been about following everyone else.

My views on the event and New Orleans have rapidly changed in the last year.  I made my first visit to this amazing city last Summer.  And I still think about my experience often.

Of course it’s about the libations but it’s also about the revelry, the comradery, the food, and enjoying life.

I will get to yesterday in a moment.   But if you want a recap of my previous NOLA posts, one can go here, or you can click on this exciting post, and finally this inspirational story. Hooray!

The Cardinal Tavern of Canton is fantastic.   I may be understating this significantly. There food options have been unique in a city of many ordinary establishments.

I’m grateful to have friends who do their Sunday Brunch here on a regular basis. And that has introduced me to creative dishes and concepts that make me yearning to come back.

Last night I came back.

They had an amazing buffet spread for the holiday.  And the kicker?  It was free. For 2 hours we had a breathtaking spread that I’d pay $50 for.  I’m not joking.  This was insane.  I felt bad having a couple of plates.

Instead of explaining every item, I took photos of the smorgasbord.  You can use this as a legend to identify what’s on my plate.

Don’t drool too much.

Here’s where the wine comes in…  I will say I impressed myself yesterday.  With spicy food, you want lighter choices.   I looked at their wine list and naturally figured I would like a Pinot Noir, Riesling, or even a Prosecco to go with this dish.  When inquiring with the barkeep, he suggested the former.  That was my intuition and first choice.  That felt good.   It’s the simple things.

The 2013 Arrogant Frog Pinot Noir was the bottle that complemented this iconic meal.  As an added bonus, the bottles were half-off tonight as they are every Tuesday. Having the entire bottle for only $10 is highway robbery.  

The label seems deceptive.  And l might be sounding sarcastic, but nothing about this vino is arrogant. I found the bottle to be understated and humble.

Psychologically speaking, discounted food and wine is going to taste so much better when otherwise it wouldn’t.  This doesn’t apply here. I’d pay good money for all of it. This is a great bottle with simple flavors of berries, cherries, and a few hints of spices.  What those are is up to you.

The wine is not listed on their site but I’ve seen it listed at under $10.00 elsewhere. It tastes like one that is worth one-and-half to double that. It’s light and easy to drink.  This can be had alone or with a multitude of eats.

To get in touch with them about their wines, you can guide yourself to this link.

Finally, the crawfish beignets never had a chance.  Free food is going to go rapidly. However, these were being decimated instantaneously as a fresh batch came out. I mean it when I say all the food was amazing. But this was on another level.

My pals and I were able to grab a small plate to share amongst ourselves.  We were very fortunate.

And we’re very fortunate to wine and dine in a cozy, comforting, and welcoming.

I’ll be back soon.  It might be this weekend.

Damn this was good.

Happy Holidays!

Ideen