Bayona is a New Orleans restaurant in the French Quarter in a 200-year old Creole Cottage on Dauphine Street (the name of the street when the Spanish controlled Louisiana was Bayona; hence the name). Last night we had a sublime dining experience there - beautiful scallops, quail in a molasses sauce, mango-coconut flounder, banana-chocolate torte, mango-lime ice cream. There are no words, of course, for what we experienced, as we shared our dishes with each other and were transported to different places with each new flavor. Living in New Orleans has truly awakened in me a deep love for food; the possibilities of transforming the earth's gifts into something that can bring joy, satisfaction, health and enlightenment to people is exhilirating. Our dining experience was humbling, uplifting, and fostered a kind of intimacy that few other things could have.
The award-winning chef of Bayona, Susan Spicer, who has a new cookbook out, was in the lobby last night. As I watched her, with her apron and headband on, signing one of her cookbooks, looking like a real iron chef, I thought that she must be truly gifted and incredibly hard-working. Thanks for a memorable night.
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