Sunday at Café Negril

Lately Big Man's been gigging with John Lisi and Delta Funk from 7 to 10 pm (roughly, give or take) on Sunday nights at Café Negril on Frenchman Street. It's basically for tips, and it's big money or anything -- like we're not gonna pay the rent with it or go to the real Negril on it, but it's a fun, musically rewarding, low-stress gig. Big Man really enjoys it and so do I.

In terms of crowds, some Sundays are better than others (obviously) but since this is the Southern Decadence weekend, tonight is a good Sunday indeed -- a good number of folks, really enjoying the music, dancing, drinking, flirting. Good street traffic too. You could tell a lot of them were first-timers at Café Negril, 'cause they had no idea where the rest rooms were, and kept trying to walk across the raised seating area (where I am sitting) in front of the rest room area. (For the record, you can't get there from there, you have to walk around the railing-ed area to go to the rest room.) I'm starting to feel like the rest room traffic director.

Not many people smoking in the club tonight (thank God!), and so there's nothing to dilute the fantastic, mouth-watering aromas coming from the Taco Grill, operated by Ruben, same guy who has the taco truck at the gas station at the uptown-river corner of Louisiana and Claiborne. Ruben's from Honduras, and serves terrific cheap Hondurenos tacos, tamales, burritos, and quesadillas with your choice of beef, pineapple pork, chicken or veggies. (Ruben's occasional helper is an attractive young Latina with gold hoop earrings the size of bracelets.)

There's no cover at Café Negril on Sundays, and if you'd like a fun, inexpensive night out, with music and food, come hear Big Man and Delta Funk next Sunday. Maybe you'll see me there.

And if you go, remember: the band is playing for TIPS, so for heaven's sake, t'row a little somethin'-somethin' in the bucket.