My name is Monica Tucker. I am originally from New Orleans, Louisiana but now I live in Fairhope, Alabama. I came to Alabama for college at the University of Mobile. Once I graduated, I never moved back home.
When I made the big move to stay here permanently (got my Alabama driver's license), I quickly learned that I did not know as much about this place as I thought. Being a college student, I went home often. Especially being from New Orleans, lots of people wanted to go home with me, so we did. Of course, I spent every summer at home in NOLA as well. But now I live here, it's official, I now live in Alabama. In Mobile is where we started out.
Imagine my horror when, on a hot summer day, I ask someone, "Where's the nearest sno-ball stand?" and the response is, "What's a sno-ball?"............Excuse me?!?!? What...... I mean....... did you just.... OMG..... I need to sit down. WHAT IS A SNO-BALL!!!!!! I have officially moved to hell. Okay, maybe not that dramatic, but the South, in the summer, with no sno-balls...... sounds like hell to me.
Okay, moving on.... Now imagine me being a college graduate, working in sales, and going to eat lunch out regularly. I'm in a neighborhood sandwich joint, can't find my favorite ever - Roast Beef Po-boy - on the menu. So I ask, "Do you have a Roast Beef Po-boy?". The answer is, "We have a French Dip". "Okay, I'll take that." If you've never had a french dip and you are used to Roast Beef Po-boys, it's not even close. They both have roast beef, that's where the similarities end. Place after place, this is what I'm told, "We have a French Dip". Okay, so no sno-balls AND no roast beef po-boys. I'm sorry, NOW I have officially moved to hell. :)
It's okay though, I can survive, right? I tried. I tried to like the french dip, I tried so many snow cones that, well, I just stopped trying them because that's just nasty. Every trip home I had to have a roast beef po-boy and during the summer my first stop in town was a sno-ball stand. We moved to Fairhope from Mobile in 1999. After years of trying to adapt and live without my precious sno-balls and roast beef po-boys I decided, no, I cannot survive without them. I wrote a business plan and waited..... for 3 years.
Finally, in April 2006, our prayers were answered in a truly miraculous way and we open the doors to A Taste of New Orleans, LLC. It was an interesting start because, guess what? Nobody knew what my stuff was!!! LOL People from Louisiana didn't trust that it was authentic (you people from LA know what I mean & I understand the hesitation). People from Alabama & elsewhere don't know what a sno-ball is and they only know shrimp and oyster po-boys. So here I am having to answer this question almost daily, "What's a taste of New Orleans about this?". Dear Lord, now what?
What I quickly realized was that my menu was a collection of things that most tourists miss. As local New Orleanians, we don't realize they're missing it so we don't tell them about it! Well, for five years I had the distinct honor and privilege of introducing people to and providing history lessons on some of the greatest dishes to come out of New Orleans (Roast Beef Po-boys and Sno-balls being the top two :). In the process I formed a renewed love and passion for the city I call home and I know what it means to miss New Orleans.
Since closing the restaurant, I've started a website called "Gulf Coast Events" where I promote things to do from Louisiana to Florida. I've also become a substitute teacher and have started a business as a Profession Personal Assistant. (See the tabs on this blog to connect with my other adventures) I love being creative and I LOOOOOVE to talk (those who know me don't need to be told this) so I do a bit of blogging when I have the time. My restaurant may be gone but my passion and love for New Orleans still burns. I am and will forever be A Taste of New Orleans. - Monica :)
