Sunday, January 03, 2010

Whodat Nation FLL Style

For the first time ever our annual trip to the Orange Bowl conflicted with the Saints' schedule. The Saints were not playing at home so back in July when we started thinking about this trip we didn't think there would be a problem. The Saints would be an afterthought by January.


Later as the Saints performance reached new heights, our planning faltered. We failed to make any accommodation for the possibility that the final game would be of any interest. We were wrong.


Events overtook us. A hectic travel schedule including, a trip to Atlanta for our Company Christmas Luncheon, back to New Orleans for the New Orleans Company Christmas Luncheon at Arnaud's, Christmas Eve with the extended family, a Christmas Day trip to Dallas to spend Christmas Day with my mother.

After Christmas another business trip to Atlanta before a New Years Eve rendezvous with old friends in at the Ocean Beach Club in Key Colony Beach FL.

Ocean Beach Club , Key Colony Beach FL

Finally we arrived in Hollywood FL after a brief respite we were looking for a place to watch the Saints. Good News, the Condo we rented had Dish TV and a list of channels that was hard to comprehend. Bad news the Saints weren't on the list of games available.

I furiously Googled to find a local sports bar. I failed. She would not be denied. She Googled Shuck N Dive, a New Orleans themed bar/restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. We were all over it.

Arriving after the kickoff we ordered drinks and ersters on the half shell. They were fresh, plump, properly shucked gulf oysters. This is no mean accomplishment in South Florida.

We love oysters on the half shell. We order them almost every time we can. On two previous attempts on this trip we had oysters on the half shell. The first was in the Keys. The oysters were small and had not been shucked recently nor properly, they were kind of shriveled up. The second occasion was in a Stone Crab Restaurant without Stone Crabs. The oysters were OK but small and not properly shucked. By properly shucked we mean opened and cut form the shell and free of broken shell pieces.

The first two servings were not separated from the shell. The oysters at Shuck n Dive were fresh plump and properly shucked.

We lucked into a cocktail table behind the end of the bar with a perfect view of the biggest screen TV. We stayed almost the entire game and had Oysters on the half shell, fried pickles, and oysters three ways. They are reputed to have great burgers.

The Interior of Shuck 'N Dive (our table was off camera to the left)

Watching the game was fun. Most patrons were decked out in their Saints gear. They played the Who Dat after the Saints recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. We wuz robbed.

We recommend Shuck 'N Dive as an outpost of the Who Dat Nation.

I wonder if anyone is tracking the location of Who Dats across the globe?

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