Found an excerpt of an e-mail supposedly from "CJ" on Chowhound's New Orleans forum but nothing in T-P or any other obit listing of any Casamento in 2005.
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She who is flexible shall not be bent out of
shape.
... don't y'all be mad at me, but it came from Tom F, whom I do trust as far as local food news goes. The Chowhound post you refer to is the only online mention I've been able to find, and I didn't quite trust it. I'm glad people here are speaking well of Mr. Joe and that he is fondly remembered.
Casamento's is scheduled to open November 15. I'll be there, though it will be hard not seeing him behind that gleaming counter.
I can't think of Joe Casamento without "seeing" that rubber thing he wore on his thumb. Of all the oysters shuckers I've seen in all the towns in all the world, I ain't nevuh seen none ov'em wear anything like it. I would have thought that after all those years behind that oyster bar, Mr. Joe wouldn't have needed any kind of safety gear -- maybe it was his good luck charm. I'm also reminded of that long metal rod that resembled a fireplace poker that he used to slide oysters out of the antiquated "ice box". You won't see anything like that at Sweet Fire and Ice. Casamento's never tried for trendy but I'm amazed that no one, in my memory, ever tried to imitate them.
Mr. Casamento seemed ageless to me. He was there the first and last time I was there and, to my memory, at all times in between. Time stood still when walking through that door. With Mr. Joe gone, the place will not be the same because he was a huge presence in that treasured neighborhood restaurant. I just poured a beer into a tiny cylindrical glass which is now raised in a toast to Mr. Joe with hopes that nothing else changes at Casamento's.
I love it. There are about two good swigs in those things, yet somehow they conjure up the essence of Casamento's.
But you know what? I think the spirit of Casamento's just might survive intact. I can barely remember when the old man, Joe Sr., was alive. I bet when he died, people said it would never be the same ... yet it remained almost exactly the same. I suspect Mr. Joe drilled his work ethic and insistence on perfection into his nephew C.J. just as his father did to him.
if you ever decide to use that line ("tiny cylindrical glasses") in one of your books, I'd be pleased as rum punch.
I don't know who "C.J." is but there's a lady there who I'm guessing is about my age (maybe a younger) who's been there just about as long as I can remember. I always assumed she was Mr. and Mrs. Joe Junior's daughter. I would have thought she's be the one to take over the place. In any case, like you, I have hope that Casamento's will remain a timeless treasure.
Had lunch there today, but sadly, the tiny cylindrical glasses are temporarily retired -- like so many other places, they're using disposable glasses until they get more dishwashers. C.J. Gerdes is Mr. Joe's nephew, who is now full owner of Casamento's and has done all the frying for I don't know how many years. The lady you're talking about, if she has dark, wavy hair, is probably his wife Linda.
Your description of Linda fits my mental picture of her. Thanks for the info.
On an entirely different but related note (every bit of news about the city is related), if anyone still has a copy of yesterday's paper, see Doctor B's article on the editorial page.
Same thing I get 19 times out of 20: half an oyster loaf, plain. The twentieth time, I get the softshell crab platter and ask if they can give me two small ones instead of one big one, because I think they're sweeter and juicier that way.
I also like their gumbo pretty well and sometimes get it instead of raw.
Thanks for your kind words re: my T-P op-ed piece. Those who didn't save yesterday's paper can read it here.
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