The Viking Range Corporation waded into the volunteer efforts at Dookie Chase’s last weekend, a crew of 30 from Jackson and Greenwood, Miss. Here are a few of them, pictured with the restaurant’s famous queen of the kitchen, Leah Chase.

I was impressed with the way they put the place in order, washing and boxing up dishes and pots and pans and polishing the wooden legs on chairs and all sorts of little details that you don’t really think about with a job this big.

I’ll certainly keep you in the loop as the work on these restaurants progress…

If the Southern Foodways Alliance folks are involved, you know nobody’s going to go hungry. The volunteer crew this weekend in New Orleans was fed by chef John Besh’s capable kitchen staff on Friday… we had shrimp and grits, seared filet mignon with crab on top and an arugula salad, and it was exceptional.

At the Krewe de Vieux parade Saturday night, the first official celebration of the Mardi Gras season, and the only parade to roll through the French Quarter.

By the way, The King was very popular, getting fists full of beads and a incredibly cool hat, shaped like a rooftop, with writing on top: C’est Levee.

Young volunteers were handing out food to the very few residents who are back and determined to rebuild in the most devastated area.

These were on the counter of the lone convenience store in the Treme neighborhood near the restaurants a crew organized by The Southern Foodways Alliance was volunteering to help rehab. This is the fourth week that the SFA has sent in a team of people passionate about helping these determined ladies (see photos below) get back in the business of cooking.

People came from across the country… from New York City, Chicago, PIttsburgh, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, LIttle Rock, Oxford, Miss., and Memphis… yes, I actually did some physical labor, and yes, I’m still sore. But it feels good, and I’m scheming about the next step, raising some serious cash for the finishing work… maybe in a plea to Oprah?? Who, by the way, is a big fan of Ms. Leah Chase, chef at Dookie Chase’s…

I know, I know. People have donor fatigue… But what do you think can/should be done in an effort to help these folks who have lost everything???

I’m back from a weekend of volunteering in New Orleans, pitching in to help rehab a couple of historic restaurants… and I can’t wait to get back down there.

The city is awash in hope and high spirits. I’ll post some pics soon from the parade Saturday, the first of the Mardi Gras season. The Krewe da Vieux has a killer sense of humor, with floats that begged “Buy Us Back Jacques Chirac” and crazy costumes that lampooned FEMA and Mayor Ray Nagin. Because if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.

I toured parts of the city that are unspeakably heartbreaking. It truly looks as if a nuclear bomb went off in the Lower Ninth Ward. No images, no words can describe it.

But the feeling I came away with was one of hope. The great spirit of New Orleans will live on. The city is ready for visitors, many restaurants are open. I had an incredible dinner at Susan Spicer’s Bayona. Pristine oysters at Felix’s. Boiled spicy crawfish at Royal Street Grocery. I drank a bunch of Abita beer. Sweet potato turnovers at La Spiga bakery.

I heard Mother’s is rocking and Dick and Jenny’s is rolling. Didn’t get to too many places, but did have a cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde, which was packed on a Sunday morning.

I’m going to bang this drum for a little while, so dial me out if you’re tired of Katrina stories… but I truly urge you to get down there and see it for yourself, be a witness to history, and spend some money to help NOLA get back.

The volunteer crew organized by The Southern Foodways Alliance kicked butt at two New Orleans restaurants: Dookie Chase’s and Willie Mae’s…

Here, the stoves are being moved out of the kitchen. The smell was rank, somebody found a dead rat in the grease that’s been sitting there for months.

Despite the devastation, the mood was upbeat throughout the weekend… There’s no doubt that New Orleans will come back. In fact, much of the city is up and as wild and wonderful as ever.

Has known Willie Mae Seaton for 50 years. He kept the group of 15, or so, volunteers from across the country busy with demolition work Friday and Saturday. He said he was pleased with the progress, but there’s still a long way to go.

Took the prize for dirtiest volunteer… the crew organized by The Southern Foodways Alliance did some heavy lifting this weekend, doing demolition on two landmark New Orleans restaurants: Dookie Chase’s and Willie Mae Seaton’s Scotch House.

A eggs benedict po boy at Stanley, the companion restaurant to Stella… the one in the French Quarter, not the Stella in Memphis…

Messy, but oh so tasty.