Harold and Belles

Fried CATFISH and gumbo. MMmmmmmm!

I like the heartyness of gumbo and the earthyness of catfish, don't you?

Catfish is like no other fish, especially fried. Submerged in hotsauce and you can hit nirvana.

When done right, Gumbo is a hot bowl of mystery with various levels of flavor, history and messages. Okra, sausages, filet of gumbo, crayfish, seasonings, It takes a lot to make gumbo. It takes the right recipe, the right ingredients, time and experience. Sorry, there's no image of the gumbo, I ate it so fast I didn't have time to take a photo.

At Harold and Belle's, 2920 West Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles CA, 323-735-9023, you can get all the essentials of Cajun food, Jambalaya, dirty rice, fried catfish, a nice full bottle of hot sauce and at the end of your last swallow of gumbo, peach cobbler or bread pudding.




My friend, artist Steven M. Irvin's mom Vinnie, makes perhaps the best gumbo I have ever had. She's originally from Texas. Vinnie puts crab legs in her gumbo. It's magical.

I love to make gumbo but it takes time. My gumbo takes three days to make and I am not totally satisfied if I can't serve it with Dixie Beer. I got my recipe from an inmate at one of the California Prisons I taught drawing at in the late 1980's. The recipe was from his aunt in Louisianna. I will be forever grateful for his generosity and no, I won't share the recipe.

I hope you get a chance to go to Harold and Belle's. Three suggestions if you are lucky enough to go: 1) take advantage of the valet parking, 2) dress well, and 3) be prepared to take home leftovers.