Bemus Point Circa 1930s 

Bemus Point Circa 1950s

Italian Fisherman When Owned by the Dalpra Family

This vintage black and white top photo of Bemus Point shows the village's main intersection without the blinking red light that we all have come to know in recent decades. Through the years that crossroads has seen many different businesses which included the Pickard Hotel and Warden's as seen in this photo. Warden's eventually became the Italian Fisherman and the Pickard Hotel became the Surf Club with its neon blinking sign.  Today it is the Ellicottville Brewing Company (EBC) and the Surf Club sign has become a piece of nostalgic history for its current owners. 

The quaint village of Bemus Point has changed through the years as have most villages in one way or another throughout our county.  In the above top photo one can see the empty Southeast corner.  On that corner a beige stucco gas station was eventually built and later became a quaint gift shop that featured pastel vintage-looking bicycles. In the photo one can also see a small gazebo located on the lawn which later became the site of the Bemus Bay Pops property and the floating stage where numerous tribute bands performed each summer season until the summer of 2017.

View from the Fish Tank

One Final Bemus Bay Pops Sunset Before Relocation to Mayville

Be Safe.

Pat Locke, Maestro Muse

Waffle Miracle was one of the fun food trucks at the Chautauqua Lake Pops in 2019.  Waffle Miracle is based in Erie PA.  The photo above shows their newest fun and delicious creations.

The Perfect Combo

Lunch, a Kayak and the Pops Floating Stage

Be Safe.

Pat Locke, Maestro Muse

Filled with your favorite fruit preserve and rolled in sugar these are Polish donuts sold on Paczki day (i.e. Fat Tuesday).  The difference between these and a basic donut is that a Paczki is made with rich, sweet yeast dough consisting of eggs, butter and milk.  They are sorta like a brioche donut, only better .. if you can imagine!

These deep-fried donuts can also be filled such as custard, lemon curd or chocolate.  They are usually covered with either powdered sugar, icing, glaze or dried orange zest and are simply .. delicious. 

The pronunication for "paczki" is "pownch-key".

Locally, you can get Paczki donuts at Eckloff Bakery on Foote Avenue in Jamestown NY .. if have any left!  Good luck! 

Be Safe.

Pat Locke

Maestro Muse

Cafe du Monde Beignets 

French settlers brought beignets with them as they migrated to the Eastern coast of Canada, a region called Acadia, in the 17th century.  Today, beignets are most associated with the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana.  Unlike most doughnuts, beignets are square with no hole in the middle.

Beignets, pronounced "ben-yay" are often referred to as powdered sugar pillows.  They are usually served in threes with hot black coffee (chicory) or cafe au lait.

Chicory coffee is a beverage made using the roots of the chicory plant which are roasted, ground and brewed into a coffee-like drink.  Chicory coffee tastes similar to coffee, but has a flavor that's often described as slightly woody and nutty.  It's used either on its own or mixed with coffee to complement its flavor.  

Cafe du Monde is the granddaddy of all beignet places in New Orleans.  First opening its doors in 1862, the spot is still at the same corner of Decatur and St. Ann streets.  Open 24 hours a day, every day except for Christmas, the cafe doesn't try to do anything but what it does best: make beignets.  Served in a paper try of three, these fluffy square puffs of fried dough are smothered in confectioners' sugar and served with chicory-laced coffee, fresh-squeezed orange juice.  A word of advice to newbies visting this loation or one of the eight other outposts around the region:  don't wear black and don't put your elbows on the table.  Why?  They will stick to it.  And don't forget to eat them .. piping hot!  And are they as delicious as they sound?  Yes!

In 1986, the beignets were proclaimed the Louisiana state doughnut.  Clearly, if there is one hting to do in town it is to eat all the beignets one can.  

Another specialty in the Big Easy are pralines.  Loretta Harrison began Loretta's Authentic Pralines over 35 years ago with her decadent French Quarter sweet shop and, nowadays, she's also serving beignets for breakfast at her cafe.  While Loretta is happy to serve up her traditional beignets, her customers really need to try her praline-filled beignets as well.  Loretta can be found at 13 French Market Pl.

Pralines are sweet confections made primarily of sugar, nuts and butter.  This hard candy is sometimes ground and used as filling other candies, but it stands by itself as a delightful treat. Pralines are like a nutty version of fudge with a caramel-like flavor and designed to met in your mouth which is why they are so tempting.

In New Orleans, praline is an institution.  Brought to Louisiana by French immigrants, the recipe quickly adapted to the plentiful amounts of pecans in State.  Not only were the original almonds and hazelnuts swapped for the local Southern nut, but the recipes that developed also added cream or evaporated milk.

1 cup white granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup evaporated milk

4 tablespoons butter, cubed

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup boiling water, if needed (if the candy stiffens before you're done scooping, add a spoonful of boiling hot water and stir until it loosens then continue scooping onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper).

If you don't want to bother making a batch, there are many sites online to order pralines such as Aunt Sally's in New Orleans and Savannah's Candy Kitchen in Savannah, Georgia.

Be Safe.

Pat Locke

Maestro Muse

 

Mardi Gras is one of the most iconic celebrations of all time with colorful beads, vibrant parades and hurricane cocktails.  The holiday, which is celebrated around the world, gets the most fanfare in cities like New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro.  There, revelers attend parties and balls throughout the Carnival season and tourists pour in to join the festivities. But no matter how much you love Mardi Gras, it can sometimes be difficult to get the dates right.  The holiday takes place on a different day each year although it always falls on a Tuesday.  

This year, Mardi Gras falls on Tuesday, February 16, 2021.  The name Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday.  

Sadly, large gatherings like the ones typically associated with Mardi Gras are proven to be super-spreader events for COVID-19 which means this year there will be precautions in place.  

"The City of New Orleans cannot cancel Mardi Gras because it is a religious holiday, however we will not be able to celebrate the holiday this year as we have in the past."

There is will be no parades and the famous Bourbon Street will be subject to local and State guidelines. So instead of celebrating Mardi Gras with others, find a creative way to celebrate at home just like we did on New Years Eve.  

When Louie Prima Jr. and the Witnesses appeared on the floating stage in Bemus Point they always ended their show by performing When The Saints Come Marching In .. New Orleans style .. through the audience.  When Prima did this he brought New Orleans to Bemus!  All we needed were some colorful beads and King Cake.  

Be Safe.

Pat Locke, Maestro Muse