If you've ever had the opportunity to meet Pableaux Johnson, consider yourself lucky. The New Orleanian is a huge supporter of the Southern Foodways Alliance and an extremely talented writer and photographer, often focusing his pen and camera on Southern food topics as well as the culture of his hometown of New Orleans. (A fact that should be obvious by the quirky and endearing way he spells his name.) Particularly notable is his photographic series following the Mardi Gras Indians and his candid portraits of second lines around the Big Easy.
In addition to these creative outlets, Johnson is a collector of friends and stories, and he revels in bringing together diverse groups to meet and interact, usually over food. His most successful spot for drawing these groups is around a table sharing the New Orleans Monday night tradition of red beans and rice. Whether in his own home on Mondays or in the home of a friend during one of his frequent road trips around the region, Johnson is always ready to cook and stir the conversation pot.
I have been lucky enough to host one of these events, which he recounts at his Red Beans Road Show Project website, subtitled "One Meal at Many, Many Tables." As unusual as it was to open up my kitchen and my house to a guest list that I had only minimal input in creating, the evening was truly magical thanks to the variety of people Pableaux invited and the delicious bowls of food that he created out of ingredients that he usually keeps in a box in his trunk. I didn't even have to supply the pot to cook in! I'm still friends with several of those dinner guests today, thanks in large part to Pableaux.
As Johnson has continued this series for years, it has expanded and become a bit more professional than just a dozen folks standing around my kitchen island drinking beer and waiting for the beans to steep. But that also means it has become even more inclusive, and now you can take part in the experience.
On Sunday, Oct. 25, Johnson is bringing the Red Beans Road Show back to Nashville for two pop-up seatings at Jesse Goldstein's Food Sheriff space at 914 East Trinity Lane in East Nashville. In what is being described as sort of a trial run for an expanded series, Johnson is teaming up with local pastry wünderchef Lisa Donovan for a matinee seating at 1 p.m. and another dinner seating at 6:30.
In addition to the required red beans and rice and skillet cornbread (see the recipe here if you want to recreate it at home), Donovan will be pitching in with spicy pimiento-cheese hand pies plus sweet pies for dessert. Vegetarian options will be accommodated, and patrons can expect wine, beer and whiskey to enjoy before, during and after the meal. Also, the conversation at both seatings is guaranteed to be scintillating!Â
Ticket are just $40 all-in and are going fast at the event website. (I bought mine before I wrote this. Sorry, I'm selfish that way.)
