Spot at the Bar: The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

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Commemorative Bone China for the Diamond Jubilee (Image courtesy of Westminster Abbey, seriously)

In 2002 I found myself caught up in London just before the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, celebrating 50 years on the throne. It is probably the most patriotic celebration I have ever seen. You couldn’t look six inches without seeing a Union Jack or the Queen’s face plastered on knickknacks, like a China dish or tea-cup or box of biscuits. Perhaps it is the time between the various jubilees (25 years for silver, 50 for gold and 60 for diamond) or perhaps it is just an excuse to celebrate for the oft-reserved Brits. Even as a monarchy indifferent Yank (but admitted anglophile), you couldn’t help but be caught up in the excitement that seemed to be buzzing all across England’s capital city. This coming weekend (June 2nd-5th to be exact) is the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and by all reports, the same energy and excitement is once again sweeping across London.

With the return of scorching heat in the city and the city-wide lethargy and grumpiness that it brings, I figured this would be the perfect time to grab a bit of that British energy and fervor and harness it for our own good. I also thought this was the perfect opportunity to whip up a few truly British cocktails.

The Pimm’s Cup
The Pimm’s Cup is a British staple for the warmer months as it is incredibly refreshing and (depending upon the recipe) can be fairly light on the alcohol. I’ve got three recipes here of varying complexity, depending upon the size of the gathering and the amount of work you feel like doing:

1 Part Pimm’s No.1

3 Parts Chilled Lemonade
Add mint, cucumber, orange and strawberry

The Pimm’s Company

2 ounces Pimm’s No. 1
5-7 ounces ginger ale, lemon-lime soda or club soda
1 sliver cucumber rind for garnish

The Joy of Mixology, Gary Regan

2 ounces Pimm’s No.1
.75 ounces Lemon Juice
.5 ounces Simple Syrup
3 cucumber slices (one for garnish)
1 ounce Fever Tree Ginger Ale
Muddle the cucumber and simple syrup
Add Pimm’s and lemon juice, shake with ice
Strain into chilled Collins glass
Top with Ginger Ale and garnish

The PDT Cocktail Book, Jim Meehan

If you really want to get in on the action but can’t motivate enough to tend bar yourself, there is always the Napoleon House. A Pimm’s Cup on the inner courtyard on a nice day is pretty hard to beat. If you need a bit more kick out of your British drinks, I recommend a Pink Gin.

Pink Gin

An incredibly simple drink with numerous adaptations. Pink Gin is a traditional British Navy drink. Back in the day, Angostura bitters were used by the English navy as a cure for seasickness. In case you haven’t tried Angostura bitters on their own, they aren’t the best. Particularly if you’re seasick. So to help the medicine go down, the Brits did the sensible thing. They mixed it with gin.

1 part Plymouth Gin
Angostura Bitters
Lemon twist garnish

Stir gin and 3-6 hearty dashes of bitters with ice, strain into chilled cocktail glass.

This simple drink is easily adaptable to a more refreshing version simply by straining over ice into a highball glass and topping with tonic (I recommend Fever Tree). Stick with the lemon twist as your garnish.

Now if you don’t want to be bothered with making a fuss over the Queen on her special weekend, you could just go with her favorite drink, the ever delicious gin and tonic. 

And there you have it, a handful of traditional British drinks for you to roll out this weekend in honor of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee or just to beat the heat and get a little more pep in your step!

New Orleans’ Newest Brewery: Cajun Fire?

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When Todd Price hinted that a new brewery would be coming to New Orleans, it got me a little more than excited. We’ve had an explosion of micro-breweries across the region that have been putting some great beers on the market. That being said, there is a little bit of civic pride when the great micro-brew is from your own backyard. So far NOLA Brewing alone has been that source of pride when it hit the ground running just a few years ago. Now it appears a new New Orleans brewery may be on the horizon.

While I’m not sure if this is the soon-to-be brewery Todd was hinting at [UPDATE: Todd has confirmed it is not the brewery hinted at, so the hunt continues], it appears Cajun Fire Brewing Company is poised to enter the local marketplace. From their website, they appear ready to hit the ground running with at least four brews and possibly a fifth:

Amber Ale: A refined spin of a traditional classic.
October’s Own Pumpkin Ale: The winter companion.
East NOLA IPA: A 60 minute Indian Pale Ale of East New Orleans origin.
Praline Ale: A love letter to the region which boosts the best cuisine this side of the hemisphere.
Veterans Root BEER: Not for the faint of heart. This ain’t your mama’s root beer.

Here’s to hoping that Brew Master Jon Renthrope and crew a quick path to obtaining their necessary licenses and enjoy great success in the years to come.

Tales of the Cocktail: The 10th Anniversary

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If you’re interested in cocktails and haven’t made it to Tales of the Cocktail, you’re missing out. Running from July 25 through the 29th, Tales offers something to satisfy every aspect of your cocktail interests. Seminars held throughout the week range from the industry specific (Building a World Class Bar Team) to the practical (Bittercube Hands on Handmade Bitters Lab) to the delicious (Tasting the World’s Greatest Spirits). The Spirited Dinners teach you about pairing your favorite drinks with food at your favorite restaurants. And of course, there is everyone’s favorite part: the tasting rooms. But Tales goes beyond just the seminars, dinners and tasting rooms. There are Spirited Lunches, Excursions, and a number of other sponsored events.

Now I know Tales isn’t happening until late July, so why are we talking it up now? Because if you want to get in on the best stuff, you need to act fast. Year after year, Tales continues to grow in size and popularity. While this allows Tales to grow and expand their offerings, it also means a bit more competition for the best events. Top it all off with the fact that all of the Spirited Dinners occur just on Thursday, July 26th and you’ve got to get a move on if you’re going to score your table at your favorite dinner. And because Tales is for serious cocktailing folks, the seminars fill up just as quickly. So hop to it and get your spots now. We’ll see you there for sure.

Tales of the Cocktail
July 25-29
Home base in the Hotel Monteleone

Jazz Fest Primer: Eating Good

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Jazz Fest is seven days of endless music, over 130 craft vendors and, more importantly, 70 food booths across 5 main different areas. None of the food I’ve had at Jazz Fest has been bad, but you still need to maximize the room in your stomach and your Festing dollars. These are the favorites from each area (check the map here):

FOOD AREA 1

Food Area 1 is easily the largest collection of food vendors, so plan accordingly.

Panorama Foods: The crawfish bread and the sausage & jalapeno bread are consistently crowd favorites. While both are full of cheesey, gooey tastiness, in more recent years they seem to be coasting on reputation alone. Of the two, I’ve found the sausage and Jalapeno bread to be a better buy, I usually buy one through six days hoping it will reclaim its former glory and always end up being a little sad at what else could have been for my fistful of wrinkled dollars (like another Love at First Bite cochon de lait po-boy).

Love at First Bite: A veritable to-die-for cochon de lait po boy. Love at First Bite hides the fixings under the pork to ensure nothing, including the great flavor, slips out. If you missed this at French Quarter Fest, you can’t pass it up again.

A Vaucresson po boy (Photo credit: Vacresson)

Vaucresson Sausage: A New Orleans fixture since 1899 and an original vendor of pretty much all of New Orleans’ great festivals, Vaucresson has seen it all. While the crawfish sausage is great, the Creole Hot Sausage Po Boy is their standout. Cupcake disagrees and prefers the Crawfish. Luckily for us, we buy both and share so everyone wins. I’m a huge fan of Vaucresson and their products, but they are at all the big festivals. If you’re local and have some choices to make, you can skip it. If you’ve never had one before, trade one $35 Jazz Fest beer (or whatever usurious price they charge now) for a sausage. YOu’ll be glad you did.

Mrs. Linda’s Catering: Most people will tell you line up for the Ya Ka Mein, and they’re not wrong, but for some reason I have a soft spot in my heart for the fried pork chop sandwich. Since it is nothing more than a fried pork chop slapped between two pieces of white bread, it isn’t going to win any culinary beauty contests. But I still find it a decent bite, particularly if you’ve been a tad over served.

FOOD AREA 2

Yet another delicious Jazz Fest eat (Photo credit: Tess Durham)

Food Area 2 is the other large food vendor collection at the Fairgrounds. Always easy to get to on your way to Congo Square or the back of the Acura Stage crowd.

Conseco’s Markets: The Cuban sandwich is as simple as it gets. At first, I thought it might be a little too simple, but then I took a bite. In this case, simple means simply delicious. I really enjoy Cuban sandwiches, and this one is no exception. This is definitely one of my must haves at Jazz Fest.

Galley Seafood: People seem to love the soft shell crab po-boy (pictured above), but I’ve never been that in to them (here or otherwise), I much prefer the catfish.

Kajun Kettle Foods, Inc.: Crawfish Monica is another one of those Jazz Fest icons that doesn’t make much sense to me. Jazz Fest is hot, there’s usually a lot of beer involved. Creamy pasta dishes just don’t call to me.

CONGO SQUARE
Cafe Reconcile: Easily the biggest draw for the Congo Square group, the strawberry lemonade might not technically be food, but on a hot Fest day it will cool you down.

HERITAGE SQUARE
The Heritage Square food booths seem to be the ones I remember about at the end of the day, as I retreat to the sun safe tents which surround them. At that point, my stomach is running low on space, but I always manage to fit in one stop.

Ba Mien Vietnamese Cuisine: Ba Mien is usually that one stop, but it typically has a pretty decent sized line. While I normally can’t stand lines, I use the time to decide between the spring roll or the Bun (Vermicelli w/ Shrimp or Beef).

KID’S FOOD
One of the few remaining Fest secrets is the Kid’s Food Area. There aren’t many vendors, but its secluded location means it’s likely you’re not going to be facing huge crowds. As long as you can handle the hordes of children, you’re golden.

Lil’s BBQ (also available in food area 1): The BBQ chicken sandwich will knock out your hunger pains, but the jazzy cupcakes will satisfy your sweet tooth. That you can usually get the two as a combo makes the deal sweeter.

French Quarter Fest 2012: Food Primer

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French Quarter Fest is now all but set up and we’re bursting at the seams for it to get here already. One of our favorite parts of FQF (and almost all festivals) is the overwhelming amount of food for the tasting. Part of FQF’s charm is that it takes over the French Quarter, stretching from the foot of Canal Street all the way to Esplanade, but this can make tracking down your favorite foods a bit trickier. Step 1 is to print and bring with you the food listing found here. Next is to plan your food strategy appropriately, where are you going to eat, how much, and how often. Ultimately at the festival, cash is king so bring plenty with you. Although FQF is sponsored heavily by Capital One, I’ve had little success counting on their ATMs on site for cash.* Cash flow problems aside, we’re here to talk about the food, so here are our favorites from each section:

Woldenberg Park

Boucherie-12 Hour Roast Beef Po-Boy. We have a hard time passing this sandwich up, no matter what the occasion. Only problem is, it seems everyone else feels the same so lines can be long.

Crescent Pie and Sausage-Bad Bart’s Jambalaya has been a growing regular at festivals large and small. The addition of black beans eyed peas [thanks to Jacob and Ashton for catching the error] provides a nice twist on traditional Jambalaya. It appears CP&S is bringing in a new dish this year, the creole shrimp and tomato chow chow which definitely looks worth a taste.

Love at First Bite-They have a great Cochon de lait Po-Boy that’s been a must have since they came on to the scene in 2009.

Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant-Woldenberg Park’s most intriguing new vendor for one simple reason, meat pies can be amazing and we’ve been underwhelmed by the usual meat pie offerings at French Quarter Fest.

Jackson Square

Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse (which is actually the Bourbon House Booth)-Prime Beef Debris Po-Boy probably runs neck and neck with a Vaucresson Sausage po-boy as our must haves from Jackson Square.

Vaucresson Sausage-With a great collection of hot sausage, crawfish sausage and BBQ chicken sausage (new offering this year) you really can’t go wrong. Fortunately they’re usually located next to the Bourbon House booth so Cupcake and I each line up for one and then split the spoils.

The Bombay Club-Our list of FQF favorites is clearly heavy on the beefy po-boys, the Gulf Shrimp Escabeche from Bombay house provides a nice change of pace.

Blue Dot Donuts-Without a doubt one of the new vendors that has me most excited. I had the Thai Pulled Pork “Dough Boy” at Po-Boy Fest this past year and can without a doubt say that it was the best po-boy there by miles. If they can come close to replicating what they produced at Po-Boy Fest, they will undoubtedly be the Must Have from Jackson Square.

Ristorante Carmelo-The crabmeat ravioli is a great dish and could be highly recommended, but the portion size is so small that you’re left feeling unfulfilled and cheated. Since they raised the price by a $1 and not increased the size at all, matters have gotten worse. Since your cash supply is most likely to be smaller than your stomach, I’d pass.

The Old US Mint

The Joint-Always a great pulled pork sandwich (get it topped with slaw), you can’t go wrong here.

Amy’s Vietnamese-Much like the Bombay Club, at some point you may get tired of having meaty po-boys. All of the offerings at Amy’s are good enough to pinch hit and not leave you feeling disappointed.

Dunbar’s-Not sure any explanation for why you should get Dunbar’s catfish and potato salad is really necessary. Just check it out.

Three Muses-Clearly another of FQF’s newcomers that appear poised to put some of the more long-standing favorites to the test. The Lamb Sliders would be our call here. At any rate, if you haven’t been to Three Muses yet, you really owe it to yourself to go check it out.

For a different take on the foods to have, we highly recommend you check out He Said, She Said’s 2012 Food Guide here.

**Cash hints: Below Bourbon Street between Canal and Jackson Square you’ll find a branch of many different banks, head to those before surrendering to the outrageous fees extracted by the nameless ATMs in bars, t-shirt shops or otherwise found in the French Quarter.

Tools of the Trade: Festival Essentials

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Festival season is definitely upon us and we’ve hit the ground running this year.   We’ve already been to the Kite Festival, Hogs for the Cause, and Festival de Los Islenos.  We’re counting the minutes until French Quarter Fest starts.  And we’re tapping our feet in anticipation of this year’s Jazz Fest.  One thing we’ve learned over the years is that with all-day festivals, it is important to come prepared.  I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve gotten sunburned when I thought I had slathered on enough sunscreen or (yuck) I waited in line for 20 minutes only to find that the Port O’Potty I picked was out of everything even remotely resembling toilet paper.  So, I’ve compiled a list of things I consider crucial for surviving festival season in NOLA (and added in a couple of wish list items that I’ve been eyeing already this year).

Some things may seem pretty obvious, but I’ve found that if I don’t double check myself before I run out the door, I will have forgotten something and (in most cases) once you’re inside those festival gates, there’s no running back home or to the car for reinforcements.  And keep in mind that some festivals require more or less gear than others.  For example, we prefer to keep it light for French Quarter Fest because we do a ton of walking around.  But for Jazz Fest I like to have enough gear for contingency plans because that ticket is too darn pricey to head home if I’m uncomfortable after just a couple of hours.

So, without further ado, here is Cupcake’s Festival Survival Guide for 2012:

Festival Essentials

First things first, if it rains any time close to or on the day of the festival, flip flops really don’t work.  I have tried and tried and tried to wear flip flops in the mud, but walking becomes so darn difficult and by the end of the day my legs are worn out.  Plus, if it’s really muddy, you’ll be wearing it thanks to the “flip” in those flip flops, which sends mud flying with each step.  When it gets that bad, you may be tempted to just go without shoes entirely, but once I started thinking about what I was stepping in, I couldn’t do it.  And honestly who wants to walk around in all that muck barefoot?  A pair of good rain boots is essential.  I got my pair from Target a few years ago for a particularly muddy Jazz Fest, but I keep eyeing these Hunter boots as my next upgrade.  Paired with a fun sundress, these actually make a pretty cute festival outfit if I do say so myself.  Of course, you don’t need fancy boots.  A good pair of shrimp boots will do the trick too.

Next you’ll need sunglasses.  If it’s not raining, it’s going to be sunny, and your peepers will thank you for remembering the shades.  Even if it is raining, you know that the weather can change at any moment, so toss ‘em in.

Rain or shine, you need sunscreen.  As fair skinned as I am, I ALWAYS manage to miss a spot and get a lovely burn at least once a year.  But the spray sunscreen has definitely helped me minimize that discomfort.  Apply early and apply often.  Whether you think you need it or not, you’ll really hate being stuck out there if you start burning and don’t have any way to stop it.

You need a hat.  I like having one with me that I can toss in my backpack, but at some point in the day I’m always glad you brought one.  If nothing else than to hold your hair out of your face, a hat is a must.

Folding chairs are really nice for a long day of festing.  Pick something that comes with a carrying case, and that’s light enough that you won’t mind having it with you when you’re walking around.  $1.25 snagged an awesome chair last year that has a cup holder big enough to hold the iced tea at Jazz Fest and it’s his pride and joy.  So, if you’re like $1.25, you might want to confirm that the cup holders will accommodate your festival beverage of choice when you’re shopping.

Wet wipes, hand sanitizer, and napkins.  This one may seem self explanatory, but really there are a multitude of uses for all three.  Just think about how much delicious food they serve at all these festivals. And then think about the fact that at least one major festival is held in a horse ring and another is in the Quarter. It probably isn’t a bad idea to give your paws a few quick swipes before you chow down.  Plus a lot of the foods are messy, so having these around is just a good general practice if you ask me.  (And as I menitoned earlier, you’ll probably want to take a handful of napkins with you to the Port O’Potty line, just in case.)

This next one is really a wish list item for me.  It’s called a Sport-Brella.  I’ve been seeing more and more of these umbrellas-with-sides at festivals.  I’m pasty white and burn like a lobster, so these things make a lot of sense to me.  They offer shade, ventilation, and they fold up to a manageable umbrella that you can carry.  Plus, for those of you who are concerned, they are pretty low profile, so you won’t obstruct the views of people around you. $1.25 and I tend to sit in the back anyway, but I don’t think these would be too bothersome in the crowds as long as you’re not trying for the front row. It seems like most chairs fit nicely underneath too.

$1.25 loves these shoes as an alternative to the rain/shrimp boots.  For the aforementioned flip flop problem, another solution would be to just wear sandals with a back.  Think 1990′s Tevas or something along those lines.  But since $1.25 refuses to wear anything resembling a “mandal” he recommends these sneakers made by New Balance that actually have holes in the soles and the sides to allow water to flow through.  Not really my thing, but he loved his (until they mysteriously disappeared when he left them on the porch to dry one night).  They are good for running on rainy days too.

A very lightweight rain jacket is also essential.  Even if the skies are blue and there’s not a chance of rain for days, pack the darn thing.  If you don’t have it, you’ll need it.  Not that there’s anything wrong with festing in the rain.  $1.25 and I had some very fun times at the rainiest Jazz Fest I can remember.  But it’s still a little easier to take when you have a way to stay (somewhat) dry.  I’ve been known to use mine as a shelter from the sun sometimes too. (Notice a theme here?  I have no choice but to hide from the sun.)

Another hint: throw in some ziplock bags.  Your camera, your cell phone, your watch, etc. will thank you if the skies open up.

There you go.  My list of festival essentials.  Is there anything you can’t live without this time of year?

French Quarter Fest Primer: 2012

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Well it is finally here, glorious French Quarter Fest. While this “Locals Only” festival has lost the right to much of that claim, it is still an enjoyable festival that won’t require selling your Kidney to attend. Plus, following a few simple tips can help you avoid the crowds and tourists and re-capture much of that “Locals Only” feel. This week we’ll be giving you the low-down on where to go, what to eat and how to do it.

The first step to achieving an excellent experience at FQF is getting there in the most hassle free way. To help you do that, we’ve updated our own logistics guide for getting you down there. It is accessible here.

Now that you’re all planned on how you’re getting here, you need to know how to move about and where to find shade. We’ve found there is no reason to re-create the wheel, so we’re going to rely on the encyclopedic French Quarter Fest Logistics Guide by our friends at He Said, She Said NOLA. Their guide covers almost every logistical aspect of the Fest once you’re there and does so very well. Get to reading that here.

Stay tuned throughout the week as we update the rest of our FQF guides, most importantly directing you to the best food stations.