Category Archives: Around Town

Around Town: NOLA Brewing Pub Crawl and Krewe du Vieux

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As you’re certainly aware, it is carnival time once again! That means king cake, doubloons, and beads are all returning to the local consciousness. While Mardi Gras has officially started, for most it really kicks off this Saturday, February 4, with the irreverent parade of Krewe du Vieux. NOLA Brewing has also chosen this Saturday to kick-off the release of their Mardi Gras themed Spring seasonal Flambeau Red Ale with a pre-Krewe du Vieux pub crawl. I’m excited because I like the Flambeau Red and I love pub crawls. Best of all, the NOLA Brewing folks have orchestrated the crawl to get you in perfect position to catch Krewe du Vieux. Here’s the line up:

Be on the look out for Flambeau Red's distinctive Mardi Gras themed label

1:00 pm — R-Bar (1431 Royal St)
2:30 pm — Balcony Music Club (1331 Decatur St)
3:45 pm — Turtle Bay (1119 Decatur St)
5:00 pm — Molly’s at the Market (1107 Decatur St)

Each bar will be serving the Flambeau Red for $3.00 a pint while the crawl is there (~1 hour). The Krewe du Vieux Parade starts at 6:30 and will stroll right by Molly’s, so you’ll be in prime viewing territory. One word of advice, unlike most everything else in town, I’ve been informed that this party will run on time. So don’t be late.

Think you can hang all day and all night? You may want to check out the Krewe du Vieux Doo after party. Just be sure to get tickets in advance, because they won’t be available at the door.

Around Town: Mixing Up Some Magic

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One of the greatest things about this town that we highlight constantly is the ability to eat and drink amazing things all in the name of charity. Mixing Up Some Magic is one of these events. A four-course meal, complete with pre-dinner cocktails, from Commander’s Palace. Sounds good, right? How about doing that all in the name of charity? Even better! Mixing Up Some Magic is a partnership between Commander’s Palace and Liberty’s Kitchen to help support Liberty’s Kitchen’s programs.

Liberty’s Kitchen “provides at-risk youth, ages 16-22, with the opportunity to build a better future by increasing their ability to change their situation and engage in a supportive community where they learn life, social and employability skills in a culinary setting. The intensive training program combines hands-on food-service training with classroom instruction, individual case management, education programs and job placement services and/or a return to an educational setting.” To put this in more perspective of recent events in the city, Liberty’s Kitchen provides some of the most vulnerable youth in our community the tools to become productive and successful members of society rather than a statistic or news report. This is a cause we can all get behind.

Now that we’ve gotten the who, what and why out of the way, it is time to get to the Where, When and How:

Mixing Up Some Magic
Sunday, January 29
6:00 pm
Individual tickets are $95 per person ($25 is tax-deductible)
Tickets available here.

What’s Happening

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Usually we save our these kinds of posts for Fridays to give you slackers some ideas for the weekend, but thanks to insane work issues we don’t have much else to talk about right now. So here is a run down of what looks interesting to us:

1. The opening of Manning’s–January 19. Manning’s is the Harrah’s/Archie joint venture that’s been going up by Ernst Cafe. I think Celeste over at Bouillie has this adequately covered for us (here). Here’s the menu.

2. Prospect 2–Through January 29. Some of you may remember Prospect 1 from two years ago and Prospect 1.5 from last year. Well this weekend is your second to last weekend to go see some cool contemporary art at Prospect 2. Prospect is the premier biennial of international contemporary art. What’s that mean exactly? It means every two years a bunch of world-renowned contemporary artists descend upon New Orleans to bring together a collection of contemporary art that is likely unrivaled by anything in the world. The history of biennials is pretty cool. In 1895 a bunch of people in Venice didn’t quite think they had enough great art to look at in Italy, so they invited artists from around the globe to display their works at the world’s first international art exhibit, the Venice Biennale. That Prospect hit the ground running and almost instantly established itself as the US’s premier contemporary art biennial makes this just another kick ass thing in New Orleans that is underappreciated. So, do yourself a favor and check out some art this weekend or next before its gone. Ticket info is here.

3. Dat NOLA Race–January 21 at 3:00pm. When you live some place, you’re often going to put off doing and seeing some of the coolest stuff the city has to offer. I saw this frequently during my time in the nation’s capital. Inevitably when a friend was moving to a new city, they would spend their final week or so rushing through every museum and every monument in DC that they had never bothered to go see. To help combat that problem, the folks at Dat NOLA Race have created what is “part adventure race, part scavenger hunt, and all FUN. Use your wit to solve clues, your charm to get help from the locals, and your speed to overcome your competition and conquer the course in the least amount of time” With the average course covering between 2 and 4 miles, this is a good way to see more of the city and stay true to your resolution to exercise more.

4. Hogs For the Cause. While Hogs for the Cause isn’t until March 24, they’re releasing the important information on Friday. When I get my hand on it, I’ll put it up here.

The Dante’s Pop-Up Love Triangle

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I’m sure by now, you are all aware of Noodle and Pie, the pop-up by the Dante’s Kitchen (it goes up in Coulis). If you’d like to read a bit more about it, the folks at Gourmet and Gourmand wrote about it last month. Pretty straight forward, a restaurant in town runs a pop-up, big deal. Where is the intrigue? Well things get a little interesting. While most folks at Dante’s are resting on Tuesday nights (Dante’s is closed then), another place pops-up in their kitchen. So Dante’s runs a pop-up at Coulis on Mondays and hosts a pop-up on Tuesdays. Got it?

Neil McClure, General Manager of Dante’s, is the driving force behind McClure’s Barbeque. McClure’s opened last night for the first time, and while we were unable to attend, our friends that scooped us on this story called it “the best BBQ in NOLA!!!” Yes she did use three exclamation points. In addition to being the best BBQ in town, we were also informed that McClure’s sports the best macaroni and cheese ever served in a restaurant. That’s some big billing right there.

McClure’s plans appear to be testing out the food on Tuesday nights, but eventually transition to serving lunch at Dante’s Mondays through Fridays. Currently, McClure’s is serving things family style, so you’ll get a taste of everything. Of course, much like the Tuesday night dinners, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this fall to the wayside once enough feedback has been generated to see what works and what doesn’t.

If anybody happens to check it out, please drop us a line to let us know what you think.

Weekend Round Up: Thursday Delight

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Friday will be off for us over here, but we’ll still have our regularly scheduled post over on GoNOLA. There is a good bit of stuff going on this weekend and so we wanted to make sure you could get in on some of these great things:

1. Hell Yes Fest! Already started last night, but there is still plenty more to enjoy. If you’re a big fan of live comedy and really want to see some of the nation’s best groups, this is your chance. $50 gets you an all access pass for the weekend, whereas one-off spots should only run you about $10.

2. Boudin and Beer: Part one of Emeril’s fancy weekend kicks off Friday night at 8:00, Boudin and Beer is exactly what is sounds like. A one night celebration of awesome sausage from chefs Emeril Lagasse, Donald Link and Mario Batali and more than 20 other local chefs and great beer from Abita. Tickets are $75 with all proceeds going to Emeril’s foundation. If you’re a literary type the boys over at Blackened Out are giving out two free tickets for the best Boudin Haiku, that’s 5, 7, 5 kids.

3. Carnivale du Vin 2011: Part two of Emeril’s fancy weekend kicks off Saturday at 6:00. There’s going to be plenty of food and drink, plus a live charity auction. However, the individual tickets will set you back a cool grand. That’s a bit rich for our blood, but I bet you the event is going to be a pretty amazing culinary star-gazing event.

4. The Food Co-Op is going to be throwing its grand opening party from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm on Saturday. There will be an all day with music, games, and suppliers of some of your favorite local foods on hand to formally ring in the new store.

5. Party for the Troops: The Hotel Monteleone will be hosting a huge tailgate party for the Saints/Falcons game this Sunday at 8:00 am. Chef Tory McPhail, Chris Lusk from Café Adelaide, Chef Alon Shaya from Domenica will be a few of the chefs on hand cooking up tailgate foods for you using the Big Green Egg. All profits and proceeds from the event will be donated to ensure turkeys and trees are provided for as many families as possible during the holiday season. For such a good cause, you should come early and eat often!

Enjoy your weekend!

Party on the Patio: Benefit at Commander’s Palace

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I, like many of you, lost my home to Hurricane Katrina. I/we can certainly sympathize with how brutal an unexpected displacement can be. In my time of need I relied upon the kindness of strangers for food, clothing and basic necessities until I could start picking up the pieces. The amazing outpouring of support I received from so many strangers has filled me with a strong sense of responsibility to pay it forward. Well, here is one such chance: This past weekend, the Sous Chef at Commander’s Palace, Jay Wells, and his wife lost their home to fire. To help them pick up the pieces, the folks at Commander’s are setting up a wine tasting benefit this coming Tuesday (November 1). Here are more details from Commander’s:

Enjoy an evening of passed hors d’oeuvres and the wines of
Far Niente and Nickel & Nickel – all served on our beautiful courtyard patio to benefit our Sous Chef Jay Wells and his wife Cindy who lost their home to a fire last weekend.

Date: Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Time: 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm

Minimum donation of
$25 per person requested

Please enter through the Patio Gate

All proceeds will go towards gift cards for Stein Mart and Macy’s to help Jay and Cindy rebuild their lives.

Please call 504-207-1349 to make a donation or purchase advance tickets.

Hope to see you all out there on Tuesday.

Around Town: NOLA Brewing Can Release Party

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NOLA Cans coming Thursday!

If you’ve stopped by here before, you know we’re high on NOLA’s beers.  Our biggest problem with NOLA is that home consumption can be challenging.  The Fridge Pigs are cool and all, but they don’t fit in my beer fridge and I think it is a little bit of overkill unless we’re having people over (yes I know they save for a few months, but still).  Fortunately, this one little problem will be cured on Thursday at 8:00 when NOLA debuts the first of their cans at Tip’s.

More details, straight from the presser:

New Orleans Lager and Ale Brewing Company will be releasing their long awaited cans on Thursday, October 27 at Uptown New Orleans music venue Tipitina’s. This first release of NOLA beer in cans will be the flagship ale, NOLA Blonde – followed by NOLA Brown and Hopitoulas in the coming months.

The Can Release Party will start at 8:00 pm and feature music from Colin Lake, Flow Tribe and Big Sam’s Funky Nation.

Tickets will be $15 which includes your first can of NOLA Blonde ale and the award winning coozie from the NOLA Brewing coozie contest from earlier this year.

Tipitina’s will be offering specials on NOLA Brewing cans all weekend.

Hopefully we’ll see you there!

Around Town: The Weekend’s Events

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(AP Photo/Margaret Bowles)

This weekend is packed with things to do.  There’s so much stuff going on the only thing I’m sure to be doing is watching the Saints take on the Bucs (don’t forget we’ve got the late game this week!) and gain a commanding grip on the NFC South and close out a lengthy road swing with back-to-back divisional games.  As for the rest of the days, I think I’ll have to see how the wind is blowing before I commit.

Daiquiri Days:  We highlighted this two-day long celebration earlier in the week.  Undoubtedly one of the more unique events of the weekend.

The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Fest: Lafayette Square gets invaded starting at 5:30 on Friday for three days of almost non-stop blues and plenty of BBQ and free admission.  You’ll certainly recognize a lot of the food vendors, including Love at First Bite and the Joint.  The full festival menu is available here.  Want to go, but don’t want to miss any football?  Your covered at the Abita Sports bar.  Not sure how that will all work, but I’m assuming it will be a tent with a bunch of TVs.

New Orleans Film Festival:  Need a bit more film culture in your life or want to be able to whip out references to some obscure films?  You’ll be able to take care of that for the next week.  From today through the 20th, there is a full slate of films to check out in theaters all over town.

A Midsummer’s Night Dream: Enjoy the great outdoors and one of the better known Shakespeare plays, A Midsummer’s Night Dream is performed out in NOMA’s sculpture garden.  Shows tonight and Sunday at 7.  Tickets are available here.

And that’s all in addition to the normal craziness we’ve got going on around town.  Enjoy the weekend.

Around Town: Daiquiri Days

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Cupcake and I have a confession to make. We really enjoy heading out to some off-the-beaten path bars. You know, places where the music skips a beat because “outsiders” have come through the door. We find that a lot of these bars have a pretty fantastic clientele (once you get them used to the idea of you being there), some amazingly quirky features (i.e., pink sinks and 1950′s era condom machines) and undeniably cheap booze ($1.50 Abita, yes please).

I have a separate confession to make. Every now and then I enjoy myself a daiquiri. Usually a White Russian, because most of the other stuff is too sweet for me. There is just something so very New Orleans about a daiquiri on a hot afternoon that fits better than any Aviation, Corpse Reviver or other fancy cocktail they could dream up at Bar Tonique.

Apparently there is someone else who shares these quirks. However, instead of seeing them as something to hide, they are to be celebrated. Thanks to this article by Todd Price, I’ve learned that someone is celebrating not only the daiquiri, but also the daiquiri bar! Daiquiri Days is offering up two days worth of events and celebrations, including a daiquiri bar bus tour, Who Daiq? dance party and French Quarter daiquiri bar crawl. With access to events on both days a mere $30, this may be a spectacle too good to miss. That is, of course, assuming that your stomach can handle that many daiquiris.

Daiquiri Days
October 14-15
Ticket Info

Co-Op comes to St. Claude

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Really love your organic, healthy and responsible items, but not digging Whole Foods corporate vibe or the pain at the checkout? Well, it looks like you’ve got an alternative, as the New Orleans Food Co-Op opened its doors to the public yesterday. The Co-Op aims to be a community-owned grocery store that:

* provides access to healthy food at a fair price
* is a center of community activity
* promotes local and regional food production
* keeps capital and jobs in our community
* practices environmental responsibility and sustainability
* reflects our unique and diverse community

Unlike any other grocery store, you have an option to invest in the Co-Op and take charge. Feeling active? Get yourself on the board and help guide the future of the Co-Op. Also, unlike other grocery stores, the Co-Op runs a rewards program that really pays, as members are eligible to participate in the Patronage Refund System. The Patronage Refund System is like a dividend program and grocery loyalty club combined into one.

In addition to the unique ownership structure of the Co-Op, they also promise to feature more local and regional fruits and veggies. With more places for our local producers to sell their product (and us to get it), our local producers can make more money and hopefully bring us even more produce. With such a local focus in ownership and stock, shopping at the Co-Op means that making groceries in the neighborhood is helping your neighborhood. While the Co-Op opened yesterday, the grand opening celebration will be next month. November 12 promises to be a fun day filled with live music, free food and meet and greets with some of your favorite local growers.

New Orleans Food Co-Op
2372 St. Claude Avenue

Check them out on Facebook or Twitter