More fun contests to pass along

Hey everybody, some computer issues and work issues have jammed things up a little bit, but here are two food related contests that I’ve been asked to pass on to you all. You could win a six-course dinner complete with wine pairings for six people at Arnaud’s, a $300 tab at Grand Isle, or Saints tickets. All for doing next to nothing, can’t beat that.

Arnaud’s — Fan the Arnaud’s Facebook Page and enter to win a six-course chef’s dinner for you and five (5) friends! The dinner menu will be customized specifically for the winner and wine pairings will be provided with each course. Link.

Grand Isle is currently running two contests on their Facebook Page! In true Who Dat Spirit, Grand Isle restaurant is giving away a Game Day Viewing party for the winner and ten friends, complete with a $300 tab for food and drinks! Click here. They’re also in the giving mood and are raffeling off two tickets to the October 31 Saints game against the Pittsburgh Steelers! Club level seats and pre-game dinner at Grand Isle! Click here.

Champion Football Deserves Champion Food

Image from Scottwalkertv.com

When the Saints’ 2010 home season begins today things will be more different than ever before. First, the Saints are reigning Super Bowl Champions (to be evidenced by the dropping of the Champs banner to the annoyance of the Vikings), the Dome will have a brand new gold exterior and Phase I of Champions Square presented by Verizon will be complete. “Great,” you say, “but what does this have to do with food?” This has everything to do with food, for your game day experience will not be confined to hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken fingers. In a city long known for its love of food and its love of the Saints, it is about time the two loves were combined. Enter Champions Square and some phone company.
Continue reading

What’s Cooking: Zach Strief’s Shrimp and Andouille Skewers

Zach's shrimp and andouille skewers

The Saints’ fake home opener (I hate the preseason) is tomorrow night, so in honor Cupcake and I opted to try out a recipe of the Saints very own Zach Strief. I believe that the recipe first ran on NOLA.com, but I’m not entirely sure. I just copied and pasted the recipe and forgot to paste the link I got it from, so my apologies to whoever ran this first (if anyone can fill me in I’ll be sure to update the post to give proper credit).

Zach’s Gulf Shrimp and Andouille Skewers:
Continue reading

Saints Tailgate Contest

As awesome as this feeling was, it is time to put last year’s amazingness to bed. I mean I’ve even finally deleted the Super Bowl from the DVR (o.k. I admit, the cable box crashed and did it on its own, but that is besides the point). I’m not saying you can’t remember fondly the Saints first run to and eventual Super Bowl victory, but it is time to turn our attention to the season ahead. As you all (should) know, tonight is the first game of the year–even if it is just crappy preseason. Word on the street is that the starters are going to play 12-15 snaps, so don’t dawdle getting home from work or you might as well miss the starters’ time in the game.

Part of what makes football season so great is having friends over for away games, cooking up some great party food and drinking a few beers. Typically, I concentrate on the latter while Cupcake busts her butt on the former. As a result, I’m sure we’ll have some great recipes to share with everyone throughout the upcoming season as well as some reviews of brews and Saintly cocktails.

Just about every person I know has a go to Saints food. For some it’s chicken from Popeye’s, for others it’s their own BBQ chicken, and some can’t watch a game without burgers on the grill. We want to know what you need to have during the game, food or beverage-wise. So let those emails, tweets and/or comments rip. The best of the best will get a full break down in their own post and quite possibly some as of yet unidentified Saints swag.

So send in those entries, sit back and enjoy the fact that football is finally here.

Around Town: Ladies Only Black and Gold

I cannot believe that I have beaten $1.25 to it, but I’m sure he’ll be proud that I am the first to declare that the 2010 Saints Season is fast approaching! With training camp well on its way and the preseason games starting in just a few days, it’s time to dust off your jerseys and black and gold garb for the new season.

The good news? We had the shortest off-season possible, so those clothes probably haven’t gathered much dust since you last wore them. But, if you’re like $1.25 (and me by association), you wear the exact same thing to ever single game (until they give us a reason to, ahem, switch things up…but even that didn’t happen much last season!). Hopefully you did your seatmates and your loved ones a favor and at least WASHED the clothes before each repeat wearing (we all know someone who doesn’t!). Look, I’m not complaining about having to wear black and gold so frequently last year, but it’s possible that your favorite fan gear may be showing the effects of such a successful season. Never fear…the NFL is here to the rescue.

In a move that smells a little like a mea culpa for the “who dat” debacle of last year’s post-season, the NFL has decided that if they can’t beat us, they’re going to join us. Clearly the boutique market for Saints fan apparel is wildly successful, one that was so lucrative that the NFL decided they wanted a piece of the action. And ladies, they’ve got their eyes on us! The NFL is opening its first EVER ladies-only fan boutique on Magazine Street for a limited time this month.

From August 21 to September 18, the NFL Shop for Women will be offering up everything Saints-related that women could want, from loungewear and bathing suits to jewelry and footwear. They even claim to be offering Saints manicures…I can’t wait to see that one! And as this recent article on nola.com points out, it’s not just going to be pint sized pink apparel, we deserve our black and gold just like the boys do. I personally can’t wait to check it out.

3932 Magazine Street, August 21 through September 18. See you there girls!

SoFAB: Tailgating for a Cause

One often unappreciated aspect of New Orleans culture is the opportunity to be charitable by doing nothing more than eating, drinking and enjoying yourself.  One such opportunity is upcoming, the annual Southern Food and Beverage Museum Gala.  Local chefs and athletes have teamed together with the Southern Food and Beverage Museum to help research and combat the effects of the Gulf oil spill on southern communities.

With a clear nod to the World Champion New Orleans Saints (I’ll never get tired of writing that), the Hornets, the Zephyrs and other fine sports teams of the city, this year’s gala is a tailgate party, New Orleans style.  While any chance to prolong the celebration of the Saints victory in Super Bowl XLIV and ring in the new season is welcome in my book, the list of participating restaurants can certainly stand on its own accord.   Ever think you could squeeze in Galatoire’s, Bayonna, Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse and Parkway Bakery for a meal and close it out with a Hubigs?  Well you can, and then some!

Add the opportunity to hang out with the Big Easy Roller Girls or, for the young and/or timid, Boudreaux, the Zephyrs mascot, and it’s on.  Word on the street is the folks over at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum have extended special invites to Saints and Hornets players. With the gala happening just days before the Saints first preseason game and Chris Paul reportedly not offered up for trades, who knows who you may see.

SoFAB Gala
Sunday August 8
3-6 p.m.
$75 for non-members
$65 for members
Children under 12–Free! (so pack in all the rug rats, even the neighbors kids)

Participating Chefs/Restaurants (and menu if available at press time):

* Acadiana–Chilled Golden Tomato Gazpacho, Ketel One Vodka and Jumbo Lump Crab Salsa “Shooters”
* Bayona
* Regina Charboneau — Watermelon and Tomato Salad with Mint Vinaigrette
* Bourbon House
* Broussard’s– Ceviche
* Cake Café
* Carolyn Shelton– Spicy Boudin Balls in Delicate Butter Lettuce Wrappers
* City Grocery–Seared Big Bad Bacon Pork Belly Rillettes with Cumin-Scented Heirloom Tomato Jam
* Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse
* Galatoire’s– Avocado Vichysoisse with Louisiana Shrimp Relish
* Hubigs Pies
* Palace Café
* Parkway Bakery– Cuban Sandwiches
* The Praline Connection