Neighborhood nosh . . . Among the first culinarians to graduate from New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI) and kin of The Kupcake Factory owners, Laura Bueso recently partnered with her mother to launch Barrio Bites Mid-City. Located in the former Church Alley Coffee shop space on Canal Street, […]
A Poet in Jackson Square: The Soul Study
Royal Street phenom Christian Davenport, otherwise known as “Cubs the Poet,” finds a permanent space for his art – and his trusty typewriter – in the Shops of the Upper Pontalba. From tiny Voodoo effigies and custom-made perfumes to antique glass eyes and tailored wigs, shops in the French Quarter […]
On the Flip Side of Fast Fashion: ricRACK
An educational non-profit settles into a new home in the French Quarter, where it’s raising awareness on sustainability – and offering fun, colorful solutions through the art of sewing. Tucked away in an early 20th century brick building only a few blocks from Canal Street, the sewists at ricRACK are […]
New Orleans Food News: April 2026
Bonafide splash . . . For over a decade hungry diners have enjoyed fried chicken sandwiches and Belgian fries from Bonafried which began life in 2014 as a pop-up and started rolling as a food truck two years later. People would flock to the truck whether it was parked downtown […]
Second Helping: Boucherie
Revisiting restaurants covered years ago to see what’s changed, or what’s deliciously stayed the same. It’s been more than 17 years since Chef Nathanial Zimet’s BBQ dreams made the jump from the celebrated “Purple Truck” (aka Que Crawl) into a side-hall cottage on Jeanette Street. In the years since, the […]
Stranger Than Fiction: A Walk With Ric “The Professor” Coleman of Hottest Hell Tours
There’s something to be said for infotainment, as a tour with ‘The Professor’ blends historical facts with a little local flavor. “This is a weird ass town . . . it really is.” laughs Ric “The Professor” Coleman of Hottest Hell Tours. “You can mine its history for a thousand […]
Invited to the Family Table at Mời
It’s a family affair at a new Vietnamese restaurant in the St. Claude corridor – just outside the Marigny – and happily, everyone’s invited. Many people exclaim that their mother’s cooking is the best, but at Mời Vietnamese Deli & Homestyle Cooking, the proof is in the cà ri gà. […]
New Orleans Food News: March 2026
Crossing the pond . . . After almost five years in business, a Mid-City smash burger joint has branched out across the lake. Banks Street’s Bub’s Burgers has opened a third location (or does the grab-n-go spot opened last year on Freret Street only count as half a location?) in […]
Behind the Barricades
Restaurants struggling to stay open amid a year-long street construction project have devised creative incentives to attract diners. Colorful slips of paper tied to the chain link fence in front of Zhang Bistro flutter at passersby braving the construction on Decatur Street. The restaurant’s co-owner Lily Rueangnuy created the wish […]
Second Helping: Cochon Butcher
Revisiting restaurants covered years ago to see what’s changed, or what’s deliciously stayed the same. Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski effectively made elevated Cajun magic when they launched Cochon Restaurant in 2006 – and Butcher, which opened three years later, was a citified answer to a back-country boucherie. While the […]
New Orleans Food News: February 2026
Hip, hip … hooray! . . . Where Y’at Magazine would like to take this opportunity to offer three, loud cheers for the three New Orleans restaurants to be awarded Michelin stars; One for Bywater’s Saint Germain created by chefs Blake Aguillard and Trey Smith; one for Chef Sue Zemanick’s […]
Transcendent Ornamentation: Ajoonii
Artist Rishita Monga recently opened a boutique jewelry shop on Chartres Street where the ethereal has become tangible . . . and infinitely wearable. Enveloped in billowy white linens and adorned with a crystal chandelier, Ajoonii is a fantastical bijou shop, a dream manifested by owner and creator Rishita Monga. […]
2025’s Meals to Remember
Before we get too deep into 2026, I wanted to share some details about a few choice food extravaganzas I enjoyed last year. Overall, last year was one hell of a shit show, from the terrorist attack on Bourbon Street to the re-election of democracy’s most orange of enemies — […]