A Southern-Fried Secret

Like the recipe for your Great Aunt Edie’s flaky, buttermilk biscuits, many chefs and restaurants jealously guard the secret behind their signature dishes. Consider Olive Garden’s bread sticks, Orange Julius’ famous orange milkshake, the off-menu “animal-style” burgers from In-N-Out and it wasn’t until recently that the 67-year-old chain KFC finally […]

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Thrilled to pizzas

Enjoying pizza is easily one of America’s favorite pastimes. Just saying the word conjures up fond memories of pizza parties after playing a grueling game of softball under the hot summer sun, family night with movies and a pie delivered fresh and hot to your door, or much needed brain […]

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Sweet-a-Gram

Ah social media! To some, it’s the bane of modern society. Cynics believe, among other things, it discourages genuine, face-to-face interactions, exasperates the need for instant gratification and incites narcissistic behavior. On the other hand, many others see social media as a tool for self-expression, a way to connect (even […]

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Celebrating 48 Years: Palm & Pine

Though some might believe it makes me a terrible food writer, I’m notoriously bad at patronizing pop-ups. I’ll mark them on my Google calendar, get all excited about trying new dishes from daring young chefs eking their way towards their own brick & mortar. Then almost inevitably, something will prevent […]

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Taco the town

If anything is an inexpensive solution to that grumbling in your belly, it’s a taco, or tacos, because who eats just one? From college kids to suits, anyone and everyone enjoys a good taco. What’s not to like? Although traditional Mexican fillings like carnitas and carne asada tend to be […]

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Trading Thai for tapas

When the Spanish-inspired Costera Restaurant & Bar opened in the Prytania Street building that formerly housed La Thai, I was easily one of the first to try it. My zealousness was not due to the type of restaurant nor was I overly anxious to see what Brian Burns, formerly chef […]

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Down on Oak Street

Opened a little over two years ago, DTB or “Down the Bayou” is a restaurant in the Carrollton neighborhood described as offering “reinterpreted  coastal Cajun cuisine.” Created by talented local chef Carl Schaubhut and run by his chef de cuisine John Hill, this intriguing, corner restaurant has been going strong, […]

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In a nut shell

One of the most ubiquitous items found on a Persian table is the pistachio. It doesn’t matter if you’re over for tea or a large family celebration, you will almost always find a bowl of these green beauties available for snacking. I can picture my father laying on the couch, […]

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