At Fritai, chef and co-owner Charly Pierre embraces his heritage and the inherent connection between New Orleans and Haiti one dish at a time. Often called the “northernmost Caribbean city,” New Orleans shares many characteristics with the great archipelago to the South, particularly Haiti. In the early 1800s, both during […]
Embracing the Surreal at The Frenchmen Hotel
Denver design firm FAM Design creates a female-forward, dreamlike atmosphere at the The Frenchmen Hotel with Italian surrealist Leonor Fini as their muse. On any given day New Orleans can elicit the surreal. Just watch a cruise liner float by on the Mississippi from street level, the massive hull at […]
When the Smoke Clears: New Orleans BBQ
New Orleans is not typically known for its barbecue, and that’s okay. We have gumbo, etouffee, crawfish boils and po-boys a-plenty. But about a decade ago, when the ‘cue scene across the country started to cool down and hold steady, the Crescent City finally started smokin’. Walker’s Southern Style BBQ […]
The Big Sit: Porch Life in New Orleans
One morning I woke earlier than usual and couldn’t go back to sleep. I crept out of bed, got dressed and made coffee without waking my boyfriend John, though our new puppy was alert as soon as I pushed back the covers. Her eyes followed me as I left the […]
Cookies & Cream Ice Cream
The Ranjbars are huge ice cream fans. My father always made sure the fridge was stocked with mint chip, the not quite sorbet and not quite ice cream sensation sherbet, and Neapolitan. I clearly recall getting told off several times for eating all of the chocolate. My mom’s pick was […]
No Grill Needed: New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
Put the sticky-sweet, tomato-based sauce back in the fridge and step away from the grill, because New Orleans-style BBQ shrimp is not at all like what y’all think of when y’all think barbecue. A New Orleans food writer with a lot of local cuisine knowledge “under her belt” once told […]
Meat of the Matter: New Orleans’ Roast Beef Po-Boys
Who makes the most exceptional roast beef po-boy in New Orleans is the subject of much debate, but deciding the ultimate winner is a question only you can answer. It’s hard to believe it’s been over a decade since Brett Anderson, the Times-Picayune’s last official restaurant critic, surveyed nearly all […]
Riding the Tide: SouthGroup Insurance Services – Gulf Coast
Mississippi-based insurer SouthGroup can help home and business owners design insurance policies tailored specifically for life on the Gulf Coast. Business and homeowners are in dire straits across the Gulf Coast with insurance companies completely dropping out of neighboring states hit repeatedly by natural disasters, and though Mississippi has largely […]
Pearl Hotel: A Bay St. Louis Gem
The Pearl Hotel on the corner of North Beach Boulevard has only amplified its iridescence with a few more amenities since opening in late 2020. It’s been almost three years since the Pearl opened its doors to the public, a brand new hotel which has positively changed the face of […]
Developing a Sweet Spot: ONE11 Hotel
In the midst of shutdowns, Hotel One11 emerges as the French Quarter’s newest hotels in over 50 years. One of the last architectural remnants of the Louisiana Sugar and Rice Exchange, the building on the French Quarter’s riverfront stood derelict for over 30 years. The almost 150-year-old structure began life […]
Dinner for Four from Compère Lapin
Once again I was regaled with a three-course feast for four by Moveable Feast, this time from a New Orleans restaurant, Compère Lapin. When acclaimed chef Nina Compton opened her Warehouse District restaurant Compère Lapin almost eight years ago, I waited an anxious three months before I finally walked through […]
A Bubbly Lift: Crescent 9 THC Seltzer
Even though it’s legal in more than half of the country (not to mention the world), marijuana, and those who partake, are still seen in a bad light. Refer Madness must be pretty potent propaganda, because to this day, folks will persist in denigrating those who like to smoke a […]