Although it might be considered sacrilege to say down here in the “Deep South,” I’m just not a fan of red velvet cake. I’ve tasted a ton of different incarnations, including my own, and the flavors or texture never really appealed to me. Well, except for the cream cheese frosting, […]
Herbsaint: A blossoming birthday ritual
This past Saturday, the power was still out and John and I sat sweating, dreading another evening of darkness and sticky hands of Gin Rummy. I was irritable, stinky and facing a dinner of tuna-in-a-can when I suddenly realized I’d completely missed out on a birthday celebration. The week previous, […]
House of the week: Priorities
As you all must know, last week we experienced another hurricane. Isaac came through and with high winds, managed to do some serious damage to homes and businesses, caused flooding in a few parishes and generally wreaked havoc all over Florida and Louisiana. Comparatively, we got off easy. The only […]
House of the week: Double Gallery on Olivier Street
Mom. Dad. I have a proposal. Sell your 1970’s, ranch-style track house in California and for half of what you gain from the sale, you could buy this house outright. Deal? I realize it would mean selling the house I grew up in and moving to a new and vibrantly […]
Welcomed home at Brigtsen’s
Less than a month ago, I got the opportunity to interview Chef Frank Brigtsen at his restaurant on Dante Street just a few blocks from my house. It was the first time I’d met the James Beard Award-winning chef, and to be perfectly honest, I was a bit nervous. Thankfully, […]
It’s time to meet Margaret
Over a year ago, I posted about a statue we found between Camp & Prytania when John and I made an unsuccessful attempt to buy a used car. The statue depicts Margaret Haughery, a great New Orleans philanthropist who dedicated her life to helping the poor, especially the lives of […]
House of the week: Cottage on Telemachus
Being a fan of Greek mythology, I love that a lot of the street names in New Orleans are gods, muses, heroes and titans. For example, this week’s house is on Telemachus Street. Telemachus is the character we follow in the first four chapters of Homer’s Odyssey. Telemachus is searching […]
House of the week: Magnolia Mansion
Some dreams are so out of reach one might as well wish for the moon. This is one of those dreams. Likely one of the most stunning buildings on Prytania Street, the Magnolia Mansion has long been a popular B&B and a perfect setting for a romantic wedding. Well, now […]
Screaming for New Orleans Ice Cream: Satsuma Dreamsicle
Everyone knows what a Dreamsicle tastes like…right? Just think back to when you were a snot-nosed kid, chasing down the ice cream truck (Hello!), loose change bouncing in your pocket, anxious and even a little nervous to place your order with the man in the truck window. You’ve only enough […]
Humble lunch at HuckleBerry’s Restaurant
More than Twain’s well-beloved urchin, whenever I think of the word “Huckleberry” I can’t help but be reminded of the movie Tombstone. Val Kilmer played the sexiest, gun-slinging “lunger” I’d ever seen and it’s hard to erase something like that from a young woman’s memory. All fantasies aside, I just […]
House of the week: Cottage on Joliet
There’s another house for sale in my neighborhood, one that’s not nearly as expensive, yet cool nonetheless. This cute, bright blue cottage on Joliet Street is not in what I’d call a “prime location,” but it’s certainly not terrible. It’s three blocks to Palmer Park and less than 1/2 a […]
Hedging my bets at La Petite Grocery
I’ve whined about this before, but sometimes it’s a real pain in the ass taking a risk and trying a new restaurant. Sure, it could easily be fabulous and I could find a new favorite, but it could also just as easily be awful and sometimes, just once in a […]