A long time ago in a land way out West, a friend of mine took me to a “hole-in-the-wall” Italian restaurant dubbed “John’s” where I was served, quite possibly, the best Linguine & Clams I have ever eaten. I distinctly recall devouring a gargantuan pile of hand-made linguine lovingly enveloped […]
Well I’ll be dipped…
I am a bit fanatical when it comes to anything Disney. I love the movies, the characters and the theme parks. Disney paraphernalia is dotted all throughout my house. In the kitchen alone you’ll find Alice in Wonderland S&P shakers, a “villain-ness” cookie jar featuring Ursula, Maleficent and the Evil […]
MiLa’s perfect prix fixe
A magical, French, eight-letter phrase has enabled this dirt-poor, wannabe local to enjoy some of the finest cuisine New Orleans has to offer. It’s a phrase that I listen for, wait for and yearn for on a weekly basis in hopes that, yet again, I can set my taste buds […]
Pleasurable public transportation: It’s not an oxymoron, it’s the St. Charles Streetcar
I’ve never been a big fan of public transportation. Some of the most haunting memories of my childhood involve a frantic, sweaty race to the bus stop, a mere three blocks from my house, and helplessly watching the bus pull away from the curb just as I came within inches […]
Birthday wishes…
Last week, John’s 27th birthday dawned on Thursday, April 14th. I had hesitantly asked him where he would like to dine for our cheat, my treat of course, preparing myself for the words “Taco Bell” to erupt from his lips, but he surprised me. A large, questioning smile spread across his […]
My very first Besh: Domenica
Besh, Besh, Besh, Besh, Besh … and more Besh. Everyone wants to talk about John Besh. His restaurants are all over town and so is his face. You see his boyish, mischievous grin plastered on every available advertising venue (though I haven’t seen him at a bus stop yet) and […]
Taking a ride on “A Streetcar Named Delicious”
While reading the recipes in A Streetcar Named Delicious by Todd-Michael St. Pierre, I couldn’t help but sense the author’s whimsical, childlike nature from the titles of his recipes to the interspersed poetry about New Orleans. I suppose it makes sense considering that St. Pierre also writes children’s books, but […]
Springtime celebration similarities
With the official arrival of spring yesterday and the proliferation of St. Joseph’s Day altars around town on Friday, I can’t help but be reminded of home when the coming of spring meant the beginning of Persian New Year. “Nowruz” marks the beginning of spring and the first day of […]
Cooter Brown’s: A spontaneous diversion…
Since last Thursday, I had big plans about this week’s cheat. Searching through my list of restaurants “to do”, I had narrowed down my choices to three different contenders. All three restaurants were fairly upscale which required some personal maintenance on my part, that I was ready and willing for, […]
Milton H. Latter Memorial Library: A bibliophile’s refuge
The first month I spent in New Orleans was lonely, empty and frustrating. After spending almost four days on the road together, my sister and I had a huge fight that culminated in her earlier-than-expected departure and my subsequent depression. Yes, I had finally made it to the city of […]
Deep fried joy at Freret Street Po-Boy & Donut Shop
A few days ago while surfing the net, I happened upon a fabulous photo of a fried shrimp po-boy. It looked to be a 12 inch beauty on soft Leidenheimer French bread, fully dressed with shredded lettuce, bright tomatoes and creamy mayo and stuffed so full with crispy fried shrimp […]
In awe of Margaret
About a week before the madness of Mardi Gras set in, John and I took the streetcar downtown to check out used cars for sale at the Bridge House on Camp Street. We figured we could score a new vehicle and help out a worthy non-profit in one fell swoop, […]
Home-style cooking at Two Sisters Restaurant
A long time ago in a job far, far away, I had the most uncomfortable task of administrating a local forum. Most of the time it consisted of deleting spam, banning bots and trying to make all the participants happy (a virtually impossible task), but it also managed to be […]