Realizing I’ll draw a lot of flak from avid fans, I have to stand my ground and claim (without fear) that Jacques-Imo’s Cafe is a bonafide tourist trap. Chef/owner Jack Leonardi deserves unmitigated props for the buzz about the unique eatery he’s established on Oak Street, a restaurant that attracts […]
Carnivorous bliss at Toups’ Meatery
No offense to all those rabbit-food lovers out there, but I could never be a vegetarian. To be perfectly honest, I don’t quite understand the appeal of that type of diet. Humans have eaten meat for a very long time. If we are indeed all natural herbivores, as a lot […]
Manning’s sans sports
Admitting you’re not a sports fan in New Orleans is akin to blasphemy, but there’s really nothing I can do about it. Maybe it was the years growing up with my father who, firmly ensconced on the couch, would command silence when the game was on or the grating voices […]
Great beginnings at Santa Fe Restaurant
Someone once told me that in order to taste the best a restaurant has to offer, you have to try the appetizers. These telltale “beginnings” often represent the true creativity lurking in the kitchen and hold the promise for a fabulous meal, but sometimes you might want it to be […]
Definitely not snubbed at the High Hat Cafe
The first thought that poofed into my head upon hearing the name High Hat Cafe was “So, it’s snobbish Southern food?’ Was I being hastily judgemental? Did I “get out my conclusions mat” as my loving boyfriend loved to quote from that cult classic film, Office Space? Last week, my […]
Caffeine clip: Cafe Beignet
If I could, I would…every single day. (Was I supposed to show a pic of the coffee?)
A late Sunday lunch at Lebanon’s Cafe
You’d think that by now I would have hit almost every restaurant in my neighborhood, but there are, in fact, a few I have had yet to patronize for no other reason than I simply had not gotten around to it yet. Last Sunday, I was able to put another […]
The art of food
Last Thursday, I was invited by representatives of Highland Park Scotch Whiskey to attend the StarChefs.com “Rising Stars” event here in New Orleans, honoring some amazing local chefs and mixologists who “represent the vanguard of the contemporary dining scene in America.” Aside from giving serious props where props are due, […]
Spring cravings: Panchita’s
Perhaps it might seem odd, but when the weather starts getting warmer and daylight stretches into the evening, an itch comes over me that cries out for tangy guacamole scooped up by warm, crispy tortilla chips and an icy margarita made with fresh lime, the glass supporting a thick rim […]
The whole fam damly
Okay, it wasn’t the whole family, but it was a fairly decent slice of the Ranjbars (and Mangewalas) that came to visit me last week. For Ray Ranjbar (my dad), Rob Mangewala (my brother-in-law) and Arissa (my super-cool niece), it was the first trip ever to New Orleans. Nancy (my […]
Sweet Olive
Sometimes, you just can’t come up with a good introduction. No matter how hard you stare at the blinking cursor, your brain feels just about as empty as the pristine white screen in front of your face. Strange thoughts run through your mind occasionally like “Did I brush my teeth […]
Pigging out
Last week, I spent a ridiculous amount of time eating. A day and a half tasting dishes all over the city for the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience and a delicious media feast at Dijon Restaurant located in the old New Orleans firehouse on Annunciation were more than enough […]