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 […]
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 […]
A feasting fest: French Quarter Festival 2011
So, it was a no-brainer decision for my cheat this week, right? I mean, duh, where the hell else would I be besides French Quarter Festival? Easily one of my favorite festivals of the season, this celebration…this daytime, suntime, springtime elation is all about the Vieux Carre. Everything you can […]
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 […]
Missing out
This past week I have felt terrible. Due to the gorgeous springtime weather, my allergies kicked into high gear and had me wheezing like…well…a person with asthma triggered by severe allergies. The only way to avoid an expensive trip to the emergency room that my finances couldn’t possibly withstand, I […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
Café Du Monde: A never-ending love affair
After the Krewe du Vieux parade was over, John and I were trekking back through the Quarter down Decatur Street when I suddenly remembered something…I didn’t have any dessert for my cheat! No matter, I knew the perfect place to go. Since my first visit to New Orleans, I have […]
Sweet, sexy Valentine’s Day…
In my strange little brain, I tend to equate Valentine’s Day (and romance in general) with dessert. I mean, as I was growing up, every year for Valentine’s Day my father would always buy all the girls in the family a large, heart-shaped box of assorted chocolates from See’s Candy […]
Adventurous dining: Café Abyssinia
Unusual ethnic cuisines aside, dining in a new restaurant every week is always an adventure. Even if you are just going out for burgers, you never can be sure what kind of experience you may encounter. This week, in an effort to try something completely different, John and I decided […]
Healthy and happy at Dante’s Kitchen
All last week, starting on Sunday, I was feeling decidedly ill. Then, after I visited the doctor on Wednesday and was prescribed antibiotics, I experienced an allergic reaction to the medicine and felt even worse (itching from head to foot all night long). It wasn’t until Saturday morning that I […]