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 […]
It’s Bananas [Foster]!
There’s no such thing as “too much of a good thing” when it comes to the endless iterations of this classic New Orleans recipe. You’ve placed your napkin on the table and declared yourself “full” when all at once you’re surrounded by the caramel-like aroma of melting butter, brown sugar […]
NOLA’s Memory Lane is Paved in Gold Brick Chocolates
There’s no hiding Louisiana’s nostalgic connection to Elmer’s confections, as many natives confess “it’s just not Easter without Elmer’s!” For kids all over the country, Easter morning will arrive with the sweet surprise of jelly bean-stuffed plastic eggs and hollow chocolate bunnies, but the baskets in Louisiana are just a […]
A Piece of Cake: Tres Leches
Creamy, light and just sweet enough, tres leches cake is a splendid, springtime dessert and finding a slice in the Crescent City is as easy as . . . cake! Made with an airy, eggy sponge and three kinds of milk, tres leches cake (a.k.a. pan tres leches) is a […]
Feast Like You’re Festin’
As much as we all love the music, art and food at the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, we can’t all go. Maybe you came here during those two magical weeks for work, not to play, perhaps you suffer from enochlophobia – an intense fear of crowds or, […]
The World is Your Oyster: Klara Cvitanovich
At the famous Drago’s Restaurant, family matriarch Klara Cvitanovich continues to honor the oyster empire launched by her husband over half a century ago. Several times a week, Klara Cvitanovich still spends her evenings greeting diners, welcoming them like long lost family to their flagship restaurant on N. Arnoult Road […]
A Different Kind of Dog
Delightfully novel ways of enjoying our favorite frankfurter in and around New Orleans. Regardless of their offal ingredients, it’s hard to deny the delicious nostalgia of a great hot dog. Just seeing an image of a frank slapped between it’s signature split bun decorated with zig-zags of mustard and (sorry […]
Pop-Up Appeal
Proof that paper plates and plastic cutlery can be counted as and integral part of a romantic night out! Thanks to aggressive marketing campaigns and endless propaganda, February is officially and commercially realized as the month of romance. Not only are we to single out the 14th as a day […]
When I Stroke the [James] Beards Thusly
Perhaps I am getting more curmudgeonly in my advanced years, but awards and award shows often elicit a big ol’ yawn. Like any popularity contest, it always comes down to who you know . . . and who knows you. That’s not to say the hard-working folks nominated for these […]
Cakewalk
It’s easy to blurt out a list of my favorite king cakes. They’re the ones that inevitably pop into my mind every year before twelfth night, and the ones I have to promptly dismiss in the name of what’s new and cool and hip (do people still use those words?). […]
2023 NOLA Restaurant Bucket List
I looked at last year’s New Year’s post and was encouraged to do another restaurant to-do list. Why, you ask (are you asking)? Well, I didn’t complete last year’s list, not even by half, and I’m hoping a repeat will keep me honest and help me keep in mind those […]
Falafel Fan
Crispy on the outside, soft and savory on the inside – served with a side of tahini or wrapped in pita to be devoured with bright, fresh veggies – falafel is one of those rare foods that are equally satisfying, healthful and indulgent all at the same time. It’s a […]