It’s celebrated for its storied dining rooms named after and decorated with memorabilia from some of New Orleans’ most staid carnival krewes. Antoine’s is expanding on its traditions with a new venue, next door to the hallowed restaurant: the Hermes Bar. The bar’s grand opening was Friday, coinciding with the opening day of French Quarter [...]
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Posted in Mardi Gras, New Orleans on Feb 24th, 2009
Sylvester Francis runs the show at the Backstreet Cultural Museum in Treme. He’s a film maker, photographer and historian. A world of New Orleans African-American culture awaits inside the museum, located at 1116 St. Claude, across the street and down a little ways in the same block as St. Augustine church. Mr. Francis has dedicated [...]
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Last year was my first encounter with Krewe du Vieux. It’s definitely “one for the locals;” highly satirical and raunchy to the extreme, it’s also held early enough each year that it’s off of the regular Mardi Gras beer-and-hand grenade-swilling, boob-flashing tourist crowd’s radar. As KdV’s website says: It is unique among all Mardi Gras [...]
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“On my honor I will do my best: To do my duty to God and my country…” Oath, Boy Scouts of America. “I vow to personally buy the first Sazerac for any visitor who asks ‘Hey, where do I get a Hurricane?’ and pledge to pull out the Herbsaint and Rye no matter the time [...]
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I’ll let the press release from Ann Tuennerman explain all the good news: TALES OF THE COCKTAIL OPENING RECEPTION TO BE HELD AT THE NEWLY RESTORED ROOSEVELT HOTEL TOAST OF THE EVENING TO OCCUR AT THE ORIGINAL SAZERAC BAR NEW ORLEANS, LA—December 1, 2008 – Tales of the Cocktail, a cocktail and culinary festival celebrating [...]
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Posted in Katrina, Mardi Gras, New Orleans on Aug 5th, 2008
This is the side of a house on Bellaire. Its backyard was bordered by the 17th Street Canal levee; which broke directly behind it, to the right in this picture. It’s a wonder the whole thing didn’t get washed away. I’d like to be able to say something poignent, like the people looking at it [...]
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YLC Streetcar artists Paulette Lizano and Will Smith popped up during Tales of the Cocktail at the event’s Cocktail Marketplace on Saturday. Paulette, who is in the process of building her streetcar, “Perley’s Barnyard Party” was there selling glass coasters and plates featuring martini glasses and S&WB meter cover designs. Will Smith’s streetcar is located [...]
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With that challenge, Kevin Brauch (the reporter on Iron Chef America who is not Alton Brown, thank Gawd) opened up Tales of the Cocktail. But first things first. Today’s kick-off event was Toast to Tales of the Cocktail in the Riverview Room of the Hotel Montleone. NOLA blogger Loki of Humid City and the Krewe [...]
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Posted in Food, Mardi Gras, New Orleans on Feb 26th, 2008
I was thinking, “I got nuthin’.” Nola’s covered the Streetcar Named Inspire sponsor party last week and there’s a quick write-up on StreetcarArt.com. So what to write about? One thing to note is that it is Lent in Southern Louisiana. Forty days of sacrifice in preparation for the Easter celebration of Christ’s resurrection. For Catholics [...]
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Carnival season is steeped in official ritual and tradition. Traditionally, the 12th Night Revelers and the Phunny Phorty Phellows kick the season off, and traditionally, one does not indulge in king cake before then (or after Fat Tuesday as well). Families have their carnival traditions through the season as well. It might be a tradition [...]
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Posted in Mardi Gras, New Orleans on Feb 4th, 2008
There’s a lot to be said concerning parade etiquette nowadays. Look at Endymion this past Saturday night. On the one end of the scale, five people were wounded at the corner of Poydras and Carondolet. Gunplay to end an argument in the middle of a crowd and in front of a bunch of cops is, [...]
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Posted in Mardi Gras, New Orleans on Feb 2nd, 2008
Le Krewe d’Etat 2008 rolled Friday evening with the theme “Le Krewe d’Etat’s Dirty Dishes.” The satire this year was served up in gastronomical terms. Once again, no one was spared. President Bush (Blame Duck Gumbo) and Hillary (Left Wing Fried Chicken Special) covered the national political scene while Brittany and Paris and Lindsay (Pop [...]
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Posted in Mardi Gras, New Orleans on Jan 31st, 2008
Le Krewe d’Etat rides again this year Friday, their motto is “Vivite ut Vehatis. Vehite ut Vevatis” which translates to the title of today’s post. Nola’s post today relates how important Mardi Gras 2006 was for the city, and how this krewe in particular throws parades “for the locals.” It’s in the tradition of the [...]
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Posted in Mardi Gras, New Orleans on Jan 30th, 2008
I’ve been trying to find my older photos from the time I got my first digital camera in 2000. That was a rough one. I had just moved back to the city from Baton Rouge that year and was hanging out on St. Charles Sunday afternoon waiting for for my first Bacchus in years. During [...]
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Posted in Food, Mardi Gras, New Orleans on Jan 25th, 2008
Me, I guess. I got a surprise with my mid-afternoon king cake snack—this lovely little golden child. King cake from Fresh Market in Mandeville. Another winner, not as flavorful as the Marguerite’s from yesterday, but moister. Plus, it comes with doubloons! Now I must fulfill my obligation and get one for Monday. I’ve got a [...]
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Posted in Food, Mardi Gras, New Orleans on Jan 24th, 2008
I was going to write a short post and put up some pics of today’s office king cake. Which I will. First, let me tell you how happy I am to share this article on Nola.com that has some great pics and reviews of king cakes found around town. The offerings at Sucre and Croissant [...]
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Posted in Katrina, Mardi Gras, New Orleans on Jan 23rd, 2008
Mardi Gras 2006 was the first post-K carnival season. I was of the opinion at the time that the city just was not ready. Way too much of town was uninhabited and uninhabitable; much of the devastation lay in traditional parade areas such as Endymion’s Mid-City route. How would the rest of the world believe [...]
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So I had my arm twisted and was peer pressured by Nola decided to go to the first parade of the season: Krewe du Vieux. A new experience for me; I’ve heard a lot about this raunchy display of sarcasm in the past, and was curious enough to procrastinate my assignments and head down to [...]
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Posted in Mardi Gras, New Orleans on Jan 17th, 2008
Boneramafreak at Randomness asked, “What do you do on Fat Tuesday?” A newcomer, she tells the story and has some great fun pics of how she has celebrated Mardi Gras since arriving in 2003. I started to leave a comment in response to her question, but it started to be as long as a post, [...]
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Posted in Animals, Mardi Gras on Jan 15th, 2008
It’s time to start getting those ice chests mounted on the red wagons, the seats bolted to the top of the ladders and those folding chairs dusted off. That’s right, it’s parade prep time. I was going through some old pictures on my computer and found some parade prep pics I’d like to share. Parade [...]
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