One of the perks of being a fringe member of the press (not the same as a member of the fringe press) is the occasional invite to VIP events. Today, it was Abita Brewing Company’s opening of their new visitor center in Abita Springs. A nice reception, complete with catered snacks–crawfish cakes, grilled sausage...
On Saturday the gang climbed aboard a tour bus that took us from downtown San Francisco to the wine country in and around Sonoma. First stop was Gloria Ferrer, a sparkling wine producer in the Carneros region. This one sums it all up…10:20 a.m. bubbly. The winery from the road: Ready, set, taste! There...
Monday was our last day in San Francisco. I posted about getting into town Friday and Sunday’s lunch. Monday morning I set out on my own and took the cable car the couple of blocks down Nob Hill to Chinatown. Perambulating through San Francisco can be a bit of a challenge for swamp-dwelling yahoos...
One of the restaurants Nola recommended in San Francisco was a dim sum place called Yank Sing. I found from the guidebook she lent me that there are a few locations around town, none of which are in Chinatown. There was one that looked to be close to the San Francisco Museum of Modern...
First off, a big thanks to everyone who’s helped out in making this trip a great one. Hat’s off to Nola and Katie for pre-trip tips, and Yat Pundit for airport expertise shared via the Twitter in real-time. Our office has taken a trip to San Francisco as a reward for meeting its sales...
During the French Quarter Fest I took a side trip into the St. Louis Cathedral. It’s a ubiquitous symbol that anchors the scene most associated with the city: what I call the “money shot” of Jackson Square taken from the Washington Artillery monument. I’m not going into a full history of the cathedral at...
Of all the festivals available to the south Louisianan, the French Quarter Fest has become by far my favorite one. It’s held in and celebrates my favorite place on earth, the French Quarter, where my family has connections stretching back to my great-great-great-great grandfather’s arrival here as a refugee in 1809. A French colonial...
Well, folks, we’re coming up on my one-year anniversary on the blogosphere, (blogoversary?). My first post, originally a guest post on Nolanotes, was a review of the French Quarter Fest. In light of my blogoversary and the the kickoff of FQF this weekend, I present for you, once again, my first blog posts (originally...
In coming weeks, one or more of you may find yourselves in receipt of a Major Award. No, not that one. This one: Pete & Nola’s Lucky Blog Award, recipients to be determined by as yet undetermined criteria. Now, I’m not big on blog bling at all. But I am one for a pun,...
It seems to be Yat week at our little corner of the NOLA (the city) blogosphere. Nola (the blogger) tells her Yat family story. While my father is a 5th generation New Orleanian from Mid-City, my mother is from Cajun Country; neither could be considered “Yats,” nor did they raise any Yat children. We...