This past Sunday was the 24th annual Chef Soiree. Held in Covington’s Bogue Falaya Park, the soiree is a fundraiser for the Youth Service Bureau, and organization that funds CASA and other programs for at-risk youth. An impressive list of restaurants set up booths and offer a dish or two for tasting. There are...
Dinner at the Galley on Metairie Road after the St. Joseph altar excursion. Did someone say shrimp, plate or plate o’ shrimp? My fried shrimp dinner: Nola’s shrimp salad: Coincidence? They had a whole slew of specials on a board I meant to get a picture of. My favorite was the listing for “Softshell...
Right after Nola called to say she had her St. Joseph Day post up, into the office came some goodies. St. Joseph altar goodies, including prayer card and fava beans for good luck. It’s like the goodie bags Nola talks about, only it’s a goodie platter.
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...
So last night was Captain Sarcastic’s birthday dinner. Unfortunately, Nola’s continuing illness kept her from joining us. It turned into a small party (seven adults, one baby Sun–always an exemplary baby when dining out) meeting at Pascal’s Manale restaurant on Napoleon Avenue uptown. Manale’s is an old-school New Orleans place. We used to go...
As I announced earlier, Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations show was airing its New Orleans episode this week. I wondered whether it would delve a little deeper than the episode he did in the city with his old show on the Food Network. I’d like to say it didn’t disappoint, but I can’t. It was...
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...
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...
Speaking of lurking, we not only had yesterday’s king cake lurking around the office, there was leftover doberge cake from an office birthday party last week. Chocolate, from Rouse’s, I believe. And now for a closeup… What’s lurking in your office?
It was in the office when I arrived. It’s from the King Kake King in Mandeville ( a new one on me) and is strawberry/cream cheese filled. I know the preference is for no fillings, but ya’ll must be insanely jealous anyway.
Nola links to the Wikipedia article on king cakes which is pretty thorough on king cake history. I’ve found a couple of others, and would recommend Mardi Gras Unmasked’s web page on the subject. It goes a bit deeper into the local traditions, including a good overview of the Twelfth Night Revelers’ ball. A...
Although she didn’t mention it in her post, Nola challenged me via the Twitter to a king cake post-off. I’m not going abdicate to her detailed post just yet, but will spill one dirty little secret: I’m not all that about king cakes. They just don’t do it for me; it’s probably that I...
Threw my bad fortune off of the top of a tall building… PJ Harvey, Good Fortune I’ve been collecting fortune cookie fortunes for a couple of months now from the Chinese place near the office where I eat about once a week or so. Not to go all Seinfeld on you or anything, but...
The Times-Picayune ran an interesting article yesterday. The Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism is planning a more sedate (and some would say infinitely more interesting) adjunct to the Audubon Golf Trail—a Louisiana Culinary Trails program which: …ill highlight authentic restaurants and food experiences across the state, and provide materials for travelers to...
Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations show on the Travel Channel debuts its New Orleans episode on Lundi Gras with several repeats during the week. If you’re not familiar with him, Bourdain is a chef, food writer and fiction author who is also a traveling TV host. He’s doesn’t do the normal how-to cooking show. It’s...
Nola: “You’re not posting enough.” Pete: “I don’t have anything to write about.” Nola: “What about Lüke?” Pete: “O.K., we need more food porn on the site, anyway.” Dinner at John Besh’s Lüke restaurant, featuring Pete’s sister’s steak, Nola’s shrimp “en cocotte” (shrimp & grits), Pete’s sampling of mixed meats à la Lüke; and...
I am proud to be an American this July 4th, 2007. Eating a late breakfast, I was treated to the 92nd annual Nathan’s International July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest broadcast live on ESPN. The announcers did their best to hype it up to Super Bowl status, and for good reason: the title has...
Note: Well, official (late) blog congrats to Nola and CS on the early rising of Sun!!! Well, we finally made it to Mr. B’s in the Quarter last Thursday. After a hard day’s work helping Pete’s mom and dad, who have been painting at the sister’s still-hurricane-ravaged condo building out at the lake, we...
Basically a big ditto to Nola’s post on the Greek Fest. It was a good move to go on Friday in the evening. There was a nice breeze coming off the lake; it was very pleasant after sunset. The mini-food market inside was nifty. Nola bought some olives, CS a bottle of wine, and...
I just came off of a tour of Northshore Sno-Ball (or Snowball) stands. We found one on Hwy. 59 in Abita Springs, which Pete-in-Exile passes daily on his way to work. Passes, but never stops. Too bad, because I’ve been missing out on wonderful slice of New Orleans that’s been plopped dead center onto...