Photo courtesy of Commander’s Palace
Commander’s Palace, New Orleans, LA
James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award winner 2009
by Sharon McDonnell | July 28, 2010
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Legendary Commander's Palace is where chefs Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme went on to world fame and opening their own restaurants. New Orleans' most popular restaurant in the 2009 Zagat survey - plus 17 other years - offers moderate-price lunch (and 25-cent martinis) and dinner specials, besides its pricy regular menu.
A two-course $16-20 lunch features one of two entrees: Creole cochon de lait, shredded smoky pulled pork in a pastry …
Photo courtesy of Nonna Mia
Nonna Mia Cafe & Pizzeria, New Orleans, LA
Best Pizza in New Orleans
by Sharon McDonnell | July 26, 2010
Juicy melted cheese, the sort a knife and fork are often requireded to eat it, generous-sized portions: Nonna Mia's pizza is my type of pizza. Classic toppings - anchovies, mushrooms, pepperoni, olives, salami, roasted red peppers, portobello wmushrooms, goat cheese - nothing unexpected or un-Italian like crawfish or pineapple, are available. Pizza is by the slice ($2.50, toppings 55-85 cents extra) or pie (from $8.95 for small 10" or $10.95 and up for small specialty pizzas), and specialty pizzas range from four-cheese, margherita, …
Windsor Court at Mardi Gras time
Photo courtesy of Windsor Court
Windsor Court Hotel, New Orleans, LA
Old World-style luxury
by Sharon McDonnell | July 23, 2010
The most opulent Old World-style hotel in New Orleans, it's also the most acclaimed: Louisiana's only AAA Four Diamond hotel and the state's only hotel on Travel & Leisure's Top 50 Big City Hotels in U.S. and Canada 2010 list.
An amazing collection of 17th to 19th century paintings, some by Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough, a British-style sense of grandeur (lots of Windsor Castle and fox-hunt art plus afternoon tea), spacious, …
A live specimen at Audubon Insectarium.
Photo courtesy of Audubon Nature Institute.
Audubon Insectarium, New Orleans, LA
Best Children's Museum
by Sharon McDonnell | July 19, 2010
Created to gladden the heart of any kid fascinated by creepy-crawly things, North America's only museum devoted to insects, ranges from the sublime - hundreds of butterflies flitting about a Japanese-style garden, next to an exhibit comparing butterflies around the world - to the disgusting - edible inspects, in a "Bug Appetit" exhibit (bugs are a source of protein in many cultures).
Audubon Insectarium makes learning fun. A movie describes insects' amazing abilities, Academy Awards-style, …
Trumpet Tribute at Closing of 2009 Satchmo Fest
Photo courtesy of French Quarter Festivals, Inc.
Satchmo SummerFest, New Orleans, LA
Free Jazz Festival August 5-8
by Sharon McDonnell | July 16, 2010
Traditional jazz, contemporary jazz, and brass band fans: Satchmo Fest, the 10th annual festival honoring native son Louis Armstrong, will be at the Old US Mint at edge of the French Quarter. Hours of free concerts on three stages honoring America's indigenous art form in the city of its birth, plus food and beer booths.
A fundraiser concert starring Yoshio Toyama and the Dixie Saints - a fantastic band from Japan that plays …
Irvin Mayfield at Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse
Photo courtesy of Royal Sonesta Hotel
Jazz, New Orleans, LA
Where to Hear it in New Orleans
by Sharon McDonnell | July 13, 2010
Jazz began in New Orleans in the early 20th century, influenced by blues, ragtime piano, gospel spirituals, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, brass bands and drumming and dance traditions in Congo Square, where enslaved Africans congregated on Sundays before the Civil War. While its roots were in Black communities, it broadened to other ethnic groups in the city and beyond, as New Orleans jazz musicians played in riverboat bands and vaudeville and minstrel acts. A typical New Orleans band consisted of a trumpet …
Tipitina's, Opened in 1977
Photo courtesy of Tipitina’s
Tipitina’s, New Orleans, LA
Best Live Music Venue
by Sharon McDonnell | July 12, 2010
For Louisiana music from blues, brass, funk, Cajun to Mardi Gras lndian, Tipitina's is the place to be. July features free Friday concerts, starring Honey Island Swamp Band, Papa Grows Funk and Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, though $10 is the usual admission.
It's standing-room-only in this Uptown club with two bars that pulsates with such intense energy from a state-of-the-art sound system (it fits 1,000 people) you expect …
Downtown Covington
Photo courtesy of St. Tammany Parish Tourist Commission
Town of Covington on the North Shore, Covington, LA
Best Lake Getaway
by Sharon McDonnell | July 07, 2010
The charming, artsy town of Covington, on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, offers much to see and do, a 45-minute drive from New Orleans.
Its compact historic downtown is lined with galleries like Brunner Gallery, featuring contemporary fine art from paintings, sculptures to glass, ceramics and metal, and St. Tammany Art Association, restaurants like Dakota, whose gourmet Louisiana cuisine - try the lump crabmeat Brie soup, sinfully …
Courtesy of Tipitinas.com
How to Help the Oil Spill: Drink, Eat, Hear Music, Donate
by Sharon McDonnell | June 30, 2010
A benefit concert at Tipitina's Uptown in New Orleans on July 1 will donate ticket sales to help fishermen and their families, wildlife and wetlands harmed by the BP oil spill. The Tipitina's concert, which features Galactic, Joe Krown Trio (including Walter "Wolfman" Washington and Russell Batiste), Ivan Neville and Coco Robicheaux, is one of over 25 music venues nationwide who agree to donate proceeds from their July 1 concerts to the Gulf …
Death in the South Pacific, the Official Cocktail
Photo courtesy of Tales of the Cocktail
Tales of the Cocktail, New Orleans, LA
Spirited Celebration Starts July 21
by Sharon McDonnell | June 29, 2010
The annual Tales of the Cocktail celebrates the cocktail culture of New Orleans July 21-25 with dinners at 25 restaurants with cocktail-pairing menus, competitions where bartenders vie to make the best cocktails, seminars on cocktail trends, history and techniques, themed luncheons like Eco-Celebrations - offering tips on throwing parties or weddings in a sustainable way, awards for the world's best cocktail bar, hotel bar and best new product - and - yes - tastings …
Prytania Theater, New Orleans' oldest operating theater
Photo by George Long, courtesy of New Orleans Film Society
New Orleans Film Festival
Annual Independent Film Fest
by Sharon McDonnell | June 28, 2010
To be held October 14-21, 2010, the New Orleans Film Festival has showcased independent filmmakers like Todd Solondz, director of Happiness, and Kevin Smith, director of Clerks, over the past 21 years. In 2009, screenings included Precious (whose Mo'Nique won Best Actress Oscar this year), The Young Victoria, a documentary about the making of a film considered one of the worst ever made, and Troll 2, now cherished as a cult classic.
They …
Photo Courtesy of New Orleans CVB
Win a Hotel Stay in the Vieux Carre
Get Away in the Vieux Carre Sweepstakes
by Sharon McDonnell | June 24, 2010
Winners for stays at four French Quarter hotels, plus free meals and entertainment gift certificates, are being chosen in June, July and August by the French Quarter Business Association.
Fill out the form on the FQBA Website to register and see list of hotels, restaurants, shops and other participants, including some of the best-known names in the French Quarter. Gift certificates can be used at various shops, music and theater venues, steamship rides, …
BBQ Oysters
Photo courtesy of Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group
Red Fish Grill
Fresh Gulf Seafood, Whimsical Decor
by Sharon McDonnell | June 23, 2010
BBQ oysters—where the barest hint of flash-frying allows their tender, juicy goodness to shine through—doused liberally with Crystal cayenne pepper hot sauce and blue cheese dressing is a signature dish at this French Quarter restaurant famous for the freshest of Gulf seafood and its playful decor.
Vividly colorful metal and neon fish sculptures dangle from the ceiling, painted sea creatures adorn tables, and oyster-shaped mirrors hang above the bar at Red Fish Grill, open …
Photo courtesy of Abita Brewing Co.
Abita Brewing Company
Best Beer
by Sharon McDonnell | June 21, 2010
A synonym for Louisiana and great beer? Abita Brewing Company, whose seven flagship brews, plus seasonal and harvest beers, have thrilled beer connoisseurs and won awards since its 1986 founding.
From Turbodog - a dark brown ale whose chocolate toffee taste comes from its combo of chocolate, pale and crystal malts, Purple Haze - a wheat beer, tartly sweet, thanks to the raspberry puree added after fermentation, Jockamo I.P.A. - a …
Photo courtesy of Essence Music Festival
Essence Music Festival, New Orleans, LA
July 4th Weekend: Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige
by Sharon McDonnell | June 07, 2010
Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, Earth, Wind and Fire, and Gladys Knight are headliners July 2-4 at Essence Music Festival. While fireworks will illuminate the Mississipi River the night of July 4, New Orleans celebrates this weekend with—what else?—this annual festival at the Superdome.
Essence, the magazine for African-American women, is executive producer of the festival, which features many empowerment seminars from expert speakers and a marketplace, as …
Shrimp Po-Boy
Photo by Sarah Essex, courtesy of New Orleans CVB
Louisiana Cajun/Zydeco Festival
Seafood, Music and Tomato Fests June 11-13 in Quarter
by Sharon McDonnell | June 04, 2010
The Louisiana Cajun/Zydeco Festival, Louisiana Seafood Festival and Creole Tomato Festival: three terrific reasons to enjoy New Orleans the weekend of June 11-13.
Shrimp, oysters, crab, crawfish and alligator—fried, boiled, barbecued and grilled—will be sold from local restaurants. Zydeco—Southwest Louisiana's irresitible R&B-influenced dance music—will be performed by bands like Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience and Buckwheat Zydeco during the free music festival. Cajun music—two-step and waltzes from the French-speaking exiled …
Photo courtesy of New Orleans CVB
Jackson Square, New Orleans, LA
Best Place to Get Married in New Orleans
by Sharon McDonnell | May 30, 2010
Jackson Square, a public park in front of St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in North America, flanked by the Louisiana State Museum's Cabildo and Presbytere, is the most iconic and historic spot in New Orleans for a wedding.
Artists sell their art along the square, whose bronze statue honors Andrew Jackson, victor of the Battle of New Orleans, who defeated the British in 1815 with the help of …
Carrie on an exotic Girflfriends' Getaway in Sex and the City 2
Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers
The Theatres at Canal Place, New Orleans, LA
Movie Theatre Opens with Seat Side Drinks, Food, Sex and the City 2
by Sharon McDonnell | May 24, 2010
A new theater with during-the-movie wine, cocktails and gourmet snacks debuts in The Shops at Canal Place May 26 with a free public party for Sex and the City 2, which premieres at midnight in New Orleans' most upscale shopping center.
The party at the Canal Street shopping center, anchored by Saks Fifth Avenue—Carrie would approve—starts at 8 PM. Skyy Vodka will be poured (Cosmopolitans, of course!) and a …
Upperline, a block from St. Charles Ave.
Photo by John McCurry
Upperline, New Orleans, LA
Gourmet Food in Art-Filled Cottage
by Sharon McDonnell | May 20, 2010
Fabulous food in an art-filled yellow frame and brick house, elegant ambience, and a gracious owner so hands-on she visits tables to chat with guests, takes telephone reservations, and gives out lists of her favorite art galleries, shops, other restaurants, books, and even smells in New Orleans (she recommends the night-blooming jasmine, sweet olive trees in the St. Louis Cathedral garden and gardenias) - Upperline is a don't-miss.
No wonder JoAnn Clevenger …
Photo by Monroe Davids, Courtesy New Orleans CVB
Gulf Aid, New Orleans, LA
Concert to Benefit Victims of Oil Spill
by Sharon McDonnell | May 12, 2010
A benefit concert to help oil spill recovery and wetlands restoration efforts and fishermens' families, Gulf Aid will be held Sunday, May 16 at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans, 12 Noon-10 PM. The all-star lineup of Louisiana musicians performing include Lenny Kravitz (a part-time resident), Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, Cyril Neville, Tab Benoit, Shamarr Allen, Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and Waylon Thibodaux.
…
Bookstore in house where William Faulkner once lived.
Photo courtesy of Faulkner House.
Faulkner House, New Orleans, LA
French Quarter Bookstore Hosts Literary Festival and Other Activities
by Sharon McDonnell | May 11, 2010
A bookstore located in the house where William Faulkner wrote his first book in 1925 on lovely pastel-colored Pirate's Alley in the French Quarter, Faulkner House sells mostly fiction, books about writers and about New Orleans, but that's not all. The Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, a nonprofit arts society founded by its owners, hosts Words and Music, a literary festival each November and a year-round program of free Meet the Author talks, plus a creative writing …
Spa entrance
Photo by Mark Wieland, courtesy of Ritz-Carlton New Orleans
Ritz-Carlton New Orleans Spa, New Orleans, LA
More than 100 treatments in an opulent setting
by Sharon McDonnell | May 04, 2010
More than 100 treatments—like magnolia sugar scrubs, cafe au lait body polish, Thai and warm stone massages, Vitamin C facials, and the Marie Laveau Voodoo Love Massage, named after the city's famous 19th-century voodoo queen and featuring flickering red candles, voodoo music, and incense-filled air—and 22 treatment rooms: The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans Spa aims to be the city's most extensive spa.
The setting is elegant, with chandeliers, fountains, a serene women's relaxation lounge …
Coop's Place on Decatur Street
Photo courtesy of Coop’s Place
Coop’s Place, New Orleans, LA
Excellent Cajun food in the French Quarter
by Sharon McDonnell | May 02, 2010
This dark casual barroom, whose resident cat often snoozes in the window, is known to locals and savvy tourists for fantastic Cajun-style food in the French Quarter. Its Cajun pasta—with oysters, shrimp, and catfish vying for space with artichoke hearts, mushrooms, tasso, scallions, and, oh yes, pasta in a spicy cream sauce—is so yummy and filling, I have yet to finish it in one sitting (at $10.95, that's quite a bargain) and am rarely tempted to order anything …
The Joint may be in an area unfamiliar to tourists, but it's a friendly place.
Photo by www.flickr.com/photos/washingtoniv
The Joint, New Orleans, LA
BBQ in Bywater
by Sharon McDonnell | April 26, 2010
Juicy, slow-cooked beef brisket, pulled pork, pork ribs and chicken coated by a yummy spice rub are so toothsome you'll be muttering guttural porcine noises of pure pleasure in no time. In the Bywater neighborhood, easily reachable from the French Quarter by bus, The Joint has probably New Orleans' best BBQ. The casual eatery sports a bright yellow facade and orange interior, with wood tables inside and outside—next to the smoker. The …
A famous New Orleans pairing
Photo by Carl Purcell, courtesy of New Orleans CVB
Cafe du Monde, New Orleans, LA
Coffee, Beignets and History Too
by Sharon McDonnell | April 16, 2010
Beignets, fluffy and light, topped with a sinful amount of powdered sugar, and coffee, strong and chicory-flavored go with New Orleans like—well, like rhythm 'n blues, Angelina and Brad, Scarlett and Rhett, and many other famous pairings. The place to find them is the Cafe du Monde, the mostly outdoors coffeehouse in the French Quarter—great for people-watching, and musicians often play in front—which serves them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (except …
Muriel's on Jackson Square
Photo courtesy of Muriel’s
Muriel’s, New Orleans, LA
Contemporary Creole in the French Quarter
by Sharon McDonnell | April 13, 2010
One of the longest food lines at the French Quarter Festival this weekend was the booth for Muriel's, no doubt for its sensational crawfish and goat cheese crepes in a buttery, Chardonnay-flavored sauce—one of the best renditions of Louisiana's signature crustacean that I've tasted in New Orleans. New Orleans has four seasons, as you know: crawifish (now), oysters, shrimp and crab. At Muriel's restaurant on the corner of Jackson Square, it's called an "appetizer" for $9, but, …
Chef Frank Brigtsen teaching a class.
Courtesy New Orleans Cooking Experience
New Orleans Cooking Experience, New Orleans, LA
Star Chefs Teach in 1795 Creole House
by Sharon McDonnell | April 09, 2010
Want to learn how to cook crawfish, shrimp, bread pudding and other distinctive New Orleans foods? There's no better place than taking a class in the large sun-filled kitchen of the beautiful antiques-filled House On Bayou Road, a B&B in a 1795 house with an outdoor swimming pool. The New Orleans Cooking Experience offers half-day dinner and lunch classes taught by Frank Brigtsen, chef/owner of Brigtsen's Restaurant and one of New Orleans' most …
Irises in Longue Vue's wildflower garden
Photo courtesy of Longue Vue
Longue Vue House & Gardens, New Orleans, LA
Eleven gardens and a stately mansion create a magnificent escape.
by Sharon McDonnell | April 05, 2010
Eight acres of formal gardens, a Classical Revival mansion filled with English and American antiques, and events from teas and talks to wine tastings entice visitors to Longue Vue, a National Historic Landmark.
A sea of Louisiana irises - purple, pinkish-purple, orange and white - and camellias line walks in the Wild Garden, devoted to native wildlflowers—just one of 11 distinctive garden "rooms" here. There's also Spanish Court, where fountains and ornate mosaic …
Courtyard at The Ritz-Carlton
Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton
Ritz-Carlton Hotel, New Orleans, LA
Do Good, Reward Yourself at The Ritz
by Sharon McDonnell | March 31, 2010
Did you know you can volunteer to help New Orleans' recovery from Katrina—and be rewarded with a discount at a top luxury hotel? At The Ritz-Carlton, help rebuild housing with Habitat for Humanity, and your room rate drops to $129 per night (depending on availability, of course). Some other nonprofits also qualify. The rate even drops to $95 a night at the Iberville Suites, its sister hotel next door.
…
A plate of house-cured meats.
Photo courtesy Link Restaurant Group
Cochon, New Orleans, LA
Haute Cajun, Swine Bar
by Sharon McDonnell | March 25, 2010
Cajun country food with a gourmet twist, in a contemporary, clean-lined space with blond wood furnishings: an unexpected, but extremely successful combo. Cochon was embraced immediately by both locals and visitors, and rabbit with dumplings, wood-fired oyster roast, suckling pig—or cochon—with turnips, cabbage and cracklins, fried alligator with chili garlic aioli, and roasted Gulf fish "fisherman style" are among its tastiest offerings.
Since James Beard Award-winner (for Best Chef: South) Donald Link has a nose-to-tail ethos, Cochon's …
Royal Street
Photo by Carl Purcell, courtesy of New Orleans CVB
Road Food Festival, New Orleans, LA
Crawfish Boil! BBQ! World's Longest Oyster Po-Boy!
by Sharon McDonnell | March 21, 2010
As if there isn't enough food in New Orleans, Texas barbecue, Maine seafood chowder, Alabama pulled pork, meat and crawfish pies from Natchitoches in north Louisiana, and chicken-and-sausage gumbo from Lafayette, Louisiana are among the 20+ regional eateries selling food during the Road Food Festival March 26-28, held outdoors on Royal Street.
"Road Food" celebrates humble, budget-priced, tasty regional eats found along roadsides, in small towns and neighborhoods across America, popularized by authors/journalists Jane and …
Tasting at George Rodrigue gallery on Royal Street Stroll
Courtesy New Orleans Wine & Food Experience
New Orleans Wine & Food Experience, New Orleans, LA
75+ Restaurants, 175+ Wineries
by Sharon McDonnell | March 17, 2010
The city's signature epicurean food event of the year, the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience is a five-day extravaganza featuring over 75 local restaurants and over 175 wineries world-wide.
From May 25 to 29, food and wine lovers can enjoy:
- A Grand Tasting: food and wine samples from dozens of local restaurants and wineries - in the Superdome.
- A Royal Street Stroll: art galleries, antiques and jewelry shops on …
Uptown Garden
Photo by Eugenia Uhl
Secret Gardens Tour, March 12-13, New Orleans, LA
Uptown Gardens Invite Visitors
by Sharon McDonnell | March 10, 2010
New Orleans' many beautiful private gardens are one of its jewels. Ten private gardens in one of its most picturesque neighborhoods, Uptown, will offer the public a rare opportunity to view their floral displays, landscaping, and extensive outdoor art collections on Friday, March 12 and Saturday, March 13. Self-guided and private guided tours are available.
Landscape architects and horticultural experts will be on hand to explain each garden, and detailed descriptions will be given to visitors. …
Photo by Jeff Anding, courtesy New Orleans CVB
Parasol’s, New Orleans, LA
Best Place to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day
by Sharon McDonnell | March 09, 2010
Famous for its all-day block party on St. Patrick's Day, Parasol's, an Irish bar in the neighborhood called the Irish Channel, is renowned as the capital of St. Paddy's celebrations in New Orleans.
Thousands of beers, emerald-green and otherwise, jello shots—vodka, melon liqueur and jello combos—will be served, not to mention roast beef po-boys on gravy-drenched French bread (dubbed the best in New Orleans by local publications), seafood and BBQ po-boys, and corned beef on …
Kingsley House
Photo courtesy of Kingsley House
Chefs for Louisiana Cookery, New Orleans, LA
Two Dozen-Plus Top New Orleans Chefs Share Their Cuisine
by Sharon McDonnell | March 05, 2010
Don't miss a sensational opportunity to sample the cuisine of John Besh, Susan Spicer, Donald Link, Scott Boswell and Tory McPhail, among over 25 top New Orleans chefs, at Chefs for Louisiana Cookery. The event is March 21, 3-7 PM, at Kinglsey House, and it benefits the James Beard Foundation.
The participating chefs are all either James Beard Award winners or chefs who have cooked at New …
Azaleas at Gibson Hall
Photo courtesy of Tulane University
Tulane University, New Orleans
Uptown university renowned for research and public service
by Sharon McDonnell | March 03, 2010
Founded in 1834, Tulane University, which has law, medical, business, architecture, public health and tropical medicine, and science/engineering schools, is one of only 62 universities in the U.S. acclaimed for its research facilities and pre-eminent undergraduate and graduate programs by the Association of American Universities. Major research fields include cancer, gene therapy and primates. Tulane's law school is the only one in the U.S. to offer a degree in admiralty law, while architecture students …
Charmaine Neville at Jazz Fest
Courtesy New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation
Jazz Fest, New Orleans, LA
Way More Than Jazz
by Sharon McDonnell | February 28, 2010
One of the world's great music festivals, Jazz Fest—the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival—will be held the weekends of April 23-25 and April 29-May 2. From the Gipsy Kings to B.B. King. Aretha Franklin to Simon & Garfunkel, Elvis Costello to the Allman Brothers Band, Pearl Jam to the Black Crowes, hundreds of bands will perform rock, pop, gospel, folk, Cajun, Zydeco, African and Caribbean music on 17 outdoor stages at the Fairgrounds …
The 2010 French Quarter Festival poster
Photo courtesy of French Quarter Festivals, Inc.
French Quarter Festival, New Orleans, LA
Biggest Free Music Fest in the South
by Sharon McDonnell | February 24, 2010
Over 150 Louisiana bands and over 100 local food vendors star at the French Quarter Festival April 9-11, voted "best event open to the public" by readers of New Orleans magazine.
Jazz, R&B, Zydeco, Cajun, gospel, brass bands, funk and classical music will be performed throughout the French Quarter, on stages at the Louisiana State Museum's Old U.S. Mint, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, French Market and other locations at the festival many visitors …
new-orleans-food
Photo by Carl Purcell, courtesy of New Orleans CVB
James Beard Semi-Finalists, New Orleans, LA
Six Best Chef:South Nominations
by Sharon McDonnell | February 19, 2010
Many New Orleans chefs are among the just-announced James Beard Foundation Awards semi-finalists. In the Best Chef:South category, Scott Boswell of Stella! and Stanley, John Harris of Lilette, Adolfo Garcia of RioMar, La Boca and A Mano, Aaron Burgau of Patois, and David and Torre Solazzo of Ristorante Del Porto (the last in Covington, on the North Shore) won nominations.
In the Rising Star Chef of the Year …
new-orleans-float
Photo by Romney Caruso, courtesy New Orleans CVB
Mardi Gras World, New Orleans, LA
It's Never Too Late
by Sharon McDonnell | February 18, 2010
Missed Mardi Gras? Boo-hoo. Actually, you can experience its fantasy, glamour and excitement year-round at the studios where floats and sculptures for the biggest krewes are created, Mardi Gras World. Kings, queens, superheroes, fairies, mythical creatures, a humungous alligator, Marilyn Monroe and gorillas surround you—it's a surreal wonderland.
Watch artists make the floats for Rex, Endymion, Bacchus, and others with papier mache, fiberglass and twinkling flights. Try on costumes for …
new-orleans-noma-disney.jpg
Courtesy New Orleans Museum of Art
Disney Art Exhibit, New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA
Original paintings and sketches from your favorite animated classics
by Sharon McDonnell | February 11, 2010
New Orleanians can be forgiven for thinking they're in a storybook lately—thanks to the magical peformance of its beloved Saints, a national symbol of faith, resilience and flawless teamwork, and the New Orleans setting of the latest Disney movie, The Princess and the Frog.
An art exhibit from unforgettable Disney fairy tales like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White on display at the New Orleans Museum of Art, through March 14. A delightful treat for families, Dreams Come True: Art of Classic Fairy Tales from Walt Disney Studio showcases the …
new-orleans-bourbon-st
Courtesy New Orleans CVB
Saints Win Super Bowl, New Orleans, LA
Victory!
by Sharon McDonnell | February 08, 2010
One of the best newspaper headlines in the history of the world is the cover of today's Times-Picayune: AMEN!
This one word says it all: The New Orleans Saints, in their first-ever trip to the Super Bowl, demolished the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17, in a thrilling heartstopper. Thousands of jubilant fans packed Bourbon Street to scream, sing, dance and set off fireworks till nearly dawn today. Fans watched the game everywhere—from the 22-foot screen at the National World War II …
Stanley and Stella Shouting Contest
Courtesy Tennessee Williams Festival
Tennessee Williams Literary Festival, New Orleans, LA
STELLAAAAA!
by Sharon McDonnell | February 05, 2010
Sex. Food. Literature. All are on the menu at the annual Tennessee Williams Literary Festival March 24-28, held mostly in the French Quarter.
Dave Eggers, author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and Zeitoun, a Hurricane Katrina survivor story; Pulitzer Price-winning playwright Edward Albee ("Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"); journalist Cokie Roberts; and screenwriter/director John Patrick Shanley of Moonstruck and Doubt are among the speakers at the festival, whose master classes, discussion panels, French Quarter …
new-orleans-bourbon-st
Photo by Richard Nowitz, courtesy of New Orleans CVB
Super Bowl: Saints vs. Colts, New Orleans, LA
The game may be in Miami, but the Who Dat Nation will be out in force here.
by Sharon McDonnell | February 01, 2010
Why watch the Super Bowl in Miami, a city that dances to a Latin beat—when you can watch it in New Orleans, a city that dances to any beat—from jazz, swing, zydeco to Cajun? Why indeed? Euphoria has reigned in this Saints-crazed city since their historic victory that propelled them to Super Bowl XLIV. As for Super Bowl taking place in the midst of Mardi Gras season, what more could any New Orleans-loving football fan ask? You'll be humming "When …
new-orleans-mardi
Courtesy New Orleans CVB
Mardi Gras 2010, New Orleans, LA
Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez
by Sharon McDonnell | January 25, 2010
Purple, green and gold foil wreaths, banners and lights dress up houses in the French Quarter and other neighborhoods in the weeks before Mardi Gras, New Orleans' signature festivity, held February 16 this year. Exotically-costumed, masked revelers on ornately-decorated floats, representing krewes or private clubs, parade almost daily starting February 5, though the first official parade, the Krewe de Vieux, parades through the French Quarter January 30. Often named after figures in Greek myths like Endymion, Bacchus and Proteus, but sometimes …
Photo by Carl Purcell, courtesy of New Orleans CVB
Travel Guide to New Orleans
Why You Should Visit New Orleans
by Sharon McDonnell | January 22, 2010
Why should you visit New Orleans?
Because it's the closest thing to Europe, and the Caribbean, in the US—but there's nothing quite like it anywhere else.
Because there's more music in New Orleans on a Tuesday, than in other cities over an entire weekend. Instead of a lone street musician, you'll spot an entire brass band.
Because you'll eat food so inspired—not just in snazzy restaurants that opened post-Hurricane Katrina or in century-old classics, but …
Photo by Audubon Nature Institute
Audubon Park, New Orleans, LA
Jog under oaks—and maybe beside a movie star or TV pundit.
by Millie Ball | January 04, 2010
Sure, there are beaucoup gyms in New Orleans, with Elmwood Fitness Center claiming title as the largest. And outdoor enthusiasts often head to Mid City’s immense City Park surrounding the New Orleans Museum of Art.
But at one time or another, just about everyone ends up in Uptown’s Audubon Park.
We walk (I usually have my dog in tow) or run or bicycle on its 1.8 mile paved, …
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