by Steven Lindsey Photos by Rodrigo Orta
Every year at Tales of the Cocktail, William Grant & Sons unleashes their vast portfolio of great liquor brands at parties with fanfare like no other. At tonight’s party at the New Orleans Museum of Art, they pulled out all the stops in celebration of the tenth birthday of Tales. Continue reading
Filed under Cocktails, New Orleans, Rod Orta, Steven Lindsey, Tales of the Cocktail
by Steven Doyle
This year marks the tenth anniversary of Tales of the Cocktail, the largest bartending convention in the world, held each year in New Orleans. Last year we brought you up-to-the-minute coverage as our reporters on the scene slugged through many dozens of hospitality suites, sampling the latest in cocktails.
This year we have more correspondents attending Tales and a few well respected photographers that will bring us great news and glad tidings from the Crescent City, including the newest addition of a Dallas cocktail event taking place Wednesday morning. Continue reading
Filed under Cocktails, Crave, New Orleans, Tales of the Cocktail
by Jayne M. Chobot
It was a thrown-together weekend as a result of a speaking engagement for my Texan. Upon hearing that complimentary Jackson Square apartment accommodations were offered as an incentive, two Southwest tickets were promptly purchased. Boarding dead-last onto the flight I ended up sitting snug between two male strangers who spent most of the flight trying to convince me to go into pharmaceutical sales, making it painfully obvious that my New York edge must have softened considerably since my move to Dallas. A glass of wine made this realization slightly more tolerable but I was grateful when the discussion turned to the much more pleasant topic of the cannibal nature of the alligators in the swamps we were soaring over upon arrival in New Orleans.
This was my second visit to the city and my first visit post-Katrina. Although we would be attending a conference, we also had three dinner reservations; at a classic New Orleans institution, a brand new seafood restaurant from one of New Orleans’s most beloved local chefs, and a contemporary Cajun spot with an award-winning chef. My Texan, a graduate of Tulane University, also had a few casual sentimental favorites in mind for other meals, so we knew we were prepared to eat well. We were still not prepared for what ensued in the Crescent City this past weekend. Continue reading
Filed under Crave, Crawfish, French, Jayne Chobot, New Orleans, Party!, Travel
By James Casarez
craveDFW contributor Dorothy Hernandez, writer James Casarez, and Dallas Diva Farah Fleurima attended the Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival as part of their travels to the Big Easy. Here’s one of their dispatches:
An author as prolific as Tennessee Williams, who penned over 33 full-length plays and over 75 one-act and shorter plays, is bound to have an arsenal of hidden gems through his lesser-known works. The Tennessee Williams Literary Festival class “Hiding in Plain Sight” brought together a collection of scenes through staged readings of both his lesser-known works and more recognizable ones. Luminaries of the stage and page came together to breath life again into some of Williams’ most outstanding characters. Continue reading
Filed under Crave, Festival, New Orleans, Travel
So it’s your third or fourth day in New Orleans, and you want to do something miles away from Bourbon Street in spirit — where to go?
If it’s imbibing you want, away from the boisterous rowdiness of Bourbon, turn up St. Peter Street to find a low-key little locals spot called Boondock Saint. No frills, but also no hawkers standing outside trying to pack the place with partiers. And partiers would flock if they saw the prices here. “We’re a local bar with local prices,” the sweet-faced bartender told me. That meant $3.75 vodka sodas at 2:30 a.m. Who needs a happy hour or hawkers with prices like that? Continue reading
Filed under Farah Fleurima, Holiday Fun, New Orleans, Nightlife, Party!, Travel
by Dorothy Hernandez
Bar food doesn’t immediately bring to mind gourmet, or even edible, food. Its purpose is utilitarian, whether you’re trying to soak up the booze or prep for a night of heavy drinking. The choices are pretty standard: fries, nachos, any heat and serve product that you can take out of a bag and dump into a deep fryer.
At The Alibi, 811 Iberville in New Orleans, there are mysterious dollar bills pinned to the ceiling. Even at 1 p.m., it smells like Bourbon Street at 3 a.m. It seems like a bar this dive-y would have food only fit for the inebriated but The Alibi is one of those serendipitous vacation finds.
Filed under beer, Crave, Dive Bars, Dorothy Hernandez, fun with food, Haunted Houses, Holiday Fun, New Orleans, Nightlife, Sandwiches, Travel
