Dining

Corey Jacobs was born to cook! It may have taken the New Orleans native awhile to fully understand the power of his kitchen-calling, but once he knew, he went with it!

Now the executive chef at Desire Oyster Bar in the Royal Sonesta New Orleans, Jacobs initially got into the restaurant biz because he needed extra money for the upcoming birth of his first child. He took a second job at night as a dishwasher in a restaurant and was fascinated by the goings-on around him.

New Orleans has been named one of the best bar cities in the U.S., and why not?! Just in the past few months (October 2, 2014) the Washington Post's cocktail columnist, M. Carrie Allan, described New Orleans as "one of the finest cities in America to drink in."

In addition to the city's "top dining destination" declaration by numerous internationally circulated publications, the Big Easy is on the radar of country-hopping travel writers who are always looking for the best experiences to share with readers.

Chef Nathan "Nick" Gile is likely the only chef in New Orleans to begin his culinary career in Portland, Maine, and at age 14. So on two counts this guy knew very early what he was put on this earth to do.

In a city that relishes its relics and shuns change (even minute modifications are often met with disdain!), the New Orleans food culture continues to undergo a metamorphosis, much like that of other great food destinations. While many of the grande dames of the Quarter, such as Antoine's, Galatoire's and Arnaud's, continue to maintain their noble stature, others are handing over the reigns, while others are simply calling it quits. Fortunately, the old adage "when one door closes, another door opens" holds true for the culinary industry, too.

It's Carnival time and you know what that means"... Chasing floats for a coveted Zulu coconut, tossing beads from a Bourbon Street balcony, jamming to high stepping marching bands are all in a day's work. Not to mention the endless, float-sized "to go" cocktails, late night Mardi Gras balls and lack of nutritionally sound food. Let's face it, man can not survive on Lucky Dogs and King Cake alone!