"Mrs. Betat's Sudden Death. Stricken With Heart Disease During the Strain of Carnival Work," screams the headline of an obituary run in the Daily Picayune on Thursday, Jan. 21, 1904. Although some people view Mardi Gras as a time to relax and party, for many the Carnival season is anything but relaxing. Each year costumers must top their creations of the season before, designing finery fit for kings and queens, and Louise Betat was one of the busiest.
spring 2015
Seasonal Showcase!
February 05, 2015
New Orleans is a community completely capable of performing several complicated but entertaining tasks simultaneously.
At this time of year, while staging the Greatest Free Show on Earth, which is the annual Carnival spectacle, the City can also present a brilliant live theatre season, set a great dinner table at any of a multitude of fine restaurants (more about that later!), host innumerable conventions, and mount a festival line-up that is the envy of cities around the world.
At this time of year, while staging the Greatest Free Show on Earth, which is the annual Carnival spectacle, the City can also present a brilliant live theatre season, set a great dinner table at any of a multitude of fine restaurants (more about that later!), host innumerable conventions, and mount a festival line-up that is the envy of cities around the world.
Romance in the Vieux Carre
February 05, 2015
Tucked quaintly in a crescent of the Mississippi River is the French Quarter, a cultural love child of genteel old Europe. This exotic Caribbean community of the sultry South plays host to the most memorable romantic getaways not only in the city, but in the South. Take a bite of the history-rich experience as you stroll arm-in-arm through original cobblestone streets and breathe in the aromas that pass you and disappear among the wrought-iron balconies. There is an intimate old-world charm that radiates romance, and delivers sensuality on a polished, silver platter.
Parading the Vieux Carre
February 05, 2015
The "Greatest Show on Earth," otherwise known as Mardi Gras will be celebrated early this year on February 14th. The biggest free party thrown in North America always falls 46 days before Easter and is the city's most popular attraction. Visitors and locals alike love the party atmosphere, the crowds, costumed revelers, and the camaraderie.
Chef Spotlight: Executive Chef Corey Jacobs
February 05, 2015
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.
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.
Casual Dining, at Its Best!
February 05, 2015
In a city where revelers engage in non-stop partying and celebrations, where one event seems to just roll event into another, guests and locals alike need to be prepared for the onslaught of wall-to-wall activities with the French Quarter acting as party-central.
After all, who wants to miss a parade, an incredible club performance, Happy Hour at a favorite watering hole, the pop-up band on the next street corner that sounds sooo good, and so many more spontaneous attractions!
After all, who wants to miss a parade, an incredible club performance, Happy Hour at a favorite watering hole, the pop-up band on the next street corner that sounds sooo good, and so many more spontaneous attractions!
Balancing Revelry with Respite
February 05, 2015
So, it's both Carnival and festival season in New Orleans' French Quarter. Well. Isn't it pretty much, all year 'round?! Sure feels like it: marching bands, street parades, people spilling out of bars and clubs, performers on every corner, and in everyone's hand"... a "geaux" cup!
Hearing the Beauty that Surrounds Us
February 05, 2015
When I was young, my mother filled our house with music. We would sing all the time, neither of us with any kind of real success. I specifically remember singing "Rhinestone Cowboy" riding in our car when radios were still dial tuned and before seat belts were "fashionable" . As festival season approaches, no time in the French Quarter is more filled with the sounds of music. We come out of the cold weather into longer, warmer, festival-filled weekends that sweep us off our ears and celebrate the sounds that make our neighborhoods famous.
