NEW ORLEANS | This weekend's multiple tributes remind us of what a devastating year it's been for cultural icons. Marva Wright was memorialized in the blues tent, David Brooks at the Treme panel, Alex Chilton as Bonerama played his Boxtops hit "The Letter." Mortality seemed to be an inescapable theme and no one honors fallen heroes like New Orleans. Terence Blanchard touched on this when he had the Herculean task of following George Clinton at the Allison Miner Music Heritage stage (I seem to be spending most of my weekend there, and not just because it's been raining). Blanchard shared stories of the mentors who brought him to a place where he was able to compose "A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)" after writing the score to Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke.

 

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In every occupation, there are some limitations that you need to know about. If your career takes you into the wild, you might need to know if you are allergic to any of the animals you might encounter. For a painter, an allergy to certain pigments could be a problem.

My Achilles' heel as a food writer is that Italian tomato sauce (or red gravy) always makes me sick.  Whether it is because of high acidity or combining it with cheese, it never fails, I spend the early morning hours kneeling to the porcelain god, swearing to the tile floor in my bathroom that I will never eat Italian food again, cross my heart and hope to die.

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A few weeks ago, I received a mysterious invitation in the mail requesting my presence at an event hosted by the Greater New Orleans Chapter of the Louisiana Restaurant Association at Muriel’s Jackson Square.  It was quite vague, mentioning only an unveiling of brand new culinary movement called “We Live to Eat”.

As I read over the invitation again, I couldn’t help thinking “Well now, that’s what I do day in and day out!” After all, food has always been a hobby of mine, one I take quite seriously.  I am always looking forward to the next great meal, trying out every restaurant in town and recommending the ones I love to our readers at NewOrleans.com.

So, how could this be different?

Click here to see the full photo gallery!

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NEW ORLEANS | Dionysus was known as the liberator, freeing one from one's normal self, by madness, ecstasy or wine.

The Greek god might not make an appearance, but there will certainly be ecstasy and most definitely wine this Friday at the grand opening reception for the 4th annual French Quarter Wine Festival at the Maison Dupuy Hotel. Ambrosial wine will come from vineyards in California, Oregon and Italy. The ecstasy will undeniably blossom from Chef Michael Farrell’s incredible cuisine.  Together, it should easily culminate into a celebration worthy of any deity, let alone common folk like myself.

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I usually only go to about one or two out of town wine tastings a year.  Luckily for us wine buyers down here most importers and wineries don’t mind visiting New Orleans to show their wares.   Shortly before the Superbowl and Mardi Gras craziness I got a chance to go and celebrate my favorite Burgundy importer’s 30th anniversary of her business at a tasting in New York.  New Orleans was well represented with a number of restaurant and retail buyers in attendance.

Becky Wasserman imports wine from some of the greatest domains in Burgundy and many of those domaines were represented at the tasting.  Not only were the wines there but in many cases the winemakers themselves.  This was truly a once in a lifetime gathering of Burgundy producers.  The event was packed and as I overheard from many of the New York buyers “every Sommelier in the City is here right now.”  Despite the crowds nobody really complained and how could you when you just had a sip of ’07 Lafon Meursault poured for you by Dominique Lafon himself?

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Being obsessed with food, I tend to notice when new restaurants open up in my neighborhood.  Just the other day, for example, I was cruising down Dublin Street in the Riverbend and noticed a bright new sign exclaiming “Barcelona Tapas Now Open.” Ecstatic that a tapas restaurant had opened up right near me, I slowed my car to a crawl. Several of the drivers behind me were dismayed, but I had figured out my next cheat meal. Last night, I visited the Barcelona Tapas Café for my 25th cheat. I have lost a total of 51 pounds.

Curious about its origins, I called the restaurant (504-861-9696) to request a menu and ask a few questions.  Xavier, the owner, happened to answer the phone and filled me in on some facts.  Apparently, Xavier had formerly owned Laurentino’s Restaurant that was tucked away in a strip mall on the corner of Transcontinental and West Esplanade Avenue in Metairie.  Very recently, the building housing Laurentino’s was sold, and the new buyer intends to demolish the strip and erect a car wash in its place!

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This morning, the James Beard Organization released their list of semi-finalists for the 2010 awards and, naturally, some of our finest chefs and restaurants have been nominated in several categories.

For "Rising Star Chef of the Year", New Orleans has two contenders, Chef Joshua Smith of the newly opened A Mano Restaurant on Tchoupitoulas Street in the Warehouse District and Chef Sue Zemanick of Gautreau's on Soniat Street Uptown.  A Mano also secured a nomination for "Best New Restaurant".

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Mardi Gras came to America in 1699, when Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville arrived at the mouth of the Mississippi River on March 3rd - Shrove Tuesday.  Mardi Gras had been celebrated in France since the Middle Ages, so, when Iberville set up camp on the west bank of the river, about 60 miles south of where New Orleans is today, he named the site in honor of the holiday being celebrated that day, "Pointe du Mardi Gras" (Mardi Gras Point).  Mardi Gras has been closely linked to Louisiana's cultural heritage since that day.
During the 1700's, pre-Lenten masked balls and festivals were common in New Orleans while it was under French rule. However, when the city came under Spanish rule, the custom of masking was banned.  This prohibition continued until 1823, when the governor was finally convinced to permit masked balls.  In 1827, street masking was again legalized.

Click here to see the full Historic New Orleans photo gallery!

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Like many non-natives, king cake was virtually unknown to me before I moved to New Orleans almost seven years ago.  The first time I tasted the colorful pastry, I nearly bit into the baby hidden inside my slice. Of course, my co-workers found the incredulous look on my face particularly hilarious.  Why would any sane person stick a plastic baby inside a cake?  Oh, I had so much to learn.

Since the 18th century in New Orleans, folks down here have been celebrating Epiphany and Twelfth Night with King cakes. It has become customary for whoever finds the trinket – representative of the baby Jesus, yet another thing I had to wrap my head around - to provide the cake for the next celebration. In a season that lasts over a month, that’s a whole lot of king cake! Thank goodness there are so many different ones to choose from all over the city.

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As exhibited in Tuesday's Saints parade and the Buddy D parade before it, the Saints aren't the only men in town with extraordinary moves worth showing off. Since the 610 Stompers, those "Ordinary Men with Extraordinary Moves," made their dancing debut at this year's Pussyfooters Blush Ball they've managed to attract the attention of a football-distracted city, make it onto SportsCenter and a Fox News national telecast, and inspire WWL’s Garland Robinette to try out for a coveted spot on their squad.

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To be perfectly honest, the first time I glimpsed one of Mistretta’s Mardi Gras posters at an art shop in the Riverwalk, it vaguely reminded me of 80’s artist, Patrick Nagel.  Although Mistretta’s works are much more colorful and finely stylized than Nagel, the association was rather positive due to my teen obsession with Duran Duran.

Aside from flooding me with happy memories of my youth, Mistretta’s posters successfully evoked the abandon of Mardi Gras in all its evocative colors and sensuality.  The only barrier to purchasing her 2002 “Mardi Gras Mambo” edition was a lack of funds at the time.

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NEW ORLEANS | This Friday, February 12 at 10:00 a.m. sharp, Mardi Gras 2010 officially kicks-off in the French Quarter with the 40th Annual Greasing of the Poles.  The Royal Sonesta Hotel at 300 Bourbon Street will present this unique New Orleans' spectacle on the Friday morning before the big Mardi Gras weekend. The event is a "must have must see" experience for all visitors to the Crescent City as well as seasoned Mardi Gras veterans.

Local historian and Mardi Gras authority, Arthur Hardy, describes the Greasing of the Poles as an event "performed with great style and a hint of mischief." The event captures the essence of the Mardi Gras spirit and always features surprise celebrity guests, great local music, and a whole lot of petroleum jelly!

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