Court of Two Sisters
Judging from the gorgeous day I spent in the French Quarter yesterday, spring is sneaking up on us. With sunshine and birdsong I can’t think of a better place to enjoy a scrumptious Jazz Brunch in the Big Easy than the Court of Two Sisters. Located at 613 Royal Street in the heart of the New Orleans French Quarter the buffet style spread is vast or just order from the extensive menu. One is as good as the next, but believe me the brunch doesn’t leave much out. You may not need to eat the rest of the day! The relaxing courtyard seating and the New Orleans Jazz music is just the ticket to start a beautiful NOLA day. A mimosa or two is the perfect compliment for this whole leisurely dining event.
Easter and Mother’s Day are coming soon! The Court of Two Sisters is the perfect place for your special family gathering. Mom will love this!! (Hint, Hint) Reservations, which are highly recommended, can be requested by visiting www.courtoftwosisters.com or by calling 504-522-7261.
If you can’t make it to the Crescent City anytime soon, try out this recipe from the famous kitchen at the Court of Two Sisters just to tide you over until you can experience heaven on a fork in person.
Crab Meat Au Gratin
Ingredients:
3 cups Mornay Sauce (see recipe below)
1 oz. Sherry
1 tsp. Creole Seasoning
¼ cup Green Onions, sliced thin
2 lbs. Jumbo Lump Crabmeat
1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
Method: In a stainless steel bowl, combine Mornay Sauce, sherry, Creole seasoning and green onions. Stir well and fold in crabmeat (do NOT break up crabmeat). Divide equally among six casserole dishes, top with Parmesan cheese and bake at 375° degrees for approximately 20-25 minutes until cheese starts to brown and sides bubble.
MORNAY SAUCE
Ingredients:
2 cups Milk
2 tbsp. Parmesan Cheese, grated
2 oz. Gouda Cheese, diced
2 oz. Romano Cheese
2 oz. Roux, blanc
1/8 tsp. Ground White Pepper
4 tbsp. White Onion, chopped
4 tbsp. Celery, chopped
Method: Bring milk to a boil. Add cheeses and whip smooth. Add pepper, onion and celery. Continue whipping for smoothness. Add roux to thicken. Strain sauce through fine mesh china cap.
By Sharon Denise Talbot
Big Easy Artist – Jon Guillaume
New Orleans
Practically one of the first people I met when providence brought me back to the Big Easy a few years ago was Jon Guillaume. I imagine a fish must feel a lot like I did that day when he sees that tempting bait dangled in front of him. While strolling through the French Market on a perfect spring day I spotted this fabulous framed black and white of a shrimp boat from way across the Market. Hook, line and sinker, he reeled me in right then and there. I’ll be a fan for life.
Now my Paw-Paw was a shrimper, a fisherman from way back. My Mom actually lived the first several years of her life on a houseboat. Nostalgia could have been what piqued my interest in the beginning, but the closer I got the more enamored I became. The drawing was absolutely stunning in its simplicity. Then I noticed the exquisite, meticulous detail. Jon’s work is done almost solely in pencil, color pencil, pilot pen and black marker. It is phenomenal. The frame, I later learned was made by a friend of his from old re-claimed lumber from the New Orleans area. Jon’s version of the New Orleans Watermeter is also one of my many favorites.
Jon’s personal story is better than any fishing story I ever heard. I can vouch for this one, it is actually true. With a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from LSU, Jon started commuting to the French Market on weekends to sell his art. He could only make the trek on weekends because he was working another job during the week. It wasn’t long before his haul from the Market was bigger than his weekly paycheck. Now he gets to live in New Orleans and pursue his career as an artist full-time.
You can find Jon and his distinctive work in the French Market most Fridays through Mondays. Some of the galleries like Gallery 713 on Royal Street also showcase his work. You can also visit Jon’s website at www.bigezartist.com
By Sharon Denise Talbot
*Update: Congrats to Jon for being chosen the official 2011 Zulu poster artist!!
New Orleans
Has Anyone Been To Bourbon Street In New Orleans And Went Into The Parking Garages? Are There Bathrooms?
Bourbon Street
i just need to know if there are bathrooms/port o potties in the parking garages in new orleans on bourbon street to check a story that was told to me out…it is just to hard to believe theyd have them in a parking garage?
I don’t recall any public restrooms in the parking garages near Bourbon Street (or anywhere else), and I have lived in New Orleans for a long time.
The City does place portable toilets around the French Quarter during Carnival (Mardi Gras), but they are on the sidewalks or other public property and wouldn’t be inside a parking garage.
Bourbon Street
Mr. Carriere and Knucklehead
When you come to the New Orleans French Quarter you can’t help but notice the colorful mule drawn carriages throughout the Quarter streets. A relaxing buggy ride is often just the thing for foot weary sight seers, history buffs or romantic couples who want to snuggle a little closer than walking will allow.
These rides also include a narrated tour of the historic French Quarter and the renowned “Cities of the Dead”. No matter how much I think I know about New Orleans there is always more I don’t know. I love visiting with a particular buggy driver and his sidekick, Knucklehead. A virtual walking history book this guy knows his stuff. With thirty-five years of being a NOLA tour guide under his belt Mr. Carriere is as much a Big Easy attraction as the landmarks people flock to the Crescent City to see.
Twelve bucks for a thirty minute ride with someone who knows the streets and the stories as well as Mr. Carriere and Knucklehead is a hell of a deal. If you have never done the buggy ride thing or even if you have, treat yourself to a half hour with a favorite French Quarter fixture. Let Mr. Carriere take you on a scenic ride and regale you with NOLA tales of the past and present. Look for the lavender colored buggy parked in front of Jackson Square, feed Knucklehead a carrot and take in the sights and sounds of the historic Vieux Carre’ with a master storyteller.
The cadence of Knucklehead’s hoofs and timbre of Mr. Carriere’s voice are perfect compliments to the cacophony of sounds that resonant through the French Quarter. With plenty of tours to choose from this one covers all the bases. Informative but interesting, entertaining and amusing this is definitely one for your New Orleans “To Do” list. Enjoy the ride!
By Sharon Denise Talbot
Acme Oyster House, Amazing Any Day!
During the Lenten season abstinence from meat on Fridays is obligatory for all us “good Catholics” in Louisiana and elsewhere. Salt and freshwater species of fish, amphibians, reptiles and shellfish are permitted. So darn the luck, as Paw-Paw Benoit would say. What do we in the Bayou State during Lent? We eat even more seafood!
If you are down in New Orleans during Lent (actually anytime of the year) and you are looking for seafood you have just hit the jackpot. Some of the best seafood I have ever eaten was served up right here in the Crescent City. The problem is choosing at which wonderful eatery to pull up a chair or a stool. Fans consistently rank Acme’s oysters, seafood and atmosphere among the best in New Orleans and the country and they get my vote, too.
Acme Oyster House has been around since1910. Louie Armstrong had not even started his first band and the Acme Café was opened on Royal Street in the French Quarter. Acme has long been a staple in the Big Easy restaurant pantry chock a block full of amazing cuisine. Because a horrible fire in 1924 caused the collapse of the three-story Acme Saloon building, the Café was re-opened as Acme Oyster House around the corner at 724 Iberville in the world famous French Quarter, just off of Bourbon Street. In addition to the French Quarter location, Acme Oyster Houses are open in Covington, Metairie, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and in Sandestin on the Florida panhandle.
Acme shucked well over 3.6 million fresh oysters in 2008. That’s almost 10,000 oysters a day and doesn’t even include the fried ones. Its neon sign is a beacon guiding the hungry by the droves. Locals and tourists a-like line up for some of the best New Orleans style seafood around and is a testament to this place in a city renowned for its food. Don’t let the line deter you it moves really fast! I suggest you order an Abita from the bar and hang tight. Your seat at a checkered tablecloth covered table is coming right up.
World famous for their ice cold oysters on the half shell, Acme has out done themselves with their version of char-grilled oysters. Grilled in the shell with garlic, butter and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese this is a treat for even the most oyster opposed of us. Trust me; I have brought many an anti-oyster visitor over from the dark side by offering this sizzling delicacy on a piece of New Orleans French bread. Just a side note, when the oyster is gone, dip your bread in the empty shell to get every drop of the buttery ambrosia left in the bottom! Cést Bon, Cher!
If the oysters won’t tempt you then check out Acme’s impressive menu. The fried catfish platter and the corn and crab soup may be just the thing for a Lenten supper. Of course, there is always hot seafood gumbo to chase away the chill of a cool day. No matter what you order you can’t go wrong. Stand in line at Acme. I promise, they aren’t going anywhere and it is well worth the wait!
By Sharon Denise Talbot
Fiorellas Fabulous Fried Chicken
People come to New Orleans for all kinds of reasons and for some that reason is food. If you love food there are few places better than N’awlins to indulge that passion. I always get the question, “Where can I get good food in New Orleans?” Now really, how am I supposed to answer that? Just about anywhere you turn are some really great places, but if you are looking for the best fried chicken in the Big Easy it has got to be Fiorella’s. Hands down. If you don’t believe me just ask Southern Living Magazine.
Fiorella’s is located across from the New Orleans French Market at 45 French Market Place, but also has an entrance on Decatur St. The menu is quite extensive and includes some traditional N’awlins fare like over stuffed po’boys and thick, spicy gumbo. It even stretches to things like Liver and Onions, pastas and fried pickles to name but a few. If you don’t feel like getting out, no problem, Fiorella’s delivers in the French Quarter. You really should make the effort to dine in though; the experience is as enjoyable as the chicken and the tab is easy on the wallet .
My suggestion is find a seat and order a big frosted goblet of beer and a plateful of piping hot, crispy fried chicken and prepare to be amazed by this kickin’ chicken. Just another little tip, let the pieces of the crispy golden brown skin crumble into the bowl of warm home-made mashed potatoes covered in brown gravy. Yum. Are you hungry yet? Fiorella’s is a fun, casual place with the feel of being at your Mom’s for a big family meal. Don’t be surprised if you are carrying on a conversation with the whole dining room between mouth watering bites.
This is a favorite hangout for locals, and you never know who might stop in. Fortunate are the New Orleans visitors who find out about Fiorella’s fabulous fried chicken before they leave town. You can bet it will be one of their first stops on the next trip. Steaming hot from the first piece to the last this chicken is worth a return trip all by itself. We are talking a whole new degree of finger-licking!
By Sharon Denise Talbot
KuKoo for Krewe du Vieux
Mardi Gras is not just a day but a whole season in the Big Easy. Even on the other side of the state where I grew up we had heard about the fabulous New Orleans Mardi Gras. Like I mentioned before, I am from a small town, the kind of town where our Mardi Gras consisted of a trail ride, chicken chasing and a gumbo and dance at the Catholic Hall. A one day event.
Imagine how thrilled I was to attend my first New Orleans Mardi Gras parade and know this was only the beginning a two week plus extravaganza of parades and parties. I was lucky because I had hard-core native New Orleanians to show me the ropes (and the ladders) of parade going NOLA style. Over the years I have done the balcony suite on Bourbon, reviewing stand on St. Charles, and fought the crowds on Canal with the best of them. What I hadn’t done was the Krewe du Vieux parade. Well, I can now check that off my “to du” list. 
The full name for this Krazy Krewe is the Krewe du Vieux Carre. The parade starts out in the Marigny and makes its way through the Vieux Carre or French Quarter. It is one of the first parades of the New Orleans Mardi Gras season. This walking parade uses mule or human drawn handmade floats as well as showcasing a large number of New Orleans’ best marching bands. It is noted for wild satirical and adult topics, nothing is off limits, everyone is fair game and it is definitely not one for the kids. Just to give you an idea, in 2006, less than six months after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, Krewe du Vieux was the first Mardi Gras parade to come through the streets of New Orleans. The theme that year was “C’est Levee”. I mean just take a look at their mission statement:
Krewe du Vieux Mission
The Krewe du Vieux is a non-profit organization dedicated to the historical and traditional concept of a Mardi Gras parade as a venue for individual creative expression and satirical comment. It is unique among all Mardi Gras parades in the city because it alone carries on the old traditions of Carnival celebrations, by using decorated mule-drawn floats with satirical themes, accompanied by costumed revelers dancing in the streets to the sounds of jazzy street musicians. We believe in exposing the world to the true nature of Mardi Gras—and in exposing ourselves to the world.
Put this one on your parade planner for next year. It is Mardi Gras madness at its kraziest, Krewe du Vieux Krazy that is. One Krewe member summed it all up for me ‘‘the devil made ‘em do it!” 
By Sharon Denise Talbot
The Story of Milk Studio – It Does a Body Good
Gather round my friends and you will hear the story of a Louisiana couple who persevered. Once upon a time Mindy owned a lingerie shop on Decatur Street in the New Orleans French Quarter. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina the city was in turmoil, and full of construction workers who didn’t need lingerie. Desperate to save her retail space Mindy put the same artistic talent she had used to do the graphic designs on her lingerie to use on handcrafts.
Enter David the limo driver. Katrina also did a number on David. Leaving 10 feet of water in his home and making the need for limo drivers, even 25 year veteran limo drivers, basically non-existent in the Big Easy. It looked like David needed a plan. So with no place to stay and no job David moved to the French Quarter to try to find work. What he found was Mindy. Mindy needed someone to work her table in the French Market and David needed a job. Sounds like a plan to me.
Mindy and David took their plan and a prayer and together turned a floundering lingerie shop into a flourishing business. These guys with camera in hand went around the area taking pictures of NOLA landmarks, hotspots, and businesses. In a 3 day process that demonstrates detailed workmanship they create distinctive works of art in each beautiful glazed tile coaster, magnet and apron that are loved by locals and visitors alike.
Appreciating their efforts to keep intact some of the culture and history of the city, people started bringing in old grocery bags, matchbooks, notebooks, etc. The rest as they say is history, three years worth.
Next time you are in the French Market look for David and let him share some of his wonderfully nostalgic NOLA stories or stop in to see Mindy at the Milk Studio headquarters at 1309 Decatur and check out the new line of soy candles. 
You can also visit David and Mindy at mindy@milkstudio.com
I am inspired and humbled by the innovative people all over this great state, people like David and Mindy, who have suffered through devastating hurricanes, the aftermath and just rolled up their sleeves, picked up the pieces and kept right on going. Don’t you just love happy endings, it does a body good!
By Sharon Denise Talbot
Who Let The Saints Fans Out? Who Dat! Who Dat!
The Who Dat nation has always been loud and proud (some years more than others), but Who Dats! are definitely one of the more loyal breeds. New Orleans Saints fans have always been there to protect and defend their team. They would never bite the hand that feeds them, but the Vikings fans better keep their hands in their pockets!
Beware of the Saints Fan. The Dome Patrol is marking their territory. Today even the most well- mannered of the litter, are showing their black and gold pride and some teeth in the streets of the Big Easy. The pack is definitely circling, scenting a win in the Superdome. These guys are off the chain!!
When the Saints bring the Vikings to heel on Sunday, good luck putting these big dogs back in their cage!
Who let the Saints Fans out? Drew Dat! Drew Dat!
By S.D. Talbot
