City Council approves plan to replace McDonald’s building on St. Charles

The City Council gave McDonald’s approval to redevelop its St. Charles Avenue restaurant at its Dec. 6 meeting. The two-story structure in the Garden District will be torn down and replaced.

Planners and preservationists have been working with the fast-food chain for two years to determine an appropriate design for a purpose that the city has deemed inappropriate for the area. Fast-food restaurants are now essentially barred from the St. Charles overlay district, which has specific restrictions to make the area more pedestrian friendly and less auto-centric.

With the current building deemed a nonconforming use, the reconstruction project required a text amendment to the comprehensive zoning ordinance and a conditional-use permit. Both received City Council approval on Thursday.

Local chef discusses her new book on historic Uptown restaurant

Poppy Tooker—chef, radio show host, author and cooking instructor—published her most recent book on one of New Orleans’ most historic restaurants: “Pascal’s Manale Cookbook.”

Having published a book in 2015 on one of New Orleans’ historic restaurants, Tujague’s, her newest subject was a fitting next step.

“People said, ‘What do you want to do next?’ This [Manale’s book] seemed to be the only thing I could think of,” Tooker said. “This is the second-oldest continuously operating family-owned restaurant [in New Orleans]. So both Tujague’s and Manale’s are second to Antoine’s. That [Tujague’s] book has already been written.”

Irish Channel neighbors invited to Holiday Happy Hour on Thursday

The Irish Channel Neighborhood Association is holding a Holiday Happy Hour on Thursday, Dec. 13, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Revelers will gather at Pete’s Out in the Cold, 701 Sixth St. at Chippewa, to celebrate the season, spend time with neighbors and wear an ugly Christmas sweater. Pete’s will have happy hour prices during this event. They have pizza for sale as always, or feel free to bring a dish or snacks to share.

Crime report: Police seeking suspects in armed robbery at laundromat, battery at home

Three robbed at gunpoint while doing laundry: The NOPD is seeking assistance from the public in identifying and locating a suspect who was captured on surveillance video committing an armed robbery in a laundromat on South Claiborne Avenue.

The victim told police that on Dec. 6 at 6:05 a.m., he was inside of a laundromat located in the 8000 block of S. Claiborne Avenue when an unknown male reportedly pointed a gun in the victim’s back and demanded his wallet. The victim complied, at which time the subject proceeded to rob the other two victims inside of the location and demanded their belongings, before fleeing the scene.

Drive Shack nets 2 percent tax to pay for construction at former Times-Picayune site

By Claire Byun, cbyun@nolamessenger.com

Future customers of the New Orleans Drive Shack — located in the former Times Picayune building on Howard Avenue — will pay 2 percent more in sales tax after City Council unanimously approved a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement. The city will receive a portion of the funds to pay for street improvements around the golf entertainment hub.