Mart for art’s sake: Wax print creations featured at holiday Arts Market

Uptown resident Adriane Butler was first introduced to the Arts Market as a customer. “I attended one of the Arts Markets and thought it was a excellent way to support local creators,” Butler said. She began making her own fabric creations about three years ago and, early on in the pandemic, she became a participant in the Arts Market. “I got great feedback about my design work, and have been doing it ever since,” she said. The Arts Markets, produced by Arts New Orleans, take place two Saturdays a month, once on City Park’s Great Lawn and once in Marsalis Harmony Park (formerly Palmer Park).

Turkey and ham giveaway hosted by InspireNOLA on Tuesday (sponsored)

InspireNOLA Charter Schools will host its annual drive-through turkey and ham giveaway as part of its NOLALove initiative that launched in early October. Local politicians and community leaders will join InspireNOLA students and volunteers in distributing nearly 1,000 turkeys and hams, along with a perishable food package, while supplies last. The giveaway will take place at Alice M. Harte Charter School (5300 Berkley Drive, New Orleans, Louisiana 70131 ) on Tuesday, Nov. 22, beginning at 10 a.m. The event is free and open to the public. The line for the giveaway will begin at the back gate of the school on Berkley Drive and continue to Eton Street and then to McArthur Boulevard.

Renovation of blighted firehouse to begin in 2024, developers say

The firehouse redevelopment team updated the Delachaise Neighborhood Association at the group’s November meeting about the plans for the blighted firehouse on Louisiana Avenue. The historic firehouse will be renovated to include seven units of permanently affordable housing upstairs, with an early childhood education center on the ground floor. The early childhood education center will also occupy the property’s outdoor space and an “accessory structure” behind the main building. 

The city owns the property and is leasing it to the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) for a 99-year term; NORA is currently managing the property but will sublease it to the development partner, who will put the building and surrounding space back into use. 

The developers for the project are Alembic Community Development, Home by Hand, Studio Kiro (the architecture firm overseeing the restoration of the Dew Drop Inn on LaSalle Street) and CDW Services as the general contractors. 

Members of the Alembic development team as well as NORA representative Seth Knudsen gave the updates on the project. Alembic team member Jonathan Leit was optimistic about the physical state of the building. “There’s always work to be done but, compared to other buildings we’ve worked on, it’s in pretty good shape,” Leit said. 

The overall cost of the renovations is expected to be around $4 million, and Leit said that they hope to have funding secured by the end of next year, with construction beginning in 2024 and the apartments and childhood education center ready to open in 2025.

St. Catherine’s Day Parade hangs up its hat

For more than a decade, the Garden District has provided the backdrop for the St. Catherine’s Day Hat Parade on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Francophiles and those who simply enjoyed parading in a fancy hat would meet at St. Charles Avenue and Pleasant Street, sip on sparkling wine and walk a brief route to the sounds of live gypsy jazz. The parade organizers recently announced they have poured their last glass of bubbly.

Casamento’s Creole Oyster Soup

Oysters are the star of local Thanksgiving tables (with recipes)

Before and since the Americans purchased New Orleans from the French, New Orleans has remained unique and distinct, nearly 220 years later, we still spurn convention. Thanksgiving is no exception. We celebrate with oysters: Oyster Soup or Stew and Oyster Dressing (you’ll find the recipes below).

Not just oysters, oysters seasoned in whole or in part with our “holy trinity” — bell pepper, onion, and celery, the divine secret of New Orleans’ cuisine and even our Thanksgiving menu. We then double-down and add garlic, green onion, fresh herbs and a dash of cayenne.

Yes, on occasion, we may have to boil our drinking water, read by candlelight or be rescued from the errant pothole — but that’s OK, because we know our food tastes better.

Piety and Desire on Magazine is a haven for chocolate devotees

Piety and Desire Chocolate, a haven for chocolate lovers, can now be found on Magazine Street. 

Owner Christopher Nobles, a New Orleans native, discovered chocolate-making eight years ago. He opened a small retail store in 2017 on South Broad Street near Washington Avenue, in the same building where his chocolate is manufactured. 

While the Broadmoor shop closed during the pandemic, Piety and Desire Chocolate continued to sell and ship its decadent treats. The Piety and Desire chocolate factory remains on South Broad. 

Piety and Desire Chocolate is manufactured from ethically traded cocoa beans, and whole chocolate bars are labeled with the names of where their cocoa beans were grown, including Peru, St. Lucia and Vietnam. The café on Magazine Street opened in April.

InspireNOLA hosts annual turkey and ham giveaway on Tuesday (sponsored)

InspireNOLA Charter Schools will host its annual drive-through turkey and ham giveaway as part of its NOLALove initiative that launched in early October. Local politicians and community leaders will join InspireNOLA students and volunteers in distributing nearly 1,000 turkeys and hams, along with a perishable food package, while supplies last. The giveaway will take place at Alice M. Harte Charter School (5300 Berkley Drive New Orleans, Louisiana 70131 ) on Tuesday, November 22, 2022, beginning at 10 am and is free and open to the public. The event is being sponsored by New Orleans’ Councilmember Freddie King III, U.S. Representative Troy Carter, State Senator Jimmy Harris, State Senator Gary Carter, State Representative Delisha Boyd, District Attorney Jason Williams, Elroy James, Wright Gray Trial Lawyers, Infinity Title, King Ja’mere Foundation, and the Benjamin Foundation. NOLALove is InspireNOLA’s response to the violence crisis in New Orleans by physically manifesting the word ‘love’ through community outreach, engagement, and collaboration.

Viewpoint: Inspector General Ed Michel is on the right track

It was refreshing to hear Inspector General Ed Michel tell the City Council on Tuesday (Nov. 15) about his plans to audit or investigate an important group of city departments and agencies showing a troubling performance for some time. The Sewerage & Water Board’s billing issues are legendary. The performance of the 911/311 call system has often been questionable. What about short-term rentals that advertise themselves at “two bedrooms sleep eight” instead of four as required by the permitting process?