Merry, merry New Orleans holiday cocktails

Sugar cookie and candy cane martinis top the drinks menu at The Roosevelt. Hot toddies and mulled wine are the beverages of choice in holiday movies. And polls place good old-fashioned egg nog as the most popular drink of the holiday season. I concur that homemade egg nog — spiked with a good whiskey, topped with meringue, and dusted with freshly grated nutmeg — is Christmas personified. That said, I’ve recently spiked gallons of the store-bought variety. However, no matter the amount of Woodford’s, Maker’s Mark or Basil Hayden consumed via la nog, sometimes this gal needs a real cocktail, minus the cream.

Four teenagers booked in string of carjackings and armed robberies

The New Orleans Police Department arrested four teenagers Tuesday (Dec. 21) in connection with a rash of carjackings, armed robberies and auto thefts that occurred in several Uptown neighborhoods beginning on Sunday (Dec. 19) around 4 p.m.

Three of the suspects are juveniles, including a 13-year-old boy who was linked to all eight crimes listed by the NOPD. The other juvenile suspects are a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old male. One adult, 19-year-old DeQuantis Ford, remained jailed Friday (Dec.

After pandemic losses, Magazine Street businesses were counting on Carnival parade revenue. Then the routes changed.

While most New Orleanians are glad the parades will return to the streets for the 2022 Carnival season, the route changes will hurt many of the small businesses along Magazine Street. The 2022 routes, announced on Tuesday by Mayor LaToya Cantrell, eliminate the  stretch of Magazine Street from Jefferson to Napoleon Avenue, where nine krewes begin their procession, and the longer stretch of Magazine from Henry Clay Avenue that the Krewe of Thoth commands. Instead, these parades will all line up at Napoleon and Prytania Street. The owners of Tito’s Ceviche and Pisco at 5015 Magazine were expecting the revenue from the parade-viewing crowds to help with their financial recovery from the pandemic. “Mardi Gras parades are a financial boost for us,” said Tito’s co-owner Tatiana Lock.

Viewpoint: What health risks are you willing to take during the holidays?

Semi-retired businessman Leo Marsh and his daughter Helen rose early Wednesday morning to be among the first in line to receive the city’s free Covid-19 home testing kits. “While we are both fully vaccinated, we wanted to be able to test in advance of seeing family members and friends,” said Marsh, a former AT&T executive. A limited number of kits were available at four New Orleans fire stations “in anticipation of a surge in omicron cases during the busy holiday season,” according to a city-issued press release. 

People around the world have been making difficult decisions about how they will celebrate the winter holidays. Should they continue with travel plans to visit family and friends, or should they keep their guard up and stay close to home? “An event canceled is better than a life canceled,” said World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Man shot to death in Central City

A man was shot to death Wednesday (Dec. 22) in Central City. At about 8:30 p.m., NOPD Sixth District officers responded to a call of an aggravated battery by shooting at Washington and Loyola avenues. Upon arrival, officers found Lawrence Algere Jr. lying on the sidewalk suffering from a gunshot wound. Algere was declared deceased at the scene.

Carnival 2022 parade changes leave out Magazine Street, Thoth’s altruistic route

All Carnival krewes will see route changes for 2022 Mardi Gras, Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced Tuesday (Dec. 21). The Magazine Street leg of many parade routes has been eliminated, she said at a press conference. Magazine Street — where neighbors gather for a more laid-back parade experience — is a favorite viewing spot for many Uptown residents. The changes are necessary, officials said, because of staff shortages in the city’s public safety agencies, including the police, emergency medical and fire departments.

Uptown neighborhoods plagued by carjackings, armed robberies

Multiple carjackings have been reported by the New Orleans Police Department this week across Uptown neighborhoods. A 21-year-old woman was carjacked early Wednesday (Dec. 22) in the Irish Channel. She was parking her car in the 3300 block of Constance Street just before 1 a.m. when three men approached. They demanded her keys and other property before fleeing in her 2013 gray Mercedes-Benz with Louisiana license plate 685 DBK. On Tuesday morning, two carjacking incidents and an armed robbery were reported in Uptown neighborhoods.

Creole Bread Pudding and Whiskey Sauce, the classic dessert for Christmas dinner in New Orleans

Family recipes that date back several generations are being pulled from well-worn recipe files and put back into play for the holidays. One of the favorites is  New Orleans Creole bread pudding and whiskey sauce. 

We’re a city that holds an unflinchingly tight grip on our family traditions and history. With Louisiana’s unique food culture and some family roots going back 300 years, that history includes old Creole recipes that have been passed down for well over a century. We already know that our tablescape differs from the other 49 states on any given day. But on the holidays, our fare is markedly different from the rest of the nation.