recognition

Nation’s oldest World War II veteran just wants to stay in his Central City home

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Central City resident Lawrence Brooks, the nation’s oldest living World War II veteran at 112, is back at his home after a recent stay at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and a few nights in the intensive care unit. When his daughter and caregiver, Vanessa Brooks, was notified of his impending release last Thursday (Nov. 4), she was asked whether she planned to ride home with him in the ambulance. She shook her head and laughed. “He’ll have six people with him,” she said.

opinion

Kristine Froeba on hurricane prep: Popeyes, bourbon and ice

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No matter the crisis — pandemic, plague, zombie apocalypse or, even worse, a Cat 3 barreling toward the mouth of the Mississippi — New Orleanians never lose their sense of humor. The world might just end, but even if it does, we’re going out with a wink and smile, drinks held high, ironic swagger intact. (COCKTAILS REQUIRE ICE)
The cone of uncertainty is old hat to locals. We’ve been helping our family and friends prepare for Armageddon since before we finagled fake IDs. Supermarket and hardware store shelves empty at an alarming pace when there’s a storm in the Gulf.

food and drink

New Orleans Thanksgiving 2020: Socially distanced Creole Oyster Dressing

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By Kristine Froeba, Uptown Messenger

Below is the Oyster Dressing recipe I’ve prepared since 2006. It was recorded at the elbow of my cousin Velma, then 93. At 4-foot-10, still whip-smart and eternally feisty, she bossily instructed me in “the right way” to prepare the family dressing for an “authentic Creole New Orleans Thanksgiving.” Her recipe cards and everything else she’d owned were stolen a year before “by that hussy Katrina,” her sobriquet for the hurricane. The recipe she passed down that day, first prepared by her family in the 1800s, had been committed to memory during Prohibition.

film and television

Kristine Froeba: Saints’ Jeff Charleston Rises after Southern Charm New Orleans finale

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The star of Bravo’s Southern Charm New Orleans talks loving his new life

Former Saints player and Southern Charm New Orleans star, Jeff Charleston has a lot to say about his life, and the gist is that he’s loving every minute of it. An interview with Charleston reveals a man excited about new beginnings and a fresh start in his adopted hometown. “I cannot wait to move back to New Orleans,” said Charleston. “I just have to figure out where in the city I want to live again.” New Orleanians who don’t watch the Bravo reality series know him as No.

food and drink

Kristine Froeba on NOLA storm prep: Popeyes, bourbon and ice

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* DO NOT FORGET THE ICE *

No matter the crisis, New Orleanians never lose their sense of humor or their wry sense of irony; the world might end, but if possible, we plan to go out smiling. Whether a Cat 3, Armageddon, the zombie apocalypse or New Orleans’ version of the same – a levee breach – locals know how to prepare. And until the bitter end, that preparation includes a box of chicken, a cocktail — and maybe a party. Grocers and hardware shelves empty at an alarming pace when there’s a storm in the Gulf, and it’s a seller’s market for newbies who need plywood. (Locals have made-to-measure plywood sheets with attached hooks ready to hang long before hurricane season starts.)

After moving stubborn great-aunties to high ground (and their yappy little dogs), gassing up the cars (interminable humid lines), refilling prescriptions (hours at CVS), stocking up on medical supplies (arguing with Blue Cross) and hanging the plywood with care, we have the joy of literally racing to the nearest market.

food and drink

Kristine Froeba: My houseguest cheat sheet for finding the perfect gumbo, po-boy, sno-ball, brunch and souvenirs

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The one thing every New Orleanian can agree one is that someone is always coming to visit. We know our city is fabulous — filled with unique culture, food, architecture and music. We also are tasked with being tour guides several times a year. This is the list I hand out when they have to find their own way. It’s not that we — and I, as a professional tour guide — don’t love showing off our city, but sometimes, we’re busy.

Festivals

Kristine Froeba on Washington Mardi Gras: Louisianians cross the Potomac

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The movers and shakers of Louisiana including quite a bit of New Orleans, and more than a few hundred Uptowners recently descended on the nation’s capital to celebrate the annual Washington Mardi Gras. “If a bomb dropped on this ballroom tonight, Louisiana as you know it would cease to exist,” said one of the organizers at the Saturday night ball. Leaders of business, law partners, CEOs, congressmen, congresswomen, mayors, senators and the governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, were all present. The yearly three-day event dates back to 1944 and has been led by the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians since 1957. “What began as a demonstration of the spirit of Mardi Gras” has grown into a celebration of Louisiana, its politics and its people,” per the krewe’s website.

food and drink

Kristine Froeba: Mardi Gras 2019 king cakes have arrived – nectar cream, Tabasco, caramel crunch, coconut and even a croissant cake

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The local New Orleans grocer Breaux Mart has rechristened itself King Cake Mart on Twitter for the duration of the carnival season. That should give out-of-towners an idea of the importance of King Cake in our city. As many in the world awaited Twelfth Night and the Epiphany or Three Kings Day to mark the ending of Christmas, New Orleanians impatiently ticked off the days until Jan. 6 for another reason: to signify the arrival of the carnival season and the blessed arrival of King Cake. It’s the time for locals to play, feast, and attend endless parties, masque balls, and parades.

film and television

Kristine Froeba: ‘Southern Charm New Orleans’ filming Season 2

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With the potholes, power outages and never-ending boil water advisories, one would think New Orleans has suffered enough. But no, the Bravo network seems fit to punish us further — with Season 2 of “Southern Charm New Orleans.” While no formal announcement has been forthcoming, the worst has been confirmed by the New Orleans Office of Cultural Economy: Film New Orleans permitting department. “Southern Charm New Orleans” Season 2 has been filming around the city. The filming permit states the filming dates as Oct.

food and drink

Chef Greg Sonnier Talks Gabrielle Restaurant, Paul Prudhomme, His Ideal Meal, Friday Lunch, and THAT Quail Gumbo: Kristine Froeba

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The return of Gabrielle Restaurant last October was literally the talk of the town. Not “literally” in the way millennials misuse the word, but literally, as in literally. Twelve years is a long time to miss a menu. And few chefs and kitchens have been as missed by locals as James Beard-nominated Chef Greg Sonnier and his beloved Gabrielle. The original Gabrielle—located on Esplanade in the historic Faubourg St.