food and drink

Uptown’s modern Réveillon chefs take on a classic New Orleans feast

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New Orleans’ decadent holiday feast, le Réveillon, is traditionally served on both Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Now it has expanded to include the entire month of December. The Réveillon tradition descends from the French Catholics of the colonial New Orleans period under France’s rule. There were once two Réveillons: le Réveillon de Noël, enjoyed before sunrise on Christmas Day, and le Réveillon du premier de l’an’s, enjoyed early on New Year’s Day. After Creole families strolled home from Midnight Mass or “la Messe de Minuit” at the St.

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Olio Novello, Italy’s premier olive oil, coming soon to Rouses (sponsored)

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True olive oil lovers know there’s olive oil, extra-virgin olive oil — and then there’s Olio Novello, the first batch of oil made from the year’s olive harvest and the most coveted style of olive oil sold. Italians line up to buy bottles on the day they are released. Rouses Markets exclusive Olio Novello is made in Sciacca, Sicily, in the Val D9i Mazara Region. Green olives from the 2021 harvest are picked early and pressed immediately, which preserves the flavor and aroma of the olive fruit. The oil is then bottled unfiltered, so it’s green and clear.

food and drink

Banh Mi Boys is bringing its fast Vietnamese fare to the Garden District

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Banh Mi Boys, a fast and casual Vietnamese restaurant, is expanding and opening a location at 3244 Magazine St. The site was formerly home to Reginelli’s Pizzeria. Banh Mi Boys has developed a following since Peter Nguyen opened the Metairie favorite in 2015. Nguyen is now expanding through franchise operations, with the first on Magazine in the Garden District. 

The restaurant is known for its Vietnamese-style poor boys packed with goodies such as grilled pork, grilled chicken and grilled shrimp wedged into crispy baguettes. It also offers rice and vermicelli bowls, salads, New Orleans-style poor boys and fries.

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Bayou Relief Porch Concert with Amanda Shaw at CR Coffee Nov. 27th (sponsored)

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Free Porch Concert and artisan coffee/teas is the perfect mix to bring a burst of energy to Uptown for Small Business Saturday. Music will fill the air on Magazine St. Nov. 27th, thanks to CR Coffee Shop and special guest Amanda Shaw. As we enter the season of gratitude and giving, this festive event will be an opportunity for the community to donate to The Amanda Shaw Foundation Fund while supporting their local cafe. While strolling Magazine, guests will get into the holiday spirit by enjoying the sweet sounds of Amanda Shaw & the Cute Guys and sipping one of their favorite CR favorites.

food and drink

Creole Oyster Dressing like your grand-mère used to make

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Oyster dressing, or farci d’huîtres, served with turkey was already an established tradition in 19th century New Orleans. “Nothing is more elegant or recherché than an Oyster Dressing,” reads the original “Picayune Creole Cookbook,” published in 1901. “Oyster stuffings are favorite Creole dressings for turkeys.”

Our family’s Thanksgiving tables yield oyster dressings with only the slightest variations, the Creole-French-Spanish, the Creole-Irish-Italian and the Creole-French-German version. They all look and taste the same to me, except one. That one included beef.

food and drink

Rabbit’s Foot Market & Cafe, set to open on Prytania, wants to be a hub for local small businesses

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The Rabbit’s Foot, a market and café concept that will serve local goods and food, plans to open in January. The location at 2042 Prytania St. is the former home of Zara’s Supermarket, which closed in 2014. The building’s owners, Robbie and Liz Blum, had planned to open a market in the space called Garden District Grocery, but that concept never came to fruition due to zoning issues. The Rabbit’s Foot owner, Ryan Murphy, has been in the food and beverage industry for twenty years.

Ursuline Academy announces Fall Festival with lawn concert on Nov. 14 (sponsored)

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The concert on the lawn at Ursuline Academy in New Orleans will feature three performances: The Hundreds Brass Band — The Original Pinettes — Charmaine Neville. Here in New Orleans, festivals play an essential role in celebrating our unique culture. After a year of virtual concerts and drive-by events, fall 2021 is finally gearing up for the return of live gatherings. 

Ursuline Academy is joining in the revelry with a Fall Festival on State Street featuring music, food and fun. Ursuline will kick off its inaugural Fall Festival on Sunday, Nov. 14, from 1 to 5 p.m. with a musical celebration featuring live performances from three of New Orleans’ most beloved bands.

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Registration is open for Grow Dat Youth Farm produce boxes (sponsored)

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Sign up to pick up a box of produce at the farm each week. 

The CSA program is Community Supported Agriculture, the Farm Share initiative is an opportunity for customers to enjoy chemical-free, fresh produce while investing in the Grow Dat farm and youth leadership program. This locally grown produce box runs for 29 weeks and allows flexibility for pick up at their farm located in City Park. SNAP registration is also available, reach out for more information. 

“We envision a vibrant New Orleans where youth and adults transform their communities, their environment, and themselves by engaging in the meaningful work of growing healthy food”

The Farm Share initiative is a way for the community to become “member-investors” who receive a portion of the farm’s harvest every week. For decades, CSAs have supported small-scale farmers and strengthened local food systems. Members experience the seasonal fluctuations of the farm’s produce, a process that teaches consumers more about the natural cycles of food production. 

Deep rooted values with a love for the City and the land that serves it. Making a commitment to New Orleans by championing sustainability, youth leadership, inclusion & multiculturalism, and food justice.

business

Uptown restaurateurs urge Congress to refill funds in the American Rescue Plan

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Robert LeBlanc of the local restaurant operator LeBlanc + Smith, which closed its Magazine Street restaurant Cavan in September, was one of the speakers at a press conference Thursday (Nov. 4) held by the Independent Restaurant Coalition. 

The association is urging Louisianians to call on local members of Congress — especially Sen. John Kennedy, who sits on the Senate’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee — to refill the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, or RRF, part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. 

“Restaurants are on the brink of extinction,” said Erika Polmar of the IRC, opening the press conference. 

LeBlanc said his locations have been struggling during the pandemic. “Three of my five places have closed, with 25 jobs lost,” LeBlanc said. “As an example, one of my restaurants had a 40-seat capacity indoors and with the restrictions of table distances and limited capacity, I could serve eight customers. This is not viable.” 

Cavan has become an event venue.

food and drink

Soup Garden is ready to blossom at a sno-ball stand on Magazine

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The Soup Garden, a hot pop-up born during the pandemic, will return on Thursday (Nov. 4). The months-long pop-up will operate out of the Imperial Woodpecker sno-ball stand at 3511 Magazine St. The Soup Garden first found success last year, while many people were looking for comfort food and quick take-out. The stand is the brainchild of Allison Gorlin and Tiffiny Wallace.