Garden fresh herbaceousness at Loa Bar in the International House

A Fresh Breeze: Nola COCKTAILS

Photos and article by Virginia Miller

The Quarter after a sultry afternoon thunderstorm

Exploring New Orleans restaurants extensively in recent years, as far as I’m concerned, the city offers some of the best cuisine in the world. When it comes to cocktails, as with food, Nola is blessedly averse to trends and unusually respectful of history, so even through dark ages of cocktails (1960′s-90′s), New Orleans’ cocktail classics like the Sazerac, Ramos gin fizz, and Vieux Carre continued to flow. But even a couple years ago, there was little in New Orleans reflecting the cocktail renaissance that NY and SF have long known and that is sweeping cities across the US the last few years. Swizzle Stick Bar has been open since 2003, but though I love the decor, I’ve not had a standout drink there. In 2009, Cure opened and despite being all the rage, counted in numerous “best bars” lists, I didn’t find Cure exciting compared to many craft cocktail bars globally. Instead, I’d trek to Bar UnCommon for the bartender that changed the way I drink, Chris McMillian, Bar Tonique for laid back quality, or classic Quarter escape, Arnaud’s French 75 Bar.

Impromptu brass bands on the streets - a common Nola sight

What a difference a couple years make. Though there are still only a handful of craft cocktail havens alongside stalwarts of an era gone by, there’s a fresh breeze blowing through New Orleans’ restaurants and bars. Interesting to note, a number of New York bartenders have migrated to the Crescent City, infusing NY craft into Nola’s rich cocktail heritage, as a Times Picayune article noted while I was in Nola in July.

Two of the most interesting, unexpected menus this visit were from New Orleanians who took over bars in both the hotels I stayed at: International House, which despite small rooms is a peaceful-chic respite from French Quarter mayhem, only a couple short blocks from the Quarter, and the old world elegance of Windsor Court with its recent $22 million restoration. My suite at Windsor Court offered views and a deck overlooking the city, roomy living room, bedroom, and vanity room… a graceful, quiet space for rejuvenation in the midst of summer heat and Tales of the Cocktail madness.

LOA BAR at INTERNATIONAL HOUSE, CBD (Central Business District)

Sipping a Sazerac variation surrounded by Alan Walter's humorous, '70's-style wall-hangings

Off the candlelit, sexy lobby of the International House, where I stayed during my recent visit, is Loa Bar. Bar Manager Alan Walter came from Iris, mastering herbaceous cocktails alongside Sharon Floyd. Besides being a musician and blessedly well-versed on one of my great loves, classic country music, Walter and bartender Brian Adee crafted a range of cocktails ($10-13) that could read “overwrought” noting sometimes over five seemingly dissonant ingredients. But each drink tried was a surprise, layered in flavor, different from any other bar menu in town.

It was the vivacious, herbal notes of Green Chartreuse mixed with fresh pressed apple, ginger, mint, basil and SAGE liqueur that hooked me. Served in a silver bowl shaped for drinking, the aromatics filled my nose, even from a distance. When I sipped the soft green elixir, it was like bathing in a fresh, green garden… almost healthy, bright, eye-opening. I’ve never had a drink like it and craved it again the moment I left the bar.

Adee's Southshore

Adee spent countless hours tweaking 20 different versions of a Sazerac (New Orleans’ official city cocktail), which he seeks to perfect, joking, “There was little else to do in Kansas, where I moved from.” He made me a boozy version of a Sazerac with VSOP Cognac (the original Sazerac base), white whiskey, Rittenhouse rye whiskey, and a Kubler absinthe rinse, as well as one of his recipes, a Southshore, that is equal parts kaffir lime-infused cachaca, Campari, Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, lemon, agave nectar, salt-cured kumquat muddled in agave, topped with soda. Refreshing, lightly bitter and not overdone as it might sound.

There’s many intriguing paths to take on Loa’s menu, I wish I could have journeyed down more. Blueberry aquavit with celery and lemongrass, perchance? Or a tribute to country’s greatest couple, Johnny and June: Beefeater gin, Johnnie Walker Black, plum, cardamom and flamed orange. Or Yellow Chartreuse, Jasmine liqueur, tangelos, bell pepper and Peychaud’s Bitters? Each fascinating. As long as this crew is mixing behind the bar, I’ll be back.

COCKTAIL BAR at WINDSOR COURT, CBD

Hooked on a Carrot Fizz

Spending half my week at the stately Windsor Court, I’d sipped a dram upstairs in the old school Polo Lounge in years past with its strong Scotch selection. Relaunching the blandly named Cocktail Bar in the lobby this year as part of Windsor Court’s renovation, the hotel appointed young, talented Christine Jeanine Nielsen (who came from Loa Bar at International House) to helm the bar, working closely with the hotel’s Executive Chef Kristin Butterworth to craft culinary drinks. Like Loa, her menu was an unexpected surprise.

In keeping with the soda fountain revival happening in my own city and around the nation, Nielsen uses lactart, acid phosphate and other fountain techniques in a number of drinks. Inspired by “what she likes to eat,” vegetables sing in her cocktails. I fell for the soda fountain-like Carrot Fizz ($10), frothy with soda and egg white, it’s Karotte brandy, fresh ginger and carrots, lemon and sugar completing this refreshing sipper with ginger bite. Beet & Co. ($9) is a mix of BarSol pisco, pressed beet juice, agave, lemon and Angostura bitters. Soft with egg white and purple-red, it’s a vibrant drink with plenty of lemon tart though I wish I could taste more beet earthiness as I have in favorite beet cocktails of years past.

Aperol Spritz 'n Squared

Freezing Aperol, prosecco, mint and watermelon into a giant ice cube, Nielsen tops the Aperol Spritz ‘n Squared ($8) with prosecco and mint as the cube slowly dissolves, infusing the aperitif with bitter,  herbal notes amidst the bubbly. Delta Dawg ($12) is ideal for fall with Pierre Ferrand 1840 Original Formula Cognac intermingling with Thai cayenne spiced Steen’s cane syrup. The syrup is a local favorite, given a real kick from the cayenne infusion, though it could be too sweet if not for the wise addition of acid phosphate infusing it with sparkling life.

For dessert? The boozy Exotic Shake ($14): El Dorado 5 year rum, house vanilla ice cream, fresh pineapple juice, house pineapple syrup, lactart for fizzy bite, clove tincture, topped with spiced Benedictine whipped cream. It’s a decadent pleasure. As with Loa, I appreciated the use of craft spirit brands like Hangar One, Aviation Gin, North Shore, Nolet’s Gin, and the unforeseen cocktail oasis in a hotel lobby.

BELLOCQ in the Hotel Modern, CBD

A range of cobblers at Bellocq

Opened in December 2011, Bellocq is Nola’s hot new cocktail “it” bar and with good reason. Filling a niche not overdone, with a faint whisper of kinship with the cobblers and juleps at London steakhouse Hawksmoor, Bellocq is roomy, chic with velvet couches and chairs, comfortable sections arranged to encourage intimate conversation. Bartenders are expertly trained on the cobbler, a cocktail style dating back to at least the 1830’s of a base spirit, sugar, fresh fruit and then radically new elements of ice and a straw. Reminiscent of a Julep in the use of crushed ice and sometimes frosty silver cups akin to a Julep cup, cobblers are ideal in hot weather, with which Nola is well-acquainted.

View from my Windsor Court suite

A classic sherry cobbler leads a menu ($8.95-$14.95 per cocktail) created by Kirk Estopinal, Matthew Kohnke and Neal Bodenheimer, but there are cobblers utilizing a range of spirits, like yellow Chartreuse with jalapeño, citrus and hellfire bitters, for one. While Bonal (the lightly bitter, refreshing French aperitif akin to Lillet) is a worthy choice accompanied by grapefruit zest, my favorite is a Bual Madeira with orange and lemon, those fantastic Madeira properties (nutty, dry, rich) shining here.

Despite how intriguing they sounded, punches didn’t compete with cobblers. Though I appreciate the classic process of clarified milk in the Mary Rocket Punch, the mix of Cognac, lemon and Peychaud Bitters was so subtle it lacked impact. There’s a handful of classic cocktails outside of cobblers, an extensive fortified wines menu, even beer and a shot options. Though off the beaten path in CBD, it’s worth a trek for cocktail lovers seeking something different.

SoBOU, French Quarter

Cynar, Del Maguey Vida mezcal, Cinzano

Opened in July from the legendary Commander’s Palace Family of Restaurants, SoBou (which I reviewed last issue for food and beers on tap at tables) could claim cocktails as its strongest selling point with Bar Chef Abigail Gullo (formerly of Swizzle Stick and Fort Defiance in New York) helming a solid team of bartenders.

Being conveniently located in the French Quarter (South of Bourbon Street is what they’re going for in the name) in a casual, multi-roomed space, I found myself at SoBou more than once in a week. There’s light refreshers and tall, on the rocks cocktails (think bucks, fizzes, flips), like Faubourg Tall Boy (Earl Grey-infused gin, creme de cassis, lemon and sparkling wine), but highlights were off menu. One gracious bartender made me a classically inspired, three ingredient winner of Cynar, Del Maguey Vida mezcal and Cinzano, when I asked for something either bitter or with mezcal. Meaty is the best descriptor for this combo – and that is entirely a compliment.

MAUREPAS FOODS, Bywater

Cocktails at Maurepas Foods

Maurepas Foods is my favorite new Crescent City restaurant (see last issue), aided by the fact that it also boasts strong cocktail offerings from Minneapolis transplant Brad Smith. The menu is seasonal, simple, straightforward but still interesting.

A Bywater Daiquiri is the shining neighborhood star, a vivacious, not-too-sweet combination of rum, mango, banana, lime, and piloncillo (unrefined whole cane sugar), it’s tart, refreshing. A hint of smoke adds sultriness to the Chameleon, bright with limoncello, cucumber and grapefruit, while naming points go to the Mofo Cosmo, which is a pour of Old Grand-Dad bourbon. In general, they perk up classic profiles, like gin, Chartreuse and lime in the Merriweather, with seasonal fruits like rhubarb.

SYLVAIN, French Quarter

Sylvain cocktail spread

Though it can get packed on weekends, my weeknight excursion to Sylvain was mellow and welcoming in the historic Quarter restaurant (near Jackson Square on dreamy Chartres Street), making it a new Quarter favorite for a proper cocktail and a bite.

Built in 1796, the space evokes a Colonial tavern serving gastropub fare like Champagne and fries, braised beef cheeks, pulled pork sandwiches, and shaved brussels sprouts. Drinks are simple (commonly three ingredients), skillfully-prepared – and good fun to boot. Mordecai’s Paloma ($10) uses mezcal instead of the Paloma’s traditional tequila base, grapefruit juice perked up with Chef Alex’s hot sauce, while beer cocktails like Table Tennis ($9) mixes Pimm’s No. 1 with Hitachino White Ale and a little citrus.

The ever inspiring architecture of the French Quarter

LATEST in NEW ORLEANS DINING

Photos and article by Virginia Miller

Criollo's shrimp

Returning to my beloved New Orleans, a city I’ve explored extensively via a path laden with jazz, Dixieland, Zydeco, Ramos Gin Fizzes, Sazeracs, Cajun and Creole food, there were ever more finds, both new and classic. The sweltering humid heat of July during Tales of the Cocktail is not ideal weather to fill up on po boys and boudin, but I managed, and in so doing, savored more of the soul of this most soulful of places.

More of Cochon's rabbit & dumplings, please

Though I returned to modern day favorites like Cochon (rabbit and dumplings, boudin and fried alligator, thank you) or ordered appetizers and drinks at the bar at brand new Criollo in the Hotel Monteleone, following are restaurants I’d add to my already long, Nola neighborhood lists – and only one real disappointment.

Best New Restaurant: Maurepas Foods

Maurepas' bright yet rustic interior

Visiting six new hot openings this trip, Maurepas Foods, open since the beginning of the year, was easily the best. I approached the restaurant in the midst of a warm, sultry downpour of summer rain in the mellow, ruggedly hip Bywater neighborhood. Maurepas offers high value (everything is $3-17) in gourmet, quality food prepared with care – of the caliber I’m used to at home in SF. It’s also more playful and forward-thinking than higher priced restaurants around town. Salvaged chandeliers, reclaimed woods, the rustic look of a former printing house, all fit in the neighborhood, while the space is colorful, bright with windows, peaceful during late afternoon. Cocktails shine, artisan but affordable – more on that next issue when I cover the latest in Nola cocktails.

Maurepas popular goat tacos

Chef-owner Michael Doyle (formerly of Uptown’s Dante’s Kitchen), keeps the food as funky and fun as the artwork lining the walls with his already beloved goat tacos ($8) accompanied by pickled green tomatoes and cilantro harissa on housemade tortillas. I get good goat tacos at home in Cali. and these are winners. A special of the day, lightly fried soft shell crab, feels nearly decadent in creamy curry, while Summer is glorified in peaches and peppers ($8) tossed in lemon balm with mint and coriander. A green onion sausage ($8) from Mid-City deli favorite Terranova is grilled, served alongside arancini (fried Italian rice balls) and figs with black pepper mustard.

I left Maurepas aglow from the hospitable service, confident I’d eaten at what is not just the Crescent City’s best new restaurant, but one of Nola’s best overall, downhome as it is refreshingly current.

Best Po Boy: Parkway Bakery & Tavern

Welcoming Garden District sandwich shop, The Grocery

Like any great regional dish, few agree on who makes it best. Which is why, when it comes to po boy sandwiches in New Orleans, I have to a try a few each visit, checking off the long list of those commonly deemed “best” (past favorites include Domilise’s). This trip, I learned from a local while riding the St. Charles streetcar that longtime Parasol’s owners had moved nearby to Tracey’s Irish Restaurant due to a rent hike, the local said. I rerouted there for a hearty (if a bit dry, despite being “dressed”) beef po boy. Nearby, I also visited the adorable Grocery (not to be confused with legendary Central Grocery in the Quarter) known for their “pressed po boys”, or basically panini. Though I loved the friendly sandwich shop, I couldn’t help but wish for a real Cubano when trying their Cuban sandwich.

Still dreaming of Surf & Turf po boys at Parkway

But the top po boy thus far – of any of my New Orleans visits – may be obvious: I finally made it to Mid-City’s Parkway Bakery & Tavern. A classic since 1911, po boys have been served here since 1929. Lines are long (and slow) with plenty of menu items. But it’s the Parkway Surf & Turf ($8.10/11.30), slow cooked roast beef and fried shrimp in gravy, that’s a game changer. A local tipped me off to this one, rightly affirming there’s no reason to choose beef or shrimp po boys when you can have both. Adding remoulade and horseradish from the condiments table, I avoided the dryness that seems to plague many a beloved po boy. I could not stop sighing in ecstatic glee with each meaty, shrimp-y bite.

Goin' to church on Sunday: brunch at Redemption

Church Brunch: Redemption

Restored church space

Setting outshines the food, at least at Sunday brunch, but sweet service and friendly locals who chatted with me as I dined solo with a book, a bourbon milk punch and chicory coffee, made my meal at the new Redemption in Mid-City a rewarding excursion via streetcar.

The striking, converted church setting is certainly the main attraction. High ceilings, wood rafters, and a stained glass glow imparted a lasting impression, although alligator sausage on waffles ($9 starter) could be amazing if perfected. Pricier dinner entrees ($22-$33) run the seafood to steak gamut with New Orleans influence.

Classic Ice Cream Parlor: Angelo Brocato

Old school Sicilian ice cream

If you’re hitting up Parkway Tavern or Redemption in Mid-City, classic ice cream parlor, Angelo Brocato, is not a far trek from either.

Though I find flavors more interesting at La Divinia Gelateria, Creole Creamery or Sucre, I love Angelo Brocato’s history as a family-run, Sicilian sweets outpost since 1906. Refreshing mint ice cream soothes on an oppressive Summer day.

Best New French Quarter Watering Hole: SoBou

Individual beer taps on tables

Even if the name SoBou (refering to South of Bourbon Street) feels forced, this newcomer (opened in July just a couple weeks before I twice visited) from New Orleans’ restaurant legends (Commander’s Palace Family of Restaurants) shows promise of succeeding on numerous fronts. Though the place can get obnoxiously loud, it’s multi-roomed, casual, festive, whether at individual or communal tables. A friendly bar staff, run by bar chef Abigail Gullo from NYC, beer taps actually at individual tables in the front room (dangerous!), and a menu from executive chef/partner Tory McPhail and Juan Carols Gonzalez are all reasons to go.

Cajun queso & cracklins'

I’ll highlight cocktails next issue, but on the food front, playfulness reigns with blessedly local touches, like a Cajun queso ($5), essentially a pimento cheese fondue with pork cracklins’ to dip, and crispy oyster tacos ($7), a delight of fried oysters, compressed pineapple ceviche, mirliton (aka chayote or pear squash, the poster child of Southern vegetables), and Cajun ghost pepper caviar. The best bite of all?  Butternut duck “debris” beignets in chicory coffee ganache with foie gras fondue. Ridiculous.

My initial take is SoBou works best as a bar hangout (cocktails or beer) with crowd-pleasing bites and with its convenient locale and all day hours it’s just what the Quarter needed.

Sustainable Louisiana Seafood: Borgne

Borgne's duck "poppers"

Obviously all of John Besh’s restaurants can’t be August… nor would I want them to be. The great New Orleans’ chef‘s latest is Borgne, with Executive Chef Brian Landry in the kitchen. It’s a bustling, almost cafeteria-like ode to Louisiana seafood, sustainable whenever possible. While the place feels short of greatness and a couple dishes disappointed, it’s a fine lunch outpost for a beer or a solid cocktail and the likes of three deviled blue crabs ($20), hollowed out and stuffed with their own meat, or skewered duck (misleadingly called poppers – $9), wrapped in jalapeno and bacon.

After-Hours Hangout: Delachaise

Delachaise's inviting front patio

For late night goose fat fries ($6) with satay peanut sauce for dipping, smoked salmon johnny cakes ($13), and flank steak bruschetta ($10), alongside a bar-length chalkboard marked with an array of beer, wine and spirits (Campari-based aperitifs are a good way to go here, like a Negroni or Americano), Delachaise, with its magical, white light-draped front patio, is a couple steps above a dive and an ideal nighttime hangout with friends in the Garden District.

Business District Coffee Break: Merchant

At Restaurant R'evolution: sophisticated amuse bouche presentation

Though I must be honest and say dry, bland crepes were a letdown, the clean, white design of 2011 newcomer Merchant in the CBD (Central Business District) makes for an inviting breakfast hangout. Serving Illy coffee, the space feels half chic Rome cafe, half Bay Area, as the design was, in fact, inspired by Apple in Silicon Valley.

Though Illy would be far from the most respected bean choice where I come from (more classic Italian chain than modern day coffee haven), what makes Merchant special as a coffee stop is that there’s nothing else around like it. Third Wave coffee hasn’t really hit New Orleans and though there is something strong to be said for a New Orleans iced coffee laced with chicory even from chains like PJs and Community Coffee, there’s a massive gap when it comes to sources for hardcore coffee aficionados. At least Merchant is trying to narrow the gap on the Italian side with a custom-build XP1 espresso machine and appropriately robust coffee.

Fine Dining Disappointment: Restaurant R’evolution

What could have been exciting, felt like a disjointed mess of shrimp & grits

The greatest disappointment this visit was one of the city’s biggest new openings in a restored French Quarter mansion with multiple rooms and an attentive team of servers, the fine dining Restaurant R’evolution. I feel obliged to mention it as the big name Chicago chef attached to it, Rick Tramanto of Tru, alongside New Orleans’ Chef John Folse, will draw foodies. Despite its gorgeous rooms and convenient Quarter location, it fell far short of expectations. Dining out at over ten meals a week for years both in my hometown, one of the world’s greatest food cities, and around the globe, I know mediocre. Mediocre becomes far worse if it costs over $100 per person and dishes sound so promising. Granted, I dined here as it was just under two months old so one could argue that it’s still finding itself, but I dine at brand new restaurants constantly and when there’s not one standout dish on any visit, there’s something wrong.

Another dish that looked/read better than it tasted: Quail Triptych

I find a place coalesces in service and voice over time but a strong menu tends to show its promise from the beginning, even with kinks to work out. At R’evolution, there’s artfully displayed, if chaotic, round of flavorless, $16 tomatoes in a lovely olive oil ice cream, followed by an East-meets-West  shrimp and grits ($29). I’m well used to this kind of “fusion” cuisine in my Asian-dominant city and am a shrimp and grits fanatic, particularly in the South (I tend to have the best in Charleston), but this dish looked and tasted disjointed, even bland, despite chiles and ginger in the mix.

Even a brilliant concept of a trio of quail ($32), one Southern-fried, one boudin-stuffed and overly salty, one absinthe-glazed, though I could not taste even a hint of absinthe… was a real letdown. Each and every dish, outside of a couple solid desserts, was far from competitive with great fine dining restaurants around the country. Two friends and I left, $300 later, deflated. I arrived with the highest expectations for any new New Orleans opening on my agenda this visit, but left without even one dish leaving an impression.

Japanese whisky haven in a Warehouse District loft with Suntory

Highlights of 2012 TALES of the COCKTAIL

Photos and article by Virginia Miller

Ryan Fitzgerald and team accepts for Beretta, which wins Best Cocktail Bar in America at Tales' Barroom Brawl

It was another humid, sweltering year at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, the world’s biggest cocktail event, drawing thousands of global attendees for a relentless week of tastings, seminars and parties in the great queen of the South. Any reason to be in Nola is a good one and with the city overrun with some of the world’s best bartenders, brand ambassadors, writers and distillers, it was, as usual, one long party.

Being Tales’ 10th anniversary, the parties were particularly big this year, though for me none came close to the magic of William Grant & Sons’ party in a Garden District mansion at Tales two years ago. I found myself craving such an event in the midst of cacophonous, overcrowded blowouts, urging me to slip away with like-minded folk for conversation in quieter settings. Nevertheless, the week held numerous highlights:

1. SF REPRESENTED

Enrique Sanchez of Jasper's joyfully mixes cocktails as part of the Beretta SF team

Though Tales’ awards continue to be Europe and New York-centric (evidenced by the London-dominant wins at the Spirited Awards), this year SF made a dent, only hinting at our long-established cocktail culture that has set trends rather than been a recent comer to the nationwide renaissance of the last few years.

At Thursday night’s Bar Room Brawl, bars from six US cities represented with bar teams serving special menus as brass bands (and beyond) rocked on. The winner of Best Cocktail Bar in America? Our own Beretta. Ryan Fitzgerald, Jennifer Colliau, Enrique Sanchez, and a hard-working crew of SF bartenders ecstatically accepted a giant trophy, doing us proud.

Roasting a whole pig at The Bon Vivants' Pig & Punch BBQ fundraiser

The Bon Vivants (Scott Baird, Josh Harris, Alex Straus) deservedly won The John Lermeyer Award for Good Behavior at Tales’ Spirited Awards. It was a joy watching them win the first award of the night for their humanitarian work, which gives a good name to bartenders everywhere. Besides painting over 30 New Orleans KIPP Charter School classrooms with a team of volunteers, they threw their 3rd annual Pig & Punch fundraiser for the schools Saturday in Washington Square Park. With delicious barbecue (whole hog, y’all), Don Julio and George Dickel punches, and a crowd of over 800 people, they raised over $21k (they started this merely three years ago raising $1600). Impressive growth and a shining example of how to have fun and give back at the same time.

The stage set as a pub for the Spirited Awards

With two of the four nominees for Spirited Awards‘ Best Restaurant Bar being from SF (the other was the wonderful Bar Agricole), it was a delight to see the ever-talented Erik Adkins win for The Slanted Door, with equally impressive work behind Heaven’s Dog. I wish for more US bars to be awarded – and for nominees to be more current as Tales seems to often nominate places that were great or established years ago. Though I adore London and have been to all the nominated London bars, I can’t help but notice the US isn’t represented in London Cocktail Week, for example, so why wouldn’t we reserve at least a bigger section of the platform to acknowledge the fantastic bars nationwide?

2. JAPANESE WHISKY HAVEN

Single barrel Japanese whisky vials for mixing or poured on the rocks

A hearty thank you to Suntory and the fabulous Neyah White and Gardner Dunn (Suntory Brand Ambassadors) for what was THE highlight of Tales: an intimate, invite-only tasting room in a Warehouse District loft. Down a candlelit hall was a white room punctuated by glowing bar, decorative kimono on loan from a Paris museum, and mini-tables lined with vials of single barrel whiskies from the Suntory line for us to mix and pour over hand-cut ice. Making the experience even more memorable, Michael Mina corporate chefs, Lincoln Carson and Gary Lamorte, flew out from SF and Vegas respectively to cook four exceptional bites. I’m still dreaming of a 76 degree sous vide egg strained through a siphon, creamy and whipped, over vanilla brioche studded with bacon. Togarashi Fiddle Faddle popcorn was an addictive snack, and a cool banana mochi over golden raisin puree elicited a long, slow sigh of delight.

Togarashi Fiddle Faddle

Alongside the space’s Zen peace and camaraderie with other whisky aficionados, the afternoon was landmark due to a bar of everything from Hakushu 25 year, Yamazaki 1984, Hibiki 30 year, and other extremely rare, unavailable in the US Japanese whiskies. The privilege was not lost on me, and while I would be hard pressed to chose a favorite, Yamazaki ’84 lingered on my palate long after I returned to the blinding heat outside.

3. FIRST TASTES OF UNRELEASED SPIRITS

Meeting with distillers, brand ambassadors and previewing unreleased spirits are key reasons I go to Tales, even if there wasn’t an overwhelming offering of the new this year. On the first day of Tales, I spent time with WhistlePig master distiller Dave Pickerell, who you may know as Maker’s Mark master distiller for 14 years. As Pickerell told me himself, I was the very first to try his upcoming October release, TripleOne. TripleOne is WhistlePig rye but at 111 proof (vs. 100), aged 11 years (vs. 10), and at $111 per 750 ml. bottle. The bracing TripleOne doesn’t boast quite as long a finish as the flagship rye, but it’s even more complex, surprisingly akin to applejack or Calvados at first sip, opening up into spicy rye body with citrus and chocolate notes. American whiskey fans, watch for this one. You’re going to want it.

4. AMARO/AMARI 

Agostino Perrone of London's Connaught bar serves amari

You say amaros, I saw amari (plural for amaro). The bottom line is amaro (Italian for “bitter”), the wide range of herbal liqueurs commonly sipped as after-dinner digestifs in Italy, has been hot the past few years and only continues to get hotter. Though there are still countless amari not yet imported from Europe, big names like Fernet and Cynar have ushered bitter liqueurs into the mainstream. Amari popped up all over Tales, most notably in the Fortified and Aromatized Wines Tasting Room highlighting port, sherry, etc… and some of the US’ best vermouths like SF’s Sutton Cellars and Imbue in Portland. The highlight of the tasting was Neil Kopplin pouring Imbue’s debut of brand new Petal & Thorn, a gorgeously bitter gentian liqueur using homegrown beets for color, alongside cinnamon and menthol.

Sipping amari with Spirit of Italy

On the Italian front, The Spirit of Italy (TSOI) threw a two morning brunch hosted by Francesco Lafranconi, featuring seven producers: Amaro Lucano, Luxardo, Moccia, Nardini, Pallini, Toschi and Varnelli. Lafranconi’s cocktails stole the show, like addictive:

Amaro Lucano-Bourbon Milk Punch
1 ¼ oz Amaro Lucano
¾ oz Bourbon Whiskey
4 oz Milk Punch Mix*
Method: shake ingredients with ice then strain into a tumbler.
Garnish: orange peel and sprinkle of nutmeg.

*Milk Punch Mix (keep refrigerated):
2 oz milk
2 oz half & half
5 drops of vanilla extract
½ oz rock candy syrup

Zabov NOLA Coffee

1 oz Zabov Liqueur
½ oz Cream-style Sherry
½ oz Chocolate Liqueur
2 oz Chicory Coffee Blend
2 tbsp. Zabov-flavored whipped cream*
Method: shake ingredients with ice then strain into a glass coffee mug.
Garnish: zested lemon peel and sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.

Zabov in a Nola Coffee

*Zabov-flavored whipped cream:
12 oz heavy cream
4 oz Zabov.
In a pint-size whipping cream syphon combine the ingredients, charge and keep refrigerated.

Zabov is essentially zabaglione (the Italian dessert of whipped egg yolks, sugar, sweet wine) in a bottle – a little sweet on its own but fascinating in texture and in the coffee cocktail. On the other end of the spectrum, Varnelli’s expensive ($52), uber-bitter Amaro Sibilla is a complex delight, unfolding with chestnuts, coffee, honey, and intense bitter notes – not for the novice amaro drinker.

6. INDIE SPIRITS ROCK

Evanston, Illinois' FEW at Indie Spirits That Rock

Kudos to Dave Schmier for Indie Spirits That Rock, a version of his Indy Spirits Expo, which I’ve been to every year in SF. Crowds thronged around small, independent spirits – they need a bigger tasting room next year. I was “tattooed” with an artful, temporary St. George Breaking & Entering Bourbon tat (which everyone thought was real) and even discovered a few new spirits I had not tasted before.

Smooth Ambler Gin at Indie Spirits

Standouts included West Virginia’s Smooth Ambler Spirits‘ (I’d had their Old Scout bourbon before) fascinating Barrel-Aged Gin, aromatic with orange marmalade, bitter subtleties, pine, cinnamon, and their Very Old Scout bourbon, earthy with oak, nuts, toast and butter. Few Spirits (from Evanston, IL) also offered an intriguing rye and bourbon, the former spicy, sweet, bracing, the latter smooth but not lacking in character. I look forward to revisiting each of these.

7. HANGING in FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA’s NOLA HOME

Inside Francis Ford Coppola's French Quarter home

Besides Suntory’s sacred den of Japanese whisky, the other haven from Tales madness and New Orleans’ Summer heat was Francis Ford Coppola’s French Quarter home. By invite only, we were merely given an address, entering a candlelit walkway into a classic New Orleans courtyard and hundred years’ old home with exposed brick walls, fireplaces, grand piano and jazz duo serenading us as we sipped Krug and Inglenook Wine. I stopped in more than once, grateful for a peaceful gathering on comfy couches where I ran into friends from New York to Ireland.

8. HOUSE SPIRITS’ MORNING COFFEE BAR

Courtyard at Coppola's home

Thanks to Portland’s House Spirits for the brilliant idea of a coffee bar – with booze, of course –  every morning at an art gallery across the street from the Tales’ home base of the Hotel Monteleone.

Iced Stumptown Coffee perked us up on those slugglishly hot, post-party mornings. And if one must add House Spirits’ coffee liqueur or aquavit to the coffee, so be it.

A memorable Spirited Dinner on 4/26 celebrating Sindey Frank Importing Co.'s 40th anniversary at Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse with drinks by (L-R): Sean Kenyon (Denver), Sean Hoard (NYC), Ivy Mix (NYC), Todd Richman (NYC), chef de cuisine Alfred Singleton

2012 TALES of the COCKTAIL
Spirited Award Winners

The John Lermeyer Award for Good Behavior:
The Bon Vivants 

American Bartender of the Year:
Eric Alperin
Charles Joly
Jeffrey Morganthaler
Joaquin Simo

Best American Brand Ambassador:
Erick Castro
Elayne Duke
Jamie Gordon
Jim Ryan

Best American Cocktail Bar:
Anvil Bar & Refuge – Houston, Texas
Clover Club – Brooklyn, New York
Columbia Room – Washington, District of Columbia
The Varnish – Los Angeles, California

Best Bar Mentor:
Bridget Albert
Wayne Collins
Francesco Lafranconi
Steve Olson

Best High Volume Cocktail Bar:
Beretta – San Francisco, California
Clover Club – Brooklyn, New York
Eastern Standard – Boston, Massachusetts
La Descarga – Los Angeles, California

Best Cocktail Writing, Non-Book:
BarLifeUK
Liquor.com
ShakeStir.com
Time Out NY

Best Cocktail Writing:
Gary Regan
Robert Simonson
David Wondrich
Naren Young

Best International Brand Ambassador:
Jacob Briars
Ian Burrell
Claire Smith
Angus Winchester

Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book:
The American Cocktail by the Editors of Imbibe
Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-all
Gaz Regan’s Annual Manual for Bartenders 2011
PDT Cocktail Book

Best New Product:
Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum
Cognac Pierre Ferrand 1840 Formula
Lillet Rose
Perlini System

Best Restaurant Bar:
Bar Agricole – San Francisco, California
Rivera – Los Angeles, California
Saxon + Parole – New York, New York
Slanted Door – San Francisco, California

International Bartender of the Year:
Zdenek Kastanek
Alex Kratena
Sam Ross
Dushan Zaric

World’s Best Cocktail Bar:
69 Colebrooke Row – London, United Kingdom
Black Pearl – Melbourne, Australia
The Connaught Bar – London, United Kingdom
The Varnish – Los Angeles, California

World’s Best Cocktail Menu:
Black Pearl – Melbourne, Australia
Callooh Callay – London, United Kingdom
Clover Club – Brooklyn, New York
Mayahuel – Manhattan, New York

World’s Best Drinks Selection:
Artesian Bar at The Langham – London, United Kingdom
Death & Co. – Manhattan, New York
Eau de Vie – Sydney, Australia
Salvatore Calabrese at The Playboy – London, United Kingdom

World’s Best Hotel Bar:
Artesian Bar at The Langham – London, United Kingdom
Clive’s Classic Lounge – Victoria, British Columbia
Clyde Common – Portland, Oregon
The Zetter Townhouse – London, United Kingdom

World’s Best New Cocktail Bar
: 
Aviary – Chicago, Illinois
Candelaria – Paris, France
Canon – Seattle, Washington
The Zetter Townhouse – London, United Kingdom

Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award:
Gaz Regan 

NEW ORLEANS

“In New Orleans, gluttony is a way of life.” – Morton J. Horwitz

Famous cornstalk fence outside the Cornstalk Hotel

I’m getting those Basin Street Blues again.  I’ve done articles on the Uptown, Carollton and Garden District, more Uptown & Bywater, on French Quarter food and drink, and the Fauborg Marigny and Treme neighborhoods.  Now I cover the more commercial, high-rise-littered CBD, where some of Nola’s best food and drink is found.

CBD (Central Business District)

Tantalizing 'street art'

CBD is Nola’s downtown with high-rises and a slew of hotels. As corporate as some of the buildings look, there’s inspiring architecture interspersed. I find it to be one of the most vibrant Nola ‘hoods for drinks and restaurants. Best of all, this where you can get an unforgettable drink from Chris McMillian and visit the Museum of the American Cocktail, of which he is a founding member.

Drinks

BAR UNCOMMON at Renaissance Pere Marquette – You’ve heard me mention Chris McMillian many a time and with good reason. He’s the bartender I credit with changing the way I drink. Certainly over the past decade in San Francisco, I have changed, matured, evolved with my own study and many of our country’s best bartenders here in SF illuming the way.

Sazeracs in the city from which they came

A few years ago I had drinks at Chris’ bar multiple times in one week, the highlight of my first visit to New Orleans. His level of craft and care with the classics, not to mention his poetry recitation in ode to the julep, showed me more fully than anyone ever had before the history, art form, romance and possibility inherent in a cocktail. He has also best exemplified the customer care and lack of pretension a great bartender exudes. I came home inspired, working carefully on my Old-Fashioneds and Mint Juleps. He makes the I’ve ever had of either. Any other drink (including his Aviation) will likewise leave it’s mark. If you claim to love drink at all, order from McMillian.

Inside Cochon

SWIZZLE STICK BAR in Loews Hotel next to Cafe Adelaide - Though I have mixed feelings about some of the light, sweet drinks I sampled here, including a signature Adelaide Swizzle ($7.50) – Amber rum, lime, bitters, soda – I dig the lush, playful lounge setting in  velvets and pastels. I respect the reputation this bar has amongst bartenders I talked to in Nola and appreciate the personality behind Cafe Adelaide’s name.

POLO CLUB LOUNGE in Windsor Court Hotel – It’s old school, 1980′s elegance, to be sure. More fitting for older gentleman in suits with loads of cash. But with live piano jazz and extensive scotches and champagnes, I find it a worthy Nola respite for whiskey and romance.

Restaurants

Cocktails & hot sauce at Cochon

AUGUST – Yes, John Besh is Nola’s great chef and his signature restaurant is easily my top recommend for fine dining in this city. Certainly it’s one of my top restaurants in all of Nola. Service is impeccable, the wine list strong, atmosphere is elegant, quiet but not stuffy. Pricey tasting menus please gourmands with refined execution and heartwarming Southern touches in dishes like Sugar & Spice Duckling with stone ground grits, roasted foie gras, candied quince. The lunch prix fixe is a steal and budget way to try this landmark Nola restaurant.

Cochon's roasted shrimp w/ ham, chilis, satsumas & cornbread cake

COCHON -  Cochon gets much acclaim. I enjoyed first visiting it back in 2008. While I wouldn’t call it the best in Nola, it does place Southern food firmly in updated territory, re-interpreted for city folk. Traditional dishes that make me crazy happy, like Crawfish Pie ($8), Grilled Shrimp Chow-Chow ($9) and Fried Boudin ($9), appear here in fresh iterations. Their famed Louisiana Cochon ($22) isn’t any less fatty because there’s turnips and cabbage in it. Cracklins confirm this is one rich dish in a pig-centric restaurant. They do everything with finesse and though not every plate tastes as wonderful as it sounds, this is one of those spots where merely perusing the menu makes me salivate. Head next door to Cochon Butcher for sandwiches or meats to go.

Exactly what I DON'T recommend in Nola - but makes me laugh every time I see it

CUVEE – If you’re going to Cuvee, you might as well visit the superior August instead, but that doesn’t make Cuvee an unworthy CBD stop, especially for the $24 lunch prix fixe, which, similar to August, is a more affordable way to sample their fare. They serve a superior version of Gulf Shrimp Napoleon ($11): crisp mirliton, rémoulade, cayenne beurre blanc, frisée, or creations like Carne Cruda ($13): filet mignon, rioja reduction, mahon, peppadew peppers.

Vintage bike I rode Uptown (thanks, Bols Genever)

NEW ORLEANS

It’s New Orleans’ time… again.  I’ve written on the Uptown, Carollton and Garden District, CBD, on French Quarter food, more Quarter eats and drink and the Fauborg Marigny and Treme neighborhoods.

Here’s more from my July visit to Nola in the Uptown/Garden District and Bywater, plus coffee and breakfast stops.

Uptown/Garden District

Hansen's Sno-Bliz

HANSEN’S SNO BLIZ - In early 2009, I wrote about my favorite Nola food book, Gumbo Tales. I was moved (to tears) by the chapter on Hansen’s, the legendary sno-ball (not snow cone!) shop on Tchoupitoulas Street, and the hardships and joys of the family behind it. Closed in my prior November visit, this July it was top priority – and absolutely crucial in the heat.

Cream of Almond & Spearmint

With my divergent desires for a cream syrup but also spearmint on my ice, the sweetheart of a woman behind the counter said Cream of Almond and Spearmint was actually one of her favorite combos. She was right – I could not believe the rich, brightness of flavor and fine, feathery texture of the ice they are famous for from their family-made machines.

Hansen's flavors

Hansen’s sno-ball perfection was accentuated by my stop an hour later at SnoWizard, another Nola long-timer since 1937. The flavors I tried here were syrupy sweet, fake, basically the bright-colored junk food syrups you’d expect, though flavor concepts were fun (Cajun Red Hot!)  And the texture of the ice wasn’t comparable.

Hansen’s is king, their staff exude heart and it did my heart good watching entire families sit on the sidewalk eating sno-balls.

Divine Lobster Beignets

LA PETITE GROCERY - Let’s just say La Petite Grocery was the best overall meal I had this visit to New Orleans. I’d put it up there in my top Nola meals alongside August, Jacques Imo’s, Dick & Jenny’s, Commander’s Palace. The space is simultaneously sophisticated chic and Southern hospitality. Beers range from Alsace to Tibet. Cocktails are solid, from an Americano Classico ($8) with Cocchi Americano, moscato dolce, muddle orange, mint and a Luxardo cherry, to a bright Bee’s Knees ($10): Hayman’s Old Tom Gin, lavender blossom clover honey, lemon.

Abita Root Beer Ribs

And, oh, the food. I let out a moan of delight more than once during this meal. Certainly for Lobster Beignets ($9), warm, with lobster falling out of a fried casing. French remoulade and cabbage slaw accented this buttery delight. But how could I not equally swoon over Abita Root Beer-braised Beef Short Rib ($11)? Tender beef, potato croquettes and house pickles all won me, but it was the sweet, nuanced sauce on smoky meat that ushered the dish into another realm.

Shrimp & Grits

Fried Boudin ($6) was peppy with red onion marmalade, whole grain mustard and pickled jalapenos. Pan-seared Rabbit ($19) was a solid, savory dish of tender rabbit with wilted spinach and spaetzle in a lemon caper brown butter. Entrees particularly shined in these two superb dishes: Braised Pork Cheeks ($15) over Louisiana popcorn rice, grilled corn and roasted peppers, and ever-a-favorite Southern dish of mine, Shrimp & Grits ($14), swimming in jus, shiitake mushrooms, divine, smoky bacon and thyme.

DOMILISE’S - It doesn’t get much crustier: mom, grandma and son frying oysters and catfish, while loading up sandwiches, ignoring a ringing phone, and trying to avoid the incessant line of customers until they absolutely have to take their order or payment.

This is all you'll get for a sign to Domilise's

Only grandpa, serving me an ice cold root beer at the bar, seemed to have a little joy, and even then, reservedly so. I fell in love with Domilise’s, a Nola po boy institution for decades. The bread is far from artisan, oysters and shrimp are  greasy and plump. The po boys are best loaded not only with the usual hot sauce, but with horseradish and tartar sauce. Roast Beef Po Boys are as popular as the Oyster Po Boys. Half sizes are still large and range from $9-12.50 (oysters being the most expensive at $12.50), while full-sized sandwiches run $11-16.

This is a classic I am glad to say I finally visited on a non-descript, residential block Uptown… a true peek at the unique character of old school, New Orleans cheap eats.

Cure bar (photo source: www.curenola.com)

CURE - Cure opened since my last visit to Nola so when I was here for Tales, it was a priority to visit what is one of the few “new wave” cocktail bars in a city that more often keeps it old school. As it isn’t a common style of bar in Nola, I appreciate it, but compared to bars of this type across the country, it did not overly impress. The patio is a nice break from loud music in the echoing, chic interior. But in July, the heat is so oppressive, even late at night on the patio, a drink barely refreshed.

Jazz at Commander's Palace brunch

The drinks are solid, like Re-Bootsy Collins ($9), an El Jimador Blanco refresher with house-made rhubarb & lime cordial, topped with soda water. Celery Stalker ($10) is bright with Miller’s Westbourne Strength Gin, lime, house celery bitters, and cucumber, topped with Prosecco. There are also spirituous, bitter treats like Cease & Desist ($9) with Rittenhouse bonded Rye, Carpano Punt e Mes, Fernet Branca and orange peel.

Shrimp and Tasso ham w/ pickled okra

COMMANDER’S PALACE - Commander’s Palace is the Queen of New Orleans’ jazz brunches (Arnaud’s is another quintessential Nola brunch). Commander’s main dining room, highlighted with tacky balloons, is more circa 1980′s elegance than Arnaud’s lovely, turn-of-the-century, garden-style dining room, but the legend, history and importance of Commander’s in Nola history cannot be overstated. Not to mention the food is excellent. All reasons alone you must visit at least once.

Cafe Brulot prepared tableside

Similar to other hours-long jazz brunches around the city, you will pay $30-40 per person without drinks, and will be serenaded by roving jazz trio as you dine. Also similar to others, my beloved, only-in-Nola brunch drinks are available, some off-menu. Just ask for a Bourbon (or Brandy) Milk Punch for creamy, boozy breakfast decadence. Or a tableside coffee/brandy Cafe Brulot, flaming orange rind and all. I’m still waiting to see this presented properly in the Bay Area.

Bread Pudding Souffle

While the band wooed with my request for Lazy River, I filled up on Gumbo YaYa,  Shrimp & Tasso Henican (wild Louisiana white shrimp stuffed with spicy Cajun ham, Crystal hot sauce beurre blanc, pickled okra and five pepper jelly) and Eggs Acadian: duck, andouille and sweet potato hash cakes with two poached eggs over bacon, smothered in red beans and spicy Creole mustard hollandaise. Who could miss their famed Creole Bread Pudding Souffle? Don’t, if you haven’t had it. It’s bread pudding souffle-style: light, airy, doused with whiskey cream sauce tableside.

May the decadent Nola jazz brunch tradition never die.

Bywater

Bacchanal Wine Bar

BACCHANAL – Nevermind that after hanging out with aperitifs and wine, then waiting in a 30 minute line for BBQ (which smelled amazing), I neared the stand only to find they’d sold out of literally everything. And this was all before 9pm. That was a brutal blow, but otherwise, Bacchanal is a special, Nola-style wine bar.

Jazz in Bacchanal's back yard

With a big backyard that feels like a friend’s summer BBQ garden party, live Dixieland jazz and blues (with gospel and lounge thrown in for good measure) set the tone for a magical evening. I like this more remote, laid-back neighborhood and find Bacchanal a summer idyll with a cheese platter and bottle of Cocchi Americano. No wonder it’s the ‘last hurrah’ hang-out for bartenders and spirits folk at the end of Tales.

Breakfast & Coffee

Surrey's Juice Bar

SURREY’s JUICE BAR, Lower Garden District -  Surrey’s would be at home in Berkeley. Eclectic garage sale decor and a hippie vibe confirm Berkeley-like status with juices and wheatgrass shots. On a blazing hot, Louisiana summer day, nothing tasted better than a fresh juice of carrot, orange and celery. You can pop in for juice or stay for breakfasts of Brat N’ Eggs, Costa Rican scramble with black beans, Tofu Breakfast Platter or Bananas Foster French Toast.

La Boulangerie

LA BOULANGERIE, Uptown/Garden District – A locals favorite and one I hit during each visit to Nola, La Boulangerie is vaguely Tartine-reminiscent though far from that exuberantly amazing. Still, baguettes, breads and pastries are of high quality, baked fresh daily, and I couldn’t go wrong with a breakfast of their Peach Danish ($2.20) or Apple Cinnamon Scone ($1.90).

Fuel coffee

FUEL COFFEE HOUSE, Uptown/Garden District – I stumbled upon Fuel when riding a bike out along Magazine Street. The front garden and porch invited me in, the clientele on a weekday seemed predominantly college students from nearby Tulane or Loyola, and coffee was surprisingly strong and smooth. When I saw the sign next door (photo below, left) on the wall of neighboring (and fabulously dive-y) Le Bon Temps Roule, it put a big smile on my face: a black baby with headphones for Brown Sugar Records (which is not in the building, by the way), that reads: “Our Business is Pleasing You.”

Sign from Fuel porch

PJ’s COFFEE – Yes, PJ’s is a chain, with 15 Nola shops alone, but the location inside the Royal Sonesta Hotel saved my life numerous days during Tales when I’d order their damn good Iced Coffee or a Cappuccino before a morning seminar down the hall after only 3 hours sleep.

I can’t help but laugh at the obvious Nola boozy factor: if you so desire, bottles of liquor hang upside down, dripping straight into your coffee. Add Grand Marnier, Kahlua, Baileys or the like, to your cup first thing in the morning.

TALES from TALES: Highlights at Tales of the Cocktail

Elms Mansion Opening Party

In 100% humidity at 100 degrees (with no relief at night), spending a week drinking and eating doesn’t sound like the best idea, but for eight years running, it happens every July in New Orleans at Tales of the Cocktail. For cocktail lovers and industry, this is THE drink event of the year (yes, I was at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic – no comparison in my book).

My first, or virgin, year at Tales, was as sleepless and packed as everyone said it would be, but moderation is the name of my game (at least outside of sleep). I managed to indulge without so much as one hangover from anything other than sleep deprivation.

At the scotch bar inside Elms Mansion

Of course, it meant merely tasting most drinks, eating a lot (NO problem in New Orleans!) and promptly turning around upon surveying 3am crowds at Old Absinthe House, instead heading to quieter bars or the Monteleone lobby for civilized conversation.

I already feel completely alive in my skin when I’m in New Orleans. Any reason to be in that queen of cities is a good reason for me. Tales itself grew progressively better as the week went on, despite awful heat and waning sleep… mainly because I continued to meet great people which led to further excursions, tastings, dinners, parties, and as the cumulative effect added up to a host of memories and experiences.  Let me try to summarize a mere few highlights for you:

LIFE-ALTERING TASTING of 1865 & 1805 COGNAC!
7/25 The Mysteries & Secrets of Distilling in Cognac

Dale DeGroff pouring the remarkable 1865 cognac

Cognac masters, Olivier Paultes and Alain Royer, moderator Dale DeGroff, and spirited bartender extraordinaire, Salvatore Calabrese, were keepers of the surprise that awaited at the end of a fascinating, seemingly routine seminar on the methods of distilling cognac, along with a token five cognac, side-by-side tasting.

The 1865 cognac label

The seminar suddenly escalated to once-in-a-lifetime experience when Calabrese informed our small group that he brought not only a bottle of 1865 Rouyer Guillet & Co. cognac to share together, but also an 1805 Maison De L’Emprereur cognac he was going to make a Sazerac with!

Salvatore Calabrese mixing the ultimate Sazerac

The room erupted in applause as we stood on chairs to take photos and watch him mix what he called a “$10,000 cocktail”. We passed the Sazerac around, each savoring a profound sip.

We all had a pour of the silky 1865. I exhaled and placed my head down on the table after first taste. It was remarkably full, refined with raisin and floral notes initially, a finely balanced burn, evolving into chocolate and nutty notes. I could only begin to fathom the history wrapped up in each sip. As Calabrese exclaimed, “This was made when Abraham Lincoln was alive!”

Worth far more than the $40 price of admission, the lucky few who happened to be in this seminar got an education beyond what we could have ever expected. We lived a moment that, for drink lovers, will remain a marker of earth-shattering tastes for the rest of our lives.

GREEN GORILLAS DESCENDING on the PELICAN CLUB
7/22 at The Pelican Club Spirited Dinner, French Quarter

Green gorillas walk up to a bar...

Thursday night there were Spirited Dinners across town. I chose the one at Pelican Club mainly because of the all-star line-up of bartenders from across the country pairing cocktails with a six-course dinner: Marcos Tello – The Varnish, LA; Jim Meehan – PDT, NY; Misty Kalkofen – Drink, Boston; Peter Vestinos – Wirtz Beverage Group, Chicago; and our own rockstar, Neyah White, formerly of Nopa.

The food was not as fine as I’d hoped, but the atmosphere was convivial, festive, a warmly welcoming party. The cocktails all featured the night’s spirit: Bols Genever.

Under magnificent oaks at Elms Mansion

Neyah clearly had fun creating the dessert cocktail, Drum Shag: Bols, sarsaparilla, PX sherry, infused with smoke.

But the highlight of the night? A foursome of green gorillas descended on the bar during aperitif hour before we were seated at our tables. I’d seen them at the pool of the Monteleone before, or roaming the streets, surely hot and sweaty in their cheap, neon green garb. The site of these guys at the elegant Pelican bar while some of our country’s best bartenders poured them shots was a memorable image, one that somehow typifies the wacky exuberance that is Tales.

DEL MAGUEY – RON COOPER – MEZCAL
7/25 La Verdad (The Truth) about Mezcal Seminar

Mezcal spread at mezcal seminar

Everyone who knows anything about mezcal knows Ron Cooper of Del Maguey is the master, having done more to further the mezcal gospel than anyone, even being called the “mezcal missionary“. As my friend whispered to me during the seminar, describing the panel of mezcal distillers: “They’ve all drunk the kool-aid, haven’t they?” Despite the fact that I’ve already been a mezcal fan for a few years, so did I… so did we all… by the end of the session.

Ron Cooper chats w/ an attendee

I’m must be honest: much as I appreciated every distiller there (Illegal Mezcal, Los Amantes, and Sombra), as has been my common experience in previously tasting these and other mezcals, none are in the same league as Ron’s entire product line. This was highlighted in a side-by-side tasting of all the above next to five Del Maguey mezcals. But all these guys were heartfelt and inspiring, while Ron himself is a small, peace-filled  powerhouse of a man… the Yoda of the mezcal world.

Every single Del Maguey mezcal is a revelation, whether the creamy, smoky sweet of Crema de Mezcal, or the chocolate earthiness of other-worldly Chichicapa. More to come soon here and in my Guardian column about his mezcals. Thanks to Neyah White, who created this menu, try Del Maguey by the shot at Nopalito, in cocktails throughout SF, or order some bottles. Once you dig further into mezcal, particularly through the Del Maguey lens, you, too, will “drink the kool-aid”.

SOUTHERN ROMANCE of DIXIELAND JAZZ under SWEEPING OAKS
7/22 William Grant & Sons Opening Party at Elms Mansion in the Garden District

Magic at Elms Mansion w/ jazz under rotunda

Yes, by 1am it felt like it was actually getting hotter as I wilted in the oppressive humidity, but what could have been more romantic than the stately, white Elms Mansion with stunning wood carved fireplaces and ceilings, drawing room scotch bar, white lights and absinthe in the garden, and live Dixieland band playing under a white-pillared rotunda? Not much. As massive oak trees loomed over us, even larger than the mansion, I felt fully alive and grateful… I was in the South.

A SUDDEN DOWNPOUR entering the BARTENDER’S BREAKFAST
7/24 Bartender’s Breakfast – Spirited Awards after party

Balcony at Bartender's Breakfast

A second line jazz funeral was held for Sex on the Beach, a cocktail that surely needed to die, on the walk from the Spirited Awards Ceremony to the Bartender’s Breakfast, where the likes of Audrey Saunders and Jim Meehan were making us drinks. Before entering the building, a sultry Summer storm rushed through, dampening our dresses, suits and hair. A warm rain, it wasn’t exactly a respite from the unrelenting heat, but it somehow refreshed, invigorated, injecting us with energy to celebrate late into the night.

NEW ORLEANS

Tales of the Cocktail brought me back to my beloved Nola. I’ve done articles on the CBD, Uptown, Carollton and Garden District, Fauborg Marigny and Treme neighborhoods, and on French Quarter food. Now I’m back in the Quarter with drink and food updates…

French Quarter Drinks

Tujague's & their fine Sazerac

Loving the time-transporting atmosphere of the truly magical Jean Laffitte’s and the dank, historical Old Absinthe House doesn’t help when the drinks aren’t so good. Tujague’s fares well with history, crustiness and fine Sazeracs, and Napoleon House, famous for their Pimm’s Cup (which I find watered-down), oozes 1700′s charm. Nowhere in America do I know of bars that hold the pirating, French, Creole, only-in-New Orleans’ mystery each of these places hold.

1700's absinthe fountain in original Old Absinthe House back bar

Skip Bourbon Street (anything but live jazz at the awesome  Fritzel’s, Maison Bourbon for dixieland, and the one-and-only Preservation Hall), and head half a block off Bourbon to the delightfully divey Erin Rose, complete with crappy drinks (or cheap shots), espresso ice machine (kind of like a house Frappuccino with Irish whiskey), crusty locals, savvy tourists, and a kick-ass jukebox.

But when you need a decent drink in the Quarter? The charm of all the intrigue-laden places I’ve mentioned, sadly does not equal a proper cocktail.

Retro decor touches at French 75

BAR TONIQUE – Bar Tonique is a noteworthy addition to the Quarter, right on the purportedly dangerous edge of the Quarter and the Treme, facing Louis Armstrong Park. Pretty new to the scene, it’s now my number one recommend for drinks in the Quarter. The brick-walled space holds booths, an alcove and plenty of bar stools (even a roach that ran across the alcove floor on a recent summer night! What do you expect from 100% humidity?)

Cocktail hour at French 75

The staff are tatooed, friendly and shake some fine classics (The Last Word, Ward 8, etc…) along with cocktails like Blanche Dubois, a refreshing mix of muddled strawberry and mint with Beefeater gin, orange curacao, orgeat and lemon… the orgeat added nutty dimension. And most cocktails hover around a reasonable $7-8.

FRENCH 75 – Widely regarded as one of the best bars in New Orleans, and some say, the country, French 75 has the added (and now rare) perk of being a cigar lounge. So light up and take in the circa 1930′s atmosphere while sipping a French 75 (of course), Sazerac, or aperitif. It’s a place where I can go dressed up and have grown-up conversation, even a little romance with my drink.

French Quarter Eats

Bayona's Eggplant "Caviar"

Last year I shared a few Quarter eats with you (including Coop’s, which I revisited this time around – still the best jambalaya I’ve ever had). Here’s Quarter eats from my July visit.

BAYONA – I’ve been trying to get to Bayona for years, having long heard about the illustrious chef, Susan Spicer. Granted, I only visited for lunch, but was not exactly thrilled with the rather dated (read: 1980′s) dining room and a menu not quite as varied as I’d hoped. In the end, there were two real stand-outs.

Smoked Duck PB&J

Eggplant “Caviar” Tapenade ($7) is light, enlivened by fresh feta chunks, a bit of anchovy and tomato on toasts, while Sauteed Sweetbreads ($15) are plump and vibrantly tart with lemon-caper butter, though the fried notes grew tiring after a couple bites. Goat Cheese Crouton ($10) were toasts piled with mushrooms in Madeira cream. Lots of bread in this meal.

Divine Creole Cream Cheese/Red Velvet Cake ice cream

Despite more bread inherent in a sandwich, things got exciting with their signature lunch dish: Smoked Duck/Cashew-Peanut Butter/Pepper Jelly Sandwich ($12). The duck falls apart, savory and creamy with the peanut butter. An adult’s PB&J. Dessert won over my whole table: a house special ice cream of Creole Cream Cheese (which I will never say “no” to) laced with chunks of Red Velvet Cake. If I had to exhale a slight moan with each spoonful, could you really blame me? Not if you tasted it.

Creole Tomatoes at Irene's

IRENE’S CUISINE – First, you get a group welcome from Irene herself and waiters at the door. Then, there are multiple dining rooms, each more seductive than the last (I prefer the lush middle room with marble fireplace). Irene’s is actually off-the-beaten-path for the Quarter, yet remains a Nola institution.  They have no website and prefer to do things as they’ve always done them, which works when dishes are made with such loving-care and a sense of history.

Escargot aux Champignons

I started “light” with a special of giant Creole Tomato slices topped with buffalo mozzarella and red onion on one half, pancetta and blue cheese on the other. Nothing wrong with that. Escargot aux Champignons ($8.75) were meaty mushroom caps cooked in butter, garlic, leek and parsley, stuffed with plump snails. Yes, thank you. Lightly-fried Soft Shell Crab, another pleaser. But even better on the fried tip? Fried Oysters & Grilled Shrimp ($10.50) sauteed in Italian breadcrumbs. On my first night in Nola this July, one bite of those flavorful fried oysters and I knew I was back.

Irene's heartwarming Ravioli and red sauce

Another highlight, besides the sweetest, most genuine service one could hope for, was a side of house-made pasta: Ricotta & Spinach Ravioli ($7.50). Delicate, melting pasta is warm with cheese and spinach, topped with shaved Parmigiano, a hint of nutmeg, and, most importantly, a divine red pasta sauce that belies their Sicilian influences.

Nothing like Irene's Creole Cream Cheesecake

Talking me into dessert wasn’t painful when it meant Creole Cream Cheesecake with Louisiana strawberries and amaretto syrup. If you haven’t had Creole cream cheese (which I eat as often as I can when in Nola), you are sadly missing out. Light and fluffy, it’s also tart, creamy, unforgettable. The pairing of a sweet Hungarian dessert wine, Royal Tokaji’s 2006 Tocai, made for an ideal completion to a true New Orleans dinner.

CLOVER GRILL – Two years ago, I stayed in an apartment on the edge of the Quarter/Fauborg Marigny, passing Clover Grill almost nightly, open 24 hours with darling, retro diner authenticity. In the course of Tales, one craves 3am sustenance after hours of cocktail tasting.

All night long: Clover Grill

Thankfully, Clover Grill more than took care of my needs. The clientele is boisterous, but not obnoxious. It feels like one all-night party, though service is understandably harried with steady crowds. They grill up a surprisingly good Burger ($5.49) that reminded me of childhood, particularly fun loaded with jalapenos and cheese (an additional $1.09). Their Chocolate Malt ($3.99) is one of the maltiest and best I’ve had. An Omelette ($4.99) tasted right doused with chili ($1.09). This a classic in these parts and a mighty fine neighborhood diner.

GREEN GODDESS – Green Goddess is an odd Quarter spot. Located in an alley right around the corner from the Hotel Monteleone where I stayed for Tales, it opened in 2009 and despite a rather cheesy name that reminds me of a hippie Berkeley restaurant (and the salad dressing), a local told me this was one of the more creative new openings in the Quarter. I popped in for dinner, charmed by the sweet chef and staff, a quirky, under-stated space and alley location.

Shrimp "Wearing A Grass Skirt"

They take cochon (pig), gulf shrimp, tasso ham and other local foods, and mix in Asian influences for what often sounds odd but works. Banh Xeo ($13) is a Vietnamese rice crepe filled with crabmeat, sprouts and avocado, served with a sweet chili garlic sauce. Shrimp “Wearing a Grass Skirt” ($14) is BBQ Louisiana shrimp roasted in shredded phyllo with roasted pineapple and coconut slaw.

Mango-Banana Lassi

Not all of it works as well as fusion I’ve had in my own city or NY, but I respect the ambition and attempts of this spot to do something different, international and out of the Quarter, or even Nola, norm. I want to try more of their menu.

If I hadn’t been burnt out-completely on cocktails, I was eager to sample their eclectic mix of drinks like The Jesuit Bend ($10), a Brazilian cachaca concoction with O.N.E. berry coffee juice (not sure if that would be good or not?), pepper syrup, and Fee Bros. Aztec chocolate bitters.

I did enjoy their Mango-Banana Lassi ($6), which was thankfully tart and balanced. Particularly noteworthy was the added texture of basil seeds and a curry sugar rim.

NEW ORLEANS

“As soon as I arrive to how it all fits together, I have to fathom out the ‘system’ of the city, have to walk, sniff, observe, sit in the buses and trams, make the city my own.” – Cees Noteboom, “Nomad’s Hotel”

Mint Juleps on the front porch of the Columns Hotel

Back for yet another installment on the one and only New Orleans (last article was on French Quarter food and before that, Fauborg Marigny & Treme neighborhoods)…. I write as many of our cities best bartenders and drink writers are there for Tales of the Cocktail – an attempt to assuage my longing to be there. This time, it’s off to the Uptown, Garden and Carollton districts of the city for more incomparable discoveries.

Uptown/Garden District

Uptown and Garden District sit along the East bank of the Mississippi River, easily accessible from downtown by the St. Charles Streetcar line. There’s a wealth of 19th century homes (those front porches are classic Southern), moody, decrepit graveyards and Magazine Street, with its countless blocks of hip shops, spas housed in Victorians, markets and great food. Walking through the neighborhoods, taking in the idyllic homes and laid back feel of Magazine, especially at twilight, made me almost want to move in.

RESTAURANTS

Homey Dick & Jenny's... one of Nola's best meals

•  Dick and Jenny’s is probably one of my top three meals in New Orleans (saying a lot since I had so many noteworthy ones) – a truly fabulous, down home place worth taking the cab or streetcar (plus a few blocks walk) for. An indoor patio with retro rocking chairs and benches welcomes you for drinks during the wait (note: they don’t take reservations). Love frog legs, fried green tomatoes (always), soups (like Black Bean Chorizo Lime or Creamy Sweet Potato & Sausage), and seafood entrees.  Save room for Key Lime Pie (I always do!) This place feels like a true Southern restaurant: homey, inviting, heartwarming, while playfully youthful.

DRINKS/MUSIC

Church across the street from the Columns Hotel

•  Columns Hotel: musty, creaky old mansion inside (dark woods and old couches), expansive porch with columns, oak trees and the St. Charles Streetcar clanging by outside. I’d heard this was the true Gone with the Wind experience  (which immediately hooked me), with live music (call ahead as there often isn’t) and mint juleps. You don’t have to tell me twice. I have to say these are far from authentic Mint Juleps (not served in julep cups, but in tall glasses, muddled like a mojito – for shame! We’re in the South, after all! Next time I’ll tell you where to get THE best juleps… hint: his name is Chris McMillian). They do invoke the common NoLa habit here of not measuring alcohol pours so it’s heavy on the bourbon and refreshing, though not noteworthy. You’re buying the setting rather than fine cocktails. Paired with a fat cigar and a breeze in the old oak trees, it’s everything I hoped it would be.

•   One of NoLa’s legendary live music venues, Tipitina’s Uptown showcases New Orleans incomparable music, everything from Zydeco to hip hop and blues. And here you see legends (and locals) like Dr. John perform regularly (note: no seating; smoking is allowed – be forewarned!)

ICE CREAM and FOOD SHOPS

A Garden District columned porch

•   La Divinia Gelateria is truly divine. Two locations (Magazine Street and the French Quarter) make creamy-as-heck gelato from scratch. Not only serving robust cappuccinos, gelato flavors are unique, even for me, who has many adventurous ice cream options at home (like Humphry Slocumbe). Divinia makes one of the best Bananas Foster ice creams ever – tastes like ripe banana with a hint of brown sugar and rum. Creole Cream Cheese and Louisiana Mush Melon represent local flavors. Lush Sweet Potato? Brilliant. Absinthe Sorbetto? Right on! Saigon Cinnamon, Carrot Ginger Mascarpone, Candy Cane Stracciatella, Aztec (Dark Chocolate, Cayenne, Honey)… the list goes blissfully on.

Sucre's sweet interior (source: www.shopsucre.com)

•   Ah, Creole Creamery. Another brilliant shop with local flavors I can’t find anywhere else, rich beauties. There’s Creole Cream Cheese, Red Velvet Cake, Pink Peppermint Pie, Caramel Chicory Chocolate, and Scotch Bonnet Citrus. Bring on the butterfat.

•   As gorgeous aesthetically as its products are in taste, Sucre confirms this is an ice cream town, though the bakery and chocolates  housed in this pastel dream of a shop are just as good or even better than the ice cream. Chocolates include a Chicory (chicory coffee & dark chocolate), Peanut Butter & Jelly (strawberry jam, PB, dark chocolate), or Meuniere (brown butter in white choco ganache, coated in dark chocolate).

•   The Savvy Gourmet would fit right in here in the Bay Area. Part cooking school (with demos and hands-on classes), part gourmet foods and cookware shop, they also cater, serve and deliver meals.

Carrollton

Jacques-Imo's Cajun deliciousness (www.www.nextstop.com)

Taking the St. Charles streetcar way out gets you to the tiny Carrollton neighborhood which is worth a detour for two reasons: neighboring  Jacques-Imo’s and Maple Leaf Bar.

Get off the cable car at Oak Street and hit the dynamic duo on a Tuesday night (though be forewarned about waits to eat at Jacques-Imo’s) for Rebirth Brass Band‘s weekly show at the Maple Leaf. Prepare for friendly body-to-body crowds, a cover charge ($10, no drink minimum), and in the case of Rebirth Tuesdays, they are miked (?!) so ears will bleed. Even with earplugs, my ears were ringing a good couple hours later.

But it’s a quintessential Nawlins’ experience and Rebirth, one of the great brass bands, simply rocks (note: they’re playing here in SF at Great American Music Hall on July 24 and 25). Jacques-Imo’s is similarly quintessential: with swampland decor, Cajun Zydeco music on the stereo and festive diners, it’s a party-like meal. Hello, Alligator Cheesecake (trust me, it’s one-of-a-kind!), fish entrees and Fried Green Tomatoes with giant shrimp. In fact, everything here is giant so plan on sharing and under-ordering, please, or like me, you may go to bed with a food-hangover that leaves you wary of food for at least a day after. Pace yourself and you’ll have one hell of a meal.

In case you’re in the area during the day (especially a hot one), there’s Gelato Pazzo on the same street with classic Italian gelato, though I prefer all three spots I listed in the Uptown/Garden District for ice cream.

Riding the St. Charles Streetcar

NEW ORLEANS

Back to incomparable New Orleans… I continue to share of my long list of finds after recently renting an apartment on the edge of the Quarter, exploring every neighborhood I could (here’s my last installment, more to come). The French Quarter, touristy though it may be, is everything it’s reputed to be and more (next time I’ll share fave jazz clubs and drink spots in the Quarter). With Euro-French flair yet decidedly Southern American feel, it just feels like New Orleans – a standard on its own. Beyond what can be the downright gross Bourbon Street, one steps into a world unmarred by the mobs relegated to that infamous party street with the possibility of becoming enchanted by intriguing storefronts, rousing street musicians, scents of mouth-watering food, colorful characters and gorgeous architecture.

FRENCH QUARTER BITES

eating La Divinia

•    La Divinia Gelateria is truly divine. There are two locations in NoLa, one in the Quarter, another on the Garden District’s Magazine Street, with gelato made from scratch and creamy as heck. I happily visited both locales, though frequented the Quarter location, thankfully blocks from my apartment. Not only serving robust cappuccinos, gelato flavors are unique, even for one like myself who has many adventurous ice cream options at home (like Humphry Slocumbe). Divinia makes one of the better Bananas Foster ice creams ever – tastes like ripe, fresh banana with a hint of brown sugar and rum. Creole Cream Cheese or Louisiana Mush Melon represent local flavors. Lush Sweet Potato? Brilliant. Absinthe Sorbetto? Right on! Saigon Cinnamon, Carrot Ginger Mascarpone, Candy Cane Stracciatella, Aztec (Dark Chocolate, Cayenne, Honey)… the list goes blissfully on.

•    Coop’s Place – Described in Zagat as the place where “the not-so-elite meet to eat”, this is an ‘only-in-Nawlins’ type of dive bar with crusty bartenders, colorful locals and young people from nearby Fauborg. But I kept coming back for one reason: Rabbit & Sausage Jambalaya ($4.75 a cup), which works as a mid-afternoon or late-night snack. It just plain works. Tender, shredded rabbit, spicy Andouille sausage, sweet tomatoes, chewy rice. I’d order at the bar and happily walk down the street eating the best jambalaya ever. They’ve also got gumbo, po boys, blackened fish.

•    Gumbo Shop – This old school classic is not a dining priority, nor did it’s famed gumbo thrill me. But on a cold NoLa night, Chicken Andouille Gumbo ($4.99 a cup)  comforted with its brown roux and rice. It helped tide me over waiting in line for oysters at Acme Oyster House’s oyster bar, a colorful experience to be sure (though I fear I’m not one for bulbous Gulf oysters – I prefer delicacy in my bivalves. Anyway, I digress…)

Coop's Place

•    Central Grocery – It’s a must to hit this legendary, dusty, little market on Decatur Street opened by Sicilians in 1906, for famed Muffaletta sandwiches. Even a “half muff” is massive, though still worked as a shared ‘snack’ with the Renaissance Man. Salami, mortadella, olive spread, provolone, is classic Italian, though I found the stuffing of meats and cheeses just a little thin. Stuff that baby! A classic NoLa taste experience, rich with history.

•    Croissant d’Or Patisserie – This cozy French patisserie was a couple blocks from my apartment, with decent pastries, cappuccinos and a clientele of predominantly locals, being off the beaten Quarter path. To me, it wasn’t as fresh or buttery as favorite patisseries back home but it worked for breakfast I could bring back to my pad and eat on my balcony, certainly preferable to nearby cafes.

FRENCH QUARTER RESTAURANTS

K-Paul's

•    K-Paul’s – I remember watching Paul Prudhomme on TV as a kid, thinking he and Dom Deluise were one in the same man. With that lifelong association and his Cajun spices on my brain, my first New Orleans’ dinner reservation was K-Paul’s, the cooking legend’s restaurant, which has not lost its luster with age. When the basket of varied homemade breads arrived (including a stellar cornbread, Jalapeno cheese bread and the like), each one filled me with such buttery goodness, I was ready to call it a meal. Fortunately (unfortunately for my stomach), it was barely the beginning. After my always-order-it-when-on-the-menu dish of Fried Green Tomatoes ($11) in cornmeal batter with plump shrimp and Paul’s renowned remoulade sauce, followed by a housemade Sausage ($8.50) of roasted Vidalia onion, chipotle and cheddar in a creole sauce, I entered another dimension. Blackened Drumfish with Crabmeat ($31.95), Triple Chocolate Bread Pudding ($6)… you probably should be stomach-pumped after a visit here, so my warning for us Californians or healthy eaters (I’m the former, not the latter!), as with Southern food in general, is to pace yourself. With caring service and casually elegant brick-walled dining room, I found K-Paul’s classic, quintissential New Orleans cooking.

Dickie Brennan's Steak House

•    Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse – Dressed in our retro finest, the Renaissance Man and I came to Dickie Brennan’s for a Rat Pack era steakhouse experience, replete with martini and in Nawlins’ tradition, Turtle Soup ($6.50). I was thrown off upon entering to find the place packed with families, kids and noisy frat-type groups. Not what I’d hoped for in a pricey steakhouse. But as we were celebrating an anniversary, they gave us a full booth to ourselves and the endearing servers charmed us into (almost) forgetting the less than transporting surroundings. With a fabulous steak ($28-42) and even more fabulous lobster from Nova Scotia, we were won over. A hefty Napoleon ($7.50) tower of tomato, Danish blue cheese and garlic aioli croutons, topped with a remoulade, should be standard at every steakhouse.

•    Mona Lisa Pizza – A block from my apartment, Mona Lisa was an ideal ‘stay-in tonight’ meal and oh, so good. In general, there were certain cuisines, Italian among them, which I decided to avoid on this trip to free up time to focus on uniquely local cuisines (though the Creole Italian of the region is something I want to explore more of). But Mona Lisa’s cheesy, thickishly-thin crust pizzas reminded me of my childhood beacon in La Mirada, California, where I lived a couple years as a kid, Gondola Pizza: a family-run establishment with pizza that evokes happiness in every bite. Essential in my book to great pizza is sauce that is sweet-savory, tons of cheese and crust the right blend of crispy and doughy. Mona Lisa had all that, carrying me back to childhood elation when Dad would walk through the door with a pizza from Gondola.

•    Nola – I had to try one of three Emeril restaurants on his home turf, having only been to his Delmonico’s steakhouse in Vegas. After much research, Nola seemed to be the best-reviewed of the three. As I feared, it was one giant plate after another, impossible to finish, even when shared. But each plate was a good time from hefty Miss Hay’s Stuffed Chicken Wings ($8), stuffed with cellophane noodles, mushrooms, onions, to Shrimp & Grits ($18) swimming in red chili and Abita butter sauce, accented with apple-smoked bacon and crimini mushrooms, to a Duck Confit & Fried Egg Pizza ($11)… comfort food with fusion-y vision. Maybe I was so overstuffed it was lost on me, but a real misstep, besides a sterile dining room, was dessert. White Chocolate Bananas Foster Bread Pudding ($6) sounded like a dream but was subpar to other bread puddings I’ve had and I’d heard it was done right here. Catch phrases and Martha Stewart aside, Emeril still showcases a hearty Nawlins’ meal at NoLa (though better for lunch, in my estimation).

Arnaud's

•    Arnaud’s – So I was an idiot not to hit Galatoire’s for Sunday jazz brunch. I own up to it. It’s top of the list for my next visit. When narrowing down from the sea of traditional jazz brunches, Arnaud’s rose up, partly because of recommendations from locals I trusted and as the menu made me salivate. Delighted to see Arnaud’s in a scene of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” after my visit (a movie I wasn’t  impressed with other than the magical Nawlins’ setting), I fondly recalled Dixieland serenades from the in-house trio (“Basin Street Blues“, a highlight), the three hour breakfast, and that Bourbon Milk Punch ($5). Not for anorexic dieting types, portions were at least reasonable so you could get through the richness. Entrees ($27-35) appear outrageously priced but it’s actually the cost for your entire four course brunch, including appetizer, a throwaway salad, entree and dessert. I loved a Creole Cream Cheese Evangeline starter (over fresh fruit) and awesome Savory Crabmeat Cheesecake (trust me!) Cafe Brulot ($6.50), a show-stopping, flaming spiked coffee, is well worth ordering. Legendary Bananas Foster prepared tableside is the necessary finish to a decadent, old-world brunch I’m comforted to know is kept alive somewhere in America.

FRENCH QUARTER SHOPS

I don’t usually mention shops – got enough to write about with food and am not a “shopper” anyway. But I had to give honorable mention to three places that charmed me. First, Faulkner House Books in Pirate’s Alley where Faulkner once lived, is an enchanting closet of a shop recalling great London bookshops, intelligence oozing from the shelves, a sweetheart of a shopkeeper (from San Fran!) and a supreme book selection that could occupy a book lover for hours despite the size of the store.

Reminiscent of Parisian shops, La Maison d’Abinsthe (aka, the Absinthe Museum) is not a museum, but rather a shop of all things Absinthe (fountains, spoons, glasses, books, soaps, cards). The first of its kind in the US, finding it actually open was the hard part. I passed it daily but it was open only twice with no posted hours. Once you make it in, it’s a magical display themed around “the green fairy”.

Flaunting a "Trashy Diva" creation

I realized the chance had come to finally visit Trashy Diva, a beloved clothes line I’d followed via the web for years. Despite the name, it’s anything but trashy, rather gorgeous vintage reproduction with a modern twist, all fabrics designed by the shop owner herself, who reputedly never repeats a fabric so you’re getting a rare piece. With a lingerie sister shop down the block (and another shop in the Uptown district), I tried on dresses with a fit meant for curves, complimentary to a woman’s body the way dresses in the 40′s and ’50′s were. Though they’re mildly expensive ($100-$200 range), ordering online has been a success (something I’d normally never do), but much better to try on in person before heading to the street where strangers compliment your unique find.

NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans, city that enchants me. Even in its gritty crime and scarred, beating heart, it is radiant, full of history, color and hope.

I have many places to write about here… too many for even multiple articles. But I’ll share some from time to time, hoping you’ll go and explore like a local.

Here are favorites from Treme and Fauborg Marigny neighborhoods:

Treme

Granted, it’s a somewhat scary walk through this rough ‘hood and should be attempted during the day with your wits about you. But it’s a historic neighborhood for jazz fans such as myself, a breeding ground for brass bands, including the amazing Rebirth Brass Band (more about them here), bordered by Louis Armstrong Park (he was actually born in the Uptown district).

True to the Treme’s Creole, African-American roots, food is important in this depressed area, none more so than the elderly kitchen queens of the Treme, Wille Mae Seaton of

Willie Mae's Scotch House

Willie Mae’s Scotch House and Leah Chase of Dooky Chase. I had the pleasure of eating at both. Around the corner from one other, each is completely different in feel and menu, though both fall into a “soul food” categorization.

Willie Mae is a treasure, winning a James Beard award for her supreme fried chicken, named best in the country by some. At nearly 100 years old, she’s a darling – watch a great video of her on You Tube. In the humble dining room, like a friend’s comfortable kitchen, her granddaughter continues the tradition of frying up Willie Mae’s crispy, juicy chicken, and those flavorsome red beans and rice. 

Dooky Chase, named after Leah’s husband, is a surprisingly elegant, multi-room restaurant with bright walls, vibrant local paintings and gorgeous wood bar.

Dooky Chase

The exterior belies interior beauty, while the menu remains down home goodness with a few upscale touches. Fried oyster Po Boys, gumbo and traditional New Orleans dishes reign. There’s a take-out counter if you’re so inclined. Leah’s is another bittersweet story of struggle, incredible spirit and tenacity from this 80-something spitfire (check it out on You Tube).

Fauborg Marigny

Another music-rich ‘hood and birthplace of Jelly Roll Morton, its main drag, Frenchman Street, is the locals’ hotspot for live music. I was able to hit a number of these great clubs all within the same couple blocks, some free, others at a minimal cover charge, and filled with locals late into the night:

Blue Nile

Blue Nile – The spacious room is nothing to get excited about and the crowd can get annoyingly wasted. But the Nile showcases great live acts, including local legendary trumpeter, Kermit Ruffins. I had the joy of seeing him play here ($10 cover) with his Barbecue Swingers (he also plays Thursdays at Vaughn’s in the Bywater neighborhood, where the band often cooks up BBQ before the show).

D.B.A.

d.b.a. – Reminds me of San Fran clubs, though actually second location of a NYC bar: unassuming, low key, with an impeccable artisan beer selection.  John Boutte plays Saturday nights, bringing his soulful vocals and blend of jazz, blues and gospel.

Spotted Cat

The Spotted Cat – There’s no cover charge at this humble locals spot. On Fridays, the Nola Jazz Vipers carry on a jam session that goes late into the night, keeping NoLa’s traditional jazz tradition alive, youthful and free.

R Bar

R Bar – With self-described “exacting standards of sleazy luxury”, this unique, funky little 1890′s inn houses the R Bar where you can chill to DJ’s spinning hip hop and old soul, feast on Friday night Crawfish Boils, or come Mondays for a $10 barber haircut and a shot (now, that’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout). You’ll find the spirit of New Orleans alive in this charmingly raw joint.

Snug Harbor

Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro – This is Frenchman Street’s more expensive jazz club, though still small and cozy. You’ll see bigger names here, including excellent regulars like Ellis Marsalis or Irvin Mayfield.

FOOD/CAFE

Port of Call

Port of Call – Though right on the edge of the French Quarter (and around the corner from my apartment rental), this divey bar is just a couple blocks from Frenchman Street, an ideal place to chow down before or after a show. The decor suits a ’60′s sea captain, replete with dark wood paneling and fishing gear, musty smell, and famed tropical drinks (too sweet but strong). The burgers (blue cheese for me!) and baked potatoes are not only a deal ($10-13 for both) but some damn good dive bar eatin’.

Kahve

Kahve Royale Eastern European Cafe – It’s worth going out of your way to find this 1700′s, paint-chipped house that feels like a secret gem. Order decent coffees and pastries in a setting transporting you straight to Europe, with faded old world charm. Sit by open windows or play freely on the piano in the creaky back room. I wiled away happy hours writing and reading as the sun warmed me and a crackling-sounding 1940′s radio played classic jazz.