My top New Orleans picks, the Chris Hannah Napkin edition.

When I first sat down to write about our recent trip to New Orleans, initially my plan was to condense it into a concise top five list of food and drink that we enjoyed…and then I realized that was basically an impossible task. I then realized that I could break out my favorite drinks and…

Feast of the Seven Fishes preview: fried oysters with pickled pepper mayo and cucumber salad.

With Christmas less than a week away, it’s time for me to start packing up all of our stuff to bring back to PA for the holiday weekend and get a cooking game plan set for Christmas Eve. We’re leading that particular dance this year, which is great since we did zero cooking during Thanksgiving….

A tour of New Orleans oyster bars, along with char-broiled oysters inspired by Drago’s.

The first time we went to New Orleans I wasn’t expecting to encounter so many oyster houses when we were there. I don’t know why I didn’t think to anticipate this, but as our cab drove us to the Hotel Monteleone and we passed by a few I knew that our first meal would be…

Stephanie Izard’s grilled oysters with horseradish aioli.

As a lover of all things oyster, I have to admit that usually my preferred mode of eating them is raw and right out of the shell, maybe with a little lemon, horseradish, or mignonette. I’ll enjoy a good fried oyster po’ boy from time to time, of course, but I never really warmed to…

The Carousel Bar’s Dome Patrol cocktail.

One thing I really, really wanted to do on our New Orleans trip was to get some inspiration from any and all of the places we visited. I had my trusty small Moleskine on me at all times along with a pen to jot down things I observed, but perhaps one of the best things…

Checking in after a chaotic few weeks.

Well, it’s been some time, hasn’t it? Here I was, doing so well for most of the year and then October got…interesting. It started around my birthday with a very full weekend of activities both with my family and on our own, and then the following weekend we had a wedding to attend and then…

A review of 25 Definitive New Orleans Restaurants, which is really a review of 37 awesome places to eat and drink in Crescent City.

[Full disclosure: I was graciously provided a copy of this book for review, but all opinions are my own.] It’s been nearly two years since we went to New Orleans, and maybe it’s a function of the recent frigid weather and watching old Top Chef episodes set in the city, but I’ve definitely found myself…

Happy New Year!

We’re in the midst of preparations for our New Year’s Eve celebrations, i.e. our annual evening-long cooking-and-eating fest, but I wanted to drop in and wish everyone a wonderful 2014! The menu tonight is shaping up to be one of our best ever, and because one of my goals for this coming year is writing…

10.09.13: dinner (barbecue shrimp from Mr. B’s in honor of Top Chef New Orleans)

A few Sundays ago, when we were waiting for our flight back to New York from Chicago, Michael and I were wandering through the United Express terminal at O’Hare and saw that there was a flight to New Orleans was on the board, and while it was full…we saw two seats were open. For all…

Images from New Orleans: where to find the best cocktails in the Quarter (if not the city).

One of the most fascinating aspects about the French Quarter, and New Orleans in general, is the cocktail culture. I mean, this is a place where not only can you find anything from huge-ass beers to wine smoothies to neon-colored daiquiris, but you can walk around with them as you amble down the street to…