Category Archives: block information

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Celebrating Christmas at home with Chris Owens-NOLA.com

Ah Chris Owens. The latest in a long line of FQ residents/business owners that love and care for it in their own fashion. Owens should be celebrated for the many facets of her life: the direct line to the Bourbon cabaret history that she represents, the club act that she maintains (her JazzFest show is something I try to see to just shake my head and marvel at), the decent apartments that she rents out to workers, the parade she throws at Easter, the social circle that she mothers, the building and commercial tenants that she keeps in good order, her support of different cultural and charitable events… I know my friend the Grand Duchess seems to hold her in high esteem although she told me that she has not “had the pleasure of crossing her path or hearing her musical stylings.” As always, I think the Duchess is similar to a lot of residents and workers in her point of view.
Even though I know it is easy for people to see her as an anachronism, I think she truly lives in the real world found there at Bourbon and St. Louis and has made it better. Yes, a lot of that world in those pictures from NOLA.com are in a style rarely seen, but let’s give her credit for the zest and fun she seems to throw in the pot.
So I say, rock on Chris Owens.

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Celebrating Christmas at home with Chris Owens | NOLA.com.

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Flanagan’s Pub in the French Quarter to close Nov. 9 with funeral-themed bash

Flanagan’s Wake will be held on the bar’s final day of business, Sunday, Nov. 9, with last call happening late that same night, Overslaugh said. But the celebration will likely begin Friday (Nov. 7) and include appearances by guest bartenders throughout the weekend, he said.

Flanagan’s, which leases the space at 625 St. Philip St., announced this summer that its doors would be closing in November, because the building’s owner opted not to renew Flanagan’s lease. The space is owned by Royal Hotel Investors, the same company that owns the adjacent Hotel Royal.

Flanagan’s Pub in the French Quarter to close Nov. 9 with funeral-themed bash | NOLA.com.

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Royal Street building collapses

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Exterior wall on side of building between Saint Ann and Dumaine collapses and spills into the street. Luckily, no pedestrians were underneath at the time. Deputy Sheriffs were a half block away and called fire and secured the street in minutes.

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Lot with building completely gone. Someone stuck a public art installation that mocks the P3 ones around town soon after the collapse; that "R3 exhibit" is still up.

Lot with building completely gone. Someone stuck a public art installation that mocks the P3 ones around town soon after the collapse; this “R1 exhibit” is still up as of December 2014.

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18-wheeler hits French Quarter home

In one 2-hour period today, a drunk driver hit and killed a pedestrian on Conti and this illegal 18-wheeler hit a house on Chartres. I might suggest that we get some traffic enforcement in the city?
18-wheeler hits French Quarter home.

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Restaurant at Rampart and Esplanade is proposed again

Cafe Habana’s new plans:

plans for cafe Habana submitted August 2014, after the original proposal was denied based on neighbor objections to the size of the restaurant.

New plans for Cafe Habana submitted August 2014, after the original proposal was denied based on citizen objections.

media.nola.com/politics/other/cafe habana plans.pdf.

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Meauxbar is back baby…

Chef Kristen Essig shows off her new menu at Meauxbar

Chef Kristen Essig shows off her new menu at Meauxbar

For New Orleanians, having a great bistro experience is pretty important. Sure, we appreciate fine dining formality and oyster bar parties too, but the idea of casual yet lovely dining with an updated menu from a great chef who is inspired by whatever inspires them that month, was meant for us, it really was.
The emergence of this in the city can surely be traced to the opening of Mr. B’s in 1979(?) or so at the corner of Iberville and Royal and that chef, Gerard Maras and Ella Brennan, owner. Gerard is one of the city’s finest chefs who is now working from his farm in Franklinton doing special events and teaching. Many trace their own great work in the city to their time with Gerard including my pal, celebrated chef Corbin Evans of Lulu’s, Lulu’s in the Garden, Savvy Gourmet and now Oxford Canteen in Mississippi who gave me an interview once about how Gerard was a true mentor to him and many others (like John Harris of Lilette, Brian Landry of Borgne, Alex Harrell of Sylvain, Aaron Burgau of Patois, Anton Schulte of Bistro Daisy, David and Torre Solazzo of Ristorante del Porto and Slade Rushing and Allison Vines-Rushing of MiLa as mentioned in a recent T-P article that traces farm to table dining to his Gerard’s Downtown after Mr. B’s.)

I mention these names, because even though Kristen arrived in New Orleans a bit later than the Mr.B’s days, she carries the same zeal and talent and would have been right there with Gerard if only she was old enough! And she can certainly be counted as a serious comer alongside those of her peers listed, all who follow the same principled and ambitious path that Gerard taught…
And because I believe that the reopening of the Meauxbar will be as important to the rebirth of the lively life on North Rampart with Essig at its helm. I wrote about her on another blog that I have and as mentioned there, I have great admiration for her style, her attention to detail and her commitment to local producers. Add to that, she is a French Quarter resident and so like her colleague (over at Stanley’s) Scott Boswell, wants to have a first-class kitchen to honor her own hood. In short, it’s just gonna be good and fun AND be a place for regular people to eat well… So count me in any time you are heading over there…
Story about Meauxbar

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Crawfish season is here…

So I decided to pay homage with this clip, filmed in the Quarter on the 1000 block of Royal Street in gorgeous black and white. Elvis does a good job in this film, as do Carolyn Jones and Walter Matthau. This opening certainly sets the scene for the Quarter being a lead role in the movie too: