Category Archives: French Quarter

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WAKING UP IN DREAMLAND~the new Little Queenie CD by Leigh “Little Queenie” Harris — Kickstarter

When I moved to the French Quarter as a teenager, I was instantly immersed in a music scene that represented the very best live music available in the U.S. Some of those names included (among many others) Germaine Bazzle, Irma Thomas, Dr. John, The Nevilles, The Meters,  The Radiators, The Cold, James Booker and my favorite, Little Queenie and the Percolators. Little Queenie herself (Leigh Harris) remains the type of performer that gives  it all and does it with enormous style. Her musicians are always the best at what they do and her respect for them and the songs themselves is so evident that you know you can relax and enjoy the show ‘cuz you are in good hands.

Since the levee breaks of 2005, Leigh has physically left her city of New Orleans to find some peace and stability in North Carolina, but her roots and her heart remain in New Orleans, as evinced by her new project seen below. I recommend that you kick some cash to our Leigh, for your own good in the long run. You’ll receive the new album, maybe an old one and some other goodies from our brilliant Little Queenie.

WAKING UP IN DREAMLAND~the new Little Queenie CD by Leigh “Little Queenie” Harris — Kickstarter.

Little Queenie and the Percolators (Circa 1980s0

Little Queenie and the Percolators (Circa 1980s)

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The morning comes

Even in the gentrified French Quarter – so different from my first years here – I still think of this stanza from T.S. Eliot when I am in the Quarter in the morning:

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Vietnamese Cuisine in New Orleans | WYES

A great documentary on the Vietnamese in New Orleans. A well done overview of the history and the recent changes since 2005. The Viet community truly led the recovery of the entire city by showing focused entrepreneurial intent and deep community values. 

Vietnamese Cuisine in New Orleans | WYES.

copies of the documentary can be bought on dvd by calling 504-722-3048

And a link to a video that I did for the food system organization Market Umbrella about the Vietnamese:

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New Orleans Noise Ordinance is Withdrawn After Rally

I think you can see why

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Adidas “rents” the 300 block of Chartres for the NBA All-Star Game

Just saw a presentation by Adidas for the NBA All Star game where they are proposing putting a 2-story black tent around the entire corner of Conti and Chartres (covering the entire parking lot) and a metal WALKWAY across Chartres in that block, presumably to ferry people to other Adidas stuff? What won’t we sell?
And this just after I read an article about how the impact of these sports events ( including Super Bowls) is widely thought of as a loss to the host towns, especially those like ours that already have year round tourists.

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The appearance of king cake tells the season

We have officially begun the 2014 Carnival season in Louisiana. The season starts on the Feast of the Epiphany, Jan 6th (aka Twelfth Night) and runs through Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. Interestingly, January 6th is also the birthday of the Maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc who is honored in New Orleans with a startlingly gold statue

Joanie on her pony, French Quarter New Orleans

Joanie on her pony, French Quarter New Orleans

and her own lovely parade on her day. As you probably can tell, all of this is closely linked to the Catholic tradition deeply embedded in French Louisiana. For those who have the impression that Mardi Gras is a weekend spent on Bourbon Street, that would be quite far from the actual truth of our season of revelry, which has much more to do with tradition, family and friends and ornate or satirical public costuming. The link to the video shows how a commercial king cake is made, which is the cake we eat throughout the season. The tradition is explained well in the video, so I’ll just add that with the surge in local and artisanal foods, many more types of king cake are now available in the area. Whole wheat cakes, french-style Galette des Rois cakes and more can be found at markets, at stores and bakeries. Happy Carnival!

Galette des Rois (french king cake)

Galette des Rois (french king cake)

yes there is a plastic baby in there. If you get it in your slice, you buy the next cake for your next party.

yes there is a plastic baby in there. If you get it in your slice, you buy the next cake for your next party.

I prefer the brioche with cinnamon version of king cake, but there are literally dozens of varieties available now.

I prefer the brioche with cinnamon version of king cake, but there are literally dozens of varieties available now.

<a href=”http://www.wwltv.com/entertainment/mardi-gras/How-a-king-cake-is-made-111899959.html?autoplay=y”>How a king cake is made</a>