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New Orleans Magazine May 2008

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Healthbeat

A recent study by the National Cancer Institute indicates a possible correlation between alcohol consumption and breast cancer in postmenopausal women. The study, comprised of data from more than 184,000 females, found that two small,alcoholic drinks per day raised breast cancer risk for postmenopausal women by 32 percent. Three or more drinks a day increased […]

ERROL’S COMMENTARY: KEEPING CLEAN ABROAD

FUGGIA ITALY:Despite what you might have heard, my theory of the origin of the word "Europe" is that it is Celtic for "no washrags in hotel rooms." Here we are, nearly a decade into the 21st century, and the U.S. and Europe are still not together on how to furnish a proper bathroom. Europeans just […]

ERROL’S COMMENTARY: “NEW ORLEANS” ON THEIR CHESTS

Have you noticed during the series with San Antonio that, both at home and on the road, the other’s team’s jersey says "Spurs." The Hornets’ jersey, at home and on the road, says "New Orleans."         Thank you, George Shinn. The Hornets’ owner believes in using his team to promote its city’s name. The impact can […]

ERROL’S COMMENTARY: CINCO DE MAYO: THE TRUE STORY…AND THE MODERN FORCE THAT MADE THE DAY SO POPULAR

Happy Cinco de Mayo, a day that is clearly misunderstood. It is not, as many people believe, a Mexican Independence day, and the victory it represents was not over the Spanish but the French. France had used war as an excuse to collect back debt, but its real motivation was to have a presence near […]

30˚90˚ Dining

7 on Fulton 701 Fulton St., 525-7555, CBD/Warehouse. B, L, D daily. Chef Justin Pittenger takes over the reins at this upscale and contemporary dining destination in the Warehouse District. $$$ 9 Roses 1100 Stephen St., 366-7665, Gretna. L, D Sun-Tues, Thurs-Sat. The extensive Vietnamese menu specializes in hot pots, noodles and dishes big enough […]

May Calendar

Through May 24. “PhotoNOLA Portfolio Review Discoveries: Charles Latham and Frank Relle;” The New Orleans Photo Alliance. Information, 610-4899, www.neworleansphotoalliance.org. Through June 28. “Lost and Found: Partially Salvaged Photographs;” Contemporary Arts Center. Information, 528-3805, www.cacno.org. May 2. George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic; The Republic. Information, www.republicnola.com. May 3. Big Chief Monk Boudreaux performance; Mid-City Lanes […]

Where to Dine Outdoors in New Orleans

It’s spring, the time when even the most hard-hearted recluses leave their apartments to enjoy sunshine, sweet magnolia breezes and caterpillar carcasses littering the landscape. Beyond those blessings, springtime ushers in a playful spirit that draws us all to the outdoors. For those of us lacking a true Louisiana Sportsman’s intrepidity, the outdoors are best […]

Great Breakfast, New Orleans Style

It all started with Elizabeth Kettenring Begue, who migrated from Bavaria to New Orleans in the late 1800s, feeding French Market workers from her kitchen on Decatur Street where Tujaque’s now stands. Her 50-item Bohemian Breakfast, which cost $1 including wine, attracted not only the farmers and fishermen but also, eventually, gourmets from across the […]

Louisiana Weekends

Looking for something to do? Just off the beaten path, you’ll find a wealth of treasures – day trips that dazzle and delight or a way to wile away a long weekend. Brimming with cultural traditions, festivals, great food and natural beauty, Louisiana offers a variety of ways to escape – and most of them […]

Gulf Coast Getaways

As the temperature rises, why not turn thoughts to the beach? Boasting some of the best beaches in the U.S., the Gulf coastlines of Alabama, Mississippi and Florida offer a great way to get away from the hectic pace of everyday life. With its combination of shopping, history and beautiful water along fine, white sand, […]

Eye Care Update

As spring turns to summer and South Louisiana becomes abuzz with activity, isn’t it time to make certain that you see everything? Seeing it all isn’t just about taking in the festivals and fun, it’s also about being proactive in the health of your eyes. According to the Foundation of the American Academy of Opthamology, […]

Mothers and Daughters

Janice Romig,Mary Beth Romig,Lindsey Price Janice Romig, homemaker and community volunteer (right)Similarities: Mary Beth and I are both “people” persons. We never met a stranger. We love to decorate and garden, and we’re both short! We both use our hands when we talk. [My husband] Jerry and I were both very active in the community […]

Fraud Finders

When you’re counting on a killingAlways count me in –Talk me into losin’ just as long as I can winI want the easy –Easy money.        –Billy Joel, “Easy Money” One of Donovan McMullen’s partners was a snitch, so he decided to kill him. McMullen got his hands on a Star 9-mm pistol and filed […]

Health Beat

In a recent Center for Disease Control study, the first of its kind examining national adolescent sexually transmitted disease prevalence, reports 26 percent of female American teens have an STD. The study’s findings have led researchers to estimate that ratio translates to 3.2 million infected teenage girls. The study also showed a disturbing disparity between […]

MSG

Ikeeled over after one bite of my salad at Ruth’s Chris. I came to on the floor and Dr. Frank Minyard was giving me CPR. The coroner saved my life. MSG in that salad dressing almost killed me,” said Frank Proust,  in his 40s at the time. Proust (not his real name), a French Quarter […]

Baghdad: A Vacation Destination?

Ed. Note: This is an occasional column by a native New Orleanian on military duty in Iraq. Because of military regulations, he is not able to use his real name. We can tell you that he is a decorated Navy pilot from a prominent New Orleans family. In just slightly broken English, my Iraqi host […]

Anatomy of an Uptown Murder

I was on the phone with a friend of mine and three shots rang out,” says “Lori” a professional researcher who lives near the Uptown Square shopping mall. Lori says she then told her girlfriend: “Mark the time, in case I have to testify.” Her friend replied, “You’ll know for sure when you hear the […]

Hard Ball Equations

It’s Thursday afternoon at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School in Old Metairie. Outside, moms and dads in SUVs gigantic enough to carry a gang of children line up to pick up or drop off a load. Many of the backpack laden, mussy-headed children crisscrossing the schoolyard are finished for the day but some are […]

Altered Plans?

When the U.S. economy sneezes, the local hospitality industry gasps. Any economic tightening that threatens consumers’ pocketbooks can prompt a pullback in vacation plans; that can spell trouble for hotels and other businesses that rely on visitors from afar. Recent indicators suggest that just such a problem may lie ahead. More than two-thirds of respondents […]

It is Time to Rethink Parking Laws

New Orleans’ downtown area and the French Quarter are being strangled by parking regulations that are outdated and by a Parking Violations Bureau that’s predatory in its practices. For the sake of economic growth, both the regulations and the bureau need to be overhauled. Through the good will of the Downtown Development District, Wednesday nights […]

Funeral Home to Incubate Jazz Education

As the crowds cheer performers at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival this year, the foundation behind the massive annual celebration is gearing up to make a long-term enhancement to the education of local children who may one day assume the mantle of the city’s musical legacy. The nonprofit New Orleans Jazz & Heritage […]

Read and Spin

Back and funky as ever, Big Sam’s Funky Nation has just released their newest study in Funkology, Peace, Love & Understanding. It’s tough to translate the bold, reverberating horns of Big Sam’s onto a disc, but this album  manages to capture the lively, fun and upbeat spirit that keeps Big Sam’s fans on board. While […]

Gospel Songs of Liberation

When the political world erupted after YouTube posted the fiery sermons of Jeremiah Wright,  the Obamas’ pastor in Chicago, America plunged into another “conversation about race.” That conversation has a rocky history with many fade-to-black conclusions leaving no genuine resolution. The depth of African-American poverty is a case in point. Conservatives lay the blame on […]

From Market to Marketing

Best known for farm-fresh produce and other edibles, the organization behind the Crescent City Farmers Market has diversified to take on projects as varied as promoting grassroots charitable funds and creating an online economic assessment tool. To reflect the broader sweep of its projects and future ambitions, the organization is marking its 10th anniversary this […]

Restaurant Insider

The first weekend of this month is, of course, the last weekend of Jazz Fest, which is known almost as much for the food as the music. But May is also significant in the dining scene because of the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience, which holds its 17th annual celebration May 20-24.  NOWFE’s centerpiece […]

Dining Along Lower Magazine Street

Lower Magazine is a much different creature than its Uptown counterpart. The blocks between Jackson Avenue and Coliseum Square are scruffier than the sleeker, more polished stretches farther up. But while this hodge-podge collection of independent storefronts makes for an interesting milieu – including some neat new casual food and dessert spots – it would […]

Trailers to Get Hitched

Procuring a FEMA trailer for emergency housing after hurricanes Katrina and Rita proved a long and frustrating process for many residents but now local and federal officials are dealing with a new set of prickly issues as they try to get rid of these iconic symbols of the disaster. Trailers are normally not permitted in […]

Persona: Mignon Jacquline Faget

A girl’s first piece of jewelry is something so special that she never forgets it. A pressure-filled situation, no doubt, for the person bestowing the gift but in New Orleans and for those in-the-know, a piece of jewelry by Mignon Faget is a fool-proof gift due to the timeless style embodied in all of her […]

May Pace

A year ago this month, speedy Carlos Gomez of the New Orleans Zephyrs was already having a big season. By the second week in May, Gomez had stolen 17 bases in 36 games and had a batting average of .286. He had scored 24 runs, hit eight doubles, two triples and two home runs. Such […]

Julia Street

Win a Court of Two Sisters Jazz Brunch for two!Here’s a chance to eat, drink, be merry, listen to music and have your curiosity satiated all at once. Send Julia a question. If we use it, you’ll be eligible for a monthly drawing for one of two Jazz Brunch gift certificates for two at a […]

Marquee

Viva La BayouThe scenic Bayou St. John neighborhood will host the third annual Bayou Boogaloo, a family-friendly event produced by the Mothership Foundation. From the banks of Bayou St. John to N. Jefferson Davis Parkway, the Bayou Boogaloo aims to restore the social fabric of the Mid-City area. The event will feature three live music […]

Restaurant Guide

5 Fifty 5555 Canal StreetNew Orleans504.553.5638There’s a new chef in town. Chef Mark Quitney is at the helm of5 Fifty 5, the newest restaurant on the downtown dining scene. 5 Fifty 5 is a comfortable, yet hip eatery offering “a fresh approach to food.” Fresh local ingredients and a fresh look at some old favorites […]

Bucktown’s Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam now stands where Bucktown was. I was looking toward the lake from the Hammond Highway Bridge that crosses the 17th Street Canal and not knowing whether to be overjoyed or over-saddened. In the foreground is a concrete stage holding a row of pumps, each with ducts plunging toward the water like the tentacles […]

Life as a Country Song

“Lost everything to Katrina,Wound up in Farmerville,Wife ran off with the shrimp man,Now I’m headed for ole Nashville …” When your life reads like the lyrics of a Merle Haggard moaner, where else are ya gonna go? It may not exactly have been divine providence in the form of Hurricane Katrina that thrust Bruce Bellott, […]

Vic Schiro

If it’s good for New Orleans, I’m for it!” That’s the perfect slogan for the 1960s-era Mayor of New Orleans, Victor Hugo Schiro, a cheerful, positive-thinking, unabashed booster and promoter of his city. He wasn’t tall and commanding; in fact President Lyndon B. Johnson sometimes referred to him as “the little mayor.” Vic Schiro had […]

Taking Off

When my mother-in-law, Ms. Larda, gets the emergency call from Aunt Chlorine in New Jersey, the first thing she packs is the red beans. Then the crab boil. Then the Tony Chachere’s.  She don’t want to starve up there. Not that anybody should take it personal, she says to me, but them people can’t cook. […]

Last Call

In the minty month of MayMay brings the assurance of summer. Not the summer of heat and humidity (both in the 90s) and crawly things in the house (not just the children) but the summer of lighter refreshment – cooling beverages that please the palate. Our good neighbors up in Louisville, Ky., have made the […]

Etc. Editorial

Techno-Romantic  Artist and gallery owner, Thomas Mann of Thomas Mann I/O (which stands for Insightful Objects) describes his art as “techno-romantic jewelry objects.” He believes his work to be on the cutting edge of contemporary jewelry; in fact, this month Thomas Mann I/O will be showcasing a wide variety of items, including the “hearts and […]

NOLA by the Numbers

273Height (in feet) of the Superdome. 5Pair of pleopods (“swimmerets;” abdominal appendages for swimming and mating) on a crawfish. 1999Year the diatonic accordion (“Cajun” accordion) was named Louisiana’s official musical instrument. 60Average amount of yearly rainfall (in inches) in New Orleans. 1,500Barrels of beer produced by the Abita Brewing Company in its first year of […]

30˚90˚ Dining Features

Fusion food at La ThaiLa Thai Cuisine Uptown co-owner Diana Chauvin says her restaurant serves Asian fusion cuisine with a focus on authentic Thai cooking and a local Louisiana influence. She says her family introduced Thai cuisine to the New Orleans area in the 1980s with a restaurant on the West bank called Mai Tai. […]

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