In our opinion, there is no better wedding inspiration for a couple than seeing other New Orleans couples tie the knot. Given that our real wedding profiles are consistently the most viewed blogs here at “Let Them Eat Cake,”…
Not that Governor John Bel Edwards doesn’t already have enough to worry about, but each year around this time as the weather teases us with a slight chill a person, even a Governor, can be forgiven if his thoughts…
It’s finally fall in New Orleans for approximately 3.5 seconds. We must grasp it now before it slips away on Sunday, or possibly Monday. Here are three ideas for boosting this liminal gap of autumnal weather today, tomorrow and…
Bibliophile honeymooners visiting San Antonio will have to force themselves out of Hotel Emma’s 37,000, book- brimming, bi-level library. As one of the many irresistible enclaves in the stylishly eccentric hotel, kitted out amid the bones of a 19th-century…
New Orleans is an in-between place. Life holds hands with death. Round the way reminds of ain’t dere no more. Soul-rattling laughter encircles soul-crushing despair. Always with us, always together, always separate. Is it any wonder that Homer Plessy…
Picking the location for your wedding festivities is one, if not the, most important part of planning your Big Day. The location sets the tone of the entire celebration and New Orleans is full of ideal backdrops for saying,…
My wife had a birthday recently. We had a low-key celebration that night at Bayou Wine Garden, and I will therefore testify to the excellent cheese and charcuterie board we had with a carafe of wine. Two cured meats,…
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Chef Michael Nelson of GW Fins worked tirelessly with his seafood, produce and meat purveyors to alter their distribution systems in order that they would be able to sell directly to consumers. The affable…
It’s been more than a year since our fun happy hour menus in New Orleans went away. We are not surprised, of course, as all of life’s changes have shaken up the cocktail scene during the COVID-19 crisis and…
Each Wednesday, we tackle wedding etiquette. At times, it’s a reader question or one from a colleague, friend or family member and other times we’ll cover a popular issue. This week, we are offering up a throwback from the…
Last week my five-year-old stared at me earnestly and said, “Mom, are you sad?” To which I replied, “No honey, I’m fine!" Then, with BIG eyes glued to my face, he responded, “No, mom I mean just the way…
Maybe I’m just getting old – after all, I am now (as of last Thursday) 41, making me not just 40 but officially in my 40s – but I had no interest in attending the trash parade this past…
Dry skin, peeling patches and pimples are visual hallmarks of stress. Thankfully the formerly niche category of anti-stress skincare is burgeoning with solutions and we’ve scooped up the best ones for you. …
Not to be bragging or anything but I once met one of the Jazz Fest’s all-time biggest celebrities. I think it was at a cocktail party, I’m not sure where or why, when I fell into a conversation with…
After everything the universe and Mother Nature has thrown at us the past two years, we could all use a little sparkle into our lives. A go-to provider of that sparkle to the city of New Orleans is Elektra…
About 3,456 days ago, in April, I read a New York Times article about languishing. The piece described the emotion thusly: “Languishing is a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It feels as if you’re muddling through your days, looking…
When did you feel your Freon kiss? This is no idle question in our neck of the swamps, especially after an idle post-Ida week. Jen and I rode out the storm with my now tried and thankfully true Costco…
You already own a lot of frying pans and forks. When you got engaged and began to plan your honeymoon, you knew you didn’t want duplicates. “Let’s sign up for Honeyfund,” she suggested. She had to tell you what…
Well, that was something. Almost 16 years to the day I evacuated for Katrina, I was back in Columbia, Tennessee taking advantage of the incredible generosity of friends who offered to put us up for a few days. I…
We have been through the wringer. And COVID-19 still threatens, and disturbances are swirling off the coast of Africa like a swarm of cockroaches. We deserve a break, a little R & R, a least some relief. Here are…
Each Wednesday, we tackle wedding etiquette. At times, it’s a reader question or one from a colleague, friend or family member and other times we’ll cover a popular issue. (Note: Questions may be edited for clarity and brevity.) Question:…
Let’s talk about fall shopping. On one hand, it’s 90 degrees outside, we’re still grappling with COVID-19 and Hurricane Ida and those old cotton/linen “soft clothes” seem like a cozy respite from it all. On the other hand, schools…
Hurricane Ida impacted almost everyone in southeast Louisiana. (Kelly here) As someone with friends getting married very soon, I know that the closure of not only New Orleans and surrounding areas, but also of local bridal boutiques has hit…
I keep saying I can’t possibly take another thing: COVID, my father’s illness and continuing decline, two car accidents in as many months, seeing my rape translated into 15 languages and on the front page of the New York…
Twenty years ago this past weekend, Louisiana was a part of the story as a staggering nation looked for stability. What happened at Barksdale Air Force base across the Red River from Shreveport would also provide the setting for…
South Louisiana, especially Down the Bayou, is in extreme need of relief and recovery aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. So instead of the usual pithy Bon Vivant fodder, today’s post is dedicated to people and organizations with…
All summer I’ve been thinking about the most notable performance of Wendell Pierce’s career. The selection from the proud Pontchartrain Park-er might not be obvious. Not his four seasons as Detective Bunk Moreland on The Wire. Not his four…
We are not sure about y’all, but now is the time for a stiff drink. We have been through the wringer for more than a year and the cycle of ups and downs seems never-ending. So, while we are…
I was born into a household of chaos and disharmony. By the time I made my appearance, my sister was already 13 years old and my brother a month shy of 17. Our mother suffered from a collection of…
As many of you realize and can relate to, this past week following Hurricane Ida has been rough. Though we would love nothing more than to dive into the dreamy world of weddings, forget the burden of reality and…
