Cocktails & Wine: Blog of New Orleans, Gambit

NOWFE's celebrity cake competition

Will Coviello — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:29:00 -0500

The New Orleans Wine and Food Experience's wine tasting events start tonight with the Royal Street Stroll and Vinola premium wine tasting and continue with Grand Tastings Friday and Saturday at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. More on NOWFE highlights here.…

Taqueria’s tiki bar debuts tonight

Ian McNulty — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:42:00 -0500

Known for its fast-casual Mexican format and self-serve salsa bar, Felipe’s Taqueria has been upping its game lately at the bar, which serves Mexican-inspired craft cocktails and even "flights" of mezcal, the earthier, smokier relative to tequila.

Next up for taqueria outfit is a much bigger and ambitious undertaking.…

Arnaud’s to host “Speakeasy Dinner”

Ian McNulty — Fri, 10 May 2013 09:52:00 -0500

There’s a certain intrigue in the long history and the labyrinthine warren of dining rooms, service bars and corridors at Arnaud’s Restaurant.

The French Quarter grande dame has been stoking that vibe lately with a series of periodic “Speakeasy Dinners,” which evoke the dark days of Prohibition when, according to restaurant lore, Arnaud’s served bootleg liquor to guests in the know.…

Kingfish restaurant opens in the Quarter

Ian McNulty — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:49:00 -0500

The name Kingfish leaves little doubt that the fare at this new French Quarter restaurant will have a Louisiana focus, and indeed the menu is full of local seafood, andouille and cochon de lait. Yet none of the dishes are standards.…

Galatoire’s 33 Bar & Steak to debut on Bourbon Street

Ian McNulty — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:44:00 -0500

The steakhouse dining room at Galatoire's 33 Bar & Steak

The drinks have been flowing for a while now in the new bar that Galatoire’s Restaurant developed in the building adjacent to its landmark Bourbon Street address, though plans for the large dining room just beyond the bar remained unclear. Now this new Galatoire’s operation has a name and the whole concept is set to debut Wednesday, April 10.…

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Bacchanal in full bloom

Ian McNulty — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 17:22:00 -0500

Late in the summer of 2011, things looked bad for Bacchanal, the popular, then-mostly-outdoor destination for wine, food and music in the Bywater. In August of that year, City Hall made a full court press of enforcement, swooping in with a team of officials one busy night.…
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High Hat to host a craft cocktail night

Ian McNulty — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 09:25:00 -0500

The kitchen at the Deep South-meets-Creole diner High Hat Café prides itself on a handmade approach. So does the bar.…
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Hogs for the Cause brings pork without pause

Ian McNulty — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 09:27:00 -0500

Fun events have a way of snowballing in New Orleans, where the ingrained local penchant for participatory partying helps many of them grow year to year. Still, there was little precedent for how quickly Hogs for the Cause skyrocketed from a charitable cook-off among friends back in 2009 to the de facto kick-off to the spring festival season today.…
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New Orleans takes 11 semifinal nominations in 2013 James Beard Awards

Kevin Allman — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:31:00 -0600

The James Beard Foundation announced its semifinalists for the 2013 James Beard Awards, and New Orleans chefs, restaurants and bars are represented 11 times — including five nominations for Best Chef: South.

Finalists will be announced March 18, and this year's awards will take place May 3 and 6 in New York City.…
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Complex lists the "douchiest bars in New Orleans"

Alex Woodward — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:45:00 -0600

As part of its city guide series, Complex Magazine explores the "New Orleans douche" and his habitat, namely the watering holes in which you may find one in the wild:

With so many boozing options, it's easy to fall prey to the advice of the opinionated and over-friendly locals. If the person giving you tips sets off even the slightest blip on your douche radar, there's a 99% chance the spot he's hyping is not where you want to be.

According to Complex, among the douche's favorites include The Bulldog, Dos Jefes, Pat O'Brien's, Bridge Lounge, Fat Harry's, Monkey Hill, Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar and Walk-On's.…
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Company Burger chef goes Slavic at a French Quarter cocktail bar

Ian McNulty — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 09:45:00 -0600

The new restaurants and bars that have so swiftly transformed Freret Street each have their own niche. The people who make them tick, however, often support each other and sometimes they collaborate.…
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Craft cocktail bar Trèo planned for Tulane Avenue

Ian McNulty — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:56:00 -0600

As the massive state and VA hospital projects take shape on one end of Tulane Avenue, new businesses from local entrepreneurs are cropping up along other parts of this central but badly-faded corridor.

A new example is Trèo (3835 Tulane Ave., phone n.a.), an upscale bar now in the works from the owners of Finn McCool’s Irish Pub.…
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“Small plate happy hour” at La Divina

Ian McNulty — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 10:14:00 -0600

Gelato is the marquee draw at La Divina Gelateria, but that’s not the full story. Salads assembled with farmers market produce and Italian-style pressed sandwiches make this small local café/gelato parlor chain a destination for light meals too too, and this week its Magazine Street flagship introduces a new Friday special to showcase more of its non-frozen assets.…
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Leah Chase Foundation in the works, public birthday celebrations planned

Ian McNulty — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 11:38:00 -0600

A legacy that extends far beyond food runs through the dining rooms of Dooky Chase Restaurant, a landmark of the civil rights struggle, a trove of African American art and a daily example of the power of community.

As the Chase family prepares to celebrate the 90th birthday of their matriarch, the legendary chef Leah Chase, they are planning a pair of public events to honor her and raise funds for a new foundation to ensure that legacy endures.…
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Wine and cheese by the tracks

Ian McNulty — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 16:19:00 -0600

People tend to rub their eyes a bit when walking into Faubourg Wines (2805 St. Claude Ave., 504-342-2217) for the first time, and it’s not just from the change of light. Catherine Markel recently opened this small but impressively-stocked wine shop not far from her home in Faubourg Marigny and very close to the Press Street railroad crossing, a stretch better known for fast food and used furniture stores than fine wines and artisan cheese.…
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Creole-style tailgating for charity

Ian McNulty — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 10:34:15 -0600

The Taste of the NFL, a series of charitable dining events leading up to the Super Bowl, continues next week with a tailgate-style party at Café Adelaide. On Tuesday, Dec. 18, the Café Adelaide crew will set up a spread of Creole-style party food at a dozen stations outside the downtown restaurant for guests to nosh on during the event.…
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Restaurant happy hours stack up

Ian McNulty — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 11:20:00 -0600

The holiday season is a time for festive meals in New Orleans. But even if you don’t have time for a long lunch with coworkers or can’t drop the cash for a multi-course reveillon dinner, the somewhat newer tradition of the restaurant happy hour could be just the thing.

That’s why for the past few years I’ve put together Five in 5 lists of good restaurant happy hours in December.…
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Parsing white whiskey at Calcasieu

Ian McNulty — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 17:51:18 -0600

“Windy meets muggy” is what they’re calling a Sazerac-style cocktail by way of Chicago. It's made with rye whiskey from Koval, a distillery founded in the Windy City in 2008, and it will be served at a whiskey dinner scheduled Nov. 27 at Calcasieu.…
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“Drink Like a Pro” at Serendipity

Ian McNulty — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 09:57:00 -0500

Hang around restaurants in those off-hours between lunch and dinner and you’ll occasionally spot the wine reps and their “magical black bags,” as chef Chris DeBarr calls them. These bags carry wine samples the sales folk want restaurant wine buyers to try, and in addition to a taste they sometime come with a story about the winemaker, the area of origin and such.…
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New locally-made vodka aims for craft mixologists

Ian McNulty — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:43:00 -0500

A vodka from the newly-formed New Orleans distillery Atelier Vie is now making its way into stores and bars, and it really packs a wallop. It’s called Buck 25, a reference to its 125 proof (or 62.5 percent alcohol), more than half again the strength of your conventional 80 proof Absolut or Stoli.…
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Public Transit Tuesdays: Atlanta via Megabus

Megan Braden-Perry — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:04:00 -0500

Last Monday night, I was finishing an education story, making a Spotify playlist and finalizing a list of places to visit during my Atlanta day trip. I knew that I could have done and wanted to do more to prepare, but I was too busy tracking down sources for the education story and dealing with laptop issues (I accidentally broke the screen on my laptop when I tossed my lap desk onto the bed, on the eve of two major CUE deadlines).…
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Politifact runs Louisiana drive-thru daiquiri shops through its "Truth-O-Meter"

Kevin Allman — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:28:00 -0500

In Oregon, you can’t just walk into any supermarket for a bottle of Grey Goose or Pimm’s. Booze is overseen by the Oregon Liquor Control Board and sold only from state-run shops. Most of the stores close early — good luck picking up hooch after 8 p.m. — and many don’t even open on Sundays.…
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Public Transit Tuesdays: Lakeview

Megan Braden-Perry — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 23:59:00 -0500

I assumed there would be no ratchetness on the Lakeview bus, but I actually came across two riding stock characters, a riding snacker and the never-before-mentioned riding rambler, who speaks loudly on the phone for the entirety of the ride, a couple who might be transient youth and suburban kids blasting rap music from their cars. Also ratchet: Bugs.…
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New wine shop downtown, big wine tasting Uptown

Ian McNulty — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 11:04:00 -0500

A new retail shop for fine wines, liquors and specialty foods has opened on the edge of the downtown area. Keife & Co. debuted around the start of August, taking over an interesting corner location at Howard and Carondelet, on the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line.…
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Public Transit Tuesdays: Claiborne

Megan Braden-Perry — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:20:00 -0500

Robert Morris of Uptown Messenger was once a regular Claiborne bus rider, using it as a shuttle to and from City Hall, until he missed scooping a fire and a shooting because he couldn't get there in time. Together we discussed the practicality of this bus line, explored places he's always wondered about and talked New Orleans journalism over lunch, while getting the lowdown from him on his neck of the woods and what it's like to be influential in tacos on Klout...…
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