The two newest restaurants mentioned in this week's column bring more variety to Mid-City's restaurant row along Carrollton Avenue near Canal Street, including brunch and vegetarian options. The menu at Hot Burger (133 N. Carrollton Ave., 483-3232) is centered on hand-formed burgers, but also has pastas, rotisserie chicken and a range of meatless choices like soba noodles, baked polenta and curried tofu. The lemongrass lemonade is especially refreshing. Hot Burger is open for lunch and dinner daily and brunch on the weekends. Arabesque (127 N. Carrollton Ave., 486-7233) offers a small dining room, bar and patio area for guests to sample an eclectic menu. There are tapas-style appetizers, Middle Eastern specialties and entrées ranging from Moroccan tagine chicken to grilled redfish wrapped in banana leaf to steak with chimichurri sauce. Arabesque is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday and brunch on Sundays. The owners plan to add lunch soon.
Who Ate Your Homework?
Tulane University 's School of Continuing Studies is offering a new course this spring semester called "Food & Culture in Louisiana." The course is part of the school's Louisiana Studies curriculum and admission is open to any adult with at least a high school diploma or GED. The course will examine the geographic, ethnic, historic and environmental influences on local food culture and includes readings and classroom discussion, food-related fieldwork and food tastings. In lieu of a final exam, students will prepare culturally significant Louisiana foods and deliver an oral presentation on them, which will culminate in a class feast. For more information, go online to www.scs.tulane.edu and click the link for Spring 2008 Course Information, or contact the instructor, Celeste Uzee , at cuzee@tulane.edu.
Cold Turkey and Baby Food
If you suspect your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers might exceed your interest in eating one turkey sandwich after another, the Savvy Gourmet (4519 Magazine St., 895-2665; www.savvygourmet.com) could have the solution. The Uptown culinary center is holding a series of free classes in its teaching kitchen each Saturday, and the next class, on Nov. 24, is all about creative reuse of leftover turkey. Future classes include knife skills (Dec. 1 and 22), preparing baby food (Dec. 8) and slow cooking (Dec. 15). These free classes begin at 10 a.m. and run for an hour. Participants get a 10 percent discount on retail purchases at the store.
