11/26/11

Thanksgiving

We here at Haute Plates Industrial Concern and Sardine Cannery are not immune to the passing of the seasons. Which is to say that we would not be immune if New Orleans experienced any season other than “hot and humid” for more than three days at a time. Regardless, today is Thanksgiving, and in lieu of the restaurant report you might be expecting, We hope you will indulge us as we write something in the spirit of the holiday. We promise to stop using the first person plural as of this sentence.

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Posted at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/17/11

Local Groceries, Local Food

In 2007, the Thibodaux-based grocery retailer Rouses purchased the Southern division of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (more commonly known as A&P). The 17 stores, mostly in the New Orleans area, almost doubled the size of the company, and ensured that many neighborhoods would continue to have access to a full-service grocery store. I had the opportunity to work with some of the Rouses folks, as I had been representing A&P in premises liability cases before they sold the division. I found the employees, both those who came over from A&P and the folks that Rouses brought in, to be dedicated and helpful. I also noticed that most of the stores received an immediate makeover, and that Rouses was clearly making an effort...

Posted at 05:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/10/11

Downtown Pizza and a Pop-Up

Pizza Consegna started delivering pizzas in the CBD last month from the Hyatt Regency Hotel at 601 Loyola Ave. The Hyatt's executive chef, Eric Damidot, makes the 18 inch pizzas in a wood-fired oven, and it's the second pizzeria to serve Neapolitan-style pies to open this year (following Ancora).

In addition to specialty pizzas like the Quattro Formaggi (smoked mozzarella, ricotta, gorgonzola and parmesan) and the NOLA Farniete (pickled broccoli, fennel confit, green tomato and Mauthe's Dairy goat cheese), you can build your own pie from...

Posted at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/03/11

A Deutsche Haus

When I first started working downtown in the summer of 1991, I used to eat at Kolb's every so often. The first time I ate there was with my father, who told me that it had once been a very good restaurant, but that it had declined over the years. I was just happy to have a place where I could eat German food and drink German beer. The belt-driven ceiling fans and the overall atmosphere made me feel a connection to the past. I could easily see my paternal grandfather eating there with friends. Kolb's closed in 1994, the year I graduated from law school and began to work downtown full time. It was a shame, but everyone I knew said that it was long past its glory days, and just couldn't survive on reputation alone any...

Posted at 06:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 2