• Krewe of Muses History

    Krewe of Muses History

    The Sisters of Mardi Gras Mardi Gras is a time of color and charisma, where people of every type take to the New Orleans streets to celebrate.  It’s an incredible cultural moment made better by the parades of wit and whimsy that stud the weeks prior to Fat Tuesday.  One such parade is Muses, a…

  • Christmas Hurricane at Pat O’Briens

    Christmas Hurricane at Pat O’Briens

    The History of Hurricane Cocktails Of the seemingly infinite number of New Orleans cocktails, the Hurricane is perhaps the one that represents our city’s ability to adapt best.  Born of necessity, this cocktail has become a Crescent City classic and a bartending staple.  So let’s take a peek into its tropical past and see what…

  • The Feats of Lafitte: History of Jean Lafitte

    The Feats of Lafitte: History of Jean Lafitte

    Jean Lafitte: The Most Interesting Man from New Orleans Jean Lafitte: we know him as the pirate hero of New Orleans, others know him as the most successful smuggler in the history of the Spanish Main, and some even know him as the greatest scoundrel to sail the seas.  With the clouds of myth surrounding…

  • History of Groom’s Cakes

    History of Groom’s Cakes

    Groom’s Cakes Like much else, the South has a way with wedding traditions that is different from the rest of the United States.  We’ve talked second lines and cake pulls, but today we’re talking something a little more male-centric… it’s groom’s cakes!  Because in New Orleans we have to ask, why limit ourselves to just…

  • I Put a Spell On You: Marie Laveau

    I Put a Spell On You: Marie Laveau

    The Voodoo Queen: Marie Laveau With Halloween around the corner, there are few better places in the world to celebrate than the hallowed and haunted streets of New Orleans.  Home to ghosts, witches, and vampires alike, New Orleans is practically the capital of spooky.  And at the heart of all our terrifying tales is the…

  • Charmed: History of Cake Pulls

    Charmed: History of Cake Pulls

    Cake Pulls Down here in New Orleans we have an odd tendency to put inedible trinkets into our food.  Not only do we put plastic babies in our king cakes as a way of celebrating Mardi Gras, but one of our most common wedding traditions includes hiding silver charms in wedding cakes as a form…

  • Jump In The Line: History of Second Lines

    Jump In The Line: History of Second Lines

    It’s Time to Second Line Whether a visitor or a local, it’s all but impossible to spend time in New Orleans without encountering a second line.  Their bright, brassy set lists bring shop owners out of their stores and inspire the truest of happiness in the hearts of those they pass.  There is no doubt…

  • Shake, Rattle, and Roll: The History of the Ramos Gin Fizz

    Shake, Rattle, and Roll: The History of the Ramos Gin Fizz

    Groom’s Cakes What’s the quickest way to start your evening off with a sizzle? Why, with a Ramos Gin Fizz!  Here in New Orleans, the Ramos Gin Fizz is a cocktail we are all too familiar with, but for most people around the United States it’s a bit of a mystery.  That’s because this Big…

  • A Treat for Kings: The King Cake Story

    A Treat for Kings: The King Cake Story

    Bakery Basics The New Orleans king cake is a cinnamon and sugar spiced dough that is molded into a large circle and decorated with icing and sprinkles in the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and gold.  The king cake dough, however, varies greatly in bakeries across the Big Easy; while some lean towards a…

  • Powdered Sugar Pillows: The History of the Beignet

    Powdered Sugar Pillows: The History of the Beignet

    We New Orleanians are often asked, what’s all this beignet business?  We send visitors home with carefully packaged beignet mix souvenirs, direct tourists towards Cafe du Monde for the perfect late night French Quarter eat, and take photographs of those bright smiles adorned with powdered sugar mustaches.  But for people who don’t live in the…