Chocolate Almond Croissant

How most girls feel about designer shoe boutiques is how I feel about bakeries.

I gawk at the artistry, I’m enchanted by the selection and it’s hard to settle on a single item. There should be a fifth member of the Sex and the City crew who’s a foodie searching out places like the Big Gay Ice Cream and Prune for the best eats in NYC. In stilettos no less.

On this dreadful Monday I would give a pair of Jimmy Choos for a Chocolate Almond Croissant and cappuccino. I’ve been fantasizing about La Boulangerie.

La Boulangerie is a french bakery located Uptown in the heart of Magazine street among trendy, quirky shops. A welcome respite from Creole and Cajun food (although not necessarily lighter) they offer sandwiches, breads, soup, quiche, coffee and of course, pastries.

During our annual New Orleans trip, despite having eaten a continental breakfast at Avenue Inn, my mom and I fueled up for a day of shopping with a snack at La Boulangerie. Stumbling upon it’s pretty gold and blue awning, we popped in and took our place in line. Pouncing on an open table, I sat while my mom ordered so I have no opinion about the service.

We split a Chocolate Almond Croissant and I soaked up each bite accompanied by sips of a single shot cappuccino. The croissant was filled with sweet almond paste and chocolate, which I would have preferred more of, but then again who doesn’t like more chocolate. The substantial pastry was tender, flaky and strewn with almond slices.

Much like Sucre and other area bakeries, they offer special King Cakes during Mardi Gras season, both a traditional and French version. I was tempted to buy one, but the thought of lugging around a cake box and then five extra pounds post-consumption was a strong deterrent. Needless to say, everything looks and smells heavenly.

I believe La Boulangerie now accepts credit cards and cash, but I didn’t pay for this round. Get there early because like a secret sample sale, the good stuff runs out fast.

Don’t just take my word for it, New Orleans food bloggers Foodographer and The Hungry Nomad have also written about their experiences, in addition to the Cynical Cook. If you liked this post, read more of my Restaurant Stories.

La Boulangerie
4600 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone 504-269-3777

Rears, cowboys and wranglers is romance at it’s best. Even if the rears belong to livestock.

In honor of Valentine’s day, my husband and I went to the Dixie National Rodeo last Friday night. Yes, I wanted to go to the rodeo and no, I’ve never been before.

We explored…stables holding cows, horses and goats being vacuumed (grooming?) and had such shiny, soft coats.

We ate…once we entered the coliseum which was a serious misstep. There were fair food stands open outside and next to nothing inside, our options were gloppy pizza, limp foiled wrapped hamburgers and popcorn saltier than the Gulf of Mexico.

We watched…a long welcome presentation, a blonde woman singing karaoke songs, a progression of six American flags throughout history, the national anthem, a prayer, pyrotechnics and then a parade of politicians riding horses.

We learned…that this was an actual competition and now just a show. Okay, so I was surprised to discover these events were scored by judges and they had strict parameters such as – in bronc riding the riders can only use one hand and they needed to hold on for eight seconds.

We sang…up close and personal along with Chris Cagle, well, I did for the two songs I actually knew.

We held out…until the very end, three hours later for the bull riding grand finale.

For Valentine’s day I Got My Country On.

Crackberry

Valentine’s eve is upon us. It’s cold, rainy and all I can think of is Pinkberry. Or as it’s known on the streets, Crackberry.

Pinkberry has no need for one more iota of press or undying confession of admiration. It probably scoffs at my undeterred crush.

For whatever reason I haven’t researched more thoroughly yet, I feel as though their frozen yogurt is a superior quality and if they would let me, I’d position myself with an unhinged jaw directly under the pineapple/coconut flavor levers. One shining difference between them and other mainstream froyo places is that you buy a size and then have the opportunity to fill the space with any of the available toppings (versus paying per ounce). I made my mom eat their glorious frozen yogurt with all the toppings the container could hold twice in one day.

The nearest Pinkberry is in New Orleans or Birmingham and I haven’t decided whether that’s actually a good thing or not. Right now, not. To get your Pinkberry fix, there are two locations in New Orleans – one near the French Quarter on Canal and one on Magazine in the Garden District/Uptown.

Pinkberry
French Quarter
300 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone 504-899-4260
http://www.pinkberry.com

Uptown
5601 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 7011
Phone 504-899-4260

Super Bowl Party Apple Pie Throw Down

Move over New England Patriots.

As it turns out, I didn’t win the $1000 catered Super Bowl party. I didn’t win the office NFL play-off bracket. And, I didn’t win the Apple Pie Thrown Down contest. In light of recent events, I also put off dashing over to Louisiana in hopes of securing my retirement by purchasing fistfuls of lottery tickets.

Nevertheless everything worked out for the best, as life often does.

Prior to this whole Super Bowl contest rigamarole, we had no intentions of hosting a party (unless we won). When my name was not announced Saturday evening, I dodged a fury of last minute cleaning and begging friends to come over who already had plans. No matter, because Friday morning as I reached for the door knob about to leave for work, my husband dashed to the bathroom and threw up. Our weekend was spent recovering on the couch.

Determined to bounce back from defeat, much like Tiquan Underwood after the Patriots cut him the day before the Super Bowl, I refocused my energy on the Apple Pie Throw Down.

Awhile back a friend made a grand sweeping statement, that a particular store bought apple pie was better than any homemade pie she’s ever had. Pshaw. Taking this bold proclamation in stride, another friend and I challenged her to a pie tasting contest. In conjunction with our work Super Bowl party (where we announced the winner of the bracket contest -  not me), we held our apple pie throw down.

Yesterday we lined up the two homemade pies next to a store bought version, insisted our co-workers sample each one and vote for their favorite (disregarding presentation).

At the end of the day we peeled back the ballot and to my dismay, the store bought pie had won! It was baked with aspartame, my crust included real butter. What a bust.

Befuddled by three consecutive losses, I reminded myself that it’s not whether you win or lose but rather how you play the game. Tiquan is a Patriot again and there’s always next time.

When life gives you lemons…squeeze a little in some apple filling, top your pie with ice cream and call it a day.

$5 Meal Deal

Please help me win a Super Bowl contest! Read more about it or click here to vote! (I’m the first one listed.) Thank you for reading.

Acutely recognizing my weariness from a tiresome week, one Friday my husband eagerly took it upon himself to take care of dinner. He was just looking for a reason to get to Beatty Street Grocery. I was all for it.

Unfamiliar with Beatty Street Grocery, I was surprised to learn of it’s history and tenure as a downtown Jackson establishment for 72 years. In addition to being a convenience store, they also serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We each got their version of a meal deal which is an eight ounce hamburger, french fries and a drink for $5. That’s crazy cheap.

Now, it might not be the best burger ever but it was filling, large and solid – so much so that I wonder how they can afford to have such low prices. The burger had all the tradition fillings of lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and mustard. The french fries are the standard, previously frozen variety but I have a soft spot in my heart for crinkle cuts. They also offer a four ounce version of the burger, which I will be selecting next time. I couldn’t finish the eight ounce so my husband polished it off for me.

He brought home take-out but insists we return because visiting the physical location is part of the experience. Despite varied opinions on the internet, I will try it for myself and always am in favor of supporting local, long time restaurants. Lastly, leave your checks or plastic at home because they only accept cash.

Learn more about Beatty Street Grocery:

Beatty Street Grocery needs help staying financially afloat: WLBT

A Lunch Visit to Beatty Street Grocery: Eat Jackson

Beatty Street Grocery
101 Beatty Street
Jackson, MS 39201
Phone 601-355-0514

In college I helped lead a co-ed flag football team and am thrilled my alma matter, the University of Missouri, joined the SEC. Each year at work, I organize an NFL play-off bracket contest and celebration pot-luck. Normally I’m the commissioner for a girls only fantasy football league titled Girls Playing the Field (we took a break this year). Imagine my excitement when I heard this.

The Mangia Bene catering company, owners behind Sal and Mookie’s, Broad Street Bakery and Bravo!, is having a contest for $1000 worth of Super Bowl party food. A never-ending sucker for a bargain, awhile back I signed-up to receive their coupons and was automatically registered for this contest. Little did I know until recently, I actually qualified at random as one of ten finalists!

How to Help
Starting today and ending at 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, I need as many votes as possible at this survey link. Please vote only once. This is how you can help:

* Click the survey link and vote for me – I’m listed first and my name is Erin
* Spread the word by using one of the Sharing buttons below (Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, Digg, Reddit)
* Bribe your friends with cookies to do the same (it’s the path I like to take most often, cookie bribery)

Incentive
To my loyal readers and random internet users, if I prevail in this contest then I will post self-deprecating, chubby childhood photos for your viewing pleasure. People are regularly doubtful that I went through a rather round period from fifth to eighth grade. These photos exist and I’m willing to prove it.

I apologize now for the upcoming promotion of this throughout the week and as always, thank you for reading. In the wise words of Hank Williams, Jr. – let’s get ready for some football!

The Scene

Jackson has a large appetite just waiting to be satisfied.

This past weekend Appetite for Jackson was the buzz around town. It was a free event featuring $5 plates from local restaurants, craft beer and area bands – a trifecta of fun benefiting the Craig Noone scholarship. And Andrew Zimmern was going to be there. Needless to say, I was pumped!

A Travel Channel television host and food personality, Andrew Zimmern has made a name for himself eating the bizarre and unknown, among other ventures. He was in town filming for a future show (Appetite for Life – I believe), getting a full taste of the South. My closest brush with his celebrity was being able to take a photo and observe as he expertly worked the crowd.

Entering the beautiful Art Garden at the Mississippi Museum of Art, the party was in full swing at four in the afternoon.

The event had drawn a remarkably large crowd on a somewhat blustery January day. There were extremely long lines (Disney World worthy) everywhere, for everything. I stood in three lines before giving up due to the wait and discovery they had run out of food. A long night laid ahead because after just over two hours vendors were running out of food left and right, they had at least four hours to go.

My husband wandered off in search of food and returned triumphantly holding two containers of sushi from the Wasabi Sushi and Bar booth. He rescued me from a minor hunger meltdown. I don’t know if it was the desperation or the eight hours since my last meal talking, but the sushi was wonderful.

Trying to hold out for the music but growing colder as the sun crept toward the horizon, we ended up walking to The Elite.

I love everything about this event and hope it returns next year with a vengeance, plus a few improvements. I’m no professional planner but a small flyer of the vendor booth layout, short line dividers, clearer details on the website and more food (and drink) would be extremely beneficial. Being the inaugural year, it has room to evolve. (I’d help!)

I’ve always been surprised at how few events are held downtown, despite the fact that Jackson is the biggest city in the state and the capital. Observing the high turn out and enthusiasm from this event alone, it’s clear the desire exists. Let’s hope Appetite for Jackson returns bigger and better next year, our stomachs are counting on it.

Appetite for Jackson
http://www.appetiteforjackson.com

The French 75 at French 75

When all else fails, have a cocktail.

If the city of New Orleans ever needed a new tagline, that could be a strong contender. Appropriate for a place where there are daiquiri bars with drive-thru windows. A city known for it’s passion of the never-ending party has an equally impressive number of bars, restaurants and signature drinks to indulge in.

Ever striving for the quintessential experience, I try and hit Crescent City landmarks on every annual trip with my mom. Thanks to the He Said/She Said NOLA blog, I can now cross #30 off the Only in New Orleans: The 100 Essential Experiences list.

Following a long day of shopping on Magazine street, po’boys at Parasols and a heart wrenching Saints football game at Pat O’Briens, we were dragging our feet but didn’t quite want to call it a day just yet. Meandering away from the loud, neon noise of Bourbon street we ducked down a dark street in search of a cocktail.

Adjacent to Arnaud’s restaurant, French 75 bar is the perfect quiet side-stop to sip on it’s namesake drink, the French 75. Having no knowledge of the actual ingredients,  it includes champagne which is all I needed to hear. It was delightful, bubbly and just sweet enough topped by a twist of lemon.

There are two window tables, mirrors lining the walls and a very polished, classy bar feel. We slowly savored our drinks with a cone of salty, warm gougères. The cocktails aren’t cheap, but in lieu of a beer on Bourbon I’d take a French 75 at French 75 any day.

To learn more about the French 75 cocktail, read the articles below:

• French 75 history and recipe: Esquire
• French 75, a little history and basic recipe: Gourmet magazine
• French 75 recipe: Epicurious

French 75
next to Arnaud’s restaurant
813 Rue Bienvilles
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone 504-523-5433
http://www.arnaudsrestaurant.com/french-75/

1. Cooking Wild in Missouri cookbook
Unexpected gifts are the best kind. The other day a friend sent us a copy of Cooking Wild in Missouri, a cookbook focused on using seasonal, local ingredients and meats. Chronicling their adventures of hunting, gathering and scavenging to work their way through all the recipes, they started their own blog, Woods to Food. Read their stories of true woods to table meals.

2. Zoya nail polishes
While scanning the deal headlines in my feed reader, I saw a post advertising a code for two free Zoya nail polishes for the cost of shipping. Normally $8 a piece, I got polishes in Jem and Dea for $6.95, a total savings of $16. I love those bargain blogs.

3. Pinkberry
Torn between feeling crushed and relieved, the nearest Pinkberry is two and a half hours away. I could eat it every day especially after being easily swayed by the numerous so-called health benefits. We had it twice in the same day in New Orleans, it’s that delicious.

4. Appetite for Jackson
On Saturday, January 28 from 2-9 p.m. I’ll be at the Art Garden downtown eating great food, listening to live music and maybe even sipping on a beer. Andrew Zimmerman from the Travel Channel will be there. The proceeds benefit the Craig Noone Miracle League. Can I say awesome?

5. Mississippi Warrior Dash
I was suckered in by the pit of fire and the Nordic helmet. Jackson hosts Mississippi’s Warrior Dash on April 21, and you can find me sinking in a mud pit or hurling myself over a wall.

6. Australian Open
Although there never is a true winter in the South, at least not to this Northern girl, I am excited it’s warming up outside and tennis season is starting up again. And nothing is more motivating to get back on the court than watching a little of the Australian Open.

7. Thirty-One umbrella
One a snowy evening in January many years ago, I arrived in the United States from South Korea and was welcomed into my family. Each year my mom commemorates my “Coming to America” day with a thoughtful gift and this year it was a personalized umbrella. Timing was perfect because it poured the next day.

8. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
Please go read this book by Mindy Kaling. She writes likes she’s having a conversation – a hilarious conversation – which is an amazing feat. Her story felt so familiar and I believe we could be friends. You’ll want to be her friend too. (If you’re not convinced, she’s the Indian girl on The Office who writes, produces and acts.)

9. Prima Donna’s Closet
In New Orleans I scored the best find at a consignment store, Prima Donna’s Closet. Hiding among the racks was a Banana Republic black blazer, similar to the one pictured above. An equal original is currently selling for $158, I paid $19.

10. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Everyone needs to read this book. The story is nearly unbelievable except that it’s very much true and Louis Zamperini lives on. Laura Hillenbrand masterfully narrates Zamperini’s childhood, Olympic running aspirations and survival through World War II. I stayed up until 1 a.m. on a work night to finish this book because it is riveting beginning to end.

Can’t get enough of my lengthy ramblings? Then visit my list page!

Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast

Anyone who greets me with with a freshly baked cookie is a friend for life.

The Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast innkeepers, Joe and Bebe, must have a lot of friends because that’s exactly how our stay began.

Having procrastinated on securing accommodations until after the holidays were over, I was in a panic because our annual mother/daughter New Orleans trip was two weeks away and nearly every establishment I checked was booked. Being new to the points/travel game, I started searching chain hotels in the French Quarter but found none less than $300 a night. Then I tried low balling bids on Priceline with no success.

Unwilling and unable to shell out a thousand dollars for a hotel, I focused my search on B&Bs. I remembered our positive stay at the Royal Street Courtyard Bed and Breakfast but unfortunately they were full. Luckily after combing through Tripadvisor, I came across a thread on New Orleans B&B and Inns and jotted down a list of possibilities after reading user reviews.

Comparing location, availability, amenities and cost narrowed my options to the Avenue Inn and Sully Mansion. They both had available rooms with two beds. Ready to ensure we had a place to stay and always looking for a deal, I was intrigued by the “Book it Now” offer under the Special Deals link on the Avenue Inn website. One short call later and we had a room.

I drove in Friday afternoon, picked my my mom from the airport and headed to Saint Charles in search of the Avenue Inn. Bebe called us a couple times to confirm our arrival and make sure we weren’t lost. There is no sign labeling the inn but it’s right next door to a New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood Co. restaurant.

During check-in, that’s when we were handed two warm, chocolate chip cookies and listened to Joe explain the house parameters. I felt bad for rushing him through his spiel, but we had reservations for Boucherie.

We stayed on the second floor in room #11 which has two double beds, a table, an armoire, vanity mirror and dresser, private bath, television, two walls of windows and plenty of space. The wireless internet is kind of slow, but it sufficed for being free.

The Avenue Inn is a great place to stay in New Orleans for many reasons, here are some of the highlights:

• Free parking! Park either on the street or in the on-site parking lot around the back. The alternatives are valet or a $30 per day fee at most places in or around the French Quarter, or scrambling for public parking at a slightly cheaper daily rate.
• The streetcar stops directly in front of the house. The streetcar system rocks, they run all the time and it’s cheap ($1.25 each ride or $5 for a daily pass). Learn more about New Orleans Street cars and visit the Regional Transit Authority website.
• Location, location, location. Being between Uptown and the Garden District, we walked ten minutes south and were on Magazine street. The French Quarter and Canal street is a 15-20 minute streetcar ride away.
• From 7-10 a.m. they offer a generous continental breakfast which includes items such as bagels, breads, a homemade baked good, pastries, cereal, yogurt, cheese, hard boiled eggs, biscotti, fruit, oatmeal, coffee and hot tea.
• Throughout the day (and night), you can grab free bottles of water and snacks such as cookies, animal crackers, an assortment of chips, raisins and fruit cups.
• The room was large, clean and reasonably priced – a bargain for New Orleans. The house is beautiful, quiet and has an outdoor patio.
• The inkeepers, Joe and Bebe! They are warm and accommodating without being intrusive.

In a previous life Joe and Bebe have years of corporate hospitality service behind them, which has complimented the ten or so years of running the B&B. Read about them on the website.

At one point Joe mentioned that a majority of the general public doesn’t even consider B&Bs when traveling, which I believe due to the number of rooms open when looking online. So, I kind of want to keep this a secret but our visit was wonderful and I highly recommend staying at the Avenue Inn.

Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast
4125 Saint Charles Ave
New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone 504-269-2640
Toll Free 1-800-490-8542
http://www.avenueinnbb.com