How many times have you made an unplanned stop at City Park and thought to yourself, “Man, I wish I would have brought my bike”? My friend Erica from Joy Ride Bike Rentals is partnering with City Park to offer bicycle rentals on the weekends, making your impromptu park visit even more enjoyable. There’s going to be a fun and free Blessing of the Fleets this Saturday, and I wanted to tell you all about it, especially since there will be free snowballs (this is NOLA Eats, after all). I’ll be there, too, so be sure to say hi if you’ll be joining in on the fun. Read on for the details!
Joy Ride fleet at New Orleans City Park
New Orleans City Park is well known for its beautiful grounds, the New Orleans Museum of Art, Storyland, the Amusement Park, Botanical Gardens, and the list goes on. In 2009, the park completed another project– Big Lake. With this came another great service of renting pedal-boats and rowboats to park patrons. In the wake of its popularity, City Park is expanding its rental family to include bicycles and a gondola.
On Saturday, July 10, 2010 City Park will hold a Blessing of the Fleet. The ceremony begins at 11:00 am with an official blessing from Deacon Robert Normand. Following will be a celebration with FREE bike and boat rides until 1:00 pm. This event is FREE and open to the public.
Joy Ride Bike Rentals, a locally owned company, is joining forces with City Park to bring guests the option of bicycling throughout the park. Also added to the line-up is NOLA Gondola, offering relaxing and romantic gondola rides. Bicycles will be rented during the existing boating hours of operation: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 am – 7:00 pm. Gondola rides will be offered from 1:00 pm – 10:00 pm, Wednesday through Sunday (subject to heat, wind or severe weather). Visitors to the area surrounding Big Lake can also find Plum Street Snoballs shaving ice every Saturday and Sunday.
“We wanted to be able to offer our guests a variety of options when visiting City Park,” stated Lisa Laraway, City Park Director of Recreational Services, “The grounds are so beautiful and seeing it from Big Lake is quite an experience. The waterways connect, so you can actually pass under most of the bridges throughout the park. We are also excited about the bike rentals. Many don’t realize that we have designated bike paths throughout- it is another great way to see what the park has to offer.”
RATES
Pedal and Rowboats: $10 per boat per half hour
Public Gondola rides: $5 per person, per 15 minutes (up to six passengers)
Private Gondola: Starts at $45 for two, for half hour ($10 each additional passenger)
Call Roberto at (504)450-4400 for more information
Bicycles: Hourly = Adult $8, Child $6, Children’s Trailer $8
Day = Adult $30, Child $25, Children’s Trailer $30
It’s tough for a local to keep track of all the cool food and beverage events happening on any given day, so imagine how a visitor feels. Visitors often ask where the locals’ spots are and locals ask me about delicious deals. To make it convenient for everyone, I created an event calendar to share my favorites. Some events are ongoing, others occur only annually, but they are all NOLA Eats approved.
To get a quick view of what’s going on daily, look over to the right-hand side of the website. For the full-sized web version, just click on the Events Calendar tab under my website’s header logo. If you don’t want to miss a single event, you can add the calendar to your own iCal supported calendar. A few of the most popular are Google Calendar, Outlook and Yahoo. Chances are, if you use a calendar application, the NOLA-Eats.com Recommended Events Calendar will be supported. Here’s how to add it to your Google Calendar:
Under your Calendar list in the bottom-left-hand corner of your page, click on Add. From there, click on Add A Friend’s Calendar, then enter my Gmail email — nola.eats@gmail.com. And that’s it! Tweak your preferences to your liking.
I hope you find the NOLA-Eats.com Recommended Events Calendar to be a great source of fabulous events and sweet deals. I will constantly add new listings, so if you have one you think the NOLA-Eats.com readers would enjoy, please feel free to email me.
My husband and I are quite proud of the adventurous little eaters we’ve cultivated. While Sarah and Nolan both name pizza and cheeseburgers among their favorite foods, they can put away more nigiri and sashimi than some adults. I have to make sure Nolan, our four-year-old, doesn’t eat all the smoked salmon and crème fraiche before the adults get their share. Parents, strangers and child-free friends ask us how we did it, and our only reply is that this is something we’ve instilled in them since they were old enough to eat solids. There’s a New York City-based chef that is promoting the same habits, and he will be in New Orleans this Saturday.
Whole Foods Market and Chef Jehangir Mehta, “The Next Iron Chef” runner-up and executive chef/owner of Graffiti Food & Wine Bar in New York City, have joined forces to create The Kids Food Adventure with Chef Jehangir Mehta, a series of hands-on classes to encourage parents and children to be more adventurous with food while making healthy choices. The series, which kicked-off last week in New York City stops at Whole Foods Market locations in Austin, Boston, Denver, Los Angeles and New Orleans.
The event stops in New Orleans at Whole Foods Market’s Arabella Station location this Saturday, April 17.
Children and their parents will go on a “Journey with Jehangir,” participating in interactive store tours, educational and creative cooking demos, and conversations designed to encourage healthy, adventurous cooking at home.
The program is designed for children ages 6 to 11. Space is limited.
I am still in a daze with a lingering cold, but I received a press-release today that perked me up, if just long enough to type this paragraph. It is for a food and beer pairing at one of my favorite restaurants, La Côte Brasserie. Chef Chuck Subra has laid out a nice menu for the evening, incorporating ingredients that are sure to create some excellent aroma and flavor combinations. The date of the event is still two months out, but I would recommend you reserve your seats for this dinner.
Chuck Subra, Executive Chef of La Côte Brasserie, has crafted a 5-course menu in harmony with two regional brew houses, Lazy Magnolia and Heiner Brau. Each brand will feature several of their varietals, one with each course. This Southern Beer Dinner will be held on March 24, 2010 at 7:00pm and is $60 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity.
Southern Beer Dinner Menu: Reservations are required and can be made by calling the restaurant, 504-613-2350.
I
Red Fish Ceviche – Bechnel Farms Myer Lemon, Red Naval, Pear Tomatoes
We’ve touched on Lazy Magnolia here at NOLA-Eats.com a few times, so it’s no surprise that I call it one of my favorites. Heiner Brau has been brewing in Covington, Louisiana since 2005, but it’s hardly a new label.
Now, if I could just shake this bug that I have, maybe I can make it to enjoy the dinner. Yes, I’m a ninny.
It looks like we’re not the only ones with king cake on the brain. Maximo’s Italian Grill, one of my favorite restaurants, is holding a fantastic Carnival season-long giveaway starting today, Wednesday, January 6. Here are the details, straight from their Facebook Fan Page:
The Twelfth Night at Maximo’s bears gifts of wine, cocktails, and KING CAKES! That’s right, king cake every Wednesday night ’til Fat Tuesday… whoever gets the baby receives a $100 Gift Certificate! And as always, Wednesday nights are our “Bar Night” with half off drinks from 6PM to 9PM.
Half-off drinks, socializing with friends, complimentary king cake and a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to a great restaurant…I think that’s a pretty awesome Wednesday night in New Orleans.
I was recently contacted by the people from Eleven Arts, Inc., a film distribution company based in Los Angeles that brings Asian cinema to the States and International films to Asia. Being the huge film buff that I am, I was more than happy to help them promote one of their latest South Korean imports that is currently showing at Zeitgeist Multi-disciplinary Arts Center, “Daytime Drinking”.
“Daytime Drinking” was described to me as the Korean “Sideways” meets “Superbad”. I haven’t seen the film yet, but hope to catch it at Zeitgeist, where it will run through December 20th. Zeitgeist is showcasing “Daytime Drinking” as a Happy Hour Matinee with drink specials, so get your early evening drink on and support the New Orleans art and cinema community.
Be certain to watch the trailer and check out the Korean Drinking FAQ on the official U.S. site. I especially love Rule #3: Never decline the first glass. “Daytime Drinking” will also be available on DVD on January 26, 2010.
For art and architecture admirers that are turned off by the hordes of people at White Linen Night and other such events, please be certain to check out the schedule for the DesCours installations that will be tucked away throughout the Downtown area. What is DesCours?
DesCours is a free, public, week-long architecture and art event now in its third year, held the second week of December in New Orleans. This event invites internationally renowned architects and artists to create 14 architecture installations within ‘hidden’ locations in the heart of New Orleans, including private courtyards, rooftops, abandoned buildings and walkways, all locations normally unseen, inaccessible or unused by the public.
Tomorrow night’s event marks the public opening. Complimentary beverages will be provided by Ketel One and NOLA Brewing Company at the early exhibit.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2009
6–8pm: DJ PAUL with drinks provided by Ketel One and Nola Brewery
1000 St. Charles Avenue (AIA New Orleans Center for Design) /
Christophe Gauspohl + Scott Carter + Mario Schambon
8–10pm: French Classics Stylings by SARAH QUINTANA
523 Iberville Street / Grégoire Diehl (Smoothcore)
I am not certain that I will make Wednesday’s event, but I will be at Friday’s event at 200 Carondelet Street, featuring DJ Quintron. Please say hello if you will be out!
Tickets have gone on sale today for the 2010 New Orleans’ Speaker Series. This inaugural event will not only feature Anthony Bourdain, but Garrison Keillor and David Sedaris, as well. Only season tickets are on sale as of yet and begin at a $120 price point, minus fees. The New Orleans’ Speaker Series’ website boasts “the ultimate in smart, engaging, entertainment. Join us for fascinating evenings of diverse opinions and discussions with today’s most colorful and celebrated personalities.”
What is unclear to me is if the shows will include interaction from the audience, such as a Q&A session or other engaging behavior. Wet t-shirt contest, anyone?
I received notice of an exciting event taking place in January 2010. The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans will present the New Orleans Israeli Wine and Food Festival. Internationally trained Israeli chefs Oren Ravid, Galit Bertele and Nir Dagan will each perform an interactive cooking demonstration. Delicious kosher food will be presented for sampling as will a variety of Israeli wines.
Fattoush - Photo: Marina Oliphant
While the Israeli chefs are in New Orleans they will also be visiting traditional New Orleans restaurant favorites as well as conducting culinary workshops for students at the New Orleans Jewish Day School and local Jewish Youth Groups.
This one-day event will take place Sunday, January 17 at the Uptown Jewish Community Center. Additional details are forthcoming, but tickets are already on sale. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, donating goods or volunteering your time, please contact Neil Schneider at (504) 780-5610 or neil@jewishnola.com.
What Is NOLA EATS?
Social Dining in New Orleans.
Combine new media & social networking with food & libations and you get NOLA Eats, a New Orleans-based social dining group and blog. Founder, Event Coordinator and habitual socializer Leslie J. Almeida writes about her favorites in New Orleans restaurants and nightlife while promoting a "live local" lifestyle.
You can follow more of Leslie's NOLA adventures by connecting with her on Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.
