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Big Living in the Big Easy

Here I am on the St. Charles Avenue
streetcar after a fabulous, festive dinner at Commander's Palace in the Garden District.

The last few weeks have been a whirl, so apologies to all of you who wait with baited breath for my new blogs. I have been a tad remiss, but I am back and ready to rock the house.

So where have I been, you might be asking yourself? I was in upstate New York plodding about in my garden then it was off to Los Angeles just before the so-called Carmaggedon (the two-day closing of the 405 Freeway) and then I was in Palm Springs and back to La-La Land. It was zip, zip, zip back to New York before heading down to New Orleans where I am researching a feature for the October issue of the magazine. Working title: Southern Revival.

As you all know, I am simply smitten with the Crescent City. I love that I now know the city well enough that I can really get around without a map. On the St. Charles Avenue streetcar today, I actually gave directions to someone, and my guidance was assuredly spot-on.

Naturally, I have been eating my way around town, and I have discovered some true gems that I had not visited before. I had a delightful crawfish bisque at the retro Bon Ton Café; I supped upon wonderful Italian fare at the sleeper Italian Barrel on Barracks Street; I lapped up fabulous po’ boy sandwiches at The Milk Bar in the Garden District; and I sampled a wonderful andouille sausage and shrimp gumbo at chef Donald Link’s Herbsaint on St. Charles Avenue, just off Canal Street. Upcoming eateries on my must-try list include Gautreau’s, Ste. Marie and La Petite Grocery.

A bust of Napoleon watches over the bar at the historic Napoleon House in the heart of the French Quarter. The restaurant's refreshing Pimm's Cup cocktails cannot be beat, and they are a steal at $5.50.

On Saturday I head back to NYC where I will be hunkered down at my desk to write this feature and plan a massive diet so that I can shed the pesky pounds that I packed on down south.

Photos by Jason Oliver Nixon

Comments

You might also try out Magazine and Freret Streets in New Orleans as they are witnessing a revival as they are very close to the St.Charles Street Car Line.

sindhu kumar on 8/4/2011 12:00:44 PM
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About Jason Oliver Nixon

Global Lifestyle Editor Jason Oliver Nixon is always on the prowl for the latest and greatest finds, whether it’s ferreting out the grooviest new restaurant in Paris or unearthing a home design store in Dubai. "I am attracted by color and energy, passion and verve," says Nixon. "Who wants to be beige and boring?" The former Editor in Chief of Gotham, Hamptons, and Los Angeles Confidential magazines, Nixon makes frequent appearances on television as a style authority. A resident of Brooklyn, New York, Nixon escapes to London whenever possible, where he can be found happily ensconced at Fortnum & Mason perusing new-fangled jams.

To contact Jason Oliver Nixon with your comments, questions and blog suggestions, email him at jasnixon@gmail.com. Or, post your comment on his blog!