Carnival Fun and More
Thibodaux New King Cake Festival Sample a taste of Mardi Gras and watch the Krewe of King Cake Children’s Parade at the inaugural Bayou King Cake Festival in downtown Thibodaux Feb. 4. Following the parade, Nonc Nu and Da Wild…
Author: Lisa LeBlanc-Berry
Palmyre’s Forbidden Fruit
Palmyre 201 Settlers Trace Blvd. at River Ranch in Lafayette thepalmyre.com…
Honoring a Literary Legend
Honoring a Literary Legend January brings the debut of a new U.S. postage stamp depicting the celebrated late author, Ernest Gaines (the former UL writer-in-residence emeritus, born on a plantation in Oscar). The stamp, which artfully portrays Gaines in his…
A Festive Fusion
Poor Boy’s Riverside Inn 240 Tubing Road Broussard 337-837-4011 poorboysriversideinn.com There is something undeniably nostalgic about holiday traditions. Family yuletide feasting at a favorite restaurant, helping mom twine the turducken, chilling the flutes and making classic cocktails with friends can…
Take a Drop, Don’t Stop
Take a Drop, Don’t Stop Lafayette Acadiana’s first olive oil tasting bar, Graze Oil, has surfaced in Lafayette, courtesy of the high-end charcuterie boutique, Graze Acadiana. Patrons graze on such ultra-premium offerings as blood orange-infused olive oil with a side…
Glass into Sand
Lafayette Parish RoadRunnerApp delivery service is partnering with BackYardSapphire to expand pickup routes for glass recyclables in Lafayette Parish. The glass items are being picked up from customers’ homes and crushed into sand. Lafayette Consolidated Government has started using the…
A Lucky Libation
When considering party drinks that could benefit from the oomph that vodka brings, Chef Andrew Green’s Get Lucky highball is a perfectly balanced sweet-and-sour sipper that marries small-batch honeysuckle vodka with blackberries, lemon, barrel-aged bitters and orgeat, an increasingly popular…
Sipping Suds in Style
Lafayette Bring your beer-loving buddies to sip and sample more than 200 beers from local, imported and domestic breweries (including first-batch debuts) during Gulf Brew (Oct. 22), Louisiana’s oldest craft beer festival. Music enlivens the popular outdoor fest anchored by…
Simple on Purpose
Baton Rouge, Lafayette New Orleans Saints’ former quarterback, Drew Brees, is investing (with others) in yet another culinary concept, Small Sliders, based in Baton Rouge. It’s coming soon to Lafayette. Based on a simple concept of serving small, premium cooked-to-order…
Layers of Lavender
Lucky’s Fire & Smoke 6774 Johnston St., Lafayette 337-349-0957 luckyslafayette.com In the ancient hilltop village of Sault, known worldwide as the birthplace of lavender, the salubrious mountain air of Provence is filled with the intoxicating fragrance of lavender fields…
Music Museum in the Making
Lafayette Acadiana Center for the Arts is launching a public capital campaign this summer to raise exhibition and curatorial funds for its new 10,000-square-foot Louisiana Music Museum, to be housed in the former 130-year-old Lafayette Hardware Store. Pending AcA’s (non-profit)…
Novel Dining Concept
Lafayette Using farm-direct American Wagyu beef (aged and smoked) and locally sourced seafood, the new Lucky’s Fire & Smoke (locally owned by Eddie Khoury and Rene Colina) sends diners on taste adventures through licks of fire and wisps of smoke.…
All in a Name
In January, Drinks International released its list of the most-ordered cocktails around the globe after surveying the world’s top 100 establishments. The 81-year-old Moscow mule ascended to the “top 10” rank among “The World’s Best-Selling Classic Cocktails in 2022.” A…
Pampering Furry Friends
Lafayette The Dog Stop, known for its luxury boarding accommodations and spa-like pet grooming, is undergoing its largest renovation since opening in 2015. An upgraded lobby for better shopping and check-in experiences, an additional 26 kennels with six suites and…
Sweet Thang of Spring
The Lafayette music-club scene, like its patrons, rarely sits still. Hideaway on Lee has emerged as a homey new hangout in the fertile downtown landscape. Converted from a circa 1905 residence leased by musicians, Hideaway’s growing popularity as a nostalgic…
For Quick Energy
Lafayette Main Squeeze Juice Co. is opening its first Lafayette location as it continues to expand across Louisiana. Local couple, owners Carly and Derek Peterson, are bringing the New Orleans-based company’s nutritionist-designed offerings that include cold-pressed juices and smoothies, juice…
Gumbo Glory
New Iberia The World Championship Gumbo Cookoff was recently touted by CNN travel contributor Jen Rose Smith, who named Louisiana gumbo in her “20 of the World’s Best Soups” roundup while plugging the gumbos served at New Iberia’s annual foodie…
Nascent Perks for Park
Lafayette Nascent Perks for Park While Moncus Park’s grand opening ceremony was postponed from Jan. 8 until a February commencement, the special events series that began in mid-January will continue throughout the spring (moncuspark.org/events). Completed to date: Lake Reaux, the…
Amorous Mocktails Prevail
Por Mi Amante Add 2 ounces of strawberry-infused Verjus Blanc, 1 ounce freshly-squeezed lemon juice, 1-ounce Demerara simple syrup and 2 dashes of Pamplona’s Housemade Hot Sauce into cocktail shaker. Add ice, shake and strain into a chilled Nick and…
Azaleas in Bloom
New Iberia Visitors can take leisurely strolls to various locations during the New Iberia Azalea Trail (Feb 23-March). Main Street’s vibrant azaleas frame moss-draped oaks, stately homes and quaint cottages along Bayou Teche. Azaleas are also in bloom at Jefferson…
Sleigh Rides and Spices
Cinclare Southern Bistro takes guests on a festive cocktail ride with a party-perfect potion for making spirits bright When it comes to throwing a stand-out holiday party or a festive winter-themed soirée, greeting your guests with a memorable signature drink…
Got Gumbo?
Opelousas Acadiana’s cast iron pots are seeing a lot of winter gumbo action during duck hunting season. For variety’s sake, head over to Opelousas for the 16th annual Gumbo Cook-off Jan. 29, when you can sample an assortment of exceptional…
Of Whiskey and Whimsey
The hotly anticipated Mercy Kitchen in Lafayette (mercy-kitchen.com), opened in September, is an “elevated casual” concept that was birthed during the pandemic by owner Stuart Ottinger (founder of Oxford Provisions Group) “to provide an escape from the madness.” He engaged…
Sleeves Up!
Lafayette The Acadiana Center for the Arts is hosting a vaccination event during Second Saturday ArtWalk Oct. 9, 4-8 pm called “Bring Back Louisiana” (walk-ins welcome) leading up to the…
