Where to Eat in New Orleans:

Mr. B’s Bistro
201 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
TEL (504) 523-2078
FAX (504) 521-8304
mrbsbistro.com
The manager from my hotel escorted me to Mr. B’s Bistro for a late lunch after I’d returned from a garden district mansion tour where my group was held up at gunpoint and robbed. Luckily no one was seriously injured—pistol-whipped but not shot. The main restaurant with its handsome décor had closed for the afternoon but the bar offered a sampling of items from the regular menu. So I hopped up onto a barstool and was greeted by a friendly bartender. He brought me a tall glass of ice tea and then gave a hearty nod when I asked if the Coconut Beer Shrimp were good. Wanting a hearty meal after my ordeal, I ordered the Gumbo Ya-Ya, a country style gumbo made with huge chunks of chicken and andouille sausage, $5.75, Mr. B’s Seasonal Salad, assorted baby lettuces, tossed with chunks of blue cheese, heirloom tomatoes, cucumber and a very tasty dressing, $7, and Coconut Beer Shrimp, three Louisiana Gulf shrimp rolled in a beer and coconut batter, deep fried to a golden brown and served with a Creole marmalade, $6.50. The meal was delicious and definitely soothed my nerves. My only regret was that I couldn’t select Mr. B’s BBQ Shrimp off the main menu because my traveling partners had ordered them the evening before and insisted that they were the tastiest shrimp they’d ever eaten. Oh, well, next time.

NOLA
534 Rue St. Louis
New Orleans, LA 70130
TEL (504) 522-NOLA
FAX (504) 524-6178
World renowned chef Emeril Lagasse’s NOLA in the French Quarter is definitely a destination for the senses. Great food & great atmosphere. Recommendations to knock your socks off? Appetizer: Sauteed Gulf Shrimp and Homemade Andouille Sausage with Pecan-Crusted Sweet Potato Fritter, Meuniere Sauce and Creole Tomato Glaze $9. Salad: Boston Bibb Lettuce, French Brie, Granny Smith Apple-Vanilla Vinaigrette, Toasted Walnuts and Cracked Pepper Croutons $8.50 Entrée: Pan Roasted Striped Bass with Yukon Gold Potato Gnocchi, Plaquemines Parish Oysters, Wild Mushrooms and Tarragon-Reggiano Cream $28. There are a dozen desserts offered but we were too full from dinner to indulge.

TEE EVA: Food for the Soul
4430 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
TEE EVA.NET
(504) 899-8350
Six miles of shopping along Magazine Street can make you pretty hungry and thirsty. For a quick treat, try Tee Eva’s creamy pralines. One bite of these nutty, silky candies, and you’ll agree that they are indeed the yummiest in the city. $2 each. Will ship. And while you’re waiting in line, order a snowball. Raspberry is my favorite. Guaranteed you’ll find no clumps of ice here. Snowballs sold year round.

Olivier’s
Armand Olivier, Proprietor
204 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
TEL (504) 525-7734
FAX (504) 525-7730
(800) 289-6879
The youngest of three generations pulls you into the family restaurant with his assurances that you’re in for some of the finest Creole Cuisine you’ll ever taste. And he’s not fooling. Try the Creole Gumbo, $7.95, and the Stuffed Lobster, $24.95. A huge Maine lobster is boiled and split, then topped with a combination of crabmeat and special cheeses, delicately basted in butter. It’s not a heavy as it sounds. Scrumptious.

Louisiana Book stores:

Deville Books & Prints
David J. Brewington, Out of Print Specialist, Appraiser
344 Carondelet Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 525-1846
Southern and regional books are their specialty

Octavia Book
Tom Lowenburg, Owner
513 Octavia Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 899-7323
Books for all tastes

Beaucoup Books
5414 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 895-2663
Great selection of fiction, local, cookbooks, travel and children’s

Garden District Book Shop
Britton E. Trice, Proprietor
2727 Prytania Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
betbooks@aol.com
TEL (504) 895-2266
FAX (504) 895-0111
Old and rare Louisiana books

Mardi Gras Sources:

Books Along the Teche
106 East Main Street
New Iberia, LA 70560
(337) 367-7621

Mardi Gras Items:
N.O. Madness Masks
Jim Lewis, Custom Mask Makers
3820 Chalona Drive
Chalmette, LA 70043
nomdness@aol.com
(504) 276-1630
Incredible, handmade masks. You’ll be amazed at what can be done with a bunch of beautiful feathers and dyed straws.

Local interest books:
Masking and Madness: Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Photos by Kerri McCaffety and text by Cynthia Reece McCaffety
I met the man featured on the cover of this incredible book. He beamed with pride as he told me how he was selected to be photographed. And how all his artist friends reacted to his 15-minutes of fame.