News

July 4, 1776: The history

by Errol Laborde * July 4th was on a Thursday in 1776 so it would have been a busy day for fishermen who were preparing to bring their catches to the markets in Catholic New Orleans for the next day's meatless Friday. *Louisiana's Spanish governor, Luis de Unzaga, was secretly helping the American cause by arranging for five tons of gun powder to be shipped up the Mississippi, under the… Read More »

Celebrate July 4th on the Riverfront

Looking for a great place to spend the July 4th holiday...well look no further and plan to come to the New Orleans Riverfront for the annual "Go 4th on the River" celebration. After a full day of entertainment and events at all the attractions along the riverfront, the excitement is focused on the Dueling Barges Fireworks Extravaganza at 9 pm...ranked 5th "must see" fireworks display in the United States by… Read More »

ERROL LABORDE’S COMMENTARY: Snowball Men

by Errol Laborde When George Ortolano would leave for work each day he could rightfully say that he was off to see the wizard. He could even go one step further and say that he was off to make the wizard. Ortolano, who died at 86 in 2002, was a craftsman who never got the publicity he deserved. He created a machine that triggered a native industry. At the risk… Read More »

Louisiana should officially adopt the Sazerac

by ERROL LABORDE Granted, this is not the most pressing issue facing the legislature, but still alive (though barely) is the proposal to name the Sazerac as the state's official cocktail. Early in the session the idea ran into flak from mostly upstate lawmakers who saw evil in giving sanction to an alcoholic drink. (Curiously, wine is mentioned in the bible far more often than milk, the state's official drink.)… Read More »

Top 5 Vantage Points

by Errol Laborde Since we're celebrating local quirkiness with our cover story, I hereby designate picturesque vantage points as being a form of quirkiness. Not counting the view from the top of local skyscrapers with their panorama of the river's curves, here, in ascending order, are my picks of the city's top five vantage points, as seen from ground level. 5. "The Point" at Lake Pontchartrain. Once known as a… Read More »

Aiden Gill for Men: A Barbershop Classic

by Shawn Plep Every man should experience a real barber shop at least once in his life. I'm not talking about a hair stylist, and I'm not referring to a salon - or even a "men's salon" (whatever that is). I am talking about a genuine barber shop. That's right: a barber shop. The sort of place that's becoming harder to find these days. I'm talking about a place with… Read More »

New Orleans Web Design – Compucast

For all your web design needs, remember the webhost of ExperienceNewOrleans.com is Compucast Web Inc. Compucast is owned by local resident Judy Weitz, who has been providing solid service and innovative websites to New Orleans businesses, hotels, and restaurants since 1999. Compucast is the best company for NOLA graphics, websites, and web hosting. So call or email Compucast today! Read More »

A New Orleans Vieux-To-Do: 3 fests, 1 weekend

** For information on this year's festival, please visit our Vieux-To-Do page. ** Make plans now to be in New Orleans June 13-June15 to experience three different great festivals all happening nearby each other on the same weekend! "A New Orleans Vieux-To-Do" showcases the New Orleans Seafood Festival and the Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival (both at the Old U.S. Mint) and the Great Creole Tomato Festival (a few steps away at… Read More »

Movies at the Prytania Theatre

by Shawn PlepLast Friday, my wife and I went to the Prytania Theatre to see Iron Man. It was an exceptional movie: if you haven't seen this film yet, you simply must. There's hardly anything more satisfying than seeing Iron Man greet a group of terrorists by shooting thirty feet of fire at them. (The only thing that would've come close would have been replacing the terrorists with oil-company executives.)… Read More »

New Orleans Hornets are Buzzin’

New Orleans, deep in its football traditions, has officially become a basketball town! The New Orleans Hornets, lead by 2008 NBA Coach of the Year, Byron Scott and NBA 2008 VIP contender Chris Paul, put the sting to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of this year's playoffs. The Bee's now face the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the Western Division Championship. If they can swarm… Read More »