Beth DAddono

When it comes to restaurant themes, El Cucuy’s Day of the Dread stands out from the crowd.
The new taco restaurant at 3507 Tchoupitoulas St. is named for the Mexican bogeyman, a red-eyed, hairy monster with sharp, pointy teeth ideal for eating children when they’re bad. Overlaid against that backdrop of grim folkloric imagery is something close to owner Austin Lane’s heart.
“Doom metal,” said Lane, who opened El Cucuy — pronounced el ka-coo-ee — in early September. “I’m a lifelong fan of the ...

In Ocean Springs, the Walter Anderson Museum serves simultaneously as an homage to one of the Gulf Coast’s most prolific artists, but also as a love story to the natural world of the region, depicted in Anderson’s gorgeous murals, watercolors, sketches, and more. Photo courtesy of Coastal Mississippi.
For those of us becoming weary of the same old same old, hoping to dip our toes into the travel waters again, Mississippi’s Secret Coast makes for the perfect destination of solace and stimulati...

Chef Serigne Mbaye has traveled the world pursing culinary knowledge: exploring Senegal and cooking at kitchens from Commander’s Palace to the two- and three-Michelin star kitchens L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in New York and Atelier Crenn in San Francisco. He’s made his home in New Orleans, where he’s running his pop-up Dakar NOLA.
Mbaye, who just turned 27, says New Orleans is the closest American city to Senegal’s capital, Dakar, where he went to school. Mbaye divided his time between there ...

The brainchild of Jeerasak Boonlert and his wife, chef Suda Ounin, Thai Djing almost didn’t open. The couple had dreamed of opening a restaurant, and were well on their way building out their space when the pandemic hit.
“All contractors had to stop, so the project wasn’t finished,” Boonlert says. “We were living like hobbits in March, everything shut down, very stressful.”
With the help of some PPP money and a lot of hard work, they opened their doors Aug. 20, offering a condensed menu suita...

When it comes to relocating to New Orleans, parties and Mardi Gras are a given, but what else should you expect? We asked the locals to find out! Read on for the top 10 things to know before moving to New Orleans.
Tell somebody you’re moving to New Orleans (or even just visiting), and without fail, they get jealous.
New Orleans is a party town. It’s a feel-good destination that conjures visions of parades and beads, jazz and Creole cuisine. These are just a few of the reasons why more than 17...

Sometimes an egg roll isn’t just an egg roll. One crunchy bite can transport a diner back in time, conjuring a memory of a first experience in a Chinese restaurant. Exotic, delicious, real-deal Chinese-American food can be a portal to a lifetime of inquisitive eating.
For many lovers of Asian flavors, being able to order good American-style Chinese dishes is a given — Chinese restaurants are a fixture of the American landscape, the result of a 19th-century diaspora. But that has not always be...

Unless a diner is well-versed in the wily ways of plant-based alchemy, eating at Seed can be a head scratcher.
The “bacon” on the wedge salad sure is chewy and smoky — it’s dried, smoked bits of mushroom. That thing peeking out of the po-boy bun is a doppelganger to a leggy crustacean and delivers a briny wallop. It’s fried kelp.
The surprises keep coming at Seed, the vegan restaurant thriving under new owners and the creativity of chef/partner Chris Audler and Daniel Causgrove, a gifted chef...

The Kitchen Table Cafe marked its fourth anniversary on March 4, a milestone worth celebrating. Owners Donna Cavato and her husband, chef Kevin Hackett, took a leap of faith when they relocated both their home and work lives to Arabi, leaving the Bywater behind to buy a home in Holy Cross and open their cozy restaurant just over the St. Bernard Parish line.
Hackett, a veteran of Mariza and the kitchen at Markey’s Bar, brings a strong commitment to seasonal and local products to his well-craft...

It was love at first bite. Garlicky grilled rib-eye was piled high on a toasted Dong Phuong roll, and soy marinated bites of carrot and cucumber added crunch under gooey melted mozzarella cheese. It doesn’t get any better than that.
This yakiniku po-boy ($11.95), created by chef Momo Young, formerly was available only at booths at Wednesdays at the Square, French Quarter Festival and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. That was when Ajun Cajun was a mobile kitchen. Now, that sandwich an...

New Orleans is a city of stories. Now, a National Geographic Channel special airing Monday April 23 at 6 pm EST showcases some of the best when local storytellers reveal the secrets of what unfolds behind its courtyard walls and ornate facades. Keep reading to discover more of their recommendations of what to see and do in the Crescent City.
Millisia White
As founder and artistic director of New Orleans Society of Dance Baby Doll Ladies, Millisia White is committed to promoting culturally-cen...