It’s a night you might bump into a vampire on Bourbon street. Or MANY vampires for that matter! Or weird and ghastly characters the likes you have never seen before.  New Orleanians are ghoulishly clever when it comes to devising imaginative and outlandish outerwear It might even be safe to say that no other city in the world does this better than the Crescent City. This is the place that has become widely known as “The Most Haunted City in America.” So there’s no better spot in this country to party on this weirdest night of the year. And you can add to the experience with the right hotel lodging choice, not in a pigeon hole brand name, but in an old mansion that will embellish your “spirited” sensation.

Haunted Tours and Fun on the Streets

After you arrive at your bed and breakfast, you might want to make a plan to enjoy one of the many  haunted tours through the French Quarter or some other spooky part of the city. There are haunted houses Uptown, in the Garden District and elsewhere, if you know where to go or are with someone who does. Of course, Innkeepers have the inside track on all the  best tours  and things that go bump in the night. There are the world-famous cemeteries where the dearly departed are buried in tombs above-ground. You’ll hear some of the hundreds of stories that abound in which the ghosts of these “Cities of the Dead” come alive. And you’ll find lots of other scary options for Halloween.

Voodoo do, You do

While prowling around the French Quarter there are a number of Voodoo shops you can check out to learn a little more about the history behind these centuries-old spiritual practices. You might even learn a few spells and mystical incantations. Some of the shops plan special events for Halloween, so you will want to make sure you stop by and get in on the action.  And, don’t forget your costume. Everyone, and we mean everyone, dresses up for Halloween. Once you’re in costume, you can easily find an open party or bar that’s heavy into the spirit of the evening. Most bars, shops and eateries welcome and encourage costumed guests on Halloween night and/or on the  Saturday night preceding Halloween as it falls this year.

Frenchman Street

One of the biggest Halloween celebrations occurs every year on Frenchmen Street in the Faubourg Marigny. Throngs of party-goers, including locals and tourists, take to the streets in their elaborate and frequently outlandish outfits. Of course, you can expect to find many kindred “spirits” among the frenzied throng and you might even run into a “blood” relative or two.

Molly’s at the Market Halloween Parade

Everyone anticipates one of the best events of a New Orleans Halloween night. It’s  the annual walking parade that begins at Molly’s at the Market and winds its way through the French Quarter. It’s free, it’s open to the public and it’s a whole lot of fun! There are a few small floats featuring Halloween “royalty” but mostly it’s average, ordinary people out for a good time and a chance to show off the creativity of their macabre sense of humor.

Come on Down!

So put together your best costume, call and make a reservation at a New Orleans bed and breakfast and come on down for the fun. You’ll have a howl of a time!

(NASA photo courtesy of mashable.com) 

The BP oil spill has a lot of people up in arms, especially the residents of New Orleans. And with good reason. According to reports, the spill hit shoreline early last Friday morning.

Since efforts such as controlled burning, plugging the leak and dispersal have all been unsuccessful, people are beginning to worry. Containment chambers are scheduled to be dropped on top of the leaks; hopefully that will get the flow under control.

The results of this tragedy are most pronounced in the seafood market. The rumors have spread and its possible that this industry will be effected for quite awhile. But all is not doom and gloom. Able to answer some tricky questions and fishy issues surrounding the oil spill is renowned New Orleans food writer Tom Fitzmorris. As published in The New Orleans Menu Daily, here is his thoughts on whether Creole food can survive the recent catastrophe:

 “The extent of the damage that will be done by the oilfield accident two weeks ago is still not known. British Petroleum (successor to Gulf Oil) still hasn’t figured out what to do about it or how long it will take. The entire industry and the governmental agencies that oversee them are in Code Red.

I’m worried.

Not about the shrimp, crabs, trout, and redfish. The seafood that dies (mostly next year’s crop) will come back a year later. In the meantime, all the estuaries west of the river are as yet untouched by any more than the usual amount of oil floating around (there always is some). They will likely remain that way, since the circulation in the Gulf is counter-clockwise, carrying the stuff east. That gives us plenty enough seafood to keep restaurants from closing.

Restaurants closing? Who said anything about that?

Only about three dozen people who wrote me or called me on the radio or posted on the message board. One caller said he thought it would be a good idea for restaurant to post a sign on their doors saying, “All seafood from fish farms and West Coast.”

Most of what’s been said has been alarmist overstatement. Yes, seafood prices will rise for the same reason that the stock market went down after Greece’s bonds were declared junk–then went back up a few days later. Markets react to everything, whether it means something or not.

The oil spill will be very bad for fishermen and dealers whose produce comes from east of the Mississippi River. But the majority of fishing areas remain open. Fish are inspected and tracked extremely well in Louisiana. It’s one of the few benefits of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ draconian oversight of commercial fishing. They are able to determine exactly where fish come from, and they check it all the time. The origin of oysters is tagged on each sack. Penalties are very severe. The possibility that tainted fish will get into the stream is slight. If you want to worry about something, be worried about fish you get from your buddy who came back with 100 trout, though, since the tracking of recreationally-caught fish is relatively light.

In other words, the restaurants will have plenty enough shrimp, fish, and crabmeat to keep from losing tourism to China, or whatever other doomsday scenario you may hear. Crawfish, of course, are entirely unaffected. Lake Pontchartrain fish and crustaceans are also in more danger from morons who change their oil and dump it in the nearest ditch than they are from this spill.”

As you can see the catastrophic spill may have greatly harmed the seafood industry but it is not an end-all situation. So it is time to quit worrying- New Orleans beloved cuisine will prevail.

We hope people will not panic and recognize that the media often paints a picture of partial facts, leaving out inconvenient truths. Do plan to come to New Orleans, we are 100 miles from the coast and all is normal for tourists visiting town. You will find the finest safest seafood in the world along with some great venues and wonderful Jazz.

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If you have any comments about the BP oil spill or excerpted article, feel free to share your opinions here. We would love to hear what you have to say.

“We wanted to study whether people’s feelings of satisfaction with their own lives are reliable, that is, whether they match up to reality-of sunshine hours, congestion, air quality, etc – in their own state,” said researcher Andrew Oswald of the University of Warwick in England.

Beating out the beautiful island of Hawaii, Louisiana proves that it’s still got it going on. New Orleans, the state’s most vibrant and popular city, stays a top contender in the tourism game. But for locals and visitors alike, there’s something to be said of the Big Easy.

The spirit of New Orleans can be found in a dark bar with the sounds of bold jazz as thick as any cigar haze floating through the air. You can find it in the excitement-charged air of the French Quarter, the spicy shrimp po-boys at a sidewalk café, a brisk breeze sashaying through the live Oaks at the Audubon Zoo. A sense of passion always present, New Orleans continues to charm even the most discriminating of travelers, luring them in with her culture, jazz, and that special je ne sais quoi.  

 Four years after Katrina, maybe it’s time to visit. With the New Orleans tourist spots going strong, the food tasting as good as ever, and the jazz scene keepin’ things real, why not? Maybe the nation’s happiest residents will teach you a little something about fine living.

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Book your stay at the Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast today! With the new year just around the corner, there has never been a better time to visit the nation’s happiest state.

The highly anticipated “Princess and the Frog” was released yesterday around the nation. Using New Orleans as the setting in the animated movie rather than a fairytale land, the movie broke boundaries from the beginning. Another first: the introduction of Disney’s African American princess to the world. As the Big Easy kept things real for media mogul Disney, the next step was perfecting the scenery that we all know and love.

With an iconic NO building posing problems for the team, Directors Ron Clements and John Musker decided to take things into their own hands. As the team stayed on pins and needles over the clock face on the tower (it had four lines instead of the roman numeral “IV”), Musker and Clements went through photos of the St. Louis Cathedral, and realized that it was just a false alarm. But for the design team, with three years of work on the line, even the slightest detail could be a crisis.  Highly dedicated to their creations, the clock tower is just one example of how committed the Disney team is to getting everything picture perfect for the boundary-breaking tale.

As for choosing New Orleans as the backdrop, that decision can be credited to Disney’s animation chief and exec-director of “The Princess and the Frog,” John Lasseter. Word on the street is he is a huge fan of New Orleans.

With older movies paving New Orlean’s descent into Hollywood (“Live and Let Die,” “Walk on the Wild Side”) and newer movies blazing the trail one thing is certain: Hollywood and the Big Easy are a match made in heaven.

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Are you coming to New Orleans, or have you stayed in New Orleans in the past? Please share your thoughts or tips and feel free to ask questions in the comments section below.

            Beulah Levy started mastering her culinary creations during the Great Depression, when she started baking and selling pastries from home. A little while later, she opened a tearoom in her Uptown home basement. Word spread with Tulane and Newcomb students, and the establishment became a hip hotspot. From then on the bakery underwent three moves; the first to Canal Street and later to South Claiborne Avenue. The famed Beulah Ledner, Inc came to fruition after a major remodel job at 1413 Metairie Road in Jefferson Parish. Although Levy retired in 1981, her Doberge cake has survived the test of time and continues to be a New Orleans go-to treat.

            It has been said that the cake is derived from the popular Hungarian dobos torta, a rich cake that Levy considered too heavy for the New Orleans climate. After switching out the filling from butter cream to light custard and adding a French twist to the name, the Doberge cake became an instant hit.

            Many residents have taken the cake to a new level, opting to have the iconic treat at their weddings. The Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast, located in the beautiful Garden District, offers a wedding package complete with their very special wedding Doberge. Instead of the traditional iced topping consisting of half chocolate and lemon, the bakery uses a white butter cream icing.  Available in sizes ranging from 8’’ to 12’’ round or larger in a rectangular shape that delight up to 30 persons.  The cake is always a hit with clients and guests since nobody outside of New Orleans has ever heard of the delicacy. Also included in the package are cake cutting, a champagne toast, a minister, photographer, bouquet and boutonniere, and special extras in addition to a two-night stay in the Grand King. With rates starting at $1295 plus tax, the Avenue Inn B&B makes it easy to have a romantic and relaxing classically New Orleans wedding.

            From snack time to weddings, the Doberge Cake does it all. Next time you are in the New Orleans area, get a slice of the action; I guarantee you will be asking for more than just a sliver.

1. Uncle Sam wants you: Before the poster campaign and mass personification, the term Uncle Sam originated on the dockside of pre- U.S. territory New Orleans. New Goods that passed through the docks labeled U.S. were nicknamed “Uncle Sam.”
2. Supersize Me: New Orleans is home to the world’s biggest enclosed stadium, none other than the Superdome. With a name so impressive sounding, it is no surprise that the structural steel frame covers a whopping 13-acre expanse and has the capacity to hold over 87,000 spectators.
3. Taking a gamble: A gentleman by the name of Bernard de Mandeville introduced the first version of Craps to America in 1813 in New Orleans. In my book, this is definite cool points for “The Big Easy.”
4. Don’t rain on my parade: The city of New Orleans did precisely this in 1973 when fire and police departments deemed Mardi Gras parades in the French Quarter unsafe. A parade ban was implemented in this popular sector from then on.
5. The power of independence: Many visitors wonder who coordinates Mardi Gras. The answer to this being nobody. While parade permits are granted by city governments, each organization is one hundred percent self-governing. Independence is a beautiful thing.
6.  What ails you? At 514 Chartres Street in the French Quarter lies the oldest pharmacy in America. Here early medical mixtures were known as cocktails, which later gave way to yet another meaning.
7.  King me. Chess master Paul Morphy was born in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Visit his house at 1113 Chartres Street which is now a museum. And who knows? You may find a worthy opponent lurking around the corner.
8.  Concrete jungle: 1807 marked the first New Orleans “skyscraper;” the first four-story (hold your gasp) building in the city, it still stands at the corner of Royal Street and St. Peter Street.
9. Historic foundations: Once known as the widest street in the world, Canal Street was named after a canal that was planned for and never built.
10. Facts and figures: Here’s something to wrap your head around. If you added up the total miles of canals-above and below ground level- in New Orleans, it would exceed that of Venice, Italy.
11. Lagniappe! Lagniappe is a term used in Louisiana meaning a gift for good measure, like a thirteenth donut in a dozen, or an eleventh fact in a set of ten. So here it goes: After the Louisiana purchase, Americans coming to New Orleans had to work with the local French based banking system. A ten dollar French note was a DIX, pronounced (similar to six) like “deece.” Americans sounded it like it read, “Dix” (like “sticks”.) Soon enough, going to the French Quarter became the slang, “going to Dix-ieland” and the rest is history.

One of the best aspects of a bed and breakfast is its identity. Whether it is a particular ambience, rich history or even gracious hosts who feel more like family than innkeepers. A great example of bed and breakfast identity is located in New Orleans’ Garden District at 4125 Charles Avenue at the Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast. Live-in innkeepers Joe and Bebe Rabhan put guests above all at this turn-of-the-century home built by architect Thomas Sully , catering to everything from dietary needs to complimentary WIFI, and never missing a beat. Long gone are the days of overpriced minibars; at the Avenue Inn B&B, a seven-foot snack tower with nearly fifty different items is at guests fingertips twenty-four hours a day. Live-in innkeepers like the Rabhans also serve as personal concierges to guests, giving them the local scoop. Personalized itineraries can be planned, whether on the search for the perfect gumbo or the quintessential New Orleans jazz club. Personal touches like these are what set these charming abodes apart from the mass marketed “hotels” we’ve all stayed in. 

Bed and breakfasts are more like homes away from homes now more than ever. Luxurious touches like triple layered linens on beds, fully equipped snack bars, and full-scale breakfasts each morning all add to the perfectly pampered experience. Businessmen need not fear, all the amenities of a personal office are available on the premises. Faxing, copying, bag storage, telephone voicemail, and customized checkout times make bed and breakfasts well suited to any business venture. That’s right execs, CEO’s, and partners, it’s time to breathe a sigh of relief, say byebye to extended stay hotels, and hello to a bed and breakfast.

Bed and breakfasts are not just for the odd business trip or sightseeing adventure; as more and more people turn toward the historic locales to host their weddings, a trend has begun. B&B weddings give guests the rare opportunity to capture the romance of another era, while enjoying a romantic getaway in itself. Joe Rabhan, innkeeper at the Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast, has firsthand experience with intimate B&B weddings. “Oftentimes they [guests] get so excited, they later send in pictures of children, emails, letters, and even visit with their families; and it all began at the Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast,” Rabhan says.

In our fast-paced world of encroaching deadlines, snap decisions, business deals, and lots and lots of Starbucks (don’t deny it), stepping into a bed and breakfast is like taking a step back into time. A peaceful, atmospheric retreat awaits guests in a superfluous package of old and new. Do not do yourself a disservice; if you are planning a stay in New Orleans, it’s the perfect time to break your attraction to the big name chains and  check in to a New Orleans bed and breakfast for a stay unlike any other.