As early as grade-school history, we were told about the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and the valley they created, known as the “cradle of civilization.” Legend even links this fertile land, where oranges, olives and dates grow easily, to the…
by SCOTT DYER A few hours after the LSU Tigers wrapped up their last home win, a 27-24 victory over Ole Miss on Nov. 20, work crews began to demolish the western upper deck of Tiger Stadium. The Tiger Athletic…
by BONNIE WARREN Hays Town, the “dean” of Louisiana architecture, produced buildings that have been revered for generations. On the banks of Cane River Lake in Natchitoches is one of his gems, a house that he designed in 1981 for…
WHAT'S HOT Speeding school principal. After 12 years behind the desk, Kim Crosby retired as principal of Slidell Junior High School to become a professional race car driver. Boudreaux’s Butt Paste will sponsor Crosby in the upcoming 35-race NASCAR Busch…
by STANLEY DRY Other states may herald spring with the arrival of shad roe, fiddlehead ferns, a final melting of the ice or robins returning from the South, but in Louisiana, crawfish are the true harbingers of the season. It’s…
by ROBERT FRITCHEY On the corner of Iberville and Bourbon streets in New Orleans, the oyster bar at Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House is in the midst of some tough company. Across the street, Felix’s has been serving oysters for 62…
South of Interstate 10, there is a terrific fight taking place. It’s a life and death struggle. The Gulf of Mexico is trying to wash us away. And so far, the Gulf is coming out on top. Since 1932, the…
State Sen. Melvin “Kip” Holden, a Democrat, made history Nov. 2 when he was elected as Baton Rouge’s first black mayor-president. East Baton Rouge Parish has a consolidated city and parish government, and for Holden, the big challenge was getting…
WORTH WATCHING San Bernardo The San Bernardo Scenic Byway, which winds past Chalmette Battlefield in St. Bernard Parish, travels the land of “Los Islenos”(the island people), who left the Canary Islands in the 1780s and colonized Louisiana in 1788. (The…
FORK IN THE ROAD Happy as a clam Sitting amidst the ladder-backed chairs and white Priscilla curtains of Maison Lacour, a charming French restaurant in Baton Rouge, you won’t be surprised to see menu selections such as soupe Jacqueline, a…
WORTH WATCHING L’Auberge du Lac Pinnacle Entertainment Inc., has been as busy as a spinning roulette wheel these days in Lake Charles. Construction on L’Auberge du Lac, Pinnacle’s $365 million casino and resort, has been intense, with a targeted opening…
FORK IN THE ROAD Indian in the pantry If you travel through Avoyelles Parish these cold winter days, you’ll pass farmhouses, festivals and church gatherings graced by the high-as-a-mountain, light-as-air, baked-from-scratch cakes the ladies of Bordelonville and Moreauville set forth…
PROFILE Compassion Inc. Since 1967, the Monroe Sheltered Workshop, a non-profit organization for mentally or physically disabled people, has been part of the fabric of life in northeast Louisiana. New CEO Brandon Ramsey currently oversees the workshop, whose woodshop, bench…
Bayou Baptiste Collette is a shortcut used by fishermen and offshore supply boats to get from the Mississippi River at Venice in Plaquemines Parish to Breton Sound. The willows, the tall roseau cane and marsh grass that cover the wetlands…
“As they were fighting in defense of their own soil, I wished the Louisiana troops to draw the first blood.” –Gen. Richard Taylor (Confederate States of America) to Mouton’s Louisiana Brigade at Mansfield, April 8, 1864. The blood of both…
Almost two centuries ago, a famous battle occurred on the sugar-cane fields on Ignace de Chalmette’s plantation in St. Bernard Parish. On that date, the Battle of New Orleans was fought and won by a curious assembly of American militia,…
As the sun set, a haunting, ancient melody drifted across the small wooded pond and settled among the dark oaks as a procession of black-robed monks performed evening vespers. The songs and chants are almost as old as recorded time,…
The day is shaping up to be unseasonably perfect for early September – 7 o’clock and the breeze through this great stone courtyard in Monroe is cool enough to chill the coffee. Louisiana has a newly designated “Ancient Mounds Trail”…
The Tuscan-style villa that overlooks Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans is a secret treasure. Hidden from busy Lakeshore Drive behind huge iron gates and framed by glorious rose gardens, the home of Natasha and Ronnie Lamarque is a work of…
I love all kinds of cooking and baking, but there is no kitchen task I enjoy more than making soup. The very process of combining a variety of ingredients in a single pot, letting them simmer while their flavors meld,…
Addis (337) 942-4637 Feb. 8. Half Fast Krewe of Frank’s Mardi Gras parade, East Landry Street in front of St. Landry Parish Courthouse. 11 a.m. Jan. 30. Addis Volunteer Fire Dept. Mardi Gras Parade, downtown Addis at Front Street. 11…
ULTIMATE TAILGATING Sports condos coming to LSU When it comes to understanding what a sports fan really wants, Capstone Development Corp. of Birmingham, Ala., is ahead of the game. Project “FieldHouse, Baton Rouge” is a 100-unit luxury sports condominium development…
What’s Hot Bus ride. Southern University students Katorri Alexander and Aileen A. Hendricks wrote the play “Our Boycott” about the Baton Rouge bus boycott of 1953. The play recently premiered at Southern. It was soooo big! Four Louisiana youngsters earned…
I want to thank Louisiana Life for Autumn 2004’s “Around Louisiana.” Juban’s Restaurant has served “Hallelujah Crab” for the past 21 years. Jeanne Frois’ description of our most popular dish had me grinning. Thank you for showcasing the best of…
