All through December we'll be showcasing the best of the holiday season in cities around the world. Today it's Christmastime in New Orleans and we've asked local experts for the essential ways to enjoy the winter's
best. Visitors and locals alike come together to celebrate the holidays and the New Year, and we encourage you to share your own favorites with us in the comments below. You can find all of the cities we've already
visited and stay up to date on the rest by bookmarking the series here. Liz Williams, President and Director
Southern Food and Beverage Museum
- Candlelight caroling in Jackson Square and beignets with coffee and chicory at Cafe du Monde.
- Midnight Mass at St. Louis Cathedral, whether you're Catholic or not, is very traditional, coupled with a great meal.
- Feasting on Turkey Bone Gumbo made with the remains from Christmas turkeys.
- Going to Twelfth Night parties on January 6 to open the Mardi Gras season and eating the first King Cake of the season. Randazzo's Bakery has a good traditional New Orleans King Cake, and Maurice's Bakery has a great French King Cake.
- Dining at Galatoire's the Friday before Christmas--one of the most popular days of the year to go to the restaurant. The tables are auctioned off with the proceeds benefiting the local community.
Terri Kaupp, native New Orlenian and public relations
executive
- Listen to one of the free Christmas Concerts in St. Louis Cathedral.
- Step inside the Greek Revival and Italianate style mansions in the historic Garden District during the Holiday Home Tour (Dec. 13-14).
- Reveillon dinners are an old French holiday traditional dinner that was originally prepared and eaten when the family came home from midnight Mass. These days reveillon dinners are available at dozens of participating restaurants throughout the month of December. The prix fixe menu ($35-$60) features a four- to six-course dinner that combines classic creole cuisine with more contemporary New Orleans dishes.
- Ring in 2009 at the Rockin' New Year's Eve (starts at (9:00 p.m.) with free concerts, fireworks on the Mississippi River, and the "gumbo pot" drop at midnight.
Char Schroeder, Director of public relations
- New Orleans' premier celebration is Celebration in the Oaks in City Park. Under century-old oak trees hung with lights, you'll find an enchanted wonderland. Take a walking tour and stroll at your leisure through the Botanical Gardens, Storyland, and the Carousel Garden. The Cajun Night Before Christmas exhibit is a tribute to James Rice, the noted children's author and artist who is responsible for the much loved book by the same name. In the Carousel Garden there are groups performing every night including, gospel, children's choirs, dancing troupes and many of New Orleans' most talented performers. The Celebration Cafe features Puccino's coffee and other goodies.
- Downtown and Canal Street were always the epicenter of life in New Orleans. There's no place like home for the holidays, and for the first time in several years, the area will feature a month of activities designed to bring people back to this famous corridor for shopping, dining, and sightseeing. The holiday season kicked off on November 25 with the lighting of Canal Street and the unveiling of a 40-foot Santa Claus--as well as the opening of Miracle on Fulton Street. On December 6, Canal Street turns into a winter wonderland with a holiday parade and an outdoor all-star concert.
- In celebration of the season, hotels around the city offer Papa Noel room rates as part of the Christmas New Orleans Style promotion. The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans' Papa Noel room rates start at $169 per night. The hotel's annual children's tea includes music, storytelling, and tasty hoiliday treats (Dec. 20).
- Pick up a Buche de Noel, one of many traditional cakes baked at Christmas, at O'Delice French Bakery. French in origin, the name literally translates as "Christmas log," referring to the traditional Yule log burned centuries past.
- Start an original Louisiana taste tradition and try a turducken. What is a turducken? It's a turkey, stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a chicken, and Cajun dressings and seasonings. Stuffing choices include Crawfish Jambalaya, Shrimp & Sausage Jambalaya, Traditional Cornbread, and Cajun Dirty Rice. Purchase one (or a fried Cajun turkey) at the Gourmet Butcher Block.
- Walk through the giant gingerbread house at the Ritz-Carlton
hotel. The gingerbread house is a scaled replica of a Garden District mansion
that the hotel's master carpenter discovered on historic St. Charles Avenue. The
house, comprised of 92 pounds of butter and 200 pounds of candy, took four engineers and six pastry chefs two
months to make and assemble.
Share your own holiday traditions in New Orleans
with us below. And stay tuned for tomorrow's post on Christmas in Santiago, Chile.
Photo: NewOrleansOnline.com
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Wonderful to see our restaurant mentioned in this series! FYI: a New Orleaner is a drunken person supporting themselves by leaning against a Bourbon Street lamp post. A native of the city is a New Orlenian.
Dr. Gerald R. LaNasa, New Orleans surgeon and founding culinary judge for the 1971 Andouille Festival is known for his use of a scalpel in de-boning his three birds of choice along with pork and veal roasts. Andouille is the key common ingredient of all of Dr. LaNasa’s creations. The results of Dr. LaNasa's work can be found in the modern day mass produced Turducken. His efforts in preserving a French Louisiana culinary tradition were noticed by the emerging local chefs in New Orleans. His Turducken Ballontine is now widely commercially available. During the 1960's Dr. LaNasa was a regular guest chef at the Court of Two Sisters in New Orleans and other fine kitchens in New Orleans. Dr. LaNasa's innovation and success with Ballontine, Three Bird Roast and Turducken took place in the 60's and 70's long before many of the popular Cajun/Creole chefs of today took the stage. Dr. LaNasa’s holiday multi bird roast creations also include goose, pheasant, guinea fowl and quail coupled with andouille.