Category: Press

Decatur Street merchants are Best of New Orleans 2009

Lower Decatur businesses were selected by Gambit readers as the Best of New Orleans 2009.

Best Place to Get a Mojito

3. El Gato Negro Mexican Restaurant (81 French Market Place, 525-9752)

Best Place to Get a Margarita

2. El Gato Negro Mexican Restaurant (81 French Market Place, 525-9752)

Best Late-Night Dining

3. Angeli on Decatur (1141 Decatur St., 566-0077)

Best Menu for Vegetarians

1. Cafe Bamboo (435 Esplanade Ave., 940-5546) — New Orleans has a rep for being less than accommodating to vegetarians, but since the opening of Bamboo earlier this year there is a new haven for meatless and even vegan feasts. The menu lists conventional vegetable-based dishes, along with an array of “mock meats” made from textured soy products.

Best Antiques Store

2. Greg’s (1209 Decatur St.)

Best Farmers Market

2. French Market

Congratulations guys!

Pravda and Molly's at the Market make Gambit's Top 50 Bars 2009

It’s no surprise that two of our neighborhood bars on the 1100 block are featured in Gambit’s Top 50 Bars 2009.

Relative newcomer Pravada came in at #29

1113 Decatur St.

http://www.myspace.com/pravdaofnola

The absinthe-minded Lower Decatur bar melds steampunk couture with St. Petersburg gothic, but with more beer than borscht. The social Soviet hideaway could be a high-brow dive for you and your comrades, with a spacious back patio and absinthe served in the French method, or stick with a beer and a copy of Tolstoy. Na zdorovia!

Molly’s at the Market is the neighborhood standby that stayed open for the Katrina hurrication is #49.

1107 Decatur St., 525-5169

http://www.mollysatthemarket.com

Somewhat faded from its glory days, Molly’s remains thick with tradition, helping keep its place in regulars’ hearts and minds. The rallying point for St. Patrick’s Day and Halloween parades, it can be relied on daily for a diverse and colorful clientele at its bars and hanging from its front window.

So, next time you’re in the neighborhood, stop in and have a celebratory drink with these winners!  You won’t even have to leave the block.

25th annual Irish Parade on Lower Decatur

The Times-Piccayune published this to say about the St. Patrick’s Day parade.

St. Patrick’s Day parades begin rolling Friday when Monaghan’s 25th annual Irish Parade paints the French Quarter green at 5:30 p.m., beginning and ending at Molly’s at the Market, 1107 Decatur Street. Beads and Irish-themed trinkets will be tossed to the crowds by riders in horse-driven carriages, led by the Storyville Stompers marching band and the Kazoozie Floozies.

Be sure to wear green and come get your Blarney on!

Irish Parade 2007 route map

Map nicked from the bar’s official website: Molly’s at the Market

For Harry Anderson, the New Orleans Magic Is Gone

There’s an interesting interview with Harry Anderson in the New York Times. He lets you look behind the curtain to see his reasons for leaving New Orleans, and on his future in Asheville,NC.

Good luck Harry and Elizibeth, we’ll miss you.
Read the article at the New York Times.

UPDATE: It has come to our attention that you need to register to read the article. BugMeNot.com has a large database of working login/passwords for annoying sites like this.

Local mask makers featured on Weather Channel's Storm Stories

Conway Horn and Jim Lewis, two local artisans who run their business N.O. Nomadness Masks in the Artist’s Market, were recently featured on the Weather Channel. The segment called “Storm Stories – N.O. Tourism” talks about the state of New Orleans tourism since Katrina. It features Jim and Conway’s shop, and one of their latest creations named “Phoenix” inspired by the city’s eventual rebirth.

Conway and Jim in the Artists Market

Conway and Jim

Weather Channel Storm Stories

Hard at work on the Weather Channel

The Artist’s Market located at 85 French Market Place and 1228 Decatur Street is open 10am-5pm weekdays and 10am-6pm on weekends.

View Storm Stories at Weather.com
Download Storm Stories from LowerDecatur.com

Wayback Machine – City Business Article from December of 2005

While scouring the net for Lower Decatur Street news, this historical right-after-Katrina gem popped up from the City Business magazine. Some of you may not have seen it, so it is posted here for all to enjoy.

Business owners on Lower Decatur Street have been relying on each other to stay afloat. The strip of stores sits behind the French Market, a top tourist attraction. Rhonda Findley and David Gordin own Funrock’n, which sells vintage and retro T-shirts, toys, tin lunch boxes and features a $1 joke rack. Findley says if they can get customers into their store, they can promote other stores on the street. This is a hard-core group of small-business owners, said Findley.

They article also says:

Angel also owns Chi-wa-wa Ga-ga, a clothing store for small- breed dogs. Fiorella’s Cafe, known for its world famous fried chicken, is next to Funrock’n. The Artist’s Market, which features work by local artists, including paintings, photos, jewelry and sculptures, is across the street from the French Market. Le Garage specializes in vintage military surplus, collectibles and other New Orleans themed items. Rock & Roll Collectibles features the largest selection of vintage vinyl in the city. Most businesses on Lower Decatur reopened shortly after Hurricane Katrina. We’ve been open since Sept. 5, said Jan Burrows, owner of The Artist’s Market. Mainly we had relief workers and some locals but not too many.

Read the whole City Business article here.