Downtown Living: June 2017
Cooking: Simplee Gourmet
Covington kitchen boutique and cooking school Simplee Gourmet recently opened a second location in the South Market District, occupying 3,000 square feet of the new residential and commercial building, The Beacon.
Along with high-end products from Yeti, Le Creuset, Viking, MacKenzie Childs and Fortuna Italian Ceramics, the boutique also offers cooking classes and wine tastings. This month, classes range from brunch dishes and composed salads to farm-to-table dishes and a class called Real Men Cook Vegetables. Simplee Gourmet also features a bridal registry for those culinary couples who can’t seem to stay out of the kitchen. The new Downtown boutique is open daily. 1000 Girod St., (504) 962 -9162, simpleegourmet.com
Style: Bulls & Bears Parlor
Dubbed “a barbershop for gentlemen in the heart of New Orleans,” Bulls & Bears Parlor is the latest incarnation of New Orleans hair salons targeted specifically for men in the Crescent City. Services range from a simple cut and style to The Rockefeller, which provides a private locker, straight razor shave, car service and 24/7 access to the parlor. Complimentary libations are available with all services so gentlemen can imbibe while lounging in antique barber chairs being pampered … all in an extremely masculine way, of course. All of the barbers at Bulls & Bears Parlor are highly trained professionals using exquisitely crafted tools, and luxury skin and hair care products. 625 Baronne St., (504) 533-9982, bullsandbearsparlor.com
Dining: The Daily Beet
In an effort to offer healthier dining options in the Downtown neighborhood, Dylan Maisel of JuiceNOLA (inside St. Roch Market) recently opened his own digs at The Beacon called The Daily Beet. The veggie-pro cafe offers salads, grain bowls, toasts, smoothies and cold-pressed juices featuring locally sourced ingredients that will leave you feeling ready to take on the world, as opposed to ready for a nap. Try an avocado toast with cherry tomatoes, sea salt and chili flakes served on Leo’s semolina bread; a Wellness bowl with wild rice, goat cheese and grapes; or a Blue Dream smoothie with blueberries, pineapple, mango and banana. The Daily Beet is open … well … daily! 1000 Girod St., (504) 605-4413, thedailybeetnola.com
Shopping: Keife & Co.
Located on the corner of Howard Avenue and Carondelet Street, Keife & Co. is a luxury wine and spirits shop that aims to be the finest in New Orleans (if not the entire state of Louisiana). Stocking more than 300 different spirits and 500 wines, they just might be succeeding in their quest to be the best. They believe in “wines that express the characteristics of the grape varietal, represent their area of origin and depict the spirit of the wine maker.” They also offer a large selection of high-end spirits from both classic and current distillers. Keife & Co. is a member of the New Orleans Spirit Exchange, which allows the company to offer “personally selected, one-of-a-kind, single-barrel spirits” to patrons several times per year. The CBD shop also features an array of specialty food items from olive oil and vinegar to charcuterie and cheeses. 801 Howard Ave., (504) 523-7272, keifeandco.com
Imbibing: Piscobar at The Catahoula Hotel
Taste the flavors of Peru at Piscobar, a casual cocktail lounge inside The Catahoula Hotel — a hip, 35-room boutique hotel on Union Street. Skilled bartenders offer a creative collection of pisco-based cocktails and locally inspired libations made to pair with dishes designed by Chef Dana Honn of Cafe Carmo. Sip on a Chinguerito mixed with cinnamon and muddled grapes, while munching on corn fritters, fresh Gulf fish tiradito Peruvian sauces and “salchipapas” or French fries with wild boar sausage. 914 Union St., (504) 603-2442, piscobarnola.com