Hooray, Hooray for Daiquiri Day!

In case it has escaped anyone's notice (and if it has, I am envious of your blissful ignorance and/or your temperature controlled blood), we are undeniably in the deadlock of another long summer season. It is time to spend our days napping next to the nearest body of water and our nights pretending to look gracious on our porches as we try to keep from melting.

It is also the perfect time to dive into the sweet, sticky slushes of decadence we know and love as daiquiris. Now, there is some part of me that would love to proclaim myself a cocktail snob. Were that the case, I would be pressured to turn my nose up at these frozen concoctions we dispense by the gallon from cycloning machines, sniffing that their styrofoam cups and dismissing them as "abominations."

But really? Really. Come on.

When you are sipping on several dozen ounces of one of these while wandering through the evening swelter of the French Quarter... it's hard not to find a little love for our interpretation.

Admirers turned out this past Saturday to show their affection for the frozen drink at the Daiquiri Day Parade in the Marigny. I myself was quite pleased (though not entirely surprised) to discover that such a holiday exists and was more than happy to help celebrate it. A prelude to the Daiquiri Festival being held this weekend (you can buy tickets here), the parade gave revelers an opportunity to shake our ices down a few blocks while cavorting with troupes of lovely ladies and fellow daiquiri fans.

We assembled at Gene's Daiquiri's on St. Claude and Elysian Fields, where a line twined around the limited floor space and out the door. Patrons clutched cash in hand or held a ticket from the parade entitling them to a free daiq of their choice. Gene's is known for their impressive list of flavor combinations, attractive prices, and generous extra shots.

I considered their signature "What the F--K!! " mix but ultimately opted for one called the "Ha Sizzle," which fell under the category that assured me it would be both Strong and also Tasty. Turns out, it tastes surprisingly close to a SweetTart, which was good enough for me.

I have a feeling I'll be stopping by to check out another few options in their line-up over the next couple of months.


From there we bopped down Elysian, cut through Decatur and ended up over at Frenchman, much to the delight of more than a few afternoon partygoers.

Shaking it with The Organ Grinders

The NOLA Chorus Girls keeping their cool

Brave standard-bearers leading the charge

Francis Shadfly acting in his alter ego's capacity as a Duke of the Daiquiri

She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey hey

Yes, those would be Train lyrics in the post title, in honor of the month and the Drops of Jupiter red blend that apparently the lead singer created and I am imbibing.

Pictured here with dinner prep. Yes, I was singing the song all evening.

Says Train-singer-cum-wine-maker Jimmy Stafford, "I don't have a particular favorite wine, but I'll never turn down a great red." All right, guy. Close enough. And on sale at my nearest Rouse's.

Anyway, looks like there are a good few events to hit up amongst the hustle and hub-bub of New Orleans this week. Here's a handful I'm aiming for:

• This week (5/2-5/8) is Negroni Week! Though the cocktail has never struck a particular chord in me before, I'm willing to give it another try, especially when local venues add their unique flair. Heaps of bars and restaurants around town are participating, many contributing a portion of proceeds from Negroni sales to charity (predominately the New Orleans Musicians Foundation). A fairly extensive list of down-to-Negroni bars can be found in this article.

• Sunset on Magazine is held at GG's Dineorama Tuesdays-Fridays from 4-p.m. I'm always ready to oblige a good happy hour, and this does not look to disappoint. Gourmet small plates for $5 and rotating drink specials--I'm holding out for the Sangria. 

• The final Blood Jet Poetry Reading of the Spring Season, with excellent wordsmiths Brett Evans and Christopher Shipman. Last chance to catch this lovely series until September! At BJs in the Bywater at 8 p.m.

• Getting Hi-Fi with Vixens & Vinyl on Wednesday(s) at Spitfire! Lovely ladies and vintage tunes, what could be better? Oh yeah, there's no cover.

• DIAL YR DREAMZ at the New Orleans Poetry Brothel Poetry Hotline this (and every!) Thursday from 8-12 CST. Denizens of the Poetry Brothel--including yours truly--will be waiting to whisper sweet everythings into your ear. 

• The Annual Creole Tomato Festival is this Saturday and Sunday (5/8-5/9) at the French Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Fresh tomatoes, recipes (samples, please!) and live music make for a fun set-up to hang out in the Quarter this weekend.

• It's Always Sunny in Burlesque: The Nightman Cometh runs this Friday and Saturday (5/7 & 5/8) at 11 p.m. at the Shadowbox Theatre. I'm not sure I even need to say anything else about this besides the title, but this threatens to be the highlight of my week. From the same ensemble that put on the phenomenal Arkham ASS-ylum, this show sold out before I could get in last week. Tickets are $10, I would strongly suggest purchasing ahead of time!