Category: Food and Beverage

Baristas unionize at Chartres Street coffee shop

French Truck Coffee via Yelp.

Baristas voted to form a union at the French Truck Coffee shop on Chartres Street, joining a local Teamsters chapter in the process, according to the National Labor Relations Board.

NLRB records show the votes were cast on Sept. 20, forming the union that includes all full- and regular part-time baristas employed at the French Truck Coffee located at 217 Chartres St. The union joins Teamsters Local 270 in New Orleans.

Eight people participated in the election and the vote was unanimous, federal records show.

The election designated a collective bargaining representative, who negotiates with French Truck management on behalf of the baristas for better pay and working conditions.

Once the NLRB recognizes a workers union, the employer is required to bargain with the representative over terms and conditions of employment, and cannot interfere with the union or discriminate against workers for participating in union activities, among other requirements.

GW Fins owner gets ‘Distinguished Restaurants’ recognition

Photo by GW Fins | CC Flickr

GW Fins owner Gary Wollerman was recognized with an induction into the Distinguished Restaurants of North America Hall of Fame, the dining establishment announced last week.

Wollerman is the seventh New Orleans restaurateur to receive such recognition in the 30 years of Distinguished Restaurants of North America (abbreviated DiRoNA) existence.

Other local restaurateurs on the list include Leah Chase of Dooky Chase restaurant fame and Ruth Fertel, founder of Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

Candidates for DiRoNA Hall of Fame qualify by having at least 25 years of dedicated service and “making significant contributions to the dining industry and their local community,” according to GW Fins.

Founded in 1993, DiRoNA states on its website that its primary focus is “to elevate the dining experience for restaurant-goers across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean”

Additionally, DiRoNA states that its main objective “is to identify and honor exceptional fine dining establishments that provide an unforgettable culinary journey for their patrons,” according to its website.

GW Fins is located at 808 Bienville St.

B Mac’s challenges the best chefs in football cook-off series

Photo courtesy of B Mac’s via Facebook.

B Mac’s French Quarter Bar & Courtyard has brought its cook-off challenge back, but this time the contest spans the football season.

Instead of having only one cook-off challenge, B Macs announced last month that it will be having one cook-off challenge per month. The first challenge was a red beans cook-off on Sept. 18, but there’s three more you can still participate in.

The next event is is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 15 at 11:30 a.m. with a chili cook-off, followed by a gumbo cook-off on Sunday, Nov. 12 and a Christmas side dish cook-off on Dec. 21.

To participate, all contestants are required to sign up no later than seven days before each event. Winners are announced at halftime for each Saints game.

For more information, call 504-252-2026 or email miamatassa.bmacs@gmail.com.

B Macs is located at 819 St. Louis St. in the French Quarter.




Dishes will be judged 30 minutes before Cook-off (except for Christmas side dish) and winners will be announced at halftime.

Trump stopped at Cafe du Monde and gets bag of beignets, tips $100

Donald Trump’s motorcade at Cafe du Monde on Tuesday. Photo credit: Kevin Charles
Former President Donald Trump stopped at Cafe du Monde on Tuesday while en route to a fundraising event and then tipped $100 after receiving a bag of beignets, according to local reports.

The pit stop didn’t appear to be much of a surprise to the local press, since “reporters, cameramen and photographers” were perfectly positioned to capture Trump’s moves as he strolled through the “quintessential” French Quarter attraction, according to nola.com. Locals and passersby seemed to be caught off guard, which could be explained by the fact that these people don’t follow the fucking news.

One of our fans happened to be nearby when Trump’s motorcade came through and snapped a pic, thankfully, and sent it to us. Our loyal fan was driving past the shops in the 800 block of Decatur Street, a few doors down from Cafe du Monde, when he noticed the motorcade.

“So I rode past a bunch of [old people] and I’m like what’s going on with all this fuckery, do you know what’s going on?” said Kevin Charles. “And they were like no so I’m like oh all right. So I start moving in there like I’m pretty sure Trump’s in town and I was like oh all right fucking right man. And they said some snooty remark and I just kept walking, because fuck those old timers.”

According to nola.com, Trump – who is running for a second term as president – was on his way to a campaign fundraiser in Old Metairie when he decided to stop for some white powder-dusted beignets. A server handed him a bag of three beignets, a cafe au lait and Trump tipped the employee $100. His time in the restaurant was about five minutes, according to the newspaper.

The Pelican Club on Exchange Place reopens July 12 with early COOLinary menu

Picture by Gary J. Wood | CC Flickr
The Pelican Club Restaurant and Bar will reopen Wednesday with an early COOLinary menu after taking a short break for summer vacation.

The restaurant indicated on its website that was closed from June 26 to July 11 for repairs and maintenance.

The COOLinary menu comes weeks in advance of New Orleans restaurant month, an annual tradition in which participating establishments offer multiple-course prix-fixe menus for lunch, dinner and brunch. This year’s restaurant month is from Aug. 1 to Aug. 31.

The Pelican Club’s three-course COOLinary starts at $50 and will be available until Aug. 31. Visit the Pelican Club’s website for more information. Reservations can be made by calling 504-523-1504. The restaurant is located at 312 Exchange Pl. in the French Quarter.

More information on participating New Orleans restaurants month establishments can be found at neworleans.com.