Christy "slow southern style" L.'s Profile

I love me some Artz Bagelz. I have no idea if their bagels are in fact authentic, and quite frankly I really don't care. It's delicious and a good lunch spot when you don't have time for a long lunch but want something that isn't Subway. I pretty much always opt for the bagel sandwiches with a side of coleslaw or potato salad. Bonus points that I can call in my order and have it ready for me. When you only get a 30 minute lunch break not having to wait 10 minutes for your food is a life saver. They also have a few veggie options which is nice and finally serve iced coffee, which I have yet to try.

I actually like the modern decor, not everything in New Orleans needs to look 100 years old and it makes sense to have contemporary decor considering they are in the same builiding as Design Within Reach and Modern Market.

Unbelievably amazing are the first two words that come to mind when describing Hush Puppy. My husband and I adopted a retired racing greyhound and were having an impossible time trying to house train our five year old girl. We read books, would try the techniques then would become frustrated and give up.

Based on a recommendation from my aunt we decided to call Andrea to help us with our problems, including training us (let's be honest here) and crate training our dog. Within minutes she had Nadia going into the crate, something we had worked on unsuccessfully for months. Not only are we working on the issues we hired her for initially we have also noticed Nadia is much more playful and loving, and added bonus that we weren't expecting.  I seriously can't recommend Hush Puppy and Andrea enough!

Tutti Frutti is conveniently and oddly located in a gas station so I might as well stop in and get some fro-yo when I need gas. Awww hell I stop in even when I don't get gas.

The only other Tutti Frutti I've been to was in Hammond which is a stand alone store that is much bigger and nicer  but for convenience this location is perfect. They always have a great variety of flavors and rotate them out pretty frequently. My favorite flavors are taro, lychee, and cake batter. I also love the variety of toppings. Want to stick to fruit and try to be healthy? Go for it.  Want to say f**k it and load up the heath bar, cheesecake bites, condensed milk and gummy bears? You can do that too.

So give Tutti Frutti a try when you are craving a healthy snack, sure beats buying a stale pack of powdered donuts doesn't it?

Splendor Farms is well, rather splendid. I bought a Living Social deal for a one night stay and it did not disappoint. Since it is a B&B the per room nightly charge includes breakfast for 2, a horseback ride (chose the beginner's 1 hour ride or a 3 hour ride for advanced riders) and you can walk around the grounds and feed the goats animal crackers or check out the chickens and horses and there is a pool which was utterly relaxing after a hot day riding horses.

Splendor Farms is also dog friendly, a perk since we like to bring our pups with us as on vacation as much as we can. The farm dogs made fast friends with our pooch and follow you around everywhere, in case you get lonely.

The B&B only has three  rooms which makes for a peaceful stay. Our room  had a screened in porch equipped with a mini fridge and microwave. The room itself was a little on the small side but it was clean and decorated with a kitschy cowboy theme complete with a stack of real cowboy books and magazines. For a quick, easy getaway from New Orleans Splendor Farms is great!

I've been to High Hat twice since it opened and I've been really pleased with the food. I'm honestly surprised with all of the bad reviews, it seems this restaurant has been really hyped up and maybe people have put extraordinarily high expectations given how new it is. Note that I've only been during "off" hours meaning I've seen this place fill up during the dinner rush just as I was heading out the door.

The first time I went I sampled the shrimp remoulade, which was a creamier version than the tangier variations that say Arnaud's and Remoulade restaurants serve, for example. I favor  a remoulade sauce that is more creole mustard than mayo but hey that is just me.
For my main course I got the small catfish basket, which comes with hush puppies, fries, and slaw. It's a really standard thing, I'm not expecting miracles or anything when I order such a simple meal served in a plastic tray. I saved about half my meal so I could make room to try the bread pudding with rum sauce.

For my second meal I sat at the bar and tried the pimento cheese plate, which was a big portion that two people can easily eat off of or even four for a small bite. I also had the heirloom tomato salad special with pickled okra and cornbread croutons. It was a great choice to balance out the heaviness of the cheese app. The tomatoes were fresh and the okra had just a light pickle flavoring so it didn't overpower the rest of the flavors.

I will definitely be back to High Hat, I'm not a huge fried food eater but hey everything is okay in moderation.

If it were socially acceptable to make love to a pizza then Ancora's pies would be my secret lover.

I've been to Ancora twice now in the first week that they've been open. It seems like they are still working on the space since there isn't any art on the walls but no one cares as evident from the healthy amount of tables in the place. Our servers on both visits seemed enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the food which really made us even more excited to try it.

The pizza is Neapolitan style, which I love. The crust is heavenly, not too dense but not super thin and crispy either. It is just soft enough to give you something to chew on without being overly doughy. The toppings are stupidly flavorful and authentic. One of our servers informed us everything is imported from Naples so this is about as close to eating in Italy as you can get without a plane ticket.

A dinner for two was $50 pre-tip and that  got us two cocktails, an app and a pizza. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this restaurant will grow and affect the Freret Corridor, seems like Freret Street is quickly turning into a foodie destination.

If there is one thing  that I hate doing it is bra shopping. Somehow it feels so utilitarian, where is the fun in buying something that you need? That said Basics Underneath was a great experience and I will most certainly go back. I went in looking for a nude strapless bra to contain my girls with no push up capacity (some of us don't like our breasts sitting right underneath our neck) and the sales woman picked out 5 bras in a range of styles and price points that was exactly what I was looking for. The experience was hassle free, easy, and quick and a lot more pleasant than a certain high volume lingerie store in the mall, no secret there.

I've been to Serenity twice now and while it is conveniently located for me on an odd stretch of Tchopitoulas it also has some stiff competition with 4 nail shops all within a few block radius of each other. Why is this area a hot spot for manis and pedis?

Anyway, I went to Serenity by recommendation of someone and my first experience was okay. I just went in for a pedi, my feet weren't perfect when I left but considering that I'd need a block of concrete to slough them into shape I was okay with this.

The second time I went back my pedi was fine but the nail tech forgot to give me a top coat and my nails chipped after 2 days. Had I realized at the time I would have said something immediately.

I also don't like that this salon is cash only just for tips as I forgot the last time and had to hit up an ATM. I also didn't find the massage chairs to be that relaxing, it felt more like someone was beating me up then getting rid of the knots in my back. I might try this place again after I check out the  competition across the street.

Oh Bloomin'Deals, we've been friends for a while now. I used to frequent this place all the time but I'm not really into thrifting like I used to be so I go just a few times a year now. I pretty much always walk out with at least something, be it a sparkly ballgown that gets turned into a Mardi Gras costume or an interesting mirror for the mantle. Make sure to check out their selection of magazines, sometimes you can find current (as in the last year) ones and I think they are like 50 cents each.

It should also be noted that they only take cash or checks, nearest ATM is at Dat Dog just a few blocks away.

Wasn't sure how I'd like this place- usually I just like to pick out my own clothes in peace. However at the Blue Jeans Bar (located inside mimis) you belly up to the bar and tell them what you want. In my case I wanted a pair that wouldn't need to be hemmed (I'm a diminutive 5'1) a skinny or straight leg style that would be good for summer. I didn't want anything too dark wash (already got that) or too skin tight (own those too).  The "jeantenders" listened to what I wanted, pulled a few pairs down for me and out of the 3-4 pairs I tried on I found a winner in the first batch. They specialize in designer denim so expect Kasil, DL 1961 (the brand I bought that day), Habitual, and many, many others.

If you are a person that hates shopping then the Blues Jean Bar might be the place for you. Let someone else sort through the options for you and you might be pleasantly surprised by the results.