by Antoinette de Alteriis

            November is a fabulous month to learn something new so you’re ready for holiday and carnival season. This month is packed with activities and special events. Try out something new, visit a new restaurant, even have a picnic!
    Bring It Home N.O. Foods, LLC provides “NOLA in a box.” Pick up a homemade box of food and head to the park. Contact Sonya  994-6872 for a taste of homemade including red beans & rice, gumbo, or dessert.
    Want to try out a new restaurant? Krantz’s Restaurant, specializing in fresh boiled and fried seafood, has opened at 2604 Magazine St., corner of Third St. The restaurant, previously located on Veterans Blvd. in Metairie, had become a hot spot for local seafood until it was destroyed by fire in May of this year. Krantz’s still offers the same delectable dine-in or take-out menu featuring boiled seafood and fried-to-order platters of shrimp, oyster, catfish, soft shell crab, stuffed crab, shrimp-stuffed peppers and chicken tenders; a variety of pasta dishes, salads and appetizers. Stuffed artichokes, shrimp-stuffed potato and gumbo are also on the menu.
    WOW Café and Wingery on Magazine street re-opened under new ownership. “I’m proud to re-open the WOW Wingery on the corner of State and Magazine St.,” says Stephen Klein, local owner of this New Orleans location.  “WOW Wingery is a fun, family restaurant that has something for everyone, from salads to burgers and of course wings! It’s the perfect spot to dine with friends for any occasion.” This WOW Café and Wingery is located at 5961 Magazine St. in New Orleans, LA.  Operating hours are 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., Sunday - Saturday. Call them at 504-895-0240 for your next football party. By completely transforming the Uptown WOW Café, the 3000 square foot full-service location offers a full bar and features 13 flat-screen television screens making it the perfect sports bar for watching the big games!
    Want to learn a new skill? Head to the Southern Food and Beverage Museum for “Making Beaten Biscuits and Sipping on Bourbon” Sunday, November 1, 2009 from 4 P.M. to 6 P.M. This event is free for members and only $10 for nonmembers. With all the things they have going on; it’s worth becoming a member! Go to their website, get a ticket , then come enjoy a relaxing Sunday evening of traditional beaten biscuits, country ham, and bourbon with John Edgerton. Does it get any better than this? Check www.southernfood.org  for more details.
    Want to prepare for the holidays and show off all the work you’ve been doing on your house? Head to Savvy Gourmet for Holiday Dinner Party Cooking Classes presented by PlayNola @ Savvy Gourmet- PlayNola.com. Register for playNOLA’s 3 week cooking series and master a sophisticated but affordable holiday dinner. The class will meet three Thursday nights in a row, beginning Thursday, November 5th from 6:30 to 9pm at Savvy Gourmet on Magazine Street. The final gathering on Thursday, November 19, will feature an Iron Chef cook-off, where participants will compete in teams as they prepare the same dish to be judged by Savvy Gourmet Executive Chef Robert Faust, who will also be the series instructor. Participants will eat what they cook!
    The Southern Food and Beverage Museum, the New Orleans Public Library and the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission have partnered to conduct a Sweet Potato Pie and a Sweet Potato Cake Contest. “Their Eyes Were Watching Sweet Potatoes”. The contest is open and there is no entry fee to participate in the contest. Contest is Saturday, November 7 from 10am to 12pm with judging to follow. This event is Free. Call 569-0405 to participate.
    Looking for some different food and a bit of entertainment? Head to the Louisiana Renaissance Festival. Enjoy a traditional English tea with Queen Elizabeth or a wine tasting with Madame Ghislaine. Tasting schedules are: Nov. 7-8: Wines of Adventure - Wines from South Africa, Tasmania, Hungary and other exotic locales; Nov. 14-15: Old World Wines, Part One – delectable wines from France and Spain. Nov, 21-22: New World Wines – spectacular offerings from California, Washington, Chile and Argentina; Nov. 28-29: Old World Wines, Part Two – wonderful tastes from Italy and Germany; Dec. 5-6: Pacific Rim Wines – show-offs from Australia and New Zealand. Dec. 12-13: Best of the Season. All of the events include medieval food selection and souvenir glasses. This is a really good date activity or you could bring your family along and enjoy the jousting exhibitions and Bird of Prey show.
    Need your family to learn some manners before you head to holiday parties? Head to the Hotel Monteleone for a Peggy Post Etiquette Luncheon hosted by John Robert Powers. The event, on November 7, is for children 6-12 and their parents and benefits the Louisiana Children’s Museum.
    Interested in leaning about culinary tourism? Head to “A Triumph of Epicure: A History of New Orleans Culinary Tourism” presented by Anthony Stanonis on Wednesday, November 11, 2009
from 6 P.M. to 7 P.M. at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. Free for members, $10 for non-members. The lecture traces how New Orleans gained its global reputation for food while
also looking at appearances of “New Orleans” cuisine around the world,. This actually sounds like a treat for those of us who understand that New Orleans is the epicurean center of the universe!
    Didn’t get enough beer during Oktoberfest? Check out local brews at Crescent City Homebrewers Winterfest at the Deutches Haus. German food, locally and nationally brewed beers and music make for a great sounding night! Head over there Saturday, November 14, 2009 at 7:00 pm.
    Louisiana Main to Main: A Cultural Road Show. The 3rd Annual North RampART Festival takes place November 21, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The North RampART Festival is a free community event celebrating the cultural past, present and future of our historic neighborhoods. North Rampart Main Street, Inc. (NRMSI) will once again work with McDonough 15 School for the Creative Arts to participate in the RampART Children’s Art Contest and Festival Gallery. Food featured includes a newly opened pastry and dessert find; Decadence Café located on N Rampart. Also featuring Wolfe’s Tomitillo’s,  Mrs Linda’s Soul Café, Café Reconcile, and P&J’s Oyster Shooters. So head on over to N Rampart and Louis Armstrong park. Parking is available along the street.