Best and worst places to 'staycation' this year

WalletHub looked at 150 of the country’s largest cities and, based on 28 key metrics, measured the most enjoyable and wallet-friendly staycation spots in America. It’s no surprise that in 2016’s Best & Worst Cities for Staycations Orlando, Fla., took the No. 1 spot. With DisneyWorld, Universal Studios and other attractions in your backyard, and discounts for annual passes, who wouldn’t want to staycation in Orlando?The worst place for a staycation — in other words, if you live there, save up and get the hell out — is Chula Vista, Calif. Actually, quite a few California cities nabbed the bottom, including Los Angeles at No. 143.

Southern states that fared well were:

Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, at No. 2 and 3;

Atlanta at No. 6;

            St. Petersburg, Fla., at No. 9;

            New Orleans at No. 15;

            Jackson, Miss., at No. 16;

            Knoxville, Tenn., at No. 20;

            Miami, at No. 21;

            and Chattanooga, at No. 27.

            Here’s a few more statistics to ponder, thanks to WalletHub.

            New Orleans has the most museums per 100,000 residents, 23.34, which is 79 times more than in Aurora, Colo., the city with the fewest, 0.29.

            Columbus, Ga., has the most parks per 100,000 residents, 213.37, which is 22.5 times more than in Hialeah, Fla., the city with the fewest, 9.47.

            Seattle has the most coffee shops per 100,000 residents, 109.43, which is nearly 30 times more than in Laredo, Texas, the city with the fewest, 3.67.

            Orlando, Fla., has the most ice cream and frozen yogurt shops per 100,000 residents, 57.15, which is 13 times more than in Detroit, the city with the fewest, 4.31.

            Columbus, Ga., has the most tennis courts per 100,000 residents, 70.11, which is 26 times higher than in Gilbert, Ariz., the city with the fewest, 2.69.

Columbus, Ga., has the lowest cost of house-cleaning services, $110, which is four times less expensive than in Salt Lake City, the city with the highest, $454.
You know what we think? Forget Orlando. Visit Columbus, Ga., and enjoy the parks, play tennis and let someone else do the cleaning.

Chattanooga

Biscuits, pour-over coffee, poetry and love at Greenhouse on Porter in Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Poetry is the synthesis of hyacinths and biscuits.

Carl Sandburg

When someone tells me there’s a new restaurant serving homemade biscuits and pour-over coffee, I don’t hesitate to haul my butt out of the chair. Couple that with the quaint Mississippi Gulf Coast town of Ocean Springs, and you’ve got a winning deal.

            Greenhouse on Porter only serves coffee, beer and delicious crispy homemade biscuits. The day I visited I sampled a savory cheddar and mushroom biscuit that was out-of-this-world good, followed by a sweet potato biscuit with honey butter. The insides were soft and chewy while the outer skin a nice brown crust. Perfection. They serve Reve coffee out of Lafayette, my town where said chair is located, so I was familiar with this craft coffee roaster and knew of their rich, smooth javas.

            The Ocean Springs restaurant is located in an actual greenhouse. Co-owner Kait Sukiennik said the greenhouse had existed on the spot for years, fallen into disrepair. She and partner Jessie Zenor lovingly renovated the greenhouse, although it still owns a rustic ambiance — no air conditioning but fans, plants everywhere, free books inside an old suitcase and poetry lining the walls and hanging from the ceiling.

Kait Sukiennik

            Sukiennik sold her biscuits at farmer’s markets and other places and when she decided to open a storefront did so with only $10,000 to her name. The front of the house (which is air conditioned by the way) contains a tiny kitchen and seating area for about six to eight people, plus a restroom. The seating was made by hand using bare particle boards (although you hardly notice) and the front of the counter is an old door, glass knob still attached. Sukiennik said they used lots of recycled architecturals in the design and enlisted the help of family and friends to help build the interiors.

            The walls are filled with local artwork, various works of poetry and posters by Amos Kennedy. Greenhouse also offers special events such as meditation classes, benefits, cat bingo and live music.

            If only I lived closer!!

Poetry lining the walls at Greenhouse on Porter.

The tiny kitchen with a door as the counter.

 

The South's official cocktails — and a mint julep recipe for this week's Kentucky Derby

Give it to the South to come up with official cocktails for their towns.

First, the Louisiana Legislature named the Sazerac the official New Orleans cocktail, a drink that hails back to 1838 and apothecary owner Antoine Peychaud, named for his favorite French brandy, Sazerac-de-Forge et fils. The brandy toddy included Peychaud bitters and was mixed using a jigger then known as a coquetier, pronounced ko-k-tay. Many people believe this is where the word cocktail comes from and New Orleans, of course, claims the city as the cocktail's birthplace.

You can find the delicious drink with a peel of lemon all over the city but especially at the Sazerac Bar of the Roosevelt Hotel, my personal favorite with its Depression-era murals and Huey Long history. You can read more about the hotel and bar in a previous blog post by clicking here.

Louisville got in the official spirits act in 2015 and chose the Old Fashioned for its official drink of choice. According to the Louisville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, legend contends that Louisville’s Pendennis Club created or reinvented the Old Fashioned in 1881. “Though other historic reference point to bourbon cocktails being made in the ‘the old fashioned way,’” the Bureau insists, “the Pendennis recipe was the first to name the drink and has been on the menu ever since.” 



And not to be outdone by either town, Lafayette, Louisiana, where I reside, created its own official cocktail, this one from scratch. Called the “Rouler” — as in “Laissez les bons temps rouler” or “Let the good times roll” — the drink is comprised of Sweet Crude Rum produced by Lafayette’s own Rank Wildcat Distillery. Add sweet and sour, simple syrup, bitters and club soda, then serve over ice, and you’ll want to roll with the good times too.

Want to know what your home state calls its signature drink? According to Buzzfeed.com, here are the spirits of the South:

Alabama - The Alabama Slammer (amaretto, Southern Comfort, Sloe Gin, and orange juice), also known as the signature drink of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. We LSU fans would call that a sissy drink.

Arkansas - The Arkansas Razorback (rum, vodka, amaretto almond liqueur, Kahlua coffee liqueur), another nod to the SEC, this time the University of Arkansas Razorbacks.

Florida - The Rum Runner (Captain Morgan, blackberry liqueur, creme de bananes and orange juice), originating at the Holiday Isle Tiki Bar in Islamorada, Fla., when the bartender was dared to make a cocktail out of the liquor surplus.

Georgia - The Scarlet O’Hara (typically Southern Comfort, cranberry juice, and a lime wheel), that will make you forget everything until tomorrow.

Kentucky - The Mint Julep (bourbon, sugar, water and mint), best made with Woodford Reserve, the official drink of Churchill Downs. See recipe below.

Mississippi - Mississippi Punch (dark rum, bourbon, brandy/cognac, fresh lemon juice and sugar), first noted in Jerry Thomas’ “The Bon Vivant’s Companion,” attributing its location in Mississippi, according to BuzzFeed.com.

North Carolina - Dirty Beetz (vodka, local beet syrup, lime juice and orange juice)
originating from Raleigh’s The Fiction Kitchen, but we have to ask why?

Jaleberry Strawpeno

South Carolina - The Hemingway Mojito (Bacardi, sunset-red Italian Campari, muddled mint and grapefruit, soda water and grapefruit juice), a colorful drink that looks like a Key West sunset, born from Charleston’s Amen StreetFish and Raw Bar. Shouldn’t that be a Florida drink?

Tennessee - Lynchburg Lemonade (Jack Daniel’s whiskey, Triple sec, sweet & sour, and Sprite), because JackDaniel’s is made in Lynchburg, Tennessee. I’d say that anything with Jack would be a proper Tennessee drink.

Texas - The Mexican Martini (tequila, Cointreau orange liqueur, sweet and sour mix, lime juice, orange juice and Sprite), served straight up in a cocktail glass. On a recent visit to Austin, I had a jaleberry strawpeno made with strawberry jalapeno tequila, lime and agave at Searsucker and I vote for that drink as the official Texas cocktail!

Just in time for the Kentucky Derby, here’s the Woodford Reserve recipe for a traditional mint julep. I got to watch a demonstration of the making of a mint julep at Churchill Downs. The key here is to use fresh mint and muddle the leaves in the bottom of the glass to release that delicious taste.

MINT JULEP

2 ounces Woodford Reserve
1/2 ounce simple syrup
3 fresh mint leaves
Crushed ice

Directions: Express the essential oils in the mint and rub them inside the glass. To the same glass, add simple syrup, bourbon, and crushed ice. Stir. Garnish with more ice and fresh mint.

Cheré Dastugue Coen is the author of several Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire. She is also the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

Propose with a $90k dessert in New Orleans

            The Crown Jewel Dessert at the Windsor Court in New Orleans just took the word “decadent” to a new level. In honor of the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, the hotel is serving up a $90,000 dessert.

            Yes, that’s correct.

            The Crown Jewel by Pastry Chef Shun Li consists of a dark chocolate fondant cake encrusted with edible 24K gold and topped with a Cristal champagne sauce infused with raspberries and passion fruit. The dessert is then garnished with gold-dusted berries and a golden-chocolate crunch.

             But that’s not all — thankfully for $90,000. The centerpiece of this confection is a 3.95-Carat ruby and diamond ring from M.S. Rau Antiques of New Orleans.

Make sure you order it in advance for it takes three days to prepare.

             Gosh, we sure hope so.

             The hotel began the birthday celebration April 21, the queen’s birthday, and will continue the fete for three months. If $90,000 is too rich for your blood, try the Queen’s Prerogative by the hotel’s mixologist Kent Westmoreland, a twist on the queen’s regular lunchtime cocktail. The Queen’s Prerogative features gin, Dubonnet, Maraschino juice, orange and Angostura bitters, and an orange peel garnish.

              If too many Queen’s Prerogatives leaves you loopy, you can opt for a “Royal Stay at Windsor Court,” which includes three royal birthday packages ranging in price from $2,779 to $119,260.

              The latter and a Crown Jewel Dessert will only cost you about $200,000, but it does include airfare and much more.

              For more information on the packages, visit http://www.windsorcourthotel.com/packages-and-offers.

About M.S. Rau Antiques

M.S. Rau Antiques offers a 30,000 square-foot gallery in the heart of New Orleans’s historic French Quarter, filled with rare and important fine art, antiques and jewelry.

About Windsor Court
The 23-story hotel is located in the heart of the Central Business District, steps from the French Quarter, and features 316 oversized guestrooms and suites, the Grill Room Restaurant, the storied Polo Club Lounge, Le Salon for afternoon tea and an extensive art collection with mostly works of British origin, among other amenities and services. The hotel’s recent $22 million restoration included the addition of the lobby Cocktail Bar and Spa at Windsor Court. Windsor Court is a member of Preferred Hotels and Resorts Legend Collection and is a member of the Southern Living Hotel Collection. For more information, please visit www.windsorcourthotel.com.

Cheré Dastugue Coen is the author of several Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire. She is also the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

Name's changed and content expanded — this week we're heading to Lafayette for Festival International

            I’ve made a couple of changes here at Weird South, mainly our title. Although I will swear there is always something weird going on in the South, I wanted to branch out and spotlight the many wild things happening as well.

            The blog has been re-christened “Weird, Wacky and Wild South.” How's that for covering all bases?

            I travel the South on a regular basis as a food and travel writer — it’s my niche and I love it — so I will be spotlighting all kinds of weird, wacky and wild things going on. And to be honest, when I’m wearing my travel writer hat on assignment, I see so many awesome things I want to write about and they are not always weird, so this gives me an opportunity to fill up my blog pages more often. Which makes me very happy.

            So what will I be writing about?

            Festivals devoted to strange things, such as the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival where you can view crawfish races in addition to eating really well and listening to outstanding music.

            Austin’s Museum of the Weird because, as they say, “Keep Austin Weird!”

            A giant peanut in Plains, Georgia, dedicated to a former president.

            Worm charming in northern Florida. Yes, you heard right.

            This week I’m going to discuss one of my greatest loves — Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette, Louisiana, North America’s largest free franchophone festival which celebrates its 30th year in 2016. I heard about this festival for years but, being from New Orleans, would attend the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival instead, held on the same weekend. When I moved to Baton Rouge to work at the newspaper there, I finally got over to Lafayette and have been hooked ever since.

            Here’s how it works and what’s special about this unique event.

            Festival International was created in 1986 to celebrate the region’s French cultural heritage but also the influences of African, Caribbean and Hispanic cultures. Bands visit from all over the Francophone world, including the countries of Africa, the Caribbean and Europe, the French-speaking areas of Asia and various provinces of Canada, as well as artists hailing from the United States and, of course, Louisiana.

            The festival is held the last full week of April — this year April 20-24 — which is also the first week of Jazz Fest in New Orleans. The coordination of festivals allows foreign bands to afford to travel to Louisiana, playing one festival one weekend and the other the next.

            As for Lafayette’s Festival International de Louisiane, there are five stages throughout downtown Lafayette with all the music free! In addition, there’s arts and crafts, food and special events such as cooking demonstrations, theatrical performances, cultural discussions and the Courir du Festival 5K Run.

            Want a taste of what’s being offered this year? Check out the festival’s YouTube video of visiting artists. Also, the Lafayette Convention and Visitor’s Commission has been spotlighting “30 Years of Festival,” a retrospective by Lafayette photographer Phillip Gould.

             And when you go, be sure and greet others by saying, "Happy Festival" or "Bonne Fete de Festival." It's what we do.

             For a complete lineup, information on other events and to create your own schedule, visit the Festival International website: www.festivalinternational.com.

It's not weird to find low-cal food in Cajun Country Well, maybe it is but we found some!

            I live in Cajun Country which means I fight adding pounds to the waistline constantly. Our food is that good. Like, over the top, heaven in your mouth, orgasmic good. So what's a food writer to do when the clothes don't fit and it's hard to get off the couch?
What's weird about this post is living in a culinary town where dieting is almost impossible.
            Well, not quite.          
            I am not one to forgo eating out — cooking is not my idea of a good time, even though I was raised in this culinary mecca — so it's been my year-long quest to find low-fat, low-calorie foods in one of the world's most decadent eating towns, Lafayette. Gumbos with their thick roux, jambalaya consisting of rice and meats and all good things fried — even though in South Louisiana we fry things lightly, well seasoned and to perfection — had to go. But I have not suffered, no siree bub.
            At Bon Temps Grill, for instance, one of my favorite restaurants in Lafayette, I chose the fish tacos with mangos and Creole sauce but you can substitute the tortillas for lettuce and wrap those babies up with less calories and carbs. (Pictured above is the taco dish with tortillas.) At Blu Basil, a Vietnamese and Asian-fusion restaurant, their chicken lettuce wraps are similar, wok stir-fried chicken with mushrooms, sweet onions and lemongrass accented by carrots, daikon, cucumbers, cabbage and crispy rice noodles. I felt so good about eating this dish that I enjoyed the spring rolls with shrimp as an appetizer and didn't hesitate to dip those suckers in peanut sauce.

            We don't like to frequent chains — why would you if you lived in Cajun Country with a plethora of great restaurants? — but Chicken Salad Chick came to town and we feel justified in recommending them because they hail from Alabama. Close enough. This happy place offers 15 different styles of chicken salad, plus salads, soups and cookies and fruit. I ordered the Original Chick with a choice of sandwich or "scoop" (I chose a scoop of cranberry chicken salad to avoid the bread), one side item (I chose the cranberry salad to stay with the theme), pickle spear and cookie of the day, which I handed off to my skinny friend Barb. All filled me up quite nicely and was delicious.
            So there you have it. The first quarter of my diet and I managed to eat out in South Louisiana and enjoy myself in the process. I started at New Year's and expect the entire year to pass by until I meet my goal; food writing has its drawbacks. I'll keep you updated.

Cheré Dastugue Coen is a food and travel writer living in Lafayette, Louisiana, a place where food is way too good. She is also the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” She also writes Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.