DAY TWO...THURSDAY, MAY 21 CONTINUED

Sitting here listening to Dave Mathews on the Ipod…life is grand! That seems to be my motto for the last couple of days. After writing poolside at Omni Royal Orleans, I took off to the press meeting and the Royal Street Stroll.

A brief shower gave way to a steady stream of sunshine filling Royal Street with an unbridled energy simmering with low temps and humidity. The Krewe of Cork opened the festivities parading down Royal wining around the Vieux Carre. Generous crowds sampled small plates in a village of white-tented canopies starting with a stage of music outside the Monteleone Hotel, past Brennans, Omni Royal Orleans, and Court of Two Sisters.

Some of New Orleans finest restaurants played host to the giant size block party. Foodies dined on Lobster dumplings filled with a mix of red fish and caviar from G.W. Fins while a long line waited for oysters from Dragos. Even the jambalaya from Rouses Grocery store (primary sponsor) helped soak up the generous pours of wine, champagne and a limited number of dollar cocktails.

Much like Magazine Street, Royal Street holds three decades of memories from my late teens shopping the boutiques on Sunday afternoons to today’s marathon photo shoots and French Quarter morning jogs.

And the king of them all, Brennan’s Restaurant, a half block from the hotel, continues its legacy of fine food and superb service. Executive Chef Lazone Randolph stood outside soaking in the festivities shaking hands chatting with people, a southern gentleman and New Orleans legend working for Brennans for more than 40 years.

I grabbed the I-pod and strutted to the Harrah’s Theater inside Harrah’s Casino for the FEASTIVAL. Our culinary darling, Chef John Besh, hosted and emceed the evening’s event as each chef prepared their specialty:

Chef Kelly English from Memphis
Chef Rick Browne with the Barbeque America TV series pouring Abita Beer
Chef Neal Fraser and Grace Restaurant in Los Angeles
Chef Paul Kahan, Blackbird & Avec, Chicago
Chef Michael Richard, Citronelle, Washington, D. C.
Chef Hosea Rosenberg, Bravo’s Top Chef, Season 5 winner
Chef Marc Vetri, Osteria & Vetri, Philadelphia

A sizable gathering of hungry patrons moved from each station dining on the chef’s featured dish. Only stayed an hour, decided to stop by Brennan’s for a late night cocktail with Chef Lazone, he’s that kind of guy.

We chatted with PR extraordinaire Bonnie Warren, and her guests Lee Froehlich, Executive Editor of Playboy magazine, and Chere Cohen, a freelance writer and novelist from Cajun Country. After the restaurant emptied Chef Lazone, Lee and I moved to the patio sipping wine and cocktails under towering magnolia trees and the savory smell of blooming ginger.

Stay tuned, Friday promises to be a stellar day for wining and dining…