Gambit Details: December 2023

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C R I M S O N C R A Z E P. 4 // H O L I DAY B A K I N G E S S E N T I A L S P. 7 // F R E N C H Q UA R T E R F E S T I V I T I E S P. 10

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V O L U M E 4 | N U M B E R 1 2 | D e c e m b e r 2 0 23

CRIMSON CRAZE 4 Holiday home accents feature shades of red

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7 BAKING WITH BLISS Kitchen essentials for holiday desserts

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10 FRENCH QUARTER

FESTIVITIES

The iconic neighborhood and tourist attraction gets especially lit this time of year.

NEW ORLEANS GIFTS • LOCAL ARTISTS & DESIGNERS ON T HE COVE R :

Spreading Christmas Cheer!

PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER

PHOTOS BY PROVIDED BY PERLIS AND JUDY AT THE RINK

DECEMBER 2023

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Crimson C RAZE

Diamond tumbler |

$72 from Alice & Amelia (4432 Magazine St., 504-502-6206; shopaliceandamelia.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ALICE & AMELIA

Holiday home accents feature shades of red

By MARIGNY LANAUX

Coupe glass |

Vintage Allemuir chair |

$845 from Eclectic Home (8211 Oak St., 504-866-6654; eclectichome.net).

$36 from Hilltop Shoppe (3714 Magazine St., 504-5339670; hilltopshoppe.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY HILLTOP SHOPPE

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ECLECTIC HOME

Tiger wreath ornament |

GAMBIT DETAILS

DECEMBER 2023

$10 from Perlis (600 Decatur St., 504-5236681; 1281 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville, 985-674- 1711; 6070 Magazine St., 504-8958661; perlis.com).

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PHOTO PROVIDED

BY PERLIS

Chimney advent calendar |

$35 from Phina (425 Harrison Ave., 504-571-5169; 2561 Metairie Road, Metairie, 504-8271605; 3717 Veterans Blvd., Metairie, 504-888-4141; phinashop.com).

60-by-90-inch tablecloth |

PHOTO PROVIDED

BY PHINA

$118 from Hazelnut (5525 Magazine St., 504-891-2424; hazelnutneworleans.com).

Cypress knee slab ornament |

$20 from Home Malone (629 N. Carrollton Ave., 504-324-8352; 4610 Magazine St., 504-766-6148; homemalonenola.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY HOME MALONE

PHOTO PROVIDED

BY HAZELNUT

Straw |

Service plate |

$6.99 from NOLA Gifts & Decor.

$40 from Judy at the Rink (2727 Prytania St., 504-891-7018; judyattherink.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED

BY NOL A GIFTS & DECOR

Crimson C RAZE

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JUDY AT THE RINK

Fireside candle |

$20 from The O.W. (3719 Magazine St., 504-547-1554; theoccasionalwife.com).

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Racoon notecards |

$16.95 from The Shop at The Collection (520 Royal St., 504-598-7147; shophnoc.com)

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SHOP AT THE COLLECTION

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Wine goblet glasses |

DECEMBER 2023

$113 for set of four from Estella’s (601 Frisco Ave., 504-833-8884; estellashome.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED

BY ESTELL A’S

Sparkly ornament |

GAMBIT STAFF PHOTO

Nutcracker porch leaner |

$69.99 from NOLA Gifts & Decor (5101 W. Esplanade Ave., Suite 1, Metairie, 504-407-3532; nolagiftsanddecoronline.com). ” PHOTO PROVIDED BY NOL A GIFTS & DECOR

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$4.99 from Gordon’s (4308 Waverly St., Metairie, 504-354-2248; gordonshomedecor.com).

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Crimson C

Howdy Ho Santa |

$27 from Judy at the Rink.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JUDY AT THE RINK

RAZE

Christmas tree door hanger |

$48 from Home Malone.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY HOME MALONE

Poinsettia oval platter |

$115 from Little Miss Muffin (766 Harrison Ave., 504-482-8200; 3307 Severn Ave., Metairie, 504-455-1444; shoplittlemissmuffin.com).

Doormat |

$28 from Phina.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY PHINA

PHOTO PROVIDED BY LITTLE MISS MUFFIN

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DECEMBER 2023

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BAKING

Bliss

Oven mitt |

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Louisiana cookie cutters |

$11.99 from NOLA Gifts & Decor (5101 W. Esplanade Ave., Suite 1, Metairie, 504-407-3532; nolagiftsanddecoronline.com).

$14.99 from Gordon’s (4308 Waverly St., Metairie, 504-3542248; gordonshomedecor.com).

GAMBIT STAFF PHOTO

Kitchen essentials for holiday desserts

By MARIGNY LANAUX

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NOL A GIFTS & DECOR

Cake stand |

$160 from Hilltop Shoppe (3714 Magazine St., 504-533-9670; hilltopshoppe.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY HILLTOP SHOPPE

New Orleans cookie cutters | $11.99 from NOLA Gifts & Decor.

“Sweet and Southern Classic Desserts with a Twist” |

$39.95 from the New Orleans Museum of Art gift shop (1 Collins Diboll Circle, 504-658-4116; shopnoma.org).

DECEMBER 2023

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NOL A GIFTS & DECOR

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

$67 from Phina (425 Harrison Ave., 504-571-5169; 2561 Metairie Road, Metairie, 504-827-1605; 3717 Veterans Blvd., Metairie, 504-8884141; phinashop.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY PHINA

Stoneware Santa canister |

$28 from Little Miss Muffin.

PHOTO PROVIDED

BY LITTLE MISS MUFFIN

Stainless steel cake server |

$10 from Little Miss Muffin (766 Harrison Ave., 504-482-8200; 3307 Severn Ave., Metairie, 504-455-1444; shoplittlemissmuffin.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY LITTLE MISS MUFFIN

GAMBIT DETAILS

Nutcracker cookie jar |

7

BAKING

Bliss

WITH

Tree plate |

$11.99 from Gordon’s.

GAMBIT STAFF PHOTO

Pelican dessert stand |

$48 from Home Malone (629 N. Carrollton Ave., 504-324-8352; 4610 Magazine St., 504-766-6148; homemalonenola.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY HOME MALONE

Expandable metal trivet | $25 from Chouette.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHOUETTE

Large baking dish |

$115 from Chouette (1152 Magazine St., Suite 105, 504354-9306; chouette-nola.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHOUETTE

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BAKING

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WITH

Gloria potholder |

$24 from Judy at the Rink.

PHOTO PROVIDED

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Holiday baking set |

$22.50 from Judy at the Rink (2727 Prytania St., 504-891-7018; judyattherink.com).

Brownie baker set |

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JUDY AT THE RINK

$53.50 from Phina.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY PHINA

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Christmas cheer potholder |

$7.99 from Gordon’s.

GAMBIT STAFF PHOTO

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FRENCH QUARTER

Caroling in Jackson Square PHOTO BY MATTHEW HINTON / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Festivities

By LAURA MCKNIGHT

The iconic neighborhood and tourist attraction gets especially lit this time of year.

GAMBIT DETAILS

DECEMBER 2023

The French Quarter, set aglow with extra sparkle

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for the holidays, is a big draw for tourists and locals alike this time of year.

The rich food, music, shopping and architecture of New Orleans’ original neighborhood entices visitors year-round, but add in the mild weather, holiday decor and quiet twinkle of the winter season, and the Quarter seems to take on a more intimate magic.

The French Quarter offers a variety of holiday experiences, appealing to people of a range of ages and interests: whether it’s a kid-friendly evening with a tree lighting and hot chocolate from Cafe du Monde, a romantic night with hot winter drinks and a walk down Royal Street, or an off-the-rails late night with friends at a lower Quarter dive bar that seems like a setting for a John Waters film.

The historic neighborhood sets the tone for annual holiday traditions reaching back generations, whether it’s caroling, gallery-hopping, parading or checking out specialty cocktail and dining menus.

“It’s beautiful in the winter since it gets dark early, with the lights coming on,” says Troy Thibodeaux, assistant general manager of the Riverwalk Outlets, which hosts several holiday events each year.

The Riverwalk Outlets’ annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in late November kicked off the season. This year, organizers unveiled a new, 30-foot tree to light up Spanish Plaza, creating a festive backdrop for staged holiday photos and selfies with loved ones.

The ceremony is among the Riverwalk mall’s most popular holiday events, along with Movies Under the Stars and the annual Chanukah Menorah Lighting with Chabad-Lubavitch of Louisiana. This year’s ceremony starts at 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7.

The French Quarter’s iconic architecture is a marvel in the winter, especially when it’s decked out in holiday lights.

PHOTO BY CHRIS GR ANGER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

the interiors, all decked out for the holiday season.

Of course, no French Quarter outing would be complete without some sustenance.

“It’s a communal time, and it being New Orleans, where else do you go for community but your bars and restaurants?” says Mark Schettler, general manager of Bar Tonique, a popular craft cocktail spot on North Rampart Street.

Ashley Carswell, who bartends at both Bar Tonique and Cosimo’s in the lower French Quarter, says even though the neighborhood draws people from around the globe, there’s also a familial feel for New Orleans residents this time of year.

Locals tend to gather at bars after family events, Carswell says. “You go to the bar and see your chosen family,” she says.

Bar Tonique’s annual hot drink menu is anticipated, with regulars often popping their heads in the door with the first cold snap to see if the hot buttered rum has made its winter debut, Schettler says.

Bartenders use a secret recipe for the hot buttered rum and have spent hours fine-tuning Tonique’s versions of classics like the hot toddy and whiskey skin, along with developing a yearly house cocktail for the menu.

“My favorite thing about winter at Tonique is we get to light the two fireplaces,” Schettler says. “It’s such a beautiful vibe with the lights low and candles out.”

Carswell said she likes to make punches in a crockpot at Cosimo’s to add “something a little bit special, a little bit different” to the hot drink offerings and a warm wintry smell to the air.

“It’s nice to walk into a place and smell cloves and cinnamon,” she said.

“It’s inviting, and it’s fun.”

St. Louis Cathedral PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

DECEMBER 2023

Rabbi Mendel Rivkin, program director for Chabad-Lubavitch of Louisiana, says the menorah lighting has been held at the Riverwalk since 1989, with the exception of two years during a renovation of Spanish Plaza.

“It’s unbeatable. You cannot match that location,” Rivkin says. “The menorah up against the river, the lights of the bridge, the passing boats — you can’t get more New Orleans than that.”

Another famed French Quarter holiday tradition is caroling in Jackson Square, where hundreds of residents and visitors gather for a candlelit night of singing by the historic St. Louis Cathedral. This year’s event starts at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17.

Patio Planters of the Vieux Carre, a volunteer organization focused on preserving the Quarter, has held Caroling in Jackson Square since 1946, with just a temporary shift to the courtyard of the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint during the pandemic.

The event began with just a group of residents and has grown drastically over the decades. It’s still very much a neighborhood ordeal, says Patio Planters president Joey DiFatta.

“This is a real community event by the folks who live and work in the French Quarter,” he says.

But it also has become a popular attraction for visitors from all over the world.

“It’s the camaraderie of thousands of people getting together, maybe for an hour forgetting about the world’s troubles, and being at peace with the season,” DiFatta says.

The Patio Planters host another event during the holiday season: the Holiday Home Tour, which takes place right before the caroling event.

DiFatta says participants love the chance to go beyond the facades of French Quarter homes on this annual self-guided tour, to admire

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