Best Hotel Bars in New Orleans

Happy July everyone! If you're in the cocktail and spirits industry, you know what that means...countdown to Tales of the Cocktail, the cocktail and spirits fest in NOLA each July.

I've spent a lot of time in New Orleans over the past few years, and know my way around some of the city's best bars (shocker). Many of them just so happen to be in hotels.

Here's a round up I did for the Crescent City's best hotel bars for neworleans.com. It's a great resource for all things New Orleans. And no, you won't find them on Bourbon Street (ok, some are close by).

Here's a link to the story:

http://dining.neworleans.com/2012/03/best-hotel-bars-in-new-orleans/

Best of all, you don't have to check in to check out these hotel bars.

Spotted: Top Chef Tiffani Faison, Home on the Range

Guys and dolls...it's been a while.  But things have been banging.

Want to know where we've been?

Montana, y'all. AKA Man-tana. That's right New York ladies, the ratio of men to women in Big Sky country is something like 4:1 and the drinking age is seemingly as soon as you can ride a horse. (Which is like, 5 or something.)

That means a lot of eating, drinking and...fire-making.

And while we were not there to let any cowboys take us away, we did have the pleasure of attending the Montana Master Grillers weekend at The Resort at Paws Up (a luxe resort known for glamping) over Memorial Day Weekend, where Top Chefs Tiffani Faison and Ed Lee competed in a Bad Ass Burger Dash, created wine, beer and cider-paired dinners and engaged in highly imaginative karaoke acts. We respectfully chose not to post a video.

We think all that protein inspires greater range. Yeehaw!

Seafood Showdown: Coney Island

We heart food competitions.

So what could be better than eating seafood on Coney Island's "Beer Island" (with beer specials, 'natch), especially when the proceeds go to charity?

Here are the details:

8/15/09: You show up to Beer Island between noon and 4pm with $24 in hand (unless you book online, which will save you $4), taste some delicious seafood, and suck down some suds in the sun. Watch as one lucky contestant wins $400 prize for a "people's choice" award (and hopefully donates it to their charity of choice).

In the event of rain, you'll show up on 8/16/09 instead, same time, same place.

Directions: http://www.beerislandconeyisland.com/

Contact: fassfoods@gmail.com

More details: http:/fassfoods.blogspot.com