Finds 07.21.10
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Written by The Independent Staff
DOWN WITH SCARVES
The idea of wearing a scarf during a Louisiana summer may seem somewhere between impractical and downright stupid. But Artesia's summer scarves are lightweight enough even for days when it's 110 in the shade.
HE ALMOST KILLED THE QUARTER
A few years before New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison dived into the rabbit hole of the Kennedy assassination, he made a name for himself through a series of sometimes nightly vice raids on Bourbon Street bars and strip joints in 1962.
THE FRENCH CONNECTION
A dozen years ago, Marcello's Wine Market was doing a wine tasting during Festival International. Bernard Bats, a frenchman from Gascony, the great armagnac region of southwest France, approached Carlos Todaro about buying some of his brandy.
Finds 07.21.10
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Written by The Independent Staff
1. DOWN WITH SCARVES
The idea of wearing a scarf during a Louisiana summer may seem somewhere between impractical and downright stupid. But Artesia's summer scarves are lightweight enough even for days when it's 110 in the shade. Wait until it cools down to dress up white jeans and a T-shirt with one of the brightly colored cravats for summer nights. They're also multifunctional: Use one of the longer scarves as a belt for a dress, skirt, or even a pair of shorts for a carefree look, or tie it onto your purse to give simple bags a summery feel. They're available in a variety of solid colors and patterns, including trendy florals and bold zig-zags. Pick up a red one in anticipation of game day tailgates in the fall. Scarves run from $12-$14 and can be purchased at Artesia on Johnston St. across from Albertson's. - Annie Bares
2. HE ALMOST KILLED THE QUARTER
A few years before New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison dived into the rabbit hole of the Kennedy assassination, he made a name for himself through a series of sometimes nightly vice raids on Bourbon Street bars and strip joints in 1962. When he accused district court judges in Orleans Parish of conspiring with organized crime to thwart his efforts, Garrison was convicted of defamation. He appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme court and won, paving the way, ultimately, for American politics' current style of (un)civil discourse - a cornerstone of our raucous political life, for which Garrison's fight blazed a free-speech trail. In Jim Garrison's Bourbon Street Brawl: The Making of a First Amendment Milestone ($16, UL Lafayette Press), St. Landry Parish native James Savage follows the saga that set a legal precedent with a deft touch using contemporary news accounts and archival material from the case's legal paper trail. The author is a former student editor of La Louisiane - UL's monthly magazine - as well as a former staff writer for The Daily Advertiser and Daily World. Savage is currently pursuing his doctorate in history at the University of Kentucky. Jim Garrison's Bourbon Street Brawl is an engrossing account by a future historian. - Walter Pierce
3. THE FRENCH CONNECTION
A dozen years ago, Marcello's Wine Market was doing a wine tasting during Festival International. Bernard Bats, a frenchman from Gascony, the great armagnac region of southwest France, approached Carlos Todaro about buying some of his brandy. While Bats' armagnac never made it through customs, his wines, made from a mixture of colombard and gros manseng grapes, delighted wine merchants at Marcello's. Domaine de Baqué tastes of summer in a bottle. The crisp, grapefruit notes give way to a mellow apricot finish, a perfect white wine for sipping on the terrace when the day's heatwave dissipates to a breezy, if warm, evening. Bats is in town for his annual visit this week and happy to meet the Francophone community here in Lafayette. Bat's small vintage wines are exclusively at Marcello's, at a very reasonable $9.99. Call 264-9520 for more info. - Mary Tutwiler