Gift Basket New Orleans

Trying to put together a New Orleans *gift basket* .. any suggestions ?

So .. I want to send a friend a Big box goodies from New Orleans. Incase it matters .. he’s male and he’s never visited before. So far i’ve thought of ..

Hard to find, usually, but a JAZZ FEST poster makes great wall art. They are usually quite colorful and yet guys won’t mind them.

Get a CD with Aaron Neville or the Neville Brothers or the Meters (Art Neville’s band). Try a Fats Domino “best of” CD. Harry Connick Jr. or Pete Fountain. Or Irma Thomas. (A very classy lady, by the way, not that the others aren’t class acts themselves.) Harder to find because not always in print, but there is a Tulane Univ. group called the New Leviathan Oriental Fox Trot Orchestra that is popular here. They have at least 3 or 4 CDs that qualify as “novelty” if nothing else. For that matter, look up CDs by Benny Grunch and the Bunch. Or for the purists, Wynton Marsalis is a Grammy-winning trumpet player who goes jazz or classical. There is Delfeo Marsalis, who plays sax and was the leader of the band on one of the late-night talk shows for a while. Both were taught by their N’Awlins father, Ellis Marsalis, a percussionist.

Your problem with begniet mix is not how you mix it but how you cook and serve it. Without a deep fryer and confectioner’s sugar, you’re going the wrong way. But along the lines of novely food, check with Haydel’s bakery and see if they will ship an out-of-season king cake. (It’s just a N’Awlins style coffee cake, usually.) Either the plain with a little cinnamon and some frosting, or one of the fruit-filled or creme-filled. It’s all good.

Now, if you know some of his interests, pick and choose books from these topics…

History? Books on the Louisiana Purchase, 1900s Storyville, any of the books by Buddy Stahl.

War? Books on Andrew Higgins and the contributions of New Orleans to shipbuilding during WW II.

Sports? Anything on the N’Awlins Saints, the NBA Hornets

Chess? Books on Paul Morphy, a N’Awlins native and chess grand master.

Literature? Although it has a lot of “local” references that pass over everyone’s head, try John Kennedy Toole’s book “A Confederacy of Dunces.” Pulitzer-prize winner. Also, some of Tennessee Williams works were done in our fair city. Many of the Anne Rice “Vampire” series were written while she lived in N’Awlins.

Let’s not forget that if you use alligator, you are reaching outside the city. Despite popular opinions, alligators don’t roam our streets freely. But if you go outside the city, look to Avery Island and Tabasco Sauce. There is also “Louisiana Red Hot” sauce.

Community coffee, CDM (Cafe Du Monde) coffee, and Folger’s coffee are all made in N’Awlins (though Folger’s is a national chain with more than one plant.)

Get a picture of the space shuttle during launch. The external fuel tank for the shuttle is made in N’Awlins near the Michoud Assembly Facility.

I’ll second the opinion of getting something from the zoo or aquarium if your guy friend is into nature. Or get a book on the subject of John James Audubon, an early New Orleanian and famous naturalist. One of our city’s parks is named after him.

Customized Loyola University Gift Basket

WILSON NFL AUTOGRAPH DISPLAY FOOTBALL NEW ORLEANS SAINTS EASTER BASKET GIFT $25.95

New Orleans, Louisiana Cajun Food & Spice Gift Basket $50.00

New Orleans, Louisiana Cajun Food & Spice Gift Basket $60.00

New Orleans Saints NFL 15 Waste Basket $33.00 These high quality metal waste baskets are great for a rec room childs room bathroom or anywhere you want to show your team spirit! They are 15″ tall and about 10″ wide at the top. They have a tapered top and feature bright colors and great graphics. The graphics are on both sides of the trash can. Made by WinCraft….

Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix 1000 $7.95 Other…

New Orleans in a Box Gift Basket $44.99 The perfect gift or souvenir for those in search of what makes New Orleans so unique. This colorful gift box is decorated with photographs of New Orleans, including the St. Louis Cathedral and French Quarter balconies. Includes all of the following: 6 Creamy Assorted Pralines, Aunt Sally’s Cajun Pecans, Creole Red Beans & Rice Dinner Mix, Container of Original Creole Seasoning, Bottle of New Orle…

Taste of the Big Easy Gift Box $29.99 Shaped like a small suitcase, you can pick out all of what makes New Orleans a truly special place. You can follow the street cars up St Charles Avenue or watch the King of Carnival throw the treasured beads off a Mardi Gras float. Follow the tug boat up the great Mississippi or find the boy with the foot long “poor boy” sandwich. Every time you look at it you will find something new! The waiter c…

New Orleans Hornets Team Color Basketball iBounce Case $10.50 Protect your iPod® while showing off your team spirit with this officially licensed, fully functional, NBA basketball iPod® Case from GameWearTM. Each case is made from the same elements as a baseball as well as a touch-sensitive vinyl team logo in the middle that allows you to access the thumbwheel without taking the iPod® out of the case. Fits many types of MP3 Players and comes with a 360…

New Orleans Saints 15 Waste Basket $27.19 These high quality metal waste baskets are great for a rec room, child’s room, bathroom or anywhere you want to show your team spirit! They are 15″ tall, and about 10″ wide at the top. They have a tapered top, and feature bright colors and great graphics. The graphics are on both sides of the trash can. Made by WinCraft….