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

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The_Doc_Man

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.

traveler

Aunt Sallys Pralines
Hurricane Mix
Hubigs Pies
Zatarain's
King cake (although not the season)
Hornets and/or saints stuff
This years Jazz Fest poster (now available), the one of Kermit is pretty cool!

(I also thought of beignet mix) its a nice thought but agree not the same.
You had some good thoughts too
Beads
CCs coffee

You Wish U Knew

is he a tea person? send some luzianne tea . zatharines (sp?) mixes are good too. and some hot sausage some boudin. since its around easter time my friend love pecan eggs, try and send those, they only make them here (the candy that come sin this bright yellow packaging.)

Katrina is a b!t(h

get some Abita beer

Roma

Fish fry
Crab boil
Music CD (Jazz)
Poster from the zoo or a 3D-type drawing of the city

sixoneurdun

Superdome anything

New Orleans Saints anything
schedule, season ticket prices ;)

Blue Dog not the real one just buy a
stuffed animal and tell him this is a close as
you could get.

Hurricane evacuation map

Pat O's glasses, anything

Popeyes chicken stuff

King cake baby

Pete Fountain cd

gambit newspaper

Jazz Fest (any)

Tabasco sauce

if you want to be a smart a**
Nopd stuff, fake parking ticket
toy gun, etc.

Red beans and rice

pictures of shrimp, crawfish boils

Hatchet_Prince

lets see, my fiance who lives down there sent me some stuff that included Zatarains, i was so happy, my friends in school loved it, but uhhh, add some novelty stuff, like mardi grasplushies,cups, and dubloons

Moxie1313

How about a mug from Cafe Dy Monde? You mentioned coffee, is it chicory coffee? A souvenier glass from Pat O'Briens?

indigoleo27

Dr. Bob's "Be Nice or Leave" art

*N.O.L.A.

Is he a sports fan? Maybe some Saints or Hornets memorbillia. Hell, are the Zephyers still around? That would be cool, too.

Time travler

How about a box of beignet mix , and some Emiril's seasoning, and be sure to get some really cool beads too.

Katie

Mmmm.. pralines.. good call.

What about:

Hubig's Pies

DIXIE Beer

Blue Plate Mayonnaise (weird for a gift basket, but he IS a guy)

A NOLA cookbook

A Cafe du Monde coffee cup? (Maybe cheesy, but if you need fillers...)

What about little trinkets like a crawfish magnet or a NOLA apron?

You could do the beignet mix, but the odds of him actually using it are slim. It never comes out right anyway...

Sometimes you can find miniature king cakes, that would be a good addition...

SolarRain

Go down there by the French Market across from Jackson Square at the praline place, god I haven't been there in a year, Aunt Sally's? yes! http://www.auntsallys.com/, umm.. get the Cajun popcorn seasoning, its delicious! get some artwork of new orleans, like one that is a slate roof that a picture is on. I got one in the shops in the French Market. Cafe Du Monde coffee with chicory, Zydeco music from Rockin Sidney who made My Toot Toot or Boozoo Chavis.

medicineman272003

A bullet proof vest would be nice to have.

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