Why Seven is my Lucky Number By Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady

Why Seven is my Lucky Number

By Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady

My first grandchild is due to be born on July 7, 2007. So the baby's birthday will be 7/07/07 if all goes on schedule.

Seven brings lots of things to mind. The convenient 7-11. James Bond, 007. And recently I discovered a new restaurant, 7 on Fulton.

I was there during the week of NOWFE, the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience so my palate had peaked at a high pleasure level. But 7 on Fulton still made a memorable impression.

Sophisticated and quiet with a performer singing soothing sounds, it was hard to believe this restaurant was on the same block as Harrah's Casino. And the menu offered some of my favorite dishes that aren't on many menus. I love sweetbreads and whenever I see them on a menu, I order them and know that chef is courageous and daring to introduce new flavors and ingredients. Perhaps someday the rest of the world will love sweetbreads as much as I do. Until then, I hope they are on the menu every time I return to New Orleans and 7, on Fulton offers Contemporary New Orleans Cuisine with such menu items as:

Sweetbreads and Escargots Pot Pie with Roasted Garlic
Pecan-crusted Warm Crabmeat
Satsuma Curd
Red-curry Foam
Crispy Gulf Fish with Calamari, Fennel and Arugula
Sauce Piquante
Duo de Beouf
Filet and Horse-radish-crusted Short Rib
Rabbit Stew
Parmigiano Agnolotti aux Fines Herbes

Who is in the Kitchen making all this Magic?

Michael Sichel, whose cooking style draws on his experiences at leading restaurants in France and the United States, has joined 7 on Fulton as Executive Chef. Sichel is a native New Yorker whose first encounter with south-Louisiana cuisine came during the 10 months he spent in 1999 as executive chef at Kean's Carriage House in St. Francisville.

Vicky Bayley, who opened 7 on Fulton in early 2006, said she came to know Sichel when he inquired about a position at another of her restaurants. Then I had his cooking at The Cellar (Sichel's previous post) and quickly became a fan. I was thrilled by his passion for food and his desire to please people.

Sichel said his culinary style at 7 is French-based and New Orleans-inspired. Among the dishes appearing on the initial menus are a wild-mushroom soup with oysters and truffle-whipped egg yolk, warm crabmeat with lemon mascarpone and curry foam, and bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with pork belly in sauce naturelle. The exciting dining environment in New Orleans was a major factor in my decision to work here, Sichel said. People in this city have truly refined palates, which is one more motivation for me to maintain high standards, to use the best technique with the best seasonal product available.

Sichel, who holds an associate's degree from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., spent a year working under chef Pascal Morel at the renowned Abbaye de Sainte Croix in Salon de Provence, France. His other early postings included such widely respected American restaurants as Rubicon in San Francisco, Gotham Bar & Grill in New York, and Chicago's Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Before moving to the city last year, Sichel cooked for four years in California's Napa Valley at the Auberge du Soleil, eventually becoming the executive sous-chef in the inn's award-winning kitchen. Shortly after arriving in New Orleans in 2005 he reopened Indigo in Mid-City, and more recently was executive chef, partner and general manager at The Cellar at Culinaria in the Lower Garden District.

Bayley's first restaurant venture was Mike's on the Avenue, opened in 1990 in the Central Business District. Before joining the hospitality industry she was director of operations at the New Orleans Fair Grounds racetrack. She also served on the Sugar Bowl Committee and was the first woman to chair the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to attract and manage sporting events that have a positive economic impact on the New Orleans area.

7 On Fulton is located adjacent to the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel
701 Convention Center Boulevard.
For reservations, please call: 504-525-7555
7onfulton.com

HELPFUL WEBSITES

www.neworleansonline.com

www.neworleanscvb.com

TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

Instead of waiting till next year's Mardi Gras to rally for the city, invest in something that truly shows your support. Find things from New Orleaners.

Available online at b-native.com.

WHERE TO STAY

Harrah
#8 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504)533-6000
www.harrahs.com

Hotel Monteleone
214 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130-2201
www.hotelmonteleone.com

http://www.travellady.com/Issues/April05/1391WheretoStay.htm

WHAT I WISH I HAD KNOWN BEFORE I WENT TO NEW ORLEANS

1. Where the Party people stay
There are two kinds of people who go to New Orleans, those who want to party and those who don't. If you don't plan to stay up all night, be sure to express that preference when you check in and request a quiet room, perhaps on a courtyard. Or consider staying outside the quarter if you value a good night's sleep.

I stayed at a to-be-nameless hotel (not in the hotels recommended above) in the quarter and called down to the front desk because of all the noise. They were prepared. They sent up earplugs. That was not enough. Two sleeping pills and six hours later, I learned there was a long list of people who wanted to change rooms. I waited (and slept) all day in my room waiting for another room, wanting to be sure not to loose my place on that special list. The helpful front desk person told me that more people than usual had called down to complain the night before.

2. Find a friend and skip the Shuttle
The cost for a cab to the center of New Orleans is exactly the same as the shuttle fare for two people. I went to the shuttle kiosk line at the airport. I asked if anyone was going to the French Quarter. Two people quickly stepped out of line and it turned out we were all going to Harrah. I considered it the first lucky omen since we each paid less than the cost of the shuttle and we did not have to wait in line, This doesn't work as well on the way to the airport. Perhaps mention to your concierge when you are planning to leave and suggest that you would love to share a cab with anyone leaving around the same time.

GETTING ORIENTED

Should you become confused while walking in the French Quarter, find the skyscrapers on the horizon. That will be Canal Street.

GETTING CONNECTED

Following Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans became home to the nation's first city-owned and operated-operated free wireless Internet network. Although literature claims service is currently available throughout the French Quarter, Central Business District and Warehouse District, it did not work in my French Quarter Hotel. It did not work in the airport yet, either. Have a backup plan.

BEST PLACE TO GET ONLINE FOR FREE

201 St. Charles in the food court
Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm
Free internet access at Krystal's on Bourbon with a $5 purchase

MOST LITERARY TIME TO PLAN YOUR VISIT

The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival celebrates its anniversary usually the last weekend in March. Weather is cool, reception is warm, topic is hot.

BEST FICTIONAL BOOK ABOUT NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANT SCENE

Prime
By Poppy Z. Brite
Three Rivers Press
www.crownpublishing.com

http://www.travellady.com/Issues/May05/1473Prime.htm

MOST DELICIOUS TIME TO PLAN YOUR VISIT

New Orleans Wine and Food Experience
http://www.travellady.com/Issues/May07/4150NewOrleans.shtml

BEST "BLUES" EXPERIENCE

Blue cheese Burger at Rmeoulade's
309 Bourbon Street

BEST SHOPPING ADVICE

And Madelyn's favorite stores
http://www.travellady.com/Issues/May05/1351Iatesomuch.htm

BEST LOCAL PLACE TO SHOP

RHINO
(which stands for right here in New Orleans)
504-523-7945
www.rhinocrafts.com
A non-profit educational organization whose purpose is to expand public knowledge of and stimulate public awareness in contemporary Louisiana fine crafts.

Bywater Art Market
Affordable Local and Regional Art
3rd Saturday of every month
Markley Park Piety and Royal Street in Bywater 504-944-900

BEST SPAS

Ritz Carlton Spa, New Orleans
Try the signature Voodoo Massage or the Royal Experience. They also offer Thai massage and a unique hot stones pedicure

EarthSavers
Several locations and all good for you and the environment. My manicure lasted for three weeksâ€”a record for this frequent traveler who is moving luggage constantly and typing on my computer.
http://www.travellady.com/Issues/April05/1353ForgetVoodoo.htm

Belladona
2900 Magazine
504-891-4393
Some of the most creative spa treatments in the world plus a zen retail store. Enjoy tea in the meditative garden. The classiest way to relax with a massage, sauna, hydrotherapy, hot tub and more.
http://www.travellady.com/Issues/February05/1248NewOrleansBelladonnaDaySpa.htm

Arie
In the Monteleone Hotel
214 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130-2201
www.hotelmonteleone.com

TOAST TO HISTORY

Old Absinthe House. A favored tavern of such bon vivants as Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, and Walt Whitman, this historic bar continues to draw absinthe enthusiasts and those thirsty for a taste of authentic New Orleans, as it has since 1806
240 Bourbon Street
504-523-3181
www.oldabsinthehouse.com

BEST PLANTATION TOUR

Houmas House Plantation and Gardens.

Houmas House is famous for its imposing Greek Revival architecture and lush grounds (complete with strolling peacocks and picturesque swans. There are many Kodak moments to discover here.

The location has "starred" in many films (most memorably Hush..Hush, Sweet Charlotte). Latil's Landing, the plantation's in-house restaurants, features fine dining fit for a sugar baron. Definitely worth the 45 minute drive from New Orleans

Tours are offered M-W 9am-5pm, Th-Sun, 9am-8pm. $20 admittance ($10 for grounds only)

The gift shop is extensive and not expensive. Many good holiday gifts for under $20.

GREAT GUIDEBOOKS

FEET ON THE STREET
Rambles Around New Orleans
By Roy Blount, Jr.
Crown Journeys
www.randomhouse.com

INSIGHT GUIDES NEW ORLEANS
From Discovery Channel
www.insightguides.com

ACCESS NEW ORLEANS
HarperResource/Access Press
www.harpercollins.com

NEW ORLEANS
EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDES
Over 700 pictures
DK PUBLISHING
WWW.dk.com

EATING NEW ORLEANS
From French Quarter Creole Dining to the Perfect Poboy
By Pableaux Johnson
Countryman Press
www.countrymanpress.com

2005 NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANTS
With bonus Nightlife section
ZagatSurvey
www.zagat.com

STORIES IN STONE: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography
Written and photographed by Douglas Keister
Dead men may tell no tales, but their tombstones do and now there is a book that will help anyone become an expert on just what it is they are trying to tell us. Graveyard tours and funerary architecture are HUGE in New Orleans so you may want to study up.
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
www.gibbs-smith.com

NEW ORLEANS COOKBOOKS
Brenan's Cookbook
By Pip, Jimmy and Ted Brennan
Brennan's cookbook features a collection of the restaurant's famous recipe, a history of the restaurant (including information about the early family), and a history of the building (it was built by Edgar Degas -- the famous French painter's great-grandfather) as a residence.

Arnaud's Restaurant Cookbook
New Orleans Legendary Creole Cuisine
By Kit Wohl
Pelican Publishing Company
www.pelicanpub.com

Uglesich's
By John Ugleich
Pelican Publishing Company
www.pelicanpub.com

FLAVORS OF LOUISIANNA
AUDUBON PLANATATION COUNTRY COOKBOOK
By Anne Butler
Pelican
www.pelicanpub.com

BEST BOOK FOR MUSIC BACKGROUND

Triksta
Life and death and New Orleans rap
by Nik Cohn
Triksta has already gone to press when Katrina struck. Within a few hours, the world Nik Cohn had lived in and written about was largely destroyed, but its people, for the most part, survived.
Alfred A. Knopf
www.aaknopf.com

BEST MUSIC TO GET YOU IN THE NEW ORLEANS MOOD

American Blues
Celebrate the Soul and spirit of the blues with some of America's greatest contemporary blues artists
Putumayo World Music
www.putumayo.com

Mississippi Blues
A musical journey down the Mississippi River with classic blues from Memphis to New Orleans
Putumayo World Music
www.putumayo.com

HELPFUL MAP

MAPQUEST NEW ORLEANS City Map. This large scale detailed street map folds up to 2'X3'

Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who loves New Orleans. Read her stories on www.travellady.com, www.chocolateatlas.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.teaAtlas.com, www.carladynews.com