Et cetera

Meet: Dinner Lab’s Lab-Bag. As part of a one-month trial experiment, Dinner Lab is offering lunch and dinner delivery  (CBD only) and pick-up (from their Mid City kitchen; lunch only) available to non-members — there’s been a membership wait-list for ages. As with their pop-up dinners, Dinner Lab invites a different visiting chef to prepare the meals. This week’s Basque-inspired options — conceived and prepared by former Eleven Madison Park chef, Eric Bolyard — included cider braised lam shoulder with a lentil, leek, and chorizo stew; espelette-dusted Mahi with a “pipperada” of braised garbanzos; and roasted king mushrooms and charred eggplant puree with a guindilla pepper salsa verde.

Ordering for the rest of this week is closed (orders must be placed by 4 PM Wednesday for Thursday/Friday lunch and Thursday – Sunday dinner) but should reopen online for next week’s bags within the next couple of days. Each Lab-Bag will be priced $12 and under. Lunches are prepared hot, and dinners arrive as kits.

Eat: Korean fried chicken wings at Lucky Rooster. Recently named one of the 25 best chicken wings in America by Epicurious, Lucky Rooster’s  Asian interpretation of KFC ($ 7) consists of oversized, perfectly crispy and juicy wings coated in a sticky sweet chile garlic sauce, served with a kim chi slaw on the side. Dine during happy hour (M – F 3 – 6 PM), and enjoy the wings for only $2 a piece.

Drink: Crepe Turtle bobba tea at Mopho. As Mardi Gras nears and many New Orleanians prepare themselves for what can only be described as a four-day Olympic trial of one’s liver function, it might not be a bad idea to lay off the booze. Newly opened Mid City Asian fusion restaurant Mopho produces creative interpretations of the Taiwaneese tea-based beverage. The Crepe turtle ($6) is formed from a refreshing blend of lychee, honeydew melon, white tea syrup and, of course, tapioca balls. If you’re adamant about continuing your liver “training,” you can spike your Crepe Turtle with Cathead honeysuckle vodka (extra $3) or Ransom barrel-aged Old Tom gin ($5 extra).

Wear: A fair trade scarf from Passion Lilie. It’s been chilly lately, but let’s be honest — “winter” in New Orleans is typically best be described as a “lovely fall day” elsewhere. Thus, wool outerwear is often too heavy for our winters. Local fair trade clothing company Passion Lilie’s cotton scarves ($20 – $22) are light, breathable, stylish, and the perfect way to style yourself for winter without suffocating. The accessories come in a variety of locally designed prints — from neutral block prints to blue and teal retro floral — and are 100% vegan.

Laugh: Sometimes names take a while to catch on…

In case you were wondering whether it was one of the other Snoop Lions and/or Doggs you may know.

Chelsea Lee is associate editor at NolaVie. Email comments to her at chelsea@nolavie.com.