Weekend Roundup

Three major events highlight the calendar this weekend. Satchmo SummerFest actually begins tonight with the kickoff party, followed by the Satchmo Club Strut tomorrow night along Frenchman Street. Then all day Saturday and Sunday at the Old U.S. Mint, you can enjoy three stages of live music, as well as daily seminars held around the corner at the Palm Court Jazz Cafe. The music is free, but there will be food and libations for you to purchase. Look for me scarfing down a cochon de lait po-boy and washing it down with an Abita Amber.

For the visual artists among us, White Linen Night offers a chance to explore the Arts District while donning your favorite summer wardrobe. This year the tagline for the event is "Bigger. Better. More Bars." A word to the wise, if the 3rd promise is not fulfilled, then the first two are unattainable. At the end of the night, when you're searching for some friendly air-conditioned confines and there are 10,000 people jammed into Lucy's, remember that you have other options, such as Rio Mar, A Mano, Emeril's, Wolfe's in the Warehouse District, La Cote Brasserie, Grand Isle, Butcher, and (if you can get a table) La Boca.

Finally, on Sunday from 3:00 till 6:00, the Southern Food and Beverage Museum hosts their annual Eat! Drink! SoFAB! Tailgating Gala. $75 gets you 3 hours of music, cocktails, NOLA brew, and sophisticated tailgating cuisine prepared by local chefs. I'm really looking forward to the "Seared Big Bad Bacon Pork Belly Rillettes" prepared by Chef John Currence of City Grocery. You had me at bacon... and at pork belly... and at rilletes.