Even in New Orleans it’s hard to imagine what Professor Longhair, oysters, streetcars, and hardware might have in common. The answer is, Rampart Street. Professor Longhair lived there. P&J Oysters have been there for about a century. Mary’s Hardware store has been there for about 5 years. And the streetcar has just made a return,…

We talk a lot on this show about how the New Orleans economy is changing. Entrepreneurs are starting up companies that do everything from build apps to 3D printers. Meanwhile, our traditional industries of hospitality and tourism are rolling right along on a parallel track. On this edition of Out to Lunch Peter’s talking about…

Just 135 miles apart, a 2 hour sprint on the interstate or a scenic ramble on the 90, New Orleans and Lafayette are two of America’s most culturally interesting cities.  Economically, though, they’re different. New Orleans is booming and growing while Lafayette is facing headwinds from a depressed oil economy and the continuing after-effects of floods…

Peter Ricchiuti leaves his regular table at Commander’s Palace in the Garden District and  travels downtown to the Arts District. He’s set up shop at the Contemporary Arts Center where art is taking a back seat to business. This is the current home of the Idea Village’s annual bridge between Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest – a…

The good news is, you’ve got Google. So if you want, in the next couple of minutes, you can look up the word “polymer.” P-O-L-Y-M-E-R. When you do, you probably won’t be much wiser about what a polymer is, and guaranteed you won’t be able to figure out what “polymer monitoring” might be. All you need…