SPICE AISLES
Lafayette is heavy on the spice when it comes to Cajun and Creole seasoning, but other cuisines don’t have much representation on our grocery store shelves. Mohamed Maki is about to change all that. The Lebanese native and owner of club Lipstick says he was walking through the spice section in the grocery store and noticed there was no Lebanese seasoning blend. So the former pizza magnate (Pizza Pro, Home Run Pizza) decided to make his own. Makiz Lebanese Seasoning, with its lemon-garlic burst, is an all purpose flavoring for Middle Eastern standards like tabouli, hummus, grape leaves, falafel and kibbe, but it’s also great on American main stream dishes like barbecued chicken, hamburgers and seafood. You can find it for $3.99 at Cedar Deli (where you will also find Mr. Maki dining most days), Albertsons on Johnston St. and Fresh Pickins. — Mary Tutwiler
25 YEARS OF DOWNTOWN ALIVE!
Capping off their 25th anniversary, the folks behind Downtown Alive! have released a compilation CD comprised of bands and artists that have graced DTA stages over the years. If you’re looking for a live compilation, you might have to wait a little longer as this CD is composed of studio tracks. It’s more like a Louisiana mix tape than a live document, but it’s still worth your cash. Highlights included Les Freres Michot’s “La Chasse Aux Lapins” and Chubby Carrier’s funktified “Bayou Road.” — Dege Legg
DAILY BREAD
Whether you’re just in need of a little breakfast toast or looking for the right bread to accompany your Thanksgiving feast, Keller’s Bakery’s spicy jalapeño sausage and cheese bread is perfect for almost any occasion. Parker House roll soft and chock full of spicy sausage, jalapeño, and cheddar cheese, you’ll instinctively find yourself reaching for more. Keller’s recently re-introduced the round loaf specialty, which sells for $8, much to the delight of customers. Keller’s is located in downtown Lafayette at 1012 Jefferson St. Call 235-1568 for more information. — Nathan Stubbs
David Calhoun and Elizabeth “EB” Brooks are the first two employees of Lafayette Central Park Inc., the nonprofit charged with turning Lafayette Consolidated Government’s 100-acre Johnston Street Horse Farm property into a passive public park. Calhoun was named executive director, and Brooks is director of planning and design.
At Thursday's State of the Economy luncheon, LEDA President and CEO Gregg Gothreaux said PXP has already quietly hired 180 people for its Broussard expansion.
There will soon be a whole lot of shakin’ going on at Benny’s Sportshack Supplement Depot, a new concept by Opelousas native Benny Nele. Located at 2002 Johnston St., the supplement shop, smoothie bar and café, featuring hot off the press paninis and wraps, plans to open in late May.
This year’s Cool Town issue is all about people who are not native to South Louisiana but made a conscious decision to be here, to be among us, to participate in our culture and contribute to it.
A shelved ordinance transferring $200,000 from a northside drainage project to a south Lafayette development may not break any laws, but it stinks to high heaven.
An effort to restore a shuttered dancehall and document other vacant or razed honky-tonks could serve as a model for saving an endangered species of entertainment.
Lafayette’s gene pool has been host to a long line of eccentric characters who have blurred the lines between crazy, genius, disturbed and curiously entertaining.
SPICE AISLES
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