Sunday, January 27, 2013

The Suit & Tie Series : Countdown Day 7 : 2013 Superbowl : New Orleans

Welcome Back To The Countdown To Superbowl XLVII (Day 10 | Day 9 | Day 8 | Day 6 | Day 5 | Day 4 | Day 3)

Welcome back what is rumored to be one of the most explosive and exciting Superbowl weekends to date. The Velvet Couch is continuing the countdown to Superbowl XLVII with day 7. You will continue to be updated with tips on where to go, what to do, where to stay and most certainly while in New Orleans where to eat and where to party. We look forward to celebrating the journey to Superbowl XLVII featuring The Suit & Tie Album by Justin Timberlake with commentary by The Velvet Couch.

Celebrity Flag Football Game

Events : USA : LA : New Orleans : Tazon Latino VII : Celebrity Flag Football Game

When : January 31, 2013

Where : 900 Convention Center Blvd New Orleans, LA 70130 (Ernest N. Morial Convention Center)

Time : 8:15am

Phone : (504) 582-3000

Price : Free (600 Complimentary Tickets)

The NFL will host the 7th Annual Tazón Latino event at the NFL Experience Driven by GMC at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on Thursday, January 31st. The event will feature notable NFL Legends and Hispanic celebrities competing in a flag football game. The event will be taped to air as a one hour special on Univision on Saturday, February 2nd. Highlights of past NFL Legends participating include Marcus Allen, Warren Moon, Deion Sanders, Vinny Testaverde, Thurman Thomas and Rocket Ismail.

The winning team's fans will each receive an autographed mini-helmet signed by a New Orleans Saint's Star at the end of the game!

Tazon Latino VI - Celebrity Flag Football Game Review By Diana Rocco : BaderTV

The celebrity flag football game featuring notable NFL alumni and Hispanic celebrities took place during the Super Bowl weekend.

NFL legends and current players that took part in the fun event included former Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammates and Super Bowl XXXVII champions Mike Allstot and Martin Gramatica, Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, Green Bay Packers all-time leading rusher Ahman Green and legendary Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham.

Latino celebrities on hand were Iraq war veteran and 2011 "Dancing with the Stars" Champion JR Martinez and award winning chef, restaurateur and television star Aaron Sanchez. Additional personalities included, Daniel Carles, host of TeleFutua's late night talk show "Noches de Perros," Felix Hernandez, host of Univision's sports entertainment program "República Deportiva," ANA

Patricia Gonzalez, winner of Univision's "Nuestra Belleza Latina 2010," and Claudia Molina, first season winner of Univision's "¡Mira Quién Baila!" were also on the field

The game was officiated by Alberto Riveron, the NFL's first Hispanic referee, and Greg Brenner. Tazón Latino VI was hosted by renowned sportscasters Fernando Fiore and Claudia Trejos, with Mercedes Aguirre . Former NFL player Rolando Cantu was the live announcer at the event. The Colts cheerleaders performed as part of the halftime festivities.

2013 Lineup

NFL Shop House In Brand New Entrance Of Convention Center

Events : USA : LA : New Orleans : NFL Shop House In Brand New Entrance Of Convention Center

When : February 1, 2013

Where : 900 Convention Center Blvd New Orleans, LA 70130 (Ernest N. Morial Convention Center)

Time : 10:00 am

Phone : (504) 582-3000

Price : Free

City officials and NFL representatives are hosting a special ribbon cutting ceremony for the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Friday.

The ceremony will serve as grand opening of the Great Hall, previously known as Hall A, which will house the 60,000 square foot NFL Shop for the Super Bowl.

"The Convention Center never really had a sense of approach. We never had a real front door. So, we felt that was very, very necessary in order to engage our visitors when they come," said Bob Johnson, general manger of the Convention Center.

Hall A is now a column-free "grand meeting space," Johnson said.

The hall was renamed the Great Hall in deference to the World's Fair in 1984, during which it was referred to by the same name.

There is also a new 4,000 square foot meeting room with a terrace that overlooks the city scape. It was named the Rivergate Room in honor of the history of the exhibition industry in New Orleans.

The hall's first purpose will be to serve as the entrance to the NFL Experience. The NFL Store opens in the hall on Friday, and the Experience opens at the Convention Center on Wednesday. The Experience takes up the 1,000,000 square feet of the building.

"We had to get this project planned, designed, demolished and constructed in 13 months," Johnson said.

Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne and Mayor Mitch Landrieu will be present at the 10 a.m. dedication.

Super Bowl XLVII Media Center Bridgestone Fan Gallery at MCCNO

Events : USA : NO : New Orleans : Super Bowl XLVII Media Center Bridgestone Fan Gallery at MCCNO

When : January 30 - February 1, 2013

Where : 900 Convention Center Blvd New Orleans, LA 70130 (New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention)

Time : 10:00 AM – 6:00

Tickets : Free

Phone : (504) 582-3000

Fans will have free behind-the-scenes access to portions of the Media Center located in Hall H of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention. Fans will be able to see NFL players, celebrities and other athletes interviewed on NFL Network and other television network sets and on Radio Row. In addition to being on site of the Media Center that accommodates 5,000 credentialed media, fans also will be able to check out sponsored interactive zones.

The Bridgestone Fan Gallery will be open Wednesday, January 30 – Friday, February 1 from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Free Tickets will be distributed from the Lobby of Hall G of the New Orleans Convention Center and will be available day of event while supplies last.

Super Bowl XLVII Media Center Bridgestone Fan Gallery at MCCNO Review By Morgan : Nola Black Professionals

For only the second time in Super Bowl history, the NFL will offer a limited number of spectators a unique opportunity to attend Media Day Fueled by Gatorade on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Fans are able to purchase $25 tickets at Ticketmaster.com. Doors will open at 8:30 am (CT) to all ticket holders. Media Day will begin at 10am (CT). All seating for the event will be reserved.

During Media Day, fans will sit in the stands at the stadium and watch thousands of media from around the world interview members of the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens on the field. Fans who attend Media Day also will get a rare chance to see the preparations of the stadium for Super Bowl XLVII.

New Orleans Saints S MALCOLM JENKINS and RB Darren Sproles also will be in attendance at Media Day signing autographs for fans during the break between the two participating team sessions.

Fans will receive a Media Day gift bag that will include a radio to tune into the day’s coverage on NFL Network and listen to some of the individual player interviews from the podium microphones audio. In addition, there will be player and cheerleader appearances. Fans also will have access to concession and merchandise stands throughout the day.

The Hotel Monteleone New Orleans

Hotels : USA : LA : New Orleans : The Hotel Monteleone New Orleans

It’s been said that the French Quarter begins in the lobby of the Hotel Monteleone. In fact, this venerable establishment sits majestically at the foot of Royal Street giving guests the best point of departure for all things New Orleans. Visitors need only step outside this French Quarter hotel to discover shop after shop of fabulous European antiques, estate jewelry, Oriental rugs, and art and antiquities from around the world. Quaint restaurants and specialty shops line the cobblestone French Quarter streets that lead to Jackson Square, the Old French Market and the Riverwalk where tourists and native New Orleanians stroll the levee and watch the steamboats and barges along the Mississippi River. At this New Orleans hotel, you’ll find history around every corner.

This historic New Orleans landmark is a member of Historic Hotels of America and Preferred Hotel Group. The Hotel Monteleone boasts 600 luxurious guest rooms, including 55 suites, the new Criollo Restaurant & Lounge, the famous Carousel Bar & Lounge, Logo Shop, heated rooftop pool and 24/7 exercise facility, Spa Aria, business center, 25,000 square feet of newly renovated state-of-the-art meeting space, and valet parking. The Hotel Monteleone also offers 24/7 In-Room Dining and a Grab-n-Go Breakfast in the Lobby Lounge.

No doubt the Hotel Monteleone’s prime location has made it a favorite with meeting and convention planners. It is the closest French Quarter hotel to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, but it is the impeccable service, modern luxury amenities and attention to detail that keep guests returning year after year to this historic, luxurious New Orleans hotel.

Clancy's Restaurant

Eats : USA : LA : New Orleans : Clancy's Restaurant

About Clancy's Restaurant

Clancy's is the Uptown answer to Galatoire's, with a passionate local following and a menu of simple but very good New Orleans style cooking. Its kitchen leans largely on traditional Creole restaurant dishes of the kind that the newer, more vogue-conscious bistros hesitate to serve. The wait staff is chummy and efficient. And the wine cellar is surprisingly fine for a restaurant of this size. A table here has been a tough score, particularly since Katrina.

It's fun to eat here. The kitchen mixes original dishes with traditional ones, and buys fine enough ingredients that even the least complicated dishes make you stop and appreciate their goodness. (Case in point: the soups of the day.) Clancy's was the first local non-barbecue restaurant with an in-house capability for smoking food; those dishes add interest to the menu. It's never been the best restaurant in town, not even for any single dish. But it's reliably delicious, more so than most bistros.

Clancy's was one of the original crop of bistros that redefined Creole cooking in the early 1980s. It opened on St. Patrick's Day, 1983, after its owners--none of whom were restaurateurs previously--gentrified an old neighborhood bar without changing it too much. Current owner Brad Hollingsworth, who earlier in his career was a waiter at Galatoire's and LeRuth's, has a good sense of what local people like. And a passion for wine that fills a terrific cellar.

Clancy's premises still has the feeling of the neighborhood cafe. There's nothing fancy about it. The long downstairs dining room is convivial and bright, with large windows lining one wall. The bar is always packed with people waiting for tables, as well as singles dining. The little room just past the bar is a pleasant place for a dozen or so diners, if you can stand the traffic heading upstairs, where a maze of small dining rooms completes the ensemble.

Clancy's Restaurant Review By Jando S. : Queens, NY

Clancy's is a classic example of why New Orleans is one of the culinary capitals of the South. Nestled along Annunciation in a residential hood around Uptown, this place is the perfect getaway from the busy touristy parts of the city and into the very den locals dine at and might I add, in amazing fashion.

Coming here with a few local friends, some sober and the others not, we all managed to come away mighty impressed with everything Clancy's had to offer. Even without a reservation, we were seated a stone's throw away from the bar and marveled at most of the items listed in their menu - despite struggling with our ability to read it (which is in serious cursive)

From the very start to finish, service was impeccable. After the bartender had hooked us up with some killer old fashioned cocktails, we got rowdy enough to get some stares. Our waiter never wavered, remaining efficient and witty, while making some killer recommendations for food. We settled eventually for Clancy's Crabmeat Salad ($16), Fried Oysters w/Brie ($12), Breaded Boudin Sausage ($10), Clancy's Smoked Duck ($29), Lobster Risotto ($30), Gumbo ($11), and Veal with Crawfish and Bernaise ($26). Granted it was a lot of food, but we cleaned it off our plates with pleasure.

The crab meat salad was worth the hype. It was creamy, crabby, and strangely addicting. Fried oysters with brie didn't initially appeal to me, but the texture of the crunch with the baked cheese made for a fabulous bite. Of all of the entrees, the winner of the bunch was easily the lobster risotto. Chunks of delicious lobster, mushrooms, and risotto rice all seasoned in symphony for one delicious spoonful after another.

This meal wasn't cheap but it was all about the experience. Given our stellar initial go around, I trust future visits will be on par with some of the best NOLA has to offer. Be it a special occasion or a casual (slightly upscale) meal, Clancy's is going to be a mainstay for my NOLA must visit list.

Lafittie's Blacksmit Shop Bar

Bars : USA : LA : New Orleans : Lafittie's Blacksmit Shop Bar

About Lafittie's Blacksmit Shop Bar

It's some steps away from the main action on Bourbon, but you'll know Lafitte's when you see it. Dating from the 1770s, it's the oldest building in the Quarter -- possibly in the Mississippi Valley (though that's not documented) -- and it looks it. Legend has it that the privateer brothers Pierre and Jean Lafitte used the smithy as a "blind" for their lucrative trade in contraband (and, some say, slaves they'd captured on the high seas). Like all legends, that's probably not true.

The owner managed to maintain the exposed-brick interior when he rescued the building from deterioration in the 1940s (and later lost it). At night when you step inside and it's entirely lit by candles, you can understand why Offbeat magazine claims Lafitte's patented the word dank. In other towns, this would be a tourist trap, a jukebox does overblare, and an exterior renovation badly falsified the previous genuine plaster-and-exposed-brick look. Yet it still feels authentic (Tennessee Williams did drink here, after all), and it's almost always easy to get into, even on Mardi Gras day. Definitely worth swinging by for atmosphere, but drink only beer; their mixed drinks appall cocktail aficionados.

711 Bourbon Heat

Clubs : USA : NO : New Orleans : 711 Bourbon Heat

About 711 Bourbon Heat

Find the heat on two dance floors at this club, with music ranging from zydeco to jazz to guest DJs weekends. The Sunday Funday special offers three-for-one drinks, and specialty libations include the Heat, bloody mary and Hurricane. Open daily. Smoking allowed. Full restaurant menu. Happy hour 11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily

711 Bourbon Heat Review By Amit K. : New Orleans, LA

Strolling down bourbon street for my first time after walking by 12 hand grenade places and a couple of souvenir shops we found ourself in this establishment sitting at the bar chatting with the owner and realized we finally found a classy place on bourbon street.

We had a few drinks at the downstairs bar which was a long slab of marble with warm exposed brick and wood walls and a well back-lit bar with top shelf liquor and Abita on tap.

The back patio offers a casual lounge scene with bamboo shards growing up the sides of the wall offering a nice change from the norm. There is also a bar on back patio as well for when it gets super packed in there.

The upstairs video and dj lounge is well stocked with top shelf liquor, a center bar, a small dance floor and affordable bottle service with roped off seating. I could totally see this place being a hit with the Bachelorette parties that come into town as well as a girls or guys special night out on the town. The music was a good mix of hip-hop and R&B to shake your booty. Overall the bar is extremely well put together and a beautiful property.

EA Sports Madden Bowl XIX New Orleans Super Bowl Party

Parties : USA : LA: New Orleans : EA Sports Madden Bowl XIX New Orleans Super Bowl Party

When : January 31, 2013

Where : 701 Convention Center Boulevard, New Orleans (Bud Light Hotel, Wyndham New Orleans)

Time : 7:00pm

Phone : (504) 524-8200

In a recent interview about Madden Bowl XIX, EA Sports Sr. Director of Marketing Anthony Stevenson announced that the party would have musical performances by Lil Wayne, Big Boi, and Vintage Trouble.

The 19th annual Madden Bowl party is two weeks from today (the 31st) in New Orleans. No one can be sure who will be in the actual Super Bowl later that weekend, but we are now sure of who you can expect at the party blasting over the speakers.

“We are going to headline with Lil Wayne. When you think of New Orleans, Lil Wayne comes to mind. I have no doubt that he’ll set it off right for the entire crowd there. We talk about Madden as being like this bridge between athletes and entertainers. We try to go with athletes an celebrities who people are really gonna love and and also appeal to that core fanbase and demographic. Madden intersects very well with Hip Hop culture, so we’re happy to have Big Boi and Lil Wayne there, as well as Vintage Trouble with a unique Rock flavor to the event.”

Of course, aside from all the music and whatever things people do at huge private parties, the prestigious Madden Bowl itself will be taking place. No word yet on which NFL stars will be competing in the Madden 13 tournament other than reigning champion Drew Brees, but it was revealed that the games will once again be played in an Online Team Play format.

“Last year was unique. we had the team setup. These guys are used to playing on teams. It is a much cooler dynamic to watch Tim Tebow take charge of the “virtual huddle” in the 4th quarter to lead that comeback to literally have “Tebow Time.” You gotta remember that this time last year Tebow just came off the playoff win. To see him with one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Drew Brees and sort of Drew taking the lead from Tebow as they have this comeback – it was really cool to see that. So we realized that the team format is definitely the way to go. So we’ll have the same thing going this year. We’ll have the four teams battling it out in a Semi-Finalist round, and then the Championship Game to see who is crowned the winner.”

If you were lucky enough to be invited to Madden Bowl XIX, we’re sure you’ll have a great time. For the rest of us, we’ll be eagerly waiting to hear who took home the championship. It’s usually only once a year you get to hear about who in the NFL actually has some Madden skills. Well, aside from @ochocinco of course, who likes to remind people regularly.

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