Last Day for Tales Old-Fashioned Contest, Parts of Downtown NOLA Might Become "Tourism Zone"

COCKTAIL HOUR? In what seems like the beginning of the media run-up to this July's Tales of the Cocktail, co-founder Paul Tuennerman tells Reuters "if you've limited yourself to Bourbon Street, you've never really been to New Orleans. ... There's so much more to the city, especially when it comes to dining and drinking." And speaking of Tales, today is the last day to enter their Old-Fashioned recipe contest. [Reuters, Official Site]

BORING BUT IMPORTANT? Two separate bills are in the Louisiana Senate right now to declare a portion of New Orleans as an official "Tourism Zone." The bills' purposes? "[T]o promote tourism in the hospitality zone, provide enhanced public safety and sanitation, provide signage and lighting and to provide for property renewal and repair," as part of its own taxing body. [TP]

CAJUN COUNTRY REVIEWS? Baton Rouge food writer Jay Ducote of Bite and Booze made the trip over to Lafayette to check out that city's outpost of Donald Link's Cochon. Splitting appetizers (including boudin) and sandwiches and grabbing beer and whiskey, he calls it "truly an impressive facility." [Bite and Booze]