Pre-Tales Partying; Mr. Henry Talks Tradition, More

CBD— Laura McKnight reports that The Windsor Court (300 Gravier) hosts State of the Art: A Cocktail Extravaganza this evening from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. $50 at the door: "Not an official part of Tales of the Cocktail, but the event often attracts locals and visitors eager for a headstart on the five-day mixology festival with "an informal introduction to some of the city's best bars and bartenders." [NOLA.com]

BATON ROUGE— Chef and food blogger Jay Ducote will appear as a contestant on Food Network's Cutthroat Kitchen, airing Sunday, August 10, at 9 p.m. Ducote also just released his own line of barbecue sauce. [Eaterwire, NOLA.com]

QUARTER— Actor, baker, and founder of the Buttermilk Drop and newly opened Wink's, Dwight Henry, on doing his thing: "We are so unique and special in our culture and I want to keep it that way. I'm traditionally a New Orleanian. I'm making the things we grew up on, traditionally, in the bakeries that we grew up on. I know what we want. I'm not gonna do French pastries when we want authentic nostalgia." [NoDef]

The Windsor Court [Photo: Facebook]