Day Trips Galore; New Orleans Dishes To Try Before You Die

LOUISIANA— Here are 25 day trips worthy of your spare time this summer, some including incredible eats like Cafe des Amis in Breaux Bridge and Johnson's Boucaniere in Lafayette. [NOLA.com]

NOLA— Listicle pro Scott Gold divulges 50 things to eat in New Orleans before you croak, including Willie Mae's fried chicken, Dooky Chase's gumbo, Drago's charbroiled oysters and more. [Thrillist]

NOLA— Tickets for the Link Stryjewski Foundation's Bal Masqué—which throws down at the Orpheum on January 9, 2016—are now on sale at $1,000 a pop. The gala features entertainment from Jimmy Buffet, Mardi Gras Indians and more. Plus, food from Mario Batali, Donald Link, Paul Kahan and many renowned chefs with proceeds benefiting Kingsley House and the Youth Empowerment Program. [Eaterwire]

UPTOWN— Local cookbook collaborator Colleen Rush will be signing copies of Low & Slow 2: The Art of Barbecue, Slow Roasting and Basic Curing at Octavia Books on Sunday, July 26 from 2 to 6 p.m. along with pitmaster Gary Wiviott. And, yes, there will be tasty snacks on hand to induce the summertime meat sweats. [Eaterwire]