Praline Connection Just Opened a New Spot With a Drive-Thru Window

OPENING ALERT — Praline Connection Express opened its doors, and its drive-thru window, this week.

COMING ATTRACTIONS — Mayor Mitch Landrieu gave a sneak peek of the airport’s new $1 billion terminal, which will include restaurants backed by Emeril Lagasse and Susan Spicer and possibly an outpost of charming, century-old Italian gelato hub — Angelo Brocato’s. It’s expected to open in less than a year. [ADVOCATE]

THE CHAINS — It turns out that everyone wants late-night chicken and no one wants to go get it themselves. Popeyes may expand take-out to more cities. [BLOOMBERG]

CRAWFISH WIRE — The New Orleans Saints used crawfish to announce their 2018 schedule. [SPORTS NAUT]

PROFILES — The New York Times has its eyes on Simone Reggie, owner of Simone’s Market on Oak Street. She’s bringing back the neighborhood grocery store, a field her grandfather worked in 100 years ago. [NYT]

AWARDS SEASON — The James Beards Awards, which many consider the Oscars of the food world, announces this year’s winners on May 7. Poppy Tooker chats with this year’s nominees and some past winners. [LOUISIANA EATS WWNO]

FESTIVAL SEASON — Here’s the new food at Jazz Fest 2018. Congreso Cubano is joining the main vendor area at Jazz Fest this year with ropa vieja, fried fish, and black beans and rice. Loretta’s Pralines is adding calas, fried rice fritters, to its offerings. Plus Vaucresson Sausage Co. has alligator sausage this year, with the choice of getting it on a sampler plate with three different sausages and a green onion dipping sauce. [ADVOCATE]

Plus, Ian McNulty shares some of his favorite Jazz Fest foods. [ADVOCATE]

SWITCHEROOS — Former Peristyle chef and owner Anne Kearney is leaving Dayton, Ohio, to move to Florida. She closed her restaurant in Dayton a little under a year ago. [DAYTON BUSINESS JOURNAL]

Do you have a hot restaurant tip? Send an email. Let us get the facts.