Scholars and food writers to discuss history and influence of coffee
WHO: The Historic New Orleans Collection with support from Baby’s Coffee Company
WHAT: “From Dancing Goats to Green Mermaids: Coffee and New Orleans”
a day-long forum for general audiences
WHEN: Saturday, June 7, 2014
Registration: 8 a.m. • Sessions: 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Participants are invited to a café brûlot demonstration at Tableau Restaurant following the sessions.
WHERE: The Historic New Orleans Collection’s Williams Research Center
410 Chartres St. in the French Quarter
HOW: Registration is required. Rates are $40 per person or $30 for THNOC members, teachers and students. Call (504) 523-4662 or visit www.regonline.com/coffeesymposium to register.
WHY: On June 7, The Historic New Orleans Collection will present its third biennial culinary symposium, a day-long series of talks and panels celebrating Louisiana’s distinctive foodways. Previous subjects have included pralines and red beans and rice.
This year’s event, titled “From Dancing Goats to Green Mermaids: Coffee and New Orleans,” looks at New Orleans’s relationship with coffee, from its ancient origins—one legend suggests an Ethiopian goatherder discovered the coffee bean plant when his goats began behaving strangely after ingesting the plant—to the proliferation of Starbucks cafes and the ubiquitous green mermaid logo. Talks will cover the international and local history of coffee, the associated material culture and the commerce and consumption of coffee. Speakers include Mark Pendergrast, Patrick Dunne, John T. Edge, Lolis Eric Elie, Jessica B. Harris, Poppy Tooker and representatives from Westfeldt Brothers Inc. and Baby’s Coffee.
Following the presentations, attendees are invited to a café brûlot demonstration at Tableau Restaurant, 616 St. Peter St., with beverage director Barry Himel. Café brûlot was created in New Orleans in the 1890s, and the demonstration will give participants a chance to sample the day’s topic. For more information or to register, call (504) 523-4662 or visit www.hnoc.org.
A special rate of $229 per night is available at the Royal Sonesta Hotel. Rooms are limited. Reservations may be made online on or before May 19, 2014, or by contacting Daniel Leavitt at (504) 553-2238 or dleavitt@sonesta.com.
This event is presented by The Historic New Orleans Collection with support from Baby’s Coffee Company, Royal Sonesta Hotel, Aunt Sally’s Pralines and Tableau Restaurant.
About The Collection
Founded in 1966, The Historic New Orleans Collection is a museum, research center and publisher dedicated to the study and preservation of the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South region. For more information about The Historic New Orleans Collection, please visit www.hnoc.org or call (504) 523-4662.
The Historic New Orleans Collection – Preserving our Past for a Brighter Future
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