See Nola

Parasol's Restaurant

2533 Constance St. (Uptown) 504.899.2054. Credit cards. 7 Days: 11am to 3am or so. A few blocks away from the hipster shopping district on Magazine Street sits Parasol's: an Irish neighborhood corner bar that serves the ruddy-faced, pony tail, classic rock, beer drinking crowd.  Good conversation, cozy atmosphere and seven televisions (which makes for good sports watching). They claim to serve the best roast beef poboy in town, but do not. Yet their oyster poboy (dress it with cheese) almost tastes better than Verti Marte. The kitchen is open 11am to 10pm. Sometimes, late at night, the small bar gets claustrophobic with the sloppy, loud and obnoxious -- locals playing cartoons of themselves. Close to St. Patrick's Day, Parasol's throws a big block party that attracts scores of college kids, neighbors, shamrock face painters. Video poker.

3/20/09 Exposition Blvd. 5:00pm.

Beckham's Book Shop

228 Decatur St. (French Quarter) 504.522.9875. Seven Days: 10am to 5pm. Musty, dusty but orderly and thorough, Beckham's has two floors of second hand and first edition books. And even though it's dusty the staff is not stuffy. They specialize in the local and stock a small section of new books by local authors, and are willing to ponder any question about any topic and they probably know the answer. By the House of Blues and Canal Street and Harrah's Casino.