[Beat the Heat offers interesting and entertaining--and tasty!--ways to cool off in New Orleans this summer.]

Well, I think the article in the Crescent City Farmers Market weekly news bulletin says it all, but don't take my word for it. Check out the Farmers Market this week and sample one of local juicer Amanda's fruity concoctions. In fact, you'll have to--I'm stuck here in NYC. At least I have air conditioning.

This Tuesday I also have word that the Farmer's Market will offer FREE WATERMELON to folks who stop by. Now, if there is anything more refreshing that sums up summer than watermelon I haven't seen it. Or tasted it. Or basked in its cool refreshment.

The only thing left to do is get the free watermelon people with Amanda to make some sort of watermelon juice creation. Talk about tasty and refreshing. And sticky, but that's to be expected in these parts this time of year, no?

So get yourself on over to the Farmer's Market this Tuesday or Saturday. Yes, it may be hot--or perhaps raining--during your visit, but it will be well worth it when you enjoy Amanda's special papaya lime juice. You'll cool down AND help the local economy, as well as the environment, all at the same time.

Remember, the Tuesday market runs from 9:00AM (when it shouldn't be too hot and you could enjoy a nice cool juice for breakfast) until 1:00 PM (when you can enjoy one for lunch) at 200 Broadway, the Uptown parking lot. The Saturday market runs from early-bird 8:00AM to high noon at 700 Magazine Street.

Photo of lime juice with orange juice, another fabulous treat, by gigijin.

Can someone please try this juice and let me know how delicious it is? After all, I have to live vicariously through you.

[Beat the heat offers interesting and exciting ways to cool off in New Orleans this summer.]

If there is one thing New Orleans is known for it's their love of cocktails. Depending on who you hear it from, some of the most famous cocktails actually got their start in the Crescent City. Both the Sazarec and the Pimms Cup made their debut here in Nola, so why not take a break from the heat and kick back with one of these delicious summery cocktails?

To get started:

1. Check out nola.com's series on summer cocktails in the Entertainment section. There you'll find not only a different cocktail featured each week--history and how to make it--but also comments from locals on where you'll find the best version of each drink.

The cocktails listed here are not necessarily limited to those concoctions created in New Orleans, either. One of the first weeks the discussion was around the perfect martini. I don't necessarily find a martini to be a refreshing summer drink, but to each his or her own.

More tips after the jump!

After that you'll need to:

2. Check out the bars for yourself. Some, but not all, offer air conditioning. Make sure you pinpoint a watering hole that is not only recommended for your drink of choice but also one that offers AC.

3. Always enjoy your cocktail in the evening hours, when the sun has set and the humidity (generally) gives us a break. Often times it's a tiny little break, but it's a break nonetheless.

You could, I suppose, get your cocktail on in the early morning hours, since heaven knows there are plenty of bars open in the French Quarter when most folks are lucky they're awake enough to purchase a cup of coffee (or an iced coffee, see my earlier entry), but I wouldn't recommend it.

And, as always, please follow the golden rule:

3. Always enjoy your cocktails in moderation. That means like one or two. The only thing less refreshing than throwing up your cocktail is making the rest of us watch you do it. Also, while public drunkenness is enough to land you some AC in the back of a squad car, the fine and the possible charges stemming from your little stunt are not recommended.

4. Speaking of moderation, if you don't practice it you will end up dehydrated instead of refreshed. Alcohol will dehydrate you, even when it's mixed with something or on ice.

The idea here is to unwind with a nice, cool cocktail, not to tank up and tear down the Quarter. Of course I suppose that has its place too, but it's not on my list of ways to beat the heat!

Still looking for more ways to chill out with a chilled beverage? Check out the annual Tales of the Cocktail Festival which runs at local establishments around town for five days starting today!

When it gets super hot in Nola, I like to relax on the second floor balcony of the Columns with an iced refreshment waiting for a good thunderstorm to kick out the humidity. How about you?

[Beat the heat offers interesting and entertaining ways to cool off in New Orleans this summer.]

One of my favorite things to do whenever I'm in New Orleans is get an iced coffee. I know I could do that practically anywhere, given the prevalence of Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts, but for some reason the coffee in New Orleans just tastes different to me. And it tastes better.

Nola is an import town after all, sitting on the river as it does. One of the main things it imports is coffee. So, it should be no surprise that folks around here know their stuff when it comes to the bean. Despite setbacks from the Big K, coffee is indeed still a brewing business for both local mom and pop shops and chains.

So, this tip to beat the heat in New Orleans this summer is:

1. Enjoy an iced coffee from a local cafe.

To me, there is simply nothing better than kicking back with an iced coffee (or iced cappuccino, if you want me to be specific) from Royal Blend Coffee in the French Quarter. While some prefer to sit indoors munching on breakfast pastries and reading the free local papers, I prefer to sit in the beautiful and well-maintained courtyard pretending to be in a different era.

More tips on how to Beat the Beat after the jump!

It's easy to do in such a courtyard, with its bubbling fountain (complete with goldfish last time I checked), lush greenery and shady umbrella tables.

Which brings to mind another tip:

2. After purchasing your refreshing iced coffee, ensure you find someplace shady in/under which to drink it.

Other local cafes serving up the best of the iced bunch include perennial favorite Cafe du Monde, who will:

3. Pair your iced latte with their world-famous beignets (which go down a lot smoother in the summer months with an iced latte).

Some folks in the past have argued that local chain CC's Coffee isn't really that tasty. The one time I sampled it I enjoyed a nice iced coffee, so I can't complain. If you haven't tried CC's yet, give it a whirl--it's easy since there are so many locations, although if I were you I'd:

4. Hit the CC's Coffee by the World War II Museum and then hang out indoors.

Finally, if you find yourself in the Garden District (and you should):

5. Hit the coffee shop in the bookstore nestled in a shopping center called the Rink. They make a fabulous iced cappuccino, which you can enjoy along with the air conditioning while perusing new titles from local authors.

I am sure there are innumerable places to enjoy a nice cup of iced joe during the summer months in New Orleans, Can you think of any hot (cool) spots I've missed to add to the list?

If not, then sip up! Iced coffee season only lasts so long, you know!

[Beat the Heat offers interesting and entertaining ways to cool off and get the most out of New Orleans this summer.]

So my colleagues and I normally start to write about how darned hot it is in New Orleans this time of year. Actually, we're really a tad behind this year since it's already mid-July. Perhaps the heat hasn't been as unbearable. Or, perhaps, the heat has been so bad we've lost sight of everything.

And let's not forget the humidity! If there is one thing Nola knows best, it's humidity. How much there is of it (too much of it), what it does to us (wilts us) and when it will end (never...or maybe December!). I think it is safe to say that everyone in New Orleans, from the loyal citizen to the seasoned tourist to the dude who came down to check out the Katrina damage to the people who wouldn't dream of setting foot here know just how frickin' hot it gets in the Crescent City after the vernal equinox.

So let's not bother talking about that. Instead, let's talk about ways to beat the heat. After all, New Orleans is always going to be hot and humid and, at times, stickier than the floor at Cate du Monde. And truth be told we need tourism here in the hot summer months more than perhaps at any other time of year.

During the early months of the year events like Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest draw thousands upon thousands of fabulous tourists, but once July hits folks pretty much consider themselves crazy to take on the heat down here. They carry this sentiment even though some of the best deals EVER are to be had.

I know when I visited last August I stayed in a seriously swanky hotel in the French Quarter that normally cost almost $300 a night. We stayed for about $100. And it was NICE. And it had a pool!

So, let that be the first tip on how to beat the heat this summer in New Orleans:

1. Visit the city; stay in a hotel where there is a pool.

Also, in that vein:

2. Er, uh, call first to make sure the pool is functioning and isn't due for a chlorine treatment the day you arrive. Some ads for some hotels used to mention pools that no longer were in service, kind regards of the Big K.

Sometimes the pool is merely being renovated. Jazz Fest 2006 we stayed at the VERY nice Hilton near the World Trade Center (and Harrah's). I forgot to call and check and it turned out their pool was being renovated. Sigh.

By now (post-Katrina) most of what you read about a hotel is accurate. If the hotel claims they have a pool said pool should be in working order. And I can assure you, there is NOTHING like diving into a crisp, cool, blue pool in the middle of an August day. Whew!

Last August we stayed at the Maison Dupuy, which is tucked away in the French Quarter off the beaten path of Toulouse. Their pool resides in the middle of a very well kept courtyard and is marvelously refreshing. I was also preggers at the time so it felt good to relax in the water.

Another little tip:

3. If you plan on using the pool, make sure you bring your swimsuit! I forgot mine, even though one of the main reasons we chose the Maison Dupuy was for their (working) pool! I ended up hitting the Banana Republic in the mall off Decatur (by the river) to grab a swimsuit.

It's a good thing I did because, frankly, I don't know how I would have made it through that trip without frequent dips in the pool. We saw the sights and ate the food and all that good stuff, but we organized our day around trips to the pool to cool off.

Also good to note:

4. The pool is where you will undoubtedly make new friends. Other tourists trying to beat the heat--and enjoy a nice poolside cocktail (even at like 10:00 AM) can inevitably be found lounging around the pool. They are most likely interested in you and what you've been doing as well as sharing their exploits. More likely than not, you'll find yourself along for a ride with your new friends to at least one local favorite watering hole.

Not that you need any more friends. I'm just sayin'.

Check back with us for more tips on how to beat the heat this summer!