New Restaurant Opens In Algiers

This is definitely a tricky time to open a new business in any venture especially the restaurant industry. The pandemic has wreaked havoc in the food serving business and has caused the industry to change the way food is served for a while. Takeout is now the new norm for most restaurants throughout the US. Plume Algiers, a new Indian restaurant, has opened its doors to the community serving to-go boxes of its Indian cuisine along with pop-up space for other restaurants in the area.

Plume Algiers is located in an old Teche Street storefront in Algiers and was planned before the pandemic to be a small 10-seat restaurant with counter service and a 6-seat food bar that looked into the kitchen. The store already included a walk-up window for takeout service a perfect spot for pop-ups. Chef Tyler Stuart, former sous chef at Carrollton Market, and co-owner Merritt Coscia, both met while working at Riverbend bistro. They were inspired to open Plume Algiers after their travels around India.

The unique restaurant’s menu consists of Indian inspired dishes made with locally available ingredients. Dishes include racheado salad which consists of shrimp, crab, cucumber, tamarind with papaya and tandoori lamb that is combined with black cardamom, kokum fruit and bone marrow. Patrons can also enjoy the puffy and toasty naan bread and fried chicken stew with coconut cream.

“This came from dishes we had in our travels, people I cooked with, people who became our friends, and they’re still part of this,” said Stuart. “I send them menus and talk about dishes I’m doing that are from their own regions, get their feedback, work that in.”

Both Stuart and Coscia are friends with many chefs and home cooks throughout New Orleans who run pop-ups in neighborhood bars and Carrollton Market. This also inspired the two to offer Plum Algiers as a space for other chefs to offer their cuisines via pop-up style.

“Having been through the struggle of a pop-up ourselves, we’re trying to put ourselves out there as a space for other people to use,” Coscia said. “We’re trying to help each other. Especially now, it’s important to band together.”

The current pandemic has not detoured Plum Algiers which has successfully hosted many pop-ups such as Kin, the ramen and dumpling spot in Gert Town and Lahpet’s Garden Curry Popup.

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Ghosts in the Oaks Virtual from Home, October 24 & 25, 2020

A great family event with trick or treating in New Orleans.

Virtual

October 24 & 25, 2020
Virtual from home.

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Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival Festing in Place, October 16 – 18, 2020

This is the 15th Annual Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival that is held in New Orleans.

Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival

Festing in Place
New Orleans, LA 

October 16 – 18, 2020
11am – 8:30pm

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Free Event.

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Record Lows Mortgage Rates Still Going

 

Freddie Mac had good news to report regarding 30-year mortgage rates last week. It was the third consecutive week the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped. This report was the lowest point in the history of the survey, which was established in 1971.

Great news for homebuyers in the market. Today’s rates will allow homebuyers to purchase a home with a sticker price they would not even consider looking at a year ago. Sam Khater, Chief Economist at Freddie Mac says this surge in low rates has kept the homebuyer demand going throughout the summer. Realtor.com reported a flood in the market with monthly traffic hitting an all-time high of 86 million unique users in June. Daily traffic was also off the chart at 7 million unique users as of June 25. The global pandemic is not stopping the housing market. Buyers are still ready to make a purchase.

Why not, when the rates are so low. The average monthly mortgage payment has decreased significantly. Looking back per decade since the inception of Freddie Mac’s survey, today’s rates allows a very low monthly payment. As seen in the chart displayed the mortgage payment for a $300,000 loan by decade sharply declined. In the 70’s the average rate was 8.86% with a 2,384 monthly payment, the 80’s saw even higher rates at 12.7% with a $3,248 monthly payment, in the 90’s the rate dropped to 8.12% with a $2,267 monthly payment, the year 2000 had a significant drop to 6.29% with a monthly payment of $1,855, ten years later in 2010 the average rate was reported at 4.09% making the monthly payment $1,448 and finally today we see the record low of 3.03% with a low monthly payment of $1,270.

These low monthly payments can add up over the life of a home loan. As mentioned earlier, homeowners can now qualify for a bigger home purchase than before. This year has seen its share of disaster but the home market has been positive among the pandemic. If you are in a position to purchase a home, reach out to a Realtor who can help you through the process of purchasing a new home.

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