The Scoop

Welcome Chef Mia!

We are delighted to welcome Chef Mia Calamia to our culinary family at La Divina Garden District! Formerly the Pastry Chef at Patois and Herbsaint, Mia brings a wealth of knowledge and experience as well as a dedication to a true farm to table approach to her cooking.

Already well known in foodie circles around town for her excellent pastries, Mia is excited to expand her culinary prowess into a new lunchtime savory menu at La Divina. Daily specials (like today’s salad: Farmer’s Market arugula, Core Farm’s cantaloupe, thin sliced Prosciutto di Parma and Parmesan Reggiano with an herbed vinaigrette) are already on the menu as Chef Mia experiments and plays with the goodies she finds at New Orleans’ farmer’s markets with plans to announce a completely new menu in November.

Much like her Italian grandmother, Mia aims to “make peoples’ bellies happy” and can often be heard to say,“come over, let me feed you!” Mia brings this sense of warmth and welcome to the food and kitchen at La Divina.

- Katrina
Friday, December 9, 2011 @ 8:15 pm

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Isabelle's Organic Orchard

Organic Orchard in Algiers

It's citrus season in Louisiana! Which means the trees in our friend Isabelle's organic orchard are full of Meyer Lemons, Satsumas, Navel Oranges, Grapefruits, and Kumquats. With that bounty of citrus, we get to see Isabelle nearly every week dropping off crates of juicy, delicious produce for the kitchen.

Recently, though, instead of Isabelle coming to us, we went to see her in her orchard. Arriving at the gate to the lush, green orchard, it was almost hard to believe that we were still in the city limits! But, we were, as the orchard is at the far end of what is still considered Algiers!

Isabelle grows many different varities of of citrus as well as figs and muscadine grapes. She also has free range chickens, honey, and four big friendly dogs who keep her company in the orchard! One of the most interesting things we learned on our tour was how the trees are fertilized. There is a large pond on the property that is full of duckweed, an aquatic plant that grows in waterways in Louisiana. Although this plant can sometimes be considered invasive, in this instance it provides the perfect all natural fertilizer for the trees in the orchard!

Citrus season lasts through the winter, so you can expect to find us using Isabelle's excellent fruits in our daily salad specials as well as Satsuma Fennel Sorbetto, Grapefruit Campari Sorbetto, Dreamsicle Orange Vanilla Sorbetto, White Chocolate Satsuma Gelato, and more!

For pictures from our visit to the orchard, click here!

- Katrina
Friday, November 18, 2011 @ 11:37 am

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Veg News

La Divina in the Garden District is featured in this month's issue of Veg News

The issue isn't online, so we've included an excerpt from their "Big Easy Eats" feature article below:

Sorbetto&Shopping

Does finding vegan desserts seem challenging in the land of bread pudding? Uniquely flavored sorbets provide a welcome solution. La Divina Gelateria, a local chain, is a refreshing choice for this cooling treat. Magazine Row, where you'll find La Divina Gelateria, is particularly fun, as it offers shopping excursions from nearby boutiques to antique stores. Enjoy local seasonal specialty sorbetti flavors such as Strawberry Balsamic, Satsuma Fennel, and Turbo Dog Chocolate. The eco-conscious gelato shop also serves veg-friendly lunch options at all of its locations.

Thanks, Veg News, for the shout out!

- Katrina
Friday, November 18, 2011 @ 10:36 am

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Flavors of Summer

Whooh, the summer heat is here. But, fear not, summer flavors of gelato & sorbetto will cool you! Blueberry Basil, Peach Prosecco, Ginger Sorbetto..... And, in response to their tremendous popularity at Jazz Fest, we now have "build your own" homemade ice cream sandwiches! You choose the cookie-right now we have dark chocolate, vanilla, and ginger And you choose any of the gelati in the case at the moment. The possibilities are endless!

- Katrina
Saturday, June 11, 2011 @ 5:29 am

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Mardi Gras Hours at all Three Locations

Happy Mardi Gras!!!!

Here are our Mardi Gras hours:

3005 Magazine Street (Garden District) Open Thursday 11am - 6pm, Friday 11am -6 pm, Saturday 11am - 11pm, Sunday 11am - 10pm, Monday 11am - 10pm, Tuesday (Mardi Gras) CLOSED, Wednesday, Normal Hours

621 St. Peter Street (French Quarter) Open normal hours until Mardi Gras, OPEN Mardi Gras Day 9am -8pm, CLOSED Ash Wednesday

Loyola University Open 11am - Midnight Mardi Gras Weekend and Lundi Gras, CLOSED Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday, Open 11am - midnight March 9th - 12th, Normal Hours Resume March 13th

- Katrina
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 @ 6:30 pm

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Happy Holidays!

Countdown to Christmas! We have gift certificates, handmade candies and cookies, locally roasted coffee and La Divina coffee mugs, t-shirts, and-of course-pints of gelato & sorbetto! Stop in to our French Quarter & Magazine Street location to pick up some sweet gifts for everyone on your list!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

- Katrina
Monday, December 20, 2010 @ 4:14 pm

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Ben & Jerry's and What is Natural?

Yesterday, Ben & Jerry's was in the headlines because they are removing the term "all natural" from their labels. According to www.walletpop.com, Ben & Jerry's parent company, Unilever, made the decision to remove the natural designation after receiving pressure from the Center for Science in the Public Interest and their assertions that ingredients like synthetic vanilla, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oil and alkalized cocoa were manufactured ingredients and could not, therefore be considered "natural."

As an artisan gelateria, and self-proclaimed "natural" foodies, this argument piques our interest and provides an opportunity for us to reexamine our own food and ingredient philosophy.

We are in agreement with the Center for Science in the Public Interest that high fructose corn syrup and synthetic vanilla are not natural ingredients. And, to take it a step further, we really don't feel that they are quality ingredients or that they have much to offer in the way of flavor. Tahitian Vanilla Beans, like the ones we use in our Vanilla gelato, have such an amazing floral, fruity, nuanced, and complex flavor that it is hard to imagine that anyone could find synthetic vanilla a reasonable substitute.

However, we do disagree with the Center when it comes to Alkalized Cocoa. According to EHow.com, alkalized cocoa was created by the Dutch chemist C.J. Van Houten in 1828. It is the process of adding an acid, or alkali, to the cocoa in order to change the Ph of the cocoa powder. In changing the Ph, this creates a cocoa that is better able to be mixed into liquids and imparts a smooth, rich flavor.

Adding acids to foods, whether it is to tenderize a steak or activate the baking soda in a cake recipe, is an age old cooking technique. And, this is where we arrive at the crux of La Divina's cooking philosophy. But, it's not ours alone. Food writer, Nina Planck, best describes what we believe about the food we prepare and eat in her book Real Food. Ms. Planck recommends eating like our grandparents, and great-grandparents did. In other words, Grass-fed milk; real butter and lard; and lots of fresh, locally & sustainably grown produce. And, when it comes to the matter of making our gelato, this means Smith's Creamery milk, real Louisiana cane sugar, and real Tahitian Vanilla Beans!

- Katrina
Thursday, September 30, 2010 @ 6:51 am

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La Divina FQ-2nd Anniversary!

There's a reason Zagat rates our food as excellent, ..and it is not just for the gelato.

Our soups, salads and panini are all homemade from the freshest, locally sourced ingredients available. Our salad dressings and pestos are all made in house. We even make our own mayonnaise. We use only the finest imported and domestic meats and cheeses, such as Prosciutto di Parma, Parmesan Reggiano, and Mortadella Leoncini. And, our breads are fresh baked daily.

In celebration of the second anniversary of the opening of our French Quarter location, we are offering a special. Buy one panini, salad, or soup at the regular price and get a second panini, salad, or soup (of equal or lesser value) at half price.

This offer is good at our Garden District location, 3005 Magazine Street and our French Quarter location, 621 St. Peter Street, Monday through Friday only through the month of September and cannot be combined with any other offer, coupon, or promotion.

Come and experience for yourself why Zagat rates us as excellent!

- Katrina
Friday, September 3, 2010 @ 3:32 pm

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