 BY ANNETTE SISCO | Staff writer Greetings, New Orleans food-lovers! This week, we welcome back the beloved St. Patrick's Day block party at Parasol's, returning from a two-year hiatus. A pioneering vegan restaurant is closed for good. Russian vodka is out at some bars, and a crawfish is officially pardoned. We bring you the recipes for a traditional New Orleans St. Joseph's altar. And there's more! Let's dig in... 1. Luck of the Irish? The block around Parasol's Restaurant & Bar will be a sea of green Saturday as another tradition returns from the pandemic. But there's a deeper backstory to this Irish Channel landmark's revival, as Ian McNulty reports. 2. Farewell to Seed With vegan favorites like nachos with cashew cheese and fried tofu po-boys, Seed was one of the first places geared to locals looking for plant-based dining. Later, conventioneers found their way to the stylish space on Prytania Street. That business was hit hard in the pandemic, though, and Seed is closing its doors. 3. Wait! There's more. Louisiana pardoned a lucky crawfish; we've got video to prove it. Some New Orleans-area bars have removed Russian vodka in solidarity with Ukraine. A fruit vendor opens a shop on Bayou Road where police once ran him off. And you probably have Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning in your cabinet. Here's the history. 4. Buffet away... After a decade away, a Where NOLA Eats Facebook group member is back home in New Orleans — and she wants a fancy brunch buffet. But where'd they all go? Our members have thoughts. Chime in here. 5. Altared states Sandra Scalise Juneau's Sicilian grandmothers brought the St. Joseph's altar tradition over from Italy, along with the complex and beautiful foods that decorate these sacred shrines. Now she's written a book about the tradition, with recipes handed down through generations. Food writer Judy Walker shares Sandra's recipes for sesame seed cookies, plus eggplant relish and a vegetable omelet. That's it for the food newsletter, but in New Orleans the food news never stops. For more, visit us at NOLA.com. Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend! --A.S. P.S. Want to support our award-winning journalism? Check out this great deal. Just $1 for six months — for local journalism that matters! Subscribe here today. | 
