We Are GoNOLA

GoNOLA.com is a resource for everything New Orleans. Consider us your go-to site for the latest restaurant, bar, band, event or festival on the scene and for the long-settled establishments that never cease to entertain. We are proud to bring you the inside voice of the singular soul and culture of our city. GoNOLA features contributing writers who are accomplished New Orleans figures and experts in their field as well as our astute team of regular writers. Pleased to meet you, we are:

Featured Writers

Lorin Gaudin – Lorin Gaudin has passion for all things food and drink. With a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre from Loyola University of New Orleans, and a culinary diploma from The Ritz-Escoffier in Paris, she parlayed her education to become a food editor/reporter for national, regional and local publications as well as local television and radio stations. Lorin is a contributing editor/writer for The New York Post, Culinary Concierge, Where Magazine New Orleans and Where Y’at Magazine. She is the creator-founder of FiveOhFork, specializing in culinary social media and web content, and typically, a cocktail is in her hand when a Po-Boy isn’t.  Lorin can be followed on Twitter and “friended” on Facebook where she posts her own delicious raves and the occasional rant.

Nicole Biguenet Pedersen – Nicole Biguenet Pedersen, a native New Orleanian, studied history at Brandeis University and went on to obtain a law degree at the University of Chicago.  Her current research projects focus on historical perceptions of New Orleans.

John Biguenet – John Biguenet has published seven books, including Oyster, a novel, and The Torturer’s Apprentice: Stories, released in the U.S. by Ecco/HarperCollins and widely translated.  His work has received an O. Henry Award for short fiction and a Harper’s Magazine Writing Award among other distinctions, and his poems, stories, plays, and essays have been reprinted or cited in The Best American Mystery Stories, Prize Stories: The O. Henry Awards, The Best American Short Stories, Best Music Writing, Contemporary Poetry in America, Katrina on Stage, and various other anthologies. Named its first guest columnist by The New York Times, Biguenet chronicled in both columns and videos his return to New Orleans after its catastrophic flooding and the efforts to rebuild the city. Having served twice as president of the American Literary Translators Association and as writer-in-residence at various universities, he is currently the Robert Hunter Distinguished University Professor at Loyola University in New Orleans. He is also Nicole’s father.

Staff Writers

Liz Genest Smith - A former nomad who’s bounced in and out of nine cities, Liz Genest Smith has met her match in the city of New Orleans. Only a magical land where culture, cuisine, and pageantry collide so exquisitely with overindulgence and debauchery could get this rolling stone to gather moss and sprout roots. Like cities, Liz has bounced in and out of multiple careers, including entertainment journalist, Hollywood publicist, movie critic, roller coaster driver and trombone virtuoso. (All but one of these is true). She hopes the Crescent City will inspire her to finally complete and sell at least one of her plays, books, feature film scripts or rock operas.

Elizabeth Pearce - Elizabeth Pearce is a culinary historian who specializes in telling the story of New Orleans through its food and drink. She gives interactive cocktail and culinary walking tours of the French Quarter. She works with several organizations around the city: The Hermann Grima House, as director of its hearth cooking program; The Southern Food and Beverage Museum, as Curator of Beverages; New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, as a Visiting Artist in the Culinary Arts Program. She is a contributor to the online magazine OKRA with her drinks column, Neat with a Twist and is working on a guidebook to the bars in the French Quarter.

Nikki Carter – Nikki was born and raised in Germany and has traveled all over the world, thanks to being an Army brat.  After completing graduate school at Louisiana Tech University, she also lived in Lafayette, LA; Dallas, TX; and Portland, OR.  She considers New Orleans her “true home” and loves the spirit, the people, and the culture of this area.  Her main interests are: yoga, writing/reading, fashion, music, spirituality and trying different New Orleans restaurants. You can also follow Nikki on her personal blog.

Lauren McCabe – Lauren McCabe is a native of New Orleans who grew up grooving to jazz, funk and soul. After a brief stint in New York City where she discovered yoga, surfing, and her true love (NOLA), she returned back home be a part of the vibrant rebirth of the city. On GoNOLA, she blogs about health & wellness and music. When she’s not twirling around the city to the latest brass band, she’s surfing on the silty shores of Lake Pontchartrain, writing her novel about mermaids, and blogging at MermaidChronicles.com. Follow Lauren on Twitter.

The Red Streetcar – The Red Streetcar (@theredstreetcar) is made up of the duo of A Buck Twenty-Five (or $1.25 for short) and Cupcake. Both are New Orleanians with an intense love for the city, food, drink, fun and the Saints.  A rarely separated tandem, $1.25 and Cupcake love to travel across the greater New Orleans area in search of tasty dishes, funky bars, unique drinks and great music. When $1.25 and Cupcake aren’t out enjoying all of what New Orleans has to offer, they’re likely to be found in the kitchen trying out a new recipe or making one up on the spot. As Cupcake says, “like any good New Orleanians, we love our food, and if we’re not planning one meal, we’re eating it, and we’re probably already talking about what we’re going to have for the next one.” $1.25 and Cupcake are co-contributors to Just Off The Red Streetcar Line, a site dedicated to food, drink and fun in New Orleans.

Sara Hudson – Sara hails from Texas but got to New Orleans as soon as she could. Being a fairly short individual, even in cowboy boots, she has a fairly short bio, which is neatly summarized by the two pins she wears on the bike basket and bag she carries everywhere. One says “I Love People,” the other, “I Love Words.” Follow Sara on Twitter.

Ed Branley – A former high school History teacher who now does computer training and social media consulting (Yatmedia.com), Edward is a graduate of Brother Martin High School and the University of New Orleans. Working with computers has never diminished his passion for all things New Orleans. Edward is the author of two books on New Orleans, New Orleans: The Canal Streetcar Line, and Brothers of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans. He enjoys sharing his knowledge of the city’s history and culture with readers of his blogs, DailyKos.com, as well as speaking to various organizations in the metro area. Besides family and friends, Edward’s main passions in life are Creole cuisine, Linux, open source software, Bud’s Broiler burgers and Hubig’s Pies. Catch up with Edward on Twitter: @YatPundit.