Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/781893
us from the rain. Domango is tirelessly upbeat and encouraging, and makes her choreography accessible to newbies. "We can still be New Orleanians and live a healthy, active lifestyle," she told me a er class. Entrepreneur Rupa Mohan started a tness business catering to travelers. e Sweat Social holds a weekly tness class at the Loews hotel. Otherwise, it's tness on demand. Visitors can book Pilates, yoga, kickboxing, plyometrics, high-intensity interval training Tabata, bodyweight strength, and custom events. ey also lead running tours, which combine exercise and New Orleans stories. "We get you into fun city locations as much as possible," Mohan said. It's true. I joined a group of students for a 45-minute outdoor Pilates yoga class overlooking the Mississippi River. Of course, New Orleans has yoga studios, too. A friend rec- ommended Reyn Yoga Studio. I took their ursday a ernoon community-priced class for nine dollars. is lovely studio in the Warehouse District welcomes drop-in students. Appreciate Local Underground Art If you want to take a shortcut into the local art scene, visit the Where Y'Art Gallery in the Faubourg Marigny, just outside the French Quarter. Co-founders Collin Ferguson and Catherine Todd are young art- ists and entrepre- neurs who devised their own model for selling art. Over the last three years, they've used their charisma and busi- ness savvy to start a co-op gallery with 100 members. ey help artists connect to pro bono legal services, hook them up with low cost pro photography for their work, improve their websites, coach them in business skills, and rep them to hotel and corporate collections. "We scour the streets for underground art- ists," Ferguson told me when I visited their gallery. While the av- erage gallery takes half the sales price, Where Y'Art takes only a 10 percent commission for online sales and 20 percent for corporate or gallery sales. What's a better New Orleans souvenir than a new piece of art? Don't Forget to Eat Just kidding. is is New Orleans. Nobody forgets to eat. Customer favorites at all-vegan Seed include Southern fried nug- gets, nachos, artichoke cakes, eggplant po' boys and raw Pad ai. I can vouch for the delicious chocolate mousse. ey also have an extensive juice menu. is is a wonderful place for people with various dietary restrictions, since the menu notes which dishes are gluten free, soy free, raw or Eat Fit NOLA, which means they meet the health criteria of Ochsner Health System. e Green Goddess is tucked away on Exchange Alley, an ob- scure pedestrian-only street in the French Quarter. Chef Paul Artigues owns this omnivore restaurant with a vegan focus. e Green Goddess is known for dishes that "are a little exotic," he told me, and the menu bears out this claim. Expect dishes like the Puerto Rican-inspired mushroom mofongo, with a delicious plantain cake and spicy mushrooms over handmade mini corn tortillas, and the yam-heavy Indian rolled uttapam. For slightly more upscale dining in the Warehouse District, pop in to Meril, famous chef Emeril Lagasse's newest restaurant. Veg- etarians and vegans can make a good meal out of the vegetable sides. Or try the exceedingly popular Shaya, an Israeli restaurant owned by James Beard Chef Alon Shaya. It's garnered tons of press and awards since opening in 2015. And most of the menu is veg- an or vegetarian. Dip house-made pita in tershi (pumpkin spread with garlic and chili) and curried fried cauli ower hummus, or wrap it around wood-roasted cabbage with muhammara, tahini, and hazelnuts. I never knew cabbage could taste this good. More than a Party City New Orleans will always be known for drinking, rich food, and Mardi Gras-style excess. But those of us who prefer a more wholesome vacation will nd plenty to get excited about. I wouldn't have traded one minute of my time walking, biking, and trying veg delicacies to sit on a French Quarter barstool.