Blue Plate

Once upon a time, in a little Gretna warehouse, Blue Plate Foods Inc., a subsidiary of the giant Wesson-Snowdrift Oil Co., started turning out mayonnaise -- or mynez, to use the local pronunciation -- bearing the Blue Plate name in 1929. In November 1943, Blue Plate moved into a sleek, white concrete mayonnaise factory with rounded glass-brick corners in Mid-City, at 1315 S. Jefferson Davis Parkway. The building became a local landmark.

For nearly 90 years, the Blue Plate brand and its iconic building have been inextricable parts of New Orleans, and Blue Plate products, including margarine, jelly, salad dressing and barbecue sauce, have been familiar sights in local kitchens.