Gambit Digital Edition: December 18, 2023 by Gambit New Orleans

December 18-24 2023 Volume 44 Number 51

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DEC. 18 — DEC. 24, 2023 VOLUME 44 || NUMBER 51

THE YEAR IN REVIEW A Rough Year for Mayor LaToya Cantrell................15 New Orleanians faced familiar challenges in 2023............17 A year of activism across New Orleans....................19 The year in music..............21 NEWS Opening Gambit................ 7 Commentary.................... 9 Clancy DuBos .................. 11 Blake Pontchartrain...........13

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2023: The Year in Review

F E AT U R E S Arts & Entertainment......... 5 Eat & Drink..................... 25 Music Listings.................. 33 Going Out....................... 34 Puzzles.......................... 35 C OV E R P H O TO S BY B R E T T D U K E , C H R I S G R A N G E R , G A B R I E L L E KO R E I N , L E S L I E W E S T B R O O K A N D G E T T Y I M AG E S C OV E R D E S I G N BY D O R A S I S O N

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S TA F F EDITORIAL (504) 483-3105 // response@gambitweekly.com Editor | JOHN STANTON Political Editor | CLANCY DUBOS Arts & Entertainment Editor | WILL COVIELLO

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An entertaining year

The Skivvies

New York-based actors and accomplished musicians Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley turned their love of holiday music into pop and Christmas carol mashups like “Sleigh My Name,” “I Touch My Elf” and “Drummer Boy We Got the Beat.” They also perform in just their underwear. The duo returns to Le Petit Theatre for two nights of their new show, “Best in Snow.” At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, and Thursday, Dec. 21. Tickets $17-$82 via lepetittheatre.com.

A look back at 2023 | by Will Coviello NEW ORLEANS CELEBRATED A LOT OF MILESTONES IN 2023. The Essence

Festival of Culture hosted an all-star lineup including Megan Thee Stallion and Lauryn Hill as it feted the 50th year of hip-hop. French Quarter Festival marked its 40th anniversary. And some arts organizations made big early strides toward establishing their own traditions. But the year was more marked by the churn of gaining some and losing some on big and small stages. While Jazz Fest and French Quarter Festival were back to business as usual, there was no Voodoo Fest or Buku Music + Art Project. On the smaller venue side, the city lost Gasa Gasa and One Eyed Jacks. (For a look at the year in music, see page 21). If only entertainment and cultural venues were as easy to open in New Orleans as short-term rentals. At the end of the year, the Music Box Village ended its performance schedule and open visiting season early, leaving a cloud over its future. While national headliners like Beyonce and the touring production of “Wicked” hit bigger venues and theaters, there were some changes of venues and new faces and voices on the local side. Last year, the former Bayou Road home of the shuttered Southern Rep became the Andre Cailloux Center for Performing Arts and Cultural Justice. Its resident company, No Dreams Deferred, had its first major event with the We Will Dream Festival early this year. The festival featured four works by emerging Black playwrights, including New Orleans writer Philana Imade Omorotionmwan. No Dream Deferred was able to bring in veteran and rising star directors to lead the works, including David Kote for M.D. Schaffer’s “Drapetomania” and Yale professor Nicole Brewer for Omorotionmwan’s “The Defiance of Dandelions.” Brewer is known for developing anti-racist theater. The festival also brought in 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright James Ijames to address a plenary session. With support from the Mellon Foundation, the festival paid artists to work full-time during the months-long duration of the festival. Founder Lauren Turner says the festival will be held every other year, with other productions interspersed on the calendar. It’s a very strong start for the company and a big boost for Black theater makers in New Orleans. Also,

Anthony Bean, who’s been involved in local theater for 50 years, has been mostly focusing on youth education and performing programs as plans for a Gentilly space for Anthony Bean Community Theater fell through. But he returned this year to directing adults with a musical production of “The Bodyguard.” The city’s landscape has become challenging for independent theater productions, companies and artists. The New Orleans Fringe Festival once thrived on the availability of raw and temporary spaces. A handful of them have solidified into steady venues. The Marigny Opera House stands out for becoming a nonprofit and starting its own contemporary ballet company. The Opera House also welcomed an entire season of dramas by the Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans, including “Sweet Bird of Youth” this year. A longtime bar and also former Fringe venue, the AllWays Lounge and Theatre has become New Orleans’ go-to spot and a font of innovation for burlesque, drag and more, often with two different productions in one night. The Old Firehouse on Mandeville Street was often used as a Fringe venue, before being used for a tech startup for farmers’ produce distribution and other tenants. Intramural Theater used the venue in the summer for a fun program of original short plays called “One-Act Wonders.” The tiny Mudlark Public Theatre is a home-base for the resident Mudlark Puppeteers and sporadic punk music shows. It’s also home to the New Orleans Giant Puppet Festival and this year’s Halloween Puppet Scream. The local puppet community continues to grow, literally with giant puppets. There were giant puppets parades during Carnival and recently in Gretna with Whatchamapuppet leading a nightly procession at LUNA West, part of the annual LUNA Fete festival of art and light installations. Also on the giant puppet front, New Orleans was visited by Little Amal in October. The 12-foot depiction of a Syrian girl has toured Europe and the U.S. to highlight the plight of refugees. Little Amal paraded in the French Quarter, Mid-City, Bywater and beyond.

The giant puppet Little Amal led walks through several New Orleans neighborhoods in October. PHOTO BY WILL COVIELLO / GAMBIT

For some organizations, there were notable changes of venue. WWOZ 90.7 FM moved its studios to Jax Brewery in late November. After years of producing Shakespeare plays and whimsical original works inside of the New Orleans Museum of Art and in its sculpture garden, the NOLA Project parted ways with the museum over disagreements about mounting “The Colored Museum.” The NOLA Project produced an original version of “Dracula” on the Lafitte Greenway instead. The Backstreet Cultural Museum marked its first anniversary at its new location in Treme. During Carnival, the schedule for downtown walking parades has expanded and become more open, with krewedelusion getting its own night and route. More small krewes are forming and joining the growing processions, and at least one new parade, Krewe Mosaique, will join the schedule in 2024. New Orleans’ comedy scene also is growing and diversifying. In 2023, the city welcomed big touring shows like Bert Kreischer’s “Fully Loaded” tour to the Smoothie King Center, while New Orleans native Sean Patton returned for a surprise appearance at the Dragon’s Den. Hell Yes! Fest marked its 10th anniversary with a lineup of more than 50 mostly locally based comics. The Black Girls Giggles Comedy Festival continues to grow. And this year, Ryan Rogers launched LGBTLOL, the city’s first and one of the nation’s only queer comedy festivals.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY PAUL ELLEDGE

Christmas Without Tears

Harry Shearer and Judith Owen have had a busy year. Owen has been performing following the release of her album of big band jazz and dirty blues “Come On & Get It.” Shearer marked the 40th anniversary of his radio broadcast “Le Show,” and is preparing for a long-awaited sequel to “This is Spinal Tap.” But the duo always take time to celebrate the holidays with a host of local musicians and stars. The guests include John Goodman, Bryan Batt, Kermit Ruffins, Sonny Landreth, Samantha Fish, Helen Gillet, Tonya Boyd-Cannon and more. Proceeds benefit Innocence Project New Orleans. At 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19, at Orpheum Theater. Find information at christmaswithouttears.com.

Gregory Porter

Grammy-winning singer and actor Gregory Porter released his first Christmas album in November, and it includes his jazzy and soulful takes on a number of holiday classics as well as Marvin Gaye’s “Purple Snowflakes” and more. Porter performs some of those songs and more at Saenger Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20. Find tickets via saengernola.com.

Sean Patton

Although he now lives in New York, comedian Sean Patton squeezes in a few visits to his hometown every year. He taped his first special, “Number One,” late last year at Tipitina’s, and he PAGE 31

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NEW ORLEANS NEWS + VIEWS

2024 has got to be better, right?

# TC OH EU N T

T H U M B S U P/ THUMBS DOWN

The New Orleans City Council approved an ordinance dedicating a stretch of Valence Street in honor of the celebrated Neville family of musicians. Generations of Nevilles, including brothers Art, Charles, Aaron, Cyril and their sister Athelgra grew up on the street. Two blocks of Valence Street, between Camp and Coliseum, will receive the honorary designation Neville Way.

Parkview Tavern is expected to either relocate or close in 2024 as Blue Oak BBQ plans to expand. PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

‘Bad Neighbor BBQ’: Mid-City residents sound off over Blue Oak’s expansion plans A GROUP OF MID-CITY RESIDENTS SHOWED UP TO A CITY PLANNING MEETING Dec. 12 with concerns over

Louisiana has seen an 11% decline in new HIV diagnoses over the last five years, the Louisiana Department of Health announced. Louisiana still ranks high among states in the rate of HIV diagnoses, but the state has seen real progress in lowering the rate of new cases, promoting HIV screenings and supporting the nearly 23,000 Louisianans living with HIV.

Gov.-elect Jeff Landry has named two men with checkered records to his coast and environment transition team. Tony Alford, co-chair of Landry’s environmental team, and outgoing Terrebonne Parish President Gordon Dove have been fighting lawsuits for the last decade over their alleged operation of a toxic and hazardous oil and gas waste site in Montana, Verite News reported. The two men co-founded Houma-based Dual Trucking and Transport, which is accused of operating without proper permits and spilling waste onto neighboring land.

Blue Oak BBQ’s expansion request, following news the restaurant plans to take over the neighboring building that’s long housed Parkview Tavern. Attendees called for transparency regarding expansion plans and expressed apprehension about worsening parking problems, traffic and noise. Several wore matching shirts with the phrases “Bad Neighbor BBQ” and “Save Parkview Tavern.” “The parking has been almost nervous breakdown level for me,” said a retired nurse who lives nearby, adding she’s been “cursed at and mocked” by patrons when asking them to quit blocking her driveway. “It’s similar to the Jazz Fest congestion, but it’s every day,” said Linda Romero, who owns Adrian’s Christian Flowers across the street. Blue Oak’s co-owner Phil Moseley said he does not plan to host live entertainment or stay open past 9 p.m. The request to the city, according to consultant Zach Smith, includes restoring off-street parking spots that had been repurposed as outdoor seating during the earlier days of the pandemic. Moseley said he’s been working on “corrective changes to resolve those issues.” Laura Barth, a city permits liaison, said Blue Oak moved production to a commissary kitchen off-site to cut back on employees taking up parking spots.

But Elizabeth Boudreaux, secretary of the City Park Neighborhood Association, said she still worries an expansion could cause traffic to swell. “This is a residential area,” she said. “We don’t want to become a (commercial) area like Canal and Carrollton.” Another resident lamented waking up daily to the “smell of wafting Brussels sprouts.” Many of those neighbors are also upset that 30-year-fixture Parkview Tavern will be forced to shut down or relocate in the spring when Blue Oak ownership officially moves in. Kathy Anderson, the bar’s managing partner, previously told The TimesPicayune she’d been planning to buy the building from landlord Cliff Wagner. Instead Wagner quietly sold the property to Blue Oak, which then drastically raised the rent, making it “absolutely not viable” for her to stay. Eddie Gonzales, who identified himself as the great nephew of the neighborhood’s original developer, expressed disappointment with the way the purchase was handled. “The owners have been less than honest with us. They would not have disclosed they bought Parkview. Things they promised haven’t happened. This is not an institution for this neighborhood.” The City Planning Commission voted to send the issue to the New Orleans City Council without further recommendation. The council expects to discuss it at a Jan. 18, 2024, meeting. — Sarah Ravits

THE APPROXIMATE HEIGHT, IN FEET, OF THE OGDEN MUSEUM OF SOUTHERN ART’S NEW MURAL OF A MARDI GRAS DRUM MAJOR Artist Keith Duncan’s drum major doesn’t represent any particular marching band but is rather a dedication to all the leaders who add their signature flair to the city’s marching bands and parades. The mural graces an exterior wall at the museum that can be viewed from St. Charles Avenue. It’s the 10th mural downtown produced by The Helis Foundation’s UNFRAMED project, managed by Arts New Orleans.

C’EST W H AT

What did Mayor Cantrell ask Santa for this year?

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Vote on “C’est What?” at www.bestofneworleans.com

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What do you ‘want’ for Christmas? Answer that question with a charitable gift.

sparkle, shine it's Christmas time!

‘TIS THE SEASON FOR GIVING, AND AS ALWAYS THERE ARE GROUPS IN OUR COMMUNITY that

could use your help. In the spirit of the season, here’s our take on a holiday gift guide — suggestions for ways to make New Orleans a better place all year-round. Ask yourself: What do I “want” for Christmas? • If you want to help the hungry, Second Harvest Food Bank (no-hunger.org) provides food and support to more than 700 community partners and programs across 23 parishes. There are lots of ways to give, all of them impactful. • If you want to reach a wide cross-section of people, the United Way of Southeast Louisiana (unitedwaysela.org) serves a seven-parish region with hundreds of programs. You can donate to United Way in general or to one of its impact areas. • If you want to honor veterans and first responders, there are many ways to do so. Fisher House (fisherhouse. org) builds homes where military and veterans’ families can stay free of charge while a loved one is in the hospital. The local Fisher House is near the VA Hospital in New Orleans. The Gary Sinise Foundation (garysinisefoundation.org) serves defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need. • If you want to help children access health care, Children’s Hospital New Orleans (chnola.org) provides care for tens of thousands of kids every year. It’s the region’s only full-service medical center for children, and families from across the South rely on Children’s to restore their kids to health. • If you want to help parents with seriously ill children, Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana (rmhc-sla.org) offers families who have traveled to New Orleans for a child’s medical care a place to stay, along with a stocked kitchen, essentials and a support network. • If you want to help families in crisis, Family Service of Greater New Orleans

Consider asking Santa for a donation to a good cause. PHOTO BY KERRY MALONEY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

(fsgno.org) works to strengthen the emotional health and foster the self-sufficiency of families and individuals by providing a range of counseling services and community education to families in need. • If you want to help animals, Animal Rescue New Orleans (animalrescueneworleans.org), the Louisiana SPCA (la-spca.org), Jefferson SPCA (jeffersonspca.org) and Spaymart (spaymart.org) offer many opportunities to care for and adopt pets in need of loving homes. • If you want to honor one of New Orleans’ most inspiring citizens, Team Gleason (teamgleason.org), the nonprofit founded by former New Orleans Saint Steve Gleason to battle amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), increases awareness of ALS and helps newly diagnosed people find ways to cope and thrive — and ultimately to find a cure. • If want to support the arts and boost education efforts, consider a gift to KIDsmART (kidsmart.org), which helps bring hands-on arts education to under-resourced public school kids in the metro area. These are just a few ways to lend a helping hand. In a season marked by commercialism, take a look around and ask yourself: What kind of community do I “want” for myself, my friends and my family? Now’s the perfect time to answer that question with a gift. Happy holidays!

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Cantrell touts ‘quiet progress’ in New Orleans but ignores blaring challenges STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESSES, LIKE THEIR STATE AND NATIONAL COUNTERPARTS,

typically call to mind political pep rallies. They feature lots of self-awarded high fives, with an occasional smattering of vision statements. That’s not to say they aren’t worthwhile. Citizens (and we in the media) often need to be reminded of civic progress and inspired by visions of a brighter future. But oftentimes it’s the things that go unmentioned that stand out. For example, in her Dec. 13 State of the City address, Mayor LaToya Cantrell touted a significant reduction in violent crime and increased private investment in the city, among other noteworthy accomplishments. She failed to mention the high rate of property crimes, however, and rampant crimes against persons in the tourist-heavy French Quarter and CBD. It’s an open secret that locals avoid the Quarter after dark, and too many visitors leave with stories of getting hassled and hustled — or worse — during their time here. Cantrell also made no mention of the decade-old federal consent decree that continues to govern New Orleans Police Department policies, or the department’s failure to attract more recruits amid an exodus of veteran cops. On another front, Cantrell praised her administration’s programs for “learning to live with water” — such as the (just begun) Mirabeau Water Garden drainage retention plan and the Bayou Bienvenue Wetlands Triangle project, plus eight more projects that she promises to complete in 2024. But she overlooked the 70,000 catch basins that still need cleaning. Overall, Herroner said her team is making “quiet progress” across multiple fronts. She can rightly point to areas of progress, such as completing half of a large backlog of federally funded street and drainage repairs, but there’s nothing quiet about citizens’ opinions of long-unfinished street projects.

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Mayor LaToya Cantrell speaks during the State of the City Address at Gallier Hall on Dec. 13. PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Her approval ratings have tanked, and surveys consistently show residents having a dim view of the city’s prospects and quality of life. The mayor touted ongoing construction of a substation to supply reliable power to the city’s water and drainage systems by the end of 2025, but she did not say that the project actually got moving because the City Council funded it amid foot-dragging by Team Cantrell. Maybe that’s the “quiet” part of her team’s progress. Looking ahead, Cantrell praised the private investors who are building the new River District neighborhood upriver from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center — and she defended the use of tax breaks to finance the project. “That River District is like a gift that will keep on giving to the city for generations to come,” Cantrell said. She added that the tax breaks are attached to public property that currently generates no taxes anyway. The mayor also promised, without giving specifics, to bring back the Municipal Auditorium and begin the process of building a new City Hall on a Duncan Plaza parcel she hopes to acquire from the state. Again, it was the council that put the kibosh on Cantrell’s wildly unpopular plan to turn the auditorium into a new City Hall. Oops. There I go again — disturbing the quiet part.

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Hey Blake,

A recent news article about the birth of a rare white alligator in Florida said it was descended from our famous Louisiana white gators at the Audubon Zoo and Aquarium. Can you tell me about their history?

Dear reader,

FOR MORE THAN 35 YEARS, RARE WHITE ALLIGATORS have brought international

attention to the Audubon Nature Institute as residents of the Audubon Zoo and the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. They were among 18 male white alligators discovered by a fisherman in 1987 on swampland near Houma owned by LL&E, or Louisiana Land and Exploration Company. The animals had leucism, an inherited condition that makes their skin pale white, but leaves them with some pigmentation, including blue eyes. They are different from albinos, which have pink eyes and lack any pigmentation. The white alligators made national news and visited zoos across the country. One even appeared on Johnny Carson’s “The Tonight Show” in 1988. In 1994, a new white alligator was caught near Venice, Louisiana, and donated to the zoo. In 2009, a pair of white gator hatchlings was discovered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and donated to Audubon. Some of the gators who have resided at the aquarium and zoo over the years

Canaligator as a baby in 2009 PHOTO BY MIGNON BYLER / AP PHOTO/ AUDUBON NATURE INSTITUTE

were named Paleface, Spots, Bourree (like the Cajun card game), Mr. Bingle and Archbishop Antoine Blanc (combining the French word for white with a play on the name of early 20th century Archbishop James Blenk). There were also Tchompitoulas, Canaligator and the current gators, Two-Spot and Victor. In 2002, 12 white gators from the original clutch of babies discovered in 1987 were donated to Audubon by Burlington Resources Inc. (which bought LL&E in 1997). They included Four-Spots, Fido and Steward, named for former LL&E chairman H. Leighton Steward. The Associated Press reported the female white alligator born earlier this month at a Florida reptile park was descended from Louisiana’s white alligators. According to the park, the blue-eyed newborn is the first solid white alligator ever to have been born in human care.

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BLAKEVIEW THIS WEEK WE WISH A HAPPY 75TH ANNIVERSARY TO WDSU, which signed on the air Dec. 18, 1948, as the first television station in Louisiana. Channel 6 had its roots in WDSU Radio, established in 1923. “Television made its first appearance in New Orleans Saturday night, when station WDSU-TV telecast an all-star show from the Municipal Auditorium,” the Times-Picayune/New Orleans States reported the Dec. 19, 1948. Estimates put the number of TV sets in town at the time at only a few dozen. In one year, the number had jumped to 15,000, then 40,000 12 months later. Among WDSU’s early on-air stars were Mel Leavitt, Bill Monroe, Terry Flettrich, Nash Roberts and Alec Gifford, as well as a staff announcer and comedian named Dick Van Dyke. Van Dyke hosted a daily show on WDSU before moving to New York and becoming a major star. As the city and state’s first station, WDSU led the way with pioneering and award-winning coverage. Memorable stories included the first live broadcast of a Congressional hearing and a state legislative session, the first live election and hurricane coverage, and coverage of Mardi Gras, the Sugar Bowl and other events. Station founder Edgar Stern Jr. led a team which installed WDSU’s transmission tower and studios atop the Hibernia Bank building on Carondelet Street, then the tallest building in town. In 1950, the station moved to the French Quarter, broadcasting from the historic Seignouret-Brulator mansion at 520 Royal St. WDSU remained there until 1996, when it moved to its current location on Howard Avenue.

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2023IN

PHOTO BY BRET T DUKE / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Students protest anti-LGBTQ legislation. P H O T O B Y C H R I S G R A N G E R / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

YEAR REVIEW Mayor LaToya Cantrell at a November press conference PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

IT WAS A

POLITICALLY ROUGH YEAR FOR

MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL BY J O H N S TA N T O N | GAM B IT ED ITO R IT’S BEEN A ROUGH YEAR POLITICALLY FOR NEW ORLEANS MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL. AGAIN. And unfortunately for her, and the city, most of her 2023 woes were the result of self-inflicted wounds and a resistance on her part to learn that age-old lesson: Those who don’t remember the past are doomed to repeat it. For Cantrell, 2023 kicked off on a decidedly tough note, thanks to the quixotic efforts of Belden “Noonie Man” Batiste and Eileen Carter, a former aide to Cantrell.

In August 2022, the two had launched an effort to recall Cantrell over a variety of complaints. After an early surge of support as the campaign came out of the gate (thanks to their targeting of largely white parts of the city where Cantrell is unpopular), the recall had quickly drawn support from a handful of local Republicans and Never Cantrell types. While a recall was always a longshot, the GOP had dumped significant funds into the effort while arranging for friendly coverage from racist propagandists like Tucker Carlson, who at the time was Fox News’ No. 1 host. Despite clear signs by the middle of January (as reported by The Times-Picayune) that the recall wouldn’t reach its signature threshold by its Ash

Wednesday deadline, the mayor and her team still found a way to turn what could have been a one-and-done-drama into a stone to hang around her neck. Enter Gregory Joseph, a stand-up comedian turned communications director for the mayor. Joseph had come on in 2022 and quickly become one of Cantrell’s most trusted advisors. At the end of 2022, Joseph and his friend at Mercury Public Affairs — a New York public relations shop with ties to former Sen. David Vitter and Rudy Giuliani — had hatched a scheme to boost the mayor’s support without having to spend a dime of her or her campaign committee’s money. The plan was as simple as it was illegal — flood the mailbox-

es of likely voters with a series of campaign mailers touting the mayor’s record while in office. The mailers would be timed to hit the streets in the waning weeks of the recall campaign and, by ignoring clear city procurement rules and a host of state campaign finance laws, they’d use taxpayer funds to do it. Even after members of the administration pointed out in several emails that this whole plan clearly violated any number of ordinances and laws, Joseph pressed ahead, though they ultimately produced only one mailer. Ironically (and predictably), none of this was necessary. In March, the state announced what everyone had figured out by then: The recall had fallen well short of the necessary

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GAMBIT’S

Juvenile performed during Bayou Boogaloo in May. The rapper had a massive 2023 with an NPR Tiny Desk appearance and sold out shows celebrating the 25th anniversary of ‘400 Degreez.’

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signatures to even put the recall on the ballot. That,of course, wouldn’t be the end of it. The New Orleans City Council soon launched an investigation into the mailer, subpoenaing members of Cantrell’s staff as well as Mercury and a local vendor used to print and mail them. At a series of contentious hearings in the fall during which Joseph either was combative with the council’s two women members or absent entirely, the council found that Joseph had violated city and state rules and effectively forced him out. But this wasn’t the first time in 2023 Cantrell would see a trusted ally unceremoniously put out. In June, former council member and Cantrell ally Jared Brossett was fired from her administration. In 2021, Brossett had pulled out of the second council at-large race after his second drunk driving arrest in 16 months. Following that, Cantrell had brought Brossett into the fold, giving him a job on the Orleans Parish Communications District, which oversees the city’s failing 911 and 311 systems. Brossett was ostensibly let go June 23 for misuse of an OPCD credit card. But, plot twist: Brossett just so happened to be let go the day after the city Inspector General Ed Michel told OPCD they wanted to interview him as part of an investigation into his boss, Tyrell “The Real Estate Gladiator” Morris. Turns out, Morris, a full-time real estate agent in New Orleans who, prior to working for the mayor, had held jobs at a casino hotel and the D.C. public pool system, had recently had his own car accident — which may or may not have involved alcohol but which definitely involved Morris not taking a sobriety test and

subsequently altering OPCD policy to cover it up. Within weeks of Brossett’s firing, Morris would announce his own retirement — though he briefly and unsuccessfully attempted to hold on to the job until September, in what appeared to be a pensionrelated move. While the Brossett-Morris drama was unfolding like, well, a slow-moving car crash, Mayor Cantrell was busy reigniting a 2022 controversy — her use of the city’s Upper Pontalba apartment as a crash pad. Back in ’22, the mayor got caught spending significant time, when she was supposed to be working, at the apartment in the company of New Orleans Police Department officer Jeffrey Vappie. That scandal had prompted the council to pass a new ordinance in April limiting her use of the apartment, where she apparently lived for months. Fast forward to Essence Fest 2023, when the mayor decided that rather than commute from her home each evening for the nightly concerts at the Superdome, she and a group of friends would decamp to the Pontalba — and use an expanded NOPD detail (which apparently included Vappie) to help ferry them to and from the venue each evening. After that story broke, the council reopened the new Pontalba ordinance to effectively bar her use of the apartment. Speaking of Vappie, although an internal NOPD investigation cleared both Cantrell and Vappie of any wrongdoing, the episode drew the ire of the federal judge overseeing the civil rights consent decree governing NOPD — just as the mayor was mak-

GAMBIT’S

LONGSTANDING ISSUES

2023IN

YEAR REVIEW

TAKE CENTER STAGE

IN NEW ORLEANS BY K AY L E E P O C H E IF 2022 WAS MARKED BY REEMERGENCE FROM THE WORST OF THE PANDEMIC, 2023 was the year we got reacquainted with some of the longstanding issues in New Orleans that may have taken a backseat during the global emergency. Indeed, many such issues came to a head — for better or worse. Let’s start with one of our first cover stories of the year: a look at the status of the crumbling former home of jazz founding father Buddy Bolden. Since 2008, the house had continued to deteriorate despite citations from the city and a 2019 pledge from singer, pianist and Maroon 5 member PJ Morton to restore it and the house next door. The plan, he said, was to turn the buildings into a museum and community recording studio/workshop space. With no major work happening for years, it looked like the tale would end with the house collapsing. But after citations and follow-up hearings from the city’s Historic District Landmarks Commission, work on the house finally started in October. We’ll see just how much progress has been made at the next hearing on Jan. 11, 2024. As the world turned its eyes to the writers and actors strikes in Hollywood, in July Gambit looked at how productions had actually been drying up since the end of 2022 in anticipation of the strikes. As a result, in New Orleans, everyone from local actors to blue-collar film workers alike have been struggling to make ends meet. The good news? Both unions have now come to an agreement with studios, and there’s likely to be a production boom as studios rush to complete new projects. Still, depending on where they fit into the production process, workers may be out of work for a bit longer. Adding to the struggle was the fact that New Orleans’ economy is largely based on the tourism and hospitality industries, and the city saw an exceptionally slow summer. The record heat didn’t help, and many beloved bars and restaurants closed their doors this year — The Rabbit’s Foot, Seafood Sally’s and Tava, to name a few — while plenty of others barely scraped by. (Read more on pg. 25.)

Signs went up in July on St. Claude Avenue near Marigny Street to discourage vendors from setting up and selling alcohol, food and goods without permits. PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Ben Franklin High School students gather outside their school for a protest over anti-LGBTQ legislation on Friday, March 31. S TA F F P H O T O B Y C H R I S G R A N G E R / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

In the midst of the hard summer, many owners of popular bar and restaurant parklets in the Bywater and Marigny went into panic mode in August when the city told them to remove their street seating by the end of the month. It turned out that the rules the city council passed in 2022 to legalize parklets permanently actually banned a good bit of existing parklets. Council Member Freddie King and the rest of the council ultimately decided to let businesses keep their parklets while the city updated the rules. In state politics, Republican legislators brought several anti-LGBTQ bills forward, passing them by large margins despite organized opposition from the queer community and allies. The bills outlawed gender-affirming care for mi-

nors, limited what pronouns teachers are allowed to call students and banned discussion of gender and sexuality in schools, the latter a version of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, vetoed those three bills. But with the help of some Democrats, lawmakers overrode his veto on the gender-affirming care ban, which is set to go into effect at the turn of the year. Legal battles are playing out over similar bans in other states. These “culture war bills” have real impacts on the queer community and beyond. Former Louisiana Democratic Party CEO Stephen Handwerk and his husband decided to leave the state citing the bills, as did Dr. Jake Kleinmahon, then one of only three pediatric

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ing the case that the decree should be dropped. Through the summer, the mayor’s relationship with the city council would continue to find new lows. From her use of the city’s law office to buying $50 million in gas guzzling vehicles in direct violation of a 2022 council clean energy ordinance, their relationship continued to sour, leading to periodic episodes of public sniping. The end of summer and start of fall didn’t turn out much better. A tree limb in Jackson Square collapsed on a teenager, badly injuring him and highlighting the city’s poor management of public spaces. In November, yet another 2022 scandal haunted her when the city’s inspector general found a close former aide to Cantrell may have violated ethics rules as part of her failed Smart Cities program. Joseph, of course, left and her relationship with the council continued to crater. Even when things went well, they didn’t. After a protracted search for a new NOPD superintendent, Cantrell settled on Anne Kirkpatrick. While Kirkpatrick sailed through the first ever city council confirmation process in October, Cantrell came under fire for not picking Michelle Woodfork, a local member of the NOPD who was very popular with much of the city’s political elite. Through it all, Cantrell maintained a busy travel schedule. In May, she used more than $33,000 jn city funds to go to South Korea. In September, she took a trip to France to renew a sister city agreement, though the International Association of Francophone Mayors paid for her and her staff’s flights. In November, she headed to Kenya — a trip that ironically came just before the state ethics board charged her with travel spending ethics violations connected to her 2022 travel schedule. And in December, Cantrell went to Dubai for a weeklong climate change conference to tout her administration’s record on addressing the issue. Of course, that trip just so happened to coincide with massive flooding in New Orleans after a normal rainstorm, an episode which highlighted how badly prepared the city is for massive climate-related disasters. As we look toward 2024, the mayor (and the residents of the city) may be hoping for a relatively calm and scandal-free year. Unfortunately for all of us, that may not come to pass: In November, The Times-Picayune confirmed longstanding rumors that the FBI is investigating Cantrell — for campaign spending dating back to her first term and her relationship with Vappie. At City Hall, it seems, the past will continue to be prologue for the foreseeable future.

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cardiologists in Louisiana, and his family. Others in the LGBTQ community may not have the option to move. The road ahead will only be more difficult after a brutal fall election cycle for Democrats. The Louisiana Democratic Party was MIA and failed on all fronts, including recruiting candidates, raising money and motivating voters to turn out. Democrats did manage to make time for plenty of infighting, however. But those results did motivate many new and progressive faces to run for seats on the Democratic State Central Committee, which votes for the chair of the party. We’ll see this spring if there’s enough support to oust current chair Katie Bernhardt, like many organizers are hoping. After far-right Attorney General Jeff Landry won the governor’s race outright with only 36% of registered voters turning out, he immediately got to work on his transition councils to make recommendations for him when he takes office in January, including one specifically focused on New Orleans. At its first of three meetings, the committee discussed homelessness, recruiting law enforcement officers and cracking down on unlicensed street vendors, the last of which drew a lot of discussion this year. New Orleans officials, with the help of state agencies, did a series of street vendor sweeps along St. Claude Avenue in the summer and in the French Quarter after. In a November cover story, we talked to vendors, commissary kitchen owners and researchers about how the city can balance public safety and health concerns without tamping down on new businesses before they can get their feet off the ground. Though Mother Nature spared New Orleans from hurricanes this year, a

severe drought gave us new problems: a salt wedge threatening our water supply and wildfires. Thankfully, it rained before the salt wedge could get to us, but our neighbors in Plaquemines were impacted. Then, when we finally started getting more rain, New Orleans’ ancient turbines couldn’t keep up, leading to flooded streets. A new turbine is in the works but won’t be ready until 2025. Add in the ongoing homeowners’ insurance crisis, and it’s clear climate change is already having dramatic impacts on New Orleanians’ lives. Coupled with the latest hike in property assessments, it’s becoming increasingly expensive to live in the city, and people continue to get priced out. Speaking of people getting priced out of the city, there also was a lot of drama with residential short-term rentals this year. After courts struck down the rules the old council put into place last year, the city council in March passed new rules intended as a compromise, including requiring an operator to live on site, STRs to be listed under a person’s name and limits on how many STRs can be on a block. Major players in the STR industry sued, and in August a judge ordered the city to put the new rules on hold until he makes a ruling — which he still hasn’t done. Meanwhile, the city council is preparing to ban residential STRs outright should the judge strike down key parts of their rules. If that happens before Mardi Gras day, we could have some out-of-luck tourists. And speaking of Mardi Gras, it falls on Feb. 13 next year, so we recommend planning your energy conservation strategy — perhaps entering a mild hibernation — now. In the meantime, we’ll get to work manifesting a solutions-filled 2024.

LOCAL ACTIVISM SPANS FROM

CITY HALL TO SCHOOLS, STREETS AND DIVE BARS

BY S A R A H R AV I T S IN A CITY PRONE TO HURRICANES AND CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE, problems can feel insurmountable and the sheer number of them can feel overwhelming. But in 2023, there were many people who didn’t give into that despair, instead fighting for their vision of a better city — and world. In August, Gambit featured Michael Burnside, City Hall’s most dedicated public commenter. Sometimes fondly referred to as “the eighth council member,” Central City’s 59-year-old bearded philosopher and beloved eccentric regularly treks on foot or takes the bus from his tiny home to weigh in on a variety of matters before the City Council.

GAMBIT’S

2023IN

YEAR REVIEW

Parkview Tavern is expected to either relocate or close in 2024 as Blue Oak BBQ plans to expand. P H O T O B Y I A N M C N U LT Y / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

1990s are back in a big way, with kids showing up in their coolest vintage finds, Doc Martens, and both grungy and Y2K pop-star looks. That’s in addition to what defines every young generation: a healthy questioning of authority, coupled with the optimism of creating a better future. Global issues are also on many locals’ minds. The growing humanitarian crisis in the Middle East has sparked several local demonstrations and fundraisers for relief efforts, as New Orleans residents of all creeds call for an end to the violence in Israel and Gaza. Meanwhile, some people in the city demonstrated their activism over local issues with their wallets to try to save their favorite local businesses. Over the summer, rumors began swirling online that Buffa’s, the beloved bar on Esplanade Avenue, was on the verge of shutting down for good. The family-owned business, like so many others, was struggling with the rising costs of rent combined with a brutal summer of heatwaves that damaged its bottom line. After Gambit stopped in to investigate and chat with the owners over a Bloody Mary, our story went viral, and people began to flock to the bar in droves in order to help get it back on its feet. Furthermore, crowdfunding helped the owners generate some revenue to help cover their rent. We’re not saying we singlehandedly saved Buffa’s, but we were glad to see journalism inspire action (and alcohol consumption) for a good cause.

New Orleans Juvenile Justice Center P H O T O B Y S A R A H R AV I T S / G A M B I T

A string of burglaries at Bywater bars and restaurants in late October also solidified the need for neighborly support more than ever. The break-ins also reflected citywide problems of public safety issues and crime. Even District Attorney Jason Williams was not immune to being victimized, as he and his elderly mother were carjacked in the Lower Garden District in October. As of press time, Mid-City residents are also grappling with the impending closure of Parkview Tavern, which was purchased by the neighboring Blue Oak BBQ restaurant so it can expand its operations. Blue Oak’s owners bought the building and then nearly tripled the rent, forcing the bar’s longtime owner to either relocate or close for good by the end of April 2024. All in all, it was a year of speaking up against perceived injustices. New Orleans had an overwhelmingly low voter turnout during its last election, but those who stood up for their beliefs and their communities fought loud and proud.

Michael Burnside P H O T O B Y S A R A H R AV I T S / G A M B I T

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Burnside steps up to the podium and speaks not just for himself, but for the working poor, the homeless and countless others facing adversity. His travels during his younger years, his previous career in public school teaching, a stint in the military and his own experiences being unhoused have all helped bring new perspectives to City Hall. Much of Burnside’s activism is focused on fostering greater empathy for the city’s most vulnerable residents, though he’s also been called a “walking measure of accountability” by City Hall aides for his ability to document blight and other problems. “Somebody has to reflect to them the impact of what they’re doing and saying,” he told Gambit. “We need city council people who can grow, and who can change.” Of course, activists of all ages had plenty of work cut out for them this year, particularly young people and those who advocate for them. Lawyers and social workers shared their concerns with us for a July feature that delved into the complexities of the juvenile justice system, which is woefully underfunded and under-resourced. Advocates warn that kids are slipping through the cracks when they get out of holding facilities, and the court cases themselves are often strung together by overworked legal staff on both the defense and prosecution side. As Aaron Clark-Rizzio, the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights co-executive director, put it, there’s no “centralized way to communicate” which makes cases drag on and takes a devastating toll on families of the perpetrators and victims of crime. Advocates like Clark-Rizzio have been calling for greater public oversight and expanded resources, hoping they can one day produce better outcomes for society as a whole. In May, we reported that hundreds of students at Benjamin Franklin High School staged a walk-out in support of the LGBTQ community and in protest over state lawmakers’ increasingly hostile legislation targeting this already-vulnerable population. Though many of the student activists aren’t even old enough to vote, they are making their voices heard, and their activism will certainly be important in the coming years as freedom of expression and bodily autonomy rights face new threats. In more lighthearted news, we checked in with some of these same students for another story on fashion, teen trends and how to not be “cringe.” It turns out the more things change, the more they stay the same. Our fashion photo shoot on Franklin’s school campus with photographer Gabrielle Korein showed how the

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Jon Batiste performed on the Festival Stage at the 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. P H O T O B Y C H R I S G R A N G E R / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

IF 2022 BROUGHT WITH IT EXCITEMENT for the full-throated return of live music and big festivals in New Orleans after long months of shutdowns and uncertainty, this year saw some of the rose-colored tint wear off and a better understanding of how local music will be dealing with the ripple effects of the pandemic for some time to come. This year the New Orleans music community saw its fair share of challenges and celebrations. Carnival 2023 was, as usual, filled with great music both in the streets and in local venues, and the spring moved quickly on to another successful French Quarter Festival, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The tentpole New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was soon after back in full swing, with headlining sets by Lizzo, Ed Sheeran, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Ludacris, Dead & Co. and others. The Wu-Tang

Clan was joined by The Soul Rebels to pack the Congo Square Stage on opening day. And Jon Batiste rocked a memorable homecoming show that celebrated Black New Orleans life. The Essence Festival of Culture returned in July to the Caesars Superdome and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. And the fall was filled with festivals featuring live music, including the robust Gretna Heritage Fest, Gentilly Fest and the Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival. August also brought with it one of the year’s biggest milestones: The 50th anniversary of hip-hop. People around the world celebrated the genre and its cultural impact with concerts and retrospectives. Essence Fest made celebrating 50 years of hip-hop a central part of this year’s event, with headlining performances by Ms. Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott and Megan Thee Stallion as well as

GAMBIT’S

YEAR REVIEW

live music scene seemed to become more apparent. A slowdown in tourism and of locals going out due to the extreme temperatures put a real squeeze on both gigging musicians and music venues. But it also exacerbated underlying problems affecting the local music community: low wages, inflation and the raising costs of rent, insurance and food. Audience habits also have changed in recent years — advance tickets aren’t selling as well as they once did before Covid and alcohol sales at concerts have been declining — putting new pressures on musicians and venues. This year saw a few shake-ups to the city’s music venue landscape. One Eyed Jacks, which had moved in early 2022 from its longtime Toulouse Street home to Decatur Street, closed its doors in February. Neutral Ground Coffee House lost its spot on Daneel Street after 40 years and is currently looking for a new location. Gasa Gasa, an important venue for the city’s indie music scene, closed in November, and its future is uncertain. Meanwhile, Frenchmen Street staple d.b.a. was sold but seems to be in good hands with the owners of Three Muses and the Spotted Cat. Buffa’s faced closure until the community rallied around it. And Music Box Village abruptly canceled the last two events of its 2023 season, citing challenges to finding grant support and attracting audiences. New Orleans Airlift, which administers the whimsical Bywater complex, says it hopes to reopen Music Box Village in 2024.

Members of the Roots of Jazz Brass Band perform during the National Fried Chicken Festival in October. P H O T O B Y S C O T T T H R E L K E L D / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

This year was filled with notable moments. In August, GNO, Inc., The Idea Village, New Orleans & Co., Louisiana Entertainment and the city announced METRONOME, a new initiative focused on growing the music industry in New Orleans through workshops, apprenticeships and other programs. METRONOME will announce more in spring 2024. New Orleans & Co. dubbed October as New Orleans Music Month and promoted the return of NOLAxNOLA, an initiative promoting concerts at local venues. The month closed with the multi-day NOLA MusicCon, bringing together speakers and workshops focused on growing the local music economy. The city finally enacted musician loading zone permits outside of live music venues (although, the 15-minute time allowance may still present a challenge to local musicians). Preservation Hall named trumpeter Wendell Brunious as its first ever musical director. Rapper Rob49 and his deep baritone voice were named to XXL’s Freshman Class. And Beyonce brought her massive Renaissance tour to the Superdome. And there was a lot of great new music this year, including posthumous albums from the great Walter “Wolfman” Washington and King

Louie Bankston. Big Freedia celebrated her 20th anniversary making music with the album “Central City.” Lost Bayou Ramblers’ Louis Michot exchanged his fiddle for a guitar and drum machine on his first solo album, “Reve du Troubadour.” Mardi Gras Indian funk band The Rumble released its first live album and earned a Grammy nomination. And Flagboy Giz of the Wild Tchoupitoulas decided to push a few buttons on his new album “Disgrace to the Culture.” That’s not to mention fantastic new projects by Ivan Neville, The Revivalists, People Museum, HaSizzle, Lilli Lewis, SaxKixAve, Ernie Vincent, Chief aTunde Adjuah, Corey Ledet, Stone Cold Jzzle, Jamal Batiste, Joystick and many others. We also remember the irreplaceable New Orleans musicians lost this year, including saxophonist and educator Edward “Kidd” Jordan; drummer and bandleader Russell Batiste Jr.; Jean Knight, the singer of “Mr. Big Stuff”; rock ’n’ roll pioneer Huey “Piano” Smith; bounce artists Frederick “Flipset Fred” Palmer and Charles Ray “Charlie Whop” Davalie; tuba player Jeffrey Hills; drummer Sam Jackson; Revell Andrews, a gifted, young sousaphonist; singer-songwriter Perrin “Lenny” Green; and bluesman J. Monque’D.

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showcases bringing together many of the icons of the genre. But when it came to celebrating New Orleans’ place in hip-hop, things felt a little subdued — despite the massive impact the city and our musicians have had on the culture. The city also seemed to be left out of larger events, like Essence Fest, where the showcases originally included just one rapper from its host city: Mia X. Eventually, though, Juvenile — who is having his own massive year celebrating the 25th anniversary of “400 Degreez” — and Mannie Fresh were added to the lineup, and Lil Wayne made a surprise guest appearance. A few individuals and organizations, including Ashe Cultural Arts Center, held events celebrating the Aug. 11 anniversary and the city’s contributions, but there wasn’t a large-scale celebration in the ways seen in other cities. Still, as the second half of the year has gone on, there has been more recognition of New Orleans’ contributions to hip-hop, including a major proclamation in late November by the New Orleans City Council. Juvenile and Mannie Fresh also end the year with a New Year’s Eve show at the Saenger Theatre. Many great festivals filled the spring and fall, but two large holes in the calendar remain: The BUKU Music + Art Project, which helped break the ice for the return of festivals in 2022, was cancelled for 2023, and the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience (which “took a pause” in 2022) was again missing from the fall festival lineup. BUKU and Voodoo Fest crucially brought big name touring alt-rock, electronic and hip-hop acts to New Orleans as well as drew in a younger audience, and only time will tell if either festival is resurrected or if other events will take their places. Jazz Fest implemented a few new changes in 2023, most notably its decision to go cashless. A few food and drink vendors decided to sit out this year’s festival due to the decision, and at first 100% cashless did not go well. Long food and drink lines piled up on opening day, causing some headaches for both attendees and vendors. Those hiccups seemed to clear up after the first couple of days, but by the end of the festival, some vendors seemed to have mixed feelings about the new system. Prices on the Fair Grounds also seemed to hit a new high this year. Part of that is because of inflation, but the cashless system also contributed to it as vendors passed on new transaction fees to the customer. As the summer started to heat up, cracks in the health of New Orleans

2023IN

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The Year in Dining

FORK + CENTER

2023 has been a challenging year for local restaurants | by Beth D’Addono MANY NEW AND ENTICING RESTAURANTS OPENED across the New

Orleans area in the past year, but for many folks in the hospitality industry, 2023 can’t be over soon enough. Restaurant owners, especially chef/ operators running smaller, independent places, continue to fight to keep their doors open, an exhausting mode that’s continued since the pandemic began in 2020. One difference is that whatever financial assistance was available to survive the pandemic has dried up or become harder to access. Combine that with rising property taxes and insurance rates, higher food and labor costs, one of the most financially brutal summers in memory, and for some, bills still lingering from Hurricane Ida damage, and parts of New Orleans hospitality industry are barely holding on. One owner borrowed a substantial sum of money to cope with the seasonal downturn. “What’s the point of working your ass off to get a loan every summer just to survive?” says Sophina Uong of Mister Mao. “Between the doom and gloom of the salt wedge, which discouraged tourists from coming, to the lack of support from the city, no wonder the French Quarter is full of Willie’s Chicken chains and daiquiri shops. New Orleans is hard on small business.” Restaurateurs are still bemoaning a dearth of dependable staff. “You should see the resumes I get,” says one owner. “It’s clear that workers stay a month or so and then move on.” The pandemic did cause many to re-evaluate their situations. Some workers changed industries, opting to make more money for less aggravation. For some, the notion of being a digital nomad and job hopping has cache. But even without the pandemic, the industry sees openings and closings every year. The National Restaurant Association normally estimates a 30% failure rate in the industry. Add in a hard summer, storm disruptions, Covid and concerns about crime, and the losses mounted. The polished seafood-centric Le Chat Noir in the Warehouse District closed abruptly after less than two years, with the owner calling the restaurant’s high overhead unsustainable after the summer slump. A slew of chef-driven restaurants called it quits, including just recently Seafood Sally’s. Owners Marcus Jacobs and Caitlin Carney also

closed their original Mid-City spot, Marjie’s Grill, saying they planned to retool it and reopen in 2024. Piece of Meat, the beloved butcher shop turned steakhouse in MidCity, also closed with promise of a future reset. The Rabbit’s Foot, notable for hosting Francolini’s pop-ups while that restaurant struggled to open, also closed, and in a notice on Instagram cited debt incurred by problems stemming from Hurricane Ida. Tava chef and owner Manish Patel closed his Indian street food restaurant 18 months after opening in the CBD, attributing it to high overhead and bad customer behavior, among other factors. In some cases, places closed because owners retired. Riccobono’s Peppermill, a Metairie institution, closed after 50 years as a CreoleItalian mainstay. Also in Metairie, Egg Roll House, a family-run Chinese takeout favorite for nearly 40 years, shut down. Yet despite the challenging environment, new restaurants opened, a testimony to the industry’s indomitable spirit. Tara Francolini opened her New Jersey-style Italian deli in July after months of delays from dealing with the city, and she was greeted with long lines of fans. Some changes merely reflect new ownership, as is the case at the recently reopened Gautreau’s in Uptown. Some restaurateurs are building on success. The owners of Spanish tapas-inspired Costera added the Italian eatery Osteria Lupo nearby in Uptown. Edgar “Dook” Chase IV, grandson of Leah Chase, opened Chapter IV in the CBD, offering a more modern take on Creole cuisine. Mason Hereford partnered with several team members to open his third place, the buzz-worthy Hungry Eyes. The locally based Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts, from the Ammari family, continues to grow, expanding in Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes. The success was tinged with sadness this year with the August passing of

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AS WITH PUBS OR BAKERIES, A GOOD COFFEE SHOP CAN HAVE A CENTRAL ROLE in neighborhood life. Losing one

Cesar Nunez and Tara Francolini at the new Italian deli, Francolini’s. PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER / GAMBIT

Ghaith “Richy” Ammari, 51, who ran the company along with brothers Marv and Zeid Ammari. Owners Jennifer and Erich Weishaupt continue to build their breakfast and lunch brands Ruby Slipper and Ruby Sunshine. Expansion includes locations in Alabama and Florida with more on the way. After working with Asian dishes at MoPho and Maypop, chef Michael Gulotta opened the Italian restaurant Tana in Metairie in mid-December. In keeping with his goal to head one of the largest Black-owned hospitality groups in the South, Larry Morrow, who owns Morrow’s in Marigny and runs Monday in Mid-City, opened Sun Chong in the French Quarter. He plans to have six places open in early 2024. New Orleanian Billy Blatty has enjoyed some local success with restaurants like Sofia and Nagomi. But he merged his hospitality company with a Denver restaurant group to pursue new opportunities. So far, the alliance has produced Mexican dining concept Mister Oso where Barcadia was, and forthcoming projects include A5, a Japanese-inspired steakhouse, and Bohemia Gardens, a “culinary park” off Freret Street, both expected in 2024. Blatty welcomed the partnership. “I was drawn to their infrastructure, leadership and creativity,” he says. “They have a broader spectrum of talent than we do. It’s a game changer.”

can be a heavy blow. So it was with the Congregation Coffee cafe in Algiers Point. But after a seven-month hiatus the cafe is back open with a new owner and more plans ahead. The front doors of this bright open shop of vintage woodwork and broad windows swung open recently, and people have been streaming in with strollers, pups on leash and welcome-back smiles on their faces. Congregation’s comeback story is a two-parter. In addition to the Algiers Point cafe, there’s also the return of the brand for this wholesale coffee roaster, which is based in Uptown. Eliot Guthrie closed both down last spring, hinting that someone may take over. That someone turned out to be Patrick Brennan, son of restaurateur Ralph Brennan, owner of Brennan’s Restaurant

Congregation Coffee has a cafe in Algiers Point. PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

and Ralph’s on the Park, among others. The younger Brennan left the family hospitality company to bring Congregation back as his own venture. Roasting at Congregation’s production facility Uptown on Tchoupitoulas Street resumed in the fall shortly after the sale was complete, and Brennan is now working to resume wholesale relationships with restaurants and retail spots. Guthrie, who with a partner runs the tavern kitchen Duke Walter’s inside Finn McCool’s Irish Pub, is part of bringing Congregation back too, advising and sharing expertise on the production end and making introductions. The cafe now has a selection of pastries from the Ralph Brennan PAGE 26

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Restaurant Group’s bakery, which Patrick Brennan helped create. Brennan is looking at expanding Congregation with additional cafes in the New Orleans area, and he’s eyeing the French Quarter for a possible location. Congregation got its start in 2015, roasting artisan coffee and taking its name from the term for a group of alligators. — Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune

Changes on Oak Street

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seen a wave of changes across its stock of restaurants and bars. They include new plans for Oak & Ale and the recent closure of Seafood Sally’s. Here are some of the other changes in the works. Magasin Vietnamese Cafe Mukbang Seafood at 8312 Oak St. is now called Magasin Vietnamese Cafe, a name that will be familiar from its previous incarnation. Mukbang was opened by Kim Nguyen and her family as a Viet-Cajun boiled seafood spin-off from her first restaurant Magasin, a casual spot then located Uptown on Magazine Street. After Magasin closed, Nguyen started serving dishes from its menu at Mukbang. But now she says Mukbang has run its course, and after the slow summer she decided to fully revive the Magasin brand here. The menu has added more street-food dishes like quail with sticky rice and grilled spicy squid, alongside the filet mignon pho and banh mi. The Viet-Cajun boiled seafood isn’t gone for good though. Nguyen says she’ll bring it back as a seasonal special when crawfish are rolling again. Lakeview Harbor The burgers and baked potatoes of Lakeview Harbor at 8550 Pontchartrain Blvd. have a new outpost on Oak Street as the longtime local restaurant opens a second location here. This new Lakeview Harbor at 8201 Oak St. opened at the former Mucho Mas, a short-lived Mexican restaurant that closed in a swirl of drama over the summer when its staff walked out over unpaid wages, which owner Shawn Toups has been working to resolve. Toups owns Lakeview Harbor, and he became owner of Mucho Mas through

a partnership that deteriorated a few months before it finally closed. Opening a second Lakeview Harbor here is meant to be a back-to-basics fresh start with new partners, he says. This new Lakeview Harbor has a trimmed down menu of burgers and sandwiches, steaks, appetizers and salads, with the signature typhoon punch at the full bar. It doesn’t offer seafood and other platters available on the West End menu. Calliope Beer Works The new brewpub Calliope Beer Works at 8801 Oak St. is now serving its own beer. Calliope opened over the summer in the longtime home of Cowbell, a popular burger spot that closed during

Thuy Nguyen (left) and Kim Nguyen (right) at the Oak Street restaurant formerly known as Mukbang Seafood & Bar. PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

the pandemic. The brewing system took longer to get going, but now the first four in-house beers are flowing, including a West Coast IPA, a rye pale ale, an English bitter and a Belgian blond, each made in small, sevenkeg batches. The food menu has dishes that would be at home in a tavern or neighborhood restaurant setting but bring little touches to elevate them. Try the “fried fungi fingers” with a drape of chipotle queso and shrimp lettuce boats that are like salad crossed with tacos. PrimoHoagies There’s now a local outpost at 8228 Oak St. for the sandwich chain PrimoHoagies. Tulane graduate William Kulick, the franchise owner, decided to bring his favorite sandwich back home to New Orleans after visiting friends and family in Philadelphia. — Ian McNulty and Chelsea Shannon / The Times-Picayune

3 COURSE INTERVIEW

by Will Coviello

IN OUR 3-COURSE INTERVIEWS, GAMBIT TALKS WITH CHEFS, food writers and

other folks across the food and spirits industries. This year, we heard from many people who started their own culinary businesses during or as a result of the pandemic, from pop-ups to food trucks and food hall stalls. We also heard from visiting chefs, distillers and more. Here’s a look back at some of what they shared. In November, Aritza Garcia opened a stall at the St. Roch Market, where she focuses on Cuban favorites from Cuban sandwiches to ropa vieja. Though she was born in Honduras, her stepfather is Cuban and the cuisines mixed at their home. Getting into food was part of a reset for her. “I have always loved cooking in general, but it was never something I thought about doing as a career, even though I have worked in the service industry for 20 years,” she said. “When the pandemic hit, I decided it was time to go back to school. It was the right time. So I went to a college night at Nunez Community College. The first thing I saw was the culinary department, and I took that as a sign.” St. Roch has seen some turnover in vendors in the past year, and Coast Roast Coffee owner Kevin Pedeaux is now revamping and running the market. One of the vendors who got in and then got out of St. Roch is the Indian cuisine concept Everything Spice. It was started by chef Vishal Kotagiri and a team of chefs. A native of Hyderabad, India, and a culinary school graduate, he was looking at working in the cruise industry when he spotted an opportunity in New Orleans. After working at places including the Hyatt Regency and Donald Link’s Chermin a la Mer, he started Everything Spice as a pop-up. “I quit my job at the Four Seasons to pursue full-time pop-ups and do something for myself,” he said. “Our focus is to do dishes from India that are not sold here a lot. Indian food is so big, there are a lot of dishes that are undiscovered here. There are a lot of dishes that not all Indians know.” Everything Spice is one of several Indian pop-ups and restaurants opened in New Orleans by Indian chefs in recent years. They also include LUFU Nola and Namaste Nola in the CBD. James Robbins also went to culinary school and immigrated to the United States. A native of Canada, he’s shifted

WINE OF THE

WEEK

Aritza Garcia opened Aritza’s Kitchen at the St. Roch Market. PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Yia Vang of Minneapolis came to Mister Mao to cook a dinner fusing dishes of his Hmong heritage with local ingredients. Vang was born in a refugee camp in Thailand, and his family immigrated to the U.S. in the 1980s, eventually settling in Minnesota where there is a large Hmong community. Roxanne Fernandez Tiburolobo visited New Orleans to participate on a Tales of the Cocktail panel on indigenous representation in the spirits industry. He’s made traditional corn beers for his family, and he’s a whiskey distiller by trade. One of the issues Tiburolobo addresses is working to not lose ancestral beverages in indigenous communities as working with alcohol can be stigmatized. Also from the spirits world, Jack Summers visited to promote Blackowned spirits at Tales. When he launched his liqueur Sorel, he became the first Black distiller to get a license since Prohibition. Dan “Grossy” Pelosi visited the city to talk about the Italian and Portuguese recipes in his cookbook. He switched careers and started cooking online at the beginning of the pandemic. He talked about working in online spaces and behavior there. He encourages people to respect others instead of quickly denouncing things, a mantra he’s put on T-shirts saying “Don’t yuck my yum.”

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A year in food talk

gears from working at top restaurants to starting his own pop-up during the pandemic. His Campfryer menus range from bar food like Scotch eggs to mini menus focusing on the cuisines of Italy, France, Thailand and more. He’s carved out a niche at local breweries, including Miel Brewery and Taproom. Brittney Lain had been working in local kitchens for 10 years when she decided to go into her business for herself. She and partner Nicholas Flowers launched the Fed N Full food truck, which serves everywhere from local schools to crowds outside the casino. They decided to cook the foods they like to eat. “Not everything we do is Southern, and fusion is kind of exotic for me,” Lain said. “So we came up with the concept of Black-A-Nese cuisine, and it’s our own thing. We do chicken and cabbage egg rolls, and instead of shrimp fried rice we do dirty rice. That’s the Black part about it. It’s not some type of Asian cuisine, it’s our style of jambalaya and dirty rice.” Among the businesses spurred by the pandemic shutdowns were ice cream makers. And other newcomers got in for different reasons. Briggs Barrios grew up in the New Orleans area, played baseball at Tulane University and worked in finance before he decided to turn his love of ice cream into a business venture. After mastering making ice creams with various mix-ins for himself and family, he launched Super Witch Ice Cream. “Having different flavors every week keeps it fun and exciting for people,” he said. “A pretzel-based ice cream is not something you can find in a store. It’s sweet, salty and delicious, and it’s like, ‘I didn’t know ice cream could be this.’ ” Mike Graves also got into ice cream with Bof Bars. The former attorney likes to make ice cream into fun shapes, like dinosaur eggs and the “chicken leg” he offered at the National Fried Chicken Festival. He held Frozen Sweets Fest at The Broadside in September to highlight locally made frozen treats from a variety of vendors. New Orleans also is a destination for all sorts of culinary world figures. Chef

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Out 2 Eat is an index of Gambit contract advertisers. Unless noted, addresses are for New Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: Email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106. 8 Fresh Food Assassin — 1900 N. Claiborne Ave., (504) 224-2628; Instagram, @8freshfoodassassin — Chef Manny January’s serves lamb chops, T-bone steaks, salmon, crab cakes, deep fried ribs, fried chicken and seafood-loaded oysters. No reservations. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$ Acorn — Louisiana Children’s Museum, 12 Henry Thomas Drive, (504) 218-5413; acornnola.com — Blackened shrimp tacos are topped with arugula, radish, pineapple-mango salsa and cilantro-lime sauce. No reservations. Breakfast and lunch Wed.-Sun. $$ Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream. com — This sweet shop serves its own gelato, spumoni, Italian ice, cannolis, biscotti, fig cookies, tiramisu, macaroons and more. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $ Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; annunciationrestaurant.com — Gulf Drum Yvonne is served with brown butter sauce with mushrooms and artichoke hearts. Reservations recommended. Dinner Thu.-Mon. $$$ Banana Blossom — 500 9th St., Gretna, (504) 500-0997; 504bananablossom.com — Jimmy Cho’s Thai dishes include smoked pork belly and pork meatballs in lemon grass broth with egg, green onion, cilantro and garlic. Reservations accepted for large parties except weekends. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ Bamboula’s — 514 Frenchmen St.; bamboulasmusic.com — The live music venue’s kitchen offers a menu of traditional and creative Creole dishes, such as Creole crawfish crepes with goat cheese and chardonnay sauce. Reservations accepted. Lunch, dinner and late-night daily. $$ The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar — 118 Harbor View Court, Slidell, (985) 315-7001; 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 284-2898; thebluecrabnola.com — Basin barbecue shrimp are served over cheese grits with a cheese biscuit. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lakeview: Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. Slidell: Lunch Wed.-Fri., dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$ Broussard’s — 819 Conti St., (504) 581-3866; broussards.com — Rainbow trout amandine is served with tasso and corn macque choux and Creole meuniere sauce. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$ Cafe Normandie — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The menu combines classic French dishes and Louisiana items like crab beignets with herb aioli. No reservations. Breakfast and lunch daily. $$ The Commissary — 634 Orange St., (504) 274-1850; thecommissarynola.com — A smoked turkey sandwich is served with bacon, tomato jam, herbed cream cheese, arugula and herb vinaigrette on honey oat bread. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Tue.-Sat. $$ Curio — 301 Royal St., (504) 717-4198; curionola.com — The creative Creole menu includes blackened Gulf shrimp served with chicken

$ — average dinner entrée under $10 $$ — $11-$20 $$$ — $20-up and andouille jambalaya. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 586-0300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — A menu full of Gulf seafood includes char-grilled oysters topped with Parmesan and herbs. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House — 144 Bourbon St., (504) 522-0111; bourbonhouse.com — There’s a seafood raw bar and dishes like redfish with lemon buerre blanc. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$ Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse — 716 Iberville St., (504) 522-2467; dickiebrennanssteakhouse.com — A 6-ounce filet mignon is served with fried oysters, creamed spinach, potatoes and bearnaise. Reservations recommended. Dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$ Down the Hatch — 817 St. Louis St., (504) 766-6007; 1921 Sophie Wright Place, (504) 220-7071; downthehatchnola.com — The Texan burger features a half-pound patty topped with caramelized onions, smoked bacon, cheddar cheese and a fried egg. No reservations. Lunch, dinner and late-night daily. $$ Dragonfly Cafe — 530 Jackson Ave., (504) 544-9530; dragonflynola.com — The casual cafe offers breakfast plates, waffles, salads, coffee drinks and more. Delivery available. Reservations accepted. Breakfast and lunch Wed.-Sat. $$ El Pavo Real — 4401 S. Broad Ave., (504) 266-2022; elpavorealnola.com — The menu includes tacos, enchiladas and sauteed Gulf fish topped with tomatoes, olives, onion and capers, served with rice and string beans. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and early dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar — 739 Iberville St., (504) 522-4440; 7400 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 304-4125; felixs.com — The menu includes raw and char-grilled oysters, seafood platters, po-boys and more. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Frey Smoked Meat Co. — 4141 Bienville St., Suite 110, (504) 488-7427; freysmokedmeat. com — The barbecue spot serves pulled pork, ribs, brisket, sausages and and items like fried pork belly tossed in pepperjelly glaze. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Froot Orleans — 2438 Bell St., Suite B, (504) 233-3346; frootorleans.com — There are fresh fruit platters and smoothie bowls such as a strawberry shortcake and more using pineapple, berries, citrus and more. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Breakfast and lunch daily. $$ Juan’s Flying Burrito — 515 Baronne St., (504) 529-5825; 2018 Magazine St., (504) 569-0000; 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-9950; 8140 Oak St., (504) 897-4800; juansflyingburrito.com — The Flying Burrito includes steak, shrimp, chicken, cheddar jack cheese, black beans, rice, guacamole and salsa. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$ Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — The eclectic menu includes a Cajun Cuban with roasted

pork, ham, cheese and pickles. Delivery available. Reservations accepted for large parties. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$ Kilroy’s Bar — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The bar menu includes sandwiches, salads and flatbreads, including one topped with peach, prosciutto, stracciatella cheese, arugula and pecans. No reservations. Dinner Wed.-Sat. $$ Legacy Kitchen’s Craft Tavern — 700 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 613-2350; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes oysters, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, salads and a NOLA Style Grits Bowl topped with bacon, cheddar and a poached egg. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Legacy Kitchen Steak & Chop — 91 Westbank Expressway, Gretna, (504) 513-2606; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes filets mignons and bone-in rib-eyes, as well as burgers, salads and seafood dishes. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$ Luzianne Cafe — 481 Girod St., (504) 2651972; luziannecafe.com — Cajun Sunshine Beignets are stuffed with eggs, bacon, cheese and hot sauce. No reservations. Delivery available. Breakfast and lunch Wed.-Sun. $$ Martin Wine & Spirits — 714 Elmeer Ave., Metairie, (504) 896-7350; 3827 Baronne St., (504) 894-7444; martinwine.com — The deli serves sandwiches and salads such as the Sena, with chicken, raisins, blue cheese, pecans and Tabasco pepperjelly vinaigrette. No reservations. Lunch daily. $$ Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado and snow crab. The menu also has noodle dishes, teriyaki and more. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Lunch Sun.Fri., dinner daily. $$ Mosca’s — 4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery serves Italian dishes and specialties including chicken a la grande and baked oysters Mosca. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Sat. Cash only. $$$ Mother’s Restaurant — 401 Poydras St., (504) 523-9656; mothersrestaurant.net — This counter-service spot serves po-boys, jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice and more. Delivery available. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Neyow’s Creole Cafe — 3332 Bienville St., (504) 827-5474; neyows.com — The menu includes red beans with fried chicken or pork chops, as well as seafood platters, po-boys, grilled oysters, salads and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Nice Guys Bar & Grill — 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504) 302-2404; niceguysbarandgrillnola. com — Char-grilled oysters are topped with cheese. The menu also includes wings, quesadillas, burgers, salads, seafood pasta and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$ The Original Italian Pie — 3629 Prytania St., (504) 766-8912; theoriginalitalianpieuptown.com — The Italian Pie combo includes pepperoni, Italian sausage, ground beef, mushrooms, onions, bell pepper, black olives, mozzarella and house-made tomato sauce. No reservations. Dinner and latenight Tue.-Sat. $$

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Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro — 720 Orleans Ave., (504) 523-1930; orleansgrapevine.com — The wine bar’s menu includes Creole pasta with shrimp and andouille in tomato cream sauce. Reservations accepted for large parties. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Thu.-Sun. $$ Palace Cafe — 605 Canal St., (504) 523-1661; palacecafe.com — The contemporary Creole menu includes crabmeat cheesecake with mushrooms and Creole meuniere sauce. Outdoor seating available. Reservations recommended. Breakfast and lunch Wed.-Fri., dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$ Parish Grill — 4650 W. Esplanade Ave., Suite 100, Metairie, (504) 345-2878; parishgrill.com — The menu includes burgers, sandwiches, pizza and sauteed andouille with fig dip, blue cheese and toast points. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$ Peacock Room — Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola.com — Black lentil vadouvan curry comes with roasted tomatoes, mushrooms and basmati rice. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.Mon., brunch Sun. $$ PrimoHoagies — 8228 Oak St., (504) 3151335; primohoagies.com — The menu of hot and cold sandwiches includes a classic Italian hoagie with prosciutto, salami, hot capicola, provolone, lettuce, tomato and onion. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Rosie’s on the Roof — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The rooftop bar has a menu of sandwiches, burgers and small plates. No reservations. Dinner daily. $$ Tableau — 616 St. Peter St., (504) 9343463; tableaufrenchquarter.com — Pasta bouillabaisse features squid ink mafaldine, littleneck clams, Gulf shrimp, squid, seafood broth, rouille and herbed breadcrumbs. Outdoor seating available. Reservations recommended. Dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Thu.-Sun. $$$ Tacklebox — 817 Common St., (504) 827-1651; legacykitchen.com — The menu

Katie’s Restaurant and Bar (3701 Iberville St., 504488-6582; katiesinmidcity. com) in Mid-City serves pizza and more. PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

includes oysters, and dishes like redfish St. Charles with garlic-herb butter, asparagus, mushrooms and crawfish cornbread. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 733-3803; 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 234-9420; theospizza.com — A Marilynn Pota Supreme pie is topped with mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions. There also are salads, sandwiches and more. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $ Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco — 1433 St. Charles Ave., (504) 354-1342; 5015 Magazine St., (504) 267-7612; titoscevichepisco.com — Peruvian lomo saltado features sauteed beef, onions, tomatoes, soy sauce and pisco, served with potatoes and rice. Outdoor seating available on Magazine Street. Delivery available. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$ The Vintage — 3121 Magazine St., (504) 324-7144; thevintagenola.com — The menu includes beignets, flatbreads and a veggie sandwich with avocado, onions, arugula, red pepper and pepper jack cheese. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Zhang Bistro — 1141 Decatur St., (504) 826-8888; zhangbistronola.com — The menu of Chinese and Thai dishes includes a Szechuan Hot Wok with a choice of chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu with onions, peppers, cauliflower, jalapenos and spicy sauce. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$

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popped into the Dragon’s Den earlier this year. He returns to New Orleans for a headlining show at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23, at The Howlin’ Wolf. General admission is $20 via thehowlinwolf. com. “Number One” is now streaming on Peacock, and the audio edition can now be found on streaming platforms.

NOLA ChristmasFest

NOLA Christmas Fest turns part of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center into a winter wonderland, complete with ice skating, ice slides, visits with Santa, a giant Christmas tree and more. An entertainment stage features dance teams, bands, choirs, storytellers and more. There also are amusement rides, a pub, food vendors and more. Hours vary from Thursday, Dec. 21, through Dec. 30, but there are daytime and evening sessions most days. Visit nolachristmasfest.com for tickets and details.

Home for the Holidays

The annual benefit for the Daniel Price Memorial Fund, which provides scholarships to NOCCA students, features entertainment by The Soul Rebels, Cimafunk, Kermit Ruffins, Ivan Neville, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Stanton Moore and others. Irma Thomas and John Boutte perform at the patron party (6:30-8 p.m.). The concert is at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, at House of Blues. Find tickets via danielpricememorial.org.

Phillip Manuel’s ‘Swingin’ in the Holidays’

New Orleans-born vocalist Phillip Manuel in 2017 released a cool, smooth collection of jazz spins on holiday classics, “Swingin’ in the Holidays,” and each year he revisits the record and other favorite tunes during a joint Christmas concert and birthday celebration. Manuel returns to Snug Harbor at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23, with pianist Michael Pellera, guitarist Steve Masakowski, bassist Amina Scott and drummer Wayne Maureau. Tickets are $35 via snugjazz.com.

LPO Happy Hour Concert

For its happy hour series, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra musicians bring classical music to casual venues around the city, often with a unique program and special guests. For its next happy hour concert, the LPO celebrates the holidays at Tipitina’s along with members of indie pop band Sweet Crude and student musicians from Homer Plessy Community

School. String and brass ensembles will play holiday tunes and excerpts from “The Nutcracker.” At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20. Tickets are $25 via lpomusic.com.

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Walter’s Heavenly Birthday Bash

The late Walter “Wolfman” Washington would have turned 80 this year on Dec. 20. Members of his band, The Roadmasters, along with a number of special guests will celebrate his birthday and remember the New Orleans icon, who died last December, with a bash at 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, at Maple Leaf. Tickets are $15 advance via mapleleafbar.com and $20 at the door. His posthumous album, “Feel So At Home,” also is now available on streaming platforms. Find it at walterwolfmanwashington.com.

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Sullivan Fortner

New Orleans-born, New Yorkbased pianist Sullivan Fortner has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Cecile McLorin Salvant, with whom he won a Grammy Award for his arrangement of Salvant’s “Optimistic Voices/No Love Dying.” In November, Fortner released his solo record “Solo Game.” He plays a special solo piano show at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, at Snug Harbor. Tickets are $30 via snugjazz.com.

Professor Longhair’s Birthday Bash

A group of some of New Orleans’ top pianists will celebrate Professor Longhair on his birthday at Tipitina’s. Keys players Keiko Komaki, River Eckert, Luciano Leaes, Mikey B3, Ross Hoppe and Davis Rogan will sit in with the house band, made up of Michael Skinkus, Eddie Christmas, John Fohl, Tom Worrell and Casandra Faulconer, to roll through some of the best of the “Bach of Rock.” The music starts at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19. Tickets are $15 via tipitinas.com.

‘Elf in Concert’

“Elf” became a new holiday classic with Will Ferrell starring as Buddy, a human baby who snuck onto Santa’s sleigh and grew up at the North Pole thinking he was an elf. He searches for his real family in New York and re-acclimates to life outside the winter wonderland. The movie screens with an orchestra performing the score live. At 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, and 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23, at Saenger Theatre. Find tickets via saengernola.com.

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To learn more about adding your event to the music calendar, please email listingsedit@gambitweekly.com

MONDAY 18 D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS — Secret Six Jazz Band, 6 pm; Jump Hounds, 9 pm DOS JEFES — John Fohl, 8:30 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Lee Floyd And Thunderbolt Trio, 5 pm; Richard Scott and Friends, 8 pm ST. LOUIS CATHEDRAL — Cameron Dupuy and the Cajun Troubadours, 6 pm

TUESDAY 19 DEUTSCHES HAUS — John Rankin and Friends, 7 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 1 pm; Colin Myers Band, 5 pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/Jamil Sharif, 8 pm THE RABBIT HOLE — Rebirth Brass Band, 5 & 10 pm

WEDNESDAY 20 FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 1 pm; Bourbon Street Stars, 5 pm; Fritzels All Star Band W/Kevin Ray Clark, 8 pm JAEGER'S SEAFOOD AND OYSTER HOUSE — Tim Nielsen and The Public Servants, 6 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Big Sam, 7:30 pm MARIGNY OPERA HOUSE — The Light Set + Tree Stars, 7:30 pm SANTOS — Jarhead Fertilizer with Phobophilic, Crownovhornz and Slab, 9 pm ST. LOUIS CATHEDRAL — The Zion Harmonizers, 6 pm

THURSDAY 21 ASHÉ POWERHOUSE THEATER — Big Chief Donald Harrison with Deezle, 6 pm BLUE NILE — Where Y'at Brass Band, 9 pm BRATZ Y'ALL — Ron Hotstream and Tina Jamieson, 5 pm CAFE NEGRIL — Sierra Green and the Soul Machine, 10 pm D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS — Amber Rachelle and Sweet Potatoes, 6 pm; Sunnyside Jazz Band, 9 pm THE DOMINO — Mad Dog Menagerie, 8 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott , 12:30 pm; Doyle Cooper Band, 2:30 pm;John Saavedra

Band , 6 pm; Fritzels All Star Band withKevin Ray Clark, 8 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Brass-AHolics, 7:30 pm PEACOCK ROOM, HOTEL FONTENOT — Da Lovebirds with Robin Barnes and Pat Casey , 8 pm THE RABBIT HOLE — Victor Campbell, 6:30 pm; C’est Funk, Charlie & The Tropicales, 9 pm ROCK 'N' BOWL — Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie, 8 pm SAZERAC HOUSE — Listeso String Quartet, 6:30 pm

Thunderbolt Trio, 6 pm; Fritzels All Star Band with Kevin Ray Clark, 9 pm HOUSE OF BLUES — Tamar Braxton, 9 pm JAEGER'S SEAFOOD AND OYSTER HOUSE — The Fabulous Von Zippers, 7 pm NOLA BREWING TAPROOM — The Kaiyotes, 7 pm THE RABBIT HOLE — Abear, Paul O’Neill, Nile Ashton, 11:45 pm; Stooges Brass Band, 8 pm ROCK 'N' BOWL — Few Blue, 8:30 pm

FRIDAY 22

BLUE NILE — A Very Merry George Brown Extravaganza , 7 pm CAFE NEGRIL — Sierra Green and the Soul Machine, 10 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott , 12:30 pm; Steve Detroy Band, 2:30 pm; Lee Floyd and Thunderbolt Trio, 6 pm; Fritzels All Star Band with Jamil Sharif, 9 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — The Nayo Jones Experience , 7:30 & 9pm NOLA BREWING TAPROOM — Ghalia Volt, 7 pm THE RABBIT HOLE — Khris Royal & Friends, 8 pm ROCK 'N' BOWL — Nashville South, 8:30 pm

BLUE NILE — The Caesar Brothers, 8 pm; Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers, 11 pm BOURBON STREET HONKY TONK — The Bad Sandys, 8 pm BULLET'S SPORTS BAR — New Groove Brass Band, 9 pm CAFE NEGRIL — Higher Heights Reggae Band, 10 pm D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS — Mia Borders, 6 pm; Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers, 10 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm; Sam Friend , 2:30 pm; Lee Floyd and

SATURDAY 23

Ghalia Volt performs at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23, at the NOLA Brewing taproom. PROVIDED PHOTO

SAZERAC HOUSE — Delachaise Ensemble, 9 pm TIPITINA'S — Valerie Sassyfras, 9 pm

SUNDAY 24 BJ'S LOUNGE BYWATER — Big Jon and the Excellos, 8 pm BLUE CYPRESS BOOKS — Valerie Sassyfras, 10 am BOURBON STREET HONKY TONK — The Bad Sandys, 8 pm CAFE NEGRIL — Vegas Cola, 9 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Marty Peters Band, 1:30 pm; Lange & Woodis Band, 5 pm; Fritzels All Star Band with Mike Fulton, 8 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — The Wolfe Johns Blues Band , 7:30 pm

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swimming. He sometimes drapes himself in an American flag scarf, or wears fashionable denim with red, white and blue flag patterns sewn in. He’s enamored with the images of cowboys and romanticized rugged individualism of the frontier. But he doesn’t live in the West. He lives in Dalton, Georgia, the carpet capital of the world. James is a freelance carpet designer, and he’s also Scottish. He’s less a cowboy than an entrepreneur chasing his fortune amid the economic changes of our times. He’s also very charismatic and the central figure in the documentary “Carpet Cowboys” by local filmmaker Emily MacKenzie and New York-based Noah Collier. Following a couple of soldout one-off screenings at The Broad Theater, where it now runs through Dec. 21 The project started with a simple question about what’s behind all the bright and garishly patterned carpets that line hotels, casinos, convention centers and other spaces. It led the filmmakers to Dalton, where roughly 80% of U.S. carpet is made, as well as other flooring materials. MacKenzie and Collins met the main characters of the film on their first two shoots, and six years later, the story is more about the “cowboys” than carpet. James had been very successful designing carpets for many of the manufacturers in Dalton. But he’s a “hired gun,” and as the industry has consolidated, there’s less work for freelancers. He’s looked to China to find new clients, but he’s the type of business optimist who sees opportunity at every turn. That’s part of his charm, and he’s a ready-made iconic figure for boisterous capitalism. It’s also part of the foundation of his friendship with Jon Black, who describes himself as a “country boy.” Both a jack-of-all-trades and aspiring country singer, Black and James have an intense friendship and some sense they’ll make their fortunes together. The film also features the father and son team of Doug and Lloyd Caldwell, who run one of Dalton’s relatively

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MEMORY PRODUCTION

smaller carpet mills. Lloyd is a similarly stark figure, at the end of an odyssey of a life in which he’s been a clown, a pilot, a Mason and a carpet mogul, who’s given to reflecting on business wisdom and the fall of great empires. Doug is a warm and entertaining figure. They both consider themselves hillbillies, not cowboys. As a backdrop, Dalton is a manufacturing powerhouse, though it’s consolidated from its once nearly 500 mills down to less than a couple dozen companies. Some residents work like cogs in the machine, like workers who spend their days walking small circles on carpet samples to test their durability. As local jobs dry up, James hopes to land big contracts in China. He’s also got a girlfriend in the Philippines and is contemplating moving there, especially if the work materializes. Jon entertains going with him, but economic realities are setting in for both men. In their scramble for new opportunities, they pitch a jingle to a 13-year-old boy who’s made a successful pitch on the TV show “Shark Tank.” The kid owns his own Lexus. The film is a brilliant take on pursuing the romanticized notion of the American dream, amid the round-theclock running of the looms and drive to strike it rich. The relationships are pushed to make or break ends. MacKenzie and Collins have followed their own distribution plan, booking the film at theaters in New York, Baltimore and Los Angeles. Some festivals have solicited them as well, and they’re looking at streaming possibilities and online platforms for 2024. For tickets, visit thebroadtheater.com.

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PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE THINK INK

By Frank A. Longo 32 Olive bugged by Bluto 33 Prefix with light or night 35 Part of AOL 39 Thing with rungs 44 Riddle, part 2 48 Zac of 2017’s “Baywatch” 49 German linking word 50 Org. for teachers 51 “Sure, we should do it!” 52 Desperate, as a situation 54 Syrian president 58 Auto racer’s warm-up circuit

61 Riddle, part 3 64 In-vogue thing 65 Brand of fuel additives 66 Forearm bone 67 Crew tool 68 “You folks,” in the South 70 West of “Diamond Lil” 73 “General” of Chinese cuisine 74 Riddle, part 4 78 Museum overseer 82 Golfer Sam 83 Eighth parts of circles 84 Redding of soul 85 Sly laugh sound 87 Gp. with merit badges

DOWN 1 Feline nails 2 Trellis strips 3 Skip — (flutter, as the heart) 4 Bombard 5 French policeman, informally 6 Butterlike product of beef fat 7 Air again 8 Many a prep sch. 9 Star of the past 10 Shows up 11 Part of 102-Across 12 Johnson of old comedy 13 Simple kind of question 14 Place with beakers, in brief 15 Disease-free 16 Engrossed by 17 Building top 18 Wrestling win 21 Game of falling shapes 27 Find out 28 “The Clan of the Cave Bear” heroine 33 Rosebush sticker 34 Hurricane hazard 36 Win gold, say

37 Rice of Bush’s Cabinet, 78 Simple beds informally 79 Neighbor of Colorado 38 Prop- or hex- ender 80 Initiation, e.g. 40 Meted 81 Pi-sigma link 41 Mano-a-mano fight 86 Very bad grades 42 “At Last” singer James 88 Scandinavian “Salut!” 43 Filing tool 91 1986 #1 hit for 44 In progress 19-Across and 45 Common baby ailment Michael McDonald 46 Scheduled to arrive 92 Vow 47 Interval 93 Revel at a really 48 Ice cream brand hoppin’ party 53 Inuit dwelling 94 “Carlos” star Edgar 55 Feel faint from ecstasy 95 Neighbor of Ethiopia 56 Divide up 96 Sinister gaze 57 Vital blood line 101 Like some congestion 59 Insurer with a duck icon 104 Rival of Avis 60 Sch. with a Fresno 105 Demean branch 106 Lazybones 62 Univ. dorm supervisors 107 Ship spars 63 Thesaurus word: Abbr. 108 Postmarked pieces 69 Score — (earn some 109 Zapzyt target points) 110 Perlman of “Cheers” 70 Minister’s residence 111 Roman 651 71 Modify 112 “Moby-Dick” captain 72 Anna’s sister in 113 Zingy flavor “Frozen” 114 Smartphone 73 Eat a bit of games, often 75 “Poppycock!” 115 Cross paths 76 “Sounds likely to me” 116 Soup flavor 77 Unglossy photo finish enhancer, for short

ANSWERS FOR LAST ISSUE’S PUZZLE: P 2

PUZZLES

ACROSS 1 Direct applause toward 8 Finder’s cry 11 April follower 14 Mimic a bird 19 Singer Patti 20 Take by force 22 Capital on the Red River 23 Art studio 24 Phases 25 “Tiny Dancer” singer John 26 Start of a riddle 29 Booming jet of old, in brief 30 Inseparable 31 Spike of corn

89 On a cruise 90 End of the riddle 97 “Strut” singer Easton 98 Affirm strongly 99 Flying geese formation 100 High peak: Abbr. 102 “No more details!,” in texts 103 Sushi tuna 105 Archer’s skill 108 Riddle’s answer 116 Really virile 117 Apollo 7 astronaut Wally 118 Annuls, as a law 119 Resilient strength 120 Certain support group for adolescents 121 Lay out for printing 122 Gather bit by bit 123 Ad- — (improvise) 124 Zig’s reverse 125 Rind-shaving tools

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E W O R L E A N S . C O M > D e c e mb e r 1 8 - 2 4 > 2 0 2 3

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