Gambit Digital Edition: January 29, 2024

January 29 - February 4, 2024 | Volume 45 | Number 5

NEW PRICE! 4317 FRERET STREET UPTOWN $949,900 4 BEDS, 3 BATHS 3,139 SQFT HEATED & COOLED POOL

CALL TODAY FOR DETAILS! 50 04.722.7640 Mobile | pking@latterblum.com LATTER & BLUM | NEW ORLEANS | 504.861.7575

LIC# 566984 LICENSED AND INSURED

Cristina’s

Family owned and operated since 1996

Cleaning Service

Lakeview

Locally owned & serving the New Orleans area for over 31 years

CLEANING SERVICE

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL AFTER CONSTRUCTION CLEANING SANITIZING/DISINFECTING LIGHT/GENERAL HOUSEKEEPING HEAVY DUTY CLEANING

Licensed in Louisiana

MJ’s Mardi Gras Y’all!

Susana Palma

lakeviewcleaningllc@yahoo.com Fully Insured & Bonded

TriciaKing.com

WWW.SUNSHINEHANDYMAN1.COM 504-248-8798

504-250-0884 504-309-6662

Immigration.

Criminal Law. Traffic Tickets Call Eugene Redmann 504.834.6430 2632Espanol Athaniawww.redmannlawnola.com Pkwy., Met., LA 70002 Se Habla REAL ESTATE FOR RENT

1/2 BLOCK TO MAGAZINE 1ROOMS & 2 bedrooms available in ideal location andAll BY THE MONTH with PRIVATE BATH. utilities included appointment monthly. Call 504-202-0381 for

Let our crew help you with all your cleaning needs!

• Disinfecting/Sanitation Services Available • • General House Cleaning • • After Construction Cleaning •

504-232-5554 cristinascleaningnola@gmail.com

INTERIOR/EXTERIOR

✁ ✁ ✁ ✁

✁ ✁ ✁ ✁

• Custom Carpentry • Sheetrock / Plaster Repairs • Painting • New Gutters • Patio Covers • Decks • Siding/Fascia & much more!

CALL JEFFREY • (504) 610-5181

Sequin Bags $12.99 - $16.99

Shirts $29.99 - $30.99

Residential & Commercial • Licensed & Bonded

✁ ✁ ✁ ✁

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

SOPHISTICATED ELEGANCES MEETS LUXURY LIVING!

KITCHEN AND BATH RENOVATIONS PLUMBING • CARPENTRY ROOF REPAIR • ELECTRICAL • DECKS FLOORING • PAINTING

✁ ✁ ✁ ✁

2

Headband $20.99

Mardi Gras M Police Hat P $34.99 Earrings $13.99 - $14.99

Silk Scarves $4.99

MJ’s

400-02 MILLAUDON ST. Renovated camelback for sale or lease $2650./mo..Over $5k mo. revenue; see youtube Call Mary 504 460 1547

Rhinestonee Purple Ombre shoes O b Tennis T $79.99

EMPLOYMENT

METAIRIE SHOPPING CENTER 1513 Metairie Road • 504-835-6099 mjsofmetairie.com

NOW OPEN Mon.- Fri. 10-5 & Sat. 10-3

CarnivalRecycling.com y g (504) 236-8069

WE SELL ELL SUSTAINABLE THROWS THR All Wood Historic Replicas & Magnet Cards

MJSMETAIRIE

Director, Center for Academic Equity (New Orleans, LA). Provide overall admin of the Academic Equity Center, incl planning, budgeting & working with cam‐ pus partners & donors. Master's in Education Admin, Business, or rel field. 2 yrs' post-secondary teaching, admin or research exp focusing on diverse popula‐ tions, to incl some strong exp in each: budget mgmt; program evaluation & developmt. Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects & activities. Excellent written, verbal & interpersonal skills. Must follow these specific instructions to be considered: Send CV & cvr ltr to gmathieu@tulane.edu or Genean Mathieu, The Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund dba Tulane University, 300 Gibson Hall, 6823 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118 within 30 days, ref Job #2023-152.

YOUR AD HERE! 504-486-5900

3

January 30 - February 1 Tuesday - Wednesday | 10am - 6pm Thursday | 10am - 5pm 91 Westbank Expw, Suite 530, Gretna, LA 70053 Call for directions: (504) 391-0183

Join us at our buying event and receive a no-obligation offer!

It’s easy to sell valuables with the Nation’s Leading Estate Buyers.

WHAT WE BUY Fine Jewelry

Coins & Currency

Fine Art

Diamonds

Gold & Silver

Luxury Goods

Wrist & Pocket Watches**

Rarities

& Much More

No appointment necessary.

R E C E I V E A 20% BO NUS When you trade for store credit*

SCAN HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

A free evaluation will be provided, but there is no obligation to purchase your items. *Exclusions Apply. **We are not an authorized Rolex dealer nor are we affiliated or endorsed by Rolex, Rolex USA, or any of its subsidiaries.

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

READY TO SELL?

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

4

2103 Gen. Pershing St, New Orleans, LA 70115 Fabulous Renovation in Uptown

CONTENTS

3 bd., 2.5 ba., 2,100 sqft Furnished Kitchen with stainless steel appliances, wood floors, high ceilings.

JAN. 29 — FEB. 4, 2024 VOLUME 45 || NUMBER 5

Parade maps and times .... 25 Walking parades and Family Gras.................... 27 Celebrating master costume designer San nicholas.......31

Price: $3,500/mo

HAPPY MARDI GRAS!

Corinne Robin Fox REALTOR

TOP PRODUCER

NEWS

Licensed in Louisiana Specializing in Residential Sales & Investment Property

Opening Gambit ............... 7 Commentary .................. 11 Clancy DuBos .................13 Blake Pontchartrain..........15

cell: 504-239-1481 | cfox@latterblum.com CorinneFox.latter-blum.com office: 504-861-7575 7934 Maple Street | New Orleans, LA 70118 RentApplication.net/LatterBlum-Uptown

F E AT U R E S

NEW ORLEANS GIFTS • LOCAL ARTISTS & DESIGNERS

Something for the

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Whole Family!

www.shopaliceandamelia.com

4432 MAGAZINE ST | 504-502-6206 |

It’s KREWE Time! DRESS FOR THE OCCASION!

17

Go with the Float Gambit’s guide to parades rolling in new Orleans and Metairie

EDITORIAL

editor | JOHn STAnTOn Political editor | CLAnCy DuBOS Arts & entertainment editor |

LIVE ON FACEBOOK EVERY WED AT 7PM!

CREATIVE Creative Director | JASOn WHITTAKer

Project Manager |

MArIA VIDACOVICH BOuÉ

Associate Art Director | eMMA VeITH

Graphic Designer |

GAVIn DOnALDSOn

Contributing Graphic Designers |

TIAnA WATTS, SCOTT FOrSyTHe, JASMyne WHITe, TIM eLSeA, JeFF MenDeL, JOHn GISPSOn

ORDER FOR YOUR SWEETHEART TODAY!

837-6400

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS Billing Inquiries 1 (225) 388-0185

815 FOCIS STREET [OFF VETERANS]

CURRENT HOURS: MON-FRI 7AM-1PM

SAT 7AM-NOON

Advertising Director |

SAnDy STeIn BrOnDuM [sstein@gambitweekly.com]

ABIGAIL BOrDeLOn (504) 636-7427 [abigail.scorsone@gambitweekly.com]

Traffic Manager |

Dozen

ADVERTISING Advertising Inquiries (504) 483-3150

Sales and Marketing Manager

DOrA SISOn

WHY STOP AT A

@gambitneworleans

WILL COVIeLLO

Contributing Writer | IAn MCnuLTy

517 METAIRIE RD. OLD METAIRIE | 504-510-4655 | nolaboo.com

@The_Gambit

Staff Writers | JAKe CLAPP,

KAyLee POCHe, SArAH rAVITS

FOLLOW US!

C OV E R P H O TO BY S O P H I A G E R M E R / T H E T I M E S- P I C AY U N E C OV E R D E S I G N BY D O R A S I S O N

S TA F F

(504) 483-3105 // response@gambitweekly.com

DOWNLOAD OUR APP

Arts & entertainment ........ 5 eat & Drink.................... 37 Music Listings................. 47 Music............................ 49 Theater......................... 50 Puzzles ..........................51

Sales representatives KeLLy SOnnIer rODrIGueZ (504) 483-3143 [ksonnier@gambitweekly.com] CHArLIe THOMAS (504) 636-7438 [cthomas@gambitweekly.com] BenneTT GeSTOn (504) 483-3116 [bennett.geston@gambitweekly.com] ALySSA HAuPTMAnn (504) 483-1123 [alyssa.hauptmann@gambitweekly.com]

Sales and Marketing Coordinators SHAWn THOMAS [shawn.thomas@gambitweekly.com] CLAre BrIerre [clare.brierre@gambitweekly.com]

GAMBIT (ISSN 1089-3520) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY CAPITAL CITY PRESS, LLC, 840 ST. CHARLES AVE., NEW ORLEANS, LA 70130. (504) 486-5900.

WE CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OF UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS EVEN IF ACCOMPANIED BY A SASE. ALL MATERIAL PUBLISHED IN GAMBIT IS COPYRIGHTED: COPYRIGHT 2024 CAPITAL CITY PRESS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

5

Going with the Flo

LSD Clownsystem

Ascendance and Set De Flo combine for Mardi Gras ball | by Kaylee Poche THERE’S NO DENYING THAT ASCENDANCE AND SET DE FLO, two major Black elec-

tronic dance parties in new Orleans, are inextricably linked.

Ascendance co-founder DJ Chinua says the two parties not only started within a month or two of each other in 2017 but also within the same two-block radius, with Ascendance at Sidney’s Saloon and Set De Flo at Poor Boys.

“We’ve always kind of been like binary starring in our own cinematic universe of this small, tight-knit Black electronic dance music corner of the city’s nightlife,” Chinua says.

So it makes sense that the two are combining forces for their first ever Ascen de Flo Mardi Gras Ball on Saturday, Feb. 3, at 1104 Decatur St. And just like they do at their high energy dance parties, they’re going big.

The ball will be a whopping eight-hour affair, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., with more than a dozen DJs performing sets spanning two dance floors. The theme is “futuristic” — namely technology, science fiction and Afrofuturism — with theme colors yellow and blue as a nod to Aquarius season.

Ascendance and Set De Flo are bringing in D.C.’s Black rave Culture; Montreal’s Moonshine collective made up of first- and second-generation African immigrants; and Aluna, a u.K. singer and DJ who has worked with artists like Disclosure and Skrillex.

Local performers will include DJs D1Me, Quickweave, Baba Marcus Akinlana and Jess, who co-curates Where My Girls At parties with Legatron Prime. expect the range of genres one would hear at an Ascendance or Set De Flo party, including house, hip-hop, bounce, Afro beat, Amapiano (a style of South African house music), r&B, soul, techno, club and more.

“We all do this thing where we experiment with bringing all of these different sounds that are very much in conversation and influence of each other together,” Chinua says. “Some of our biggest performers are going to be late night, so if you want to catch the full experience, you gotta be there for a while.” you’ll also have to travel throughout the venue. Chinua says the main room will have an “in your face, everybody together, throng of humanity, catharsis” kind of energy, and the back room will be “a little more off kilter, a little bit more experimental.”

New Orleans’ premier clown-themed LCD Soundsystem cover band is throwing a Carnival time “Fancy Gala for Fancy Clowns,” as the band describes it, at 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Civic Theatre. Synth-pop band People Museum will open and there will be DJ sets by Joe Lyle. Tickets start at $25 via civicnola.com.

Choke Hole: Qasino

Choke Hole isn’t the kind of show you’d usually find at Harrah’s. So the high-flying, no-holes-barred drag wrestling group is building their own casino — complete with machine-gun legs, overlord witches and mutant bugs. Choke Hole’s Qasino spoofs sports betting and casinos and will feature Brigitte Bidet, Garlic Junior, Jocelyn Change, raid, Miss Toto, Laveau Contraire and more entering the ring. There’s also oversized games the audience can play. Qasino starts at 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, and Saturday, Feb. 3, at Zony Mash Beer Project.

Tickets are $35 via eventbrite.com.

“Our directions for ourselves as well as for our guest artists is to really let your freak flag fly, really try interesting things and push things forward,” Chinua says.

Costumes, or outfits incorporating yellow and blue, are strongly encouraged, with organizers asking attendees to wear what they’d wear to “the fanciest rave in the year 3024.” Suggestions include metallics, futurism, cyberpunk and sci-fi references. There will be prizes for those deemed best dressed.

The ball will kick off a big shift for Ascendance, which starting this year is moving away from the monthly Zodiac parties it’s thrown for years. They’ve only grown in size, since Chinua and fellow co-founder DJ Pr_ck started them.

In 2018, they moved the parties to Cafe Istanbul, and Chinua says recent parties have averaged 550-750 people each.

Instead, organizers are planning on putting together four larger events and about six more intimate events this year, with the ball being their first largescale event.

“What better way to do it than to engage in a Mardi Gras ball?”

Chinua says.

Smaller events are TBD but could include DJ-focused events like open decks, workshops and music swaps as well as a house party series with a smaller capacity. The goal is for those events to have 100-300 people.

In this new stage, Ascendance organizers are also planning parties outside Louisiana, including internationally.

Ascendance’s 2023 Sagittarius party PHOTO BY @SABRINATHACHCAO

But fans of the Zodiac parties shouldn’t fret. There will still be an astrology tie-in to the ball, though maybe more subtle, with Chinua promising “something for every Zodiac sign at this event.”

“It is Aquarius season, and the Aquarians are an idiosyncratic bunch,” Chinua says. “We would like to harness that energy by making sure that we are calling back to all the wonderful artistic experiences we’ve had with our community on the Zodiac.”

Chinua expects to see some familiar faces at the ball, dance party regulars that have become part of the Ascendance and Set De Flo community. Over the last six years, people who have met at the dance parties have made friends, gotten married, had children, and started businesses and other collaborations.

But Chinua also is excited about welcoming people who have not attended one of their dance parties before.

“Look cute, have your fit, but come ready to dance, ready to sweat, ready to be in humanity, ready to feel, ready to make new friends,” Chinua says.

Ascen de Flo runs from 10 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 3, to 6 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 4, at 1104 Decatur St. Tickets are $42, not including tax and fees, and can be purchased at ascen.dance/tickets.

PHOTO BY GABRIELLE KOREIN / GAMBIT

‘Divine Comedy: From Hell to Paradise’

Italian choreographer Emiliano Pellisari gives the descent into Dante’s Inferno a surreal treatment in this no Gravity production. Angels and devils battle in the acrobatic spectacle.

The dance company is inspired by renaissance and Baroque Italian art and strives to create visually stunning movement. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at Jefferson Performing Arts Center. Tickets $45-$85 including fees via jeffersonpac.com.

Vivacious Burlesque: ‘Technicolor’

Burlesque performer and show producer Vivacious Miss Audacious returns to the Joy Theater at 9 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 2, for “Technicolor,” PAGE 45

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

A R T S + E N T E R TA I N M E N T

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

6

7

NEW ORLEANS NEWS + VIEWS

Remember y’all, Mardi Gras is supposed to be fun, not a blood sport!

# TC OH EU N T

T H U M B S U P/ THUMBS DOWN

6

The Pelicans’ CJ McCollum has partnered with College Beyond, a new Orleans-based higher education support organization, to launch a scholarship program for college-bound local students.

The McCollum Scholars program will support 10 Pell Grant-eligible students with scholarships of up to $80,000 across their four years of college.

United States Artists, a national arts funding organization, has included two locally based artists, filmmaker Garrett Bradley and writer and performer Jeffery u.

Darensbourg, among its 2024 uSA Fellows. The fellowship comes with a $50,000 unrestricted grant. Bradley and Darensbourg are among 50 artists and collectives selected from 22 states and Puerto rico.

The Jefferson Parish Council has signed off on an $80 million tax break for a company promising to bring only nine permanent full-time jobs to the West Bank, the Louisiana Illuminator reported. uBe Corp., a Japanese company, wants to build a facility in Waggaman that will make chemical solvents for electric vehicle batteries. Through the Industrial Tax exemption Program, uBe Corp. can claim an annual $8 million property tax exemption for 10 years. The company says it will create 300 temporary construction jobs, but just nine full-time jobs after completion.

THE NUMBER OF LOCAL CHEFS NAMED AS SEMIFINALISTS FOR BEST CHEF SOUTH BY THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION AWARDS. Melissa Arujo (Alma), Amarys & Jordan Herndon (Palm and Pine), Sophina uong (Mister Mao), Arvinder Vilkhu (Saffron) and Marlon “Chicken” Williams (Chicken’s Kitchen) were all given a nod. The list will be narrowed down to finalists in April; winners will be announced June 10. The regional award covers chefs from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Puerto rico.

Michael Regan, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency PHOTO BY JOSHUA BICKEL /THE AP

EPA can’t have tougher toxics rules for Louisiana’s minority, low-income communities, federal judge rules A FEDERAL JUDGE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS AT LEAST TEMPORARILY BLOCKED

the environmental Protection Agency from enforcing so-called “disparate impact” rules in Louisiana that require industries to reduce toxic pollutants in minority and low-income areas, such as the so-called “Cancer Alley” region along the Mississippi river, to lower levels than in majority white areas. u.S. District Judge James Cain issued a preliminary injunction and partial summary judgement orders on Tuesday in a lawsuit filed in May by Gov. Jeff Landry when he was attorney general. The lawsuit took aim at actions taken by the ePA, including civil rights investigations it had launched into the state Department of environmental Quality and Department of Health over their roles in issuing permits for petrochemical plants near Black communities in St. John the Baptist and St. James parishes.

It’s unclear when final rulings will be issued in the lawsuit. neither the

C’EST W H AT

ePA nor the u.S. Justice Department immediately responded Tuesday evening to questions about the ruling. ePA Administrator Michael regan has spoken of making environmental justice concerns a cornerstone of his tenure, including the use of disparate impact rules to target emissions in communities of color and low-income areas He has visited Louisiana’s Mississippi river chemical corridor twice since 2021.

But in June, after the state lawsuit was filed, the ePA abruptly announced that it was ending the two civil rights investigations, saying that its own regulatory actions involving the chemical plants in the state were already achieving the desired results, despite an inability to reach an agreement with DeQ over the probe.

In the lawsuit, Landry asked Cain to declare that the ePA’s attempts to enforce the disparate impact rules were both unconstitutional because of their use of race to direct PAGE 9

?

Which handmade throw are you hoping to catch this year?

27.9%

25.6%

IS HERMES GIVING OUT REAL PEARLS AGAIN THIS YEAR?

A MUSES SHOE

20.9% A ZULU COCONUT

18.6%

A FUNKY 45 FROM THE DISCO AMIGOS

7%

A BOSOM BUDDIES DECORATED BRA

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

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

OPENING GAMBIT

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

8

shop local NOLA’S ONE STOP SHOP

NEW SHIPMENT OF BEAUTIFUL MARDI GRAS SUPPLIES PLAN YOUR PARTY WITH US! *Advance Reservations Recommended*

COSTUMES, HATS, BOAS, MASKS, BEADS, JEWELRY AND MORE! WED-THURS 5PM - 10PM FRI • 5PM - 11PM

SAT • 1PM- 11PM SUN • 1PM - 7PM

1200 Poydras Street, Suite 103 | 504-577-2937 stumpyshh.com/neworleansla

WE ALSO HAVE PIZZA, PRODUCE, VEGAN AND KOSHER FOODS, SPECIALTY GROCERIES AND A DELI.

WHERE ELSE CAN YOU GO MAKE YOUR GROCERIES AND BUY BOAS AND BEADS IN 1 STOP?

THE BEST STOCKED MARDI GRAS SUPPLIER AND SPECIALTY GROCERY IN NEW ORLEANS

504-947-8787 • 2706 Royal St. in the Marigny • 7AM-1AM www.mardigraszone.com

9

shift into Neutrals

PAGE 7

regulatory actions and in violation of the federal Clean Air Act. Cain’s two brief rulings do not explain why they were made, and apply only to Louisiana and Louisiana state agencies.

The preliminary injunction prohibits the federal government from imposing or enforcing disparate impact-based requirements under Title VI of the Civil rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. The state’s environmental regulatory programs are partially funded by the federal government.

It also prohibits the federal government from imposing or enforcing any other Title VI-based requirements on the state or state agencies, unless they are both ratified by the president and based on specific requirements included in the ePA’s existing disparate impact regulations.

It’s unclear whether those requirements will affect the regulations that the ePA said it put in place that made the civil rights investigation unnecessary. In June, it cited court actions it took against Denka Performance elastomers in reserve, and new regulations proposed to significantly reduce emissions of chloroprene at Denka and ethylene oxide at Formosa Plastics’ proposed Sunshine Project in St. James. At the time, the ePA said emissions would be reduced from both plants by 96% in nearby Black neighborhoods.

The state lawsuit charged that ePA Administrator Michael regan had allowed his agency’s actions to be directed by activist groups, including the Sierra Club, Concerned Citizens of St. John, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Stop the Wallace Grain Terminal, Inclusive Louisiana and rise St. James, all of which have focused their efforts on reducing emissions from plants along the chemical corridor along the Mississippi river between Baton rouge and new Orleans. earthjustice, a national legal services organization that represented several chemical corridor community organizations in filing Title VI complaints against the state with ePA criticized the judge’s ruling.

“The court’s decision to issue this injunction is bad enough, but what’s worse is that instead of fixing the discriminatory permitting programs that have created sacrifice zones like Cancer Alley, Louisiana is fighting tooth and nail to keep them in place,” said Sam Sankar, earthjustice senior vice president of Program. “The

public health crisis in St. John the Baptist Parish shows us why we need Title VI: ePA needs to be able to use our civil rights laws to stop states from running permitting programs that perpetuate environmental injustice.” — Mark Schleifstein / The Times-Picayune

Outside firm to investigate NOPD complaints, 2 are against leader Anne Kirkpatrick

SEEKING TO AVOID A POTENTIAL CONFLICT of interest, the city of new

Orleans has hired an outside firm to look into two complaints against the Police Department’s new superintendent, Anne Kirkpatrick.

The new chief’s disciplinary record shows that members of the public filed two official grievances against Kirkpatrick on nov. 9, less than three weeks after the City Council confirmed her as superintendent.

One complaint relates to an alleged uniform violation, which records indicate took place Sept. 29, and the other accuses Kirkpatrick of lying on the job Oct. 5.

In keeping with policy, the nOPD has not made details about either complaint public.

Complaints about members of the nOPD are usually investigated by the department’s Public Integrity Bureau, which then forwards its findings to the superintendent for disciplinary action, if necessary.

In this case, PIB officials told the City Council on Monday that they wanted to outsource the complaints’ investigation to prevent any conflicts of interest.

The council will vote on a proposed contract with The Connor Group, which employs a host of lawyers led by former assistant u.S. attorney Karl Connor, at its Feb. 1 meeting.

The contract outlines budget of no more than $15,000 in taxpayer money.

The Connor Group has handled similar duties for the city during the tenures of former mayors ray nagin and Mitch Landrieu.

A third complaint against an officer involved in a departmental investigation will also be handled by The Connor Group due to a potential departmental conflict of interest.

It was unclear which officer was accused in that complaint.

The nOPD declined to comment, saying the agency won’t speak on ongoing investigations. — Gabriella Killett / The Times-Picayune PAGE 35

7732 m a p l e 865 . 9625 mon - sat 10 - 5:30

shop @gaetanasnola

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

OPENING GAMBIT

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

10

Celebrate the

biggest party

with a debit card to match!

Join our Krewe Federally Insured by NCUA Membership and credit eligibility required for a checking account.

6 Louisiana locations kfcu.org | 1-888-KEESLER kf 888 S

C O M M E N TA R Y

CELEBRATE RESPONSIBLY®

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

Don’t be a Chad — follow these rules to fully enjoy Mardi Gras AS WE ENTER THE FINAL TWO WEEKS OF THE CARNIVAL SEASON, it’s again time to

review the basic rules for having a fun time watching parades, catching throws and partying with family and friends. While these reminders may seem painfully obvious to many, it turns out a lot of paradegoers just aren’t as smart as Gambit readers. We therefore encourage you to share this with those who need reminding.

First and foremost, enough with the ladders.

What was once a stroke of genius by some clever parents who wanted their toddlers to see over the throng of adult spectators has become one of the biggest impediments to Mardi Gras enjoyment. In recent years, ladders have crept ever forward, to the edge of the curb and even into the street.

Like rabbits, ladders have multiplied with a rapacious quickness, to the point where entire sections of St. Charles Avenue have become walled off by phalanxes of ladders.

And not just to benefit kids.

Grown-ass adults with no children are building veritable platforms atop rickety ladders they fish out from beneath their homes once a year — and then climbing onto them a six pack into the day’s festivities.

Putting ladders of questionable structural soundness amid hordes of drunken paradegoers is dangerous enough. Deciding to drag your middle-aged, over-served self atop one of them, well, that borders on Darwinian levels of dumb. So, again, enough with the ladders.

Second, the neutral ground ain’t your backyard, bruh.

We get the allure of turning a day of Mardi Gras parade watching into a cookout. And we’re all for doin’ a bit of grilling, so long as it’s done responsibly. And yes, bringing your favorite festival chair can make the difference between a day that ends with happy memories and one that ends with busted bunions.

11

©2024 MILLER BREWING CO., MILWAUKEE, WI • BEER

Don’t do this PHOTO BY WILL COVIELLO / GAMBIT

Like the ladders, though, some of y’all need to tweak your parade-viewing accoutrements.

Leave your long tables, couches, commercial cooking stations, fullpig spit roasts and personal chefs at home. It’s obnoxious to take up that much space, and it can cause a real danger to others in the event of an accident or, God forbid, a life-threatening emergency.

Third, the neutral ground is not your sovereign territory, Chad.

While everybody says they hate the Krewe of Chad, there’s still way too many of y’all out there flyin’ their Chad flag once parade day approaches. We don’t care how much string, spray paint, coolers or tents you use to denote “your space.”

It’s called “public property” for a reason. eVeryOne has the right to walk through, stand on or otherwise occupy open ground. Don’t ruin Mardi Gras for others.

Finally, there’s absolutely no need to knuckle up over cheap parade throws.

Mardi Gras is about having fun, sharing a sense of community and enjoying great parades. One thing those three pursuits have in common is a lack of violence. elbowing, pushing, boxing out or — worst of all — punching someone to score some beads is never okay. ever.

Follow these simple rules — and share them as needed — and have yourself an awesome Mardi Gras.

MARDI GRAS 2024

WIN A BREWDREAUX B DE D LITE 2024 T-SHIRT Visit

bestofneworleans.com/millerlite

to submit your pictures for a chance to win.

Must be 21 to enter

SCAN HERE TO BUY BEER

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

12

Join us at Southern Hotel for a front-row experience of Mardi Gras!

Mystic Krewe of Olympia Downtown Covington Rolls Sat Feb 3 at 6 PM PLUS Crispin Schroeder playing live music in the courtyard from 4-7 pm Lundi Gras: Krewe of Bogue Falaya Second Line from Bogue Falaya Park to Southern Hotel Mon Feb 12 at 4 PM Mardi Gras Day Lions Club Parade rolling at 10 AM followed by Krewe of Bogue Falaya Parade-friendly food and beverages available for purchase. Please note, guests must be 21 or older to purchase and consume alcohol.

All events are free to attend.

A history of southern hospitality since 1907 SOUTHERNHOTEL.COM

13 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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

CL ANCY DUBOS @clancygambit

Will Gov. Landry’s crime session be another lesson in overreach?

JEFF LANDRY’S SIGNATURE ISSUE AS A CANDIDATE for

governor was crime. His TV ads painted a dystopian picture of Louisiana’s majority-Black cities as violent hellholes where criminals roam unchecked because local district attorneys weren’t doing their jobs. He promised to “hold them accountable.”

He also promised to call a special session dealing exclusively with crime.

Weeks prior to Landry’s inauguration, new House and Senate leaders informed lawmakers that the crime session would run Feb. 19 to March 6. That’s 17 days — more than twice the length of Landry’s eight-day first special session, which began Jan. 15.

A federal judge required that session when she ordered lawmakers to draw new congressional maps — with a second majority-Black district — by Jan. 30. They complied, finishing the task in just four days and adjourning early.

Landry reluctantly endorsed the judge’s order, having exhausted the state’s appeals as attorney general.

But he added a dozen more items to the session’s agenda without giving lawmakers or the public any advance notice. It did not go over well.

The governor’s 14-item “call” included some highly controversial proposals, such as ditching Louisiana’s popular open or “jungle” primary system for a restrictive — and highly unpopular — “closed” party primary system.

Other items included changing the makeup of the state Supreme Court, changing campaign finance laws and changing the state’s election Code — none of which lawmakers anticipated or appreciated.

They did what the judge ordered them to do regarding congressional districts, but they seriously diluted Landry’s closed-primary proposal.

Landry called it a victory, but few others saw it that way.

The Legislature’s rejection of Landry’s overreach sent him a message: “Don’t take us for granted. respect our independence. And don’t ambush us with a surprise agenda.”

Did he get the message?

Loss of Smell RESEARCH STUDY If you have hyposmia or have lost your sense of smell, you may qualify for a new clinical research study.

• no-cost study-related care • compensation for time and travel

Gov. Jeff Landry at the start of the special session.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON / THE ADVOCATE

If he did, there’s no need for the next special session to run 17 days.

Truth is, as Louisiana’s Irritant-inChief Bob Mann noted on his new blog, “Something Like the Truth,” we don’t need a special session on crime. In every Louisiana city except Shreveport, violent crime dropped significantly in 2023 — as it did nationwide, only more so here. Moreover, the criminal justice reforms enacted in 2017 dealt exclusively with non-violent criminals, and citizens still support those reforms.

Lawmakers could easily dispose of whatever changes Landry wants to propose to Louisiana’s criminal statutes in the regular annual session that begins March 11. It also would save lawmakers’ time and taxpayers’ money.

Landry doubtless is keen to keep his campaign promise, however. He’ll likely summon legislators into another special session on or around Feb. 19.

The state constitution requires him to issue the call at least seven days before the session begins.

When that happens, we’ll know if Landry got lawmakers’ message after the first session. either way, in the interest of transparency (and for his own political sake), the governor should give citizens and lawmakers lots of advance notice — and details — about his agenda next time.

If he doesn’t, lawmakers should send him the same message again … only louder.

Call Tandem Clinical Research today for details!

504.934.8424

TandemClinicalResearch.com

33 Y E OF

SHOP OUR

404 HUEY P LONG AVE | 504-367-5946

Bring the fun of a

piano bar to your next event!

Book The Amazing Henrietta, who can perform for any age group and any genre — from classic standards to current Top 40.

Email: henrietta.alves@gmail.com for more information.

See Henrietta perform weekly at Holy Diver, Tuesdays at 6:30

COLLECTION

EX

AR

PE

RI

S

EN

CE

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

14

670 04 0' 30 01107 54 54 04 54 $ 57 70 + 4 *

FAMILY GRAS 2024

CARNIVAL, COSTUMING & FREE CONCERTS! REVISITING CREEDENCE

THE OAK RIDGE BOYS

CHEAP TRICK

AMY GRANT

CREOLE STRING BEANS

ZEBRA

TYLER HUBBARD

MAD CITY

AMANDA SHAW

0!

- 2 - 2 6 # - .

FOOD COURT | ART MARKET | KIDS COURT FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4

AMANDA SHAW ZEBRA

MAD CITY CREOLE STRING BEANS CHEAP TRICK

REVISITING CREEDENCE THE OAK RIDGE BOYS TYLER HUBBARD OF FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE

70 0 51 0 " 7 / ),%%

- 2 " 70 0 51 - '3 07 / (,%%

70 0 51 " / &,%%

FOR COMPLETE LINEUP, SHOWTIMES AND A VIP EXPERIENCE, VISIT FAMILYGRAS.COM

SCAN ME!

@GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com

Ready for a New Year’s resolution that sticks?

Hey Blake,

Call Dr. Joseph Gautreaux to start the Revolutionary Injectable Weight Loss Program and transform your body in 2024!

I hear many New Orleanians of a certain age say they grew up eating only the plain-style king cake from McKenzie’s, without any filling. Who introduced the first filled king cake and when?

Dear reader,

TWO LOCAL BAKERIES ARE GENERALLY CREDITED with introducing fillings to

their king cakes in the mid-1980s.

One is Jodase Bakery and Catering, which was located at 5211 W. napoleon Ave. in Metairie. “We were the first to start selling king cakes (filled) with apple and pineapple,” owner Joan Seeman told The TimesPicayune in a 1989 article. She said the bakery first began offering the filled king cakes in 1983. “We only made four and my husband took them to work. Within a half hour, we had 25 calls. It just kind of grew.”

About the same time, Angelo and Tony Cartozzo experimented with filling a king cake with Bavarian cream.

Their family, which owns Cartozzo’s Bakery in Kenner, has long been in the bakery business, with Angelo’s Bakery (founded by their grandfather) and Frances’ Bakery, named after their mother. As Angelo Cartozzo told author Matt Haines in “The Big Book of King Cake,” one morning during the 1983 Carnival season, the brothers were filling Danishes. “My brother looked at me and asked, ‘What if we put these fillings inside the king cake?’” he explained.

They pumped some Bavarian cream inside a king cake. “Our mom tried it and was like, ‘What?!’ and told us, ‘Make six more right now.’”

FLEXIBLE HOURS & SATURDAY APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE 985-709-7093 • 504-292-2129 Flexible hours & Saturday appointments available

A praline cream cheese filled king cake from Joyce’s Sweets PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

According to newspaper ads, Lawrence’s Bakery and Gambino’s Bakery were other early innovators.

McKenzie’s began selling filled king cakes about 1988, offering apple, cream cheese, lemon, cherry cheese and apple cheese for $6.99. By that time, a newspaper ad shows Frances’ Bakery was producing cream cheese and pecan, Bavarian cream, chocolate cream, lemon cream and other fruitfilled king cakes.

In a 1988 Times-Picayune column, beloved writer ronnie Virgets bemoaned the filled king cake craze.

“This is the king cake of the future?

I remember a simpler time for king cakes. A time when they tasted like bland bread with just a sprinkling of frosting,” he wrote. “I’ve read of how the bagel has been corrupted by the tastemakers. Like king cake, eating the classic bagel entailed some redemptive suffering. But now, to the horror of bagel purists, their favorite snack has been dandified with things like bananas, nuts and berry fillings. Can the king cake be far behind?”

Dandified? Maybe so, ronnie, but delicious!

’s o t a c o r B to o b Mam TUES - SAT 10AM - 10PM

214 N. CARROLLTON IN MID CITY King Cake Gelato

est parading krewe, Carrollton was formed by a group of Oak Street businessmen in 1924. It was initially known as the Seventh District Carnival and Social Club.

For its first two decades, the parade rolled on Fat Tuesday. “Carrollton is both interesting and gaily decorated for its first real observation of the Mardi Gras,” reported the new Orleans Item on March 3, 1924. “Starting from the den at elm and Dante streets at 2 p.m., the costumed marchers will wind their way through the principal streets uptown.” The krewe moved to its spot on the first Sunday of the parade calendar in 1948.

Over the years, Carrollton also helped other fledgling krewes establish their parades, including the Krewe of Zeus and the Krewe of endymion. The latter rolled on floats rented from Carrollton for its first parade in 1967.

ONLINE ORDERING AVAIL ABLE

A NGEL OBROCAT OICECR E A M.COM • OR CALL 5 0 4 • 4 8 6 •14 6 5

BLAKEVIEW WHEN THE KREWE OF CARROLLTON ROLLS ON THE UPTOWN PARADE ROUTE ON SUNDAY, Feb. 4, it will celebrate its 100th anniversary. now Carnival’s fourth-old-

SUNDAY 10AM - 9PM

MARDI GRAS PARADE VIEWING 2024 Food, Fun, Music, & Beverages!

Restrooms will be available.

Dates

Parade Name

4 February

Femme Fatale, Carrollton, King Arthur

8 February

Babylon, Chaos, Muses

11 February

Okeanos, Mid City, Thoth, Bacchus

12 February

Proteus, Orpheus

13 February

Zulu, Rex

Scan or visit themaroon.org to purchase tickets and use discount code BOGO50 for 50% off!

This is a fundraiser to benefit Maroon’s HBCU Internship Program.

1206 Saint Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130

15 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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

BL AKE PONTCHARTR AIN™

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

16

©2024 TWISTED TEA BREWING COMPANY, TWISTEDTEA.COM | CONTAINS ALCOHOL | PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

Go with the

17 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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

Parades roll

in New Orleans and Metairie

B

contents

IG PARADES HIT THE STREETS with floats, marching bands, celebrity guests and more in New Orleans and Metairie this week, and there are a few krewes hitting big milestones.

The Krewe of Carrollton marks its centennial parade, a reminder that it’s one of the most senior krewes in Carnival. That tradition is reflected in the krewe’s royalty. Emilie Kyle Saucier is the krewe’s 2024 Queen, and both her mother and grandmother were Carnival queens. The procession will be the biggest parade ever for the krewe, and there’s plenty to celebrate.

Though half as old, the Krewe of Pontchartrain also is hitting a big milestone. It marks its 50th anniversary with a theme about what’s hot.

In its 10th parade, the Krewe of Freret is honoring Juvenile, who will ride on a float with his likeness on it.

The krewe theme is “Back that Float Up.” There also are more walking parades, including the Krewe of Cork and canine Mystic Krewe of Barkus in the French Quarter.

The following pages include previews with information on routes, themes, throws, royalty and more special occasions.

PARADE PREVIEWS 19 PARADE SCHEDULE & MAPS 25 KREWE OF CORK 27 BARKUS 27 FAMILY GRAS 29 SAN NICHOLAS 31

The Krewe of Pontchartrain celebrates its 50th parade in 2024.

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

18

PARADE previews

19

2 0 2 4

Mardi Gras parades roll in New Orleans and Metairie Feb. 2-4

Friday, Feb. 2 OSHUN The Krewe of Carrollton celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2024.

6 P.M. UPTOWN Theme: New Orleans Floats: 16 Queen: Pamela Foster Shango: Wayne Clark Jr. Throws: krewe fans and footballs

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

The krewe theme turns to local favorites with floats celebrating Cafe du Monde, Voodoo and more. The Original New Orleans Lady Buckjumpers and New Orleans Baby Dolls are in the parade.

The Rebirth Brass Band’s Phil Frazier rides in the procession, and the krewe holds a band contest during the event.

CLEOPATRA 6:30 P.M. UPTOWN Theme: Cleopatra’s Happy Hour Floats: 21 Queen: Connie Taliancich-DiCarlo Throws: hand-decorated beverage glasses, plastic wine glasses, metal and plastic cups, shot glasses, bottle openers, earrings, coasters and doubloons Cleopatra hits the bar for its theme, with floats depicting popular drinks from Aperol spritzes to Manhattans, martinis, caipirinhas, sake, Champagne and more. Many floats will toss cups with the drink recipe printed on them. Throws also include all sorts of bar paraphernalia, and cups and wine glasses come in many sizes. The signature Queen Tutt float has been expanded to four units.

ALLA 7 P.M. UPTOWN Theme: Mythical Menagerie Floats: 18 Queen: Dr. Christina M. Christ King: Casey A. Little Throws: hand-decorated genie lamps, cups and doubloons Alla turns to mythology and literature for its parade, with floats depicting mystical creatures such PAGE 19

The Queen of the Krewe of Cleopatra rides its signature royalty float.

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

MARDI GRAS

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

20

BALCONY - TWO BARS - DANCE FLOOR ONE-OF-A-KIND mechanical ROOSTER

RIDE the

COCK!

(or just get your country on)

715 Bienville *steps off Bourbon St. Private Party & Balcony Bookings: Howdy@saddlebarneworleans.com

saddlebarnola715

PAGE 17

as Cerberus, Pegasus and genies. Artist Terrance Osborne is the grand marshal. Among the krewe’s throws, there are cups with an image created

by Osborne.

21

2 0 2 4

EXCALIBUR 7 P.M. METAIRIE Theme: Chevaliers’ Tour de France Floats: 22 Queen: Kelsey Marie Meyers King: Matthew Brown Sr. Throws: golden shields, stuffed dragons, krewe keychains, slap bracelets, cups and doubloons The krewe’s knights and ladies cross the channel for a theme exploring France. Floats depict Marie Antoinette, the Eiffel Tower and the Moulin Rouge.

Saturday, Feb. 3 PONTCHARTRAIN

Baby Dolls march in the Oshun parade.

P H O T O B Y D AV I D G R U N F E L D / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

11:30 A.M. UPTOWN Theme: Pontchartrain Likes It Hot Floats: 20 Queen: Jaia Learson King: William Ray Daniels Throws: krewe logo baseball caps, socks and dog leashes, oven mitts, potholders, cups and doubloons

Chief: Dr. John Pasteur Hamide Throws: hand-decorated tomahawks, plush tomahawks, crawfish trays, spears, sunglasses, headbands and doubloons

The krewe is heating up for its 50th parade. The theme plays off the word hot, with floats depicting hot boiled seafood and hot dogs and phrases like “hot blooded” and “smokin’ hot.” The procession includes the Muff-A-Lottas, Big Easy Roller Derby and more.

FRERET

This year’s theme celebrates the French palace, and floats depict Louis XIV, aka the Sun King, and rooms of the palace, such as the Salon de Mercure.

3:30 P.M. UPTOWN

LEGION OF MARS

Theme: Back That Float Up Floats: 25 Queen: Kimya Holmes King: Torrie “Ty” Lawson Throws: fanny packs, hats, sunglasses, cups and doubloons

12:30 P.M. UPTOWN Theme: Legion of Mars Honors Our Great Servicemen and Women Floats: 16 Queen: Grace Elizabeth Babin Primus: secret Throws: krewe-decorated swords and combat boots, krewe boonie hats, cups and doubloons

The krewe’s 10th parade celebrates local music.

The theme echoes Juvenile’s hit “Back That Azz Up,” and the rapper will ride in the parade on a float with a giant likeness of him. Other Cash Money artists will join him. There also are floats honoring Trombone Shorty, Dr. John and Boyfriend. The parade ends at Shorty Gras at Mardi Gras World, which is open to the public.

The krewe honors military service people and veterans and first responders, and many riders are sponsored by local philanthropic support.

The grand marshal is Brigadier Gen. Andree G. Carter. Floats represent various branches of the military, and the procession includes vintage military vehicles.

5 P.M. METAIRIE

MADHATTERS

CHOCTAW

Theme: Magic of Wonderland Floats: 34 Alice: Dalila Seruntine MadHatter: Rockin’ Dopsie Throws: krewe hats, lighted scepters and beads, shirts, footballs, cups and doubloons

2 P.M. UPTOWN Theme: Choctaw Visits Versailles Floats: 16 Princess: Monique Sutherland Massi

In lieu of royalty, the MadHatters present local celebrities and media personalities as the characters from “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” Along with Rockin’ Dopsie as the MadHatter and the

band Groovy 7’s Dalila Seruntine as Alice, the court includes Rob Krieger as the Black Knight, Katie Moore as the Red Queen and Jack Fradella as the King of Hearts. Also in the procession are Amanda Shaw, Bag of Donuts and Vince Vance as grand marshal. The krewe will honor the 2023 national champion LSU men’s baseball team.

SPARTA 5:30 P.M. UPTOWN Theme: Inspirers of Imagination Floats: 23 Queen: Jaycee Hopkins King: Dr. Scott M. Taranto Throws: hand-decorated art plates, Spartan helmets, glass bead bracelets, lighted floral and ribbon headbands, cups, doubloons and medallion beads The krewe theme celebrates inspiring creatives, including Gustave Eiffel, the engineer behind the Eiffel Tower, Lewis Carroll, author of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” and composer Henri Mancini, who is renowned for music he created for movies. The procession includes the Mystical Order of the Phoenix, and Phoenix IV is Carmelitta Favorite. Also in the procession are the Laissez Boys and two new Spartan chariots.

PYGMALION 6:30 P.M. UPTOWN Theme: Voyages into Imagination Floats: 27 Queen: Ellen Elizabeth Congemi King: Michael Humphrey Throws: decorated pigs, many lighted items and doubloons The theme celebrates great journeys, and floats will depict Lewis and Clark, “The Odyssey” and “GulPAGE 23

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

MARDI GRAS

JOIN US

BEFORE & AFTER THE PARADES! VETERANS

HESPER

CAMP

MELODY

NAPOLEA N

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

22

MAGAZINE CONSTANCE

UPTOWN

METAIRIE

4218 MAGAZINE ST. 2125 VETERANS BLVD. 504-894-8554 504-510-4282 4024 CANAL • 504-302-1133 1212 S. CLEARVIEW PKWY • 504-733-3803 70488 HIGHWAY 21 • COVINGTON • 985-234-9420

WWW.THEOSPIZZA.COM

PAGE 21

23

2 0 2 4

! n O i d r Ma The Magical Krewe of MadHatters parades in Metairie.

P H O T O B Y D AV I D G R U N F E L D / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

liver’s Travels.” The krewe’s signature Jester float has been renovated and will debut in the procession. The parade is followed by Pygmalion Fest, with music from DJ Pauly D, a cast member from “Jersey Shore.”

Sunday, Feb. 4

The Krewe of Carrollton marks its centennial with its biggest parade ever. The theme looks back on popular past parades and themes, including “Cinema Classics,” “Songs to Remember,” “Carrollton Travels the USA” and 2018’s “A Stroll in the Park.” The centennial procession will feature commemorative throws, including anniversary cups with 3D graphics and doubloons cut like a birthday cake with candles.

Heublein Original Cocktails All Varieties 375 ml | $9.99

Joe Gambino’s Bakery King Cake Rum Cream 750 ml | $29.99

KING ARTHUR FEMME FATALE 11 A.M. UPTOWN Theme: It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere Floats: 28 Queen: Dominique Bright-Wheeler Throws: decorated compacts, plush lips, footballs and many types of beads The krewe enjoys a happy hour theme with floats depicting popular drinks such as margaritas, sangria and tequila sunrises. Riding as grand marshal is Dollie Eaglin-Rivas, who had a legendary career as a dancer in Las Vegas and elsewhere and is a dance instructor in New Orleans.

CARROLLTON 12:30 P.M. UPTOWN Theme: 100 Years of Carrollton Memories Floats: 27 Queen: Emilie Kyle Saucier King: William Joseph Ello III Throws: shrimp boots, commemorative centennial doubloons, jump ropes, clappers, headbands and whistles

1:30 P.M. UPTOWN Theme: King Arthur Breaks a Leg on Broadway Floats: 44 Queen Guinevere: Meghan Claire Harwell Bitoun King Arthur: Chad Michael Holbrook Throws: hand-decorated grails, Merlin hats, foam swords, krewe logo lunchboxes, baseball caps, plush knights, fanny packs and Karmel Korn

Topo Chico Hard Seltzer Variety Pack 12 - 12oz cans | $16.99

Zing Zang Bloody Mary with Vodka 4 - 12oz cans | $11.99

“Spamalot” may or may not be among the Broadway shows saluted by the Knights of King Arthur, but viewers can expect plenty of big hits. The krewe’s most prized throws are hand-decorated grails.

ATLAS 4 P.M. METAIRIE Theme: Atlas Loves Floats: 14 Queen: Christan Trepagnier King: Chuck Trepagnier The krewe theme celebrates favorite pastimes, with floats celebrating Mardi Gras, streetcar rides and the zoo.

Fireball Party Buckets 20 - 50ml bottles | $12.99

Hoop Tea Spiked Iced Tea Orignal Pack 12 - 12oz cans | $16.99

710 VETERANS MEMORIAL BLVD. | METAIRIE | DORIGNACS.COM (504) 834-8216 | OPEN 7AM-8PM EVERYDAY

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

MARDI GRAS

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

24

Celebrate with this Krewe!

RevIVe Refresh Recover

Don’t Lose a Day of Fun to a Hangover, Dehydration, or Illness

BOOK NOW

viveiv.com (504) 602-8483

French Quarter Locations 521 St Louis St • 123 Charters St louisianalottery.com/mardi-gras

WE ACCEPT HSA & FSA

Scan for more Mardi Gras fun!

PARADE PARADE

schedule FRIDAY, FEB. 2 OSHUN 6 P.M.

UPTOWN 1

CLEOPATRA 6:30 P.M.

UPTOWN 2

ALLA 7 P.M.

UPTOWN 1

EXCALIBUR 7 P.M.

METAIRIE

The Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale parades in Uptown.

SATURDAY, FEB. 3

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

PONTCHARTRAIN 11:30 A.M.

UPTOWN 1

LEGION OF MARS 12:30 P.M.

UPTOWN 1

CHOCTAW 2 P.M.

UPTOWN 1

FRERET 3:30 P.M.

UPTOWN 3

MADHATTERS 5 P.M.

METAIRIE

SPARTA 5:30 P.M.

UPTOWN 2

UPTOWN 1

UPTOWN 3

ES

START TC H O U

L AS

PITOU

T.

T

O CH

UP

ITO

UL

L AS

AS

END

METAIRIE

UPTOWN 2

subject to change

MA

GA

ZIN

ES

T.

LES

.

AV E

VETERANS MEMORIAL BLVD.

TC

HO

UP

IT

L OU

AS

CLEARVIEW MALL END

END

BONNABEL

HAR

SEVERN AVE.

ST. C

START

FERONIA

CANAL ST .

DR A

.

S ST

18TH ST.

POY

HOWARD AVE .

T. IT Y S

MLK JR. BLVD.

START

FELIC

NA VE .

KSO J AC

JEF

NA

FE R

PO

SO

L EO

NA VE

.

NA VE

.

subject to change

CANAL ST .

.

AV E

.

S ST

HOWARD AVE .

MLK JR. BLVD.

T. IT Y S

NA VE .

ZIN

LES

DR A

GA

HAR

POY

MA

FELIC

PO

J AC

L EO

KSO

NA VE

.

AS

END

PITOU

CANAL ST .

T. IT Y S

HOWARD AVE .

NA UL

.

S ST

ITO

ST.

ATLAS 4 P.M.

T

T.

UP

ST. C

SON

TC H O U

UPTOWN 2 METAIRIE

ES

START

O CH

.

AV E

DR A

ZIN

LES

POY

GA

HAR

DER

CARROLLTON 12:30 P.M.

KING ARTHUR 1:30 P.M.

J AC

L EO PO MA

ST. C

HEN

UPTOWN 1

UPTOWN 2

KSO

NA VE

.

FEMME FATALE 11 A.M.

NA

SUNDAY, FEB. 4

MLK JR. BLVD.

subject to change NA VE .

subject to change

FELIC

PYGMALION 6:30 P.M.

UPTOWN 2

25

2 0 2 4

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

MARDI GRAS

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

26

s a r G i d r Ma h Party Watc

on the

KING BRASSERIE T E R R AC E !

6 - 10pm Feb 10th - Endymion Feb 11th - Bacchus Feb 12th - Orpheus

$100/Ticket includes private terrace view of parades, buffet, restroom & cash bar 21+ only Reserve your spot on eventbrite.com 521 Tchoupitoulas Street @ Hotel Fontenot 504-324-3000 www.kingbrasserieandbar.com

ALSO IN FEBRUARY

2ND ANNUAL

Afro-Creole

Heritage Celebration at the French Market

Saturday, February 3, 2024 11:00am - 4:00pm

Krewe of Cork

3 P.M. FRIDAY, FEB. 2

2 0 2 4

FRENCH QUARTER

HAND GRENADE

®

THE #1 DRINK IN NEW ORLEANS!

THE KREWE OF CORK is accustomed to year-round revelry, but the group parades during Carnival.

The krewe is home to local sommeliers and wine enthusiasts, hospitality industry folks and wine makers. The grand marshal is chosen from the wine-making side, and Brian Maloney, vintner for Chateau Buena Vista, DeLoach and Raymond wineries, is leading the procession this year.

Krewe founder Patrick van Hoorebeek is King for life. The Queen is Mary Bartholomew. And Walt Navoy serves as Captain.

The krewe’s route circles the French Quarter on Friday afternoon. The krewe then has a banquet afterwards.

For more information, visit thekreweofcork.com.

King Patrick van Hoorebeek leads the Krewe of Cork.

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

KREW OF CORK

BIENVILLE ST.

CONTI ST.

ST. LOUIS ST.

ST.LOUIS CATHEDRAL

ST. PETER ST.

JACKSON SQUARE

TOULOUSE ST.

subject to change

DECATUR ST.

ST. ANN ST.

START ROYAL ST.

END BOURBON ST.

Barkus

2 P.M. SUNDAY, FEB. 4 FRENCH QUARTER

DIRECTOR GRETA GERWIG may have been snubbed by the Oscar nominations, but the Mystic Krewe of Barkus can’t get enough of Barbie and her dreamworld. This year, the canine krewe’s theme is “Barkus and Barbie: Pawsitively Pink.”

Dogs and humans costumed in Barbie pink and otherwise will parade on Sunday. The procession starts at the gates of Louis Armstrong Park and follows a 15-block route circling the heart of the French Quarter and returning to the park. Along the way, it passes a reviewing stand at Good Friends Bar at Dauphine and St. Ann streets.

The king is Bentley Burton Jurgens, a 4-year-old English Bulldog. The Queen is Bea Broussard, an 8-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Broussard was the parade grand marshal last year. Broussard was rescued from a puppy mill PAGE 29

Lit ttle Tropical Isle 435 BOURBBON Tropical Isle Original 600 BOURB BOURBON Tropical Isle’s Bayou Club 610 BOURBON Tropical Isle 721 BOURBON Bourbon street hONKY TONK 727 BOURBON

27 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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

MARDI GRAS

with a capital P.

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

28

From creative takes on king cake to the parades and parties that fill the season, Baton Rouge is the perfect place for the whole family to experience the excitement of the Mardi Gras season.

Come see what festival season is all about in Louisiana’s Capital City.

Plan your Mardi Gras trip at VisitBatonRouge.com/mardigras

PAGE 27

KREW OF BARKUS

subject to change

It’s a Mardi PAWty! Home decor and a little something for your pup!

JACKSON SQUARE

CHARTRES ST. ST.LOUIS CATHEDRAL

ST. PETER ST.

BOURBON ST.

ORLEANS ST.

ROYAL ST.

DUMAINE ST.

and adopted from Dogwood Animal Shelter in Osage Beach, Mississippi.

The parade is preceded by a “Pawty” in Armstrong Park.

Festivities and parade preparations begin at 10:30 a.m. and there are vendors of food and drink for humans and dogs.

Dogs and their human escorts can still register to march in the parade.

Proceeds from Barkus benefit regional animal care groups, such as Animal Rescue New Orleans, Jefferson SPCA, Louisiana SPCA, Zeus Rescue and more.

2 0 2 4

Visit kreweofbarkus.org to register and for parade information.

ST. ANN ST.

DAUPHINE ST.

Mon-Fri 10am-6pm | Sat 10am-4pm

BURGUNDY ST.

Curbside & Delivery Still Available!

N. RAMPART ST.

START

5101 W. ESPLANADE • 504.407.3532

END

at Chastant • Metairie

ARMSTRONG PARK

3001 ORMOND BLVD • 985.603.4011

at entrance to Ormond Estates • Destrehan www.nolagiftsanddecoronline.com @nolagiftsanddecor

The Mystic Krewe of Barkus parades in the French Quarter.

P H O T O B Y S O P H I A G E R M E R / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Family Gras

STOP IN FOR YOUR FEB. 2-4

VETERANS MEMORIAL BOULEVARD AT LAKESIDE SHOPPING CENTER

FAMILY GRAS BRINGS LIVE MUSIC, parade-watching and more to the Metairie parade route Friday, Feb. 2, through Sunday, Feb. 4.

The music lineup features Amanda Shaw and Zebra on Friday night. Classic rock stalwarts Cheap Trick and contemporary Christian music star Amy Grant headline Saturday. The lineup also includes Creole String Beans and Mad City. Sunday has a country rock bent, with Tyler Hubbard, who’s part of the Nashville duo Florida Georgia Line. The day also features The Oak Ridge Boys and Revisiting Credence.

Parades roll by the festival grounds each night. Excalibur rolls on Friday night. Saturday features the MadHatters with their parade full of local musicians and media personalities as figures from “Alice’s Adventures in

Wonderland.” Atlas parades on Sunday afternoon. Parades are expected to reach the festival grounds not long after their start times on nearby Bonnabel Boulevard.

Family gras also has entertainment for kids, including games and face painting. There is a market and food vendors. Admission is free, but Family Gras VIP tickets include limited food and beverages, backstage access and a designated VIP area.

The gates to the concert grounds open at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, and 11:30 a.m.

Sunday, Feb. 4. There’s a fun run on Saturday morning, and gates to the art market open at 9 a.m.

For more information, visit familygras.com.

PARADE ROUTE

OUTFITS & ACCESSORIES!

5419 Magazine Sttreet 504-581-874 8 honeypotboutiqu ue_nola

29 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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

MARDI GRAS

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

30

MARDI GRAS MATCHA CHEESECAKE AVAILABLE THRU FAT TUESDAY! ASIAN-INFUSED | 240 DECATUR STREET, NOLA | SUNCHONGNOLA.COM LUNCH: MON-FRI 11A - 4P BRUNCH: SAT & SUN 11A - 5P HAPPY HOUR: MON-FRI 4P - 7P DINNER: MON-THU 4P - 10P, FRI-SUN 4P - 12A

By DESIGN

31

2 0 2 4

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

MARDI GRAS

New exhibit and performance showcase a man who changed Carnival costume design forever

by Kaylee Poche

One of San Nicholas’ costume designs PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE L O U I S I A N A S TAT E M U S E U M

SAN NICHOLAS WAS A NEW ORLEANS CHARACTER if there ever was one — the kind who could talk for hours about his life and have the listeners convinced by conversation’s end that they needed to write a musical about him.

And that’s exactly what happened when the esteemed costume designer, who died in 2018 at the age of 93, sat down with New York composers Leo Fotos and David Gosz.

When the two visited New Orleans before Nicholas’ death, he dramatically recounted story after story to them.

As a storyteller, his tales ran the gamut from humorous to angry to sad, often moving himself to tears, says Wayne Phillips, the curator of Carnival collections at the Louisiana State Museum who knew Nicholas personally.

“You always ran the risk of falling into a time vacuum anytime you sat down with San because he would regale you for hours,” Phillips says. “So Leo and David just sort of fell under San’s spell and realized what an amazing subject he would be for a fully fleshed out New York, Broadway-style musical.”

Songs from the biographical “San: A Mardi Gras Musical” have been performed in concert several times in New York City, including at theater festivals and last year at 54 Below, a popular cabaret where previews of Broadway music are often performed.

But on Thursday, Feb. 1, there will be the first concert performance of the musical in Nicholas’ hometown of New Orleans, at 7 p.m. at Le Petit Theatre.

San Nicholas PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE LOUISIANA S TAT E M U S E U M

Because the musical will be in concert format, there’s no staging or costumes, just Broadway singers with several local musicians accompanying them. Troy Iwata plays Nicholas as an adult, while Drago Han of New Orleans plays him as a child. The band includes violinist Moises Bonella Cunha, trumpeter Spencer Mullen and Elaine Dishman on trombone, among others.

Attendees will then get a special exclusive look at a new Louisiana State Museum exhibit curated by Phillips, “To Be a Star: The Carnival Costume Designs of San Nicholas,” featuring roughly 120 of Nicholas’ original watercolor costume designs, plus seven of his costumes, at The Presbytere. That exhibit opens to the public on Friday, Feb. 2.

The musical covers Nicholas’ childhood growing up in poverty in the French Quarter in the 1920s and ’30s. Back then, Phillips says, much of the French Quarter was a slum filled PAGE 33

PIPES • VAPES • CIGARS KRATOM • DELTA • CBD • DETOX

NEW!

1699

$ FRENCH QUARTER

739 BOURBON ST. (504) 354-1511 733 TOULOUSE ST. (504) 875-3067 1201 DECATUR ST. (504) 528-2352

WE SELL LEGAL THC

ea.

METAIRIE

3828 VETERANS STE. B (504) 889-8436

NEW ORLEANS

3118 MAGAZINE ST. (504) 894-7934 8128 OAK ST. (504) 864-8288

SLIDELL

758 K I-10 SERVICE RD. (985) 902-8380

www.TheRaShops.com

MADISONVILLE

1519 HWY. 22, STE. 8 (985) 206-9559

COVINGTON

2900 N. HWY 190 (985) 893-2748

MANDEVILLE

2198 FLORIDA ST. (985) 647-1644

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

32

FOR A LIMITED TIME

King Cake Latte

King Cake Velvet Ice

King Cake

Flavors of Cinnamon & Vanilla

Cold Brew Shaken Espresso

PAGE 31

with tenements, a place where immigrants came into the city with little to their name.

Nicholas’ father, who was of Filipino descent, had immigrated to the city in the late 1800s and married Nicholas’ mother, who was born in New Orleans and was of Mexican and Portuguese descent.

Nicholas’ father was psychologically and physically abusive and made fun of his son for his interest in art and design.

Despite this, Nicholas was able to attend night classes at the John McCrady School of Art on Bourbon Street during high school. From there, he moved to New York City in the 1940s and attended the prestigious Traphagen School of Fashion.

The Presbytere exhibit’s name comes from Phillips’ favorite song in the musical, “To Be a Star,” in which a fictional Nicholas sings about his dreams of becoming a professional designer upon moving to New York.

When Phillips first heard the song, he says it captured Nicholas so well that it hit Phillips “right in the chest so hard.”

“I was absolutely reduced to sobbing tears because I knew San personally and I knew what his life was,” Phillips says. “I knew what his passions were.

I knew where he had been, what he had done, what he had accomplished, what his visions and dreams had always been. When they performed the song for me, it was like San was singing to me.”

San returned to New Orleans earlier than expected, around 1953, when his mother became ill. After he moved home, he began his long career transforming the world of Mardi Gras costumes.

“He wanted to inject an element of fashion elegance into costumes that he felt was missing. That may or may not have been true, but that was his personal viewpoint,” Phillips says. “So he wanted to bring to bear some of the skills that he had learned in New York City to the field of Carnival costume design in New Orleans.”

Nicholas was big on making custom costumes for the individual and getting the perfect fit. Legend has it he could look at someone and know their measurements without ever having to break out a measuring tape.

“His abiding principle, which if you sat down with him for 10 minutes he would tell you this, was he wanted the women that he designed for to feel beautiful and confident in his clothes, and he wanted the men he designed for to feel handsome and strong,” Phillips says.

Nicholas also loved incorporating big, feathered head and collar pieces into his costumes, now a staple in cos-

33

2 0 2 4

Catch some CARN IVA L CH AR M

One of San Nicholas’ costume designs PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE LOUISIANA S TAT E M U S E U M

tuming, which he helped popularize as the Krewe of Endymion’s first costume designer.

As his costumes got larger and more flamboyant, Nicholas felt they demanded a bigger audience, so he came up with the idea to put the royalty in their costumes on mini floats at the beginning of the parade, which is still custom today.

“Once that happened, the floodgates opened, and Endymion has done it ever since. Other krewes started doing it as well,” Phillips says. “I think that only encouraged the costumes to become bigger.”

Five of the seven costumes that will be on display at The Presbytere are from the museum’s permanent collection, including two that haven’t been on display in decades. One of them is a 1971 costume Nicholas made for the queen of the now-defunct Krewe of Jupiter in St. Benard Parish. The costume has a collar piece with lights, and Phillips says Nicholas and the krewe were on the “forefront of using illumination in costumes.”

Above all, Phillips says he hopes people take away from the exhibit a better idea of the work and artistry that go into creating the costumes we see at Mardi Gras.

“I just want people to understand not only about San and his life and his talent, but about the extraordinary pool of talent that this city has in its costume designers,” he says.

Tickets to “San: A Mardi Gras Musical” start at $45 for adults and can be purchased at lepetittheatre.com. Student tickets are available for $25. The Presbytere is open 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday to Sunday. Admission is $7 for adults and $6 for students, seniors 65+ and military members, and free for kids 6 and under.

5928 W. Metairie Ave. Suite 11 504-655-0178 southerncharmhomeandgifts

Relax on our

TROPICAL COURTYARD OR SIDEWALK SEATING

with a fresh cocktail, wine or dinner!

OPEN THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY 4PM - 10PM 720 ORLEANS AVE. • 504.523.1930 • WWW.ORLEANSGRAPEVINE.COM

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

MARDI GRAS

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

34

Old Metairie Neighborhood Bar

DAILY TIL 7PM ON WEDNESDAYS SEATING AVAILABLE

2347 Metairie Rd. (504) 831-8637 Open Daily at 5pm

Uptown 8140 Oak Street L.G.D. 2018 Magazine Street Mid-City 4724 S. Carrollton Ave. C.B.D. 515 Baronne Street

THANK YOU FOR VOTING US BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR FOR 10 YEARS!

504-488-PALS • 949 N. RENDON ST. • OPEN DAILY 3PM-3AM PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

35 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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

OPENING GAMBIT PAGE 9

Corps failed to protect dolphins in Louisiana spillway openings, Mississippi lawsuit alleges

THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS FAILED TO PROTECT BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS

and other marine life in the Mississippi Sound and Lake Borgne by opening the Bonnet Carre Spillway in 2019 without obtaining proper permits under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in Mississippi.

The suit was filed by the cities of Biloxi, D’Iberville, and Pass Christian, along with Harrison County, the Mississippi Hotel and Lodging Association and Mississippi Commercial Fisheries united, Inc. It asks the u.S. District Court in Gulfport to declare that the Corps failed to get a permit from the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration before the 2019 openings of the spillway that would allow an “incidental take” — killing, injuring or harassing the dolphins — as required under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The local governments and other organizations are all members of the Mississippi Sound Coalition.

“The Mississippi Sound, our way of life, really, and our whole economy are in grave danger,” said Gerald Blessey, manager of the coalition and former mayor of Biloxi, at a Monday morning news conference announcing the suit.

“The Bonnet Carre Spillway is killing our dolphins and other marine life. Scientists have referred to the bottlenose dolphin as a sentinel of the health of the whole marine ecosystem. So the dolphins are telling us something. We must listen to the dolphins.”

The suit also asked the court to require the Corps to get such permits for any future openings.

The spillway was opened twice in 2019 to prevent the Mississippi river from overtopping levees as it flowed through new Orleans. even with the two openings, water levels along the levees in the city reached as high as 20 feet at times, while floodwalls protected the city from water levels of 25 feet.

Moby Solangi, a marine biologist, director of the Institute of Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport and chair of the coalition’s science committee, pointed to nOAA statistics for dolphin and sea turtle deaths linked to Bonnet Carre openings between 2011 and 2020 as proof of the threat to both species.

In 2019, 10.3 trillion gallons of freshwater were released during the

two spillway openings that lasted a total of 120 days, and resulted in 153 dead dolphins and 201 dead sea turtles. Dolphins and turtles also were killed during openings in 2011, 2016, 2018 and 2020.

The lawsuit points to the severe risks to bottlenose dolphins when water salinity drops, including death, skin lesions, abnormal blood chemistry and infections. In addition to the numerous dead dolphins, scientists also found a large number of dolphins showing the effects of the low salinity water in both Mississippi Sound and Lake Borgne.

Solangi said the freshwater and nutrients carried by the river also destroyed oyster beds in the sound, most of which have still not recovered, nearly five years after the 2019 openings. nutrients carried into the Mississippi Sound by the diversion water also have resulted in repeated bouts of toxic algae blooms, which have disrupted use of beaches by tourists, and pose health hazards to residents, the lawsuit said. robert Wiygul, an attorney representing the coalition in the suit, said it’s time for the Corps to move quickly to find other ways of dealing with the flooding threat to new Orleans without such major openings of the spillway.

“Go back, if you’re an agency like the Corps, and figure out if there are ways you can keep from doing that,” he said. “Are there things you can do differently, like operate Bonnet Carre Spillway differently?”

Those alternatives could include opening the Morganza Spillway, which directs Mississippi river water into the Atchafalaya river basin, or supporting Louisiana’s proposals to build new sediment diversions farther upriver that could also funnel a portion of the river to its western side during high river periods.

A spokesperson for the Army Corps of engineers declined to comment on the suit.

Monday’s lawsuit will be heard by u.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. In a Jan. 18, 2023 ruling involving a similar challenge, Guirola ordered the Corps to consult with the national Marine Fisheries Service about ways to avoid future harm to fisheries habitat in the Mississippi Sound and Lake Pontchartrain caused by openings of the Bonnet Carré.

The coalition is now challenging a november Corps essential fish habitat report that concludes the spillway’s effects are transitory and reversible. — Mark Schleifstein / The Times-Picayune

A Masterpiece in Assisted Living & Memory Care NOW OPEN! New friends, new experiences, and a comfortable setting to enjoy it all.

Life at the Carrollton is a master class in making the most of each and every day.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CHARTER CLUB PRICING

504.370.9644 701 S Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118 TheCarrollton.com Senior Living Choices offered by Liberty Senior Living

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

36

BE A POSITIVE CHANGE in the quality of life for you and your community this Mardi Gras Season.

CHECK OUT WWW.CRIMESTOPPERSGNO.ORG If you see someone committing a crime, immediately contact Crimestoppers GNO today!

37

Phat city

FORK + CENTER

Vietnamese restaurant Ba Chi reopens in Metairie | by Beth D’Addono THERE’S A NEW PHAT CITY in Jefferson Parish.

But it’s nothing like the Fat City many locals remember — an area tucked away off Veterans Memorial Boulevard and defined by bars, juke joints and strip clubs in the ’70s and ’80s. now, using a play on his first name, Phat Vu hung a sign in his new restaurant, Ba Chi Kitchen + Bar, that says “Welcome to Phat City.”

“I don’t really remember the old Fat City,” says Vu, who was born in 1978.

“But we love this location and are happy to be here.”

Vu and his wife Quinn Vu opened their first restaurant, the original Ba Chi Canteen, on Maple Street in 2013. The menu combined the traditional foods of their childhood with global mashups like gyoza nachos and kimchi fries. When the condition of that building became untenable, the couple moved the restaurant to 3547 18th Street in Metairie and opened in October.

The modern, stylish restaurant is large and airy, most recently home to yuyan Kitchen, and before that, Korea House. There’s room for about 80 guests on the restaurant side, and another 40 in the adjacent bar and lounge area, outfitted with funky lighting, neon and flatscreen TVs for watching sports. There’s space for private parties and catering is available for offsite events.

Guests can park in the front and back of the restaurant and around the corner in a large off-street parking lot (follow the yellow arrows to 3129 edenborn Ave.).

Although Canteen was his first restaurant, Phat Vu is no stranger to the hospitality industry. He grew up in the east, helping his two sisters sell banh mi and desserts at the Saturday morning farmers’ market. By the early ’90s, his sisters opened a little corner store for their Vietnamese fare, followed by the opening of Tan Dinh, still one of the most popular Vietnamese restaurants on the West Bank.

“I always worked in the restaurant,” Vu says. “I didn’t feel like I had to, I wanted to.

I just had a passion for it.”

He left home to go to school, studying architecture in Dallas, coming home during the summer and holidays to pitch in at the restaurant. “My mind was set on food,” he says.

After graduating, however, Vu decided not to become an architect and went to culinary school. He moved back home to help his sister after Hurricane Katrina, and he and his wife worked at Tan Dinh until they opened their own place.

“At first I was in the kitchen, and she was front of the house, but she grew to love cooking too, so we worked together,” he says. now, at the Metairie restaurant, they do it all.

Vu is still getting used to the dining preferences of his customers in Metairie. Ba Chi offers an all-day menu for lunch and dinner, and the kitchen stays open until 8:45 p.m. on weekdays and 9:45 p.m. on weekends. Happy hour brings special drink prices and discounts on featured appetizers from 3:30 to 6 p.m.

Monday through Friday.

At the new location, Ba Chi continues to do brisk takeout and delivery business.

The menu is expanded, with past specials now featured every day. Bò né is a tender steak dish with bone marrow that is a popular breakfast food in Vietnam. It’s a cousin to bò lúc lac, or shaking beef, but served with a fried egg. There are more than

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

New St. Claude food hall

A BUILDING THAT’S STOOD EMPTY FOR YEARS on a busy new Orleans intersec-

tion will soon get new life as a food hall. elysian Market has been quietly taking shape at 1101 elysian Fields Ave., at the corner of St. Claude Avenue. The building had been a Beauty Plus store for two decades before that business closed in 2019.

The project has been years in the making and is now awaiting inspections, with an opening tentatively projected for after Mardi Gras.

It’s just four blocks away from the city’s other remaining food hall, St. roch Market, which has been undergoing its own revamp since nearly closing in summer.

At elysian Market a vivid mural now adorns the exterior. Through the sliding doors, patrons will enter to find a gleaming space lined with individual food stands flanking the room, with a bar in the center.

Phat Vu moved Ba Chi to Fat City.

PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER / GAMBIT

a dozen types of pho, the perfect antidote to winter chill, powered by the likes of brisket, filet, chicken and vegetables. Banh mi options range from crispy pork belly to fried shrimp or oysters and curried tofu.

Ba Chi specializes in bacos, with various fillings tucked into a tender bao bun, taco style. Popular ones include bulgogi with kimchi, a snow crab baco with eel sauce, and the creamy, spicy soft-shell crab. For guests dining at the restaurant on its “taco Tuesdays,” bacos are $3-$4, except for the crab.

Viet-Cajun-style seafood boils are a new addition, and seafood options include king crab, Dungeness crab, shrimp, green and black mussels, and baby clams.

“We are still getting the word out that we’re here,” Vu says.

?

WHAT

WHERE

WHEN

HOW

CHECK IT OUT

Ba Chi Kitchen + Bar

3547 18th St., Metairie, (504) 581-8490; facebook.com/ bachicanteenla

Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat.

Dine-in and delivery

A Metairie spot for Vietnamese and creative Asian dishes

Elysian Market PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

elysian Market will house a total of nine concepts, each run independently.

There will be a variety of food on offer with an emphasis on Asian flavors.

These stands are like self-contained counter service restaurants, each built out with its own kitchen and cold storage, and some with ovens, stoves and fryers as needed.

They’re finished in faux marble paneling, and video screens over each will show menus and photos of dishes. elysian Market is the creation of local businesswoman ngo Vu. She owns the property, and when Beauty Plus closed she began looking for new ideas for the space. She and her family run the Crystal Palace event venues in new Orleans east and Harvey, and she PAGE 39

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

E AT + D R I N K

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

38

Open 7 D ay

s a Week

ed y Own Locall 1950 Since

includi ng ever y day during Mardi Gras

ATTENTION BARS & RESTAURANTS BEER

Laissez Les

OUR has all the liquor products you need to be the Life of the Mardi all season long!

booze Temps

WINE

Rouler

LIQUOR

SUNDRIES

FOR LICENSED RETAILERS ONLY CWLCNOLA.COM | (504) 822-3385 4340 WASHINGTON AVE

Open for Parades and Mardi Gras Day ONLINE ORDERING HERE’S $20 TO SHIP YOUR FIRST ORDER

OPEN DAILY 7AM-10PM

401 Poydras St

GOLDB3LLYIT

MothersRestaurant.net

(504)523-9656

FORK & CENTER

has food industry experience, having previously run the Capt. Sal’s seafood markets.

Some of the vendors are still being finalized, but Vu says the common thread between them are people with experience working in restaurants who want to open their own businesses, but not necessarily have conventional restaurants.

They are not known chefs, and these are not expansions of other existing concepts, with one exception. Zoe’s Bakery in Covington and will have a stand at elysian Market for its cakes and pastries.

“These are people without the capital to open a restaurant, but they can come here,” Vu says. “We give them kitchens, and that’s where you make money. you don’t make money wiping tables or having to clean the restrooms.”

The hall will offer a variety of Asian food stands, especially Vietnamese.

That includes one for pho and vermicelli bowls, another for banh mi sandwiches and Vietnamese-style desserts, and a sushi and poke bowl bar.

Other stands will be for burgers and wings, Mexican food, and, most likely, Indian food, in addition to Zoe’s baked goods.

A juice and salad bar will have freshsqueezed sugar cane juice, and the full bar will be run by another vendor.

Vu will operate one stand herself.

That’s called The Market, and it will function like a deli with prepared foods to go, including trays of sandwiches and cheese and some fresh produce, and also boiled seafood.

The bar and the sushi bar will have seats along their counters, while the other vendors will share a common seating area.

It’s been rough sledding for the food hall concepts in new Orleans through the pandemic.

The Pythian Market and Auction House Market both closed in 2022, and The Hall on Mag, a new concept in the former Auction House, lasted just a few months.

St. roch Market nearly closed in August, but was saved from that fate when one of the vendors stepped up to take over management. St. roch Market has since been rebooting with a changing mix of vendors.

Vu thinks a difference for elysian Market is the composition of its offerings. Another key, she says, is the build out of its stands, which give operators full restaurant kitchens of their own.

“They just have to bring their skills and their knives,” Vu says. — Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune

• FLAGSTONE • MULCH • MEXICAN

• SOIL • GRAVEL • BOULDERS • LIMESTONE

BEACH PEBBLES

Easy online ordering at rocknsoilnola.com

504.488.0908

9119 AIRLINE HWY, NOL A

COME OVER TO THE

Lighter Side!

GRILLED OR BLACKENED Southern tastes

THE TASTING MENU WAS A SPECIAL FIXTURE AT THE MAGAZINE STREET

restaurant Coquette, a contemporary American kitchen full of creative ideas. now Coquette chef and founder Mike Stoltzfus has a new restaurant taking shape that centers on that tasting menu concept.

Wild South is slated to open shortly after Mardi Gras at 1245 Constance St. That Lower Garden District space had been home to a different kind of tasting menu restaurant.

In 2021, Stolzfus and chef Ana Castro opened Lengua Madre here, which served Castro’s modern Mexican tasting menu. Lengua Madre drew much acclaim, but closed at the end of 2023. Castro is now developing her own restaurant, Acamaya, in Bywater.

Wild South will be primarily a tasting menu restaurant, but it also will offer an a la carte menu at the bar. That may court more regulars by offering an alternative to the full show of the tasting menu, Stoltzfus says.

“This started with what we’ve learned from running Coquette, and what parts of that work better in a smaller restaurant,” he says.

Coquette seats about 150 people a night versus 60 projected for Wild South (which will have roughly 40 seats between dining room and bar).

The executive chef for Wild South is Bret Macris, who was previously chef de cuisine at Donald Link’s Cajun restaurant Cochon. He’s from Los Angeles, trained in his hometown with nancy Silverton at Campanile and later worked at rose Water in new york.

He frames his style as a balance of “complex simplicity” by highlighting

Wild South will open at 1245 Constance St. PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

what makes ingredients unique. It’s a “re-imagining of local food traditions,” with a lighter hand in the kitchen, he says. It’s taking a California/ Mediterranean lens to what comes from the local region.

Tasting menus at Wild South will usually run through five courses at a price range of $80 to $85, though the format is open to change. renovations are underway at the Constance Street restaurant, which was once a corner bar.

The distinct pink neon-lit hallway that led to Lengua Madre’s dining room is being replaced by refurbished wood; new floor tiles and chairs are coming in.

Largely, though, it will keep the same floor plan with a curving bar between the open kitchen and dining room.

Coquette stopped serving tasting menus last fall as part of a revamp at the restaurant’s 15th anniversary.

Fielding both the regular menu and the tasting menu at Coquette could sometimes feel like running two restaurants under one roof, Stoltzfus says. Since devoting Coquette to its a la carte service, it’s been able to do more.

He foresees the same playing out at Wild South, allowing the tasting menu approach to reach its full potential.

The two restaurants will share much of the same talent and DnA, with ryan Plas guiding wine, Jason Kaplan directing cocktails and Becky Brooks-Macris as service director at both.

“It’s taking things we’re excited about at Coquette and bringing it here, where it can be more honed and more dialed in,” Stolzfus says. — Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune

3701 IBERVILLE ST•504.488.6582

katiesinmidcity.com

MON-THURS 11AM-9PM•FRI & SAT 11AM-10PM SUN 10AM-4PM

ADVERTISE WITH US Call Sandy Stein (504) 483-3150 or sstein@gambitweekly.com

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

PAGE 37

39

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

40

KING CAKE BEIGNETS AVAILABLE THRU FAT TUESDAY!

4327 BIENVILLE ST., NEW ORLEANS, LA

MON | 11A-10P [ALL DAY HAPPY HOUR] FRI | 11A-11P [HAPPY HOUR 4P-7P] WED - THU | 11A-10P [HAPPY HOUR 4P-7P] SAT & SUN | 11A-11P [BRUNCH 11A-5P]

Mardi Gras Specialty Cocktails

LOV E T HE

WATERFRONT LIFE?

Your dream of living on the water is closer than you imagine. Fish from your backyard or in Lake Salvador, just 20 minutes away by boat. All while being an easy 15 minute drive from downtown New Orleans. Lots in our private, Caribbean influenced community start at just $75k.

Owner financing is available with just 5% down. Contact us for more details.

pelicanslandingbayou.com | info@buildimperium.com | 504-571-9898

p Where Great Food & Dope Vibes Collide!!! p 2438 ST. CLAUDE AVE, NOLA WWW.MORROWSNOLA.COM

ORLEANS 75

MARDI GRAS MARTINI

MAMBO MARGARITA MON - THU | 11A-10P [HAPPY HOUR 4P-7P] FRI - SAT | 11A-11P SUNDAY BRUNCH | 10:30A-6P

Hunter Evans Chef

by Will Coviello WHILE GROWING UP IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, CHEF HUNTER EVANS VISITED new Orleans often because

his grandmother lived here. now, he usually comes back around this time to ride in a Carnival parade. But this year, he’s doing a pop-up dinner at Mister Mao. He’s showcasing the Southern-meets-French cuisine of his Jackson restaurant, elvie’s, which he named for his grandmother. He’s presented dinners by chefs from Commander’s Palace, Mister Mao and Palm & Pine at elvie’s. now, he’s at Mister Mao at 5-9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5. Diners can chose from his special menu and Mister Mao’s regular menu.

For more information, visit mistermaonola.com or elviesrestaurant.com.

How did your grandmother influence your interest in cooking?

HUNTER EVANS: I grew up in Jackson, about three hours or so away.

She grew up on Smith Drive, right behind Dorignac’s. Traveling to visit her, I got exposure to new Orleans, and how food is such a big part of its lifestyle and culture.

We’d go downtown and see the grand dining rooms of the old classic restaurants. We’d peek through and see the tuxedos and mysteries of fine dining, but we didn’t really partake.

We never went out to eat because we could get the same good crab and shrimp at a local market. But when I was little, that world fascinated me.

I don’t have a story of tugging at my grandmother’s apron and cooking with her, but I remember her leaning over the sink peeling fresh shrimp.

How did you start cooking?

E: I didn’t know anyone in restaurants. I didn’t see it as a career at first.

In high school, I would cook all the time. If I slept over at a friend’s house, I’d wake up and help the parents cook breakfast. It was something that I loved to do.

I was trying to figure out what I was going to do after high school. I went to a small college in Florida. I started thinking food and cooking could be a career, so I went to Ole Miss and started studying hospitality management. It was all classroom. So I started cooking at (John Currence’s) Boure in Oxford. I got on the line, and

I fell in love with the culture and the work and the food.

I had a professor that went to the Culinary Institute of America in upstate new york, and he encouraged me to go. every other weekend I was in Manhattan eating food or looking for any opportunity in a restaurant. I fell in love with the precision, the drive and the hours to do something well executed.

After I finished school, I moved to new york and worked for Danny Meyer at north end Grill. That’s where I learned and witnessed the hospitality end.

All of that experience culminated in me missing the South and coming back here.

It’s all a blend of being from the South, being connected to new Orleans, having some exposure to fine dining restaurants to find my own voice. elvie’s turns four on Jan. 31. The dining room is hand painted to look like plaster walls in old-school new Orleans restaurants. We’re in an old house that we renovated. We have a white marble bar. It’s a nod to those classic old restaurants.

One of our most popular dishes is redfish amandine. redfish is a huge staple in Mississippi. We have beef tartare, raw oysters and really good french fries. We play around. We have cassoulet, a classic, French hearty winter food, and match it with head cheese, which I fell in love with at Cochon. We put a fat slice on top of the cassoulet and bake it so it melts into the cassoulet.

We’re trying to make our name and our voice. People have no problem saying they’re going to new Orleans for a fine dining restaurant. We’re like, “Hold up. We’ve got fine dining here in our backyard.” We’re drawing from my background and history of new Orleans, but we’re trying to ask what is Mississippi cuisine? We love using local purveyors and farmers. We get stuff from the Gulf, and we like to use Mississippi oysters and Mississippi beef. We take our staff on trips to places where animals are raised.

That’s part of our story and success.

OF THE

WEEK

PROVIDED PHOTO BY MARY ROOKS

What will you serve at Mister Mao?

E: We’re going to do a boudin-stuffed trotter. Figuring that out was fun. I never had trotters unless they were in a pot of collard greens. I was looking through old French books and came across classic French stuffed trotter.

I was looking at that recipe and using boudin, something very regional.

I love open fire cooking. Mister Mao has a wood fire. I bought a flambadou.

It’s an old piece of equipment, like a triangle that gets super hot over the fire. I made a crab fat sausage. you take hunks of sausage and throw it on the red-hot thing, and it melts over the oysters. Some people use wagyu fat.

But you don’t see it much.

Hush puppies and caviar is Southern meets French, and high brow-low brow. We’ve had caviar on the menu since we started. We’ve demystified it. you don’t have to wear a tuxedo. At the restaurant, we serve it with Zapp’s chips. It breaks that barrier of how you should eat caviar.

Gumbo ze escargot is a play on gumbo z’herbes. It’s going to be lots of greens and I’ve done a lot of iterations of escargot on the menu. So I am going to roast some garlicky, parsley snails and float them in the gumbo. We’ve done escargot hush puppies and escargot boudin and all sorts of fun stuff.

Luc Belaire Gold Brut

Refreshing aromas of brioche, peach and pear give way to fresh Chardonnay fruit and tropical notes of mango on the palate.

Delicately structed with a light, dry finish.

DISTRIBUTED BY

41 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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

WINE

3 COURSE INTERVIEW

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

42

Happy Hour

OYSTER HAPPY HOUR!

TUES-THURS | 4PM-6:30PM

Dining

View with a

with a

View

OPEN TUESDAY-SUNDAY 11AM-9PM

D

Party

AIRS IS O W N ST

O PEEEKENNDS

ON W

CHECK THEBLUECRABNOLA.COM FOR LIVE MUSIC SCHEDULE!

with a

View

Call the restaurant for more information, or email info@thebluecrabnola.com

THEBLUECRABNOLA.COM 7900 Lakeshore Dr. • New Orleans • 504-284-2898

43

C O M P L e T e L I S T I n G S AT W W W. B E S T O F N E W O R L E A N S . C O M

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. $$ Curio — 301 Royal St., (504) 717-4198; curionola.com — The creative Creole menu includes blackened Gulf shrimp served with chicken and andouille jambalaya. reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

$ — average dinner entrée under $10 $$ — $11-$20 $$$ — $20-up 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 late-night Tue.-Sat. $$ 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) 934-3463; 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) 8271651; legacykitchen.com — The menu 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. $$ Zhang Bistro — 1141 Decatur St., (504) 826-8888; zhangbistronola.com — The menu of Chinese and Thai dishes includes a Szechuan Hot Wok with a choice of chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu with onions, peppers, cauliflower, jalapenos and spicy sauce. reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

O U T T O E AT

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

44

LET US BE YOUR HOME BASE FOR MARDI GRAS!

MAKE A RESERVATION AT “THE NEXT LEVEL” OUR UPSTAIRS PARTY ROOM WITH PRIVATE BATHROOM

FRIDAY, FEB. 9TH

CALL NOW (504) 247-9717

4-9PM | DINNER BUFFET • $65/ADULT* | $25/CHILD

SPACE IS LIMITED

SUNDAY, FEB 11TH

4141 ST. CHARLES AVENUE NEW ORLEANS, LA 70115

11AM-7PM | BRUNCH + DINNER BUFFETS $85/ADULT* | $30/CHILD

MONDAY, FEB. 12TH

3-8PM | DINNER BUFFET • $65/ADULT* | $25/CHILD

TUESDAY, FEB. 13TH

WWW.THEVINTAGENOLA.COM 3121 MAGAZINE STREET | (504) 324-7144

8:30AM-3PM | BREAKFAST + LUNCH BUFFETS $85/ADULT* | $30/CHILD *ADULT PACKAGES INCLUDE 3 DRINK TICKETS. PACKAGES DO NOT INCLUDE PARKING. NO ELEVATOR AVAILABLE, STAIR ACCESS ONLY

SUMMER CAMPS New Orleans Summer Camp List

CHOOLS MPS•RSVICES A C R E SUMM IVITES•SE ACT SPO

DON'T FORGET YOUR BEST CATCH FOR YOUR FAMILY! Pick up your Mardi Gras Survival Pack for dogs!

They’ll thank you for it!

SUM MER

CAM PS•

SCH OOL

S•A CTIV

ITES •SE

RVIC ES

CED ARW

SPO

NSO

OOD CAM

RED

CON

PS & AQU

TEN

T

arts vity, and ’s seven , creati rate creative rwood Ceda ration ce, explo will integ M (Scien ting for Camp STEA Math), rwood ics, and Ceda , Art and in the a, robot ics M and dram , Engineering and aquatthat STEA ology ment, fit Techn very and move The disco n to bene . music prove future pic pool. been ss in the ers Jr. Olym delivers has succe camp ng en for ble for learni on childr availa at and positi lessons are ister online ming rs.Reg Swim ampe non-c l.com and schoo wood cedar

CITY CHR

ISTI AN

SCH OOL

NT camps CRE SCE airie -summerSt., Met om/cccs er Camp ties Utica hristian.c Summ Activi 4828 l 2023 your kids. cityc slide, t for ian Schoo crescent

CULI NAR

RED

CON

TEN

T

A JCC , NOL airie Met les Ave. e Ave, St. Char 5342 W. Esplanad s camp 3747 rie, JCC childhood /camp Metai and in mix of nojcc.org Our early

ATIC S

Dr. vens 845-7111 607 Hea lle | 985- om setMandevi dschool.c us is the very. camp cedarwoo disco -acre

nmen crafts, water -on Christ enviro hands ent City and Cresc fun and safe trips, arts r pool, and much a s, offers weekly field pic size indoo runs ng lesson e cooki an Olym includ ed. CampAM-6 PM. ing in Lego club, n 6 are includ swimm tratio ns, sessio & aftercare through Friday Regis (must Stem e ay eek basis. : 3-14 Mond . Befor -by-w Ages Cost: more – July 28, a week d. Camp Camp May 30 camp is on are limite required.) s er unts aremered disco Summ ; space open 3 & potty-train and other m/cccs-sum is now by 9/202 . Multi-child christian.co turn 4 per week crescentcity $185 ation. ble. Visit availa for more inform s/ camp

NSO

ECO LE BILI

eral 821 Gen m la.co ebno

SCHO OL 1907

OF

ROC K

irie irie/ Meta Blvd., ions/meta Veterans om/locat ock.c

n e fun! ed Uptowdays with enjoy a divers time and Locat pool er for summ day campers including ction pack , instru ies al ed swim drama, music and gener riate activit , art, pprop Cross certifi age-a sports Uptown JCC’s ls, skills ican Red up, plus The menta Amer and ork. yoga. funda three teamw e and ages s on game ip and and ng, scienc cooki Camp focuse sportsmansh all, football free s as baseb Sport enjoy ss opas well tball, s and game have endle new and rules, learn baske er tional ers Camp play recrea es campers sts, discov r, ensur intere ships. socce friend Our staffexplore their ingful swim. to nities op mean portu and devel ones,

opnts the stude and fun er at Ecole schoolofr ps s give a safe Summ of chess y of c-cam camp her in variet this yearlanguage musi of Rock musica band toget in a wide e! rmanc h songs oth School to play in perfo Frenc ng Rock in a LIVE nity ng, and cooki are in Eng portu nment, learni nate culmi s camp enrichme enviro. All camps g readin up throug styles d 26, 2023 Camp traine t June 22 - May Summer ghou throu now o May es Rock on is Rooki istrati er.

Camp 9, 2023 - Jun er Boot to regist Jun 5 101 Summ Rock 16, 2023 Camp - Jun d 12 Rewin Jun c Rock Classi 23, 2023 Camp - Jun Jun 19 the 90s Rock Best of 30, 2023 Camp - Jun er Boot Jun 26 101 Summ Rock 2023 er Camp - Jul 14, Jul 10 Rock Summ es Rooki 2023 - Jul 21, Jul 17 Camp Metal 2023 ) shore - Jul 28, Jul 24 Camp (North visit s CK or Beatle 18-RO 504-6 ons/ info call .com/locati For camp ofrock chool mps www.s sic-ca rie/mu metai

Y KIDS

deville , Man igny Ave.m 915 Mar idsns.co Our day is in! culinaryk 5 – 12. ary Kids ages

Culin en , childr l is out, meals serve If schoo their own tures adven s, enjoy they cook camp iment kids as ises, e exper exerc We guide scienc s and rm wild or game ns, feed our perfo outdo r and We offer our garde indoo , enjoy visitors! and crafts guest make meet t the year and ns, and ghou spring chicke s throu o ions for m to d camp

AL SCHO

OL

EPIS COP Covington, LA ., d Blvd ol.org r, twoo ns: theate 80 Chris copalscho optio camp expe-of er es three christepis e weeks includ ional summ

CHR IST

to provid er at CES tradit Summ , and/or the guaranteed sports , and all are in Jr. (ages rience ertime fun! e Aladd Everlasting summ ns includand Tuck a optio 7-9) (ages er Dram flag Summ Aladdin Kids e boys r, includ 9-16), 11-19). s 1-8) girls socce (ages and s (grade ing. , boys s camp at Sport and agility and wrestl ng Wildc eed volleyball, all/sp en enteri tball, footb childr , move baske fun for , music boys crafts ics, and more! is all about! Arts, ive Catsh 8th gradee, chess, robot Creat p/ throug ing, scienc er-cam Pre-k canoe /summ ool.or ment, palsch episco Visit christ

ms S p/progra VAM ONO A nola/sho that St., NOLamonosen er camp nore en/v s ted summ t for childr 600 Eleo m/store/ camp nmen opera enviro d and offering -owne loving amilia.co been theme

’s a mom ing, and they have the camp ing nos is engag 2014, summer, sh speak , Vamo Since Spani es a safe, This re, crafts provid re language.

5-10. different aged g nine , dance, theat es on duala to explo s to kids focus ng tour, visitin music ulum and classeAmerican ties such as curric opment, creatinine ased is a Latin with activi nos’ play-b tional devel en. With is ries, -emo for childr Vamonos count play. Vamo and social experience August 11, ble summer ing and water learning 5 to getta age and enrich from June g an unfor langu ormativeand learning ts seekin transf of fun e for paren weeks ct choic the perfe

ISSUE DATE: MAR 4TH SPACE DEADLINE: FEB 23RD All advertisers receive a

FREE FEATURE

(100 words + photo)

2039 Magazine Street | 504-982-2779 | petwants.com/gardendistrict

Contact Sales and Marketing Manager Abigail Scorsone Bordelon 504.483.3150 or abigail.scorsone@gambitweekly.com

45

PAGE 5

a psychedelic, dayglo-drenched presentation of burlesque and circus acts.

Along with Vivacious Miss Audacious, “Technicolor” will feature Lola Van ella, Miss Angie Z, Sailem from Hell, Tarah Cards, Aria Delanoche, Mz. Juno, The Great Dane, eddie Lockwood and La reina. Tickets start at $25 via thejoytheater.com.

Apocalypse Ball

The Apocalypse Ball features music

by Sweet Crude, Helen Gillet, Chris Christy Quintet, Martin Masakowski and more, plus interactive art installations and booths. Costumes are mandatory. There also are food and drink vendors. The ball raises funds for Louisiana Himalaya Association which supports projects to provide clean water in areas of India. At 5523 St. Claude Ave. at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3. Tickets are only available in advance via aballkrewe@gmail.com.

‘...And The Ball and All’

The women of the Mystic Krewe of Terpsichore are back to their gossipy ways in ricky Graham’s yatty Carnival comedy. The women meet at a Mid-City bar to plan the krewe’s next theme and the hijinks and local nostalgia begin. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, and Saturday, Feb. 3, and 2 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 4, at rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts. Tickets $35 via rivertowntheaters.com.

Ipek Eginli

exploring the impact of colonialism and globalization and the cultures of the African diaspora. “Intertwined” opens Wednesday, Jan. 31, with a celebration featuring Kenyan producer, DJ and musician Blinky Bill, who just released a new album, “We Cut Keys 2.” The free opening event is 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the exhibit runs through July 14. Find more info at noma.org.

‘Les Mis’

The classic musical set amid the social upheaval of early 19th century France tells the story of the quest for redemption of a French peasant who gets a second chance after being imprisoned for stealing bread. The touring version of the Tony-winning Broadway production comes to Saenger Theatre Jan. 30-Feb. 4.

Showtimes vary. Find tickets via saengernola.com.

Jaime Woods

Chicago-born, New Orleans-based vocalist Jaime Woods has performed with Chance the rapper, emily King and Tedeschi Trucks Band, and she was a featured performer on Tank and the Bangas’ song “Self Care.” She is currently in the middle of a First Friday residency at the Ace Hotel’s Three Keys and performs next at 9 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 2. Free admission. A latenight party with DJ PuDGe follows in the hotel lobby. Find more info at acehotel.com.

Turkish-born Atlanta-based experimental pianist and sound designer Ipek eginli stops in new Orleans this week for two nights at the Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge. On Tuesday, Jan. 30, eginli will be joined by bassist Martin Masakowski for a duet performance during an improvised music concert that also features Josh Smith, Tom Chute and Chris Alford. She then will perform with saxophonists Byron Asher and Aurora nealand on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Both concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. There is a $10 cover on Jan. 30. Find more info at zeitgeistnola.org.

Geovane Santos and Orkestra Maria Fumaca

‘Wangechi Mutu: Intertwined’

A former club DJ and radio host, Franky “Trixx” Agyemang has found his groove in observational comedy and talking about being Black in the u.S. Originally from Ontario, he’s now based in Las Vegas, and returns to new Orleans for two nights at the Dragon’s Den. At 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, and Saturday, Feb. 3. Tickets $12 in advance via itsgoodcomedy.com, $15 at the door.

The New Orleans Museum of Art this week will open “Intertwined,” a major exhibition of works by Kenyan-born new york-based contemporary artist Wangechi Mutu.

With nearly 100 sculpture works, paintings, films and other media, “Intertwined” features Mutu’s works

The Afro-Brazilian jazz ensemble blends Afro-Brazilian rhythms and modern jazz and contemporary classical music. Geovane Santos leads a guitar-focused trio and this expanded group. The group previews commissioned compositions and other works at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31, at Marigny Opera House. Suggested donation $25. Find more information at marignyoperahouse.org.

JAZZ

FEST 2024

REACH LOCALS AND VISITORS IN THESE

2 BIG ISSUES

ISSUE DATES

May 2-8 2023 Volume 44 Number 18

APRIL 22

[RESERVE SPACE

BY APRIL 12] y1 25 - Ma April 2023 e 44 Volum 17 er Numb

APRIL 29

[RESERVE SPACE

BY APRIL 19]

Trixx

Contact Sales and Marketing Manager Abigail Scorsone Bordelon 504.483.3150 or abigail.scorsone@gambitweekly.com

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

A R T S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

46

©2024 MILLER BREWING CO., MILWAUKEE, WI • BEER

CELEBRATE RESPONSIBLY®

47 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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

MUSIC FO r CO M P L e T e M u S I C L I ST I n G S A n D M O r e e V e n T S TA K I n G P L A C e In THe neW OrLeAnS AreA, VISIT C A L E N D A R . G A M B I T W E E K LY. C O M

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

MONDAY 29 BJ’S — red Beans and Dick with Dick Deluxe, 9 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Matinee All Star Band, 1:30 pm; Lee Floyd And Thunderbolt Trio, 5 pm; richard Scott and Friends, 8 pm HOLY DIVER — The rev. robert Sinewave, 9 pm SANTOS — Karaoke with Sunshine edae 10 pm SMOOTHIE KING CENTER — Drake with J. Cole, 8 pm THE SPOTTED CAT MUSIC CLUB — Jenavieve Cooke and the Winding Boys, 2 pm; Dominick Gillo and the Frenchmen Street All-Stars, 6 pm; Michael Watsonc and the Alchemy, 9:30 pm

TUESDAY 30 CHICKIE WAH WAH — Klezmer All-stars, 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 SANTOS — DJ Who? Presents: Throwback Hip Hop, 10 pm SMOOTHIE KING CENTER — Drake with J. Cole, 8 pm THE GOAT — Messer Chups, The unnaturals, The Quaalords, 9 pm THE RABBIT HOLE — rebirth Brass Band, 10 pm THE SPOTTED CAT MUSIC CLUB — The Little Big Horns, 6 pm; Smoking Time Jazz Club, 9:30 pm

WEDNESDAY 31 BLUE NILE — new Breed Brass Band, 9:30 pm CHICKIE WAH WAH — Jon Cleary, 7 pm 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 SANTOS — Hooky with null, Cashier & Sleep Habits, 10 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Gerald French & the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, 7:30 pm

THE SPOTTED CAT MUSIC CLUB — Chris Christy Band, 2 pm; Shotgun Jazz Band, 6 pm; Martin Peters and the Party, 9:30 pm

THURSDAY 1 PEACOCK ROOM, HOTEL FONTENOT — Da Lovebirds with robin Barnes and Pat Casey , 8 pm RABBIT HOLE — Victor Campbell Carnival Jazz Jam, 6:30 pm SANTOS — Tainted Love 80’s Dance night, 10 pm

FRIDAY 2 BJ’S — Amigos do Samba, 9 pm BLUE NILE — Kermit ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers, 11 pm BROADSIDE — Wit’s end Brass Band and ram, 8 pm BUFFA'S BAR & RESTAURANT — Cole Williams, 8 pm CAFE ISTANBUL — Gabe Parsons w/Max Landry and Dizzy, 7 pm CHICKIE WAH WAH — Sue Foley, 7 pm MADAME VIC'S — Mia Borders & Jesse Morrow, 8 pm PUBLIC BELT AT HILTON NEW ORLEANS RIVERSIDE — Phil Melancon, 8 pm

RABBIT HOLE — Valhalla Ball featuring music by Tyler Persley, DTr, DJ Hollagram, Very Cherry and Lux, performances by the Val-Carre; 8 pm SANTOS — Ground Hog Day All Over Again with music by Mynier, Set Tha Mood, Ahalo and Jewbacca, visuals by Mynier, art by ChiefeO, 9 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Trixie Minx's Burlesque Ballroom feat. romy Kaye, 9 pm THE SPOTTED CAT MUSIC CLUB — Paradise Jazz Band, 2 pm; new Orleans Cottonmouth Kings, 6 pm TIPITINA'S — Preservation Hall Jazz Band, 9 pm VINTAGE ROCK CLUB — '60s Groove, 9 pm

SATURDAY 3 BJ’S — Anareta, 9pm BLUE NILE — Gov't Majik, 11 pm BROADSIDE — Desert nudes Present: Marty Grasbins w/ Mike Doussan, 7 pm CHICKIE WAH WAH — Bad Operation and Shantytown Dub Allstars, 7 pm PUBLIC BELT AT HILTON NEW ORLEANS RIVERSIDE — Phil Melancon, 8 pm

Galactic featuring Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph plays Tipitina’s Saturday the 3rd.

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

STAINED GLASS WINE HOUSE — Valerie Sassyfras, 7 pm THE RABBIT HOLE — Saturday night Warm up fesaturing nile Ashton and Leisure Muffin, 8 pm; nOHP All Stars featuring natasha Kitty Katt with Chuck Love, unicorn Fukr and nola Housing Project, 11 pm SANTOS — resurrection Goth night with DJ Mange, DJ Sevarc and Garnette, 10 pm TIPITINA'S — Galactic feat. Anjelika "Jelly" Joseph, 10 pm

SUNDAY 4 BROADSIDE — The Iguanas, 5 pm TIPITINA'S — Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band, 5:15 pm

SCAN FOR THE COMPLETE GAMBIT CALENDAR

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

48

Easily cash out equity in your rental or investment property

• Common property types are fourplexes, non-owner occupied single family residential and commercial • Maximum loan to recently appraised value amount of 65% • Must be owned by a corporation • Can not be an owner-occupied residence • Typically close within 3 days of appraisal’s completion • Cash out or fix and flip funding • Asset based loan

nolahardmoney.com

• First liens only

! !

49

Always moving

by Jake Clapp

BJ SO COLE DOESN’T GIVE UP EASILY. If he wants it, he’s going to go for it. And if it doesn’t work out the first time, he’ll try again and again.

That persistence is paying off for the new Orleans bounce artist.

BJ So Cole in late 2022 released the song “Pump It up,” a high-energy bounce track with a beat by MC Shakie and production by DJ Banz. And the song took off in 2023, racking up thousands of streams, going viral on TikTok and getting play on new Orleans radio.

Already a consistent performer, BJ So Cole also hit bigger stages over the last year, like the recent Krewe of Athena Ball — look for dance teams playing the song in this year’s Carnival parades — and he was joined by guitarist Joshua Starkman to play “Pump It up” on WWL-TV’s “Great Day Louisiana.”

“I believe in speaking things into existence, but I also am not the kind of person that gets mad when something don’t happen,” BJ So Cole says. “I just wait, because it might take another year. And that’s what happened to me.

I didn’t make it last year to a lot of these Mardi Gras events.

I didn’t make it the year before. So this was my time.”

Another example of BJ So Cole patiently giving it time: the video for “Pump It up,” which dropped last week. It

has been in the works for more than a year, but after things didn’t work out with the original director, BJ So Cole had to revamp everything.

“I gave up on the video for almost three months,” he says. “I had to go back out and hustle, because I’m an independent artist, so I had to go out there, do more shows, keep doing my content to raise money to get this budget. And I had so much support from the city.”

Shot at Opulence Visual Studios, the video for “Pump It up” has an ’80s aerobics theme and some killer dance team moves that highlight the song. Plus, there’s a surprise cameo from Tessica Brown. It’s an effortless, fun visual to give the song another bump.

“The set day was amazing, there was so much love in the air, we rooted for each dance team that got on the floor. The kids were nervous, but we helped them out,” BJ So Cole says. “The genuine love that was poured into that day resonates on camera.”

BJ So Cole grew up in Kenner and new Orleans and always made music, he says. He started to tap more into bounce music as a teenager — learning by watching Vockah redu and Katey red. Once he graduated from Southern university new Orleans, the vocalist dove

New Orleans bounce artist BJ So Cole PHOTO BY 7XVIZIONZ / PROVIDED BY BJ SO COLE

right into making music his career.

Today, the 33-year-old has a number of singles and features under his belt as well as the 2019 full-length album, “Armed robbery.” He also was a featured performer in 2017 on Boiler room’s takeover at the Ace Hotel. Since “Pump It up” was released, he’s also dropped two new singles: “energy” and “Whats Going On.” elements of electronic dance music regularly make their way into BJ So Cole’s music, and he tries to push himself as a lyricist, he says. He’s among a new generation of new Orleans bounce artists doing fresh things with the genre, like HaSizzle, Treety, Subtweet Shawn and Supahbadd.

“I want to make more music that has a conceptual meaning,” he says. “I want people to understand bounce is not just a repetitive word. Some of us can rap, and we can do it over the beat. I want to show the different versatility and styles while still speaking to the culture.”

SUDOKU

Southern

Costume

Company

THOUSANDS of Mardi Gras costume rentals

Court & Krewe Manufacturing

951 Lafayette St. 523.4333

Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm

www.sccnola.com l

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

MUSIC

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

50

q

q

NearlyWeds INTRODUCING

A GUIDE TO NEW ORLEANS WEDDINGS + UNIONS

q

q

NearlyWeds

q

A GUIDE TO NEW ORLEAN S

WEDDIN

GS + UN IONS

| FALL 2 023

FORMERLY

Bride + Groom After

MorningAfter LOC AL G

I F T S P. 5

A

// S H O R T

& SWEET

P U B L I

HONEYMO

O N S P. 1

1 // M O R

NING-AF

TER CELE

The

weekend edding your w unch and Wrap upa festive br night before with t the ce abou reminis

BY SA

RAH R

C A T I O

B R AT I O N

N

S P. 1 5

AVITS

A

ed food-filla A casual, ah is last hurrto end the great way ion while celebrat wedding bringing ther one VIPs togetime. last IN

ng kend-lo ning wee lf. ngly plan mony itse increasi on the cere ners are sing ES ding planthan just focu Y IMAG er ans wed TR / GETT New Orleeriences, rath

BY KARPHOTO exp

BY GULC PHOTO BOGLU / RAGI IMAGES GETT Y

FOR KNOWN er EANS IS TY long NEW ORLING THE PAR s are EXTEND al, and wedding than usuption. into the no exce than riding off vows and Rather r exchanging increasingly afte are sunset cake, couples t and brunch cutting host breakfas r the cereto opting gs the day aftethe festivities gatherin help wrap up mony to e casual setting. planner in a mor Held, a wedding i and Co., Rachel of Confett ning three ounder plan and co-f ly she’s been weddings: a says late tered aroundcome par ty, cen events l dinner or wel then a less rehearsading itself and people gs the wed nt that brin xed setting eve formal in a more rela togetherwing day. nches, the follo done drag bru s, casual “We’ve crawfish boil par ties,” se or seafood and even hou es request brunch . nts who she says most clieerally want to says Held events gen intimate, r day-afte e casual and list to the mor keep it ting the guest e family often limi par ty and clos wedding s and friends. s people a t give member r event about the nigh if ce A day-afte of the dog to reminis chance grab some hair l cuisine. before, and enjoy loca ions for this needed are tons of opt There

P U B L I C A T I O N

q

ISSUE DATE:

FEBRUARY 19

q q

RESERVE AD SPACE:

FEBRUARY 9

q

Contact Sales and Marketing Manager Abigail Scorsone Bordelon 504.483.3150 or abigail.scorsone@gambitweekly.com

q

S TA G E

Wormhole

by Will Coviello

AMICA HUNTER TAKES AUDIENCES DOWN a wormhole in

their solo show “Anatomica,” which runs one night only at Mudlark Public Theater on Thursday, Feb. 1.

Hunter invites audiences to consider the worm, or life as a similar simple-bodied creature without a skeleton.

The show mashes up clowning, stand-up style comedy and visual gags as Hunter questions if humans are mistaken in thinking they have the best types of bodies. “Anatomica” considers the merits of our complex bone architecture, but it is more about asking if we’re missing out on the benefits of a crab’s exoskeleton or entirely flexible bodies of worms and jellyfish.

“I think it would be nice to have the hard shell,” Hunter says. “Think about muscle knots; we’re always rubbing our shoulders. Our muscles and tendons are holding us together, and that’s a lot of work.”

Anyone with normal aches and pains can sympathize, but Hunter has put their body through a gauntlet of physical rigor.

Growing up in Albuquerque, it was vaulting, a sort of trick-riding on horseback, like standing on a running horse.

After getting into clowning, acrobatics, improv and theater, Hunter dropped out of college to attend San Francisco’s Clown Conservatory. There Hunter was thrilled to get into trapeze, but ultimately left high-flying performances to more athletic types.

For roughly 10 years, Hunter and David Cantor focused on clowning, slapstick and physical comedy as the duo A Little Bit Off. Based in Portland, Oregon, they took their shows across north America and to europe, new Zealand and Australia, often appearing in fringe theater festivals. They won awards and acclaim for shows about grounded biplane pilots, nuns struggling with their faith and bumbling grave robbers. “(A Little Bit Off) started as physical comedy, acrobatics and sounds but very little dialogue,” Hunter says.

“We started talking, and I found that I liked that.”

They still book shows as A Little Bit Off, but they’re not currently developing new work together. Instead, each is exploring in different directions.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY ELENA ESCOBEDO

“He was interested in magic,” Hunter says. “I wanted to do more talking and more stand-up style stuff with a mic.

And weird, awkward comedy stuff.”

That’s when Hunter started working on a debut solo show, “Anatomica.”

“I wanted to see if I could blend the genres I was interested in and some of my more bizarre special interests,” Hunter says. “The question that I was obsessed with was what is the best type of skeleton? I was looking at different kinds of animals and a crab’s exoskeleton, mammals with bones on the inside, and then worms, or jellyfish or sea creatures. They have a structure inside of them that is compressed liquid that keeps their form intact. I was thinking which one would be the coolest to have?”

In the show’s flurry of outfit changes, Hunter is both a crab and a worm and more. each talks about its body.

The show is driven by Hunter’s stand-up comedy-style candor and long held dark sense of humor. As a kid, they made skulls out of Sculpey clay and sold them on the street.

“I would set up these stands on the side of the road,” Hunter says. “I can remember people excitedly pulling over thinking I was selling lemonade, and then looking crestfallen that I was not. I was selling little skulls or advice or drawings I make with pomegranate and carrot juice.”

With “Anatomica,” viewers can ponder whether they’re comfortable in their own skin.

For more information, visit amicahunter.com.

3201 ST. CHARLES AVE. • UNIT 223

2BR/2BA 1008 Sq Ft. Freshly Painted throughout.

New Flooring.

Bathrooms have New Vanities.

Gorgeous Crtyd w/ Pool & multiple smaller patio areas. 24 Hour Security.

Covered Parking Spot in Lot. Many Long Term Owners provides a lovely community with a Strong Condo Association. $325,000 E

IC

W

NE

PR

1224 ST. CHARLES AVE. • UNIT 214

Turn Key! FURNISHED 1BD, 1BA. Highly Desirable location on the Avenue. Easy access to Uptown, Downtown & Interstate.

Quaint Condo w/ Hardwood Flrs, Modern Kitchen w/ Granite Counters & SS Appls. Immaculate Bathroom. Fitness Room, Crtyd, Gated Prkg, Elevator, Laundry Room. Condo fees incld Water, Electricity, Exterior Ins, Common Area Maintenance, Basic Cable & WIFI. $165,000

TOP PRODUCER

(504) 895-4663

GARDEN DISTRICT OFFICE 2016, 2017, 2020 & 2022

GROUP OF HERBS

By Frank A. Longo

37 USN VIP 39 Riddle, part 2 44 Riddle, part 3 47 “Mayday!”

48 Take to the road 49 Neighbor of Georgia 50 Aroma detector 52 Stain-fighting toothpaste, e.g.

54 “Year One” director Harold 55 Gun, in slang 56 Asian “way” 58 “Three’s Company” co-star Suzanne 59 Aversion 62 User’s guide 64 Celtic language

CUSTOM BUILT UPTOWN GEM 4314 Loyola Avenue Uptown • New Orleans 4BR, 2.5BA, 2,676 SQFT $849,900

ABR, CRS, GRI, SFR, SRS

PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Tasks 5 Witty remark 11 Pinnacles 16 Inaccurate 19 Sailing 20 Ablaze 21 Pinnacles 22 Money for the senior yrs.

23 Start of a riddle 26 Guided 27 Redeemers 28 Tally 29 Forest growth 30 Comics cry 31 Omitted, as a syllable 35 Used a scull

51

65 Riddle, part 4 69 Je ne — quoi 73 Incendiary felonies 74 Most frequently 79 Golf legend Palmer 81 Picnic pest 82 Lifelong pal, informally 84 Tiny hairlike structures 85 Not crying 87 Currency of Latvia 89 Gives the means 91 “— dabba doo!”

92 Lick like a cat 94 Riddle, part 5 96 End of the riddle 99 Part of ROY G. BIV 100 A stage past embryonic

101 Protested unpeacefully 102 Gp. checking baggage 104 Actresses Jillian and Blyth 105 Joan — (French saint) 108 Elliott of the New England Patriots 112 Permit to 113 Riddle’s answer 118 Maui garland 119 Bother a lot 120 Sprinted faster than 121 Prefix with byte or ton 122 Org. on a toothpaste box 123 Pre-Soviet rulers 124 Sneeze catcher 125 “You, over there ...”

DOWN 1 Skull parts 2 Worker welfare org.

3 Rodent-built channel blockers 4 “Vexations” composer Erik 5 Churlish sort 6 Difficult task 7 Gridiron gp.

8 Prefix with term or week 9 Eye, to poets 10 Casual shirt 11 Tiered temples 12 Pale tan 13 “Preach it!”

14 “Sleeper” co-star Diane 15 Old fast jet, for short 16 Worker purifying petroleum 17 Breath-holding reef explorers, e.g.

18 Lose color 24 Bowl-shaped frying pan 25 Brand of PCs and tablets 29 Warship with three banks of rowers 31 Letters after els 32 Hotelier Helmsley 33 Otherwise 34 Huskies, e.g.

36 Expand on 37 Swiss — (beet variety)

38 — Lama 39 Math game with matchsticks 40 “I’m — loss” 41 Resign from 42 Hearth waste 43 Succinct 45 Just slightly 46 Rips into 51 Coup d’— (rebellion) 53 Dot of land in the ocean 55 Is given the chance to chime in 57 Darth Vader, as a boy 60 Hue 61 Roadwork goo 62 Eds. mark them up 63 ’80s sitcom 66 Took the gold 67 Poker stake 68 Deteriorate 69 Man-goat of myth 70 Where aid is urgently required 71 While not physically attending 72 Ice cream alternatives 75 Pen tips 76 “Phantom Lady” co-star 77 Prolonged attack

78 Zapped with a stunning weapon 80 Camel cousin 82 “DMZ” actor Benjamin 83 “— is an Englishman” (“H.M.S. Pinafore” lyric) 86 Kind of 35mm camera 88 High coif 89 Furniture wood option 90 Bridal bio word 93 Avian mimics 95 Rock guitarist Barrett 97 Luau hellos 98 Ward for preemies 102 Decimal base 103 Be too thrifty 104 Spaghetti — bolognese 106 Goat cheese 107 Miles away 108 Jacob’s twin, in the Bible 109 Region 110 Nest fillers 111 Exam for an atty.-tobe 113 Vietnamese New Year 114 Deteriorate 115 Anna of fashion 116 Non-earthlings, for short 117 “— longa, vita brevis”

ANSWERS FOR LAST ISSUE’S PUZZLE: P 49

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 > J A n u A ry 2 9 - F e B r u A ry 4 > 2 0 2 4

ON THE PARADE ROUTE!!!

Authentic New Orleans food with a twist!!!!

Brunch Club

DJ • Chargrilled Oysters Indoor & Outdoor Seating BRUNCH CLUB HOURS:

Fri, Sat , & Mon 11am -3pm Sun - 11am -6pm

MARDI GRAS SEAFOOD FLOAT IS BACK!

n Join us o S SUNDAY AIN CAPT with DJ LES CHAR

7 9 1 0 E A R H A RT B LV D ( 5 0 4 ) 3 0 2 - 24 0 4

M Mon-Wed W d 11am-10pm | Thurs-Sat 11am-11pm | Sun 10am-6pm Check us out and Follow us on ig @Niceguysnola