Gambit's 40 under 40 Issue: 2020

Au gu s t 1 8 -2 4, 2 0 2 0 // Volume 41 // Numbe r 31

40 under under forty forty T W EN T Y T W EN T Y

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CONTENTS

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COMMENTARY 9 CLANCY DUBOS

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 5

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40 UNDER 40 Gambit salutes overachievers, do-gooders and people making a difference during the pandemic in New Orleans.

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Gambit (ISSN 1089-3520) is published weekly by Capital City Press, LLC, 840 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130. (504) 4865900. 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 2020 Capital City Press, LLC. All rights reserved.

Long live Little Queenie

Balcony seats

Rick Ledbetter releases music

by Leigh ‘Little Queenie’ Harris

P H OTO B Y S C OT T T H R E L K E L D/ T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E | T H E N E W O R L E A N S A DVO C AT E

BY JAKE CLAPP

TROMBONIST BIG SAM WILLIAMS LEADS HIS FUNKY NATION LIVE on the balcony of the New Orleans Jazz Museum at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The show is also available as a livestream on Facebook.com/ nolajazzmuseum/live.

LEIGH “LITTLE QUEENIE” HARRIS is full

of fire and spirit from the first scratchy, belted out “Hey!” on Li’l Queenie & The Percolators’ “Live at Tipitina’s 1982.”

There’s a little bit of tape hiss, but the singer’s powerhouse voice and the mix of soul, jazz and rhythm and blues that made the group a New Orleans favorite in the late-’70s and early-’80s is on full display.

The live set was recorded to cassette from the Tipitina’s soundboard some time before Li’l Queenie & The Percolators disbanded in June 1982. It eventually got tossed into a box, and there it would stay, until Little Queenie’s death last September at the age of 65.

Shortly after she passed, her husband Rick Ledbetter, himself a musician and producer, recovered the tape, remastered and eventually published it as “Live at Tipitina’s 1982” in July. It’s part of a series of new Little Queenie releases Ledbetter is producing to preserve and promote the singer’s work.

Little Queenie never got the breaks she deserved during her career, Ledbetter says. “I want to put [these recordings] out so that people will know who she was.”

A month before releasing “Live at Tipitina’s 1982,” Ledbetter mastered and published “Live at Jimmy’s,” capturing a 1979 Li’l Queenie & The Percolators performance during a WTUL fundraiser at the Willow Street music club. Both live albums include the band’s bellowing “Jump,” and it’s interesting to see how the band evolved in its relatively short time.

The album “Q Ball” — a live recording of Little Queenie and Mixed Knots, her bluegrass-style band with guitarists Peter Holsapple and Jimmy Robinson — was released in November 2019.

And in May, Ledbetter posted a new, joyous Little Queenie take on “Gumbo Heaven.” The song, Ledbetter says, will appear this fall on a new album his wife was working on in 2014 called “Waking Up in Dreamland.”

After Hurricane Katrina destroyed her Mid-City home, Little Queenie moved to North Carolina, where she

reconnected with Ledbetter — the two had known each other since the ’70s, when Ledbetter was attending Loyola University — and they got married in 2006.

“She moved [to North Carolina] and took the entire contents of a two-bedroom apartment and fit it into this house, and there’s still more stuff,” Ledbetter says with a laugh. “She collected all of these knick-knacks over the years — tons of stuff — and they all mean something.”

Among the show posters and memorabilia, Ledbetter says, were boxes containing tapes and recordings — live concerts, unfinished songs and alternate takes — from throughout her busy career.

“I’m trying to go through these tapes and finish and release them every two to three weeks,” Ledbetter says. “I’ve got a live at the Jazz Fest 1993 ready to be put out, then the next thing to do is to finish ‘Waking Up in Dreamland.’

Then, I’ll start working through the rest of the tapes.”

Ledbetter adds that he’s sitting on about 10 tapes he hasn’t yet carefully listened through all the way.

“She had this incredible range,” says keyboardist John Magnie, who played with her in Li’l Queenie & The Percolators. “She would do real quiet folk stuff and then she could really belt it out like Etta James. The New York Times compared her to Janis Joplin — she could get down like that. But she didn’t like that comparison. She always wanted to be the jazz singer.”

Little Queenie grew up in Old Metairie and started singing at an early age. She and Magnie met on Bourbon Street after he had finished playing a gig. “At that time she had just shaved her eyebrows and dyed her hair bright red,” Magnie says.

P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y R I C K L E D B E T T E R

The two formed a duo and played a regular Monday night gig at Tipitina’s, eventually evolving into Li’l Queenie & The Percolators. Little Queenie and her band became local favorites and received some national attention. Their song “My Darlin’ New Orleans” can still be heard all over the city. But the breakout always eluded the group and Li’l Queenie & The Percolators parted ways in 1982.

Little Queenie remained an essential figure in New Orleans, forming over the years Little Queenie and the Skin Twins, Mixed Knots, Roy G Biv, Ofay Soul Choir and several other groups. She was a regular at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and performed with numerous local and national musicians.

In the years after Katrina and her move to North Carolina, Little Queenie would return to New Orleans for the occasional gig, including a Percolators reunion in 2007. After she was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer in 2016, local musicians banded together to help raise funds for her treatment and care.

“Leigh was a raging Leo and I’m a double Scorpio, and astrologically we should have killed each other after three weeks of marriage,” Ledbetter says. “But it was funny because we both knew this about each other and learned how to deal with it. That’s what made it so wonderful.”

Despite the recognition she received locally, Little Queenie didn’t receive the respect she deserved from the larger music industry, Ledbetter says.

“One of the things I kind of vowed to her after she passed,” he says, “I’m going to make sure that what she recorded gets out there. I want to get her story told.”

Suffragette city THE 19TH AMENDMENT, extending voting rights to women (or, in practice, mostly white women), was ratified when Tennessee approved it on Aug. 18, 1920. (Louisiana waited 50 more years to approve it; and Mississippi got around to it in 1984.) Curators Libby Neidenbach and Madeline Drace discuss The Historic New Orleans Collection’s “Yet She is Advancing” exhibit and the suffrage movement in a Zoom event at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Viewing is free. Find the link at hnoc.org.

Full Circle

P H OTO B Y I A N M C N U LT Y/ T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E | T H E N E W O R L E A N S A DVO C AT E

THE CIRCLE BAR CELEBRATES ITS 21ST BIRTHDAY with the Iguanas in an Instagram Live event. Follow the bar’s @circle.bar handle and toast one of the city’s tiniest music spots.

Playing for Tip’s THE REBIRTH BRASS BAND PERFORMS at Tipitina’s in a concert pre-recorded for broadcast at 8 p.m. Saturday on nugs.net.

Tickets $13. Find the link at Tipitinas.com.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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OPENING GAMBIT N E W

O R L E A N S

N E W S

+

V I E W S

This pandemic continues to suck

# The Count

Thumbs Up/ Thumbs Down

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W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The number of children in Louisiana who have died from COVID-19 or complications stemming from the virus.

has awarded a $100,000 grant to local journalism initiative Lede New Orleans and its partner Listening Post Collective. Lede is a nonprofit news initiative that partners young New Orleans journalists with working professionals to produce multimedia storytelling. Listening Post Collective, a project of Internews, will incubate Lede’s youth fellowship program for a year.

P H OTO B Y C H E R Y L G E R B E R

A mother and her son are pictured outside of Covenant House, which provides shelter and food for people in crisis.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will buy $30 million

worth of shrimp from Louisiana and other Gulf Coast producers to support area fishermen during the pandemic. The shrimp will be used at food banks nationwide that operate The Emergency Food Assistance Program. Louisiana seafood industry workers received around $14 million in aid from the federal CARES Act, but advocates say more is needed to sustain Louisiana’s $2.4 billion seafood industry.

Joshua Bruno, the landlord who sent letters threatening to evict tenants this spring despite the state’s eviction moratorium, has been caught trying to do it again, The Lens reported. This time, Bruno’s actions could be illegal under the federal CARES Act. Bruno’s company, MetroWide Apartments, on July 29 sent letters to residents in the Cypress Park Apartments in Algiers that said “THREE DAYS NOTICE TO PAY OR VACATE,” which would be a violation of a 30-day tenant protection in the CARES ACT.

TULANE RESEARCHERS TRACK SPIKE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENTS MAY BE ON THE RISE in New Orleans

amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Tulane researchers Reggie Ferreira and Fred Buttell, who are launching an exhaustive study on the effects that restrictions have placed on vulnerable families and couples.

Their preliminary data echoes a Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate report in April that indicated aggravated domestic assaults had risen by 37% over the first part of the year and 16% over the 2019 average. (Domestic aggravated assaults involve relatives or partners using a dangerous weapon in the course of their threats.)

Ferreira and Buttell have so far surveyed 279 women who had experienced domestic violence prior to the pandemic, and 59% reported an escalation of intimate partner violence. In addition, 88% reported feeling nervous and stressed in the past month and 95% expressed worry about the ongoing impacts of the pandemic. It’s a relatively small sample size but Ferreira says they will be conducting more in-depth, in-person interviews in the coming weeks.

“It’s an under-studied area, because it’s difficult to get access to folks,” he says. “They don’t really want to talk about it.”

Buttell and Ferreira, who are both professors at the Tulane School of Social Work, say many of the strategies critical to ensuring public health, such as lockdowns, stay-at-home-orders, social isolation and physical distancing have a profound impact on families experiencing IPV. Ferreira, who also serves as director of the Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy, is focusing further research on the intersection of climate change, mental health and resilience. Meanwhile Buttell focuses on improving family functioning by eliminating domestic violence and improving the effectiveness of intervention programs for abusive partners.

They will continue to collaborate on an additional survey and will later lead focus groups to determine exactly how serious IPV is at a local level.

“Due to associated stressors of COVID-19, such as financial strain and substance abuse, we can expect to see a significant increase in reported cases,” Ferreira said. “The biggest concern is if the needed resources to mitigate and address this issue will be available.” — SARAH RAVITS PAGE 7

Though children are far less likely to die from the virus as compared to adults, in rare cases they develop a COVIDrelated condition that causes serious complications known as Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome In Children.

Health professionals stress that most children recover and they don’t believe the syndrome itself is contagious — but it remains a concern that two of the four deaths were previously healthy children, who didn’t have underlying health conditions, according to Dr. Joseph Kanter of the Louisiana Department of Health and the Office of Public Health.

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PAGE 6

The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana says Louisiana is illegally withholding information about its process regarding the early release of prisoners during the coronavirus pandemic.

The advocacy organization is suing Louisiana’s Department of Corrections for documents related to a review panel that decided which inmates could end their sentences early because of COVID-19. The ACLU says LDC is violating the open meetings and public records laws by keeping the panel’s deliberations secret.

LDC responded that the ACLU needs to be more patient. The advocacy organization is scheduled to get more of the information it seeks later this month, said Ken Pastorick, spokesman for the corrections agency, on Aug. 10.

“We are disappointed that they chose to file a lawsuit in this matter at this point, ” Pastorick wrote.

Bruce Hamilton, an attorney with the ACLU, said he had already waited three months for the documents and he believes the corrections agency is dragging its feet over the request in an attempt to stonewall his organization.

Louisiana assembled the panel in mid-April to look over 1,100 inmates’ records to see if they should be

granted an early release in response to COVID-19. But the panel discussed only 600 of those cases and the prison system ended up letting out just 68 inmates when the panel stopped meeting in early June.

Additional inmates were offered release, but did not like the conditions that were required by the prison system — such as an ankle monitor and house arrest — so they chose to serve out the rest of their sentences instead, Pastorick said.

The panel had six members: the head of the Department of Corrections, head of probation and parole, executive director of the pardon and parole board, executive director of the Louisiana Sheriffs Association, executive director of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association and a victim advocate appointed by Gov. John Bel Edwards.

With the exception of the victim advocate, these people could also send another person to serve on the panel as their designee if they wanted.

An inmate was only granted release if he or she received support from at least five of the six panel members.

Louisiana has the highest per capita prison population in the world, with approximately 33,000 inmates overall. The state prison system whittled down the list of people who the panel could even consider for release to just 1,100 using strict criteria: The inmates had to be within six months

of expected release date already; they couldn’t be convicted of a violent crime or sex-related crime; and they had to have an appropriate place to stay if released.

If they were serving time in a state prison, they also had to have an underlying medical condition. If they were serving their sentence in a local jail, they had to have served at least six months of a sentence already.

Those restrictions meant about 1,000 of the 1,100 inmates were housed by the prison system in local jails controlled by sheriffs. The prisoners in jails tend to be serving shorter sentences for less serious crimes than those housed in state prisons. Some of the prisoners deemed eligible for early release were enrolled in work programs that could require them to interact with the public already, Pastorick said.

But outside of those details, not much else is known about the panel.

The meetings were held in private, and the corrections agency won’t say how many times the panel met. It’s also provided no information about what votes took place or why some inmates may have been released while others were not, according to The Advocate. The ACLU has complained that they don’t even know the names of the panel members who made the decisions. — JULIE O’DONOGHUE / THE LOUISIANA ILLUMINATOR

OPENING GAMBIT City Planners ‘enthusiastically’ support renaming Jefferson Davis Parkway The New Orleans City Planning Commission unanimously supports renaming Jefferson Davis Parkway for Dr. Norman Francis, the longtime former president of Xavier University.

The CPC voted at a meeting on Aug. 11 to strip the busy thoroughfare of its Confederate moniker and instead honor the Black educator and nationally recognized civic leader whose work garnered him a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006.

The CPC will deliver its recommendation to the City Council, which will vote on the ordinance at its next meeting on Aug. 20. If passed as expected, its effect will be delayed for reasons suggested by city planners.

Bob Rivers, the planning commission’s executive director, says commissioners do not want the city’s renaming efforts to interfere with the upcoming presidential election in November or with the Census that is still being conducted.

“These will heavily rely on mail, so city planners wanted to avoid confusion that may be caused by the transition,” he told Gambit. — SARAH RAVITS

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ACLU sues Louisiana over its process regarding early release of prisoners

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COMMENTARY

40 Under 40 celebrates local leaders THIS WEEK’S GAMBIT FEATURES OUR “40 UNDER 40” celebration

of young(ish) members of our community who stand out in ways large and small. Like nearly everything in the Year of our Lord Two Thousand Twenty, much of the list has necessarily been defined by the coronavirus and the fight for social justice, twin forces that have shaped not only this year but also the foreseeable future, for good or ill.

As you might expect, this year’s list includes a number of medical professionals, including Dr. Alex Billioux, the Assistant Secretary of Health who leads Louisiana’s official effort to defend us against the ravages of COVID-19. Day in and day out, these medical professionals fight to protect us from the virus, ourselves and one another.

Of course, doctors aren’t the only people in our community risking their lives. “Regular” people like Shechaniah “SheShe” Hutton, the bakery supervisor at Dorignac’s Food Center, have stepped up to the pandemic’s challenges in their own right, tirelessly working to feed and comfort us. They manned the front lines as the rest of us stayed home to protect ourselves — and as many of us continue to stay home as much as possible, even as grocery stores and corner shops have become unlikely, violent battlegrounds between rational mask wearers and our selfish, right-wing neighbors who refuse to act in furtherance of the common good.

We honor others, such as Devin De Wulf and Paul Thibodeaux, for the simple yet profound act of seeing a problem and taking action to fix it. After the pandemic crippled the city, the Krewe of Red Beans founder launched Feed the Front Line NOLA, raising $1 million to provide meals for front-line workers while supporting restaurants.

Since then he and Thibodeaux worked on Feed the Second Line, which feeds elderly musicians, artists and other cultural bearers during the pandemic.

To SheShe, De Wulf and Thibodeaux, and the thousands

of other unheralded frontline workers and volunteers, we say, “Thank you!”

Our honorees also include high-profile leaders like Saints Safety Malcolm Jenkins, who has made the fight for social justice a central focus of his off-thefield life and who rightly called out Drew Brees for using racist coded language earlier this year despite the enormous pressure of tradition and potential public backlash. Thanks to his efforts, Brees has repented — and grown.

Other honorees you may not yet know but should, such as Mariah Moore and Milan Sherry.

Moore and Sherry lead House of Tulip, a local nonprofit that provides housing for trans and gender nonconforming people in our community. Violence and discrimination against trans and nonconforming people in the United States is an epidemic, making Moore and Sherry’s work critical as evictions increase and so many New Orleanians can’t find work.

Though they come from diverse backgrounds, our honorees share a demonstrated sense of selfless responsibility, an understanding that their place in the world matters, and a desire to make their actions count.

That’s something sorely lacking in many of our so-called political “leaders” today. Too often these leaders insist on the perks of power while shunning any sense of responsibility. It has become customary for leaders to soft-peddle the hard choices confronting our society — from reopening schools to sustaining the economy — or dodge their legal and moral responsibility to solve problems by working together. That breeds a cynicism and resentment not only against political leaders but any form of authority, which in turn encourages even less true leadership from politicians.

We hope for our city’s sake that those who call themselves leaders could learn a thing or two from the 40 people on our list.

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on Aug. 20 will give formal approval to an idea that no one could legitimately oppose: removing the name of Confederate President Jefferson Davis from Mid-City’s grandest boulevard and replacing it with that of Dr. Norman Francis, one of our city’s most respected and beloved citizens.

It’s about time on both counts.

The city in May 2017 took down Davis’ statue from the intersection of Canal Street and Jefferson Davis Parkway, setting the stage for the inevitable ditching of Davis’ name from the street signs. Davis had only fleeting connections to New Orleans — and his death here clearly has no bearing on the facts of his treasonous and racist life.

Francis, on the other hand, spent his entire adult life here and has left an indelible mark on our city, state and nation.

Born into poverty in Lafayette, Francis’ first job was shining shoes in his hometown. He earned a work scholarship to Xavier University and graduated with honors. He became the first African-American student at Loyola University, graduating from its law school with honors in 1955. He served in the U.S. Army in 1956 and 1957, then returned to New Orleans to work in the U.S. Attorney’s office.

As a young lawyer, one of his clients was Xavier University’s student body president, Rudy Lombard, who had been arrested for trying to integrate the lunch counter at McCrory’s department store on Canal Street.

That experience put him on a path back to his alma mater in 1957.

In 1961, Francis convinced Xavier to house the Freedom Riders, who planned to integrate interstate buses in the South by riding them from Washington, D.C., to New Orleans.

They were attacked so severely in Alabama that U.S. Marshals flew them the rest of the way to New Orleans, where they stayed in Xavier’s dormitories.

Francis rose through the ranks at Xavier and, in 1968, became its first lay — and its first Black — president.

He served 47 years in that post, a tenure unmatched by any other college president in America, and he guided Xavier to national prominence.

Through the years, he advised eight U.S. presidents and as many

P H OTO B Y S C OT T T H R E L K E L D / T H E A DVO C AT E

Dr. Norman C. Francis’ name could soon grace the boulevard currently named for Jefferson Davis.

New Orleans mayors; chaired multiple local, state national education commissions; led the Louisiana Recovery Authority after hurricanes Katrina and Rita; and earned dozens of honorary degrees — along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom (when it still meant something).

Perhaps his greatest achievement has been the fact that prominence and accolades did not change him one bit. He has remained a humble servant-leader and family man. I have been privileged, like many others, to call Norman Francis my friend. A kinder, more generous man I’ve never known.

Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and other Confederates led an illegitimate, armed insurrection against the United States of America that, in turn, led to a century of racial and political strife. Norman Francis has led a life of selfless service and sacrifice that led to healing and justice — though that part of his life’s work, sadly, remains unfinished.

Putting Francis’ name on the avenue that abuts the great university he led for nearly half a century is a fitting tribute to him, but it’s only a start.

Seeing his life’s work through would be the best way to honor him.

11

BLAKE PONTCHARTRAIN™

LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED

Hey Blake, I have childhood memories of going to a restaurant called Friendship House on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I remember it was owned by the Brennan family. What else can you tell me about its history?

Dear reader,

Friendship House was located near Highway 90 and Debuys Road “midway between Gulfport and Biloxi,” as its ads explained.

According to The Sun Herald, original owner Jim Meyers traveled to the Mississippi Gulf Coast frequently for his job with the Toddle House restaurant chain. He moved to the area permanently in 1947 with his wife Mary. In 1949, they bought the Dinty Moore’s restaurant in Biloxi and renamed it Friendship House.

P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y C A R D B OA R D A M E R I C A

A large lobster and a ‘Howdy Folks!’ welcomed people to Friendship House ‘midway between Gulfport and Biloxi.’

Members of the Brennan family purchased the restaurant in 1963. They included siblings Ella and Dick Brennan, who later owned and operated Commander’s Palace and Brennan’s restaurants in Dallas, Houston and Atlanta. Brennan family members say they would frequently vacation at Friendship House in a row of cabins which lined the backyard.

Former customers will remember the large lobster which proclaimed “Howdy Folks!” on the restaurant’s menus, roof and exterior sign.

Friendship House closed in 1980. In the 1990s, an Olive Garden restaurant opened on the former site. That restaurant was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

BLAKEVIEW THE 1990S BROUGHT NEARLY A DOZEN Academy Award winners and nomi-

nees to town for starring roles in movies set and filmed in New Orleans.

The most controversial was the 1991 film “JFK.” Directed, co-produced and co-written by Oliver Stone, it dramatizes former Orleans Parish District Attorney Jim Garrison’s conspiracy theory surrounding the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Kevin Costner plays Garrison and Tommy Lee Jones stars as Clay Shaw, the New Orleans businessman charged with participating in the alleged conspiracy. (A jury found Shaw not guilty at his 1969 trial.)

Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts co-starred in 1993’s “The Pelican Brief,” based on the John Grisham novel. Roberts plays a Tulane law student who writes a legal brief detailing her theory about the assassination of two Supreme Court justices. She contacts a newspaper reporter (Washington) and the two chase down the story.

Another locally made film also based on a book: Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire.” The 1994 gothic horror movie (with scenes filmed in the French Quarter and at Destrehan and Oak Alley plantations) starred Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Kirsten Dunst as 19th century vampires. Rice initially criticized the casting but later endorsed the film, which earned Oscar nominations for art direction and best original score.

Susan Sarandon won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in 1995’s “Dead Man Walking.” Directed by Tim Robbins, the film is based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean, the New Orleans Roman Catholic nun known for her work to abolish the death penalty. The film dramatizes her role as spiritual adviser to Louisiana death row inmates. Sarandon (as Prejean) counsels Sean Penn, who portrays the fictional convicted killer Matthew Poncelet. In the movie, the real-life Sister Helen has a cameo protesting at a candlelight vigil outside the prison.

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B E S T O F NE WO R L E A N S.C O M /2020 Since 1986, Gambit readers have voted for the things they think make the New Orleans area special and unique. And every year we celebrate their choices in our Best of New Orleans® issue. But this year is different from others. The pandemic, the stay-at-home orders, the slow reopening phases may mean it has been a while since you’ve seen some of your favorite New Orleans people, places and things.

Despite these uncertain times, our mission will be to continue to support local organizations and businesses through this beloved edition and continue to honor the people and places that you think make our city so great. So even if it’s been a few months since your neighborhood bar has been open or you’ve stepped foot into a restaurant, we still want to hear about those places. Stay healthy, socially distance and cast your votes online for your local favorites. Vote now at bestofneworleans.com/2020

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FOOD AND DRINK •

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Best new restaurant (opened October 2019 or later) Best place for curbside pickup Best Kenner restaurant Best Metairie Restaurant Best New Orleans restaurant Best Northshore restaurant Best St. Bernard Parish restaurant Best West Bank restaurant Best bakery Best barbecue restaurant Best burger restaurant Best Chinese restaurant

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Best doughnut Best food hall Best French restaurant Best Indian restaurant Best Italian restaurant Best Japanese/sushi restaurant Best Latin American restaurant Best locally owned coffee house Best Louisiana-made food product Best Mexican restaurant Best Middle Eastern/ Mediterranean restaurant Best pizza restaurant Best restaurant for vegetarians/vegans

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Best seafood restaurant Best sno-ball stand Best steakhouse Best Thai restaurant Best traditional Louisiana restaurant Best Vietnamese restaurant Best chef Best gumbo Best fried chicken Best king cake Best outdoor dining Best place for desserts Best place to get frozen desserts Best place to get a po-boy Best place to get boiled seafood Best place to get breakfast/ brunch Best place to get poke Best place to get a sandwich Best place to get tacos Best restaurant for romantic dining Best balcony for dining and drinking Best bar for cocktails Best bar for day drinking

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Best beer selection Best casino Best distillery Best dive bar Best dog-friendly bar Best LGBT bar Best gentlemen’s/strip club Best happy hour Best hotel bar Best local brewery Best neighborhood bar Best place to get a bloody mary Best place to get a glass of wine Best place to get a margarita Best place to get a martini Best place to get a traditional Louisiana cocktail Best rooftop bar

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Best sports bar

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Best nursery/preschool Best grammar school Best high school Best local college/university

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Best assisted living / retirement community Best art gallery Best golf course Best high school band Best marching group Best Mardi Gras parade Best museum Best nonprofit Best place to get married Best summer camp (virtual or IRL) Best virtual concert or event during COVID-19 Best live music venue Best music artist / band Best theater company Best movie theater

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Best local investigative reporter Best local radio personality Best local TV news anchor Best local TV station Best local TV sportscaster Best local TV weathercaster Best radio station

Best Congress member from Louisiana Best New Orleans City Council member Best Jefferson Parish Council member Best member of the Louisiana Legislature

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Best new retail store (opened October 2019 or later) Best Jefferson neighborhood grocery Best New Orleans neighborhood grocery Best Northshore neighborhood grocery Best antiques store Best bank/credit union Best barbershop Best bicycle shop Best car dealership Best costume store Best day spa Best dry cleaner

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Best florist Best garden store Best hair salon Best health club/fitness studio Best hospital Best hotel Best law firm Best liquor store Best local shop to buy lingerie Best locally owned bookstore Best locally owned bridal shop Best locally owned children’s store Best locally owned jewelry store Best locally owned kitchen design store Best locally owned men’s clothing store Best locally owned music store Best locally owned pharmacy Best locally owned shoe store Best locally owned women’s boutique Best pet boarding/day care business Best pet grooming business

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Best locally owned store for home decor / accents Best locally owned furniture store Best place to buy vintage / consignment furniture Best store for vintage / consignment clothing Best place to buy wine Best place to get a manicure/ pedicure

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Best place to get a massage

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Best real estate office

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There is nothing ordinary about being extraordinary.

We celebrate our team members honored as Gambit’s 40 under 40!

Matthew Bovia, CRNA

CertiďŹ ed Registered Nurse Anesthetist

LCMChealth.org

Allison Guste, RN, BSN, CPHQ AVP, Clinical and Operational Excellence

forty forty T W EN T Y T W EN T Y

BY MICHAELA BECHLER JAKE CLAPP WILL COVIELLO AMANDA McELFRESH SARAH RAVITS JOHN STANTON PHOTOS BY DAVID G RU NFELD

DR. ALEX BILLIOUX,

BAKERY SUPERVISOR, DORIGNAC’S FOOD CENTER dorignacs.com As the bakery supervisor at Dorignac’s Food Center, Shechaniah “SheShe” Hutton has gotten to know her regular customers through their major milestones, most of them good — cookies for an engagement party, treats for a bridal shower, a wedding cake, various desserts baby showers and anniversaries. But in what is surely a sign of the times, over the last few months there have also been the pastry platters and doughnuts, ordered by area funeral homes to be served as a repast at services for the victims of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have close business ties with some of the funeral homes in the area, like Greenwood and Lake Lawn, a lot of those funeral services order donuts and things through us for the families that are burying loved ones due to COVID,” Hutton says.

Health care professionals and other frontline emergency workers were quickly recognized for their essential positions as the pandemic took hold of the country, and for good reason.

But grocery store workers have largely been under-appreciated, despite the critical work they’ve done to keep stores stocked and locals supplied with food and necessities. They’ve had to deal with mad rush hours and interactions with potentially sick people and angry customers.

Hutton says she saw her team step up to meet the flood of business once restaurants started to close.

“It was like a nonstop holiday season, almost,” Hutton says. “We were busy from the time that we’ve opened to the time that we closed. They toughed that period out. We weren’t used to going through such a busy period so continuously.”

The pace has only slightly started to let up in mid-June, Hutton says. “We’ve done some magic in the past few months,” she says.

Hutton grew up in the 9th Ward and attended college in Houston before moving to Chicago, where she worked in the restaurant industry. She returned to New Orleans in summer 2005 and evacuated to Houston during Hurricane Katrina, where she stayed until moving back to her hometown in 2009. She now has a 12-year-old daughter and cares for her father.

A lot of Dorignac’s customers tend to be generational shoppers, Hutton says, and those regulars have kept something of their routines during the pandemic.

“I develop a personal business relationship with these families,” she says. “People think it’s just a glazed doughnut, but for some people it’s a hello in the morning that comes with the glazed doughnut.”— JAKE CLAPP

39

ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF HEALTH, OFFICE OF PUBLIC HEALTH, LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH Twitter: @alexbillioux; @LAdeptofhealth

PH OTO BY S E AN ELLIS / LO U I S IA NA D EPARTM ENT O F H E ALTH

35

Dr. Alex Billioux, the state’s top public health official and advisor to Gov. John Bel Edwards on pandemic response, says one of the era’s biggest challenges is “getting people to listen” to their advisories to stay home as much as possible, avoid large gatherings and wear face masks as mitigation measures.

Billioux is one of thousands of health experts and scientists working to save lives around the clock while studying the virus and figuring out how to get it under control.

Over the past few months, he has

become increasingly recognizable from his frequent appearances alongside Edwards and as a knowledgeable voice helping to steer some of the statewide guidelines.

There are no easy decisions, he says, especially as he and Edwards understand both the economic and psychological impact of the highly contagious virus.

“What we’re asking people to do is hard. It’s different,” he says.

“In Louisiana, not being social is a really big challenge. Not enjoying all the great restaurants, bars,

music — all of that is really tough.

But those are behaviors that spread COVID.” Billioux is an internal medicine specialist who also works to reduce threats to public health, such as obesity, heart disease, hypertension and infectious diseases.

He received his medical training at Johns Hopkins University and has worked in both the United Kingdom and Uganda studying different diseases and examining social determinants that impact public health, such as access to food, utilities, and other resources.

He also runs state labs and works on disaster preparedness and response, especially for vulnerable populations with special medical needs. His office is in downtown New Orleans, but his work with

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SHECHANIAH “SHESHE” HUTTON,

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under forty forty 40 under COVID-19 now requires him to spend more time in Baton Rouge working with the governor and other top aides.

Some of Billioux’s work also involves facilitating partnerships in rural health care settings. Even though the Louisiana Department of Health and its Office of Public Health are largely focused on the pandemic, Billioux says, “We’re still very much on the job in other areas” of public health.

It’s unlikely he’ll get a break anytime soon, but he says he’s inspired by his colleagues.

“I’m getting to work with extremely dedicated and bright folks,” Billioux says.

“They really believe in the change they can drive in Louisiana…That is deeply satisfying.” — SARAH RAVITS

KYLEY PULPHUS,

MARIAH MOORE,

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CO-DIRECTOR, HOUSE OF TULIP

MILAN NICOLE SHERRY,

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CO-DIRECTOR, HOUSE OF TULIP

houseoftulip.org | Instagram: @houseoftulipno; @themariahmoore; @nolatresilience

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DIRECTOR, 826 NEW ORLEANS 826neworleans.org; Twitter and Instagram: @826neworleans “Reading gives you access, but writing gives you power,” Kyley Pulphus says.

That became the mantra of 826 New Orleans, the local affiliate of the national writing program where she works with young writers to publish books.

While growing up in New Orleans, Pulphus became interested in telling stories in film and TV. She studied filmmaking at the University of New Orleans and attained a master’s degree at Florida State University. She made a short film that won honors at the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival and soon found herself in California with an internship at Disney Channel. But in the years after Hurricane Katrina, she knew she had to help New Orleans recover.

Pulphus has spent 11 years teaching, much of it with first and second graders at New Orleans College Prep.

“I was affectionately called a hippie,” Pulphus says. “Because I really believed in creating spaces for children that had a lot of choices, a lot autonomy and a lot of joy. I was constantly trying to have that in my classroom and advocating for it.”

She transitioned from being a classroom teacher to designing and leading writing projects for students of all ages.

“The way you become a better writer is through targeted feedback,” she says. “One teacher trying to get to 30 kids on regular basis is nearly impossible. Kids with good feedback grew tremendously in a short period of time.”

At 826 New Orleans, she organizes and leads programs that engage young writers and result in the publication of books.

“When they get the published book in their hands, they’re so excited,” Pulphus says. “They sign their name on the table of contents and turn to the page they’re on. They’re so proud. It’s incredibly powerful.”

At 826 New Orleans, she works directly with children and oversees eight current programs for students in elementary through high school.

Programs range from one-hour workshops in classrooms to weeks and months-long programs at their center in the 7th Ward.

During the pandemic, she created Writing on the Wall in response to schools being closed. For students without access to the internet and parents who didn’t want another online class, she created packets with sticky paper. Students complete projects that can then be posted outdoors for passersby and friends to come read.

Themed packets have prompted children to write about things they miss, jokes, haiku and create author bios.

Other projects have been topical.

A 2017 project about creating new monuments for public spaces drew responses about Ruby Bridges and Solomon Northup. A recent Celebrate Black Joy project, related to recent Black Lives Matter activism, encouraged youth to write about what makes them happy.

“Words are powerful. Words change the world. We want our young people who be the people out there making that change.”— WILL COVIELLO

As the coronavirus pandemic took hold in March, Mariah Moore and Milan Nicole Sherry helped coordinate the TGNC Crisis Funding Circle, a relief fund for trans and gender non-comforming people in Louisiana. Trans activists Dylan Borne, Spirit McIntyre and Dylan Waguespack also co-managed the fund, which raised around $20,000 through GoFundMe and redistributed those donations back to local TGNC folks facing tightening expenses during the pandemic.

They found the main need was for assistance with housing, Sherry says — a reoccurring need month after month.

“We were able to provide that assistance,” she says, “but it was short-term. We wanted to think about long-term solutions and how we can actually further provide resources to our community.”

Moore and Sherry are the co-directors of House of Tulip, a community land trust project that plans to purchase property and restore a multi-unit building to create safe, welcoming homes for area TGNC people. McIntyre and Waguespack also are Tulip co-founders along with Jai Celestial, Ben Collongues, Sultana Isham, Toni Jones, Camilla Marchena, and Za’hair Martinez.

House of Tulip, a nonprofit, secured $50,000 in seed funding and launched a GoFundMe in June, which is now at more than $380,000 toward its $400,000 goal. The group original planned to buy and renovate a property on N. Claiborne Avenue, but a developer swooped in and outbid them, Moore says. They are now considering several other options around the city to provide a zero-barrier housing option for TGNC people.

Past the immediacy to provide zero-barrier homes for TGNC people — the U.S. Trans Survey estimated 1 in 3 trans people in Louisiana experience homelessness during their lives — House of Tulip wants to be a step in long-term housing goals.

Historically, home ownership has been difficult to achieve in the trans community, “even more difficult for Black trans people,” Moore says. “We’re looking at how we can break that cycle.”

Moore and Sherry both are New Orleans natives and have each been heavily involved in trans justice advocacy locally and nationally.

There is a mantra within Tulip: “Trans United Leading Intersectional Progress.”

To lead in the trans rights movement, Sherry says, requires understanding that people come from all kinds of intersecting backgrounds.

“Some of us come from sex work, some of us have experienced violence, some of us are HIV positive,” she says. “It’s not all of our stories and it’s not all of our narrative, but the reality is we are all fighting for the common goal: liberation.” — JAKE CLAPP

CHRISTINE BROWN,

36

FOUNDER, WHO’S COMING WITH ME, CFREEDOM PHOTOGRAPHY whoscomingwithme.org | Instagram @cfreedom504

Following the murder of her 17-yearold nephew in 2011, Christine Brown released Who’s Coming With Me as a song, album and movement that promoted practicing the seven principles of Kwanzaa every day.

Who’s Coming With Me has since evolved and is dedicated to supporting and uniting Black artists, businesses and youth in New Orleans through resources like a Black business directory and events.

Her photography and filmmaking business, Cfreedom Photography, also produces commercials, films, and documentaries for the Black community through WCWM. Events (which are currently on hold) have included anything from homeschool info-sessions to screenings of Ava Duvernay’s “Queen Sugar.”

Brown, who also contributes work to Essence, is currently editing a sixpart documentary project, shooting a music video, and compiling a virtual and socially distanced by appointment art exhibition, a longterm project and effort that fights gentrification and the displacement of Black artists in New Orleans.

This year has put the release of Brown’s short film project “The Essence of N.O.W.” (which highlights New Orleans women) on hold and sidelined other opportunities in Colorado and Africa. Fortunately for her, she loves New Orleans, “so it’s not so bad to be home.”

“My favorite things about New Orleans are first and foremost the people,” she says. “I love the skills, the creativity, the determination, the humor, the heart of New Orleans people. Majority of us are good people. We all just need some love, laughter, and liberation.”

— MICHAELA BECHLER

MALCOLM JENKINS,

40

32

SAFETY, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS themalcolmjenkinsfoundation.org | Instagram: @malcolmjenkins27 Saints Safety Malcolm Jenkins has spent his football career putting to use his physical skills, intelligence and sharp tongue to become a dominant force on the field and in the locker room.

The 32-year-old Piscataway, New Jersey, native has also put those skills to use off the field and, like his playing he hasn’t been at all shy. Jenkins, for instance, has long had an eye for fashion, and in 2017 he started his own high-end suit company, brashly naming it Damari — his middle name.

But it’s through his social justice work that Jenkins’ impact on the world will be PH OTO PROVI D ED BY TH E felt the longest. Through the Malcolm N E W O R LE A N S SAI NTS Jenkins Foundation, he’s provided tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships to young athletes in New Orleans and has recently expanded his Power Pathway Academy program’s digital learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He co-founded the Players Coalition to advocate for racial equity, and through his Listen Up Media production company, Jenkins is helping fund social justice cinema.

Jenkins also has become a thoughtful, passionate voice for the Black Lives Matter movement, using his celebrity to elevate and amplify demands for justice and an end to systemic racism — even when it’s meant calling out his own teammates.

After Drew Brees came out in opposition to players protesting police brutality, Jenkins did the unthinkable — he spoke out. “I’m telling you my communities are dealing with these things and your response to me is don’t talk about that here ... When the world tells you that you’re not worthy, that your life doesn’t matter, the last place you want to hear it from are the guys that you go to war with,” Jenkins said.

And it worked. Brees eventually took back his comments, and since then the NFL has begun to finally grapple with racism.— JOHN STANTON

DEVIN DE WULF,

35

FOUNDER, KREWE OF RED BEANS, FEED THE FRONT LINE, FEED THE SECOND LINE redbeansparade.com; feedthesecondline.org; www.ftfl.org | Instagram: @redbeansparade; @feedthesecondline Devin De Wulf originally came to New Orleans during college to volunteer after Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures.

“After 24 hours, I heard John Boutte and ate a shrimp po-boy,” he says. “I was thinking, ‘Hey, this is a pretty cool place.’ ” De Wulf, a self-taught artist, settled down in the city and threw himself into its culture.

He launched the Krewe of Red Beans, whose members make Carnival costumes with red beans and march with a brass band on Lundi Gras.

When the coronavirus pandemic began earlier this year, the krewe had been preparing a red bean cookoff contest for local restaurants as a fundraiser. With that pre-empted, he launched Feed the Front Line NOLA, a program that took donations and bought food from restaurants to feed medical workers in every emergency room and ICU in the city. The program raised than $1 million to buy 90,000 meals from nearly 50 local restaurants.

He knew the program filled several needs, in part because his wife is an emergency room doctor.

“I knew medical people were risking their lives and food was a really big pick me up for them,” he says.

Then he launched Feed the Second Line, a program that provides groceries to elderly culture bearers and pays young musicians to deliver the food.

— WILL COVIELLO

IRENE “RENY” GRUNDY, M.D., M.S.,

38

INTERNAL MEDICINE PHYSICIAN, SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA VETERANS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, TULANE UNIVERSITY AND LSU Facebook.com/VANewOrleans | Twitter and Instagram: @VANewOrleans

In March, before COVID-19 cases spiked in Louisiana, Dr. Irene Grundy, an internal medicine specialist at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System braced herself when she realized one of her patient’s symptoms mirrored some of the cases in China she’d read about.

“The gravity of the situation began to loom,” she says. “I realized that if the case was positive, it likely meant the coronavirus had already spread widely in the community and beyond.”

Her team at the medical facility consulted with their infectious disease colleagues and quickly mobilized to get approval of testing at the state level. They developed a protocol for quick screening of patients in need of tests. Within a week, they had created a covered, outdoor testing unit.

“The teamwork, creative thinking and dedication is both reassuring and humbling,” Grundy says of her work over the past several months.

With COVID-19 still ravaging Louisiana, Grundy is splitting time between clinical and administrative work — on top of raising three young children, including an infant.

The advice she tries best to follow is, “‘Never give up on a bad day.’ I was given this advice while breastfeeding my first child, and it helped me to persevere through challenging times.” — SARAH RAVITS PAGE 18

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ADEBOLA “BOLA” ADEYEMI,

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INFECTION CONTROL SPECIALIST, OCHSNER BAPTIST Coming back from maternity leave is already a heroic feat, let alone days before New Orleans reported its first case of COVID-19. But that’s exactly what Adebola “Bola” Adeyemi, an infection control specialist at Ochsner Baptist, did this spring.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Adeyemi has been on the front lines, helping educate staff on personal protective equipment (PPE) best practices, while preserving PPE stock for the staff to remain protected through the duration of the outbreak.

“My passion and commitment to my profession [has] kept me going,” she says. “Getting out of this with health care workers being healthy even with the high risk of contracting the virus is my driving force.”

A natural adapter to change, Adeyemi has stayed on course during the pandemic and says she has learned many lessons from the experience. “There is no perfect for anything. Enjoy life [and] take one day at a time, because you never can tell what tomorrow holds. This time last year, nobody thought of this pandemic that [has] shut down everything.” — MICHAELA BECHLER

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It should be easy to get the help you need, says Erica Chomsky-Adelson, the founder and executive director of Culture Aid NOLA. Since it began in March, the organization and its partners have served more than 250,000 pounds of food in New Orleans by following that philosophy.

“It shouldn’t be demoralizing, it shouldn’t be depressing,” says ChomskyAdelson, who has more than a decade of experience in disaster response work.

“Food at a basic level is something we all need. Mental health resources right now is something we all need.”

Culture Aid — whose partners include the Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans, New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic & Assistance Foundation and Second Harvest — helps everyone, but there is a particular focus on the city’s hospitality workers, musicians, artists and culture bearers.

The nonprofit distributes meals and groceries twice a week and delivers food to people’s homes. Between 1,300 and 1,500 people show up to each distribution, Chomsky-Adelson says. And Culture Aid helps connect people in the cultural community with other services.

Culture Aid is intentional in its methods: No ID is required, the group buys from local farmers and suppliers, and they hire musicians to play at distributions to welcome guests in. The language they choose to use is especially important, Chomsky-Adelson says.

“We serve our neighbors with hospitality and warmth and gratitude,” she says. “There are a lot of people out there who have dedicated their lives to the hospitality and service and culture industry. Their entire career has been upended. Keeping that sense of service and welcome alive is really important for our people.” — JAKE CLAPP EDITOR’S NOTE: ERICA CHOMSKY-ADELSON IS MARRIED TO REPORTER JEFF ADELSON OF THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE. CAPITAL CITY PRESS PUBLISHES BOTH GAMBIT AND THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE.

ZACHARY WILKINS,

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FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, REMEDY RIBBONS remedyribbons.org When his schoolwork slowed down this spring, Zachary Wilkins couldn’t stand to stay home and be idle. The Lusher Charter School student began researching different aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic and was immediately drawn to articles about how hospitals across the country expected to see health care workers grapple with mental health issues because of the added stress.

“I knew that I wanted to help in any way that I could,” he says.

The result is Remedy Ribbons, a nonprofit that focuses on raising money and awareness for the mental health needs of frontline health care workers. Through its website, the organization raises funds for mental wellness programs for health care workers.

Wilkins and volunteers have also tied light blue ribbons in public areas around New Orleans to show their solidarity and support.

“My whole life, I have been a keen believer in the strength of a community,” he says. “I love that I have gotten the opportunity to form a community of New Orleanians that truly want to help our health care workers just as I do.” — AMANDA McELFRESH

RENARD BRIDGEWATER,

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MUSICIAN AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR, MUSIC AND CULTURE COALITION OF NEW ORLEANS maccno.com | Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @pookeymalibu A few years ago at the Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame Awards, Renard Bridgewater heard Big Chief Delco of the Creole Osceola say something that stuck with him: “I do this for the neighborhood, not for Bourbon Street.”

There is a need to understand the historical perspective of New Orleans culture bearers, especially Black Masking PH OTO BY C H R I S G R A N G ER Indians, Bridgewater says. Indians’ traditions are tied to their individual neighborhoods, and in many ways they act as historians for them.

Bridgewater is the community engagement coordinator for the Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans. In the role, he develops partnerships for the organization and in the close to four years he’s been with MaCCNO has expanded to be a mediator between law enforcement and street performers. During the pandemic, he has been focusing on direct assistance for New Orleans musicians, artists and culture bearers. You’ll also see him running MaCCNO’s social media accounts.

A New Orleans native and Holy Cross High School graduate, Bridgewater performs as Slangston Hughes. His musicianship and advocacy are a “symbiotic relationship” he says. He also co-hosts with Thelonious Kryptonite “Draw Fo’ Radio,” WWOZ’s first show dedicated to hip-hop.

During the pandemic, “what I’ve leaned into right now is really looking to delve deeper into that advocacy role,” Bridgewater says. “Organizing has always been a part of the job, but now more so than ever — just to be able to make sure that any policy-based directive that’s going to affect musicians, creatives, culture bearers in the city, that they’re a part of that process.”

— JAKE CLAPP

NICHOLAS MANUEL PINO,

FILMMAKER, WRITER AND DIRECTOR Nicholasmanuelpino.com | Instagram: @nicholasmanuelpino It’s hard to make it in the film industry, but when things get tough, Nicholas Manuel Pino remembers what his father has always told him: “Nothing ever worth doing is easy.”

That has inspired Pino as he writes and directs numerous film projects, screenplays, commercials, music videos and more.

Pino, a Chilean-American, has committed to hiring diverse casts and crews for his projects. Together, he hopes they create work that entertains and sheds light on issues such as racial inequality, poverty and other struggles.

“I hope the city starts paying more attention,” he says. “There needs to be more attention on the well-being and safety of our citizens so we can create wealth for ourselves — instead of relying so much on tourism money.”

In 2018, Pino received the Emerging Voices Fellowship from the New Orleans Film Festival. He’s working on a documentary about a body painter and a novel adaptation. He’s gained notice at screenplay contests and film festivals around the world.

“I love exploring the human condition within the characters,” Pino says. “I always learn something about myself through them. It’s always amazing finding out that the people who read or watch my work can see themselves in the characters, too.”

— AMANDA McELFRESH

ROCIO AGUILAR,

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ORGANIZING FELLOW, CONGRESO DE JORNALEROS Facebook.com/ congresodejornaleros Congreso de Jornaleros (Congress of Day Laborers) organizer Rocio Aguilar has a particular focus on language justice, the push to create multilingual spaces and make public participation accessible for non-English speakers.

“Language justice is not only something we should have, it’s something we should demand,” Aguilar, a Spanish speaker, says through a translator. “We want to be a part of what’s going on in our city. We want to be a part of a community, knowing what’s going on and actively participating.”

Congreso is an organizing group of immigrant workers and their families in New Orleans, working to address the myriad issues facing the area’s immigrant community. The organization falls under the umbrella of the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice, along with the Seafood Workers Alliance and Stand with Dignity.

Aguilar, a Honduran immigrant, has been in New Orleans for nine years and started working with Congreso as a member about five years ago. She became the group’s organizing fellow two years ago.

Language justice “is used as a tool to unite us,” Aguilar says.

“Since there is a language barrier in some ways, sometimes different communities don’t realize that the same [challenges] are happening, just in a different manner.”

— JAKE CLAPP PAGE 20

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MATTHEW BOVIA,

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CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST, UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

MEGAN OLSEN,

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ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT OF NURSING, OCHSNER-WEST BANK CAMPUS CO-OWNER, VICE & GRAFT PAPER ARTIST

Instagram: @mbovia

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Matthew Bovia, a Kenner native and a member of the 610 Stompers, is a certified registered nurse anesthetist at University Medical Center. As a CRNA, Bovia normally would be busy preparing people for surgery, inducing anesthesia in the operating room, blood work and diagnostics, helping with acute pain management and working in critical care.

Throughout the pandemic, some of that work has continued, but Bovia says his focus has largely shifted to critical care. He and other CRNAs were well-positioned to help with ventilator care, putting in breathing tubes and invasive IV access and weaning people off of ventilators so they could breathe on their own once again.

Weaning people from ventilators “is essentially what we do during surgery,” Bovia says. “We were uniquely prepared to be in that scenario.”

Bovia and his team developed a strategy within the hospital to more carefully flip patients on ventilators onto their stomachs, a method to help people with aggressive syndromes.

They also developed a team for rapid response in ventilator care, quickly assessing a COVID-19 patient’s condition and facilitating the ventilator if necessary.

The pandemic hasn’t “so much changed the way I think about my job, but more so there’s a sense of gratitude that we exist in a place where we have the experiences that we have, that we have the skills that we have, and those skills match up so uniquely to the situation,” Bovia says.

— JAKE CLAPP

Megan Olsen is originally from upstate New York, but she’s always had Louisiana in her heart.

“I spent years in a tiny kitchen cooking red beans, listening to scratchy jazz records and dreaming of a life in New Orleans,” she says. “Six years ago, my husband and I uprooted and relocated to the French Quarter.”

Olsen always wanted a career in the sciences and was drawn to nursing. She knew she could help others, meet interesting people and serve in different capacities. In her current role, she works with patients and employees to identify areas for health care improvement and helps implement strategies to address them.

New Orleans has also allowed Olsen to nurture her creative spirit. She runs a virtual shop selling her paper art, which focuses on shotgun homes and silhouettes of women inspired by Storyville Blue Books. As a co-owner of Vice & Graft, she sells vintage items inspired by New Orleans’ Storyville era.

“I’ve always loved the deep, gritty history of New Orleans, so creating art based on it and selling vintage items from it has been a dream,” Olsen says.

While COVID-19 impacted all aspects of Olsen’s life, she’s found silver linings. At Ochsner, she’s seen people come together in new ways during the pandemic.

“The teams are incredibly nimble problem-solvers and getting to lead them through COVID was incredible,” she says. “They helped solve things in hours that would normally take weeks of planning.”

Meanwhile, Olsen has enjoyed continued support for her online shop. Since launching the shop in 2019, she’s had local stores stock her work, and some was displayed in the Fawkes gallery on Royal Street. Olsen remains optimistic that New Orleans’ will rebound from the pandemic in positive ways.

“I hope COVID becomes a distant memory and that the local economy improves for small business owners, artists and performers,” she says. “I also want to see that the efforts taken towards equality and inclusion have a permanent, positive change.” —AMANDA McELFRESH

SENAIS EDWARDS III,

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FOUNDER, NOLAKEYS nolakeys.org | Instagram: @nolakeysmusic Senais Edwards III was born with music in his blood. His grandfather Senais Edwards Sr. aka “Eddie 3-Way” owned and operated record shops in New Orleans and supported many local musicians.

He says music gave him a positive outlet. “As a young Black man music provided me with a focus for my time and energy. It kept me out of trouble.”

With his own funding and a few donations, Edwards founded NOLAKeys, a nonprofit providing free music lessons and instruments for children and teens. In its inaugural year, his team of six has engaged New Orleans youth in hours of online lessons and provided a small stipend to local music teachers.

In the wake of the pandemic, Edwards launched the Music is Power campaign, an attempt to offer a source of income for musicians and music teachers and opportunities for musical development for children and young adults.

“New Orleans culture is rich and music is an integral part of who we are and everything we do. NOLAKeys mission is to use music to build a thriving network for education, development, and support for children, families, and partners to transform lives and communities,” he says. — MICHAELA BECHLER

MICHAEL GULOTTA,

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EXECUTIVE CHEF AND CO-OWNER, MOPHO AND MAYPOP RESTAURANTS maypoprestaurant.com | Twitter: @mgulottano; Instagram: @michaelgulotta Despite winning many culinary awards and national acclaim, Chef Michael Gulotta says he feels intimidated by the New Orleans food scene every day.

“We are a city that takes its food so personally. It still amazes me that Mopho has been accepted for what it is, and I am truly grateful that it has been.”

Gulotta left his fine dining post as chef de cuisine at August restaurant and in January 2014, launched Mopho, a casual MidCity restaurant that combines New Orleans and Vietnamese flavors. He and his business partners’ ethos is to find natural parallels and pathways between southeast Asian and southeast Louisiana cuisines. The process, both stressful and exciting, has been a “whirlwind of a good time.”

Next came Maypop, a more high-end eatery, followed by another Mopho location at the new airportMSY MOPHO in 2019 at the new airport. Both are currently closed, and Gulotta calls the experience heartbreaking.

“We went from a company that employed almost 120 people to having right around 20 team members,” Gulotta says.

During the pandemic, the chef has slowed down and spends more time with his twin sons through reading, cooking, and taking them to restaurants around New Orleans.

— MICHAELA BECHLER

KRYSTLE SIMS-CAMERON, FOUNDER, FOR THE HORTICULTURE

SARAH ZOGHBI,

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CO-FOUNDING DIRECTOR, LOYOLA CENTER FOR COUNSELING AND EDUCATION cnh.loyola.edu/lcce

Facebook.com/forthehorticulture | Instagram: @iyanla_plantzant; @forthe_horti_culture Krystle Sims-Cameron started For the HortiCulture as a way to connect Black women and their families to edible and herbal gardening. It’s a tradition, she says, once common among Black New Orleanians.

“This is what we used to do,” SimsCameron says. “We used to grow food for our families, share food with our neighbors. It strengthens the Black community — you don’t have to worry about where your next meal is coming from because you know your neighbors got you.”

Sims-Cameron wants to break down barriers to gardening and make it accessible. She and a group of volunteers install gardens for interested people and teach them growing methods. Six gardens have so far been installed in New Orleans with at least 25 more planned in the next two months.

Sims-Cameron and her husband, Nate Cameron Jr., are both New Orleans area natives. After living in the Midwest and West Coast for several years, they decided to move back — now with a young son — to their hometown last year.

When the pandemic hit, putting her and her husband’s work on hold, “I started to get really nervous about our financial situation,” Sims-Cameron says. “And I remember working in the garden one day — this garden is also my therapy, my anti-anxiety — I had this moment of clarity and gratitude that I had this place to work out my frustrations and fears that was productive, and that no matter what happened, my family was going to eat. I thought to myself, I want this for other Black women.” — JAKE CLAPP

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DENISE FRAZIER,

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ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, NEW ORLEANS CENTER FOR THE GULF SOUTH AT TULANE UNIVERSITY BOARD MEMBER, GOAT IN THE ROAD PRODUCTIONS AND MUSIC AND CULTURE COALITION OF NEW ORLEANS liberalarts.tulane.edu/programs/ nocgs; goatintheroadproductions. org; maccno.com | Facebook.comlescenelles; Instagram: @nolagulf Audiences who saw Goat in the Road Productions’ first immersive show in a local historic home, saw Denise Frazier play Carlota, a woman with roots from Cuba, living in New Orleans during the era of yellow fever epidemics. Frazier, who completed her doctoral dissertation on art and culture as forces of resistance to state power in Cuba and Brazil, developed the character as well as performing in the show.

“Carlota [the character] was a combination of various people who influenced me,” Frazier says. “One of those people is Carlota, a revolutionary figure.

In Matanzas, Cuba, there is a statue of a big, Black woman with an Afro with a machete in her hand. We would never see a statue like this in the United States. The strength of this character and her spirit was influential.”

Besides writing, performing and serving on the board of the theater company, Frazier is active on several art, education and organizing fronts.

She has taught everything from Spanish and African Diaspora studies on the collegiate level to violin lessons for children. She plays violin in Les Cenelles, a Black chamber music ensemble. She’s also the assistant director of the Center for the Gulf South at Tulane, where she runs programs for undergraduates and works with its residential learning community. And she’s on the board of the Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans, which provides grants to artists. — WILL COVIELLO

Loyola University opened its Center for Counseling and Education in February 2019 with the mission to offer sliding-scale counseling services and mental health care to New Orleanians. No one is turned away for lack of funds.

“It’s not easy to work the system here and get your needs met for mental health when you don’t have the finances,” says Sarah Zoghbi, the center’s co-founding director.

Zoghbi grew up in Louisiana and Texas and has lived in California, Oklahoma and Ohio, where she worked in theater — her first big career love, she says. She moved to Baton Rouge just two weeks before Hurricane Katrina and then to New Orleans shortly after the storm to take up a residency at Southern Rep Theatre. For several years, she directed Southern Rep’s Care for Creatives program.

In 2013, Zoghbi decided to take a step back, she says, to refocus.

She decided to study different methods of healing and earned a degree in psychology. She returned to New Orleans in 2017 to pursue another degree at Loyola and is now a provisional licensed professional counselor.

As part of an academic institution, Zoghbi says, “we are able to operate purely with what’s in the best interests clinically by not setting up our infrastructure tangled up with things that might complicate what’s best for the person. That’s been a really satisfying place to work.” — JAKE CLAPP

VIVEK SHAH,

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DIRECTOR OF TRANSIT PLANNING, RTA Vivek Shah moved to New Orleans in the years following Hurricane Katrina, in part due to connections to the city through family and his partner’s friends. It also was a relief from nonprofit work in Washington, D.C. “Working on federal accountability at the time was like running into a brick wall, repeatedly,” he says.

In New Orleans, he began organizing programing at the Studios at Colton, in which 45 artists who lost space due to flooding used classrooms as studios and worked with area youth. One of Shah’s projects was coordinating engagement events and getting students from across the city to Colton.

As he became involved in various projects in the city and met professors from the University of New Orleans, he realized he had essentially entered the field of urban planning. So he formally enrolled and pursued a master’s degree. His thesis analyzing ways to reduce crashes and delays on the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line won an award from the federal Department of Transportation, and aspects were implemented on the Canal Street lines.

Shah joined the board of Bike Easy in 2011, and he’s worked on development of city bike programs such as bike share. Shah also worked on a bicycle master plan for Jefferson Parish and environmental programs in Terrebonne, Lafourche and St. John the Baptist parishes. Currently the Director of Transit Planning for the RTA, he is working on a network redesign of the New Orleans transit system.

— WILL COVIELLO PAGE 23

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PAUL THIBODEAUX, COORDINATOR, FEED THE SECOND LINE

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feedthesecondline.org | Instagram: @feedthesecondline

ALLISON GUSTE,

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ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT, CLINICAL AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, LCMC HEALTH Two things inspired Allison Guste to work in health care: her parents — her mom is a nurse and her father, an optometrist — and the TV show “ER.” “That show definitely launched my desire to become an ER nurse, which I eventually accomplished in 2005.”

In her role at LCMC Health, Guste has been one of the system’s key leaders in its handling of the pandemic. Her time is now dedicated to ensuring that the system has the operational testing capacity to efficiently serve their hospitals, community and employees. She also led the coordination of LCMC Health’s community testing program to bring more widespread COVID-19 testing to neighborhoods, which has been both impactful and a highlight of her career.

“The patients are so full of gratitude, and that experience has fueled me to continue to expand and enhance the service we provide to the community,” she says.

While her background in emergency nursing prepared her for the challenge, the mother of three remains optimistic. “It was my job to keep us focused but also, and maybe more importantly, to keep it light and positive when we all needed it.”

— MICHAELA BECHLER

Musician Paul Thibodeaux got his first job with regular, 9-to-5 hours during the pandemic, and it’s been one of the most rewarding, he says. At Feed the Second Line, he’s the wrangler who connects the needs of mostly elderly culture bearers to a network of shoppers and drivers who bring them groceries and other basic necessities.

“You could almost call it social work,” Thibodeaux says. “They need someone to take the time to talk and connect.”

Thibodeaux grew up in the region, from the West Bank to the Northshore. He became interested in music and studied at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and the University of New Orleans, where he was mentored

by Alvin Batiste, Steve Masakowski, Ed Peterson and others. He performs with the Panorama Jazz Band and with Aurora Nealand, as well as with members of the Masakowski family.

When the pandemic started and music gigs were mostly closed down, he volunteered to deliver food for Feed the Front Line, a $1 million donation-funded effort to buy food from restaurants and pay musicians to deliver it to medical staff at area hospitals.

As he got more involved, Thibodeaux became the coordinator for the subsequent project Feed the Second Line. Thibodeaux reaches out to elderly culture bearers, including Mardi Gras Indians, social aid and pleasure club organizers and baby dolls, and the program helps support them while keeping deliveries safe during the pandemic.

“I love connecting with the elders,” he says. “There’s so much wisdom and warmth. I walk away feeling so good.” — WILL COVIELLO

KENN BARNES JR.,

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SPECIAL COUNSEL, CRIMINAL JUSTICE & SPECIALTY COURTS, LOUISIANA SUPREME COURT Twitter and Instagram: @KennBarnes Kenn Barnes describes himself as an extrovert who is in a “dynamic” career that suits his personality and interests.

As a special counsel of criminal justice and specialty courts to the Louisiana Supreme Court, he says he loves being able to help people on a range of legal issues.

A native of Baton Rouge who has family ties in New Orleans, Barnes has worked to mitigate employment discrimination, on political campaigns and as an Orleans Public Defender prior to joining the state supreme court. As someone who started his higher education career at a community college, he says he has dispelled the preconceived notion of how things should be done.

“I have charted my own path,” he says. “I enjoy change, growth and different day-to-day experiences, so my career as a lawyer provides me diverse situations.”

After recently losing his sister due to a non-COVID related ailment, he says he’s facing a number of challenges professionally and personally.

He misses social interactions, but he’s reconfiguring ways to still succeed.

This time period has given him “perspective and respect for what is important.” — SARAH RAVITS

PH OTO BY MAT TH E W H I NTO N O F TH E AP

JRUE HOLIDAY,

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GUARD, NEW ORLEANS PELICANS jlhfund.org

In July as protests over the police killing of George Floyd spread across the United States, Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday announced he was donating the remainder of his salary this season to create a nonprofit — the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Impact Fund — supporting Black-owned businesses and nonprofits in New Orleans, Los Angeles and Indianapolis.

The announcement was part of a broader transformation for Holiday, who for most of his career has avoided overt social justice activism.

For Black athletes, questions about race are inevitable. Some embrace the notion of being an advocate for victims of systemic injustice. Others avoid it, for reasons ranging from indifference to simply not seeing it as their place, or they are simply reluctant to be publicly involved in political and social issues. And it’s rare to see an athlete suddenly become outspoken on politically charged issues.

Which is what makes Holiday’s activism this year all the more impressive. These are by their very nature difficult conversations, and American culture actively discourages them, particularly if “activist” isn’t part of their identity. At a time when millions of Americans are struggling with how they will respond to calls to action from the Black Lives Matter and broader social justice movements, a celebrity willing to abandon the safety of a “no comment” and enter the fray is a powerful example.

— JOHN STANTON PAGE 24

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While drinking wine one evening, Tulane University students Max Steitz and Franziska Trautmann began discussing how the bottle would never decompose and would likely end up in a landfill due to meager recycling programs in New Orleans.

At the same time they were worried about how “this incredible city could disappear before our very eyes to coastal erosion,” Steitz says.

They realized these existential issues could be mitigated with one solution: pulverizing glass into sand and using it for coastal restoration.

After a successful crowd-funding campaign that allowed them to purchase equipment for the operation, they launched Glass Half Full — a free program — and now oversee a small facility in the Riverbend.

Trautmann, a chemical engineer, conducts research, coordinates volunteer shifts, runs social media and manages drop-off days for the program.

“Some [challenges] are small, such as how to stop people from dropping off glass when they aren’t supposed to,” she says. “And some are big, such as how we would fund the purchase of our first machine.”

With COVID-19 restrictions in place, the duo says they’re constantly busy because their operation is limited in size, but when the virus is under greater control, they look forward to more community engagement.

“This is the story of a city coming together to bring about muchneeded change,” Steitz says. “Our program is funded by small dollar donations and driven by the community.” — SARAH RAVITS

JOE EAGAN,

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GENERAL MANAGER OF LEITZ-EAGAN FUNERAL HOME IN METAIRIE, WESTSIDE LEITZEAGANFUNERAL HOME IN MARRERO, H.C. ALEXANDER FUNERAL HOME IN NORCO, GRACE FUNERAL HOME AND ST. LAZARUS OF BETHANY MEMORIAL GARDEN IN COVINGTON Dignitymemorial.com Joe Eagan feels like he was born to help families through difficult

times. The sixth-generation funeral director follows in the footsteps of his greatgreat-great grandfather, Ambrose Leitz, who began the business in 1854 with a cabinet shop in the Irish Channel. The shop evolved into a coffin business, then Leitz-Eagan Companies.

“I started helping at the funeral home on weekends during high school, which led to a greater appreciation of the family business and the care we provide to families after the passing of a loved one,” he says.

That role has taken on added urgency during the pandemic, which has cost thousands of people their lives — and also forced new constraints on funeral homes’ abilities to provide comfort and support to families.

Eagan said the restrictions as a result of COVID-19 have changed many aspects of his team’s operations. Meetings with families often take place via phone or internet, rather than in person. Capacity limitations mean fewer people can attend services. Social distancing requirements are in place.

“We’re doing our best to keep everybody comfortable and help families through what is already a trying time,” Eagan says. “We just work with each family differently and help them as much as we can.”

Eagan oversees staff, facilities and vehicles at four properties; arranges and conducts funeral services, manages community relations and is the executive secretary of the Louisiana Funeral Directors Association. It’s a lot of work, but Eagan remembers the words of former boss Jake Williams, who advised him about expanding his duties a few years ago.

“He said, ‘Regardless of what you decide, you should always embrace more responsibility. If you live by this belief throughout your career, good things will come.’ ” — AMANDA McELFRESH

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KRISTIN MALONE JOHNSON,

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OWNER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR, HOME MALONE homemalonenola.com | Instagram: @homemalonenola

SEVETRI WILSON,

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CEO/FOUNDER, RESILIA Sevetriwilson.com Sevetri Wilson considers herself a disruptor. Since she was 22, she’s been an entrepreneur and business owner.

She developed Solid Ground Innovations, a communications and management firm for nonprofits. That then led to Resilia, a company whose technology helps nonprofits with compliance, grants, fundraising and more.

“I’m always thinking of ways to solve persistent problems in business and within the community,” Wilson says. “We really are solving some of the world’s most critical problems and using technology as a bridge to more sustainable, equitable outcomes.”

Part of what Wilson loves about New Orleans is its resilient nature. But she would like to see the community shift from a mentality of surviving to one of advocacy and thriving.

“We have to take bolder steps to create a better quality of life for communities most often overlooked and divested in,” she says.

Through it all, Wilson keeps in mind a note that her mother left for her just before passing away.

“When you enter these rooms and sit at these tables that you have rightfully earned a place at, don’t leave your dignity and self-respect on the table,” the note said.

“Always take that with you.”

— AMANDA McELFRESH

A decade ago, Kristin Malone Johnson was browsing an art market when inspiration struck.

She had always been creative and loved business, but never considered combining the two until she saw the excitement from both artists and customers.

“It made me remember the few sales I made in high school from my art,” she says. “That day, I decided I would make a plan to run a creative business.”

Home Malone began as a hobby in 2011 out of a carport in Lakeview. Over the years, the hobby turned into a business, which she set up in various locations. Sales of single items turned into wholesale and custom orders. In 2016, the first Home Malone retail shop opened in Mid-City.

Today, the shop sells artwork, clothing, home decor, jewelry and more. Malone Johnson focuses on carrying work from local artists and makes adjustments based on feedback.

“The more I listen, the more I learn about the people in our community — our customers, our mailman, our neighbors, our family,” she says. “The ability to be empathetic to the people you surround yourself with will grow your heart.”

— AMANDA McELFRESH

TODD WACKERMAN,

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DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER, STEM LIBRARY LAB stemlibrarylab.com

Todd Wackerman thought he was going to be a history teacher. Then he ended up teaching physics “almost by accident” and discovered his passion for science education. Wackerman decided to combine that passion with a lifelong desire to address racial and socioeconomic inequities in education into the STEM Library Lab. Using a library model, the lab allows schools to purchase an annual membership that gives teachers access to special equipment, lesson plans, training and one-on-one support sessions.

“STEM Library Lab is changing perspectives and empowering teachers to bring rigorous, inquiry-based instruction to their students,” Wackerman says. “Through our coaching, I get to see the light bulbs and the joy turn on for teachers, and then see how they use it to bring science to life for students across New Orleans.”

Wackerman believes improving public education is the main catalyst to address other societal issues, such as criminal justice, homelessness, hunger and more.

“Developing more highly capable, career-minded educators is the single most important factor in improving our education ecosystem,” he says. “The work of STEM Library Lab and so many others have the power to effect this change.”

— AMANDA McELFRESH PAGE 26

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AULSTON TAYLOR,

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CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, ST. AUGUSTINE HIGH SCHOOL Twitter and Instagram: @aulstontaylor

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On the morning the LSU Tigers faced the Clemson Tigers in college football’s national championship, Aulston Taylor brought former ESPN coworker TJ Adeshola to his alma mater, St. Augustine High School, to talk to students at 8 a.m.

As the school’s director of fundraising, it was part of his mission to help spread the word about the school. It paid off when Taylor was able to pitch the school’s mission to the #startsmall initiative, started by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey.

“Four-and-a-half hours later, I got the call,” Taylor says. The foundation donated $1.5 million to St. Augustine.

Taylor grew up in the 7th Ward, and a combination of scholarships and weekly work hours at St. Augustine helped draw him into the school founded by the Josephite Fathers and Brothers. Taylor attended Texas Southern University on a baseball scholarship. After graduating, he moved to New York and spent four years at ESPN, before moving on to do marketing at BET while getting a masters degree at NYU at night.

Taylor returned to New Orleans to lead St. Aug’s development office. In his first year, he led his team in raising $1.7 million. In the fiscal year that ended July 31, they reached $3.5 million. The new fiscal year started Aug. 1, but the mission to spread the word about the school continues.

“My reason for returning is I want to be the person I needed when I was a student here,” Taylor says. “I gained a lot of experience and want to pour it into a place I believe in.” — WILL COVIELLO

NATHAN ROBINSON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, CURRENT AFFAIRS currentaffairs.org | Twitter: @nathanjrobinson

30

You will never see advertisements — well, serious ads — in Current Affairs, the progressive bimonthly political and culture magazine edited by Nathan Robinson. The print publication, funded by subscriptions, cares deeply about aesthetics and is filled with editorial content broken up by satirical, humorous faux ads. It’s a similar style presented on its website.

“Our print issues, we take pride in them being very beautiful,” Robinson says. “We put a lot of work into the design of the magazine. So just as an object, as a visual object, the magazine is really interesting.”

Robinson started Current Affairs in 2015. He had been freelance-writing about politics while in graduate school — and writing and designing children’s-style books for adults as a hobby — and felt constrained by his outlets. He put together a prototype, raised more than $16,000 through Kickstarter and launched the magazine on a subscription-based model.

Current Affairs has around 6,000 subscribers, Robinson says.

The publication has developed a loyal national following for its leftist politics, and Robinson comments for other print and television outlets.

Macmillan last year published his latest book, “Why You Should be a Socialist.”

Robinson was born in England and grew up in Sarasota, Florida, and holds a law degree from Yale Law School. In 2012, Robinson interned with the Orleans Public Defenders, which introduced him to New Orleans.

When he felt Current Affairs was on sure enough footing, he decided to relocate here in 2017.

“It’s a friendly and accepting place. It’s a very beautiful place,” Robinson says, “I’m kind of 19th-century in many ways, so it has suited my aesthetic very well.” — JAKE CLAPP

JULIEN WORMS,

40

27

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VICE PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER, PICARDIE ptfnola.com | Instagram: @picardie_nola

DR. MEG MARINO,

39

DEPUTY MEDICAL DIRECTOR FOR NEW ORLEANS EMS PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN AND DIRECTOR OF PEDIATRIC PREHOSPITAL EDUCATION, OCHSNER HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN megmarino.com Dr. Meg Marino’s life changed forever when she was 21. Her brother was diagnosed with brain cancer in a pediatric emergency room, inspiring Marino to pursue a career in medicine. As she did, she learned that paramedics and EMTs wanted more training to help their youngest patients. Soon, she began teaching paramedics and EMTs in Houston, then back home in New Orleans.

Today, Marino creates free pediatric educational opportunities for Louisiana paramedics and EMTs. In addition, she works at Ochsner Hospital for Children and is the New Orleans EMS deputy medical director.

Marino sees her work evolving.

Since COVID-19, she’s focused more on the health and well-being of paramedics and EMTs, something she hopes begins a larger culture shift among first responders.

Marino also has been encouraged by recent public health initiatives, particularly efforts to help underserved patients.

“I hope we continue to focus our efforts on community health for these patients even after COVID is no longer a threat,” she said. “This pandemic has highlighted that in order for our society to be healthy, we need to ensure that everyone has access to health care, including the most marginalized members of our community.”

— AMANDA McELFRESH

Julien Worms and his wife Christina run a business in the modern world, but their eyes are always on history. Their company, Picardie, is a busy millwork and preservation shop that handles residential, commercial and historic preservation projects throughout the area.

Worms’ dedication to his craft and the old ways of doing things stand in contrast to the immediacy of modern technology.

A native of France, Worms was inspired by his godfather, who ran a similar company in Paris. As a teen, Worms enrolled in the intensive, 10-year work-study program at les Compagnons du Devoir.

The prestigious organization dates to Medieval times and is responsible for many French cathedrals and castles.

Once he relocated to New Orleans, Worms was delighted to find others who shared his commitment to historical accuracy.

“We have found a niche in preservation and restoration with my wife’s background in historic preservation and my training,” he says. “We appreciate and support the many organizations here who are raising awareness about the importance of historic preservation.”

Worms hopes to someday help teach a new generation the value of the old techniques.

He says, “I’d love to see a high-quality trade school to form tomorrow’s craftsmen.”

— AMANDA McELFRESH

VICTOR JONES,

35

GENERAL COUNSEL AND SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR, STATE OF LOUISIANA

Victor Jones, general counsel and senior policy advisor for the State of Louisiana, says his job duties include advising agencies on compliance with civil rights, federal, state and regulatory laws.

His journey to his current position involved “wearing many hats,” he says. He taught kindergarten at a public school and worked in corporate law, before becoming a civil rights attorney.

“My professional experiences have allowed me to view systemic issues, including behavioral health, education and workforce disparities from many different angles,” he says.

“The pandemic presents challenges to legal compliance for governmental agencies,” he acknowledges. But, he says, it also presents opportunities for stakeholders to take new approaches to long-standing issues.

Jones’ advocacy extends beyond his career — he is involved on boards and commissions that are geared toward enhancing the lives of youth. He was recently appointed by Mayor LaToya Cantrell as a member of the Audubon Commission, and he also serves on the advisory board for AfterCLASS, a Tulane University initiative that provides professional development for teachers in the area.

“Being a public servant is a privilege,” Jones says. “Each day I leave work knowing that I have helped tens of thousands of people throughout the state of Louisiana.” — SARAH RAVITS PAGE 28

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ROBERT A. MCKNIGHT,

EMILY LIPPOLD GUMMER,

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PARTNER AND REGISTERED PATENT ATTORNEY, CARVER DARDEN

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY, LEAKE & ANDERSSON, L.L.P.

BOARD PRESIDENT, THE NOLA PROJECT

leakeandersson.com | Instagram: @ramcknight16

carverdarden.com; nolaproject.com When she graduated from Tulane University with a chemical engineering degree, Emily Lippold Gummer wasn’t thinking about a legal career. But her professors said her scientific background would mesh well with her strong communication skills. Law school beckoned and today, Lippold Gummer is a patent attorney.

“I use my engineering education and my legal advocacy skills to work with businesses and individuals to turn their ideas and improvements into legally protectable intellectual property that they can use to further succeed in their business,” she explains.

Lippold Gummer loves her day job, but she also felt the need for a creative outlet. That’s why she’s deeply involved in The NOLA Project, a local theater company where she works closely with artists who produce “some of the most innovative and creative theater out there,” she says.

Whether she’s at the law office or near the stage, Lippold Gummer relies on the adage, “Show up and do your best work every time.”

“It’s not revolutionary advice, but it is a lesson that, in various forms, I have received through my life,” she says. — AMANDA McELFRESH

An attorney who practices general civil litigation, Robert A. McKnight says his duties are to provide “zealous, client-centered representation” in cases pertaining to insurance defense, general casualties, premises liabilities and products liability.

He is also committed to the Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society, and co-founded Together Gert Town Neighborhood Association, where he has conducted several free legal clinics for residents.

“What I like the most about my career is to be a voice for the voiceless, whether that is being a voice for the [impoverished] on Tulane and Broad [where the city’s courthouses are] or for clients at Leake & Andersson,” he says.

A New Orleans native who loves football and crawfish, he says he can’t wait until the pandemic is over so he can spend more time with friends and family. “I miss second line Sundays and backyard barbecues,” he says. — SARAH RAVITS

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Union leaders Union Ramen serves several versions of the popular Japanese dish

BY B E T H D ’A D D O N O RAMEN IS NOT A TO-GO DISH IN JAPAN .

That country’s iconic broth-based, wheat noodle-filled smorgasbord-ina-bowl is closer to street food, often slurped while standing at a shop or ramen-ya counter.

“The noodles don’t travel well in the broth — they get too mushy,” says chef Nhat “Nate” Nguyen of Union Ramen.

Nguyen and business partner Jeff Gapultos opened Union Ramen in July in the Lower Garden District, on the same block as Gris-Gris and Lily’s Cafe. Union Ramen wasn’t conceived as a takeout and delivery restaurant, but thanks to the pandemic, that’s what accounts for most of its current business.

“We had to figure out the best way to maintain the integrity of the dish,” Gapultos says. Each order is sent in two eco-friendly microwavable to-go containers, with the broth in one and the fixings in the other. An instruction card is stapled to the bag, and diners can microwave their ramen or (chef’s pick) heat everything on the stovetop.

If the dish is topped with a poached egg, that is delivered in shell, already poached, to be cracked and added at the last minute to the steaming broth.

Ramen is at the heart of the restaurant’s menu, with deeply flavored chicken broth providing the foundation for most bowls. The original tori version includes roasted pork, bamboo shoots, scallions, garlic and an egg.

Miso ramen is vegetarian, and its mix of miso, greens and mushrooms has layers of earthy flavor.

Slap-Ya-Kimchi mazemen — a brothless ramen swabbed with sauce instead of swimming in soup — is a spicy blend of wonderfully elastic noodles, blackened chicken, house-made kimchi, nori and cilantro. The heat can be dialed up on any dish with a side of

hot pepper flakes.

The dirty mazemen offers a nod to Union Ramen’s New Orleans personality, adding tasso into the stir fry of noodles and ground beef, topped with a poached egg.

Another locally influenced dish, NOLA BBQ stuffed squid fills four baby squid with dirty rice and a slurry of traditional Worcestershirepowered barbecue sauce on top. There also is an outstanding confit oyster mushroom and baby kale salad and spam musubi, a Hawaiian cousin to maki rolls made with spam, rice and seaweed, dressed with a soy-based sauce and curry aioli.

Nguyen, whose heritage is Vietnamese, and Gapultos, whose background is Filipino, are serious about staying true to the Japanese ramen tradition. They spent two weeks in Japan attending the Tokyo Ramen Show, which showcased a slew of regional chefs and their takes on ramen.

“I guess since neither of us are Japanese, we had a little insecurity about being authentic,” Gapultos says.

“But what we realized was that the only constant with ramen was it has to have noodles. Every chef seemed to have his own take on the dish — nobody was strictly doing traditional ramen.”

Nguyen grew up in New Orleans eating pho, but he discovered ramen while working in Orange County, California, cooking at a casual Cajun restaurant in Long Beach. “I loved the richness and complexity of the flavors extracted from the bones,” he says.

“Pho is a lighter broth that doesn’t simmer for a long time. That dish is more about things you put in the bowl.

Ramen’s umami comes from that long and layered cooking time, and you can make any kind of broth. We had uni (sea urchin) ramen that was amazing.”

Nguyen also worked at Emeril Lagasse’s now shuttered Las Vegas restaurant, Stadium. In New Orleans,

Creole Italian THE LONGTIME HOME OF BRAVO! ITALIAN KITCHEN at the Lakeside

Shopping Center in Metairie is being transformed into a new Italian restaurant from a New Orleans company with a growing presence in Jefferson Parish.

A Tavola is the latest project from Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts, which operates Broussard’s Restaurant & Courtyard, Tommy’s Cuisine, Royal House Oyster Bar, The Bombay Club and more.

The new restaurant is slated to open by November after a renovation of the 220-seat space. It is part of the mall complex but in a separate building at 3413 Veterans Memorial

P H OTO B Y C H E R Y L G E R B E R

Jeff Gapultos and Chef Nhat “Nate” Nguyen opened Union Ramen in the Lower Garden District.

he worked at Bayona and Meauxbar Bistro. After doing three years of ramen pop-ups following his departure from Kin in 2016, he decided to pursue a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

Although the partners designed the sleek corner restaurant to bring people together, their planned April opening date was pre-empted by the coronavirus.

“We are so fortunate that we have a lot of regular customers,” Gapultos says. “But we really want people to dine with us in a safe way.” Last week, they opened four tables for dining in, with reservations for up to four people for each table. “We’re only accepting reservations from people on our email list right now. We can legally have 20 customers in the restaurant, but we wanted to stick with 16 guests at a time until we see how this goes.”

The restaurant’s mission statement, “In union there is strength,” is from Aesop’s writings. “Staying united is what makes us strong,” Gapultos says.

“Bringing people together, even if it’s just over bowls of ramen, is what we want to do.”

?

WHAT Union Ramen

WHERE 1837 Magazine St., (504) 459-2819; unionramen.com

HOW Limited dine-in (reservations recommended); takeout and delivery

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

WHEN Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat.

CHECK IT OUT Ramen and a few Asian-inspired dishes

P H OTO B Y I A N M C N U LT Y/ T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E | T H E N E W O R L E A N S A DVO C AT E

Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts CEO Marv Ammari at the Boulevard American Bistro in Harahan.

Blvd. This location of Bravo! was open for 20 years before it closed in March. The chain still has two dozen locations across the country.

A Tavola will be the second new restaurant that Creole Cuisine has opened in Jefferson Parish in recent months. In May, it debuted a second location of its Boulevard American Bistro in Harahan, based on the original Boulevard in Metairie. Tavola will be the company’s first new restaurant conceived entirely during the pandemic.

“We’ve gone through a lot, but we’re always looking to the future,” said Marv Ammari, CEO of his family-owned restaurant company.

“We’re seeing good business at our restaurants in this market, and I think there’s lot of opportunity.”

Over the past several years, Creole Cuisine has been known for expansion, opening new concepts and buying established restaurants. It operates two dozen restaurants, bars and event venues in New Orleans. Most are in the French Quarter or Warehouse District, areas hard hit by the drop in travelers PAGE 31

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Free range Hogs HOGS FOR THE CAUSE was among

the first local events canceled this year as the coronavirus crisis emerged in New Orleans, but the group behind the barbecue festival and fundraiser has not been idle.

It has continued to provide grants to support families dealing with pediatric brain cancer — the cause of Hogs for the Cause — and is planning 2021 festival. Now, it has a new regional project in the works and a campaign that reaches nationally, potentially turning any backyard barbecue into a satellite fundraiser.

On Aug. 11, the group announced plans to build a specialized lodging facility called the Hogs for the Cause Family Residence in Baton Rouge to help families seeking treatment at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital. It will operate like an extended-stay hotel, with a dozen suites and common areas for kids to play and families to gather. Modeled on a facility Hogs for the Cause funded at Children’s Hospital in New Orleans, the on-campus housing can ease the financial and emotional burden on families.

Fundraising for the $2.25 million project is underway, and it’s linked to another new initiative Hogs for the Cause also unveiled last week. Much of the money Hogs for the Cause distributes in family grants comes from the 90 or so teams that compete in its spring barbecue cookoff.

Many of these teams are active year round, holding their own spinoff fundraisers to build their total contribution. The new campaign invites anyone to hold their own such events, raising money for Hogs for the Cause that will help families in their respective communities.

“We started in New Orleans, but Hogs makes grants all over the country now, that’s how severe the need is for the families everywhere going through this,” cofounder Becker Hall says. “Individuals can do a lot right where they are, tapping into their own networks of friends.”

People sign up online at hogsforthecause.org, and the group helps them start different types of fundraisers and promote them through their own personal social media networks. Backyard barbecues, raffles, pop-up dinners, partnerships with restaurants and bars and other events are part of the campaign.

The new program also tracks their contributions, which feed into a rewards program, involving sponsors drawn from the world of barbecue and outdoor living, like Big Green Egg cookers, Yeti ice chests and Sparkle City gameday attire.

The campaign was in the works before the pandemic hit, but the crisis made it more urgent for the group, Hall says.

“We knew before COVID that we needed to do something different, because so much of our support comes from an outdoor event that has this weather risk,” he says.

Even though the March festival was called off, contributions from Hogs for the Cause teams still paid for $528,000 in grants for this year.

That also helped Hogs organizers see what could be possible outside the event weekend itself.

Hall and his longtime friend Rene Louapre held the first edition as a pig roast, passing the hat to raise money for a New Orleans boy, Ben Sarrat Jr., who was diagnosed with brain cancer. It’s grown into one of the city’s most popular food events and a leading source nationally of support for families dealing with pediatric brain cancer.

“We’ve given $1 million in grants around the Atlanta area, $200,000 in Tennessee,” he said. “Hogs helps families all over the country, so it makes sense to give people more ways to help.” — IAN McNULTY/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

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since the pandemic began. Many have reopened for limited service.

Through the crisis, as restrictions have changed, the company has seen a succession of openings, closings, hiring and layoffs.

Ammari expects to reopen more of the company’s New Orleans properties this fall.

“We hope not to lose even one, we’re just looking for help from our leadership to get places open and bring business back,” he says.

For A Tavola, company COO Zeid Ammari describes the menu as a lighter, modern twist on classic Italian. The kitchen will serve meatballs and spaghetti and similar red sauce dishes, but also focus on vegetables and seafood. The wood-fired oven will turn out traditional pizzas and pies with cauliflower crusts.

The term “a tavola” comes from an Italian expression for the joy of the dinner table, and a large communal table will be part of the new restaurant’s design. There also will be a large bar in the center of the room, booths, tables and walls of wine racks and glass cases displaying cured meats and cheeses. It will keep the open kitchen design of the former restaurant, as well as its covered patio facing Veterans Boulevard.

Though an Ohio-based brand, Bravo! was a popular part of the New Orleans restaurant scene in its day, with a menu and design in step with trends of the 1990s and early 2000s.

Bravo had another location on St. Charles Avenue, but it didn’t reopen after Hurricane Katrina. — IAN McNULTY/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

EAT+DRINK

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3-COURSE INTERVIEW

Krystle SimsCameron

When I saw that I had 2,500 new followers, I got on my Instagram with this idea. If everyone gave me $1 and I could raise $2,500, I could build pallet gardens for Black women in New Orleans. I put that on Facebook and did a fundraiser. And 10 days later, I had raised almost $20,000.

Gardener/organizer

How is the project doing now?

KRYSTLE SIMS-CAMERON CREATED

Them People Productions with her husband Nate Cameron Jr., who also is the tour manager for Tank and the Bangas. They create events for people of color and underserved communities to connect, and Sims-Cameron consults with organizations on outreach to underserved communities. She’s also a home gardener who launched For the HortiCulture (@forthe_ horti_culture), a project to help Black women in New Orleans start home gardens.

How did you start gardening?

KRYSTLE SIMS-CAMERON: I had barely kept a houseplant alive before 2011. I started because I was pregnant. I grew tomatoes, beans and cucumbers while I was pregnant. I was like, “Holy crap, I can feed my baby.” That’s dope.

That kept me from going crazy.

Once I realized I could grow a bean myself, I was addicted. This has grown exponentially. Every year my garden grows more and I try to replace groceries with things I have grown.

JOHN STANTON ZOOM HAPPY HOUR (BYOB) EXCLUSIVE Q & A FOR GAMBIT COMMUNITY MEMBERS BESTOFNEWORLEANS.COM/MEMBER

How did you get the idea for For the HortiCulture?

KSC: Last year, I was talking to my husband about gardening and the emotional benefits — the antianxiety, anti-stress benefits — and how I thought everyone should garden. Everyone should have a plant that they take care of. He jokingly called me Iyanla Plantzant — after [inspirational speaker] Iyanla Vanzant. I thought that was hilarious and I turned that into my Instagram handle.

On Instagram, last August, I started creating this community of Black female gardeners from a lot of different places. It’s a very Black, very pro femme, very culturally steeped place where we talk about plants, and it was really fun.

The online gardening space is very white, female, suburban,

P R OV I D E D B Y KRYSTLE SIMS- CAMERON

two-income households — stuff that looks like Better Homes and Gardens. Those are the accounts that have thousands of followers, and they get promotions and sponsorships. On Blackout Tuesday, a lot of those gardeners who noticed the increase in Black women in the space said, ‘We want to pass the mic and share the accounts we’ve been following and that we don’t think get enough love.’ A few of them listed my Instagram as one of the ones they enjoyed going to. Overnight, I got 2,500 new white female followers in what had been an all-Black women’s space. I had like 500 followers before.

Prior to that, I had made a little pallet garden, and I said to Nate, “This is so quick, so easy to make and it takes up no room and look how many plants you can fit. All these women tell me they can’t grow things at their house. I’ll bet if I built this for them and they grew strawberries and herbs for one year, I could convince them they could grow anything.” I found a small pallet at Lowe’s, and I turned it into a tiny garden. I thought I would love to have 20 of these and every time a woman tells me she can’t grow things, I would give her a pallet garden.

KSC: With $20,000, I finally put on my programmer/strategist/ community organizer hat and said “What should this look like?”

We have built six gardens since the end of June. Those are prototypes, so I’d know what was going to work best for the women, because I don’t want to let them down. I wanted to train myself: What tools do I need? What materials are necessary? How long does it take? What does this look like for someone who has never grown before? What does it look like for someone who has a phobia of bugs?

There are two community gardens that are partnering with us.

In New Orleans East is the Crown Community Garden. In the Lower 9th Ward, the Guerrilla Garden by the Backyard Gardeners Network will host a space. These will be the hubs where women can get their materials and have a biweekly class.

It started with an application process online. I am asking them to take photos of their growing space to figure out what to grow.

September is installation month, when we’ll go to the individual homes and put the gardens together. In October, people will be growing together. It’s a full curriculum for Black women who are growing for the first time.

We are trying to re-energize a tradition that existed in the Black community, but we’re a couple of generations removed from it.

It’s more than being able to feed your family, it’s feeding women’s souls. It’s reminding them they are capable. It doesn’t matter what’s going on in the world. It doesn’t matter what your education is. It doesn’t matter who tells you, “No.” If you find it in yourself, you have the means to take care of yourself and the people who count on you.

It’s way more than just tomatoes.

— WILL COVIELLO

TO

Contact Will Coviello wcoviello@gambitweekly.com 504-483-3106 | FAX: 504-483-3159

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 in New Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.

Notice: Due to COVID-19, dining at restaurants is impacted, with limited indoor seating and other recommended restrictions. All information is subject to change. Contact the restaurant to confirm service options.

BYWATER Luna Libre — 3600 St. Claude Ave., (504) 237-1284 — Roasted chicken enchiladas verde are filled with cheese, hand-rolled and served with special house-made cheese dip. The menu combines TexMex and dishes from Louisiana and Arkansas. Curbside pickup is available.

B Sat-Sun, D Wed-Sun. $

CBD 14 Parishes — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave.; www.14parishes.com — Jamaican-style jerk chicken is served with two sides such as plantains, jasmine rice, cabbage or rice and peas. Delivery available. Curbside pickup and delivery available. L and D daily. $$ Eat Well — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave.; www.pythianmarket.com — Phoritto is a spinach tortilla filled with brisket, chicken or tofu, plus bean sprouts, jalapenos, onions and basil and is served with a cup of broth. Curbside pickup and delivery available. L and D daily. $ Kais — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave., (941) 481-9599; www.pythianmarket. com — A Sunshine bowl includes salmon, corn, mango, green onions, edamame, pickled ginger, ponzu spicy mayonnaise, cilantro, masago and nori strips. Curbside pickup and delivery available. L and D daily. $$ La Cocinita — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave., (504) 309-5344; www.lacochinitafoodtruck.com — La Llanera is an arepa stuffed with carne asada, guasacasa, pico de gallo, grilled queso fresco and salsa verde. Curbside pickup and delivery available. B, L and D daily. $ Meribo Pizza — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave., (504) 481-9599; www.meribopizza.com — A Meridionale pie is topped with pulled pork, chilies, ricotta, mozzarella, collard greens and red sauce. Delivery available. L and D daily. $$ Willie Mae’s — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave.; www.williemaesnola.com — The Creole soul food restaurant is known for its fried chicken, red beans and more. Takeout available. L and D Mon-Sat. $

CARROLLTON/UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOODS Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; www.mikimotosushi. com — Sushi choices include new and

METAIRIE

Breaux Mart — Citywide; www.breauxmart.com — The deli counter’s changing specials include dishes such as baked catfish and red beans and rice.

L, D daily. $

Andrea’s Restaurant — 3100 N. 19th St., Metairie, (504) 834-8583; www.andreasrestaurant.com — Chef/owner Andrea Apuzzo’s specialties include speckled trout royale which is topped with lump crabmeat and lemon-cream sauce.

Capelli D’Andrea combines house-made angel hair pasta and smoked salmon in light cream sauce. Curbside pickup and delivery are available. L, D daily, brunch Sun. $$$ Kosher Cajun New York Deli & Grocery — 3519 Severn Ave., Metairie, (504) 8882010; www.koshercajun.com — This New York-style deli specializes in sandwiches, including corned beef and pastrami that come from the Bronx. Takeout available.

L Sun-Thu, D Mon-Thu. $ Mark Twain’s Pizza Landing — 2035 Metairie Road, Metairie, (504) 832-8032; www.marktwainpizza.com — Mark Twain’s serves salads, po-boys and pies like the Italian pizza with salami, tomato, artichoke, sausage and basil. Takeout and curbside pickup are available.

L Tue-Sat, D Tue-Sun. $ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; www.theospizza.com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $

FAUBOURG MARIGNY

MID-CITY/TREME

Kebab — 2315 St. Claude Ave., (504) 383-4328; www.kebabnola.com — The sandwich shop offers doner kebabs and Belgian fries. A falafel sandwich comes with pickled cucumbers, arugula, spinach, red onions, beets, hummus and Spanish garlic sauce. No reservations. Takeout and delivery available Thu-Mon. $

Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; www.angelobrocatoicecream.com — This sweet shop serves its own gelato, spumoni, Italian ice, cannolis, fig cookies and other treats. Window and curbside pickup.

L, D Tue-Sun. $ Brown Butter Southern Kitchen & Bar — 231 N. Carrollton Ave., Suite C, (504) 609-3871; www.brownbutterrestaurant. com — Sample items have included smoked brisket served with smoked apple barbecue sauce, Alabama white barbecue sauce, smoked heirloom beans and vinegar slaw. A Brunch burger features a brisket and short rib patty topped with bacon, brie, a fried egg, onion jam and arugula on a brioche bun.

Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available. $$ Doson Noodle House — 135 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 309-7283; www.facebook. com/dosonnoodlehouse — Bun thit is Vietnamese-style grilled pork with cucumber, onions, lettuce, mint, cilantro and fish sauce served over rice or vermicelli. The menu includes rice and vermicelli dishes, pho, spring rolls and more.

Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available. $$ Five Happiness — 3511 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 482-3935; www.fivehappiness.com — The large menu at Five Happiness offers a range of dishes from wonton soup to sizzling seafood combinations served on a hot plate to sizzling Go-Ba to lo mein dishes. Takeout and delivery available. $$ Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; www.katiesinmidcity.com — Favorites at this Mid-City restaurant include the Cajun Cuban with roasted pork, grilled ham, cheese and pickles pressed on buttered bread. The Boudreaux pizza is topped with cochon de lait, spinach, red onions, roasted garlic, scallions and olive oil. There also are salads, burgers and Italian dishes.

B — breakfast L — lunch D — dinner late — late 24H — 24 hours

$ — average dinner entrée under $10 $$ — $11 to $20 $$$ — $21 or more

old favorites, both raw and cooked.

The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado and snow crab. Takeout and delivery available. L Sun-Fri, D daily. $$ Pyramids Cafe — 3151 Calhoun St., (504) 861-9602 — Diners will find Mediterranean cuisine featuring such favorites as shawarma prepared on a rotisserie. Takeout and delivery available. L, D daily. $$

CITYWIDE

HARAHAN/JEFFERSON/ RIVER RIDGE The Rivershack Tavern — 3449 River Road, (504) 834-4938; www.therivershacktavern.com — This bar and music spot offers a menu of burgers, sandwiches and changing lunch specials.

Curbside pickup and delivery available.

L, D daily. $ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 7333803; www.theospizza.com — There is a wide variety of specialty pies and diners can build their own from the selection of more than two-dozen toppings. The menu also includes salads and sandwiches. Curbside pickup and delivery available. L, D Tue-Sat. $

LAKEVIEW Lakeview Brew Coffee Cafe — 5606 Canal Blvd., (504) 483-7001; www.lakeviewbrew.com — This casual cafe offers gourmet coffees and a wide range of pastries and desserts baked in house, plus a menu of specialty sandwiches and salads. For breakfast, an omelet is filled with marinated mushrooms, bacon, spinach and goat cheese. Tuna salad or chicken salad avocado melts are topped with melted Monterey Jack and shredded Parmesan cheeses. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available.

B, L daily. $

Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery available. L and D Tue-Sun. $$ Nonna Mia — 3125 Esplanade Ave., (504) 948-1717; www.nonnamianola. com — A Divine Portobello appetizer includes chicken breast, spinach in creamy red pepper sauce and crostini.

The menu also includes salads, sandwiches, pasta, pizza and more. Curbside pickup and delivery are available.

Service daily. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; www.theospizza.com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $ Willie Mae’s Scotch House — 2401 St. Ann St., (504) 822-9503; www.williemaesnola.com — This neighborhood restaurant is known for its wet-battered fried chicken. Green beans come with rice and gravy. There’s bread pudding for dessert. No reservations.

L Mon-Fri. $$

NORTHSHORE Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 234-9420; www.theospizza.com — See Harahan/ Jefferson section for restaurant description. $

UPTOWN Joey K’s — 3001 Magazine St., (504) 891-0997; www.joeyksrestaurant.com — ­ This casual eatery serves fried seafood platters, salads, sandwiches and Creole favorites such as red beans and rice.

Sauteed trout Tchoupitoulas is topped with shrimp and crabmeat and served with vegetables and potatoes. Takeout and delivery available. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; www.theospizza.com — See Harahan/ Jefferson section for restaurant description. $

WAREHOUSE DISTRICT Carmo — 527 Julia St., (504) 875-4132; www.cafecarmo.com — Carmo salad includes smoked ham, avocado, pineapple, almonds, cashews, raisins, cucumber, green pepper, rice, lettuce, cilantro and citrus mango vinaigrette. The menu includes dishes inspired by many tropical cuisines. Takeout and delivery are available. Mon-Sat. $$ Provisions Grab-n-Go Marketplace — Higgins Hotel, 500 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; www.higgingshotelnola. com — The coffeeshop serves salads, sandwiches, pastries and more. Takeout available. Service daily. $

WEST BANK Mosca’s — 4137 Hwy. 90 W., Westwego, (504) 436-8950; www.moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery has changed little since opening in 1946. Popular dishes include shrimp Mosca, chicken a la grande and baked oysters Mosca, made with breadcrumps and Italian seasonings. Curbside pickup available. D Wed-Sat. Cash only. $$$ Specialty Italian Bistro — 2330 Belle Chasse Hwy., Gretna, (504) 391-1090; www.specialtyitalianbistro.com — The menu combines Old World Italian favorites and pizza. Chicken piccata is a paneed chicken breast topped with lemon-caper piccata sauce served with angel hair pasta, salad and garlic cheese bread. Takeout and delivery available.

Service daily. $$

33 G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > Au g u st 1 8 - 24 > 2 0 2 0

OUT EAT

Lotus Bistro — 203 W. Harrison Ave., (504) 533-9879; www.lotusbistronola. com — A Mineko Iwasaki roll includes spicy snow crab, tuna, avocado and cucumber topped with salmon, chef’s sauce, masago, green onion and tempura crunchy flakes. The menu also includes bento box lunches, teriyaki dishes, fried rice and more. Takeout and delivery are available. L and D TueSun. $$

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > Au g u st 1 8 - 24 > 2 02 0

34

FILM

Golden triangle

BY WILL COVIELLO WITH DRUG PARTIES ON YACHTS, car

chases, a brutal Thai prison, overzealous cops and a freewheeling investigative reporter, “Most Wanted” has everything a globetrotting crime thriller needs. Some less conventional aspects add to its intrigue, and they stem from the true story on which Canadian director Daniel Roby based the movie.

Roby spent months in the courtroom of a trial involving a drug addict named Alain Olivier, who got suckered into an international sting operation. In the film, Daniel Leger is a small-time junky struggling to get clean and straighten out his life in British Columbia around 1990.

Things are going all right when he hits a streak of bad luck and reconnects with a friend from his past.

Several threads are interwoven in a fast-moving story before they converge in Bangkok. Canadian police in an anti-drug initiative are competing to produce newsworthy results in their war on crime, mirroring anti-drug hysteria in the U.S. Victor Malarek, an investigative journalist

played by Josh Hartnett, is fighting to pursue big stories while his editors want him to focus on a steadier stream of less ambitious and less expensive projects.

There are a few clumsily framed scenes. Leger chases down a friend who’s run off with his money instead of securing an apartment for him.

Leger finds him on a yacht, but before much is said, a loutish boat captain arrives to entice them with booze, heroin and women. That the boat captain is played by a doughy Jim Gaffigan seems amusing, until the soundtrack kicks in the loud accompaniment of Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight,” making it all seem like a flannel-clad, Vancouver Harbor remake of a “Miami Vice” episode. But Gaffigan is great as a short-tempered, quick-thinking, low-level operator. The mild-mannered standup comic has found a new career in character roles.

Hartnett doesn’t seem like he was directed to play a journalist. His Malarek is swaggering, impulsive and aggressive. Though the reporter has great instincts for sniffing out

P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y S A B A N F I L M S

lies, the character seems like he was meant for a spy film. He eludes police surveillance in Bangkok and knows plenty about Thai prisons and the country’s legal system.

Malarek starts asking questions when Canadian authorities announce they’ve busted a drug kingpin. But no one has actually heard of Leger. And the deal that’s landed him in a Thai prison was for two kilos of heroin — why would a Canadian sting operation run halfway around the globe involve such a small transaction?

Malarek starts digging for answers in Bangkok, where Leger is trying to survive in jail.

Hartnett and Antoine Olivier Pilon as Leger get the most screen time, but Roby should have done more with one of the cop characters, because the police play a prominent role driving the story.

Like many true crime stories, “Most Wanted” isn’t about a well-executed plan. It’s full of bad decisions, poor judgement and human failure. Malarek’s zeal to uncover what’s really going on is hampered by the strain he puts on relationships with his wife and boss.

Roby started working on the film 13 years ago. But it arrives with a timely question of whether the ends justify the means. It’s about justice, and whether it’s even achievable in a world where lying, incompetence and waste have no consequences. Is a dramatic headline more important than another person’s life or career?

“Most Wanted” screens at Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge through Aug. 20.

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80 “Monterey� food [singer] 84 Male gobblers [singer] 89 Western Amerind

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119 Tiny fly 120 Tiger sounds 121 Went by bike, e.g.

122 Unmoving 123 Part of ENT 124 Binge 125 At the drop of — 126 Strange 127 Lyft competitor 128 Baby’s bear 129 Downsides 130 Tire pattern DOWN 1 — d’oeuvres 2 Send off 3 Volcano stuff 4 Full of pep 5 Dummy 6 Ornament hanger, e.g.

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