Gambit Digital Edition: Dec. 20, 2022

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Delta BluesProductions, LLC's filming of "The Winchesters -Season 1" will wrap productioninthe GreaterNew Orleans Area as of December 20,2022. Alloutstanding creditorclaimsshould be mailed or emailed by February 7, 2023. Contact info is as follows:Delta Blues Productions, LLC; 2324 Severn Ave.;Metairie, LA 70001; tim.turner@wbconsultant.com

personality and deep loyalty. Violet is currently being fostered by one of our staff, so please emailfoster@laspca.orgtoset up ameetand greet!

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Undeckthehalls

NewYork cabaret duo The Skivvies bring their holidayshowtoLePetit

EVERYSONGISAHOLIDAYSONG

That maybethe maintakeaway from theholiday show by New York cabaretduo TheSkivvies. Both Nick Cearleyand Lauren Molina areprofessionalactors with alot of musicaltraining, and theirmedleybased on thepopularChristmas carol“Sleigh Ride” takessomeunexpectedturns.It quicklydetours into an adaptation of aDestiny’sChild hit— tweaked into “Sleigh My Name.”The beat picksupasthe sleigh chugsinto theQuadCityDJ’s“C’mon n’ Ride It,” and then it settles into aversion of Lionel Richie’sballad, alteredto “SleighYou,SleighMe.”

Cearleyand Molina have been singingtogether as TheSkivvies fora decade. Although they’ve been doingholiday showsfor abouteight years, they’refinally releasingtheir Christmas album this winter.Local audiences can geta tasteofsomeofitatthe duo’sfirst performanceinNew Orleans. Ahostoflocal guests join them at showsat7:30p.m Tuesday, Dec. 20,and Wednesday, Dec. 21,atLePetit Theatre.

Through medleys and mashups, TheSkivviescovera lotofholidayground, from Christmas to Hanukkah and from classical and liturgical musictopop andhiphop.Britney Spears’ cataloggets alot of attention. Butthe musicis notall irreverent.

“Nov.1,assoon as Halloween is done,the Christmas recordsare out forme,”Cearley says

Themusic is allupbeatand celebratory, and thehumoroften lies in what songstheyuse to retell holidaytales.

“Wehave theVirginMaryas Mother Mary,” Molina says.“It starts with‘Like aVirgin,’but shesays, ‘I’m avirgin/ touched forthe very first time —byGod.’ Then shegoesinto labor andweplay‘Push It”bySaltN-Pepa, and then we go into ‘Proud Mary.’ It allmakes sense.”

TheSkivvies take anotefromthe Divinyls with “I TouchMyElf,” which worksinSpears’ “MyOnlyWish (ThisYear)”and thesong“What is This Feeling?”fromthe musical “Wicked.” Thereare plentyofgems formusical theaterfanstoenjoy in themix

Theholiday albumhas atune sung from thepointofviewof Jesus, whoworks hisway through tunesbyWilsonPhillips,Whitney

Houston,Ariana Grande and Eric Clapton.Often The Skivvies have a specialguest sing Jesus’ part in live shows.

Thealbum also makes theJewish holidays sexy with “It’sFucking Hanukkah.”

Referencesto Jewish celebrations also appear in other medleys, such as thespinning“sleighdel” droppedinto “SleighRide.”

TheSkivviestake theirnamefromthe factthattheyperform in just theirunderwear.They have opened hundreds of showsby entering clothed andstripping away layers whilesingingNelly’s “Hot in Herre.”The actstarted when thetwo made avideo that went viral. Then they broughtitto the stage at NewYorkcabaret spots, including54Below andtheir main currentspot, Joe’sPub.

While performingintheir underwearwas agimmick at first, it remainstheir standardwardrobe, as well as that of most guest singersand backingmusicians Thebared flesh mayhave gotten them attentionatfirst, butit’stheir musicaltalentsthatdrive theiract Cearleyand Molina writetheir own arrangements,and theirmedleys canworkdozensoffamiliartunes intoa show

Molina is aclassically trained cellist.Cearley grew up in amusical family in theMidwest and started playingpiano at age5.Onstagehe strums everything from guitar to ukulele.Occasionally they break outside-by-sideglockenspiels. Theydon’tdoany straightforward covers as they hopfromgenre to genre, buttheyoften lean into pop sounds in what they draw from and in theirarrangements.

“Our single ‘Hardbody Hoedown’ features theBachpiece that Lauren plays on cello, butthen we go rightinto‘My Neck,MyBack (Lick It).’” Cearleysays. “Ifthat doesn’t sumupwhatwedo, Idon’t know what does.”

They chose some songs because of theirlyrics, especially Spears’ songs.

by Will Coviello |

Kitten N’ Lou’s Living Nativity

CAMPYBURLESQUECOUPLEKITTEN N’LOU’SBACKYARDLIVINGNATIVITY is becoming aBywater tradition. When thepandemic prevented theduo in 2020 from hosting theirpopular annual holiday show in Seattle, they decided to putona performancecloserto home— literallyintheir backyard —featuring NewOrleans drag, burlesque andcabaret performersputting aqueer,comedic spin on theNativity story. Kitten N’ Loupresent theirthirdannual Living Nativity Thursday, Dec. 22,through Saturday,Dec.24, featuringperformersAngieZ, WoodyShticks, QweenQuan, Laveau Contraire and more Ticketsstart at $22via tinyurl. com/nolanativity22

“Welove to expose lyrics that are notalwaysthe smartest,orwhere thereare alot of silly metaphors,” Molina says.“When youact it,it makes it very comedic.”

Acting remainstheir main focus. Molina appeared on Broadway in “RockofAges” andplayedher cello in “SweeneyTodd.” Cearleystarred in aBroadwaytouring production of “All Shook Up”and “Pageant.” Though they spendconsiderable time performingasSkivvies,they oftenworkthose showsaround other engagements. When one of them takesarole at aregional theater, they oftentry to tack on a Skivviesshowatthe theater.

Afterthe Le Petitshows,Cearley headstoCincinnati’s Ensemble Theaterfor five weekstoperform in “Grand Horizons.” In thespring, Molina will appear in performances of Suzan-Lori Parks’ “Plays forthe Plague Year”atthe Public Theater in NewYorkCity.

At Le Petit, they’rejoinedby guestsincluding BryanBatt, Kathleen Monteleone, Alexis Marceaux,Sam Craft, Arsene DeLay, Kimberly Kaye,JodyHinkley and Greg Kata.Someguestswill sing theirown songs,and they are at theirown discretion to appear in just theirunderwear or not. Fortickets,visit lepetittheatre.com.

ChristmasWithout Tears

HARRYSHEARERANDJUDITHOWEN HAVECELEBRATEDTHEHOLIDAYS with singalong parties to raise money fornonprofitssince 2005,when they turned theirhomeparty into abenefitfor NewOrleans after HurricaneKatrina.Guestsatthis year’s eventinclude AniDiFranco, John Goodman, BryanBatt, Big Freedia,KermitRuffins,Dee Dee Bridgewater, TrixieMinx,Phil deGruy andmore. Theshowisat8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20,atOrpheum Theater. This year,the beneficiary is Innocence ProjectNew Orleans Find ticketsatorpheumnola.com

George Porter Jr.

75th BirthdayParty

BASSISTGEORGEPORTERJR.CELEBRATESHIS75THBIRTHDAY witha host of specialguests, including OteilBurbridge,IvanNeville,Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne,Steve

PROVIDED PHOTO BY PAUL ELLEDGE

LaurenMolinaand NickCearleybringThe Skivviesholidayshow toNewOrleans.

PROVIDED PHOTO BYMICHAELDOUCETTE KittenN’Lou

THUMBS UP/ THUMBS DOWN

TheEmerilLagasseFoundation

awarded $2.2 millioningrantsto nonprofit organizationsin2022. In its20thanniversary year,the foundation gave outmorethan 50 grants to youth-focusedorganizationsinNew Orleans;San Juan Capistrano,California; Ft Lauderdale, Florida; and other cities.Mostrecently, localgroups Sonofa Saint, YouthEmpowermentProject,ReconcileNew Orleans,Liberty’s Kitchen and Cafe Hope allreceivedgrants from thefoundation

An1898filmofaRexparadehas recently beenaddedtothe LibraryofCongress’ National FilmRegistry, alistoffilms with “cultural, historicoraesthetic importance.”The two-minute piece of film showsanumberof floats and theBoeuf Gras in the 1898 Rexparade and is believed to be theoldestknown footageofNew Orleans.Morethan 6,800 titles were submittedfor considerationtothe registry and only 25 were chosen.You cansee thevideo nowatThe Presbytereaspartofthe Louisiana StateMuseum’sexhibition on Rex’s150thanniversary

NewOrleansstartstoenforce short-termrentalrules

AFTERYEARSOFLITTLEORNOSHORTTERMRENTALENFORCEMENTCASES, NewOrleans is faced with anew issue: abacklog of hundreds of open investigations that could resultinpotentially millions in fines and the first substantive checkonthe industry

added “we’re doingasmuchas theinspectors cando.”

That figure is asharp decreasefrom previous months, when NOPDreported up to 70%ofshootings to notify residents of crimescenes. According to a WWLinvestigation, thereductioncame as aresultofa NewYorkconsulting firm,which recommended“controlling thenarrative” by postingmoreabout arrests, holidayeventsand pressconferencesinstead. Council PresidentHelena Moreno said sheplans to askNOPDto resume alertsaboutall major incidentsto keep residentsbetterinformed

TheSt.TammanyParishLibrary Board will move 83 books from thelibrary system’s stacks and place them behindthe circulation desk whiletheyundergo acontent review,which could ultimately remove thebooks Thedecisionamounts to censorshipand bendstoarightwing campaign to banbooks andmaterials that reflectthe existenceand contributionsof theLGBTQ communitytolocal historyand culture

SinceNew Orleansnearlytripled thenumber of inspectors on the joband first began usingSTR trackingsoftwareGranicusin September, thecityhas identified at least “2,500 non-compliant listings,and approximately 1,741of thoselistingsare forexceedingthe maximumcapacityrequirement,” said John Lawson,aspokesperson forMayor LaToya Cantrell Granicusdataalone has resultedinthe city sending 670 letterstopropertyownersover potentialviolations, with an estimated2,000 or more properties expectedtobeinthe queuefor lettersinthe comingweeks.

Thebacklog,officials say, is aresultofenforcement staff simply having toomanycases to handle.And whileinother places thatmight be seen as abad sign, in NewOrleans it’s more of an embarrassment of riches afterso manyyears withlittleaction.

“Now that we have thesoftware,wecan quicklyact on it,moresothan before,” said CelesteSparks, thecity’sshortterm rental administrator, who

AccordingtoLawson, enforcementagainst identified violators has ramped up with theaddition of newstaff at theOfficeof Safety andPermits,wherethey’ve opened 339violation casesas of Dec. 9, 34 of whichhave been forwardedtoadjudication.

Data on thosecases obtained by Gambit showsthatsince August, 11 caseshave hadhearings,resulting in over$88,000 in fines. Year to date,therehavebeen 46 adjudication hearingsworth $299,560 in fines, accordingtocitydata.

Earlier this year,the City Council pushed theadministration into significantly boosting themoney andresources it spends on enforcingSTR rules, whichresultedinhiringadditional staffers andpurchasingtracking software that candramatically increasethe number of violations stafferscan find

Afterthe budgetadjustments, thestaff increasedfrom7to23 personnel.Twelveofthose are inspectorpositions,upfromfive earlier this year.

“[Efforts] aretrendinginthe rightdirection,” said Council Member JoeGiarrusso. “This is muchbetterthan wherewe were before,but thereisstill moreworktobedone.”

—SARAH RAVITS

PHOTO BY CHRISGRANGER/ THETIMES-PICAYUNE Touristsintheonce-residentialneighborhood, FaubourgMarigny

Aspecial lettertoSanta

DEARSANTA,

WITHCHRISTMASRAPIDLYAPPROACHING,wethought we’d offeryou some ideas forpresentswe’dlove to seeunder certain Christmas treesthisyear. Hope everything is greatupatthe NorthPole and don’tforgettocheckyourfreezer forsome venisonboudin,courtesyofour politicaleditor!

FORMAYORLATOYACANTRELL— Howaboutagenuinesense of politicalcooperationand selflessness? Basedonher relationship with theCityCouncil, themedia,the residentsofTreme and others, one mightsay MayorCantrell hasalready gotten everythingshe deserves.That’sdoneareal number on herability to share, particularly when it comesto decision-making.A strong hand oftencomes in handyfor governmental executives,but ourmayor needstobeableto work with thecouncil and othersifshe hopestoget thingsdonewithoutrancor This would actually be atwo-fer,because New Orleanians would really like to seemorecooperation andless fighting.

FORLOCALMUSICIANSANDMUSICLOVERS— More festivals! Thepandemic wastough on everyone,

Santa, especially so for musiciansand music lovers.We’re accustomed to spending weekendssoaking in theraysand tunes at festivalslarge and small. Thepandemic killed twoofour biggest,mostpopular festivals— Voodoo and BUKU —and constrained countless others. Even if we can’t getthose twoback, please, won’tyou give us some morefestivals this year?

FORTHENEWORLEANSPELICANS— Continued wins and healthyplayers.For thefirst time in awhile, ourNBA team is vyingfor thetop spot in their division mid-season,withamazing performances by allour players. Pleasebring quick recoveries to those temporarily sidelined and keep allPels players healthygoingforward.Theyare thrilling to watch, especially sinceour Saints arenot faring so well.Speakingofwhich

FORTHENEWORLEANSSAINTS— Anew head coach. Dennis Allenwas an amazing defensive coordinator, andwedon’tbelieve he belongs on your Naughty List, butwe’re confidenthe shouldn’tbeonthe Saints’listofpotential head

coachesfor the2023 season.Hecame into this season with an immensely talented squadthatboasted a host of healthystars TheSaints should not be …well, this bad. Plus,grantingthis wish will save youhavingtogivethousandsof paper bagstoSaintsfansnextChristmas.Now, speakingofthe Naughty List

FORLOUISIANAATTORNEYGENERALJEFFLANDRY

ADVD of “The Wiz.”Hearusout on this one, Santa. Landry’scrueltyand sneering disregard forthe livesofotherslong agoearnedhim apermanentspotonyourNaughty List.Unfortunately, toomanyLouisianansseem to like himthatway, so we’restuck with him.Wehopewatching “The Wiz” mighthelpLandry grow aheart,feelempathy, love and compassion —and give himabrain and thecourage to usethose newfound giftsto serveall Louisianans. Or …just give himthe gift of humility by makinghim lose thegovernor’s race next year MerryChristmas!

Dream without boundaries

PHOTO BY ELIOT KAMENITZ / THETIMES-PICAYUNE Santa,don’tbelate!

NewYear’sDaycouldtrigger upheavalinN.O.politics

ALMOSTNOONEINNEW ORLEANS,ITSEEMS,is having ahappyholiday season.Arecentsurvey of NewOrleans police officers found86% of them aredissatisfied with thedepartment, and many offered scathing comments aboutthe promotional process.That’san even dimmer view of NOPD’sstate of affairs than citizens have

Meanwhile, voters by thethousands are returningmail-in recall petitions against MayorLaToya Cantrell

Thecop survey wasconducted in late November forthe NewOrleans City Councilbyits criminal justice analysts AH Datalytics.The results arebased on interviews with 268 officers whowerereached viathe locallodge of theFraternalOrder of Police.

AH Datalytics’reportstatedthat survey respondents“fairly represent aprofile of thedepartment.” Thesurveyalso offeredcopsa chance to vent by writing comments to explaintheir views, and manytook full advantage.

“Roughly25percent of respondentswho answeredthisquestion called thepromotional processa ‘joke,’unfair, based on ‘who you know’ or replete with ‘favoritism,’ ‘cronyism,’and ‘nepotism,’” the report states.“Other responses called thepromotionalprocess subjective, biased,and apopularitycontest.”

Ouch

On thebright side,the report notes, “Respondents whodiscussed theirimmediatesupervisors were generally effusive in their praise though some suggested they need to be more empowered.”

Thesurveyresults were presented to thecouncil on Dec. 14 and came as councilmembers and MayorLaToya Cantrell arelocking hornsoverthe timing of Cantrell naminga successortoretiring PoliceChief ShaunFerguson, whoselast dayisDec.22.

Themayorcan pick anew chief withoutcouncil approval if she does so before Jan. 1. That’s the effectivedateofa recent City Charter amendmentrequiring councilapproval of allmajor mayoralappointees

Voters approvedthatamendment last month by a60-40% margin.PollsterSilas Leesaidthat matchesthe levelofvoter dissatisfaction with Cantrell

Cantrell’s criticsfeelmore emboldened than ever.All seven council members signeda letter to Heronner recommending that she nameaninterim chiefand appoint aselection committeetoconduct a national search forFerguson’ssuccessor —who would be subject to council approval. That letter came in responsetoaletterfromCantrell requesting councilinput.

Themayor didn’trespond directlytothe council’srecommendations.She issued astatementpromising to “assess all options, have importantconversations and create meaningful dialoguewith awiderange of stakeholders whoare equally invested in keepingour City safe.”

As thecouncil andCantrell talk past each other,manyvotersare speaking with theirsignatures.

Recall organizers posted a photo on social mediashowing overstuffedpostal traysofmail-in petitions,notingitwas just their first haul.Theysay another media blitzthisweek will boost their chances of gettingthe required 53,000-plus signaturesbefore Jan.1,which would forcearecall referenduminthe spring

This NewYear’sDay could trigger ahistoriclevel of politicalupheaval in NewOrleans.Staytuned —and trytoenjoy theholidays.

PHOTO BY SHAWNFINK/ THETIMES-PICAYUNE

MayorLaToyaCantrelllights candlesduringChristmas carolinginJacksonSquare. l

shop @gaetanasnola

Dearreader,

ATTORNEYJACKDUNN, ascuba diver, marine biologistand shark enthusiast in hisfreetime, opened Sharkey’s Reef in 1986. The aquarium-themed restaurantand nightclubwas locatedat3505 NorthHullenSt. in Metairie.Itfeatureda 135,000-gallonsalt-water tank stockedwithsharks and other marinelife.

“Theremight be abar,kitchen, table spaceand adancefloor on thefirst floor,”wroteTimesPicayunereporterBob Rossin November 1986,“butthe real eye-opener is Dunn’s tank —90 feet long,14feethighand 14 feet wide.The aquariumruns thelength of thefirst floor of thebuilding.” Nearly 300fish, stingraysand eels could be seen swimming in the aquarium, alongwith sevensharks and asea turtle

Sharkey’s Reef offeredschool fieldtrips during theday,then served lunch anddinner before becominga danceclub at night Therestaurantalso hosted

children’s birthdayparties,shark feedingshows and “mermaid shows” with actors portrayingthe underwater creatures.

In 1988,the restaurantmade national headlineswhena6-foot tigersharkattackedadiver who had climbed in to feed other fish Thediver survived butneeded 75 stitches to close thebiteonhis arm. Dunn himselfand other divers had other closecalls with sharks but considered it part of thejob

In 1992, Sharkey’s wasrebranded as Scuba’s. It closed soon after. Adifferent nightclub, Club Silhouette,openedinthe building.Itisnow owned by Manny Randazzo’s king cake bakery,which is locatednextdoor Dunn lateropenedanaquarium-themedrestaurantinBaton RougecalledBlueFishGrill,but it hassince closed

BLAKEVIEW

ITWOULDN’TBETHEHOLIDAYSEASON in theCrescentCitywithouthearing Louis Armstrong’s1955song“Christmas in NewOrleans.” Thelyrics mention “magnolia treesatnight,sparkling bright”and “a DixielandSanta Claus leading theband to agood old Creole beat.”

Thesongwas written by JoeVan Winkle and RichardM.Sherman Sherman andhis brotherRobertwrotesongs forsuchWaltDisneyfilms as “MaryPoppins,”“TheJungle Book”and “The Parent Trap.” TheShermans’ best-known song is “It’saSmallWorld (After All)”which some have called thesinglemostperformed piece of musiconEarth

In 2016, Shermantold Gambit that he wrotethe Christmas song because he wasafan of jazz and NewOrleans,but he hadnoideaArmstrong wouldrecordit.

“I metthisyoung songwriterJoe VanWinkle, andwesat down on ahot California summer dayand decided to writesomething cool,” he said.“We decided on aChristmas song,and sinceI lovedDixieland music, it became ‘Christmas in NewOrleans.’”

Shermansaidheand VanWinklewerehappy withthe tune butdidn’t really expectittogoanywhere. It endedupinthe hands of bassist Harry Goodman(brother of BennyGoodman), whoalso wasa musicpublisher.The next time Sherman sawHarry,hementioned that he hadjust recorded thesongwitha well-known artist and thoughtSherman would like theresults

“Unbeknownst to me, when we went in to hear it,itwas beingsung by myidol, LouisArmstrong,” Shermansaid. “I adored himall my life and was nuts abouthis work,sothiswas adream come true.”

HeyBlake, IremembergoingtoarestaurantinMetairiewithahuge aquariumwhereyoucould watchfishandsharksandsee diversfeedthemduringyour meal.Whatwasitandwhowas behindit?

PHOTO BY TONY HISGETT/ WIKIMEDIACOMMONS

Atigershark

@GambitBlake |askblake@gambitweekly.com

NIGHTS OF

Localchefs getlit forHanukkah NOSHiNG

BY ANDREA BLUMENSTEIN

HANUKKAHBEGINSDEC.18, and chefs across New Orleans are offering their take on the holiday’s delicacies The most well-known and arguably best tradition is the latke: a fried potato pancake also called a fritter served with applesauce and sour cream.

Hanukkah is a winter festival beginning at sundown on the Hebrew calendar Kislev 25 and continues for eight days of celebration. (See: the Adam Sandler holiday hit “The Chanukah Song.”) Traditions include nightly menorah lighting, noshing on fried food and spinning dreidels.

This year, the Festival of Lights shares calendar space with Christmas, making for a bright holiday eating season. And while perhaps not as cool as the rare “Thanksgivukkah” of 2013, this year’s alignment with Christmas means only good things for hearts and bellies alike. And, thanks to a handful of restaurants, you don’t have to have your Bubbe’s recipe, be Jewish or even have a Jewish neighbor to partake in the tasty food traditions

Executive chef Fariz Choumali has been in the kitchen at Shaya for the past four years, and took the helm in late 2021 He brought his Lebanese roots to life through the menu over the past two years and continues to do so with a curated Hanukkah menu this month.

In creating this menu, he wanted to represent the traditions with some modern culinary twists Shaya is offering its Hanukkah menu as a prix fixe, five-course meal for $72, or diners can order a la carte from sundown Dec. 18 through 5 p.m. Dec. 24 The menu offers challah toast with chicken liver pate and barberry jam, potato latkes with labneh, smoked salmon and bowfin caviar, matzo ball soup, wagyu brisket and sugar- and baharat-spiced sufganiyot (Israeli doughnuts)

Marjie’s Grill brings back “8 Nights of Latkes” from Dec. 19 through Dec. 24, with a grand finale

on Christmas Eve called “Christmas with the Jews.” The dinner series is a slight misnomer as it only lasts for six nights, but the restaurant will make sure bellies are full by the time it’s over

The special menu features whole barbecued Blackwater Farms ducks with scallion latkes, a play on the Peking duck dinner and the Jewish tradition of eating Chinese food on Christmas Day.

Reservations are available online through Resy with an option to preorder a duck There is also no shortage of latkes as its sister restaurant, Seafood Sally’s The restaurant will offer to-go and delivery “latke boxes” gift boxes with latkes, applesauce and sour cream with optional add-ons like Cajun Caviar and smoked fish schmears that are available to preorder at seafoodsallys.com.

At Saba, Hanukkah specials run from Dec. 18-26 Chef Alon Shaya offers a latke board, latkes served with labneh, apple butter, pickled shallots, parsley, whipped butter and beet tahini along with doughnuts with bharat sugar and tahini caramel The L’Chaim Lounge returns for 2022, but it will be indoors at the new Saba’s Lounge The space will feature a photo booth and an array of cocktails named after famous Jews: You can sip on a Jerry Seinfeld or try a Ben Stiller or Barbra Streisand A non-alcoholic drink named Ruth Shaya is also on the menu The specials are available throughout the restaurant.

For something less formal, chef Adam Mayer of the local pop-up ventures Donostia Supper Club and Txow Txow has been running popup Latke Daddy during the holiday season His not-so-kosher offerings include the traditional latke with applesauce and labneh; a Monsieur Daddy, a croque monsieur between two latkes; and the Bayou Daddy, a latke topped with crawfish etouffee. The menu changes, and while his of-

ferings are certainly playful, he uses a popular latke recipe with a small tweak (Mayer adds some sweet potato). Latke Daddy has upcoming pop-ups at Miel Brewery Dec. 19 and 26, Courtyard Brewery Dec. 22 and Parleaux Beer Lab Dec. 30. Find out more at @txowtxowpintxos Finally, if you don’t feel like going out, you can eat in with pre-ordered Hanukkah treats from Bayou Bakery, available for pickup between Dec. 18-Dec. 24 The Box a’Latke is a six-pack of latkes with sour cream and house-made applesauce. Also on the menu is rugelach a traditional Jewish pastry sold by the half-dozen and available in raspberry, apricot and chocolate flavors Sufganyot, deep-fried jelly doughnuts, are sold in packs of four.

THE HISTORY OF HANUKKAH

THEHOLIDAYCOMMEMORATES and celebrates the triumph of the Maccabees who defeated the Syrian-Greek army and drove them from the Holy Land to keep their Jewish traditions and beliefs safe from forced assimilation to Greek culture and religion. Upon reclaiming the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, this small band of Jews found that they only had enough oil to light the menorah, a seven-branched candelabra, for one night. But, a miracle occurred and that one vat of oil lasted for eight days Or so the story goes

Today’s menorahs hold nine flames, one used to light the other eight, called the shamash On the first night, just the shamash and one candle are lit with accompanying prayer and song On the second night, two candles are lit with the shamash. By the eighth and final night, all candles are lit.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARJIE’S GRILL Marjie’sGrilloffersHanukkahspecialties Dec.19-24.

PHOTO BY RANDY SCHMIDT / PROVIDED BY SHAYA Shayaservescuisinethat representsHanukkahtraditions withmoderntwists.

Gratepotatoesand onionusing a large-hole grater insert on afood processor, or by handonabox grater if you’re trying to connect withthe painofyourancestors Turn outintoa colander or strainer setoverabowl. Squeezeout as much liquid as humanlypossible

Make awellinyourpotatoonion mix, add remainingingredients and mixuntil uniform,keepingin colander.Turnthe heat on your pan to medium.

Usea 1/3measuringcup as ascoop forsmaller latkes,or1/2 cupfor larger latkes.Scoop each mound anddropintothe oil, pressingdown withyourspatula andseasoning withsalt. When theedges aregolden brown, flip and fryonthe other side. Remove from oilimmediately to atraylined withpaper towels, then gently pressexcessoil out witha papertowel. Season with additionalsaltasneeded and eat immediatelywith applesauce,sour creamorboth. Arguewithyour family aboutwhich is better

Theselatkescan be cooled, then frozen betweenlayer of parchment paperfor up to afew weeks. If frozen,reheatwithalittleoil in a skillet,orinthe ovenontrays with racksfor 15 minutesat375 degrees or untilcrispy.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY ANGELO JOSEPH PHOTOGRAPHY

ChefAdamMayerofLatkeDaddy

SPICE Holiday

Cajunmusicians, friends andrelatives sharetheir family recipes

SITI’S FRIEDCHICKEN

Provided by HarryBarton, musician

IN

GR ED IE NT S

2whole chickens, cutintopieces and washedwell

2cupsflour,seasonedwithcayenne, blackpepper andsalt

Canola or vegetableoil

Addoil to frying skillet untilskillet or potishalfway full.Heatovermedium-highheatto350-375 degrees. While oilisheating,bread chicken in seasoned flour(no milk,no batter, just seasoned flour).Coatcompletely. Once oilisheated, place afew pieces of chicken in theoil and fryuntil golden brownand an internal temperature of 165degrees. Setcooked pieces asideonaplate coveredwithpaper towels.Repeat untilall thechicken is cooked.Serve it alltoHarry

Whetherit’sbig family feastsor sharingplatesata party, theholidaysare atimetoeat well —and therearen’tmanypeople eating better than southLouisianans. In thespiritofthe sharingseason, Gambit askedsomeofour friends and colleagues from theAcadianaregionfor theirfavorite family Christmastime recipes, andwe hope readerslookingtospice up theirown holidayfeastswill give them atry.Readbelow for11recipesprovidedbyCajun musicians, coworkerssharingtheir grandmothers’ recipesand club owners giving atrippyaddition. Andbesure to checkout bestofneworleans.com formore. Allons manger!

OYSTER ARTICHOKESOUP

Aunt Kathysays, “Thisrecipeassumes youknowhow to cook.The garlicneeds to be choppedand theseasonings cooked down abit in butter before addingflour,whiskingwell. Then add soup Ichop theoysters before addingtomixture.Thenbroth andcream.Sometimes IsprinkleCavender’s Seasoning as I’m addingoysters.Itisdefinitelya key ingredient and this recipedoesn’tsay howmuch. Ijust sprinkle to taste.”

Provided by LauraBassett,journalist

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JEANNE EXNICIOS AnnetteGuidryExnicios,left,withbaby

BPHOTO PROVIDED BY HARRYBARTON

Holiday SPICE

RICE DRESSING

Provided by Jamie Lynn Fontenot, musician | Serves 4

Brown the meat in 1 tablespoon of butter Add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Add green onions, parsley and stock Let cook 10 minutes longer Add cooked rice and serve hot.

Optional: chicken livers

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease pan. Remove stems from mushrooms and chop stems. Place mushroom caps on greased pan. In a medium-heat skillet, add butter, chopped mushroom stems and cook for a bit. Add garlic and chopped shallot. Add breadcrumbs and toast lightly. Season with salt, pepper and white pepper Remove from heat

Add mixture to bowl with a few healthy scoops of the cream cheese spread, Parmesan and parsley. Mix well and scoop into the mushroom caps Bake in oven 15-20 minutes until golden

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JAMIE LYNN FONTENOT JamieLynnFontenot,left

CRAWFISH PIE

Provided by AJ Rodrigue, WWOZ DJ

ING RE DI EN TS

1 9-inch pie crust

3/4 stick margarine

2 onions, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon tomato sauce or 2

tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 pound crawfish tails

2 eggs, slightly beaten

Green onion tops and parsley, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute vegetables in margarine until tender. Mix cornstarch and tomato sauce and add to vegetables Blend in soup, stirring until smooth Remove from heat and add beaten eggs and crawfish Stir in chopped onions and parsley, season to taste. Pour in unbaked pie shell and top with pastry crust. Bake 40-45 minutes.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE MICHOT BROTHERS

AndreMichot,left,and LouisMichot,right

GATEAU SIROP (SYRUP CAKE)

Provided by Louis Michot and Andre Michot, musicians

ING RE DI EN TS

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

2 cups cane syrup

2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 pinches salt

A little baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the sugar, butter and syrup, and mix them together in a large bowl Add eggs and mix in, slowly adding flour, salt and baking soda. Mix well, then slowly add buttermilk and vanilla extract. Pour into a pan and bake for about 45 minutes, just until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let it cool, et c’est paré manger!

GRANDMOTHER ETHEL ‘MOMMEE’ DUFRESNE’S SHRIMP REMOULADE SAUCE

Provided

by CC Adcock, musician

ING RE DI EN TS

2 tablespoons horseradish

1/4 cup of wine vinegar

1/3 cup of ketchup

1 tablespoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup salad oil

1/2

Dash of cayenne pepper

Put everything in a blender and blend thoroughly. Serve with jumbo Gulf shrimp and roasted pecans after opening presents late Christmas morning

ARTICHOKE CASSEROLE

By Annette Guidry Exnicios; provided by Jeanne Exnicios

ING

TS

olive oil

Pass garlic through press in mixing bowl. Mix all above ingredients, rubbing between hands so garlic will not remain in lumps In casserole dish, alternate mixture with 1 can hearts of artichoke cut into thirds Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of water from artichokes. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes and uncovered for 5 minutes.

CORNBREAD DRESSING

Provided by Harry Barton

IN GR ED IE NT S

2 boxes of Jiffy cornbread, baked and cooled

6 chicken thighs with bones

2 big onions, chopped Celery, chopped

Lots of garlic, minced Cayenne

Black pepper

Parsley

Green onions, chopped

Chop parsley and green onion, then set aside. Cover other ingredients (besides the cornbread) with water and bring to boil Let cool, take out bones and crush celery Mix all together gradually with crumbled cornbread until texture is right, firm and not too runny but still squishy. Season more to taste. Spread mixture into shallow baking pan and bake 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with parsley and green onions

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JUDY AT THERINK

Louise Bourgeois Ode alaBievreCoaster Set

$28from NOMA Museum Shop (1 CollinsDibollCir., NewOrleans, 504-658-4133;shop.noma.org).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NOMA MUSEUM STORE

Local Gifting

HaloBangle Cool and Halo Bangle Warm

$150 each in PVDSteel from Mignon Faget (3801 Magazine St., 504-891-2005,LakesideShopping Center,3301VeteransMemorialBlvd.,504-8352244;mignonfaget.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MIGNON FAGET

African Print Woven Handbag with Matching Fan

$85from Ashé Cultural Arts Center /AshéDiasporaBoutique (1712OrethaCastleHaley Blvd., New Orleans,504-569-9070; www.ashenola.org/shop).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ASHÉ CULTURAL ARTS CENTER

Oyster Wine Stopper with GoldFleur de Lis

$29 from Home Malone (629 N. Carrollton Ave., 504324-8352 and4610 Magazine St., 504766-6148;homemalonenola.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY HOME MALONE

Laguiole Pocket Knife&Case

$90from TheOWHome (2850 Magazine St., 504-460-9336; theoccasionalwife.com).

GAMBIT STAFFPHOTO

Anne et Valentin Seville Sunglasses in Green $690 from EyeWares (6001MagazineSt.,504-830-5911, 800 MetairieRd, SuiteQ,Metairie, 504-301-1726,3601U.S.Hwy 190B,Mandeville,985-624-3314; eyewaresnola.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY EYEWARES

CHARLIE PARKER’S YARDBIRD

At theNew Orleans Jazz Market

January 20,2023 at 7:30 PM

January 21, 2023 at 7:30 PM January 22 at 2:30 PM

NEWORLEANS OPERA BOXOFFICE (504) 529-3000 boxoffice@neworleansopera.org www.NewOrleansOpera.org

Daniel Schnyder

TheRanneyand Emel Songu Mize ChamberOperaSeries

Winter White Cropped Sweater

$54from gae-tana’s (7732Maple St., NewOrleans, 504-865-9625;@gaetanasnola).

GAMBIT STAFFPHOTO

Local Gifting

Logo Monterey Travel Cheese and KnifeSet

$90from TheNational WWll Museum Store (945 Magazine St., 528-1944ext.244; store.nationalww2museum.org).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY

THENATIONALWWLLMUSEUM STORE

DonaldLink Down South Cookbook

$35from Aliceand Amelia (4432MagazineSt, NewOrleans,504-502-6206; shopaliceandamelia.com).

GAMBIT STAFFPHOTO

Grand Marnier Gift Set

$39.99 from Dorignac’s (710Veterans Blvd., Metairie, 504-8348216;dorignacs.com).

GAMBIT STAFFPHOTO

SoyWax Candles

$14 each from Health 4Nola (3200SevernAve.#116, Metairie, 504-841-9145; health4nola.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY HEALTH 4NOLA

At Home in Creole NewOrleans Andrew LaMarHopkins, 2021 Courtesy of Ashley andBarbeePonder

Tastingconnections

IT’S11:30ONAFRIDAYMORNING,and Serigne Mbayeletsout ayawn.

“Yes,thisisa lotofhours andalot of work,but it’s what we live for,” says the28-year-old chef

Afteryears running DakarNOLA as apop-up, he andbusiness partnerEffie Richardson in late Novemberopeneditina30-seat jewelbox spaceat3814MagazineSt.

Thepairhad been lookingfor a place to land with Mbaye’s Frenchinformed,Senegal-meets-Creole cuisine afterdoing pop-ups forfive plus years.

“Ittook us manystruggles to find aplace,” thechefsays. “When we sawthisspothas ayard, that opens up experiencesfor expansiondown theroad. We mayoffer amore casual menuatsomepoint. For now, we want to getthisright.”

DakarNOLAoffersa tasting menu only, and Mbayebrings hisprodigioustalent into focus, histechniquehoned overyears in kitchens like two-Michelin-starrestaurant L’AtelierdeJoelRobuchon in New York and three-starredAtelier CrenninSan Francisco.Dakar’s tastingmenuis$150per person and changesfrequently, in part to reflect what’s freshinany givenseason

On arecentSaturday,the menu includedamintfroth-topped versionoftraditional Senegalese tea. Thechefpresented histakeon what’s known in Senegal as Last Meal,adishfeaturing black-eyed peas that enslaved Africanswere fedbeforetheir forced ocean crossing. Afonio saladismadewith West Africanmillet,fingerlimes andan apple vinaigrette.

Jollof,the Dakar-meets-NewOrleans cousin to jambalaya,isa course, as is yassa, arefined version of thespicy Senegalesedishmade with habaneropeppers,onions, and,inthiscase, redsnapper. For dessert, jerejefisa free-formedtart filled with aversion of Gambianrice pudding, topped withSenegalese green teaice cream.

Whilethe restaurantwaits forits liquor license,dinerscan bringtheir ownalcohol,and thereisa $15corkage fee.

Thepartnersmet when Richardson, apediatric dentist, tastedMbaye’s food at apop-upatthe SouthernFood& Beverage Museum in 2018.“Iwas new to NewOrleans and constantly searching fordiningexperiencesand opportunities,” Richardson says.“Thedinner wassoldout,but I reachedout andhe made aspotfor me.”

Richardson,whose family rootsare in Ghana, is attuned to supporting Africanentrepreneurs and artists.

“I love Senegalesefood andwas so impressed with Serigne,” shesays.

“I wanted to have adinner party and shareSenegalese flavors with my friendsand askedSerigne to cook forus.”

Early in thepandemic,Richardson decidedtoshift gearsand started helping thechefmanagethe logistics of pop-upswhile searching for itspermanenthome. “AsI’vegotten to knowhim,I just felt so strongly that people really need to tryhis food,” shesays. “The worldneeds to experiencethatWest African prideand culinaryculture.”

ForMbaye,his culinary evolution has been sparkedbyhis travels and pop-ups.“Each experienceinspired me to presson,”hesays. “I hadto push back against limitationsand restrictions by spacethatdictated what Icould cook.Eachdinner seemed better than thelast one,as I gottoknowNew Orleans makers and purveyors.”

Although he could have opened hisrestaurantanywhere, putting rootsdowninNew Orleans wasa mindfulmove.“Thereismuchin commonbetween NewOrleans and Senegal,” he says.“Thepeople here arekind, joyful —thereisastrong senseofhospitality, which we have in Senegal,too.There’scrossover with food andmusic.Bothplacesknow howtocelebrate around thetable.”

Although Mbayewas born in New York,hespentsomeofhis childhood in Senegal. Afterreturning from Senegal, he movedinwith hismother in Harlem andhelped her with her catering business. “Itseemedlikeone minuteIwas peelinggarlicand onions for her,and then fastforward she’s at my restaurant opening,” he says.“That’s been such abridge between us.It’ssurreal.”

Culinaryhistorian and James BeardLifetimeAchievement Award-recipient JessicaHarris isaprofessor emerita at Queens College in NewYorkand ascholar at DillardUniversity. She’sbeen watching Mbaye’sstarrise foryears and sees hisopeninga restaurant hereasanaturalprogression

“His ability to make oftunacknowledgedculinaryconnectionsbetween NewOrleans and Senegal make him avaluable and unique part of the city’s food scene,”Harris says

“The averagepersoncan’t really picturethe many typesof Africancuisine,” Richardson says. “There’snoframe of reference. Forthose that arewilling to trust in thechef, they arepleasantly surprised at thefamiliarityof what is on theplate.”

FORK +CENTER

Emaildining@gambitweekly.com

NOLAMas

OAKSTREETGOTANEWMEXICAN RESTAURANT when Juan’s Flying Burritoopened itslatest location in thespotformerly occupiedby OakStreet Cafe.It’spoisedto soon geta second,muchdifferent Mexicanrestaurant when Mucho Masopensjust acrossthe street at 8201 OakSt.

This newrestaurantfromchef JulioMachado hasbeen in the worksfor nearly ayearand ahalf. Butafter delaysand some big changes, thebuild-out is complete andthe restaurantisawaitinglicensing approvalstoopen. Machado says that should happen in theweeks ahead.

MuchoMas means muchmore, and this restaurantisout to give amorecontemporary presentation to traditionaland modern Mexicanflavors.

Machadowas apartner in the MetairierestaurantTacos del Cartel,but hassince left that restaurant andpartnership.Hehas anew partner forMucho Mas— Shawn Toups, owner of thepopularburgerspotLakeviewHarborin West End.

Theopening menu hasfajitas, tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas and also dishes like amarinated flap steak“ceviche” and “Mexican ramen”preparedwiththe same stylebroth that has madebirria tacosa hit.

MuchoMas is in theaddress of theformer home of themodern CajunrestaurantDTB,and laterthe po-boyrestaurantJazzy Pete’s

It nowhas asleek,loungelike look betweenthe barand dining room

MuchoMas is thelatest in aseries of restaurantchanges alongthe OakStreet business strip.

Debutssince thepandemic began include theizakaya Sukeban, modern seafoodjoint SeafoodSally’s,the Jamaican restaurant14Parishesand the taproom breweryOak Street Brewery. Abrewpub called CalliopeBeer Worksisinthe worksinthe former homeof Cowbell. —IAN McNULTY / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER EffieRichardson(left)withchefs SharenaSmith,IndigoMartinand SerigneMbayeatDakarNOLA

CarlyHammond

Chef/entrepreneur

by Will Coviello

CARLYHAMMONDOWNEDTHEALGIERS

POINTRESTAURANT OneStone, whichshe closed at theend of 2019.Duringthe pandemic,she gotinvolved in disaster relief and createdher owncompany,Blue Harebell, to providemealsat relief efforts. Outofthatgrewthe DeauxJopop-up. It’s growninto moreofits ownproject,which the team will expand in 2023.It’salso doingaNew Year’s Evepop-upat Zony Mash Beer Project. Formore information, visit@deauxjo_nola on Instagram

Howdidyouget intorestaurants?

CARLYHAMMOND: Growing up in NewOrleans,I wasusedto goodfood. Ilefthomefor college andI endedupinD.C.Ibartended throughcollege,but that evolved into workinginkitchensand doingcatering.

Iamcompletely self-taught. Everycheftaughtmethings, butI had no (culinary) schooling.InD.C., IworkedatLasick’ssteakhouse.It wasa steakhousethatalso served lobsterand pizza. Ilearned to makeanamazing steakthere

Iswore Iwould neverown a restaurant,but Ihad onecalled OneStone in Algiers Pointfor threeyears before Isold it.It’sso much work

Catering waswhere Icould experimentand learnfrompeople whoworkedinfinedining.

When we openedthe restaurant, theoriginal conceptwas goingto be French.Weleftthattomeet theneeds of theneighborhood We did coffee,breakfast and lunch. When we went into dinner, we endedupwithbasically home cooked mealsthatweelevated. We did potroast, butwewould have an Asianshiso saladontop of it.Wehad achicken potpie that waselegant and bright.The appetizers andsides branched across allsorts of cuisines.Wehad Asian salads andsteak.Wehad butternutsquashsaladwithAsian chili crunch and Cotija cheese

Howdidyouget intodisasterrelief?

H: TomRamseywas my chef at OneStone. He hada connection throughHurricane Ida.His friend wasa chef whodoesthese

typesofthings. He didn’thave a crew he couldget into NewOrleans, so we pulled together ateam. We thoughtit wasaone-off helpingyour city andkeeping busy whilethere wasnopower anywhere.None of us knew what we were getting into,but we worked well together From there, we realized we coulddoit.

We worked with Afghanrefugees outinNew Mexico.Wedid a Texasborderjob wherewewere feedingthe NationalGuard.It’s disaster response. Youhave to be therein72hours.You have to builda crew.Eventhough it sounds stressful,itactually is a less stressful lifestyle. Yourotate your crew,sopeople getadequate time offand time with their families.It’samoreequitable way to stayinthe serviceindustry. We kept gettingcalls.Evenwhen we aremakingthe least chef-y of food,our food wasreally good for what theseguysatthe siteswere used to.I thinkweslowlybut surely made aname forourselves.

HowdidDeauxJogetstarted?

H: ThecrewI work with arenot just from NewOrleans.Wepull from upstateNew York,Texas and Florida. Thereisacore groupthatlives in NewOrleans We were preparing to help for HurricaneIan in Florida. We were readytomovebut didn’t get called on acontract. Twoofmy friendswerejust like,let’s do a pop-up. We threwittogether and putitatmyfriend’s restaurant, Mojo on Magazine Street.Wehad no idea if we were just goingto do it once, butthe reception wasgreat

My chef Lashonda(Cross) used to be asouscheffor Nina Compton at Compere Lapin.ChefJP(Joshua Peterson)usedtoworkatBread &CircusinLafayette. Thoseare thetwo main people Iworkwith at DeauxJo. We come up withthe menustogether,but they want to be in thekitchen,soI enduprunning theregister.

JP is in love with Japanesecuisine. He cancook anything.He’s outstandingwithflavors.Shonda hasexperienceacrossthe board, and she’sCreole.I love Asian cuisines.Itstarted outbeing the cuisines we like to cook.Wewere trying to marryflavors —likewith aroasted tomato andokracompote that wasatrue Creole flavor that youwouldn’tthinkwould go with ahouse-made teriyaki sauce, butitdid.Weweretryingtofind separate flavors that could hold up on theirown and complement eachother,instead of aCreole ingredient in aJapanese dish. We didn’t want to take jambalaya and trytomakeitJapanese.Wekept goingand expanded to Chinese, Korean and Vietnamesefood. Thethread is to uselocal ingredients to change theflavorprofile of what youwould expect. like a mirlitonkimchi

We hadsomuchfun that we kept going. We did my friend’s bar, Crownand Anchor,on Saturdaysand Mojo on Thursdays As abusinessperson, younever knowhow long people aregoing to go down aroadwith you. Now it’s been threemonths. We are trying to expand fornextyear Over theholidays, Iamgoing to buildaDeauxJowebsite.We finished outour licensingand insurancesowecan take morejobs. We arefocusingondoingmore catering.We’re notgoingtodotraditionalstuff.We’re goingtocreate amenu fora specific event. Our thingisgoingtobethatyou’d hire ourchefs fortheir creativity

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CARLY HAMMOND SydneyBrown(left),Carly Hammond,LashondaCross andJoshuaPeterson.

OUTTOEAT

HOLIDAY HOLIDA easts eFeastsF

Out 2Eat is an indexofGambit contract advertisers. Unlessnoted, addresses arefor NewOrleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: Email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.

Acorn— 12 HenryThomasDrive,(504) 218-5413;acornnola.com— Thecafe a at theLouisiana Children’sMuseum haskid-and adult-friendlymenu Blackenedshrimpfillatrio of tacos toppedwith arugula,radish, pineapple-mango salsaand cilantro-lime sauce.Noreservations.breakfast and lunch Wed.-Sun $$

Andrea’s Restaurant 3100 N. 19th St.,Metairie,(504) 834-8583;andreasrestaurant.com Speckled trout royale is toppedwith crabmeatand lemon-creamsauce.Capelli D’Andrea combines house-made angelhair pasta andsmoked salmonincream sauce.Deliveryavailable.Lunchand dinnerdaily,brunchSun $$$

AngeloBrocato’s— 214N.Carrollton Ave.,(504) 486-1465;angelobrocatoicecream.com This sweetshop serves itsown gelato, spumoni,Italian ice, cannolis,biscotti,fig cookies, tiramisu,macaroons and other treats. Lunchand dinner Tue.-Sun $

Annunciation— 1016 Annunciation St.,(504) 568-0245;annunciationrestaurant.com Themenu highlights Gulf seafood in Creole,Cajun and Southerndishes.GulfDrum Yvonne is servedwithbrown butter sauce with mushrooms andartichoke hearts. Reservations recommended.Dinner Thu.-Mon $$$

The Blue Crab Restaurant and OysterBar — 118HarborView Court, Slidell, (985)315-7001; 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504)284-2898; thebluecrabnola.com— Themenu includessandwiches,fried seafood platters,boiledseafood and more Basinbarbecue shrimp areserved overcheesegrits with acheese biscuit.Outdoorseating available No reservations.Lakeview: lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun.Slidell: lunch Fri.Sat.,dinner Wed.-Sun $$

Broussard’s— 819Conti St.,(504) 5813866;broussards.com Themenu includesCreole and creative contemporary dishes.Rainbowtrout amandineisservedwith tassoand corn macque chouxand Creole meuniere sauce.Reservations recommended Outdoor seatingavailable.Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$

Cafe Normandie— Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew HigginsBlvd.,(504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining— The menu combines classic Frenchdishes and Louisiana itemslikeCrabbeignets with herbaioli.Noreservations Breakfast and lunch daily $$

Common Interest HotelIndigo, 705 CommonSt.,(504) 595-5605;commoninterestnola.com Shrimpremoulade Cobb salad comeswith avocado, bluecheese, tomatoes,bacon,egg and corn relish.Beefdebris tops goat cheese and thymegrits.Reservations accepted.Breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night daily $$

Curio— 301Royal St.,(504) 717-4198; curionola.com ThecreativeCreole menu includes blackened Gulf shrimp served withchicken andandouille jambalaya. Reservations accepted Lunchand dinner daily $$

Desire OysterBar — RoyalSonesta NewOrleans,300 Bourbon St.,(504)

$ —average dinner entrée under $10 $$ —$11-$20 $$$ —$20-up

586-0300;sonesta.com/desireoysterbar— ThemenuhiglightsGulfseafood in Creole dishes.Char-grilled oystersare toppedwith Parmesan andherbs.Reservations recommended.Breakfast, lunchand dinner daily. $$

DickieBrennan’sBourbonHouse — 144Bourbon St.,(504) 522-0111; bourbonhouse.com— Theseafood restaurant has araw bar and alarge selectionofbourbon.Redfish on theHalfshelliscooked skin-onand served with lemon buerre blanc Reservations accepted.Lunch and dinner daily $$$

Felix’s Restaurant &OysterBar 739Iberville St.,(504) 522-4440; 7400 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 3044125;felixs.com Louisiana oysters areservedraw or char-grilledwith garlic,Parmesan andbreadcrumbs. Themenuincludesseafood platters, crawfish etouffee, po-boysand more.Noreservations.Lunch and dinner daily. $$

Frey SmokedMeat Co.— 4141 Bienville St.,Suite 110,(504) 488-7427; freysmokedmeat.com Thebarbecuerestaurantservespulledpork, St Louisribs,brisket,sausagesand more. Friedporkbelly poppersare tossed in pepperjelly glaze.Noreservations Lunchand dinner daily $$

FrootOrleans 2438 Bell St.,Suite B, (504) 233-3346; frootorleans. com— Theshop serves freshfruit in platters,smoothie bowlssuchas astrawberry shortcakesmoothie and more using pineapple,various berries,citrus andmore. No reservations.Outdoor seatingavailable Breakfast and lunch daily. $$

Joey K’s— 3001 Magazine St., (504) 891-0997;joeyksrestaurant.com The menu includesfried seafood platters, salads,sandwiches andred beans and rice. Sauteed troutTchoupitoulasis toppedwith shrimp and crabmeat. Delivery available.Lunchand dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$

Juan’sFlying Burrito— 515Baronne St., (504)529-5825; 2018 Magazine St., (504)569-0000;4724S.Carrollton Ave.,(504) 486-9950;juansflyingburrito.com TheFlying Burrito includes grilled steak, shrimp,chicken,cheddar-jack cheese,black beans, yellow rice,guacamole andsalsa.The menu also hastacos,quesadillas,nachos and more.Outdoor seatingavailable No reservations.Lunchand dinner Thu.-Tue $$

Katie’sRestaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504)488-6582; katiesinmidcity com ACajun Cubanhas roasted pork,grilled ham, cheese andpickles onbutteredbread.The Boudreaux pizzaistopped withcochon de lait, spinach, redonionsand roasted garlic. Delivery available.Reservations accepted forlarge parties. Lunchand dinnerTue.-Sun. $$

Kilroy’s Bar— Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew HigginsBlvd.,(504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining— The barmenu includes sandwiches, flatbreads,saladsand more. ALouisiana peachflatbread hasprosciutto,stracciatellacheese, arugula and pecans No reservations.DinnerWed.-Sat. $$

Legacy Kitchen’s CraftTavern— 700 Tchoupitoulas St.,(504) 613-2350; legacykitchen.com Themenu includesoysters,flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, saladsand more.A NOLAStyle GritsBowlistoppedwith bacon,cheddar and apoached egg. Reservations accepted.Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily $$

LegacyKitchen Steak&Chop — 91 Westbank Expressway,Gretna, (504) 513-2606;legacykitchen.com The menu includesfiletsmignons, bone-in rib-eyesand topsirloins, as well as burgers, salads andseafood dishes Reservations accepted.Outdoor seatingavailable.Lunchand dinner Mon.-Sat $$

MartinWine Cellar— 714Elmeer Ave.,Metairie,(504) 896-7350;3827 Baronne St.,(504) 894-7444;martinwine.com The spirits shop’s deliservessandwiches,salads and more. TheSenasalad includes roastedchicken,raisins,bluecheese, pecans and greenswith Tabasco pepperjelly vinaigrette. No reservations.Lunch daily. $$

MidCityPizza — 6307 S. Miro St., (504)509-6224; 4400 BanksSt.,(504) 483-8609;midcitypizza.com The pizza jointservesNew York-style pies, calzones,sandwiches and salads.

Shrimp remoulade pizzaincludes spinach, onion andgarlic.Delivery available.Noreservations.Lunch

Thu.-Sun., dinner Thu.-Mon $$

Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504)488-1881; mikimotosushi.com

TheSouth Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki,avocado and snow crab. Themenualso has sushi, sashimi, noodle dishes,teriyakiand more Reservations accepted.Delivery available.Lunch Sun.-Fri., dinner daily $$

Mosca’s— 4137 Highway90West, Westwego,(504) 436-8950;moscasrestaurant.com This family-style eatery serves Italiandishesand specialtiesincluding shrimp Moscaand chicken alagrande. Bakedoysters Moscaismade with breadcrumbs and Italianseasonings.Reservations accepted.Dinner Wed.-Sat.Cash only $$$

Mother’s Restaurant— 401Poydras St.,(504) 523-9656;mothersrestaurant.net This counter-servicespot is knownfor po-boys dressed with cabbage and Creole favorites, such as jambalaya, crawfish etouffee and redbeans andrice. Deliveryavailable No reservations.Breakfast,lunch and dinner daily $$

Nephew’sRistorante— 4445 W. Metairie Ave.,Metairie,(504) 5339998; nephewsristorante.com Chef FrankCatalanotto is thenamesake “nephew” whoran thekitchen at Tony Angello’s restaurant. TheCreoleItalianmenufeaturesdishes like veal, eggplantorchicken parmigiana Reservations required.Dinner Tue.Sat. $$

Neyow’sCreole Cafe — 3332Bienville St.,(504) 827-5474;neyows.com— Themenuincludesred beans with friedchicken or porkchops, as well as seafoodplatters, po-boys, char-grilled oysters, pasta,saladsand more.No reservations.Lunchdaily,dinner Mon.-Sat., brunchSun $$

Nice Guys Bar&Grill 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504)302-2404;niceguysbarandgrillnola.com— Char-grilled oystersare topped withcheese. The

menu also includes wings, quesadillas, burgers, sandwiches,salads, seafood pastaand more.Noreservations

Lunchdaily,dinner Mon.-Sat $$$

Nonno’s CajunCuisineand Pastries — 1940 Dauphine St.,(504) 354-1364; nonnoscajuncuisineandpastries.com

Themenu includes home-style Cajunand Creole dishes with some vegan options.Shrimpare sauteed withonions and peppers,topped withcheeseand served with two eggs andtoast.Deliveryavailable Reservations accepted.Breakfast and lunchdaily $$

Peacock Room— Kimpton Hotel Fontenot,501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504)324-3073;peacockroomnola. com— Blacklentilvadouvan curry comeswith roasted tomatoes,forest mushrooms andbasmati rice.The menu includes smallplates, aburger, salads andmore. Reservations accepted.Dinner Wed.-Mon., brunchSun $$

Rosie’sonthe Roof— HigginsHotel, 480AndrewHiggins Blvd., (504) 528-1941;higginshotelnola.com/dining— Therooftop barhas amenu of sandwiches, burgersand smallplates. No reservations.Dinnerdaily $$

Tacklebox — 817Common St.,(504) 827-1651;legacykitchen.com— The seafood restaurantservesraw andchar-grilledoysters,seafood, burgers, saladsand more.Redfish St.Charles is served withgarlic-herb butter,asparagus,mushroomsand crawfish cornbread. Reservations accepted.Breakfast, lunchand dinner daily. $$

Tavolino Pizza&Lounge — 141 Delaronde St., (504)605-3365;tavolinonola.com Themenu features thin-crust pizzas,salads, meatballs and more.ABehrman Hwy. pizza is topped with pork belly,caramel, carrots, radishes,jalapenosand herbs. No reservations.Outdoor seating available.Dinner Tue.-Sat $$

Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza— 1212 S. ClearviewParkway,Elmwood,(504) 733-3803; 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie,(504) 510-4282; 4024 Canal St.,(504) 302-1133;4218 Magazine St., (504)894-8554; 70488 Highway21, Covington, (985)2349420; theospizza.com— AMarilynn Pota Supremepie is topped with mozzarella,pepperoni,sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, bellpeppersand onions.Therealso aresalads,sandwiches and more.Takeout and deliveryavailable.Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat $

Tito’s Ceviche& Pisco— 1433 St. CharlesAve., (504) 354-1342;5015

Magazine St., (504)267-7612; titoscevichepisco.com— Peruvianlomo saltadoisa dish of beef sauteed withonions, tomatoes,cilantro, soy sauce andpisco,and served with friedpotatoesand rice.Outdoor seatingavailable on Magazine Street Delivery available. Reservations accepted.Lunch anddinnerMon.Sat.,brunchSun $$$

Zhang Bistro 1141 DecaturSt., (504)826-8888;zhangbistronola. com— Themenu includes Chinese and Thai dishes.The Szechuan Hot Wokoffersachoiceofchicken, beef,shrimportofuwith onions,bell peppers,cauliflower, jalapenosand spicySichuan sauce.Reservations accepted.Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue $$

Getaninsider view of Audubon’s animalsinour newmonthly series

By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This storyisbrought to youbyAudubon Nature Institute.

Anew series will highlight theanimals of theAudubon Zoo, AudubonAquariumand AudubonInsectarium andwhatit’sliketotake care of them

“Animal of theMonth” in TheTimes-Picayune|The Advocate will featurearticlesand videos on differentspeciesaswellasbehind-thescenesconversations with animal professions andotherswho contributetoAudubon’ssuccess.

“Not only willweget to identify andeducate people aboutthe animalsatthe Zooand other Audubonfacilities, we also will talk aboutthe importance of participatinginconservation efforts to make theirlives better,” said Chief OperatingOfficer Kyle Burks, PhD. “All of us candosomething,fromrecycling to making sustainable choices in ourhomes.Our mission at Audubonistoleave theworld better than we foundit, andwedothatbyhelping othersunderstandhow theirchoices matter for theplanet andthe animalsweshare it with.”

TheserieswilllaunchonChristmasDay and will continue each monthin2023.

“For generations,familieshave visited AudubonZoo to make memories together and learnabout thewonderfulanimalsinour care,” said Presidentand CEO RonForman. “For all of us,thisisaresponsibilitywetakeveryseriously. Notonlydowelovewhatwedo, but we take great prideinsharing ouranimalswith Zooguests. We want to give them an outstandingeducational experience during theirvisit so they leave taking home anew appreciation for theanimalsand conservation to help protect animalsand theenvironment.”

This is apivotal time for AudubonNature Institutewiththe majortransformation to AudubonAquariumand AudubonInsectarium

To encourage visitors to seeeverythingthat Audubonhas to offer,Audubon is offering15% off Membershipsfor allnew,renewing andgift membershipspurchases throughNew Year’s Day. Memberswill be amongthe first to seethe Aquarium andInsectarium upon theirgrand re-openingsin2023. Membershipscan be purchased online at audubonmembership.com.

During themonthofDecember,Audubon is honoringdoctors, nurses,policeofficers, firefightersand EMTs by offering them free admission to AudubonZoo duringFrontline Heroes Appreciation Month. In addition,Frontline Heroes receivea 20% discount on membership packages,the gift shop andconcessions. Plus,

up to four immediatefamilymembersofqualifying individualswillreceive50% off general admission on thedateoftheir visit. Frontline Heroes must show proofofoccupation to receivecomplimentaryadmission.

By visiting Audubonfacilities, people notonlyget achancetomeetanimalsfrom around theworld, but also learnthe stepsthey cantaketolivemoresustainably andhelp theenvironment.

“Asanexample, we arecurrently accepting old, unwanted holidaylightsfor recyclinginour Lights for Lionsproject.Money raised is donated toprojectsthatdirectlyhelplions in thewild,” said DaineAppleberry, Managing Directorof AudubonZoo andPark. “Byproviding outstanding guestexperiences andsafe, well-maintained facilities,all Audubonteammembers –nomatter what theirjob –ultimatelycontributetoconserving wildlifefor future generations.”

AudubonZoo andAudubon Aquarium are themostfrequentlyvisited family attractions in Louisiana. Votedasthe topzoo andaquarium in USAToday’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, Audubon’sfacilitiesare consistently topranked in thecountry

Formoreinformation,pleasevisit audubonnatureinstitute.org.

Kimock, Tony Hall,Erica Falls, JohnnyVidacovich, Susan Cowsill and more. At 6p.m Monday,Dec.26, at TheFillmore Find ticketsvia fillmorenola.com

NOLAChristmasFest

THEANNUALCHRISTMASFESTIVAL RETURNSTOTHEERNESTN.MORIAL

CONVENTIONCENTER withice skating, amusementparkrides, iceslides, aclimbingwalland abocce court. There’salso a holidaymarket, liveentertainmentand music, café,bar and, of course, pictureswith Santa Claus.NOLAChristmasFest is open Wednesday, Dec. 21, through Friday,Dec.30. Times vary by day. Admissionis $25onweekdays and $30on Saturday and Sunday Find more information at nolachristmasfest.com.

Victor Goines

CLARINETISTANDSAXOPHONIST

VICTORGOINES wasa member of Ellis Marsalis’Quartet before he joined Wynton Marsalis’Septet and theJazzatLincoln Center Orchestra,bothofwhich he is still amember.Goines is back in town fora show that includes atribute to Ellis Marsalis.He’s joined by JasonMarsalis on drums,Oscar Rossignoli on piano andJasonStewart on bass.At8p.m.and 10 p.m. Friday,Dec.23, at Snug Harbor Tickets $40atsnugjazz.com.

KwanzaaNight Bike Ride

THENEWORLEANSPUBLIC LIBRARY’SAFRICANAMERICAN

RESOURCECOLLECTION,Sistahs on Wheels bikeclub andGet Up NRideNOLAwill celebrate KwanzaaonTuesday,Dec.27, withabikeridealong Bayou Road that will highlight Blackowned businesses.Kwanzaa is celebrated Monday,Dec.26, through Sunday,Jan.1,with eachday highlightingaunique principle.Dec.27isKujichagulia or “self-determination.”Riders meet at 7p.m.atthe French Market andwill departat7:45 p.m. Find more information at nolalibrary.org.

Home forthe Holidays

KERMITRUFFINS,PJMORTON, REBIRTHBRASSBAND,THE PRESERVATIONHALLBAND and theBridgeTrioperform at theannual fundraiser forthe DanielPrice MemorialFund, with provides scholarships to NOCCAstudents.IrmaThomas and John Boutte performat

thepatronparty.The patron partybeings at 6:30 p.m. and themainevent startsat8p.m Wednesday, Dec. 21,atthe HouseofBlues.Findtickets vianoccafoundation.org.

Songwriters’Circle

NEWORLEANSSINGER-SONGWRITERSTIFFANYPOLLACK,Kelcy Mae, ShawnWilliamsand Stoo Odom will perform and tell stories about theirmusic during asongwriters’ circle at 9p.m.Wednesday,Dec 21,atGasaGasa. Tickets are$10 viaticketweb.com

‘Elf’

FORTHOSEWHOHAVEADOPTED“I’M

SORRYIRUINEDYOURLIVES and crammed11cookiesintothe VCR” as part of theirregular vernacular, TheBroadside is hostingascreeningofthe iconic2003Christmas classic “Elf”onWednesday,Dec.21. Ticketsare $8 butanyonecan getinfreebysimplywearing at leastone “itemofholiday flair.” Themovie startsat7 p.m.,and therewill also be hotcocoa and anornament-makingstation Formoreinformation, visitbroadsidenola.com

Home forthe Holidays

THENEWORLEANSOPERA ASSOCIATIONWILLPRESENTA

CONCERT of sacredand secularholiday musicat7:30p.m Wednesday, Dec. 21,atthe Marigny OperaHouse.Soprano Nicole Heinen,mezzo-soprano Zara Zemmels, tenor Kameron Lopreore andmorevocalists will performHandel’s “Messiah,” opera excerpts,well-knownseasonalclassicsand worksbycomposer Giacomo Puccini(whose birthdayisDec.22).Tickets are $15general,$10 students vianeworleansopera.org.

Kate Fagan

THOUGHBESTKNOWNFORHER

YEARSWITHTHECHICAGOSKABAND

HeavyManners, Kate Faganis currentlyaNew Orleans chanteuse, andlast year shereleased an albumofholiday tunes, often withsexyorsassytakes on the season.She leads aHoHoHo HolidayShow, with abacking band includingSteve Lands on trumpet, Josh Paxton on piano and more.Guests include burlesque dancer RoxieLeRouge anddragperformer Taze-Ya Ballz. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20,atThe Broadside. Tickets are $15via broadsidenola.com

FOR COMPLETE MUSIC LISTINGS AND MORE EVENTS TAKING PLACEIN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA, VISIT CALENDAR.GAMBITWEEKLY.COM

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

TUESDAY20

500PORT OF NEWORLEANS PL

RiverwalkJazzBand,4:30pm

BAYOUBAR AT THEPONTCHARTRAINHOTEL —Peter Harris Quartet, 7:30 pm

DEUTSCHES HAUS —The Umpteeth AnnualJohn Rankin Holiday Show and Singalong,7 pm

DOSJEFES —Wendell Bruniousand TomHook, 8:30 pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB

Richard"Piano"Scott,12:30 pm;Collin MyersBand,5 pm;Fritzel's AllStar Band,8 pm

GASA GASA —The Winter Sounds withHeight&Hollows and Kevin Comarda, 9pm

KITCHENTABLE CAFÉ —Christien Bold and MaxBronstein, 6:30 pm

LE PETIT THÉÂTRE —The Skivvies: Sleigh My Name,7:30pm

THERABBITHOLE —Rebirth Brass Band,10pm

ROYALFRENCHMENHOTEL &BAR TrumpetMafia,6 pm

SATURN BAR —2Qs with AnnaLaura Quinn, SarahQuintana,9pm

WEDNESDAY21

BAYOUBAR AT THEPONTCHARTRAIN

HOTEL —Peter Harris Trio,7:30pm

THEBOMBAYCLUB —Harry Mayronne andNanciZee,8 pm

D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS —Tin Men, 6pm; Jumpin'Johnny Sansone,9pm

DOSJEFES —KrisTokarski, 8:30 pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB —Richard“Piano”Scott, 12:30 pm; Bourbon StreetStars,5pm

GASA GASA —Songwriters Circlewith ShawnWilliams, TiffanyPollack,Kelcy Mae, andStooOdom,9 pm

HOTELMONTELEONE —JamesMartin Band,8 pm

HOUSE OF BLUES —Homefor the Holidays,8 pm

JEANLAFITTENATIONALHISTORICAL PARK VISITORCENTER, NEW

ORLEANSJAZZNATIONALHISTORICAL PARK —DariannaVideaux Capitel, 2pm

LE PETIT THÉÂTRE —The Skivvies:Sleigh My Name,7:30 pm

MADAMEVIC'S —Midnight Magnolia, 8pm

NEWORLEANS JAZZ MUSEUM Nancy Burtchaell and Friends, 2pm

SANTOS —Swamp Moveswith Russell Welch,9 pm

SATURN BAR —YeahYou Rite!Karaoke Night, 9pm

THURSDAY22

BAYOUBAR AT THEPONTCHARTRAIN

HOTEL —Peter Harris Quartet, 8pm

BLUE NILE —WhereY'atBrass Band,9pm

CAFE NEGRIL —SierraGreen and the SoulMachine, 10 pm

CARROLLTONSTATION —Meryl Zimmerman,8 pm

D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS —Washboard ChazBlues Trio,7 pm;Bryce Eastwood’s Jazz Christmas,8:30pm; BonBon Vivant,10pm

DOUBLEDEALERCOCKTAILBAR AT THEORPHEUMTHEATER —The Co &CoTravelin' Show,9 pm

EAST BANK REGIONAL LIBRARY —A ConcertatChristmastime, 7pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB —Richard“Piano”Scott, 12:30 pm; DoyleCooper Band,2:30pm; John SaavedraTrio, 6pm; Fritzel'sAll Star Band,8 pm

GASA GASA —TaylorMroski with Issy Mathes and Favorite Friend,9 pm

THEJAZZPLAYHOUSE —Brass-AHolics,7:30 pm

KITCHENTABLE CAFÉ —Dr. Mark St Cyr Traditional Jazz Band,6:30pm

MADAMEVIC'S —ValerieSassyfras, 8pm

NEUTRAL GROUND COFFEE HOUSE Jodie Jean Marston, 9pm

THEOUTLETCOLLECTIONATRIVERWALK —Holiday Choir Concert, 4pm PEACOCKROOM, HOTELFONTENOT —DaLovebirds with Robin Barnes and PatCasey,8 pm

ROCK 'N'BOWL —GenoDelafose& French Rockin' Boogie,8 pm

SNUG HARBORJAZZBISTRO

The Bridge Trio, 8&10pm

SOUTHPORT HALL —RyanForet & ForetTradition,7:30 pm

FRIDAY23

BAYOUBAR AT THEPONTCHARTRAINHOTEL —Peter Harris Trio, 8pm

BLUE NILE —The Caesar Brothers, 7 pm;KermitRuffins andthe Barbecue Swingers,11pm

BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM —Trumpet Slim &Brass Flavor,10pm

D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS —d.b.a.Allstars, 5pm; Ashley Beachand theOddities, 9pm; Dwayne Dopsie &the Zydeco Hellraisers, 10 pm

DOUBLEDEALERCOCKTAILBAR AT THEORPHEUM THEATER

The SwingingG's,9 pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB Richard"Piano"Scott, 12:30 pm;Sam Friend Band,2:30 pm;Lee Floydand Thunderbolt Trio, 6pm; Fritzel'sAll Star Band,9 pm

GASA GASA —Christmas withThe King: ABlues Christmas with Little Frieddie King,9 pm

HIDEAWAY DEN&ARCADE CypressCreek,8pm

MADAMEVIC'S —Dr. Redwine Trio, 8pm

NOLABREWING COMPANY LOTAGRFD,6 pm

POUR HOUSE SALOON —The Sharpened Spurs,9 pm

THERABBITHOLE —Khris Royal& Dark Matter,The Original Pinettes,9 pm

ROCK 'N'BOWL —Bag of Donuts,8:30 pm

SNUG HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO Victor Goines Quartet, 8& 10 pm

SOUTHPORTHALLLIVEMUSIC & PARTYHALL —MarcBroussard AnnualFullBand Show, 8pm TIPITINA'S —Johnny Sketch & The DirtyNotes,9 pm

SATURDAY24

BAYOUBAR AT THEPONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL —Jordan Anderson, 8pm THEBOMBAYCLUB —Anais St.John,8pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB

LeeFloyd andThunderbolt Trio,6pm; Fritzel'sAll Star Band,9pm

THEJAZZPLAYHOUSE —The Nayo JonesExperience, 7:30 &9pm

JEANLAFITTENATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK VISITORCENTER, NEW ORLEANSJAZZNATIONALHISTORICAL PARK —Drum &Dance Circle, 10:30am

THREEKEYSATACE HOTELNEW ORLEANS —ASoulful Christmaswith Robin Barnes &Friends, 8pm

SUNDAY25

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB

—Banjo on Bourbon,12:30 pm;Lee Floyd andThunderbolt Trio,4:30 pm; Fritzel'sAll Star Band,8pm

HOTELMONTELEONE —JamesMartin Band,7pm

THEJAZZPLAYHOUSE —Chucky Cand Band,7:30pm

THERABBITHOLE —The Last Xmas Partyfeat. KellyGreen,NileAshton, Heelturn,Kiddlove &Otto, 10 pm

ROCK 'N'BOWL —Benny Grunchand theBunch,5pm

MONDAY26

D.B.A. NEWORLEANS —Secret Six Jazz Band,5 pm;Charlie&the Tropicales,9 pm

DOSJEFES —John Fohl,8:30 pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB

LeeFloyd andThunderbolt Trio, 5pm; Richard"Piano"Scott and Friends, 8pm

ROYALFRENCHMENHOTEL &BAR Jazz Vipers,9 pm

SIDNEY'S SALOON —The Amazing Henrietta, 6pm; DarkLounge Ministries,8 pm

MUSIC

Buildingacommunity

by Jake Clapp

COMMUNITY’SSELF-TITLED,FULLLENGTHALBUM neverhad what some mightconsideran“official” release, withpackaging,a record label attached or wide distribution.But that didn’treally matter.

Theband in 2001 distributedits seven-song albumonburned CD-Rs, passing “Community” outatshows, to friendsinthe DIY musiccommunity and swapping with otherbands whileontour. And forthose whogot theirhandsonthe Sharpie-labeled CDs, cassettesand mp3s,the album hadalasting impact

“It’sone of those lightning-in-abottle-typerecords,” says musician Greg Rodrigue,who runs Community RecordswithDaniel Ray. It isn’tacoincidencethattheir label shares theband’s name.

“Therewas such amomentin time that washappeningwith thatalbum with those musicians,” Rodrigue adds. “There’ssomething very specialaboutit.”

CommunityRecords andStrange Daisy Recordsare nowreissuing Community’s self-titledalbum, giving therecordafullrelease with newcoverart,a vinylrun and digital release. AndCommunity will play areunion show —their first in closeto20years —tocelebratethe albumreleaseat9p.m Wednesday, Dec. 28,atSiberia Mesopeak also is on thebill

“WhenIstarted [Strange Daisy] sixyears ago,Iwas like,‘Man, one dayI hope to putthisrecordout on vinyl,”saysPatrick Bailey.“It’s just arecordthat’smeant so much to me and,Iknow, to Greg.Because growingupinNew Orleans,itwas justbeing passedaroundthrough friends, listeningtoitontour. It’s beenthisinfluential albumtous.”

Communitygrewout of New Orleans skaband theSupaflies, which had itsown impact on theDIY community in the‘90s. Record label Fueled By Ramenreleased itsfulllength album, “Rambarded,” in 1997. Theband recorded asecond album, butitwas shelvedbythe label.

“Atthatpoint, we were already sort of transitioning into something else,” says bassist KevinComarda. “Weweren’t even sure what that was, butweweregetting alittle bitolder-ish,listening to different things,experiencingnew things, and so themusic just evolved.”

Comarda, drummer Ryan Iriarte and guitarists Kirk Estopinal and Travis Thompson—the four share vocals —felttheir musicwas

becomingmoremature and afresh startwas needed.

Community playedfrequently around NewOrleans,atspots like theFaubourg Center,DixieTaverne and theMermaid,and toured Between 1999 and2001, theband recorded theirfull-lengthwithChris George at hishomestudio.

Theband would jamonpiecesfor hours —“conversations,” Comarda callsthem —writing textured alternativeand indie rock that dips into theprogressive. Themusicians were game to test thewatersand experimentwhile recording,and “wewereall on eachother’s side,” Comarda says

Communitycontinued on as a band fora fewmoreyears —and recorded asecond, unfinished EP —but thingscame to an endinthe mid-aughts.The band members continuedtoplayindifferent projects,likeComarda’s TheSelf-Help Tapesand TheBlackbelt Band, which includedComarda,Irarte and Thompson.

Rodrigue says he sought to record hisown musicwithGeorge becauseofhis work with the Supafliesand Community.And forRodrigue and Bailey,who both grew up on theWest Bank,seeing older musiciansfromtheir own neighborhoodrecordand tour gave them a“road map”todothe same.

“Ifwe’re able to shine alight on this little pieceofrecorded history,”Baileysays, “and someonewho neverheard it before in awhole differentcommunity,a whole differentcityorscene, can take something from this,thenthat wouldbeawesome. ”

TicketstoWednesday’s show are$10 advanceand $15atthe door.Find more info at siberianola. com.And find the“Community” reissueatstrangedaisy.com and communityrecords.org.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY ERICROGERS

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