Gambit: March 16, 2021 by Gambit New Orleans

March 16-22, 2020

Volume 42 // Number 11

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MARCH 16 – MARCH 22 , 2021 VOLUME 42 || NUMBER 11

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CONTENTS

NEWS

COMMENTARY 6 CLANCY DUBOS

OPENING GAMBIT

hippity p hop to Easter

BLAKE PONTCHARTRAIN 12

f re n c h l a v e n d e r seaside blue

PULLOUT

$78

BRIDES FEATURES

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 4 EAT + DRINK

WORDS 25 FILM 26 PUZZLES 27 EXCHANGE 27

@The_Gambit @gambitneworleans

pandemic d i hours h mon - sat 10 - 5:30 7732 m a p l e 865 . 9625

@GambitNewOrleans

Spring fever We’ve put together a list of Covid-safe events and day trips to scratch that good weather itch.

STAFF

COVER PHOTOS BY GETTY IMAGES COVER DESIGN BY DORA SISON

Publisher | JEANNE EXNICIOS FOSTER

EDITORIAL (504) 483-3105// response@gambitweekly.com Editor | JOHN STANTON Political Editor | CLANCY DUBOS Arts & Entertainment Editor | WILL COVIELLO Staff Writers | JAKE CLAPP, KAYLEE POCHE, SARAH RAVITS

Contributing Writers | IAN MCNULTY

Creative Services Director | DORA SISON Pre-Press Coordinator | JASON WHITTAKER Web & Classifieds Designer | MARIA VIDACOVICH BOUÉ

Graphic Designers | CATHERINE FLOTTE, EMMA VEITH, TIANA WATTS

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

REAL EXPERIENCE. REAL EXPERIENCE

MATTERS. REAL RESULTS.

ADVERTISING Advertising Inquiries (504) 483-3150 Advertising Director | SANDY STEIN BRONDUM (504) 483-3150 [sstein@gambitweekly.com]

Senior Sales Representative JILL GIEGER (504) 483-3131

PRODUCTION

NEW ORLEANS - METAIRIE

[jgieger@gambitweekly.com]

SALVADOR M. BROCATO, III ATTORNEY AT LAW

BROCATO LAW FIRM, PLC

Sales Representatives KELLY SONNIER (504) 483-3143

[ksonnier@gambitweekly.com] CHARLIE THOMAS

Billing Inquiries 1 (225) 388-0185

(504) 636-7438

Administrative Assistant | LINDA LACHIN

[cthomas@gambitweekly.com]

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 2021 Capital City Press, LLC. All rights reserved.

PERSONAL INJURY

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT In all times

Strung out THE SCATTERJAZZ improvised music series presents a “St. Scatterick’s Day” string trio show featuring multi-instrumentalist and composer Mahmoud Chouki, Beth Patterson and Sam Dickey at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 17, at Broadside. Find tickets at broadsidenola.com.

Jon Batiste releases new album ‘We Are’ BY JAKE CLAPP PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE EXPLODE on Jon Batiste’s new

album, “We Are.” The musician draws from his personal and musical heritage and plays with it in electric, contemporary style for a record that sounds both current and timeless. Batiste adds context to his most recent single, the emotional, folk-driven “Cry,” by connecting it back to the Black roots of gospel and country music and the generations of farmers among his ancestors before his family settled in the New Orleans area. In a recent interview on NPR’s Fresh Air, the Kenner native explained how a certain bassline, foundational to rock ‘n’ roll, was recontextualized when played alongside drum machines on the joyful, airy “I Need You,” a song he calls “a vibe cleanse.” “Knowing where you come from is important in culture — knowing where traditions come from and where certain aspects of heritage and music all connect,” Batiste said to Gambit from his home in New York. “That causes people to view themselves differently and to also view each other and how we connect to each other in much more nuanced ways.” Batiste’s “We Are” is out Friday, March 19, on Verve Records. The album release comes right on the heels of Batiste’s Golden Globe win for best original score for his work on Pixar’s “Soul.” Batiste arranged and performed the compositions, and Pixar animated his hands for the film, using his fingers at the piano keys for the main character Joe Gardner, the studio’s first Black lead character. It’s been a busy stretch for Batiste, who was also nominated for two Grammy Awards for recent albums: Best contemporary instrumental album for his live “Chronology of a Dream” and best new age album for “Meditations,” his 2020 record with guitarist Cory Wong. He’s one of four St. Augustine High School alumni — along with Jay Electronica, Luke James and PJ Morton — who earned Grammy nominations this year. Then there’s Batiste’s symphonic work, “American Symphony,” which is set to premiere at Carnegie Hall later this year, and he’s working on a Broadway musical about the life of Jean-Michel Basquiat. So it makes

Local humor JEFFERSON PERFORMING ARTS SOCIETY hosts a lineup of local standup comedians including O’mar Finley, Patrick Andonie, Alex Cureau, Allison Hotard and Matt Owens. The show is at Westwego Performing Arts Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 19, and Saturday, March 20. Tickets are on jpas.org.

Getting medieval P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y LO U I S B R O W N E

Jon Batiste will release his latest album, ‘We Are,’ on Friday.

sense that much of “We Are” was developed while Batiste was at work: the skeleton of the record was put together in a small studio space Batiste built in his dressing room at New York’s Ed Sullivan Theater, where he’s band leader and music director for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” The concept for “We Are” had been in the back of Batiste’s mind since at least 2014, writes saxophonist Marcus Miller in liner notes. “The essential ingredients for this album were assembled then: the desire to bring the essence of jazz beyond its traditional audience, draw from the rich musical heritage of New Orleans, and speak to the universal needs of a healthy culture, including singing together, socializing across generations, and celebrating a variety of traditions and perspectives.” Between “Late Show” tapings across six days in 2019, Batiste built up “We Are” with the help of songwriter Autumn Rowe and producer Tearce Kizzo. He took those elements and finished the album over the next few months in studios in New York, Los Angeles and New Orleans, working with a number of guest musicians, including Mavis Staples and Quincy Jones. His father, bassist Michael Batiste, appears on the album, along with preaching from his grandfather, David Gauthier. PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty and the Hot 8 Brass Band are featured, and the album’s title-track includes a stunning break for the St. Augustine High School Marching 100. “We Are” rewards a careful listen.

The album is upbeat and full of optimism and energy — and could work anywhere: radio, a small jazz club, seated theater, Tipitina’s. Batiste ignores genres and blends old, foundational music elements with modern pop in interesting ways. He’s going back and forth through personal and music heritage from past to present. “It’s an album that exists in a time, but it also exists in all times,” Batiste says. “It’s like a movie, where you close your eyes and listen and watch it through your mind’s eye. It’s an experience from beginning to end that you don’t skip scenes. And that’s really important.” During last year’s protests against white supremacy and police brutality, Batiste organized several marches in New York. He often performed, leading a “Love Riot,” his long-held term for a freeform, music-driven gathering. In the early 2010s, Batiste and his band, Stay Human, hosted Love Riots when playing subway stations or leading people in joyful, impromptu street parades. The summer’s protests gave Live Riots a fuller meaning. “It didn’t [take on] a different meaning,” Batiste says. “It was something that was always embedded in the Love Riot. It just needed the times to shift for the opportunity for that side of the Love Riot to be pronounced. It was always something about connection, this original purpose of music being made manifest in a modern world. But in times where things are more unified, it’s a celebration. In times when things are more fractured, it’s used as a way of reconnecting.”

PARADIGM GARDENS, the Central City urban garden, hosts medieval-themed dinners with cocktails, a five-course meal prepared over wood-fires by Karibu Kitchen and music by Toot & Lute and DJ Kash. The events are outdoors, and there are seatings at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday, March 19, and Saturday, March 20. Tickets are available at paradigmgardensnola.com.

D.C. scrum THE NOLA GOLD, the local franchise of Major League Rugby, battles the Old Glory of Washington, D.C., in the league’s first day of nationally televised games (this game is on FS2). Fans also can head to the Shrine on Airline for the 3 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, March 20. Tickets are on nolagoldrugby.com.

P H OTO B Y M AT T H E W H I N TO N / 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

Funky brew THE GEORGE PORTER JR. TRIO is joined by guitarist Chris Adkins at a live show at Zony Mash Beer Project at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 20. Tickets are at zonymashbeer.com.

Full Tank TANK AND THE BANGAS head to the Broadside for two outdoor shows. Bon Bon Vivant joins Tank and the Bangas at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 20, and SaxKixAve opens for the band at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 21. Find tickets at broadsidenola.com.

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CLANCY DUBOS

COMMENTARY

@clancygambit

Once more, with feeling: get out and vote!

Edwards, Legislature must clean house at LSU and the AG’s office IN THE SHORT SPACE OF A YEAR , LSU has

THIS COMING SATURDAY, MARCH 20, IS ELECTION DAY in many parts of

Louisiana and for most of our readers. Think of it as the last vestiges of your 2020 election hangover. It may be rough, but getting to the polls one way or another is the only path to redemption. A hotly contested race to succeed cedric richmond in congress tops the ballot in most of New Orleans, parts of Metairie and most of the West Bank. Fifteen candidates hope to represent the Second congressional District. There’s also a special election in state house District 82 (Old Jefferson, parts of Metairie) and a pair of property tax renewals on the ballot across most of Jefferson Parish. All of these ballot items are important. Unfortunately as of press time, turnout for early voting across our circulation area was abysmally low. This portends an overall turnout barely out of single digits, which is particularly disappointing in light of the near-record turnout we saw for the Nov. 3 presidential election — not to mention what’s at

S TA F F P h OTO B Y M A X BEchErEr / ThE TIMESP I c AY U N E | T h E N E W O r L E A N S A DVO c AT E

Go vote, y’all!

stake. Although the Second District was created to give Black voters a chance to elect a congress member of their choosing, an extremely low turnout could turn that notion on its head. And, with Democrats holding a slim majority in the house, one would think that voters of all races and party affiliations would be eager to cast ballots. For what it’s worth, voters over age 60, who can get mail-in ballots for the asking, voted in significantly higher numbers than younger, in-person voters during the week of early balloting. We hope our readers, who tend to be younger, pick up the pace on Election Day. Below is the Gambit Ballot containing our recommendations. Whether you like our choices or not, we urge you to remember that your vote is your voice. Make yourself heard on March 20.

The Gambit Ballot March 20

You can take this ballot with you to vote! CONGRESS, 2ND DISTRICT Troy Carter (Most of Orleans, parts of Jefferson)

STATE REPRESENTATIVE HOUSE DISCTRICT 82 Eddie Connick (Old Jefferson & Metairie)

JEFFERSON PARISH MILLAGE RENEWALS WATER DISTRICT NO. 2 (5 MILLS) YES SEWERAGE DISTRICT NO. 2 (5 MILLS) YES

gone from hero to zero in Louisiana politics. Similarly, state Attorney General Jeff Landry has gone from being a leading potential candidate for governor in 2023 to a guy who doesn’t even deserve to be mentioned as a wannabe. At the root of both downfalls: allegations of mishandling — and covering up — complaints of egregious sexual harassment and, in LSU’s case, sexual assault. These scandals are not one-offs. They strike at the heart of an institutional culture of sexual harassment and abuse. It’s a safe bet there’s more to come — but it’s already clear that neither LSU nor Landry can solve problems that both have tolerated and tried to conceal. Which is why Gov. John Bel Edwards and the GOP-majority Legislature should take immediate and drastic action. Edwards should demand resignations from the entire LSU Board of Supervisors and all LSU administrators who either failed to put safeguards into place or participated in the cover-ups. Spare no one. Edwards may not be able to force the resignations, but he has the bully pulpit. he also has appointed the entire LSU board, which hires top administrators. That puts this mess squarely in his lap. Moreover, Edwards can’t afford another scandal like he had in Johnny Anderson, the serial sexual harasser from Southern University whom he hired as a top aide during his first term. That one almost cost Edwards his reelection. This one could cost him his legacy. Edwards also should issue an executive order banning any state agency from using the Taylor Porter law firm. Taylor Porter holds the dubious distinction of conducting “investigations” that whitewashed both the LSU and Landry scandals. GOP lawmakers, who control both the house and Senate, likewise should demand that fellow republican Landry resign. he’s been exposed multiple times as an incompetent dumbass. Now he’s outed for hiring and promoting — and

S TA F F P h OTO B Y T r AV I S SPrADLING / TIMESP I c AY U N E | N E W O r L E A N S A DVO c AT E

Gov. John Bel Edwards

then trying to protect via an official cover-up — Pat Magee, a supervisor who rated female colleagues by how “f—able” they looked. Landry also sued a newspaper reporter who filed a public records request seeking a sexual harassment complaint against Magee, who bragged to underlings about his close friendship with the AG. Landry’s lawsuit failed, and Magee resigned after another complaint surfaced. Landry should follow Magee’s lead — but if he won’t, lawmakers should gut his budget and pressure him to resign. Finally, Edwards and lawmakers should back a constitutional amendment consolidating Louisiana’s four higher education boards into one — and requiring diversity of gender and race among its members. This scandal shows the danger — literally — of treating state universities like political fiefdoms. It’s not overstating things to say that if Edwards and lawmakers fail to clean house, they will be remembered alongside disgraced Louisiana politicians who ignored (and thereby perpetuated) flagrant racial injustices in the Jim crow era. Meanwhile, the names of Jade Lewis, Abby Owens, Samantha Brennan and calise richardson — sexual assault survivors who testified before a special legislative committee on March 10 about LSU’s failure to protect them and others from on-campus predation — will be remembered for their courage. Do Edwards and GOP lawmakers have that kind of courage?

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“In New Orleans you’re eligible for a vaccine if you’ve ever had a full fried seafood platter.” – Michael Tisserand

# The Count

Thumbs Up/ Thumbs Down

11.72

St. Augustine alumni were

well represented during the 63rd annual Grammy Awards with four nominations for awards. Jon Batiste, Jay Electronica, Luke James and PJ Morton competed in separate categories. Batiste was nominated for best contemporary instrumental album and best New Age; Jay Electronica was up for best rap album; James competed in best R&B album; and Morton was nominated for best gospel album.

The percentage of people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in Region 1, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

P H OTO B Y S H AW N F I N K / 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

Live music can return but venues have to follow specific, strict guidelines from the state fire marshal.

CITY MOVES INTO ‘MODIFIED PHASE 3’ OF CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS, LIVE MUSIC CAN RETURN More than 40,000 people

THE CITY IS LOOSENING COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS EFFECTIVE MARCH 12 ,

have submitted public comments to the Army Corps of Engineers since Jan. 29 in objection to the construction of a Formosa Plastics plant in St. James Parish. The Corps in 2020 suspended Formosa’s permit to fill in lowlands on the site and is now re-evaluating the project, which could be one of the largest producers of greenhouse gases in the country — and a toxic addition to the area already known as Cancer Alley.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced last week. Citing recent statistics that indicate a jump in vaccinations combined with decreased positivity rates of the virus and fewer hospitalizations and deaths, officials are allowing restaurants and houses of worship to welcome patrons at 75% occupancy, while bars remain at 50%. Entertainment venues can operate at either 50% capacity or 250 maximum occupancy if they have fixed seating. The lifted restrictions also allow for music halls to reopen, though Cantrell and city health director Dr. Jennifer Avegno warned of “very specific” guidelines that owners need to follow in accordance with the state fire marshal’s office, including making sure their HVAC systems are up to speed to allow for proper air circulation, as COVID-19 spreads through respiratory droplets. The statewide mask mandate and physical distancing guidelines remain in effect. The announcement came just a day after the Louisiana Department of Health unveiled the latest, wide-ranging tier of vaccine eligibility and less than a week after the city opened its first mass vaccination site at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, where thousands of New Orleanians have received doses of the three approved vaccines. City officials also said 21% of Orleans Parish residents had received at least the first dose of the vaccine and 12% of the Orleans Parish population had been fully vaccinated. Herd immunity — the common goal of health officials — occurs when the population is at roughly 70% immunization. — SARAH RAVITS

Robert Hjortsberg, a former

associate in District Attorney Jason Williams’ law firm, pled guilty last week to a misdemeanor federal tax charge, which came from the same IRS probe that also charged Williams and his law partner Nicole Burdett in a tax fraud conspiracy. Hjortsberg also managed Williams’ campaigns for City Council. It is the second conviction to come from the investigation. Williams’ trial is scheduled for Nov. 1.

Racial Disparities in employment are getting even worse during the pandemic, new study says

The population of the region — which includes Orleans, Jefferson. St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes — is 894,015. So far, more than 190,000 in the area have received at least the first dose of one of the vaccines. The state is nowhere near attaining herd immunity, but the rollout has picked up in recent weeks, and a large number of Louisianans became eligible for vaccination last week when the LDH moved into the next tier.

C’est What

? How long has it been since March 2020?

46.7%

IT FEELS LIKE 11 BILLION YEARS AGO

13.9%

Black people in New Orleans are nearly three times as likely to be unemployed during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to white people in Louisiana, according to new report published by Step Up Louisiana. In “Left Behind: Racism and Access Issues in Louisiana’s Broken PAGE 10

WASN’T THAT JUST YESTERDAY?

39.4% TIME IS A FLAT CIRCLE

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

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OPENINGGAMBIT

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OPENING GAMBIT PAGE 9

Unemployment System,” researchers also warn a number of other existing disparities have been exacerbated by the pandemic, including people not getting enough to eat, and women being more likely to leave the workforce than men because of childcare issues. Although these issues have affected communities across the country, Louisiana, and in particular New Orleans, a majority Black city where the economy relies heavily on hospitality, has felt the weight significantly more than other regions. “This is systemic racism in action right here,” says Step Up Louisiana’s co-director Benjamin Zucker of the report’s findings. The report is based on independent research, data collected from other sources including government agencies like the U.S. census and the Bureau of Labor, the non-partisan harvard University project Track the recovery and progressive think tank century Foundation. Zucker said Step Up has been further galvanized to impact policy and hopes to expand assistance for those struggling with unemployment at state and federal levels. The study notes as of November 2020, employment rates nationally among workers in the bottom wage quartile decreased by 19.1% compared to January 2020 — before the pandemic caused nationwide shutdowns. New Orleans, it says, fared far worse than that: Orleans Parish employment decreased by nearly 31% starting in April of 2020, and Black workers are 2.7 times more likely to be unemployed than white workers. “hospitality is disproportionately Black folks, and that has been one of the hardest hit industries [from cOVID-19],” Zucker says. “In the economy at large, Black folks have been first fired, last hired.” One of Step Up’s specific goals is to raise the weekly unemployment benefits, Zucker says. he says state representatives including royce Duplessis (D-New Orleans), Ted James (D-Baton rouge) and Matthew Willard (D-New Orleans) have expressed particular support for the issue, though a bill authored by Duplessis last year to increase the benefits by $100 weekly ultimately failed in the legislature. Despite challenges, Zucker says the movement appears to be growing, and more people knee-capped by the pandemic are motivated to seek change and organize. “There are 900,000 people [in the state] who have filed for unemployment,” he says. “That’s a lot of people who are now engaged in this public system. The public knows it’s essential [to improve] benefits. Workers who’ve been

locked out know it needs improvement, and workers who’ve gotten it know it needs to improve.” The century Foundation, a progressive think tank headquartered in New York and Washington, D.c. cited in the report, says Louisiana’s unemployment benefits generally fall between $180 and $210 per week, with a cap at $247 — the lowest in the nation alongside Mississippi. And according to U.S. census data published in February of this year, one in five adults in Louisiana has reported not having enough to eat in their household in the past seven days. At a food drive in a church parking lot in Gentilly earlier this month, Zucker and a handful of volunteers gave away nearly 60 boxes of groceries to families in need. One of those offering assistance was Gabby Shaw, a former union organizer who was furloughed a year ago from a hospitality job. Shaw said she joined Step Up as a full-time employee last August to help connect unemployed workers with resources and to help them fill out paperwork and other affiliated bureaucracy — such as identity verification — for what she says is weak government assistance. “No one can live off $247 a week,” she says, referring to the state’s maximum weekly allotment. “This won’t be the last time we have to have this fight — it might just be the beginning.” LaTanya howard, who worked as a contract worker in food services at the Ernest N. Morial convention center for 23 years has also been furloughed for nearly a year. She applied for unemployment, thinking it would be “three or four months, tops,” she says. At 49, she experienced a slew of health issues that worsened from the stress and uncertainty of the pandemic, including diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma. The state’s unemployment package barely helped her cover the cost of her inhaler, she says, let alone other basic essentials like food. howard went without health care for a few months, though Step Up helped her fill out the paperwork to get care after her employment-related benefits were tabled. During this time, she says, “I had to decide if I should buy groceries or my medication.” She’d also like to see the federal government — which has been negotiating a stimulus package for months — to speed up the process of getting aid to people in need, like the hundreds of New Orleanians she’s been helping. “They need to release the stimulus,” she says. “We want the government to be accountable.” — SArAh rAVITS

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BLAKE PONTchArTrAIN™

Spring Forward

@GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com

Hey Blake,

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ONLINE ORDERING AVAIL ABLE • 214 N. CARROLLTON IN MID CITY A NGEL OBROCAT OICECR E A M.COM • 504.486.1465

Do you remember the name of the grocery store on the corner of Canal Street and Carrollton Avenue in the 1950s? I grew up on South St. Patrick in Mid-City and we would walk there at least once a week. — SUSAN

Dear Susan,

Monteleone Super Market, owned by Andrew “henry” Monteleone Sr., opened in November 1951 at 4100 canal Street. In addition to hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter, members of the Monteleone family were wellknown as grocers and produce vendors throughout the city. Monteleone’s grocery store at canal and carrollton advertised its “two checkout counters, self-service ice cream and dairy sections, an open-face meat cabinet and large stock of fresh fruits and vegetables.” It also touted a large customer parking area at the rear of the store and its special Sunday morning hours, 7 a.m. to noon. By 1956, ads for the store also touted its late-night hours, staying open until 11 p.m. The grocery store closed sometime in the late 1960s and became

Hey BINGoo!

S! IT’S SPR ORLEAN IN NEW

DINING ISSUE

A 1952 photo inside the Monteleone Super Market; the store opened in 1951 at the corner of Canal and Carrollton. Charles L. Franck Studio Collection. Copyright The Historic New Orleans Collection. Acc. no. 1979.325.4033.

Lou Gallo Appliance Store. By 1977 the building had become a grocery and convenience store again — a business called Marty Mart. Many readers will remember the much larger National canal Villere grocery store which opened on the opposite corner of canal and carrollton in 1978. In 1990, a Popeyes opened at the former site of Monteleone’s. It stayed in business until hurricane Katrina. An Ochsner urgent care clinic now operates on that spot.

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THIS WEEK WE WISH A VERY HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY to a New Orleans icon, Dr. Norman c. Francis. When the New Orleans city council voted unanimously last August to rename Jefferson Davis Parkway in his honor, it confirmed his status as a living legend. Born on March 20, 1931, in Lafayette, Louisiana, Dr. Francis came to New Orleans to attend Xavier University, the institution with which he would be linked for the rest of his life. he was president of his class all four years and was chosen president of the student body in his senior year. After graduation, he enrolled in Loyola University’s School of Law, where in 1955 he became Loyola’s first Black law graduate. Days after graduation, he married Blanche MacDonald, a fellow Xavier graduate whom he met while living on campus during law school. The couple had six children. Dr. Francis served in the U.S. Army, then worked for the U.S. Attorney’s office, where he helped integrate federal agencies in the South. Soon after, he returned to Xavier as a staff member. In 1961, while Dean of Men at Xavier, he housed the Freedom riders in a university dorm after the group’s bus was bombed in Alabama. After serving in other administrative positions, Dr. Francis was named Xavier’s president in 1968. During his 47 years as president, the school’s enrollment nearly tripled. Xavier became the leading producer of Black undergraduates who complete medical school and ranked first nationally in the number of Black students earning undergraduate degrees in biology and life sciences, chemistry, physics and pharmacy. Dr. Francis was a leader not just on the Xavier campus, but throughout the country. he has served on more than 50 boards and received 40 honorary degrees. President George W. Bush called Dr. Francis “a man of deep intellect and compassion and character” when he presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006. Dr. Francis retired as Xavier’s president in 2015. At the time, he was the nation’s longest-serving college president.

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Tips for making the most of spring while keeping it Covid safe

t’s been a long, hard year under the global COVID-19 pandemic. As of press time, 28,844 New Orleanians have contracted the virus, and we’ve lost more than 750 of our friends and family. Living under strict rules has been difficult for everyone in the country, but arguably, for a community based on singing, drinking and socializing, it’s been particularly excruciating for us. There’s been some good news: Infection rates are down, deaths are low and multiple vaccines have come on the scene. Just last week, Gov. John Bel Edwards expanded the availability of vaccine shots to include the bulk of the population — it’s perhaps the first time in history being one of the most pleasantly plump states in the union has been good for our health. Those developments, combined with the start of spring, are making it awful tempting to break the rules. We get it. We want nothing more than to hug strangers in the street and dance our asses off in a mass of sweaty, happy humans. But Covid remains a deadly disease, tens of thousands of New Orleanians remain unvaccinated and vulnerable to the coronavirus. That’s why it’s critical we not waver in our commitment to protecting our community. New Orleans didn’t become the pandemic disaster zone that many expected for a reason: you. You did the work, diligently following the rules to bend the curve earlier than many other cities. With full on reopening in sight, let’s not stumble — so that all of us get to enjoy the good life again. This week we’ve put together a list of events being conducted in responsible ways around town, as well some ideas for day or overnight trips you and your pod can take to enjoy the spring weather while still keeping everyone safe.

Crowd SOURCING

BY WILL COVIELLO

Last year at this time, New Orleans event and festival cancellations fell like a

line of dominos. This year, with Covid vaccination rates rising, there are some in-person festivals as well as virtual events. St. Bernard Parish’s Louisiana Crawfish Festival will be the first local festival running close to normal, but with limited capacity and some physical distancing precautions. A few festivals have decided to postpone till the fall or hold off until 2022. Here’s a rundown of some of the bigger annual spring and early summer events.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY Major St. Patrick’s Day parades, such as the annual parades in the Irish Channel and on Metairie Road, have been canceled. Some parade organizers have not ruled out holding an event later in the year. FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL Film festivals have been finding creative ways to move forward since last fall, using a mix of outdoor viewings and online availability. Case in point: The New Orleans Film Society presents more than 20 movies in the French Film Festival from March 23-31. All films screen at the Broadside outdoor theater and also are available to stream

online. There’s a schedule and information at neworleansfilmsociety.org. THE TENNESSEE WILLIAMS & NEW ORLEANS LITERARY FESTIVAL The Tennessee Williams festival will be a virtual event, split into a first weekend (March 19-21) focused on workshops and a second weekend (March 24-28) with a range of regular offerings. There are live and vintage recorded interviews, readings, music events and author panels. The lineup includes actor Alan Cumming, Ladee Hubbard, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” creator John Cameron Mitchell, humorist Mo Rocca, Maurice Carlos Ruffin, John Patrick Shanley,

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Ivan Neville, left, and Jon Cleary, shown here at Jazz Fest 2019, will both perform at NOLA Crawfish Festival in April at the Broadside.

Dreamlander Mink Stole and many more. Visit tennesseewilliams.net for information. CRESCENT CITY CLASSIC The 2021 event is a virtual 10K, in which participants will choose their own course (or treadmill) to run on the race dates of April 1 to 5 and report their results. Visit ccc10k.com for information. NOLA CRAWFISH FESTIVAL Chris “Shaggy” Davis’s NOLA Crawfish King normally presents this music and boiled crawfish event around Jazz Fest time. This spring, it features boiled crawfish and a lineup of Ivan Neville and Friends, Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Good Enough for Good Times and Angelica “Jelly” Josesph over two nights at the Broadside on April 10-11. Information and links to tickets are at facebook.com/ nolacrawfishfestival. FESTING IN PLACE After Jazz Fest was initially postponed last year, WWOZ 90.7 FM created Festing in Place, for which it broadcast past festival sets during what would have been festival hours. It returns with a second year of memorable sets, interviews and

online links to festival food and craft vendors. Festing in Place is April 22-25 and April 29-May 2. Visit wwoz. org for information.

live outdoor concerts to fall on the same basic dates, but at alternate venues. Check thebayouboogaloo. com for updates.

FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE LOUISIANE Lafayette, Louisiana’s annual festival of music and culture from Louisiana and francophone nations usually competes with Jazz Fest dates. This year’s festival is virtual, and the music shows run April 23-25. Visit festivalinternational.org for information.

HOGS FOR THE CAUSE The barbecue festival and fundraiser moves to Belle Chasse for a twoday event on June 4-5, with a music lineup including Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Old Crow Medicine Show and more. Tickets are at hogsfest.org.

LOUISIANA CRAWFISH FESTIVAL The festival features live music, boiled crawfish, amusement rides and more April 29-May 2 at the Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center in Chalmette. Admission to festival grounds will be limited. Visit louisianacrawfishfestival. com for information.

NOWFE The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience is holding several of its most popular events in a festival taking place June 9-13. Events include the Vinola tasting of high-end wines, two grand tastings of wines with food from local restaurants and an event highlighting rose wines from around the world. Find tickets at nowfe.com.

ART IN BLOOM The New Orleans Museum of Art’s annual event featuring floral displays inspired by art from the museum collection will be May 5-9. Patrons can view the expo in person and virtually. Tickets are at noma.org. MID-CITY BAYOU BOOGALOO The music festival usually happens at Bayou St. John on the third weekend in May. Organizers are working on

ESSENCE FESTIVAL OF CULTURE The ESSENCE Festival of Culture will be a two-weekend virtual event featuring music and more. Programming is scheduled on June 25-27 and July 2-4, and there will be some content available to New Orleans-area residents only. A talent lineup has not

been announced, but check essence. com/festival2021 for updates. RUNNING OF THE NOLA BULLS The annual event hasn’t released details, but it has scheduled a July 10 event, Covid restrictions permitting.

Postponed BUKU Music + Art Project is canceled, but a modified event is scheduled for Oct. 22-23 French Quarter Festival is rescheduled to Sept. 30-Oct. 3 The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is rescheduled to Oct. 8-17 Tales of the Cocktail will hold a virtual event Sept. 20-23.

See you IN 2022 Louisiana CajunZydeco Festival Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival

New Orleans Oyster Festival

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Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo will move to alternate venues to host live music events on its normal third weekend in May dates.

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PAGE XX

THE land OF THE SPRINGS

BY KAYLEE POCHE

On the Northshore, down a road shaded by oak trees sits the town of Abita Springs, a place whose fresh water not only courses through the town but its storied past. Throughout the 1800s, New Orleans faced periodic outbreaks of the deadly yellow fever, which ultimately killed a tenth of the city’s population. A legend of the town’s healing waters, coupled with the development of transportation to get from New Orleans to Abita — including steamers to cross Lake Pontchartrain and motor cars and trains to finish the journey — helped galvanize tourism in the area in the latter part of the century. Which is why it’s an almost too fitting place to take a cautious weekend trip as we ride out the remainder of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 19th-century tourism boom, Frank Lenel built the area’s first major hotel, the Longbranch, which opened in June 1880 with two stories and 16 rooms, according to “The Story of the Long Branch” by J. Buchanan Blitch. But things took an unexpected turn when Lenel was reported missing a month later after going for a stroll in the woods — and never returned. Over the years, the Loustalot family bought the hotel, renovated it and built up quite a following in the 1920s and ’30s. Travelers would come from New Orleans as well as from foreign countries to stay, and the hotel serviced around 50 guests daily and up to 125 during summer holidays. The Longbranch was characterized by its good

Chicot

STATE PARK BY SARAH RAVITS

P H OTO B Y L I Z C O N D O/ T H E A DVO C AT E

P H OTO C O U R T E S Y O F K ASEY HOSCH

The historic house that sits on the Longbranch property in Abita Springs will be available for rental starting in April.

service and familial atmosphere, as a place where it wasn’t uncommon for guests to help staff when the hotel became busy, according to Blitch. But rationing during World War II eventually marked the end of a golden era for the hotel. However, if all goes according to plan, the property will once again be hosting New Orleanians by midApril. Kasey Hosch and her husband Mark have turned the former guest house into a four-bedroom, threebath whole-house Airbnb rental. The wood-paneled rooms and antique furniture make a great old-timey home base to explore Abita Springs. Members of the Choctaw Nation came to Abita in the early 1700s from Bogue Chitto in Mississippi, where they “lived peacefully,” Blitch wrote. That is until the U.S. government forced them out of Abita and Mississippi and into present day Oklahoma with the 1830 Indian Removal Act. Some say the circle of live oaks on the property were where local Choctaws held their ceremonies, but whether the trees

are that old is in dispute, according to Blitch. The yellow building that was once the property’s “bachelor quarters” had four dorm-style rooms with a single toilet at the end. Hurricane Katrina sent a pine tree through the middle of the building and knocked it off its foundation, after which the then-owners of the property donated it to the town. The building is now located in the town’s park where it functions as the Abita Springs Trailhead Museum, which plans to partially reopen on Sundays starting April 4. The town itself is home to 2,614 people, or as a friend of mine who grew up there likes to describe it: just small enough to where people have been selling the same items at the annual town-wide garage sale for years. Fans of “Gilmore Girls” will no doubt recognize many similarities between Abita and the fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Both towns have gazebos, fiery town hall meetings, a lively cast

of characters and revered annual traditions. Though staple events like Carnival and the Push Mow lawnmower parade have been put on hold during the pandemic, there’s still plenty of ways to spend a weekend in town. The Abita Mystery House — a place full of collectible oddities also known as the UCM Museum — is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. And the Abita Brewing Co.’s tap room is currently open Thursday through Monday with indoor and outdoor seating at limited capacity, though tours aren’t currently available. For those who prefer to spend time outdoors, the Abita Springs park also provides access to the Tammany Trace, which is bikeable all the way to the Mandeville Lakefront — home to sprawling oaks, playgrounds and a gorgeous view of Lake Pontchartrain. Editor’s Note: Mark and Kasey Hosch, who recently bought the Longbranch property and have owned it previously, are parents of the author’s longtime friend, Natalie Hosch.

Weaving a kayak or canoe around the cypress knees in the calm waters of Chicot State Park’s man-made lake can be solitary or social, depending on where your head’s at. Either way, it’s a pleasant, reflective escape from the city, especially if you’ve been cooped up from Covid and wanting to experience nature before the petrochemical companies kill it off. It’s a scenic, three-hour drive to the 6,400 acre wildlife reserve from New Orleans, just north of Lafayette in the heart of Cajun Country’s Evangeline Parish. As Louisiana’s biggest state park, it also features a geographical mix of ecosystems, fishing opportunities and hiking and bike trails — and lots of space to have a dance party in the woods without fear of noise complaints. Seasoned campers and outdoor adventurers can bring their own boats and pitch tents in the woods (watch out for coyotes and bobcats!). But there are also furnished cabins and lodge rentals for the city slicker types who just want a taste of the woods with more of a barrier from the elements — or a rougarou. Bottom line is, whether you go for a day trip or stay for a whole weekend, the park will give you a chance to chill out in nature, obsessively apply bug spray and sunscreen instead of hand sanitizer — and remind you of Louisiana’s natural beauty that has been here all along.

STOP 4

Get out of town for poboys, boudin balls and pie BY JAKE CLAPP

You’re probably itching to get out of town after a year of this pandemic — and you’re dying to try some new food. It’s been easy to fall into routines during the pandemic, even down to the restaurants we’ve been ordering delivery from. So why not shake up the scenery and the menu with a small weekend trip? No one needs an overview of the food of south Louisiana. This is where the best boudin in town is served from behind a gas station counter, and anyone who’s spent any time in our region already has a list of their favorite joints. So here are a few of mine, which I’ve put together after years of driving between my folks’ place outside Lake Charles and New Orleans or simply exploring Acadiana. You may know some, but hopefully you’ll discover a new one. So grab a cooler (you’ll need it later), some coffee and hit Highway 90 heading west. And save room

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Bon Creole Seafood

1409 E. St. Peter St., New Iberia, (337) 367-6181; bon-creole.com After a quick walk around Morgan City’s downtown to ward off the post breakfast snoozes, jump back onto Highway 90 and head for New Iberia, about an hour on. The lunch counter at Bon Creole Seafood serves daily lunch plate specials ranging from pork roast with rice and gravy and stuffed catfish over angel hair pasta to gumbo and seafood baskets. But keep your eye on the prize: the po-boy. Bon Creole is renowned for its classic sandwiches, which overflow the crisp French bread with expertly cooked seafood. A half is more than enough, but you’ll really be tempted to go for the whole. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sun.

Billy’s Boudin & Cracklin

904 Short Vine St., Opelousas, (337) 942-9150; billysboudincracklin.com As you’re heading north on I-49, make a pitstop in Opelousas for the big boudin balls at Billy’s Boudin & Cracklin. A larger meat market, Billy’s has a few locations in Acadiana, but the Opelousas store is just off the interstate toward Alexandria, and the boudin is worth the quick stop. Of course, you can get their boudin the traditional links way, but Billy’s offers a few alternatives: hefty boudin balls made with pepper jack cheese, boudin “rollups” (kinda like an eggroll) and crawfish boudin pistolettes. Grab a bag o’ balls and head back for the Interstate. Open 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat., 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sun.

STOP 5

for pie.

STOP 3 STOP 1

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Rita Mae’s Kitchen

711 Federal Ave., Morgan City, (985) 384-3550 After the first hour and a half stretch of your drive into Acadiana, you’ll be ready for a late breakfast. Pop off Highway 90 at Morgan City and hit Rita Mae’s Kitchen. The restaurant is tiny, so keep your eyes peeled on Federal Avenue. For shy of 30 years, Rita Mae’s has been serving simple, belly-warming Cajun and Creole dishes in downtown Morgan City. Recent lunch specials have included a seafood gumbo served with a shrimp and fish po-boy. Rita Mae’s has kept its window counter seating closed during the pandemic, so get a hearty plate to-go and take the short drive around the corner and down Freret Street to eat on the banks of the Atchafalaya. Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon-Fri., 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat.

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The Best Stop Supermarket

615 Highway 93 N., Scott, (337) 233-5805; beststopinscott.com Scott, on the westside of Lafayette, is only about 45 minutes up Highway 90 from New Iberia, and by this point, your next meal is probably the last thing on your mind. That’s cool, because The Best Stop is why you should bring a cooler on this trip. The market sells all kinds of high-quality sausages, specialty meats and Cajun seasonings, so browse the coolers and pick up some hog head cheese and boudin to bring home with you. But on the way out, grab some cracklings for the road as you head toward Opelousas. Open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sun.

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Lea’s Lunchroom

1810 Highway 71 S., Lecompte, (318) 776-5178; leaslunchroom.com Lea’s Lunchroom — with its succinct “pies and baked ham” sign out front — has been a central Louisiana institution since 1928 and is the reason why Lecompte was named the Pie Capital of Louisiana. The family-run restaurant has nine different types of pie, from pecan and chocolate to apple and cherry. End your day trip with a ham sandwich for an early dinner — or breakfast if you’re staying the night in nearby Alexandria — and a couple of pieces of pie. Open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sun.

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Food TRIPPIN’

STOP 2

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PRESENTS

FELICITY TO FRENCHMEN A NOLA THEMED FAMILY ADVENTURE! Grab your krewe and hit the streets of New Orleans with your family this spring.

On SATURDAY • APRIL 17TH, Gambit will host a

CITYWIDE SCAVENGER HUNT WITH PRIZES!

For sponsorship information call or email Sandy (504) 483-3150 • sandys@gambitweekly.com

Rolling Boil Hieu Doan opens his second Viet-Cajun seafood restaurant BY B E T H D ’A D D O N O IT’S NO ACCIDENT THAT HIEU DOAN IS A GO-GETTER running two

restaurants: Boil Seafood House on Magazine Street and the newly opened Hieux Boil Seafood House at 4077 Tulane Ave. Doan was born in 1975, the year his parents immigrated to New Orleans. His entire life has been shaped by the choices they made, from leaving Vietnam and landing in New Orleans to their entrepreneurial drive and passion for the seafood business. “My family was always in seafood, even back in Vietnam,” Doan says. “They had their own boats and fished there before I was born.” One of six children, Doan grew up in New Orleans East, where his mom worked as an oyster shucker in a seafood plant and his dad was a commercial fisherman. Doan grew up going fishing with his dad, and he even found crawfish off Highway 11 and Highway 90 around Bayou Sauvage. “I remember when it had been raining heavy, the crawfish would be just running all over the street,” he says. He was expected to work in the family businesses, which eventually included convenience markets, a supermarket, gas stations and the Carrollton Seafood Market at the corner of Tulane and Carrollton avenues in the late 1990s. That location was not fancy, he recalls, but it improved over time. Although his family didn’t own the building, they treated it as if they did, constantly improving it. In 2013, when his mom needed to take a break from the market, Doan opened Namese, a stylish Vietnamese restaurant that earned accolades for its imaginative menu and culinary finesse. Namese didn’t survive the pandemic. With food prices rising and customers all but disappearing, there wasn’t a pivot that could save it,

Doan says. But he had a plan. With his original Boil Seafood House doing decent business during the shutdown, he figured why not expand the concept to Tulane Avenue? A recent Thursday night visit indicated his hunch was paying off, with a steady stream of customers, including families with kids, filling the restaurant’s socially distanced outdoor and indoor dining areas — a total of 84 seats under current Covid restrictions. Boil serves a range of fresh seafood, most of it local, in what’s come to be known as the VietCajun style. Seafood is offered by the pound with choices of garlicky sauces and level of spicy heat. There are local crawfish and shrimp (pay an extra $4 a pound to have the heads removed) as well as mussels, clams, king crab legs and lobster. There is a special this month of boiled crawfish for $4.99 per pound. There’s butter in all the sauces, with options including Caribbean, Cajun, garlic-butter and Boil House, which is a combination of all three. Heat levels run from mild to extra hot. Dinner comes with a bib and plenty of napkins, and peeling seafood can get messy. Doan has seen a lot of folks from the neighborhood coming into the restaurant, including some who remember the spot as Carrolton Seafood. The restaurant’s chargrilled and raw bar is popular, with a dozen raw oysters priced at $16, and a dozen cheesy, garlicky chargrilled ones for $22. Char-grilled Dungeness crab, the large, sweet crustacean found only in the cold waters off the coasts of Washington and Alaska, is offered as part of a traditional boil, as well as chargrilled with the same herb-garlic butter as the oysters. Seafood buckets are popular with

Hog wild HOGS FOR THE CAUSE , the barbecue festival and fundraiser for families with children affected by pediatric brain cancer, will hold a festival June 4-5 in Belle Chasse. The music lineup features Old Crow Medicine Show, Robert Randolph and the Family Band with The Soul Rebels and Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, Andy Frasco and the U.N., Sweet Crude, Iceman Special and Travers Brothership. More performers will be added.

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

Hieu Doan opened Hieux Boil Seafood House at Carrolton and Tulane avenues.

families, and the traditional boils feature seafood, andouille sausage, corn and potatoes. There’s a $110 feast that includes a lobster and a pound each of snow crab legs, Gulf shrimp, clams and mussels with the boiled side items. Fried seafood is available on platters or po-boys. Salads and seafood pastas round out the menu. The restaurant has a full bar along with frozen daiquiris, both boozy and non-alcoholic. There are happy hour specials of discounted drinks and appetizers from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 3 pm Fridays. Although he just opened a second location during the pandemic, Doan is already thinking about his next step. “I’m thinking to open in Metairie, maybe even expanding in Uptown with a place with more outdoor seating and a beer garden,” he says.

? WHAT

Hieux Boil Seafood House

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

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The festival will be held on a 15-acre site at the Plaquemines Parish government grounds. Admission will be limited, organizers announced in a press release. There are roughly 85 barbecue teams signed up to participate this year, organizers said. The festival is implementing various health precautions to avoid lines and crowds. Admission wristbands will be mailed to ticket buyers and the festival will be cashless. If the event is canceled due to state coronavirus restrictions, tickets will be refunded, organizers said. Hogs for the Cause canceled its March 2020 event as the coronavirus pandemic spread. Hogs for the Cause raises money to support families that have children battling pediatric brain cancer. As of 2020, it had made more than $1.5 million in direct grants to families and donated $2.5 million to hospital programs in New Orleans and other cities, organizers said. Tickets for the event are available at hogsfest.org. — WILL COVIELLO

Dee’s recipe WHERE

4077 Tulane Ave., (504) 766-0478

WHEN

Lunch and dinner daily

HOW

Dine-in and outdoor seating available

CHECK IT OUT

Viet-Cajun-style boiled seafood and more in Mid-City

THE RECIPE AT DEE’S XQUISITE SEAFOOD is a three-part harmony of

flavor. It plays through tight clusters PAGE 21

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EATDRINK

FORK CENTER

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EAT+DRINK

of Dungeness crab legs, lobster tails, local shrimp and even the potatoes and corn. The tune goes like this: First, it’s boiled to soak up the spice, then it’s char-grilled to add a whiff of smoke and fire, and then it’s splashed with a heady garlic-butter sauce. Then it flies out the door, often as fast as the Dee’s crew can pack it up. This signature style has remained constant. What’s changed, dramatically, is the size of the operation and the prospects ahead for founder and creator Demond “Dee” Matthews. “I’m new to this business. I never thought I’d be a chef, never thought I’d have a role in the restaurant business,” Matthews says. “But now I feel like I found my identity in the food world.” It started with a recipe, and it was propelled by the support and urging of a tight-knit community of family and friends that makes it happen every day. At this time last year, Dee’s Xquisite Seafood was a street-food side gig for Matthews, who was working full time as a mental health tech at University Medical center. On the weekends, he sold plates of food on the sidewalk outside of bars on North claiborne Avenue and by his brother Barry Matthews’ barbershop, Xquisite Styles, on Louisa Street. he was steadily building a following and had plans in the works to open his own location. Then the pandemic hit. Instead of folding, Dee’s Xquisite Seafood soared. Working off the street, Dee’s was already set up for curbside pickup, which suddenly was the only way many people were getting their seafood fix. The Dee’s crew regularly sold out, and Matthews added more people and equipment. A car line of customers stretched block after block. In September, he opened the restaurant at 1401 St. Bernard Avenue. It was a big step up in capacity, but a street-food vibe still pervades. People order at the counter, under murals by New Orleans artist Kentrice Schexnayder. For now, everything is packed for takeout, but there is some room for diners in the covered patio in front. The demand was there, but harnessing the potential of a streetfood success for the next step can be tricky. One reason Matthews has been able to do it is the people he found on his side. “I’m the guy with his name on the door, but I have 14 other Black men working here together and we all grew up together. It’s all one team now,” Matthews says.

Matthews grew up in what was then-called the Florida housing project, raised by a single mother in a big family whose care extended to many others in the community. Friendships made there endured, even after hurricane Katrina scattered some and interrupted school for others. The same friends now run the restaurant with him. Dee’s is a bustling place. Outside, under an awning built by the staff, multiple boiling pots are set over roaring gas jets, bubbling up the next batch of shellfish. Big bins of finished seafood go to the kitchen, a cramped den of clattering shells, flaring grill flames and squirt bottles of Dee’s garlicky sauce. The menu is stripped down and straightforward, with variously sized cartons and pans of mixed seafood, from the single carton to the family-sized “mamba package.” Boiled seafood tossed in sauce is a trend that has been growing in recent years, with the Vietcajun template being perhaps the best-known style. Matthews made his own approach, adding the char-grilling step between the boiling pot and the sauce ladle. This gives the shellfish a flamelicked flavor, which merges the appeal of char-grilled oysters and boiled seafood. Open a carton and an aromatic wave of butter, garlic, herbs and cheese gushes up. The butter sauce gets into the crab and shrimp and crawfish as meat is pulled from the shells. It also mixes in with the boiled corn and potatoes and dense, dark smoked sausage links that come with it all. crawfish is a newer addition to the menu as its season revs up. The mudbugs are boiled, bagged with sides and sluiced with sauce — but Matthews isn’t ruling out a future twist to char-grill them too. As business took off, Matthews left his hospital job. he also reluctantly gave up his volunteer position helping coach football at his alma mater, George Washington carver high School. he hopes to get back to coaching eventually, but he also thinks a second Dee’s location could be next, perhaps as soon as this summer. And he has a product line of bottled garlic butter sauce he’s selling now. “It’s growing so fast, going from hospital scrubs to chef’s coat,” he says. Dee’s Xquisite Seafood is open from 1:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday — IAN McNULTY/ ThE TIMES-PIcAYUNE | ThE NEW OrLEANS ADVOcATE

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her grandmother. She worked in the front of the house at several local restaurants before taking a pastry job at Sucre and then a baking job La Louisiane Bakery. During the pandemic, she started her baked goods business Gabe & Gray confections (@gabengrayconfections on Instagram), and she recently provided pastries for an event in chef-restaurateur Nina compton’s Black history Month dinner series.

How did you get interested in baking? KATELYN ANN JAMES: My grandmother taught me to bake after (hurricane) Katrina. I would be in the kitchen measuring ingredients with her and learning tips and hearing stories. She liked to bake pound cake, so that’s how I started. She made pound cakes for friends or family, and it grew. It wasn’t a passion at that time. I’d take a box mix and make cupcakes, but it wasn’t something I thought I wanted to do. Later, I started getting orders from friends, and they’d ask, “can you make cupcakes with strawberry icing?” That was my first time making strawberry icing from scratch. It went on to cupcakes, apple crisps, and we played around with flavors. My grandmother was a really big help and inspired me to be a baker and be my own boss. I worked at (the wholesale bakery) La Louisiane. That’s the job that pushed me into starting my own business. I was there for two years. At first, it was making cookies and mini pastries. Then, I gained more experience and was getting taught on the cake-decorating side. They taught me how to level a cake and color buttercream and things you think would be simple, but there’s a process.

How did you start your pop-up? J: I started in early 2020 when the pandemic first hit. That was when I went into it full force, because I was let go from my baking job. My husband was like, “Why don’t you start your own thing?”

P h OTO P r OV I D E D B Y K AT E LY N A N N J A M E S

The first (pop-up) happened by accident. I used to frequent a flower shop on Magazine Street and I was invited to a pop-up. I had four days to pull that off. I was baking and doing packaging — I didn’t have stickers and business labels. I almost sold out of everything: lemon-raspberry pound cake, brownies, cookie butter brownies, double fudge, cookie sandwiches, red velvet cookie sandwiches with caramel butter cream, and coco bombs. I always watched Food Network, because I enjoyed cooking and baking. Fashion was always an inspiration for my cakes. Any type of design is in my world of creation. I love color and finding new mediums to work in, like wafer paper. That’s a new thing. It’s edible paper — it melts in your mouth. I use it to create flowers and other things. You hold the paper over steam and bend it to form different shapes or textures. You could make a flower or tutu. I am also experimenting with rice paper. My favorite thing to use is gold leaf. I love flowers and floral arrangements — I like mixing fruit and flowers.

Tell us about your baking business plan. J: Gabe & Gray confections is named for my two boys. Gabriel is 5 and Grayson will be 2. They’re the inspiration for my business and my motivation. In the end, I am doing it for them. right now, I take orders through direct messages and email. With every order, I keep investing in the business. I am finishing my LLc, then I will work on a website. I don’t have an actual date, but I’d like to finish it in the next three months. — WILL cOVIELLO

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

Thursday, April 22, 2021 6:00pm - 9:00pm

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 WO 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 and served with house-made cheese dip. The menu combines Tex-Mex and dishes from Louisiana and Arkansas. Curbside pickup is available. Breakfast Sat.-Sun., dinner Wed.-Sun. $

CARROLLTON Mid City Pizza — 6307 S. Miro St., (504) 509-6224; midcitypizza.com — See MidCity section for restaurant description. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch Thu.-Sun., dinner Thu.-Mon. $$ Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado and snow crab. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch Sun.-Fri., dinner daily. $$ 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. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

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

FAUBOURG MARIGNY Kebab — 2315 St. Claude Ave., (504) 3834328; 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. Lunch and dinner Wed.-Mon. $

FRENCH QUARTER Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 5860300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — The menu features Gulf seafood in traditional and contemporary Creole dishes, po-boys and more. Char-grilled oysters are topped with Parmesan, herbs and butter. Reservations recommended. Takeout available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

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The Rivershack Tavern — 3449 River Road, (504) 834-4938; therivershacktavern.com — This bar and music spot offers a menu of burgers, sandwiches and changing lunch specials. Curbside pickup and delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 7333803; theospizza.com — There is a wide variety of specialty pies and toppings to build your own pizza. The menu also includes salads and sandwiches. Curbside pickup and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $

LAKEVIEW Lakeview Brew Coffee Cafe — 5606 Canal Blvd., (504) 483-7001; lakeviewbrew. com — This casual cafe offers coffee, pastries, desserts, sandwiches and salads. Tuna salad or chicken salad avocado melts are topped with Monterey Jack and Parmesan. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available. Breakfast and lunch daily. $ Lotus Bistro — 203 W. Harrison Ave., (504) 533-9879; 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. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$

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METAIRIE Andrea’s Restaurant — 3100 N. 19th St., Metairie, (504) 834-8583; andreasrestaurant.com — Chef Andrea Apuzzo’s speckled trout royale is topped with crabmeat and lemon-cream sauce. Capelli D’Andrea combines house-made angel hair pasta and smoked salmon in cream sauce. Curbside pickup and delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sun. $$$ Kosher Cajun New York Deli & Grocery — 3519 Severn Ave., Metairie, (504) 888-2010; koshercajun.com — This New York-style deli specializes in sandwiches, including corned beef and pastrami that come from the Bronx. Takeout available. Lunch Sun.-Thu., dinner Mon.-Thu. $ Mark Twain’s Pizza Landing — 2035 Metairie Road, Metairie, (504) 832-8032; 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. Lunch Tue.-Sat., dinner Tue.-Sun. $ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; theospizza.com — See PAGE 24

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Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco — 5015 Magazine St., (504) 267-7612; titoscevichepisco.com — The Peruvian menu includes a version of the traditional dish lomo saltado, featuring beef tenderloin tips sauteed with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, soy sauce and pisco, and served with fried potatoes and rice. Dine-in, outdoor seating and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$

harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $

MID-CITY/TREME Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream. com — This sweet shop serves its own gelato, spumoni, Italian ice, cannolis, fig cookies and other treats. Window and curbside pickup. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $ Brown Butter Southern Kitchen & Bar — 231 N. Carrollton Ave., Suite C, (504) 6093871; brownbutterrestaurant.com — Sample items include smoked brisket served with smoked apple 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. Dine-in, takeout, curbside pickup and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Wed.Sat., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$ Doson Noodle House — 135 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 309-7283; facebook.com/ dosonnoodlehouse — Bun thit is Vietnamese-style grilled pork with cucumber, onions, lettuce, mint, cilantro and fish sauce served over rice or vermicelli. The menu includes pho, spring rolls and more. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available. $$ Five Happiness — 3511 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 482-3935; fivehappiness.com — The large menu of chinese dishes includes wonton soup, sizzling seafood combinations served on a hot plate, sizzling Go-Ba and lo mein dishes. Takeout and delivery available. $$ Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — Favorites include the cajun cuban with roasted pork, grilled ham, cheese and pickles pressed on buttered bread. The Boudreaux pizza is topped with cochon de lait, spinach, red onions, roasted garlic and scallions. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$ Mid City Pizza — 4400 Banks St., (504) 483-8609; midcitypizza.com — The neighborhood pizza joint serves New York-style pies, plus calzones, sandwiches and salads. Signature shrimp remoulade pizza includes spinach, red onion, garlic, basil and green onion on an garlic-olive oil brushed curst. Dine-in, takeout and delivery available. Lunch Thu.-Sun., dinner Thu.-Mon. $$ Neyow’s Creole Cafe — 3332 Bienville St., (504) 827-5474; neyows.com — The menu includes New Orleans favorites such as red beans with fried chicken or pork

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Mid City Pizza (4400 Banks St., 504-483-8609; 6307 N. Miro St., 504-509-6224; midcitypizza.com) serves New York-style pies.

chops, as well as grilled or fried seafood plates, po-boys, raw or char-grilled oysters, pasta, salads and more. Dine-in and takeout available. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Nonna Mia — 3125 Esplanade Ave., (504) 948-1717; nonnamianola.com — A Divine Portobello appetizer features chicken breast, spinach in red pepper sauce and crostini. The menu includes salads, sandwiches, pasta, pizza and more. curbside pickup and delivery are available. Dinner Tue.-Sun. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; theospizza.com — See harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $

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

UPTOWN CR Coffee Shop — 3618 Magazine St., (504) 354-9422; crcoffeenola.com — The

selection includes coast roast coffees made with beans roasted in antique roasters, and the sweet vanilla cream cold brew is a signature item. There also are pastries and snacks. Indoor and outdoor seating, online ordering and delivery available. Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. $ Joey K’s — 3001 Magazine St., (504) 8910997; joeyksrestaurant.com — The menu includes fried seafood platters, salads, sandwiches and red beans and rice. Sauteed trout Tchoupitoulas is topped with shrimp and crabmeat and served with vegetables and potatoes. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Mon.Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Red Gravy — 4206 Magazine St., (504) 561-8844; redgravycafe.com — Thin cannoli pancakes are filled with cannoli cream and topped with chocolate. The menu includes brunch items, pasta dishes, s andwiches, baked goods and more. Takeout available. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; theospizza. com — See harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $

Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; annunciationrestaurant. com — The menu highlights Gulf seafood in creole, cajun and Southern dishes. Fried oysters and skewered bacon are served with meuniere sauce and toasted French bread. reservations required. Dinner Thu.-Sun. $$$ Carmo — 527 Julia St., (504) 875-4132; cafecarmo.com — carmo salad includes smoked ham, avocado, pineapple, almonds, cashews, raisins, cucumber, green pepper, rice, lettuce, cilantro and citrus mango vinaigrette. The menu includes dishes inspired by tropical cuisines. Takeout and delivery are available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ NOLA Caye — 898 Baronne St., (504) 302-1302; nolacaye.com — The menu features caribbean-inspired dishes and Gulf seafood. Seared ahi tuna is served with mango, avocado, mixed greens, citrus vinaigrette and sesame seeds. Takeout, delivery and outdoor seating available. D daily, brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$ Provisions Grab-n-Go Marketplace — Higgins Hotel, 500 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higgingshotelnola.com — The coffeeshop serves salads, sandwiches, pastries and more. Takeout available. Service daily. $

WEST BANK Mosca’s — 4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscasrestaurant. com — This family-style eatery serves shrimp Mosca, chicken a la grande and baked oysters Mosca, made with breadcrumbs and Italian seasonings. curbside pickup available. Dinner Wed.-Sat. cash only. $$$ Specialty Italian Bistro — 2330 Belle Chasse Hwy., Gretna, (504) 391-1090; specialtyitalianbistro.com — The menu combines Old World Italian favorites and pizza. Paneed chicken piccata is topped with lemon-caper piccata sauce served with angel hair pasta, salad and garlic cheese bread. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

WORDS

BY WILL cOVIELLO WHEN HISTORIAN K. STEPHEN PRINCE WAS FIRST staying in New Orleans to

research his new book, “The Ballad of robert charles,” he visited the site where charles was shot after days of rioting in July 1900. Police and a heavily armed mob fired what must have been thousands of bullets into a house on South Saratoga Street, where charles had been hiding, Prince says. The house is gone, and the empty lot sits across from central city BBQ. “It’s really remarkable to know that there were thousands of people in that square 120 years ago,” Prince says. “If you had a metal detector, you might still find bullets.” Though his name is largely forgotten, charles was a notorious figure for decades after that tumultuous week in 1900. A series of events started late one night when three police officers approached charles, who was sitting on a stoop in what is now central city. charles and one officer got in a scuffle, drew pistols and wounded each other. charles fled to his apartment a few blocks away, and when officers arrived there, he killed two of them with a Winchester rifle. he escaped again, and while police spent three days searching for him, white mobs took to the streets across the city, killing at least six Black people and savagely beating many more. Eventually police, along with a large mob of deputized citizens and throngs of New Orleanians, converged at the house on Saratoga Street. They riddled the house with bullets, and charles shot and killed two more police officers and three other people. Police set the house on fire to try to force charles out of the building. The violent events made national news. robert charles is mentioned in most major history books in pages about violence and intimidation of

Black people in the Jim crow South. Locally, charles was better remembered among Black New Orleanians, and some of the evidence is in the city’s music. The title of Prince’s book is inspired by a 1938 interview with Jelly roll Morton by folklorist Alan Lomax. Morton tells some of the story, and claims he forgot a song about charles. But many jazz musicians knew the story. “I found 12 of them who talk at length about the robert charles story,” Prince says. “This is decades later. Sidney Bechet talks about it in his biography. In the same volume Alan Lomax published the Jelly roll interview, he did an interview with Big Eye Louis Nelson, who tells the story. Danny Barker talks about it, even though he wasn’t alive in 1900.” In his book, Prince explores what he calls the silence of robert charles. Prince notes that William Ivy hair published an excellent book about charles in 1976 called “carnival of Fury: robert charles and the New Orleans race riot of 1900,” in which he traced charles’ life back to his native Mississippi. Prince thought he would dig into more about charles’ life, expecting to uncover more about his perspective, and also look at events in light of more recent re-evaluations of policing, violence, white supremacy and the carceral state in the Jim crow South. But charles left behind almost no words.

P r OV I D E D B Y S T E P h E N P r I N c E

charles had been a day laborer, and lived in predominantly Black areas of town, in what is now central city and Uptown. he started selling literature about the Back-to-Africa movement and the notion of Black people immigrating to Liberia. And while that literature was found in his apartment, it’s not known if he left any of his own thoughts written down. “I can see what he read, and I can see what he did, and then there’s that gap in the middle,” Prince says. “how do we unpack the sense that he made of the newspapers that he sold and that he clearly read? he was a political actor. he had a proto-Black nationalist worldview. That didn’t necessarily cause him to draw his gun on July 23, 1900.”

To learn more about charles’ world, Prince mapped his life in New Orleans and examined the context of the city. With horrible roads, sewage problems and mosquitos (a road near charles’ home was referred to as “Mosquito curve”), the city doesn’t seem that different. Prince also combed the city’s multiple daily papers from 1900 and current archives. Picking through the information is not easy, given the explosive events and filters of how race was discussed in 1900 and since. Prince pulls back the curtain on that kind of historical investigation as he lets readers in on his approach. he also probes why this event appears to have been consciously forgotten. Other contemporaneous events, like massacres in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Wilmington, North carolina, also receded in history. But other events didn’t. “The absence of white commemoration of the events is conspicuous compared to the 1874 White League coup — the Battle of Liberty Place — and the 1891 lynching of 11 Italians,” Prince says. “Those events are discussed and commemorated and kept alive, at least among white “ New Orleanians.” Prince explores how charles was and wasn’t silenced. “The interesting thing about charles and New Orleans in 1900 is that somebody fights back,” Prince says. “It is not just white-on-Black violence. It is violence across the color line. It’s not easy, and it’s not comfortable. And that’s why I think it’s so important. It forces us to think critically about whose side we’re on and what we believe.” “The Ballad of Robert Charles” was published March 1 by UNC Press.

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ALTHOUGH THE STARS OF “STRAY” ARE DOGS, it’s subtitled. As filmmaker

Elizabeth Lo follows several dogs around the streets of Istanbul, they wander through snippets of conversation. The dogs pay attention to the people streaming by, but they’re far more interested in bones and bits of food on the ground than the words of random strangers. The film focuses on three dogs, who go by names that seem to be given to them by people on the streets: Zeytin, Nazar and a puppy named Kartal. Though Zeytin has facial expressions that seem easy to anthropomorphize, the film is not particularly sentimental. The dogs wander across streets, barely avoiding cars and trains, and they examine all sorts of garbage while scrounging for food. Sometimes Lo uses close-up profile views of the dogs, and often she follows them at tail level, from a little too close behind. While the dogs are oblivious, the translations suggest the film has an awareness that is not primarily about Turkey’s canines. The movie offers an odd view of Istanbul, to a great degree dictated by the wandering dogs, though Lo’s film is not so randomly constructed. Turkey prohibits the killing or euthanizing of dogs. That is a reversal of a policy of exterminating strays that eventually was overturned due to popular outrage. Early in the film, an onscreen message notes that Turkey outlawed the killing of stray dogs due to protests against the practice. It’s not noted in the film, but the government used to allow poisoning of stray dogs to control the population, which was seen as cruel, unsafe and unsightly. Following the reversal in the early 2000s, the Turkish government captures, neuters and treats stray dogs to prevent the spread of disease. In the film, many dogs sport the ear tags that show they’ve been

Ph OTO PrOVI D ED BY MAG N O LIA PI c TU r E S

treated. The filmmakers outfitted their stars with GPS devices so they could find and follow them over the course six months in 2018 and 2019. While there are occasional views of Istanbul’s iconic hagia Sophia mosque and its minarets in the hazy distance, many of the scenes are filmed in grittier areas and along the waterfront. A few nighttime scenes are in popular commercial strips, lined with cafes and bright storefronts. There was a 2017 documentary called “Kedi” about Turkey’s cats, but this film resembles a very similar recent film from russia. Inspired by Laika, the dog russian scientists sent into space, “Space Dogs” followed strays on the streets of Moscow and used footage of the Soviet space program’s use of dogs. The 2014 hungarian drama “White God” also featured packs of dogs, and one of its main characters is an abandoned dog. It’s in one construction site in a dilapidated area that the film’s concept comes into focus. The dogs are following a bunch of young people who are squatting. One man refers to them as “glue-sniffers,” and it’s revealed that they’re Syrian immigrants or refugees. They’re surviving on the streets as well. While there are some long, mesmerizing sequences following dogs, the snippets of conversation are telling. One amusing but sad snippet features a man lecturing a woman about the intentions of someone who has followed her on Instagram. But at another point, a dog trails a political rally, and the crowd is protesting the government of President recep Tayyip Erdogan. While she’s filming from a dog’s eye view, Lo seems focused on humanity on the streets. “Stray” screens at Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge.

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