Gambit Digital Edition: November 24, 2020

November 24-30, 2020 Volume 41 Number 45

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Joyful od Mo

CONTENTS

NOV. 24 — 30, 2020 VOLUME 41 || NUMBER 45 NEWS

OPENING GAMBIT

7

CLANCY DUBOS

9

COMMENTARY 11

FOR THE IDAYS! HOL

BLAKE PONTCHARTRAIN 13

ORDER FESTIVE ARRANGEMENTS TODAY! GIFT GUIDE

LOCAL GIFTS

22

FEATURES

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 5

HONORÉ

EAT + DRINK

D E N TA L C E N T E R

37

MUSIC 47 FILM 49

C AT H Y G . H O N O R É , D D S G E N E R A L A N D R E S T O R AT I V E D E N T I S T RY I N T H E H E A RT O F T H E S E V E N T H WA R D 1562 North Broad Ave New Orleans, LA 70119

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PUZZLES 51

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Keeping Tabs

EXCHANGE 50

People are drinking more during the pandemic, but bars are just trying to survive the shutdown

@The_Gambit @gambitneworleans

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE Bar workers face uncharted territory as businesses reopen 18

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GOING THROUGH A PHASE Here’s what Phase 3.3 means for your drinking habit 19

COVER PHOTO BY CHRISTY CUSIMANO

LAST CALL COVID is killing our bars 21

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Editor | JOHN STANTON Political Editor | CLANCY DUBOS

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

Arts & Entertainment Editor | WILL COVIELLO

Senior Sales Representative

Staff Writers | JAKE CLAPP, KAYLEE POCHE,

JILL GIEGER

SARAH RAVITS

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Contributing Writers | IAN MCNULTY

PRODUCTION

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Pre-Press Coordinator | JASON WHITTAKER Web & Classifieds Designer | MARIA BOUÉ

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Gambit (ISSN 1089-3520) is published weekly by Capital City Press, LLC, 840 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130. (504) 4865900. We cannot be held responsible for the return of unsolicited manuscripts even if accompanied by a SASE. All material published in Gambit is copyrighted: Copyright 2020 Capital City Press, LLC. All rights reserved.

Le Bon Bon temps

Comedy Zony COMEDIAN MARK NORMAND HAS appeared on late-night shows including “Conan,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” and he is the cohost of the podcast “Tuesday with Stories!”

He performs shows at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, at Zony Mash Beer Project.

Bon Bon Vivant plays two shows at Broadside

BY WILL COVIELLO MASQUERADING IS PART OF CARNIVAL, EVEN FOR BANDS.

The eclectic, jazzy outfit Bon Bon Vivant dons costumes to parade every Lundi Gras with the Krewe of Dead Beans. An offshoot of the Krewe of Red Beans, the Dead Beans are inspired by New Orleans’ skeleton gangs, macabre spirits and the afterlife. In February of this year, Bon Bon Vivant masqueraded as the Grateful Dead Beans, complete with tie-dyed jumpsuits, faces painted like skeletons and an adapted Grateful Dead logo covering the wide, flared end of the sousaphone.

For Carnival, the band changes its orchestration to be more like a marching band, adding horns and percussion, and Abigail Cosio sheds her guitar for a megaphone. This year, the band also adapted the Dead tune “Casey Jones” for the parade.

“It was a hippie vibe, but with dead people,” Cosio says. “Walking down the route, people were mouthing the words. And (Grateful Dead drummer) Mickey Hart shared our (social media) post.”

“Casey Jones” is the lone cover on the band’s new album, “Dancing in the Darkness,” which it will celebrate with a live show at the Broadside outdoor venue on Dec. 4.

Before that, however, Bon Bon Vivant will record a live performance at the Broadside on Saturday, Nov. 28.

It’s part of a Krewe of Red Beans Lundi Gras album project, which will feature recordings by Treme Brass Band (performing Dec. 5) and Panorama Brass Band (Dec. 12) from the Broadside. Bon Bon Vivant will record with an expanded marching band lineup, including extra percussion and horns.

In addition to recording live versions of songs from the new album, they will cover Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” at the show, says saxophonist Jeremy Kelley. Gal Holiday also will perform.

While that show sounds lighthearted and fun, the band’s new album is built on a sense of loss, catharsis and treasuring moments while they last. The band is tightknit, with sisters Abigail and Glori Cosio, and Kelley and Abigail being married. The group was shaken at the end of 2018 by the death of Abigail’s twin brother.

Putting up the tree lights

“At first it was so life altering that I was like, ‘Whoa, maybe I’ll take a few months off and get my head straight again,’ and then I can go back to life as a producing individual,” Abigail Cosio says. “And then we didn’t take any time off.”

As she tried to move on, the loss came out in her songwriting. Songs like “Ship is Sinking” are upbeat and celebratory in tone, fusing jazz, folk and klezmer music. But there’s ambiguity about loss in lyrics like, “If this world is ending, why don’t we go out dancing.”

“Die Young” has a rocking indie folk sound, and the lilting vocals include the refrain “We missed our chance to die young.”

The band bonded around finding hope amid tragedy.

“There is this fatalistic optimism” to the record, Kelley says. “Things really suck right now, but we’re going to go down swinging, we’re going to go out singing, and these things started coming out when we were wrapping up the record.” The song “Dancing in the Darkness” also came from coping with loss, and the band chose to make it the album title.

The record includes 11 original tracks, most of them steeped in jazz, folk and rock sounds and the harmonies of the Cosio sisters.

“Dancing in the Darkness” was originally set for release in April, before what was to be the band’s debut at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The pandemic pre-empted those plans, and also stranded the band in Reno, Nevada, while on tour in March.

The group responded immediately by livestreaming a performance from a hotel room. They’ve kept up the

P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y B O N B O N V I VA N T

schedule, livestreaming shows most weeks, and improving their equipment and video skills. It’s paid off in connecting with fans online, Abigail Cosio says.

During a recent live performance at the Broadside, they took a video of the audience to share.

“We turned the livestream camera around and said, ‘Look. This is how New Orleans is being responsible and returning live music,’ ” Kelley says.

“Everybody stood up and danced in front of their chairs.”

Bon Bon Vivant has thrived as a live band, and the group felt that its first studio album was a learning experience.

“It felt safe,” Kelley says. “We were struggling to make it feel the way we do live.”

The group followed up with two live albums and figured out ways to capture their live performance feel while recording in the studio.

“Rather than isolating everybody, you light some candles and get a vibe going and think about what the song is about,” Kelley says. “You go in and cut it and put some blood in it. It turns out with some beautiful moments and some warts and that’s OK. Doing the live albums shows that it may not be perfect, but it has live energy.”

The band decided to finally release “Dancing in the Darkness” in December. They’re aware COVID could cause the cancellation of the second attempt at an album-release show. But coping with tragedy, disruptions and uncertainty has reinforced their desire to make the best of the moment and move forward.

CELEBRATION IN THE OAKS features holiday displays and whimsical scenes created with more than a million lights on and among the oak trees in City Park. There are dinosaurs, a unicorn, a pink elephant and a pirate ship in a park lagoon, and the park is bringing back a giant waving Santa Claus and the whale from “Pinocchio.” For 2020, there’s also some live entertainment, but due to COVID-19, guests must drive through the 2.25-mile route. Tickets are timed and must be reserved in advance.

Visitors must stay in their vehicles. Visit neworleanscitypark.com to reserve tickets. Celebration in the Oaks starts Nov. 26 and runs through Jan. 3, 2021.

Going Native GUITARIST BILLY IUSO AND HIS Restless Natives play a live show at the Broadside outdoor venue in Mid-City at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25. The Thanksgiving eve “Mask-erade” show features former Radiators bassist Reggie Scanlan, Eddie Christmas on drums, Sage Rouge on saxophone and keyboardist Michael Burkart.

Krown royal A SECOND SET OF RECORDED shows from the Maple Leaf Bar continues with the Joe Krown Trio featuring guitarist Walter “Wolfman” Washington and Wayne Maureau. The set is available to stream online at 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, on mapleleafbar.com.

Finally ‘Officiel’ SWEET CRUDE WAS PREPARING TO promote its latest album, “Officiel// Artificiel,” during Jazz Fest and other festival appearances last spring, but those shows were cancelled due to COVID-19. The band has livestreamed several performances in recent months, and it finally gets to do a live, local and socially distanced show at the Broadside at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28.

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A group of nonprofits and philanthropists has commit-

ted $845,000 to New Orleans organizations that provide free civil legal aid, address housing issues and help with food access. The group has donated those funds to Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center, Families for Families, Second Harvest Food Bank and Share Our Strength, in order to help New Orleanians facing housing and food instability during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell

reportedly left krewes in the dark about the city’s decision to prohibit parades during the 2021 Carnival season, leaving local krewe leaders in the lurch Tuesday when The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate broke the news. The city’s call to ban parades wasn’t entirely shocking, but the parade ban announcement on the city’s website came as a surprise even to krewe captains who took part in the city’s Mardi Gras advisory committee.

The State of Louisiana

still imprisons more than 1,500 people convicted under Jim Crow-era non-unanimous jury policies. In 2018 the state voted to end the practice, which has also been deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, but neither the vote nor the ruling apply to people already in jail. According to a report by the Promise of Justice Initiative, 80% of people still imprisoned due to split-jury decisions are Black.

The number of pounds of marijuana discovered in a 23-year old’s suitcase at Louis Armstrong International Airport.

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

Voting machines at City Hall, one of the four sites where Orleans Parish residents can cast early ballots for the Dec. 5 election.

EARLY VOTING FOR DEC. 5 RUNOFF ELECTIONS STARTED NOV. 20, HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW EARLY VOTING FOR THE ORLEANS PARISH RUNOFF ELECTIONS

started on Friday, Nov. 20 and will continue from 8:30 a.m. till 6 p.m. through Nov. 28, according to the Secretary of State’s website.

Voting will not occur on Sunday, nor on Thanksgiving Day or the day after (Nov. 26 & 27).

Voters wishing to beat the Election Day rush can cast in-person ballots at City Hall (1300 Perdido St., 504-658-8300), the Algiers Courthouse (225 Morgan St., Room 105, 504-658-8323), the Voting Machine Warehouse (8870 Chef Menteur Hwy., 504-658-8300) and Lake Vista Community Center (6500 Spanish Fort Blvd., Second Floor, 504-658-8300). The deadline to request a mail ballot from the Registrar’s office is Dec. 1 by 4:30 p.m. The deadline for the office to receive a voted mail ballot is Dec. 4 by 4:30 p.m.

Election Day is Dec. 5. To find your polling station, visit geauxvote. com. To find out more about what’s on the ballot and to see Gambit’s endorsements, check out Commentary, p. 11.

New Orleans expands coronavirus testing with grant money In an effort to keep kids in school as the number of coronavirus cases rises again, New Orleans has become one of five U.S. cities to expand COVID-19 testing to detect it in students and staff who have contracted the potentially deadly virus but do not show symptoms.

According to a story by Della Hasselle in The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate, “NOLA Public Schools will use $775,000, most coming through a joint grant from the Rockefeller Foundation and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for additional testing inside schools.”

New Orleans is at a “code red” level of COVID-19 warning, according to city officials, and they warned on social media that “residents should treat everyone like they have the virus because of extensive community spread.”

Read more on nola.com.

Just days before the munchie-inducing Thanksgiving holiday, the entrepreneurial traveler was booked with intent to distribute after law enforcement searched three pieces of luggage — for which he most likely paid extra, given most airlines’ efforts to nickel and dime passengers these days. There’s no word on whether Jefferson Parish cops regret ruining a lone bright spot in an otherwise Saddest Thanksgiving Ever for thousands of area residents looking forward to toking up before loosening their belts. According to the Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate, the budding horticulturalist was released on a $75,000 bond, and the case will return to court Dec. 28 for a status hearing.

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HAVING A SMALL, CAREFUL FAMILY GATHERING

22.7% NOT CHANGING A THING THIS YEAR

2.8%

ALL THE COUSINS WILL BE THERE, BUT I’M NOT TOUCHING THAT CASSEROLE

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

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CLANCY DUBOS

Richmond’s departure from Congress tips the domino effect RICHMOND’S DEPARTURE from Congress tips the domino effect Congressman Cedric Richmond surprised no one when he announced on Nov. 17 that he would accept President-elect Joe Biden’s offer to serve as one of his top White House advisors. Richmond won’t officially vacate his 2nd Congressional District seat until January, but already the race to succeed him has attracted a large field of potential candidates.

Most expect the special primary to be March 20, a pre-scheduled election date across Louisiana, with a runoff on April 24. If those are the dates, qualifying will be Jan. 20-22.

(Note that Jan. 20 is Biden’s inauguration date.)

Richmond’s sprawling district is anchored by Orleans Parish (minus Lakeview) and the West Bank of Jefferson Parish, but it stretches up the River Parishes and includes parts of metro Baton Rouge. In terms of geopolitics, Orleans and Jefferson dominate with more than 68% of the district’s registered voters (45% in New Orleans, 23.6% in Jefferson).

That explains why the list of Richmond’s would-be successors includes so many area politicos, all Democrats. They include New Orleans at-large City Councilmember Helena Moreno; state Sens. Karen Carter Peterson, Troy Carter and Jimmy Harris of New Orleans; state Reps. Royce Duplessis of New Orleans, Kyle Green Jr. of Marrero, and Randal Gaines of LaPlace; Public Service Commissioner Lambert Boissiere III of New Orleans; state Sen. Cleo Fields of Baton Rouge; and former St. John the Baptist Parish president Natalie Robottom.

This much I can say with certainty: Richmond will not be an idle observer. He said after his announcement that he plans to take “an active role” in choosing his successor. A number of hopefuls were in the audience when he made his announcement, in fact.

When Richmond gets ’round to endorsing a candidate, he may have to choose among close friends. He counts Cleo Fields, Helena Moreno and Troy Carter among his political allies. Fields, a former congressman, told me he’ll decide “after the holidays.” Carter is seen as a slight favorite to get Richmond’s nod

the month of giving CP Shades plaids

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U.S. Rep.Cedric Richmond announces Tuesday he’s leaving Congress to work in the Biden White House.

— but no one discounts Moreno’s appeal in a district whose electorate is 56.6% female (the largest cohort of women voters in the state).

Richmond is Louisiana’s sole Democrat and lone AfricanAmerican in Washington. Given the district’s demographics, his successor is almost certain to be a Black Democrat. Democrats comprise more than 63% of the district’s voters; 25% are Independent/ Other Parties, and less than 12% are Republicans. Black citizens account for 61% of the district’s voters.

One other number will factor into the electoral equation: turnout.

No one can predict that one, but it likely will be low — 15% to 20% by most early guesses. That means almost anyone can make the runoff, particularly if they live in metro New Orleans.

Looking farther down the political road, whoever wins this special election will have to convince state lawmakers to draw a favorable new district map next summer — when the Legislature is expected to meet in a special redistricting session in the wake of the 2020 Census.

Richmond’s departure has created quite a domino effect. Stay tuned.

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COMMENTARY

THE NOV. 3 BALLOT WAS PARTICULARLY LONG IN NEW ORLEANS, but voters turned out in record numbers for the presidential election and a host of down-ballot contests. Turnout is expected to decline significantly in the Dec. 5 runoff, which is unfortunate. Some very important local elections remain to be decided, along with the fate of one proposed constitutional amendment, three local property tax millage renewals and, for some voters, the proposed extension of a quarter-penny sales tax in the French Quarter.

Early voting began Friday and continues through Saturday, Nov. 28. Gambit does not endorse in judicial contests, but we do make the following recommendations in other races and referenda:

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION:

Allen Borne Two-term incumbent Eric Skrmetta flagrantly accepts contributions from utilities and other entities that the five-member PSC regulates.

Though technically legal, this is an awful practice. Attorney Allen Borne represents a needed break. He pledges to be an independent voice who will not be beholden to the companies he regulates.

NEW ORLEANS DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Keva Landrum Landrum is the only candidate who has actually done the job already. In 2007, she literally had to clean up a mess left after the sudden resignation of then-DA Eddie Jordan, whose incompetence reduced the office’s staff and functionality to a rubble. In less than 11 months, Landrum stood the office back up and got it working again. Now the office needs another reboot. We believe Landrum, who most recently served 11 years as a Criminal Court judge, is the right choice to right the ship — again.

ORLEANS SCHOOL BOARD:

5 runoff picks

We make the following endorsements in the five runoffs for seats on the Orleans Parish School Board: in District 2, incumbent Ethan Ashley, who currently serves as board president, has earned another term on the board; in District 4, Dr. “JC” Romero offers a refreshing break from incumbent Leslie Ellison, an outspoken homophobe whose continued presence on the board poses a direct threat to LGBTQ students and their families; in District 5, newcomer Katherine “Katie” Baudouin is a public school parent who worked for years in city government and who promises to expand mental health services across the school system; in District 6, Carlos Zervigon is a former public school teacher and lifelong artist and community leader who will focus on student-centered learning

Voters enter the voting booth at the Woodmere Playground gymnasium in Marrero.

YES — Proposed state constitutional Amendment 1 would allow up to two out-of-state residents to serve as at-large members on each of Louisiana’s four higher education management boards. This is a reasonable practice used by dozens of other states.

hit the city budget hard this year, and 2021 looks to be as bad. Virtually every city department will take a significant budget hit, including some services that could see 40% reductions. Given the current fiscal climate, there’s no good answer. But if emergency services are going to see cuts, then it follows so too should our libraries, which is why we have made the difficult choice to endorse Proposition 2. A fuller discussion of our decision can be found in the online version of this Commentary at bestofneworleans.com.

Property Tax Millage Renewals:

Proposition 3, Housing and Economic Development:

YES — New Orleans has four property tax millages that will expire at the end of 2021. Rather than reflexively seeking renewal of each, Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the City Council are asking voters to repurpose them as three millages, each for 20 years — without increasing the total millage rate. For the reasons outlined below, we recommend voting YES on all three.

YES — Two existing dedications would be combined to generate at least $9 million a year for affordable housing and economic development, two longstanding challenges for New Orleans. While more money is surely needed for these purposes, this is a good start.

policies; and in District 7, incumbent Nolan Marshall Jr. brings experience as well as leadership in helping return previously state-run charter schools to local oversight.

Amendment 1:

Proposition 1, Infrastructure and Maintenance: YES — This new millage combines expiring dedications for streets, traffic control and infrastructure into one millage dedicated to infrastructure and maintenance. The new, combined dedication would generate at least $10.5 million a year — more than $210 million over the 20-year life of the millage — to maintain and upgrade infrastructure projects in all corners of the city. This would be the city’s first dedication of property tax money for maintenance of key assets — an excellent idea.

Proposition 2, Early Childhood Education & Libraries: YES — This proposition is the most controversial, and for good reason.

Libraries serve a vital function in our communities, and under normal circumstances reducing their funding would be unthinkable. But these are not normal times: the pandemic has

S TA F F P H OTO B Y M A X B E C H ER ER T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E | T H E N E W OR L E A N S A DVO C AT E

French Quarter Management District Sales Tax Renewal: No Endorsement — Voters in the

French Quarter approved a quarter-penny sales tax five years ago to help pay for supplemental police protection from off-duty NOPD officers and State Police. That tax expires on Dec. 31. On Nov. 19th we published an endorsement of the renewal, based on reports that the Cantrell Administration and the French Quarter Management District, which is a state-created public entity, were in agreement on how the proceeds of the tax would be allocated. Hours after we posted our initial endorsement online, we learned that no such agreement had been formalized — and because of that many Quarter residents now oppose renewal. We therefore have withdrawn our endorsement.

The Gambit Ballot – Dec. 5 Runoffs You can take this ballot with you to vote!

Public Service Commissioner | Allen Borne (PARTS OF ORLEANS & JEFFERSON, NORTHSHORE)

New Orleans District Attorney | Keva Landrum ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD District 2 | Ethan Ashley District 4 | Dr. J.C. Romero District 5 | Katherine Baudouin District 6 | Carlos Zervigon District 7 | Nolan Marshall Jr. Constitutional Amendment 1 | YES “Higher Ed board members” Property Tax Renewals (No Tax Increase) Proposition 1 (Infrastructure & Maintenance) | YES Proposition 2 (Early Education & Libraries) | YES Proposition 3 (Housing & Economic Dev.) | YES

Early voting is Friday, Nov. 20 – Saturday, Nov. 28

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Our Dec. 5 runoff endorsements: DA, PSC, school board and more

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Hey Blake, With the Fair Grounds opening its racing season on Thanksgiving, I’m curious: why is it called the Fair Grounds?

Dear reader,

The Fair Grounds, which considers April 13, 1872 its first day in operation, is one of the oldest race tracks in the United States. Only a handful are older, including the well-known Saratoga Race Course in New York (1863) and Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course (1870).

Horse racing was actually staged on the 145-acre piece of land in Gentilly as far back as 1852. At the time, the race track was known as the Union Race Course and later the Creole Race Course, according to Bob Roesler’s book “The Fair Grounds: Big Shots and Long Shots.”

The Fair Grounds name can be traced to the Mechanics and Agricultural Fair, which was held on the site for several years beginning in 1859. It featured displays of horses and livestock, as well as machinery and agricultural products. After the annual event, the public began referring to the area as the Fair Grounds and the name stuck.

The Louisiana Jockey Club, formed in 1871, took over management of the Fair Grounds in 1872 and oversaw its expansion. During that first racing season, the track welcomed two famous visitors: General George Armstrong Custer and Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff, who also reviewed the first Rex parade that same year. In 1880, former President Ulysses S. Grant also visited the track.

During its long history, the Fair

P H OTO B Y A M A N DA H O D G E S W E I R / A S S O C I AT E D P R E S S

Wells Bayou, ridden by jockey Florent Geroux, wins the 107th running of the $1,000,000 Grade II Louisiana Derby horse race on March 21 at a fanless Fair Grounds race.

Grounds has changed owners several times. Many will remember the 1970s and ’80s ownership team of the Joe Dorignac family, Louis Roussel, Jr. and his son, Louis Roussel III. The Krantz family purchased the track in 1990 before selling it to Churchill Downs in 2004.

The Fair Grounds has recovered from two grandstand fires — in 1918 and 1993 — as well as bankruptcy and Hurricane Katrina. Since 1972, the track has hosted the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival each spring.

Now offering slot machines and off-track betting parlors, the Fair Grounds begins its 149th thoroughbred racing season on Thanksgiving Day, though the track will be closed to the public because of the pandemic.

BLAKEVIEW ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT CHRISTMAS IN NEW ORLEANS is the return

of Benny Grunch and the Bunch’s classic Yat-themed holiday songs for another year. This week and next, we’re going line by line through one of them to remember the places he reminds us “Ain’t Dere No More.”

Grunch begins by lamenting the loss of McKenzie’s, the iconic local bakery chain in business from 1936 through 2000. He also sings about Schwegmann’s, the city’s original supermarket chain where people made groceries from 1946 through 1999.

The song lyrics take us up and down Canal Street to visit the “downtown stores,” including McCrory’s, formerly at 1005 Canal, whose lunch counter was the site of 1960s sit-ins. There’s also Waterbury’s drug store at 536 Canal St., now part of the Sheraton Hotel.

The major department stores mentioned include D.H. Holmes and Maison Blanche, which opened in 1897 and closed its Canal Street store in 1982.

Grunch reminds us that “Krauss is gone, so you can’t try on no queen-sized lingerie,” which customers did at the department store at Canal and Basin streets from 1903 through 1997.

Other Canal Street stores Grunch remembers include Godchaux’s, founded in 1840 and best-remembered for its store in the 800 block of Canal, which closed in 1986. There’s also the five-and-dime store S.H. Kress, next to Maison Blanche and Dailey’s.More lost landmarks next week!

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THE BAR BUSINESS IS ALMOST FOOLPROOF. BARS DO WELL in good times and in bad — whether people are popping Champagne corks or drowning their sorrows. In a city like New Orleans, they are venerated temples, where locals and tourists alike come to worship. Bars are so intrinsic to the culture of the city, the number of blues, jazz and rock songs inspired by our barrooms are too numerous to count.

But the coronavirus has changed that. In the blink of an eye, the entire industry was shut down. Even bars that stayed open in the darkest days after Hurricane Kartrina closed their doors.

And the shutdown hit just when we needed bars the most: the stress of uncertainty, family members falling ill or dying, and the constant sense of dread have New Orleanians in the mood for a good stiff drink. As a result, the booze business has been booming during the pandemic — but only for producers and stores, not our neighborhood watering holes.

As New Orleans and the rest of the state have reopened cautiously while monitoring COVID cases and transmission, a constantly changing set of rules has governed bar operations.

Many bars have tried to adapt by serving to-go drinks, setting up outdoor seating or operating conditionally as restaurants. But the blow to service industry workers has been brutal in a city driven by tourism and round-theclock access to spirits.

Normally this time of year, Gambit would run a roundup of bars in the city.

But with so much of the bar industry struggling to even pay rent — and no certainty that the city won’t be back in lockdown next week — we’re taking a look at how bars and bartenders are coping with the pandemic.

Patrons watch a jazz band in Pirogue’s Whiskey Bayou backyard space.

P H OTO B Y C H R I S T Y C U S I M A N O

People are drinking more during the pandemic, but bars and bartenders are just trying to survive the shutdown

BY JAKE CLAPP AND WILL COVIELLO

MIXING IT UP Bars adjust to changing reopening restrictions

BY W IL L C O V IE L L O ON A RECENT WEDNESDAY NIGHT, Pirogue’s Whiskey Bayou’s long barroom was barren. A line of tall black barstools was mostly empty, the pool table was cleared and only a masked bartender and a handful of patrons shared the space — all in accordance with current Louisiana Phase 3 guidelines.

But outdoors, the bar’s recently instituted Wine’d Down Wednesdays was in full swing. A string trio played music on a covered wooden deck in front of an outdoor bar. Patrons in a couple of pods sat on turquoise-cushioned outdoor couches near fire pits.

All the picnic tables were occupied, extending down a gravel-covered stretch under shade canopies and around the grass yard. At the far end of the yard, a wine rep in a mask poured samples, and the bar sold discounted bottles. Pirogue’s co-owner Kelly Sheeran circled the space, taking orders, mixing drinks and delivering them.

The yard has been a lifeline for the Arabi bar.

“It’s better because people feel safer and it’s a huge space,” Sheeran says.

Nothing about surviving the pandemic shutdowns has been easy for area bars. Pirogue’s has been able to adjust to various restrictions and remedies offered by the state, and technically, it’s currently a restaurant operating on a conditional license.

“After the initial shutdown, we opened and closed a couple times,” Sheeran says. “In the end of March, we were doing to-go food. We had one bartender sitting at the bar answering phone calls and someone in the kitchen.”

New Orleans and state guidelines limit bars and breweries to 25% capacity indoors and up to 50 people outdoors. Round-the-clock access to booze has been restricted to between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. Many bars that received federal assistance such as Paycheck Protection Program funds to retain staff and pay rent have exhausted the funds.

Currently, the prospect of additional stimulus is bogged down in Congress.

How bars are surviving has become a case-bycase scenario depending on what options are available, such as adding outdoor space. Some bars have closed, and more may not reopen or PAGE 17

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Keeping TABS

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be able to survive on drastically reduced business.

For Pirogue’s, focusing on the outdoor space has made a big difference.

“We had a backyard bar prior to COVID, but it wasn’t utilized the way we wanted,” says Sheeran, who owns the bar with Lisa McCracken and Muriel Altikriti.

“We were planning to revamp the backyard — planning on doing it in April. When COVID hit, we thought we might as well go forward with it because we need the space.”

Some bars don’t have many options. For instance, Lost Love Lounge in the Marigny — which Altikriti had operated for several years — closed permanently in September. Although she experimented with sidewalk seating, the bar just didn’t have the same kind of space that Pirogues’ has, and she couldn’t make ends meet.

Owner Ed Diaz reopened Bar Tonique, a craft cocktail bar on the edge of the French Quarter, on Nov. 11, as soon as New Orleans’ Phase 3.3 guidelines went into effect. He wanted to open earlier, but it never made sense.

“The earliest we could have opened would be (Phase) 3.0, when they allowed to-go drinks,” Diaz says. “It didn’t make any sense. The rules might have worked for Bourbon Street, but it didn’t work for us.”

Bar Tonique was an early addition to the city’s burgeoning craft cocktail scene. A voluminous menu lists pages of classic cocktails and refined spirits. The big U-shaped bar is lined with house-made mixers and tinctures. But it doesn’t have much table seating, and Diaz made an agreement with neighbors that he wouldn’t use the small back courtyard. Since current restrictions don’t allow patrons to sit at the bar, he’s got a maximum of 17 available seats at indoor tables. He added three tables for two people each on the small stretch of sidewalk on North Rampart Street.

But the hardest hit for Bar Tonique is having to close at 11 p.m.

“We have a lot of service industry people that when they get done with their chef and waiter jobs, they come here,” Diaz says. “Now they close at 11 and can’t come here. So we lost a third of our business just for that. Now we only see those people on their day off.”

During the pandemic, Diaz took out loans in six figures to keep going, he says. He still pays $11,000 in monthly rent.

“The (Small Business Administration) loan has to be paid back over the next 30 years,” he adds. “That’s $750 a month for the rest of my life.”

Diaz looked for alternatives, such as operating as a coffeeshop while bars were not allowed to open.

“I was willing to invest $15,000 in an espresso machine,” he says. “I have to pay rent anyway, so I might as well do that to keep my employees. It was never going to be a sustainable business, but I thought it would help. The city wouldn’t let me. They said if I changed my occupational license, I couldn’t switch back to a bar, because I am not zoned for a bar; I am grandfathered in. I couldn’t switch to another type of business.”

Diaz treated his employees well.

In June, he guaranteed they’d earn at least $20 per hour, with him making up the difference on slow tip nights. For years, he supported paid vacations and a 401K plan, he says. But with the bar closed, he has lost half his employees.

Nearby on Bourbon Street, Bourbon Pub and its upstairs bar Parade also are working through the phases and have shrunk from a staff of 40 to 10, says operations manager Brandon Hebert.

The bar has closed and reopened a couple of times since the pandemic began. It doesn’t offer food, but it was able to sell to-go drinks during earlier phases. While it has plenty of space and a wraparound balcony overlooking Bourbon and St. Ann streets, it can’t make use of some of its main draws: Two weekly karaoke nights and drag shows are on hiatus. Dancing is also currently prohibited, and the bar normally would stay open until 5 a.m.

Despite COVID, Bourbon Street still draws tourists and revelers, Hebert says. But many prefer to stay on the street, where they can avoid wearing masks.

There have been good nights — Hebert says Bourbon Pub had a reasonable Halloween night, for instance — but those rare bright spots don’t even begin to make up for the lost revenue from major festival weekends, particularly the Southern Decadence festival crowds on Labor Day weekend.

Regular business is also down considerably. Hebert estimates that a recent Saturday rang 20% to 30% of the bar’s regular business.

Some bars are coping by adjusting to doing less business.

T. Cole Newton founded two bars that have pivoted to operating as restaurants but are open only three days a week. His Mid-City cocktail bar Twelve Mile Limit is working with outdoor seating and to-go drinks only. St. Claude Avenue wine bar The Domino, meanwhile, has outdoor seating in front and in a back courtyard, but Newton only opened for indoor service because patrons have to go through the bar

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to get to the back, he says. To keep in the black, Newton has taken on an increasing number of consulting gigs, but it’s not a long-term solution.

“It’s ‘How slowly can we lose money right now?’ ” he says. “It’s better than not opening, but we’re still in triage mode.”

You’d think that bar owners trying to keep their patrons safe would be an appreciated inconvenience for customers. After all, if you’re dead you can’t drink.

But across the region, bar owners and their staff are constantly dealing with an increasingly defiant — and occasionally belligerent — clientele. At Pirogue’s in St. Bernard Parish, requiring masks hasn’t gone over well.

“The hardest thing for us is that we see people come in and see the sign that wearing masks is required and they turn around and leave,” Sheeran says. “They go to five other bars in the parish that don’t require that and bartenders aren’t wearing a mask.”

New Orleans has had a few bars temporarily closed over safety concerns, but mask wearing and spacing are largely left to the bar to enforce.

Other guidelines have created more frustration for some bar owners. Newton would have preferred that the city had moved sooner to allow to-go drinks and the sale of batch cocktails.

Still, Newton says overall he thinks the city has done a decent job. He’s pursued special event permits for things like hosting a trivia night at The Domino and says the city permit process has been easy to negotiate.

He’s not alone. A lot of owners and operators may express varying levels of frustration with how local governments in the area have implemented COVID controls, they also understand why those rules are being put in place. The challenge, ultimately, has been finding ways to make the best of a terrible situation.

Rusty White and his partners opened Wrong Iron with outdoor gatherings in mind. The beer garden occupies roughly 5,000 square feet on the Lafitte Greenway, tables and clusters of chairs around fire pits spread throughout the space. Big screen TVs are positioned everywhere. Normally it would be packed for big LSU and New Orleans Saints games, and Wrong Iron would set up extra bars and have a DJ to pump up the crowd.

Now, guests at Wrong Iron need to reserve and sit at a table. They can’t go to the bar, and some of the staff have been converted from bartenders to waitstaff.

There’s not supposed to be any mingling, and guests are expected to wear masks if they leave their table for any reason. People still congregate to watch football, but there are no DJs. “I could have them,” White says. “But I don’t want to get people riled up.”

Wrong Iron added seating by putting tables in the parking lot, which is allowed during COVID. White also owns the Lakeview restaurant Velvet Cactus, which also has added tables by expanding service into the parking lot.

White considers himself and his Wrong Iron partners lucky. They’re essentially able to follow their business plan, just with fewer customers. He estimates that overall, business is 60-70% of what it was last year.

White says that he’s in it for the long haul. So he’s following the guidelines, and trying to maintain consistency through the evolving reopening guidelines.

“The hardest things throughout are the rule changes and getting customers to know what to expect,” he says.

Pirogue’s Whiskey Bayou co-owner Lisa McCracken preparing drinks in the backyard bar.

P H OTO B Y C H R I S T Y C U S I M A N O

ROCK AND A HARD PLACE New Orleans bar workers face uncharted territory as businesses reopen

BY JA K E C L A P P WHEN ASHLEY CARSWELL MOVED TO NEW ORLEANS in 2006 after gradu-

ating from college, she found a job at Cosimo’s Bar in the French Quarter.

She later took a job at WWL-TV, staying for about seven years, but Carswell eventually felt pulled back to bartending. She likes being behind a bar, and Cosimo’s had become family.

“I decided to get out of news and focus more on bartending and actually being able to enjoy the city,” Carswell says. She also could “plan my next step, whether it’s going back to school or whatever I decided.”

Last year, Carswell enrolled at the University of New Orleans, where she’s taking prerequisites and hopes to study occupational therapy. When the coronavirus pandemic took over New Orleans in March, Carswell felt like she had made the right decision, she says.

“Originally, I got into bartending with the idea that no matter what I did, this would be a good fallback,” she says. “Wherever you went, if you needed a fallback, this would be a good one. And then the pandemic hit, and you realize just how flawed that thinking was.”

The conventional wisdom has been that bars were businesses that could weather the worst of times as people

19

Ashley Carswell P R OV I D E D P H OTO

GOING THROUGH A PHASE

BY W IL L C O V IE L L O Area bars operate according to appropriate state or city reopening guidelines. Here are the current restrictions. Brewery taprooms and micro-distilleries are treated as bars.

New Orleans Phase 3.3, effective Nov. 11

>> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>

Bars without conditional restaurant permits may seat 25% or 50 individuals, whichever is fewer; outdoor seating is 100% capacity, or 50 individuals, whichever is fewer.

Restaurants, bars and event venues can sell alcohol between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m.

Mark Schettler P R OV I D E D P H OTO B Y J O S H B R A S T E D

at tables indoors at 25% capacity and at 100% capacity outside. This is the second time since the pandemic began that rules for bars were relaxed — in June, businesses were allowed to reopen at 25% capacity, but with COVID-19 cases surging in the summer, they were forced to again close completely by the end of July.

“I have friends who have not worked since March,” Carswell says. “I have friends who, thankfully were able to use some of the stimulus and unemployment and they had to pivot and figure out other ways of working, but they haven’t worked in the service industry since March. I think slowly as places open back up, the bartenders, the owners, the waitstaff, we’re excited. Yeah, it’s a paycheck, but for some of us, we enjoy the hospitality part. We enjoy showing people a good time and being that community hub for them.”

Carswell is currently working two days a week at Cosimo’s and one day at Bar Tonique across from Louis Armstrong Park. She says it’s a lighter schedule than before the pandemic, which has shown her she needed more time for school.

PAGE 20

Masks required in public, except when actively eating or drinking

Alcoholic beverages can be sold via drive through, takeout or curbside pickup Sitting at the bar is prohibited

Customers must be seated for table service and stay seated.

Tables must be arranged at least six feet apart Bar games such as darts and cornhole are prohibited

Indoor live entertainment is prohibited. Singing and karaoke also are prohibited Outdoor live entertainment requires a special permit

Restaurants may seat 75% of indoor capacity; 100% of outdoor capacity Bars should use a reservation system to track names and phone numbers

Louisiana restrictions

>> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>

On Nov 5, Gov. John Bel Edwards extended the state Phase 3 guidelines until at least Dec. 4 Bars may open if the parish meets certain COVID test requirements, such as 5% or less positivity rate for two consecutive weeks Bars may open for up to 25% capacity or 50 people, whichever is fewer Outdoor seating is limited to 50 people Bars may be open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Facemasks are required indoors

All patrons must be seated, and table service is required.

Table seating must be socially distanced Restaurants can seat 75% capacity

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seek out their beer-blessed neighborhood gathering spots to ride out the storm. But a deadly pandemic that thrives on groups of people rubbing shoulders has turned that wisdom on its head.

The city closed bars, restaurants and music venues in March when the pandemic took hold of New Orleans, and overnight, thousands of bartenders and bar workers were suddenly left with no source of income. The last eight months of the pandemic have been difficult for those workers, with the lights shut off at their bars, mounting rent and bills, limited financial relief, and constant uncertainty.

Some bar workers recently have been able to get back to work in some form as their bars have reopened under new restrictions. Many remain unemployed. Others have moved away from New Orleans or pivoted into new careers. And even as bars reopen, they are presented with new challenges as public-facing workers in a coronavirus world.

The city rolled out sections of Phase 3 of its reopening plans in October and early November, slowly easing restrictions. Bars can now host people

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Bar Tonique reopened when the city allowed bars to seat people indoors. The business had never done table service before, so it’s staff had to develop a new procedure, and it also instituted a minimum $20 an hour for all staff.

“We lost half of our staff since the last shutdown,” says bartender and general manager Mark Schettler, “because people had to eat. They had to move away. They had to figure something out.”

Schettler is an advocate for New Orleans bar workers and has been a voice for them on governmental committees during the pandemic.

In partnership with the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute and Tulane University’s School of Medicine, he helped develop the BRACE Pledge (Business Resilience And Community Education), a set of health and safety practices for reopening businesses.

A lot of people in the bar industry, Schettler says, “basically chance into it” and find long, fulfilling careers. Schettler had just graduated from college and was looking for work in the nonprofit sector at the height of the 2008 recession.

He liked bartending, so he decided to give it a fair shot and it stuck.

Now “a lot of people in New Orleans who are late 20s, throughout their 30s, early 40s, whatever, who are mid-career and in this industry, but suddenly they don’t have a career and the career outlook is also gone,” Schettler says.

“We’re now thrust back to that moment when we started in our 20s. ‘Well, I’ve got to do something?’ I think that’s one of the things that has been really challenging and heartbreaking.”

Bar work is a steady, good job, Schettler says, but the paths for pivoting into a new, related career are difficult to find. He’s known several people who have moved away from New Orleans to find work. “It’s a tough pill to swallow when it’s through no fault of your own that we’re here,” he says.

Regarding the bar industry, “the longer we’re out of service, it’s going to affect the long-term recovery,” says Michelle Dunnick, who leads the United Way of Southeast Louisiana’s Hospitality Cares program. “That great bartender over at your favorite neighborhood bar isn’t going to be there anymore because he’s now a realtor. That is a challenge.”

UWSELA and the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation launched the Hospitality Cares Pandemic Response Fund in the early days of the pandemic and has distributed $2.4 million in emergency relief grants to more than 4,800

hospitality workers in the region.

The Hospitality Cares program also connects hospitality workers to free or low-cost counseling services through Loyola University New Orleans’ Counseling Center; legal services through Southeast Louisiana Legal Services; and hot and take-home meals through a partnership with Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts.

Orleans Parish residents also can access rental and mortgage assistance programs.

“There isn’t a master’s degree [for bar work]. Health insurance is so hard to find in the bartending world,” Dunnick says. “Through United Way, the Hospitality Cares program has been able to fill some of those holes that workers have in their life. You might have to work three different jobs just to make ends meet. But now you probably can’t even find three jobs to piece together a 40-hour week.”

Connecting hospitality workers to mental health resources has been a strong focus of the Hospitality Cares program. Months of uncertainty, unemployment, evictions, overdue bills and little financial help from those in power has put a lot of stress on those in the hospitality community.

“We saw how it worked after [Hurricane] Katrina and people need to have a resource,” Dunnick says.

As bars reopen, those bartenders going back to work are facing a new challenge: Being back out in a world where the pandemic is ongoing. It can feel like being caught between a rock and a hard place.

The majority of customers at Cosimo’s and Bar Tonique, Carswell says, have been respectful. But “you do get a little jaded a lot faster when you have people that aren’t as understanding of what the rules are or the fact that there will be some extra rules,” she says.

If you want to support local businesses, wear a mask and follow the rules. If not, buy a six pack and stay home. Workers are trying to navigate uncharted territory, get some much-needed money back into their pockets, and make patrons comfortable.

“Just because we’re smiling and happy, and we are happy to see you, this is harder than it looks,” Carswell says. “It’s harder physically. It’s harder mentally, because you want to be positive, but at the same time you worry, ‘Is this the day someone is going to breathe on me and I might catch something and I might give it to somebody else?’ We care about people.”

21

BY W IL L C O V IE L L O

Mimi’s in the Marigny When the pandemic forced bars to close in March, Mimi Dykes didn’t know she would not reopen Mimi’s in the Marigny. The corner bar became more than a neighborhood destination almost since it opened in 2003, for everything from latenight dance parties driven by DJ Soul Sister to a hub for costumed revelers on Fat Tuesday.

The one-time homestead bank building had different vibes on its two floors. The upstairs room had various previous incarnations, including an S&M themed club, Dykes says. Under her watch, the upstairs became known for a kitchen serving tapas into the early morning hours, and Mimi’s thrived despite setbacks, like battling with neighbors and discontinuing live music shows.

Dykes had no intention of reopening during the pandemic, she says, and her lease on the space expired.

She and many of her longtime staff live nearby, and she hopes to bring Mimi’s in the Marigny to a new home when post-coronavirus conditions allow.

Circle Bar The tiny, cherished bar and music venue on Lee Circle announced in early October it was permanently locking up at the end of 2020. For 21 years, the bar packed its narrow space for touring bands, local singer-songwriters, lost legends of swamp pop hosted by the Pondarosa Stomp founders, the Mod Dance Party DJ’s, Action Action Reaction dance parties and more.

Co-owner Dave Clements — who also owns Uptown bar Snake and Jake’s Christmas Club Lounge — and his business partner made the decision to close Circle Bar after learning the bar’s back rent from being closed during the pandemic would be canceled by landlord and energy company executive Phyllis M. Taylor, but the bar’s lease wasn’t going to be extended past December 2021.

“I don’t want to put a ton of time and effort into re-opening it, knowing we’ll close in a year,” Clements told The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. “I don’t want to try and stay open not knowing what will happen (with the pandemic) and be on the hook for $6,800 a month.”

3618 MAGAZINE STREET

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

Lost Love Lounge Despite its unassuming facade on a Marigny corner, Lost Love Lounge drew crowds for a variety of reasons. There were cheap drinks, a pool table, viewing parties for sports and more in the front barroom. The back room featured a kitchen operated by various tenants, from the early Vietnamese food vendor Pho King to more recent Tex-Mex offerings. The back room also welcomed stand-up comedy and other events. But the reopening restrictions were too much to overcome, despite the addition of outdoor seating on the sidewalk. Owner Muriel Altikriti closed the bar in September.

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Johnny White’s Corner Pub There were three businesses in the two-story, balconied space at 718 and 720 Bourbon St. Johnny White’s Corner Pub and another namesake bar and restaurant all have closed after decades of round-the-clock hours in the heart of the strip. It even stayed open through Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath, but it will not survive the pandemic.

Johnny White opened the original Johnny White’s Bar on St. Peter Street in 1969, and his family still runs that business. White opened his Bourbon Street business in 1989.

The Bourbon Street space will reopen as Local 718 under the ownership of Brian Mullin and other partners. Mullin opened the Little Easy bar and grill on Julia Street last year.

DRINK LOCAL Little Tropical Isle 435 BOURBON Tropical Isle Original 600 BOURBON Tropical Isle’s Bayou Club 610 BOURBON Tropical Isle 721 BOURBON Bourbon Street Honky Tonk 727 BOURBON Orleans Grapevine 720 BOURBON

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Postmark Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

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Dreidel $19.99, cards (Pkg of 16) $7.00 from Kosher Cajun Deli & Grocery (3519 Severn Ave. Metairie, 504-888-2010; koshercajun.com).

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Keychains/Purse clips

$20.99 each from Nola Boo (517 Metairie Rd, Metairie; 504-510-4655; nolaboo.payscapecommerce.com).

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Hand carved wooden butler tray

$98, for cocktail set up, includes 2 wine glasses from Consign Consign (1160 Magazine St., 504-354-9158; consign-consign.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CONSIGN CONSIGN

SPONSORED CONTENT

23

Candle (18 oz.) $25.99, laundry detergent (32 oz.) $29.99 from Gordon’s (4308 Waverly St., Metairie; 504-354-2248; gotogordons.com).

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY GORDONS

Flasks

canvas $25, etched metal $30, or leather-wrapped $60 from Sazerac House (101 Magazine St. @ Canal, 504-910-0100; sazerachouse.com).

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Gift Cards

Buy a $100 gift card, get a $20 gift card free from The Blue Crab Restaurant & Oyster Bar (7900 Lakeshore Dr., 504-284-2898; thebluecrabnola.com).

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guide 1 CLIMATE CHANGE • Nola Caye Hibiscus infused margarita with a three-chili ice ball… the longer you wait, the hotter it gets!

898 Baronne St • NOLA 504-302-1302 • nolacaye.com 2 AUTUMN SPRITZ • The Country Club Aperol infused with baking spices, Angostura Bitters, Brut Champagne and Soda.

634 Louisa St. NOLA • 504-945-0742 thecountryclubneworleans.com 3 APPLE-CINNAMON WHISKEY SOUR Observatory Eleven Cinnamon-infused Crown Apple, lemon juice, simple syrup, cinnamon stick for garnish. The perfect cocktail to sip with your family and friends! Happy Hour: 3-6 pm M-F. 100 Iberville St.• NOLA • 504-566-7006 westinneworleans.com

1

CLIMATE CHANGE Nola Caye

2

AUTUMN SPRITZ The Country Club

3

4

VOODOO GLITTER

5

BLUEBERRY LEMON DROP

6

APPLE-CINNAMON WHISKEY SOUR Observatory Eleven in the Westin New Orleans

4 VOODOO GLITTER • Martine’s Lounge A ginger-spicy fall cocktail of: Ancho Reyes chile liqueur; Ginger elixir; Luxardo cherry juice; topped with sparkling wine! Opens at 3pm daily.

Indoor bar & outdoor patio seating.

2347 Metairie Rd. • Metairie 504-831-8637 facebook.com/martineslounge 5 BLUEBERRY LEMON DROP • Katie’s It’s been a rough year. Come join us at Katie’s. We’ll do the cooking while you relax and enjoy a great cocktail!

3701 Iberville St. • NOLA 504-488-6582 • katiesinmidcity.com 6 BLUE CRAB COLLINS The Blue Crab Restaurant & Oyster Bar A delightfully light and refreshing cocktail made with Tito’s vodka, fresh blueberries and lemon.

7900 Lakeshore Dr. • NOLA 504-284-2898 • thebluecrabnola.com

Martine’s Lounge

Katie’s

BLUE CRAB COLLINS The Blue Crab Restaurant & Oyster Bar

DRINK GUIDE 7 DARK N STORMY • Lots-A-Luck Lounge Dark Rum, Ginger Beer and Lime. Don’t let the name fool you – this drink is great in any weather! In bar and outdoor patio seating. In the heart of Lakeview.

203 Homedale St.• NOLA • 504-483-0978 facebook.com/lotsalucknola

8 LA STRADA • Pal’s Lounge Montenegro Italian amaro, rosemaryinfused hibiscus-orange aperitivo, fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Join us at Mid-city’s best neighborhood bar serving up delicious seasonal drinks, specialty cocktails, beer and wine.

949 N. Rendon • NOLA • 504-488-7257 facebook.com/palslounge

7

DARK N STORMY Lots-A-Luck Lounge

8

LA STRADA Pal’s Lounge

9

CAPRI BLU MARTINI Capri Blu Bar

9 CAPRI BLU MARTINI • Capri Blu Bar Upscale Piano Bar offers a large selection of Wines by the Glass, including Champagnes, Sparkling, White, Blush, Red & Port Wines.

Happy Hour Mon-Friday 11am-7pm, Small Plates, Live Music Thu-Sat. 3100 19th St. • Metairie • 504-834-8583 andreasrestaurant.com 10 LEMONDROP • Royal Frenchmen $5 Happy Hour daily 3-8 PM Lemondrops, Martinis, Cosmos, Manhattans. Live music on the patio Thu-Sat. 700 Frenchmen St.• NOLA• 504-619-9660 royalfrenchmenhotel.com 11 MIMOSA • Mid-City Pizza $1 Mimosas with purchase of food every Saturday & Sunday at the Mid City location only.

4400 Banks St.• NOLA • 504-483-8609 midcitypizza.com

10

LEMONDROP Royal Frenchmen

11

MIMOSA Mid-City Pizza

12

CAIPIRINHA Carnaval Lounge

12 CAIPIRINHA • Carnaval Lounge House cocktail made with Cachaca, sugar, and fresh lime.

2227 St. Claude Ave.• NOLA • 504-265-8855 carnavallounge.com 13 504HIBISCUS LEMONADE • Happy Raptor 504Hibiscus rum, locally handcrafted by Happy Raptor Distilling with 100% Louisiana molasses and infused with real limes, whole hibiscus petals, and spices. Simply mix 2oz. of 504Hibiscus rum with 8oz. of your favorite lemonade.

1512 Robert C. Blakes Sr. Dr. • NOLA 504-654-6516 • happyraptor.com 14 JUCIFER • Gnarly Barley Brewing A devilishly delicious hop bomb that makes your nostrils flair and your tail point.

Impressions of tropical papaya, mango and grapefruit wash over your taste buds.

Fermented with our house hazy yeast for a soft mouthfeel that will keep you wanting more.

1709 Corbin Rd. • Hammond • 985-318-0723 gnarlybeer.com

13

504HIBISCUS LEMONADE Happy Raptor

14

JUCIFER Gnarly Barley Brewing

15

WINE Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro

15 WINE • Orleans Grapevine Delicious French cuisine and wine by the glass, bottle or flight. Courtyard and sidewalk seating. Thurs – Sun 4-10 pm.

720 Orleans Ave. • NOLA • 504-523-1930 orleansgrapevine.com

DRINK GUIDE 16 THE MASERATI • Tavolino’s Paul Beau VS Cognac, Lazzaroni Amaretto, Clement Creole Shrubb D’Orange, fresh lemon & a lemon drop candy garnish!

141 Delaronde St. • NOLA • 504-605-3365 facebook.com/tavolinolounge 17 EGGNOG WHITE RUSSIAN Desire Oyster Bar at the Royal Sonesta An Eggnog White Russian from the Desire Oyster Bar in the Royal Sonesta is the prefect holiday cocktail. Join us after a day of shopping for one of our festive seasonal or signature drinks.

300 Bourbon St. • NOLA • 504-553-2281 sonesta.com 18 THE SAZERAC • Sazerac House The Sazerac was born in heart of the French Quarter at the famed Sazerac Coffee House. It has evolved to feature the simple combination of Sazerac Rye Whiskey, Herbsaint, Peychaud’s Bitters and a touch of sweet sugar.

101 Magazine St.• NOLA • 504-910-0100 sazerachouse.com

16

THE MASERATI Tavolino’s

17

EGGNOG WHITE RUSSIAN Desire Oyster Bar at the Royal Sonesta

18

THE SAZERAC Sazerac House

19

FIRESIDE CHAT Alto Rooftop Bar at the Ace Hotel

20

EXTENDED LAYOVER Ace Hotel Lobby Bar

21

BURGER & 2 BEERS Brown Butter

22

HAND GRENADE Tropical Isle

23

SHOCHU SIDECAR Starlight Lounge

24

PISCO SOUR Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco

19 FIRESIDE CHAT • Alto Rooftop Bar Hot Rum Horchata served fireside with spices and citrus. Enjoy festive holiday inspired cocktails by fire pits in the evening with incredible views of the city.

600 Carondelet St. • NOLA • 504-900-1180 acehotel.com 20 EXTENDED LAYOVER • Ace Hotel Lobby Vodka, Grapefruit and Rosemary make up this refreshing fall sour. In the heart of the Warehouse District – the Lobby Bar in the Ace Hotel is open Friday and Saturday from 3:00pm-11:00pm.

600 Carondelet St. • NOLA • 504-900-1180 acehotel.com 21 BURGER & 2 BEERS • Brown Butter Burger & 2 Beers for $18, Wed & Thurs, 4pm – 8pm for dine-in. Choice of burger, fries & 2 draft beers in a 22oz souvenir cup. Now offering outdoor seating.

231 N Carrollton Ave. • NOLA • 504-609-3871 brownbutterrestaurant.com 22 HAND GRENADE • Tropical Isle Enjoy the sweet melon taste of New Orleans most powerful drink - the Hand Grenade.

Available at four Tropical Isle locations on Bourbon St. and Bourbon Street Honky Tonk, or order Hand Grenade Mix for gift giving or making at home.

800-ISLE-MIX • tropicalisle.com 23 SHOCHU SIDECAR • Starlight Lounge A lighter more refreshing variation of the classic side car. Substituting a Asian barley liquor for bourbon. With hints of lemongrass and citrus, a subtle sweetness, with a crisp dry finish. This cocktail is ideal all year around.

817 St. Louis St. • NOLA • 504-827-1655 starlightloungenola.com 24 PISCO SOUR • Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco Peruvian Pisco (Peruvian Spirit), lime, simple syrup, egg whites, garnished with bitters. Peruvian cuisine. Inside and outdoor seating.

5015 Magazine St. • NOLA • 504-267-7612 titoscevichepisco.com

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Enjoy Daily Happy Hour Specials Mon- Fri 11am-7pm • Small Plates • Live Music Thurs, Fri & Sat • Enjoy our Meat & Cheese Boards • We have Royal Reds with potatoes and corn • Sunday Champagne Brunch $12 Bottomless Mimosas

NEW ARRIVAL! Just In - Wine from Andrea’s Vinyards in Isle of Capri 3100 19TH STREET • METAIRIE (North Causeway at Ridgelake) OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK • www.andreasrestaurant.com • 504.834.8583 LUNCH - DINNER - RECEPTIONS • SUNDAY BRUNCH

Starting small Small Mart offers vegan takeout in Marigny

BY B E T H D ’A D D O N O WHY THINK BIG WHEN YOU CAN START SMALL? The strategy has

worked well for Bryant Wilms since he took over Small Mart Cafe at its tiny original location on Decatur Street eight years ago. Wilms tripled his space this year with a move to the slightly larger spot at 2700 Chartres St., formerly home to Bao and Noodle. But for now, the extra space doesn’t matter because people can’t enter due to COVID-19 restrictions. Instead, the small team handles phone and walk-up orders through three service windows — two for ordering and pick up, and the third for Pond Coffee, the espresso bar Wilms opened in April.

How did this son of Brazilian immigrants end up slinging vegan Indian food and building New York bagel sandwiches in New Orleans? It wasn’t part of a master plan.

“We never really planned any of this,” says Wilms, who moved from Philadelphia with his partner, artist Skylar Fein, in 2004, after experiencing the siren call of Halloween in New Orleans and falling under the city’s spell.

“It wasn’t a rational decision, but an emotional one,” Wilms says. “I looked at Skylar and said, ‘We could live here.’ Next thing you know, we are driving the U-Haul south.”

Wilms grew up in New York City and Brazil. His family hailed from north of Rio de Janeiro in the state of Minas Gerais, where his grandfather had a farm. He learned about cooking from his mother, who prepared well-seasoned simple dishes from seasonal ingredients.

His love of Indian food and bagels is all about the culinary melting pot of New York City.

“That’s how I ate just about every day,” Wilms recalls. He started his

vegan life by eating only raw fare, dialing into the community there and catering some events, including a raw food wedding reception for 200.

“During (Hurricane) Katrina, I got to stay at Short Mountain Sanctuary in Tennessee and cooked three meals a day for a few hundred people. It was a great experience.”

When he came to New Orleans, Wilms opened a curated thrift and vintage shop called Gnome. Right next door was Small Mart, run by an Indian woman who was getting ready to retire.

“She took me under her wing and fed me every day,” he says. “She sold simple vegetarian Indian food to the vendors across the street at the French Market. It was a built-in customer base. So when she wanted to leave, the landlord asked me to take over the space and I did.”

He was so busy with Small Mart that he closed Gnome in 2012.

“I used my creative eye to curate the space and use it efficiently,” he says. Customers started asking him to make more prepared food. “It was like simultaneous encouragement, and I listened.”

In January, he moved the cafe to the Marigny, where he lives.

Every day there’s a curry bowl fueled by the chef’s own spice blends and plenty of vegetables. The chaat bowl combines the fried goodness of samosas and pakoras with basmati rice, crisp raw vegetables and house-made chutneys. Order the Bombay sandwich for toasted paratha bread stuffed with tofu, tomato, avocado, cucumber, spinach, mint chutney and vegan aioli.

The bold flavors and juicy vegetables make a winning combination.

The veggie burger is made from potatoes, beets, peas, cashews and raisins and is served on a seeded bun with vegetable and chutney toppings. Taaza salad is a crowd pleaser made with shredded green cabbage, carrots, cucumber, red onion, chickpeas, sliced tomato and avocado and topped with cilantro.

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

Oak Street seafood A NEW RESTAURANT TAKING SHAPE

on Oak Street will have a wide array of Gulf seafood, wine and cocktails to match both the selection and the season, and, because Marcus Jacobs and Caitlin Carney are at the helm, a dash of Vietnamese fish sauce and chili butter for good measure.

Seafood Sally’s is slated to open in early spring at 8400 Oak St., in the former home of La Casita.

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

Raw oysters with a seasonal peach vinaigrette at Marjie’s Grill.

P H OTO B Y C H ER Y L G ER B ER

Bryant Wilms prepares bagel sandwiches and vegan dishes at Small Mart Cafe.

Bagels, shipped from a location in his old neighborhood in New York, are baked and topped with smoked salmon (the only non-vegetarian item on the menu), a variety of schmears, or ingredients like pickles, jalapeno, vegetable hummus and avocado.

House-baked goods are vegan and mostly gluten-free.

Small Mart has kept Wilms busy despite the pandemic.

“We never closed, just immediately started doing takeout,” he says. “We’ve had to adapt, operate more leanly.

Staying safe is our No.1 priority. I’m working at streamlining the ordering process; there are just a lot of things to consider. Business isn’t what it was when we opened, but it’s remained steady. It’s a real blessing.”

?

WHAT

Small Mart Cafe

WHERE

2700 Chartres St., (504) 766-8740 @smallmart on Instagram

WHEN

8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tue.-Sat.; 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sun.

HOW

Takeout only

CHECK IT OUT

Vegan Indian dishes and New York bagels in Marigny

It will be the second restaurant from the couple who run Marjie’s Grill.

That first restaurant has carved its own niche with its Southeast-Asiameets-Deep South approach. For Seafood Sally’s, they’re out to create a family-friendly seafood restaurant that adds a wider range of flavors and influences to familiar items.

“What we’ve tried to do with Marjie’s Grill and what we want to do with this is create a neighborhood joint, a place where you feel comfortable going anytime,” Carney says.

The menu will be arranged by the fin fish and seasonal shellfish on hand that day, alongside a variety of preparations available for them.

For the boiled seafood, one of those options will be a coating of chili butter, based on the Viet-Cajun style of boiled seafood.

There will be a raw bar, oysters on the half shell, grilled oysters, shrimp cocktail, crab cakes and crab claws, and Wednesdays will bring all-youcan-eat boiled crabs.

To create the cocktail list, they’re partnering with Turning Tables, a local program working to increase inclusion for people of color in the bar and spirits business.

Seafood Sally’s will take over an old house that was long ago converted to a restaurant, near businesses like Maple Leaf Bar. Renovations will expand the bar and add a dedicated PAGE 38

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raw bar. There will be outdoor seating and a takeout-friendly menu.

The couple opened Marjie’s Grill late in 2016. Jacobs’ cooking feels like a modern rendition of Southern comfort food that recognizes how lemon grass, fish sauce and Thai basil have a place in the South now too.

The chef is at home over his smoldering, double-decker grill outside of Marjie’s Grill, tending lamb leg, pork shoulder or the whole cabbages that get cooked down for a unique house specialty. Lately, though, he’s been spending more time over the seafood boiling pot, refining techniques for Seafood Sally’s menu.

Marjie’s Grill has hosted pop-up seafood boils as the new project has come together, and Jacobs expects to do more of these in the months ahead.

Marjie’s was named in honor of Carney’s mother. Sally’s is named for Jacobs’ grandmother. — IAN McNULTY/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

Curbing the pandemic THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC, restaurants have been transforming sidewalks, patios and parking lots to add outdoor seating. Now, a handful of restaurants in downtown New Orleans are doing the same with the streets.

That includes the Pythian Market, which serves flavors from fried chicken to poke bowls from its various vendors. The food hall also has a new dining area built across the parking lane, which adds outdoor seating and boosts visibility to potential customers.

It also offers a glimpse of what could soon be much more common around New Orleans.

Just outside the food hall’s doors, burly traffic barriers mark off the space where people now eat po-boys and wood-fired pizza under umbrellas and string lights — between deactivated parking meters.

“We’ve seen how people gravitate to our sidewalk seating, and we think this will add to it,” says Michael DePaolo, managing director at Pythian Market.

“We really want to provide an environment where people feel as safe as possible to come out and enjoy what our vendors are doing here.”

Dubbed “parklets” in urban planning-speak, these curbside patios are part of a raft of programs introduced by the city to help restaurants add more outdoor seating in the pandemic.

It also looks beyond the crisis.

City officials call it a permanent new option for how New Orleans restaurants can operate outdoors.

When the idea was first unveiled, Jeff Schwartz, the city’s director of economic development, said the aim was to use the public right of way to help businesses immediately and also make the city’s framework

for businesses more versatile and pedestrian-friendly.

Parklets essentially let restaurants take over parking lanes. The city vets specific areas for safety and appropriateness, and once approved it provides traffic barriers. Restaurants can add tables and dress up the newly designated dining area with lights, fans and other such amenities.

Already common in some cities, especially overseas, the parklet concept has become a symbol of creative adaptation during the pandemic.

In New Orleans, the effort is beginning in phases, starting in the CBD. Restaurants taking part in this first phase of the parklet program include Pythian Market at 234 Loyola Ave., the Juan’s Flying Burrito location at 515 Baronne St. and the Ruby Slipper Cafe location at 200 Magazine St. Fourth Wall Coffee at 614 Gravier St. should have a parklet in place soon.

Ruby Slipper co-founder Jennifer Weishaupt has seen parklets used successfully in other cities this summer, so she jumped at the chance to add one at her downtown location. As this pilot phase begins, she’s already looking ahead for how to add a parklet at another Ruby Slipper up the street in the Irish Channel.

The Downtown Development District has been working with the city to launch the first parklets in the CBD, and loaning planter boxes, lights and other furnishings to restaurants taking part.

Kurt Weigle, president and CEO of the DDD, said the concept aligns with goals his agency has long been advocating.

“Sidewalk cafes are one of the ways we measure the success of downtown New Orleans,” Weigle says. “When you think about the great cities of the world, they’re places with outdoor dining. They’re a critical part of the street scene.”

Before Hurricane Katrina, there were only a handful of outdoor cafes across the entire downtown area.

That dynamic has been changing as the hub of offices and industry has become more densely populated.

David Williams, proprietor of Fourth Wall Coffee, has already seen the boost of adding more sidewalk seating during the pandemic, and he’s eager to expand it with a parklet.

“It’s honestly a lifeline for us,” Williams says. “When people know they can sit outside, it just draws them in. They see other people, they feel safe.”

Weigle said making parklets work is about “balancing interests,” including parking, foot traffic, bicycle transit and accessibility for people with disabilities.

“It all has to work in concert to keep people moving and have the creature comforts in these spaces to make people want to be there,” he says. — IAN McNULTY/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

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Laura Paul Executive director of lowernine.org LOWERNINE.ORG WAS FOUNDED IN 2007 to build homes in the Lower

9th Ward following Hurricane Katrina and the federal levee failures. Laura Paul volunteered with lowernine.org and now serves as executive director. During the coronavirus pandemic, the group started a mobile food pantry. On Nov. 17, it opened the permanent Levee Food Pantry at 1804 Deslonde St. in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank and Common Ground Relief.

How did lowernine.org get involved in the food pantry?

LAURA PAUL: This just started during COVID when we saw an emergent need in our community.

We had to shutter our (home) construction projects. Spring break is the busiest time of year for us, and all of our volunteers quit (due to COVID), which was the smart thing to do. So we pivoted to food security. We distributed 130,000 pounds of food out of a parking lot. We did that from the end of March until a couple of weeks ago.

Every bit of the food came from Second Harvest. I had reached out to a friend there and asked if there was something we could do to help.

The mobile pantry means people drive through. [Second Harvest] would drop off six or seven pallets of food, and we’d put it in people’s cars. There was some walk up, and we would deliver maybe 20 boxes of food to people who were not able to get out, didn’t have a vehicle or were quarantining or something like that.

We’ve had more than 1,400 households come through, some of them many times. Not all are from the 9th Ward, but the majority are.

How will the new permanent food pantry work?

P: We’re super excited to be opening the brick and mortar. That’s in partnership with Common Ground Relief, who are long-term partners of ours and have been committed to the neighborhood since Katrina. The pantry is at Common Ground Relief in the (garage space) they were using at their volunteer housing.

It’s a permanent facility, and it’s a permanent partnership with Second Harvest. They have a different type of relationship with their permanent

P H OTO P ROV I D E D B Y L A U R A PA U L

partners. We can order food (now).

We order what we think our clients are going to like and need most, and then we deliver it.

For opening day, we got some dairy with milk and cream, a little meat, some fresh produce, and a lot of rice, beans and shelf-stable items.

We’ll build up an inventory and order fresh produce and meat.

There has been no paperwork yet, but at the permanent pantry there will be. Not for everything — there will be food for people that don’t qualify, but we’re going to try to qualify as many people as possible based on income level.

[The pantry] became a regular thing on Tuesdays, and we’re going to continue to do it on Tuesdays, and we’re going to add Saturday, because I want to reach people who aren’t available during the week.

Will lowernine.org continue to expand its services?

P: We’re back doing construction, which is our main mission. We’re really concerned about Black home ownership. We’re going to keep having that be the lion’s share of our work.

Lowerline.org is raising money to build an office and volunteer site.

We have a piece of land that was donated to us. We’re going to try to build an office, so we can have community meetings.

We have been successful having wraparound services supported by other organizations. HeadCount.org came out and did voter registration and voter awareness with us. CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) did COVID testing with us. Both expressed interest in working with us again. When we get that space going, we’ll see what other wraparound services we can provide, but it wouldn’t be us doing it, it would be us partnering with other organizations. It would keep us from getting spread thin and build better relationships. — WILL COVIELLO

Send us a photo or video of YOUR 2020 holiday lights display to enter to win limited edition holiday knitwear from Miller Lite and Gambit.

VISIT BESTOFNEWORLEANS.COM/LITE FOR MORE INFORMATION All qualified submissions must include a Miller Lite logo. Our favorite photos will be selected each week to win a Miller Lite knitwear prize pack and will be printed in Gambit.

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Contact Will Coviello wcoviello@gambitweekly.com 504-483-3106 | FAX: 504-483-3159 C O M P L E T E L I S T I N G S AT W W W. B E S T O F N E W O R L E A N S . C O M Out 2 Eat is an index of Gambit contract advertisers. Unless noted, addresses are in New Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.

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

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

CBD 14 Parishes — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave.; 14parishes.com — Jamaican-style jerk chicken is served with two sides such as plantains, jasmine rice, cabbage or rice and peas. Delivery available.

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

Takeout available. L and D Mon-Sat. $

CARROLLTON / UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD 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. L Sun-Fri, D daily. $$ Pyramids Cafe — 3151 Calhoun St., (504) 861-9602 — Diners will find Mediterranean cuisine featuring such favorites as shawarma prepared on a rotisserie. Takeout and delivery available. L, D daily. $$

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

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

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

FAUBOURG MARIGNY Carnaval — 2227 St. Claude Ave., (504) 265-8855; carnavallounge.com — The music club’s Cozinha de Carnaval kitchen serves Brazilian street food.

Frango is chicken cooked with thyme, rosemary and cumin and served with rosemary-garlic aioli. No reservations.

Takeout available. D Sat-Mon. $ 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 Thu-Mon. $

FRENCH QUARTER Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 586-0300; 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 and served with French bread. Reservations recommended.

Takeout available. B, L and D daily. $$

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HARAHAN / JEFFERSON / RIVER RIDGE 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. L, D 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.

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LAKEVIEW Lakeview Brew Coffee Cafe — 5606 Canal Blvd., (504) 483-7001; lakeviewbrew.com — This casual cafe offers gourmet coffees, pastries, desserts baked in house, sandwiches and salads.

Tuna salad or chicken salad avocado melts are topped with melted Monterey Jack and shredded Parmesan cheeses.

Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available. B, L daily. $ Lotus Bistro — 203 W. Harrison Ave., (504) 533-9879; lotusbistronola.com — A Mineko Iwasaki roll includes spicy snow

Fried Seafood • Gumbo • Red Beans & Rice Jambalaya • Po Boys • Fried Chicken Daily Specials & so much more OPEN MONDAY - SATURDAY 11AM - 9PM & SUNDAYS 10AM - 3PM

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Remember when you could send a message to a loved one in a local newspaper?

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OUT TO EAT 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 a splash of pisco, and served with fried potatoes and rice. Dine-in, outdoor seating and delivery available. L and D Mon-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$

METAIRIE Andrea’s Restaurant — 3100 N. 19th St., Metairie, (504) 834-8583; andreasrestaurant.com — Chef Andrea Apuzzo’s specialties include speckled trout royale topped with lump crabmeat and lemon-cream sauce. Capelli D’Andrea combines housemade angel hair pasta and smoked salmon in cream sauce. Curbside pickup and delivery are available. L, D 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. L Sun-Thu, D 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. L Tue-Sat, D Tue-Sun. $ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; theospizza.com — See 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. L, D 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. L and D 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

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Ceviche criollo is one of the Peruvian dishes served at Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco (5015 Magazine St., 504-267-7612; titoscevichepisco.com).

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. $$ Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — Favorites include the Cajun Cuban with roasted pork, grilled ham, cheese and pickles pressed on buttered bread. The Boudreaux pizza is topped with cochon de lait, spinach, red onions, roasted garlic, scallions and olive oil. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery available. L and D Tue-Sun. $$ Nonna Mia — 3125 Esplanade Ave., (504) 948-1717; nonnamianola.com — A Divine Portobello appetizer includes chicken breast, spinach in creamy red pepper sauce and crostini. The menu also includes salads, sandwiches, pasta, pizza and more.

Curbside pickup and delivery are available.

Service daily. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; theospizza.com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $ Willie Mae’s Scotch House — 2401 St. Ann St., (504) 822-9503; williemaesnola.com — This neighborhood restaurant is known for its wet-battered fried chicken. Green beans come with rice and gravy. There’s bread

pudding for dessert. No reservations. L Mon-Fri. $$

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

UPTOWN Joey K’s — 3001 Magazine St., (504) 8910997; joeyksrestaurant.com ­— The menu includes fried seafood platters, salads, sandwiches, red beans and rice and more.

Sauteed trout Tchoupitoulas is topped with shrimp and crabmeat and served with vegetables and potatoes. Takeout and delivery available. $$ Red Gravy — 4206 Magazine St., (504) 561-8844; redgravycafe.com — Thin cannoli pancakes are filled with cannoli cream and topped with a chocolate drizzle. The menu includes brunch items, pasta dishes, sandwiches, baked goods and more. Takeout available. $$ 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. D Thu-Sun. $$$ Carmo — 527 Julia St., (504) 875-4132; cafecarmo.com — Carmo salad includes smoked ham, avocado, pineapple, almonds, cashews, raisins, cucumber, green pepper, rice, lettuce, cilantro and citrus mango vinaigrette. The menu includes dishes inspired by many tropical cuisines. Takeout and delivery are available. Mon-Sat. $$ NOLA Caye — 898 Baronne St., (504) 3021302; 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. Reservations accepted.

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 Hwy. 90 W., 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. D 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.

Service daily. $$

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crab, tuna, avocado and cucumber topped with salmon, chef’s sauce, masago, green onion and tempura crunchy flakes. The menu also includes bento box lunches, teriyaki dishes, fried rice and more.

Takeout and delivery are available. L and D Tue-Sun. $$

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MUSIC

BY KEITH SPERA FOR MOST OF HIS TWOPLUS DECADES of making

music in New Orleans, singer, songwriter and guitarist Ryan Scully has done so in collaboration with others. His albums with the hard-partying Morning 40 Federation, the Rough Seven, the Charm City Brokers, even his first album under his own name — all were recorded in a band setting.

But after the coronavirus pandemic confined Scully to his Bywater home, he retreated to the attic and recorded his new solo album, “New Confusion,” all alone.

The pandemic “forced P ROV I D E D P H OTO B Y AC H I L L E S L AW L E S S me into DIY mode,” Scully says. “It was empowering. Not Scully’s young daughter Lucile paying for studio time, you can play makes a cameo on “Look at Papa” along as long as you want until you via a voice memo recorded in a get the part right. That’s practice. I car a couple years ago. He initially became a much better player.” intended to use it on a children’s Scully has since returned to his album, “Eat Your Toes,” he released gregarious ways. He’s got a new this summer on the Bandcamp plat“psychedelic country band” called form. Instead, he placed it in “Look Ten Gallon Tinfoil Hat, and he at Papa,” perhaps the album’s most intends to start playing more with complex arrangement. the group. The band recently set up The track “N.O.LA.” is a a small PA system in a park near his sort of Scully public service house, plugged in and played for announcement. passersby. More such events are on “It’s a paradox. It’s a celebratory the horizon; he likes how songs from New Orleans song, but every day “New Confusion” evolve onstage. can’t be Mardi Gras. Some days, “The studio and live performance you have to stay home and drink are completely different universes,” some water. Some days, you’ve got he says. “The band makes these to slow down and live normal.” songs better.”

Back in Morning 40 Federation’s To create “New Confusion,” he boozy heyday, he would have learned how to use the GarageBand disagreed. Having an excuse to get digital audio workstation on his loaded on a regular basis was one MacBook. Many cuts feature a drum of his main motivations for being in machine and open-G tuning, the the band. It was his modus opeguitar tuning preferred by Keith randi for years.

Richards. Scully tried not to tinker But as a 47-year-old married father once a track was laid down. of kids ages 11, 9 and 7, “that whole “There’s something about capturparadigm has shifted,” he said. “Now ing a moment and not over-thinking I play music for the music itself.” it,” he says. “I made the decision Scully initially released “New not to dwell on a lot of it and put it Confusion” via a friend’s revived down the way it was. That’s my phiHouma Records. He’s since signed losophy of music right now — while with Nouveau Electric Records, the it’s flowing, go with it. Because that indie label founded in 2018 by the spigot turns off.”

Lost Bayou Ramblers’ Louis Michot.

The hushed “Get Meta” and the The Morning 40 Federation still drowsy, stoner drone “Covid Sheets” performs and records occasionally, recall Wilco at its most experimental. but getting everyone together, The baloney meditation of “My Little especially with two members living Phony” is even stonier. out of town, is a challenge.

On those tracks, “New Confusion” Scully once thought he’d evensounds like somebody trying not to tually give up making music and make too much noise in an attic. Not “get serious” about his life, only to so the revved-up garage rock disrealize “it’s what I do. It’s my thertortion of “Melania’s Blues,” in which apy for myself. This is the thing I’m the protagonist snarls, “I wanna be a best at.” fascist and you’re gonna be my girl!”

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Louisiana streaming

BY JAKE CLAPP

P ROV I D E D P H OTO

“The Ballad of Rose Mae” is a short musical inspired by the 1918 influenza pandemic produced by Fagan Films for the 48 Hour Film Project.

A NEW STREAMING SERVICE

focused on Louisiana associated films, shorts, documentaries, series and other content is set to launch Thanksgiving Day. The Louisiana Film Channel will feature a “Louisiana thread” of content created by Louisianans and by filmmakers focused on some aspect of the state, says Lucas Fry, LFC president and general manager of WLFT-TV in Baton Rouge. The channel also will feature content not associated with the state in order to support the thousands of hours of content needed to sustain the service.

“But the focus,” Fry adds, “when you get to the Louisiana Film Channel, the only thing you’re going to see in the top tiers is going to be something to do with Louisiana. It’s either produced by a Louisiana person, it’s produced in Louisiana, it’s about Louisiana or it’s actually from Louisiana.

We’re really trying to promote Louisiana filmmakers.”

LFC will be available starting Nov. 26 on most devices, including Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, Apple TV, Android TV, Macs and PCs and Android and Apple phones and tablets. Some films and series on LFC will be available for free while other content will require a subscription ($4.99 a month or $50 for a year) or will be priced individually.

Content on LFC will feature both classics and new productions, and LFC will be continuously acquiring new programming, including by soliciting works by emerging filmmakers through its website. The platform also plans to produce original movies and series in the future.

“You’ve got everything from weekly television series about Louisiana car shows to fishing shows in Louisiana to tattoo parlors and Voodoo and Mardi Gras and everything that has to do with food and cuisine,” Fry says.

“They come to us from independent producers and professionals that have done this for years. Maybe they had something that ran on PBS many years ago, and they own it, and now they want people to see it again.”

The LFC streaming service is an adaptation of a plan to launch the channel through “Next Gen TV” technology, the growing next step for broadcast television which incorporates more internet-influenced features. But the pandemic slowed that rollout, Fry says.

In a sort of preview of the kind of content the streaming service would be featuring, LFC presented a 10-episode weekly “Wednesday Night Movies” series on WLFT in the late summer and early fall. The series is expected to return for a 26-episode season in 2021.

The series opened with the short films “Popcorn & Chocolate,” a Shreveport-filmed drama directed

by Catherine Hatcher and written by Michael Baker, and “The Ballad of Rose Mae,” a Fagan Films production set in the time of the 1918 influenza. “Wednesday Night Movies” also featured a highlight of the 1947 Jimmie Davis biopic “Louisiana.”

“We designed the Louisiana Film Channel to promote Louisiana filmmakers,” Fry said in a previous statement. “We want to give them an outlet, so that they can be seen and heard. I hope someone in Hollywood or beyond watches their films and says: ‘I’m going to invest in them.

They’ve got talent.’ ”

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Send your favorite pet photo to vip@gambitweekly.com for the chance to have your pet published in the Dec. 15 Pets issue inside Gambit.

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Tch all subjects to elem school students in bilingual French immersion environment, utilizing the French Education Nationale curriculum. Bachelor’s, Education. Native or near native fluency, French (speaking, reading, writing). In depth knowledge and experience with French Education Nationale curriculum. Exc tching abilities. Must follow these specific instructions to be considered. Mail CV & cvr ltr to Pierre-Loic Denichou, Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle-Orleans, 812 Gen. Pershing St., New Orleans, LA 70115 within 30 days and refer to Job #2020-166.

NOTICES Looking for MICHELLE natural daughter of LINDA JOHNSON born in 1970s or early ‘80s VERY IMPORTANT inheritance rights involved. Please contact Faun Fenderson attorney at 504-528-9500 ext 318 or faun@faunfenderson.com.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY

Pursuant to Louisiana statutes Metro Storage LLC, as managing agent for Lessor, will sell by public auction (or otherwise dispose) personal property (in its entirety) belonging to the tenants listed below to the highest bidder to satisfy the lien of the Lessor for rental and other charges due. The said property has been stored and is located at the respective address below. Units up for auction will be listed for public bidding on-line at www.StorageTreasures.com beginning five days prior to the scheduled auction date and time.

The terms of the sale will be cash only. A 10% buyer’s premium will be charged per unit. All sales are final. Metro Storage LLC reserves the right to withdraw any or all units, partial or entire, from the sale at any time before the sale or to refuse any bids.

The property to be sold is described as “general household items” unless otherwise noted. All contents must be removed completely from the property within 48 hours or sooner or are deemed abandoned by bidder/buyer. Sale rules and regulations are available at the time of sale.

Metro Self Storage-4320 Hessmer Ave., Metairie, LA 70002-(504) 455-3330-Bidding will close on the website www.

StorageTreasures.com on 12-10-2020 at 10:00 am for the following units: Albert Edward Toca Jr unit 3080: boxes, kitchen chairs, shelf, dining table, lamp and Ironing board. Shannon Michael Smith unit 2038: clothing, boxes and toys. Leskisher Renee Luckett unit 3147: toys, slow cooker, chest of drawers, box spring, frame, headboard and mattress.

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PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE A STUDY IN SCARLETT

By Frank A. Longo

30 A wide physical variety 37 Stretch (out) 38 Oscar winner Jared 39 Seattle baseball team 40 Possible reply to “Who’s there?�

43 Debater’s platform 44 Model Klum 46 While lead-in 47 1997 James Bond film 51 — trial basis 52 Mess up morally 53 Locale of Ali’s “Rumble in the Jungle�

54 Immune response trigger 59 Mess up 61 Canine coat

63 Scarf site 65 “Yay, me!�

66 Question about a weak effort 72 Woman on the throne 73 Designer Cassini 74 Father 75 LA-to-IN dir.

76 Apply via an aerosol 79 Rockabilly singer Chris 82 “Send help!�

84 Epoch 86 Influential Brian Eno album of 1975 90 Peter of “Columbo�

94 Dark beer 95 Rock guitarist Lofgren 96 No-brainer class

PR

97 Cut across 99 “Le Roi d’Ysâ€? composer Édouard — 100 Sun. church oration 101 Fifteen minutes of fame 105 Triceps’ place 108 Quick snacks 109 Intense anger 110 Electrical resistance measures 112 Shrink back 113 Novel and film whose last line is formed by six key words in this puzzle 118 “— Is Bornâ€?

119 Came to an end 120 Finnish architect Alvar — 121 Comes to an end 122 Je ne — quoi 123 Bullets, e.g.

124 Hair lock DOWN 1 Ex-Yankee Hideki — 2 Snug eateries 3 “CĂłmo —?â€?

4 Rugged trucks, briefly 5 Ones sharing in meals, e.g.

6 Jazz singer Waters 7 “Little piggy�

8 Young child 9 Verb suffix in the Bible 10 Olympic craft 11 Top points 12 “— Na Na�

13 She cackles 14 Home of St. Francis 15 Contour of one’s kisser 16 Coldest refrigerator part 17 Bookworms 18 “Oh no, mice!�

21 River giant, informally 24 Floor square 28 Actor Brody 31 Deli side dish 32 Ketchup brand 33 Befuddled 34 Surrounded by 35 Gymnast Comaneci

GARDEN DISTRICT OFFICE 2016 & 2017

36 JFK jet, once 37 Angsty music genre 40 Skater Midori 41 Gets rid of some flab 42 More brainy 43 Dunkable treat 44 “— mud in your eye!�

45 Put up 48 Rock fissure 49 Pickling liquid 50 Clic — (Bic brand) 55 Persia, now 56 Artillery unit members 57 Aged 58 Prefix with classical 60 Actress Perlman 62 Pi follower 64 Early English dramatist Thomas 66 Mental figs.

67 Novelist Seton 68 Peace Nobelist Root 69 Surrounded (by) 70 Springs in deserts 71 Japanese wheat noodle 77 Beginnings 78 Tally mark 80 Strain at — (fuss over trivialities)

ABR, CRS, GRI, SFR, SRS

81 Shrimplike crustacean 83 Sugary delicacy, old-style 85 Org. for periodontists 87 Carry along 88 Race in “The Time Machine�

89 Rowing tool 90 Bouquet-bringing co.

91 Middle East studier 92 Let have it 93 Ski mask, e.g.

98 Villains’ looks 99 Lerner’s partner in musicals 100 “Quiet down�

102 Moses’ mount 103 Hunts quarry 104 Reached 105 Moving spryly 106 Fees for flats 107 Old PC platform 111 Wage — of words 112 Used to exist 113 Motorist’s navig. aid 114 Ending for Rock 115 Boise is its cap.

116 Actor Hanks 117 Fan sound

ANSWERS FOR LAST ISSUE’S PUZZLE: P 50

PUZZLES

ACROSS 1 Acquire a wintry glaze 6 Ending for Rock 10 Dollars and cents 14 Woodard with four Emmys 19 Many a Jamaican believer, informally 20 Canine pain 22 “Yes, —!� (“Definitely!�)

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