Mardi Gras Week 2 (2021)

February 9-15 2021 Volume 42 Number 6

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G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 9 - 1 5 > 2 02 1

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CONTENTS

FEB. 9 – FEB. 15, 2021 VOLUME 42 || NUMBER 6

DEAREST PORTA-POTTY! OH, HOW I MISS THEE 23 GAMBIT AT 40: THE MARDI GRAS COVERS 24 MARDI GRAS WITH MY AUNTIE AN’ DEM

27

THIS RECIPE PROVES MICHELLE MCMAHON IS SMARTER THAN US 27 EVEN JEFF LANDRY WILL WEAR A MASK ON MARDI GRAS 28 HOT CARNIVAL TUNES TO BACK DAT AZZ UP TO ON YOUR PORCH 29 DUKE REX REMEMBERS PARADES OF CARNIVAL PAST 31 WHEN SNL TRIED TO MARDI GRAS, AND FAILED HILARIOUSLY 34 NEWS

OPENING GAMBIT

7

COMMENTARY 9

3332 Bienville Street | 504-827-5474 | neyows.com Sun 11am - 7pm - Brunch til 2pm Mon-Thursday -11am -9pm • Fri & Sat 11am-11pm

19

CLANCY DUBOS

House Pardi Gras 2021 Krewe of House Floats goes worldwide

BLAKE PONTCHARTRAIN 13 FEATURES

COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF KREWE OF HOUSE FLOATS COVER DESIGN BY DORA SISON

Wrap Your Valentine in

10

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 5 EAT + DRINK

38

MUSIC 44 @The_Gambit

YLF Signature Fragrance

FILM 45

@gambitneworleans

PUZZLES 47

@GambitNewOrleans

EXCHANGE 47

STAFF

Publisher | JEANNE EXNICIOS FOSTER

EDITORIAL

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Senior Sales Representative

Staff Writers | JAKE CLAPP, KAYLEE POCHE, SARAH RAVITS

Contributing Writers | IAN MCNULTY

PRODUCTION Creative Services Director | DORA SISON

Gift sets available

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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 2021 Capital City Press, LLC. All rights reserved.

No more lonely fans Live burlesque show ‘Shadowban’ is at Okay Bar Feb. 11-14

BY WILL COVIELLO ZOOM MEETINGS MAY BE THE NEW NORMAL in the business world, but

livestreaming shows is not much of a substitute in show business.

“Sometimes it’s really fun, and I’m like, ‘Wow, this is a new medium,’ ” says burlesque dancer and singer Lola van Ella. “Other times it feels incredibly tedious. It’s exhausting. I miss the energy exchange that exists between audience and performer.”

She also misses working with other dancers.

“Primarily, my focus, my jam, is collaboration and making these immersive spectacles,” she says.

Before the pandemic, van Ella starred in The Van Ella Bordella at the AllWays Lounge & Theatre — a weekly show with an immersive Storyville setting and some jazz standards and vampy, bluesy songs from Broadway shows. She also toured the country with the Bordella ensemble and a band, and as a solo performer.

But with “Shadowban,” which debuts outdoors at the Okay Bar on Feb. 11-14, van Ella worked with dancers and singers on a show about shedding the isolation of the pandemic. “’Shadowban’ is in response to missing collaboration,” van Ella says. “I have these amazing people in my life who I trust with the creative process. We write together, we come up with skits and songs, but we weren’t doing that for the past year, so I started thinking about how to get back to that. How can I create a space for the performers and people I love and respect? How can I allow some catharsis to happen?

The title came later, but the concept was letting them tell their stories through movement and burlesque and drag and all the mediums in which these artists thrived.”

The show is an ensemble piece with a throughline that follows the seasons from Carnival last year to now. The audience will be surrounded by four stages, each representing a season.

“Shadowban” is heavy on burlesque and dance. Local drag performer Laveau Contraire will dance in the show. Burlesque dancer and singer Sailem will perform “The Plague Ballet.” Local duo Kitten N’ Lou will do a burlesque and clowning piece. Angie

Z will do a singing striptease tribute to the online site OnlyFans. com, and other burlesque and boylesque performers include Synamin Vixen, Eddie Lockwood and the Great Dane. Dancers Cassandra CorralesBrupbacher and Olivia McCoy also perform.

The name “Shadowban” comes from the way burlesque dancers, sex workers and others have been pushed off social media platforms. It isn’t a literal ban, but constrained traffic makes the platform useless to them.

“People will have 10,000 followers on Instagram, but only 200 people see their posts,” van Ella says.

“It’s because they’ve been ‘shadowbanned.’

It’s silent. You don’t get an alert that it’s happened to you, but suddenly your engagement goes way down. No one sees your posts.”

Shadowbanning has existed for several years, but it became a problem for van Ella and other burlesque dancers during the pandemic. While musicians, comedians and actors could switch to livestreaming shows, burlesque performers had troubles connecting with audiences on the biggest social media platforms. Many of them turned to subscription and user-supported sites like OnlyFans and Patreon. Van Ella posts burlesque and pin-up work on OnlyFans and also tried burlesquegalaxy.com, she says.

Van Ella and frequent collaborator Jeez Loueez, who choreographed some of “Shadowban,” also launched their own online sitcom during the pandemic. They created four episodes of “Loleezbo,” in which they play themselves as two broke dancers cooped up in their own apartment during the pandemic. The second episode featured Shea Coolee, the winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 5.” The show also got technically savvy, with outdoor scenes in City Park filmed with a drone camera. In January, van Ella and Loueez shared the top spot in the online magazine 21st Century Burlesque’s readers’ poll of the most influential performers of 2020.

The “Shadowban” cast was prepared to do some rehearsals and preparation

Sweetheart BURLESQUE DANCER TRIXIE MINX HOSTS AN ONLINE VALENTINE’S DAY SHOW featuring fan dancing angels, roller skating cowboys and plenty of striptease. The show will be livestreamed from d.b.a. on Stageit.com at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, and package buyers can have Trixie, dressed as Cupid, deliver a small Chantilly king cake from Bywater Bakery on Valentine’s Day. Visit trixieminx.com for the link.

Scattershot PERCUSSIONIST MIKE DILLON HIGHLIGHTS ANOTHER INSTALLMENT OF THE SCATTERJAZZ SERIES at Broadside. Dillon is backed by drummer Nikki Glaspie, keyboardist Brian Haas and Brooks Hubbert. Swamp funk outfit The Iceman Special also performs at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10. Visit broadsidenola.com for tickets.

Mardi gr’all “MARDI GRAS FOR ALL Y’ALL” IS A THREE-NIGHT ONLINE CELEBRATION OF CARNIVAL WITH MUSIC, entertainment, local celebrities and features on this year’s happenings, such as house float decorations and more. Find links on NOLA.com’s YouTube and Facebook pages Feb. 12 through Feb. 14.

Full tank

P H OTO B Y G RE G I N DA

Lola van Ella created ‘Shadowban.’

online, but the weather has allowed them to do all rehearsals outdoors, van Ella says. The set at the Okay Bar is built out with lighting and a sound system. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.com.

Van Ella has lived in New Orleans for two and a half years, but she performed here often, including in early competitions of the New Orleans Burlesque Festival. She’s from St. Louis, where she coined her stage name and ran her own burlesque and dance studio as well as the annual Show-Me Burlesque festival. In New Orleans, she added performances for tourist and convention events, but those gigs are on hold during the pandemic.

Van Ella has participated in a few live performances in recent months.

She played the Virgin Mary in Kitten N’ Lou’s living Nativity in fall. She has performed in some of Trixie Minx’s live-streamed shows from d.b.a., and van Ella and Loueez will co-host Minx’s Valentine’s Day show from d.b.a. on Feb. 9.

TANK AND THE BANGAS performs a couple of live shows at the Broadside.

SaxKixAve, the duo of Bangas saxophonist Albert Allenback and emcee Alfred Banks, opens at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12, and Sunday, Feb. 14. The Broadside hosts Big Freedia on Feb. 11, and Sweet Crude at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14.

Visit broadsidenola.com for tickets.

Monk and funk KEYBOARDIST JOHN “PAPA” GROS IS JOINED BY BIG CHIEF MONK BOUDREAUX for an outdoor show at Southport Hall at 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14. Gros’ band is rounded out by saxophonist Brad Walker, guitarist Takeshi Shimmura, trumpeter John Culbreth, bassist Matt Booth and drummer Russ Broussard. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.com.

Moon shot ON HER RECENTLY RELEASED ALBUM “GOD & SEX,” Nigerian-American vocalist 19th Moon sings over an electronic soundscape incorporating piano and strings. She performs songs from the album in an interactive Zoom concert at Southern Rep at 3 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 14, and a recording of the show will be available online from Feb. 15 to March 8 via Eventbrite.com. Visit southernrep.com for online links to the performance.

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6

7

N E W

O R L E A N S

N E W S

+

V I E W S

Les Mardi Gras sont d’sus un grand voyage

# The Count

Thumbs Up/ Thumbs Down

41

Norman C. Francis Parkway was officially chris-

tened on Jan. 28 by Dr. Norman C. Francis, Mayor LaToya Cantrell and other city officials. Francis, former president of Xavier University of Louisiana, cut the ribbon during a ceremony along the roadway near the university he led for nearly 50 years. The street, formerly named for Confederate president Jefferson Davis, is one of the first in a host of roads and parks the city plans to rename soon.

The capacity, percentage wise, that some downtown hotels are expecting to fill with tourists over the weekend leading up to Fat Tuesday.

New Orleans & Co., the city’s tourism board, surveyed 23 hotels who reported they expect occupancy rates to peak at 41% on Feb. 13 and dip back down to 11% by the following Thursday. But according to The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate, some hotels say deals for lastminute travelers could fill hotels up to 60%, despite parade cancellations and, you know, a global pandemic.

S C REE N S H OT F R O M T W I T T ER . C O M

A crowd packed onto Bourbon Street during the last weekend of January 2021.

CITY ANNOUNCES COVID CARNIVAL RULES Greater New Orleans Foundation is distributing

more than $1 million in grants to 28 Black-led New Orleans organizations, including Ashe Cultural Arts Center, Grow Dat Youth Farm, House of Tulip, Junebug Productions, No Dream Deferred and Thrive New Orleans. The grants are part of GNOF’s Greater Together Fund for Racial Equity.

Sen. Bill Cassidy speaking on Fox News Sunday, tried to blame teacher unions for some public schools being closed to in-person classes — instead of the fact that many schools lack adequate funding to safely reopen during the pandemic.

Cassidy was on the show to talk about the Republicans’ $618-billion counteroffer to President Joe Biden’s $1.9-trillion coronavirus aid package. Biden’s plan includes $170 billion for schools — money that could help them re-open once it is safe to do so.

MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL ON FEB. 5 ANNOUNCED major restrictions for the final days of Carnival, including the closure of all bars, a ban on all to-go drinks and street closures and barricades in normally congested areas.

The restrictions — in effect Feb. 12 through Mardi Gras Day on Feb. 16 — are an effort by the city to prevent another surge in COVID-19 cases following Mardi Gras, especially as new variants of the virus spread.

For those five days, all bars will be shut down, including those with conditional use permits through the state Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control. Restaurants, stores and other businesses will be allowed to remain open but will not be allowed to serve to-go drinks.

City officials said barricades will be installed at every intersection from Canal Street to Dumaine on Bourbon, and at the 500 and 600 block of Frenchmen Street from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. with officers manning them.

Cantrell also said there would be an immediate increased police presence on Bourbon Street and throughout the city, and that large gatherings, including street performances, “will not be tolerated.”

Loitering on Bourbon Street, Frenchmen Street and under the Claiborne overpass will also be banned.

The announcement follows recent photos circulating on social media of large, unmasked gatherings in the city, including at least one on Bourbon Street over the weekend, as well as news that French Quarter area hotels are expecting at least 40% occupancy Mardi Gras weekend through Fat Tuesday.

“I’d rather be accused of doing too much than doing too little,” Cantrell said.

Police Department Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said businesses found to be violating the guidelines could lose their permits beyond Mardi Gras, and that individuals could be fined up to $500.

Cantrell said the heightened enforcement and new measures would have a “financial impact” on the city, and that the fencing implemented under the Claiborne underpass from St. Louis Street to St. Bernard Avenue will cost around $69,000.

PAGE 8

C’est What

?

How are you celebrating Mardi Gras?

40.9%

33.3%

SITTING ON THE PORCH WITH A CASE OF BEER

DRESSING UP AND LOOKING FOR HOUSE FLOATS

13.4%

12.4%

QUARANTINING. I GOT COVID FROM THE NYX BALL

CHECKING OUT THE FRENCH QUARTER, MASK IN HAND

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

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OPENING GAMBIT

8 G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 9 - 1 5 > 2 02 1

OPENING GAMBIT PAGE 7

Miracle in the form of crawfish bread PARADES MAY BE CANCELED THIS YEAR due to the COVID-19 pan-

WWW.BESTOFNEWORLEANS.COM

demic, but the Krewe of House Floats has caused a bit of a Carnival miracle.

A Jazz Fest-themed house float in Old Jefferson prominently featuring the festival’s crawfish bread made it back to John Ed Laborde, who created the bread in 1984. With the help of the internet, his son Nick Laborde was able to track down the creators and send them some bread to tide them over until the fall.

The house float has caught the attention of many locals bracing for a second fest-less spring in New Orleans, so it wasn’t long before a relative sent the Labordes a photo of it the afternoon of Jan. 31. They immediately wanted to get in touch with the creators. The only problem was they had no idea who to reach out to.

“All I could think to do was alright, I’ll go post it on the New Orleans Reddit,” Nick Laborde told Gambit. “I’m sure somebody knows somebody who knows them.”

So he posted the picture with the caption, “Would the owner of this amazing Jazz Fest float house happen to browse this sub? The Crawfish Bread Man wants to send you some goodies.”

Less than 24 hours and more than 650 upvotes later, Nick Laborde was in contact with Aimee Garafola and Liz Broekman, who decorated the house together as part of Old Jefferson’s theme, “Oh, The Places We Didn’t Go!” They had each been planning to do a house float, but when they realized they’d both instantly thought of Jazz Fest upon hearing the theme, they decided to pool their resources together and work on decorating Garafola’s house.

“The whole two weekends of Jazz Fest last year we just listened to WWOZ and laid out by the pool and missed it so much,” Broekman said.

The friends say they probably spent around 20 hours over several weekends planning and decorating the house on Jefferson Park Avenue. They hired Jazz Fest sign maker Nan Parati to create custom signs, bought float flowers from Philip Fricano’s PFJ Parade Floats and got petal paper and fringe from the Jefferson Variety Store.

Each window on the house has silhouettes whipping up a different Jazz Fest staple, including mango freezes, cochon de lait po-boys,

crawfish Monica and crawfish bread.

Garafola and Broekman set up their own Jazz Fest cubes, and even decorated the front door a familiar bright blue hue — that of a Porta Potty. If you look closely, you can see a toilet paper roll dangling above the door.

For throws on Mardi Gras Day, they’ll be doling out custom gold and black Krewe of House Floats cups by Party Cup Express, glitter masks and moon pies. They’re still planning on adding a few finishing touches, including a Bernie Sanders cutout to man the tractor and a Jazz Fest medical tent, similar to the ones Garafola has worked as a nurse during the festival for 20 years, she said.

Though neither were on Reddit before, Garafola got wind of the post from her 12-year-old daughter who had heard about it from a friend. They both made accounts and reached out to Nick Laborde, who is sending them three loaves of crawfish bread — both of their favorite Jazz Fest foods.

“We just thought, man, those are the people that we are here for,” Nick Laborde said. “Those are the type of people that my dad looks forward to meeting every single year at Jazz Fest. So the second he saw that he’s like, ‘We have to take care of them. We have to send them some crawfish bread because they probably need it.’ ” Nick Laborde said the house float meant a lot to his father, who has been a vendor at Jazz Fest for nearly 40 years. Last year was the first year since his father started serving his bread that the festival was canceled.

The other 50 weeks a year, John Ed Laborde runs a catering business in Marksville called Panaroma Foods, which has also been impacted by pandemic safety restrictions halting large events.

His son said online orders — where whole frozen loaves of the bread are shipped and ready to be heated in the oven — are what kept the business afloat last year.

“I think for him, it’s that very just humble idea of, oh, people still care about what we’re doing, even in the midst of all the craziness of the past almost year of our collective lives,” Nick Laborde said.

Crawfish bread, shrimp bread, sausage jalapeno bread and king cakes can be ordered online from Panaroma Foods in Marksville at nolacrawfishbread.com.

— KAYLEE POCHE

9

COMMENTARY

WITH MARDI GRAS FAST APPROACHING and tens of

thousands of tourists set to flood the city’s hotels and streets in maskless revelry, the Cantrell administration announced on Feb. 5 that it would, finally, begin enforcing COVID-19 safety rules not only against its citizens but against visitors as well.

Cantrell warned of street closures in the French Quarter and said bars citywide must close between the Friday before Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday. The city will also ban go-cups and outdoor street music — and enforce the new rules via arrests and fines. It was a remarkable reversal for Cantrell’s administration, which only days earlier rejected such steps as having little or no effect.

The course correction makes some sense.

Cantrell has faced intense criticism for weeks to put some balance into the city’s efforts to control the local spread of Covid-19.

Unfortunately, her “one size fits all” approach to closing bars strikes us as yet another overreach.

For months, the city’s lackluster enforcement efforts have appeared to favor the tourism industry over neighborhood businesses, particularly local bars and music venues.

The city’s bifurcated enforcement approach has bred resentment among locals, most of whom have responded to the Covid crisis with a sense of community responsibility.

Cantrell could have pursued an approach limiting travel to the city through public statements and restrictions on hotel occupancy rates — along with strict limits on how locals go about their daily lives — while still allowing businesses to stay open.

This approach would have been more equitable, subjecting tourists and college students to the same crowd restrictions, fines and arrests faced by those of us who live here. We believe it also would have been better for all local businesses in the long run.

Cantrell deserves high marks for leading local efforts to fight Covid infections in the city. However, her administration’s missteps in containing the risk posed by too many tourists contrast sharply to how locals have responded to the pandemic.

From Rex and Zulu to Red Beans and House Floats, Carnival krewes

all seasons reversible woven tote $78 black

gun metal

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

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

‘Maison MASKquerade’ Mardi Gras house float, 6000 St. Charles Ave.

have turned their creative energy toward supporting our community.

They’ve raised money, collected supplies and provided aid and comfort to those most in need during the pandemic — and thereby to us all.

Likewise, Baby Dolls, steppers and Black Masking Indians have lived up to their shared roots.

Even more critical has been the dedication everyday New Orleanians have shown to protecting each other. There is no other place in America, and few others on Earth, where the idea of avoiding physical contact — let alone staying at least six feet apart — is more foreign than New Orleans. Yet every time Covid spikes, we respond not with protests or defiance but with a renewed sense of purpose. That’s how we’ve bent the curve every time.

The tourism industry has suffered enormously, no doubt just as much as local businesses. The key to our city’s economic future is our shared ability to keep the virus under control through our collective sacrifice — and uniform enforcement of city regulations that target the problem, not the locals who have shown their commitment to doing whatever’s necessary.

E D I S B R U C S E L D D U C &

Special 3 Course $ Valentine’s Dinner for 2 Plus a Bottle of Bubbly

85

ine-in ation for D v r se e r r u k-up Make yo urbside Pic C r fo r e d or Or

STARTER

Char Grilled Baby Artichokes

ENTREES

Smoked Prime Rib or Seared Sea Scallops

DESSERT

Chocolate Terrine Served with a chilled bottle of bubbly

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G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 9 - 1 5 > 2 0 2 1

Cantrell Covid flipflop fails at equitable enforcement

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 9 - 1 5 > 2 02 1

10

CLANCY DUBOS @clancygambit

Get ready for round two of the library funding fight THE FIGHT OVER FUNDING

New Orleans’ public libraries is not over. The next round will likely come Oct. 9, the projected date of a second citywide referendum to renew an expiring property tax millage dedicated to libraries. This time, things will be different.

For starters, the proposed Oct. 9 referendum will present a “renewal” in the fullest sense of the word. It will ask voters to extend for 19 years all 3.14 mills of the existing tax millage, which expires at the end of this year. (Voters approved a separate 2.5 mills for libraries in 2015. That tax remains on the books through 2040.)

In December, Mayor LaToya Cantrell asked New

Orleanians to renew the expiring millage at a much lower rate — just under 1 mill.

Outraged voters rejected that idea by a 57-43% margin. It was a rare electoral rebuke of Herroner, coming just 10 months before she faces re-election.

Another big difference this time: City Council members — not the mayor — are leading the charge for renewal. Council president Helena Moreno and District A Councilman Joe Giarrusso announced plans for an Oct. 9 referendum. “The people have spoken, and we have listened,” Moreno said.

The full council will weigh in at its next meeting on Feb. 11.

The state Bond Commission also must approve the call.

Timing is another key difference. The mayor’s ill-fated Dec. 5 referenda coincided with local runoffs after the Nov. 3 presidential election. Voter turnout declined sharply in December.

The proposed Oct. 9 library millage referendum coincides with citywide primaries for mayor, City Council and other municipal offices. Turnout will likely be high. Equally if not more important, every candidate on the ballot will have to take a stand on the renewal.

Even if she draws no major opponent, Cantrell will have to explain why she proposed cutting library funding less than a year earlier.

The mayor also will have to explain why her administration misled the Council, the media and the public about her library proposition — one of three millage renewals that went down in flames

S TA F F P H OTO B Y S O P H I A G ER M ER

Council President Helena Moreno and Councilman Joe Giarrusso are leading a push to renew a library millage before it expires at the end of the year.

on Dec. 5. (Full disclosure: Gambit was among those hoodwinked by the Cantrell Administration’s arguments and numbers. We endorsed all three propositions, a decision we regretted and for which we apologized.)

One mill is the equivalent of one-tenth of 1 percent. It generates .001 times a property’s “assessed value” in property taxes. Louisiana’s constitution

requires residential property to be assessed at 10% of its fair market value; commercial property is assessed at 15%.

The proposed 3.14 mills would cost property owners $31.40 a year for every $10,000 in “assessed value.”

Talk of millages tends to make people’s eyes glaze over, but voters made it clear in December they won’t tolerate cuts to city libraries.

By leading the push to put full renewal of the library’s expiring millage on the same ballot as Cantrell’s bid for re-election, Moreno and Giarrusso have taken the initiative away from the mayor — and put her on the hot seat.

WE CARRY EACH OTHER It’s how we do things in Louisiana during times of challenge. We’re stronger together and we know our strength lies in the helping hands of our neighbors.

So let’s wear a mask and protect one another. And protect the life we love.

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NO O PE W N!

13

BLAKE PONTCHARTRAIN™

Hey Blake, I know Rex threw the first Mardi Gras doubloon, but which Carnival krewe is credited with throwing the first plastic cups?

Dear reader,

Carnival historian Arthur Hardy and others give the now-defunct Krewe of Mardi Gras credit for introducing the plastic cup as a parade throw in 1979. The Metairie krewe paraded from 1975 until 1994. Its founder and captain was float builder McKinley J. “Mac” Cantrell Sr. The logo-emblazoned cups thrown in 1979 were more like soft, 12-ounce Solo plastic cups, as opposed to the hard plastic cups that have since become ubiquitous.

“They were not well-received that first year. People didn’t know what they were,” Cantrell said of his cups in a 1984 Times-Picayune interview.

In 1980, businessman Corrado Giacona II produced hard plastic cups for the krewes of Alla, Rhea, Bacchus and Argus. “I wanted to create something special for Mardi Gras, something other than doubloons and the trinkets that are thrown off

T I M E S - P I C AY U N E A R C H I V E P H OTO B Y E L I OT K A M E N I T Z

Corrado Giacona is photographed in 1995 with Mardi Gras cups made for the Krewe of Alla parade. These cups changed color with the temperature of the beverage inside.

the floats, something that is reusable as well as artistic,” Giacona said in a 1982 Times-Picayune article.

The cups were so popular that Giacona’s company, Giacona Container Corp., trademarked the name “Mardi Gras Throw Cups.” By 1982, more than 25 krewes were producing and throwing them. Giacona’s company, located in Jefferson Parish, now makes more than one million cups each year for Carnival krewes and other clients.

BLAKEVIEW AS WE BEGIN OBSERVING BLACK HISTORY MONTH, we remember two pio-

neering Black jurists: Israel Augustine Jr. and Revius Ortique Jr. Augustine was the first Black district judge in Louisiana and Ortique was the state’s first Black Supreme Court justice.

Israel Augustine Jr. was born in New Orleans and graduated from Southern University in Baton Rouge. He earned his law degree from Lincoln University in St. Louis. In 1957, he helped organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the civil rights organization founded in New Orleans and led by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The SCLC named Augustine its first general counsel.

Gov. John McKeithen appointed Augustine to an Orleans Criminal District Court judgeship in 1969. He became the first Black judge in Louisiana and was re-elected to a 12-year term in 1971.

Judge Augustine was elected without opposition to Louisiana’s 4th Circuit Court of Appeal in 1981 but resigned three years later to run for Congress against Rep. Lindy Boggs. He lost the race but remained a giant on the local civic and political scene.

Judge Augustine died in 1994. In 1996, the Criminal Court building at Tulane and Broad was named the Israel M. Augustine Jr. Criminal Justice Center. Nearby, the former Samuel J. Peters School was also renamed for him, though it now sits vacant.

A New Orleans native and Dillard and Southern University graduate, Justice Ortique was an influential lawyer during the civil rights era. He led efforts to integrate labor unions and represented Black workers in lawsuits seeking equal pay. In 1978, he was appointed to an Orleans Civil District Court judgeship, where he was re-elected several times and served as chief judge.

In 1992, Ortique was elected the first Black justice on the Louisiana Supreme Court. He served for just two years before stepping down in 1994 at age 70, the mandatory state retirement age for judges. Over the years, Justice Ortique was appointed by five U.S. presidents to various commissions and boards, including as an alternate delegate to the United Nations.

He died in 2008.

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ABITA STRAWBERRY LAGER Juicy, ripe Louisiana strawberries, harvested at the peak of the season, give this crisp lager its strawberry flavor and aroma. Abita Strawberry is made with pilsner and wheat malts. Tradition hops, and the finest Louisiana-grown strawberries resulting in a light gold lager with a sublte haze.

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Initial necklace available in gold or silver $13.99 from MJ's (1513 Metairie Rd., 504-8356099; mjsofmetairie.com).

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Lancaster classic leather shoulder bag

Price available upon request from Yvonne LaFleur (8131 Hampson St., 504-866-9666; yvonnelafleur.com).

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Champagne Ice Bucket

$139.95 from Forever New Orleans (700 Royal Street, 504-586-3536; shopforeverneworleans.com).

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$24.99 from Nola Gifts & Decor (5101 W. Esplanade, Metairie and 3001 Ormond Blvd., Ste F, Destrehan; 504-4073532; nolagiftsanddecoronline.com).

Moet & Chandon Rose Imperial Brut $49.99 from Dorignac's Food Center (710 Veterans Blvd.,504-834-8216; dorignacs.com).

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14k White Gold Diamond Bangle Bracelet,

1.60 ctw of diamonds $4,250 from Fisher & Son Jewelers (5101 W. Esplanade Ave., 504-885-4956; fishersonsjewelers.com).

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Brumate Margtini in Glitter Pink

Rose Arrangements

starting at $60 from Federico’s Family Florist (815 Focis Street, Metairie, 504-837-6400).

Crystal Drop Earrings

$38 from Monomin (2104 Magazine St., 504-827-1269; monomin.com).

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600 Carondelet St • (504) 930-3070 www.acehotel.com/loveisacarnival Valentine’s Take-Home Kit

$34.99 from Gordons (4308 Waverly St., Metairie, 504-354-2248; gotogordons.com).

Features a Four Course dinner for Two plus canapes for $69. Wine pairings or a bottle of Pure Love Rum Punch for an additional $40.

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Order a House Punch or the Sherman’s Cup and the second is half off – one for you, one for your bestie.

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February 14th - Curbside & Cuddles Special 3 Course Valentine’s Dinner for 2 Plus a bottle for bubbly for $85 Dine-in or Curbside Pick-up available

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Pop, Fizz, Clink Champagne Bubble Bath

$16 from Nola Boo (517 Metairie Rd, 504-5104655; nolaboo.com).

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Cannoli Cake

$46 from Angelo Brocato’s (214 N. Carrollton Ave., 504-486-0078; angelobrocatoicecream.com).

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3100 19th St., Metairie • (504) 834-8583 Andreasrestaurant.com Chef Andrea’s Special Valentine’s Day Menu.

Complete with appetizer, entrée, and dessert. $55.00 Per Person

THE BLUE CRAB RESTAURANT & OYSTER BAR

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Le Wand All that Glimmers Massager set

$175 from Hustler Hollywood (111 Bourbon St., 504-5619969; hustlerhollywood.com).

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MJ Arsenals Water Pipe $89.99 from Ra Shop (locations city wide; rashop.us).

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Sweetheart Sundae

$7.50 from Abbott's Frozen Custard (628 Toulouse St., 504-345-2524; nolacustard.com).

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NOLA Heart Long Sleeve Hoodie

$39.95 from Forever New Orleans.

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House Pardi Gras 2021

P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y B E T H B AY E R

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Yardi Gras B Y J O H N S T A N T O N | Gambit editor WHEN MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL ANNOUNCED last year Carnival parades

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House Pardi Gras 2021

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Ode to the

porta-toilet

BY ALEX CORTEZ I MISS USING PORTABLE TOILETS IN NEW ORLEANS.

Of course, living in Boston, I miss New Orleans in general.

The people, the music, the food … even my family. But you can’t have any of these in New Orleans while successfully congregating in a large crowd without also having the city’s necessary colon.

Like a social law of thermodynamics, what goes in, must come out. You cannot pick up without dropping off.

And so, we must have the portable toilet to make the Big Easy easy.

When you’re enclosed in a narrow 3.4’ x 3.4’ polyethylene box, you may be going alone, but you are in fact surrounded by the collective bladder of the masses. And in New Orleans, using a portable toilet is definitely a social activity.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival received 450,000 joyous people in 2019. During Jazz Fest, long rows of portable toilets flank the track’s infield — and by midafternoon, most of those portable toilets have lines.

Deciding on which portable toilet to line up for is a practice of great skill and cunning. Which lines have more men than women, based on the assumption that men will be faster, needing less of a place and more just a target?

Do you avoid lines with the very young? The very old? The very drunk, as they may go in to a portable toilet only to discover they don’t know how to let themselves out?

Once the line is picked, the communal competitiveness begins.

People yell encouragement — or threats, depending on their urgency — to occupants. Lines begin to vie with each other for speed. Horrible regret may set in for some as they see the lines on either side of them moving quickly, while their line stands constipated and unmoving.

You have every incentive not just to be fast, but also to exit the portable toilet quickly and flee the general vicinity before your successor takes the throne. If you are fast enough, people will actually clap and cheer as you exit the box.

Similar to Jazz Fest, Mardi Gras also requires significant temporary plumbing infrastructure.

It even has an official website for bathroom navigation titled, perhaps optimistically, “Don’t Pee on the Street,” which warns that, “Something like 90 percent of the arrests made each year along the parade routes and in the French Quarter during Mardi Gras season are related to people urinating in public.”

As a teenager in New Orleans, I had a family friend blessed with an office on St. Charles Avenue with a private bathroom — a commode and commodity almost as precious as the pearls the krewes used to throw.

When I did venture out onto the parade route, the bathroom options became much more perilous. I learned the hard way not to try to go in a person’s backyard during Mardi Gras after watching a crowd flee off of someone’s property in the Garden District as the owner sauntered outside cradling a shotgun to protect his azaleas.

I once used the bathroom at a bar on St. Charles, which was essentially a single metal trough lining the wall and filled with ice.

While standing there, the door burst open and a group of men threw someone fully into the trough. It was traumatic for me, and I don’t think it was particularly pleasant for him.

You can also sometimes find a portable toilet on a parade route, though you use it at your own risk.

One evening at the end of a long Fat Tuesday, I tried using a portable toilet camped on the corner of St. Charles and Louisiana Avenue, only to discover that at some point, somehow, a portable toilet can become completely and utterly, well, full.

I slowly backed out … and went behind it (desperate times call for desperate deposits).

Portable toilets are also big business — $2 billion dollars a year nationally if a 2019 New York Magazine profile of competitive portable toilet empires in NYC is to be believed. Providers com-

The author, in his happy place.

P H OTO B Y J E N N I F E R R A I T T

pete on quality, on price, and on service — particularly emptying (though not that one on St. Charles and Louisiana).

In New Orleans, as with most everything else, porta-potty proprietors are a creative bunch. If you are a Saints loyalist, you perhaps want to go with PoohDat, which features the tag line, “You make it, we take it.” There is always the patriotic Doodie Calls, or the more movie nostalgic Bubba Dumps. Royalty Restrooms offers their thrones for rent, and Pot-a-Gold perhaps values our waste too much.

The most basic port-a-let is the ubiquitous PJN3, which come in a variety of festive colors.

Whenever I’m in one, I look to see if they are still stamped with “patent pending” — though what to patent about an enclosed bathroom continues to elude me.

Or perhaps the patent has long been won, and since it will take

about 10,000 years for these petroleum-based containers to degrade, it is a vestige of some contest from the 1960s, when portable toilets first appeared.

So, this is all to say that — like the comforting smell of stale beer on the street in the morning — there are aspects of New Orleans that I dearly miss which might instill disgust in others — and it’s their loss.

When quarantine is all done, and I can return home, I want to be everywhere that requires portable toilets. Mardi Gras.

Jazz Fest. French Quarter Fest.

Voodoo Fest. Po-Boy Fest. The construction site next to my mother’s house.

In nature, we have a flock of geese. A murder of crows. A congress of ravens. A pride of lions.

I can’t wait to once again spot, in their natural habit, a ‘festival’ of portable toilets.

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House Pardi Gras 2021

Where Ya (Been) At:

40 Years of Carnival at Gambit B Y G A M B I T S TA F F M A RCH 1, 1981 IT’S BEEN 40 YEARS SINCE GAMBIT’S FIRST CARNIVAL. Back in ‘81, the festivities barely made the cover. But it didn’t take long for Carnival and Mardi Gras to dominate not just our covers, but entire issues, celebrating not only the pageantry of the parades and events, but the sheer joy of our community. Here are some of our favorite Mardi Gras covers from over the years.

F E BRUA RY 25, 198 4

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House Pardi Gras 2021

GW

Gambit Weekly

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SUITED

MARDI GRAS 20 06

T H E

T H R O W

M U S T

G O

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With needle, thread, beads

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Big Chief Monk Boudreaux prepares his new suit for Mardi Gras.

BY DAVID KUNIAN

F E BRUA RY 21, 2006

F E BRUA RY 14, 2006

JA N UA RY 22, 2013

F E BRUA RY 9, 2010 F E BRUA RY 14, 201 2

TAKEOUT and DELIVERY

PAGE 26

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House Pardi Gras 2021

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House Pardi Gras 2021

Sandra

an’ dem

B Y K AY L E E P O C H E ALTHOUGH I’VE NEVER LIVED TOO FAR FROM NEW ORLEANS, sometimes

I still feel like a transplant. Covington, where I grew up, and Baton Rouge, where I went to college, can feel like — and in some ways are — entirely different worlds from New Orleans.

Maybe it’s imposter syndrome, or an acknowledgement that the city is so layered with culture, traditions and history you could spend a life time catching up on the inside jokes.

I’ve heard tales of the magic of early Mardi Gras mornings in the French Quarter with the elaborate costumes and breathtaking parades. But since I was a kid, my Fat Tuesday traditions have looked a little different.

My Aunt Sandra lives off Bonnabel, just off the Krewe of Argus route in Metairie. We set up shop along the route near there every year, and she so generously provides us with the crown jewels of Carnival luxuries: loads of homemade food, a clean bathroom and a free place to park.

In a way, we have our own Meeting of the Courts that day. It’s the one time of year my dad’s side of the family and my mom’s side of the family convenes. Both sides are massive — my dad is the third of six children, my mom the third of 10. There’s naturally the annual reminder that yes, my Uncle Taylor on my mom’s side and my Uncle Carl on my dad’s side did used to play golf together back in the day.

Plus, I usually get to meet a new baby or two; eat baked macaroni, gumbo and an assortment of smoked meats; and pet some yellow labs.

It’s where some of my last memories of my Maw-Maw took place before she died at the age of 95. In one, she’s wearing a weed lei. (I never got an explanation.) In another she’s telling me, in her typical blunt fashion, “You know what I got for Christmas?

Nothing! They think I don’t need anything because I’m old.”

We don’t do much DIY costuming, having instead mastered The Art of the Gimmick. For years, my brother would bring both his Saints and LSU football helmets — switching them out depending on the float’s decor — and request footballs from float riders. A true politician. My dad likes to tell the story of when Drew Brees

B Y J O H N S TA N T O N | G A M B I T E D I T O R

P H OTO C O U R T E S Y OF BARBARA POCHE

And that day, we woke up and chose violence.

was King of Bacchus circa 2010 and allegedly threw my brother a football. They couldn’t catch it, though I’m sure my dad nearly knocked over the ladder trying. But my personal favorite has to be many years ago when my cousin Nick came dressed as a Whoopee Cushion.

As I get older and have long outgrown my ladder days — I know, I’m sorry! — I get a thrill watching my younger cousins get excited for throws. Last year, Nick promised my then-13-year-old cousin, Noah, $5 if he wore every single bead he caught until the end of the parade.

He accepted the challenge, and even though it would have probably been more conducive for him to try not to catch as many throws, he couldn’t help but continue to give it everything he had.

But even my youngest cousins are getting older, as made evident by Noah’s unprompted request last year for Mardi Gras 2021: “We need to go to Bourbon Street!”

I guess there’s always next year?

WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE. IT’S FAT TUESDAY, the sun’s finally gone down, the beer’s been drunk and you’ve crisscrossed the city a half a dozen times. You traded some part of your costume with a stranger for a bit of theirs and a space cookie.

Slowly, you struggle up the front steps, defy the odds and gods alike and successfully unlock the door, stepping finally, blessedly into the warmth of your house.

Your dogs are barkin’ something fierce and as you ease out of your shoes, you’re shocked you made it home. Your head pounds out a persistent beat, threatening to drown out your drunken high and your stomach starts growlin’ with a vicious urgency.

Food is the move. Hot, delicious ready to eat food. But it’s FREAKIN’ MARDI GRAS, Bruh. Nothing is open. You’ve got the whiskey shakes, so cooking anything involving a knife is out. You forlornly peruse your cupboards, finally settling on a package of old spaghetti noodles. It’ll have to do.

But this is 2021, Mardi Gras ain’t gonna be itself and the mayor is trying to give us all the ’rona so hotels can make some scratch.

Instead of settling for something terrible to cap off this Carnival season, why not try something new? Why not be less like an animal, and more like Michelle McMahon?

McMahon, who when the pandemic isn’t destroying the world can often be found behind the bar at BJs, has an elegant, perfect, so-simple-why-didn’t-we-think-of-it-before solution: the humble crockpot.

“It’s all about setting yourself up for success,” she says. “’Cause you don’t wanna come home without a hot pot of food ready. And ya definitely don’t wanna eat anything off the street. Trust me.”

It truly has everything you’ll need come the end of Mardi Gras: carbs, protein, spices, carbs, beer, protein, carbs AND it’ll be ready when you need come home. Just around sundown.

So, gentle reader, we are pleased to present you with Michelle’s Mardi Gras Day Beef Stew. Tip your bartenders well, friends, because someday they might just save your life — or at least save you from eating plain spaghetti on a cold Fat Tuesday night.

“Future you will thank you,” McMahon says.

MARDI GRAS DAY Beef Stew • 2 lbs chuck roast, cut into 2-inch chunks

• 1 can tomatoes (chopped or break up when adding)

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

• 1 cup beef broth

• 2 Tablespoons flour

• 2 bottles of Guinness Stout (11 oz. size)

• 4 cloves garlic, medium chopped • 1 yellow onion, chopped • 3 large carrots cut into 1-inch pieces • 1 lb. potatoes (Yukon or red) cut same size as carrots • 1 lb. sliced mushrooms • 1 jalapeno, sliced (optional)

• 1 Tablespoon prepared chili garlic sauce (optional) • 3 star anise • 3 bay leaves • Salt and fresh cracked pepper • Handful of rough chopped fresh herbs (any combination: basil, cilantro, parsley)

Season beef pieces in salt and pepper, toss in flour and add to a heated pan turning until browned. Put beef in crockpot. Saute onions until soft, adding garlic for one minute. Add beef broth and scrape all of the good bits from the pan. Add onion mixture to crockpot, and remaining ingredients, except for the herbs, add those right before serving.

Cook on low 6-7 hours. Remove the three bay leaves and star anise.

Serve with rice noodles, glass noodles, any pasta, jasmine rice or with crusty bread. Or just drunkenly in a bowl with a big ole spoon! Perfect to come home to after being out on the streets on Mardi Gras Day!

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 9 - 1 5 > 2 0 2 1

Don’t forget to feed your belly after feeding your soul on Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras with Aunt

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House Pardi Gras 2021

Headpieces

and house floats

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IT’S CARNIVAL SEASON, which means it’s time to dust off that plague doctor mask and meet your friends at the intersection of fashion and function, which is — surprise! — nowhere near Bourbon Street.

In fact, it only exists in your living room, in front of a computer screen, or maybe in someone’s yard — at least 6 feet away from all other humans. Costuming, thank Sweet Baby King Cake Jesus, is one of the rare traditions New Orleanians can still safely embrace.

Claudia Baumgarten, owner of Miss Claudia’s Vintage Clothing & Costumes, says business has picked up in recent weeks at her Magazine Street boutique with people coming into the shop or calling her up to order accessories and decorative accents instead of full-blown costumes.

Due to the lack of the usual citywide parties, she says requests are somewhat more toned down but still festive.

Some krewes are keeping “social distancing” in their theme by hosting virtual events, and of course everyone is getting in the spirit with the Krewe of House Floats.

Baumgarten says there’s been an uptick in sales for waist-up accessories, because as we’ve all learned, pants are not necessarily a requirement during a pandemic.

“The top is the most important,” Baumgarten says. “People are doing Zoom stuff, or sitting on their porches this year, so they’re wearing things from past years, but they also want something new.” She says that’s most often in the form of a headpiece or wig.

Liz Zibilich, aka Crafty Li’l Devil, has shifted her focus as a custom costume maker this year to painting and decorating windows in homes and local shops (her work is on display in the windows of Fleurty Girl’s Old Metairie location, among others) — and even someone’s car this year.

Despite the overall pivot to doing exterior decorating, she has still retained a client base looking for new accessories, some of whom have been booked since last year’s Lent. In the upcoming

P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y C L AU D IA BAU M GARTEN

Claudia Baumgarten, owner of Miss Claudia’s Vintage Clothing & Costumes, poses in front of a Big Freedia themed house float while dressed as Lady Gaga.

days, she will be checking elaborate custom headpieces off her to-do list — including one she will wear Fat Tuesday on a family stroll to admire house floats.

Both Zibilich and Baumgarten say getting creative and keeping their local businesses afloat has been good for morale. They have connected to their clients, new and old, through word-of-mouth and social media.

“Once people realized the porch floats were such a big deal, people started getting in the mood,” says Baumgarten. “There are not as many elaborate characters or group themes, but people are coming in for vintage pieces, shirts from the Krewe of Red Beans — today we sold some marching boots and a float costume.”

They also remain upbeat about still being a part of the city’s creative landscape as they look forward to a more lucrative 2022 season.

“Normally, I’m running around like a chicken with its head cut off” finishing Carnival crafts, Zibilich says.

But getting to help with house floats and making other accessories for locals who want to celebrate safely, she says, “has been a fun way to be creative in a different way, since everything is different anyway.”

House Pardi Gras 2021

Mambo

BY JAKE CL APP

NORMALLY, NEW ORLEANS STREETS ARE FILLED WITH MUSIC AT CARNIVAL TIME , coming from

brass bands, car stereos stuck in traffic, the phone speakers while biking to the next destination or front porch radios tuned to WWOZ. You don’t have to go far from your front door to hear the Mardi Gras canon. How many times have you heard “Mardi Gras Mambo,” “Big Chief” and Al Johnson’s “Carnival Time”?

But because many of our Mardi Gras traditions are being adapted for 2021, we suggest adding a few unique adaptions to the playlist, too. Below are 5 10 songs that put a unique spin on Mardi Gras classics, from brass band covers to reinterpretations and samples.

You can also find these songs, a few Mardi Gras classics and more on a Spotify playlist curated

by Gambit. Go to bestofneworleans.com.

“Hey Pocky Away” — TREME BRASS BAND & MARDI GRAS INDIANS

The Meters first recorded “Hey Pocky A-Way” for their 1974 album, “Rejuvenation,” and then re-recorded the funk track two years later while backing The Wild Tchoupitoulas and the Neville Brothers. A few years ago, the Treme Brass Band along with a group of Mardi Gras Indians adapted the song as a brass tune for the album “Treme Traditions.”

“Big Chief” — DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER

Jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater worked with trumpeter Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra to record her 2015 album “Dee Dee’s Feathers.” Made up of New Orleans classics or works written by a New Orleanian, it includes Bridgewater’s unique version of “Big Chief” featuring Dr. John and a banjo.

“Mardi Gras” — PIERRE KWENDERS

Congolese-born, Montreal-based pop musician Pierre Kwenders turns the traditional Cajun song “La Danse de Mardi Gras” on its head in a way that ties together global expressions of Carnival.

Kwenders bases the song on The Balfa Brothers’ recording of “La Danse de Mardi Gras,” sings in French and several African languages, and adds deep bass,

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

Oswald Jones, grand marshal of the Treme Brass Band, second-lines during the 2018 Satchmo SummerFest.

electronic instrumentation and verses by French Canadian Rapper Jacobus.

“Iko Kreyol (79rs Gang Version)” — LAKOU MIZIK & 79RS GANG

Haitian music collective Lakou Mizik in 2019 recorded a new version of “Jock-A-Mo” / “Iko Iko” with the 79rs Gang, the music collaboration between Big Chiefs Jermaine Bossier of the 7th Ward Creole Hunters and Romeo Bougere of the 9th Ward Hunters.

Verses tradeoff between Haitian Creole and English, with the 79rs Gang adding Mardi Gras Indian rhythms. Several versions of the song have been released, but we recommend the one on 79rs Gang’s “Expect the Unexpected.”

“Do Whatcha Wanna” — FYRST MYKE

Fyrst Myke is an emerging hip-hop artist from Franklin who released this single in early 2020 sampling Rebirth Brass Band’s classic.

Fyrst Myke spins out the title to rap about living life to the fullest and shooting for your goals: “Do whatcha wanna / Cause tomorrow ain’t a promise / If ya got it on ya mind / you better honor it and promise it.”

BONUS:

“Come Back to New Orleans (Celebrate the Mardi Gras)” — JEREMY JOYCE

Just because we can’t meet in the streets doesn’t mean we can’t have some new Carnival anthems for the pandemic era.

New Orleans singer Jeremy Joyce last week released “Come Back to New Orleans (Celebrate the Mardi Gras),” a futuristic rhythm and blues love letter to the city at Carnival time.

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House Pardi Gras 2021

shall be again, on the streets

of New Orleans

BY REX DUKE THE GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS DEPRIVED US OF MANY THINGS, including my

raison dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;etre: the pomp and pageantry of Carnival parades!

Though they may not roll this year, we have our memories, hazy though they may be. So let us cast our gaze back upon on Carnivals past and be reminded of that old saying: Quam bene vivas refert, non quam diu.

Because truly, Memento mori.

So we should all live it well.

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House Pardi Gras 2021

Comedy of

Errors

B Y DAV I D L E E S I M M O N S Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from a story originally published in the Jan. 29, 2002 issue of Gambit. The complete story can be found at bestofneworleans.com THE SHOW’S LONE NEW ORLEANS NATIVE WAS SHUT OUT OF THE PROGRAM. One of the city’s hottest

musical groups didn’t even get to perform. A special guest star, sleep-deprived with no script, went blank on air. A cast member got caught in a “group grope.” Its biggest star threatened to boycott the episode. Power outages threatened skits. And despite two key players poised to provide laugh-out-loud parade commentary throughout the episode, the parade never showed — nearly causing a riot.

That’s what you get for putting on “Saturday Night Live” during Mardi Gras: pure bedlam.

In 1977, SNL was in the middle of its second season, still riding a high with its four Emmys from the 1975-76 season. In what appears to be a fit of pure hubris, executive producer Lorne Michaels tried to build on the show’s momentum with its first prime-time episode — on a Sunday night, as part of NBC’s “Big Event” 8 p.m. (EST) time slot.

He’d do it in New Orleans, on the second weekend of Mardi Gras. It was the nation’s craziest television show going up against the nation’s craziest party, and the result was a disaster to some and a minor miracle to others. Perspective, 25 years later, is a funny thing.

“It was an experience, and Lorne even pulled it off,” recalls Penny Marshall, then the co-star of ABC’s popular sitcom “Laverne and Shirley.” Marshall and co-star Cindy Williams were in town as the co-grand marshals of the Endymion parade and were recruited as guest stars for SNL. “Shooting it live during Mardi Gras, it was amazing,” Marshall says. “I don’t think he’ll be doing that again. It was insanity. It was a lot of fun.”

Despite repeated requests over a two-month span, a spokesman for SNL said Michaels was too busy to be interviewed for this article.

Native New Orleanian Garrett Morris, whose tenure in the Not Ready for Prime Time Players cast (1975-80) was fraught with

Illustration by Rhett Thiel

alienation and racism, felt completely snubbed. George Porter Jr., bassist of the Meters, is still tweaked that the chaos of the episode’s production prevented the group from being allowed to perform. Roberts Batson, a New Orleanian who assisted Marshall during one segment, is still waiting for his check.

But if anyone wasn’t surprised at what happened, it was musical guest Randy Newman, who is all too familiar with the madness that is New Orleans during Mardi Gras.

“It’s the reason I love it better than any other city,” says Newman, who performed four songs on the show.

“Things are not going to work. ...

Particularly with Mardi Gras, I anticipated they’d run into problems. I told Lorne, ‘Things aren’t going to be like in New York.’ ” ...

In “Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live,” co-authors Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad suggest the inspiration for the New Orleans episode was nearly magical. Michaels, a rising golden boy with NBC, wanted to shake things up with the show.

It was cold in New York in January, the authors wrote, and what

better way to heat up literally and figurative than to take the production down to Mardi Gras the following month? …

While many of the cast and crew were excited about the idea, others were skeptical, according to Hill and Weingrad. ... The show’s Emmywinning director, Dave Wilson, had seen Mardi Gras at its urine-stained worst while trying to film a Perry Como special once, and warned that New Orleans during Mardi Gras “was a zoo, and a dangerous zoo at that.”

Undaunted, Michaels sent down production-facilities expert Dan Sullivan to scout out the area and solicit help from thenMayor Moon Landrieu. The mayor reportedly loved the idea; the city was blessed with a new Theater of the Performing Arts within the newly constructed Armstrong Park and had just finished other major renovations …

Michaels pressed on with an ambitious production. He knew Williams and Marshall would be in town for Endymion and planned to use them in one skit and to provide commentary from the gay Krewe

of Apollo ball. He also knew Henry Winkler, who as Arthur Fonzarelli was the star of ABC’s other megahit, Happy Days, would be in town as the king of the Bacchus parade.

He’d pre-tape a segment with him for backup.

The episode grew in scope.

Michaels and musical director Howard Shore chose Newman as the main musical guest and invited the Meters and the New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra. Popular recurring guest Buck Henry would be stationed with Not Ready for Prime Time player Jane Curtin at a reviewing grandstand at the corner of Bourbon and Canal streets, where they would provide wacky one-liners for the Bacchus parade as it rolled by.

Elsewhere, other cast members would perform skits throughout the French Quarter along with the final guest star, Monty Python alum Eric Idle. (Monty Python was a huge influence on the Not Ready for Prime Time Players.) John Belushi, who since Chevy Chase had left immediately became the show’s biggest star, would do Brando imitations from A Streetcar Named Desire and The Wild One (the latter as a “Killer Bee,” a popular running gag for the cast). Dan Aykroyd would introduce the show by imitating then-President Jimmy Carter atop the Andrew Jackson statue in Jackson Square. Gilda Radner would perform her wildly popular Emily Litella character (a performance she would later regret), and so on.

Returning to his hometown, Garrett Morris had a great idea. “I wrote this song, called ‘Walking Down Rampart Street,’ ” recalls Morris. He’d get Gary Weis, who did short films for the show, to make a video of Morris’ anthemic tune, shooting Morris at various locations around the city.

As the show’s only Black cast member, and being a decade older than the others and having no ensemble-comedy experience, Morris was decidedly the cast’s odd man out. He never fully realized his talent on SNL, despite showing promise with his singing — he spent a decade with Harry Belafonte — and his later bits as former Latin baseball player Chico Escuela (“Base-bowl beeen berry, berry good to me”).

But here, he figured, he had an advantage as the show’s only native New Orleanian. Raised by his grandmother in Gert Town, Morris attended Booker T. Washington High School and Xavier University.

This would be his chance to shine, combining his singing talents with Weis’ filmmaking and the

35

House Pardi Gras 2021

Maintaining an upbeat attitude, Morris brought the entire cast over to his aunt’s house for a huge soul-food dinner. It would be one of the few times Morris made a welcome contribution to the show that season. …

During the week of production, Michaels, Wilson and the rest of the crew worked feverishly to get the show ready. The writers worked on the skits, but along with the cast members had plenty of time to enjoy Mardi Gras. Everyone was put up in a hotel in the French Quarter — no one interviewed for this article can recall where — and several decided to take advantage of the trip. Belushi was well into a partying mode that would eventually end his life prematurely in 1982. For a Killer Bees sketch, Harley-Davidsons were rented out, and Belushi and Aykroyd — part of an SNL male clique known as the Bully Boys — rode around the Quarter hitting the bars. “He lived it,” Newman recalls. “He wanted to go see everybody play.” ...

The show aired at 7 p.m. (CST) Sunday, Feb. 20, opening with Aykroyd doing his Jimmy Carter imitation on top of the Andrew Jackson statue. Michaels then cut to Randy Newman with the orchestra for his rendition of “Louisiana” off his most recent album, 1974’s Good Old Boys. It would be the first of a surprising four numbers

by Newman, who being safe inside the confines of the theater was one of the few reliable performers. …

The skits came flying in fairly typical hit-or-miss SNL fashion.

Belushi… received the bulk of the attention. He knocked off his Brando imitation as well as an Al Hirt parody and the Bees skit.

Aykroyd tossed in his popular Tom Snyder impersonation.

Michaels whipped out a pretaped segment of Radner, as Barbara Walters (or “Baba Wawa”) interviewing Winkler, and later cut to Radner, Laraine Newman and Penny Marshall in a Killer Bees skit.

Radner also did her Emily Litella character interviewing someone near Cafe du Monde about the fuss about all the “liverboats.” The skit fell flat, but things got worse when, according to the book, she was subsequently fondled by drunken

bystanders in what is commonly referred to as a “group grope.” ...

Downtown, Ne w Or leans

As power outages occurred, skits bombed and the parade remained out of sight, Roberts Batson was at the Krewe of Apollo Ball inside the Hyatt Regency, waiting nervously for Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams to arrive for another segment.

“The Apollo captain, Roland Dobson, didn’t want it to be a joke at the expense of the club,” says Batson. “The year before there had been a broadcast of the ball, and some people lost their jobs over it. Roland said he wanted to put boundaries of what they could do, and presented a list of words they couldn’t use: gay, drag, homosexual, queer, queen, and so on.”

The episode tanked in the ratings, losing out to an ABC TV-movie about a nympho housewife, and the final tab for the show hit $1 million …

Batson, who initially had hoped to provide the commentary, demurred when Michaels insisted on using Marshall and Williams, and agreed to help out. They needed his help; unfamiliar with debutantes of any gender or orientation, Marshall was perplexed. “I was saying, ‘First, the debutantes come out,’ and Penny said, ‘Debutantes?

I don’t know from debutantes. I’m from the Bronx. I only know Sweet 16 parties.’ ” ...

The fallout from the episode varied substantially. The few critics who offered reviews of the show were unimpressed …

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Indeed, Michaels was concerned afterward. He could take pride in the fact the show went on at all, and that nobody was killed …

The episode tanked in the ratings, losing out to an ABC TV-movie about a nympho housewife, and the final tab for the show hit $1 million (from a projected $750,000). Any hopes of ever bringing SNL to prime time were drowned out by Carnival …

Regardless, the SNL episode at Mardi Gras showed what can happen when two stormy paths cross. It was definitely live, and it was definitely Mardi Gras. Pure bedlam.

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city’s sights. “But when I went to Lorne, I don’t think he really appreciated what I was talking about,” recalls Morris.

Still, to Morris’ surprise, Michaels — who had been one of his ardent supporters — allowed the writers to completely shut him out of the show except for a background appearance in a parody of Jean Lafitte ...

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The praline king cake is a combination of two New Orleans traditions. This decadent king cake has a cream cheese, brown sugar & pecan filling topped with caramel & pecans. Grab one now through Mardi Gras. Available at all Breaux Mart locations.

The perfect indulgent drink to celebrate Mardi Gras. Our classic Viennese blend cold brew is paired with milk, Hershey’s syrup and coconut concentrate served over ice. Pick up a bag of Zulu Blend & Zulu Coconut beans to make at home.

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Leave it to Chef Andrea to put a Mardi Gras twist on this classic Italian dessert - Tiramisu King Cake! It’s mouthwatering and worth the calories! Small, $35 and Large, $45. Traditional King Cakes also available.

What’s better than a slice of King Cake? A Coast Roast King Cake Latte and a slice of Nonna Randazzo’s King Cake! - Our king cake latte is made with fresh roasted espresso and house syrups! To go coffee drinks, coffee to make at home, Coast Roast merchandise and gifts.

A classic brioche king cake filled with Nor Joe’s homemade cannoli cream and sprinkled with an assortment of sweet toppings. Also available in mini size. Order yours now before Mardi Gras.

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KING CAKE POP CORN

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Smooth, fresh-from-the-oven birthday cake flavor. A colorful kaleidoscope of icing collides with a zing of cinnamon. Add a crunchy caramel coating, and you’re halfway to Mardi Gras heaven. Easy to pop a candied handful, much harder to stop! Join the parade! Taste the Louisiana spirit of good times and big flavor. Find Cajun Pop® King Cake and other flavors at Cajun-Pop.com.

You know Neyow’s Creole Café for serving up authentic Creole cuisine, but did you know from now until Mardi Gras it’s home of the delicious Queen Cake? Cinnamon cake with a white frosting topped with green, purple and gold sugar sprinkles.

The home of delicious sundaes, cones, milkshakes, pints to go, cookie wheels, frozen custard cakes and pies, now brings you King Cake Custard. In-store, curbside pickup and delivery.

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G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 9 - 1 5 > 2 02 1

38

An Italian table Italian dishes fill the menu at a Tavola

BY B E T H D ’A D D O N O MAYBE BECAUSE HE GOT HIS CULINARY DEGREE from a design school

— Rhode Island School of Design had a culinary program back in the day — Chef Steven Marsella wants his food to look as pretty as it tastes.

Marsella, co-culinary director for Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts, also is executive chef at the company’s latest addition, a Tavola, which opened in late December in the space formerly occupied by Bravo!

Italian Kitchen on the outskirts of Lakeside Shopping Center. From the open kitchen to the imported woodfired Valoriani pizza oven, a Tavola’s setting is lovely, with lots of light wood and Italian tile, physically distanced seating and plenty of natural light. A large square bar dominates one corner of the space.

The menu delivers an accessible array of regional Italian dishes, many reflecting the chef’s love affair with the food of his heritage.

“Of course, we serve traditional dishes like veal piccata and parmigiana, but we present them in a modern way,” he says.

His meatballs with Sunday gravy feature an Italian trinity: ground pork, veal and beef. They are served with house-made red sauce and a ramekin of fontina cheese fondue for dipping.

The calamari starter speaks to Marsella’s Providence, Rhode Island, upbringing. “This is literally the state’s official appetizer,” he says.

Tender calamari is flash fried and spiked with hot pickled peppers and served with lemon aioli. A log of goat cheese is baked al forno and served with red gravy, pesto and garlic crostini. Nibs of sausage and Parmesan combine for a savory stuffed artichoke dish.

Thin-crust Neapolitanstyle pizza is topped with everything from muffuletta makings to pepperoni and roasted vegetables, and imported pasta is served with all kinds of savory sauces.

Lobster ravioli is bathed in creamy lobster butter sauce and folded fingers of casarecci pasta soak up smoky Amatriaciana tomato sauce, a Roman gold standard.

Lasagna is a house favorite and features rolled tubes of fresh dough smothered in a rich Bolognese sauce informed by just a hint of nutmeg.

A baked casserole of butternut squash, pancetta and sage simmers in Gorgonzola cheese sauce.

Plates are adorned with fresh herbs and arrive bright with color and texture. Gluten free pasta options are available.

Marsella grew up in an Italian household in a city that has always had many immigrants from the boot, many who originally settled in the Federal Hill or Little Italy section of town.

“My grandmother lived with us and cooked every day, and my mom worked and also cooked every day,” he recalls. “We ate dinner as a family at the table every night.”

Although Italian food can be rich and carb-centric, a Tavola — which means at the table — offers many lighter alternatives. Seafood lovers will appreciate grilled salmon prepared with ancient grains, braised greens and blistered tomatoes, served with mint salsa verde on the side. Grilled whole trout is accompanied by brown butter vinaigrette, toasted almonds and a side of grilled broccolini. Meaty swordfish is grilled and served with fingerling potatoes, broccolini and tomato-olive salsa.

The busy bar features an Italiancentric wine list, craft cocktails and a seasonal frozen specialty — the limoncello daquiri is popular. Happy hour is from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

Shell collection A GOOD OYSTER BAR has personality.

There’s the repartee between regular customers and shucker, the arm’slength view of the craft, and the way the oyster bar can sit apart from the mainstream doings of the restaurant.

Oysters are an experience, and the oyster bar frames it.

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 AYU N E | T H E N E W O R L E A N S A DVO C AT E

Oyster shucker Lindsay Allday at Sidecar Patio & Oyster Bar.

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

Pesto shrimp linguine is served at a Tavola.

and features drink and appetizer specials. Piccola Gelateria supplies silky gelato and sorbetta in seasonal flavors, and the dessert menu includes favorites like tiramisu and lemon mascarpone cheesecake.

This is the third restaurant the company has opened in Jefferson Parish, with Boulevard American Bistro further down Veterans Memorial Boulevard and a second location in Elmwood. The company also is expanding into St. Tammany Parish with a Boulevard location planned for the Northshore, says CEO Marv Ammari.

“It’s been a positive thing to have new places opening, since half of our French Quarter spots remain closed,” he says. “Jefferson Parish is a welcoming place for restaurants.”

?

WHAT

a Tavola

WHERE

3413 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 577-2235; atavo.la

WHEN

Lunch and dinner daily

HOW

Dine-in, outdoor seating, pickup and delivery

CHECK IT OUT Classic and contemporary Italian dishes

Lindsay Allday feels that too, and she misses it. For now, for social distancing purposes, she works remotely from the oyster bar inside Sidecar Patio & Oyster Bar, filling orders for customers on the patio.

But even if they can’t see her, Allday’s oyster platters have plenty of personality.

The oyster list at Sidecar can run to 15 oyster types, from Grand Isle, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Baja, California.

But what makes the oyster approach here special goes beyond the variety. It’s also the sense of purpose in building oyster connoisseurship.

“People get so excited about oysters,” Allday says. “There’s something inherently sexy and adventurous about them.”

Sidecar is a new restaurant that sprouted on Constance Street in the Warehouse District in the summer, developed by the owners of the adjacent Rusty Nail bar. Already in the works before the pandemic, it was designed as a mostly outdoor restaurant, with two floors of covered and open-air patios.

Sidecar’s regular kitchen menu has burgers, sandwiches, tuna tartare and loaded fries with crabmeat and artichokes and presents a refreshing take on modern Louisiana tavern fare.

PAGE 39

EAT+DRINK An oyster bar was always part of Sidecar’s design, but what it’s become took finding the right people. When the restaurant posted an ad for an “oyster nerd,” Allday knew they spoke her language.

She goes by “oyster girl” proudly, with a flower in her hair and a pink apron. This Mississippi native learned her way around the oyster business working for Two Girls One Shuck, a local oyster catering company founded and staffed entirely by women. That company folded in 2019, but Allday carries on much of its spirit.

“At parties, people would expect this big burly guy to walk in, then they’d see us ladies in our cocktail dresses and say ‘Well, where’s the shucker?’ ” she recalled. “But then when we get down to it they knew we were serious.”

At Sidecar, she alternates shifts with another Two Girls One Shuck alum, Kelly Keefe.

Allday writes an always-changing oyster menu that reads like a sommelier’s tasting notes, describing the oysters’ origins, how they are grown and why that influences their shape and texture. She describes what they taste like and what best to accompany them — cucumber mint mignonette for one, just a squeeze of lemon for another.

Faced with three pages of prose, plenty of people just ask the staff to pick their favorites. That’s why Allday added the “baller selection,” an always-changing mixed dozen, like an oyster bar omakase.

Behind the bar, Allday and Keefe pull oysters from a collection of individual bins that looks like a mini seafood market. The different shells might be splayed and ruffled like a skirt, sleek and streamlined like a car, flat like an open palm or deeply cupped like a chalice. Allday’s list mixes conventional and cultivated, and it’s seeing more local varieties in the lineup, too. Recently, that included the “Candy” oyster, a brand from the Tesvich family of oystermen in Empire.

Creating this kind of oyster bar took a leap of faith. Co-owner Ivan Burgess said he was unsure how it would fly. The oysters are costly (one recent range was $1.75 to $4 each). But they quickly started selling out. People gravitated to the more exotic and elegant oysters, though of course the big boys from the bayou still have their following here.

“For some people, that’s all they want, and I’ll always love them, too,” Allday says.

One day, Allday’s oyster bar will be back the way it was originally envisioned, with that over-the-counter interaction. When that day comes, she’ll likely have a lot of regulars

already better versed on what’s possible here. — IAN McNULTY/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE| THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

Now open WITH ITS DOORS CLOSED AND ITS PATIO SILENT, the old restau-

rant space at the corner of Oak and Cambronne streets looks like another sad emblem of the pandemic’s economic toll. Inside, though, renovation work is in full swing to turn it into Seafood Sally’s, a new restaurant from the owners of Mid-City’s popular Marjie’s Grill.

One January afternoon, standing between gutted walls and over blueprints for the new space, Caitlin Carney said she and her partner Marcus Jacobs were eager to begin the next project despite the pandemic.

“We’ve been ready for this for a while,” she says. “You can’t let the state of things get you down.”

They are hardly alone. Between all the plywood and for-lease signs now marking closed restaurants, New Orleans also has seen many new ones open since the pandemic began. More are on the way.

The prospects for the hospitality sector have been bleak as the crisis has surged and lengthened. Many restaurants are fighting to hang on and, nationally, job losses in the field have skyrocketed in recent months.

And yet, a steady flow of new restaurants keeps coming around New Orleans. Many were well underway before most people had even heard of COVID-19. With money already sunk into development and bills stacking up, many operators say they had no choice but to open.

But other new restaurants have been conceived entirely within the pandemic’s timeline, and in some ways have been shaped by it. One of those is Seafood Sally’s. When Carney and Jacobs started working on plans for a second business, they intended to open a bar that served seafood. That changed as they watched the pandemic roil the hospitality world, and bars in particular.

Now slated to open this spring, Seafood Sally’s is designed around a modern approach to a neighborhood-style seafood restaurant, with boiled seafood, platters and po-boys.

“I think this makes a lot more sense now,” Carney says. “The focus has shifted to community and neighborhood. That’s been our focus at Marjie’s too, but when you take tourism out of the equation completely you see things differently.”

New restaurants to open in recent months or now under development are being spurred by opportunities their operators see in a changing field. Some are former pop-ups and

food trucks that developed by staying nimble and working outside the conventional lines of the business.

Last summer Kimberly Rollins and Ned Stalks opened their stuffed potato concept Mr. Potato by the courthouse on Tulane Avenue after building a following with a food truck they customized by hand.

Leo’s Bread, a bakery cafe now taking shape along Bayou Road, got its start in the tailgate of owner Kate Heller’s station wagon.

In Uptown, chef Sophina Uong and her husband William Greenwell are converting the longtime home of Dick & Jenny’s into Mister Mao, a restaurant based on their pop-up of the same name, which serves a mix of Southeast Asian, Latin American and Indian flavors. Uong described the idea as a “tropical roadhouse.”

Dick & Jenny’s closed early last year, and Uong and Greenwell leased the space just before the pandemic arrived. Their plans changed constantly through the months that followed, but Uong says they’re committed to opening and excited to join the restaurant community. They expect to open in the spring.

Allison and Glenn Charles had their first restaurant nearly ready to go when the pandemic arrived.

They had drawn up Nice Guys Bar & Grill on Earhart Boulevard to be a family-friendly tavern, with a big bar and a menu of modern Creole comfort food.

As the first reopening phases arrived, they saw other restaurants opening, saw the guidelines health experts were providing and saw a path to finally try their hand.

The oyster bread, the double-stacked burgers and the praline wings have been rolling since June, and this new restaurant family hasn’t looked back.

Some larger restaurant companies are also adding new restaurants, even as some of their existing properties remain closed. Mr. Ed’s Restaurant Group has seen its Jefferson Parish restaurants bounce back while one of its French Quarter restaurants remains temporarily closed.

Next month, the company will open its new casual concept Mr. Ed’s Southern Fried Chicken in Metairie. It’s a way to retain more of the staff the company had assembled pre-pandemic and to keep the company evolving, says founder Ed McIntrye.

“We have a really good crew, and I’m just trying to put as many of them back to work as we can,” he says, noting that of 450 employees in March he now has about 250 back on the job. — IAN McNULTY/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE| THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

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PAGE 38

Take

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40

OUT EAT 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 WO R L E A N S . C O M Out 2 Eat is an index of Gambit contract advertisers. Unless noted, addresses are in New Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.

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

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

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

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 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) 5860300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — The menu features Gulf seafood in traditional and contemporary Creole dishes, po-boys and more. Char-grilled oysters are topped with Parmesan, herbs and butter. Reservations recommended. Takeout available.

B, L and D daily. $$

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

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

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

salads and sandwiches. Curbside pickup and delivery available. L, D Tue-Sat. $

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

Tuna salad or chicken salad avocado melts are topped with Monterey Jack and Parmesan. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available. B, L daily. $ Lotus Bistro — 203 W. Harrison Ave., (504) 533-9879; lotusbistronola.com — A Mineko Iwasaki roll includes spicy snow crab, tuna, avocado and cucumber topped with salmon, chef’s sauce, masago, green onion and tempura crunchy flakes. The menu also includes bento box lunches, teriyaki dishes, fried rice and more. Takeout and delivery are available. L and D Tue-Sun. $$

METAIRIE Andrea’s Restaurant — 3100 N. 19th St., Metairie, (504) 834-8583; andreasrestaurant.com — Chef Andrea Apuzzo’s speckled trout royale is topped with crabmeat and lemon-cream sauce. Capelli D’Andrea combines house-made angel hair pasta and smoked salmon in cream sauce.

Curbside pickup and delivery available. 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. $$ PAGE43

Win a limited edition Yardi Gras 2021 t-shirt courtesy of Gambit and Miller Lite enter to win:

bestofneworleans.com/yardigraas

GRAND PRIZE Send us a photo of your Yardi Gras 2021 decorations for your chance to win a Miller Lite prize pack with a bike, mini-fridge and yard chairs.

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TO

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N O M I N AT E

A

FRONTLINE HERO

P R E S E N T E D BY:

NOLAmedics.com

FROM SERVICE INDUSTRY WORKERS TO HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND TEACHERS â&#x20AC;&#x201D; this March, Gambit will honor a selection of local citizens who have been on the frontlines and provided essential services to our community since COVID-19 started.

If you know an outstanding local citizen who deserves to be recognized nominate them at

bestofneworleans.com/frontline

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OUT TO EAT

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Carmo (527 Julia St., 504-875-4132; cafecarmo.com) serves Esmeralda salad with quinoa, black beans, peppers and coconut-lime vinaigrette.

BOTH LOCATIONS NOW OPEN! Doson Noodle House — 135 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 309-7283; facebook.com/dosonnoodlehouse — Bun thit is Vietnamese-style grilled pork with cucumber, onions, lettuce, mint, cilantro and fish sauce served over rice or vermicelli. The menu includes pho, spring rolls and more. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available. $$ Five Happiness — 3511 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 482-3935; fivehappiness.com — The large menu of Chinese dishes includes wonton soup, sizzling seafood combinations served on a hot plate, sizzling Go-Ba and lo mein dishes. Takeout and delivery available. $$ Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — Favorites include the Cajun Cuban with roasted pork, grilled ham, cheese and pickles pressed on buttered bread. The Boudreaux pizza is topped with cochon de lait, spinach, red onions, roasted garlic and scallions. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery available. L and D Tue-Sun. $$ Nonna Mia — 3125 Esplanade Ave., (504) 948-1717; nonnamianola.com — A Divine Portobello appetizer features chicken breast, spinach in red pepper sauce and crostini.

The menu includes salads, sandwiches, pasta, pizza and more. Curbside pickup and delivery are available. Service daily. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; theospizza. com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $

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

UPTOWN Joey K’s — 3001 Magazine St., (504) 8910997; joeyksrestaurant.com ­— The menu includes fried seafood platters, salads, sandwiches and red beans and rice. Sauteed trout Tchoupitoulas is topped with shrimp and crabmeat and served with vegetables and potatoes. Takeout and delivery available. $$ Red Gravy — 4206 Magazine St., (504) 561-8844; redgravycafe.com — Thin cannoli pancakes are filled with cannoli cream and topped with chocolate. The menu includes brunch items, pasta dishes, 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. $ Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco — 5015 Magazine St., (504) 267-7612; titoscevichepisco.com — The Peruvian menu includes a version of the traditional dish lomo saltado, featuring beef tenderloin tips sauteed with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, soy sauce and pisco, and served with fried potatoes and rice.

Dine-in, outdoor seating and delivery available. L and D Mon-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$

MONDAY 3:00PM - 10:30PM THURSDAY - SUNDAY 11:00AM - 10:30PM

WAREHOUSE DISTRICT 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. $$$ Carmo — 527 Julia St., (504) 875-4132; cafecarmo.com — Carmo salad includes smoked ham, avocado, pineapple, almonds, cashews, raisins, cucumber, green pepper, rice, lettuce, cilantro and citrus mango vinaigrette. The menu includes dishes inspired by tropical cuisines. Takeout and delivery are available. Mon-Sat. $$ NOLA Caye — 898 Baronne St., (504) 302-1302; nolacaye.com — The menu features Caribbean-inspired dishes and Gulf seafood. Seared ahi tuna is served with mango, avocado, mixed greens, citrus vinaigrette and sesame seeds. Takeout, delivery and outdoor seating available. D daily, brunch Sat-Sun. $$$ Provisions Grab-n-Go Marketplace — Higgins Hotel, 500 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higgingshotelnola.com — The coffeeshop serves salads, sandwiches, pastries and more. Takeout available.

Service daily. $

Now Open!

*Advance Reservations Recommended*

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. $$$ Specialty Italian Bistro — 2330 Belle Chasse Hwy., Gretna, (504) 391-1090; specialtyitalianbistro.com — The menu combines Old World Italian favorites and pizza. Paneed chicken piccata is topped with lemon-caper piccata sauce served with angel hair pasta, salad and garlic cheese bread. Takeout and delivery available. Service daily. $$

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

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MUSIC

Your Skin, Our Passion Your Health, Our Priority

Album reviews

BY JAKE CLAPP

“20th Century” Peter Stampfel (Louisiana Red Hot Records)

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release, Nonesuch Records at the end of January issued a remastered, expanded version of “Our New Orleans,” a benefit album recorded by New Orleans musicians scattered across the country in the months immediately following Hurricane Katrina and the federal levee failures. To date, according to the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity, the album has raised more than $1.5 million for the organization — much of that funding was used to build Musicians’ Village and the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music.

Originally released in December 2005, “Our New Orleans” opens with Allen Toussaint performing his “Yes We Can Can” and includes Irma Thomas (“Back Water Blues”), Dr. John (“World I Never Made”), Buckwheat Zydeco (performing a soulful “Cryin’ in the Streets”), Davell Crawford (“Gather By the River”), the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (“Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans”) and other New Orleans musicians. The album originally ended with Randy Newman and members of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra performing — almost too on the nose — “Louisiana 1927.” With the re-release, Nonesuch has added five new tracks, including Dr. John playing “Walking by the River” and a touching, intimate rendition of “Do You Know What It Means” by Davell Crawford.

“Our New Orleans” also is available on vinyl for the first time and comes in well-done gatefold packaging with a large booklet featuring a few essays and captivating photography

by Leonard Freed, Henri CartierBresson, Monique Michelle Verdin and others. — JAKE CLAPP

Rounders fiddle player Peter Stampfel set out on an ambitious project: To record a song from every year of the 20th century. The sweeping project of 100 songs was finally released Friday through New Orleans label Louisiana Red Hot Records. Some of the selections will be immediately recognizable — Gloria Gaynor’s “I will Survive,” Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” Coldplay’s “Yellow” — while many others may be new to listeners.

Stampfel largely chose his favorite tracks from the century, rather than perform an obsessive analysis of music history, but nonetheless, the project naturally reflects the changes of the 20th century. Stampfel started recording the project in 2001 and has largely

worked with producer Mark Bingham and a large cast of musicians in bursts of recording sessions over the ensuing 18 years. Most of the songs from 1901 to 1950, according to notes about the release, were done in a few weeks early on at Bingham’s Piety Street Studios. The final 20 or so tracks of the project weren’t finished until recent years, partly because Stampfel was diagnosed with dysphonia, a condition that affects the vocal chords, and the musician spent months re-learning to sing in a lower register. Still, Stampfel brings a folk veteran’s touch to the new renditions of these tracks, which on the one hand refreshes early 20th century songs like 1903’s “Ida” and 1910’s “Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life,” and on the other puts unique spins on Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping.” Stampfel’s “20th Century” is available as a digital download and as a five-disc box set, packaged with an 88-page book about the project. — JAKE CLAPP

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FILM

the

BY WILL COVIELLO

IN “A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX,” INVENTOR AND BILLIONAIRE ELON MUSK

says that assuming any kind of continued improvement in video games, eventually we’ll get simulations so lifelike they will be indistinguishable from reality.

That’s the film’s most straightforward illustration of the idea that perhaps we’re already living in a grand simulation. Director Rodney Ascher explores that possibility in “Glitch,” which takes its name from a line in “The Matrix.” In the 1999 sci-fi thriller, Keanu Reeves plays a computer hacker who discovers that he’s been living a life of computer-generated delusion and joins a rebellion against the machines. It’s an entertaining idea, but how far-fetched is it?

“Simulation theory” and “simulation hypothesis” are a couple of terms for the idea that we’re living in a fake reality. Short clips of Musk and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson lend the idea some legitimacy in the film. But Ascher also relies heavily on a rare interview with sci-fi novelist Philip K. Dick from 1977. Dick’s novels spawned numerous films built on related premises, including “Total Recall” and “Blade Runner,” in which manufactured humanoids blend into society nearly seamlessly and come to understand mortality. In “Glitch,” Dick addresses alternate realities in the storylines in his books “The Man in the High Castle” and “Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said.”

Several of the film’s interview subjects appear as video game avatars.

They’ve thought a lot about the simulation proposition, and they share some observations and logic problems. Writer Paul Gude, depicted as a shiny, anime-like, younger version of himself, notes that humans have continually updated their metaphors of how the body works to reflect the most advanced technology of the day, and will continue to do so, suggesting our perceptions are temporal and highly subject to change. Philosopher Nick Bostrom

P R OV I D E D B Y M AG N O L I A P I C T URE S

has obviously worked though the implications of simulation hypothesis and gets the most time to examine the possibility.

Ascher cleverly visualizes the argument with clips of video game animation and the use of elaborate deceptions in popular movies, such as the fake towns in “Blazing Saddles” and “The Truman Show.”

Ascher has seduced audiences with similar projects, including the 2012 documentary “Room 237,” exploring fans’ obsessions with minutia in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining.”

Interview subjects address simulation theory’s relation to religion, philosophy, sci-fi and more. The film references Plato’s cave and French philosopher Rene Descartes’ deliberations on whether humans perceive the world as it is. But Ascher seems far more interested in video games and the allure of their worlds.

The issue of first-person shooter games refocuses the documentary on psychology, and the investigation becomes less about the perceptions of an individual and more about the narcissism of being the only person whose existence matters in a scenario. Simplifying the world into an array of targets is a depressing way to frame the idea. And it leads into the problems of conspiracy theories, such as the gross oversimplification of the complexity of the world. That may be a good way to craft a two-hour action movie, or a tweet, but it’s not as sturdy as an explanation of reality.

The film abandons the probing of simulation theory and gets distracted by flawed perceptions, one of which is as bleak as it is irrelevant.

Writer Emily Pothast, one of the only women interviewed in the film, notes an alternative to the obsessions of lone gunmen or abstract theorists, and she points out that it appears in the sequel, “The Matrix Reloaded.”

“A Glitch in the Matrix” screens at Prytania Theatres at Canal Place.

(504) 645-0454

South, 3348 W Esplanade Ave., #305 Metairie, LA 70002

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SUPPORT YOUR FAVORITE BARS AND RESTAURANTS ON THE ROUTE THIS CARNIVAL SEASON AND ENTER TO WIN A $200 GIFT CARD TO

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HOW TO PLAY Post a picture of your favorite Mardi Gras spots on Instagram and tag @GAMBITNEWORLEANS | #RIDETHEROUTE to enter to win.

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ENTRY DATES: FEBRUARY 1 - 28, 2021

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UPTOWN

The Boot Bruno’s Tavern Fat Harry’s

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Bayou Beer Garden Bayou Wine Garden Wrong Iron On The Greenway Mid City Yacht Club

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WHAT IN THE WHAT?

By Frank A. Longo

73 — California (Mexican peninsula) 76 The Jordan River flows into it 77 CPR expert 78 Pas’ counterparts 81 Kafka or Liszt 83 Freezer cubes 84 “I’m freezing!”

86 Fully grown 88 TUblazeMMY 93 Napoli’s land 94 Retrovirus material 95 On — to nowhere 96 Member of a sorority 97 Kenan’s sitcom mate 100 DEVspiritICE 105 “— to laugh!”

107 German cry of vexation 108 Column’s counterpart 109 NIblastGHT 116 Caribbean island nation 122 Afternoon show 123 GRcreaseIT 125 One going in 126 “Hakuna —” (“The Lion King” song) 127 Vindicate 128 Little puzzles 129 Stage whispers 130 Neatens up

43 “How icky!”

48 Helpful things 51 Nada 52 Little branch 53 One listening 54 Reproductive gametes 55 Wildcat’s lair 56 Lead-in to cone or Caps 58 Reach a goal 63 Pappy 64 Elected group 65 U.S. Hwy., e.g.

66 “Caught you!”

67 “Rambo” setting, for short 69 More reasonable DOWN 70 Per person 1 Shareable PC files 71 Concept, in Cannes 2 Writer — Stanley 72 Crackling radio noise Gardner 73 Very close pal, 3 Those, to Juanita for short 4 Enormous 74 Onassis or Fleischer 5 For grades 1-12, 75 Jam holder in brief 78 Prefix with task 6 Factor influencing a dermatologic treatment 79 Non-earthling 80 Gawk rudely 7 Blaster’s stuff 82 Pizazz 8 Circusgoers’ cries 84 Unexciting 9 Swiss watch brand 85 Winona of “Stranger 10 Spanish appetizer Things” 11 “Do I need to draw you —?”

12 Grilled sandwiches 13 Went without food 14 Novelist Sholem 15 Oxford, e.g.

16 — latte (espresso variety) 17 Extreme disrepute 18 Doll who is Barbie’s 96-Across 19 Bishops’ headwear 24 Peaceful “Avatar” race 28 Outlaw Kelly 30 Gives the cold shoulder 33 Many, informally 34 “Time is — side” 35 “Girlfriend” boy band 36 Lace snarl 37 Has dinner at home 38 Less — stellar 39 Central area 40 Prior to, in poetry 41 — tai 42 Size above med.

87 Quick sprint 89 Casual refusal 90 “Anna and the King” actress — Ling 91 Suffix with southeast 92 Fate 93 “Caught you!”

97 Fate 98 Gas in fuel 99 Ray of “GoodFellas” 101 Westerns, in old slang 102 Univ., e.g.

103 Louise’s film cohort 104 Over 50% 106 Hogs’ homes 110 Concerning 111 — -do-well 112 “Buenos —” (“Good day,” in Granada) 113 Prefix with tank 114 Enjoy a novel 115 Toy flown on a windy day 117 — Strauss 118 Exercised 119 Child’s plea 120 “Bus Stop” playwright William 121 Fruit-flavored drinks 124 “One Mic” rapper

ANSWERS FOR LAST ISSUE’S PUZZLE: P 2

PUZZLES

33 COsimianRE 44 “Certainly” 45 Open with a click 46 “Star Trek” crew woman 47 43rd U.S. pres.

49 Prairie preyer 50 FORchildEST 57 Pursues prey 58 ISP with a butterfly logo 59 Be in the hole 60 Like wickerwork 61 Hobbit enemy 62 Actress Lupino 64 Tabriz native 68 Thin iPod 69 LAcobraWN

3 B E D , 2 . 5 B AT H , 2 2 5 6 S F C L A S S I C C O T TA G E • P R I M E U P T O W N L O C AT I O N

PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1 “Pet” annoyances 7 Dance click 13 Extreme right-wing doctrine 20 Polio vaccine developer 21 2008 presidential campaign coinage 22 Caine/Ustinov adventure film 23 SKILglintLET 25 Scorn 26 Poem with six stanzas 27 PUsmackSS 29 Boob tubes 31 Born, to Luc 32 Arab ruler

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