Gambit: May 26, 2020 by Gambit New Orleans

May 26 - June 1, 2020 Volume 41 // Number 19

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > M AY 2 6 - J U N E 1 > 2 0 2 0

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CONTENTS

MAY 26 -JUNE 1 VOLUME 41 | NUMBER 19 NEWS

OPENING GAMBIT

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COMMENTARY 10

that has been caring for New Orleanians’ cats and dogs

CLANCY DUBOS

FEATURES

ARTS &

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ENTERTAINMENT 5 EAT + DRINK

Make your house a Happy Home with FLOWERS!

STAYING IN

Tues- Sun Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm Dinner 4:30pm - 9pm

EXCHANGE 27

@The_Gambit @gambitneworleans

Novel Diversions

COVER IMAGES BY JEANNE FOSTER & SARAH RAVITS COVER DESIGN BY DORA SISON

What New Orleanians are reading

STAFF

Publisher | JEANNE EXNICIOS FOSTER

EDITORIAL (504) 483-3105// response@gambitweekly.com Editor | KANDACE POWER GRAVES

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

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

Indian tracks

Birds of a feather THE ANNUAL BIRDFOOT FESTIVAL OF CHAMBER MUSIC WAS CANCELED AS A LIVE EVENT, but organizers have turned to radio station WWNO’s classical music channel at 104.9 FM to offer a physically distanced version. The

The 79rs Gang release ‘Expect the Unexpected’ May 29 BY WILL COVIELLO IN THE SONG “NEEDLE DON’T LIE,” on

their new album “Expect the Unexpected,” Big Chiefs Romeo Bougere and Jermaine Bossier sing about a simple truth for Mardi Gras Indians. “You can lie all year long,” Bougere says. “You can say you spent the whole year sewing, but when you hit the street on Mardi Gras, it’s all there to see.” The suit is proof of time put into sewing, but Mardi Gras Indians also recognize the calloused and scarred fingers from working sewing needles through the year. It’s clear who sews a suit. Together, Bougere and Bossier lead the 79rs Gang, a collaboration bridging the divide between former rival Mardi Gras Indian tribes from the 7th and 9th wards. The two chiefs put aside their differences and recorded their first album, “Fire on the Bayou,” in 2013 (re-released by Sinking City Records in 2015). Their second full album, “Expect the Unexpected,” will be released May 29. It’s grounded in Mardi Gras Indian culture, chanting and percussion, but it embraces an array of New Orleans musical genres. With the release of a video for “79rs Bout to Blow” in February, 79rs Gang signaled that they’ve expanded their sound and are looking to reach new audiences. The song is a swaggering claiming of Mardi Gras Indians’ presence in New Orleans. It’s built on Indian cadences and has a rattling tambourine, but it adds a hip-hop vibe with synthesizers and electronic sounds. The album also includes a version of “Iko Kreyol,” recorded with Haitian-inspired group Lakou Mizik and Win Butler of Arcade Fire. Butler contributes to another track, as does Cyril Neville, and this album was produced by Eric Heigle of the Lost Bayou Ramblers. Many songs focus on Mardi Gras Indian traditions. “War Cry (Way Downtown Mix)” is about tribes emerging on Mardi Gras to face off. The lyrics are grounded in Indian chants, but backed by a horn section including Nicholas Payton on trum-

P H OTO V Y R YA N H O D G S O N - R I G S B EE

Clarinetist Carol McGonnell and cellist Saeunn Thorsteinsdottir perform at the Birdfoot Festival.

revised schedule features broadcasts of recordings of past festival performances and works by artists originally scheduled to perform at this year’s event. Programing runs from noon to 1 p.m. May 25-29. Visit www.birdfootfestival.org for more information.

Art of distancing pet and Brad Walker on saxophone. “Shot That Signal” has a brass band sound, and features Soul Rebels Julian Gosin on trumpet and Paul Robertson on trombone, as well as longtime Rebirth Brass Band snare drummer Derrick Tabb. But the biggest change undertaken by Bougere and Bossier was the adjustment from street-style chants and freestyling to doing more storytelling in lyrics. “If I sing something (while marching) and people are feeling it, I might repeat it,” Bougere says. “This is totally different. We said let’s start telling stories. There are stories in our chants, but this takes you down the road.” The song “Culture Vulture” has several lines repeated like chants about people asking Indians to pose for pictures. But the lyrics also describe people putting those photos in books or applying for grants to study Mardi Gras Indians without sharing profits or giving back to the Indians when the project is about their work. “Stop the Water” echoes the sounds of traditional Indian songs,

P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y & ( R S G A N G

Big Chiefs Romeo Bougere and Jermaine Bossier are the 79rs Gang.

but adds background vocals including gospel-like parts. The lyrics describe Hurricane Katrina hitting the city and citizens escaping flooding in the following days. Bourgere and Bossier grew up in Mardi Gras Indian families. In 2003, Bougere took over the tribe founded by his father Rudy Bougere, the 9th Ward Hunters. Bossier’s uncle was Big Chief of the Black Eagles. Bossier became the Spy Boy for the Yellow Pocahontas, later joined Trouble Nation and then founded his own group, 7th Ward Creole Hunters. They also were drawn to music and as chiefs became known for singing. Now they’re making their mark on Mardi Gras Indian music. “That’s what the Wild Tchoupitoulas did,” Bossier says. “That’s what Monk (Boudreaux) did, what Juan Pardo did. Now we’re updating the music.”

THE CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER REOPENS ON A LIMITED BASIS JUNE 1-14, allowing opportunities to view two expos: “Mickalene Thomas: Femmes Noires” and “Meg Turner: Here and Now.” Thomas’ show includes collages, paintings, film, photography and installations exploring representations of black women in popular culture and art. Admission is by timed ticketing, and tickets must be reserved and paid for online (www.cacno.org). The CAC will close June 15 and reopen Sept. 18 with the group show “Make America What America Must Become.”

The next step DANCING GROUND’S ANNUAL DANCE FOR SOCIAL CHANGE EVENT ALSO HAS GONE VIRTUAL. This year’s festival is highlighted by the teen artists in DG Uprising’s company’s original work, “Solastalgia.” The piece combines dance, poetry, theater and music in a reflection on how gentrification affects New Orleans’ culture. The performance is at 5:30 p.m. Friday via Zoom. There also are dance workshops and discussions from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday via Zoom. Visit www.dancingrounds. org for details.

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OPENING GAMBIT O R L E A N S

N E W S

V I E W S

Police shake-up ... Entergy pays the bills ... balancing the budget ... and more

# The Count

Thumbs Up/ Thumbs Down

6 million

Customers and employees of Winn-Dixie donated almost

258,000 $5 hunger relief bags — more than $1.28 million worth of food — to Feeding America, which provides meals to the hungry in the southeastern U.S. The donations were gathered at Winn-Dixie stores during a COVID-19 relief drive May 5-15. The $5 bags contained nonperishable food items.

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

New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson, center, promotes John Thomas, right, to his No. 2 position, and switches Paul Noel, left, to Thomas’ old job.

NOPD SHAKES UP LEADERSHIP AMID ALLEGATIONS OF IMPROPRIETIES

Xavier University of Louisiana has received a 2020

Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion in International Education Award from Diversity Abroad, an education industry organization seeking to support educators and institutions providing opportunities to minorities and underserved students. Xavier was given the award for the school’s success in student engagement and support programs.

State GOP lawmakers are trying to push bills through the Louisiana Legislature that would grant tax cuts to the oil and gas industry and suspend business franchise taxes for a year — at a time when the state is facing a $1 billion loss in revenues due to the coronavirus pandemic. The tax cuts have been pet projects of the GOP for some time, but now the bills are being packaged as pandemic-relief measures. They are not. The Louisiana GOP also has proposed several measures seeking to weaken Louisiana’s Public Records laws.

THE NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPARTMENT is shaking up its top ranks. The shakeup comes after reports of improper searches and arrests by the agency’s proactive patrol units led to their recent disbanding, several sources familiar with the plan said. The most notable impending switch involves NOPD’s No. 2 position, whose duties include overseeing the bureau that housed the disbanded task forces. Chief Deputy Supt. Paul Noel, who’s been in charge of NOPD’s field operations bureau since before Supt. Shaun Ferguson took office early last year, will cede the post to John Thomas, who handled NOPD’s investigation into the task forces. Noel will take over Thomas’ old job of heading a separate bureau in charge of NOPD’s follow-up investigations into reported crimes, according to the sources, who spoke May 21 on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. NOPD’s Public Information Office did not respond to a request for comment. Transfers within NOPD are typically disclosed to officers on Friday afternoons. For Noel, the move marks a sudden demotion. Noel, like Thomas, was a finalist for the job Ferguson got when former Supt. Michael Harrison left the agency to become Baltimore’s police commissioner in January 2019. Noel, who arrived at NOPD in 1997, became Harrison’s No. 2 in late 2015, after also overseeing a politically charged re-examination of sex crimes investigations whose quality had been called into question by a scathing inspector general’s report. When Ferguson took over for Harrison, he left Noel — his former commander in the 2nd District — in place, despite making numerous other personnel switches. Days before word about NOPD’s latest reshuffling began trickling out, an article in The Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate detailed various court rulings over the past few months that rebuked a group of officers for improper arrests in the French Quarter. The officers in question belonged to an 8th District task force that tries to stop crime proactively rather than waiting to respond to 911 calls. Such task forces existed in all eight of the city’s patrol districts. A video shot at the station house in NOPD’s 8th District — which patrols the French Quarter — showed officers aligning their stories about a search on Bourbon Street. The Louisiana Supreme Court deemed PAGE 8

The number of Louisianans living in food-insecure communities, according to a study conducted by UrbanFootprint, a cloud-based software platform, and Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX), a nonprofit that drives urban, rural and regional planning efforts in Louisiana. That number has increased by 500,000 since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and it equates to one in three people in Louisiana, researchers say. Food insecurity measures the difficulty of reliable access to a sufficient amount of affordable, nutritionally adequate food. In food-insecure communities, families and individuals make tradeoffs between important basic needs such as food and medical care.

C’est What

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the search illegal after it received the video for review. Judges presiding over other cases handled by the 8th District task force, which often seeks to confiscate illegally concealed guns in the city’s tourism hub, have tossed additional searches by the same detectives appearing in the video. Ferguson divulged May 18 that the task forces had been subjected to a “multi-phase audit” from the monitors overseeing the reform agreement that NOPD signed with the federal government in 2012. As a result of audits’ findings, Ferguson said, he was immediately disbanding the department’s various task forces and assigning their officers to respond to calls for service instead. — RAMON ANTONIO VARGAS/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

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New Orleans electricity and gas customers who have experienced financial hardships due to the coronavirus pandemic will get their bills paid for up to four months under a new program the City Council announced last week. The program will offer a $100 bill credit per month for four months to residents who can prove they are unemployed. Entergy New Orleans, the city’s utility, will be directed to pull roughly $22 million — mostly from its reserves — to cover the costs, the council said May 21. Officials said the help is needed because 40% of Entergy’s customers have fallen behind on their bills in the months since the pandemic began. The utility provides electricity to more than 200,000 customers and natural gas to 110,000 customers. Entergy already had announced that it would suspend shut-offs for nonpayment during the pandemic. “The economic consequences of this pandemic have created an unprecedented crisis for this community,” City Councilwoman Helena Moreno said during a video conference meeting of the council. “That is why I believe we need to have an unprecedented response to give a lifeline to our most impacted people.” The program, dubbed City Council Cares, will be official when the council formally approves it next month. The announcement comes as more than 80,000 New Orleans residents have filed unemployment claims with the state since March 21, according to the Louisiana Workforce Commission. Though some programs have offered one-time relief for rent and other necessities, and Entergy has deferred payments and paused shutoffs for customers, the announcement signaled the first time in recent memory that the utility will cover

people’s bills out of its reserve funds, at the council’s urging. Residential customers will be eligible for a $400 bill credit that could be applied over four months if they provide proof of unemployment, such as a letter from the Louisiana Workforce Commission detailing benefits. Eligible residents could see bill credits as soon as July. The program is not open to commercial customers. More than 50,000 customers could benefit, Moreno said. The program shines a spotlight on Entergy’s sizable reserves, which have been accumulating for years in two “storm reserve funds” that total $82 million. The council is pulling $15 million from one fund and combining that with a $7 million refund Entergy was ordered in 2018 to give to customers but hasn’t yet been distributed. The council also ordered Entergy to extend its current suspension of electricity shut-offs, which was due to expire May 31, until July 1. Entergy did not respond to a request for comment. — JESSICA WILLIAMS/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

Louisiana could use $1 billion in federal funds to balance budget Louisiana state lawmakers and Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration found common ground as they started moving the state budget last week, with a House committee May 21 largely agreeing to the governor’s proposal to use nearly $1 billion in federal coronavirus relief funds to stave off “catastrophic cuts.” The House Appropriations Committee advanced spending plans that no longer include boosted funding for schools, early childhood education and universities, which the Republican-led Legislature and Democratic governor were planning before the coronavirus pandemic blew a hole in state revenues. House Bill 105 provides state government legal authority for the next fiscal year to spend specific amounts of public monies to pay employees, supplement law enforcement salaries, cover medical insurance for about one-fourth of state’s residents, maintain parks, educate toddlers, graduate students and other services. But after the pandemic and cratering oil prices lowered overall revenue forecasts by about $1 billion for the fiscal year starting July 1, lawmakers appear poised to avoid making deep cuts to state agencies that provide services. The Edwards’ administration proposed using $991 million in federal aid from the $2 trillion stimulus passed by Congress to balance the current and upcoming fiscal year budgets. “It’s unprecedented to have money like this forked over by the federal

OPENING GAMBIT didn’t intend to delay the process. While local governments have been hit hard by lost revenue from the coronavirus – particularly New Orleans — Dardenne said he expects there will be money left over in the $811 million pot of funds because the bulk of coronavirus expenses are incurred by the state. The funding can’t be used to fill lost revenue from things like cratering sales taxes from business closures. — SAM KARLIN/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

throw on and go!

Superdome to get new name next year In about a year, New Orleanians will have to start getting used to calling the Superdome by a new name. New Orleans Saints spokesman Greg Bensel confirmed last week that Mercedes-Benz won’t renew naming rights to the Superdome. The agreement with the German carmaker expires in July 2021, so the search is on to find another sponsor. “The agreement is not being renewed, based on Mercedes-Benz having other opportunities,” Bensel said. “Mercedes-Benz has been an excellent partner for our team, the building and our region. We could not have asked for a more well-respected global company to have as our inaugural naming rights partner.” The search marks just the second time in the Superdome’s 45-year history that its naming rights have been up for grabs, and will end an unusual three years in which the Saints and arch-rival Atlanta Falcons both played in stadiums with the same sponsor. The stadium opened its doors in 1975 as the Louisiana Superdome, a name that it kept through decades of major events including seven Super Bowls, the annual Essence Festival, concerts and Saints home games. It also has hosted special events including an address by Pope John Paul II in 1987 and the Republican National Convention the following year. The building also gained notoriety during Hurricane Katrina, when it was used as a shelter of last resort. The process of picking a new sponsor will be up to the Saints, and not the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District, the state entity that owns the Dome. Mercedes-Benz became the first company to put its name on the building in 2011 under a 10-year deal with the Saints that was reported to be worth between $50 million and $60 million. Bensel declined to say how much the Saints believed the naming rights are worth now. He said the process of picking a new sponsor is already underway. — JEFF ADELSON/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

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government,” said Jay Dardenne, state commissioner of administration. “There’s no question this money is getting us through this pandemic crisis.” “Thanks to the CARES Act, you will not see $900 million in cuts in fiscal year 2021,” said Appropriations Chairman Jerome “Zee” Zeringue, R-Houma. State leaders had expressed concern that the $1.8 billion allocated by the stimulus to Louisiana’s state and local governments could only be used for certain coronavirus-related expenses. But the Edwards administration is relying on broad flexibility granted by the U.S. Treasury Department in using the funds. For instance, the feds told state leaders they can assume that payroll expenses for public safety qualified as coronavirus-related spending. That allows the state to use about $290 million in federal funding for the state corrections department in fiscal years 2020 and 2021, freeing up state tax dollars. There are still cuts in the budget proposal passed by the committee, which is scheduled for a vote by the full House on May 26. Along with the elimination of the $92 million in planned increased funding to colleges, K-12 schools and others, the proposal cuts $21 million from higher education, $40.7 million from the Louisiana Department of Health and $17.6 million from local housing. But as some Republicans pointed out, colleges and other institutions have received other federal funding directly from the stimulus package. And the budget is far less dire than most expected. The only significant difference between Edwards’ proposal and the one crafted by the House Appropriations Committee was the committee proposed cutting an additional $12 million from the Louisiana Department of Health to increase funding for university agricultural centers, the judiciary and other things. While the Republican-led Appropriations Committee largely agreed with Edwards’ administration on the budget bills, they disagree on how to best spend the $811 million of the $1.8 billion in federal coronavirus aid funding set aside for local governments. Dardenne’s office is moving forward with a plan to accept applications for reimbursement from local governments with coronavirus-related expenses in June. But the Appropriations Committee voted 13-9 to advance a bill that would handle the funds differently, putting $200 million into a program for businesses. Dardenne argued the move would delay the money going to local governments, creating more layers of bureaucracy. Zeringue, who offered up the proposal through amendments to a different bill, said he

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COMMENTARY

Lawsuits rightly take aim at limits to mail balloting during pandemic WHEN THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS challenges a state’s

election laws in federal court, claiming those laws violate fundamental constitutional guarantees, it’s a safe bet that something’s amiss. The League is famously, and fastidiously, nonpartisan. It’s big news, therefore, that the League of Women Voters of Louisiana — along with 10 other plaintiffs in two federal lawsuits — has alleged that the state has placed undue burdens on citizens’ right to vote in the 2020 elections. The League on May 19 joined Crescent City Media Group (a local civic and political engagement organization) and three individual voters in seeking to have a federal judge nullify portions of Louisiana’s recent election law changes. The league’s suit came almost two weeks after a similar

federal lawsuit brought by the state NAACP, the Power Coalition of Equity and Justice, and four individual voters. Both federal suits were filed in Baton Rouge. Both lawsuits take aim at the Legislature’s decision not to significantly expand mail balloting in Louisiana for the July 11 presidential and municipal primary and the August municipal runoff. The elections originally were scheduled for April and May but were postponed because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuits contend that, in seeking to address COVID19’s impact on the electoral process, the state failed to protect voters’ right to vote without risking exposure to the disease. Both suits seek to make mail balloting more readily available. At the risk of prejudging the

I M AG E B Y W I L D P I X E L / G E T T Y I M AG E S

merits of the case, we agree with the plaintiffs. Whether they succeed depends on the evidence and arguments at trial, but it doesn’t take a judicial decree to know that Louisiana’s Republican-dominated Legislature wanted no part of expanding people’s access to the ballot box. This is true not just in Louisiana, but wherever the GOP holds the reins of government. The resistance to increased use of mail ballots has become embedded in Republican orthodoxy. From Capitol Hill to statehouses across America, the partisan pushback against mail balloting centers on claims that it opens the door to election fraud. Such claims — echoed in Baton Rouge by GOP lawmakers who put

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the kibosh on proposals to expand mail voting here — are utterly without merit. Election experts consistently say that election fraud is rare, even in states that allow widespread use of mail ballots. Republicans’ real concern isn’t voter fraud; it’s voter turnout. They want to keep it as low as possible because they believe it increases their chances of winning. Limiting

voters’ ability to cast ballots safely during a pandemic amounts to voter suppression. The lawsuits allege that violates voters’ rights under the U.S. Constitution. To his credit, Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, a Republican, proposed a more robust expansion of mail balloting (though only for the July and August elections). GOP lawmakers shot him down, opting instead for a proposal that significantly restricts mail balloting and places additional requirements on some voters who try to use it. Moreover, Louisiana has no plans for expanding either early voting or mail balloting for the presidential and other elections in November. The plaintiffs seek to remedy that as well. We hope they succeed.

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IN THE FACE OF THE DEADLIEST PANDEMIC to hit the

United States in more than a century, the Louisiana Legislature has busied itself with all things except helping constituents deal with the ravages of COVID-19. In fact, a good argument can be made that a majority of our legislators have spent considerable time putting their constituents at greater risk. Consider, for example, a pair of “pro-Second Amendment” bills that House members took up May 22. No doubt the National Rifle Association fully supports HB140 and HB334, for the two bills would significantly increase the “freedom” to carry firearms into places where they’re currently banned. To be clear, I’m not anti-gun. I’m an avid hunter, in fact, and a proud — but responsible —

gun owner. That’s why I feel strongly about those two bills. In my opinion, both pose a threat to public safety. Let’s start with a close look at HB140 by Rep. Blake Miguez, R-Lafayette. This bill would strip from existing law the authority of local governments to prohibit the possession of firearms in public buildings and certain commercial establishments. Miguez’s bill ostensibly promotes the notion of state supremacy and uniform statewide laws. Alas, that doctrine was not always dear to the hearts of conservatives. Just a few weeks ago, Miguez and other Republican lawmakers (in the name of local autonomy) criticized Gov. John Bel Edwards for imposing a statewide stay-at-home order in the face of COVID-19, which has killed more Louisianans in less

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champion. As a state lawmaker, he champions NRA causes. Unfortunately, few in Louisiana share his level of expertise when it comes to handling firearms safely and responsibly. If that were the case, we’d have a lot fewer gun deaths. Now let’s look at HB334, by Rep. Bryan Fontenot, R-Thibodaux. This measure would remove language from existing state law expressly prohibiting holders of concealed

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@clancygambit handgun permits from taking their weapons into houses of worship. Unlike Miguez’s bill, which applies to all firearms and all locations, Fontenot’s bill would apply only to concealed handguns carried by qualified permit holders in houses of worship. It would leave in place general language permitting “a property owner, lessee or other lawful custodian” to ban handguns, which presumably would allow clerics to ban guns in churches and temples. Unfortunately, it would put the onus on clerics to impose firearms prohibitions rather than relying on current state law, which expressly forbids guns in houses of worship. Christians like me typically see statues of Jesus outside our churches. Going forward, worshippers of all faiths may see “No guns allowed” signs — as they prepare to pray for God’s peace. If the NRA has its way, God help us all.

P H OTO B Y R O N B A I L E Y/G E T T Y I M AG E S

than three months than guns typically kill in two years. Ah, but when it comes to firearms, the state (or rather, the NRA) must reign supreme. Never mind that New Orleans, for example, has a significantly greater problem with gun violence than other parishes and therefore might reasonably need to restrict firearms in certain establishments. Miguez, it should be noted, is an international shooting

11 G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > M ay 2 6 - J u n e 1 > 2 0 2 0

Pair of pro-gun bills would not make us safer

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BLAKE PONTCHARTRAIN™ @GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com

Hey Blake, I saw someone on Twitter point out that a street tile on Gen. Pershing Street instead says Berlin. What’s the story on the name change?

Dear reader,

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The renaming of Berlin Street in 1918, months before the end of World War I, was typical of the anti-German sentiment of the time, which prohibited the teaching of German in schools and brought scrutiny for local German-Americans, who then made up the largest immigrant community in New Orleans. Mayor Martin Behrman, the son of German immigrants, responded to public suggestions by pushing for an ordinance renaming Berlin Street for Gen. John Joseph “Black Jack” Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front during World War I. The City Commission Council approved the change, which went into effect May 7, 1918. “Folks residing on the beautiful Uptown thoroughfare thereafter can hold up their heads proudly and tell the world they live on General Pershing Street,” wrote The New Orleans Item. “The change is one that has been desired ever since this country entered the war and the action of the mayor, which was not generally expected, was greatly appreciated,” wrote New Orleans States columnist J.C. Aby.

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The remnants of tiles marking Berlin Street can be found at the corner of Gen. Pershing and Laurel streets.

Astute observers pointed out that Berlin was just one of several Uptown streets named to commemorate battles and victories of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. That explains the names Austerlitz, Marengo, Milan, Jena and Cadiz, for example. “People apparently forgot it (Berlin) commemorated a licking of the Germans by the French, instead of honoring the then-hated Germans,” a Times-Picayune writer noted in 1936. One month after the ordinance took effect, there were complaints, including in The New Orleans States, that the “Berlin” letters “embedded in the sidewalks” were not being “effaced” fast enough. As you noted, some remain today. As for Pershing, he visited New Orleans during Mardi Gras 1920. He addressed a crowd in Lafayette Square, received special honors from Rex at Gallier Hall, watched the krewe’s parade at the Boston Club on Canal Street and attended the Rex ball that night.

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THIS WEEK MARKS THE 55TH ANNIVERSARY of the start of a New Orleans success story now known worldwide: Ruth Fertel’s first day as owner of Chris Steak House. She later rebranded it as Ruth’s Chris Steak House and turned her business into one of the world’s biggest steak house chains. In 1965, Fertel was a divorced mother of two working as a lab technician at Tulane Medical School when she saw a classified ad listing a steak house for sale. Chris Steak House at 1100 N. Broad St. had been in business since Feb. 5, 1927, (coincidentally, Ruth Fertel’s birthday) and owner Chris Matulich was ready to retire. Anxious for a career change, Fertel mortgaged her house and bought the restaurant for $18,000. Her first day as owner was May 24, 1965. She taught herself the restaurant business and earned a reputation for prime steaks served in sizzling butter (ads called it “the steak that speaks for itself”). In 1976, a fire damaged the original restaurant and Fertel moved down the street to North Broad Street and Orleans Avenue. Her original sales agreement said if she moved, she’d have to change the restaurant’s name, so it became Ruth’s Chris Steak House. Franchises popped up across the country, while the flagship location became a hangout for politicos and power brokers. In 1999, Fertel sold a majority interest in the chain to a Chicago investment firm. By the time of her death in 2002, the chain had grown to 82 locations across America and 150 worldwide. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the chain moved its headquarters to Orlando, Florida.

NEW ORLEANS’ PANDEMIC-RELATED STAY-AT-HOME RESTRICTIONS have lifted

somewhat, but we know we are still facing a much quieter, more introverted summer than usual. So Gambit reached out to some of our community leaders, creative types and other assorted bookworms to get a range of literary recommendations to help us all stay occupied for the next few months. We received this list from a group that includes a popular chef who’s spent the last few months advocating for the service industry on a national stage, some of New Orleans’ musicians, prominent media figures, a renowned scientist who has studied Ebola and is now working on COVID-19 — and an energetic self-described “free child” who suspects her dog might be a vampire. Check out some of their favorite page-turners below.

P H OTO BY J O S H D E T I E G E

have been s m or w ok bo l ca lo t ha w s Here’ BY SARAH RAVITS n w do ut sh e th ng ri du ng enjoyi

SHEBA TURK

WWL Eyewitness Morning News anchor and author “Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah “It is one of my favorite books now. I do not regularly watch ‘The Daily Show’ but I knew that host Trevor Noah was hilarious from what I have seen of him. The book takes you through every aspect of his life growing up, from the conditions in apartheid South Africa to the domestic violence inside his home, but he tackles these serious topics and still made me laugh out loud throughout the book. It’s engaging, enlightening, and hilarious.”

JOSEPH GIARRUSSO P H OTO B Y G L A D E B I L B Y

New Orleans City Councilman, District A “Franklin and Winston: A Portrait of A Friendship” by Jon Meacham and “Troubled Memory” by Lawrence Powell “I hadn’t thought about reading two consecutive books on World War II. While much of the second book’s focus is on the unimaginable horrors faced by Holocaust survivors, both books are about humanity’s strength, resiliency and fellowship in enduring a lengthy battle yet eventually overcoming unprecedented and unrelenting hardships.”

MANDIE LANDRY

MASON HEREFORD

Louisiana Rep., District 91

“World War Z” by Max Brooks “I re-read ‘World War Z’ back in March at the beginning of the [COVID-19] crisis. It’s an old favorite and felt strangely comforting at the time. Also: zombies.”

chef/owner at Molly’s Rise & Shine and Turkey and the Wolf

P H OTO B Y K AT I E S I KO R A

JENN LEE SUPERSTAR

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

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yoga instructor at Church of Yoga

“Mosquito Supper Club” by Melissa Martin “Melissa doesn’t just present useful recipes. She’s a badass Cajun with a powerful perspective. The stories you hear about Cajun country — she lived those stories and passes them along thoughtfully. Her recipes and narration do a great job of preserving an endangered folk wonderland.”

“The Art of Presence” and “The Journey Into Yourself,” both by Eckhart Tolle “He gives such profound anecdotes with a sense of humility and humor, reminding the seeker to not take themselves so seriously and to notice the whole picture as well as appreciate the little details and nuances of life’s ups and downs. Also great as audiobooks — Eckhart’s little laugh is endearing.” PAGE 14

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“I: New & Selected Poems” by Toi Derricotte “This is a superb collection to take on right now because we rarely have an opportunity to slow down enough to take a close look at our experiences, the difficult and the delightful. Derricotte is a master of detailing the anatomy of ‘beingness’ with such laser-like focus that the reader can’t help but know themselves better after wading around in these confessions. Her skill reminds us of that which is required of the most daring of tightrope artists, and I find she prefers insight over wisdom, not to escape or transcend the human condition, but to fully confront it.”

P H OTO B Y L I V P I S C DA LO - J O N E S

LILLI LEWIS

musician

P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y L A N C E VA R G A S

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

BEN JAFFE

REV. LANCE “VARG” VARGAS

artist, officiant and co-owner of Deurty Boys art gallery

creative director of Preservation Hall

“No Walls And the Recurring Dream” by Ani DiFranco and “Acid for the Children” by Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers “I’ve been reading a lot of biographies recently. I love learning what’s going on in peoples’ minds, their decision process, their creative process. These are both artists I have the utmost respect for. It’s healthy when you learn others have all the struggles everybody has. Life is how you take those struggles and turn them into inspiration.”

GORDON RUSSELL

Investigations Editor at The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate

P H OTO B Y M O N W E L L F R A Z I E R

KARISMA PRICE

poet and assistant professor of poetry at Tulane University “Please” by Jericho Brown “The book I’d recommend is a collection of poetry entitled ‘Please’ by Jericho Brown, a Shreveport native who just won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry for his collection ‘The Tradition.’ I’m really interested in how Brown explores the ways in which intimacy and violence can exist in the same spaces, and am amazed at how the book uses music and persona to explore those themes. As a poet who explores blackness and Southernness — often through the inclusion of music and pop culture — in my poetry, I find myself using his work as a guide when writing about my upbringing and my sense of place.”

“Educated” by Tara Westover “I thought it was terrific. It’s a memoir by someone who grew up in really unusual circumstances — raised by radical, anti-government Mormons on the side of a mountain in Idaho. The book is about her departure from that world into a broader society (after not having attended elementary or secondary school) and trying to understand the world the rest of us inhabit. I found it fascinating, and I thought she described her family with unbelievable empathy while not sparing the gory/ crazy details.”

P H OTO B Y J A M E S L E T T E N

“American Murder Ballads and Their Stories” by Olive Woolley Burt “My go-to reading in bed option, this one sits on my night stand. Any songwriter or lover of songwriting needs this increasingly rare book by early 20th-century journalist and crime writer Olive Woolley Burt. Published in 1958, Burt used her skills as a reporter for the Salt Lake Tribune to compile a very complete study of American folk murder ballads. It is particularly valuable as a resource due to it being researched and written in the ’40s and ’50s before the influx of mass media would forever alter the original stories behind these ballads. The book was researched at a time when oral tradition was fading away. Many favorites are included: ‘Stagger Lee,’ ‘Omie Wise,’ ‘Pretty Polly.’ The chapters are arranged by motive and, if you want to play or sing along, she includes sheet music and lyrics. The book is indeed an investment though, the cheapest busted-up copy goes for online is $80 or so.”

P H OTO B Y S TAC Y G R A B E R T

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > M ay 2 6 - J u n e 1 > 2 02 0

ASHLEY LONGSHORE artist and gallery owner “Images You Should Not Masturbate To” by Graham Johnson and Rob Hibbert “This is not just entertaining but it is essential for the foundation of a normal, productive, minimally perverse existence.”

photographer

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > M ay 2 6 - J u n e 1 > 2 0 2 0

STEPHEN MACDONALD

CHERYL GERBER

bassist for Sweet Crude P H OTO B Y G R E G M I L E S

“The Yellow House” by Sarah M. Broom and “It’s What I Do: A Photographer’s Life of Love and War” by Lynsey Addario “I’m particularly into memoirs these days, writing my own right now. I especially loved Sarah Broom’s ‘The Yellow House’ and have just read it a second time. It was so beautifully written, and as a Southerner who grew up on the Northshore in a trailer, I could totally relate to her relationship with her dilapidated home and complicated family, as well as her somewhat ‘outside’ relationship to New Orleans. I also read war photographer Lynsey Addario’s gut-wrenching memoir, which chronicles her relentless pursuit for the truth in the Middle East while battling sexism and frustrations of trying to have it all as a working woman.”

“East of West” by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta “It is 1908 — the Civil War rages on and now the Four Effing Horsemen want to join the sci-fi Western party. As they say, ‘Lache pas l’apocalypse!’ ”

JOHN ‘PAPA’ GROS , musician

DR. ROBERT GARRY JR.

virologist and professor at Tulane University “Crisis in the Red Zone: The Story of the Deadliest Ebola Outbreak in History, and of the Outbreaks to Come” by Richard Preston “The sequel to ‘The Hot Zone’ tells the story of the early days of the largest Ebola outbreak. It’s best to focus on Preston’s gripping accounts of the heroics of the African health care workers whose dedication foreshadowed today’s COVID-19 health care worker heroes. No one thought Preston’s prescient warnings about outbreaks of deadly viruses would be born out so soon and so dramatically.”

P H OTO B Y AU G U S TA S AG N E L L I

P H OTO B Y M A R C PAG A N I

P H OTO B Y PAU L A B U R C H - C E L E N TA N O

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

“Under a Hoodoo Moon: the Life of the Night Tripper” by Dr. John with Jack Rummel “Dr. John tells his colorful story of growing up in Mid-City, his passion for music and tales from his incredible career. In doing so, he gives a streetwise history lesson in New Orleans music and culture. The best part is having to read out loud passages because the eyes do not react to the phonetic spellings of the Doctor’s vocabulary as well as the ears. It’s a fun read.”

DERRICK FREEMAN

bandleader of Soul Brass Band “On Time: A Princely Life in Funk” by Morris Day with David Ritz (a memoir centering around Day’s relationship and association with Prince) “It was very inspiring.”

ALISON FENSTERSTOCK

P H OTO C O U R T E S Y W D S U

FLETCHER MACKEL

sports anchor at WDSU

“The Lincoln Conspiracy” by Brad Meltzer & Josh Mensch “Just fascinating. A reallife thriller that reads more like Dan Brown fiction. Can’t put it down.”

“The Third Rainbow Girl” by Emma Copley Eisenberg “It’s a really thoughtfully blended combination of memoir and true crime that uses both to investigate gender, poverty and violence in Appalachia — tricky, complicated stuff in a tricky, complicated part of the world. It is painstakingly reported and investigated, both the writer’s own experience and the murder from 30 years earlier that it turns on, and the way the two threads intertwine compounds its power. And there is a lot of joy in it, which you can’t say often about a true crime book.”

P H OTO B Y S A R A H R AV I T S

P H OTO B Y L E F T Y PA R K E R

writer, editor and former Gambit music writer

GEORGIA PEYTON second grader

“Bunnicula” by James and Deborah Howe “It’s funny, but it’s also important because it gives you tips on what to look for in case your pet is an actual vampire.”

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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 > M ay 2 6 - J u n e 1 > 2 02 0

Reopening day

Another Falafel King

Local restaurants welcome diners at 25% capacity. BY I A N M C N U LT Y IT WAS A MONDAY when Dunbar’s Creole Cuisine (7834 Earhart Blvd., 504-509-6287; www.facebook.com/ dunbarscreolecuisine) reopened its dining room after two months of coronavirus closures, so there was no question about the daily special: red beans and rice with fried chicken and cornbread. If only anything else in the New Orleans restaurant world had such certainty these days. “I don’t know what’s going to happen,” owner Celestine “Tina” Dunbar said. “We’re just trying to do our part and see.” Restaurants around the New Orleans area are reopening under rules set by the state and, in Orleans Parish, the city, during the first phase of economic reopening. That includes a limit of 25% occupancy and other measures to minimize contact between people. Here’s a look at how opening day played out for few local restaurants. Dunbar started her business in her home kitchen nearly 40 years ago and has fed generations of New Orleanians with her Creole soul dishes. On May 18, wearing an American flag-patterned face mask, she looked over a dining room where just two people were eating at separate tables. A few others trickled in for takeout. “If we have to close, that’s it,” Dunbar said. “But for now we’re trying to feed people good, treat them right, have them leave happy and pray they come back.” On a normally busy stretch of Magazine Street, Joey K’s (3001 Magazine St., 504-891-0997; www.joeyksrestaurant.com) is a neighborhood restaurant serving onion rings, trout with crabmeat and schooners of beer. It has offered takeout through the shutdowns, but early days of limited dining room service have drawn fewer people than co-owner Cindy Farnet expected. “I think people are still hesitant,” Farnet said. “We didn’t think it would be great to start, but we thought it would be better.”

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

Before reopening night on May 16, Austin’s Seafood & Steakhouse (5101 W. Esplanade Ave., Metairie, 504888-5533; www.mredsrestaurants. com/austins) proprietor Ed McIntyre was anxious. “I feel like it’s the first day of school,” he said. McIntyre is a restaurateur with roots in the business going back to his father’s generation, but reopening now is new territory. All seven of his restaurants closed in March. He decided to start reopening with Austin’s, his most upscale one, which gives him the most options to arrange seating at the allowed capacity. Plus, regulars have been calling, eager to get back in. They found the same menu of Creole seafood and steaks but also a familiar restaurant recast for the times. Ice buckets now hold hand sanitizer. “Reserved” signs mark tables that are off limits to reduce occupancy. Waiters wear vests and ties as usual but also matching black face masks. “You want to make sure people know you’re taking the steps,” McIntyre told his staff as they prepared for the first dinner. “If they don’t see you doing the right thing, they’ll turn around and walk out.” Soon after the neon lights flickered on outside, though, all the available seats were filled. A small group of New Orleans-area nurses decided May 16 was the right time to resume a tradition they had deferred for weeks. “The breakfast club is back,” said Steve Nguyen, who with his colleagues gathered for an after-work celebration at the Old Metairie location of Ruby Slipper Cafe (2700 Me-

S TA F F P H OTO B Y DAV I D GRUNFELD

A customer leaves with takeout from Joey K’s in Uptown.

tairie Road, Metairie, 504-638-9574; www.therubyslippercafe.net). Still dressed in scrubs, the group had been working on their 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift and then convened to hoist mimosas around a table at the brunch spot. “This is what we used to do all the time after work, but we haven’t been able to do it for two and a half months,” fellow nurse Abby Truxillo said. On a table stocked with sparkling wine, orange juice and hand sanitizer, the nurses talked about work, their families and relief that the pandemic response was entering a new phase. At lunchtime on May 16, traffic on Veterans Memorial Boulevard was as thick as usual and the drive-through windows at fast food chains had long lines. At Parran’s Po-Boys & Restaurant (3939 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 504-885-3416; www.parranspoboys.com), Lorell Hornbeck was counting her blessings as she bagged sandwiches. The phone was busy with lunch orders and a steady stream of familiar faces picked up takeout. A few people took seats at the tables now widely spaced in the shop’s two dining rooms, but there was no great change here when dinein service resumed. “People are just trying to figure out the new rules and see how everything’s going to work,” Hornbeck said.

Even in a takeout box, the attention to detail that Falafel King Metairie (4407 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 504-354-8636) puts in a meal is clear, from the symmetrical grooves of spice notched into whips of hummus to the saj flatbreads fired in the brick oven near the counter. The Fino family debuted the new location just as many existing restaurants are struggling to get back to business. Its debut coincided with the first days when restaurants partially reopened dining rooms under guidelines of Phase 1 of the coronavirus response. Some customers came because they saw banners advertising gyros on this busy stretch of Veterans Memorial Boulevard. For others, notice of its opening popped up on their phone apps. “We’ve been working on this for a year,” said manager Emad Fino, whose son Tony owns the business. “We had to open no matter what.” This is the second location of Falafel King (www.facebook.com/ falafelkingkenner), which got its

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

Wael Kalwadi bakes pita in the oven at Falafel King in Metairie.

start at 2424 Williams Blvd. in Kenner. The Metairie location follows the same concept, though ownership is different. Falafel King is a fast-casual, counter service operation focusing on Middle Eastern street food. Decoration is minimal, but value is high (plates, from $10 to $15, have enough food for two meals). Fresh herbs and heady sauces are abundant, especially the garlicky toum. And the operation of the brick oven is captivating. Wael Kalwadi made pita in the oven on opening day. He kneaded and shaped pads of dough on a tray, PAGE 18

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plopped them on a long-handled paddle to insert deep inside the blazing oven and pulled them out after a minute as toasty orbs, puffed with steam. He also cooked saj, a flatbread that resembles pita but is thinner and more stretchy. He topped these plate-sized rounds of bread with a seasoned blend of beef and pomegranate or a mixture of za’atar spice with olive oil and cheese, dotted with caraway seeds. More house-made breads go on platters for dipping or are used as wraps for sandwiches. A repurposed gelato case is filled with desserts such as baklava, pistachio-topped sweet cheese kunafeh and syrup-soaked namoura semolina cakes. Falafel King Metairie is open 10 a.m to 9 p.m. daily. — IAN McNULTY/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

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Restaurants are beginning to reopen, and the next question is how long they can stay in business? Contending with gradual phases of coronavirus restrictions, shaken consumer confidence and tourism and business travel at a standstill, the fear is that restaurants will reopen and rehire only to close permanently. Some industry leaders believe they’ve found a way to buy time by recasting the Payroll Protection Program (PPP). After a White House meeting on May 18 with President Donald Trump, restaurant industry advocates are trying to build support to extend the terms of the program. “It’s not going to be an easy road for restaurants or employees, but what this does is gives us staying power,” Melvin Rodrigue, CEO of Galatoire’s Restaurant, said May 20. “It allows a bridge to get to where we need to be, when revenues hopefully will be higher and we can do more business.” Rodrigue was part of a delegation that met with Trump for a round table discussion May 18. Rodrigue is chairman of the National Restaurant Association (www.restaurant.org), the industry’s main lobbying group. The round table group, composed mostly of executives from large chains along with a few independent operators, were united in calling for an extension of the terms of the PPP from eight weeks to 24 weeks. The PPP was conceived to support businesses across different industries with cash while putting laid-off employees back to work. Its funds are structured as loans that convert to grants if businesses spend 75% of the money on payroll expenses by the end of the term. The original parameters present

a conundrum for many types of restaurants, however, because they cannot yet reopen fully and don’t know how much business they’ll get. Some worry that using PPP money without bringing back enough employees could saddle them with debt as would-be grants become loans, and ultimately drive them out

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

Melvin Rodrigue, right, president/CEO of Galatoire’s, toasts the reopening with patrons.

of business. On the other side of the ledger, adding staff means adding more expenses. If restaurants don’t get enough business after PPP funds run out, they’ll either incur more debt or have to lay off employees again. At the White House, Rodrigue and others pitched more flexibility for restaurants to use the same amount of money. Moving the deadline to use the money and rehire staff builds in time for restrictions to loosen, business to return and possibly the restoration of some tourism and travel, they argued. “Employees are first and foremost in this,” Rodrigue said. “The real job security is with places not going out of business. We need restaurants to stay in business through this so people have a job in December. This lengthens the time we have to get there.” The National Restaurant Association reports that two out of three restaurant employees — or about 8 million people — are out of work. The group estimates industrywide sales in April were half what they’d been in February, the last full month before the pandemic hit the U.S., and the lowest level in 35 years. The PPP proposal appears to have found a receptive audience at the White House. During the round table discussion, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said the administration was working on a “technical fix” to extend PPP terms, and indicated that the move had bipartisan support. He did not commit to a 24-week period. — IAN McNULTY/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

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What is on the top of your mind as an advocate for service industry workers right now? MARK SCHETTLER: I’m seeing forecasts that through the end of this year we’re looking at 70% loss in revenue for restaurants and bars statewide, and I would imagine it’s even worse for hotels and tourism — and that the 90,000 of us in New Orleans will bear the brunt of that. That’s my family. That means if you made $40,000 last year, you’re going back to work right at the federal poverty line, as a frontline worker in a global pandemic who probably doesn’t have health insurance. It’s well-established that poverty is a health issue, leading to a whole slew of problems related to mental and physical health and wellness, food security, housing, transportation, etc. Social safety nets are drying up without the tax revenue they need to fund them, or help us bounce back whatsoever. Bars and restaurants are about to be transformed wholesale from what they were in February. This is a total loss of our way of life. We need leadership and resources from the federal level at a time when we have quite possibly the most inept federal leadership in any of our lifetimes. This is serious, real-life, generation-defining shit right now, and I don’t know that we can honestly say that this moment is being met. New Orleans itself is doing an incredible job. [We are] met with the opportunity to rebuild with intention, with an eye towards sustainability and equity for our city and industry.

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MS: This pandemic has laid bare for many people just how precious our communities and community spaces are for us. I miss my co-workers so much. ... The owner of Tonique, Ed Diaz, really stepped up and lived up to the values we aspire to by taking care of each other and putting people before profits. Right now, like much of our industry, Bar Tonique really is just four walls making an empty room, a memory and a promise.

What do you think the average person doesn’t understand about what hospitality workers are going through? MS: I don’t think people understand the breadth of the devastation we’re staring down. For many people in our industry, this is more than a job. They’re losing their communities and primary outlets for social interaction. This industry has saved so many people, and those lifelines are being cut. It’s people’s creative outlet, their life’s work, their sense of belonging. This industry is the economic springboard for entry to gainful employment for hundreds of thousands of people in this country. I saw a photo back in March of a tent behind a restaurant that I think a dishwasher had set up because, without a paycheck, he had nowhere to go, nothing to do but wait. Now I might not stake a Pulitzer on the validity of that specific photo, but I don’t think anyone in our industry doubts that that’s happening. Our industry has some of the highest rates of mental and behavioral health issues, substance use issues, the list goes on. Those people are all stuck at home, without a financial future.

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advocate for New Orleans service industry and hospitality workers. In the last two months, Schettler has worked with the Hospitality Employees’ Active Research Development (HEARD) Cooperative, a new industry advocacy group, and Take Care Y’all, a mental and behavioral health support group, as well as serving on the city’s Business Coordination Committee, Hospitality & Tourism Committee and Community Services Working Group. Schettler also is director of Shift Change, a group focused on sexual violence education, prevention and response in the bar and restaurant industry.

Reservations Accepted

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TAKE-OUT TO EAT

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.

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

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

BYWATER Luna Libre — 3600 St. Claude Ave., (504) 237-1284 — Carnitas made with pork from Shank Charcuterie and citrus from Ben & Ben Becnel farm fills a taco topped with onion and cilantro. The menu combines Tex-Mex and dishes from Louisiana and Arkansas. Curbside pickup is available. B Sat-Sun. $ Polly’s Bywater Cafe — 3225 St. Claude Ave., (504) 459-4571; www.pollysbywatercafe.com — A grilled biscuit is topped with poached eggs, hog’s head cheese and Creole hollandaise and served with home fries or grits. $$

PICK UP

CBD 14 Parishes — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave.; www.14parishes.com — Jamaican-style jerk chicken is served with two sides such as plantains, jasmine rice, cabbage or rice and peas. Delivery available. Curbside pickup and delivery available. L and D daily. $$ Eat Well — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave.; www.pythianmarket.com — Phoritto is a spinach tortilla filled with brisket, chicken or tofu, plus bean sprouts, jalapenos, onions and basil and is served with a cup of broth. Curbside pickup and delivery available. L and D daily. $ Kais — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave., (941) 481-9599; www.pythianmarket.com — A Sunshine bowl includes salmon, corn, mango, green onions, edamame, pickled ginger, ponzu spicy mayonnaise, cilantro, masago and nori strips. Curbside pickup and delivery available. L and D daily. $$ La Cocinita — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave., (504) 309-5344; www.lacochinitafoodtruck.com — La Llanera is an arepa stuffed with carne asada, guasacasa, pico de gallo, grilled queso fresco and salsa verde. Curbside pickup and delivery available. B, L and D daily. $ Meribo Pizza — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave., (504) 481-9599; www.meribopizza.com — A Meridionale pie is topped with pulled pork, chilies, ricotta, mozzarella, collard greens and red sauce. Delivery available. L and D daily. $$ Red Gravy — 125 Camp St., (504) 5618844; www.redgravycafe.com — Thin cannoli pancakes are filled with cannoli cream and topped with a chocolate drizzle. The menu includes brunch items, pasta dishes, sandwiches, baked goods and more. Takeout available. Check website for hours. $$ Willie Mae’s — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave.; www.williemaesnola.com — The Creole soul food restaurant is known for its fried chicken, red beans and more. Takeout available. L and D Mon-Sat. $

CARROLLTON/UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOODS Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; www.mikimotosushi.com — Sushi choices include new and old favorites, both raw and cooked. The South Car-

S TA F F P H O T O B Y I A N M C N U LT Y

Palace Cafe (605 Canal St., 504-523-1661; www.palacecafe.com) reopened for indoor and outdoor service.

rollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado and snow crab. Takeout and delivery available. L Sun-Fri, D daily. $$ Pyramids Cafe — 3151 Calhoun St., (504) 861-9602 — Diners will find Mediterranean cuisine featuring such favorites as shawarma prepared on a rotisserie. Takeout and delivery available. L, D daily. $$ Vincent’s Italian Cuisine — 7839 St. Charles Ave., (504) 866-9313; www.vincentsitaliancuisine.com — See Metairie section for restaurant description. Curbside pickup and delivery available. $$

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

FAUBOURG MARIGNY Kebab — 2315 St. Claude Ave., (504) 383-4328; www.kebabnola.com — The sandwich shop offers doner kebabs and Belgian fries. A falafel sandwich comes with pickled cucumbers, arugula, spinach, red onions, beets, hummus and Spanish garlic sauce. Delivery available. No reservations. Takeout and delivery available Fri-Sun. $ Mardi Gras Zone — 2706 Royal., (504) 947-8787 — The grocery and deli has a

counter offering po-boys, sides such as macaroni and cheese and vegan and vegetarian dishes. Wood-oven baked pizza is available by the pie or slice. $

FRENCH QUARTER Palace Cafe — 605 Canal St., (504) 5231661; www.palacecafe.com — Creative Creole dishes include crabmeat cheesecake topped with Creole meuniere. Andouille-crusted fish is served with Crystal beurre blanc. For dessert, there’s white chocolate bread pudding. L and D daily. $$$

HARAHAN/JEFFERSON/ RIVER RIDGE Bienvenue — 467 Hickory Ave., Harahan, (504) 305-4792; www.bienvenueharahan. com — A Marrone sandwich features smoked prime rib, provolone, horseradish aioli and jus on Gendusa’s French bread. The menu also includes po-boys, seafood platters, pasta and more. Drive-through pickup available. L daily, D Tue-Sat, brunch Sun. $$ The Rivershack Tavern — 3449 River Road, (504) 834-4938; www.therivershacktavern.com — This bar and music spot offers a menu of burgers, sandwiches and changing lunch specials. Curbside pickup and delivery available. L, D daily. $ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 733-

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TAKE-OUT TO EAT 3803; www.theospizza.com — There is a wide variety of specialty pies and diners can build their own from the selection of more than two-dozen toppings. The menu also includes salads and sandwiches. Curbside pickup and delivery. L, D Tue-Sat. $

LAKEVIEW Lakeview Brew Coffee Cafe — 5606 Canal Blvd., (504) 483-7001; www.lakeviewbrew. com — This casual cafe offers gourmet coffees and a wide range of pastries and desserts baked in house, plus a menu of specialty sandwiches and salads. For breakfast, an omelet is filled with marinated mushrooms, bacon, spinach and goat cheese. Tuna salad or chicken salad avocado melts are topped with melted Monterey Jack and shredded Parmesan cheeses. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available. B, L daily, D Mon-Sat, brunch Sat-Sun. $ Lotus Bistro — 203 W. Harrison Ave., (504) 533-9879; www.lotusbistronola.com — A Mineko Iwasaki roll includes spicy snow crab, tuna, avocado and cucumber topped with salmon, chef’s sauce, masago, green onion and tempura crunchy flakes. The menu also includes bento box lunches, teriyaki dishes, fried rice and more. Takeout and delivery are available. L and D Tue-Sun. $$

METAIRIE Andrea’s Restaurant — 3100 N. 19th St., Metairie, (504) 834-8583; www.andreasrestaurant.com — Chef/owner Andrea

S TA F F P H OTO B Y I A N M C NU LT Y

Waiters (from left) Andrew Keeler, Anthony Fasola, Eddie Giron and Dustin Roth don face masks for the reopening of Austin’s (5101 W. Esplanade Ave., Metairie, 504-888-5533; www.mredsrestaurants.com/austins).

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Apuzzo’s specialties include speckled trout royale which is topped with lump crabmeat and lemon-cream sauce. Capelli D’Andrea combines house-made angel hair pasta and smoked salmon in light cream sauce. Curbside pickup and delivery are available. L, D daily, brunch Sun. $$$ Austin’s Seafood & Steakhouse — 5101 W. Esplanade Ave., Metairie, (504) 8885533; www.mredsrestaurant.com/austins — Crabmeat Austin features crabmeat over lettuce, tomatoes and honey-Dijon mustard dressing. The menu also includes steaks and Creole-Italian dishes. Reservations accepted. D Mon-Sat. $$$ Kosher Cajun New York Deli & Grocery — 3519 Severn Ave., Metairie, (504) 8882010; www.koshercajun.com — This New York-style deli specializes in sandwiches, including corned beef and pastrami that come from the Bronx. Takeout available. L Sun-Thu, D Mon-Thu. $ Mark Twain’s Pizza Landing — 2035 Metairie Road, Metairie, (504) 832-8032; www.marktwainpizza.com — Mark Twain’s serves salads, po-boys and pies like the Italian pizza with salami, tomato, artichoke, sausage and basil. Takeout and curbside pickup are available. L Tue-Sat, D Tue-Sun. $ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; www.theospizza.com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. Vincent’s Italian Cuisine — 4411 Chastant St., Metairie, (504) 885-2984; www. vincentsitaliancuisine.com — Corn and crab bisque is served in a toasted bread cup. Osso buco features a veal shank with

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MID-CITY/TREME Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; www.angelobrocatoicecream.com — This sweet shop serves its own gelato, spumoni, Italian ice, cannolis, fig cookies and other treats. Window and curbside pickup. L, D Fri-Sun. $ Brown Butter Southern Kitchen & Bar — 231 N. Carrollton Ave., Suite C, (504) 609-3871; www.brownbutterrestaurant. com — Sample items have included smoked brisket served with smoked apple barbecue sauce, Alabama white barbecue sauce, smoked heirloom beans and vinegar slaw. A Brunch burger features a brisket and short rib patty topped with bacon, brie, a fried egg, onion jam and arugula on a brioche bun. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available. $$ Doson Noodle House — 135 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 309-7283; www.facebook.com/ dosonnoodlehouse — Bun thit is Vietnamese-style grilled pork with cucumber, onions, lettuce, mint, cilantro and fish sauce served over rice or vermicelli. The menu includes rice and vermicelli dishes, pho, spring rolls and more. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available. $$ Five Happiness — 3511 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 482-3935; www.fivehappiness.com — The large menu at Five Happiness offers a range of dishes from wonton soup to sizzling seafood combinations served on a hot plate to sizzling Go-Ba to lo mein dishes. Takeout and delivery available. $$

Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; www.katiesinmidcity.com — Favorites at this Mid-City restaurant include the Cajun Cuban with roasted pork, grilled ham, cheese and pickles pressed on buttered bread. The Boudreaux pizza is topped with cochon de lait, spinach, red onions, roasted garlic, scallions and olive oil. There also are salads, burgers and Italian dishes. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery available. L and D Tue-Sun. $$ Nonna Mia — 3125 Esplanade Ave., (504) 948-1717; www.nonnamianola.com — A Divine Portobello appetizer includes chicken breast, spinach in creamy red pepper sauce and crostini. The menu also includes salads, sandwiches, pasta, pizza and more. Curbside pickup and delivery are available. Service daily. $$ Ralph’s on the Park — 900 City Park Ave., (504) 488-1000; www.ralphsonthepark.com — The restaurant is known for dishes such as turtle soup finished with sherry and barbecue Gulf shrimp. Family-style dinner specials include Louisiana crawfish etouffee with rice, potato salad and garlic bread. Curbside pickup available. Wed-Sun. $$$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; www.theospizza. com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. Willie Mae’s Scotch House — 2401 St. Ann St., (504) 822-9503; www.williemaesnola. com — This neighborhood restaurant is known for its wet-battered fried chicken. Green beans come with rice and gravy. There’s bread pudding for dessert. No reservations. L Mon-Fri. $$

NORTHSHORE

WAREHOUSE DISTRICT

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

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

UPTOWN Joey K’s — 3001 Magazine St., (504) 891-0997; www.joeyksrestaurant.com — This casual eatery serves fried seafood platters, salads, sandwiches and Creole favorites such as red beans and rice. Daily specials include braised lamb shank, lima beans with a ham hock and chicken fried steak served with macaroni and cheese. Takeout and delivery available. $$ Miyako Japanese Seafood & Steakhouse — 1403 St. Charles Ave., (504) 410-9997; www.japanesebistro.com — Miyako offers a full range of Japanese cuisine, with specialties from the sushi or hibachi menus, chicken, beef or seafood teriyaki, and tempura. Delivery available. $$ Piccola Gelateria — 4525 Freret St., (504) 493-5999; www.piccolagelateria.com — The cafe offers 18 rotating flavors of small-batch Italian-style gelatos and sorbettos. The menu also includes flatbreads on piadina, crepes and espresso drinks. Takeout and curbside pickup available. L and D Tue-Sun. $ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; www.theospizza. com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description.

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

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She’s a deep listener of classic songwriters, but Rose’s attention always turned back to writing and performing her originals. The New Orleans singer-songwriter has released two well-received solo albums of traditional-style country and heart-felt folk, 2017’s “This Time Last Night” and last year’s “You Made It This Far,” which was released on Father/Daughter Records. The label also will release her third full-length album next year, but in the meantime the team at Father/Daughter suggested a project: record a few covers for an EP. “It was a great way for me to share more about where I’m coming from musically,” Rose says. The four-track EP, “My Favorite Mistakes,” will be released Friday. Rose and her band — Matt Bell (lap steel), Max Bien-Kahn (guitar and vocals), Dan Cutler (bass), Cameron Snyder (drums and vocals) and Lyle Werner (fiddle) — “cover a selection of downer anthems close to her heart,” as the liner notes put it, reworking Sheryl Crow’s “My Favorite Mistake,” Nick Lowe’s “Blue on Blue,” Hank Williams’ “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love With You)” and Roy Orbison’s “Blue Bayou.” The EP was recorded at The Tigermen Den in New Orleans and recorded and mixed by Ross Farbe. Rose was born in Detroit and grew up in rural Michigan (she moved to New Orleans in 2010), inundated with country music — not necessarily traditional country, she says, but the modern country of the ‘90s was always around. And her tastes quickly grew to want more punk and rock ’n’ roll. “I guess all of that came with leaving the small town that I’m from and finding my own place and eventually coming to New Orleans,” she says, “so re-hearing Sheryl Crow — I heard that song in the past year and I was just blown away by what an incredible song it is.” “My Favorite Mistake,” released by Crow in 1998, is a complicated love song, “but it’s just incredibly empowering to sing,” Rose says. It’s “not just filled with this lovesick stuff that a lot of country music has. “And just realizing how much my musical tastes have been informed by ’90s country was kind of an awakening for me,” she adds. “It

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New Orleans singer-songwriter Esther Rose will release an EP, ‘My Favorite Mistakes,’ on Friday.

gets in there subconsciously.” Learning Nick Lowe’s “Blue on Blue” — a more recent release by the English singer-songwriter — was, Rose says, done to better understand the song. Rose supported Lowe on his solo tour last spring, and she couldn’t let go of the song. “For whatever reason, ‘Blue on Blue’ really stood out to me and I wanted to figure out why I loved it so much,” she says. “And once I learned the chords, I tried it out on the band, and it felt familiar to me in a way.” Rose strips away the band for the EP’s other two tracks, playing Williams’ “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love With You)” as a duet with Lee Walker, and accompanied only by her guitar on Orbison’s “Blue Bayou.” Exploring the songs on this EP, especially Crow’s late-’90s music, helped Rose break through some “genre insecurity,” she says. “Wondering if we’re a country band, a folk band — ‘What is my musical place?’ ” she says. “Doing these covers helped me realize that’s not important. Genre is something to perpetually be pondering over, and it’s interesting, but it doesn’t always fit quite right. I think this EP will lead really nicely into my new collection of songs. There’s a lot of joyful pop music going to happen.”

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Celebrity haunts BY WILL COVIELLO

ON PAPER, “GHOST IN THE NOONDAY SUN” sounded promising.

The bumbling pirate comedy starred Peter Sellers, one of the top comedy actors of the time, following repeated stints as clueless detective Clouseau in the Pink Panther series and his array of roles in “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.” Spike Milligan was hired to write the screenplay, and following the success of recent films, including “The Ruling Class,” Hungarian-born Peter Medak was hired to direct. The project quickly drew studio funding. Medak says when the dilapidated cargo ship they remodeled as a three-masted pirate vessel arrived in port in Cypress, where they filmed for two months, it ran aground and had to be repaired. Almost everything that followed also went wrong. The film didn’t sink Medak’s career, but it came close. He didn’t direct another film for five years, and the memory still seems fresh. He embarked on an entertaining and odd autopsy in “The Ghost of Peter Sellers,” which opens at Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge Friday and is available now for virtual screening via a link on the theater’s website. In the plot of “Ghost in the Noonday Sun,” Sellers played Scratcher, a ragged ship cook who becomes the leader of a group of pirates after he kills the captain and is the only one who knows where their treasure is hidden. Clips from the film show Sellers with a mop of matted hair, waving a scimitar in would-be swashbuckling fancy and occasionally getting bonked in the head with a cannonball, complete with cartoonish sound effects.

P R OV I D E D B Y

Peter Sellers, Medak and Spike Milligan.

The film crew had many obstacles to overcome. The ship’s engines repeatedly broke down, and bad weather regularly set back the filming schedule. Local actors hired as extras were denied access to the tent where the stars ate lunch and walked off the set with their costumes. But what really capsized the venture was Sellers’ decision to abandon ship. He demanded rewrites and refused to act in the same frame as a co-star, so some scenes were filmed multiple times from each character’s point of view. Medak says Sellers even faked a heart attack on set — he had already suffered a few heart attacks and ultimately died from one. Even by today’s standards of celebrity meltdowns and megalomania, Sellers seems to have been a difficult star, charming and funny one minute, demanding and irreconcilable the next. The documentary has plenty of scenes that make it look like “Ghost in the Noonday Sun” would have flopped. Behindthe-scenes stories are entertaining, though sometimes dry. In hindsight, it’s funny to watch the elaborate theater of laying blame as various players realized the project was tanking and studio executives got involved. The interviews are almost entirely with entertainment industry veterans who can laugh about the wreckage. One of Sellers’ children also talks about her father’s quirks. But what’s curious is why Medak made this film. Given his successful career, does the “Ghost” still haunt him, or is he getting the last laugh on Sellers?

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