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At Monkey Wid-a Fez, where artisans craft furniture from ďŹ ne wood as well as reclaimed materials

The New New Orleans Artists, musicians, and chefs are driving a cultural renaissance in the Bywater-Marigny neighborhoods. It’s the Big Easy like never before

by Paula Disbrowe ~ photographs by rush jagoe

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Crescent City Bites red chard salad with creamy Parmesan-lemon vinaigrette at satsuma Cafe (at left)

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The livin’ is (Big) Easy Casual frocks for sale at local boutique bon Castor. rIgHT: An italianate mansion in bywaterMarigny

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dining Louisiana-grown, globally inspired eats Pioneers devoted to their community drive the indie food scene in bywaterMarigny. Cassi and Peter Dymond, owners of Satsuma Cafe, a popular vegan-friendly juice bar and sandwich shop, were among the first to commit to rebuilding bywater’s

commercial core when they opened in 2009. Pizza Delicious, a restaurant that appears to have been staffed by director Wes Anderson (thanks to an admirable display of seventies sweatbands and impressive beards) crowns Ny-style pies with ingredients like eggplant, basil, peppers, and pork from nearby farms in Alexandria and Hester, Louisiana.

Nearby at Maurepas Foods, Michael Doyle

turns out small plates driven by local produce (sliced fresh tomatoes topped with pickled onions, shaved pecorino, and house-made pepper jelly; $10) and slings cocktails made up of unlikely but harmonious flavor combinations, such as the swallowtail ($9.25), made with pisco, hibiscus, lime, and fennel. At the newly opened, italianinspired Mariza, ian schnoebelen—the

the chef: ian Schnoebelen ian has been living in bywater for 10 years, before some considered the streets safe for walking. After enjoying years of accolades at his French Quarter restaurant, Iris (irisneworleans.com), he opened italian restaurant Mariza closer to home.

You’ll Find Him: Nibbling ribs at The Joint (alwayssmokin .com), a beloved barbecue shack that relocated to spiffier, family-friendly digs in 2012. “it’s my favorite restaurant in the neighborhood,” he says. “We love the casual vibe.”

bottoM: Courtesy MiCHAeL DoMiNiCi

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bottoM: Courtesy Lori WAtts

P e r c h e d o n a natu r al le ve e o n th e banks of the Mississippi, the bywater and Faubourg Marigny neighborhoods sit east of the French Quarter. but the historic stretch—“the sliver on the river,” as locals call it—of creole cottages, pastel shotguns, and grand italianate mansions, all spared from Katrina by the area’s higher elevation, can feel a world away from the strolling daiquiris on bourbon street. in the last five to six years, the formerly rough-and-tumble ’hood has attracted bohemians, artists, and young entrepreneurs seeking undamaged historic housing and relatively low rents (although that’s changing fast). As a result, the area has gone through an artistic renaissance, and emerged as the crescent city’s creative epicenter. these days, bywater-Marigny is brimming with a growing number of restaurants, bars, and boutiques. it’s also home to the new orleans center for creative Arts (noccA), louisiana’s most prestigious arts conservatory for high school students, which claims Wynton and branford Marsalis and harry connick, Jr., as grads. the campus, originally a site for sorting and distributing cotton, is expanding to include a four-season garden of native food and flowers and a studentstaffed food truck housed in a shipping container.

And the much-anticipated, soon-to-open crescent Park, complete with jogging trails and greenspace stretching from elysian Fields Avenue to Poland Avenue, will round out the area’s appeal. the best way to get acquainted is to dig in to its food and music and get to know its people, so we rounded up the best ways to savor the crescent city’s most talked-about neighborhood.

celebrated chef at iris, a fine-dining bistro in the French Quarter, serves his take on southern italian fare. try bruschetta with creamy goat’s milk ricotta, eggplant caponata, and balsamic vinegar ($8) or crispy Lardo Pizza ($12) with white sauce and brightly flavored pickled peppers. Kevin Farrell and Nick Vivion, the owners of Booty’s Street Food, relied on their experiences as travel journalists to create a menu of inexpensive, super-tasty global street foods (everything from smoked pork empanadas to Korean dumplings) and serve them up in a restored 1885 pharmacy. Pay attention to the bathrooms: each month, two new artists transform them

into art installations, and bar director—and local legend—shana Donahue creates playful elixirs inspired by the art (served at the bar, not in the loo).

At Bacchanal Wine, which gained popularity after its cameo on Treme, folks pack the courtyard under strings of twinkling lights for wine, cheese, small plates by chef Joaquin rodas, and a rotating roster of live music.

ShoPPing Best bets for uncovering local treasures in a town where individuality is prized above everything else, it’s no surprise that boutiques in bywaterMarigny tend to focus on emerging designers and one-of-a-kind finds. At Hazel and Florange, a shop dedicated to the new

line (of the same name) by New orleans Fashion Week co-founder Andi eaton, look for vintageinspired frocks in bold, bright colors. the quirky Bon Castor provides a brick-and-mortar outlet for area artisans. Pick up unique gifts such as paintings, jewelry, and albums from bywater artists such as Hurray for the riff raff.

DesireNOLA hosts photo shows and sells hipster duds and shoes, custom glass-and-tile mosaics by local artist Laurel true, and t-shirts advertising

bands like the bywater boys, a beloved group made up of child street musicians. you’ll find custom furniture crafted from fine wood, as well as reclaimed materials, at Monkey Wid-a Fez. owner Chip Martinson fashioned the tables and chairs at Cochon, Donald Link’s acclaimed Cajun restaurant in the Warehouse District. And at Sterling Provision, it’s a treasure trove of all things midcentury modern, from Marshall studios lamps to eames settees.

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the Mover & Shaker: betSey nixon hazard An interior designer and the right-hand woman of shaun smith, one of the biggest influencers in New orleans, betsey is also a caretaker of Clouet gardens (clouetgardens.org), a former section eight housing plot turned public garden that hosts movie nights, small theater groups, and badminton games.

You’ll Find HEr: Digging through racks at Bargain Center (504/948-0007), a thrift store with serious steals. “i found a huge painting from the historic Le Petit théâtre for only $100!” she says.

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besT of The souTh

LeFT: a slice with kale at Pizza Delicious.

NOLA’s Fresh Gets: Chef michael Doyle of maurepas Foods with the day’s produce

Snug Harbor, the jazz club of the neighborhood, bywater-marigny is undoubtedly the place to get your live music fix. at The Truck Farm, locals bring their lawn chairs for the annual Chaz Fest and other private events on an acre of urban grass. With nightly tunes (DJ-spun), excellent tapas, and art shows in the upstairs bar, Mimi’s in the Marigny is a popular late late-night spot and the ’hood’s

music & culture Hot spots after the sun goes down up and down the 500 and 600 blocks of Frenchmen street, a glut of live music clubs have given this stretch of asphalt a reputation as the best blocks of music in the world. From d.b.a., a cypress-paneled shotgun that features local acts, to

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regular house party. in addition to the world-class music scene, you can expect eclectic listings of the most progressive theater in town, each production showcased in funky, intimate venues. the small Shadowbox Theatre, home to a growing fringe scene, is one of the area’s oldest live performance spaces. For everything from cabaret and musical performances to puppet shows set to

the musician: helen Gillet in a town known for brass bands and jazz quartets, cellist helen gillet is a singular talent, internationally recognized for improvisation and a range of collaborations. When she’s not on tour, she plays at Bacchanal Wine on the corner of Poland avenue and Chartres street on monday nights, where her performance might include an acoustic cello, vocals, and a vintage electronic Valve instrument. YOu’LL FiNd Her: sipping fair trade coffee at The Orange Couch (theorange couchcoffee.com) and thumbing through vinyl at euclid Records (euclidnola.com).

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abstract music (really), check out Mudlark Public Theatre. but no one mixes it up more than Siberia, a lounge that features a variety of music, hosts trivia and comedy nights, and serves eastern european snacks like mushroom-and-spinach blini and kielbasas with mustard. and The AllWays Lounge & Theater has been new orleans’ main stage for alternative theater for five years.

The AllWays Lounge & Theatre 2240 st.

Claude ave.; theallways lounge.com Bacchanal Wine 600 Poland ave.; bacchanal wine.com Bon Castor 3207 burgundy st.; boncastor.com Booty’s Street Food 800 louisa st.; bootysnola.com d.b.a. 618 Frenchmen st.; dbaneworleans.com DesireNOLA 3214 burgundy st.; gfholiday.com Hazel & Florange 2702 Chartres st.; hazeland florange.com Mariza 2900 Chartres st.; marizaneworleans.com Maurepas Foods 3200 burgundy st.; maurepas foods.com Mimi’s in the Marigny 2601 royal st.; mimisin themarigny.net Monkey Wid-a Fez 622 st.

Ferdinand st.; 504/2026465 Mudlark Public Theatre 1200 Port st.; themud larkconfectionary.com Pizza Delicious 617 Piety st.; pizzadelicious.com Satsuma Cafe 3218 Dauphine st.; satsuma cafe.com The Shadowbox Theatre 2400 st. Claude ave.; the shadowboxtheatre.com Siberia 2227 st. Claude ave.; siberianola.com Snug Harbor 626 Frenchmen st.; snugjazz.com Sterling Provision 2402 royal st.; sterlingprov.com The Truck Farm 3020 st.

Claude ave.; 504/237-0812

bottom: Courtesy eugenia uhl

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