New Orleans Magazine June 2014

JUNE 2014

myneworleans.com

$4.95

f so e er iec i p em ter pr n Mas !” o us as ,” se ifax icio s V nt Hal & “ ese in ur” r o S p ng avo a YE W st T nde “E a “L

june 2014 VOLUME 48 NUMBER 9 Editor Errol Laborde Managing Editor Morgan Packard Art Director Tiffani Reding Amedeo Contributing Editor Liz Scott Monaghan Food Edit­or Dale Curry Dining Edit­or Jay Forman Wine and Spirits Edit­or Tim McNally Restaurant Reporter Robert Peyton Home Editor Bonnie Warren web Editor Lauren LaBorde Staff Writer Melanie Warner Spencer Intern Lexi Wangler Senior Account ExecutiveS

Jonée Daigle Ferrand, Kate Sanders Account Executives

Sarah Daigle, Lauren Lavelle, Elizabeth Schindler traffic manager Erin Duhe Production Manager Staci McCarty Production Designers Antoine Passelac, Ali Sullivan Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne President Alan Campell Executive VICE PRESIDENT/Editor-in-Chief Errol Laborde Vice President of Sales Colleen Monaghan DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND EVENTS Kristi Ferrante Distribution Manager Christian Coombs Administrative Assistant Denise Dean SUBSCRIPTIONS Sara Kelemencky

WYES DIAL 12 STAFF (504) 486-5511 Executive Editor Beth Arroyo Utterback Managing Editor Aislinn Hinyup Associate Editor Robin Cooper Art Director Jenny Hronek

NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE Printed in USA A Publication of Renaissance Publishing 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 123 Metairie, LA 70005 (504) 828-1380 Subscription Hotline:

(504) 828-1380 ext. 251 or fax: (504) 828-1385

Online at MyNewOrleans.com

New Orleans Magazine (ISSN 0897 8174) is published monthly by Renaissance Publishing, LLC., 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005; (504) 8281380. Subscription rates: one year $19.95; Mexico, South America and Canada $48; Europe, Asia and Australia $75. An associate subscription to New Orleans Magazine is available by a contribution of $40 or more to WYES-TV/Channel 12, $10.00 of which is used to offset the cost of publication. Also available electronically, on CD-ROM and on-line. Periodicals postage paid at Metairie, LA, and additional entry offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to New Orleans Magazine, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005. Copyright 2014 New Orleans Magazine. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher.

The trademark New Orleans and New Orleans Magazine are registered. New Orleans Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and artwork even if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. The opinions expressed in New Orleans Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the magazine managers or owners.

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CONTENTS

TABLE TOPPERS PAGE

60

FEATURES 60 TABLE TOPPERS The art of specialty dining by Morgan Packard 68 A Glorious Mess A perceptual history of New Orleans neighborhoods by Richard Campanella 76 TOP DENTISTS The Latest Drill – Selecting the area’s best profiles by Kimberly Singletary

IN EVERY ISSUE

ON THE COVER

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Chef de Cuisine at Emeril’s, David Slater, at the restaurant’s food bar.

Find more food bars, chefs’ tables and other local specialty dining in “Table Toppers” on pg. 60.

INSIDE “Specialties Popping Up” speaking out Editorial, plus a Mike Luckovich cartoon JULIA STREET Questions and answers about our city Try This “Booze News” STREETCAR “Shoo-Shoo: The Sequel ”

Photographed by Marianna Massey

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PERSONA PAGE

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CONTENTS THE BEAT 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36

MARQUEE Entertainment calendar PERSONA “Actor and musician Michael Cerveris” newsbeat “Home History” Biz “Engineering – Where the Jobs Are” newsbeat “Destination New Orleans” Education “Building a Better School Board” newsbeat “Another Voice” HEALTH “Bite-Sized: A field guide to dentists” HEALTHBEAT The latest news in health from New Orleans and beyond Crime Fighting “A Star With a Crescent”

THE SCOOP PAGE

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LOCAL COLOR 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54

THE SCOOP “Take Me Out to the Lacrosse Game” music “Rituals Going Wilder: Perspectives from the street” Read & Spin A look at the latest albums and books CAST OF CHARACTERS “Pete Dupas: Hard knock memories” MODINE’S NEW ORLEANS “Holding Their Own: Troubles with bras” Joie d’Eve “Slowing Down to Rediscover” CHRONICLES “New Orleans Pharmacists” HOME “Lesley and Charles Marshall’s Uptown shotgun house”

THE MENU 84 86 88 90 92

table talk “Making the Turn: New discoveries at Riverbend” restaurant insider “Bevi Seafood Co., Oak Oven and Haifa” Food “Tart Control: Adding lemons to the mix” LAST CALL “Aviation Ball” DINING GUIDE

DIAL 12 D1 WYES will hold its highly anticipated beer tastings on June 13 & 14 at Mardi Gras World. On Sun., June 29, beginning at 7 p.m., tune in to WYES-TV/Channel 12 for premieres of “Last Tango in Halifax: Series 2;” Masterpiece: Mystery! “Endeavour: Season 2;” and “Vicious.” All WYES members at the $75 level and higher will receive a WYES MemberCard as a thank you! For all WYES information, visit wyes.org.

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TABLE TALK PAGE

84

IN SID E

Specialties Popping Up

S

urely th i s must have been a typo .

No one would seriously call a restaurant “Milkfish.”

But then typos seldom last on banners hanging above a doorway. Milkfish it is. Another new restaurant was launched, this one on N. Carrollton Avenue. Maybe Brocato’s across the street can start serving Milkfish ice cream.

Despite the name, or maybe because if it, Milkfish is one of the success stories of the many new restaurants that have popped up. I use the term “popped up” with some thought, because that’s exactly what happened to this place that introduces Philippine cuisine where an “Italian Pie” restaurant once stood.

This issue looks at specialty dining, especially the chefs’ tables and favored bar spots at the white tablecloth end of the spectrum. At the opposite end, though no less worthy, are upand-coming restaurants that started off developing a specialty of their own. The list is long and ever-expanding, and in more ways than you might think. Milkfish originated as a “pop-up,” a food purveyor inside an existing business (in this case La Boca) that gave chef Christina Quackenbush a chance to show off her skills. (A milkfish is a species native to the Pacific Ocean. At the restaurant it’s served baked or fried, in each case with a special sauce.) The pop-up developed a following, so much so that Quackenbush and partner Dean Lambert decided to take a chance and open their own place.

At last report it’s doing well, serving lunch and dinner every day except Wednesday. But here is the kicker: You won’t go hungry there on hump day either, because Milkfish now hosts a pop-up – most recently an eclectic effort called The Splendid Pig. Yesterday’s pop-up success is creating space for today’s pop-up and who knows where that can lead. A “like” on Facebook is one possibility. Keeping up with the hurried world of places that pop up could be difficult were it not for social media, which spreads the word. (When Milkfish opened on the Thursday before Easter the place was packed, partially because of tweets and things.)

So the beat continues; one restaurant helps generate another one. New Orleans has always been a great place for cuisines. This however is the golden age for new places serving new cuisine. Anyway you look at it, that’s a thumbs up.

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O N TH E WEB

CRAWFISH SEASON New Orleans Magazine editor Errol Laborde shared his favorite unexpected crawfish boil add-ins in a recent Editor’s Room blog, including pineapple, Brussels sprouts and sweet potato. What do you like to throw in the boil pot? Add your picks to the comments and read Laborde’s other recent blogs at MyNewOrleans.com.

BRAZILIAN CRAFTS Missing Jazz Fest? We interviewed Letiticia Baeta of Arariba, a store in Santarem, Brazil that sells crafts from indigenous tribes, who ran a craft store at the Jazz & Heritage Festival’s Casa do Brasil, for a special video feature on MyNewOrleans.com. She talks about Brazilian crafts and the importance of preserving the culture of Brazil’s indigenous tribes.

CHECK OUT OUR CALENDAR! Looking for something to do during the weekend or on any night of the week? We’re constantly updating our calendar with concerts, festivals and other events at MyNewOrleans.com.

Got an event you want to promote?

Click on the “submit an event” button under the calendar to submit your event to our calendar.

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S P E A KI N G O U T

D-Day The Victory and the Legacy

T

wenty years ago when the 5 0 th ann i versary of the D - D ay i nvas i on

was being celebrated, a local historian observed Stephen Ambrose leading a group along Omaha Beach. Ambrose, then a star professor at the University of New Orleans, had made a name for himself as a chronicler of the war partially from having interviewed Dwight Eisenhower. It was Ambrose who claimed that Eisenhower had referred to New Orleanian Andrew Higgens, the ship builder who perfected the landing boats used at Normandy, as the person who won the war for the Allies. Mr. Boeing or the ship builders in Philadelphia might have taken exception, but the point was made: New Orleans played a major role in the greatest amphibious landing of all time.

Ambrose reportedly embraced the moment. “He was Eisenhower that day,” the historian recalled – the central figure of an invasion of people now carrying cameras rather than rifles.

Twenty years later and Ambrose’s legacy is still felt. In New Orleans the museum he proposed to 12

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honor D-Day has been expanded to embrace the entire war. His influence is also felt throughout Normandy. At historic markers, in tour busses and even at gift shops there are frequently excerpts from Band of Bothers, Ambrose’s opus about a group from the Army’s 101 Airborne Division and its rugged journey from Normandy through the war’s end. In terms of public perception, it’s the most important book of the time.

What happened 70 years ago this month was one of America’s finest moments, made more incredible that at the same time battles were being fought in the Pacific, and days before Rome had finally been liberated by Allied forces. Douglas Brinkley, the historian who observed Ambrose at Omaha Beach, would also contribute to the literature, writing a book about Pointe Du Hoc, the Normandy cliff that Army Rangers, at great sacrifice, scaled that day.

D-Day anniversaries will always remind us that we should be proud as a nation. We in New Orleans can also be proud, not just for the Higgins boats, but also for having become the epicenter of research for the war.

History is shaped by both generals and historians.

AN ORIGINAL ©MIKE LUCKOVICH CARTOON FOR NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE

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JULIA STREET

W IT H P O Y D R A S T H E P A R R O T

T H E P U R S UIT T O AN S W E R ETE R NA L Q UE S TI O N S

Dueling Oaks in City Park

Dear Julia, A recent article from The Historic New Orleans Collection reminded me that dueling was very popular in New Orleans “in the early part of the 19th century,” and that only one of the Dueling Oaks in City Park still stands. As a local tour guide, I point it out to visitors regularly. Yet City Park didn’t exist until some time after John McDonogh’s death (1854?).

So how were the trees identified to duelers and spectators? And wasn’t it private property at the time? I would so welcome clearing this up.

Julie Cornwell Ne w O rl ean s

Philanthropist John McDonogh died in 1850 and his estate helped establish City Park 1854.

Like so many bits of New Orleans lore, I think the official explanation for the identification of those two specific oak trees as a preferred “field of honor” has been lost in the mists of time.

Tradition, while sometimes difficult or impossible to verify in its entirety, often contains elements of truth and tradition certainly holds that numerous duels were held at that specific location.

Picture postcards from the turn of the 20th century, as well as the Picayune Guide to New Orleans, a series of visitor’s guide from the same era, both actively promoted the Dueling Oaks as quaint sights of Old New Orleans. City Park’s own historic plaque, painted by park benefactor Joy Luke not long after the turn of the century, is quite vague and reads, in part, “This site history tells us was a favorite site for many duels fought by hot-blooded young blades in the romantic Antebellum era of the South.”

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Greetings Ms. Street!

I’m trying to establish some connection for my paternal grandmother’s family.

I do have memories of seeing the Camors florist on St. Charles Avenue as well as seeing a posted article about the origin of The Court of Two Sisters having a connection to two Camors sisters.

I was also aware that the Camors family came to New Orleans from what is now France.

Again, thanks so much for any help you can give on the Camors family of New Orleans and any connection to those in Baton Rouge.

Paula McGraw Bat o n R o uge

I am sorry that a significant portion of your family history has been lost, but the Camors family of Louisiana is rather large and it’s well beyond the scope of this column to run down the answers to such broad and far-reaching genealogical questions.

While I was unable to locate any information about your greatgrandfather, Camille Camors, I can help clarify a couple of your other recollections.

Yes, there’s a connection between The Court of Two Sisters and two Camors siblings. On Feb. 2, 1966, Times-Picayune wantad reporter Maud O’Bryan relayed a request from the owner of The Court of Two Sisters, asking if anyone had photographs or information about sisters Emma Camors Musso and Bertha Camors Angaud Noblet. The sisters, O’Bryan reported, ran a shop in the courtyard at 613 Royal St. from 1886 and 1906. cheryl gerber photograph

John B. Camors, a native of Nay in the Pyrennes, was one of New Orleans’ most prominent merchants and exporters. He died Nov. 8, 1907, at the age of 71. Unfortunately, the obituary that The TimesPicayune ran the following day doesn’t mention his parents; it was said he had a blind brother who had remained in France, but no other siblings were noted. At the age of 17, Camors reputedly had arrived in New Orleans. Wishing to learn English, he attended school in Louisville, Kentucky, before returning to New Orleans, where he established a successful flour-exporting business. J.B. Camors was laid to rest in Metairie Cemetery.

Dear Julia, I recently moved to New Orleans and purchased a house. As I stared exploring my yard, I came across a beautiful, but aggressive, climbing fern. Do you know anything about it? Is it native to this area?

Best regards, Flora Merryweather New Orleans

It is a native plant, but it’s native to Japan. According to the University of Florida’s Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, Japanese Climbing Fern (Lygodium japonicum) was imported as an ornamental during the 1930s. It has since spread to northern and western Florida southern sections of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

While it’s attractive, it’s aggressive and can produce fronds as long as 90 feet. It spreads both by underground rhizomes and by small spores, which the plant produces in late summer and early fall.

Even when it dies back in winter, its thorny and wire-like stems form a lattice on which new growth can climb. Hand pulling and herbicides can control it, but the small spores spread very easily so, even if you think it’s gone, you’ll need to remain vigilant.

The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service is another great source for information about native and non-native plants.

You may reach their Orleans Parish office at the following address and telephone number: 1300 Perdido St., City Hall Room BW15, New Orleans, LA, 70112, 658-2900.

Dear Julia, I recently heard somebody mention that live cowans used to be offered for sale at the St. Roch Market. Can you please explain to this non-native what type of creature that was? I’m not familiar with the term “cowan.”

Sincerely yours, Harry McBee River Ridge

Cowan is a variety of freshwater turtle traditionally used to make turtle soup. It is a scarce commodity and seldom seen for sale these days.

Veal is frequently used as a substitute.

Win a Court of Two Sisters Jazz Brunch Here is a chance to eat, drink and listen to music, and have your curiosity satiated all at once. Send Julia a question. If we use it, you’ll be eligible for a monthly drawing for one of two Jazz Brunch gift certificates for two at The Court of Two Sisters in the Vieux Carré.

To take part, send your question to: Julia Street, c/o New Orleans Magazine, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 or email: Errol@MyNewOrleans.com. This month’s winners are: Julie Cornwell, New Orleans; and Paula McGrew, Baton Rouge.

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THEBEAT MARQUEE

PERSONA

BIZ

EDUCATION

HEALTH

CRIME FIGHTING

NEWS

SPOTLIGHT:

New Music Now PAGE 21

“...your less traditoonal New Orleans music, indie rock, experimental and just different ... We saw an opportunity to fit a gap that wasn’t being served in Uptown as far as lived music that gets booked up here.”

C r a i g M u l c a h y P H O T O GRA P H

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T HE BE A T OUR

MARQUEE

T O P P I C K S O F T H E M O N T H’S E V E N T S BY

LAUREN

LABORDE

POP (SUPER)STARS

Music and Lyrics

Festing Females

Tulane Summer Lyric, which presents three weekends of musicals at the university’s campus, returns this year with three crowd-pleasing picks. The season opens June 19 with Les Miserables, an eternally popular musical and book that saw another surge in relevance with the 2012 film adaptation. The series continues with A Chorus Line (July 10-13) and closes with Cabaret (July 31-Aug. 3), a revival-of-a-revival of which is currently on Broadway.

Information, SummerLyric.Tulane.edu

June 3. Jack White

in concert, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNola.com June 4. New Orleans Bride bridal showcase, Hyatt Regency New Orleans. Information, BrideNewOrleans.com

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Get your pink boas ready: FestiGals (June 19-22), the event billed as the “perfect women’s weekend” now in its fourth year, is back.

This year’s theme is “It’s All About You,” and seminars by frequent Good Morning America guest Tory Johnson and other experts promote personal and professional empowerment. There are also shopping events, a cooking demonstration and the signature Bodacious Bras For a Cause event, where creatively decorated brassieres are auctioned for charity. Information, FestiGals.org

June 5. Jazz in the Park featuring Original Pinettes Brass Band and Wild Magnolias, Armstrong Park.

Information, pufap.org

June 8. Julianne Hough

June 7. Bruno Mars in concert, Smoothie King Center. Information, SmoothieKingCenter.com

June 7-8. Creole Tomato

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E l l i ott J T h omp s o n P H O T O

D u n c a n B a r n e p h oto

In Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar, the titular character is portrayed as somewhat of a rock star.

Which is why it’s somewhat fitting that the most recent incarnation of the show is a touring “arena spectacular” starring some modern-day superstars – who may be past their pop culture peaks, but they are no strangers to playing to big arena audiences. Michelle Williams of Beyonce-fronted group Destiny’s Child plays Mary Magdalene, J.C. Chasez from the boyband *NSYNC is Pontius Pilate, Brandon Boyd from the rock band Incubus is Judas and Johnny Rotten from The Sex Pistols is the flashy King Herod. Jesus is played by Ben Forster, who won the role on a British reality completion series. The show hits the UNO Lakefront Arena on June 9. Information, JesusChristSuperstar.com

Information, FrenchMarket.org

and Derek Hough: Move Live on Tour, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNola.com

June 14-15. Louisiana Cajun

Zydeco Festival, Armstrong Park. Information, JazzAndHeritage.org

Festival, French Market.

Bruno Mars in concert June 7.

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Twillman talked to us about the club, which in June features Sasha Masakowski’s Progression music series and touring acts The Eastern Sea, Matrimony, Swearin’ and more.

Where did the name come from? Gavin MacArthur (one of the partners) was on vacation with his wife and in-laws in Hawaii.

He had a pinched nerved and had a small stroke. We got a call: “Don’t freak out, but Gavin had a small stroke.” We really didn’t know what we were going to do, but we finally heard from Gavin himself. The first thing he texted Micah (Burns) was “gasa gasa.” We said, “I know you had a stroke, but what the hell is this?” He finally explained that his physical therapist was telling him he was too “gasa gasa” – “we’ll work on walking today and then you can start playing guitar later, one thing at a time” (the therapist said). He was trying to do too many things at once. It’s a Japanese slang term that literally means “rustling noise.”

C r a i g M u l c a h y P H O T O GRA P H

What was your goal, as far as the music goes, with this space?

SPOTLIGHT

NEW MUSIC NOW Michael Twillman on his Uptown music club, Gasa Gasa.

Freret Street, once a sleepy thoroughfare, has morphed into an active corridor with several hip eateries, bars and businesses.

A little over a year ago, Michael Twillman, Micah Burns and other partners, who had experience booking small shows at the underground location Breezy’s and other spots, added a music club to the booming street, and a cool one at that. Gasa Gasa (GasaGasa.com), with a colorful exterior that makes it easy to spot, has become a hot-spot for hipsters from the nearby universities, and anyone else seeking nontraditional New Orleans bands and slightly under-the-radar touring acts Uptown.

June 19. Paul McCartney in concert, Smoothie King Center. Information, SmoothieKingCenter.com June 20. Cut Copy and

Classixx in concert, Joy Theater. Information, TheJoyTheater.com

June 20. “Behind Closed Doors: Art in the Spanish American Home, 14922014” exhibit, New Orleans Museum of Art. Information, noma.org

Prior to opening Gasa Gasa, a lot of what we did was a little more of your less traditional New Orleans music, indie rock, experimental and just different from your typical New Orleans stuff. That was just kind of vein we were thinking of, that we enjoyed the most. Also we saw an opportunity to fit a gap that wasn’t being served in Uptown as far as live music that gets booked up here. A lot of what we have are bands that are touring that don’t fill bigger places and are not well known but can bring a couple hundred people out to a show. For folks Uptown, you have to drive all the way downtown to catch some of that sometimes. There’s a crowd that was wanting to see that kind of thing in their own neighborhood.

What are some shows you’ve hosted that stick out in your memories? There’s been so many. The No. 1 coolest one was Sebadoh,

with Lou Barlow from Dinosaur Jr. Growing up Dinosaur Jr. really played a role in my and Micah’s taste, and a lot of people feel that same way. Cloud Nothings was one that was just – man, if my high school self were here I’d be freaking out. Those were my weekends every weekend in high school, going to punk rock shows. People were stage diving and moshing … I was thinking, “I’m so glad I paid the insurance premium this month. Please, nothing happen.” But at the same time, on the inside I’m screaming “This is awesome.”

July 3-6. Essence

Southern Art. Information, OgdenMuseum.org

Fest, Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Information, Essence.com

June 25. Ringling Bros. and

Barnum & Bailey Circus, Smoothie King Center.

Information, Ringling.com

July 4. Go 4th on the River, riverfront. Information, Go4thOnTheRiver.com

June 20. Magnolia Ball,

Ogden Museum of

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, June 25

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T HE BE A T

PERSONA

Michael Cerveris

BY LAUREN LABORDE

M

ichael Cerveris has a home in New York

and mostly works there, but his bona fides as a New Orleans local are strong. He owns a yellow-and-turquoise painted house in Tremé, for which he sought Vodou priestess Sallie Ann Glassman’s help in injecting some good juju; he’s a frequent musical collaborator of Paul Sanchez; and he’s a Saints fan – predating the bandwagon era – who calls Steve Gleason a friend.

Many know him for his roles on TV’s “The Good Wife,” “Fringe” and “Treme,” but he’s a stage star, making his Broadway debut in The Who’s Tommy in 1993 and earning Tony Award nominations for that role and for those in Sweeney Todd and Assassins, winning the award for the latter. Recently he played Juan Peron in the revival of Evita.

Cerveris can be a haunting presence on stage and screen, making him perfect for those formidable roles. But when I meet him in a coffee shop in his neighborhood, not long after a trip to South Carolina for a concert performance of the off-Broadway musical Fun Home and stint filming “The Good Wife” in New York, he’s casual and friendly – like a typical New Orleans guy.

What first brought you down here? I had all these friends over the years who would say, “You really have to go to New Orleans. It’s really your kind of city.” And then it was a movie, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, that shot here and that was what brought me down in 2007. They put me up in a hotel at first, and it was 20

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just off Canal Street ... I was calling my friends and saying “You know, I don’t really see why you think this is such a great city for me, because to me it looks like a slightly more interesting frat party.” I decided I didn’t want to live in a hotel for three months of shooting, so I just started going on Craigslist and looking for a place. Then I found this place on Carrollton and Claiborne ...

I was also reading One Dead in Attic at the time, and I was kind of living sort of near where (Chris Rose) was from and where he came back to, so it sort of made the whole experience of the storm and flood more tangible and concrete. I felt like if I had been here then, with my background and frames of references and stuff, I imagine my experience would have been somewhat

At a Glance

Age: “Old enough to know better, but don’t” Profession: actor/musician Born/raised: West Virginia Resides: Tremé, New Orleans/New York City Education: Yale University Favorite movie: Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire Favorite TV show: “Friday Night Lights” Favorite band/ musician: Big Star, Drive By Truckers, Townes Van Zandt Favorite restaurant: Lilette Favorite food: Liuzza’s barbecue shrimp poor boy Favorite book: James Agee’s Let Us Now Praise Famous Men Favorite vacation spot: “A porch swing” g r e g m i l e s P H O T O GRA P H

like Chris Rose’s. I started looking for a place then. I found a place and was all set to commit to it and realized “I can’t actually afford this.” Which maybe I should have thought of at first. Instead I just came down here all the time. I have so many friends here, and everyone has a guest room.

I still had a goal of actually having a stake in a place.

Then Evita came up a couple years ago and I was sort of on the fence about whether I wanted to commit to doing it, and my girlfriend at the time said “You need to do this because this will be the kind of job that will give you money to put away to actually be able to buy a house.” There were other reasons, too, but secretly my real reason for taking that job was a house in New Orleans. I think of my place as the house that Evita built.

I like being part of a community. I know my neighbors here and I’ve been in the house since January; I’ve lived in my place in New York for like 17 years and I barely know my neighbors in my apartment building.

Do you like lifestyle of living one place and working in others and traveling a lot? Pretty quickly after I bought the place

I had that buyers’ remorse moment of, “What am I doing?

Why am I making a home in a place where I have to fly for two hours (to get to New York)” But then I thought that people have homes out on Long Island or Upstate (New York) that they have to drive four hours to, and then they’re only there – I spend two and a half hours and I’m in New Orleans.

There are great things about it and difficult things. The great things are: I realize even when I’m not able to be here, when I’m up in New York working, just knowing that it’s there, it makes me happy and relaxed. (New Orleans) is so not about career ambitions, it’s about life and friendships and being a part of a community ... it’s kind of the best of both worlds. When you want a little more activity or a little more speed or a little more excitement, (New York) is there, but it’s not as exhausting because it’s not your whole life.

From your perspective and the experiences of your friends, do you think New Orleans is a good place for an artist to live? Many artists here get to the point where they feel like they need to move to New York City or Los Angeles. My immediate answer is

yes, absolutely. Because all you have to do is look around.

You see visual art, music, culinary arts and just the art of living in every place here, and it doesn’t feel like it’s reserved for specific places like it is in some cities.

In the time that I’ve been here I’ve seen so many young people especially come out of training programs in theater and recognized or discovered that New Orleans is a kind of wide open place where the cost of living is much different from New York or L.A., there is more availability of space ... it’s just a gentler place to try and create. There’s more support for the idea of being a greater person. When the whole city turns into a massive performance art piece for Mardi Gras, you know it’s a good place for the arts.

However, it’s a great place to start things like that – and I guess I’m thinking mostly of theater and performance art.

As a musician you can gig and make a living, but you have to work hard and wear yourself out. I’m starting to see lot of the people who came down here straight out of school, now it’s seven years or so since they came here, and they sort of run up against this ceiling here and now they’re thinking about things like, maybe I don’t want to have my creative thing not be able to support me, to have to have another job, even though I’ve been doing this for seven years.

True confession: I’m a devoted watcher of “Nashville.” myneworleans.com

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N EWSBEAT

Home History If walls could talk, would you want to know what your house has to say? With a few historical detective skills under your belt, you can learn how to trace the history of your New Orleans home, possibly even back to the days of the city’s first settlers.

Join Robert J. Cangelosi Jr., an Adjunct Lecturer at the Tulane University School of Architecture, as he presents an in-depth program on historic home research entitled “Researching your New Orleans Property.” The seminar, hosted by Friends of the Cabildo, will be held on Sat., June 21 at the Old U.S. Mint, 400 Esplanade Ave., at 10 a.m.

Cangelosi, president of Koch and Wilson Architects, will discuss how to develop the history of a property and will focus on teaching homeowners to use primary sources to determine a house’s history, rather than relying on often-incorrect oral traditions and secondary sources.

Cangelosi will also discuss how homeowners can act as historical detectives by preparing a “chain of title,” which documents the ownership of a property and is the essential first step in developing a history. Cangelosi explains that the “chain of title” relates to the property, not the improvements, and rarely will the chain alone indicate when improvements were made.

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Figuring out when building improvements were done on a home involves research into various records, including building permits, the census, water records, tax records, city directories, contracts, newspapers and other public records. “Researching your New Orleans Property” explains how these records can be used and where to find them.

The seminar also includes a brief section on the architectural styles found in New Orleans.

Friends of the Cabildo is a private nonprofit volunteer group that provides financial and volunteer support for the Louisiana State Museum, its projects and its property. Since incorporating in 1956, the Friends of the Cabildo has grown into a large statewide membership organization, a dynamic and motivating force in broadening and supporting the aims of the Louisiana State Museum.

Space for the seminar is limited. Get tickets from the Friends of the Cabildo office at 523-3939.

Admission is $30, or $20 for FOC/LMF/PRC Members. For more information, contact Jason Strada at 523-3939 or jason@ friendsofthecabildo.org. All proceeds are raised in support of the Louisiana State Museum and its exhibits and programs.

– t aylor burley c h e r y l g e r be r p h oto g r a p h

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T HE BE A T

Contracts for new vessel design and construction are among the drivers of local engineering job growth. Pictured is the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Paul Clark, delivered in 2013

by Lockport-based Bollinger Shipyards Inc.

BIZ

Engineering – Where the Jobs Are Universities engineering a solution to a growing business need B y K a t h y F i nn

W

h e n c r a n e s r i s e i n t h e s k y a bo v e

area shipyards, oilfield fabrication centers and industrial plants, the news filtering out to the public generally has to do with the number of jobs the new construction will generate. Sometimes overlooked in the headlines is the impact this growth will have on existing firms that provide the engineering services needed to make such projects happen.

Many engineering specialties have felt a jolt from the growth that’s occurring in various parts of the greater New Orleans area economy.

One clear indicator of rising demand for engineers comes in the form of out-of-state firms expanding into the local area.

Last fall, two firms from the Pacific Northwest reached all the way to the Gulf Coast to capture some of the growing business in marine construction stemming from the busy offshore oil and gas industry. Elliott Bay Design Group and Jensen Maritime, both based in Seattle, opened offices in New Orleans within months of one another. And before them, the Virginia-based naval architecture firm Gibbs & Cox Inc., set up shop in the city.

Along with a host of locally based engineering firms, these offices chase business generated by such firms as Tidewater Inc., Hornbeck Offshore Services LLC, Harvey Gulf International Marine and Edison Chouest Offshore, all of which have undertaken big programs to expand or upgrade their offshore service fleets.

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Builders such as Lockport-based Bollinger Shipyards Inc., also keep engineers busy with contracts ranging from offshore supply vessels to liftboats, tugs and U.S. Coast Guard cutters.

But the demand for engineers isn’t isolated in the marine sector.

Online engineering job boards are chock full of postings by major chemical, petrochemical and refining operations that create an industrial boom across the Gulf Coast with big expansion projects.

“There are a lot of jobs out there for engineers right now,” says Norman Whitley, dean of the College of Engineering at University of New Orleans.

He says much of the growth stems from the petrochemical sector, which is investing billions of dollars to build or expand plants and take advantage of Louisiana’s abundant low-priced natural gas, which the plants use both for power generation and as feedstock for some chemical products.

In addition, Whitley says, money funneled into coastal projects aimed at preserving or restoring wetlands creates a new area of engineering demand. “Coastal restoration is going to be a great opportunity in coming years,” he says.

The University of New Orleans, whose School of Naval Architecture works closely with local shipyards to develop targeted programs aimed at meeting local work force needs, also is collaborating with Greater New Orleans Inc., and other business P h oto co u r te s y of B o l l i n g e r S h i p y a r d s

groups to identify specific skill and training needs.

“We’re also trying to create more interest at the high school level” in engineering and other sciences, Whitley says, pointing to outreach programs the university has undertaken in local schools.

Meanwhile, the state’s leading provider of engineering talent kicked its training efforts into high gear to turn out graduates in every engineering segment, from petroleum, chemical and mechanical engineers to civil, environmental, structural and construction management specialties.

“We’re seeing demand rise pretty much across the board in all of our disciplines,” says Richard Koubek, the Burt S. Turner dean of engineering at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

The university has hired two recruiters whose job is to make sure the stream of students flowing into LSU engineering programs continues to grow and keep up with job openings, Koubek says.

Engineering enrollment has increased 40 percent in the last three years, and applications for the fall semester are up more than 20 percent from fall 2013, he says.

Koubek says the number of employers registered for LSU’s latest engineering career fair was up 75 percent from three years earlier.

The engineering college breaks ground this fall on a $100 million renovation and expansion of its campus complex, adding 80,000 square feet of educational space. The dean says the college also will reconfigure its existing space to better accommodate changing educational needs.

The college aims to have 50 new engineering faculty members in place by the time the physical complex is ready for occupancy in the fall of 2017, and Koubek says faculty will be about halfway to that target by the end of this year.

With starting salaries north of $90,000 for some graduates, such as petroleum engineers, the traditionally popular engineering specialties are likely to remain magnets for college applicants. But UNO’s Whitley predicts that interest will also begin to rise in the newer discipline of costal restoration sciences.

He says a recent study commissioned by Greater New Orleans Inc., showed a growing need for specialized training that will prepare engineers to deal with problems the country will face in all its coastal areas as a result of rising sea levels.

“I think we’ll see a program where a student with a bachelor’s degree can come back and get 12 hours of focused academic work leading to a certificate” in coastal restoration science, he says.

Looking ahead

Here is a look at pay levels and projected job growth in some engineering specialties that are commonly in demand in the local area.

Occupation

2012 median salary per year

projected job growth 2012-’22

Petroleum engineers Biomedical engineers Civil engineers Environmental engineers Chemical engineers Computer hardware engineers Mechanical engineers Aerospace engineers Electrical & electronics engineers Marine engineers & naval architects

$130,280 $86,960 $79,340 $80,890 $94,350 $100,920 $80,580 $103,720 $89,630 $88,100

6% 27% 20% 15% 4% 7% 5% 7% 4% 10%

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics myneworleans.com

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N EWSBEAT

Destination New Orleans New Orleans’ tourism industry is at a record high, according to new data from the 2013 New Orleans Area Visitor Profile study.

The study shows that the city welcomed 9.28 million visitors in 2013, an increase of 3 percent, or about 272,000 people, from ’12 (9.01 million). The 9.28 million visitors spent $6.47 billion, a 4.5 percent increase over ’12 and the highest spending in the city’s history, according to the study.

After Hurricane Katrina, visitor numbers dropped greatly; the city hosted only 3.7 million in 2006, with $2.8 billion in visitor spending. Through the combined efforts of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC), visitor numbers increased to 7.1 million in ’07 with $4.8 billion in spending, and have continued rising since.

“The people, culture, food and entertainment in New Orleans are arguably the best in the world,” says Mayor Mitch Landrieu. “We take pride in offering our visitors an authentic experience and are adding new options every year, so it’s no surprise that the city is continuing to see record breaking visitor numbers. New Orleans is on a roll and we’re thrilled that visitors across the globe are taking notice.”

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and enriching the lives of people.

The more than 9 million visitors in 2013 pumped a record of $6.47 billion in spending directly into our city,” says Stephen Perry, President and CEO of the New Orleans CVB. “That money contributes greatly to state and local economies and supports jobs for more than 78,000 New Orleanians from every neighborhood.”

“We love our city. We love our way of life. And so do millions of visitors. The 2013 report shows that visitors are exploring more and more of our city and experiencing our unique culture and neighborhoods from the Bywater to Mid-City to the Riverbend,” said Mark Romig, President and CEO of NOTMC. “We are working together with city administration and business leaders to continue this growth in visitation and bringing tourism jobs and activities to areas of the city that could use our industry’s economic support.”

The 2013 New Orleans Area Visitor Profile study was completed by the University of New Orleans (UNO), Hospitality Research Center for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC).

– t aylor burley p h oto co u r te s y of c a r n i v a l - n ew s . com

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T HE BE A T

EDUCATION

Building a Better School Board A think-tank weighs in

by D a w n R u t h

I

t s eem s l i k e a “ d u h ” mome n t , b u t a W a s h i n g to n t h i n k t a n k ’ s

one-of-a-kind research finally confirms what seems like a logical conclusion: School boards focusing on academics produce better schools.

“In sum, boards with members who have an academic focus and exhibit certain work practices are associated with better student achievement than expected, given their district conditions. They beat the odds,” says the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to school reform.

Though that conclusion doesn’t seem especially revelatory, this recently released study is in fact an important moment for contemporary education, especially for New Orleans. Until now, there seemingly wasn’t any scientific basis to conclude that school boards casting a laser beam of academic expectation across a district produce more proficient graduates,

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though members rarely set foot in the schools they govern. Because teachers, principals, curriculum specialists and superintendents direct the day-to-day mechanics of delivery of the academic product, it has never been clear just how much part-time board members matter to students’ overall education.

Turns out, they matter a lot. More importantly the study reveals other aspects about school boards that could be of great benefit to the future of New Orleans schools, if policy makers and voters would just take note.

The study concludes that how and when board members are elected affect academic quality, and so does political allegiance. The study concludes that boards consisting of politically moderate, at-large members are more knowledgeable about district conditions and more likely to focus on the academic bottom line.

People in New Orleans made the connection between bad schools and a bickering school board years ago, just like many urban school systems must have after they, too, switched from atlarge board members to district members. Such a trend developed in the mid-1980s to diversify the makeup of boards, a 2010 Bureau of Governmental Research study says. The BGR study says that New Orleans transitioned from an at-large elected board in ’87 to a board of five-district and two at-large members. In ’92, the board shifted to a board of seven district members.

One might argue it’s coincidental that New Orleans schools were some of the worst in the country under the preKatrina, all-district board model. Other socioeconomic factors certainly played their parts in the decay of schools, academically and physically. However, the fact that schools under the semiautonomous charter model that prevails in post-Katrina New Orleans are producing better results with the same high poverty students suggests that the OPSB wasn’t up to the task.

The institute drew its conclusions about the nation’s school boards after conducting an extensive study of board members’ occupational backgrounds, J O S E P H D ANI E L F I E D L E R ILLUS T RA T I O N

political ideology, attitudes and elections. About 900 board members from 417 districts, including members governing major urban school systems, responded to survey questions. The answers were then compared to corresponding individual district and state data on demographics, finances, teacher pay, student achievement and other factors.

Researchers matched board members’ responses to the data and discovered some intriguing patterns.

One question concerned focus. The survey asked for agreement or disagreement with three questions: The first stated, “The current state of student achievement is unacceptable”; the second stated, “We need to ensure that we don’t place unreasonable expectations for student achievement”; and the third stated, “Defining success in terms of student achievement is narrow and shortsighted.”

The study determined that school boards with members that agreed with the first statement were much more likely to govern districts “where students beat the odds.”

“The boost associated with academic focus is the highest of any school board characteristic that we tested,” the researchers say.

The study also determined that members who reported an education related occupation were more likely to argue that academic expectations are “unreasonable.” Also contrary to expectations, members with business backgrounds didn’t correlate to an academic focus either. The study showed that board members who reported occupations other than education and business were more likely to focus on academics.

The political leanings of board members also affect academic performance, the study indicates. Researchers found a link between political ideology and board members’ accurate knowledge of their districts. They found that members who identify themselves as conservative are less likely than liberals to say that, “funding is a barrier to student achievement, regardless of actual spending in the district.” Liberals, on the other hand, are more likely to say that collective bargaining by teachers’ unions isn’t a barrier.

Moreover, board members with occupational experience in education showed less knowledge of the districts overall, and members with non-education occupations showed more “accurate knowledge of actual district conditions.”

The study also matched student achievement data to two types of boards – those with mostly at-large members and those with mostly district-elected members – and found that boards with members elected at-large, those elected by voters from an entire city as opposed to individual neighborhoods or smaller sections of the city, are more likely to govern higher achieving schools.

“While ward elections have substantially increased racial and ethnic diversity of board members nationally, some evidence suggest they have decreased the school boards’ focus on district wide policy concerns,” the study says.

This study underlines the importance of restructuring the OPSB before any state takeover schools are returned to its jurisdiction for management. Recent and past OPSBs have been polarized to the point that they aren’t functional. District elections often elect members who have personal or political agendas that are inconsistent with good schools. District elections are more likely to produce members of the extreme political left or right, rather than the political moderates the study indicates are the most focused on student achievement.

Social and cultural conditions in New Orleans no longer dictate the necessity of district elections to ensure racial diversity. Since the late Mayor Dutch Morial’s historic election as the city’s first black mayor, voters have shown increased diligence in choosing candidates according to credentials, experience and platform over any racial considerations. myneworleans.com

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N EWSBEAT

Another Voice Acclaimed author Jesmyn Ward will join the Tulane University English Department as a tenured associate professor beginning July 1. Ward, who has been named to the first-ever Paul and Debra Gibbons Professorship, won the 2011 National Book Award for fiction for her second novel, Salvage the Bones.

The DeLisle, Mississppi, native is currently working on her fourth novel, following a memoir based on the deaths of five black men in her hometown. Unlike many authors, Ward doesn’t shy away from the often-controversial topic of racism. She says that she hopes to chime in to the current race-based discussions taking place at Tulane.

“I’d like to add my voice to the chorus of those teaching at Tulane who are already part of this conversation about equality and racial tension,” Ward says. “I hope the discussions we have in our work and around campus will aid us in finding our way toward an answer to the question I’m asked whenever I speak about these issues: So what do we do now – how do we change?”

Michael Kuczynski, chair of the Tulane English department, says that he greatly admired Ward’s writing before he ever met her and is delighted that Ward is joining the team. “It’s great for the English Department, and it’s great for Tulane, and it’s great for New Orleans.”

Ward says that she’s particularly excited for the opportunity

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to mentor young writers. “I love teaching. I love reading and writing and talking about reading and writing with students,” Ward says. “I love working with student writers to help them revise and polish and transform their work and I love watching students find their voices. It really is very rewarding work.”

Ward received her undergraduate degree in English and a master’s degree in media studies and communication from Stanford University. She then went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in fiction from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; was a Stegner Fellow in the creative writing department at Stanford University; and a Grisham Writer in Residence at the University of Mississippi.

She has been teaching writing for 10 years at the University of Michigan, the University of New Orleans, Stanford University and the University of Mississippi. She is currently Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of South Alabama.

– t aylor burley

c h e r y l g e r be r p h oto g r a p h

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T HE BE A T

HEALTH Orthodontists

Bite-Sized A field guide to dentists

by B rob s on L u t z M . D .

I

t too k s ome s e a r c h i n g to f i n d T he R ea l Y e l l ow P ages .

The New Orleans volume shrinks annually given the increasing popularity of online searching. Listings for dentists fill 18 pages, including three full-page display advertisements, compared to just 16 pages for physicians – even though we have far more practicing physicians than dentists.

Several larger dental practices advertise full-service dental care, but subspecialty ads abound. In addition to general dentists, subcategories for cosmetic dentistry, endodontists, family dentists, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontists, pediatric dentists, periodontists and prosthodontists are listed.

Along with a diploma from a dental school, prospectives must pass muster with the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry. Dentists have needed professional licenses in Louisiana longer than physicians. In fact, the dental licensing board established in 1880 was the model physicians used 14 years later to establish a board.

General practice dentists

Most practicing dentists are in general practice. There is an optional one to two year residency for general to practice dentistry, but most dentists currently practicing in New Orleans began practice right after dental school.

The typical general dentist treats children and adults for most gum problems and cavities. They fit crowns, bridges and false teeth. Crowns help preserve normal shape and size to a tooth with problems, say a broken or badly shaped tooth or one with a cavity too large to hold a filling without a cover. A bridge on the other hand “bridges the gap” Ronnie Lamarque style, but the gap is one of missing teeth. Bridges made of gold, alloy, porcelain or other materials attach to other teeth and can be removable or fixed meaning removable only by a dentist.

It isn’t uncommon for a general practice dentist to have additional interests and expertise so don’t think you always need some sort of board-certified cosmetic dentist to apply tooth veneers or a board-certified prosthodontist to fit false teeth.

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Straightening is the subtitle in the yellow pages under orthodontists. Working from a canvas of crooked and distorted teeth, orthodontists are the art restorers of the dental world. They strive for straight teeth and Hollywood smiles. According to one dental student, orthodontics is the most popular post-graduate training program, in part because it’s only a two-year program compared to six years for oral surgery.

Braces are a system of brackets and wires akin to the devices used to elevate houses. Brackets with small slots are usually attached to the front of the teeth. Wires are then threaded through the holes in the brackets. These wires are progressively tightened over time to shift teeth into more aligned positions. Braces can be metal or toothcolored, and some even attach to the back of the teeth. Orthodontists also use plastic-like aligners that fit over the teeth like miniature mouth guards worn by football players. These must be removed to eat. Every few weeks the liner is switched out for a new one with a progressive shift gradually changing tooth direction and growth.

At one time orthodontists mostly treated children with crooked teeth. Their classic patient was a child with buckteeth. Today many adults also see orthodontists for various treatments including correction of malocclusions, the dental word for the top teeth not meeting the lower teeth when the jaw closes. Plan on getting to know your orthodontist as their treatment plans usually dictate frequent visits for up to three years.

Endodontists

Endodontists save teeth. Their habitat is the inner core of the tooth along with its roots. Deep areas of tooth decay, replacement of large fillings, gum disease and trauma can damage this inner core or pulp containing blood vessels and nerves that extend into each tooth root. Each tooth is secured into jawbone by one to four or more roots. When pulp becomes inflamed or infected, the tooth is living on borrowed time.

A root canal is the procedure by which an endodontist removes inflamed and infected pulp, cleans inside the tooth, fills the cavity and seals the opening. The tooth is then topped by a filling or a crown. Modern day root canals take one to two appointments, are no more painful than the filling of a cavity and can last years to a lifetime.

Periodontists

Like geese in the wetlands, the habitat of periodontists is the moist gums and tissues that surround and support the teeth. Dental plaque begins as a complex biofilm of harmless bacteria. Over time this soft covering can harden into tarter, which has the consistency of soft grit. Acid producing bacteria move in to feed on the tatar. Besides causing tooth

decay, tartar incites inflammation around the gums termed gingivitis.

Periodontists support solid foundations. They stalk gum disease from mild gingivitis to more severe periodontitis in an effort to preserve supporting bone surrounding the teeth. Gingivitis is usually harmless, but continued inflammation in the gums can lead to destruction of the supporting tissues needed to keep teeth in place. Left untreated periodontitis, your grandfather called it pyorrhea, causes teeth to loosen and fall out. Periodontists scale and clean infected tooth and root surfaces below the gum line in an effort to reverse destructive tissue loss.

Oral surgeons

According to their association website, oral and maxillofacial surgeons are “the experts in face, mouth and jaw surgery.” Their education takes four years of college, four years of dental school and a four to six year residency, including hospital operating room time.

Traditional oral surgery revolves around extraction of wisdom teeth, surgery for fractured jaws and dental implants. Oral surgery practices vary in different communities. Their scope of surgical care can include head and neck cancers, cleft lip and palate repairs, corrective jaw and facial cosmetic procedures and treatment of facial injuries.

Wisdom teeth are probably the bread and butter of oral surgeons as oral surgeons, periodontists and even general dentists provide implant therapy. Tiny titanium posts are implanted into the jaw. Once these implants bond to surrounding bone several months later, small posts are attached to secure new artificial teeth, which are designed and fitted by a restorative dentist.

Prosthodontists

Think prosthesis, and the territory of this speciality is obvious. A prosthodontist replaces missing teeth. A three-year post-dental school training program at LSU Dental School provides specialized training in fixed, removable and implanted artifical teeth including dentures, partial dentures, fixed bridges and crowns.

Most general dentists are skilled in many aspects of this speciality, but prosthodontists have special expertise that can be invaluable in problem cases. These specialists also design prosthetic parts for missing facial structures, such as ears and noses.

Board-certified prosthodontists often become full time teachers at dental schools.

The Hainkel Home

Pediatric dentists

Dentists who identify themselves as family dentists usually welcome children as well as adults. Most general dentists also treat children, but pediatric dentists spend an additional two to three years after dental school training with children. Many also care to those with special needs, a calling that takes particular compassion and understanding.

A view from the LSU School of Dentistry

“We have 64 students in each class. It is the only dental school in the state. Most students are from Louisiana, except five spots are reserved for Arkansas, a state with no dental school, and there are a two to three slots for students from other states,” says Melissa Jackson, a fourth year dental student who grew up in Metairie, graduated from the College of Charleston in South Carolina and returned to New Orleans where she’s a student at the LSU School of Dentistry.

“The first and second year students study basic sciences and preclinical courses such as biochemistry, microbiology and anatomy. But we also learn to cut and prep fillings for fake teeth,” says Jackson. “You must get all the decay but leave a cavity that will retain a filling.”

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• Respiratory & IV Therapy & Tracheotomy Care • Adult Day Health Care Services and more!

612 Henry Clay Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118 Ph: 504.896.5904 Cell: 504.616.3714 Fax: 504.896.5904 myneworleans.com

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HEALTHBEAT In 2011, when former Saints player Steve Gleason, known by many for his blocked punt on the first night the Superdome opened after Hurricane Katrina, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, he received an outpouring of support from the team and owner Tom Benson. In April, Benson and his wife, Gayle, further committed to their support by donating $5 million to help fund Gleason’s Team Gleason House for Innovative Living at St. Margaret’s in New Orleans. “After I was diagnosed with ALS, the continued support Michel and I have received from the Saints and the Bensons has been humbling and a tremendous comfort to us both,” said Gleason in a statement. “They have been like a second family to us on and off the field. With the creation of the Team Gleason House, we announced to the world that, with the right care and the right technology, ALS patients can be productive and purposeful for decades. Through this generous gift, we are assured of the sustainability of that mission.”

The Lakeview Regional Medical Center in April opened a new location for its Behavioral Health Center. The center, which specializes in caring for older adults with Alzheimer’s, mood disorders and other health, physical and emotional issues associated with later life, is now part of the hospital campus on Judge Tanner Boulevard in Covington. A new 24-bed inpatient unit with private rooms has been added to the facility and A. Majid Khan M.D., who has served as medical director of Acute Inpatient Psychiatric facilities, Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Programs in the private sector and was most recently a Unit Director at Greenbrier Hospital in Covington, is the medical director.

On June 27, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast is participating in the “Take the Test, Take Control,” campaign by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for National HIV Testing Day. Get no cost, rapid HIV testing at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, 4018 Magazine St., 8:30 a.m. To 4:30 p.m. Walk-in tests are available as the schedule allows or call 897-9200 for an appointment.

– MELANIE WARNER SPENCER

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T HE BEA T

CRIME FIGHTING

A Star With a Crescent To protect, serve – and teach

by A llen J o h n s on J r .

T

h e l a te New O r l e a n s P o l i ce D ep a r tme n t

Major (ret.) Howard P. Robertson, has been eulogized in The Times-Picayune as the police commander who “revolutionized” the department’s SWAT team in the early 1990s with “better training, equipment and tactics.”

Robertson was serving as Chief Investigator of the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office when he died April 3, 2014, at his Metairie home from liver cancer. He was 64.

“If you’re not going to have the Howard Robertsons of the world in charge – you need to have them in the room,” says civil rights attorney Mary Howell, recalling Robertson’s candor, confidence and intelligence. “Howard was a truth-teller. He was a teacher who never stopped teaching. He read and read critically.”

Twenty years ago, Robertson was commander of the 30 officers on the NOPD SWAT team.

A 6-foot-4-inch-tall bodybuilder, Robertson’s chiseled physique, infectious confidence, blunt candor and flashes of temper all helped to earn him the police nickname: “Conan the Barbarian.”

His “Conan” persona belied a restless intellect and, his widow Gay 36

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Robertson says, a “terrible stutter” that he conquered by taking speech courses as a young police officer at Loyola University.

In a 1994 interview, Major Robertson suggested replacing NOPD’s traditional style of “aggressive policing” with a “customer-oriented” approach that extends to criminal suspects.

“There are two basic approaches any officer can use,” Robertson said, turning theatrical: “Hey asshole, get over here!

Put your hands on the car!’ And you throw him up against the car. Or, number two: Excuse me, sir. We’re out here checking guns in the area. And you fit the description of someone we’re looking for. This will only take five minutes.’ And if he’s clean you say, ‘I want to thank you for your cooperation.’”

Robertson also became an outspoken advocate of alternatives to police deadly force, at a dangerous time.

In the summer of 1994, New Orleans was frightening place to live. The city led the nation in both murders and civil rights complaints to the FBI. The city was on pace for its deadliest year ever: 424 homicides. Roughly one out of every four of those murders took place in the Desire, Florida and B.W. Cooper housing projects, where violent drug dealers fought for control of the city’s lucrative cocaine trade – aided by corrupt and brutal cops such as highly decorated NOPD officer Len Davis.

In June of that year, Davis began paying NOPD officers to work 12-hour shifts protecting a warehouse filled with cocaine – unaware the facility was part of an FBI undercover operation targeting police corruption.

Meanwhile, newly elected Mayor Marc Morial and a new city council were absorbing public reaction to a management study by the Louisiana Army National Guard.

The study concluded the NOPD was “very dysfunctional” and warned of the “expensive” consequences of poor police leadership for future taxpayers if police reform efforts failed.

“There is very little pride within the NOPD about what the department does or how it does it,” said the author of the report, Army Col. (ret.) Mickey S. Evans.

He said the local news media should “be on the lookout for police officers doing the right things right [and] … report it.”

Weeks later, photojournalist A.J. Sisco and I broke the story of how Robertson and the NOPD SWAT team resolved 99 percent of 342 life-threatening incidents over a 10-year period – without resorting to deadly force (Gambit, “Silver Lining in a Blue Cloud,” July 26, 1994).

Building on a streak of 200 non-fatal SWAT rolls inherited in 1991 from Major Felix Loicano, Robertson’s SWAT team became a bright light during a dark period for the NOPD. The special local unit also excelled as FBI SWAT teams reeled. Disastrous standoffs claimed the lives of both federal agents and civilians at Ruby Ridge, Idaho in 1992 and Waco, Texas in ’93, which ended in the fiery deaths of 76 men, women and children. “Waco never would have happened if Howard was in charge,” local lawyer Mary Howell says today.

In July 1994, Robertson said things about his NOPD SWAT team that many New Orleanians have not heard any NOPD officer say. Some examples: • “Any time we use our weapons, we feel like we fail.”

• “I don’t want them to hurt that person if I can help it.”

• “The Golden Rule around here is to treat somebody like you want your family treated.”

• “Our job is to get everybody out alive – including the suspect.”

In 1994, not everybody on the NOPD felt that way; the department didn’t tout the SWAT team’s success and many on the force favored an aggressive, quick, forceful assertion of police control in any crisis. Colonel Evans said then: “SWAT seems to be a success story on the department that isn’t highly valued in the NOPD and certainly not celebrated, and that’s sad.”

Twenty years later, Evans remembered Major Robertson: “He was a ‘no excuses,’ no-nonsense kind of guy. He was a true professional law enforcement officer – not a cop. He was an officer. An officer is about leadership, management and caring about people that are working with you and for you and loving them and their families.”

Evans also called his one-year study of the NOPD “a waste of time.”

“Howard had a dream of being Chief,” says Peter Scharf, a criminology professor who supervised Robertson’s work as a part-time instructor at the University of New Orleans (1994-2007), teaching supervisors from other police departments how to develop strategic management plans.

“His career interacted with the worst times at the NOPD.” Robertson had one foot in both the ‘new school’ and the ‘old school’ of the NOPD: “The Old School NOPD was characterized by loyalty to power, adherence to the code of silence and vindictiveness. He knew that world and tried to insulate himself from it.” He shunned paid details, for example.

The New School was “transparent and more meritocratic,” Scharf says. “He was very proud of the fact that SWAT never killed anybody – that was very new school. He was old school in the sense that he waited his turn for promotion. He wasn’t a whistle-blower. He wasn’t part enough of the old school to really get into the leadership.”

Instead, he formed study groups for officers taking promotional exams. “A lot of people became sergeants because Howard was there,” Scharf says.

On October 13, 1994, Richard Pennington became chief. An ugly scrum for power ensued among the command staff.

The same straightforward approach that served Robertson as a SWAT commander left him under water in the treacherous political currents at police headquarters.

“He was never regarded as part of the Pennington-Serpas team.”

Yet Robertson took the “high road” in a 1996 interview about Pennington’s top brass, including then-majors Ronal Serpas and Ray Burkart.

“Everybody on the command staff wants to be a team member,” Robertson said. “Everybody wants to be successful. None of us want to see this department fail. None of us want to retire (being) known as a member of the most corrupt police department in the United States. All of us want to walk away saying we made a difference, that we made a change.”

Two months later, Serpas became the No. 2 commander at NOPD; he retired in 1999.

Harry Mendoza, a police protégé of Robertson, says his NOPD legacy will be his teaching at the police academy. “His heart was there,” he said. “Howard was really a teacher. He left his mark on his students and I’m one of them.”

On April 9 Robertson’s memorial service was held at the Metairie church where he married his wife and they christened their son, Paul. An NOPD honor guard flanked the major’s police portrait.

To prepare for the end, Major Robertson wrote “six bullet points” for his own obituary, Gay Robertson said.

“I want a couple of columns four to six inches long,” he wrote. He referenced previous articles on his public service in CityBusiness, Gambit and New Orleans Magazine.

Robertson’s list ends with two points for his memorial service: “He said he always felt each job was to help serve people” and “He gave back by teaching others.” myneworleans.com

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LOCALCOLOR THE SCOOP

MUSIC

READ+SPIN

“Lacrosse – which combines elements of hockey, soccer and basketball and is based on stickball games played by native tribes as early as the 1600s – is in fact one of the fastest growing sports in the world, and New Orleans is no exception.”

CHARACTERS

JOIE D’EVE

MODINE GUNCH

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HOME

scoop:

Take Me Out to the Lacrosse Game PAGE 40

F o r d D i e t h , S r . P HOTO G R A P H

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T H E S C O O P

Take Me Out to the Lacrosse Game A new generation is having kicks with sticks

by Melanie Warner Spencer

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m ag i n e a v e r d a n t f i e l d as m o r n i n g f o g l i f t s a w a y f r o m s w a t h s

of dewy grass. Young lacrosse players run up and down, wielding octagonal, metal sticks with nylon, netted heads, as they struggle for control of a solid, 62.7 to 64.7 millimeter ball.

The fast-paced game is being held on a field surrounded, not by the maple and fir trees ubiquitous at Ivy League schools on the east coast, but rather the oldest grove of mature live oaks in the world, at City Park. While the game is indeed bigger in the northeast, lacrosse – which combines elements of hockey, soccer and basketball and is based on stickball games played by native tribes as early as the 1600s – is in fact one of the fastest growing sports in the world, and New Orleans is no exception.

“Well, lacrosse is infectious!” says Ford Jones Dieth Jr., who was first exposed to the game in 1992 while attending college at Shenandoah University in northern Virginia. The former player is now a coach and the Head of Lower School St. Martin’s Episcopal School. “There was no lacrosse in Louisiana at the time and I really didn’t know much about lacrosse. It turns out that I fell in love with it! I was a goalie at Shenandoah for two seasons and was voted a team captain in that second year.”

Not only does Louisiana now have lacrosse, but according to Val Browning, Commissioner of the Louisiana High School Lacrosse League (LHSLL), five programs were added to the league this past year, bringing the number of high school programs in the state to 19.

“We have already had inquiries from two new programs about joining the LHSLL next year,” says Browning, adding that there is an independent team on the Northshore, as well as two new youth level programs that started this year, two girls programs added to the existing three (in Louisiana) and another two that may start next year. “Also, in the Shreveport area, they have started Caddo

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St. Martin’s first home lacrosse game in history; they played St. Catherine

Bossier Lacrosse Association, which had over 200 youth participants last year and it grew to over 300 participants this year.”

Browning says most participants belong to US Lacrosse and there are currently 1,781 USL members (players, coaches and officials) in Louisiana.

Dieth is one of a group of dedicated, enthusiastic and seemingly tireless individuals who has worked over the years to bring the sport to Louisiana and sees the fruits of his labor in the numbers reported by Browning. It began in 2003, when Dieth started both intramural and travel lacrosse teams at Christian Brothers School.

“I always had an old lacrosse stick in my classroom,” says Dieth.

“Every year, especially when I was teaching history and we came to the Iroquois and the six nations, I would talk about lacrosse. Often, I taught with that old lacrosse stick in my hand. One year, a group of fifth graders asked me if I would show them how to throw and catch.”

At first, Dieth brought a few sticks and balls to school, but says within a week, boys were suddenly bringing their own sticks. Soon, there was enough interest to ask the assistant director and principal about starting an intramural team. The closest teams were in Shreveport and they played a team in Dallas.

“We had 40 students at Christian Brothers that year for an intramural program. Eighty the next year and 110 plus the years to follow,” says Dieth.

Since then, Dieth has helped start programs at Brother Martin High School, Jesuit High School, De La Salle High School and Archbishop Rummel High School, and this year the first u11 program at an independent school in the state at St. Martin’s Episcopal School. Additionally, Dieth is a founding board member of Friends of New Orleans Lacrosse, a nonprofit organization that works to promote and grow high school and youth lacrosse in the area founded in 2006, and helped found, organize and run the Sugar Bowl tournament.

The team at Jesuit that Dieth helped found began in 2005. The year prior, Paul Baxter, whose son was a junior, was watching lacrosse F o r d D i e t h , S r . P HOTO G R A P H

on TV one day. “He said, ‘Dad, this looks like fun. I want to start a lacrosse team,’” says Baxter. The father and son jumped into research, planning and organizing and were off and running.

While his son has since graduated from high school, as well as West Point and has just finished serving in the Army, Baxter is still involved in the sport. A founding member of FONOLAX, Baxter serves as president and hopes someday that his son (who still plays when he has the chance) will come home, get involved and eventually take over.

When Jackie Smart moved back to New Orleans from New Jersey with her family in 2011, she had no idea that within a few months, she’d become the “Queen of Lacrosse” in the area. Her son started playing in fourth grade and was in seventh grade at the time of the move. Unsure about whether or not lacrosse was even an option in New Orleans, Smart and her husband were prepared to find oneon-one lessons if necessary, so that Michael could continue to play.

Smart was committed to the search, because she says playing the game has changed her son’s personality for the better in the time he has been playing and the idea of giving it up was unthinkable for him. “He thought he’d die,” says Smart.

To the family’s relief, the sport was alive and growing in New Orleans, but access to equipment and knowledgeable retailers from whom to buy it was scarce. “Dick’s didn’t know what the hell they were talking about,” says Smart. “They didn’t know how to fit kids properly for padding. Didn’t know the equipment. I thought, ‘I have to start a store.’ I said it, and in three months I was open.”

Smart, no stranger to retail as the former owner of a shoe store in New Jersey, struggled the first year with the learning curve of this unfamiliar area of the business. Within a short few years however, her store Southern Lacrosse has grown from an approximately 250-square-foot space in the back of a Harahan office park, to 800 square feet of retail, office and warehouse storage in the front of the building, with future plans to expand to a storefront in a higher traffic area of town.

Southern Lacrosse supplies not only the growing needs of Louisiana, but also Mississippi, Alabama and some teams in Florida.

“Kids are now looking at schools based on lacrosse,” says Smart, who’s excited about the growth of the sport and hopes to see more public schools start teams, but laments the lack of coaches and officials.

“Since it’s not a state sanctioned sport yet, these are all volunteers.”

While the true lacrosse season in the south is January through April, summer is still busy with travel and summer leagues.

Southern Lacrosse also organizes a lacrosse clinic featuring coaching from national stars, including Kyle Hartzell, a defense coach for the Major League Lacrosse New York Lizards, National League Lacrosse Philadelphia Wings and Team USA; Steven Brooks, midfield coach for the MLL Chesapeake Bayhawks and Team USA; and Drew Westervelt, attack coach for the MLL Chesapeake Bayhawks, NLL Colorado Mammoth and Team USA. The aforementioned challenge of getting and keeping volunteer coaches and officials, as well as funding for equipment and field space, doesn’t seem to be affecting the spread in popularity of the game. There even is a place for post-high school and college players to get their fix. The New Orleans Lacrosse Club, which has quietly kept the game alive since the 1970s, is a self-described “group of shaggy-haired LAX bros” of all ages and skill levels that hosts an annual Mardi Gras Tournament in City Park the weekend before Carnival.

For Dieth and his cohorts, it’s clearly a life’s passion, which doesn’t seem to fade with time. “I truly hope that lacrosse will become an LHSAA (Louisiana High School Athletic Association) sport in the next couple of years,” he says. “It has become a force to be reckoned with and now Louisiana is sending students to college to play lacrosse. It is opening up new doors for students and their families. I love it and will continue to be involved in it until I can’t any longer.” myneworleans.com

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“The Revolution Got Soul, Soul, Soul,” by artist Willie Birch (2004)

Rituals Going Wilder Perspectives from the street

By Jason Berry

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t is tempting to view the long tradition

of brass band parades trailed by second liners as an image of stability, the musicians leading a spontaneous choreography of the streets – a state of things such that, to paraphrase Yeats, we cannot separate dancers from the jazz.

Only the jazz is changing now, or to be more precise the shifts in music from the repertoire of younger brass bands is a choppy current flowing far from the source pools of blues, hymns, parade stomps and rags that existed in the early 1900s when “jass” began as a trickle and turned into a roaring river by the ’20s.

Early jazz was played in honkey-tonks and country clubs, blues clubs and dancehalls for whites only; but the strongest current came out of churches and ran through parades for the benevolent societies at funerals and the social aid and pleasure clubs that took a claim on urban space as they paraded through streets of a city ruled by legal segregation. The music has never really been successfully politicized, though social theorists often try; the arc of jazz had long reach as a language of movement and dance for people on all sides of the racial divide.

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But for those who would make the music into a color-blind celebration of a pluralist America, the counter-veiling truth is that the music had its own primal meaning for blacks, a language with coded references to the struggle and reality. “White folks still in the lead,” Louis Armstrong joked when Artie Shaw asked how things were going.

Since the 1990s, when crack cocaine hit New Orleans, the traditional style of jazz funerals – the stately procession of musicians playing dirges, the second liners in a shuffle, coiled to release the dancing after the “cutting loose” of the deceased – has taken quite a shift. In a word, the funerals have gotten wilder.

Matt Sakakeeny, a musicologist and professor at Tulane University, isn’t the first person to explore the fiery body language of some second liners gyrating to the accelerated section-riffing of ReBirth and other bands, long wailing hypnotic passages in a song like “Do Whatcha Wanna,” so different from the clear, sunny melodies of standards like “Didn’t He Ramble.” Indeed, Dr. Michael White, the clarinetist and a composer of New Orleans-style, has been a critic of these changes for years, how burial parades are

Ma r i a n n a Mas e y P HOTO G R A P H

moving to a harsher current, reflecting divisions of class and culture. (I produced a short documentary featuring White and others with footage from several funerals in 1998.)

Sakakeeny’s approach to the tensions between continuity in change in Roll With It: Brass Bands in the Streets of New Orleans, searches past academic theories, tapping many interviews and his own experiences with musicians playing “riff tunes at a fast pace, singing songs that resonate with the experiences of the hip-hop generation, and wearing sneakers, baggy jeans, oversized T-shirts and baseball caps.”

A former producer for “American Routes,” which airs locally on WWNO, Sakakeeny admires the musicians he chronicles, yet not in an overly close, cheerleading way.

He writes of the rap star C-Murder (Perry Miller) convicted in the homicide of a 16-year-old fan and the unrelated incident of Soulja Slim, a rapper shot dead on the front lawn of the house he bought for his mother. C-Murder grew up in Calliope housing project, on which Sakakeeny quotes Art Neville from a 2000 interview, “Today the Calliope housing projects look like a concentration camp, but back then [1950s] when the Neville family moved in, we looked at it like better living.”

Just how and when the breakdown of project life hit the next generation so hard is beyond the scope of Sakakeeny’s book, but his intelligence shines in the struggle. “More than any other area of my research, the response of musicians to the loss of their peers has challenged my ability to explain,” he writes. “A tragically routine chain of events – murder, private mourning and public ritual – vibrates with an intensity that spills out of the nooks and crannies of a single life to intersect with critical debates about the black experience in contemporary urban America.”

Willie Birch’s black-and-white artworks function as much more than illustrations to this book. Birch is among the front-rank of artists working in New Orleans; though his carved pieces suggest an outsider or folk art status, he has an M.F.A., fellowships from the Guggenheim and NEA and works collected at the Metropolitan and Whitney in New York to his credit. The power he invests in the faces of the musicians, the vibrations of intensity that roam through his scenes of arched trombones, a carriage driver at the Ernie K-Doe funeral, the mysteries made of faces behind sunglasses and then some, are all of a piece with Sakakeeny’s report. Roll With It deserves a wide readership in the postKatrina boom.

Adding Your Stamp “Like jazz musicians, I believe in the personal voice. Our musicians are not trying to play like Armstrong or Buddy Bolden or whomever. It’s about adding your own stamp to the history of your art form based on your time and place on earth, to create something unique ... Because I feel that in the end, we are creating for this time. And since art is a process, this is our only moment to get it right. Not tomorrow, but now.”

– Willie Birch, interview with Matt Sakakeeny, Roll With It

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ART Creole World by renowned New Orleans author and fine art and editorial photographer Richard Sexton is a lush and colorful journey through New Orleans and Latin Caribbean cities, exploring their Creole connections and heritage. The 200 photos explore the people and places; interiors and exteriors; history and architecture of this rich and storied culture. “If I were merely remarking that New Orleans is actually a Caribbean city, a multiethnic, multiracial gumbo, I wouldn’t be adding much to the already lengthy discourse,” the author says in his preface. “My perspective isn’t new, but is part of a long tradition. The newness is in the medium of expression.” An accompanying exhibit featuring more than 50 of the vibrant, texture-infused images are on view through Dec. 7, at the Historic New Orleans Collection’s Laura Simon Nelson Galleries for Louisiana Art. JAZZ The wait is over with the first release in three years by Grammy Award-winning, local institution Rebirth Brass Band and its June 24 release, Move Your Body. The party is still goin’ on with original jams like “Who’s Rockin’, Who’s Rollin,” where they kick out the AfroCaribbean beats. In the masterful cover, “Your Mama Don’t Dance,” the band flexes its musical muscles to remind us they can make any song their own. In the title track, Rebirth tells us to move and if you aren’t dancing to this 11-track party train, you clearly aren’t listening. Forget the time-consuming playlist making, for your next gathering, insert Rebirth, press play and enjoy the insta-funk of New Orleans’ booty-shake makin’ music masters.

COOKBOOK With a forward by New Orleansbased food and drink author Julia Reed, Mississippi Current Cookbook: A Culinary Journey Down American’s Greatest River, by American Queen chef de cuisine and restaurateur Regina Charboneau, combines some of the creativity of the Midwest and the American South.

INDIE After a seven-year hiatus, Mahayla is back and better than ever serving up pitch perfect American alt rock on its March release, “Electricspaceagesweetheart.” If you yearn for the catchy licks and lyrics of bands like Cracker, with whom they’ve shared the stage, make this album your summer soundtrack.

–melanie warner spencer Please send submissions for consideration, attention: Melanie Spencer, 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005.

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C A S T O F CH ARAC TERS

Pete Dupas Hard knock memories

by George Gurtner

T

Act I h e y w e r e a c l o s e l y k n i t a n d t o ug h bu n c h , t h o s e

Dupas kids, all 11 of them growing up in the 1950s shoulder-toshoulder in that tiny two-bedroom house on the rim of the French Quarter near the river.

Ralph Dupas’ father was gone for long stretches trying to hustle up a meager living as a fisherman. Two week’s pay for the old man usually amounted to about $30.

And if you grew up having to scrap for every necessity of life, like these Dupas kids, it’s no wonder that every one of the seven Dupas boys found their way to St. Mary’s gym and into the boxing ring.

They fought amateur and pro and racked up some good numbers.

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One of them, Ralph Dupas, beat the popular Denny Moyer in 1963 at the Municipal Auditorium for the Light Middleweight championship of the world.

Several months later Ralph lost that title, but what the hell. He came from nowhere and he battled his way to somewhere.

And while it was commonplace for boxers to run through their ring earnings like water through a sieve, Ralph squirreled away most of his money to buy a four-bedroom house for his family.

Angelo Dundee, the famous trainer who guided Muhammad Ali to becoming a household name was a frequent presence in Dupas’ corner and once said: “Ralph Dupas is amazing. He says ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir’ and he’s quiet and respectful. He was one of the nicest kids I ever worked with. I often wonder how in the hell did he ever get mixed up in the boxing game.”

A bigger question was how Ralph Dupas, after running up a lifetime 104-23-6 record, wound up collecting bottles and cans in a Las Vegas parking lot to earn enough money for his rat trap apartment.

Brother Tony, himself a boxer of some repute, found Ralph and brought him home to New Orleans.

In his later years, Ralph Dupas, the boxer they called the “native dancer” because of the deft evasive footwork he showed in the ring, began exhibiting the result of all those blows to the head. They call it dementia pugilista, a neurodegenerative disease that most often leaves its victims helpless, shuffling masses, often unable to tie their own shoes.

Ralph spent his final years sitting on the bed in brother Tony’s home with that blank thousand-yard stare as he rocked back and forth.

Ralph was finally placed in a home in Denham Springs where he passed away in 2008 at age 72.

Act II

Ralph’s older brother Pete was also a boxer. “I had one amateur fight,” Pete says. “I won it then I got out of the ring. I guess you could say I’m the only undefeated boxer in the Dupas family.

But after that one fight, I never went back. I liked boxing, but not fighting. I guess I just had too much of that when I was in Korea. I just didn’t care for that at all.”

F R A N K METHE P HOTO G R A P H

Eighty-three-year-old Pete is a retired pipefitter. He lives in a modest home in Kenner, the living room of which is a mini shrine to his brother Ralph.

He points to the framed cover of Boxing and Wrestling Magazine hanging on the wall. Ralph was the cover boy for that issue. There is a framed newspaper clipping on the wall exclaiming, “Boxing hall of famer, Dupas dies at 72.” Various other clippings about Ralph and his boxing brothers adorn the wall. Those clippings and a monstrous Rottweiler dog that has the attitude of a child’s stuffed toy and is named Rocky Balboa are the only nods to boxing.

“Me and my first wife had five boys and one girl,” Pete says.

“One of my sons passed away. I didn’t want them to get involved with boxing. In fact, I steered them away from the ring. All of them were or are still involved with horse racing: jockeys, trainers, grooms.”

While he’s talking, Pete is walking back and forth to another room and returning to the kitchen repeatedly, where he lays down yet another scrapbook of press clippings and photos and news stores about Ralph Dupas; not his brother the late boxing champion, but Ralph Dupas, his son the former jockey, who like Ralph the brother was, is now in a care facility because of a devastating head injury suffered in a race at Jefferson Downs.

Pete is flipping the thick pages on the scrapbooks and talking all the while: “Ralph rode at Jefferson Downs, the Fair Grounds, Louisiana Downs, Texas. He rode Risen Star (car dealer Ronnie Lamarque’s horse who won the Preakness and Belmont stakes races in 1988).” Pete runs through a long list of horses his son Ralph rode to victory: Boom Again, Champsville Star, Crafty Barzone, Fearless Flower, Borrowed Funds, Traffic Hostess. “My son Ralph had over 500 wins,” Pete says.

Pete talks about each of his sons, listing the horse racingrelated work they’re in today, and he lingers on memories of a then-6-year-old Ralph who had gotten into the habit of skipping school and spending his days doing odd jobs at the Fair Grounds.

“Cleaning up stables and all.” Pete says he caught Ralph at the track one school day and the two came to an understanding.

“He said, ‘Dad, I’ll cut you a deal. If I don’t do real good at horse racing I’ll drop it and go back to school.’” Pete recalls the details of that afternoon at the Fair Grounds. Pete went for the deal figuring his son’s mind was made up. He again mentions the “… more than 500 victories.”

Before long, there was another ‘Ralph Dupas’ name on the sports pages. Ralph became a jockey and began getting mounts, good mounts. It was what the young Ralph had long wanted. He was in heaven coming out that gate. Indeed, all was going well as until that terrible day in 1977. He was coming out the gate at Jefferson Downs. One horse spilled, then another. Ralph was on the track and the horse behind him kicked him in the head then landed on him fracturing his skull.

“When my wife and I got to the hospital, the doctor said, ‘You’d better go in and see him,’” Pete says. “His skull was cracked.”

Pete admits his son Ralph was a tough customer and that he “cut up and all that stuff. Because of that he’s bounced around to a few homes.”

“But he’s in a good place now,” Pete says. “His mind gets to where he’s just not there … like when you get old. But he’s doing real good. They even put him in charge of a few things, like taking care of some of the other people there. We talk about Uncle Ralph sometimes, and you know it’s strange. I look at my brother and what boxing did to him. Then I look at my son. My son loved racing the way my brother loved boxing. You just never know.” myneworleans.com

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M O D I N E’S N EW O RLEAN S

Holding Their Own Troubles with bras

by Modine Gunch

M

y friend Awlette

says she puts all her money on her back. By which she means that she spends it on clothes.

The Gunch women put all their money on their fronts. By which I mean they got tremendous gazooms, and all their lives they been searching for a comfortable bra.

My mother-in-law, Ms. Larda, who’s very religious, says the generous boob problem is the Gunches’ cross to bear. I, for one, wouldn’t mind if God gave me that cross.

Me, I’m OK in a K-Mart bargain bra, being as I don’t have that much boob-wise. I don’t have to tame them down or prop them up or nothing like that. I am the oddball out in this family.

Anyway, me and the Gunches happen to be at Ms. Larda’s having coffee and figuring out where we can evacuate to this year, just in case. My sister-in-law, Larva, gets off the subject and starts talking about this new shop right there in Chalmette, which sells just bras. It is called Bella daBraz, she says. They guarantee to fit you perfect and they got all sizes, up to a 77 double J. Us ladies decide to take a ride over there.

We all want different things in our bras. I want to maximize my assets.

Ms. Larda wants to haul her assets up so they don’t point down at the floor no more.

My sister-in-law, Gloriosa, wants her assets to look intriguing yet ladylike.

And Larva wants hers not to thump up and down every time she walks fast; but she also don’t want a bra so tight she never knows if she’s having a heart attack.

When we get there, I look at the sign. It ain’t spelled Bella daBraz. It is Belle of the Bras. Belle herself runs the place. She turns out to be like the “Soup Nazi,” only with bras.

She looks over the three of us and announces that not one of us is wearing a bra that fits – but she’ll fix that today.

She tells Ms. Larda that she’ll never again have to lift her boob to buckle her belt once she’s wearing the Queen Victoria Bra. And then she clicks through the rest of us: the Lusitania for Larva and the Queen Mary for Gloriosa. When she gets to me she says, “The St. Jude bra. It works miracles.”

She gives us each a bra, points us to the dressing rooms 48

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and tells us to bend over and fall into our cups and she’ll come check us, one by one. Poor Larva bends over and falls into her cups and keeps on falling until she’s on the floor and Belle has to come running and haul her back upright again.

Happens a lot to the big-busted ones, Belle says.

My St. Jude bra fits real nice; actually gives me a little cleavage, so I decide to go for broke and buy it in three colors.

It turns out that each one of us leaves with three bras.

That pretty much broke the bank for me. I lead walking tours in the French Quarter, and this time of year if it ain’t steaming hot it’s raining, so business ain’t good. And I forgot I need a dress for a wedding. My friend Sandy from high school has a daughter getting married (very fancy at the Windsor Court) and I don’t have a decent dress to wear.

Gloriosa says she has one that will look gorgeous on me, and it does, except it has darts in front to outline a bosom that I ain’t got. Even my St. Jude bra ain’t up to it. So she lends me her new Queen Mary. That fills it out fine, but I don’t fill out the Queen Mary. I am going to have to stuff it with something. I look around and I temporarily take leave of my senses and grab a bunch of bubble wrap from some packages I got in the mail. I stuff it in there and it looks terrific. I don’t think of the obvious problem.

So I go to this wedding as a big-bosomed woman. People I ain’t seen in years must think I used Miracle Grow.

But when they hug me, I hear little explosions from the bubble wrap popping. I just hope they think it’s part of the music.

If that ain’t enough, I get a stabbing pain under the bosom.

Evidently Queen Mary’s underwire has worked its way loose.

I probably stuffed in so much bubble wrap I bent it out of shape. I slink off to the ladies room, duck into in a stall and look things over. The bubble wrap is so jammed in, I can’t wrench it out; so I got to do a quick breast reduction by popping a lot of bubbles. When I come out the stall, my bosom is half the size and the ladies waiting in line are looking at me weird.

Still, I’m OK for a little while. But the next time I get hugged, I get stabbed again. I give up and go home.

I feel really bad about the Queen Mary, because Gloriosa paid good money for it. Since I broke it, I’ll pay her back if Belle the Bra Nazi won’t fork over a refund.

But when I take off this bra and examine it, the underwire looks just fine. Not bent, not poking out anywhere. I can’t figure it out.

Then when I go to throw out the bubble wrap, I prick my finger. Oh! There is a heavy-duty staple sticking out of it. God knows how that got in there.

Unless ... I’m being told that big boobs ain’t never going to be my cross to bear. Not even bubble-wrap ones. I got to settle for St. Jude.

So be it.

LORI O S IE C K I ILL U S TR A TION

J OIE D’ E V E

BLOGS FROM THE NEW NEW ORLEANS

Slowing Down to Rediscover b y Ev e C r a wf o r d P e y t o n

R

e c e n t l y , I h a d t h e c h a n c e t o a t t e n d a m aga z i n e

editors’ conference that was held in New Orleans. I had a blast debating the merits of Associated Press style versus Chicago style, getting really fired up about the former’s acceptance of “over” instead of “more than” and wearing my “Team Oxford Comma” shirt to wide acclaim.

But what I found the most delightful was pretending to be a tourist, seeing the city through the fresh eyes of newcomers. Go-cups? Amazing. The food? Incredible. The locals? Friendly, funny, charming, helpful. Mardi Gras beads? So much fun.

All too often, I get bogged down into, you know, real life – I’m cursing the pol50

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len and the caterpillars instead of admiring the majestic oak trees; I’m tearing ass past beautiful historic homes without a second look because I’m late to work. So much of daily life is just a slog: Up early to shower, make breakfast, shake older child into her school pants as if she were a pillow and they were a pillowcase, clean up spilled orange juice, buckle younger child into car seat, scream at older child not to forget her lunchbox, go to work, eat a fast lunch with coworkers, work more, drive home in bumper-to-bumper traffic, eat dinner, fight over homework, bathe children, do laundry, do dishes, pick up toys, etc., etc., etc. There just isn’t much time left at the end of the day to indulge in so much as a glass of wine, let alone find time to properly admire the richness and beauty of the culturally distinctive city we’re lucky enough to call home.

As a friend of mine who lives in Washington, D.C., put it: “Yes, tourists, the cherry blossoms are lovely. Now get the eff out of my way; I have to get to work.”

Being at the conference forced me to slow down and appreciate how good we really have it here. The slog would be the same anywhere; the laundry would still need to be done even if I lived in Des Moines. But I need to try to stop letting the wonderful stuff about life here fade into the background.

After the Thursday conferences wrapped, all of the editors came together at a rooftop crawfish boil downtown. It was one of those perfect New Orleans evenings, humid but not hot, and we all sat around newspaper-lined tables peeling crawfish (or attempting to), eating spicy corn and drinking cold Abitas. I had brought Ruby along, and she was laying waste to a tray of crawfish, crushing and sucking the heads like the NOLA native she is.

“God,” sighed one woman from Minnesota, leaning back into the sunshine. “I don’t want to go home. Do I really have to go home?”

“You could just move here,” Ruby helpfully suggested around a mouthful of new potato.

“I just might,” the woman said and raised her beer to her lips. “I really just might have to do that.”

She certainly wouldn’t be the first.

Excerpted from Eve Kidd Crawford’s blog, Joie d’Eve, which appears each Friday on MyNewOrleans.com.

For comments: Info@NewOrleansMagazine.com.

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C H R O N I C L ES Pharmacy School at Xavier in the 1940s

New Orleans Pharmacists A story worthy of a museum

by Carolyn Kolb

“I

t ’ s r e a l l y a v e r y f l e x i b l e ca r e e r , ”

Randall Schexnayder insists.

The Assistant Dean for Academic Support at Xavier University’s College of Pharmacy, Schexnayder keeps up his own license as a pharmacist and earns continuing education credits each year. “You can work in the military, for pharmaceutical companies, retail stores, hospitals – you name it,” he says.

While graduates travel widely, many are still in town. “Just go up to any pharmacy counter and ask when they finished at Xavier!” Schexnayder suggests.

Appropriately, a Catholic school is educating local pharmacists today, since the first New Orleanian of note to prepare remedies and dosages was an Ursuline nun.

Charlotte Hebert of Bayeux, France, Sister François Xavier, arrived at the Ursuline Convent here in 1732, and for the next 30 years was the nun in charge of the local hospital, according to Emily Clark’s 2007 book Masterless Mistresses: The New Orleans Ursulines and the Development of a New World Society, 172452

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1834. Sister Xavier’s remedies would have come from her herb garden, which was located at the nuns’ property at 1112 Chartres St. (You can still visit: the Old Ursuline Convent is open to visitors Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.)

Dr. Conchetta White Fulton, chair of the Clinical Department at Xavier’s School of Pharmacy, believes women make good pharmacists “We are observant, and we’re going to make sure the patient understands the medication and does the right thing with the medication they’re on.”

“It’s a good career to have and raise a family,” she notes.

Fulton explains that she had been recruited while a student at Xavier Prep. “A gentleman came from Xavier to recruit students – told us about different types of pharmacy. They talk about STEM today (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics – currently a focus of federal and state education policy). Well, that’s what we had!” Her first job out of school was at Broadmoor Drug Store, but she returned to Xavier University and an academic career.

Another high school student recruited to Xavier was Scott Beninato, now co-owner with pharmacy technician Terry Langlois courtesy of the Xavier University of Louisiana

of Castellon’s Pharmacy at 8232 Oak St. The original owner of the store was Vic Castellon, with Beninato and Langlois taking over in 2003. “It’s a very fulfilling job. I have never regretted a day getting into pharmacy – maybe not the paper work, but you’ve got to have fun with that, too,” Beninato says.

Xavier’s Pharmacy school opened in 1927, but the earliest organized local pharmacy school was the New Orleans College of Pharmacy, first organized in 1879 and by 1900 at the corner of Carondelet and Lafayette streets. Women were welcomed as students, and Eliza Rudolph was the first woman pharmacist licensed in Louisiana; in 1882, she was accepted into the state pharmaceutical association.

Loyola University acquired the New Orleans College of Pharmacy in 1913, and continued to enroll women students (even when they weren’t admitted as fulltime Loyola University liberal arts undergraduates until the ’50s.) Fond memories of Loyola’s pharmacy program are treasured by one of the faculty children.

“I was always around there, playing around in the laboratory where the pharmacy students compounded drugs, where they learned to make prescriptions,” Edward Ireland reminisces.

Although he’s now Professor Emeritus of Comprehensive Dentistry at the LSU Dental School, his father, Edward Ireland Sr., was a pharmacist, who after completing his training in his native Wisconsin, found his way to New Orleans and ultimately became Dean of the College of Pharmacy at Loyola University.

Ireland’s most adventurous times with his father involved the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, begun by a prior Loyola pharmacy dean.

Ireland’s father was an energetic collector. “Over the years he got fixtures, drug jars and huge counters when stores went out of business. ... The leech jar was a very coveted thing – my Dad was after that leech jar for a long time, and he was so excited when the pharmacist called and said he could have it. It’s down there now.”

In spite of the treasured artifacts, things were primitive when the museum first opened. “Downstairs there was only a pot bellied stove in the middle of the room, that’s how they kept the place warm. There was no heat upstairs at all.” The museum attracted attention.

The emergence of a pharmacy school at Northeast Louisiana University (now University of Louisiana at Monroe) and the opening up of Xavier’s pharmacy school to all races after the Civil Rights years, caused Loyola’s enrollment to drop, and in 1965 Loyola closed its pharmacy program.

“I remember, we were coming back from Mobile, we were near the Rigolets Bridge and it came as a news flash on WWL Radio that the school was closing – when we got home there was a telegram on the door. That was how my father found out,” Ireland remembers.

While there is a plaque in Bobet Hall on the Loyola University campus honoring the deans of the pharmacy program, the pharmacy museum is the real memorial to all those who have compounded local remedies over the years.

Visit the Museum Press your nose against the window of the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum at 514 Chartres St., and peer into a long-ago world where the neighborhood druggist dispensed mysterious remedies behind a massive carved wooden counter, and sodas came from an ornate fountain and were sipped at a marble topped bar. Originally the location of the shop of Louis Dufilho Jr., the state’s first licensed pharmacist in 1816, tours of exhibits on two floors are available Tuesdays through Saturdays beginning at 10 a.m. (closing at 2 p.m. weekdays and 5 p.m. Saturdays) for $5 adults and $4 for students and seniors, with those under 6 free. myneworleans.com

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HOME

Pulling the Trigger They moved from Metairie to Uptown to experience a shotgun house

BY BONNIE W ARREN

S

h o t gu n

h o us e s

are

the

core

p h o t o g r a p h e d b y c H ERYL G ERBER of

the

architectural treasures in New Orleans. Imagine an 850-square-foot gem of a shotgun house on a quiet Uptown street, just two blocks from Magazine Street.

Then think about leaving behind a 3,800-square-foot home in fashionable Old Metairie for something as different as this tiny single shotgun. Meet Lesley and Charles “Charlie” Marshall, who think 54

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they made a great decision when they downsized for a totally different lifestyle.

“The beautiful makeover Lesley gave to our new house made our move a good decision,” says Charlie, a lawyer with Milling Benson Woodward LLP. “Getting away from the upkeep of our former house and being so close to our New Orleans grandchildren created a pleasant new way of life for us.” (The couple

Facing page: A portrait of Charlotte Carter Smith, Lesley’s mother, has a place of honor over the fireplace; the antique French farm table is from Wirthmore Antiques and the chairs came from Sixpence Antiques. Top: The Marshalls gave the white single shotgun house a complete makeover. Bottom: Charles “Charlie” and Lesley Marshall, with their pets – Deuce, a Golden Retriever, and Maggie, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel – in front of the single shotgun house they purchased in 2012.

also has three grandchildren in Jackson, Mississippi.)

The pristine white shotgun with pink Cecile Brunner climbing roses on the fence gives an immediate impression. “We liked everything about the house the very first time we saw it,” Lesley, a therapist in private practice, says. “The high ceiling, the old wide-board wood floors, the light that comes in the big windows and the open fireplace are all charming, but most of all, we’re within five blocks of six of our grandchildren.”

When the couple purchased the home it was 805-square-feet.

“We called in architect Bob Bodet who had the creative ideas of making the old kitchen a walk-in closet and adding a new 150-square-foot galley kitchen on the side of the house, “ she says.

“Then we brought in Randy Shaw of Nordic Kitchen who helped us obtain the finishing touches for our dream kitchen – highend stainless steel appliances, including a Jenn-air gas stove myneworleans.com

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Top, left: A treasured old chest that once belonged to Lesley’s mother now has a place of honor as the coffee table in the living room; the antique Bible on the chest was a Christmas gift from Charlie to Lesley and the lamps are from Julie Neill Designs on Magazine Street. Top, right: The wall was removed between the living and dining rooms to create an open floor plan; Alix Rico selected the pair of chandeliers used in the living and dining rooms and worked with the Marshalls to creatively edit the contents of their 3600-square-foot Old Metairie home when they downsized and moved into the 1,000-square-foot shotgun house Uptown. Bottom: A pair of bottlebrush trees creates a backdrop for the side deck with a small table and pair of chairs ready for relaxing and having a glass of wine at the end of the day.

and a microwave drawer, Caesarstone countertop – and he even found the perfect old boards for our wood floors. We loved his recommendation of including Travertine countertops and a porcelain tile floor in the bathroom.”

The carefully designed interior, awash in neutral tones, makes the three main rooms – living, dining and bedroom – seem more spacious. “I loved working with decorator Alix Rico,” Lesley continues. “She helped me 56

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so much in making decisions as to what furniture to keep, and she definitely understood that I needed fabric that was attractive, but could withstand my grandchildren. The result was that many of my fabrics are indoor-outdoor and washable.” In the end the couple was able to incorporate a number of their favorite French and English antiques, with Rico finding just the right pair of new chandeliers for the living and dining room.

An important part of the suc-

Top: Randy Shaw of Nordic Kitchens helped the Marshalls create a dream kitchen in the new space added by architect Bob Bodet; appliances include a Jenn-Air gas range and microwave drawer, and the countertops are Caesarstone. Bottom: The iron bed from Linen Registry on Metairie Road is dressed in Leontine Linens; Deuce, the family’s Golden Retriever, sits at its foot.

cess of the custom 1,000-square-foot home they ended up with was the creative deck that was added to the side of their house by Joel Lindstrum, their contractor. Lesley adds, “Louis Guevara did a great job helping us with the landscaping and selection of plants for the deck. The deck creates a comfortable outdoor ‘room’ that we love.”

“After 40 years in old Metairie, where we raised our four children and made wonderful friends, moving Uptown feels like

being in a new city, and sometimes we feel like we are on vacation,” Lesley says. “We are in a walkable part of town and we enjoy walking our grandchildren to Creole Creamery, Yogurt Land and the taco truck, and sometimes catching lizards on the way.” Then there’s always the couple’s weekend home on the beach in Bay St. Louis, with plenty of sleeping room for the grandchildren, where they retreat on weekends for large family gatherings. myneworleans.com

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commnader’s palace

Table

“Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized.”

– Andre Simon

Toppers The art of specialty dining

by Morgan Packard photographed by marianna massey Finding a special place to dine in New Orleans isn’t difficult. The James Beard Foundation has awarded New Orleans more than 20 times, five in this year alone.

But for those truly special occasions – from the once-in-a-lifetime to the must-celebrate now events – you might have to look a little closer.

From chef’s tables that put you in the middle of the action, to hidden away wine rooms, to food bars where you can meet your neighbors while viewing your food’s preparation, to dining options that are far from everyday, specialty dining options in New Orleans fit every occasion – even just because it’s Friday.

The chef’s table at Commander’s Palace is right in the heart of the kitchen, located between the front dining room and the back bar and courtyard dining. A maroon leather corner banquette allows four people to eat dinner comfortably. Chef Tory McPhail will determine your menu from chatting with you about your likes, dislikes, allergies, preferences and cravings – as well as what ingredients are the freshest – ahead of time. Offered Tuesdays through Saturdays, make sure to reserve your party ahead of time – the table books as far as a year ahead of time for popular dates and weekends.

At Emeril’s Delmonico, the chef’s table is located right outside the kitchen. Appointed in plush velvet, the U-shaped corner table has a view of the piano, bar and kitchen door for six people. Reservations for the chef’s table are recommended, but are also often available as a walk-in. A custom menu is based on the freshest local and regional produce, meats and seafood received that day, and wine and cocktails can be paired with any dish based on your preference and price range.

The chef’s tasting room at John Besh’s August seats up to 12 people in what feels like someone’s well-

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appointed dining room at home; the room was once Besh’s office. This table offers a four, five, six or seven curse menu, or customized tasting menus upward of 12 courses. The menus are created every two to three weeks based on what ingredients are most seasonal and vibrant. Menus are sent to you one to two weeks in advance so guests can choose the number of courses and minimally customizes the courses for dietary restrictions. With two private waiters and a special chef on duty to cater to your every whim you’re never waiting for a thing, and you can also work with the sommelier to pair wines to your custom meal for a more upscale experience.

The “ultimate dining experience” at Restaurant R’evolution seats eight in a dark room with black shelving illuminated with brass lighting and a shell chandelier to give the feel of a gentlemen’s library – all with a bird’s-eye view of the main kitchen filled with its customized Viking Range products in “R’evolution Red.” You are able to choose à la carte items from the menu with advice from table captains, and wine and spirit pairings can be created to your preference.

Also at R’evolution is their wine room, which Social Media Coordinator Colleen McCourtney calls “the ultimate retreat for vinophiles.” Set within the restaurant’s custombuilt, 10,000 bottle glass-and-wood wine cellar, the mahogany table is the centerpiece of the room lit with a chandelier composed of a series of five hourglass-ribbed glass shades set off with satin gold hardware. The room also features a private entrance off Bienville Street and is equipped with drop-down flat-screen televisions for presentations and entertainment.

Though less well known than their chef’s table, Commander’s Palace also has a wine room. A short walk through the courtyard and into the back building from the chef’s table, your appetite is whetted as you walk through a hallway surrounding you with wine and to a table that seats eight to 12 people located in their Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning

wine cellar. The person who arranges the dinner will pick out the wines in a reverse pairing with “Wine Guy” Dan Davis, and from those choices chef McPhail will create a menu. This room books up less often than their chef’s table, but make sure to give yourself enough time to create your menu and prepare for the $2,000 minimum.

Palace Café offers a wine room on their third floor with a circular table that seats up to 12. Surrounded by the award-winning wine collection you can chose between ordering à la carte off the menu or creating a special menu for your group.

At Tableau on Jackson Square a wine room is also located on the third floor, but it seats up to 18. The walls are made of cork, the walls and ceilings of reclaimed bargeboard and the table was created by carpenters from Silvarum in Bywater. The menu is decided thorough the sales team,

“Dinner is not what you do in the evening before something else. Dinner is the evening.”

– Art Buchwald

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which then coordinates with the chef, and wine or spirit pairings can be decided on through beverage director Barry Himel. The table is available only upon request, so you’ll need to make a reservation.

Executive chef Gus Martin is in charge of the wine table at Muriel’s, which offers à la carte options off its menu. Located on the second floor, it seats two to 10 people. Like all of the wine rooms mentioned above, Muriel’s wine room is a working one, which means you’ll see multiple staff members fetching wine for other people’s dinner during your meal. The table is only offered upon availability, so make sure to make your reservation at least two months in advance.

If you’re looking for a seat in the kitchen without breaking the bank, then look no further than a food bar. Cochon’s food bar is located at the back of the restaurant facing the kitchen. Seating six during regular dinner service, you’ll see everything they do – but especially chef de cuisine Matt Woodall’s preparations and techniques.

Both Emeril’s and NOLA also offer food bars, with Emeril’s seating nine and NOLA seating six people. Both are open during normal lunch and dinner hours, and while they may be requested and reserved, they’re also available for single diners and walk-ins. Located at the back of the main dining rooms overlooking the busy kitchens, at Emeril’s you’ll be facing the grill while at NOLA you’ll face the wood-burning oven. Guests can order from the regular menus or create a multiple-course custom tasting menu based on your preferences. You determine

“There is a difference between dining and eating.

Dining is an art.” – Yuan Mei

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square root

Find Your Seat Antoine’s: 713 Saint Louis St., 581-4422, Antoines.com August: 301 Tchoupitoulas St., 299-9777, RestaurantAugust.com Carrollton Market: 8132 Hampson St., 252-9928, CarrolltonMarket.com Cochon: 930 Tchoupitoulas St., 588-2123, CochonRestaurant.com Commander’s Palace: 1403 Washington Ave., 899-8221, CommanersPalace.com Coquette: 2800 Magazine St., 265-0421, CoquetteNola.com Emeril’s: 800 Tchoupitoulas St., 528-9393, EmerilsRestaurants.com/Emerils-New-Orleans Emeril’s Delmonico: 1300 St. Charles Ave., 525-4937, EmerilsRestaurants.com/Emerils-Delmonico Muriel’s: 801 Chartres St., 568-1885, Muriels.com NOLA: 534 Saint Louis St., 522-6652, EmerilsRestaurants.com/Nola-Restaurant Palace Café: 605 Canal St., 523-1661, PalaceCafe.com Rare Cuts: 5924 Magazine St., 267-4687, RareCuts.com Restaurant R’evolution: 777 Bienville St., 553-2277, RevolutionNola.com Square Root: 1800 Magazine St., 309-7800, SquareRootNola.com Tableau: 616 Saint Peter St., 934-3463, TableauFrenchQuarter.com 66

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the number of courses, and you can create wine or cocktail pairings with their sommeliers.

Carrollton Market at Riverbend has a food bar that seats seven people comfortably. It is located on the right side of the dining room, basically serving as the inside wall of the kitchen. For now guests can order off the restaurant’s à la carte menu, but according to chef and owner Jason Goodenough, special tasting menus for these lucky few may be on their way. Their high-end cocktails and wines are offered as pairings, and since everything is cooked à la minute, those sitting at the food bar are literally in the middle of the action and can chat with the kitchen staff about techniques, ingredients and preparations.

In addition to special tables, New Orleans dining also offers singular restaurant experiences. Square Root, the new restaurant by executive chef and co-owner Philip Lopez and co-owner and general manager Maximilian Ortiz, offers only a chef’s tasting area available Tuesdays through Saturdays for dinner. Seating just 16, the menu is entirely decided by Lopez, and there are three beverage pairing options available.

Chef Michael Stolfuz offers a five course blind tasting meal at Coquette. Served during dinner service, the menu changes every day and highlights those ingredients that chef Stolfuz and Chef de Cuisine Mason Hereford are most excited about at that moment. Anyone can choose to partake in this experience, from tables of two to 12. Each menu is customized for your table; once you choose this experience, the chefs come to your table, discuss your likes and dislikes and then go back into the kitchen to create your personalized meal. The five course tasting is $70, and a wine pairing is offered for each course for an additional $30.

If you’re looking for a special meal for six to 30 people but want it to feel like you’re celebrating in your own home, look no further than Rare Cuts. Though it’s primarily a “ranch to table” meat shop, they will prepare your three to seven course menu with you – but only for one group per night. Choose between a soup or salad or a family-style appetizer, then move on to individual or family-style entrées. The menu must be finalized a week ahead of time and you’ll need to bring your own wine and spirits, but during the preparations you’ll be able to pop in the kitchen to watch and ask questions, or just sit back and relax.

The famous Antoine’s restaurant, celebrating its 175th anniversary next year, is a warren of private rooms – 12 exclusively for private dining. The first floor has seven private dining rooms, each with its own special history. There is the Mystery Room, in which, during Prohibition they would serve booze in the women’s bathroom and when they returned and people would ask them where the booze came from, they would answer, “It’s a mystery.”

There are also the Dungeon, the 1840 Room, the Proteus Room, the Escargot Room, the Tabasco Room (in which this magazine was first planned more than 47 years ago) and the Rex Room.

There are more private dining rooms upstairs and for each you can choose from dining à la carte, from suggested prix fix menus that begin at three courses or to create a personalized menu with the staff. Next time you choose to eat at Antoine’s, ask for a tour of the restaurant hosted by your private waiter and dream of your next special event.

“Nearly everyone wants as least one outstanding meal a day.” – Duncan Hines

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A Glorious Mess

A perceptual history of New Orleans neighborhoods

by Richard Campanella, Tulane School of Architecture

W

illustration by Ashlee Arceneaux ... photographed by Jeffery Johnston

We allow for a certain level of ambiguity when we speak of geographical regions.

References to “the South,” “the West” and “the Midwest,” for example, come with the understanding that these regions (unlike states) have no precise or official borders.

We call sub-regions therein the “Deep South,” “Rockies” and “Great Plains,” assured that listeners share our mental maps, even if they might outline and label them differently.

It is an enriching ambiguity, one that’s historically, geographically and culturally accurate on account of its imprecision, rather than despite it. (Accuracy and precision are not synonymous.) Regions are largely perceptual, and therefore imprecise, and while many do embody clear geophysical or cultural distinctions – the Sonoran Desert or the Acadian Triangle, for example – their morphologies are nonetheless subject to the vicissitudes of human discernment. Ask 10 Americans to delineate “the South,” for instance, and you’ll get 10 different maps, some including Missouri, others slicing Texas in half, still others emphatically lopping off the Florida peninsula. None are precise, yet all are accurate. It is a fascinating, glorious mess.

So, too, New Orleans neighborhoods – until recently. For two centuries, neighborhood identity emerged from bottom-up awareness rather than topdown proclamation, and mental maps of the city formed soft, loose patterns that transformed over time. Modern city planning has endeavored to “harden” these distinctions in the interest of municipal

order – at the expense, I contend, of local cultural expressiveness.

But more on that later; first let us recount how New Orleanians recognized neighborhoods in times past. It is not my intent here to present a standard developmental history of New Orleans; rather I hope to capture the evolution of residents’ spatial perceptions.

Neighborhood Perception

by Bourg and Faubourg

We will start with New Orleans’ original neighborhood, today’s French Quarter, which Adrien de Pauger laid out in 1722.

Pauger’s plat certainly looks like a rigid bourg absent of any ambiguity, and in terms of the street layout it was. But as a cityscape, early New Orleans had organic edges. Rear blocks remained forested in the early years, and most actual settlement clustered around the place d’armes and the Mississippi River.

The urban fringes were barely distinguishable from the wilderness beyond the fortifications – which themselves were rather desultory, until a century later when new blocks replaced them.

Today, most New Orleanians see those additions – the 100 and 1300 blocks – to be “in” the French Quarter. Yet they were not in the original bourg, nor were any of the blocks riverside of what’s now Decatur Street, which lay mostly in the river in the 1700s. To add more elasticity to our seemingly rigid grid, the 100 blocks today are outside the jurisdiction of the Vieux Carré Commission, the city agency charged

with protecting the historic district, but inside the state-legislated French Quarter Management District. Riverside areas and the 1300 blocks, meanwhile, fall within both jurisdictional footprints. There was a time in the 1950s when parts of Royal and North Rampart streets were excluded from Commission jurisdiction, only later to be reinstated. So where exactly is New Orleans’ first neighborhood, this epitome of spatial order? And what shall we call it – the Vieux Carré? French Quarter? The Quarter? The one neighborhood comes the closest to having clear boundaries and an official name has, in fact, neither.

Starting in 1788, New Orleanians developed a new neighborhood nomenclature: faux bourg, or faubourg – literally, “false town,” which Spanish authorities translated as suburbia. The first, Faubourg Ste. Marie was laid out immediately after the Good Friday Fire to give the city new living space in what’s now the central business district (CBD). Seventeen years passed before another faubourg would form – and then they exploded, after Americanization in 1803.

Faubourg development occurred as a free-market response to New Orleans’ burgeoning population and its need for living space, which gave owners of adjacent plantations an opportunity to make more money through urbanization than agriculture. One by one they subdivided, starting with the Faubourg Marigny in 1805. Within the next five years, streets would be laid out (in chronological order by their initial platting) in faubourgs named Delord, Duplantier, La myneworleans.com

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Course, L’Annunciation, Plaisance, St. John, Tremé, Saulet (Solet) and des Religieuses – today’s upper CBD, Lower Garden District, Tremé and Bayou St. John.

It took many more years for these lots to be fully developed; some were used for working or pleasure gardens, or simply remained vacant, for decades. But even as houses arose, new faubourgs appeared downriver – Washington, Daunois, Montegut, Clouet, Montreuil, Cariby and deLesseps, in today’s Bywater, 1807-1840s – as well as upriver and toward Bayou St. John, with the faubourgs Lafayette, Nouvelle Marigny and Franklin, Livaudais, Carrollton, Bouligny, Hurstville, Delassize, Greenville, Friburg, Bloomingdale, Hagan, Avart, St. Joseph, Rickerville, Burtheville and Delachaise. By the Civil War, most of the crescent had been gridded with streets, and faubourgs predominated in the lexicon of place.

Neighborhood Perceptions by physical and human geography New Orleanians 200 years ago used various other spatial references. Topography and shipping attracted most human activity to settle near the Mississippi River; ergo, areas closer to the river came to be 70

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perceived as the town’s “front” while areas farther away, and topographically lower, came to be known as the “back” of town, a phrase still heard today.

Potable water needs and maritime activity dictated that river flow direction bore significance, and New Orleanians internalized that “up”/”down” vector in their spatial orientation. Everyone knows that “upriver”/“downriver,” or “uptown”/”downtown,” are the local equivalents of “west” and “east,” but fewer may know that, before there was Uptown and downtown (Americanisms imported from Manhattan), there was the upper and lower banlieu (French for outskirts). A carriage ride from the old city to the upper banlieu would get you to the “Chapitoulas Coast,” meaning the deep-water bend in the Mississippi River around the presentday Orleans/Jefferson parish line. That indigenous word lent itself to the road accessing that area, a “T” having been added for the benefit of Francophone tongues. This is today’s Tchoupitoulas Street.

Keep going “up” and you’d reach Cannes Brule (“Burnt Cane”), which referred to the present-day Old Town Kenner area. Continue upriver and you’d be on what Abraham Lincoln called

Above: “This rare view of downtown New Orleans, circa 1919, captures what today would be described as roughly ten different neighborhoods, with the CBD at center, French Quarter in upper center, Lower Garden District at lower right and Central City at lower left. At the time, however, New Orleans would have referred to most of these neighborhoods with different names and varying boundaries. Facing page: A view of downtown New Orleans, circa 2011

Louisiana’s “Sugar Coast,” what we now call the River Road region.

The lowlands behind the city were known variously as “the woods,” “the swamp,” “the backswamp,” la cipreiere, or if marshy rather than forested, prairies tremblantes, for the way the mucky gumbo shifted and consolidated. The swamps were transected by topographic ridges followed by important roads; the one that wended westward got named for its numerous little farms and dairies – Metairie – whereas the eastern ridge, which boasted a number of estates out-

P hotograph courtesy S outheastern A rchitectural A rchive , T ulane U niversity . ”

side of New Orleans proper, gained the name of a comparable estate outside Paris – “Chantilly,” our Gentilly.

As that ridge continued to the eastern marshes, where for reasons unknown it gained the name Chef Menteur (“Big Liar”), its scrubby tide-washed vegetation earned it the French name Petit Bois – today’s Little Woods neighborhood. Later, when railroads rimmed what’s now New Orleans East, nomenclature derived from train stations, many of which were adjoined by tiny enclaves of fishermen, hunters, gardeners and orchard-growers – places with names like Seabrook, Citrus, Edge Lake, South Point, Lee, Micheaud (Michoud), an outpost called Chef Menteur by Fort Macomb and a deep channel (Rigolets) by Fort Pike. Half these names persist in the lexicon today, though not necessarily at the same spots – testimony to the fluidity and caprice of place identity.

Ethnic settlement patterns deeply informed antebellum neighborhood perceptions. The Francophone Creole population generally resided in the lower half of the metropolis, namely the French Quarter, Bayou Road toward Bayou St. John, faubourgs Tremé and Marigny and those of the lower banlieu. The incoming Anglophone American population rande archer P hotograph

generally preferred the Faubourg St. Mary (dubbed the “American sector” or “quarter”) and the faubourgs of the upper banlieu. Throughout both banlieus as well as the back-of-town settled large numbers of immigrants, mostly Irish and German, so much so that upper riverfront areas came to be known as the “Irish Channel” while areas downriver were nicknamed “Little Saxony” and “Soxahaus.” All three, however, could have swapped monikers, on account of their thorough ethnic intermixing. Smaller numbers of newcomers from myriad other states and nations also co-resided, such that there was no one hegemonic culture – but instead two predominating ones, Creole and Anglo.

Neighborhood Perceptions by Municipalities, Municipal Districts, Wards and Ethnic Enclaves Creole and Anglo rivalry led to neighborhood enmity and ultimately to economic and political discord. Either compromise or violence could have won the day; instead, a spatial solution was devised, and in 1836 New Orleans divided itself into three semi-autonomous “municipalities,” each with its own governmental

apparatus ostensibly united under a single mayor and general council. For the next 16 years, “neighborhoods” in New Orleans meant municipalities – even as faubourgs, banlieus and sundry other spatial allusions flew about.

Because Canal Street generally separated Anglo and Creole residences, that corridor became the logical dividing line for the two new municipalities in which each ethnicity dominated. The mostly Francophone Creole area from Canal and Esplanade avenues was labeled as the First Municipality, and the mostly Anglophone American area from Canal to Felicity streets (New Orleans’ upper limit at the time) became the Second Municipality. Because Esplanade Avenue divided the Creole roughly evenly, that prominent thoroughfare became the line between the First and Third municipalities. Farthest from the urban core, the Third Municipality found itself on the losing end of most local maneuverings.

Wags dubbed it “The Poor Third,” “The Dirty Third,” and at its sardonic best, “The Glorious Third.”

The inefficient municipality system was abandoned in 1852, after which another wave of spatialization ensued. It entailed the renaming of the old First Municipality myneworleans.com

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Up Royal Street from the 3800 block, taken between 1940 and ’60, and now

as the Second Municipal District and the Second Municipality as the First Municipal District, while the Third remained the Third. It also added a Fourth Municipal District by annexing the former Faubourg Lafayette, hitherto a separate city in Jefferson Parish, now today’s Garden District and Irish Channel.

The 1852 reunification also devised a new ward system, which survives today as a premier spatial reference – but alas, not the only one. Because Felicity Street had previously marked the Jefferson/ Orleans parish line, the new wards were enumerated starting from Felicity (the 1st Ward) and continuing downriver to the St. Bernard Parish line. Each ward extended from the front of town to the backswamp. To equalize populations, the high-density French Quarter was sliced

into the narrowest wards – the 4th, 5th and 6th – while lower-density faubourgs were sized broader. The lowermost banlieu was so vacant that a single mega-ward, the 9th, enveloped the entire area, which explains why Bywater and the wild marshes of the Rigolets share the same ward today. City fathers then swung around above Felicity and sliced newly annexed Lafayette into wards 10 and 11. The enumeration continued upriver as more Jefferson Parish communities merged with New Orleans: Jefferson City became wards 12, 13 and 14 (aka the Sixth Municipal District) in 1870, shortly after Algiers on the West Bank (often called the “right bank” by mariners) was annexed as Ward 15 – or the Fifth Municipal District. Upriver expansion concluded when New Orleans annexed Carrollton in 1874, which became wards

16 and 17 – aka the Seventh Municipal District. As development later spread toward the lake into today’s Lakeview and Gentilly, the circa-1852 spatial divisions emanating from the curvaceous river were extended rather awkwardly to converge against the smooth lakeshore.

The modern-day map of New Orleans’ municipal districts and wards, unchanged since the 1880s, thus reflects the city’s piecemeal growth since 1852. In a capricious way, some units, such as the 7th Ward and 9th Ward, found their way into the modern neighborhood vernacular, while others did so among some people, or during certain times, or not at all.

If districts and wards didn’t work, residents used an extemporized vocabulary of pathways, nodes and landmarks to reference space. “Magazine Street” or “Esplanade,” for example, might be used not just to refer to those arteries but for the swath of blocks paralleling them. Public markets like the Poydras or St. Mary, churches like St. Teresa’s or “the Italian Church,” business clusters such as “the cotton district” or “the sugar landing” and salient features like “the Old Shot Tower” or “the Fair Grounds” formed a spatial language as universally understood as it was inexactly delineated. Ethnic enclaves were also used: there was “the Jewish neighborhood” along Dryades Street and “the Greek neighborhood” around North Dorgenois Street – which others thought of as “the Creole area,” or alternately, as the 6th and 7th wards. There was “Chinatown” around Tulane Avenue and South Rampart Street, which some folks called the “3rd Ward” and others, including Louis Armstrong, called the “back o’ town.” And there was Little Palermo, the mostly Sicilian parts of the 5th and 6th wards, which could just as well be called the lower French Quarter – also home to a Filipino enclave. As for Vieux Carré, that term had died out with the French language, but was revived in the 1910s by the nascent tourism industry and preservation movement.

Well into the 20th century, neighborhood identity in New Orleans remained flexible and nebulous. To be sure, some areas did self-identify clearly and consistently in ways we would recognize today; people spoke regularly of “Carrollton,” “Algiers” or “the Garden District,” and fought over land use and nuisances

historic photos courtesy of the charles L . F rank studio collection at the historic new orleans collection

The corner along Burgundy Street at Gov. Nicholls Street on March 21, 1953, and now

– though not as much as today, because property value didn’t constitute as large a portion of household equity. But there were far fewer neighborhood associations and almost no agreement, indeed hardly any debate, about exact neighborhood limits and names.

the hardening of Neighborhood identity

This began to change with the advent of professional planning in the 1920s.

American cities had become complex and contentious by the new century, and homeowners vexed over the potential impact of an unwanted neighbor on property values. Rather than leaving the fate of cities to market forces and reactionary ordinances, a new generation of urban planners began to proactively manage urban growth and zone potentially antagonistic land uses to minimize conflict and maximize property values – not to mention real estate taxes. They brought science to the task, in the form of data analysis, which required precise lines and official names on maps. You cannot know how many people live in Gentilly, for example, unless you demarcate a certain space and declare it to be Gentilly.

The first full attempt at planner-driven neighborhood delineation appeared in the 1929 Handbook to Comprehensive Zone Law. Its compilers borrowed lines devised by the U.S. Census Bureau as part of its nationwide experiment to aggregate population data at finer levels than the wards previously used. These early “census tracts” were adopted by the City Planning and Zoning Commission, which called them “districts” and used them for cartographic and planning purposes starting in the ’30s. The Census Bureau in Washington, meanwhile, officially adopted census tracts for the ’40 Census, making those semi-arbitrary puzzle pieces increasingly useful for local planners.

Hardly, however, did they reach the masses, and residents of mid-century New Orleans continued to spatialize their city in their own vernacular ways.

As evidence, consider Pontchartrain Beach’s “Neighborhood Night” beauty contests, which were all the rage during 1949-’51. The segregated amusement park’s management designated special

nights for a cross-section of white middleclass neighborhoods throughout the metro area, using the sobriquets Gentilly, Freret Street, Magazine Street, Carrollton, Broadmoor, Metairie, Bywater and Westside – that is, Algiers and Gretna. The nomenclature denotes the influence of historical tradition, subdivision names, principal arteries and their merchant associations’ names, and even telephone exchanges (BYwater).

Beauty contests can endure spatial imprecision; bureaucracy cannot. The next major official effort to “harden” New Orleans neighborhoods came during the 1960s-’70s, when initiatives traceable to President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Model Cities Program manifested themselves in the ’74 Housing and Community

Development Act. Foreseeing a need to target Community Development Block Grant funds slated to be allocated by the Act, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development partnered with Mayor Moon Landrieu’s Office of Policy Planning (OPP) and the New Orleans-based Curtis and Davis Architects to delineate and name “planning areas” through the city.

Toward this end, OPP pollster Allen Rosenzweig surveyed residents on issues of quality-of-life and needs, as well as “the name they used to describe the neighborhood where they lived,” as Rosenzweig recounted in a recent email to me. He and his colleagues in City Hall passed the results to Curtis and Davis, which proceeded to delineate and name 73 “planning areas” from the survey responses. Some myneworleans.com

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areas, like Carrollton and Algiers, formed consensuses and handily won selection as official names, as did modern tract-housing subdivisions such as Pontchartrain Park and Plum Orchard, which had been branded since inception. But many older and less-famous areas had a plurality of folk monikers, in which case the team either revived historical names or christened their own. “Black Pearl,” for example, was coined by Chief OPP Planner Marion Greenup in recognition of a hitherto-unnamed Uptown riverfront area’s predominantly black population through which ran a street named Pearl. Areas that simply defied nomenclature were named arbitrarily: the blocks bounded by La Salle Street, Napoleon Avenue, Magazine Street and Jefferson Avenue, for example, were officially called “Uptown,” which is a little like renaming Wyoming “The West.” It was surrounded by neighborhoods declared to be “Milan,” “Touro,” “West Riverside,” “Audubon/University” and “Freret” – likely news to most of their residents.

The new neighborhood map appeared in Curtis and Davis’ widely distributed New Orleans Housing and Neighborhood Preservation Study of 1974. The OPP, however, hesitated to accept the map because it “found that data could not be collected in the neighborhood units proposed

by Curtis and Davis,” due to their nonalignment with U.S. Census Bureau census tracts. So the OPP and the City Planning Commission in ’75 redefined Curtis and Davis’ 73 units, based, according to city documents, on “historical definition, natural barriers, major arteries and socioeconomic homogeneity.” What resulted were 87 modified neighborhoods. When another citizen survey was added to the mix in ’77 and the process repeated, more than 100 neighborhoods resulted. According to a ’81 DAU Report, “a compromise set of 70 neighborhoods was derived … by taking the ‘best set’ [from previous versions] and moving boundaries to the closest census tract lines” of the ’80 Census. Those latest modifications rendered, among other things, a neighborhood dubbed Country Club/Dixon (“North Hollygrove”) being separated from “Lakewood South,” and the conflation and/or distinction of various housing projects with adjacent areas. OPP planner Darlene Walk, who’s credited with many of the neighborhood boundaries, crunched raw census data and produced hundreds of demographic pamphlets organized by the new neighborhood shapes and names, thus concretizing them. Her Neighborhood Profiles publications, valuable synopses of human geography from an era when data were difficult to tabulate 74

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and distribute, are the ancestors of the various Web-based compendia we have at our fingertips today.

A perusal of city planning documents from the 1970s to ’80s shows a progression of neighborhood iterations, from as few as 62 to as many as 104 units, their boundaries and names shifting in an irreconcilable dance between ad-hoc localism and rigid officialdom. Eventually the number settled to the 73 we have today, the same total that Curtis and Davis enumerated 40 years ago.

Each one is a carefully drawn polygon with straight lines and measured angles, with zero ambiguity, just as a scientist would want. As if to illustrate the empiricist’s conviction that neighborhoods are the products of hard numerical data rather than soft human perception, one map in a ’82 OPP report was titled “Major Neighborhood Boundary Changes Caused By 1980 Census Tract Definitions” (emphasis added), a revelation that might give pause to a modernday cultural advocate who might have presumed official neighborhood units to be organic in their provenance.

This era also saw the rise of the preservation movement, which in its quest to draw attention to impending demolitions or heavy-handed development endeavored to rebrand decaying old neighborhoods. “Few people ever heard of the Lower Garden District,” wrote one Times-Picayune reporter in 1974, “until somebody said they were going to build a bridge there.” When that proposed span was contemplated instead for Press Street, it became clear that “a lot of people who live in New Orleans have no concept of where Press Street is, and a lot more people have never heard of ‘Bywater.’”

After architectural historians adopted “Lower Garden District” as the title of the first volume in the influential New Orleans Architecture series, the public came to value anew that Coliseum Square area, and later volumes had a similar effect on the “American Sector,” “The Creole Faubourgs” and “Faurbourge Tremé and the Bayou Road.” Now eight volumes strong, that series has helped revive historical faubourg names, some of which have found their way onto the official map – to the delight of real estate agents, who benefitted from the subsequent rise of property values. Here and elsewhere, historic renovation and gentrification walk handin-hand with name changes and social advocates for those who find themselves at the wrong end of the transformations have come to view neighborhood rebranding as a sinister harbinger.

Another favorite preservationist tool is the historic district. “National register districts”

from the U.S. Department of the Interior influence neighborhood perceptions in part because the Preservation Resource Center features them prominently in their maps and literature. Each usage reifies spatial perceptions of architectural value and historicity, despite that the National Register District lines rarely coincide with those of the 73 OPP/Curtis and Davis neighborhoods – or for that matter, local historic districts, which are overseen by the Historic District Landmarks Commission. Neighborhoods, no matter how we demarcate them, simply defy accord.

“The 73” nonetheless gained momentum with the growth of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) computer mapping software in the 1990s. GIS files of official neighborhoods from the City Planning Commission carried with them an ordained sense of indisputable truth that won over many insiders and nearly all outsiders, among them journalists and researchers. This was particularly the case immediately after Hurricane Katrina, when legions of confused newcomers seeking spatial clarity in the unfathomable city found them in The 73, and embraced them unquestioningly. Recovery planners went further and aggregated them into 13 new “planning districts” for the Unified New Orleans Plan, which are still used by the City Planning Commission today.

Needless to say, neither The 73 nor the planning districts accord with municipal districts, wards, precincts, national historic register districts, local historical districts, police districts or city council districts – which, by the way, were redrawn after the 2010 Census.

The 73 now circulate in GIS files downloaded freely over the Internet, and have been ingested into countless projects and adopted by media, academia and nonprofits. As for the public, newcomers love them; old-timers, not so much. “As a child of the ’50s and ’60s,” wrote a perplexed Yvonne Hiller to a local newspaper, “all I ever heard about was Uptown, downtown, Kenner, Metairie and “out by the lake.”

Now I hear about Bywater, Carrollton, Gert town, etc.” The 73 are here to stay, though they may well be modified again. And, frankly, they do a decent job of enabling analysts to aggregate and report large amounts of raw data in a readable fashion.

official Neighborhoods: Some Problems

So what’s the problem?

The problem is we read too much reality into The 73. They originated from a technical need on the part of planners. But we’ve

Up Magazine Street at Erato Street on Nov. 19, 1947, and now

come to view them as cultural-geographical gospel, even as most New Orleanians would be at a loss to identify half of them, much less trace their outlines.

By privileging for the power of official maps, we’ve come to view neighborhoods not as the richly tenuous perceptual spaces emergent from the bottom up, but as doctrine ordained from the top down.

We have over-empowered what are, for the most part, arbitrary polygons traceable originally to federal offices and tossed out our own local awareness as ill-informed and erroneous.

Reading too much into The 73 perpetuates the notion that cities are the products of the authorities that manage them, and that space and place are best left to the professionals to inscribe with character. It accommodates the dubious philosophy that those at the top control society’s narrative. It is the same dogma that, in other contexts, leads to the insistence that there’s only one correct way to pronounce “New Orleans,” only one definition of “Creole” and only one valid version of the city’s history.

Official neighborhoods, arbitrary as they are, are nonetheless consequential because they drive statistical aggregations of everything from population to crime rates, real estate values and recovery metrics. They produce their own reality, and I myself recognize that they are necessary. The statistical tables published by the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, the reporting of local media and my own geo-statistical number-crunching all require that unsightly patches be stitched over beautiful urban fabric.

Through the process of reification – that is, the concretization of an abstraction – official neighborhoods influence policy, politics and resource allocation – as well as the formation of neighborhood associations, with their notoriously uneven levels of civic clout. Officially defined neighborhoods are a necessary evil, an important delusion, a fake reality. They should be viewed as useful cartographic and statistical tools – and no more.

Because they’re defined by their perimeters, official delineations also perpetuate the problematic premise that neighborhoods have strong peripheries and weak cores. In fact, the opposite is the case, both nationally and locally.

Nearly all Americans, for example, would

agree that the State of Illinois and Grand Teton National Park are in the Midwest and the Rockies, respectively. And nearly every New Orleanians would agree that Coliseum Square forms the heart of the Lower Garden District, and that the Canal/ Carrollton intersection forms the core of Mid-City. But hardly anyone agrees on the peripheries of all four of these spaces.

So be it! Let your neighborhood perception extend outwardly from a universally recognized core and bleed gradually into adjacent areas. Similarly, official delineations often use grand avenues and boulevards to divide neighborhoods. In fact, they unite them, in the same way that the Mississippi, Ohio and Missouri rivers unify their respective valleys. We once understood this, and described entire neigh-

historic photo courtesy of the charles L . F rank studio collection at the historic new orleans collection

borhoods by the arteries that transected them. Think how different Bywater would be today if we considered St. Claude Avenue to be its linear axis, rather than its divisive edge.

Such enriching ambiguity, while imprecise, accurately reflects how urban residents truly sense their surroundings – and we have 300 years of evidence that it’s usually a glorious mess.

Richard Campanella, a geographer with the Tulane School of Architecture, is the author of Bienville’s Dilemma, Geographies of New Orleans, Lincoln in New Orleans and the recently released Bourbon Street: A History (LSU Press). He may be reached through RichCampanella. com or rcampane@tulane.edu; and followed on Twitter at @nolacampanella. myneworleans.com

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top dentist

the latest drill – selecting the area’s best SELECTION PROCESS: “If you had a patient in need of a dentist, which dentist would you refer them to?”

This is the question we’ve asked thousands of dentists to help us determine who the topDentists should be. Dentists and specialists are asked to take into consideration years of experience, continuing education, manner with patients, use of new techniques and technologies and of course physical results.

The nomination pool of dentists consists of all dentists listed online with the American Dental Association, as well as all dentists listed online with their local dental societies, thus allowing virtually every dentist the opportunity to participate. Dentists are also given the opportunity to nominate other dentists who we have missed that they feel should be included in our list.

Respondents are asked to put aside any 76

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personal bias or political motivations and to use only their knowledge of their peer’s work when evaluating the other nominees.

Voters are asked to individually evaluate the practitioners on their ballot whose work they are familiar with. Once the balloting is completed, the scores are compiled and then averaged. The numerical average required for inclusion varies depending on the average for all the nominees within the specialty and the geographic area.

Borderline cases are given a careful consideration by the editors. Voting characteristics and comments are taken into consideration while making decisions. Past awards a dentist has received, status in various dental academies (Academy of General Dentistry, American Academy of Periodontology, etc.) can play a factor in our decision.

Once the decisions have been finalized, the included dentists are checked against

state dental boards for disciplinary actions to make sure they have an active license and are in good standing with the board.

Then letters of congratulations are sent to all the listed dentists.

Of course there are many fine dentists not included in this representative list. It is intended as a sampling of the great body of talent in the field of dentistry in the United States. A dentist’s inclusion on our list is based on the subjective judgments of his or her fellow dentists. While it is true that the lists may at times disproportionately reward visibility or popularity, we remain confident that our polling methodology largely corrects for any biases and that these lists continue to represent the most reliable, accurate and useful list of dentists available anywhere.

(Introduction and Selection Process provided by topDentists.)

Endodontics Covington

Allen Sawyer Sawyer Endodontics 216 W. 21st Ave. (985) 327-7354 SawyerEndo.com KENNER David Joseph Toca 2301 Williams Blvd., Suite B 466-3353 Mandeville Ina L. Griffin Aesthetic Endodontics 117 Moores Road, Suite A (985) 727-0991 MyEndoSpa.com Catherine A. Hebert Endodontic Center 4600 Highway 22, Suite 4 (985) 626-0111 EndodonticCenter.com Charles Overton Roy Northshore Endodontics 1510 W. Causeway Approach, Suite C (985) 674-0060 Metairie Dominick J. Alongi Northlake Endodontics & Microsurgery 3621 Ridgelake Drive, Suite 301 832-2433 NorthlakeEndo.com Barry James Cazaubon Endodontic Specialists 4520 Clearview Parkway 885-0177 NewOrleansEndo.com Garrett Blair Morris Endodontic Specialists 4520 Clearview Parkway 885-0177 NewOrleansEndo.com New Orleans George H. Arch Jr. Uptown Endodontics and Implantology 2633 Napoleon Ave., Suite 701 895-1100 Lisa P. Germain Uptown Endodontics and Implantology 2633 Napoleon Ave., Suite 701 895-1100 Slidell Scott E. Bonson Endodontic Associates 190 Cross Gates Blvd.

(985) 649-4881 SlidellEndo.com Arthur W. Dickerson II Endodontic Associates 190 Cross Gates Blvd.

(985) 649-4881 SlidellEndo.com Thomas McCall Flint Endodontic Associates 190 Cross Gates Blvd.

(985) 649-4881 SlidellEndo.com J. Jared Harmon Lakeshore Endodontics 102 Village St., Suite B (985) 643-4600 LakeshoreEndodontics.com

General Dentistry Amite Paul M. Anzalone 211 E. Oak St., Suite A (985) 748-8434 Belle Chasse Stuart J. Guey Jr. 8951 Highway 23 394-6200 DrGuey.com Charles Haydel 8635 Highway 23 394-7456 Bogalusa Charles R. Mehle Jr. 310 Mississippi Ave. (985) 735-9811 Chalmette Kristopher P. Rappold Wightman Family Dental 2212 Paris Road 272-0870 WightmanFamilyDental.com Covington Mary A. Beilman 426 S. Tyler St. (985) 893-5138 DrBeilman.com Edward P. Burvant Jr. 601 W. 18th Ave. (985) 892-2403

Hammond 800 C M Fagan Drive, Suite A (985) 345-5888 LaDentalCenter.com Jonathan L. Kirkland 1003 W. Thomas St., Suite D (985) 542-7755 Sue C. LeBlanc 1007 W. Thomas St., Suite E (985) 345-8602 Jill Truxillo Beautiful Smiles 20204 Highway 190 East (985) 662-5550 Harvey Joseph Vincent Anzelmo 4001 Lapalco Blvd., Suite 10 340-0076 Barton Charles Barre Barre Dental Care 1545 Lapalco Blvd., Suite D5 367-0355 BarreDental.com Jefferson Charles Marion Jouandot Jefferson Dental Care 3809 Jefferson Highway 833-2211 JeffersonDentalCare.com Kenner James David Roethele Roethele Dental Esthetics 283 W. Esplanade Ave. 461-0500 RoetheleDental.com * Cosmetic services offered

Kathleen G. Engel 522 E. Rutland St. (985) 893-2270 * Cosmetic services offered

Madisonville Charles B. Foy Jr. 400 Pine St. P.O. Box 10 (985) 845-8042 FoyFamilyDentistry.com * Cosmetic services offered

James A. Moreau Jr. More Smiles Dental Spa 7007 Highway 190 Service Road (985) 809-7645 MoreSmiles.com

Melissa Hernandez Pellegrini Pellegrini Family Dentistry 198 Highway 21 (985) 845-2992 PellegriniDDS.com

R. Glen Spell Family Dental Center 79132 Highway 40 (985) 893-3900

Mandeville Martha Anne Carr 224 W. Causeway Approach (985) 727-0047 MarthaCarrDDS.com

Gretna Damon Joel DiMarco 309 Gretna Blvd.

366-5611 Peter Michael Tufton Tufton Family Dentistry 654 Terry Parkway 362-5270 TuftonDDS.com Hammond Bryan P. Daigle 1502 Martens Drive (985) 345-4242 Eugene Robert Graff Jr. Louisiana Dental Center

Glen Joseph Corcoran 3701 Highway 59, Suite E (985) 871-9733 Gabriel F. Daroca III 2140 Ninth St. (985) 624-8268 Joseph F. Fitzpatrick 2900 E. Causeway Approach, Suite E (985) 626-9791 Toby B. Moffatt 1510 W. Causeway Approach, Suite A (985) 727-4848

Dennis R. Preau 2140 Ninth St. (985) 624-8268

Nanette LoCoco 4325 Loveland St., Suite B 888-9333

Marrero Maria Ribando Burmaster Barataria Dental 2272 Barataria Blvd.

341-3120 BaratariaDental.com

Troy Lenhard Patterson Oak Family Dental 1001 N. Causeway Blvd.

834-6410 OakFamilyDental.com JenĂŠ Comeaux Ponder 2620 Metairie Road 834-2180

Metairie Debra Claire Arnold 2732 Athania Parkway 837-4992

Garry Stephen Salvaggio Salvaggio Dental Care 3223 Eighth St., Suite 202 455-7717 SmileGenesis.com * Cosmetic services offered

Darlene T. Bassett Sherwood Dentistry 2316 Metairie Road 833-9552 SherwoodDentistry.com

Gerard R. Tully Jr. 701 Metairie Road, Suite 2A-212 831-4837

George Philip Cerniglia 2727 Houma Blvd., Suite A 454-5880 DrCerniglia.com * Cosmetic services offered Hunter Lynn Charvet Sr. Charvet Dental Center 2300 Veterans Memorial Blvd.

834-6504 DrCharvet.com Joseph John Collura Jr. 3939 N. Causeway Blvd., Suite 104 837-9800 DrCollura.com * Cosmetic services offered George Thomas Comeaux Jr. 2620 Metairie Road 834-2180 Duane P. Delaune Delaune Dental, the Art of Smiles 3801 N. Causeway Blvd., Suite 305 885-8869 DelauneDental.com * Cosmetic services offered Shelly Ereth-Barone GNO Dental Care 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 105A 832-1164 GNODentalCare.com Terry F. Fugetta 4508 Clearview Parkway, Suite 1A 454-7008 Nicole Hurban Hunn 3108 W. Esplanade Ave. 838-8118 Eva L. Jessup Clearview Dental Care 2221 Clearview Parkway, Suite 202 455-1667 ClearviewDentalcare.com Wynn Kapit 3024 Kingman St. 455-2984

Corky Willhite The Smile Design Center 111 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 777 831-1131 SmileDesignCenter.com * Cosmetic services offered Emmett Lawrence Zimmerman III 1900 N. Causeway Blvd.

833-4300 New Orleans Mark David Anderson Mid-City Smiles Family Dentistry 3625 Canal St. 485-6575 MidCitySmiles.com * Cosmetic services offered Donald Phillip Bennett 1010 Common St., Suite 810 523-4882 Stephen C. Brisco Sr. LSU School of Dentistry 1100 Florida Ave., Suite 127 619-8721 lsusd.lsuhsc.edu Robert A. Camenzuli Camenzuli Dental Excellence 1319 Amelia St. 895-3400 CamenzuliDental.com James Anthony Campo Campo Dentistry 2215 Carrollton Ave. 866-0681 CampoDentistry.com Mark Stephen Chaney 1407 S. Carrollton Ave. 861-2523 Timothy Jude Delcambre 3426 Coliseum St. 895-6657 YourNewOrleansDentist.com * Cosmetic services offered Denice Lorraine Derbes 6251 General Diaz St.

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486-2876 Jay Christopher Dumas Daughters of Charity 3201 S. Carrollton Ave. 212-9550 John Raymond Gallo LSU School of Dentistry 1100 Florida Ave., Suite 137 941-8110 lsusd.lsuhsc.edu Dov Glazer 3525 Prytania St., Suite 312 895-1137 Glazers.net Leslie Parro Gottsegen 2633 Napoleon Ave., Suite 610 891-5000

My Toughest Case:

Rebuilding A Smile

Dr. Mark David Anderson General Practitioner

Henry A. Gremillion LSU School of Dentistry 1100 Florida Ave. 619-8500 lsusd.lsuhsc.edu Eric Hovland LSU School of Dentistry 1100 Florida Ave. 619-8500 lsusd.lsuhsc.edu William E. Kramer III 2801 Napoleon Ave., Suite A 891-2826 WilliamKramerIIIDDS.com Susan S. Lebon 2633 Napoleon Ave., Suite 605 899-5400 Edward Emanuel Levy III 7037 Canal Blvd., Suite 206-207 283-5549 Jamie Maria Manders 13201 River Road 394-7702 F. G. “Frank” Martello 1502 Amelia St. 891-9119 FrankMartello.com John H. Moffatt Jr. Moffatt & Walsh 5809 Citrus Blvd., Suite 100 733-8551 Jonah R. Moore 1534 Aline St. 899-2333 Kendall P. Parker Parker Dental Center 5121 N. Claiborne Ave. 949-4547 PDCNola.com Paul C. Perez Audubon Dental Group 6120 Magazine St. 891-7471 AudubonDentalGroup.com Gizelle Poché Richard 4460 General Degaulle Drive 394-5330 DrGizelleRichard.com * Cosmetic services offered

When Mark

David Anderson walked into the dentist as a little boy, he felt something most new young patients don’t – a sense of peace.

“I remember just liking the way the offices were set up, the feel of it all,” he says. “I know that sounds strange, but it’s true.”

Years later as a student at Louisiana State University, Anderson felt certain he wanted to be in the healthcare field, but not sure in what capacity.

“Sometime in my second year of undergrad at LSU I saw this flyer for the pre-dental club and something just clicked,” he says. “With dentistry I knew I could have the kind of small business that I wanted, the kind I experienced back then with that sort of old school, small neighborhood feel.”

After practicing in the Central Business District for nine years, Anderson finally opened the business he had envisioned: MidCity Smiles Family Dentistry on Canal Street.

“It’s actually so perfect because my family has such a strong tie to the Mid-City area,” Anderson says. “When my grandfather moved here from Cuba he opened his first business, a laundromat, right around the corner from where I now run my practice. My dad was born and raised here in Mid-City and it still means so much to him, and to me.”

It is the combination of being able to develop “old school” close relationships with his patients, while also providing them with a sense of instant gratification that Anderson says has been driving him since those first days out of school.

In fact, even when he remembers back to one of his most difficult cases, Anderson is quick to note the up side.

“It was during my first year out of dental school,” he says. “I was working down in the CBD and this guy came in who was having extensive radiation treatment for head and neck cancer. One of the big downfalls of this treatment is dry mouth and the tooth decay, what we call “radiation caries,” that it causes.”

Anderson says that every two to three weeks this man would come to see him to help him rebuild his smile, one or two teeth at a time, through extensive bonding and filling.

“I saw him every few weeks for at least a year as we rebuilt almost every tooth. I really got to know him as a person, and every time he would look in the mirror before he left it was just so rewarding to see his face light up. Those are the kind of cases that, while hard, make it all worthwhile.”

by Kimberley Singletary

MidCity Smiles Family Dentistry 3625 Canal St. 485-6575 MidCitySmiles.com 14 years practicing as a dentist B.S. from Louisiana State University – Baton Rouge DDS from Louisiana State University School of Dentistry Native of New Orleans

Elizabeth Riggs 3442 Magazine St. 891-1115 SmilesByRiggs.com * Cosmetic services offered Jeffrey Kent Roby 2633 Napoleon Ave., Suite 700 899-3497 Wallace George Serpas III CBD Dental Care 316 Baronne St. 525-9990 CBDDentalCare.com Kathryn L. Sturm Audubon Dental Group 6120 Magazine St. 891-7471 AudubonDentalGroup.com

My Toughest Case:

Kim M. Tolar Tolar Family Dentistry 2502 Napoleon Ave. 891-1880 TolarFamilyDentistry.com * Cosmetic services offered

Patients with Medical Issues

Catherine A. Hebert

Sammy Tom Audubon Dental Group 6120 Magazine St. 891-7471 AudubonDentalGroup.com

Endodontics

Dim lighting,

soft music, water fountains, aromatherapy – walking into the office of Dr. Catherine A. Hebert feels more like you’re going in for a massage than a root canal.

“Most of the patients that come in are very anxious,” Hebert says. “So we’ve created a very spa-like environment.”

Patients are first greeted at the Endodontic Center in Mandeville with a cup of tea to help calm the nerves. Before any procedure, they’re offered a blanket and pillow and even headphones, anything to help put them at ease.

Hebert is all about catering to the patient – a job she began at the tender age of 12 while working in Lake Charles as an assistant for her father, the first board-certified orthodontist in Louisiana.

“My job was to seat the patient, get them a cup of water and put the napkin around their neck,” laughed Hebert.

Hebert grew up to follow in her father’s dental footprints, becoming an endodontist.

“An endodontist is basically a root canal specialist,” she says. “We deal with tooth infections and inflammations, problems associated with the inside of the tooth.”

Endodontic Center 4600 Highway 22, Suite 4, Mandeville (985) 626-0111 EndodonticCenter.com 33 years practicing as a dentist; B.S. from McNeese State University DDS from Louisiana State University School of Dentistry Native of Lake Charles C raig M ulcahy P H O T O G R A P H s

Thanks to Hebert’s extensive training in sedation, hospital and implant dentistry, she often gets the tough cases.

“I commonly work with medically compromised patients,” Hebert says. “For instance, I’m treating someone now who has a rare condition called Methemoglobinemia.”

This particular patient was referred to Hebert from central Florida because their blood disorder means they cannot have any local anesthetic.

“I’m going to have to take the patient to the operating room to do the root canal and multiple fillings,” Hebert explains.

A Louisiana girl through and through, Hebert honors her Cajun heritage by sharing her love of cooking with her patients.

“My whole life people around me have enjoyed cooking and so of course I do too,” she says. It’s so much fun to share this passion with my patients, and they share it with me too,” Hebert says, noting that one of her patients recently brought her a cookbook to add to her collection. “It’s a book of Creole crockpot recipes called In a While Crockodile. I just love it!”

Hebert doesn’t just share recipes with her patients; she cooks for them as well. Before any patient leaves the Endodontic Center they’re offered the choice of either a minestrone soup or a protein shake.

“It’s just a little something to get them started with a soft diet that’s conducive to the healing process,” Hebert says. “Of course I’m happy to share recipes for great, healthy soft meals. Most, of course, with that great New Orleans style.”

William R. Yeadon LSU School of Dentistry 1100 Florida Ave. P.O. Box 140 619-8712 lsusd.lsuhsc.edu River Ridge William Keith deJong De Jong-Plaisance Family Dentists 10154 Jefferson Highway 738-5171 RiverRidgeSmiles.com Warren James Palmisano III 2020 Dickory Ave., Suite 104 733-0871 WJPalmisanoDDS.com Kerry T. Plaisance Jr. De Jong-Plaisance Family Dentists 10154 Jefferson Highway 738-5171 RiverRidgeSmiles.com Slidell J. Kevin Curley 2800 E. Gause Blvd., Suite D (985) 649-7510 SmileNaturally.com John J. Killeen Jr. 110 Village Square (985) 643-7516 SlidellSmiles.com * Cosmetic services offered Michael Thomas Robichaux 1101 Robert Blvd., Suite A (985) 641-8058 MikeRobichauxDDS.com

by Kimberley Singletary myneworleans.com

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Stephen James Tomaszewski Camellia City Family Dentistry 1275 Seventh St. (985) 641-4444 CCFDentistry.com

Hugo St. Hilaire Audubon Dental Group 6120 Magazine St. 891-7471 AudubonDentalGroup.com

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Slidell Craig J. Brandner 2364 E. Gause Blvd., Suite 102 (985) 847-0104 SlidellOralSurgery.com

Covington Ben A. Almerico Almerico Oral & Maxillofacial 195 Greenbriar Blvd., Suite 100 (985) 892-9993 Kenner Jeffrey W. Dongieux 1900 W. Esplanade Ave., Suite 101 468-8300 DrJeffDongieux.com Mandeville Russell L. Westfall Northlake Oral & Facial Surgery 4600 Highway 22, Suite 4 (985) 624-8877 NorthlakeOFS.com Metairie Michael S. Block The Center for Dental Reconstruction 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 112 833-3368 CenterForDentalReconstruction. com Edward Joseph Boos 4224 Houma Blvd., Suite 670 456-5033 Michael Gray Ferguson Oral Surgery Services 4420 Conlin St., Suite 203 455-9960 OralSurgeryServices.net Walter Jackson Jackson Oral Surgery 4051 Veterans Blvd., Suite 200 455-7161 JacksonOralSurgery.com Robert Edward Lane Southern Oral Surgery 4224 Houma Blvd., Suite 230 454-4515 SouthernOralSurgery.com Demarcus D. Smith IV Oral Surgery Services 4420 Conlin St., Suite 203 455-9960 OralSurgeryServices.net Paul Joseph Walters Oral Surgery Services 4420 Conlin St., Suite 203 455-9960 OralSurgeryServices.net New Orleans Charles Patrick Silvia Jr. Southern Oral Surgery 3525 Prytania St., Suite 216 899-8173 SouthernOralSurgery.com

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Nathan Brown Northlake Oral & Facial Surgery 1271 Seventh St. (985) 643-1010 NorthlakeOFS.com

Oral Pathology

New Orleans Kitrina G. Cordell LSU School of Dentistry 1100 Florida Ave. P.O. Box 137 941-8257 lsusd.lsuhsc.edu

Orthodontics

Covington Laurie Lee Fricke 2301 N. Highway 190, Suite 7 P.O. Box 1827 (985) 892-2081 MakingSmilesNew.com Amy Smith Sawyer Sawyer Orthodontics 216 W. 21st Ave. (985) 327-7181 SawyerOrtho.com Harvey Jack Patrick Devereux Jr. Devereux & Nguyen Orthodontics 2800 Manhattan Blvd., Suite D 368-7513 Dn4Smiles.com Robert Michael Watzke 1929 Jutland Drive 341-0970 Houma David Carl DeGenova 641 Corporate Drive (985) 851-5664 Kenner David Victor Scaffidi 527 W. Esplanade Ave., Suite 101 468-6200 ScaffidiOrtho.com Mandeville William R. Ledoux 260 Dalwill Drive (985) 674-1500 Ronald A. Madere Madere Orthodontics 4010 Lonesome Road (985) 626-0160 MadereOrthodontics.com Darren Miller Miller Orthodontics 1002 Highway 59 (985) 626-0991

myneworleans.com

DrMillerSmiles.com Metairie John O. Clotworthy Clotworthy Orthodontics 1014 Veterans Memorial Blvd.

833-4361 ClotworthyOrtho.com Hector R. Maldonado 4432 Conlin St., Suite 2B 455-5581 MaldonadoOrtho.com Brian J. Olivier Olivier Orthodontics 4408 Trenton St., Suite C 218-7300 OlivierOrthodontics.com Shannon K. Simons 3330 Kingman St., Suite 3 887-8480 Carol A. Stuckey Stuckey Orthodontics 701 Metairie Road, Suite 1A-204 835-1349 DrStuckey.com

Metairie Claudia Anne Cavallino New Orleans Children’s Dental Center 3116 Sixth St., Suite 201 833-5528 BayouChildrensDental.com Pamela R. Shaw Dentisitry for Children 701 Metairie Road 838-8200 PenguinDentist.com New Orleans Laura Pence Hogue Westside Dental Group 4001 MacArthur Blvd.

368-7000 WestsideDentalGroup.com Stephen C. Holmes Uptown Pediatric Dentistry 3715 Prytania St., Suite 380 896-7435 UptownPediatricDentistry.com Janice A. Townsend 1100 Florida Ave. 941-8250

New Orleans Paul C. Armbruster LSU School of Dentistry 1100 Florida Ave., Suite 230 941-8234 lsusd.lsuhsc.edu

Slidell Nicole R. Boxberger Kids Dental Zone 1128 Old Spanish Trail (985) 646-2146 TheKidsDentalZone.com

George Bradley Gottsegen Gottsegen Orthodontics 3424 Coliseum St. 895-4841 GottsegenOrthodontics.com

Tessa M. Smith Bippo’s Place for Smiles 2960 E. Gause Blvd.

(985) 641-3988 BipposPlace.com

River Ridge Daniel Paul Bordes 9537 Jefferson Highway 737-7324

Periodontics

Slidell Michael J. Guevara Guevara Orthodontics 1251 Seventh St. (985) 641-3587 SlidellOrtho.com

Pediatric Dentistry

Covington Todd S. Brasuell 189 Greenbriar Blvd., Suite A (985) 892-5942 ToddBrasuellDDS.com Richard D. Olinde 189 Greenbriar Blvd., Suite A (985) 892-5942 * Cosmetic services offered Hammond Thomas Hamer Wingo Jr. 1008 W. Thomas St. (985) 542-6855 Madisonville Katherine E. Vo The Children’s Dental Cottage 704 Main St. (985) 845-3211 ChildrensDentalCottage.com

Covington Caesar Sweidan St. Tammany Periodontics and Implants 7020 Highway 190 Service Road, Suite B (985) 778-0241 StTammanyPerio.com Gretna Charles T. McCabe 250 Meadowcrest St., Suite 204 392-4734 NewOrleansPeriodontist.com Metairie Aymee Costales-Spindler Periodontal Health Specialists 2540 Severn Ave., Suite 402 887-8205 SpindlerPerio.com Hisham F. Nasr The Perio Clinic 337 Metairie Road, Suite 301 831-0800 PerioClinic.net A. Margarita Saenz The Perio Clinic 337 Metairie Road, Suite 301 831-0800 PerioClinic.net

Steven J. Spindler Periodontal Health Specialists 2540 Severn Ave., Suite 402 887-8205 SpindlerPerio.com New Orleans Kristi M. Soileau 3634 Coliseum St. 899-2255 NewOrleansPeriodontal Specialist.com Slidell Thomas William Mabry Slidell Periodontist 1241 Seventh St., Suite A (985) 646-1421 MabryPerioimplants.com

Prosthodontics

Metairie Roger A. Vitter 4228 Houma Blvd., Suite 210 883-3737 New Orleans Marco A. Brindis LSU School of Dentistry 1100 Florida Ave. P.O. Box 222 941-8286 lsusd.lsuhsc.edu Luis E. Infante Gonzalez LSU School of Dentistry 1100 Florida Ave., RM 2108 P.O. Box 222 619-8721 lsusd.lsuhsc.edu Laurie Frances Moeller LSU School of Dentistry 1100 Florida Ave., Suite 224 941-8289 lsusd.lsuhsc.edu Alika K. F. Yu LSU School of Dentistry 1100 Florida Ave. 619-8721 lsusd.lsuhsc.edu Slidell Robert John Rooney II 100 Smart Place (985) 641-6607 SlidellImplantDentist.com

This list is excerpted from the 2014 topDentists™ list, a database, which includes listings for more than 150 dentists and specialists in the New Orleans area. The Louisiana list was based on thousands of detailed evaluations of dentists and professionals by their peers. The complete database is available at USATopDentists.com.

For more information call 706-364-0853; write P.O. Box 970, Augusta, GA 30903; email info@usatopdentists. com or visit USATopDentists. com. (Introduction and Selection Process provided by topDentists.)

THEMENU TABLE TALK

RESTAURANT INSIDER

FOOD

LAST CALL

DINING LISTINGS TABLE TALK:

Making the Turn PAGE 84

Carrollton Market’s General Manager Stephen Deisinger’s cocktail program includes several syrups, bitters and types of ice created in-house.

JEFFERY JOHNSTON PHOTOGRAPH

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T HE M EN U

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Crispy Fried Pork Tail Tots at Carrollton Market

Revisiting Riverbend

Revisiting Riverbend Ba Chi Canteen 7900 Maple St. 373-5628 Lunch and dinner Mondays-Saturdays Carrollton Market 8132 Hampson St. 252-9928 CarrolltonMarket.com Dinner Tuesdays-Saturdays Satsuma Café 7901 Maple St. 309-5557 SatsumaCafe.com Breakfast and lunch until 5 p.m. daily The Sammich 7708 Maple St. (844) 726-6424 TheSammich.com Lunch and dinner daily

Making the Turn New discoveries at Riverbend

by Jay Forman

R

i v er b en d c ont i n u es to pop w i th a gro w i ng m i x of b oth

fine and casual dining choices. New to the party is Carrollton Market, housed in the location formerly occupied by ONE Restaurant and Lounge. With its tasteful renovation, open kitchen and modern design, Carrollton Market deepens the pool of upscale restaurants in the neighborhood which Brigtsen’s and Dante’s Kitchen also call home.

Chef and owner Jason Goodenough caught the cooking bug while a student at Millsap’s College in Jackson, Mississippi. He worked at a series of high-profile restaurants in Philadelphia and Washington D.C., before moving to New Orleans with his wife and family, where he spent a year as sous chef at Emeril’s NOLA. When a subsequent gig as a private chef for a wealthy South Dakota client ended, Goodenough decided it was time to strike out on his own. “At that point I said hey, I’m 35 years old, it’s now or never, so I took the plunge.”

Carrollton Market’s overarching philosophy is ingredient-driven and modern Southern, which is a big part of the menu’s execution (his wife is from Mississippi). But that isn’t exclusively so 84

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you’ll also find subtle Asian influences from his time spent working with Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto as well as French Brasserie classics such as steak frites. Goodenough has a particular soft spot for our Gulf seafood as well. “My job gets a lot easier when I’m working with such great ingredients,” he says.

One dish that’s garnering attention is his appetizer of Crispy Fried Pork Tail Tots, a dish that Goodenough concocted during his tenure at NOLA. Just when you thought you’d seen every possible pig part on a menu, along comes this. The addictive capsules are served with pickled peppers and a creole mustard jus.

The tots aren’t the only tails on the menu. Goodenough also has a deft hand with oxtail. His artfully composed Oxtail Terrine, sourced from Two Run Farms in Mississippi, offers braised shreds tucked into a cylinder shaped from planed potato slices and topped with a shallot compote and peppery arugula for balance. Goodenough also reserves the braising stock from the oxtail to build the bordelaise sauce for his Hanger Steak Frites. “Along with that liquid, we use red wine and veal stock,” Goodenough says. The result is a sauce that’s especially well fortified from the flavor of the oxtail. It JEFFERY JOHNSTON PHOTOGRAPH

gets finished with a compound butter made with shallots, garlic, parsley and lemon zest.

Seafood is a favorite of Goodenough, and his Shellfish Risotto is a recommended dish. It all starts with his stock – “We start with roasted lobster shells, tomato paste and mirepoix to make a traditional French shellfish stock and par-cook the risotto with that. The balance of the stock then gets fortified it with our shrimp shells,” he explains. The dish gets hit with some lemon juice at the end for brightness and a dollop of mascarpone for creaminess.

Complementing Goodenough’s food is General Manager Stephen Deisinger’s cocktail program. Deisinger makes several syrups and bitters in-house, and special attention is paid to the ice as well. “He spec’d an ice machine that makes totally clear spheres, and he also hand-chisels ice off of blocks,” Goodenough says. “Steve is as detail-oriented towards the cocktails as I am the food.” Classic drinks include Sazerac and Negroni cocktails as well as several of his own creation. Carrollton Market is open for dinner only Tuesday through Saturday.

The Sammich, the concept-driven brainchild of owner Mike Brewer, started as a pop-up in music club Chickie Wah Wah before Brewer made the leap to a full-time spot on Maple Street. “I dreamt up the idea at the first Po-Boy Festival,” Brewer says. “They had all these specialty poor boys there that you could only get once a year. It also occurred to me, when have I ever had a meal without bread? I decided then to start taking fine dining and put it on Leidenheimer’s bread.”

Leidenheimers serves as the canvas for all of Brewer’s creations, and fine dining is his muse. He draws a lot of his inspiration from dishes served at famous white-linen stalwarts, such as his Fried Shrimp Sammich with hot sauce beurre blanc, tasso and pepper jelly, which is based on a dish from Commander’s Palace. Brewer spent time working there, as well as at the original Brennan’s on Royal Street, and counts as his friends many of the city’s top chefs. “The Braised Rabbit we’re running right now came from David Slater at Emeril’s. I asked him if it was OK before I used it first,” Brewer says.

Indeed, the menu reads as though he sells $38 entrées between two halves of Leidenheimer’s bread. The en Brochette features fried oysters with Brie, bacon and meuniere sauce. The Osso Bucco presents braised veal shank with carrots, red gravy and mascarpone cheese, as well as a bone marrow mayonnaise. “The Fried Lobster is by far our best seller,” Brewer says of his creation made with tempura-fried lobster knuckles and a spicy mango-cream sauce, but the Fried Chicken (topped with pulled pork and homemade barbecue sauce) is a close second. In June, look for a summer lineup featuring drum grilled fisherman-style, then fileted and topped with a lemon-basil hollandaise and garnished with fresh tomatoes.

Brewer was the wine and liquor manager for Commander’s, and The Sammich comes well equipped with more than 50 bottled beers as well as 20 wine selections by the glass. The wines in particular are reasonably priced; all are between $3 to $5 per glass. “We try to make sure we’re a place where neighbors can come in and have a sammich, a couple of small plates and a few drinks, and not get hurt when the check comes,” Brewer says. After all, sandwiches make a good snack, but sammiches are forever.

Newer Eats Riverbend pops with places both old and new. Some of the newer ones worth a visit include Satsuma Café, where healthy food shines including creative salads and a full fresh-pressed juice bar. The large, well-lit corner location doubles as a coffee shop populated by college students pecking away on tablets and laptops. Across the street is Ba Chi Canteen, offering shoot-from-the-hip neo-Vietnamese fare that fits a college student’s budget. myneworleans.com

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R E S T A U R A N T IN SID ER

Bevi Seafood Co., Oak Oven and Haifa

by Robert Peyton T he long , hot season i s u pon u s , fr i en d s , an d i f

that doesn’t make you pine for the unusually cold winter we had in New Orleans, then you’re like my wife, who far prefers the heat. This month also marks a milestone for me: my son turns 13. He is a fantastic kid and it appears that I’m going to be spared the difficulties typical of having a teenager in the home for a while yet. Indeed, he’s reaching the age where he’s interested in food, which is nice, because my 2-year-old daughter has just reached the age where we can’t take her to a restaurant and expect to actually sit for a meal. If my prior experience is a guide, she’ll be capable of sitting reasonably still again sometime in 2018.

Justin LeBlanc is the owner and chef at Bevi Seafood Co. I first heard his name, and about the restaurant, from a friend whose judgment I trust – not least because he works in a couple of the city’s best restaurants. LeBlanc came from that end of the industry as well, having worked at Peristyle, Chateaubriand and the Southern Yacht Club. You won’t find white tablecloths or other trappings of high-end dining at Bevi, but what you will find is attention to detail and care with ingredients.

Everything on the menu at Bevi is made in-house, apart from the stuffed artichokes and the tama86

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les. Though he’s expanded the staff since opening in December 2013, it’s still a fairly lean operation and those two labor-intensive specialties are usually better farmed out anyway.

When I visited for the first time, LeBlanc told me that because quality crabs weren’t available at the time (mid-April), he wasn’t serving them. “Don’t do it if it’s not good,” was the way he put it. That isn’t necessarily a good business model in the short term, but if you never serve sub-par food, it’s much more likely you’ll get folks to return.

Bevi is located at 4701 Airline Drive, between Clearview and Transcontinental boulevards; it was a boiled seafood joint when LeBlanc took over, and apart from a few updates to the signage and photographs in the inside, that’s still what it is at heart.

Bevi is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; until 8 p.m. on Fridays; from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays. Call them at 885-5003 to find out what’s cooking now.

On my first visit to Oak Oven, I ran into two friends who live in River Ridge. When I asked, they seemed as excited about the location as the meal.

Oak Oven takes its name from the woodfired oven that’s central to the food, starting with the pizzas. Those run from the standard – tomato-basil, pepperoni, four cheese and sausage and peppers – as well as a few more interesting options such as lamb meatball with chile and ricotta, shrimp, crab and artichoke with oregano and a vegetarian option with spinach, arugula, portobello and thyme.

A lot of those same ingredients show up on sandwiches available at lunch served on ciabatta. Fresh pastas are made in-house and include fettucine Alfredo and frattura with grilled mushrooms, arugula, pine nuts and feta. The panéed veal comes with the Alfredo, but the restaurant was willing to substitute the frattura for a small upcharge.

That veal, a highlight of the entrée portion of the menu, was excellent, with a crisp brown exterior encasing tender meat. Veal is also prepared à la Parmigiano and Piccata, and there’s a wood-grilled New York strip with rosemary, sage, garlic and fried potatoes. Gulf fish topped with crabmeat, mushrooms and a white wine-butter sauce is served alongside angel hair pasta with Sicilian pesto.

The place is casual despite the relative sophistication of the food. There is a short wine list and beers include selections from Abita and Bayou Teche breweries as well as standard domestics and Peroni, an Italian import.

Oak Oven is located at 6625 Jefferson Highway, Harahan, and you can call 305-4039 to find out more.

Haifa opened in March in a space that was once a gas station, and the food is better than you’d expect from a place that seems to focus as much on hookah service as food.

The hookahs are central to the operation, which under the name Hookah Café was located at the corner of S. Carrollton and Cleveland streets, not far from its current address at 4740 Canal St. The menu at Haifa is Turkish, a cuisine that’s not all that common in New Orleans. Appetizers of note include borek, in which cheese and sometimes meat are wrapped in light phyllotype dough before being baked or fried. There is a paste of red pepper, walnut and feta cheese that’s offered as the “Haifa Special” on the menu, and a very smoky take on baba ganouj.

The majority of the menu doesn’t stray far from the standards at local Mediterranean joints, but the large menu has more depth than I’ve seen at like operations.

Haifa is open Sundays through Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m.; you can call them at 309-7719.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email rdpeyton@gmail.com

( left & top ) S A R A E S S E X B R A D L E Y P H O T O G R A P H S ( b otto m ) S A R A E S S E X B R A D L E Y P H O T O G R A P H S

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Tart Control Adding lemons to the mix

by Dale Curry

C

ome

s u m m er ,

my

c ho i c e

of

fla v ors

turns from chocolate to lemon. Hot climates stir up appetites for spicy food, so I’m guessing the tartness of lemon also cools the body and soul.

After barbecue, lemon ice is soothing. The fish fry ends perfectly with a lemon pie. And, a late breakfast on a summer weekend gets no better than scones with lemon curd.

I was checking for blooms on what I call our citrus orchard in the back yard of our River Ridge home. The “orchard” is the size of a large room, but we now have two Meyer lemon bushes and small red navel, blood orange, grapefruit and lime trees. If they grow to be huge, we’ll have to call on Dan Gill for advice, but so far I’m fascinated with their small crops in the fall and winter as well as their ornamental beauty. If only the lemons corresponded to my summer appetite. Thankfully, lemons are always available from somewhere as are other citrus fruits, although usually at higher prices.

I have a friend in Atlanta who eats lemons like most people eat apples. She comes here every Thanksgiving and flies

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home with bags of Meyer lemons. I remember when chefs started using them on a large scale about 20 or more years ago. They turned up on menus not only in desserts, but also in sauces for fish and shellfish. Agricultural scientists began promoting them with local farmers and their popularity took off. The Meyers have thinner skins, are less sour and contain more juice. They originated in China and are thought to be a cross between a true lemon and either a mandarin or common orange.

I love all lemons in desserts, so my summer appetite isn’t squelched by the timing of our crop. When it comes to limes, I’d just a soon make my Key lime pie with common limes as with the Florida variety. That pie is another great summer dessert – especially after fish on the grill.

If you’re weight conscious, summer is the best time to eat desserts because you’re swimming and sweating and burning more calories. At least, that’s one of my many rationalizations for eating desserts.

I have been asked about the difference in lemon custard, as e u gen i a u hl photo

for a pie, and lemon curd. It difference is that lemon custard is made with milk and usually a thickening agent such as cornstarch of flour, while lemon curd is made with butter instead of milk and is thickened with eggs. Generally, more lemon is used in the curd, making it tangier.

And the difference between lemon meringue pie and lemon icebox pie, is that the meringue variety is usually made with a custard filling while the icebox version uses sweetened condensed milk. Also, the eggs are separated for the meringue pie and the whites whipped for topping, whereas the icebox pie is crowned with sweetened whipped cream. I make lemon icebox and Key lime pies identically except for the different fruit.

The following recipes call for zest of lemons. It is important to remember that zest is grated from the brightly colored part only and the white pith should not be included.

I find refrigerated pie dough one of the great discoveries of the 20th century. To me, it’s just as good as homemade and saves the cook from a big mess in the kitchen. If you have a great recipe and don’t mind the mess, you should use it, but please forgive me for taking the easy way out. I also cheat on store-bought graham cracker crusts, although making one isn’t nearly so messy. Besides, my grandchildren like to eat the remaining graham crackers with peanut butter.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Ice

Lemon Curd

1

4 1 1/4 1/4 1/4 1 1/2 2 1/2 1 1/3 1/4 2 1/2

4 2 1

1

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 2 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups lemon juice 2 Tablespoons freshly grated

lemon zest Pinch salt eggs whisked until mixed 5

refrigerated pie crust, or homemade crust, kept cold until ready to use large eggs, separated cups sugar cup cornstarch teaspoon salt cups water Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter cup lemon juice Tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest cup sugar teaspoon cream of tartar teaspoons cornstarch teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Fit crust into a 9-inch pie plate and flute around the edges. Pierce bottom and sides with a fork at 1-inch intervals. Bake about 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned and cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Separate eggs, putting whites into an electric mixer and yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk the yolks until creamy.

In a medium saucepan mix 1 1/4 cups sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in water until smooth.

Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture boils.

Boil for 1 minute, stirring and remove from heat. Stir a spoonful of the hot mixture into the egg yolks and add yolks to hot mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture boils. Boil for 1 minute, stirring.

Remove from heat and stir in butter, lemon juice and zest. Mix well. Cool slightly while you make meringue.

For meringue, beat egg whites until peaks form and add 1/3 cup sugar gradually. Add cream of tartar and cornstarch and beat until stiff peaks form. Blend in vanilla.

Place filling into cooled pie crust and top with meringue. Bake until meringue is browned. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 6 to 8

cups water cups sugar Tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest cup lemon juice

Combine water and sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Cool. Add lemon peel and juice. Freeze in an ice cream freezer according to freezer directions.

Serves 8 to 10

Lemon Icebox Pie 1

4 1/2 4

1

1 1 1/2

15-ounce can sweetened condensed milk large egg yolks cup lemon juice teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest 9-inch graham cracker crust, ready-made or homemade cup whipping cream Tablespoon sugar teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter in the top of a double boiler over medium heat. Remove pot from heat and whisk in sugar, lemon juice, zest and salt. Whisk in eggs gradually until smooth. Return pot to medium heat and whisk or stir constantly until mixture thickens. Continue to cook for about 15 minutes, whisking occasionally.

Immediately pour mixture though a medal strainer into a bowl. Cool.

When cooled, refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 3 cups Lemon curd is good served with warm scones, croissants, toast or cake, or in tart fillings.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, juice and zest until well blended. Pour into crust and bake for 15 minutes. Cool.

When pie is cool, beat whipping cream in an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla extract and beat until peaks are stiff.

Top pie with whipped cream. Keep refrigerated until time to serve.

Serves 6 to 8

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THE MENU

LAST CALL

S

o i t i sn ’ t the hottest

month of the year, but in June we’re moving toward that direction. Those pesky afternoon showers herald the arrival of humidity, which keeps our clothes moist, our skin soft and our doors swollen.

We seek suitable refuge in buildings and cars made bearable through Mr. Carrier’s magic cool air machinery. And there are more than a few of us who ingest large quantities of cold-as-we-canget adult beverages – all in the interest of staying cool, of course.

As a valuable public service, the good folks at Doris Metropolitan Bar and Restaurant in the French Quarter have created a two-part cocktail, where the first part consists of a frozen ball of ice filled with happy ingredients, and the second is a simple suit-yourself cocktail.

As the ice ball melts, the melding of its ingredients with the surrounding cocktail constantly changes the aroma and the taste of the drink.

Moment to moment you’re never quite certain about what drink you’re enjoying, but you know it’s cool and refreshing.

Aviation Ball 3-inch Diameter Ice Ball 1/4 ounce Bitter Truth Violet 1/2 ounce Maraschino liqueur 1/2 lemon

A Snowball’s Chance in New Orleans in June

Place all ingredients into ice ball mold, then fill remaining space with water. Freeze solid.

Daisy Combine 2 ounces base spirit (your choice vodka, gin, rum, cognac, etc.) with 1 ounce fresh lemon, 1/2 ounce simple syrup and a bar spoon of homemade pomegranate grenadine.

Pour Daisy cocktail over frozen ice ball in a rocks glass. Enjoy slowly. Thanks to Konrad Kantor, bar manager, Doris Metropolitan, 620 Chartres St.

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sara esse x b ra d ley P H O T O G R A P H

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DINING GUIDE

$= Average entrée price of $5-$10; $$=$11-15; $$$=$16-20; $$$$=$21-25; $$$$$=$25 and up.

Roll winner. $$$$$

5 Fifty 5 Restaurant Marriott Hotel,

212-5282, Uptown. B, L Tue-Sat, Br Sun. Nested among the oaks in Audubon Park, the beautifully situated clubhouse is open to the public and features a kid-friendly menu with New Orleans tweaks and a casually upscale sandwich and salad menu for adults. $$

555 Canal St., 553-5638, French Quarter, ­555Canal.com. B, L, D daily. This restaurant offers innovative American fare such as lobster macaroni and cheese. Many of the dishes receive an additional touch from the woodburning oven. $$$$

7 on Fulton 701 Convention Center Blvd., 525-7555, CBD/Warehouse District, 7onFulton.com. B, L, D daily. Upscale and contemporary dining destination. $$$$

13 Restaurant and Bar 517 Frenchmen St., 942-1345, Faubourg Marigny, 13Monaghan. com. L, D daily, open until 4 a.m. Late-night deli catering to hungry club-hoppers. Bar and excellent jukebox make this a good place to refuel. $

Abita Brew Pub 72011 Holly St., (985) 892-5837, Abita Springs, AbitaBrewPub.com.

L, D Tue-Sun. Famous for its Purple Haze and Turbodog brews, Abita serves up better-thanexpected pub food in its namesake eatery.

“Tasteful” tours available for visitors. $$

Acme Oyster House Multiple locations: AcmeOyster.com. L, D daily. Known as one of the best places to eat oysters. $$

Ancora 4508 Freret St., 324-1636, Uptown, AncoraPizza.com. D Mon-Sat. Authentic Neapolitan-style pizza fired in an oven imported from Naples keeps pizza connoisseurs coming back to this Freret Street hot-spot. The housemade charcuterie makes it a double-winner. New Orleans Magazine’s 20011 Pizza Restaurant of the Year. $$ Andrea’s Restaurant 3100 19th St., 8348583, Metairie, AndreasRestaurant.com. L Mon-Sat D daily, Br Sun. Indulge in osso buco and homemade pastas in a setting that’s both elegant and intimate; off-premise catering.

New Orleans Magazine Honor Roll honoree 2009. $$$

Antoine’s 713 St. Louis St., 581-4422, French Quarter, Antoines.com. L Mon-Sat, D Mon-Sat, Br Sun. This pinnacle of haute cuisine and birthplace of Oysters Rockefeller is New Orleans’ oldest restaurant. (Every item is á la carte, with an $11 minimum.) Private dining rooms are available. $$$$$

Arnaud’s 813 Bienville St., 523-5433, French Quarter, ArnaudsRestaurant.com. D daily, Br Sun. Waiters in tuxedos prepare Café Brûlot tableside at this storied Creole grande dame in the French Quarter; live jazz during Sun. brunch. New Orleans Magazine’s 2011 Honor

Audubon Clubhouse 6500 Magazine St.,

August Moon 3635 Prytania St., 899-5122, Uptown, MoonNola.com. L, D Mon-Fri, D Sat. Lots of vegetarian offerings and reasonable prices make this dependable Chinese/ Vietnamese place a popular choice for students and locals. Take-out and delivery available. $

Austin’s 5101 W. Esplanade Ave., 888-5533, Metairie, AustinsNo.com. D Mon-Sat. Mr. Ed’s upscale bistro serves contemporary Creole fare, including seafood and steaks. $$$

The Avenue Pub 1732 St. Charles Ave., 586-9243, Uptown, TheAvenuePub.com.

Kitchen open 24/7. With more than 43 rotating draft beers, this pub also offers food including a cheese plate from St. James Cheese Co. and the “Pub Burger.” $

Bacchanal Fine Wines and Spirits 600 Poland Ave., 948-9111, Bywater, BacchanalWine.com. L, D daily. The pop-up that started it all, this ongoing backyard music and food fest in the heart of Bywater carries the funky flame. Best of all, the front of house is a wine shop. $$

Barcelona Tapas 720 Dublin St., 861-9696, Riverbend, LetsEat.at/BarcelonaTapas. D TueSun. Barcelona Tapas is chef-owner Xavier Laurentino’s homage to the small-plates restaurants he knew from his hometown of Barcelona. The tapas are authentic, and the space, renovated largely by Laurentino himself, is charming. $ Basin Seafood & Spirits 3222 Magazine St., 302-7391, Uptown. L Thurs-Sun, D daily. The focus is on seafood at this uncluttered, contemporary joint venture between Colombian chef Edgar Caro from Barü Bistro & Tapas and Louisiana fishing guide Tommy Peters. Their generally lighter approach is represented in dishes such as whole grilled snapper as well as traditional favorites such as spicy boiled crawfish (in season). $$

Bayona 430 Dauphine St., 525-4455, French Quarter, Bayona.com. L Wed-Sat, D Mon-Sat. Chef Susan Spicer’s nationally acclaimed cuisine is served in this 200-year-old cottage.

Ask for a seat on the romantic patio, weather permitting. $$$$$

District, CafeAdelaide.com. B, D daily, L Mon-Fri. This offering from the Commander’s Palace family of restaurants has become a power-lunch favorite for businessmen and politicos. Also features the Swizzle Stick Bar. $$$$

Besh Steak Harrah’s Casino, 8 Canal St., 533-6111, CBD/Warehouse District, HarrahsNewOrleans.com. D daily. Acclaimed chef John Besh reinterprets the classic steakhouse with his signature contemporary Louisiana flair. New Orleans Magazine’s Chef of the Year 2007. $$$$$

Café Burnside Houmas House Plantation,

Bistro Daisy 5831 Magazine St., 899-6987, Uptown, BistroDaisy.com. D, Tue-Sat. Chef Anton Schulte and his wife Diane’s bistro, named in honor of their daughter, serves creative and contemporary bistro fare in a romantic setting along Magazine Street. The signature Daisy Salad is a favorite. $$$$

Café Degas 3127 Esplanade Ave., 945-5635,

The Bombay Club Prince Conti Hotel,

Café du Monde 800 Decatur St., 525-4544,

830 Conti St., 586-0972, French Quarter, TheBombayClub.com. D daily. Popular martini bar appointed with plush British décor features live music during the week and late dinner and drinks on weekends. Nouveau Creole menu includes items such as Bombay drum. $$$$

Bon Ton Cafe 401 Magazine St., 524-3386, CBD/Warehouse District, TheBonTonCafe. com. L, D Mon-Fri. A local favorite for the oldschool business lunch crowd, it specializes in local seafood and Cajun dishes. $$$$

40136 Highway 942, (225) 473-9380, Darrow, HoumasHouse.com. L daily, Br Sun. Historic plantation’s casual dining option features dishes such as seafood pasta, fried catfish, crawfish and shrimp, gumbo and red beans and rice. $$ Mid-City, CafeDegas.com. L Wed-Sat, D WedSun, Br Sun. Light French bistro food including salads and quiche make this indoor/outdoor boîte a Faubourg St. John favorite. New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 French Restaurant of the Year. $$$ French Quarter; multiple other locations; CafeDuMonde.com. This New Orleans institution has been serving fresh café au lait, rich hot chocolate and positively addictive beignets since 1862 in the French Market 24/7. $

Café Equator 2920 Severn Ave., 8884772, Metairie, CafeEquator.com. L, D daily. Very good Thai food across the street from Lakeside Mall. Offers a quiet and oftoverlooked dining option in a crowded part of town. $$

Riverbend, Boucherie-Nola.com. L, D Tue-Sat. Serving contemporary Southern food with an international angle, Chef Nathaniel Zimet offers excellent ingredients, presented simply. New Orleans Magazine’s Best New Restaurant 2009. $$

Café Freret 7329 Freret St., 861-7890, Uptown, CafeFreret.com. B, L, D Fri-Wed. Convenient location near Tulane and Loyola universities makes this a place for students (and dogs) to indulge in decadent breakfasts, casual lunches and tasty dinners – and their “A la Collar” menu. $$

Brigtsen’s 723 Dante St., 861-7610,

Café Giovanni 117 Decatur St., 529-2154,

Boucherie 8115 Jeannette St., 862-5514,

Uptown, Brigtsens.com. D Tue-Sat. Chef Frank Brigtsen’s nationally-famous Creole cuisine makes this cozy Riverbend cottage a true foodie destination. $$$$$

Broken Egg Cafe 200 Girod St., (985) 2317125, Mandeville. B, Br, L daily. Breakfastcentric café in turn-of-the-century home offers a sprawling assortment of delicious items both healthy and decadent. $$

Brooklyn Pizzeria 4301 Veterans Blvd., 833-1288, Metairie, EatBrooklyn.net. L, D daily (drive thru/take out). Pie shop on Vets specializes in New York-style thin crust. The pizza is the reason to come, but sandwiches and salads are offered as well. $

Byblos Multiple locations: ByblosRestaurants. com. L, D daily. Upscale Middle Eastern cuisine featuring traditional seafood, lamb and vegetarian options. $$

Café Adelaide Loews New Orleans Hotel, 300 Poydras St., 595-3305, CBD/Warehouse

Downtown, CafeGiovanni.com. D daily. Live opera singers three nights a week round out the atmosphere at this contemporary Italian dining destination. The menu offers a selection of Italian specialties tweaked with a Creole influence and their Belli Baci happy hour adds to the atmosphere. $$$$

Café Luna 802 Nashville Ave., 333-6833, Uptown. B, L daily. Charismatic coffee shop in a converted house offers a range of panini, caffeinated favorites and free Wi-Fi. The front porch is a prime spot for people-watching along adjacent Magazine Street. $

Café Maspero 601 Decatur St., 523-6250, French Quarter. L, D daily. Tourists line up for their generous portions of seafood and large deli sandwiches. $ Café Minh 4139 Canal St., 482-6266, MidCity, CafeMinh.com. L Mon-Fri., D Mon-Sat. Chef Minh Bui and Cynthia Vutran bring their fusion-y touch with Vietnamese cuisine to this corner location. French accents and a contem-

Mr. John’s Expands Into Desi Vega’s Steakhouse

Desi Vega’s Steakhouse, 628 St. Charles Ave., 523-7600, DesiVegaSteaks.com;

Mr. John’s Steakhouse, 2111 St. Charles Ave., 679-7697, MrJohnsSteakhouse.com

Desi Vega, the managing partner of Mr. John’s Steakhouse, and his partners have opened the Desi Vega Steakhouse in the Central Business District.

Situated in the site of the former Mike’s on the Avenue, it presents a classic steakhouse menu with Creole favorites. Vega explains that after turning too many people away on a regular basis, they realized they needed a second location. An alumnus of Commander’s Palace, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Emeril’s, Vega promises both locations will deliver on warm hospitality, first-class service and unforgettable food. – Mi r e l l a c a m e r a n 92

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porary flair make this one of the more notable cross-cultural venues in town. New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 Maître D’ of the Year. $$

the original waiters have returned. The new downtown location has a liquor license and credit cards are now accepted. $

Café Negril 606 Frenchmen St., 944-4744,

Capdeville 520 Capdeville St., 371-5161,

Marigny. D daily. This music club draws locals in with its lineup of live reggae and blues. Tacos and barbecue in back are a plus for late-night revelers. $

French Quarter, CapdevilleNola.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Capdeville is an upscale bar-bistro with a short but interesting menu of food that’s a mix of comfort and ambition. Burgers are on offer, but so are fried red beans and rice – a take on calas or Italian arancini. $$

Café Nino 1510 S. Carrollton Ave., 8659200, Carrollton. L, D daily. Nondescript exterior belies old-school Italian hideaway serving up red-sauce classics like lasagna, along with some of the more under-the-radar New York-style thin crust pizza in town. $$

Café Opera 541 Bourbon St., 648-2331, Inside Four Points by Sheraton, French Quarter. B, L daily, D Thu-Sat. Chef Philippe Andreani serves Creole and Continental classics on the site of the old French Opera House. Choices include crabmeat beignets with corn maque choux as well as fried green tomatoes with shrimp remoulade. Validated parking is offered for dine-in. Free valet parking. $$$

Cake Café 2440 Chartres St., 943-0010, Marigny, NolaCakes.com. B, L Wed-Mon. The name may read cakes but this café, helmed by head baker Steve Himelfarb, offers a whole lot more, including fresh baked goods and a full breakfast menu along with sandwiches. A popular place to while away a slow New Orleans morning with a coffee and a slice. $

Camellia Grill 626 S. Carrollton Ave., 3092679, Uptown; 540 Chartres St., 522-1800, Downtown. B, L, D daily, until 1 a.m. SunThu and 3 a.m. Fri-Sat. The venerable diner has reopened following an extensive renovation and change in ownership (in 2006).

Patrons can rest assured that its essential character has remained intact and many of

Carmo 527 Julia St., 875-4132, Warehouse District, CafeCarmo.com. L Mon-Sat., D TueSat. Caribbean-inspired fare offers a creative array of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free fare in a sleek location on Julia Street. One of the few places in the city where healthy dining is celebrated rather than accommodated. $$

Carmelo Ristorante 1901 Highway 190, (985) 624-4844, Mandeville, RistoranteCarmelo.com. L, D Wed-Mon, Sun-Mon. Italian trattoria serves old-world classics. Private rooms available. $$ Casamento’s 4330 Magazine St., 895-9761, Uptown, CasamentosRestaurant.com. L TueSat, D Thu-Sat. The family-owned restaurant has shucked oysters and fried seafood since 1919; closed during summer and for all major holidays. $$

CC’s Community Coffee House Multiple locations: CCsCoffee.com. Coffeehouse specializing in coffee, espresso drinks and pastries. $

Chateau du Lac 2037 Metairie Road, 831-3773, Old Metairie, ChateauduLacBistro. com. L Tues-Fri, D Mon-Sat. This casual French bistro, run by chef-owner Jacques Saleun, offers up classic dishes such as escargot, coq au vin and blanquette de veau.

A Provençal-inspired atmosphere and French

wine round out the appeal. $$$$

Checkered Parrot 133 Royal St., 592-1270, French Quarter; 3629 Prytania St., Uptown; CheckeredParrot.com. B, L, D daily. The Checkered Parrot is an upscale sports bar with a large menu, featuring nachos, fajitas, wings in seven flavors, wraps and burgers and an outdoor patio. $$

Cheesecake Bistro by Copeland’s 4517 Veterans Blvd., 454-7620, Metairie; 2001 St. Charles Ave., 593-9955, Garden District; CopelandsCheesecakeBistro.com. Br Sun, L, D daily. Dessert fans flock to this sweet-centric Copeland establishment which also offers extensive lunch and dinner menus. $$$

Chiba 8312 Oak St., 826-9119, Carrollton, chiba-nola.com. L Wed-Sat, D Mon-Sat. Contemporary restaurant features fresh, exotic fish from all over the world and fusion fare to go along with typical Japanese options. Externsive sake list and late night happy hours are a plus. $$$

Chophouse New Orleans 322 Magazine St., 522-7902, CBD, ChophouseNola.com. D daily. In addition to USDA prime grade aged steaks prepared under a broiler that reaches 1,700 degrees, Chophouse offers lobster, redfish and classic steakhouse sides. $$$

Clancy’s 6100 Annunciation St., 895-1111, Uptown, ClancysNewOrleans.com. L Thu-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Their Creole-inspired menu has been a favorite of locals for years. $$$ Cochon 930 Tchoupitoulas St., 588-2123, CBD/Warehouse District, CochonRestaurant. com. L, D, Mon-Sat. Chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski showcase Cajun and Southern cuisine at this Warehouse District hot spot. Boudin and other pork dishes reign supreme here, along with Louisiana seafood and real moonshine from the bar.

New Orleans Magazine named Link Chef of the Year 2009. Reservations strongly recommended. $$

Commander’s Palace 1403 Washington Ave., 899-8221, Uptown, CommandersPalace. com. L Mon-Fri, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. The Grande Dame in the Garden District is going strong under the auspices of chef Tory McPhail. The turtle soup might be the best in the city, and its weekend Jazz Brunch is a great deal. $$$$ Cooter Brown’s 509 S. Carrollton Ave., 866-9104, Uptown, CooterBrowns.com. L, D daily. Riverbend-area sports bar serves up the city’s largest selection of beers along with great bar food. The cheese fries are a rite of passage, and the Radiator’s Special poor boy makes for a great late-night meal. $

Copeland’s Multiple locations: CopelandsofNewOrleans.com. L, D daily, Br Sun. Al Copeland’s namesake chain includes favorites such as Shrimp Ducky. Popular for lunch. $$

Coquette 2800 Magazine St., 265-0421, Uptown, Coquette-Nola.com. L Wed-Sat, D Wed-Mon, Br Sun. A bistro located at the corner of Washington and Magazine streets. The food is French in inspiration and technique, with added imagination from chef Michael Stoltzfus (New Orleans Magazine’s Best New Chef 2009) and his partner Lillian Hubbard. $$$

Corky’s Bar-B-Q Restaurant 4243 Veterans Blvd., 887-5000, Metairie, CorkysBarBQ.com. L, D daily. Memphisbased barbecue chain offers good hickorysmoked ribs, pork and beef in a family setting with catering service available. $ Court of Two Sisters 613 Royal St., 5227261, French Quarter, CourtOfTwoSisters. com. Br, D daily. The historic environs

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T HE M E N U make for a memorable outdoor dining experience. The famous daily Jazz Brunch buffet and classic Creole dishes sweeten the deal. $$$$$

Crabby Jack’s 428 Jefferson Highway, 833-2722, Jefferson. L Mon-Sat. Lunch outpost of Jacques-Imo’s chef and owner Jack Leonardi. Famous for its fried seafood and poor boys including fried green tomatoes and roasted duck. $

Crépes a la Carte 1039 Broadway St., 866-236, Uptown, CrepeCaterer.com. B, L, D daily. Open late. An extensive menu of tasty crêpes, both savory and sweet, make this a great spot for a quick bite for college students and locals. $

Crescent City Brewhouse 527 Decatur St.,866-2362, French Quarter, CrescentCityBrehouse.com. L, D daily.

Contemporary brewpub features an eclectic menu complementing its freshly brewed wares. Live jazz and good location make it a fun place to meet up. $$$

Crescent City Steaks 1001 N. Broad St., 821-3271, Mid-City, CrescentCitySteaks.com.

L Tue-Fri & Sun, D daily. One of the classic New Orleans steakhouses, it’s a throwback in every sense of the term. Steaks, sides and drinks are what you get at Crescent City. New Orleans Magazine’s Steakhouse of the Year 2009 and Honor Roll honoree 2007. $$$$

Criollo 214 Royal St., Hotel Monteleone, 681-4444, French Quarter, CriolloNola.com.

B, L, D daily. Next to the famous Carousel Bar in the historic Monteleone Hotel, Criollo represents an amalgam of the various cultures reflected in Louisiana cooking and cuisine, often with a slight contemporary twist. $$$ The Crystal Room Le Pavillon Hotel, 833 Poydras St., 581-3111, CBD/Warehouse District, LePavillon.com. B, D daily; L, MonFri. Franco-American cuisine with Louisiana influences is served in the environs of the Le Pavillon Hotel. The Southern-style breakfast features its decadent Bananas Foster Waffle “Le Pavillon.” $$$ Dakota 629 N. Highway 190, (985) 8923712, Covington, TheDakotaRestaurant. com. L Tues-Fri, D Mon-Sat. A sophisticated dining experience with generous portions. $$$$$ The Delachaise 3442 St. Charles Ave., 895-0858, Uptown, TheDelachaise.com. L Fri-Sun, D daily. Elegant bar food fit for the wine connoisseur; kitchen open late. $$

DINING GUIDE

borhood seafood joint in historic Algiers Point near the ferry landing. Burgers, sandwiches and fried seafood are the staples. $$

El Gato Negro Multiple locations: Dick and Jenny’s 4501 Tchoupitoulas St., 894-9880, Uptown, DickAndJennys.com. Br Sun, L Tue-Fri, D Mon-Sat. A funky cottage serving Louisiana comfort food with flashes of innovation. $$$$

Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House 144 Bourbon St., 522-0111, French Quarter, BourbonHouse.com. B, L, D daily. Classic Creole dishes such as redfish on the halfshell and baked oysters are served with classic Brennan’s style at this French Quarter outpost. Its extensive bourbon menu will please aficionados. New Orleans Magazine’s 2011 Oyster Bar of the Year. $$$$ Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse 716 Iberville St., 522-2467, French Quarter, DickieBrennansSteakhouse.com. L Fri, D daily. Nationally recognized steakhouse serves USDA Prime steaks and local seafood in a New Orleans setting with the usual Brennan’s family flair. $$$$$

Domenica The Roosevelt Hotel, 123 Baronne St., 648-6020, CBD, DomenicaRestaurant.com. L, D daily. New Orleans Magazine’s 2012 Chef of the Year Alon Shaya serves authentic, regional Italian cuisine in John Besh’s sophisticated new restaurant. The menu of thin, lightly topped pizzas, artisanal salumi and cheese, and a carefully chosen selection of antipasti, pasta and entrées, feature locally raised products, some from Besh’s Northshore farm. $$$$

Domilise’s 5240 Annunciation St., 8999126, Uptown. L, D Mon-Wed, Fri-Sat. Local institution and rite-of-passage for those wanting an initiation to the real New Orleans.

Wonderful poor boys and a unique atmosphere make this a one-of-a-kind place. $

Dong Phuong 14207 Chef Menteur Highway, 254-0214, N.O. East. L Wed-Mon. Vietnamese bakery and restaurant in the community of Versailles makes great banh mi sandwiches and interesting baked goods both savory and sweet. Unbeatable prices. $

Drago’s 3232 N. Arnoult Road, 888-9254, Metairie; Hilton Riverside Hotel, 2 Poydras St., 584-3911, CBD/Warehouse District; DragosRestaurant.com. L, D daily (Hilton), L, D Mon-Sat (Metairie). This famous seafooder specializes in charbroiled oysters, a dish they invented. Raucous but good-natured atmosphere makes this a fun place to visit. Great deals on fresh lobster as well. $$$$

ElGatoNegroNola.com. Popular spot serves up authentic Central Mexican cuisine along with hand-muddled mojitos and margaritas made with freshly squeezed juice. A weekend breakfast menu is an additional plus. $$

Elizabeth’s 601 Gallier St., 944-9272, Bywater, ElizabethsRestaurantNola.com. B, L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat, Br Sat-Sun. This eclectic local restaurant draws rave reviews for its praline bacon and distinctive Southerninspired brunch specials. $$$

Galatoire’s 33 Bar & Steak 215 Bourbon St., 335-3932, French Quarter. L Fri, D Sun-Thurs. Galatoires33BarAndSteak. com. Steakhouse offshoot of the venerable Creole Grande Dame offers hand-crafted cocktails to accompany classic steakhouse fare as well as inspired dishes like the Gouté 33 – horseradish-crusted bone marrow and deviled eggs with crab ravigote and smoked trout. Reservations are accepted. $$$

Emeril’s 800 Tchoupitoulas St., 528-9393, CBD/Warehouse District, EmerilsRestaurants. com. L Mon-Fri, D daily. The flagship of superstar chef Emeril Lagasse’s culinary empire, this landmark attracts pilgrims from all over the world. $$$$$

Gallagher’s Grill 509 S. Tyler St., (985) 892-9992, Covington, GallaghersGrill.com. L, D Tue-Sat. Chef Pat Gallagher’s destination restaurat offers al fresco seating to accompany classicaly inspired New Orleans fare.

Event catering is offered as well. $$$

Feelings Cafe 2600 Chartres St., 945-2222, Faubourg Marigny, FeelingsCafe.com. D WedSun, Br Sun. Romantic ambiance and skillfully created dishes, such as veal d’aunoy, make dining here on the patio a memorable experience. A piano bar on Fridays adds to the atmosphere. Vegan menu offered. $$$$

Galley Seafood 2535 Metairie Road, 8320955, Metairie. L, D Tue-Sat. TheGalleySeafood. com. A great local place for seafood, both fried and boiled. Famous for its softshell crab poor boy, a Jazz Fest favorite. $$

Fellini’s Café 900 N. Carrollton Ave., 4882155, Bayou St. John. L, D daily. With décor inspired by its namesake Italian filmmaker, this casual indoor/outdoor spot serves large portions of reasonably-priced Mediterranean specialties such as pizza, pastas and hummus. $

Gautreau’s 1728 Soniat St., 899-7397, Uptown, GautreausRestaurant.com. D, Mon-Sat. Upscale destination serves refined interpretations of classics along with contemporary creations in a clubby setting nested deep within a residential neighborhood. New Orleans Magazine named Sue Zemanick Chef of the Year 2008. $$$$$

Fiesta Latina 1924 Airline Drive, 468-2384, Kenner, FiestaLatinaRestaurant.com. B, L, D daily. A big-screen TV normally shows a soccer match or MTV Latino at this home for authentic Central American food. Tacos include a charred carne asada. New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 Latin Restaurant of the Year. $$

GG’s Dine-o-rama 3100 Magazine St., 373-6579, Uptown, GGsNewOrleans.com. B Sat, L, Tue-Sun, D Tue-Fri., Br Sun. Upscalecasual restaurant serves a variety of specialty sandwiches, salads and wraps, like the Chicago-style hot dog and the St. Paddy’s Day Massacre – chef Gotter’s take on the Rueben. $$

Five Happiness 3605 S. Carrollton Ave.,

Gracious Bakery + Café 1000 S. Jeff

482-3935, Mid-City, FiveHappiness.com. L, D daily. This longtime Chinese favorite offers up an extensive menu including its beloved mu shu pork and house baked duck. A popular choice for families as well. $$

Flaming Torch 737 Octavia St., 895-0900, Uptown, FlamingTorchNola.com. L MonSat, D daily, Br Sun. French classics including a tasty onion soup make this a nice place for a slightly upscale lunch while shopping along Magazine Street. $$

Dry Dock Cafe & Bar 133 Delaronde St.,

Frank’s 933 Decatur St., 525-1602, French Quarter. L, D daily. Locally inspired Italian sandwiches such as muffulettas and Genoa salami poor boys are served here in the heart of the French Quarter. $$$

361-8240, Algiers, TheDryDockCafe.com. L, D daily, Br Sun. Fancier daily specials have been added to the menu of this casual neigh-

Galatoire’s 209 Bourbon St., 525-2021, French Quarter, Galatoires.com. L, D TueSun. Friday lunches are a New Orleans

Summertime Specials at Landry’s 400 N. Peters St., 558-0038; 8000 Lakeshore Drive, 283-1010; LandrysSeafood.com

Landry’s Seafood restaurants are adding some Summertime Specials to their menus. Items such as Avery Island Shrimp, Crispy Soft Shell Crab, Captain Jimmy’s Bayou Shrimp and Crab, Crab-Stuffed Creole Tomato, Peppered Shrimp and Balsamic Strawberries and Artichoke with Texas Shrimp Salad, will be available at both the Lakeshore Drive and French Quarter locations. In addition an amped up Barbecue Shrimp and Firecracker Shrimp have become permanent fixtures on the menu and are already top sellers. The French Quarter location, which has live music on Fridays, is joining the Lakeshore Drive restaurant in starting a daily 4 to 6 p.m. Happy Hour, making it easier than ever to enjoy the long summer nights. – M . c .

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tradition at this world-famous French-Creole grand dame. Tradition counts for everything here, and the crabmeat Sardou is delicious.

Note: Jackets required for dinner and all day Sun. $$$$$

Davis Parkway, Suite 100, 301-3709, MidCity, GraciousBakery.com. B, L Mon-Sat. Boutique bakery in the ground floor of the new Woodward Building offers small-batch coffee, baked goods, individual desserts and sandwiches on breads made in-house.

Catering options are available as well. $

The Green Goddess 307 Exchange Place, 301-3347, French Quarter, GreenGoddessNola.com. L, D Wed-Sun. Located in a tiny space, the Green Goddess is one of the most imaginative restaurants in New Orleans. The menu is constantly changing, and chef Paul Artigues always has ample vegetarian options. Combine all of that with a fantastic selection of drinks, wine and beer, and it’s the total (albeit small) package. $$ The Grill Room Windsor Court Hotel, 300 Gravier St., 522-1994, CBD/Warehouse District, GrillRoomNewOrleans.com. B, L, D daily, Br Sun. Jazz Brunch on Sunday with live music. Featuring modern American cuisine with a distinctive New Orleans flair, the adjacent Polo Club Lounge offers live music nightly. $$$$$

GW Fins 808 Bienville St., 581-FINS (3467), French Quarter, GWFins.com. D daily. To ensure the best possible flavors at GW Fins, owners Gary Wollerman and New Orleans Magazine’s 2005 and 2001 Chef of the Year Tenney Flynn provide dishes at their seasonal peak by flying in products from around the globe. That commitment to freshness and quest for unique variety are two of the reasons why the menu is printed daily. $$$$$ Herbsaint 701 St. Charles Ave., 524-4114, CBD/Warehouse District, Herbsaint.com. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Enjoy a sophisticated cocktail before sampling Chef Donald Link’s

(New Orleans Magazine’s Chef of the Year 2009) menu that melds contemporary bistro fare with classic Louisiana cuisine. The banana brown butter tart is a favorite dessert. $$$$$

Horinoya 920 Poydras St., 561-8914, CBD/ Warehouse District. L, D daily. Excellent Japanese dining in an understated and oftoverlooked location. The chu-toro is delicious and the selection of authentic Japanese appetizers is the best in the city. $$$ Hoshun Restaurant 1601 St. Charles Ave., 302-9716, Garden District, HoshunRestaurant.com. L, D daily. Hoshun offers a wide variety of Asian cuisines, primarily dishes culled from China, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia. Their five-pepper calamari is a tasty way to begin the meal, and their creative sushi rolls are good as well. $$ House of Blues 225 Decatur St., 310-4999, French Quarter, HouseOfBlues.com. L, D daily. World-famous Gospel Brunch every Sunday. Surprisingly good menu makes this a complement to the music in the main room.

Patio seating is available as well. $$

Il Posto Café 4607 Dryades St., 895-2620, Uptown, ilPostoCafe-Nola.com. B, L, D Tue-Sat, B, L Sun. Italian café specializes in pressed panini, like its Milano, featuring sopressata, Fontina, tomatoes and balsamic on ciabatta. Soups, imported coffee and H&H bagels make this a comfortable neighborhood spot to relax with the morning paper. $ Impastato’s 3400 16th St., 455-1545, Metairie, Impastatos.com. D Tue-Sat. Bustling Italian restaurant on the edge of Fat City serves homemade pasta in a convivial atmosphere. Chef/Owner Joe Impastato greets guests warmly and treats them like family. The prix fixe options are a good way

to taste a lot for not much money. $$$$

Irene’s Cuisine 539 St. Philip St., 5298811, French Quarter. D Mon-Sat. Long waits at the lively piano bar are part of the appeal of this Creole-Italian favorite beloved by locals. Try the oysters Irene and crabmeat gratin appetizers. $$$$

Iris 321 N. Peters St., 299-3944, French Quarter, IrisNewOrleans.com. L Fri, D Mon, Wed-Sat. This inviting bistro offers sophisticated fare in a charming setting. The veal cheek ravioli is a winner. New Orleans Magazine’s Best New Restaurant 2006. $$$$

Jack Dempsey’s 738 Poland Ave., 9439914, Bywater, JackDempseys.net. L Tue-Sat, D Wed-Sat. Local favorite nestled deep in the heart of the Bywater is known for its stuffed flounder and baked macaroni served in generous portions. $$$

Jacques-Imo’s Cafe 8324 Oak St., 8610886, Uptown, Jacques-Imos.com. D MonSat. Reinvented New Orleans cuisine are served in a party atmosphere at this Oak Street institution. The deep-fried roast beef poor boy is delicious. The lively bar scene offsets the long wait on weekends. $$$$

Jamila’s Mediterranean Tunisian Cuisine 7808 Maple St., 866-4366, Uptown.

D Tue-Sun. Intimate and exotic bistro serving Mediterranean and Tunisian cuisine. The Grilled Merguez is a Jazz Fest favorite and vegetarian options are offered. $$

Jeff’s Creole Grille 5241 Veterans Blvd., 889-7992, Metairie, JeffsCreoleGrille.com.

L, D Mon-Sat. This quaint, upscale restaurant offers a variety of classic New Orleans cuisine, fresh fish and homemade soups and salads with early bird and daily chef specials. $$

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Café

1104 Decatur St., 592-2565, French Quarter, MargaritavilleNewOrleans.com. L, D daily.

Parrotheads and other music lovers flock to Jimmy’s outpost along the more local-friendly stretch of Decatur. Strong bar menu and stronger drinks keep them coming back. $$

Prudhomme’s landmark restaurant helped introduce Cajun food to a grateful nation.

Lots of seasoning and bountiful offerings, along with reserved seating, make this a destination for locals and tourists alike. $$$$

Joey K’s 3001 Magazine St., 891-0997,

KyotoNola.com. L, D Mon-Sat. A neighborhood sushi restaurant where the regulars order off-the-menu rolls. $$

Uptown, JoeyKsRestaurant.com. L, D MonSat. A true neighborhood New Orleans restaurant with daily lunch plates keeps it real; red beans and rice are classic. $

The Joint 701 Mazant St., 949-3232, Bywater, AlwaysSmokin.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Some of the city’s best barbecue can be had at this locally owned and operated favorite in Bywater. $ Juan’s Flying Burrito 2018 Magazine St., 569-0000, Uptown; 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., 486-9950, Mid-City. L, D daily. Hard-core tacos and massive burritos are served in an edgy atmosphere. $ Jung’s Golden Dragon 3009 Magazine St., 891-8280, Uptown, JungsChinese.com. L, D daily. This Chinese destination is a real find.

Along with the usual you’ll find spicy cold noodle dishes and dumplings. This is one of the few local Chinese places that breaks the Americanized mold. New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 Chinese Restaurant of the Year. $ Kosher Cajun New York Deli and Grocery 3519 Severn Ave., 888-2010, Metairie, KosherCajun.com. L Mon-Fri & Sun, D Mon-Thu. Great kosher meals and complete kosher grocery in the rear make this Metairie eatery a unique destination. The matzo ball soup is a winner and catering is available for parties of any size. $

K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen 416 Chartres St., 596-2530, French Quarter, ChefPaul. com/KPaul. L Thu-Sat, D Mon-Sat. Paul

Kyoto 4920 Prytania St., 891-3644, Uptown,

La Boca 870 Tchoupitoulas St.,525-8205, Warehouse District, LaBocaSteaks.com. D Mon-Sat. This Argentine steakhouse specializes in cuts of meat along with pastas and wines. Specials include the provoleta appetizer and the Vacio flank steak. New Orleans Magazine’s Chef of the Year 2010 & 2006 Steakhouse of the Year. $$$ Lakeview Harbor 911 Harrison Ave., 4864887, Lakeview, BestNewOrleansBurger.com.

L, D daily. Burgers are the name of the game here at this restaurant which shares a pedigree with Snug Harbor and Port of Call. Rounded out with a loaded baked potato, their halfpound patties are sure to please. Daily specials, pizza and steaks are offered as well. $ La Macarena Pupuseria & Latin Cafe 8120 Hampson St., 862-5252, Uptown.

PupusasNewOrleans.com. L, D Mon-Sat, Br, L, D Sat & Sun, Br Sun. This cash-only and BYOB restaurant has recently overhauled its menu, now including a large selection of vegan and vegetarian items, as well as a tapas menu. $$

La Petite Grocery 4238 Magazine St., 891-3377, Uptown, LaPetiteGrocery.com.

L Tue-Sat, D daily, Br Sun. Elegant dining in a convivial atmosphere quickly made this place an Uptown darling. The menu is heavily French-inspired with an emphasis on technique. $$$

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T HE M E N U La Provence 25020 Highway 190, (985) 626-7662, Lacombe, LaProvenceRestaurant. com. D Wed-Sun, Br Sun. John Besh (New Orleans Magazine’s Chef of the Year 2007) upholds time-honored Provençal cuisine and rewards his guests with a true farm-life experience, from house-made preserves, charcuterie, herbs, kitchen gardens and eggs cultivated on the property, an elegant French colonial stucco house. $$$$$ La Thai Uptown 4938 Prytania St., 8998886, Uptown, LaThaiUptown.com. L, D TueSun. Uptown outpost of the Chauvin family’s ingredient-driven Thai-Cajun fusion cuisine.

The summer rolls are good as is the tom kar gai soup. Lunch specials are a good deal and vegetarian dishes are offered as well. $$ Latil’s Landing Houmas House Plantation, 40136 Highway 942, (225) 473-9380, Darrow, HoumasHouse.com. D Wed-Sun. Nouvelle Louisiane, plantation-style cooking served in an opulent setting features dishes like rack of lamb and plume de veau. $$$$$

Le Salon Windsor Court Hotel, 300 Gravier St., 596-4773, CBD/Warehouse District.

Afternoon Tea, Thu-Fri, seating at 2 p.m., Sat-Sun, seating at 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. Formal afternoon tea with harpist or string quartet served in a sophisticated atmosphere. A local mother-daughter tradition. $$ Liborio’s Cuban Restaurant 321 Magazine St., 581-9680, CBD/Warehouse District, LiborioCuban.com. L Mon-Sat, D Tue-Sat. Authentic Cuban favorites such as Ropa Vieja and pressed Cuban sandwiches along with great specials make this a popular lunch choice. $$$ Lil’ Dizzy’s Café 1500 Esplanade Ave., 5698997, Mid-City. B, L daily, D Thu-Sat. Spot local and national politicos dining at this favored Creole soul restaurant known for homey classics like fried chicken and Trout Baquet. $

Lilette 3637 Magazine St., 895-1636, Uptown, LiletteRestaurant.com. L Tue-Sat, D Mon-Sat. Chef John Harris’ innovative menu draws discerning diners to this highly regarded bistro on Magazine Street. Desserts are wonderful as well. $$$$$

Lola’s 3312 Esplanade Ave., 488-6946, MidCity. D daily. Garlicky Spanish dishes and great paella make this artsy Faubourg St. John boîte a hipster destination. $$$

Lüke 333 St. Charles Ave., 378-2840, CBD, LukeNewOrleans.com. Br Sat-Sun, B, L, D daily. John Besh (New Orleans Magazine’s Chef of the Year 2007) and executive chef Matt

DINING GUIDE Regan characterize the cuisine “Alsace meets New Orleans in an authentic brasserie setting.” Germanic specialties and French bistro classics, house-made patés and abundant plateaux of cold, fresh seafood. New Orleans Magazine’s Best New Restaurant 2007 and 2012 Raw Bar of the Year. $$$

Mahony’s 3454 Magazine St., 899-3374, Uptown, MahonysPoBoys.com. L, D MonSat. Along with the usual poor boys, this sandwich shop serves up a Grilled Shrimp and Fried Green Tomato version dressed with remoulade sauce. Sandwich offerings are augmented by a full bar. $ Mandina’s 3800 Canal St., 482-9179, MidCity, MandinasRestaurant.com. L, D daily.

Quintessential New Orleans neighborhood institution reopened following an extensive renovation. Though the ambiance is more upscale, the same food and seafood dishes make dining here a New Orleans experience.

New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year. $$

Manning’s 519 Fulton St., 593-8118, Warehouse District. L, D daily. Born of a partnership between New Orleans’ First Family of Football and Harrah’s Casino, Manning’s offers sports bar fans a step up in terms of comfort and quality. With a menu that draws on both New Orleans and the Deep South, traditional dishes get punched up with inspired but accessible twists in surroundings accented by both memorabilia and local art. $$$

Maple Street Café 7623 Maple St., 3149003, Uptown. L, D daily. Casual dinner spot serving Mediterranean-inspired pastas and Italian-style entrées, along with heartier fare such as duck and filet mignon. $$

The Marigny Brasserie 640 Frenchmen St., 945-4472, Faubourg Marigny, MarignyBrasserie.com. L, D daily. Chic neighborhood bistro with traditional dishes like the Wedge of Lettuce salad and innovative cocktails like the Cucumber Cosmo. $$$

Martin Wine Cellar Multiple locations: MartinWine.com. Wine by the glass or bottle to go with daily lunch specials, towering burgers, hearty soups, salads and giant, delistyle sandwiches. $ Mat & Naddie’s 937 Leonidas St., 8619600, Uptown, MatAndNaddies.com. D MonTue, Thu-Sat. Cozy converted house along River Road serves up creative and eclectic regionally inspired fare. Shrimp and crawfish croquettes make for a good appetizer and

when the weather is right the romantic patio is the place to sit. $$$$

Roll winner. Note: Cash Only. $$$

Maximo’s Italian Grill 1117 Decatur St.,

Warehouse District, MothersRestaurant.net.

B, L, D daily. Locals and tourists alike endure long queues and a confounding ordering system to enjoy iconic dishes such as the Ferdi poor boy and Jerry’s jambalaya. Come for a late lunch to avoid the rush. $$

586-8883, French Quarter. MaximosGrill. com. D Daily. Italian destination on Decatur Street features a sprawling menu including housemade salumi and antipasti as well as old school classics like veal osso bucco.

Private dining is offered for special events.

New Orleans Magazine’s 2012 Continental Italian Restaurant of the Year. $$$

Middendorf’s Interstate 55, Exit 15, 30160 Highway 51 South, (985) 386-6666, Akers, MiddendorfsRestaurant.com. L, D Wed-Sun. Historic seafood destination along the shores of Lake Maurepas is world-famous for its thin-fried catfish fillets. Open since 1934, it transitioned to its next generation of owners when Horst Pfeifer purchased it in 2007.

More than a restaurant, this is a Sunday Drive tradition. $$

MiLa 817 Common St., 412-2580, French Quarter, MiLaNewOrleans.com. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Latest offering from husbandand-wife chefs Slade Rushing and Allison Vines-Rushing focuses on the fusion of the cuisines of Miss. and La. New Orleans Magazine’s Best New Restaurant 2008. $$$$ Mona’s Café 504 Frenchmen St., 949-4115, Marigny; 4126 Magazine St., 894-9800, Uptown; 1120 S. Carrollton Ave., 861-8174, Uptown; 3901 Banks St., 482-7743, Mid-City.

L, D daily. Middle Eastern specialties such as baba ganuj, tender-tangy beef or chicken shawarma, falafel and gyros, stuffed into pillowy pita bread or on platters. The lentil soup with crunchy pita chips and desserts, such as sticky sweet baklava, round out the menu. New Orleans Magazine’s 2012 Middle Eastern Restaurant of the Year. $

Mondo 900 Harrison Ave., 224-2633, Lakeview, MondoNewOrleans.com. Br Sun, L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 Chef of the Year Susan Spicer’s take on world cuisine isn’t far from her home in Lakeview. Make sure to call ahead because the place has a deserved reputation for good food and good times. $$$ Morton’s, The Steakhouse The Shops at Canal Place, 365 Canal St., 566-0221, French Quarter, Mortons.com/NewOrleans. D daily.

Quintessential Chicago steakhouse serves up top-quality slabs of meat along with jumbo seafood. Clubhouse atmosphere makes this chophouse a favorite of Saints players and businessmen alike. $$$$$

Mosca’s 4137 Highway 90 West, 463-8950, Avondale. D Tue-Sat. Italian institution near the Huey Long Bridge dishes out massive portions of great food family-style. Good bets are the shrimp Mosca and chicken à la grande. New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 Honor

Mother’s 401 Poydras St., 523-9656, CBD/

Mr. Ed’s Seafood and Italian Restaurant 1001 Live Oak St., 838-0022, Bucktown; 910 W. Esplanade Ave., Ste. A, 463-3030, Kenner. AustinsNo.com L, D MonSat. Neighborhood restaurant specializes in seafood and Italian offerings such as stuffed eggplant and bell pepper. Fried seafood and sandwiches make it a good stop for lunch. $$

Muriel’s Jackson Square 801 Chartres St., 568-1885, French Quarter, Muriels.com.

L, D daily, Br Sun. Enjoy pecan-crusted drum and other New Orleans classics while dining in the courtyard bar or any other room in this labyrinthine, rumored-to-be-haunted establishment. $$$$ Naked Pizza 6307 S. Miro St., 865-0244, Uptown (takeout & delivery only), NakedPizza. biz. L, D daily. Pizza place with a focus on fresh ingredients and a healthy crust. The Mediterranean pie is a good choice. $ Napoleon House 500 Chartres St., 5249752, French Quarter, NapoleonHouse.com. L Mon-Sat, D Tue-Sat. Originally built in 1797 as a respite for Napoleon, this family-owned European-style café serves local favorites: gumbo, jambalaya, muffulettas and for sipping, a Sazerac or lemony Pimm’s Cup. $$ Nine Roses 1100 Stephen St., 366-7665, Gretna, NineRosesResturant.com. L, D SunTue, Thu-Sat. The extensive Vietnamese menu specializes in hot pots, noodles and dishes big enough for everyone to share.

Great for families. $$ NOLA 534 St. Louis St., 522-6652, French Quarter, Emerils.com. L Thu-Sun, D daily.

Emeril’s more affordable eatery, featuring cedar-plank-roasted redfish; private dining. $$$$$

Nuvolari’s 246 Girod St., (985) 6265619, Mandeville, Nuvolaris.com. D daily.

Dark woods and soft lighting highlight this Northshore Creole Continental-Italian fusion restaurant famous for crabmeat ravioli, veal dishes, seafood specialties and delectable desserts. $$$$

Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar and Bistro 720 Orleans Ave., 523-1930, French Quarter, OrleansGrapevine.com. D daily. Wine is the muse at this beautifully renovated French Quarter bistro, which offers vino by the flight, glass and bottle. A classic menu with an emphasis on New Orleans cuisine adds to the appeal. $$$

Palace Café 605 Canal St., 523-1661, CBD/

Gallagher’s, Where Surf or Turf is a Hard Choice

509 S. Tyler St., Covington, (985) 892-9992, GallaghersGrill.com

Pat Gallagher is looking forward to summer … once again he’ll be offering the widest selection of fresh Gulf seafood on a daily basis, at his Gallagher’s Grill and Courtyard restaurant in Covington. The fish dishes will have to beat out the prime sizzling steaks, soups and salads on an extensive menu that includes some original Gallagher signature dishes such as grilled quail and lamb chops. A Northshore veteran chef of 30 years, Gallagher offers patrons white tablecloth ambience, a casual wood lined bar and patio dining all in one location. – M . c .

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Warehouse District, PalaceCafe.com. L MonSat, D daily, Br Sun. Dickie Brennan-owned brasserie with French-style sidewalk seating and house-created specialties of chef Darrin Nesbit at lunch, dinner and Jazz Brunch.

Favorites here include crabmeat cheesecake, turtle soup, the Werlein salad with fried Louisiana oysters and pork ”debris” studded Palace Potato Pie. $$$$$

Parkway Bakery and Tavern 538 Hagan Ave., 482-3047, Mid-City, ParkwayBakeryAndTavernNola.com. L, D daily, closed Tue. Featured on national TV and served poor boys to presidents, it stakes a claim to some of the best sandwiches in town. Their french fry version with gravy and cheese is a classic at a great price. $

Pascal’s Manale 1838 Napoleon Ave., 895-4877, Uptown. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat.

theresa c assagne photograph

Vintage New Orleans neighborhood restaurant since 1913 and the place to go for the house-creation of barbecued shrimp. Its oyster bar serves icy cold, freshly shucked Louisiana oysters and the Italian specialties and steaks are also solid. $$$$

Patois 6078 Laurel St., 895-9441, Uptown, PatoisNola.com. Br Sun, L Fri, D Wed-Sat. The food is French in technique, with influences from across the Mediterranean as well as the American South, all filtered through the talent of Chef Aaron Burgau (New Orleans Magazine’s Best New Chef 2009).

Reservations recommended. $$$ Paul’s Café 100 E. Pine St., (985) 3869581, Ponchatoula, PaulsCafe.net. B, L daily.

Best known for its strawberry daiquiris, Paul’s also cooks up egg breakfasts and lunches including all manner of sandwiches and poor boys. $

The Pelican Club 312 Exchange Place,

then it’s all about the Monsoons. $$

René Bistrot 700 Tchoupitoulas St.,

Praline Connection 542 Frenchmen

613-2350, CBD/Warehouse District, LaCoteBrasserie.com. Br Sun, L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Fresh local seafood, international ingredients and a contemporary atmosphere fill the room at this hotel restaurant near the Convention Center. $$$

St., 943-3934, Faubourg Marigny, PralineConnection.com. L, D daily. Downhome dishes of smothered pork chops, greens, beans and cornbread are on the menu at this Creole soul restaurant. $$

Ralph Brennan’s Red Fish Grill 115 Bourbon St., 598-1200, French Quarter, RedFishGrill.com. L Daily, D Mon-Thu & Sun. Chef Austin Kirzner cooks up a broad menu peppered with Big Easy favorites such as barbecue oysters, blackened redfish and double chocolate bread pudding. $$$$$ Ralph’s On The Park 900 City Park Ave., 488-1000, Mid-City, RalphsOnThePark.com.

Br Sun, L Tue-Fri, D daily. A modern interior, a view of City Park’s moss-draped oaks and contemporary Creole dishes such as City Park salad, turtle soup, barbecue Gulf shrimp and good cocktails. $$$$

523-1504, French Quarter, PelicanClub.com.

D daily. Tucked into a French Quarter alley, Pelican Club serves an eclectic mix of hip food, from the seafood “martini” to clay pot barbecued shrimp and a trio of duck. Three dining rooms available. $$$$$

The Red Maple 1036 Lafayette St., 367-

PJ’s Coffee Multiple locations: PJsCoffee. com. The city’s first iced-coffee spot that pioneered the coffee house experience in New Orleans and introduced us all to velvet ices, drinkable granitas and locally made Ronald Reginald vanilla. A wide assortment of pastries and bagels are offered as well as juices and fresh ground or whole bean coffees. $

Reginelli’s Pizzeria Multiple local loca-

Port of Call 838 Esplanade Ave., 523-0120, French Quarter, PortOfCallNola.com. L, D daily. It is all about the big, meaty burgers and giant baked potatoes in this popular bar/ restaurant – unless you’re cocktailing only,

0935, Gretna, TheRedMaple.com. L Tue-Fri, D Tue-Sat. This West Bank institution since 1963 is known for its seafood, steaks, wine list and some of the best bread pudding around. $$$$ tions: Reginellis.com. L, D daily. Pizzas, pastas, salads, fat calzones and lofty focaccia sandwiches are at locations all over town. $$

Arnaud’s Remoulade 309 Bourbon St., 523-0377, French Quarter, Remoulade. com. L, D daily. Granite-topped tables and an antique mahogany bar are home to the eclectic menu of Famous Shrimp Arnaud, red beans and rice and poor boys as well as specialty burgers, grilled all-beef hot dogs and thin-crust pizza. $$

Restaurant August 301 Tchoupitoulas St., 299-9777, CBD/Warehouse District, RestaurantAugust.com. L Fri, D daily. James Beard Award-winning chef (New Orleans Magazine’s Chef of the Year 2007) John Besh’s menu is based on classical techniques of Louisiana cuisine and produce with a splash of European flavor set in a historic carriage warehouse. $$$$$

R’evolution 777 Bienville St., 553-2277, French Quarter, RevolutionNola.com. L WedFri, D Mon-Sun, BR Sun. R’evolution is the partnership between chefs John Folse and Rick Tramonto. Located in the Royal Sonesta Hotel, it’s an opulent place that combines the local flavors of chef Folse with the more cosmopolitan influence of chef Tramonto.

Chef de cuisine Chris Lusk and executive sous chef Erik Veney are in charge of day-today operations, which include house-made charcuterie, pastries, pastas and more. New Orleans Magazine’s 2012 Restaurant of the Year. $$$$$

Ristorante Da Piero 401 Williams Blvd., 469-8585, Kenner, RistoranteDaPiero.com.

L Tue-Fri, D Tue-Sat. Homemade pastas and an emphasis on Northern Italian cuisine make this cozy spot in Kenner’s Rivertown a romantic destination. $

Rib Room Omni Royal Orleans Hotel, 621 St. Louis St., 529-7046, French Quarter, RibRoomNewOrleans.com. L, D daily, Br SatSun. Old World elegance, high ceilings and

views of Royal Street, house classic cocktails and Anthony Spizale’s broad menu of prime rib, stunning seafood and on weekends, a Champagne Brunch. $$$

Riccobono’s Panola Street Café 7801 Panola St., 314-1810, Garden District. B, L daily. This breakfast spot has been waking up bleary college students for years. The omelets and Belgian waffles are good. $ Rio Mar 800 S. Peters St., 525-3474, CBD/ Warehouse District, RioMarSeafood.com.

L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Seafood-centric Warehouse District destination focuses on Latin American and Spanish cuisines.

Try the bacalaitos and the escabeche. The tapas lunch is a great way to try a little of everything. Save room for the Tres Leches, a favorite dessert. New Orleans Magazine’s Chef of the Year 2006. $$$$ Ristorante Filippo 1917 Ridgelake Drive, 835-4008, Metairie. L, D Tue-Sat. CreoleItalian destination serves up southern Italian specialties bathed in red sauces and cheese alongside New Orleans classics like pan-fried Gulf fish and plump shellfish. $$$ River 127 Westin New Orleans Canal Place, 100 Rue Iberville, 533-5082, French Quarter.

B, L, D daily. Continental cuisine with Louisiana flair overlooking the Mississippi River and French Quarter. $$$$ Rivershack Tavern 3449 River Road, 8344938, Jefferson, TheRivershackTavern.com. L, D daily. Home of the Tacky Ashtray, this popular bar alongside the Mississippi levee offers surprisingly wide-ranging menu featuring seafood, poor boys and deli-style sandwiches along with live music. Open late. $ Rock-N-Sake 823 Fulton St., 581-7253, CBD/Warehouse District, RockNSake.com. L Fri, D Tue-Sun. Fresh sushi and contem-

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T HE M EN U porary takes on Japanese favorites in a clublike setting. Open until midnight on Fri. and Sat.; a unique late-night destination. $$$

Root 200 Julia St., 252-9480, CBD,

DINING GUIDE 901 Veterans Blvd., 835-0916, Metairie, SammysPoBoys.com. L Mon-Sat, D daily.

Bucktown transplant offers a seafood-centric menu rounded out with wraps, kid meals and catering options all at a reasonable price. $

RootNola.com. L Mon-Fri, D daily. Chef Philip Lopez opened Root in November 2011 and has garnered a loyal following for his modernist, eclectic cuisine. Try the country fried chicken wings and the Cohiba-smoked scallops crusted with chorizo. New Orleans Magazine’s 2012 Maître D’ of the Year. $$$$

Satsuma Café 3218 Dauphine St., 304-

Royal Blend Coffee and Tea House

37, Metairie, 454-7930, Semolina.com. L, D daily. This casual, contemporary pasta restaurant takes a bold approach to cooking Italian food, emphasizing flavors, texture and color; many of the dishes feature a signature Louisiana twist, such as the Muffuletta Pasta and Pasta Jambalaya. $$

621 Royal St., 523-2716, French Quarter; 204 Metairie Road, 835-7779, Metairie; RoyalBlendCoffee.com. B, L daily. Known for its frozen Café Glace and a wide selection of coffees and teas, as well as pastries, daily specials and hearty breakfasts. $

Ruth’s Chris Steak House 3633 Veterans Blvd., 888-3600, Metairie. L Fri, D daily, Br Sat-Sun; 525 Fulton St. in Harrah’s Hotel, 587-7099, L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun; RuthsChris. com. Filet Mignon, creamed spinach and potatoes au gratin are the most popular dishes at this area steak institution, but there also are great seafood choices and top-notch desserts. $$$$$ Sake Café 2830 Magazine St., 894-0033, Uptown, SakeCafeUptown.com. L, D daily.

Creative and traditional Japanese food in an ultramodern décor. Sushi and sashimi boats, wild rolls filled with the usual and not-sousual suspects and a nice bar with a number of sakes from which to choose. $$$

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5962, Bywater; 7901 Maple St., 309-5557, Uptown; SatsumaCafe.com. B, L daily (until 5 p.m.). Two locations offer healthy, inspired breakfast and lunch fare, along with freshly squeezed juices. $

Semolina 4436 Veterans Blvd., Suite

Serendipity 3700 Orleans Ave. 407-0818, Mid-City, SerendipityNola.com. D daily, Br Sun. An eclectic and far-ranging style of cuisine with classically inspired cocktails at an outpost in American Can. A late-night option as well. $$

Slice 1513 St. Charles Ave., 525-7437, Uptown; 5538 Magazine St., 897-4800; SlicePizzeria.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Order up slices or whole pizza pies done in several styles (thin- and thick-crust) as well as pastas, seafood, paninis and salads. $

Slim Goodies Diner 3322 Magazine St., 891-EGGS (3447). B, L daily. This diner offers up an exhaustive menu heavily influenced by local cuisine. Try the Creole Slammer, a breakfast platter rounded out

with Crawfish Étouffée. The laid-back vibe is best enjoyed on the patio out back. $

SoBou 310 Chartres St., 552-4095, French Quarter, SoBouNola.com. B, L, D daily. There is something for everyone at this “Modern Creole Saloon,” the latest offering from the Commander’s Restaurant Family. Decidedly unstuffy with an emphasis on craft cocktails and wines by the glass, diners will find everything from $1 pork cracklins to an extravagant foie gras burger on the accomplished yet eclectic menus. $$ Snug Harbor 626 Frenchman St., 9490696, Faubourg Marigny, SnugJazz.com.

D daily. The city’s premier jazz club serves cocktails and a dining menu loaded with steaks, seafood and meaty burgers served with loaded baked potatoes. $$$$ Stein’s Market and Deli 2207 Magazine St., 527-0771, Uptown, SteinsDeli.net. B, L, D Tue-Sun. New York meets New Orleans.

The Reuben and Rachel sandwiches are the real deal and the half-sours and pickled tomatoes complete the deli experience. $

Stella! 1032 Chartres St., 587-0091, French Quarter, RestaurantStella.com. D daily.

Global cuisine with a Louisiana blush by native son chef Scott Boswell. Dishes are always inventive and flavorful from appetizer to dessert. The wine list is bold and the service “stellar.” Boswell was New Orleans Magazine’s 2005 Chef of the Year. $$$$$ Sun Ray Grill Multiple locations: SunRayGrill. com. L, D daily, Br Sun (at Annunciation). This local chain offers a globally influenced menu with burgers, steaks, sesame crusted tuna, sandwiches and salads. $$

Surrey’s Café and Juice Bar 1418 Magazine St., 524-3828, Coliseum Square; 4807 Magazine St., 895-5757, Uptown;

SurreysCafeAndJuiceBar.com. B, L daily.

Laid-back café focuses on breakfast and brunch dishes to accompany freshly squeezed juice offerings. Health-food lovers will like it here, along with fans of favorites such as peanut butter and banana pancakes.

Note: Cash only. $$

Tan Dinh 1705 Lafayette St., 361-8008, Gretna. B, L, D Wed-Mon. Roasted quail and the beef pho rule at this Vietnamese outpost.

New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 Vietnamese Restaurant of the Year. $$ Theo’s Pizza Multiple locations: TheosPizza.com. L, D daily. The cracker-crisp crust pizzas are complemented by a broad assortment of toppings with a lot of local ingredients at cheap prices. $$ Three Muses 536 Frenchmen St., 2524801, Marigny, TheThreeMuses.com. L FriSun, D Sun-Mon, Wed-Sat. Three Muses is a bar-restaurant serving the eclectic cuisine of chef Daniel Esses. The menu changes, but expect Esses’ take on Italian, Spanish, North African and Korean cooking. Local bands provide music on a regular basis. $ Tivoli & Lee 2 Lee Circle, 962-0909, Warehouse District, TivoliAndLee.com. B, L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Progressive Southern cuisine is the focus at this sleek outpost in the Hotel Modern. Rabbit Sliders, Poke Salad and Pickled Shrimp redefine locally sourced ingredients and a craft cocktail and bourbon menu rouds out the appeal. $$$ Tommy’s Cuisine 746 Tchoupitoulas St., 581-1103, CBD/Warehouse District, TommysNewOrleans.com. D daily. Classic Creole-Italian cuisine is the name of the game at this upscale eatery. Appetizers include the namesake Oysters Tommy, baked in the shell with Romano cheese, pancetta

and roasted red pepper. $$$$$

Tony Angello’s 6262 Fleur de Lis Drive, 488-0888. Lakeview. D Tue-Sat. CreoleItalian favorite serves up fare in the completely restored Lakeview location. Ask Tony to “Feed Me” if you want a real multi-course dining experience. New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 Traditional New Orleans Italian Restaurant of the Year. $$$$

Tout de Suite Cafe 347 Verret St., 3622264, Algiers. B daily, L Tue-Sat, Br Sun. Neighborhood coffeehouse/café in historic Algiers Point offers a light menu of soups, salads and sandwiches for a quick meal or carryout. $$

Tracey’s Irish Restaurant & Bar 2604 Magazine St., 897-5413, TraeysNola.com, Uptown. L, D daily. A neighborhood bar with one of the best messy roast beef poor boys in town. The gumbo, cheeseburger poor boy and other sandwiches are also winners. Grab a local Abita beer to wash it all down. Also a great location to watch “the game.” $

Trey Yuen 600 N. Causeway Blvd., (985) 626-4476, Mandeville, TreyYuen.com. L Mon-Fri, D Daily. Chinese cuisine meets with local seafood in dishes like their Szechuan Spicy Alligator and Tong Cho Crawfish; private rooms available. $$ Tujague’s 823 Decatur St., 525-8676, French Quarter, TujaguesRestaurant.com. L Sat-Sun, D daily. For more than 150 years this landmark restaurant has been offering Creole cuisine. Favorites include a nightly sixcourse table d’hôté menu featuring a unique Beef Brisket with Creole Sauce. New Orleans Magazine’s Honor Roll honoree 2008. $$$$$

Upperline 1413 Upperline St., 891-9822, Uptown, Upperline.com. D Wed-Sun. Consummate hostess JoAnn Clevenger and

talented chef Dave Bridges make for a winning combination at this nationally heralded Uptown favorite, New Orleans Magazine’s 2012 Honor Roll winner. The oft-copied Fried Green Tomatoes with Shrimp Remoulade originated here. $$$$

Vega Tapas Café 2051 Metairie Road, 836-2007, Metairie. D Mon-Sat. Innovative establishment offers fresh seafood, grilled meats and vegetarian dishes in a chic environment. Daily chef specials showcase unique ingredients and make this place a popular destination for dates as well as groups of friends. $$

Yuki Izakaya 525 Frenchmen St., 943-1122, Marigny. D Mon-Sat. Authentic Japanese Izakaya serves small plates to late-night crowds at this unique destination.

Try the Hokke Fish or the Agedashi Tofu. An excellent sake menu rounds out the appeal, as does the sexy, club-like ambiance. $ Zea’s Rotisserie and Grill Multiple locations: ZeaRestaurants.com. L, D daily. This popular restaurant serves a variety of grilled items as well as appetizers, salads, side dishes, seafood, pasta and other entrées, drawing from a wide range of worldly influences. Zea’s also offers catering services. $$$

Venezia 134 N. Carrollton Ave., 488-7991, Mid-City, VeneziaNewOrleans.com. L Wed-Fri & Sun, D Wed-Sun. Casual neighborhood Italian destination known for its thin-crust pizzas. Good lunch specials make this a popular choice as well. $$

Zoë Restaurant W New Orleans Hotel, 333 Poydras St., 2nd Floor, 207-5018, ZoeNewOrleans.com. B, L, D daily.

Completely redone both in décor and cuisine, each section features a separate menu by executive chef Chris Brown. $$$

Vincent’s Italian Cuisine 4411 Chastant St., 885-2984, Metairie, L TueFri, D Mon-Sat; 7839 St. Charles Ave., 866-9313, Uptown. L Tue-Fri, D Tue-Sun; VicentsItalianCuisine.com. Snug Italian boîte packs them in yet manages to remain intimate at the same time. The cannelloni is a house specialty. $$$

SPECIALTY FOODS

Wolfe’s in the Warehouse 859 Convention Center Blvd., 613-2882, CBD/ Warehouse District. B, L, D daily. Chef Tom Wolfe brings his refined cuisine to the booming Fulton Street corridor. His Smoked Kobe Short Ribs are a good choice. $$$

Ye Olde College Inn 3000 S. Carrollton Ave., 866-3683, Uptown, CollegeInn1933. com. D Tue-Sat. The institution moved next door into brand-new digs but serves up the same classic fare, albeit with a few new upscale dishes peppering the menu. $$$

Antoine’s Annex 513 Royal St., 525-8045, French Quarter, Antoines.com/AntoinesAnnex. Open daily. Around the corner from the oldest continuously operated restaurant in the country, Antoine’s Annex serves French pastries, including individual baked Alaskas, ice cream and gelato, as well as panini, salads and coffee. They also deliver.

Bittersweet Confections 725 Magazine St., 523-2626, Warehouse District, BittersweetConfections.com. Open MonSat. Freshly baked cookies, cupcakes and specialty cakes. Serving handmade chocolate truffles, fudge, caramels, gelato, ice coffee, chocolate-dipped strawberries and freshly squeezed lemonade. Children’s birthday parties, chocolate tasting parties, custom chocolates and truffle party bar.

Blue Dot Donuts 5236 Tchoupitoulas St., 941-7675, Uptown. 4301 Canal St., 218-4866, Mid-City, BlueDotDonuts.com. B, L daily. Heard the one about the cops that opened a donut shop? This is no joke. The Bacon Maple Long John gets all the press, but returning customers are happy with the classics as well as twists like peanut butter and jelly. New Orleans Magazine’s 2012 Doughnut Shop of the Year.

Blue Frog Chocolates 5707 Magazine St., 269-5707, Uptown, BlueFrogChocolates. com. French and Belgian chocolate truffles and Italian candy flowers make this a great place for gifts.

Calcasieu 930 Tchoupitoulas St., 588-2188, Warehouse District, CalcasieuRooms.com.

For gatherings both large and small, the catering menus feature modern Louisiana cooking and the Cajun cuisine for which chef Donald Link is justifiably famous.

Magic Seasonings Mail Order (800) 457-2857, ChefPaul.com. Offers chef Paul Prudhomme’s famous cookbooks, smoked meats, videos, seasonings and more. Online shopping available.

St. James Cheese Company 5004 Prytania St., 899-4737, Uptown, StJamesCheese.com.

Open daily. Specialty shop offers a selection of fine cheeses, wines, beers and related accouterments. Look for wine and cheese specials every Friday.

Sucré 3025 Magazine St., 520-8311; 3301 Veterans Blvd., 834-2277; ShopSucre.com.

Desserts daily & nightly. Open late weekends.

Chocolates, pastry and gelato draw rave reviews at this sdessert destination. Beautiful packaging makes this a great place to shop for gifts. Catering available.

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In & Around NOLA: Be a Tourist in Your Own Town

W

hether you live in Harahan, Metairie, Uptown or in Lakeview, the summer vacation you’re dreaming of is right at your doorstep. Be a tourist in your own town this summer and experience the variety of fun-filled offerings in and around New Orleans. From luxurious accommodations, world-renowned food and endless shopping, to fine arts and thrilling entertainment, the region offers every piece of the vacation puzzle. Tours, circuses, art museums, outlet malls and spas – there’s something for everyone. Of course, New Orleans is known for its food, and not only its array of acclaimed Creole restaurants – sushi, steak, seafood, cafes and cocktail-centered establishments also abound. Try something new this year among the following local favorites for fashion, fun and food.

Fashion and Shopping

Since 2005, the Northshore has been home to a locally owned and nationally recognized boutique that has rescued women from years of discomfort and misguided purchases.

Bra Genie, the creation of bra-fitting expert Jeanne “Genie” Emory, has grown from a one-on-one home fitting service 102

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to a full-scale 3,500-square-foot Mandeville store with a team of 18 experienced fitters and an inventory of more than 14,000 bras of all styles, panties, shapewear, bra-sized swimwear and accessories. With the largest inventory in the South, Bra Genie stocks bands in sizes 28-50 and cups AA-K, with prices as low as $30.

The results of a proper bra fitting at Bra Genie often

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surprise women. Clothes fit better, and the right bra can make a woman appear more youthful and 10 pounds lighter by elongating the torso. In some cases, the right bra can eliminate back or neck pain as well. Bra Genie’s “Fit Guarantee” allows customers to shop with confidence.

Open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and located at 2881 Highway 190 in Mandeville, Bra Genie welcomes walk-ins. For more information, visit TheBraGenie.com, stop by the store or call 985-951-8638 to schedule your personal bra fitting.

While Trashy Diva is a distinctly New Orleans clothing company with seven locations spread across the city, their vintage-inspired designs are known and coveted worldwide. For more than 17 years, Trashy Diva has provided customers with vintage flair and classic style.

Original and vintage-inspired designs in dresses by Candice Gwinn suit a modern sensibility with a focus on creating feminine styles that flatter a variety of body types, from size 2 through 18.

Spring has arrived at Trashy Diva with a new collection of dresses in Blue Hawaii and Crepe Myrtle prints. The boutiques are also stocked with a wide selection of styles from several brands. Whether you’re looking for a nice pair of heels, a statement necklace or a sexy lingerie set, Trashy Diva has it all in stores and online.

From bustiers to burlesque, Trashy Diva now offers the ultimate party experience for your closest group of girlfriends. Celebrating a bachelorette or birthday party?

Hosting an after-hours event at a Trashy Diva Lingerie Boutique will make for a memorable night of femme fun.

Shop online or find more info at TrashyDiva.com or call 504-299-3939.

Neiman Marcus® represents the most magnificent merchandise the world has to offer. It evokes images of preeminent designers, elegant fashion, luxurious furnishings and incomparable gifts. Since its inception, Neiman Marcus has operated by a fundamental and abiding principle: to exceed customers’ expectations. After opening in 1907, the Marcus family led the management of Neiman Marcus, maintaining Herbert Marcus, Sr.’s principles: “There is never a good sale for Neiman Marcus unless it’s a good buy for the customer,” and, “We want to sell satisfaction, not just merchandise.”

In 2010, Neiman Marcus expanded its Neiman Marcus Last Call brand with Neiman Marcus Last Call Studio™, which offers convenient locations stocked exclusively with edited, in-season apparel and accessories. Last month, the newest location opened at The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk in New Orleans. Last Call Studio offers women’s designer, contemporary and career apparel and

sportswear, plus shoes, handbags, precious and designer jewelry and accessories; men’s clothing, furnishings, sportswear, shoes and accessories; and gifts, fragrance and epicure.

Visit the new location Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. through 9 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Shop 24/7 online with LastCall.com/Riverwalk.

The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk – the nation’s first upscale outlet center in a downtown setting – is proud to open in the heart of New Orleans. Featuring 75 retailers and restaurants on the banks of the majestic Mississippi River, The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk offers visitors an unforgettable experience.

Riverwalk’s location is not the only first for the upscale shopping center. Major national brands, including Neiman Marcus Last Call Studio, Coach Men’s, Tommy Bahama, Hartstrings Kids Apparel Center, IT’SUGAR, Sunglass Warehouse and New Balance Factory Store, will be opening their first locations in the market.

Discounted, validated parking is available with $20 minimum purchase for more than 2,700 nearby parking spots.

Shoppers can experience a guilt-free shopping trip through unbelievable, daily discounts of 25-65 percent off beloved designer brands.

Savor the FASHION at The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, and INDULGE in the savings at the city’s newest and most exciting shopping destination located at 500 Port of New Orleans Place. For more info, visit RiverwalkNewOrleans.com.

Summer has arrived, and you’ll want to feel and look your best. Located Uptown in the Riverbend area, Le Visage Day Spa is the perfect one-stop-spot for a relaxing and rejuvenating massage or facial. Or, beat the winter blues with the hottest spring nail colors.

All Le Visage services start with relaxation therapy. myneworleans.com

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Begin your mani or pedi with a tasty house-made fresh juice or warm tea. Rest your upper body with a warm neck and shoulder pillow before slipping into a hydrotherapy footbath. After rinsing the old, callused skin away, Le Visage experts restore the skin to tiptop shape. Next, enjoy a relaxing foot or hand/arm massage to increase blood flow and revitalize the skin and increase energy. Finally, spa-goers receive the finishing touch.

To schedule an appointment, call 504-265-8018.

This past March, acclaimed fashion designer Donald J Pliner made a personal appearance at Saint Germain to present his Spring 2014 designs. Pliner and his wife, Lisa, also featured their new Italian-made Signature Collection, which is exclusive to Saint Germain and 20 other selected stores across the nation. Visit Saint Germain this month to see what’s new. Take your pick of the season’s hottest designs.

In addition to Pliner’s award-winning shoes and handbags, Saint Germain carries French hair accessories and fine jewelry and handbags by designers from all over the world as well as Arche, a timeless line of French-made, comfort-focused shoes reintroduced to Saint Germain over the summer. Arche designer boots, shoes and sandals are hand-crafted by artisans located just outside of Paris and are constructed with a 100 percent natural Latex cushioning system for maximum durability, flexibility and unrelenting shock absorption.

To see the latest designs, or for more information, visit SaintGermainNewOrleans.com or call 504-522-1720.

Arts & Entertainment Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Built To Amaze! SM, the 143rd edition of the Greatest Show On Earth. Surprise and wonder delights audiences with over-the-top feats of strength, agility and courage. As the momentum builds so does the anticipation – anything can happen when Ringling Bros. Presents Built To Amaze!

Circus performers from across the globe create the perfect blend of athleticism and bravery, where power meets fearlessness, and amazement has no bounds. Magnificent elephants, ferocious tigers, astonishing acrobats and aweinspiring aerialists are engineered into one spectacular performance.

Celebrate the tradition TODAY and experience its modern flare of twists and turns where excitement and suspense are so intense you’ll be tempted to cover your eyes.

From the blueprints to the band, the crates to the clowns, the hammer to the high wire, witness the spectacle as they measure out the perfect mix of marvel and majesty 104

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in an imagination equation where the impossible comes to life. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Built To Amaze!

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®

Located in the French Quarter, The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC) – a museum, research center and publisher – preserves the area’s eclectic past and distinctive culture and maintains an active schedule of programming. Three free exhibitions are currently on view: Shout, Sister, Shout! The Boswell Sisters of New Orleans (533 Royal St.), celebrating the lives and careers of the ‘20s and ‘30s vocal group; Creole World: Photographs of New Orleans and the Latin Caribbean Sphere (400 Chartres St.), featuring photos by Richard Sexton; and From Cameo to Close-up: Louisiana in Film (410 Chartres St.), exploring Louisiana’s role on the silver screen.

THNOC will host screenings once a month in conjunction with From Cameo to Close-Up. June’s movie – King Creole starring Elvis Presley – will be shown on Saturday, June 28, and afterward Sexton will lead a walk-through of Creole World. THNOC’s Concerts in the Courtyard series also continues June 13 with Africa Brass.

Call 504-523-4662 or visit www.hnoc.org for details.

One of the area’s most beloved non-profits, the Louisiana SPCA provides a variety of services and programs that work to eliminate animal suffering. Chartered in 1888, it is the oldest and most comprehensive animal welfare organization in the state. Throughout the year, the LA/ SPCA puts on a number of events aimed at raising funds for and awareness of the organization. Pause 4 Paws combines New Orleanians love of food with a showing of support for its animals, too. Highly recognized restaurants and

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retailers from across Greater New Orleans will donate 20 percent of proceeds on June 12 to the LA/SPCA. Save the date now for this year’s New Orleans on Tap in City Park on September 27. The free admission beer festival presented by The Bulldog and the LA/SPCA offers guests the opportunity to enjoy live music plus 200+ national and local beers while raising money for the animals in their care.

Other LA/SPCA events include the Howling Success Gala in November and the Dog Day walkathon and festival held in March. For more information on the LA/SPCA’s events and services, visit LA-SPCA.org.

French Quarter Phantoms Ghost & Vampire Tours are fun for visitors and locals alike. Named in the Top 10 “Official Best of Louisiana 2014” by the Discovery Channel, look for French Quarter Phantoms on their special in June.

Grab a cocktail and walk along with their Master Story Tellers for a lot of great laughs and chills up your spine!

Their fun guides have a passion for entertaining guests.

Tours begin at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. nightly year-round and are appropriate for all ages.

For daytime fun, don’t miss Tour Treme. Rich in AfricanAmerican History and Mardi Gras Indian traditions, Treme has been called home by many of the great jazz musicians.

Learn the inspiration behind their songs. Included in this tour is a visit inside the old J&M Recording Studio and film locations from HBO’s Treme series. Tour Treme is living, breathing, joyful history.

Online discounts are available at FrenchQuarterPhantoms. com. For more information, call 504-666-8300.

Many locals feel they know the city well, but how well do you really know the history of the city’s vast and complex culture and heritage? Worldwide Concepts Vacations crafts a number of experiences and services that leave lasting memories for all. Experience the authenticity of New

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Orleans on one of three local tours: New Orleans, River Road Plantations and the Gumbo Nation Dinner Show.

Learn about New Orleans’ civil rights history while exploring the city’s various neighborhoods and homes.

Visit the River Road plantations and experience a time and place when enslaved Africans, Free People of color, Native Americans, and Europeans settled and called the region home. On Sundays and Mondays, enjoy the party, dinner and show that is Gumbo Nation, a narrated history and performance of the rhythms of Congo Square, Mardi Gras Indians, Jazz and more.

In addition to tours, The Experience Designers at Worldwide Concepts can craft memorable private events, and families planning a New Orleans reunion often call Worldwide Concepts first. Call 504-613-6655 or visit WorldwideConceptsVacations.com, so you, too, can live, explore and remember New Orleans and the region’s notso-distant past.

Nestled among the live oaks of Tulane’s uptown campus, the Newcomb Art Gallery was born out of the rich creative legacy of Newcomb College, the former coordinate women’s institution of Tulane University, internationally renowned for its fine arts program and pottery studio.

The gallery sustains this heritage by presenting diverse shows in painting, photography, sculpture, video and mixed media by historically significant and noted emerging artists, all free of charge. The gallery also maintains the country’s largest collection of Newcomb arts and crafts.

On view until June 29, Early Modern Faces: European Portraits 1480-1780 is the largest exhibition of Old Master art ever held at the Newcomb Art Gallery; it is also one of the most important shows of European art in the history of New Orleans.

The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Learn more at NewcombArtGallery.tulane.edu or call 504-865-5328.

Jackson, Miss., the “City with Soul,” invites you to find Your True South! Arts and entertainment abound this summer in Jackson, where there are more than 200 restaurants and 28 attractions such as the LeFleur’s Museum District, offering four family museums at a discounted rate as well as the Eudora Welty House Museum and Medgar Ever’s House Museum.

From June 14-29, catch the USA International Ballet Competition, one of the oldest and most respected worldclass dance competitions in the world, held at Thalia Mara Hall. From June 25-29, the Freedom Summer 50th Anniversary will commemorate events of the Summer Project of 1964 with special exhibits around the city.

Music reigns Aug. 15-16 at the Jackson Rhythm & Blues

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Festival held at the Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum. The premier two-day music festival boasts five stages (three indoor and air-conditioned) and will feature a stellar lineup of more than 30 artists including Ziggy Marley, FANTASiA, Bell Biv Devoe, Boney James, Bobby Rush, Denise LaSalle, Dorothy Moore, Estelle and Chrisette Michele.

For more information and destinations, go online to VisitJackson.com.

Dining & Imbibing Bananas Foster, flambéed tableside, ranks highly as one of the most sought after desserts by visitors to New Orleans, and these days it can be hard to find. But alas, Dickie Brennan’s Palace Café (palacecafe.com) has been lighting it up for more than two decades in the historic Werlein Music building. Start off with the savory crabmeat cheesecake, next the andouille crusted Gulf fish with Crystal beurre blanc and finish with the Foster or the world famous white chocolate bread pudding.

A visit to the French Quarter wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Jackson Square. With balcony and courtyard dining, Tableau (tableaufrenchquarter.com) offers the best views. The culinary team revisits classic New Orleans cooking with a combination of European refinement and rustic simplicity. Using local ingredients, chef Ben Thibodeaux updates New Orleans dishes, adjusting them ever-so-slightly to make them signature items at Tableau. One example is his Oysters en Brochette, Gulf oysters broiled on rosemary skewers with a roasted garlic buerre blanc. From 3-7 p.m. they offer special prices on wines, classic cocktails and small plates.

Visiting a special someone and looking for a way to say thanks? Looking for a Father’s Day gift for a man

with a sweet tooth? Welcome to the World of Edible Arrangements® The creator of and leader in fresh fruit bouquets, Edible Arrangements® brings happiness to all of life’s occasions with a beautiful array of irresistibly fresh products, including handcrafted fruit arrangements and gourmet chocolate dipped fruits such as pineapple, strawberries, banana, apples and oranges.

Each store creates magnificent, fresh fruit arrangements and gourmet chocolate-dipped fruit to order, for pickup or delivery, seven days a week. Ordering is made easy with three convenient options. Order online at EdibleArrangements.com, by phone at 504-367-7798, or visit your local store in Harvey at 1650 Gretna Blvd.

Whether local or visiting, Edible Arrangements® invites you to Make Life A Little Sweeter® with Edible Arrangements® fresh fruit bouquets and chocolate-dipped fruit for any occasion.

Amazing history, elegant old-world ambiance and delectable Creole cuisine come together at The Court of Two Sisters in the French Quarter. Located at 613 Royal St., this old-line New Orleans restaurant is where locals and visitors from around the world come to enjoy traditional Creole cuisine in the largest courtyard in the French Quarter. Dinner is a romantic, memorable occasion.

New entrees include Fried Louisiana Oysters over sautéed kale with bleu cheese, chopped bacon and Remoulade, and the Roasted Chappapeela Farms Duck with sweet jalapeno cornbread and sautéed asparagus. Guests are served under flickering gaslights in the courtyard or in one of three elegant dining rooms. During the day, the Jazz Brunch Buffet provides a lavish display of hot and cold dishes served alongside live Dixieland music.

The restaurant is available to host special events in a beautiful setting with freshly prepared food and refreshing drinks all summer long. Open seven days a week, the Jazz Brunch Buffet is served from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and their romantic Creole Dinners are served nightly from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Reservations are recommended. For more information visit CourtOfTwoSisters.com or call 504-522-7261.

This season, enjoy a lively, sophisticated dining experience already lauded by both locals and visitors to New Orleans. Guests to locally owned Chophouse New Orleans have awarded this prime steakhouse with Opentable Diners’ Choice awards for Best Steak, Best Food, Best Service, Best Ambiance and Best Overall Restaurant.

Additionally, Chophouse recently topped the “steakhouse power-rank” list by Thrillist.

Owners Barbara & Jerry Greenbaum met as students at Tulane University before pursuing careers in business.

Wanting to return to New Orleans, they decided to open a myneworleans.com

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prime steakhouse, something different from the seafooddriven restaurant scene. Chophouse New Orleans serves only USDA Prime for every steak, including filets. At Chophouse New Orleans, every detail counts. From prime, aged steaks, barrel cut filets and colossal sized shrimp to top-of-the-line cooking techniques and carefully chosen breads and coffee, guests can expect the freshest, best tasting steak, seafood and sides.

Chophouse New Orleans is open daily at 5 p.m. and features live music nightly. For information and reservations, call 504-522-7902 or visit them on the web at ChophouseNola.com or Facebook.com/chophousenola.

Five Happiness, New Orleans’s award-winning Chinese restaurant, offers a delicious menu of Sichuan and Hunan specialties in a newly renovated sleek and elegant dining room. Enjoy the succulent shrimp with honey-roasted pecans, General’s Chicken or asparagus sautéed with garlic sauce in a comfortable and unique setting distinguished by its authentic Chinese décor of etched glass and Chinese paintings. The dining room, now split into three rooms, provides a more private dining experience for guests.

The well-known and affordable Imperial Room is available at Five Happiness for private parties, receptions or other functions and can hold from 50-150 people.

Serving options are customized for each party, ranging from sit-down dinners to buffets or cocktails with hors d’oeuvres and prices ranging from $20-$45 per person.

For more information, call 504-482-3935 or visit FiveHappiness.com.

Copeland’s of New Orleans combines New Orleans flavor and comfort in a casual dining atmosphere. Known for its from-scratch cuisine, Copeland’s blends the freshest premium ingredients, sauces and seasonings to bring out the robust signature flavors of New Orleans in every dish – seafood, pasta, salads, steaks and more. Enjoy exceptional food and hospitality by stopping at one of their locations today.

Copeland’s Happy Hour is Monday-Friday, 4-7 p.m., and all week from 9 p.m.-close, in-lounge only. Happy Hour features half-priced well drinks, glasses of house wine, domestic bottled beer and all draft beer, $5.00 martinis, frozen daiquiris, peach bellinis and piña coladas, as well as $9.99 Crash & Burns, and half-priced selected appetizers. For more information on Copeland’s of New Orleans, including menus and locations, visit CopelandsOfNewOrleans.com.

With an astounding 158 years of history, Tujague’s Restaurant is New Orleans’ second oldest restaurant and American’s oldest stand-up bar. During that span

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of time, only three families have owned the restaurant, a testament to its longstanding reputation as a beloved Creole restaurant and bar. Over the past year, Tujague’s has been restored to its bright, simple and timeless atmosphere, and while the restaurant still serves its Table d’hôte, six-course Creole menu, the cuisine has been given new life under the ownership of Mark Latter and the culinary team of Chef Richard Bickford.

An extensive new a la carte menu features decadent dishes such as the Wild Mushroom and Louisiana Lump Crabmeat Gnocchi, a critic favorite, Blackened Redfish, Lamb Chops, Filet Mignon and BBQ Shrimp. You can never go wrong with a secret order of the Chicken Bonne Femme, a dish not on the menu but available to those who know it.

Tujague’s dining room is open every day for lunch and dinner and on Saturdays and Sundays for brunch. Make reservations and learn more at Tujagues.com.

Tujague’s Restaurant - Courtesy Of Tujagues

For more than 170 years, Antoine’s Restaurant has been making history in the heart of the French Quarter, serving French-Creole cuisine with excellent service in an inviting comfortable setting. With 14 unique dining rooms, each offering its own historical charm, it’s no wonder Antoine’s has served guests such as General Patton, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, President Roosevelt and more.

Throughout 2014, Antoine’s offers a seasonal $20.14 Lunch Special for parties of 15 or less. Perhaps start with the Oysters 1-1-1 or the creamy, chilled Vichyssoise potato soup before delighting yourself with Crawfish Etouffée or the Pork St. Louis entrees. Perhaps you’d rather try the Lunch Salad appetizer or the Veal Conti entrée. For dessert, enjoy the Pecan Bread Pudding, Chocolate Cheesecake, or the Pecan Praline Sundae. While dining, sip on the day’s featured 25-cent cocktail.

Enjoy happy hour at the Hermes bar daily from 4-7 p.m. For more info or reservations, visit Antoines.com

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or call 504-581-4422. For a casual soup, panini or coffee experience, visit Antoine’s Annex at 513 Royal St. (504-5258045).

A self-described “Spirited Restaurant,” SoBou elevates the adult beverage to a level of esteem, a pleasurable accompaniment to a whimsical yet Commander’s-quality meal. The latest venture of the Commander’s family of restaurants, SoBou, short for “South of Bourbon,” offers guests a customizable dining experience, from small plates and drinks to a full three courses.

SoBou now presents free movies in the courtyard. Bring a chair and enjoy snacks and special cocktails starting at only $5. Make a reservation for dinner at SoBou beforehand (6 p.m. recommended) and be entered into a drawing to win the “Best Seat in the House.” Those who make reservations for dinner and the movie can reserve seats in the courtyard. Movies begin at approximately 8 p.m., depending on sunset. Special Sunday Cinema dinner package includes an appetizer and entree plus a cocktail for $25. Movies include Bridesmaids on June 22 and Cocktail on July 20.

Happier Hour begins at SoBou in June! From 3 to 6 p.m. everyday, guests can choose Happier Hour snacks as well as cocktails, beer and wine for only $3-$6. For more information and reservations, contact SoBou at 504-5524095 or visit SoBouNola.com.

Both locals and visitors know Commander’s Palace as a place to enjoy great food and atmosphere in one of New Orleans’ most beautiful and historical neighborhoods. With its famous weekend jazz brunch and spectacular weekday entrees as low at $16, with 25-cent martinis, Commander’s Palace is perfect for a mid-day meal before exploring the city. Complimentary walking maps of the Garden District include historical houses and destinations complete with informative blurbs on each one. What better way to burn off the calories of an unforgettable meal than with a stroll around the picturesque Garden District.

Commander’s Palace is proud to partner with Eat Fit Nola to offer a “Fit Dish” at every meal: brunch, lunch and dinner. These dishes are an exciting addition to their Haute Creole menu and feature all of the flavor you expect from Commander’s Palace but leave out the extra fat, sugar and calories.

Enjoy summer with a true New Orleans experience at Commander’s Palace. For more information and to make reservations, call 504-899-8221 or visit CommandersPalace. com.

Located in the Lower Garden District and just blocks from Downtown New Orleans, Hoshun Restaurant delivers a

flavorful punch of pan-Asian flavors with their own take on traditional dishes from China, Japan, Vietnam and other South-Asian countries. Popular menu items include pho soup and Vietnamese spring rolls, pad Thai, sushi, General Tso’s Chicken, Hunan steak, Kung Pao shrimp and more.

Open daily until 2 a.m., Hoshun is a favorite late-night spot for locals and visitors alike. Visitors can look forward to the addition of sharable small plates to the menu in the near future.

Whether you’re looking for seafood, steak or vegetarian fare, Hoshun’s extensive menu provides options for everyone. Salt & Pepper Shrimp and Ahi Tuna Seared are a couple of Hoshun’s seafood specialties, while Hoshun Pork Ribs and Butter Pepper Mignon round out a few of the meatier possibilities.

For menu and information, visit HoshunRestaurant.com or call 504-302-9716. Located at 1601 St. Charles Ave., Hoshun offers a private party room overlooking the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line fitting 25-70 people.

At Daiwa, the emphasis is offering their customers the best: the best food, service and atmosphere in the Greater New Orleans area. Located on the Westbank, Daiwa distinguishes itself from other Japanese restaurants with its modern interior design paired with an extensive menu of traditional Japanese cuisine, such as the fresh sashimi and sushi, as well as a long list of specialty items exclusive to Daiwa and Executive Chef Ken W. The menu displays appetizing photos of Daiwa’s dishes, which helps customers familiarize themselves with the cuisine in a way that words alone cannot. Along with traditional sushi rolls, Daiwa also offers numerous specialty rolls that have become local favorites such as the popular, melt-in-your-mouth Cowboy Roll (crawfish inside with Angus beef seared to perfection on top) and the savory Mango Salmon Special roll (shrimp tempura, snow crab inside, salmon and sweet sliced Mango, crunchy and smelt roe on top).

They offer party platters for every occasion and also recently added five new private party rooms equipped with Karaoke (available until 2 a.m. on weekends). For menus and other information, visit online at DaiwaSushi. com or call 504-875-4203.

Beat the heat with cool summer specials available at Ralph Brennan restaurants Ralph’s on the Park, Café NOMA and café b.

Chef Chip Flanagan has revived his summer signature 3 appetizers and a glass of wine for only $33 at Ralph’s on the Park. Now through August, choose three of 14 appetizers, like Smoked Fried Oysters, Sherry Shrimp & Grits and Crawfish Ravioli with corn and butter bean myneworleans.com

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succotash. For reservations, call 488-1000 today.

Beginning June 27, Café NOMA’s 2014 “The Artful Palate” complimentary summer cooking series will feature seven artfully inspired demos with Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group chefs on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. From classic Creole cooking techniques to globally inspired gourmet eats, the chefs will embrace their own heritage or their culinary passion with each presentation. Visit CafeNoma.com for the full schedule and more information.

Throughout June and July, café b celebrates summer with “Crab Fête,” appetizers and entrees at dinner that feature Lake Pontchartrain crabmeat, including Warm Crab Beignets, Flash Fried Soft-Shell Crab or Crab & Truffle Pasta. Call 934-4700 or visit cafeb.com for online reservations.

A contemporary and elegant Japanese restaurant with a New Orleans twist, Chiba is a recent arrival to the diverse, growing restaurant scene along Oak Street.

“We are all about quality. Each and every sauce is made from scratch. We select pristine fish and produce locally, as well as exotic products from all over the world,” explains owner Keith Dusko. Careful attention is paid to every detail—even Chiba’s sushi rice is specially prepared using house-made sushi vinegar.

Sushi highlights include: Ahi, Aji, Ono, Nairagi, Uni, Live Scallop and Parrotfish. The Satsuma Strawberry Roll, which incorporates yellowtail, mango, crunch, jalapeño, and spicy mayo inside, is topped with scallops, strawberries, Satsuma ponzu, and wasabi tobiko. The Steamed Buns are a popular appetizer with options of duck, pork belly, short rib, oyster, crawfish, shrimp, grouper and foie gras.

NOLA’s best “Funk & Roll” happy hour offers reduced prices on drinks and apps from 4-6 p.m., Monday to Saturday, and late night on weekends ‘til 1 a.m. Chiba’s extensive sake menu contains several available nowhere else in the state.

For more information and to view the menu, visit chibanola.com. For reservations, call 504-826-9119.

In 1915, Sam Cortese began making and selling his handpulled molasses taffy from a wooden, mule-drawn wagon on the streets of New Orleans. The famous red and white wagon bearing the name “Roman Chewing Candy” is a true fixture of New Orleans tradition and still can be found in the streets today, clanging its bell and calling all to come to enjoy the hand-pulled chocolate, strawberry and vanilla taffy.

To celebrate the centennial anniversary of Roman Chewing Candy, with the same molasses base used in making the delectable candy, the family business sweetens their newest creation, the flavorful Roman Candy Rum. 110

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Now candy lovers can enjoy a grown-up version of the same delicious taffy flavors in a decadent cocktail.

In Greater New Orleans, find the traditional flavored Roman Candy Rum (strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate) at most local grocery stores. For more info and a history of the company, visit RomanCandyRum.com.

RioMar in the Warehouse District is the seafood destination of New Orleans. As the weather heats up this festival season, cool off with their selection of ceviches, gazpachos and Latin-inspired craft cocktails.

The restaurant celebrates the Latin roots of New Orleans cuisine with a menu that is naturally light, healthy and satisfying. Come to RioMar, the seafood destination, and enjoy the most original presentations of Louisiana seafood to be found anywhere in the Crescent City.

In Cuba, Jambalaya becomes Paella. In Venezuela, beignets become Buñuelos. And in New Orleans, no one does seafood better than RioMar. For more information and hours, visit RioMarSeafood. com or call 504-525-FISH (3474). Reservations are recommended.

After five years of being loved as a top neighborhood lunch and breakfast spot, Gott’s has revamped their look and their menu. Now named GG’s Dine-O-Rama, GG’s offers “Refined Comfort Food,” on a menu that includes past favorite sandwiches and salads while offering new fresh entrées, appetizers and desserts by beloved Chef Dave Gotter. Chef Gotter’s new menu at GG’s will change seasonally. Using the retro “O-Rama” definition, GG’s covers “a little of everything” with their new comprehensive menu and new decor of ’50s Magazine Street memorabilia.

Come by in the early evenings for Sunset on Magazine, GG’s “Happy Hour,” taking place every Tuesday-Friday from 4-7 p.m. Specials include $2 beer, $5 appetizers, and a daily cocktail special such as $2 Titos on Tuesday, Seasonal Sangria on Wednesday, and Throwback Thursday Shrub Cocktails.

Visit GG’s and experience the new look and new flavors.

For more information, including new menus, call 504-3736579 or visit GGsNewOrleans.com.

Accommodations When living the New Orleans experience, it’s important to envelop yourself in the essence of New Orleans – a feeling captured by each upscale property in the New Orleans Hotel Collection (NOHC). Authentic, independent and quality-driven, each hotel offers its own story. From the

chic, modern atmosphere of Hotel Le Marais to the historical and elegant Audubon Cottages, the New Orleans Hotel Collection is set apart by its distinctive style, personalized service and superb location.

Locally owned and operated, the collection consists of the Bourbon Orleans, Dauphine Orleans, Crowne Plaza (Airport), The Whitney Hotel, Hotel Mazarin, Hotel Le Marais and Audubon Cottages. Service is standout at each property, ranking at the top of TripAdvisor.com listings as the number 1, 2, 3, 6, and 15 hotels in the market. Unlike chain hotels, there is no “nickel and dime” approach. NOHC offers free breakfast, local calls, newspaper, bottled artesian waters, WI-FI, a welcome drink, reward points and in-room coffee.

Earn STASH Hotel reward points usable at more than 200 independent hotels across the U.S. (STASHrewards.com).

Enjoy a “staycation” this summer with the “Summer in the City” package. Visit NewOrleansHotelCollection.com.

Hotel Monteleone

Fifth generation family-owned and operated, the historic Hotel Monteleone has provided gracious service for more than 125 years. Located in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter on famed Royal Street, the Hotel Monteleone boasts 600 luxurious guest rooms, all of which offer the modern amenities guests desire while preserving traditional values. Each beautifully decorated guest room includes a Keurig coffee brewer, in-room safe, refrigerator, high-speed internet access (additional fees apply), large high-definition LCD television, iron & ironing board, hairdryer, plush robes, clock radios (iHome alarm clock devices suitable for charging iPad, iPhone and iPod) and marble and granite bathrooms.

Hotel Monteleone features the Criollo Restaurant and the famous Carousel Bar & Lounge. Additional Hotel outlets

include a heated rooftop swimming pool and 24/7 exercise facility, Spa Aria, on-site business center, wireless internet access, valet parking and 25,000 square feet of recently renovated state-of-the-art meeting space. The Monteleone is also a featured pet-friendly hotel and is designated an AAA Four-Diamond property. For information and reservations, visit HotelMonteleone.com.

Venture into the Vieux Carré to experience the NEW Wyndham New Orleans French Quarter. The 374-guestroom downtown hotel joined the Wyndham family in March of 2013 and the company is overjoyed to announce that a multimillion-dollar renovation is currently underway. Wyndham wants to win your business when visiting the French Quarter and CBD area and aims to do so by providing affordable and secure onsite parking, beautiful views from the 20-story high-rise hotel, an indoor/heated swimming pool, and over-the-top, serviceoriented staff. All that along with a second-to-none, convenient location—what’s not to love!

Spread the word and take advantage of Wyndham New Orleans French Quarter’s “Summer Sizzler” deal including discounted pricing and free parking. You can even earn free goodies when you join their loyalty program, Wyndham Rewards. Visit the hotel online today at WyndhamFrenchQuarter.com or call 24/7 at 888-2152756. You can also simply stop by the 124 Royal St. location and experience the welcome.

Located in the heart of Arts District and within easy walking distance to the Convention Center and the French Quarter, the Hotel Modern New Orleans is a must-visit destination for sophisticated travelers. Understanding that the spirit of New Orleans is all about relaxation, The Hotel Modern greets guests with complimentary drinks and escorts them to their room as if they were staying at a close friend’s guesthouse – there is no front desk or lengthy check-in process. This summer, also enjoy complimentary parking and breakfast for two at the hotel’s award-winning restaurant, Tivoli & Lee. Enjoy a classic American breakfast or a lite option on the house when staying with The Hotel Modern on Sundays through Wednesdays.

The guest rooms at The Hotel Modern were designed with an eclectic aesthetic that mirrors New Orleans’ juxtaposition of Old World charm with New World diversity.

The Hotel Modern goes beyond the basics, offering an array of cultural amenities, such as thoughtfully curated books in every room and their lounge, Bellocq, named one of the Best Bars in America by Esquire Magazine in 2013.

For reservations visit TheHotelModern.com. •

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Dental Care & Resources Guide W

hile teeth were certainly made for chewing, their function extends beyond chomping down on poboys and potato chips. A person’s teeth help define his or her smile, and that smile can make all the difference in a personal or even a business encounter.

From preventative care to restoration, the following dental experts make beautiful smiles their business. Find a dentist near you or find a specialist who can help with your complex dental concerns among the following regional and citywide dental resources. Ensure your smile is a healthy one, and not only will you be proud of it for years to come, you’ll also enjoy the poboys and potato chips along the way.

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CBD Dental Care is located conveniently in downtown

New Orleans for residents and professionals of the continuously developing Central Business District. Always

excited to welcome new patients, the three-doctor practice provides a wide range of services in general and cosmetic dentistry including cleanings, restoration, dentures, crowns, bridges, implants and whitening.

Owner Dr. Wallace Serpas has more than 20 years of

practice in general dentistry and his specialization in

comedic relief always makes visiting the dentist a pleasant

experience. Also with more than 20 years of experience, Dr. Stephanie Phillips is an expert in general dentistry, focusing in cosmetic dentistry and implant restoration.

The newest member of the team, Dr. Schmidt is skilled in general dentistry as well as Invisalign.

The office strives to stay on schedule to lessen waiting

times and provides ample communication to help keep patients on track with dental health.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment,

visit CBDDentalCare.com or call 504-525-9990.

At Charvet Dental Center, a family-owned practice,

your family’s healthy, beautiful smile is top priority.

Offering a full range of dental services that extend from

preventative and restorative dental care to cosmetic dental services, Drs. Hunter Charvet, Sr., and Hunter Charvet, Jr.,

are committed to providing the most advanced services and the most pleasant experiences. At Charvet Dental

Center, doctors and staff take the time to inform patients of all possible treatment options, allowing patients the ability

to make informed decisions regarding their oral health and smile. From simple cleanings and natural-colored fillings to straightening and implants, comprehensive dental care is available under the same roof. Highly experienced,

Dr. Charvet, Sr., recently earned his fellowship with the

International Congress of Oral Implantologists and is a graduate of the Misch International Implant Institute.

Combining the latest in dental technology with the

exceptional skill of each doctor has made dental visits

quicker, easier and more comfortable for patients than

ever before. For more information, including testimonials, a smile gallery and available services, visit DrCharvet.com.

To schedule an appointment, call 504-834-6504.

Botox), Six Month Smiles (Cosmetic Braces for adults), Cosmetic Gum Lifts and Grafts (Alloderm), and Full Mouth Reconstructions.

Dr. Delaune views cosmetic dentistry as an art form.

He is passionate about every smile, ensuring patients love their new natural look, whether through porcelain

veneers, bonding or even dentures. His artistic ability in creating beautiful smiles has earned him the distinction as an Accreditation Candidate in the American Academy

of Cosmetic Dentistry and his dedication to education has earned him the designation of “Master” of the Academy of General Dentistry, one of about 15 in the city.

See Dr. Delaune’s work in his Smile Gallery at

DelauneDental.com. To schedule a free consultation or for more information, contact Shannan at info@delaunedental. com or 504-885-8869.

With more than 30 years of experience, Dr. Jim Moreau

offers a unique combination of services to complement his general dentistry practice, MoreSMILES, located in both Covington and New Orleans.

Dr. Moreau treats TMJ disorders, a condition with

symptoms such as clicking and popping in the jaw joints, headaches, neck pain and/or ringing in the ears. Any combination of these can be nagging, even debilitating. Dr.

Moreau has been able to help TMJ/headache patients when other medical options have failed. Patients have come from

throughout the region for answers, relief and long-term solutions.

Another condition, sleep apnea and snoring, when left

untreated, can be dangerous and even life-threatening.

The preferred method of treatment is a CPAP device which forces constant air pressure during sleep. But

a high percentage of patients are CPAP-intolerant and reject conventional treatment options. Dr. Moreau has

worked with sleep physicians since 2009 to offer FDAapproved, Medicare-approved oral devices that have

shown significant improvement of symptoms in follow-up sleep studies.

For more information on Dr. Moreau and MoreSMILES,

visit MoreSmiles.com or call 1-855-809-SMILE (7645).

Nathan R. Brown M.D., D.M.D. is a residency-trained

Dr. Duane Delaune at Delaune Dental, The Art of Smiles,

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon who is proud to offer

His state-of-the-art office, conveniently located near

Surgery including specialized training in in-office and

has been creating beautiful smiles through restorative and cosmetic dentistry for more than 25 years.

Lake Pontchartrain on Causeway Boulevard, offers

comprehensive dental services including Veneers, Smile Design, Implants, TMJ and Migraine Treatment, Lip and

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excellent oral surgery on the Northshore. Dr. Brown

completed a four-year residency in Oral and Maxillofacial hospital anesthesia and later served as surgical faculty

at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Brown practices the full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery

including dental implant surgery, tooth removal, bone

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grafting, jaw surgery and facial reconstruction after trauma

bridge, veneers, same day crowns, dentures, root canals,

treat your oral surgery needs. Dr. Brown will create an

state-of-the-art office is fully equipped to solve all

or tumor removal.

Dr. Nathan Brown and his staff are highly trained to

individualized treatment plan for you. Whether you need a single tooth, multiple teeth or all teeth replaced, Dr. Brown

will discuss in detail all options available to you. Please

call 985-643-1010 for more information and visit them online at NorthlakeOFS.com.

Oak Family Dental, the private practice of Dr. Troy

extractions, Invisalign, tooth-colored fillings, cleanings, as

well as numerous other procedures. The newly renovated your dental needs. Convenient evening and Saturday

appointments are available and doctors can be reached 24 hours a day for dental emergencies.

For more information and to see current promotions,

visit OakFamilyDental.com or call 504-834-6410.

DeFelice Dental is committed to a conservative approach

L. Patterson and associates Dr. Jason Alvarez and Dr.

in patient care – focusing on preventative measures and

proudly served the Greater New Orleans area for more

may require more complex treatment, the DeFelice Dental

Margaret “Garet” Patterson, is conveniently located on

Causeway Boulevard in the heart of Metairie. Having

than 30 years, Dr. Patterson’s practice has evolved to offer the latest dental technologies and cutting-edge procedures to create beautiful smiles for patients of all ages. Every

patient is welcomed into a warm, friendly, family-based environment where they are given personal attention to restore existing concerns and to learn how to prevent oral health problems.

Focusing on comprehensive care, a variety of treatments

are offered including implant procedures, crown and

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maintenance as well as on patient education. They provide

top quality care in a relaxed atmosphere. For patients who team provides comprehensive care with a gentle, caring

touch. Services provided at the practice include gentle cleanings, tooth-colored fillings, nonsurgical gum care, teeth whitening, porcelain veneers, natural looking crowns and implants.

Prior to leading his team at DeFelice Dental, Dr. Tre

DeFelice worked as the Clinical Director of a unique specialty practice in New Orleans, where he planned, delivered and coordinated patient treatment along with a

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team of dental specialists, gaining tremendous experience

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon who utilizes state-of-the-

comprehensive patient care, esthetics and dental implants.

and Maxillofacial Surgery, including orthognathic surgical

and knowledge along the way. Dr. DeFelice spends many

hours in continuing education to advance in areas of

DeFelice Dental is conveniently located on at 1900 N.

Causeway Blvd. near I-10. For more information, visit DeFeliceDental.com or call 504-833-4300.

Dr. Mark Anderson and Dr. Jessica Tingstrom pride

themselves in their top-quality, patient-first approach to family dentistry. Conveniently located on the Canal streetcar

line in Mid-City, Mid-City Smiles Family Dentistry offers

complete dental care for all ages, everything from routine cleanings and cosmetic procedures such as Lumineers and the new Snap-On Smile, to advanced implant dentistry.

Orthodontic care includes braces and Invisalign, and

Dr. Anderson is recognized as a leading area Invisalign provider.

A new, state-of-the-art office allows them to offer the

most advanced technology and techniques in creating and restoring beautiful, healthy smiles. Dr. Anderson is a New Orleans native and graduate of Benjamin Franklin High

School and LSU. Dr. Tingstrom is also from New Orleans and a graduate of Mount Carmel Academy and UNO. Both are graduates of the LSU School of Dentistry. Along

with their caring staff, they provide a friendly relaxed atmosphere in a beautiful office space. Uniquely positioned

to serve the entire New Orleans community, Dr. Anderson and his entire staff are multilingual and fluent in Spanish.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment,

visit MidCitySmiles.com or call 504-485-6575.

A top specialist in New Orleans, Dr. Michael Block is an

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art technology in his practice to ensure the best possible care for patients. He practices the full scope of Oral

correction of facial deformities, TMJ problems, removal of tumors with reconstruction, as well as removal of teeth with sedation. His latest book on implant surgery is used by students, residents and professionals as a resource.

Dr. Block teaches the procedure that replaces all of the

patient's teeth or one tooth within a few hours of their

removal, eliminating the need for a removable denture.

Patients come in with teeth or a tooth that needs to be replaced, and leave the office with a new set of teeth,

or a single crown, all within a few hours. Incredible technologies, such as the cone beam CT scanner, eliminate

routine dental impressions for implant restorations. Also, advanced laser treatments facilitate efficient tissue healing with minimal pain.

Dr.

Block’s

efficient

office

and

dedicated

staff

carefully organize schedules to avoid delays in seeing and treating patients at the clinic. For more info visit CenterForDentalReconstruction.com or call 504-833-3368.

Dr. Deborah Lesem’s Family Dental practice in Lakeview

has provided generations of families in the area with healthy and beautiful smiles with her gentle and caring touch.

Regarded as one of the city’s top cosmetic dental

providers, Dr. Lesem provides a full range of general dental services for the whole family. From children’s

cleanings to implant restorations and dentures, Dr. Lesem can help with all of your family’s dental needs.

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All services, including dental cleanings, are performed

by Dr. Lesem herself, so there is no double booking and little to no wait time for your scheduled appointment. Dr.

Lesem feels that she gets to know her patients and their

dental condition better by performing all cleanings herself.

When you enter the beach-inspired, cottage-style office,

Metairie at 2620 Metairie Road. New patients are always

welcome and many insurances are accepted. To schedule an appointment or to get more information, please call 504-834-2180.

Professional,

quality

dentistry

in

a

family-like

Dr. Lesem’s warm and friendly staff will make you feel

environment is what you will experience at the Metairie

ease.

Metairie area for 28 years and has been voted one of New

right at home. Patients frequently comment on the fresh, clean and relaxed atmosphere that helps to put them at

For more information, check out Dr. Lesem’s website

at DrLesem.com, or to schedule an appointment, call 504286-3880.

Dr. George Comeaux Jr. and his daughter Dr. Jené

Comeaux Ponder, along with their dedicated and caring staff, have been utilizing state-of-the-art technology to provide top quality and affordable dental care for all

ages. The full range of dental services offered include preventative care, fillings, crowns, bridges, full and partial

dentures, implant restoration, Lumineers, root canals and

oral surgery, along with cosmetic procedures and Essix minor tooth movement.

The practice is conveniently located in the heart of Old

dental practice of Dr. George P. Cerniglia. A New Orleans native, Dr. Cerniglia has been practicing dentistry in the Orleans’ Top Dentists since its inception in 2009.

With extensive experience and continuing education, Dr.

Cerniglia stays on the cutting edge of dental care in services and technology. His practice utilizes the CEREC Omnicam,

which uses streaming video to create a crown with no impressions in one two-hour session. He also incorporates the Lightwalker AT (all tissue) laser, which he uses to do conservative gum, root canal and tooth treatment. With

this laser, Dr. Cerniglia can prep many teeth for fillings with little to no need for dental anesthesia.

The

practice

offers

a

friendly

staff

and

very

accommodating office hours, including two Saturdays a

month. For more information, you can visit his practice online at DrCerniglia.com or call 504-454-5880. •

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Men's Health I

n honor of Father’s Day, take some time to also honor father’s health—and how about brother’s, son’s, husband’s and

uncle’s? Men, show your bodies some care and attention this month and make your loved ones proud. Whether it’s time for a new sport or activity, a general health or financial check up, or an appointment with a specialist, the area

offers a variety of seasoned professionals in the health care industry that are happy to help you look and feel your best.

From cardiovascular care to mental health, planning and activities, the following regional experts can help you get what you need to stay healthy, happy, strong and spoiled by the rest of the family this June 15th.

Medical Resources As of December 2013, New Orleans residents suffering from pain have a new option in a group of exceptional physicians led by Dr. Eric I. Royster, founder of Integrated Pain and Neuroscience (IPN). Their vision is to offer the most comprehensive treatment experience for patients suffering from chronic pain through a variety of treatments, from nonmedication-based to more invasive techniques offered exclusively at IPN. Common conditions such as spine pain, orthopedic pain, neurologic pain and headaches are successfully treated.

Physicians with expertise in Pain Medicine, Neurology, Medical Acupuncture, Spine Surgery and Psychiatry work closely together to provide the best possible treatment and include Dr. Eric Royster, Andrea O’Leary, MD, Aaron J. Friedman, MD and Kim Adkins, PA-C. These physicians coordinate care to determine the most suitable, individualized treatment. In addition to medicine, they also offer nonmedicationbased treatments for pain including differing types of injections in the back, acupuncture and P-Stim. In some cases these treatments may be available the same day as the initial consultation appointment.

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Saturday appointments are available.

For more information, visit painisapuzzle. com or call 504-300-9020. IPN in located Uptown at 2801 Napoleon Ave.

With allergy season in full swing, many people are suffering from itchy eyes, sniffling and coughing. When you need to feel better quickly, try The Family Doctors Urgent Care. Urgent care centers are designed to treat people at their convenience, without the need for an appointment. Their doctor is always on hand to treat illnesses and injuries that are not life-threatening. X-rays and most necessary lab work can be done in the same convenient location. The Family Doctors Urgent Care is ready to serve you for everything from the flu, colds and allergies to sprains, strains and stitches.

The average patient is treated in less than 30 minutes, and most insurance is accepted. The Family Doctors Urgent Care is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends. The clinic is located at 2600 Belle Chasse Highway, next to Sun Ray Grill in Gretna.

Call 504-349-CARE or visit wjmc.org.

Anyone looking for compassionate and dignified care for their terminally

ill loved ones should take a look at the services offered by Canon Hospice. The caring team at Canon is dedicated to a hospice ministry that helps patients and families accept terminal illness positively and resourcefully. Their stated goal is to “allow our patients to live each day to the fullest and enjoy their time with family and friends.”

With special expertise in pain management and symptom control, Canon Hospice designs individualized plans of care for each patient based on their unique needs. Home Based Services provide doctors, nurses, social workers, pastoral care and volunteers. For patients with more intensive symptom management needs, Canon has an Inpatient Hospice Unit. This unit provides 24-hour care in a home-like environment where patients are permitted to receive visits at any hour.

For more information, visit CanonHospice.com or call 504-818-2723.

Do you know your risk of cardiovascular disease? If you have family history, high cholesterol or high blood pressure, or if you smoke, are obese or live an inactive lifestyle, you could be at risk. Make sure to determine your risk factors and

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Financial & Retirement Planning

take preventative measures no matter your age or gender.

Do your legs cramp, itch or feel heavy?

You may have venous disease, which is caused by diseased or abnormal veins.

When vein vessels become damaged or weak, blood flows backward, causing the veins to stretch, swell and twist.

The Vein Center at Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) in Houma diagnoses and treats venous disease with minimally invasive procedures, resulting in less pain and quicker recoveries for patients. CIS cardiologists have received national recognition for the prevention, detection and treatment of cardiovascular disease. To schedule an appointment, call 1-800-425-2565 or visit cardio.com to learn more.

At Behavioral Health Counseling & Consulting, Sharon Heno and her team work with individuals to build on their strengths and attain the personal growth they are committed to accomplishing. An interactive, solution-focused therapist, Sharon Heno utilizes an approach that provides support and practical feedback to help clients effectively address personal life challenges.

Behavioral Health Counseling & Consulting is currently expanding with the addition of several new therapists and is now accepting new clients for play therapy, marriage and family counseling, spectrum disorders and nutritional and sports counseling, in addition to what the practice already offers.

At Behavioral Health Counseling, work with individuals is person-centered; providers meet clients where they are and collaborate with them as they move past obstacles in their lives. Through therapy, Heno’s team develops strategies personalized to you, the individual, to get you back on track and moving forward in life. Consulting and coaching services are available to those needing support in motivation, organization and decisionmaking.

For more information, visit behavioralhealthcnc.net or call 504-302-7771.

Sports & Recreation Lacrosse is the fastest growing game on two feet. Over the past seven years in Louisiana, the game has grown exponentially and now has more than 20 men’s/boys’ teams statewide. The game of lacrosse requires agility, speed and good hand/eye coordination. There is no special age or size that makes a player good at the sport, simply the desire to stay in shape while having a great and competitive time.

This summer, from July 7-Aug. 10, boys and girls ages 6-9 can participate in a skills clinic taking place indoors at the Big Easy Sportsplex on Mondays from 6-7 p.m. Registration forms are online at www.southern-lacrosse.com.

In South Louisiana, find all of your lacrosse needs at Southern Lacrosse, located at 1517 Keubel St. in Harahan.

You can also visit them online at southernlacrosse.com or call the store for information at 504-826-9425

Since 1992, Anthony J. Cangemi has provided trusted counsel, valuable advice and financial solutions to people across Greater New Orleans. In 2008, Anthony became An Investment Advisor Representative (IAR) and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor with Crescent City Retirement Group, LLC. Anthony is dedicated to helping people increase their wealth, minimize their taxes, protect their assets and most importantly, maintain their independence.

Anthony works with clients to create customized strategies offering principal protection and a lifetime income. Committed to both clients and the community, Anthony offers time every Sunday on WRNO 99.5FM’s Financial Focus Radio from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Anthony works hard to ensure that his clients and the people he consults with enjoy this important time in their lives and feel comfortable financially.

With a motto of “Retirement Planning…

A bridge we can help you cross,” Anthony focuses on five key retirement areas: preservation of capital, tax efficient strategies, income planning, distribution and health care planning. Schedule a consultation by calling toll-free 800-830-0655. •

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Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

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hether you’ve taken a nasty spill, been typing for too many years or injured yourself in a sporting event, an extensive list of local orthopaedists in New Orleans means expert help is just around the corner. From knees to shoulders, wrists

to ankles, many area physicians are renowned in their areas of expertise and can offer a variety of treatments aimed

at getting you back home, on the job or on the playing field. The following physicians, hospitals, clinics and resources may be able

to offer the orthopaedic care you need to put you back where you belong and doing what it is you love to do. Area physicians are utilizing the latest technologies and advanced procedures to make the healing process quicker and less invasive than ever before.

One of the region’s top orthopaedic surgeons, Dr. Neil Maki practices in Thibodaux, in association with Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. Six staff members, including physician assistant, Nicole Orgeron Bourgeois, PA-C, ensure that patients’ individual needs are met by the most effective means possible. Advanced services include digital X-ray, ultrasound technology and DEXA scanning (bone density).

Although Dr. Maki does most orthopaedic procedures, he specializes in the shoulder and sports medicine. Dr. Maki pioneered many of today’s shoulder arthroscopic procedures including obtaining patents on some arthroscopic instrumentation. He performs shoulder replacements, including the recently approved reverse shoulder replacement and resurfacing arthroplasty. He is one of few specialists in the region who perform endoscopic carpal tunnel (wrist) and endoscopic cubital tunnel (elbow) surgery.

Board certified in both orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine, Dr. Maki is on the active staff at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. He is also fellowship trained in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery. He previously served on the medical staff of the New Orleans Saints and the Nicholls State University athletic programs. He may be reached by calling 985-446-6284 or 1-800-521-2647.

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Westside Orthopaedic Clinic provides muscular and skeletal care for the West Bank and the Greater New Orleans region. The clinic has been in operation since 1961, making it one of the longest standing orthopaedic clinics in the city.

The leading physician is trained in all areas of modern orthopaedic surgery and is board-certified, as well as fellowship trained. Dr. Ralph Katz is a leader in his field, performing advanced, minimally invasive procedures that restore strength and independence, allowing patients to successfully return to their regular activities quickly. Additionally, Trenise Martinez, PA-C, has joined the practice under the expertise of Dr. Katz and clinic staff.

High-quality patient care is of the utmost importance at Westside Orthopaedic Clinic. Most major insurance plans are accepted, including worker’s compensation. Timely appointments are available. Westside offers fullservice, in-house X-rays, EMG/NCS, as well as physical therapy services utilizing new rehabilitation equipment. For more information on Westside Orthopaedic Clinic, visit WestsideOrtho.com or call 504-347-0243.

Tulane Orthopaedics doctors are elite, fellowship-trained surgeons who combine their expertise and sub-specialty areas into a single comprehen-

sive program. Patients have access to some of the most capable surgical care in the nation as well as one of the finest rehabilitation programs. This ensures a faster and more effective recovery, regardless of whether you’re trying to get back on the sports field or back to daily life.

Specialists offer care and prevention of sports medicine injuries, total joint replacements of hips, knees, shoulders, elbows and ankles, treatment of pelvic and other bone fractures, and treatment of spine-related conditions ranging from scoliosis in children to adults with disc herniations and spinal stenosis. Other conditions treated include painful foot ailments such as bunions along with hand and wrist injuries and painful nerve compressions. With multiple locations, including the Institute of Sports Medicine, in uptown and Covington, Tulane-Lakeside in Metairie, and downtown at Tulane Medical Center, our doctors and staff are able to serve the entire Greater New Orleans community.

For more information, call 877-Tortho-1 (877-867-8461), 504-988-6032 or visit OrthoTulane.com.

Orthopaedics medicine at East Jefferson General Hospital has long set the standard for the entire region. Recognized as a Blue Cross-Blue Shield Center for Excellence, an honor earned

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through their extraordinary patient outcomes, what makes this service line stand out is the continuum of care.

Total joint replacement patients are urged to attend a pre-surgery class that explains every step of their surgical and recovery path before it ever takes place. The surgery and the post-surgical recovery are overseen by staff who specialize in orthopaedic recovery.

Your rehab begins the very next day and is overseen by the most state-ofthe-art rehabilitation unit in the area.

Afterwards, to maximize your recovery, EJGH offers a unique short-term membership to their Wellness Center with special fitness regimens with your recovery and safety in mind.

It is that continuum of excellence and care that have made the orthopaedics program at East Jefferson General Hospital second to none in this region.

For more information on EJGH, its programs and physicians, visit EJGH.org.

The LSU Orthopaedic Surgery Private Practice is comprised of LSU physician experts in pediatric and adult orthopaedic problems. They specialize in disorders of the spine, shoulder, elbow, hand, hip, knee, foot and ankle, and more. In addition to providing the most advanced orthopaedic and sports medicine care in the region, the surgeons of LSU Orthopaedics are nationally renowned for their involvement in teaching and innovative research. They bring cutting-edge technology to the New Orleans area and are responsible for teaching future generations of Louisiana physicians.

Being part of the LSU Health Sciences Center gives patients the benefit of a multidisciplinary approach in providing quality patient care. LSU Orthopaedics provides the most current, comprehensive and dedicated care available in the New Orleans area. Make an appointment today. For Pediatric Orthopaedics, call 504-896-9569. For Uptown New Orleans, call 504-4121459. For Kenner, call 504-412-1700.

For Metairie, call 504-883-8951. For St. James, call 504-412-1700.

Dr. Alexis Waguespack is a fellowship-trained spine specialist providing treatment of cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine disorders, including scoliosis, spondylolythesis, kyphosis (aka adult deformity), cancer, leukemias to the spine, stenosis (pinched nerves) and herniated disc.

Dr. Waguespack is one of few specialists in the country experienced at treating adult deformity using the latest advancement in spinal deformity/ scoliosis. She uses a minimal-access, extreme lateral surgery for effective correction and balance. This minimally invasive procedure gives superior results with minimal soft tissue disruption, allowing for quicker recoveries that lead back to an active lifestyle.

Another procedure utilized is kyphoplasty for osteoporotic fractures as well as for spinal pain from leukemias and cancer. Cement is injected into the bone to restore height, re-establish its previous strength and provide immediate pain relief, allowing patients to stand and walk again.

Dr. Waguespack is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and a member of the North American Spine Society, Cervical Spine Research Society, and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. She maintains Eastbank, Westbank and Uptown offices to serve the needs of patients. For more information, call 504-392-7123.

Dale Gedert has focused on foot care for more than 40 years. He brings his expertise to Greater New Orleans with the opening of Therapeutic Shoes, a shopping resource for those suffering from a wide variety of conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, flat feet, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, bunions, calluses, edema, leg length discrepancies, as well as knee, hip, back pain and more.

“We specialize in custom accommodative foot orthotics, stylish extra depth shoes, diabetic shoes, custom shoes, shoe modifications, compression wear and diabetic socks,” says Gedert. “We’ve got over 175 styles and colors of men’s and women’s shoes.”

Therapeutic Shoes features an inhouse orthotic lab with certified personnel who handle all custom orthotics and shoe modifications. They offer a large selection of compression wear.

Their socks are hand-made with bamboo charcoal fiber, seamless and shaped to fit the foot for reducing fatigue and preventing circulation problems. The science your feet need – the comfort you deserve.

Therapeutic Shoes is located at 408 Maine St. in Jefferson. For more information and hours, call 504-832-3933.

Thibodaux Regional Medical Center, located in Lafourche Parish, has begun construction on its new Wellness Center, a $61 million investment in the health and wellness of communities in Lafourche and the surrounding parishes. The state-of-the-art, medically directed center, the first of its kind in the state and among the finest in the nation, is designed to improve the health of the region through prevention, fitness, education, rehabilitation and focused sports and wellness services. Centers of Excellence within the Wellness Center will include a Sports Medicine Center; Aquatics Center featuring a lap pool swimming area and warm-water therapy pools; Spine Center; Neurosciences Center; Pain Center; Rehabilitation Center; Imaging Center; Weight Management Center; Wellness Education Center; Urgent Care Center; Fitness Center; Imaging Center; and Women’s Breast Health Center.

The facility will also offer medical services such as orthopaedics, rheumatology, endocrinology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurology and neurosurgery, along with cardiac rehabilitation and diabetes management, and Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy. Other amenities include a gymnasium, indoor walking track, volleyball and football sports fields and more. The more than 230,000-squarefoot center is expected to open in late 2015. For more information, call (985) 493-4326. • myneworleans.com

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ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY LIST Orthopaedic Surgery James C. Butler Southern Spine Care 1570 Lindburg Drive, Ste. 4 Slidell, LA 70458 Phone: 985-661-2170 Lucas Thomas Cashio Jefferson Orthopaedic Clinic 920 Ave. B Marrero, LA 70072 Phone: 504-349-6804 George Chimento Ochsner Health System Ochsner Medical Center Department of Orthopaedics 1514 Jefferson Highway, 5th Fl New Orleans, LA 70121 Phone: 504-842-3970 Kevin Darr Covington Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Clinic 19343 Sunshine Ave. Covington, LA 70433 Phone: 985-892-5117 Vinod Dasa LSU Healthcare Network Kenner Clinic

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Department of Orthopaedic Surgery 200 W Esplanade Ave., Ste. 500 Kenner, LA 70065 Phone: 504-412-1700 Luis M. Espinoza Orthopaedic Center for Sports Medicine 671 W Esplanade Ave., Ste. 100 Kenner, LA 70065 Phone: 504-467-5900 Donald C. Faust 2633 Napoleon Ave., Ste. 600 New Orleans, LA 70115 Phone: 504-899-1000 Mark J. Hontas Tulane University Medical Group Covington Clinic Department of Orthopaedic Surgery 71211 Hwy 21, Ste A Covington, LA 70433 Phone: 985-893-9922 Deryk Jones Ochsner Hospital - Elmwood Ochsner Sports Medicine Institute Cartilage Restoration Institute 1201 S Clearview Parkway Jefferson, LA 70121 Phone: 504-736-4800

Mark Juneau, Jr. Jefferson Orthopaedic Clinic 920 Ave. B Marrero, LA 70072 Phone: 504-349-6804 Andrew G. King Children's Hospital of New Orleans Department of Orthopaedic Surgery 200 Henry Clay Ave. New Orleans, LA 70118 Phone: 504-896-9569 Peter C. Krause LSU Healthcare Network Department of Orthopaedics 200 W Esplanade Ave., Ste. 500 Kenner, LA 70065 Phone: 504-412-1700 James Monroe Laborde Orthopaedic Associates of New Orleans 3434 Prytania St., Ste. 430 New Orleans, LA 70115 Phone: 504-899-6391 Neil James Maki Thibodaux Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Clinic 525 Saint Marys St. Thibodaux, LA 70301

Phone: 985-446-6284 Keith Melancon Pontchartrain Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine 3939 Houma Blvd., Ste. 21 Metairie, LA 70006 Phone: 504-885-6464 Mark S. Meyer Ochsner Health System Ochsner Medical Center Department of Orthopaedics 1514 Jefferson Highway, 5th Fl New Orleans, LA 70121 Phone: 504-842-3970 Scott C. Montgomery Ochsner Hospital - Elmwood Ochsner Sports Medicine Institute Bldg B, Ste. 104 1201 S Clearview Pkwy Jefferson, LA 70121 Phone: 504-736-4800 J. Lockwood Ochsner, Jr. Ochsner Health System Ochsner Medical Center Department of Orthopaedics 1514 Jefferson Highway, 5th Fl New Orleans, LA 70121

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Phone: 504-842-3970

Phone: 504-864-1476

H. Reiss Plauche Covington Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Clinic 19343 Sunshine Ave. Covington, LA 70433 Phone: 985-892-5117

Misty Suri Ochsner Hospital - Elmwood Ochsner Sports Medicine Institute Bldg B, Ste. 104 1201 S Clearview Pkwy Jefferson, LA 70121 Phone: 504-736-4800

Jason L. Rolling Covington Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Clinic 19343 Sunshine Ave. Covington, LA 70433 Phone: 985-892-5117 Felix H. Savoie ||| Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine 202 McAlister Ext. New Orleans, LA 70118

Robert Treuting Ochsner Health System Ochsner Medical Center Department of Orthopaedics 1514 Jefferson Highway, 5th Fl New Orleans, LA 70121 Phone: 504-842-3970

Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery William K. Accousti Children's Hospital of New Orleans Department of Orthopaedic Surgery 200 Henry Clay Ave. New Orleans, LA 70118 Phone: 504-896-9569 James Toliver Bennett Tulane Medical Center Division of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery 1415 Tulane Ave. New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: 504-988-2177

200 Henry Clay Ave. New Orleans, LA 70118 Phone: 504-896-9569 Stephen Douglas Heinrich Children's Hospital of New Orleans Department of Orthopaedic Surgery 200 Henry Clay Ave. New Orleans, LA 70118 Phone: 504-896-9569 Andrew G. King Children's Hospital of New Orleans Department of Orthopaedic Surgery 200 Henry Clay Ave. New Orleans, LA 70118 Phone: 504-896-9569 •

Joseph A. Gonzales, Jr. Children's Hospital of New Orleans Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

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Best Places to Live W

hether you’re looking for a downtown efficiency apartment to cut down on commuting or a five-bedroom house in the Garden District for your growing family, there are countless offerings for real estate across the city and region. Each neighborhood has its own quirks, its own options for dining and entertainment, and its own proximity to the schools and businesses you frequent. Just as each neighborhood differs, so do the homes within them. Shotgun houses, duplexes, mansions and apartment complexes are a few of the offerings available in the Greater New Orleans area. Find what you’re looking for with the help of the following home resources.

Real Estate

New Orleans is, by far, one of the “Best Places to Live!”

Take it from John Schaff, a fourth generation New Orleanian and Associate Broker with Latter & Blum. The area’s real estate market is hotter and inventories are lower than they’ve been in years. With the new Medical Corridor coming to the foot of Canal Street and large companies taking a second look, realtors such as Schaff are expecting the local market to continue to rise.

Tax credits have driven recent development in the city, and business doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. New Orleans’ cost of living is still lower than most cities with half of the offerings.

More excitement is headed this way with the opening of a new, upscale outlet mall in the Riverwalk. New Orleans is still a big city with a small-town mentality – a place where you can shop and dine at some of the finest restaurants in the world that reflect the unique flavor of the Big Easy!

Let John Schaff of Latter & Blum find the perfect New Orleans home for you and your family.

Call 504-343-6683.

Those considering moving to the Metro New Orleans area or perhaps otherwise, should check out the numerous apartment options provided by 1st Lake Properties. With communities in Kenner, Metairie, River Ridge, Mandeville, Covington, Slidell and Mississippi, the perfect apartment is easy to find.

Taking a unique approach to multi-family communities, 1st Lake ensures the happiness of residents by maximizing space in sensible architectural designs. More than just an apartment, 1st Lake offers access gates, free off-street parking, pools and fitness centers and, over the past five years, has spent millions adding washer/dryers, sunrooms and additional space.

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Placing special importance on customer service, 1st Lake provides onsite management and service staffs. Also featuring online services and innovations for residents, 1st Lake is well equipped to provide the type of convenience needed in today’s hectic lifestyle. Residents can pay rent online, submit a service request and take advantage of exclusive partnerships for goods and services. For information on any of their 70 communities, more than 9,500 apartments or corporate apartments, visit 1stlake.com.

Home & Building Resources For a custom closet, pantry, home office or garage, superior service is available in your neighborhood. Since 2003, Louisiana Custom Closets has been tailoring rooms, shelves, hampers, hutches and more to fit the needs of residents in South Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast. Don Wise, the company’s founder, has been designing closets for more than 18 years. Wise has an unparalleled commitment to customer service, sometimes spending hours listening to the unique wants and needs a client has for the space in his or her home.

Louisiana Custom Closets uses leading technology and software for design, providing clients with computergenerated images. They use high quality materials and custom-build each closet in their warehouse – from the slanted shelves for shoes and the various rods and valets for hanging clothes to the spacious hutch drawers and cubicles for purses, sweaters and more. With competitive pricing, Louisiana Custom Closets will find an affordable solution to your home needs. Visit LouisianaCustomClosets.com or call for a free estimate: 985-871-0810 or 504-885-3188. •

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The power of innovation; the strength of flexibility.

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TRYTHIS jeffery johston photograph

A

Booze News Taking the tour

By melanie warner spencer

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hen I first read about Drink & Learn

history and cocktail classes with cocktail historian Elizabeth Pearce, it occurred to me that I might have missed the boat on a brilliant business idea.

Then it occurred to me that I should promptly go online and buy two tickets ($50 per person) to “The New Orleans Experience.”

Held at the luxe, light-flooded Empire Bar at Broussard’s in the French Quarter, this two-hour class begins with a refreshing cocktail made with lemonade, maraschino liqueur and crème de noyaux. Dubbed the Master Lemonadier, the drink is expertly crafted

by New Orleans’ favorite cantankerous master bartender Paul Gustings. Many locals know Gustings from his stints at Napoleon House and Tujague’s.

We move on to a boozy second cocktail, the original Sazerac, made with cognac, Peychaud’s Bitters and Herbsaint. An animated Pearce tells us the story behind the New Orleanian who invented the anise-flavored liquor Herbsaint as an alternative to the then-outlawed absinthe, and how during Prohibition he cleverly became a pharmacist, prescribing alcohol as a healing elixir. She instructs us to sip slowly, so we can compare and contrast with the next drink, the modern version of a Sazerac, which employs rye or American whiskey.

Shopping

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Throughout the class, Pearce stands in front of an LCD monitor flipping through historic photos, newspaper clippings and videos.

From start to finish, the experience features the history of New Orleans from its founding by the French in 1718, through its veritable avoidance of prohibition all the way up to … um, it gets a little hazy, so I’ll have to consult my notes … OK, my notes are slightly incomprehensible scribbles; so let’s talk about Pearce and her credentials for a moment while I try to jog my memory and decipher these notes.

A former curator at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, and co-author of The French Quarter Drinking Companion, Pearce started Drink & Learn cocktail tours in 2012. “The Cocktail Tour,” also $50 per person, winds through the French Quarter with stops at the Pharmacy Museum, Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral and the Port of New Orleans, while participants sip a St. Charles Hotel Punch, Sazerac, Hurricane and Praline Liquor. Pearce tells us during the 20-ish minute intermission that she started “The New Orleans Experience,” at Broussard’s in ’13, as a way to tell additional and different stories than she offers in the tour, and also have an alternative class during hot summers and for those not keen on pounding the pavement, albeit at a leisurely pace and with tasty beverages.

After the break, we are lead to the punch bowl to sip a healthy pour of St. Charles Hotel Punch, which combines sugar, lemon juice, ruby port, Cognac and orange curacao. I have managed to translate my tipsily scrawled notes and if they’re accurate, it seems at this point Pearce wows us with stories of the grand hotel, the history of punch and how a drunken nation finally came to the age of cocktails. We are now a drunken nation of two and before wobbling out onto Conti Street to hail a cab, we slurp down the most deeeeleeshous and furtafizing coattail … hiccup … of zthe dayz, a Ramosh Gem Furz [Ed. note: Ramos Gin Fizz].

Drink & Learn, 578-8280, DrinkAndLearn.com (Pearce is offering New Orleans Magazine readers $5 off each ticket with the promo code, NOLAMAG).

Make a Beeline for Bea’s at the Beach 108 S. Beach Blvd., Suite A, Bay St. Louis, MS 39520, (228) 467-2800

Bea Connick’s is celebrating two years at its new location on the beach in Bay St. Louis. Owner Bea Connick doesn’t just share the same last name as her famous nephew, Harry Connick Jr., she also shares his artistic spirit. She started transitioning her cool clothes from day to night with fantastic accessories decades ago; which led to her opening her eponymous store stocking the Flax brand of women’s clothing. The 100 percent linen range, is easily accessorized with a huge selection of jewelry, hats, belts, scarves and shoes, including the Arcopedico brand. If you don’t need apparel, go for the designer linens. – M i r e l l a c a m e r a n

travel

Non-Stop Flight From NOLA to Montego Bay (800) 309-4717, VacationExpress.com

Vacation Express, one of the largest tour operators in the Southeastern U.S., is offering some great deals on its exclusive non-stop service to Jamaica out of New Orleans. The all-inclusive vacation packages leave Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner and fly directly to Montego Bay on Saturdays and return Fridays. The company is also offering three-, four- and seven-night all-inclusive packages to Cancun, Mexico, from May until August. The Caribbean, Mexico and Central American travel specialist has won plaudits for both customer service and value-priced vacations – M . C . myneworleans.com

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STREETCAR

Shoo-Shoo: The Sequel B Y ERR O L LA B O R D E

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d. Note: Last November, this column dealt with the term “shoo-shoo,” which the author maintains has been part of the area’s lexicon – although newcomers do not seem to be aware of it. As explained, the term most often applies to a situation that did not meet expectations or threat levels, such as, “The tropical storm was a shoo-shoo.” This follow-up column deals with another, critically important, and once quite common use of the term. Consultation with a physician, or an explosives expert, is advised.

When the subject is shoo-shoos, Royce E. Hodnett Sr. has stories to tell. Hodnett, who now lives in Poplarville, Mississippi, read the aforementioned shoo-shoo column while waiting in the doctors’ office.

His memories were soon transported to Christmas seasons as a kid when a common holiday past time was to shoot firecrackers.

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Disclaimers Nos. 1-3: 1. What follows are accounts of actions by wayward youth back in the days before kids had to wear helmets to ride bikes or were strapped down in the back seats of cars. Do not attempt anything mentioned below either at home – or anywhere else.

2. Fireworks in many places are illegal. They are mentioned here strictly for historical purposes. The author himself never purchases fireworks, not even Black Cats, which, he says, are often sold from rural roadside stands in combination economy packs though, he laments, Roman Candles are not what they used to be in terms of fire power.

3. Finally, the term “bomb” is used to apply simply to something rigged together to make a noise probably no louder than to scare a chicken. There are no implied links to any nefarious organizations.

Hodnett, who grew up in the Plaquemines parish community of Sunrise, recalls the good ole days of lighting a cherry bomb in an oil can and watching it explode “in a million pieces.” Or sticking a firecracker in an anthill and watching it explode. (Disclaimer No. 4: We will just assume that the ants were out shopping at the times of the incidents and were able to relocate to better anthills.)

Then there were the shoo-shoos. Those were the fireworks that for some reason didn’t ignite. Hodnett recalls that there were sometimes hundreds “maybe thousands” of shoo-shoos in the yard.

Those would be gathered and used in various ways. One was to bend the firecracker in the shape of a “V” so that it broke open in the center. When a lit match was applied to the exposed “gun powder” there would be sparks and the bent firecrackers would “take off in all directions.”

There was the time when their friend Lanny came over sporting a shoo-shoo between his lips like a cigarette. He lit the shoo-shoo to create a smoky billow. Hodnett told his friend that a shoo-shoo cigarette didn’t seem like a very good idea.

The friend scoffed, so too did Hodnett’s brother, Steve, who also decided to puff on a shoo-shoo. The two boys were enjoying their would-be cigarettes until both smokes exploded, practically simultaneously. “The next morning, Lanny came over. Steve and Lanny smiled. They looked like a mirror image of each other,” Hodnett wrote. “Their lips were swollen, burnt and split. They looked like they had huge, red clown lips that made tears run down their faces, every time they tried to talk.” Nevertheless the family members had a good laugh, so too did the boys, though smiling was painful. Both recovered.

Then there was the time Royce decided to make a “bomb” with shoo-shoo remains. (See disclaimer No. 3 above.) He emptied shoo-shoo gunpowder into a plastic pill bottle. When he told his little brother, Paul, what he was making, the younger boy wanted to help. His job was to hold the bottle while Royce filled it with gunpowder and then lit it. At that moment the younger brother was to put the plastic cap on and throw the bottle as far as he could. Well, the timing was off. The powder began to shoot sparks, which caused the plastic pill bottle to melt on Paul’s fingers. Steve, the other brother, saw what was happening, ran into the house and came back with a potion to soothe Paul’s hand. Paul screamed as the stinging liquid splashed on his palm. It turns out the ointment was their dad’s after-shave lotion, which, as the well-intended Steve pointed out, said right there on the label, “Ice Blue Aqua Velva.”

Years later, after he retired from working offshore for Texaco, Hodnett’s wife bought him an electric typewriter. He has been chronicling memories ever since. Life’s lesson from all this is that today’s big ideas could have been yesterday’s shoo-shoos.

Disclaimer No. 5: No chickens were bothered in the telling of these stories.

ARTHUR NEAD I L L USTRAT I ON