april 2019
WYES-TV PRESENTS KEVIN BELTON’S NEW ORLEANS CELEBRATIONS
APRIL 2019 / VOLUME 53 / NUMBER 4 Editor-in-Chief Errol Laborde Managing Editor Ashley McLellan Art Director Tiffani Reding Amedeo Contributing Writers Mary Lou Eichhorn, Fritz Esker, Kathy Finn, Dawn Ruth Wilson, Jason Berry, Carolyn Kolb, Chris Rose, Eve Crawford Peyton, Mike Griffith, Liz Scott Monaghan, Lee Cutrone, Dale Curry, Jay Forman, Tim McNally, Robert Peyton Digital Media Editor Kelly Massicot Social Media Assistant Becca Miller Staff Writers Topher Balfer, Kelly Massicot, Melanie Warner Spencer Vice President of Sales Colleen Monaghan Advertising Sales Manager Kate Henry (504) 830-7216 / Kate@MyNewOrleans.com Senior Account Executive Claire Cummings Account Executives Meggie Schmidt, Rachel Webber Event Coordinator Abbie Dugruise Digital Media Associate Mallary Matherne For event information call (504) 830-7264 Production Manager Emily Andras Production Designers Rosa Balaguer, Meghan Rooney Special Projects Art Director Molly Tullier Traffic Coordinator Lane Brocato Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne President Alan Campell Executive Vice President Errol Laborde Distribution Manager John Holzer Administrative Assistant Mallary Matherne Subscriptions Manager Brittanie Bryant For subscription information call (504) 828-1380 WYES DIAL 12 STAFF (504) 486-5511 Executive 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 MyNewOrleans.com
New Orleans Magazine (ISSN 0897 8174) is published monthly by Renaissance Publishing, LLC., 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005; (504) 828-1380. 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 2019 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 Local Color Marquee Top Picks for April 22 On the Cover: Cheap Eats’ Avocado sandwich with side salad at Good Karma Cafe
Spring festival fashion, p. 52
Photographed by Sara Essex Bradley
Persona Deacon John 24
Biz Friendly Competition 28
Chris Rose Change Order 30
Modine Gunch The Trouble with Texts 32
Joie d’Eve Shipwrecked 34
In Tune Season of the Fests 36
Chronicles Out to Dry 38
68
Features
In Every Issue
Cheap Eats
Inside
Binging on a Budget 40
The Hot Tamale Man 12
Field Guide
Speaking Out
Spring Festival Fashion 52
Editorial, plus a Mike Luckovich cartoon 16
Festival Guide Where to Go This Spring 58
Julia Street Questions and Answers About Our City 18
Streetcar In the Land of Easter Egg Paquing 112
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DIAL 12, D1 Chef Kevin Belton is back with a bang for an all-star line-up of festival fare in a new 26-part cooking series “Kevin Belton’s New Orleans Celebrations.” The kick-off to the series premieres Saturday, April 13 at 9:30 a.m. on WYES-TV/Channel 12. This is the third cooking series WYES has produced with Belton. The companion cookbook of the same title, a 60-minute DVD featuring Chef Kevin Belton’s favorite recipes from the series, plus a sample of recipes can be found at kevinbelton. wyes.org.
The Menu Table Talk Texas Czech 62
Restaurant Insider News from the Kitchens 64
Food Fields of Red 66
Last Call Brandy Crusta 68
Dining Guide Listings by Neighborhood 70
inside
The Hot Tamale Man If you missed reading your
newspaper you could get a page with your tamales. Of course, the paper might have tamale stains, but if the page was the classifieds it did not matter that much. Manuel’s Hot Tamales was the definitive place for the snack for over 70 years, dating from when Mexico native Manuel Hernandez began purveying the tamales in 1933 up until the week after Katrina, when a refrigerator full of the tamales was found ruined in the storefront on flooded South Carrollton Avenue, near Canal Street. There were other tamale vendors in town, but Manuel’s was the best known, possibly for his simple, but well located outlet, and certainly because he made a great tamale. Folks could line up at the service window and buy the tamales by the dozen, or in variations thereof. Manuel’s version was a bit smaller than the restaurant type, maybe about the size of a half cigar. Each was served in a type of wrapping paper; then the batch was bundled in the newspaper. A cornmeal coating provided the casing for the ground beef, which had been cooked in a tangy tomato sauce. There were a few picnic tables outside the stand where tamale eaters could watch the pageantry of Mid-City unfold. Usually referred to as “Hot Tamales” the delicacy was also sold from carts around town, some by competing brands, but Manuel’s ruled. His product became so popular that in the business’s later years, Manuel’s was even packaging frozen tamales to be sold at supermarkets. New Orleans, because it is a 1 2 APRIL 2019 myneworleans.com
port, and because of its proximity to Mexico, was probably more of a hot tamale town than most places but tamale vendors were an urban thing throughout the country. Only in New Orleans, however, is an ancient song called “Here Comes the Hot Tamale Man,” still regularly performed. The New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra, which is dedicated to preserving the old jazz tunes, has among its repertoire a song called “Here Comes the Hot Tamale Man.” Frequently sung by banjo player George Schmidt, the New Leviathan’s version is an adaptation of a 1909 song by a ragtime signer named Arthur Collins. The music will move you to dancing, even with such lyrics as “Hot tamales fill my heart with joy; Hot tamales make me feel so jolly.” Our cover story this issue is about Cheap Eats. Few edibles can better qualify for that category than the tamale. May the tamale business last forever. And, by the way, that’s another reason why we still need newspapers.
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meet the sales staff
Kate Henry Advertising Sales Manager (504) 830-7216 Kate@myneworleans.com
Claire Cummings Senior Account Executive (504) 830-7250 Claire@myneworleans.com
Rachel Webber Account Executive (504) 830-7249 Rachel@MyNewOrleans.com
Meggie Schmidt Account Executive (504) 830-7220 Meggie@myneworleans.com
Colleen Monaghan Vice President of Sales (504) 830-7215 Colleen@myneworleans.com 1 4 APRIL 2019 myneworleans.com
myneworleans.com APRIL 2019 1 5
speaking out
VOTE YES Making History for Recreation In our own world here at the
office, this editorial is historic. This is the first time that the magazine has made an endorsement on an issue that will be placed before the voters. We do so because we know that referendums do not get the same attention as ballots where candidates are elected to office, yet the referendums quite often have more long lasting impact than do office holders. They are among the most important decisions that voters are asked to make. At issue in Orleans Parish is a proposal that is brilliant in its intent, universal in its support and gentle to tax payers. Oh, and it is also good for the city, aesthetically, socially and physically. This issue is NOT a millage increase, rather it is something 1 6 APRIL 2019 myneworleans.com
less threatening; a millage “real- the first time ever will get a slice location” dedicated to more equi- for its operating revenue. (Ok, table funding of recreation. Four school time: A millage rate is the agencies are affected, Parks and amount per $1,000 of property Parkways; NORDC (the recreation value that is used to calculate local department we used to know property taxes. Assigned millage as NORD only now with that C rates are multiplied by the total attached), Audubon Park and taxable value of the property in City Park. Of the four, the first order to arrive at the property three have long received millage taxes - Investopedia.) support from the city; amazingly Without getting too bogged the only one of the four that down in numbers, here is what actually has “City” in the new distribution will its name receives nothing be: Audubon Park, 1.95 An original from local government. ©Mike Luckovich mills; NORDC, 1.95; Parkways, 1.80; City Under the proposal the Cartoon for New Orleans Magazine allocation would be Park, 0.61. redrawn so that Audubon For Audubon Park Park, which receives the largest that represents a 1.36 millage percentage, will get a little less; decrease; NORDC and Parkways Parks and Parkways will get a are up by .45 and .30 respectively; little more, and City Park, for City Park enters Fantasyland for
the first time. Why City Park has been left out traces back to politics of the 1890s that was actually wellintentioned, if not short-sighted. To protect the recreation area from the clutches of City Hall’s machine politics, the park was established by the state, as an independent entity controlled by its own board independent of city government. Unfortunately, no control generally means no cash. Now, in different times, the park, which has to generate 90 percent of its own operating revenues deserves help. (Through the state, the park does receive about $1 million annually from slot machine revenue at the Fair Grounds, but that is always subject to breath-holding each time lawmakers look for new sources of revenue.) Over the 20 year period of the renewal City Park will get approximately $2 million per year beginning in 2021. This plan was developed with the help of the National Trust for Public Land and has the support of the mayor, the city council and all of the effected parties. It is a classic example of sound public thinking and good government. Election Day is Saturday May 4, which is also the second Saturday of Jazz Fest, but the polls open early so there is plenty time to attend both. Trust us, the lines will not be long. Full disclosure, New Orleans Magazine Editor Errol Laborde is a former member of the City Park board. If there is opposition, it is likely from apathy and from those who chronically vote “NO” to any proposition that involves money. But the facts prove the worthiness. We all want green space to be preserved but green space does not pay bills, millages do. On behalf of the future we offer thanks for your support, so do the squirrels, racoons and swans.
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julia street with poydras the parrot
Notre Dame de Bon Secours Circa 1915. Courtesy of The Historic New Orleans Collection
Dear Julia, I grew up in the Irish Channel and always heard about St. Alphonsus and St. Mary’s Assumption, the Irish and German churches that stand across the street from one another, but the nearby French church is mostly forgotten. I have read conflicting information about what happened to Notre Dame de Bon Secours and hope you might know something about it. Jack Whaler (Kenner) Notre Dame de Bon Secours formerly stood on the even side of Jackson Avenue between Constance and Laurel. The Romanesque-style church had a seating capacity of about 150 and served French-speaking congregants from 1858 to 1925. The 1915 hurricane damaged the church but was not the direct or sole cause of the church’s destruction. The Redemptorists had in 1924 consolidated St. Alphonsus, St. Mary’s Assumption and Notre Dame de Bon Secours into a single parish. At the time, Notre Dame had few parishoners, making it hard to justify its operating and repair costs. Notre Dame held its final Mass on August 23, 1925. The Feitel House Wrecking Company dismantled the church in January 1926 and sold its architectural salvage on site. The lot was subsequently subdivided and developed. 1 8 APRIL 2019 myneworleans.com
Dear Julia and Poydras, I have a question that no one seems to be able to answer. Perhaps between you two, you can answer this. Why is the owner of a restaurant called a restaurateur; no “n?” What happened to the “n” and why is is gone? This simple mystery is driving me crazy. If you can’t answer this then I might need to write to Marilyn Vos Savant as a last resort. Lee Blotner (Metairie, LA) I may not share Ms. Vos Savant’s distinction of having the world’s highest documented IQ, but I do know some stuff. I tried to explain the entymology to Poydras, but he just said my logic was buggy and flew off to chase butterflies. The words “restaurant” and “restaurateur” are both derived from the French verb restaurer. I consulted an unabridged French-English dictionary and learned restaurer means “to restore” but, as in English, can refer either to the act of restoring something or to the act of eating. The related word restauration means “restoration” in English but, when used in the culinary sense, it is properly translated as “catering.” The person who restores things or whose place of business business “restores” empty tummies to fullness is called either a restaurateur or a restauratrice, depending on the subject’s gender. The “n” is omitted because the word passed unchanged from the original French language into English.
Dear Julia, I remember that in the 1970’s or 1980’s there was a giant statue of Saint Jude in front of what is now Ochsner Hospital in Kenner and that the Hospital was called Saint Jude Hospital. Was it one of Danny Thomas’ children’s hospitals? There is a giant statue of Saint Jude beside the Guadalupe Chapel on Rampart Street. Is this that same statue? Thanks, Thomas Diemer (Kenner, LA)
have a question for julia? Send your question to: Julia Street, New Orleans Magazine, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 or email: Julia@ NewOrleans Magazine.com
Neither the statue nor the St. Jude Medical Complex were connected with Danny Thomas or his Children’s Hospital. While in Italy in 1985, siblings John and Robert Liljeberg purchased a bronze statue depicting St. Jude Thaddeus for a hospital they were developing in Kenner. Gaetano Dal Monte (1916-2006) of Faenza, Italy, designed the 15 foot, 8 inches tall work. The hospital went bankrupt in 1995, whereupon the statue was donated to the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Since then, Dal Monte’s sculpture has towered over the small walled courtyard next to the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadeloupe, which is home to the International Shrine of St. Jude at North Rampart and Conti streets.
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Local Color MARQUEE . PERSONA . biz . CHRIS ROSE . MODINE GUNCH . JOIE D’EVE . IN TUNE . CHRONICLES
greg miles photo
Music artist deacon john
marquee
April Our top picks for this month’s events by Fritz Esker
Kenner’s Italian Heritage Festival
In its 20th year, Kenner’s Italian Heritage Festival (Festa Italiana) returns April 5-7 to treat visitors to authentic Italian food, rides, games, crafts, and live music including The Topcats, The Molly Ringwalds and The Victory Belles. It will be held on the 400 block of Williams Blvd. from the river to the railroad tracks. Information, ItalianHeritageFestival.com.
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Freret Street Festival
Produced by the Freret Market, the Freret Street Festival takes over Freret Street from Napoleon to Valmont on April 6. There will be live music, food, drinks, a kids’ activity area, a pet adoption area and a flea market with used CDs, books, and clothing. Information, FreretStreetFestival.org.
Bill Maher
David Sedaris
The provocative comedian and long-time host of HBO’s satirical current events show “Real Time with Bill Maher” comes to the Saenger Theater on April 6 with his unflinchingly honest and bitingly hilarious stand-up comedy. Information, SaengerNOLA.com.
Regular NPR contributor and comic storyteller David Sedaris (“Naked,” “Me Talk Pretty One Day”) will appear at the Orpheum Theater for one night only on April 12, following the release of his newest bestselling book, “Calypso.” Information, OrpheumNOLA.com.
Ingrid Christie photo
calendar March 27-April 14
April 12-14
Azul, Southern Rep. Information, SouthernRep.com.
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com.
April 3-7
New Orleans Wine & Food Experience, Multiple Locations. Information, Nowfe.com.
April 15
Pink Martini, Orpheum Theater. Information, OrpheumNOLA.com.
April 3, 10, 17, & 24
April 20
YLC Wednesday at the Square, Lafayette Square. Information, YLCNola.org.
Allstate Sugar Bowl Crescent City Classic, Champions Square. Information, CCC10K.com.
April 3, 10, 17, & 24
April 21
The Victory Belles, BB’s Stage Door Canteen. Information, NationalWW2Museum.org.
The Millennium Tour Featuring B2K, Lakefront Arena. Information, arena.uno.edu.
April 5-7
April 25-May 5: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Fairgrounds. Information, NOJazzFest.com.
Jump, Jive, and Wail: The Music of Louis Prima, BB’s Stage Door Canteen. Information, NationalWW2Museum.org. April 6
Cirque Musica, Mahalia Jackson Theater. Information, MahaliaJacksonTheater.com. April 8
Double Dare!, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com.
April 25-26
Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band, The Joy Theater. Information, TheJoyTheater.com. April 26 & 28
Verdi’s Rigoletto, Mahalia Jackson Theater. Information, MahaliaJacksonTheater.com. April 26
April 9
Death Cab for Cutie & My Brightest Diamond, Orpheum Theater. Information, OrpheumNOLA.com.
JJ Grey & Mofro with Special Guests North Mississippi Allstars, Samantha Fish, Orpheum Theater. Information, OrpheumNOLA.com. April 27
April 11-14
French Quarter Fest, French Quarter. Information, Fqfi.org.
Gov’t Mule, Orpheum Theater. Information, OrpheumNOLA.com. April 27
April 11 & 13
Beethoven Symphony No. 7, Orpheum Theater. Information, OrpheumNOLA.com. April 12
David Sedaris, Orpheum Theater. Information, OrpheumNOLA.com.
Big Easy Rollergirls, Lakefront Arena. Information, arena.uno.edu. April 27
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com. April 28
April 12
12th Annual Big Easy Blues Festival, Lakefront Arena. Information, arena.uno.edu.
Melissa Etheridge, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com. April 29-May 1
NOLA Crawfish Festival, Central City BBQ. Information, NOLACrawfishFest.com
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persona
I have seen it all [at jazz fest,] but just when you think you have, there’s always something new.
line-up consisting of everything from rhythm and blues to gospel to rock ‘n’ roll and jazz. In addition to performing with his band, Deacon John & The Ivories, you may have also seen him starring in national commercials, movies or on TV, with a notable role in HBO’s series, Treme. With a smile that can charm any crowd, Deacon John will once again bring his unique energy to the stage at this year’s Jazz Fest, for an irresistible performance that has become part of the soundtrack of New Orleans.
Q: How have you seen Jazz Fest change since the first one 50 years ago? I have witnessed the
Deacon John A Man for All Ages and Stages By Alice Phillips
As one of 13 children born to a classical
pianist, Deacon John Moore has been performing for family, friends and audiences starting from a very young age. The bandleader has captured hearts throughout New Orleans and across the country at weddings, debutante 2 4 april 2019 myneworleans.com
balls, carnival balls and even the White House; and of the 50 years of New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Deacon John has played at every single one. The New Orleans native is one of the most diverse performers in the area, with a music
growth of Jazz Fest because I have performed at every one since the first one in Congo Square. The growth of the Jazz Fest concurred with my growth as a musician and performance artist through the years: from low-cost admission, bring your wagons, coolers, food and beverage to celebrate the indigenous music and culture; to an expansion of stages to accommodate the burgeoning genres of local, regional, national and international artists accompanied by select grandstand seating and greater selection of food, crafts and art, more artists’ interviews and storytelling, and more activities and performances for children. I have seen it all, but just when you think you have, there’s always something new. greg miles photo
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Q: What is your favorite memory or performance from Jazz Fest? When I performed at Jazz Fest after Hurricane Katrina with my 17-piece jump blues orchestra to premiere my “Deacon John’s Jump Blues” CD and DVD. This was my initial performance with a big band, and it was such a memorable, musical experience, that it’s been that way ever since. I especially love singing my signature song, “Many Rivers to Cross,” the story of my life, touching the hearts and souls of my many fans who have supported me through the years—for without that support there would be no Deacon John.
Q: What is your favorite stage at Jazz Fest? What’s your favorite stage that you’ve performed on? The Gentilly Stage; not too big and not too small to see it all. My favorite that I’ve performed on is the Blues Tent, as it affords me the opportunity to perform for a seated audience and easily facilitates the many costume changes that help me to put on the best show possible.
at a glance
Born: At home in New Orleans’ 8th Ward Family: Large, African-American creole Catholic family Education: Corpus Christi Elementary School, St. Augustine High School, Southern University of New Orleans (B.S, Business Administration) Favorite New Orleans restaurant: Dooky Chase Favorite musician today: John Boutté Favorite food at Jazz Fest: Trout Baquet Favorite live music venue: Little Gem Saloon Favorite book: “The Fire Next Time,” by James Baldwin
Q: You’ve performed for presidents, governors and regular Joes. Who has been a favorite audience member? My favorite audience member at Jazz Fest has always been my primary care physician, Dr. Leonard Glade, who has given me expert care, love and support through most of my adult life.
Q: What’s on your record player right now? On my CD player right now is my new CD single, “Crowded Shotgun House,” available via iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby and at the Louisiana Music Factory.
Q: Who inspires your music? There are many people that inspire my music. They come from the many eclectic genres of music that have influenced me through the years. It’s hard to name one, so I’ll name some: Sam Cooke, Little Jimmy Scott, Dionne Warwick, Ray Charles, Elmore James, Wes Montgomery, John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Satchmo, Allen Toussaint and my mentor, Dave Bartholomew. 2 6 april 2019 myneworleans.com
True Confession: I’m a thrift store junkie!
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BIZ
Friendly Competition? Line in the sand over corporate welfare by Kathy Finn
A recent move by lawmakers
in the nation’s largest city in defiance of one of the world’s largest corporations drew diverse reactions around the country. New York City drew a line in the sand when, after being selected as a location for one of Amazon’s giant new operations centers, local lawmakers in essence told Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to take a hike. But for those who believe that the competition to lure employers has spun out of control, the action marked an about-time moment in the practice of using taxpayerfunded incentives as job bait. In the past year, dozens of cities and states had engaged in a frenzied competition to land one of Amazon’s planned new centers, which held the promise of 25,000 new jobs. Along with touting resources such as their 2 8 april 2019 myneworleans.com
work force or transportation system, nearly every city that courted Amazon touted a bucket of financial incentives aimed at swaying the company’s location decision. (Louisiana offered Amazon more than $6 billion worth of incentives.) Such competitions have become a fact of life for economic developers. All it took a few decades ago was for one state to succeed in luring a big employer by using giant tax breaks, and soon every economic development agency in the country was jumping in. The incentives, which ranged from tax breaks on property, equipment purchases or payroll to work force training and outright grants, became integral components of just about every incentive package extended to prospective employers.
As Louisiana entered the frenzy, the state’s economic development agency became increasingly adept at designing incentive packages. New Orleans also learned to deploy its limited financial tools in courting employers. There’s no question that such incentives can work. The primary reason that movie makers bring many big-name stars to Louisiana annually, for instance, is the targeted tax incentive program the state designed. The program actually spurred the development of a billion-dollar industry that barely existed in Louisiana previously. The city of New Orleans meanwhile, has repeatedly used such mechanisms as payments in lieu of property taxes, along with state-provided incentives, to draw such employers as tech company Accruent, DXC Technology and
data services company iMerit, which are bringing hundreds of jobs. Despite such “wins,” some taxpayers have become disenchanted with lavish business incentives. For one thing, companies that are shopping for new locations have come to see lucrative tax breaks not as bonus perks, but rather as boiler-plate benefits of agreeing to sink roots in a given locale. Over time, the total value of incentive programs has soared. Louisiana’s industrial tax exemption program alone, which is one of the oldest business incentives in the state, cost $1.9 billion in foregone property taxes in 2017, according to the citizen advocacy group Together Louisiana, which said the break reduced funding for local school districts by $720 million. Another issue is accountability. While Louisiana is doing a better job than in the past of monitoring companies to ensure that they do, indeed, hire as many people as they promise, both the state and the city of New Orleans largely rely on companies to self-report their hiring activity. Together Louisiana complains that some 1,400 companies that received public subsidies from Louisiana during the last 20 years have actually cut their net employment by 26,000 jobs. The New York decision to defy Amazon’s plan to build in Long Island City swept nearly $3 billion in incentives off the table. Many New Yorkers who hoped to benefit from Amazon’s New York project cried foul over the city’s move. But some who believe economic development incentives have spiraled out of control are hoping New York’s action will embolden other jurisdictions to rein in incentives that many consider as nothing more than corporate welfare.
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Joseph Daniel Fiedler illustration
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chris rose
In a city that never changes, it
seems anathema – even nonsensical – to point out that things are always changing here. It kind of follows the time-honored (and time-proven) notion of how New Orleans always gets everything wrong – but in all the right ways. But you have to admit, there’s a certain charm to the unpredictability of life here in the cosmopolitan tropics. And a certain unpredictability to our charms. For instance: It’s festival season. Which to attend? In the fall, the Fine Arts season kicks off. Which Arts District to patronize? At Mardi Gras: What krewe to join? Planning for a night of music? What street? Dining out? Do the math. With three quarters of our pre-Katrina population, we have twice as many restaurants. Go figure. These used to be simple questions with simple answers. In past eras, cultural and geographical monoliths like Jazz Fest, Julia Street, Rex, Bourbon Street and the Brennan family made those decisions for us. Now, where to invest your leisure time and money is dependent upon the circles which you occupy inside of New Orleans’ cultural Venn Diagram. In recent years, the city’s food, music, arts and festival scenes have faced constantly shifting memberships, challenges, competition and allegiances. Much of it best characterized by the great 20th century philosopher Yogi Berra, who once said of a popular nightspot: It’s too crowded; nobody goes there anymore. Let’s start with Bourbon Street. For decades, it was ground zero for the city’s entertainment industry. Until it became too commercial, with too many tourists. Too crowded. So nobody went there. That begat Frenchmen Street, whose explosive growth and popularity in the aughts earned 30 april 2019 myneworleans.com
Change Order The maddening crowd by Chris Rose
it the unfortunate designation as “Bourbon Street for Locals.” Until it became too commercial, with too many tourists. Too crowded. Which begat St. Claude Avenue. “Frenchmen Street for locals,” they call it now. But it’s getting mighty busy down there these days, what with traffic at a crawl and parked cars piled up on the neutral grounds and the sidewalks packed with...crowds. What St. Claude shall beget remains to be seen. Sometimes things come full circle. Remember when Tipitina’s ruled the music scene? Then its financial troubles begat the Howlin’s Wolf’s ascendancy as the go-to place for rising national acts. Then the House of Blues muscled everybody out of the way. Now
HOB is a tired and uneventful venue. In recent years, Gasa Gasa on Freret Street and Siberia on St. Claude started drawing the “in” crowd to hear the “in” bands. And now, in a cosmic (literally) reboot, thanks to the investment by, and new ownership of the club by the local band Galactic (cosmic; get it?), Tipitina’s is rising from the ashes to reclaim its mantle as the high holy church of New Orleans sound and music. Welcome back, Fess. When the bohemians and creative classes who populated the French Quarter for decades were priced out in the late 20th century, they moved to the Marigny. When that became too expensive, they moved to the Bywater. Now, gentrification has
made life for writers, artists and waiters unlivable there, forcing a mass migration to the 7th Ward. And so on. And now we’re on the cusp of Jazz Fest, the city’s crown jewel festival. Until, of course, it got too expensive and too commercial and too crowded. Which begat French Quarter Fest. Jazz Fest for locals. Which has become uncomfortably crowded. Me, I prefer Bayou Boogaloo out on Bayou St. John. It’s French Quarter Fest for locals, but with kayaks and canoes. A designation which no doubt portends its ruination. And don’t get me started on the seismic ascendancy of the “alternative” Mardi Gras, with its DIY mini-krewes and dance troupes celebrating James Brown, Chewbacca, shoe box floats, altrock monarchy, Elvis impersonators riding motorized recliners, the loa, weed, female genitalia, and galleries of Saints (real) and sinners (imagined). They all make the 610 Stompers look as retro as, well...the 610 Stompers. And Barkus has all but gone to the dogs. It’s become impossible to know which underground krewes, clubs and co-ops to align with anymore to maintain one’s hipster cred. As the city shrinks, the bohemian buffet expands. The more things change, the more things change. Except, of course, the Rolling Stones. The inscrutable Mount Rushmorians of rock and roll have been bestowed an unprecedented and newly minted Jazz Fest designation and honorific this year – a day essentially all to themselves. It’s on the second Thursday of Jazz Fest. They used to call that “locals’ day.” Now it’s too crowded. Beget that.
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Jason Raish Illustration
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modine gunch
The Trouble with Texts Or, what the repairman knows by Modine Gunch
My sister-in-law, Gloriosa, is getting
a new dishwasher. She says she is being environmentally correct. But it actually is because of s-e-x. I got to explain. Poor Gloriosa has had a rough time ever since Mardi Gras, what with two of her kids coming down with a stomach bug; her husband, Proteus, getting the gout; and Baby Flambeau cutting teeth, or possibly fangs, and chewing on whatever she can grab, including the cat. Every night Gloriosa calls me up and wails that things can’t get worse. And then they do. Last week her dishwasher went kaflooey. That next day, I happen to go to bingo with my mother-in-law Ms. Larda and would you believe, I win two free lunches at Commander’s Palace. This gives Ms. Larda an idea. She says she feels so bad for Gloriosa, she will babysit if I will take Gloriosa out to lunch. Ms. Larda actually gets along fine with Flambeau. Kind of like a snake charmer. We tell Gloriosa and she is so excited. She’s going to shave her legs for the first time in months. We decide I will drop off Ms. Larda, and Gloriosa will pass the baby off to her like a little howling baton, and jump in the car with me. I ask when to get there and she says it depends on when she gets Flambeau to nap long enough so she can shower. She says she’ll text me as she goes along, so me and Ms. Larda can time ourselves. At 11 a.m. she texts, “Baby asleep”’(with a picture of Flambeau, passed out like a little wolf cub.) At 11:05 “Shaving legs!” (picture of a hairy shin). At 11:10 “Shaving armpits” (picture of a 32 april 2019 myneworleans.com
hairy armpit). At 11:15 “In shower!” (picture of shower curtain). 11:20 “Wearing this!” (picture of her bra, drawers, and dress laying on the bed, ready to put on). 11:40 “Makeup gorgeous!” (Picture of her smiling face) 11:50 “Ready!” And noon my phone rings. ‘Where are you?” she asks. ‘On my way!” I say, and I hurry and pick up Ms. Larda and make the switch, and me and Gloriosa go to our therapeutic girls’ lunch out. We get us a nice table by the window, and start on the special 25-cent martinis. Then Gloriosa remembers something. “I better text Ms. Larda that Larry the dishwasher repair guy is coming. She actually recommended him. He’s from down in the Parish,” she says. Just then the waiters plunk down our seared Gulf shrimp crusted with rosemary and other delicious stuff, and we forget about Larry and everything else. We are mopping up the last bits of sauce with French bread, when Gloriosa says, “Can you believe I was so excited about this lunch, I texted you every step of getting ready.”
“I didn’t get no texts,” I say. “Sure you did,” she gets out her phone, frowns at it, and almost levitates out her chair. “I wasn’t texting you! I was texting Larry!” She shoves the phone at me. “Does a picture of my armpit count as sexting? Maybe he’s on his way to my house! Maybe he’s a serial sex pervert! Would a hairy shin set him off ?” We tell the waiter to box up our desserts (bread pudding souffle), and rush off. We pull up in front, and Ms. Larda opens the door with Flambeau perched on her hip, gnawing a beef jerky stick. At least that’s what I hope it is. “Larry was here,” she says. “But he left.” “Did he get my texts?” Gloriosa asks. “Texts? He did keep squinting at his flip phone. He don’t see too good. He said he don’t have the equipment for this job. He’ll send his son tomorrow.” Gloriosa calls Larry. “It’s a miracle! The dishwasher works again! Don’t send nobody tomorrow; nobody will be home but the pit bull!” That night she tells Proteus that the dishwasher is too old to get fixed, and they better buy one of them new eco-friendly ones. She says she just wants to keep things clean. Good idea.
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LORI OSIECKI ILLUSTRATION
myneworleans.com april 2019 3 3
JOIE D’EVE
Shipwrecked Field trip reality vs. Jazz Fest fantasy By Eve Crawford Peyton
There are many sacrifices
we make as parents, and so it was that I found myself planning on taking a vacation day – a gorgeous spring Friday – to go to Ship Island in Mississippi on a field trip with my daughter’s class instead of attending the first Friday of Jazz Fest. Although I love her (and her friends) beyond expression and am happy and privileged to be able to take the time to spend the day with her, it’s still hard not to contrast what the reality of the field trip will look like versus the sun-soaked fantasy of a day spent
34 april 2019 myneworleans.com
with friends at Jazz Fest. What I will be doing: Getting up at 5:30 a.m. to make sure my daughter gets to board the school bus on time, then fortifying myself with grease- and carb-forward breakfast foods and lots of coffee before following the bus in my minivan. What I could be doing: Sleeping in, followed by a leisurely brunch with Bloody Marys before making my way to the Fair Grounds. What I will be doing: Staving off motion sickness on the ferry with Dramamine. What I could be doing: Choosing
which bands to see while drinking In the end, of course, I will end a beer. up exhausted and sunburned either What I will be doing: Eating a way, and I know the Ship Island hot dog from the island snack bar trip – a school tradition, a rite of or maybe a PB&J that I passage – will end up packed the night before. being something Ruby What I could be Excerpted from Eve and I will bond over Crawford Peyton’s doing: Eating crawfish blog, Joie d’Eve, which and end up cherishing bread or mango freeze appears each Friday on as a family memory for or spinach-artichoke MyNewOrleans.com years to come. dip or cochon de lait But for those of you po’ boys or or or … heading out to the fest, I suspect What I will be doing: Listening you’ll be having more fun than to fifth graders shriek and bicker I am. Stay safe, stay hydrated, remember your sunscreen – and and gossip. What I could be doing: Listening eat some extra crawfish bread to the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. for me!
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jane sanders illustration
myneworleans.com april 2019 3 5
in tune
must-see music april 7
SoDown moves the Hi-Ho. april 9
Death Cab for Cutie rocks The Orpheum. april 9
Willie Nelson tells stories at The Fillmore. Alanis Morissette
april 13
Antiseen rocks the Howlin’ Wolf. april 13
Bayonne experiments at Gasa Gasa. april 13
San Holo moves The Joy. april 16
Season of the Fests Music everywhere
accommodate the Stones—Jazz Fest festival season is fully upon us, and organizers have added a fourth day that French Quarter Fest and Jazz to the first weekend of the fest and Fest are right around the corner. This packed it with some amazing talent. year, French Quarter Fest is April On that day alone you’ll be able to 11-14. FQF remains the preeminent see Earth, Wind and Fire, Alanis showcase for local talent—everyone Morissette, The Doobie Brothers, drops by for a set. I like the feel of Taj Mahal, Boyfriend, BeauSoleil the Quarter during this festival. It’s and Jason Marsalis. The last time a great way to spend time revisiting that Jazz Fest had a first Thursday old haunts and finding some great was 2003 and that remains one of my favorite days of the new music. festival—the bulk of the This season, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Playlist of mentioned attendees hadn’t made it Festival adds an extra bands available into town yet and the day at: http://bit.ly/ day running April 25-28 InTune4-19 was relatively quiet, intimate and May 2-5. It’s the and local. Make a point of 50th anniversary of Jazz Fest and seeing Hurray for the Riff Raff on the there has already been a lot of talk 27th—Alynda Segarra and company about the presence of the Rolling are based here and riding on a string Stones at the Fair Grounds this of excellent releases and engaging year, so let’s talk about some of live performances. It’s great to see the other great things going on at the them among the likes of Katy Perry Fair Grounds. First off—in order to and Leon Bridges. Sunday the 28th is 36 april 2019 myneworleans.com
april 17
Tyler Childers brings bluegrass to The Civic.
by Mike Griffith
April means that the height of
Hand Habits rocks Gasa Gasa.
a home run with Van Morrison and Al Green, along with Bonnie Raitt and Irma Thomas, not to mention Jerry Lee Lewis and the Indigo Girls, plus a pair of high-powered tributes to Fats Domino and Louis Prima. Friday the 3rd offers performances from Gary Clark Jr., Kamasi Washington and the incomparable Cécile McLorin Salvant. In addition to the Stones, the second weekend of Fest is anchored by two long time festival favorites with Dave Matthew Band holding down Saturday, and Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band taking the Sunday honors. Quint Davis and company have done a very good job of booking both amazing headliners and wonderful local and rising talent throughout the festival schedule. There are going to be a lot of very difficult scheduling conflicts this year—keep your walking shoes close.
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april 17
Big Boi raps at The Fillmore. april 22
Avey Tare rocks Gasa Gasa. april 26
The Suffers bring the soul to One Eyed Jacks. april 27
Boyfriend goes big at One Eyed Jacks.
Dates are subject to change; email Mike@ MyNewOrleans.com or contact him through Twitter @Minima. Williams-Hirakawa photo
myneworleans.com april 2019 3 7
chronicles
Out to Dry Laundry day in New Orleans by Carolyn Kolb
Nineteenth-century New
Orleanians shared our need for clean clothes. A note in the Louisiana Advertiser newspaper of December 5, 1826 offered a much-needed service: “To hire: a good Creole washer-woman, cook, etc. speaks French and a little English. Enquire at this office…” Then, as now, you could do the washing, or hire someone to do it on the premises, or send it out to be done. Some things never change. An ingenious New Orleans promoter in the 1830s promised a solution to the problem: a mechanical laundry. On August 23, 1838, The Picayune noted: “An ingenious machine for perfecting, facilitating, and economizing the process of washing has been invented by Dr. Plough. We advise housekeepers, and especially laundresses, to examine it.” During the late 1830s, Dr. Azzo
38 april 2019 myneworleans.com
Lewis Plough, a dentist and native of Holland, operated a “museum” of curiosities in New Orleans and had already designed a plan for the city to improve its cemeteries. Cleanliness was on the doctor’s mind. In 1837, Plough had incorporated the Colonnade Bath and Institute of New Orleans, “an extensive bathing establishment with which are to be connected apartments for the occupancy of various literary and scientific institutions.” Neither his cemetery plan nor the bath house were completed. Of his miraculous laundry machine, there are no plans available or reports of its successful operation. Meanwhile, New Orleans families coped with the washing as best they could. In the years before mechanical dryers, clothes were hung outside to dry. The usual local method of keeping the clothesline
in the air was a “clothes pole.” This was a long, straight stick with a hook (where branches had been lopped off.) In French, clothes poles were “des perches.” They were sold by street vendors who walked around the neighborhoods crying their wares. Lafcadio Hearn (later famous for collecting Japanese folklore and best known here for his short novel “Chita” about an 1856 hurricane destroying the resort on Isle Derniere) was a reporter for the Daily Item when he penned a piece on August 30, 1880, about the clothes pole man: “Des Perches! …the words chanted in ancient Creole patois — And we, listening to the cry, gave ourselves up to solemn meditation; Dreaming of the cries of anguish that arise when a clothes-line, heavily burdened with its snowy freight, falleth upon the mud…It
is to avoid these things that men should buy clothes-poles.” Clothes lines often appeared in the police reports: “Thieves scaled the fence of Mrs. Bardis’ residence on White near Dumaine St. and filched a lot of clothes valued at $18 from the clothes line,” the Picayune reported March 21, 1886. Two neighboring women squabbled over clothes on the line attached to their shared fence, and one took an axe and cut her neighbor’s clothes line, resulting in a damage suit for $24 filed April 23, 1852, reported the Picayune. Perhaps the worst clothesline offense was chronicled in the Picayune, June 18, 1870, when “the chief Clerk of the Police Board was robbed of a large quantity of wearing apparel by the police officer on the beat in front of his residence at 460 Annunciation St.” The victim awoke during the night to discover “a policeman in full uniform quietly gathering up linen from the clothesline.” Early on, boiling water on the stove all day was necessary for washing. Clothes were put in the hot water, sometimes with homemade soap (kitchen fat mixed with the lye skimmed off the top when hardwood ashes were boiled.) Simmering a pot of beans on the hot stove while doing laundry makes sense, as does the local custom of red beans and rice on Mondays (wash day!)
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myneworleans.com april 2019 3 9
P A E H C S T A E Our Guide to Binging on a Budget By Jyl Benson
photographed by sara essex bradley
red bean chili dawg topped wth fried chicken ketchup aioli; vegan Creole veggie chili dawg. a Zapp’schili cheese dawg; Cajun surf & turf
Diva Dawg In 2017, Ericka “Chef Diva” Lassair was the featured celebrity chef for Essence Eats. Her food truck was also recently featured in the hit movie “Girls Trip.” Despite the fame and acclaim, she continues to keep it real, with nothing over $10 on the menu. Nine bucks will score a red bean chili dawg (topped w/fried chicken ketchup aioli); a crawfish étouffée chili dawg; a Zapp’s chili cheese dawg; a pepperoni pizza dawg; or a vegan Creole veggie chili dawg. Request the truck for catering or follow on social media: Facebook- fb.com/divadawgtruck; Instagram- @divadawgtruck; Twitter- @divadawgtruck, divadawgtruck.com.
W whether there is
a temporary Jazz
Fest-sized hole in
Molly’s Rise and Shine
This happy breakfast and lunch spot is adorned with bright murals and vintage toys, and your meal may arrive on the sort of plastic, compartmentalized “plate” most often associated with school cafeterias. Options trend toward the unexpected. Try the deviled egg tostada ($6.50) marrying Cotija cheese whipped with a rich egg mousse, and topped with refried red beans, chopped cilantro, lime, red onions, pickled peppers and peanut salsa. The portion, while not gigantic, is bursting with exciting flavors that will keep you satisfied for hours. 2368 Magazine St., 3021896, mollysriseandshine.com.
your pocket, or you simply like a good deal, it is easy to dine rather lavishly in any neighborhood in New Orleans for $10 or less per person. Here are some of our favorites for when you’re watching your wallet, but not necessarily your waistline.
Mid City Pizza On weekdays from 11 a.m. to midnight. a massive slice of cheese pizza will satisfy anyone for $3, pepperoni for $3.50, and the daily special for $4. The chicken Parmesan sandwich is also a bargain at $7.50. 4400 Banks St., 483-8609, midcitypizza.com.
Juan’s Flying Burrito Juan’s first “lit up” on a really funky stretch of Lower Magazine Street in early 1997. The menu is trippy and fun, and the atmostphere even more so, attracting a clientele inspired to do the same. Though most items on the menu ring in under $10, Tuesdays bring the ultimate Bargain Betty with $2 street style tacos. Choose from Machaca beef debris, adobo chicken, or tofu. Each is served on a white corn tortilla with cilantro, diced white onions, and Cotija cheese. 2018 Magazine St., 569-0000, 5538
Magazine St., 8974800, 515 Baronne St., 529-5825, 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., 486-9950, juansflyingburrito. com. Tacqueria Corona Order a Numero Tres and two can eat abundantly for $16.75. Selections allow for customizing the platter—which comes with rice, beans and a grilled chicken salad— but the combination of a shrimp flauta, bean burrito, and shrimp, fried fish, and chorizo tacos delivers the best of the best. 5932 Magazine St., 897-3974, taqueriacorona.com.
Bratz Y’all The German-centric menu here is loaded with cheapeat options. Cobble together two or three of the $4 sides, including spatzle with gravy, warm German potato salad, and crawfish remoulade slaw, or share an order of the divine Flammkuchen (thin, crispy German flatbread with caramelized onions, smoked bacon, cured ham, and cool and creamy crème fraiche) for $9. 617-B, Piety St., 301-3222, bratzyall.com.
Flammkuchen
Turkey & the Wolf Though most often associated with hefty sandwiches running from $10.50 to $12.50 , fantastic bargains for under $10 are also available. Try the ethereal fried chicken skins and deviled eggs for $6, or the fried pot pie stuffed with slow cooked chicken and a side of tarragon buttermilk dipping sauce for $7.50. 739 Jackson Ave., 218-7428, turkeyandthewolf.com.
Fried chicken skins and deviled eggs, and fried pot pie
Pork Sliders on Steamed Buns
Singleton’s Mini MART - The humblest of places, located in an Uptown residential neighborhood where it is joyfully misplaced, in addition to chips, candy, booze and cigarettes, exceptional poor boys (try the Korean BBQ pork) and amazing Vietnamese food are on offer. Try the pork sliders on steamed buns, a killer bargain (4 for 7.99). 7446 Garfield St., 866-4741, singletonspoboys.com
Good Karma Cafe This soothing plant-based retreat is operated by brothers Goshi and Deshi Berg based on the non-violent principals of Ahimsa, followed by the Hare Krishna community. Most items, all of them bright and fresh, are under $10. For breakfast, try the Upma ($5.99), a traditional Southeast Indian porridge served with fresh coconut chutney. For lunch consider the avocado sandwich ($9.99) combining slices of perfectly ripe avocado, tomato, vegan mayonnaise, cucumber, fresh lettuce and almond spread on toasted Bellegarde Bakery bread. 2940 Canal St., 4014698, goodkarmanola.com.
Upma and Avocado Sandwich with side salad
Toast
Queen’s Cuisine Cafe If you seek satisfying soul food made with love, this cozy spot in the shadow of the airport delivers. Each day brings a fresh plate lunch for under $10, and any day may bring slowcooked red or white beans with hunks of ham, roasted pork ribs, smothered chicken, smothered okra, stuffed bell peppers, fried catfish or seafood stew. You can’t go wrong here. 2000 Airline Dr., Kenner, 305-0339. The Red Maple A classic upscale steakhouse in Old Gretna since 1963, the dinner menu here brings the prices one would expect in such a setting, but the weekday lunch specials bring two-course meals of stunningly high quality for $10.95. Choose from a starter of excellent turtle soup, seafood gumbo, soup of the day, or a fresh salad, followed by six entrees that include slowcooked boiled beef brisket with cabbage, carrots, new potatoes, and horseradish sauce; and a boneless pork rib-eye glazed with Steen’s cane syrup and fig reduction with yam mash, and haricots verts. 1036 Lafayette St., Gretna, 367-0935, theredmaple.com. Pagoda Cafe If you are looking to fill up and fuel up on the cheap before hitting Jazz Fest, this nearby cafe with outdoor seating is your spot. Nothing on the menu tops $8. Check out the sausage roll made with Terranova’s smoked sausage and served with housemade tomato relish for $5. 1430 N. Dorgenois St., 644-4178, pagodacafe.net.
The first Toast location was opened in 2014 by Cara and Evan Benson. Now with three locations (including one right near the Fair Grounds so you can get your fill before heading through the Jazz Fest gate) each serves as a neighborhood bakery and coffeehouse. A few things on the menu head north of $10 so it is easy to stay in a tight budget. For only $4, order toast and an egg cooked your way for a thrifty and satisfying start. 5433 Laurel St., 267-3260, 1845 Gentilly Blvd., 351-3664, 1035 Decatur St., 300-5518, toastneworleans.com.
Pho Ga Quang Minh Though named for Vietnamese chicken noodle soup (pho ga) Mi Vit Tiem is the dish that will leave you craving absolutely nothing. Thin egg noodles are pooled in a satisfying umami-rich broth with dark mushrooms and a roasted leg quarter of duck with glistening dark skin. This bowl of bliss will set you back $9.95. 2651 Barataria Blvd., Marerro, 347-3553.
DTB Here familiar Louisiana dishes are recreated with refined technique and a focus on Gulf seafood, Cajun flavors, and fresh seasonal produce. For a thrifty brunch in a rather high tone place, cobble together crab boil potato hash ($6) and a buttermilk biscuit with pimento cheese ($6) for or pick a couple of sides from the Lagniappe menu. 8201 Oak St. #1, 518-6889, dtbnola.com. Panchita’s This Carrollton Avenue spot offers authentic renditions of dishes from the state of Veracruz, along Mexico’s Gulf coast. Seafood is the star at this humble and homey spot but a recent breakfast of Huevos con Jamon (scrambled eggs with ham and fresh Cojita cheese) was so utterly delicious and inexpensive ($6.25 for a heaping plate with a pile of just-made tortillas) as to have rendered the meal unforgettable. 1434 S. Carrollton Ave., 2814127, panchitasmenu.com.
Taceaux Loceaux I am hopelessly addicted to their avocado fries (wedges of perfectly ripe avocado battered in some light, magical tempura-like coating, quickly fried to a greaseless perfection and served with a magic potion/ sauce) and the Seoul Man tacos (Bulgogi Chicken, shredded cabbage, cilantro, pickled red onions, and Sriracha aioli on flour tortillas) that come two to an order for $6. Check out their Facebook page for a listing of where to find them next, facebook.com/TaceauxLoceaux. Los Catrachos 2 Order a Honduran chicken, steak, or combination baleada (a large flour tortillas stuffed with beans, cheese, fresh avocado, and crema that you fold in half to eat without utensils) and you will be full all day long for under $4. Los Catrachos 2, 3001 Tulane Ave., 510-2890.
Cuban sandwich with sides of black beans and yucca
Que Rico! Cuban Cafe Grab a dining companion and share a Media Noche (Midnight Special) sandwich stuffed with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese and tangy pickles stuffed between two pieces of vaguely sweet, eggy bread pressed to crisp perfection. Add a side of black beans and yucca and you are out the door for around $10 per person. 4200 Magazine St., 827-1398.
Rimon at Hillel’s Kitchen Chef Dan Esses rose to local prominence with Three Muses restaurant in the Marigny, then decamped to open in Tulane University’s Hillel Center, which serves the Jewish community. Open to all, the restaurant serves up seasonal, farm-totable, healthy and Kosher foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For a healthy, fresh, filling option on the cheap, try the beet and Brussels sprout salad (local greens, pickled red onions, beets, Brussels sprouts, apple butter vinaigrette) for $8.50. Other dishes here showcase Esses’ international culinary talent and rove through vegetarian, vegan, French, Korean, Jewish and Israeli cuisines. 912 Broadway St., 2320758, rimontulanehillel.com.
Beet + Brussels Sprouts Salad
carne asada, yellow rice, roasted pork loin, and chicken mole
Ideal Market Head to the back of the market to the steam table for unforgettable carne asada, yellow rice, roasted pork loin, crisp fried fish, grilled chicken, and chicken mole. Nothing is over $10. Whip up some sangria and have a party. 250 S. Broad St., 822-8861; idealmarket. com, for additional locations in Metairie, Kenner, and Gretna.
Wakin Bacon Now with two cozy locations (Uptown and Mid City) these hipster hotspots offer contemporary, including vegan, options for breakfast and lunch. To keep hunger at bay all day, try the Gravy Train, two fluffy biscuits smothered in sausage cream gravy served with bacon and eggs for $9. 4408 Banks St., 2520343, wakinbakin.com. Buttermilk Drop Bakery The addictive, crisp on the outside, tender on the inside buttermilk drops are the draw here, and you should have a couple, but you would be a fool to pass on the breakfast platter with fried catfish for $5.50. 1781 N. Dorgenois St., 2524538, buttermilkdrop.com. Sweet Soulfood The first to cater to the emerging trend of vegan soul food, carnivores will not miss a thing at this Treme hotspot. The colorful cafeteria-style joint turns out fresh takes on New Orleans classics like red beans and rice on Mondays and crispy fried chickpea cakes instead of fried catfish on Fridays. The menu changes daily and the portions are hefty so sharing is the way to go. 1016 N. Broad St., 8212669, sweetvegansoulfood.com. Manchu Kitchen Housed in a low-slung purple building in Treme, you are obliged to place your order at a bulletproof glass window within. No worries, you will have plenty of company and even massive catering-sized orders roll up magically fast. The fried wings are addictive
Late Night BiteS
($5.39 for 8 plus a side of fries or shrimp fried rice and a side salad) and the yakamein ($5.49) is spot on, too. 1782 N. Dorgenois St., 948-2556, manchukitchen.com.
Sometimes a craving hits you late - real late. When all the usual dining options are closed, try these tried and true stand-outs for late night eats.
New York Pizza The style here is thin crust New York, but the restaurant uses a French style dough for a bit of New Orleans flair. For the ultimate bargain head in for the Pint and a Slice Special: $5 for a slice with one toping, and a choice of 6 beers— mainstream, craft, and imported—on draft. 4418 Magazine St., 891-2376, newyorkpizzanola.com.
1
Banks Street Meat Market 325 S. Broad Ave., 301-9171. 2
Shawarma on the Go The line within is always impressive as people wait patiently for excellent carved-to-order gyro meat piled up on hefty sandwiches. The chicken shawarma plate is also fresh and plentiful. Two can dine lavishly for $20. If trying to romance your dining companion, forgo one of the outdoor tables adjacent to the pumps where others are filling their cars with high octane. 3720 Magazine St., 269-6427, shawarmaonthego.com. Two Sisters ‘n Da East The menu changes daily at this real deal soul food restaurant where turkey necks and turkey wings, chitterlings, neck bones, beans and greens, smothered chicken and smothered okra, rice and gravy, and cornbread and cabbage rule the day. Gumbo comes with a choice of rice or potato salad and gravy thickened with roux comes on just about everything. Few things ring in over $10. 9901 Chef Menteur Hwy., 242-0469. •
Rocky & Carlo’s On a recent visit for $23, two of us had a meal that was packed home to easily feed six. There is a 20-minute wait for a four-piece order of perfectly executed fried chicken. It is worth the wait and comes with a side of whatever “vegetable” you choose. Go for the eggplant dressing, which is really more about meat. If you are seriously broke get the “small” (ha, ha) macaroni and cheese and ask them to ladle it over with red gravy for $4. 613 W. St. Bernard Hwy., Chalmette, 279-8323.
Coop's Place 1109 Decatur St., 525-9053. 3
Fry & Pie at the Hi Ho Lounge 2239 St. Claude Ave., 295-7021. 4
13 Monaghan Bar & Restaurant 517 Frenchmen St., 942-1345. 5
Cooter Brown's Tavern & Oyster Bar 509 S. Carrollton Ave., 866-9104. 6
The Delachaise 3442 St. Charles Ave., 895-0858. 7
Hoshun 1601 St.Charles Ave., 302-9716. 8
Mimi's in the Marigny 2601 Royal St., 872-9868. 9
Saint Cecilia 91 French Market Pl., 522-5851. 10
Verti Marte 1201 Royal St., 525-4767. 11
Kukhyna at Siberia Lounge 2227 St. Claude Ave., 265-8855. 12
Cleo's Mediterranean 940 Canal St., 522-4504.
Warm Dress at Pied Nu: piednunola.com; Earrings at Shop Em’s: @shopems
Cool looks for hot days of fun in the sun by Melissa Coleman photography by theresa cassagne makeup by Meggan Ory hair by monique munoz model Amelia Morgan
Jonathan Simkhai Dress at Sosusu: sosusuboutique. com; Earrings at Shop Em’s: @shopems; Clare V Bag at Pied Nu: piednunola.com
Megan Park Dress at Pied Nu: piednunola.com; Earrings at Shop Em’s: @shopems
Linen Set Jens Pirate Booty, Kimono Jens Pirate Booty, Hat Brixton All at Stonefree Boutique: shopstonefree.com
Sensi Studio Hat and Audra Top at Sosusu: sosusuboutique.com; Mother Jeans and Lele Sadoughi Earrings at Shop Em’s: @shopems
Rio de Janeiro bodysuit at Shop Em’s: @shopems; A Golde Shorts and Krewe Sunglasses at Stonefree boutique: shopstonefree.com
SPRINGFESTIVALS
Bayou Boogaloo has quickly become one of Mid-City’s favorite spring events. Held alongside historic Bayou St. John, festival goers enjoy music, art and food, often while afloat handmade pontoons, rafts, kayaks and inner tubes. Grab your sunscreen and come on out!
New Orleans Greek Fest celebrates all things Greek, with an array of food to please everyone, from rotisserie lamb, souvlaki, and gyro, to baklava and a vegan sampler plate.
Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival in downtown Ponchatoula celebrates its 48th year, with a strawberry bake-off, food booths and more for free family fun.
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival celebrates is 50th anniversary this year with another outstanding line-up of music, food, culture and art.
APRIL april 1-14: French Quarter
Festival
april 6: Freret Street Festival april 12-14: Ponchatoula
Strawberry Festival
april 13-14: Baton Rouge
Blues Festival
april 24-28: Festival
French Market Creole Tomato Festival celebrates with a tomato eating contest, Bloody Mary Market, and more at the historic French Market.
International de Louisiana, Lafayette
April 25-28, May 2-5: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
MAY May 5: Breaux Bridge
Crawfish Festival
May 9-12: Cochon de Lait Festival, Mansura May 17-19: Bayou Boogaloo May 24-26: New Orleans
Greek Fest
JUNE June 1: New Orleans Oyster
Festival, Woldenberg Park
June 7-9: New Orleans Pride June 8-9: French Market Creole Tomato Festival June 22-23: Cajun Zydeco Festival, Louis Armstrong Park
The French Quarter Festival has been a local’s favorite fest for the past 35 years. The event brings together some of the city’s best musicians and artists right in the heart of the French Quarter.
June 21-22: Louisiana Peach Festival, Ruston
JULY July 4-8: Essence Music
Festival
July 12-14: San Fermin,
Running of the Bulls, French Quarter
cheryl gerber photographs
The Menu TABLE TALK . RESTAURANT INSIDER . FOOD . LAST CALL . DINING LISTINGS
jeffery johnston photo
Jalapeno Sausage & Cheese empanada at Kolache Kitchen
table talk
meet the chef
Bacon and Cheese koloche
Will Edwards grew up in Houston, Texas where kolaches were a familiar sight. Like other business owners, such as the guys behind Pizza Delicious, Edward’s motivation stemmed from simply wanting the comfort food of his home to be available here. His first location near LSU’s campus was a hit and he expanded further in Baton Rouge from there. He’d had his eye on the New Orleans market for a while when the space on Freret Street became available. Now he’s using this store to test new products for his Baton Rouge store, creating a development loop that will grow the whole business.
Texas Czech Kolache Kitchen by Jay Forman
The New Orleans food scene continues to
diversify, spinning out a widening array of offerings that make eating out here more surprising than ever. Add to this growing list kolaches, a humble Texas pastry with Czechoslovakian roots. They
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fill a role akin to Louisiana’s boudin and hand pies – a convenient grab-and-go snack found at gas stations and mom-and-pop stores across Texas. So when Will Edwards came to LSU in 2006 he was immediately struck by their absence. “When
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I was a kid in Houston, breakfast rancheros are filled with meat, eggs tacos and kolaches seemed to be and cheese. Our main sellers are on every corner,” Edwards said. the classic sausage and cheese and “I grew up on them. Every donut also the bacon and cheese. There shop sold kolaches alongside the is really something for everyone donuts.” on the menu and the price points While Edwards was at LSU are good. The students really seem he would joke with his fellow to like them.” Texas natives that someone would Edwards calls the operation a make a killing if they quick service bakery opened a kolache shop café, which is an apt Kolache Kitchen, near campus. But as description. They do 4701 Freret St., graduation loomed and multiple bake-offs Uptown. B, L Daily, Edwards was thinking Thekolachekitchen.com. throughout the day about his next step in to keep product fresh life, the joke turned into a business and they round the menu out by plan. “I just took this idea and I ran roasting their own meats (brisket with it. I figured the price points and pulled pork to name a few) of kolaches and tacos would fit and making all their sauces and a student’s budget. I thought if aiolis for the sandwich section we locked down a good location of the menu. we’d just have a built-in market At the end of the day, Kolache for this stuff.” His first location Kitchen makes for a quick and opened in 2013 and his second affordable alternative to a sitsoon after. Now Edwards has down breakfast or lunch, filling expanded regionally, bringing his an underserved niche. “I thought Kolache Kitchen to Freret Street there was a void in the New Orleans market for this kind of Uptown. Kolaches are not fancy. This is quick service restaurant,” Edwards college and crowd-pleasing snack explained. “There are a lot of food with a price that makes it amazing breakfast and brunch compete with fast food but with a places, but if you don’t have homemade quality, which makes an hour to spend and just want it far more appealing. To make a something quick there are not a kolache, a house-made yeasted lot of options.” dough is wrapped around various There is a good one now on fillings (both savory and sweet) Freret Street. then baked off for a quick and affordable snack. Every culture has a variation on this – think Samosas in Indian cuisine or Empanadas in Latin. Try the Bacon and Cheese, stuffed with chopped bacon (for the most part the cheese used is American, although cheddar and provolone appear elsewhere on the menu). Patton’s Hot Sausage and Cheese ups the spice quotient, Empanola Just across town on the other while homemade boudin fills a side of Tulane’s campus is Cajun-inspired version. Empanola, a new empanadaAlso on the menu are empafocused destination that offers nadas. These use the same variations on the stuffed pastries dough as the kolaches but are spanning Mexican, South sized up. The “Jalapeño, Sausage and Cheddar” was a winner on American and even New Orleans the last visit. Breakfast tacos are cuisines (gumbo and crawfish featured as well and are big sellers. etouffee, for example). All are “Everything is made fresh in house baked and feature a flakier dough every day,” Edwards said. “The than Kolache Kitchen’s pastries.
.
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restaurant insider
News From the Kitchen NOCHI Café by Gracious, Addis Nola, Dian Xin by Robert Peyton
Grilled Gulf Fish Salad baby greens, sherry vinaigrette, pistachios, crispy couscous, marinated olives, roasted carrot & buttermilk dressing at NOCHI Café by Gracious
NOCHI Café by Gracious
Addis Nola
Dian Xin
The New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (NOCHI) has finally opened, and there’s a café on the ground floor operated by the folks at Gracious Bakery. Full disclosure: they’re friends and Jay Forman writes for this publication. That said, Gracious has done fantastic things and NOCHI is lucky to have them. Stop by for breakfast, brunch, lunch or their amazing happy hour, 3 p.m. until close. NOCHI Café by Gracious, 725 Howard Ave., 635-0033, 7 to 7 Monday through Friday, Saturday until 4. Nochi.org/cafe/.
Addis Nola has opened on Broad Street in the space formerly occupied by the Big Cheezy. No offense to grilled cheese lovers, but Ethiopian cuisine is one of the world’s greatest, and this is an upgrade. They’ll serve lunch and dinner to start, but breakfast is planned. Addis Nola, 422 ½ Broad St., 218-5321, 11-9 Monday to Thursday, and until 10 on Friday and Saturday.
Dian Xin is a restaurant specializing in the Chinese small plates called dim sum, which is not all that common in New Orleans. The restaurant is an offshoot of owner Judy Ceng’s Little Chinatown, which she operated in Kenner until last year. Dian Xin 1218 Decatur St., 266-2828, 3 to 10 Sunday through Thursday, until 11 on Friday and Saturday. Facebook.com/ dianxinnola/.
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food
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styled by photographed by eugenia uhl
Fields of Red The season of strawberries by Dale Curry
RECIPE
One of those things I wanted to do and
STRAWBERRY TART
never got around to was writing to LSU food scientists asking them to stop making our Louisiana strawberries more like California’s. In other words, large and shippable. Maybe others complained because I seem to notice a slight change for the better in the last couple of years. I once bit into a huge and beautiful California berry that had the texture of an apple. I couldn’t believe it. Strawberries should be soft and pliable and luscious like ours. Yes, I know that growers want to sell them outside of south Louisiana, and I want them to make money, but there is nothing like the small, sweet, blood-red-all-the-way-through berries that I ate as a child when visiting my grandmother. My favorite way was strawberry shortcake, but a close second was a strawberry custard pie. I think a fruit tart is a beautiful thing to serve when entertaining. Easy enough, they taste as good as strawberry custard pie, but look like they were made by a professional baker. All you need is a tart pan with a removable bottom. They come in all sizes, including 4-inch for individual servings. Strawberries help produce the most delicious sweet and savory salads when combined with the contrasting tastes of gourmet greens, blue cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. On the sweet side, a few candied pecan pieces complement the berries and make the salad pop. We used to go to Ponchatoula to buy flats of berries, a fun trek if you’ve never done it, but now local grocery stores sell them during the season, which runs from mid-March to May when the weather cooperates. I also look for roadside farmers’ trucks with Ponchatoula signs, and if you like festivals, you can go to the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival April 12-14. Look online for information about the fest’s cooking contests, music stages, parade, car show and more at lastrawberryfestival.com With summer almost here, I’ve got the same gripe about tomatoes that I have about strawberries. Those agricultural scientists want our Creole tomatoes to be round, firm, red and perfect, but I want misshapen, juicy and slightly sweet with a great texture, just like they used to be. Maybe I’m just too picky.
2 pounds (2-3 pints) Louisiana strawberries Ingredients
Directions
Crust
1. Rinse and let strawberries dry. Slice off stems so that berries will sit flat. Set aside.
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar ¼ teaspoon sea salt 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small chunks 2 tablespoons cold butter-flavor Crisco, chilled ¼ cup ice water Pastry cream: 2 cups milk 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 6 tablespoons sugar 6 egg yolks 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze 1/3 cup strawberry jelly 1 teaspoon water
StrawBerries Strawberries got their name from the straw gathered from the woods for spreading around the plants. At least, that is the most commonly believed story about how they were named, and many farmers in Louisiana use wheat straw or pine needles to mulch their plants. This keeps the berries from touching the soil, which could keep them from fully developing.
2. Measure all ingredients for the crust. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a small bowl and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. When chilled, place flour mixture in a food processor. Add butter and shortening and pulse 10 times until the butter is in small pieces. Add ice water and process until dough comes together. Dump dough on a lightly floured board and form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 3. Measure all ingredients for the pastry cream. In a medium pot, combine the flour and sugar. Heat milk in a small pot until hot but not boiling. Beat egg yolks with a whisk until thickened. When milk is hot, pour and whisk into the flour-sugar mixture, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture has boiled for a minute or two. Whisk a little of the hot mixture into the eggs and gradually pour the egg mixture into the milk mixture while whisking. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until temperature reaches 170 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap to keep a crust from forming. Refrigerate until cool. 4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. When dough has chilled, place it on the floured board and roll out large enough to fit into the bottom and sides of a 12-inch tart pan. Fold in half and place on one side of pan, folding top half over to other side. Gently tap the pastry into place without stretching it. When pastry is fitted into the pan, slide the rolling pin over the top edges to trim off excess. Line the tart pan with a piece of buttered aluminum foil, butter side down, and pour a layer of dried beans or rice over the foil to weight down the crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pan carefully from the oven and remove the beans and foil. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the pastry and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more until lightly browned. Set aside to cool. 5. When pastry and cream are cooled, fill the crust with the pastry cream. Arrange berries on top of cream. Melt jelly and water in a small pot and use a pastry brush to paint berries with the glaze. Refrigerate until serving. Serves 8.
last call
A Drink with History The Brandy Crusta by Tim McNally
While other places struggle with definition
and innovation, New Orleans revels in identification and rebirth. There is something quite satisfying about being recognized as the first and still the best. That can be applied to any number of culinary and cocktail situations, and recently this city reclaimed a famous creation that had been lost. The Brandy Crusta, precurser of the Sidecar cocktail, maybe even the Margarita, and the first cocktail in history to include lemon juice as a named ingredient, was invented at a local bar, the Jewel of the South, by a flamboyant proprietor and mixologist from Trieste, Italy who found his muse in New Orleans. Joseph Santini was renowned as a host par excellence. His bar was infamous and gorgeous. His demeanor was magnetic. He loved this city and despite his passing in Europe, 1874, was returned to us and is a permanent resident in St. Louis Cemetery #3. Chris Hannah and Nick Detrich, well-known for innovation both behind and before “the stick,” have recently established a resurrected Jewel of the South as a destination watering hole. Mr. Santini would not only be pleased, he would feel very much at home.
Brandy Crusta
1.75 oz. cognac 0.75 oz. lemon juice 0.50 oz. curacao 0.25 oz maraschino cherry 2 dashes Angostura Bitters Gratuitous lemon peel swath and a sugared rim Mix all ingredients together. As created and served at Jewel of the South.
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dining listings H= New Orleans Magazine award winner
Bywater
H Pizza Delicious pizza 617 Piety St., 676-8482, PizzaDelicious.com. L, D Tue-Sun. Authentic New York-style thin crust pizza is the reason to come to this affordable restaurant , that also offers excellent salads sourced from small farms and homemade pasta dishes. Outdoor seating a plus. $ Carrollton Bourré AMERICAN 1510 S. Carrollton Ave., 510-4040. L, D Tue-Sun. “Elevated” street food along with quality daiquiris and wings are the draw at this newcomer from the team behind Boucherie. $$ Breads on Oak Bakery/Breakfast 8640 Oak St., 324-8271, BreadsOnOak.com. B, L, seven days a week. Artisan bakeshop tucked away near the levee on Oak St. serves breads, breakfast, sandwiches, 100 percent vegan. $ City Park Café NOMA AMERICAN 1 Collins Diboll Cir., NO Museum of Art, 482-1264, CafeNoma. com. L, (snacks) Tue-Sun. Sleek bar and café in the ground floor of museum offers a thoughtful array of snacks, sandwiches and small plates that are sure to enchant, with a kids’ menu to boot. $$ CBD/Warehouse District Balise Louisianian Fare 640 Carondelet St., 459-4449, BaliseNola.com. L Tue-Fri, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Chef Justin Devillier turns back the clock at this turn-of-the-century inspired bistro in the CBD. Carefully crafted fare fits well alongside the excellent cocktail and beer list. $$$
H BH Steak Steakhouse Harrah’s Casino, 8 Canal St., 533-6111, HarrahsNewOrleans. com. D daily. Acclaimed chef John Besh reinterprets the classic steakhouse with his signature contemporary Louisiana flair. $$$$$
H Borgne Seafood 601 Loyola Ave.,
$ = Average entrée price
$ = $5-10 $$ = $11-15 $$$ = $16-20 $$$$ = $21-25 $$$$$ = $25 & up
appeal. $$$
burning oven, and an excellent raw bar. $$$
Drago’s Louisianian Fare Hilton Riverside Hotel, 2 Poydras St., 584-3911, DragosRestaurant.com. L, D daily. This favorite specializes in charbroiled oysters, a dish they invented. Great deals on fresh lobster as well. $$$$
Q&C Hotel/Bar AMERICAN 344 Camp St., 587-9700, QandC.com. B, D daily, L Fri-Sun. Boutique hotel bar offering a small plates menu with tempting choices such as a Short Rib Poor Boy and Lobster Mac and Cheese to complement their sophisticated craft cocktails. $$
H Domenica Italian The Roosevelt Hotel, 123 Baronne St., 648-6020, DomenicaRestaurant.com. L, D daily. Authentic, regional Italian cuisine. The menu of thin, lightly topped pizzas, artisanal salumi and cheese, and a carefully chosen selection of antipasti, pasta and entrées features locally raised products. $$$$ Emeril’s Louisianian Fare 800 Tchoupitoulas St., 528-9393, EmerilsRestaurants.com. L Mon-Fri, D daily. The flagship of superstar chef Emeril Lagasse’s culinary empire, this landmark attracts pilgrims from all over the world. $$$$$
H Herbsaint Louisianian Fare 701 St. Charles Ave., 524-4114, Herbsaint.com. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Enjoy a sophisticated cocktail before sampling chef Donald Link’s menu that melds contemporary bistro fare with classic Louisiana cuisine. The banana brown butter tart is a favorite dessert. $$$$$ H La Boca Steakhouse 870 Tchoupitoulas St., 525-8205, LaBocaSteaks.com. D Mon-Sat. This Argentine steakhouse specializes in cuts of meat along with pastas and wines. Specials include the provoleta appetizer and the Vacio flank steak. $$$
H Lüke World 333 St. Charles Ave., 378-2840, LukeNewOrleans.com. B, L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Germanic specialties and French bistro classics, house-made pâtés and plateaux of cold, fresh seafood. $$$
613-3860, BorgneRestaurant.com. L, D daily. Coastal Louisiana with an emphasis on Isleños cuisine (descendants of Canary Islanders who settled in St. Bernard Parish) is the focus of this high-volume destination adjacent to the Superdome. $$$
Morton’s The Steakhouse Steakhouse 365 Canal St., One Canal Place, 566-0221, Mortons.com/NewOrleans. D daily. Private elevator leads to the plush, wood-paneled environs of this local outpost of the famed Chicago steakhouse popular with politicians and celebrities. $$$$
Calcasieu Specialty Foods 930 Tchoupitoulas St., 588-2188, CalcasieuRooms.com. For large and small gatherings, the catering menus feature modern Louisiana cooking and the Cajun cuisine for which chef Donald Link is justifiably famous.
Mother’s Louisianian Fare 401 Poydras St., 523-9656, MothersRestaurant.net. B, L, D daily. Locals and tourists alike endure long lines to enjoy iconic dishes such as the Ferdi poor boy and Jerry’s jambalaya. Come for a late lunch to avoid the rush. $$
H Cochon Louisianian Fare 930 Tchoupitoulas St., 588-2123, CochonRestaurant.com. L, D, Mon-Sat. Chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski feature Cajun and Southern cuisine. Boudin and other pork dishes reign supreme, along with Louisiana seafood and real moonshine Reservations recommended. $$
H Desi Vega’s Steakhouse Steakhouse 628 St. Charles Ave., 523-7600, DesiVegaSteaks.com. L Mon-Fri, D Tue-Sat. USDA Prime steaks form the base of this menu, but Italian specialties and a smattering of locally inspired seafood dishes round out the
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Mulate’s Louisianian Fare 201 Julia St., 5221492, Mulates.com. L, D daily. Live music and dancing add to the fun at this world-famous Cajun destination. $$ Palace Café World 605 Canal St., 523-1661, PalaceCafe.com. B, L, D daily. Cassic New Orleans restaurant, the Dickie Brennan and Palace Cafe team evolve traditional Creol dishes. Enjoy specialty cocktails and small plates at the Black Duck Bar. $$$
H Pêche Seafood 800 Magazine St., 5221744, PecheRestaurant.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Award-winning southern-inspired seafood destination by Chef Donald Link serves whole roasted Gulf fish from its massive, wood-
HRed Gravy Bakery/Breakfast 4125 Camp St., 561-8844, RedGravy.com. B, Br, L, Wed-Mon. Farm-to-table brunch restaurant offers a creative array of items such as Cannoli Pancakes and Skillet Cakes, as well as delectable sandwiches and more. Homemade pastas and authentic Tuscan specialties round out the menu. $$ H Restaurant August AMERICAN 301 Tchoupitoulas St., 299-9777, RestaurantAugust.com. L Fri, D daily. James Beard Award-winning menu is based on classical techniques of Louisiana cuisine and produce with a splash of European flavor set in an historic carriage warehouse. $$$$$ Rock-N-Sake Asian Fusion/Pan Asian 823 Fulton St., 581-7253, RockNSake.com. L Fri, D Tue-Sun, late night Fri-Sat. Fresh sushi and contemporary takes on Japanese favorites in an upbeat, casual setting. $$$ Ruth’s Chris Steak House Steakhouse Harrah’s Hotel, 525 Fulton St., 587-7099, RuthsChris.com. D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Filet mignon, creamed spinach and potatoes au gratin are the most popular dishes at this steak institution. There are also great seafood choices and top-notch desserts. $$$$$ Sac-A-Lait Seafood 1051 Annunciation St., 324-3658, Sac-A-LaitRestaurant.com. D TueSat, L Fri. Cody and Sam Carroll’s shrine to Gulf Coast and Louisiana culinary heritage melds seafood, game, artisan produce, and craft libations in an ambitious menu that celebrates local and southern cuisine. $$$$ The Grill Room AMERICAN Windsor Court Hotel, 300 Gravier St., 522-6000, GrillRoomNewOrleans.com. B, L, D daily, Br Sun. Modern American cuisine with a distinctive New Orleans flair, the adjacent Polo Club Lounge offers live music nightly. Jazz Brunch on Sunday. $$$$$ Tommy’s Cuisine Italian 746 Tchoupitoulas St., 581-1103, TommysNewOrleans.com. D daily. Classic Creole-Italian cuisine is the name of the game at this upscale eatery. Appetizers include the namesake oysters Tommy, baked in the shell with Romano cheese, pancetta and roasted red pepper. $$$$$ Central City Café Reconcile Louisiana fare 1631 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 568-1157, CafeReconcile. org. L Mon-Fri. Good food for a great cause, this nonprofit on the burgeoning OCH corridor helps train at-risk youth for careers in the food service industry. $$ Covington Don’s Seafood seafood 126 Lake Dr., (985) 327-7111, DonsSeafoodOnline.com. L, D Daily. Popular neighborhood seafood joint offers an array of crowd-pleasing south
Louisiana dishes, including char-broiled oysters and Zydeco shrimp. Kid’s Menu makes it a good choice for families. $$$ Faubourg Marigny The Marigny Brasserie AMERICAN 640 Frenchmen St., 945-4472, MarignyBrasserie. com. L, D daily. Chic neighborhood bistro with traditional dishes like fried green tomatoes and innovative cocktails such as the cucumber Collins. $$$ Faubourg St. John
H Café Degas French 3127 Esplanade Ave., 945-5635, CafeDegas.com. L, D Wed-Sat, Br Sun. Salad Niçoise, Hanger steak and frites are served in a lovely enclosed courtyard at this jewel of a French bistro. $$
H 1000 Figs World 3141 Ponce De Leon St., 301-0848, 1000Figs.com. L, D Tue-Sat. Vegetarian-friendly offshoot of the Fat Falafel Food Truck offers a healthy farm-to-table alternative to cookie-cutter Middle Eastern places. $$ French Quarter Acme Oyster House Louisianian Fare 724 Iberville St., 522-5973, AcmeOyster.com. L, D daily. Known as one of the best places to eat oysters. $$
H Arnaud’s Louisianian Fare 813 Bienville St., 523-5433, ArnaudsRestaurant.com. D daily, Br Sun. Waiters in tuxedos prepare Café Brûlot tableside at this storied Creole grande dame; live jazz during Sun. brunch. $$$$$ Arnaud’s Remoulade Italian 309 Bourbon St., 523-0377, Remoulade.com. L, D daily. Home of the eclectic menu of famous shrimp Arnaud, red beans and rice and poor boys as well as specialty burgers, grilled all-beef hot dogs and thin-crust pizza. $$ Antoine’s Louisianian Fare 713 St. Louis St., 581-4422, Antoines.com. L, D Mon-Sat, Br Sun. This pinnacle of haute cuisine and birthplace of oysters Rockefeller is New Orleans’ oldest restaurant. (Every item is à la carte, with an $11 minimum.) Private dining rooms available. $$$$$ Antoine’s Annex Specialty Foods 513 Royal St., 525-8045, Antoines.com/Antoines-Annex. Open daily. Serves French pastries, including individual baked Alaskas, ice cream and gelato, as well as panini, salads and coffee. Delivery available. BB King’s Blues Club Barbecue 1104 Decatur St., 934-5464, BBKings.com/ new-orleans. L, D daily. New Orleans outpost of music club named for the famed blues musician with a menu loaded with BBQ and southern specialties. Live music and late hours are a big part of the fun. $$$ Bayou Burger Burgers 503 Bourbon St., 529-4256, SportsBarNewOrleans.com. L, D daily. Sports bar in the thick of Bourbon Street scene distinguishes its fare with choices like Crawfish Beignets and Gator Bites. $$ Bourbon House Seafood 144 Bourbon St., 522-0111, BourbonHouse.com. B, L, D daily, Br Sun. Local seafood, featured in both classic and contemporary dishes, is the focus of this New Orleans-centric destination. And yes,
bourbon is offered as well. $$$ Bayona World 430 Dauphine St., 5254455, 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. $$$$$ Broussard’s French 819 Conti St., 5813866, Broussards.com. D daily, Br Sun. Creole-French institution also offers beautiful courtyard seating. $$$$
H Cane & Table Gastropub 1113 Decatur St., 581-1112, CaneAndTableNola.com. L Fri, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Open late, this chefdriven rustic colonial cuisine with rum and “proto-Tiki” cocktails make this a fun place to gather. $$ Chartres House Italian 601 Chartres St., 586-8383, ChartresHouse.com. L, D daily. This iconic French Quarter bar serves terrific Mint Juleps and Gin Fizzes in its picturesque courtyard and balcony settings. Also famous for its fried green tomatoes and other local favorite dishes. $$$ Court of Two Sisters Louisianian Fare 613 Royal St., 522-7261, CourtOfTwoSisters.com. Br, D daily. The historic environs make for a memorable outdoor dining experience. The famous daily Jazz Brunch buffet and classic Creole dishes sweeten the deal. $$$$$ Criollo Louisianian Fare Hotel Monteleone, 214 Royal St., 681-4444, CriolloNola.com. B, L, D daily. Next to the famous Carousel Bar in the historic Monteleone Hotel, Criollo represents an amalgam of the various
Louisiana cultures, with a contemporary twist. $$$ Crazy Lobster Seafood 500 Port of New Orleans Place, Suite 83, 569-3380, TheCrazyLobster.com. L, D daily. Boiled seafood and festive atmosphere come together at this seafood-centric destination overlooking the Mississippi River. Outdoor seating a plus. $$$ Creole Cookery Seafood 508 Toulouse St., Suite C110, 524-9632, NewOrleansCreoleCookery.com. L, D daily. Crowd-pleasing destination in the French Quarter offers an expansive menu of Creole favorites and specialty cocktails served with New Orleans flair. $$$ Deanie’s Seafood Seafood 841 Iberville St., 581-1316, Deanies.com. L, D daily. Louisiana seafood, baked, broiled, boiled and fried is the name of the game. Try the barbecue shrimp or towering seafood platters. $$$
H Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House Seafood 144 Bourbon St., 522-0111, BourbonHouse.com. B, L, D daily, Br Sun. Classic Creole dishes, such as redfish on the halfshell, and an Oyster Bar. Its extensive bourbon menu will please aficionados. $$$$ Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse Steakhouse 716 Iberville St., 522-2467, DickieBrennansSteakhouse.com. L Fri, D daily. Nationally recognized steakhouse serves USDA Prime steaks and local seafood. Validated Parking next door. $$$$
H Doris Metropolitan Steakhouse 620 Chartres St., 267-3500,
DorisMetropolitan.com. L Fri-Sun, D daily. Innovative steakhouse plays with expectations and succeeds with modernist dishes like their Classified Cut and Beetroot Supreme. $$$$ El Gato Negro World 81 French Market Place, 525-9752, ElGatoNegroNola.com. L, D daily. Central Mexican cuisine along with hand-muddled mojitos and margaritas made with freshly squeezed juice. A weekend breakfast menu is an additional plus. $$ Galatoire’s Louisianian Fare 209 Bourbon St., 525-2021, Galatoires.com. L, D Tue-Sun. Friday lunches are a New Orleans 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. $$$$$ Galatoire’s 33 Bar & Steak Steakhouse 215 Bourbon St., 335-3932, Galatoires33BarAndSteak.com. L Fri, D SunThu. Steakhouse offshoot of the venerable Creole grande dame offers hand-crafted cocktails and classic steakhouse fare and inspired dishes. Reservations accepted. $$$
H GW Fins Seafood 808 Bienville St., 581FINS (3467), GWFins.com. D daily. Owners Gary Wollerman and twice chef of the year Tenney Flynn provide dishes at their seasonal peak. On a quest for unique variety, menu is printed daily. $$$$$ Hard Rock Café AMERICAN 125 Bourbon St., 529-5617, HardRock.com. L, D daily, Br SatSun. Local outpost of this global brand serves burgers, café fare and drinks in their rock
memorabilia-themed environs. $$ House of Blues Louisianian Fare 225 Decatur St., 310-4999, HouseOfBlues. com/NewOrleans. L, D daily. Good menu complements music in the main room. Worldfamous Gospel Brunch every Sunday. Patio seating available. $$ Irene’s Cuisine Italian 539 St. Philip St., 529-8881. D Mon-Sat. Long waits at the lively piano bar are part of the appeal of this Creole-Italian favorite beloved by locals. Try the oysters Irene and crabmeat gratin appetizers. $$$$ K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen Louisianian Fare 416 Chartres St., 596-2530, ChefPaul. com/KPaul. L Thu-Sat, D Mon-Sat. Paul Prudhomme’s landmark restaurant helped introduce Cajun food to the nation. Lots of seasoning and bountiful offerings, along with reserved seating, make this a destination for locals and tourists alike. $$$$
H Kingfish Seafood 337 Charters St., 598-5005, KingfishNewOrleans.com. L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Regionally inspired seafood dishes with carefully sourced ingredients and southern influence is the focus at this chefdriven French Quarter establishment. $$$ Le Bayou Seafood 208 Bourbon St., 5254755, LeBayouRestaurant.com. L, D daily. Blackened redfish and Shrimp Ya-Ya are a just a few of the choices at this seafood-centric destination on Bourbon Street. $$$ Muriel’s Jackson Square Italian 801 Chartres St., 568-1885, Muriels.com. L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Enjoy local classics while
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dining in the courtyard bar or any other room in this labyrinthine, rumored-to-be-haunted establishment. $$$$ Napoleon House Italian 500 Chartres St., 524-9752, NapoleonHouse.com. L Mon-Sat, D Tue-Sat. Originally built in 1797 as a respite for Napoleon, this family-owned European-style café serves local favorites gumbo, jambalaya and muffulettas. A Sazerac or Pimm’s Cup are perfect accompaniments. $$ NOLA Louisianian Fare 534 St. Louis St., 522-6652, EmerilsRestaurants.com/NolaRestaurant. L Thu-Mon, D daily. Emeril’s more affordable eatery, featuring cedar-plankroasted redfish; private dining. $$$$$ Oceana Grill Seafood 739 Conti St., 5256002, OceanaGrill.com. B, L, D daily. Gumbo, poor boys and barbecue shrimp are served at this kid-friendly seafood destination. $$ Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar and Bistro Gastropub 720 Orleans Ave., 523-1930, OrleansGrapevine.com. D daily. Wine is the muse at this bistro, which offers vino by the flight, glass and bottle. A classic menu with an emphasis on local cuisine. $$$
H Patrick’s Bar Vin Gastropub 730 Bienville St., 200-3180, PatricksBarVin.com. D daily. This oasis of a wine bar offers terrific selections by the bottle and glass. Small plates are served as well. $$ Pier 424 Seafood 424 Bourbon St., 3091574, Pier424SeafoodMarket.com. L, D daily. Seafood-centric restaurant offers long menu of traditional New Orleans fare augmented by
7 2 april 2019 myneworleans.com
unusual twists like “Cajun-Boiled” Lobster. $$$ Port of Call Burgers 838 Esplanade Ave., 523-0120, PortOfCallNola.com. L, D daily. It is all about the big, meaty burgers and giant baked potatoes in this popular bar/restaurant – unless you’re cocktailing only, then it’s all about the Monsoons. $$
H Restaurant R’evolution Italian 777 Bienville St., 553-2277, RevolutionNola. com. L Fri, D daily, Br Sun. An opulent place that combines the local flavors of chef John Folse with the cosmopolitan influence of chef Rick Tramonto. Chef de cuisine Jana Billiot and executive sous chef Gabriel Beard are in charge of day-to-day operations, which include house-made charcuterie, pastries, pastas and more. $$$$$ Ralph Brennan’s Red Fish Grill Italian 115 Bourbon St., 598-1200, RedFishGrill.com. L, D daily. Chef Austin Kirzner cooks up a broad menu peppered with local favorites such as barbecue oysters, blackened redfish and double-chocolate bread pudding. $$$$$ Rib Room AMERICAN Omni Royal Orleans Hotel, 621 St. Louis St., 529-7046, RibRoomNewOrleans.com. B, D daily, L MonSat, Br Sun. Old World elegance, house classic cocktails and Anthony Spizale’s broad menu of prime rib, stunning seafood and on Sundays a jazz brunch. $$$ Richard Fiske’s Martini Bar & Restaurant Louisianian Fare 301 Dauphine St., 5860972, RichardFiskes.com. B, Bar Lunch daily. Just a few steps off of Bourbon Street is this relaxing bar featuring an innovative menu with
dishes like Crawfish, Jalapeno-and-Bacon Mac and Cheese garnished with fried oysters. Live music a plus. $$$ Royal House Louisianian Fare 441 Royal St., 528-2601, RoyalHouseRestaurant.com. L, D daily. B Sat and Sun. Poor boys, jambalaya and shrimp Creole are some of the favorites served here. Weekend breakfast and an oyster bar add to the crowd-pleasing appeal. $$$ SoBou Louisianian Fare 310 Chartres St., 552-4095, SoBouNola.com. B, L, D daily. There is something for everyone at this “Modern Creole Saloon.” Decidedly unstuffy with an emphasis on craft cocktails and wines by the glass. Everything from $1 pork cracklins to an extravagant foie gras burger on an accomplished yet eclectic menus. $$
bar with plush British décor features live music during the week and late dinner and drinks on weekends. Nouveau Creole menu includes items such as Bombay drum. $$$$ The Pelican Club AMERICAN 312 Exchange Place, 523-1504, PelicanClub.com. D daily. Serves an eclectic mix of hip food, from the seafood “martini” to clay-pot barbecued shrimp and a trio of duck. Three dining rooms available. $$$$$
H Tujague’s Louisianian Fare 823 Decatur St., 525-8676, TujaguesRestaurant.com. L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. For more than 150 years this landmark restaurant has been offering Creole cuisine. Favorites include a nightly six-course table d’hôté menu featuring a unique beef brisket with Creole sauce. $$$$$
H Tableau Louisianian Fare 616 S. Peter St., 934-3463, TableauFrenchQuarter.com. B Mon-Fri, L Mon-Sat, D daily, Brunch Sat-Sun. Gulf seafood such as Redfish Bienville and classic Creole brunch dishes like eggs Hussard are the highlights of this Dickie Brennan restaurant that shares space with Le Petite Théâtre. $$$
Garden District Cheesecake Bistro by Copeland’s AMERICAN 2001 St. Charles Ave., 593-9955, CopelandsCheesecakeBistro.com. L Mon-Fri, D daily, Br Sun. Shiny, contemporary bistro serves Cajun-fusion fare along with its signature decadent desserts. Good lunch value to boot. $$
H The Bistreaux Louisianian Fare New Orleans Maison Dupuy Hotel, 1001 Toulouse St., 586-8000, MaisonDupuy.com/dining. html. B, L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Dishes ranging from the casual (truffle mac and cheese) to the upscale (tuna tasting trio) are served in an elegant courtyard. $$
District Donuts Sliders Brew AMERICAN 2209 Magazine Street, 570-6945, DonutsAndSliders.com. B, L, D daily. Creative sliders (hello, pork belly) and super-creative donuts (think root beer float) are the hallmarks of this next-generation café. $
The Bombay Club Louisianian Fare Prince Conti Hotel, 830 Conti St., 577-2237, TheBombayClub.com. D daily. Popular martini
Hoshun Restaurant Asian Fusion/Pan Asian 1601 St. Charles Ave., 302-9716, HoshunRestaurant.com. L, D daily. A wide variety of Asian cuisines, primarily dishes
culled from China, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia. Private dining rooms available. $$
L, D daily. Known as one of the best places to eat oysters. $$
H Mr. John’s Steakhouse Steakhouse
Austin’s Louisianian Fare 5101 W. Esplanade Ave., 888-5533, AustinsNo.com. D Mon-Sat. Mr. Ed’s upscale bistro serves contemporary Creole fare, including seafood and steaks. $$$
2111 St. Charles Ave., 679-7697, MrJohnsSteakhouse.com. D Tue-Sat, L Fri-Sat. Wood paneling, white tile and USDA Prime Beef served sizzling in butter are the hallmarks of this classic New Orleans steakhouse. $$$ Lakeview
H Cava Louisianian Fare 789 Harrison Ave., 304-9034. D daily. Fine dining (and excellent wine list) at this high-end Cajun and Creole restaurant that makes customer service a big part of the experience. $$$
H Mondo World 900 Harrison Ave., 2242633, MondoNewOrleans.com. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat, Br Sun. Chef Susan Spicer’s take on world cuisine. This place has a deserved reputation for good food and good times. $$$ Lower Garden District The Tasting Room Gastropub 1906 Magazine St., 581-3880, TTRNewOrleans. com. D Tue-Sun. Flights of wine and sophisticated small plates are the calling cards for this wine bar. $$ Metairie H Andrea’s Restaurant Italian 3100 19th St., 834-8583, AndreasRestaurant.com. L Mon-Sat, D daily, Br Sun. Osso buco and homemade pastas in a setting that’s both elegant and intimate; off-premise catering. $$$ Acme Oyster House Louisianian Fare 3000 Veterans Blvd., 309-4056, AcmeOyster.com.
Boulevard American Bistro AMERICAN 4241 Veterans Memorial Blvd., 889-2301. L, D daily. Classic American cuisine including steaks, chops and more is augmented by regional favorites like Boulevard Oysters at this Metairie bistro. $$$ café B AMERICAN 2700 Metairie Road, 9344700, cafeB.com. D daily, L Mon-Fri. Br Sun. Ralph Brennan offers New American bistro fare with a Louisiana twist at this familyfriendly neighborhood spot. $$$ Caffe! Caffe! AMERICAN 3547 N. Hullen St., 267-9190. B, L Mon-Sat. & 4301 Clearview Parkway, 885-4845. B, L daily; D Mon-Sat. CaffeCaffe.com Healthy, refreshing meal options, and gourmet coffee and espresso drinks create a tasteful retreat for Metairie diners at a reasonable price. $ Crabby Jack’s Louisianian Fare 428 Jefferson Highway, 833-2722, CrabbyJacksNola.com. L Mon-Sat. Lunch outpost of Jacques-Imo’s. Famous for its fried seafood and poor boys including fried green tomatoes and roasted duck. $ Deanie’s Seafood Seafood 1713 Lake Ave., 831-4141, Deanies.com. L, D daily. Louisiana seafood, baked, broiled, boiled and fried, is the name of the game. Try the barbecue
shrimp or towering seafood platters. $$$
available.
Don’s Seafood seafood 4801 Veterans Memorial Blvd., 889-1550, DonsSeafoodOnline.com. L, D Daily. Metairie outpost of historic local seafood chain that dates from 1934. Features an array of Cajun and seafood classics like their original ‘Jacked Up’ Oysters and seafood platters. Don’t miss their happy hour specials. $$$
Vincent’s Italian Cuisine Italian 4411 Chastant St., 885-2984, Metairie, VicentsItalianCuisine.com. L Tue-Fri, D MonSat. Snug Italian boîte packs them in, yet manages to remain intimate at the same time. The cannelloni is a house specialty. $$$
Drago’s Louisianian Fare 3232 N. Arnoult Road, 888-9254, DragosRestaurant.com. L, D Mon-Sat. This favorite specializes in charbroiled oysters, a dish they invented. Great deals on fresh lobster as well. $$$$
1001 N. Broad St., 821-3271, CrescentCitySteaks.com. L Tue-Fri & Sun, D Tue-Sun. One of the classic New Orleans steakhouses. Steaks, sides and drinks are what you get. $$$$
Mr. Ed’s Seafood and Italian Restaurant Seafood 1001 Live Oak St., 838-0022, AustinsNo.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Neighborhood restaurant specializes in seafood and Italian offerings such as stuffed eggplant and bell pepper. Fried seafood and sandwiches make it a good stop for lunch. $$
Five Happiness Asian Fusion/Pan Asian 3605 S. Carrollton Ave., 482-3935, FiveHappiness.com. L, D daily. This longtime Chinese favorite offers up an extensive menu including its beloved mu shu pork and housebaked duck. $$
Ruth’s Chris Steak House Steakhouse 3633 Veterans Blvd., 888-3600, RuthsChris. com. L Fri, D daily. Filet mignon, creamed spinach and potatoes au gratin are the most popular dishes at this steak institution, and great seafood choices and top-notch desserts. $$$$$ Sucré Specialty Foods 3301 Veterans Blvd., 834-2277, ShopSucre.com. Desserts daily. Open late weekends. Chocolates, pastry and gelato draw rave reviews at this dessert destination. Beautiful packaging makes this a great place to shop for gifts. Catering
Mid-City
H Crescent City Steaks Steakhouse
Gracious Bakery + Café Bakery/Breakfast 1000 S. Jeff Davis Parkway, Suite 100, 301-3709, GraciousBakery.com. B, L daily. Boutique bakery offers small-batch coffee, baked goods, individual desserts and sandwiches on breads made in-house. Catering options available. $
H Katie’s Restaurant and Bar Louisianian Fare 3701 Iberville St., 488-6582, KatiesInMidCity.com. L, D Mon-Sat, Br Sun. Creative poor boys, local dishes such as gumbo and Sunday brunch make this a neighborhood favorite. $$
H Liuzza’s Italian 3636 Bienville St., 482-9120, Liuzzas.com. L, D daily. Classic
myneworleans.com april 2019 7 3
neighborhood joint serves favorites like the “Frenchuletta,” stuffed artichokes and andouille gumbo. Kid’s menu offered. $$
H Mandina’s Louisianian Fare 3800 Canal St., 482-9179, MandinasRestaurant.com. L, D daily. Though the ambiance is more upscale, the food and seafood dishes make dining here a New Orleans experience. $$
H Mona’s Café World 3901 Banks St., 4827743. L, D daily. Middle Eastern specialties such as baba ganuj, beef or chicken shawarma, falafel and gyros. The lentil soup and desserts, such as sticky sweet baklava, round out the menu. $
H MoPho Asian Fusion/Pan Asian 514 City Park Ave., 482-6845, MoPhoNola.com. L, D Wed-Mon. Vietnamese cuisine meets southern Louisiana in this upscale casual hybrid by chef Michael Gulotta. Mix-and-match pho and an interesting poor boy menu rounds out the appeal. $$$ Parkway Bakery and Tavern AMERICAN 538 Hagan Ave., 482-3047, ParkwayPoorBoys. com. L, D Wed-Mon. Featured on national TV and having served poor boys to presidents, it stakes a claim to some of the best sandwiches in town. Their french fry version with gravy and cheese is a classic at a great price. $ Ralph’s On The Park Italian 900 City Park Ave., 488-1000, RalphsOnThePark.com. Br Sun, L Tue-Fri, D daily. A modern interior and contemporary Creole dishes such as City Park salad, turtle soup, barbecue Gulf shrimp and good cocktails. $$$$
H Toups’ Meatery Louisianian Fare 845
7 4 april 2019 myneworleans.com
N. Carrollton Ave., 252-4999, ToupsMeatery. com. L, D Tue-Sat. Charcuterie, specialty cocktails and an exhaustive list of excellent à la carte sides make this restaurant a carnivore’s delight. $$$ Multiple Locations Café du Monde Bakery/Breakfast 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. $ CC’s Coffee House Bakery/Breakfast CCsCoffee.com. Coffeehouse specializing in coffee, espresso drinks and pastries. $ Copeland’s Louisianian Fare CopelandsofNewOrleans.com. L, D daily, Br Sun. Al Copeland’s namesake chain includes favorites such as Shrimp Ducky. Popular for lunch. $$ Little Tokyo Asian Fusion/Pan Asian LittleTokyoNola.com. L, D daily. Multiple locations of this popular Japanese sushi and hibachi chain make sure that there’s always a specialty roll within easy reach. $$ Martin Wine Cellar AMERICAN MartinWineCellar.com. Wine by the glass or bottle to go with daily lunch specials, burgers, soups, salads and deli-style sandwiches. $ Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar & Fish House Seafood MrEdsRestaurants.com/oyster-bar. L, D daily. A seafood lover’s paradise offers an array of favorites like shrimp Creole, crawfish etouffée, blackened redfish and more. A raw bar featuring gulf oysters both charbroiled
and raw. $$$
destination. $$$$$
Reginelli’s Pizzeria pizza Reginellis.com. L, D daily. Pizzas, pastas, salads, fat calzones and lofty focaccia sandwiches are at locations all over town. $$
HCarrollton Market AMERICAN 8132
H Ruby Slipper Café Bakery/Breakfast TheRubySlipperCafe.net. B, L daily, Br Sun. Homegrown chain specializes in breakfast, lunch and brunch dishes with unique local twists such as bananas Foster French toast and barbecue shrimp and grits. $$ Theo’s Pizza TheosPizza.com. L, D daily. The cracker-crisp crust pizzas are complemented by a broad assortment of toppings with local ingredients at cheap prices. $$ Zea’s Rotisserie and Grill AMERICAN ZeaRestaurants.com. L, D daily. Drawing from a wide range of worldly influences, this popular spot serves a variety of grilled items, appetizers, salads, side dishes, seafood, pasta and other entrées. Catering services available. $$$
Hampson St., 252-9928, CarrolltonMarket. com. L Sat-Sun, D Tue-Sat. Modern Southern cuisine manages to be both fun and refined at this tasteful boîte. $$$ Upper 9th Ward St. Roch Market Louisianian Fare 2381 St. Claude Ave., 615-6541, StRochMarket.com. B, L, D daily. Historic St. Claude Marketplace with open dining space houses a broad collection of independent eateries including craft cocktails and more. $$ Uptown Audubon Clubhouse AMERICAN 6500 Magazine St., 212-5282, AudubonInstitute. org. B, L Tue-Sat, Br Sun. A kid-friendly menu with local tweaks and a casually upscale sandwich and salad menu. $$
H Boucherie Louisianian Fare 1506
Bouligny Tavern Gastropub 3641 Magazine St., 891-1810, BoulignyTavern.com. D MonSat. Carefully curated small plates, inventive cocktails and select wines are the focus of this stylish offshoot of John Harris’s nationally acclaimed Lilette. $$
S. Carrollton Ave., 862-5514, BoucherieNola.com. L Tue-Sat, D Mon-Sat, Br Sun. Serving contemporary Southern food with an international angle, chef Nathaniel Zimet offers excellent ingredients presented simply. $$
Camellia Grill AMERICAN 626 S. Carrollton Ave., 309-2679. B, L, D daily. A venerable diner whose essential character has remained intact and many of the original waiters have returned. Credit cards are now accepted. $
Brigtsen’s Louisianian Fare 723 Dante St., 861-7610, Brigtsens.com. D Tue-Sat. Chef Frank Brigtsen’s nationally famous Creole cuisine makes this cozy cottage a true foodie
Casamento’s Louisianian Fare 4330 Magazine St., 895-9761, CasamentosRestaurant.com. L Thu-Sat, D ThuSun. The family-owned restaurant has shucked oysters and fried seafood since 1919; closed
Riverbend
during summer and for all major holidays. $$ Clancy’s Louisianian Fare 6100 Annunciation St., 895-1111, ClancysNewOrleans.com. L ThuFri, D Mon-Sat. Their Creole-inspired menu has been a favorite of locals for years. $$$ Commander’s Palace Louisianian Fare 1403 Washington Ave., 899-8221, CommandersPalace.com. L Mon-Fri, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. The grande dame is going strong under the auspices of James Beard Awardwinner chef Tory McPhail. Jazz Brunch is a great deal. $$$$
H Coquette French 2800 Magazine St., 265-0421, CoquetteNola.com. L Fri, D daily, Br Sun. The food is French in inspiration and technique, with added imagination from the chefs. $$$ Dick and Jenny’s Louisianian Fare 4501 Tchoupitoulas St., 894-9880, DickAndJennys. com. D Mon-Sat. A funky cottage serving Louisiana comfort food with flashes of innovation. $$$$
H Gautreau’s Louisianian Fare 1728 Soniat St., 899-7397, GautreausRestaurant.com. D Mon-Sat. Upscale destination serves refined interpretations of classics along
H La Crêpe Nanou French 1410 Robert St., 899-2670, LaCrepeNanou.com. D daily, Br Sun. Classic French bistro fare, including terrific moules and decadent dessert crêpes, are served nightly at this neighborhood institution. $$$ La Petite Grocery French 4238 Magazine St., 891-3377, LaPetiteGrocery.com. L Tue-Sat,
D daily, Br Sun. Elegant dining in a convivial atmosphere. The menu is heavily Frenchinspired with an emphasis on technique. $$$ Lilette French 3637 Magazine St., 8951636, LiletteRestaurant.com. L Tue-Sat, D Mon-Sat. Chef John Harris’ innovative menu draws discerning diners to this highly regarded bistro. Desserts are wonderful as well. $$$$$
H Magasin Asian Fusion/Pan Asian 4201 Magazine St., 896-7611, MagasinCafe.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Pho, banh mi and vegetarian options are offered at this attractive and budget-friendly Vietnamese restaurant. Café sua da is available as well. $ Pascal’s Manale Italian 1838 Napoleon Ave., 895-4877, PascalsManale.com. L MonFri, D Mon-Sat. A neighborhood favorite since 1913 and the place to go for the creation of barbecued shrimp. Its oyster bar serves freshly shucked Louisiana oysters and the Italian specialties and steaks are also solid. $$$$
H Patois World 6078 Laurel St., 895-9441, PatoisNola.com. L Fri, D Wed-Sat, Br Sun. French food, with influences from across the Mediterranean as well as the American South, all filtered through the talent of chef Aaron Burgau. Reservations recommended. $$$ Pizza Domenica pizza 4933 Magazine St., 301-4978, PizzaDomenica.com. L Fri-Sun, D daily. A pizza centric spinoff of the popular Restaurant Domenica brings Neapolitanstyle pies to Uptown. Excellent salads and
charcuterie boards are offered as well. $$
small plates. $$
H Shaya World 4213 Magazine St., 891-
Ye Olde College Inn AMERICAN 3000 S. Carrollton Ave., 866-3683, CollegeInn1933. com. D Tue-Sat. Serves up classic fare, albeit with a few upscale dishes peppering the menu. $$$
4213, ShayaRestaurant.com. L, D daily. James Beard Award-winning menu pays homage to Israel at this contemporary Israeli hotspot. $$$ Sucré Specialty Foods 3025 Magazine St., 520-8311, ShopSucre.com. Desserts daily & nightly. Open late weekends. Chocolates, pastry and gelato draw rave reviews at this dessert destination. Beautiful packaging makes this a great place to shop for gifts. Catering available.
H The Company Burger Burgers 4600 Freret St., 267-0320, TheCompanyBurger. com. L, D daily. Custom-baked butter-brushed buns and fresh-ground beef patties make all the difference at this excellent burger hotspot. Draft beer and craft cocktails round out the appeal. $
Vincent’s Italian Cuisine Italian 7839 St. Charles Ave., 866-9313, VicentsItalianCuisine. com. L Tue-Fri, D Tue-Sun. Snug Italian boîte packs them in yet manages to remain intimate at the same time. The cannelloni is a house specialty. $$$ Warehouse District Lucy’s World 710 Tchoupitoulas St., 5238995, LucysRetiredSurfers.com. L, D daily. Island-themed oasis with a menu that cherrypicks tempting dishes from across the globe’s tropical latitudes. Popular for lunch, and the after-work crowds stay into the wee hours. $
The Delachaise Gastropub 3442 St. Charles Ave., 895-0858, TheDelaichaise.com. D daily. Cuisine elevated to the standards of the libations is the draw at this lively wine bar and gastropub. Food is grounded in French bistro fare with eclectic twists. $$ H Upperline AMERICAN 1413 Upperline St., 891-9822, Upperline.com. D Wed-Sun. Consummate hostess JoAnn Clevenger presents this nationally heralded favorite. The oft-copied fried green tomatoes with shrimp remoulade originated here. $$$$ H Wayfare AMERICAN 4510 Freret St., 3090069, WayfareNola.com. L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Creative sandwiches and southern-inspired
If you feel that a restaurant has been misplaced, please email Managing Editor Ashley McLellan at Ashley@MyNewOrleans.com
myneworleans.com april 2019 7 5
ADVERTISING SECTION
The Domain Companies
Real Estate: Homes & Home Design
A
truly remarkable city, New Orleans and its surrounding areas offer some of the most sought-after properties in the state and country. Between its tropical climate, rich culture, booming tourism, and magnificent architecture, this city is unlike any other. If you’re looking to buy or sell in Greater New Orleans, or if you’re looking to update your current home, there are plenty of resources available to help secure the home or vacation home of your dreams. Real estate agents know well the city and its suburbs and keep their fingers on the pulse of the market. From downtown condos to Covington cottages, they can find a home to meet your family’s unique needs and wants. Customizing your own house? Builders and designers are also aplenty, well positioned to translate your style and lifestyle into a well functioning home. Perhaps you’re not looking to update your home, but rather upgrade it; smart home services are also on the rise locally. If you’re thinking of making a move, check out the following resources in real estate and home. Real Estate & Development With a rhythm all its own, New Orleans has marched to the beat of its own drum for over three hundred years. Architecture, music, and cuisine are three pillars of the city’s culture that continue to draw visitors from around the world. “Today, the city is experiencing a resurgence of growth and development in our downtown market. Young professionals, empty nesters, and out-of-town buyers are attracted to the ease of downtown living,” says Adrienne LaBauve, co-owner of Witry Collective real estate brokerage. Currently, Witry Collective has several condominiums listed for sale in the metropolitan neighborhoods. Located in the heart of the Entertainment District, 220 Decatur Street features eight stylish condos. In the Warehouse/Arts District, 711 S. Peters Street offers luxury penthouses with high-end finishes. Also in the Warehouse/Arts District, 628 Baronne Street is an income-producing boutique building. Similar luxe investment opportunities are coming soon, including 888 Baronne Street with eight exceptional penthouses. For more information, visit WCnola.com. The Francher Perrin Group of Gardner REALTORS® is a boutique real estate group with over 25 years of experience and 7 6 april 2019 myneworleans.com
expertise in the industry. As locals born and raised in New Orleans, the group has an intimate understanding of the New Orleans real estate market. The group’s motto, “love where you live,” is carried through each real estate transaction. The Francher Perrin Group has earned a sterling reputation as top New Orleans real estate agents in residential, investment, and commercial transactions with over $300 million in sales. The dynamic group consists of esteemed, awardwinning agents L. Bryan Francher, Leslie Perrin, Jeanne Peres, Josee Kantak, John Seltz, and William Peters. With strong work ethics and a focus on working together, the group is known for its high integrity and level of service provided to clients. Their educational backgrounds range from preservation to architecture, business, psychology, and construction management, each contributing to the group’s success. Francher Perrin Group is a member of a prestigious global community of real estate companies awarded membership based on rigorous standards of service and performance. Visit FrancherPerrin.com or call 504-251-6400. With a wealth of real estate knowledge, extraordinary attention to detail, and savvy negotiating skills, McNeely Mack Lifestyle Properties offers clients an efficient, compelling, and rewarding home buying or selling experience. One of the highest grossing residential real estate teams in Greater New Orleans, McNeely Mack Lifestyle Properties has consistently closed $40+ million per year on average. As locals with over 75 years of combined real estate experience, Alice McNeely, Rebecca Hammett, and Stevie and Bob Mack know well the real estate markets on both sides of the lake. Their simple approach to selling—honing in on price, presentation, and promotion—has led to years of success and happy clients. Using data from the current real estate market and conducting a Comparative Market Analysis, the team establishes an accurate price for your home. Having a certified home stager on the McNeely team then presents your home in its best light. Finally, by customizing a strategic mix of creative marketing strategies, McNeely Mack positions your home to reach maximum exposure. To discuss the possibilities for your current or next property, visit AliceMcNeely.com or call 504-812-2236. Founded in 2004 and based in New Orleans and New York, The Domain Companies is one of the nation’s leading development and real estate investment companies specializing in sustainable mixed-use development in core urban locations. Domain’s projects include the new construction and preservation of affordable, mixed-income, and luxury housing, the acquisition and repositioning of distressed housing, historic restoration, brownfield redevelopment, seniors and special needs housing, and hospitality, retail, and commercial development. “We’re committed to achieving award-winning excellence with every project,” says Matt Schwartz, Co-CEO of The Domain Companies. “Domain’s main focus is creating developments that enact positive and lasting social, economic, and physical change.” Domain prioritizes community engagement through its MyCommunity program, which encompasses corporate donations, volunteerism, in-kind skills-based support, and advocacy. This involvement further enhances properties that stand apart through innovative design and exceptional management while engaging with the communities in which it builds. For more information, visit TheDomainCos.com.
myneworleans.com april 2019 7 7
ADVERTISING SECTION
Titan Construction
G-Force by GiG Burk, Broker/Owner of Burk Brokerage Real Estate, is a new powerful group of real estate experts, each with specialized roles, who have joined forces and pooled their energies to heighten clients’ real estate experience. The team covers all the bases—from the big picture to small details, from property analysis to closing, from social media marketing to client communication, and everything in between. G-Force is led by Gigi Burk, who dedicates herself to analyzing current events, market conditions, and trends, and ensures that her team has the right tools to adapt to the ever-changing industry. As G-Force Group Director, Debbie Lewis, Broker Associate/Realtor®, fulfills the team’s missions and vision by guiding G-Force and its clients to their end goals. As the G-Force Group’s Listing Coordinator, Charlotte Giroux works with the selling clients to ensure no detail is overlooked—from measuring the property to scheduling
7 8 april 2019 myneworleans.com
photos and drafting listing documents, she organizes a seamless listing process. As a Buyer’s Agent for G-Force, Ellie Burk guides her clients from the beginning of the journey to their dream home. For information, call 504-488-8600 or visit GForceByGigiSquareSpace.com and BurkBrokerage.com. Home Sites & Construction Titan Construction has been specializing in custom residential construction and renovations in Greater New Orleans for over 25 years. In addition to its core staff of professionals, Titan Construction employs highly skilled and experienced subcontractors who provide superior quality work and enable Titan to offer reasonable, affordable pricing. “We take building very seriously at Titan Construction. One of the most important things is understanding the clients’ expectations and then meeting those expectations throughout construction,” says Owner Stephen Fleishmann. The Titan team understands that a home is likely the largest investment someone will make in their lifetime. “‘Custom build’ isn’t just a catch phrase for us. It’s a promise that your home will be built with your needs and vision in mind—it will be the home you have always imagined and more,” says Fleishmann. For more information, please call 504-454-5411 or 504-9133030. To view photo galleries, visit TitanConstruction.com and like Titan Construction on Facebook. Big Bay Lake is a one-of-a-kind planned community on Mississippi's largest private recreational lake. Located just
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outside of Hattiesburg, Big Bay Lake blends seamlessly into its natural surroundings. Home sites are available on the water starting at $100,000. Both the homes and home sites within this community provide unique opportunities to create the perfect home or weekend getaway. It’s time to relax, unplug, make memories and create new traditions at Big Bay. Whether you are a boating or fishing enthusiast, or just a family who loves to make a big splash, Big Bay Lake is simply about the lure of the water. Come enjoy sunkissed, fun-filled days at Big Bay Lake, where the little things make life… “Big!” Big Bay Lake is only 90 minutes from New Orleans. Call for a boat tour today at 877-4BIG-BAY or visit BigBayLake.com. Landscaping & Design Services Exterior Designs, Inc., a comprehensive landscape design and build company, is known locally for helping homeowners increase the value of their homes with landscaping. Beverly Katz, owner/designer, creates New Orleans inspired landscapes by blending timeless Spanish and French influences of the city’s architecture with functional solutions for the modern homeowner. Exterior Designs has an exceptional ability to transform even the largest landscapes into intimate spaces perfect for entertaining and relaxing. An interior designer before realizing her talent for landscape architecture, Beverly has a keen eye for detail combined with an affinity for problem solving, drainage, material selection and spatial composition. Because of her background, her creations are an extension of her clients’ homes. When Beverly visits for the initial consultation, she takes note of the client’s
design aesthetic and continues it to the outdoors. Exterior Designs offers design, construction, installation and project management for residential or commercial landscapes. Visit ExteriorDesignsBev.com for design inspiration or call 504866-0276 for a consultation. Residential Smart-home Services Cox is committed to creating more moments of real human connection by providing innovative products and services that work better together and can be activated by sound and touch. Recently the company announced a $10 billion investment in its products and infrastructure, offering New Orleanians a new world of possibilities through smart and connected devices. Products like Cox Homelife®, the latest in home security and automation, enable customers to protect, monitor, and control one of their most precious assets: their homes. Customers who combine their Homelife subscription with a subscription to Contour TV can use their voice remote to control their home’s temperature, lights, and other small appliances using a Homelife smart plug. The Homelife security service includes automation plus safety features with 24/7 professional monitoring of life and property. Plus, a free mobile app puts control at customers’ fingertips and includes live video viewing. To learn more about how Cox Homelife can benefit you, visit Cox.com. •
myneworleans.com april 2019 7 9
ADVERTISING SECTION
Natchez Festival of Music
Springtime Adventures: Festivals, Events, Travel & More
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he arts are in full bloom this spring, as festivals and events take over calendars across the Gulf South. New Orleans welcomes a number of music festivals, which attract revelers to the restaurants, bars, galleries, and shops of the city. Concerts, both indoor and out, are plentiful during this busy season and special events bring celebrations of all kinds. Nearby travel destinations also have a lot to offer— from arts festivals and beach vacations to music performances, casino excitement, guided tours, and maritime festivals. Finding fun this season is as easy as getting in the car or on your bike and heading down to the excitement, which extends from locally everywhere from City Park to the French Quarter, the Marigny, Uptown and beyond. Weekend and day trips to South Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida can also make for a splendid, spring day off. The following events and attractions will help get your planning started.
Local Arts, Entertainment, & Activities Located amidst the spirits and spirited characters of the French Quarter is Spirit of Avant-Garde, a shop and reading room dedicated to honoring ancestors, divining answers, and celebrating art. Whether seeking answers or seeking to reconnect with an ancestor, Spirit of Avant-Garde offers over twenty years of experience providing guidance to clients who seek a more fulfilling life. Spirit of Avant-Garde also hosts a plethora of artwork, including sugar skulls and Dia de Los Muertos-inspired creations that make both decorative conversation pieces, curious talismans, and thoughtful alter gifts. The shop also features quilting and jewelry, including earrings that reflect Day of the Dead themes and rosary 8 0 april 2019 myneworleans.com
bracelets showcasing assorted Saints and the city. Spirit of Avant-Garde offers tarot, palm, and tealeaf readings. Additionally, egg readings with a spiritual cleansing can be arranged with a 24-hour advance booking. Washes and salt baths are also available. For more information or to schedule a consultation, call 504-3193071. Spirit of Avante-Garde is located at 533 Saint Louis Street. Visit @avantegardespiritof on Instagram and Facebook. Haunted History Tours is widely considered to be the number one tour company in New Orleans, offering a variety of thrilling tours largely focused on the paranormal. Recommended by The Travel Channel as "a must do,” Haunted History's French Quarter Ghost & Legends Tour takes participants to numerous locations known for actual, documented hauntings. Be sure to take lots of pictures! Ninety percent of tour participants will capture paranormal activity in their photos. Other popular tours include the Cemetery, Voodoo, Vampire, Pub Crawl, Five In One Tour, and Garden District Tours. The company offers walking tours as well as the nightly Dead of Night Graveyard and Ghost Tour by bus. These yearround tours often sell out. Interested tour-seekers should purchase their tickets through Haunted History’s website, HauntedHistoryTours.com. Haunted History Tours also compiled the mildly theatrical, hugely historical, and thoroughly entertaining book, New Orleans Ghosts, Voodoo, & Vampires. For more information, call 504-861-2727. Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery is excited to announce Three Hundred More, a compelling promotional offer designed by Old No. 77 to continue the enthusiasm generated by the city’s tricentennial celebration while further deepening the property’s connection to the community. Three Hundred More illustrates Old No. 77’s commitment to seeing New Orleans thrive for another three centuries. Speaking to the growing need for meaningful, authentic, and contributive travel shared by many Old No. 77 guests, Three Hundred More will expand Old No. 77’s creative partnerships with organizations such as Where Y’Art, Goods that Matter, and others. In partnership with Where Y’Art, Old No. 77’s latest gallery exhibition, 300 More celebrates South Louisiana’s Coastal Regions with heavy florals, wetlands, and swamps. As part of Three Hundred More, Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery is offering 20 percent off with a five percent donation to a coastal restoration non-profit, Restore the Mississippi Delta. The 167-room hotel is located in the Warehouse Arts District, three blocks from the French Quarter and a short stroll from the Convention Center. Book online at Old77Hotel.com. Explore the world of dinosaurs during SuperSaurus Saturday Spectacular, April 6, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Louisiana Children’s Museum. Become a junior paleontologist—learn about dinosaurs and geology with members of the New Orleans Geological Society (NOGS). Explore the NOGS fossil
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collection, see life-sized dinosaur skulls, and walk in dinosaur footprints. Shake the Earth and watch the movement on a seismograph. Match predators with prey in geological time, discover how the plant-eating dinosaurs defended themselves from the meat eaters, and more. Additionally, junior paleontologists can complete a Dino scavenger hunt and receive a real dinosaur bone fragment to keep. This year will be extra “spectacular” as the Museum celebrates the 20th anniversary of Supersaurus Saturday with dino story times, dinosaur yoga, and prehistoric STEM activities. Decorate hankies with stamps, dance to live music, and secondline at 2:45pm with The Brontosaurus Brass Band! All activities are available with Museum admission or LCM Membership. Supersaurus Saturday is sponsored by New Orleans Geological Society and the Southeastern Geophysical Society. The Louisiana Children’s Museum is located at 420 Julia Street. For more information, visit LCM.org or call 504-523-1357. Transforming lives and communities through music, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is dedicated to maintaining live orchestral music and a full-scale symphonic orchestra that plays an integral part in the cultural and educational life of New Orleans, the state of Louisiana, and the Gulf South. A full slate of spring programming begins with Cirque Musica: Heroes & Villains at Mahalia Jackson Theater on April 6. An exciting, family-oriented experience, Cirque Musica tells the story—through music and acrobatics—of a boy and avid comic fan who becomes “lost” in a fantasy world of superheroes and villains. Other LPO performances include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, featuring cellist Julian Steckel,
on April 11 and 13 at the Orpheum Theater and April 12 at First Baptist Church in Covington. On Tuesday, April 16, LPO performs at Fidelity’s Concert in the Park: Swing in the Oaks at New Orleans City Park. Music lovers are invited to bring lawn chairs and refreshments. In collaboration with Second Harvest Food Bank, the LPO will be collecting donations as part of Orchestras Feeding America. For tickets and information, call 504-523-6530 (option 2) or visit LPOmusic.com. On July 17, 2019, the unmistakable talent of singer Michael Bublé will be on full display at the Smoothie King Center in Downtown New Orleans. Hear the top hits from his brand new album, love, in addition to crowd favorites. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster and the Smoothie King box office. Every ticket purchased includes a standard CD or digital copy of Michael’s new album, his eighth major studio album for Reprise Records. Michael’s 2019 U.S. Tour began in Tampa, Florida, on February 13 and has played to sold out arenas across the country. He has already completed five sold out world tours, won four Grammy Awards, and sold over 60 million records over the course of his extraordinary career. Do not miss this opportunity to see this world-famous, sensational singer right here in New Orleans. Beaver Productions is proud to bring this unforgettable performance to the Gulf South this summer. For tickets and information, visit Ticketmaster.com or call 800-745-3000. French Quarter Phantoms Ghost & Vampire Tours are fun for visitors and locals alike. Listed as #5 in TripAdvisor's
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Top Ten Ghost Tours in the World, their tours should be on everyone's "Must Do" list. Grab a cocktail and walk along with their Master Story Tellers for a lot of great laughs and chills up your spine! Their fun, exuberant guides are passionate about entertaining guests. Year-round tours begin at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. nightly and are appropriate for all ages. For daytime adventures explore St Louis #1 Cemetery, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily or walk amidst shady live oaks and grand houses on a tour of the Garden District available at 10 a.m. daily. For adults-only fun, try Saints & Sinners, a dirty little FrenchQuarter history tour beginning at 1 p.m. daily. French Quarter Phantoms offers a variety of tours throughout the day and evening. Pick your favorite, grab your friends, and have some fun. Online discounts are available through FrenchQuarterPhantoms.com. For more information, call 504666-8300. Newly distinguished by the French Ministry of Culture as a Maison des Illustres, Degas House in New Orleans is the only home or studio of Edgar Degas open to the public in the world. The new distinction confirms the world-renowned stature of Degas House, as there are only 235 Maison des Illustres (“houses of the famous”) properties worldwide, and Degas House is now one of only two in the United States. The distinction is soon to be recognized with a plaque depicting the seal of the French Ministry of Culture located at Degas House and brings with it additional funding that the historic museum plans to use to further develop its Degas Arts Center located nearby.
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In addition to serving as a luxury bed and breakfast and hosting year-round weddings, receptions, and corporate events, Degas House hosts guided tours, given by the greatgrand nieces of Degas himself. Guests can tour both Degas houses, where Degas painted 18 paintings and drafted five letters, and view the documentary Degas in New Orleans, a Creole Sojourn. Call 504-821-5009 or visit DegasHouse.com for details and reservations. There’s nothing like splashing or relaxing in cool waters under the spring and summer Louisiana sun, and knowing how to swim is paramount to your family’s safety in the water. At Love Swimming, students of all ages are taught how to swim by a team of professionals who are passionate about teaching swimming in a way that is both fun and confidence building. Through safe, small classes, Love Swimming strives to provide swimmers with a strong foundation for a lifetime of love and respect for the water. Love Swimming teachers motivate individuals to explore their abilities beyond their fears and expectations. The Love Swimming facility uses heated, salt-water pools to create an ideal learning environment where swimmers are always warm and comfortable. This comfort is key to accelerating the learning process and developing strong safety skills. The organization believes swimming is the best exercise for babies, kids, and adults. Begin your swimming adventures for both fun and exercise by starting lessons now. Call 504-8914662 or visit LoveSwimming.com.
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Effervescence
Saturday, April 6, and Sunday, April 7, will mark the grand opening of The Historic New Orleans Collection’s (THNOC) new exhibition center at 520 Royal St. Combining historic restoration and new construction, the site will house a permanent exhibition on the history of the French Quarter, changing exhibitions, dynamic interactive displays, an immersive film, and an educational space. It will also include a café and a larger footprint for the museum shop. Like THNOC’s other locations, admission will be free. On Sunday, April 7, THNOC will host a block party from 1
to 5 p.m., where visitors can enjoy access to both of THNOC’s Royal Street properties, plus performances from Bon Bon Vivant, the Confetti Park Players, and others. Food and drink will be available for purchase throughout the 500-block. The new exhibition center will be open 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday, and 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Sunday. Details are available at HNOC.org. Local Food & Drink Spend spring outdoors this season with a glass of wine in the serene courtyard at Effervescence Bubbles & Bites. Enjoy the peaceful fountain, relax on the outdoor couch, or grab a sidewalk table on North Rampart and treat yourself to bubbles. The impressive wine list spans the globe with sparkling wines from around the world, including over 80 Champagnes by the bottle and 30 sparklers by the glass. Every Wednesday, Effervescence pops open a magnum of Champagne to pour by the glass—double the excuse to celebrate midweek! Flights are the perfect way to explore the list, available by the full or half glass. Try their spring/summer sparkling rosé flight for a fun, crisp and fruity sparkling adventure. The full bar also serves cocktails, beer, and spirits. Effervescence’s bites menu features fresh and local ingredients prepared by the Michelin-trained chef couple. Highlights include a Caviar Service, Dry-Aged Louisiana Wagyu, Pommes Frites and their signature Gulf Seafood Plateau, featuring five local, refreshing, and thoughtful seafood preparations. Effervescence is open Wednesday-Sunday; for hours, menus, and event bookings, visit NolaBubbles.com. Limited reservations are available on OpenTable.
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Magazine's 100 Greatest Places), the 31st Annual ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival, Digital Graffiti Festival in Alys Beach (recently featured in National Geographic as one of 24 Unconventional Art Destinations Around the World), Longleaf Writers Conference, the Rosemary Beach Sculpture Exhibition, the Northwest Florida Theatre Festival, and more. Discover more details at CulturalArtsAlliance.com.
Royal Frenchmen Hotel & Bar
The historic Royal Frenchmen Hotel enjoys the distinction of being the sole, luxury boutique hotel in the midst of all of the action and entertainment of Frenchmen Street. But behind its historic walls, the hotel offers much more than its luxury accommodations. The bar at Royal Frenchmen Hotel has recently been named the #3 hotel bar in New Orleans in the Where Y’at Best of the Big Easy Awards behind only the storied French Quarter Carousel and Sazerac bars. The Royal Frenchmen Hotel bar offers live music daily and features a Friday night residence by the Treme Prince, Glen David Andrews. Happy hour brings daily $3 martinis from 4 – 7 p.m., a perfect way to relax in the afternoon as music begins to fill the streets. The hotel’s beautiful and spacious courtyard can accommodate up to 150 guests for weddings and other special events, placing guests right in the heart of New Orleans’ musical and cultural epicenter. Learn more about the Royal Frenchmen Hotel and book your stay or event by visiting RoyalFrenchmenHotel.com or by calling 504-619-9660. Springtime Happenings at Nearby Destinations More than a place to stay, Holiday Inn Club Vacations® at Orange Lake Resort is a place to play. Discover a new world of luxury in a Signature Collection villa at Orange Lake Resort. Signature Collection villas are luxurious and are tastefully decorated for those looking for more than the ordinary. Don’t want to miss out on all the fun? Spend the day in one of Orange Lake Resort’s Private Cabanas next to the River Island lazy river. After a day of floating, splashing, and sliding down the tall waterslide, wind down and relax in a chaise lounge with a cool and refreshing beverage. The Family Fun Package has grown to become a family tradition and includes the most requested activities including play passes for lazy river pool tubes, waterslide, rock climbing wall, miniature golf, large specialty pizzas of choice and refillable drink tumblers—something for everyone! Book your stay today at DiscoverHCV.com/stay-and-play. Activate your imagination at Art Month South Walton, an initiative of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County. Art Month South Walton is a collaboration of visual, performing and literary arts events presented in diverse formats and various venues throughout South Walton, located along Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast. Spanning the month of May, Art Month South Walton includes Under the Sea, a fundraiser for the nation's first Underwater Museum of Art (recently named one of TIME 8 4 april 2019 myneworleans.com
It’s Spring Break season, and there’s no better beach escape than Pensacola Beach, Florida, and the properties of Premier Island Management Group. Situated just a few hours outside of New Orleans along the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf Island National Seashore, this collection of vacation rentals includes beach homes, condos, and the acclaimed skyhomes of the Portofino Island Resort. Northwest Florida’s premier beach vacation experience. Portofino Island offers families the perfect balance of indulgence, natural beauty, and active adventure. Take a kayak or paddleboard adventure and surf the emerald green waters, or fly under the sun as you parasail your day away. Be sure to reserve a spa day and get pampered in the comfort of your private suite or poolside. Enjoy a morning or sunset cruise and watch curious dolphins jump out of the water to say hello. Whether you want to enjoy the beach with family, children, spouse or friends, guests of all ages will enjoy the properties of Premier Island. More than just another Spring Break, this will be the one your family remembers for a lifetime. Discover yours at PremierIsland.com or call 866-935-7741. The 29th annual Natchez Festival of Music hits the riverbanks with spectacular performances the entire month of May. On May 4th, the season kicks off with nine-time Grammy Award-winners, Asleep at the Wheel, that will have you dancing in the aisles to their own brand of western swing. Experience top national performers in Stephen Sondheim’s hit musical, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Puccini’s iconic opera, La Boheme. The Natchez Festival offers musical events from classical and jazz, to rock, Broadway, and more, including a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Woodstock featuring internationally renowned guitarist, Vasti Jackson and a crawfish boil with critically acclaimed band, Bishop Gunn. Experience beautiful Natchez, Mississippi, enhanced by world-class musical events all month long. Get your tickets and plan a great getaway. Visit NatchezFestivalofMusic.com. In Vicksburg, Mississippi, you’ll find Southern hospitality in its most authentic form. A city that harbors U.S. history at some of its most poignant turns, Vicksburg features art at its most creative angles, food at its finest flavors, and outdoor adventure at its most thrilling turns. Vicksburg is a place bursting at the seams with local culture, character, art, entertainment and outdoor adventure. With sweeping views of the Mississippi River, Vicksburg perfectly blends Southern culture and heritage with exciting modern-day attractions. From four world-class casinos and upscale shopping, dining and spas to some of the most fascinating historic sites, architecture and antebellum mansions in the nation, Vicksburg offers an authentic Southern experience you don’t want to miss. Just relax—it all runs on river time in Vicksburg! From restaurants and shops to historical sites and museums, you’ll find destinations, events, and lodging for your next adventure at VisitVicksburg.com.
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Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort is “The New Way to Stay & Play” on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Treat yourself to a stay at its luxurious hotel, voted Best Casino Hotel by Mississippi Gulf Coast’s Observer. Start your Sunday mornings with a Jazz Brunch featuring live entertainment by Jesse Hill and bottomless mimosas and bellinis. Spice it up with a loaded Bloody Mary topped with a fresh lobster tail. Dive into AllYou-Can-Eat Dungeness and Snow Crab at Scarlet Pearl’s Waterfront Buffet every weekend. Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort showcases 1,170 state-of-the-art slot machines, over 35 top-of-the-line table games and over 80 video poker games. If you are feeling really lucky, take a shot at a hole-in-one at Lava Links Miniature Golf Course featuring a live, erupting volcano. Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort—your home away from home. Book your next ultimate getaway at ScarletPearlCasino.com or call 888-BOOK-SPC. The TABASCO® Pepper Sauce Visitors Center on Avery Island brings to life the unique world of TABASCO® Sauce. Located in southern Louisiana, Avery Island has been the home of TABASCO® Sauce since it was created more than 148 years ago. The Visitors Center showcases how TABASCO® Sauce is made—from the peppers first budding in the greenhouse, to towering walls of oak barrels where mashed peppers are aged for three years, to a glimpse into the production facility where the sauce is blended, stirred, and then bottled. Finally, visitors can snap and share pictures with life-size bottles of their favorite TABASCO® flavor before sampling treats that are only available at the TABASCO® Country Store.
While there, be sure to dine at TABASCO®'s 1868 Restaurant where you can enjoy spicy, authentic Cajun dishes and classic Southern comfort food, all seasoned with TABASCO® Sauce. Build your own bloody mary and try all of the TABASCO® Family of Flavors®. For more information about visiting the home of TABASCO® Sauce on Avery Island, please visit TABASCO.com. Florida’s Forgotten Coast, otherwise known as Franklin County, is home to year-round art exhibits, concerts, theater, fishing tournaments and festivals that highlight the natural resources, culture and history of the unique coastal communities stretching from Alligator Point to Apalachicola. In April, Apalachicola hosts its annual Art and Wine Walk April 6, where local artists show, sell, and demonstrate their talents and local businesses serve a variety of wines along a downtown trail of art and wine venues. Following that event, St. George Island hosts a seven-day Paint-out, April 7-13, featuring workshops and art receptions. Boating enthusiasts enjoy the annual Paddle Jam races, April 5-7, in Apalachicola. Be a part of the annual attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest raft of kayakers. On April 20, Apalachicola hosts its annual Antique & Classic Boat & Car Show along the scenic waterfront. The annual Carrabelle Riverfront Festival, April 26-27, features maritime exhibits, arts and crafts, seafood, live music and a classic car show. For more springtime events, including home tours, concerts, and the ten-day En Plein Air art event, visit FloridasForgottenCoast.com. •
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Old Metairie Gardens Memory Care Assisted Living Homes - A Peristyle Residence on including residents experiencing Alzheimer’s and dementia. “Poydras Home has tapped into the New Orleans arts community to bring exceptional depth and variety to these residents,” says COO Erin Kolb. Music is a big part of life at Poydras Home. In 2018, Poydras Home forged a relationship with Loyola University and integrated Music Therapy student internships into its Life Enrichment Program for residents. Music Therapy students are paired with individual Poydras Home residents. The students complete a song history with their resident, perform/ listen to each song together, and engage in discussion about the song and any memories the resident may have associated with it. The students then create a song booklet for the resident to keep with lyrics and notes from their conversations. The students also create playlists for the resident for more relaxation or reminiscence. For more information, visit PoydrasHome.com or call 504-897-0535.
Senior Care Communities, Health Resources & More
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pril brings music festivals and spring activity to New Orleans, and area seniors reap the benefits of retiring in a lively city full of events. With unparalleled food and opportunities at every turn for arts and entertainment, New Orleans offers fun and excitement alongside leisure-filled days that seem to move at a slower pace. Aging adults looking to scale down and give up home maintenance have their pick of a number of fantastic local retirement communities that offer award-winning amenities and breathtaking views. Home care services are also available for those looking to age well in the home that they’ve loved for decades. In aging, physical needs are apt to change, and local healthcare resources are available from professionals who understand the unique challenges that older adults and their families face. Seniors today are living well in New Orleans thanks to a number of businesses and organizations eager to serve the city’s older population.
Retirement Communities Poydras Home is a Life Plan Community offering independent living, assisted living, and nursing care in the heart of Uptown New Orleans. Poydras Home is known for its quality of care and innovative programs that allow residents to enjoy life to the fullest with emphasis 8 6 april 2019 myneworleans.com
As an award-winning and full-service retirement center and community, Lambeth House offers the best of all worlds—independent living for active adults (ages 62+) plus a full continuum of care, including Assisted Living, Nursing Care, and Memory Care in the event it’s ever needed. With an exceptional approach to living and a focus on active aging, Lambeth House offers a full array of amenities including the fitness center with a stunning indoor, saltwater swimming pool, an art studio, meditation room and garden, fine and casual dining options, and engaging activities and social events. Nonresidents (55+) can access Fitness Center memberships, and Lambeth House’s Wild Azalea Café is open to the public for breakfast and lunch, Tuesday-Saturday. Nestled in the heart of Uptown and overlooking the Mississippi River, Lambeth House offers luxurious accommodations and was awarded the Design for Aging Merit Award by the American Institute of Architecture for the attention to detail in its last expansion. For more information, call 504-865-1960 or visit LambethHouse.com. Vista Shores is a luxury senior living community offering the highest quality assisted living and memory care in the New Orleans area. Located on Bayou St. John, Vista Shores delights residents with chef-prepared meals in the bistro and quaint dining rooms, its relaxing lounge for coffee or cocktails, and a wrap-around porch perfect for sunset. Vista Shores’ diverse social and cultural activities and fitness programs keep residents active and engaged, while weekly housekeeping, laundry, and transportation services ensure that residents can relax and focus on living their best lives. Vista Shores residents are provided with 24-hour personal care and individualized assistance plans. The Filmore Neighborhood is an entire floor dedicated to Memory Care residents. The care team has been rigorously trained in Alzheimer’s/dementia care to enrich the lives of
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memory care residents. If you have a loved one living with Alzheimer’s or Dementia, find support at Vista Shores’ free Alzheimer’s Association Caregivers Monthly Support Group on the second Saturday of every month at 11 a.m. For more information, visit VistaShores.com or call 504288-3737. Peristyle Residences offer Residential Assisted Living and Memory Care in the comfort of luxurious, intimate homes complete with private bedrooms and congregate dining and living areas. This alternative approach to senior living is ideal for seniors who seek assistance with day-to-day living in a more private, home-like setting than traditional assisted living communities can provide. Peristyle Residences consists of nine beautiful homes throughout Greater New Orleans. Old Metairie Gardens Memory Care Assisted Living Homes, opened in January, are the only senior living homes in Old Metairie. Peristyle’s quaint, lovely residences provide the highest level of care, comfort, and compassion possible to the seniors they serve, along with convenience and peace of mind for their loved ones. Expert consultation from Chef Aaron Burgau of Patois adds distinction and flavor to the healthy, delicious meals prepared at the community daily, and an array of stimulating activities, including an exceptional Music Therapy program, keeps residents active and engaged at home. Peristyle Residences caregivers are highly trained in dementia care and have ample experience caring for seniors. Schedule a tour today at PeristyleResidences.com or by calling 504-517-3273.
In-Home Care Services Home Care Solutions, newly acquired by Poydras Home, specializes in compassionate in-home care, Alzheimer’s care, and Aging Life Care Management™ services to help your elderly loved ones extend their independence at home. They are committed to providing the highest quality of care, keeping loved ones safe and comfortable while giving families peace of mind. Caregiver’s are carefully matched to meet both your loved one’s needs and personality. Home Care Solutions Care Managers navigate the care of your loved ones with expertise and heart and are experienced advocates with creative solutions for complex situations and all care concerns. Care Managers’ familiarity with local resources saves you time and often saves you money while their compassionate understanding of the aging process saves you unnecessary distress. Home Care Solutions, a licensed Personal Care Attendant Agency, is a member of Home Care Association of America and Aging Life Care Association™. Call 504-828-0900 or visit HomeCareNewOrleans.com. Home Care Solutions would be honored to assist your family in navigating elder care.
Resources in Healthcare & Medicine As the state’s oldest and largest health insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to improving the health and lives of Louisianians. The company and its subsidiaries offer a full line of health insurance plans for people of every age—from birth 8 8 april 2019 myneworleans.com
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through retirement, including supplemental coverage such as dental and senior plans, at affordable rates. The Blue Cross provider networks offer the peace of mind that comes with being covered by the Cross and Shield. Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and headquartered in Baton Rouge. To better serve customers, Blue Cross operates regional offices in Alexandria, Houma, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, New Orleans, and Shreveport. Louisiana-owned and operated, Blue Cross is a private, fully taxed mutual company owned by policyholders—not shareholders. To learn more, call a Blue Cross agent or visit bcbsla.com. Around the age of 52, most women will go through menopause, a typically 3-7 year process in which the ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone hormones. During this time, periods become infrequent and eventually stop altogether. Unpleasant symptoms that can accompany menopause include hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and pain with intercourse. If symptoms are severe, a gynecologist will often recommend a temporary course of hormone replacement. According to Dr. Jessica Shank, Gynecologic Oncologist at Tulane Cancer Center, menopausal women and postmenopausal women should talk with their gynecologist about proper courses of treatment for the symptoms and effects of menopause, as hormone replacement doses will differ for women who have and haven’t had a hysterectomy. “If a woman ever experiences vaginal bleeding after stopping her periods, she needs to be evaluated by her OBGYN for precancerous cells or cancer of the endometrium regardless of whether she has taken hormones or not,” says Dr. Shank. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Shank or another Tulane OB/GYN downtown at the Tulane Cancer Center by calling 504-988-6300 or in Metairie at the Tulane Center for Women’s Health by calling 504-988-8140.
Planning & Arrangements A community landmark for generations, Jacob Schoen & Son has a long, storied history dating back to 1874. In its current Mid-City, Canal Street location since 1936, Jacob Schoen & Son offers a beautiful, architecturally stunning funeral home. The Schoen family extends their home to your family, inviting you to gather together with loved ones whether in remembrance of a life well lived or in celebration of one of life’s milestone moments. In 2014, the building underwent a vast expansion and renovation by Lachin Oubré & Associates. With a new 5,000-squarefoot chapel and improvements to the original home, Jacob Schoen & Sons is able to offer exceptional services in an exquisite location. Their experienced staff is committed to your vision and passionate about making your funeral or event as memorable and uplifting as possible. They bring decades of experience caring for families of all cultural backgrounds and diverse walks of life. For information, visit SchoenFH.com, call 504-482-1111, or email wecare@schoenfh.com. •
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Stroke Awareness
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ot unlike spontaneous thieves in the night—or day—strokes often strike in a quick moment to unsuspecting victims. Knowing the warning signs of a stroke can mean life or death when one hits, as receiving quick medical attention is imperative for the best outcomes. New Orleans has a number of hospitals positioned to help patients who may be experiencing a stroke. By incorporating the latest technologies and research, health care professionals are able to offer better care quickly and potentially reduce the effects of a stroke. By knowing the symptoms and knowing where care is available, your quick reaction may mean a world of difference to someone suddenly affected by stroke. Next month is Stroke Awareness month— bolster your knowledge with the following information from area healthcare providers. Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke. Stroke kills almost 130,000 people each year— that’s one out of every 20 deaths—according to the Centers for Disease Control. The most common symptoms of stroke may be sudden and include: • Weakness or numbness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body • Confusion or difficulty speaking or understanding • Problems with vision, such as dimness or loss of vision in one or both eyes • Dizziness or problems with balance or coordination • Problems with movement or walking 9 0 april 2019 myneworleans.com
• Loss of consciousness or seizure • Severe headaches with no other known cause, especially if sudden onset All of the above warning signs may not occur with each stroke. If any of these symptoms are present, call 911 immediately. Treatment is most effective when started immediately. Visit Touro.com to learn more. Tulane University School of Medicine’s Center for Clinical Neurosciences is dedicated to providing the highest quality patient-centered care by combining cutting-edge technology with personalized attention. The center allows for faster consults between physicians who specialize in different neuroscience disciplines and provides an improved continuity of care for neuro patients. The center, in partnership with the world-class physicians at Tulane University School of Medicine’s Center for Neurosciences, offers the expertise and capabilities to effectively diagnose and treat spine, brain, and neurological conditions. To continue their tradition of excellence and expertise in providing the best quality care, education and research are integrated through the combined resources of Tulane University Hospital and Clinics and the Tulane School of Medicine. The Center for Clinical Neurosciences operates an outpatient clinic located in Tulane Hospital that can be reached at 504-988-5561. Visit online at TulaneNeurosciences.com. •
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streetcar by errol laborde
In the Land of Easter Egg Paquing About 200 kids stood across from each
other in parallel lines on a Saturday before Easter in a park near the Avoyelles Parish town of Effie. Each kid was handed two colored hard boiled eggs and, when given the go-ahead, approached the kid they faced for the custom of egg knocking. One kid would hold the pointed end of the egg in his or her hand while the opponent would gently tap the egg with the pointed end of another egg. Whichever egg cracked would be surrendered to the opponent. Those with
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surviving eggs would keep on knocking until a champion of the annual “Easter on the Red River” festival was determined. Egg knocking is an old tradition that survives in Avoyelles Parish, though is hardly practiced elsewhere. That same day in the picturesque Avoyelles Parish town of Cottonport, there was another Easter festival where knocking was part of the activities. In the world of egg knocking, the epicenter is the Avoyelles parish seat town of Marksville. There, the longtime tradition is for egg
knockers to gather on the courthouse lawn on Easter Sunday morning. The successful knockers go home with a stash of failed eggs. Culturally, if Avoyelles Parish was a country, it would be Switzerland, minus the mountains, chocolate and army knives. Its similarity, though, would be a central location where cultures blend. Just as Switzerland is part French, Avoyelles is the northernmost outpost of French Louisiana. Cross the Red River and the dialects change. Even among the French there are divisions. Though many locals are raised in the Cajun culture, they are not Cajuns but descendants of Napoleonic soldiers who were given land grants there. Common to the French though, both Acadian or otherwise, the custom is properly called egg “paquing” (taken from Paque, the French word for Easter) but what we Americans call “knocking.” I was raised in New Orleans, but in a paquing household. Even as adults, my mom, who was a native of Avoyelles Parish, would purchase an egg dying kit each year. Each Good Friday while the oysters were frying (our own personal tradition,) we would dye eggs that would be paqued on Easter Sunday. Like the sport of boxing, this is a one-on-one event, as one person taps the shell of the other’s egg. Sometimes, just to keep the action going, contestants will meet again and tap the rounded ends. (It has been said that dyed eggs taste better than those that are not. I have concluded that that is true, but probably because the colored one have been around for a day or two and thus developed a fuller flavor, whereas regular non-Easter boiled eggs are usually eaten sooner) As is true with any contest, there is a way to cheat. Egg knocking hustlers have long known that the egg of the guinea hen, though smaller, has a tougher shell, that can outdo any conventional chicken egg. Most of the time though, the custom is practiced without anyone going over the moral cliff. We learn from preserving our customs: Today’s tradition is tomorrow’s egg salad.
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ARTHUR NEAD Illustration