MAY 2018
MAY 2018 / VOLUME 52 / NUMBER 6 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, Brobson Lutz, M.D., Jason Berry, Carolyn Kolb, Chris Rose, Eve Crawford Peyton, Mike Griffith, Liz Scott Monaghan, Lee Cutrone, Dale Curry, Jay Forman, Tim McNally, Robert Peyton, Mirella Cameran, Alexa Renee Harrison Digital Media Editor Kelly Massicot Social Media Assistant Becca Miller Staff Writers Kelly Massicot, Melanie Warner Spencer Vice President of Sales Colleen Monaghan Advertising Sales Manager Kate Sanders Henry (504) 830-7216 / Kate@MyNewOrleans.com Senior Account Executive Claire Cummings Account Executive Kelsey Pollock, Meggie Schmidt, Rachel Webber Director of Marketing and Events Cheryl Lemoine Event Coordinator Whitney Weathers Digital Media Associate Mallary Matherne For event information call (504) 830-7264 Production Manager Jessica DeBold Production Designers Emily Andras, Demi Schaffer, Molly Tullier Traffic Manager Topher Balfer 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 2018 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 features
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on the cover
O Canada
The Namesake’s Art
Setting the table for a Tricentennial celebration
From the walls of the Duc d’Orléans
Fricot (Acadian Style Chicken Stew)
By dale curry
By John R. Kemp
photo by eugenia uhl
Contents departments
Local Color
88
Chris Rose Eye in the Sky 40
Modine Gunch Biodegradeable Beads 42
Joie d’Eve Camp Crusader 44
In Tune A Tale of Two Fests 46
26
Book Review This month’s best reads 48
Jazz Life
The Beat Marquee Entertainment calendar 24
Spirit of Fi Yi Yi 50
Home Built on Tradition 52
Art Postcards of the Imagination 26
Persona Desi Oakley 28
Biz Roll of the Dice 30
Education Canine Companions 32
Health Digging for the Truth 34
Chronicles Prudent Collection 36
The Menu Table Talk Cooking Korean 84
Restaurant Insider News from the Kitchen 86
Last Call Smoky Mary 88
Dining Guide Plus restaurant spotlights 90
In Every Issue Inside Maritime Munching 14
Speaking Out 52
Editorial, plus a Mike Luckovich cartoon 18
Julia Street Questions and answers about our city 20
Try This Roar of the PT Boat 126
Streetcar A Mayor, An Inauguration and Two Crises 128
DIAL 12, D1 The broadcast premiere of TOM BENSON: THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF A NEW ORLEANS SAINT airs on WYES-TV/ Channel 12 on Wed., May 23 at 7pm. Produced with the full cooperation of Tom and Gayle Benson, the hour-long documentary traces the remarkable life of the self-made business tycoon from the 7th Ward.
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inside
Maritime Munching Tastes of Canada
D
oing the Tricentennial thing, our cover story this month features recipes from French Canada from which the LeMoyne Brothers, Iberville and Bienville, arrived. The information is fine if you’re cooking at home. I was wondering, however, what if we were on a trip to the Canadian maritime province and wanted to go native at the restaurants. What should we get? Well, fish of course. (Canadian beef eating is more in the Alberta area, north of Montana.) There would be the expected cod, halibut, and lobsters. Warm chowder is always good on the side, as is macaroni and cheese. (Another favorite side dish is one of our featured recipes, poutine, a mountain of fries topped with cheese curds and gravy.) If you really want to go local in Canada, there is one item that is a must, and you can start at breakfast - Tim Horton’s doughnuts. Founded by a former hockey player this chain is pervasive throughout the country, but is
especially popular in the Atlantic coastal region. Canada’s crisp chilly weather and Tim Horton’s hot doughnuts are a natural pairing, especially when chased by Horton’s signature coffee. (The doughnuts come in a variety of flavors, but first-timers should try the maple.) If the chain had been around in 1700, the Lemoyne Brothers would have, I suspect, brought a box with them, though there might have been a fall off in taste when splashed with salt water. We are, of course, an area also known for our sugary pastry, beignets, and our café au lait, which probably has more kick than Tim Horton’s brand. Nevertheless, it is interesting that between French Canada and here, there is a cultural link not only historically, but with coffee and doughnuts. Only in New Orleans don’t look for any legacy with hockey players.
CORRECTION: ST. ROCH AND BYWATER Our April cover story honoring the Bywater neighborhood featured the St. Roch market on the cover. For photography purposes the market provided a great image. While we consider St. Roch to be a striking symbol of the neighborhood area, we should have, however, qualified that the market is near Bywater and not a part of it. (The same is true with The Healing Center across the street.) We regret the error. We hope that those who are a part of Bywater accept the admiration that we meant to express. 14
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meet the sales staff
Kate Sanders Henry, 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
Kelsey Pollock, Account Executive (504) 830-7263, Kelsey@myneworleans.com
Meggie Schmidt, Account Executive (504) 830-7220, Meggie@myneworleans.com
Colleen Monaghan, Vice President of Sales (504) 830-7215, Colleen@myneworleans.com 16
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speaking out
The Fair and the City’s Founding Lessons from big ideas
B
y now the verdicts on New Orleans’ World’s Fair, whose opening day anniversary is this month, May 12, 1984, are widely accepted: F It was a financial flop. F It was an artistic success. F Locals loved it. F It hastened riverfront redevelopment. With those points conceded, we can now look from the perspective of three decades plus four years (yipes) later. From this vantage point, the fair emerges as another example of the economic bucaneerism that has so often been a part of the city’s history. And that goes back to the very beginning: New Orleans was not developed as an enclave for religious pilgrims nor as a safe haven for the politically persecuted. It was established 18
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instead as a business venture, a chance for John Law’s Company of the West, operating under a charter from the French monarchy, to exploit the Louisiana territory of its perceived medals, pearls, furs, produce and other demands of the European market. The proponents had big dreams of the fortunes that could be made from establishing a spot near the big bend along the Mississippi. On paper, it was not a good way to do business. Too many decisions were made based on too much bad information. Law’s company eventually flopped; the city’s founder, Jean Baptiste LeMoyne Sieur de Bienville, would be reprimanded and recalled by the French government. Still, a great city arose from the calamity. As for the experience of
founding a city? It was, like the World’s Fair that it would one day give birth to, a financial flop; an artistic success; locals loved it and riverfront development was hastened. Through the centuries, the pattern would be repeated in other ways. The cost of building the world’s largest dome stadium was underestimated by about $100 million, and the promised nightly spectacle of sporting events and festivals to be generated by the building never happened. Still, the stadium anchored the Poydras Avenue revival and made New Orleans a big league town. Not only has the dome long been paid for, but the refinancing of its bonds helped build both the arena that now houses the NBA Pelicans and the stadium for the team formerly
known as the “Zephyrs.” Count us among those locals who loved the World’s Fair. We cherished the times we were there, although we were always conscious of the sometimes disappointing attendance. (To be a New Orleanian, we suppose, is to be a worrier.) Because the fair had gone bankrupt during its run, the closing ceremony was trimmed, but still rich in sentiment. Earlier that year a national television audience had watched the closing of the summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The Olympic athletes, gathered on the floor of the coliseum, swayed to Lionel Ritchie who, in his reggae beat, sang of partying “All Night Long.” Most politicians shunned the fair’s finale, but not Congresswoman Lindy Boggs. Standing hand in hand with Irma Thomas, Seymour D. Fair (the fair’s pelican mascot) and miscellaneous fair employees, the group also swayed, but to a recorded version of Ritchie’s song. Ahead would be years of lawsuits, hard feelings and legal wrangling. For the moment though beauty was in the beholding. The theater’s backdrop opened to reveal big ships making the same graceful turn in the river that once attracted Bienville. With the city lights adding sparkle, the moment was soulful. Creditors were anxious to close the doors, so the party would not last all night long. Anyone who was there, however, would be moved by the moment. The city seemed special that night, a place deserving of more big ideas in the future. •
AN ORIGINAL ©MIKE LUCKOVICH CARTOON FOR NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE
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julia street
with poydras the parrot
Memorial Guild opened at the St. Philip Street convent the Cabrini Day Nursery, which provided day care for young children, mostly Italian, whose mothers worked. The nursery was named in honor of Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917), foundress of the Salesian Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus who administered the nursery. Canonized in 1946, Mother Cabrini is recognized as a Roman Catholic patron saint of immigrants. ------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Julia, In the early part of the 20th century, air races were a big deal, and as a native of New Orleans I often heard about them, but never saw them. Do you think it would be possible to gas up Poydras and let him take a turn around the course and give us full details? I think it would be interesting and I know, or think, Shushan Air Terminal, now Lakefront, was in the course. There was a movie about it in the 50’s starring Robert Stack. Thank you, Bill Taylor (New Orleans) Bill, Poydras does not like to fly, especially over the lake where he once collided with a pelican and got in trouble for bumping the state bird. In February 1934, Shushan Airport (now New Orleans Lakefront Airport) was dedicated with great fanfare that included the Pan American Air Races, at which Jimmy Wedell set a 100 kilometer speed record and won the Bendix Trophy. Novelist William Faulker, himself a pilot, attended the races and used them as inspiration for his novel, “Pylon,” which was adapted for film as “The Tarnished Angels,” starring Robert Stack. Both races and aerobatic demonstrations took place over a triangular course that covered much of Lake Pontchartrain, 20
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but tragedies and near-misses marred the event. On February 8th, during a test flight, a seagull collided with Harold Neumann’s plane as it rounded the grandstand pylon at 240 mph; the damaged plane landed safely. Little more than a week later, Neumann had another close call when his plane crashed and he was pinned beneath it; he escaped with only scratches and walked from the scene accompanied by his wife and baby. The same day, parachutist Enis Daniels was blown off course and nearly collided with the sea wall; she escaped injury. -----------------------------------------------------------------Hey Julia, I live at 817 St. Philip Street in the French Quarter. Can you tell me who built this home and for whom, and when it was built? Thanks, Carlos A. Trujillo (New Orleans) Originally a residence, the main building is believed to date from the 1850s, but it is not who commissioned or designed it. In 1892, three Salesian Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus moved to what was then a tenement at 817 St. Philip Street and established a convent. In December 1928, women of the Cabrini
Dear Julia, On the night of February 14th, stunt pilot Capt. Merle Nelson was killed when his plane crashed and caught fire after a rocket-illuminated stunt. Three days later, parachutist Ben Grew and pilot Charles Kenily, both of Chicago, perished on February 17th when Grew’s parachute became entangled in the plane’s rudder causing it to crash into Lake Pontchartrain. When I was growing up in New Orleans my father loved going to the races at the Fair Grounds. He would come home with stories about Two-Ton-Tony and my favorite Pick-A-Nose Willy. My question is: Were there other such names? Also, did these colorful nicknames pre date Damon Runyon of “Guys and Dolls” fame? - Anthony J. Clesi Jr. (New Orleans) I am not familiar with Pick-a-Nose-Willy, but there were two well-known Two-Ton-Tonys – 1930s boxer Tony “the Newark Night Stick” Galento and the Australian racehorse that movie mogul Louis B. Mayer once owned. Colorful nicknames abound in sports and gambling circles. The most famous was Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe, whose pals included characters with names like Benny Without a Penny and Meyer the Cryer. They may have seemed like Runyon creations but they also reflected local street and track culture of the time.
Have a question for julia? Send your question to: Julia Street, c/o New Orleans Magazine, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 or email: Errol@MyNewOrleans.com. artwork courtesty of the historic new orleans collection
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The Beat MARQUEE . ART . PERSONA . BIZ . EDUCATION . HEALTH . CHRONICLES
Joan Marcus photo
Desi Oakley as Jenna in the National Tour of “WAITRESS”
THE beat . marquee
May Our top picks for this month’s events By fritz esker
Crawfish Mambo
Bayou Boogaloo
If you like crawfish and supporting the University of New Orleans and development programs for its students, you’re in luck. On May 12, the Crawfish Mambo is a crawfish boil contest held at the UNO Alumni Center. There will be live music and dancing. It is a family-friendly event and children 7 and under get in for free (advance tickets $25, on-site tickets $35). Information, CrawfishMambo.com.
Bayou Boogaloo is one of the fastest rising stars in New Orleans’ festival season. From May 18-20 on the banks of Bayou St. John, there will be live music from a variety of local artists, food, arts and crafts, as well as other fun activities like paddle boat races and games for children. Information, TheBayouBoogaloo.com.
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On the Homefront: Louisiana During World War II This original musical was written exclusively for the National World War II Museum. It highlights the legacy of boat builder Andrew Higgins, as well as other important aspects of Louisiana’s wartime efforts. The show is at the museum’s Stage Door Canteen and runs through June 30. Information, NationalWW2Museum.org.
ZZ Top On May 20 at the Saenger Theatre, classic rock legends ZZ Top return to New Orleans for a promised concert after missing a scheduled November tour date due to bassist Dusty Hill’s illness. The tour follows the release of ZZ Top’s Live! Greatest Hits from Around the World. Information, SaengerNOLA.com.
calendar Events, Exhibits & Performances January 1-June 30
May 11
The Church in the Crescent: 300 Years of Catholicism in New Orleans, Old Ursuline Convent, OldUrsulineConventMuseum.com.
An Evening with Chicago, Saenger Theater, SaengerNOLA. com. May 11
The Founding Era Exhibit, Historic New Orleans Collection, hnoc.org.
Beethoven’s Beginning with Mozart Piano Concerto No. 17, Orpheum Theater, OrpheumNOLA. com.
March 14 - May 30
May 18-20
YLC Wednesdays at the Square, Lafayette Square. YLCNola.org.
Alice in Wonderland - A Storybook Ballet, Jefferson Performing Arts Center, jpas.org.
March 1- May 28
April 27-May 6
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Fairgrounds, NOJazzFest. com.
May 18-19
May 3
May 19
The Revivalists - Against All Odds, Saenger Theater, SaengerNOLA.com.
Joe Bonamassa, Saenger Theater, SaengerNOLA.com.
Carmina Burana, Orpheum Theater, OrpheumNOLA.com.
May 19-20 May 3-6
Disney on Ice - Dare to Dream, UNO Lakefront Arena arena.uno. edu.
NOLA Motorsports Park NASA Club Race, NOLA Motorsports Park, NOLAMotor.com. May 20
May 4
Gov’t Mule, Saenger Theater, SaengerNOLA.com.
KEM & Johnny Gill, UNO Lakefront Arena, arena.uno.edu. May 22
May 4
Galactic w/ Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Joy Theater, TheJoyTheater. com.
Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers, Smoothie King Center, SmoothieKingCenter.com. May 23-27
Whitney Zoo to Do, Audubon Zoo, AudubonNatureInstitute.org.
New Orleans Wine and Food Experience, Various Locations, NOWFE.com.
May 4-20
May 24
Little Shop of Horrors, Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts, RivertownTheaters.com.
David Crosby & Friends, Joy Theater, TheJoyTheater.com.
May 4
May 25 May 5
Cinco de Mayo Fest, Kenner’s Laketown, VisitJeffersonParish.com.
NOBT Presents Giselle, Orpheum Theater, OrpheumNOLA.com. May 25-27
Petty Fest, Southport Hall, NewSouthport.com.
Greek Fest, New Orleans Hellenic Cultural Center, GreekFestNOLA. com.
May 6
May 25-27
Riverfront Tricentennial Fireworks Show, New Orleans Riverfront, 2018nola.com/events.
Bayou Country Superfest, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, BayouCountrySuperFest.com.
May 6
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THE beat . art
Postcards of the Imagination The art of printing By Alexa Renée Harrison
A
s is with many visitors, there was something indefinable but appealing about Hope Gutwrench’s first hours in New Orleans. “The magic of long-armed trees reaching over the streets, the thick air, the warmth of the people. I love the slow pace of July, the stupid heat and sudden showers and realizing you just have to slow down,” she said. A transplant in New Orleans from New Hampshire — states similar in a way, both seemingly living by the motto “Live Free or Die” — Gutwrench has a way with words. Arriving in 2002, she started as a ‘zine writer, making small photocopied books of personal stories and poetry. Then, in 2005, after
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Katrina, while spending a lot of her time helping friends gut and rebuild houses, she was offered an eight week-stay at Penland School of Crafts to print woodblocks and write. In 2008 she applied to the LSU art department, hearing they had letterpress equipment, and moved to Baton Rouge for school. This is where the “Keep Writing” project was started. “Keep Writing” is a monthly postcard subscription in which Gutwrench designs and prints a folded letterpress card comprised of two postcards — one is a postcard for the recipient to keep, and the other poses a relevant question. The second card has space on one side for a response and is mailed back to Gutwrench. The project,
like much of Gutwrench’s work, explores connections to hometowns. “I moved a lot in my twenties,” Gutwrench said. “I travelled, made friends in lots of different places, wrote letters, had penpals. The fascination originated as a search for what home might be, what it might look like.” As “Keep Writing” approaches its 10-year anniversary, Gutwrench has been working with a different collaborator each month. Sometimes it’s a letterpress printer, a designer or illustrator, or sometimes it’s a writer or another artist. In December 2017, Gutwrench partnered with ceramic artist Roberta Massuch, who creates functional and sculptural work that investigates space and shadow,
overlap and threshold. Gutwrench printed one of her drawings on one side, and on the other wrote a prompt asking the recipient to write a letter “to themselves on the other side” — whether that meant to themself on the other side of death, the new year, a difficult situation, anything. Gutwrench receives 20-50 responses each month. She posts them all on a tumblr site (keepwritingpostcards.tumblr.com) and shares them on her Instagram @gutwrenchpress. For the 10th anniversary in the fall, Gutwrench will host an art show with all the responses, here in New Orleans — the place she’s now sure is what home looks like. GutwrenchPress.com. •
Craig Mulcahy photos
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THE beat . persona
Desi Oakley Star of Broadway in New Orleans’ “Waitress” by Ashley McLellan
True Confession: I actually don’t eat sugar, butter, or flour.
S
inger, songwriter, dancer and actor, Desi Oakley is a quadruple threat and is bringing her interpretation of the lead role of Jenna in the groundbreaking musical “Waitress” to the Saenger’s Broadway in New Orleans series, June 12-17. Originally from the mid-west, Oakley made her Broadway debut in the musical “Wicked,” and following it up with roles in “Evita,” “Annie” and “Les Miserables.” “Waitress” will showcase Oakley in the ground-breaking, all-female creative driven show, featuring music and lyrics by pop star Sarah Bareilles, and follows the story of Jenna, a waitress and expert pie maker as she searches for a better life out of a loveless marriage and in a small town. But wait, there’s more. In addition to wowing audiences on stage, Oakley will also act as informal vlogger for the show in her new web series, “Pie a la Road,” documenting the show’s journey across stages around the U.S. Basically, is there anything Oakley can’t do? Stay tuned for what promises to be an ever growing, genre-busting career. Q: When did you know you wanted to be an actor? I have performed since I was 8 years old but I didn’t know I wanted to be an actor for a living until I was in high school. Even then, I had no idea that all of this would actually work out. Q: What’s on your personal playlist? I listen to a huge array of different music. I love everything from folky singer-songwriters like Penny and Sparrow, to Drake, to gospel (Tasha Cobbs), from Top 40 to classical Chopin. Q: Waitress has a groundbreaking female creative team. What’s your favorite aspect of taking this role in Waitress? I am playing a woman in a show created and written by women. There’s nothing better, especially in this current climate, than being a part of a story about women. More specifically, this
story affects many people, and I hear from so many of them -- those who are abused, those who know someone stuck in an abusive relationship, people who were adopted, those with broken family relationships, people with dreams that are lost, some that are afraid to enter into relationships, and the list goes on. This show is so real. It is humbling to be a part of a show that has a real effect on people. Q: What is the best part of traveling and being in a touring company? What’s your least favorite part? The best part of traveling is getting the opportunity to experience different parts of the country, meet different people, and experience the show’s effect on different audiences. But traveling has its challenges -- our only day off is our travel day. We adjust to different climates, different theaters, different beds, etc. It is a constant reminder to cling to the constants, like the show, and each other. Q: Do you have a special routine you follow on show days? Yes, I sleep as much as possible, drink tons of water, and warm up my voice. Q: Have you visited New Orleans before? What are some things you are excited to try/visit while in the city? I have been to New Orleans (my first time was last summer!) and I can’t wait to be back. Our opening night is actually my birthday, (June 12th!) I’m excited to spend more time exploring the amazing food and more of the best jazz joints. Listening to live jazz is my favorite thing to do ever.”
At a Glance Age: 28 Education: University of Michigan, BFA Favorite Book Currently: A Year of Miracles Favorite Food: French fries Favorite TV show Currently: The Crown or Planet Earth 2 Favorite Movie: Anything Jim Carrey, Fun With Dick and Jane m y ne w orleans . com
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THE beat . biz
Roll Of The Dice Louisiana bets on bigger ‘winnings’ from gambling By Kathy Finn
T
wenty years ago, the idea that an industry could start up in Louisiana and within a relatively short time become a significant source of state tax revenue may have seemed a pipedream. Then again, in the view of some people at the time, the prospect of widespread legalized gambling seemed more of a nightmare. Arguments for and against the legalization of riverboat casinos shaped one of the most hotly debated issues in Louisiana’s history, with opponents fighting the startup on moral grounds and the perceived likelihood that the state’s poorest residents would pay a price because they would be motivated to take unwise risks with their money. The strongest argument in favor of gambling, of course, involved the potential revenue the business might bring to a state government strapped for cash. The gambling 30
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industry’s most ardent in-state supporter was then Gov. Edwin Edwards, who had long enjoyed the art of the wager and believed legalized gambling would become a financial boon to Louisiana. Ultimately, Edwards’ manipulation of the licensing process for riverboat casinos would land him in a federal court trial that led to an eight-year prison term. But, politically corrupt beginnings aside, riverboat casinos opened in all of Louisiana’s largest cities, and a single land-based casino, operated by Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., set up shop in downtown New Orleans. Fits and starts marked the first decade of legalized casino gambling in Louisiana, with some riverboats racking up early profits while those in other locations – the New Orleans riverfront, for instance – faltered. Harrah’s, too, which opened temporarily in the Municipal Auditorium
while awaiting completion of the behemoth that now stands at the foot of Canal Street, experienced early troubles that produced a bankruptcy before the casino found solid ground. But all that is in the past, and two decades later, not only has the local industry matured, but lawmakers are considering expanding its presence. More than three dozen bills introduced recently in the Legislature include proposals to allow the state’s 15 riverboat casinos to permanently move ashore; lessen the tax burden for casinos that offer certain incentives to gamblers; and enable the land-based casino in New Orleans to expand its operations. Other bills would potentially ease taxes or otherwise enhance the business environment for video poker operators and racetrack casinos, and still others seek to legalize fantasy sports, open up internet gambling in the state and
allow legal sports betting. At press time, none of the proposals had reached a final vote, and it is impossible to predict which might remain intact when the current legislative session ends in June. But what is clear is that the impact of gambling on state coffers has been substantial. The latest reports from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board show that the state’s riverboat casinos employ nearly 15,000 workers and contributed more than $400 million to state coffers last year. With some 1,800 video gaming machines operating statewide, video poker produced $170 million in franchise fees to Louisiana, while slot machines at horse-racing tracks generated net fees totaling more than $50 million. Meanwhile, the Harrah’s landbased casino in New Orleans generated $64 million in revenue to the state last year. Since the casino’s opening in 1999, Harrah’s has expanded its footprint by opening a hotel that connects to the casino via a pedestrian tunnel under Poydras Street. And in line with the current push to enhance the wagering environment, Harrah’s has won preliminary approval for a 30-year extension of its operating contract with the state and its plans to build a new 24-story, 340-room luxury hotel atop the casino’s entrance. In pitching lawmakers on the proposal, Harrah’s claimed its planned upgrade will generate $13 million in new payments to the state, $8 million to the city and 500 new full-time jobs. • Correction: My column about Charity Hospital in the April issue incorrectly identified the building’s owner. The state of Louisiana owns the building, and any redevelopment of it will be done under a long-term lease with the state.
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THE beat . education
Canine Companions Dogs as listeners By Dawn Ruth Wilson
M
eet Benny, Chaz, Gunther and Harvey, volunteer reading specialists. They have no academic degrees or lesson plans, no pencils or paper, yet parents of struggling young readers praise their skill and return month after month for another round of their special brand of magic. Their secret? Just being themselves: cute and canine. These four-legged masters of patience and understanding belong to a cadre of dogs and their humans that visit libraries in Jefferson and Orleans parishes a couple of times a month to help improve the reading skills of youngsters. Called “Reading to Rover,” the program uses children’s natural affinity for dogs to create the kind
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of laid-back atmosphere that some children need to build confidence in reading aloud. “The dogs are good listeners,” said Daniel Gitlin, an information specialist at the Jefferson Parish East Bank Regional Library, where Reader to Rover is held every third Tuesday of the month. “They are 100 percent non-judgmental.” Rye Kelly, 9, is a regular. Her favorite reading companion is Chaz, a golden-haired Katrina survivor, whose specialty is standing motionless for long stretches of time. Helen Hester, his human, calls him an “old man,” but Rye says she likes him because “he’s cute.” Rye’s mother, Rachel Kelly, has been taking Rye to the Jefferson regional library to read to Chaz
since she started to read. Because she’s in a Spanish immersion program at school, Rye needs practice reading aloud in English. “I think it’s helped,” Kelly said. Another regular, Reina Garay Cruz, 8, read “It’s a Home Run, Charlie Brown” one Tuesday in March to Harvey, a mop-haired, terrier mix with floppy eyebrows. Harvey, adopted from a shelter in the town of Harvey, had just graduated training. He’s just a youngster himself, but he too, listened, panted and sat on his rump, not making a sound. Reina says she enjoyed reading to him because he was “gentle and kind.” Chaz was busy, so Rye read “Big and Little Dog,” to Harvey, which he liked very much, she said.
Benny “Loverboy,” a boxer with basset hound eyes, played the clown, rolling on his back while listening. At one point, he lay tummy down, legs splayed around him and chin on the book in front of him. He seemed bored, but those soulful eyes could melt ice at 20 below zero. Benny’s comedy act helps Rowan Meyer, 6, overcome shyness so he can read aloud. “He’s struggling a little bit,” said mother Courtney Miller, “so this is perfect.” Gunther, a black and brown dachshund, listened to several books while snuggling against his human, Bruce Galbraith. Even though Gunther has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy, he gave his attention to Emma Mesman, 6, another regular whose reading skills have improved. “You can see the difference,” said Peggy Mesman, Emma’s grandmother. “She has more confidence. Now she reads in front of everyone. That’s the goal.” Benny, Chaz, Gunther and Harvey are only four of the 140 dogs that have been trained to serve in the Visiting Pet Program, says Lee Gaffney, program president. These dogs, chosen for their calm and friendly personalities, provide many therapy services, including visiting the sick and elderly in hospitals and nursing homes. “Even airports are asking for service dogs during holidays,” Galbraith says. “We’ve been getting more and more calls.” •
jeffrey johnston photo
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THE beat . health
Digging For The Truth Are boil-water advisories necessary? By Brobson Lutz M.D.
E
arlier this year, yet another water pressure fall triggered a boil-water advisory for the entire east bank of New Orleans. These boil-water advisories are occuring with increasing frequency and are becoming old hat. State adopted drinking water regulations mandate local authorities to issue these advisories. The theory behind these advisories appears straightforward. The soil surrounding water distribution pipes is potentially laced with disease-causing viruses, bacteria, and parasites. When pressure within a water distribution system drops, these microbes can seep into the water distribution system. Your home faucet becomes a delivery system for gastrointestinal bad guys like salmonella, parasites, and toxic strains of E. coli. Better boil that water. Human disease outbreaks from 34
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intrusions of microbial contaminants following transient pressure drops within municipal water systems like ours are more theoretical than real. I once termed these concerns as nothing more than a governmental inspired urban myth. Now I gotta eat those words. A fellow physician told me about a patient who developed an illness directly attributable to the water pressure drop last January. Mary Martinez agreed to let me tell her story. She grew up near Corpus Christi Church off St. Bernard Avenue and has lived in the 7th Ward for more years than she cares to reveal. She worked as a clerk and assembled home owner insurance policies until the Lafayette Insurance Company moved operations to Galveston in 2003. She lost her husband during Hurricane Katrina. “Every morning I tune in WVUE
Fox News. They came on saying don’t bathe, brush teeth, drink with tap water. Well I wanted a bath. Who has enough bottled water for a full bath? I started boiling in two five-quart pots on the stove. After they came to a rolling boil, I carried the hot water to my bathtub in a two-quart pot. Carrying all those pots of water aggravated my knee. Dr. Gregor Hoffman said I sprained my knee carrying all those pots of water.” So now the air is clear. New Orleans has a documented medical incident directly related to a transient drop in municipal water pressure. My long-held premise that short intervals of decreased water pressure are unrelated to any disease in cities like ours was washed down the drain. Mayor Mitch Landrieu issued his first boil-water advisory in 2010, his first year in office. He held a press
conference in front of City Hall to explain the advisory. I was there. The head honcho of the S&WB described the 10-minute fall in pressure as a “catastrophic failure of all the redundant systems.” The state Office of Public Health sent their regional medical director to address any medical questions. She recommended using boiled water for showers without explaining how to get boiled water back into the shower. She also advised boiled or bottled water for pets. “Can you cite a single instance when a short-term loss in water pressure such as we experienced caused even a single case of human illness in the last 100 years?” I asked. Her reply: “I’ll have to get back to you on that one.” Well, that call back never occurred, and New Orleans has had over a dozen more such “catastrophic failures” on Landrieu’s watch since 2010. The origin of these boil water advisories is difficult to trace. Some feckless bureaucrats hiding under the mantle of the Environmental Protection Agency apparently picked a certain pressure level and ignored any real-world scenarios. It is my understanding that the state could have adopted a more reasonable rule but accepting the EPA recommendation by default was easier than examining data from the world’s scientific literature. •
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THE beat . chronicles
Prudent Collection Furniture named Mallard by Carolyn Kolb
S
aratoga Trunk, a 1945 film, partly set in New Orleans, was based on a novel by Edna Ferber. Ferber, a careful researcher for her historical fiction, had as her heroine “Clio Dulaine,” the daughter of a white father and a free woman of color, who returned to New Orleans from Paris looking for a rich husband. Playing Clio in the movie was Ingrid Bergman, who ultimately married Texas gambler Gary Cooper and lived happily (and luxuriously) ever after. Besides singing a little French song (her only onscreen singing,) Bergman had one great line, supposedly quoting a local proverb: “give a Creole a crystal chandelier and two mirrors to reflect it, and he is satisfied.” Orleanians know that, besides the chandeliers and looking glasses, no New Orleans home of a certain vintage was complete without some ornate dark wood
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Victorian furniture credited to Cybèle T. Gontar. Prudent Mallard. Among the early New Orleans Ned Hémard, in an article for furniture manufacturers were local the New Orleans Bar Association, free men of color (Dutreuil Barjon – pointed out that Mallard, born father and son, and Michel Honoré, in Sèvres, France, in 1809, first for example.) And, there was went to New York, but came to another Frenchman, Françoise New Orleans in the Seignouret, who 1830s and opened was active in local a furniture shop Prudent Mallard’s Royal furniture making from Street shop was filled on Royal Street. At around 1810 until the with the traditional various addresses 1850s. Seignouret home furnishings along Royal, Mallard actually sold furniOrleanians craved, shown in an 1856 sold his furniture and ture to Andrew and DeBow’s Review. decorative objects Rachel Jackson in and gave his advice 1823 – probably from on design to receptive Orleanians his shop and residence at 520 Royal until a few years before his death Street (once WDSU-TV and now in 1879. part of the Historic New Orleans Louisiana has a rich history collection.) of furniture manufacture. The While Seignouret possessed Historic New Orleans Collection machinery and tools with which in 2010 published a mammoth he built furniture, Mallard seems illustrated volume, “Furnishing to have been an importer and Louisiana: Creole and Acadian furniture merchant only, contrary Furniture, 1735–1835,” by Jack to local lore. D. Holden, H. Parrott Bacot, and In 1997, Stephen Harrison,
Curator of Decorative Art and Design at the Cleveland Museum of Art, published an article in Antiques Magazine on the New Orleans 19th century furniture trade. It appears that Mallard might not have built, but might only have assembled, the furniture he sometimes labeled and sold in his shop. Orleanians were true believers in Mallard as furniture maker. A 1966 article in Dixie Roto (The Times-Picayune Sunday magazine) described an uptown home whose owners prized a large collection, including “a suite of five beautifully preserved Mallard bedroom pieces.” In fact, while Hurricane Betsy raged in 1965, the family, searching for matches, discovered a secret drawer in the dresser and spent the rest of the storm searching for others. After the Civil War, the local market for furniture dwindled, and, following business reverses, Prudent Mallard was bankrupt and his stock was sold at auction January 28, 1876. Included in the sale were all the necessities for a well-dressed New Orleans home in the nottoo-distant past: “Rosewood, mahogany and walnut Victorian bedroom sets, with glass door armoires; French covered oak and walnut dining room sets, parlor sets, heavy French plate lookingglasses, oil paintings, Sevres, Parisian and china vases, crystal toilet sets and mantel ornaments, English and American plated ware, Baccarat and Bohemian Glass war, bronze chandeliers and candelabras, window shades, cornices…” And, as the advertisement noted, “This is the last opportunity the public of New Orleans will have to secure the bargains of the manufacture of P. Mallard’s hand made Furniture.” •
courtesy of the historic new orleans collection
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Local Color CHRIS ROSE . MODINE GUNCH . JOIE D’EVE . IN TUNE . BOOK REVIEWS . JAZZ LIFE . HOME
the killers perform at Hangout Fest in Gulf Shores
LOCAL COLOR . CHRIS ROSE
Eye in the Sky Those Blinking Cameras By Chris Rose
R
emember that song, “Somebody’s Watching Me?”
All I want is to be left alone in my average home; But why do I always feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone. I always feel like somebody’s watching me. It was one of those ubiquitous pop supernovas that you couldn’t get off your radio – or out of your head; a one-hit wonder by a guy named Rockwell, who sounded a whole lot like Michael Jackson, mostly because MJ sang background vocals on it. It burned up the charts and the club dance scene back in, appropriately, 1984. And it’s back. In my average home. In my Twilight Zone. In yours, too. If you live in or venture
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onto the streets of New Orleans, here in 2018. Outside the bedroom window of my apartment in Mid City, there is a white box attached to a utility pole, with flashing red and blue lights, all day, all night. When I go to sleep, they are there, flashing red and blue. When I wake up, they are there, flashing red and blue. Always, flashing red and blue. On the underside of the white box is a dark orb, like one of those things you see on the ceilings at casinos – a camouflaged eye in the sky. On the side of the white box is an upside down crescent over a star – the logo of the New Orleans Police Department. You must have seen them. They appeared swiftly and suddenly several months ago, all over town, like specters from an alien over-
lord. And that’s pretty much what they are. Without public debate, the city installed hundreds of these flashing camera boxes in what the NOPD termed crime “hot spots.” I had no idea that my block was worthy of such an esteemed designation. The worst thing that happens here is some folks don’t pick up after their dogs. And in a non-descript office on the edge of the French Quarter, a team of monitors is, well, monitoring everything that goes on within view of the cameras. It’s called the Real Time Crime Monitoring Center. We’re told it’s for crime prevention. Then why the flashing red and blue lights to call attention? I guess they’re a heads up for anyone considering copping a dime bag or urinating on their neighbor’s yard. Now look, like any New Orleanian, I’m game for new and creative means for reducing crime. But there comes a point where I object to my bedroom being considered a crime “hot spot.” As far as I know, that camera can look right at me when I’m shuffling around late at night in my tighty whities and tube socks, flossing, and watching reruns of “Mannix” on MeTV. (The same station that brings you nightly reruns of The Twilight Zone, by the way.) I mean, do they really want to see me naked? Hell, I don’t even want to see me naked. At the Monitoring Center, there are banks of video screens in constant rotation 24/7, with law enforcement officials keeping a watchful eye over – and perhaps
into? – our homes. Wouldn’t they be better purposed on the streets that they’re watching? I’d feel a lot safer with a cop on my street than a camera. All the camera can do is catch the guy who kills me, not prevent it. Then what good is that? Just sayin’. As a salve against public dissent, and to assure us that no unseemly voyeurism or inappropriate monitoring is afoot at the Monitoring Center, the NOPD says the monitors monitoring the Real Time Crime Monitors are themselves being monitored by other monitors. So who’s monitoring those monitors? It’s a little crazy and a lot creepy in our times to realize that everywhere you go, everything you do, every purchase you make, everyone you communicate with, how much money you have, every website you visit, every time you sneak a smoke, what music you listen to, what brand of toilet paper you prefer, every time you give the finger to a driver that cuts you off, and every time you put on women’s underwear is being loaded into a massive government data base. And I guess that last one isn’t such a big deal if you’re a woman. But still. And I’m no conspiracy theorist; far from it in fact. But it seems like the authorities have cameras recording everything we do outside the privacy of our bedrooms these days. Unless, of course, one of those cameras is right outside your bedroom. •
Jason Raish Illustration
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LOCAL COLOR . modine gunch
R
emember when the city pulled 49 tons of Carnival beads out the storm drains on St. Charles Avenue? And everybody said, “Well, looka that. So THAT’s why we been flooding.” This gives my daughter Gladiola a brilliant idea. She can do her science project and save Mardi Gras at the same time. She goes on Google and informs me that since the beads they throw during Carnival are plastic, they don’t “biodegrade”— the new word for “rot” — and every single bead will be around until Judgment Day. Them and roaches. She says that a few people have already developed beads that will supposedly biodegrade, but hardly anybody throws them at parades. Probably the beads they order from China are cheaper. Huh. I bet the Chinese would make cheap beads that biodegrade, if everybody would buy them. But Gladiola don’t want to wait around for that. She is going to make her own biodegradable beads. She texts her science lab partner, Chlorette. They both remember, back in pre-school, stringing necklaces out of biodegradable stuff like macaroni and Cheerios and raisins. So they make one of each. And they use plastic Bacchus beads for a control sample. This is called the scientific method. So far, so good. But then they get the idea that, to scientifically duplicate conditions in a storm drain, with water washing through every once in a while, they should use a toilet. They need a toilet that nobody ever uses for normal purposes. And they got one — in the men’s 42
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Biodegradable Beads Science marches on By Modine Gunch
room at Celibacy Academy. Since it is a all-girls’ school, nobody ever uses it except old Father Benisisus, who says Mass in the chapel only on special occasions. They twist a wire hanger into an oval, string the necklaces on it, sneak into the men’s room, and wedge it underneath the toilet seat. Twice a day, one girl guards the door while the other sneaks in, takes a picture of the various necklaces as they biodegrade, then flushes more water over them. They don’t tell me about this. They don’t tell the nuns, neither. One week before the project
is due, Gladiola glances out the window during algebra class and sees Father Benisius hobbling up the walk. She realizes it’s Sister Gargantua’s birthday, which is a special occasion. And everybody know where Father goes before he does anything else. She asks to be excused and rushes to the men’s room. She pulls half the hangar out the toilet and then it straightens out and all the necklaces slither off and down the drain. So she flushes it. And the toilet overflows. She has the sense to turn off the valve underneath the toilet (because for
once she remembers something I taught her) and beats it out of there. Father goes in, sees water all over the floor, comes out, sees Gladiola lurking there, and asks her to stand lookout while he uses the ladies’ room across the hall. She does, and tells him she will report the problem. Which she don’t. She figures the macaroni and stuff will dissolve eventually — that being the whole point of the experiment— but somebody is going to have to explain how Bacchus beads got in there. Turns out, Chlorette’s boyfriend, Snark, has a daddy who’s a plumber, and he got a special air gun that will blast anything out of a pipe. He shows them how to use it, and next morning, before classes, Chlorette watches at the door and Gladiola gets in there, jams that thing in the toilet and pulls the trigger. Then she hears “Boom!” Then a shriek. Because the bathroom for the retired nuns’ section is on the other side of that wall, and the pipe drains join together. Sister Mary Feeble had dropped her drawers but, thank God, hadn’t sat yet. Because their bathroom ceiling is covered with all kinds of mess, and it’s raining raisins and plastic beads. And after the nuns realize Feeble isn’t hallucinating again, they track down the culprits. So what happens, Chlorette and Gladiola win Most Original Effort at the science fair. Plus a two-day detention to be spent cleaning the ceiling. That’s why science don’t get nowhere. •
LORI OSIECKI ILLUSTRATION
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LOCAL COLOR . JOIE D’EVE
Camp Crusader Ruby gives the hard sell on sleepaway camp By Eve Crawford Peyton
I
t’s May in New Orleans, otherwise known as “Have all the good summer camps filled up already?” season for parents. Well, I’m here to tell you … probably not yet? There are still openings at all the camps I just this week signed my kids up for. Georgia is scheduled for both St. Martin’s camp and Southern Rep, which she’s attended before and loved, but it’s Ruby who is the true camp evangelist. “Have you heard the good news of Camp Point Clear?” she proclaims to basically any female child between the ages of 7 and 16, and then she lists off all the reasons why it’s her favorite place on earth. She and I hosted an info session this past weekend for CPC, and after maybe the fifth time she interrupted the camp director to add more information about why camp is amazing, the director just 44
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invited her to stand up and help her with the PowerPoint. Sleep-away camp is not for everyone. It may not be for Georgia (she’s still too young, so we’ll decide in a year or so), and it definitely would not have been for me. But if it’s something you’re considering from your kid, Ruby would like to share her top 5 favorite things about camp: 1. The people you meet: There are all different kinds of people you meet, and even though a lot of the kids are from New Orleans, they don’t all go to your school. Also, some kids travel from far away. One of my friends last year was from South Carolina, and we wouldn’t have met if not for camp. Also, you can meet people who aren’t like you, and that makes your world bigger, and you can really get to know someone
when you’re with them for three 4. Taps: We sing it every night, weeks. You can also make friends and it lets everyone know that with people who are older or another good day is over. If anyone younger than you. Kids who are was fighting, it lets them know all different ages are friends, and that all is forgiven at night and it’s just super-fun to make friends. you can start over fresh. Also, it 2. The food: Tater tot casserole kind of feels like you’re talking might not look the best, but it’s to your parents when you sing delicious. They also have some- about God. 5. Graham crackers and milk: It’s thing like a taco but not a taco. It had a special name. It was a delicious, and I never thought super-delicious meat thingy that they would go so well together, you got to build like a burrito, but so I’m glad I tried it. It’s also a it wasn’t a burrito either. Anyway, camp tradition, and when we eat they have food for kids with aller- it, I feel like part of the camp from gies and who don’t eat before us comes back different things. All the – and all the campers food is good. Excerpted from Eve before and Mama Tag Crawford Peyton’s [the camp’s founder] 3. Games: We have blog, Joie d’Eve, a ton of night activiall come back and visit which appears ties and fun games. us in a friendly way. each Friday on You can win points for MyNewOrleans.com There is only one either the Seagulls or thing Ruby doesn’t like the White Caps. You get to pick about camp: LEAVING. • which one you are – it’s like Harry Potter but not quite as magical. jane sanders illustration
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LOCAL COLOR . in tune
calendar must-see music may 1
Waxahatchee rock Gasa Gasa may 1
Beach House drift into The Civic may 2
Built to Spill and Afghan Whigs co-headline The Civic may 4
Galactic funk up The Joy Sunflower Bean
may 5
Big Freedia bounces into Republic
A Tale of Two Fests Bayou Boogaloo and Hangout Fest By Mike Griffith
may 16
Dirty Projectors harmonize at Republic may 16
N
ow that Jazz Fest is just about behind us, it’s time to start looking ahead to the summer festival scene. In one of the great annual injustices, two of the best May festivals fall on the weekend of the 18th. If you’re looking for an excuse to head down to the coast to Gulf Shores, Hangout Music Fest is the place to be. If you’re staying a little closer to home, Bayou Boogaloo has you covered. This year Hangout returns with headlining sets from Kendrick Lamar, The Chainsmokers and The Killers. They will be supported by the likes of SZA, Portugal. The Man and St. Vincent. These groups of performers are some of the best acts currently touring.
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SZA and St. Vincent have stunning If your speed is a bit closer records out and Portugal. The Man to home on the bayou, stay in are riding the wave behind the two town for Bayou Boogaloo. This biggest hits of their career. All of year you’ll find Marc Brussard, these performances are a perfect Leo Nocentelli (with The Funkin soundtrack to the beach party that Truth) and Deacon John (with The is Hangout Fest. In addition to Ivories) out on Bayou St. John. the headliners, Hangout always These folks will be supported really excels in the small print by the amazing Ghanaian bands that they invite drummer Paa Kow out. This year you can as well as Toubab catch Sunflower Bean, Krewe (I’d love to Son Little, Noname and see a collaboration Playlist of mentioned bands Caroline Rose among between these two), others. Local favorite available at: http:// Walter “Wolfman” bit.ly/InTune5-18 Tank and the Bangas Washington, Johnny will be there as well. If Sketch and the Dirty you haven’t been out to Hangout, Notes, Alex McMurray, and I suggest making the trip. It is Magnetic Ear. Make sure to check close and convenient and could out Cha Wa while you’re there. • not be a better time.
Dr. Dog and Son Little psych out The Joy may 29
Front Bottoms punk the House of Blues may 30
A Place to Bury Strangers drown Gasa Gasa
Dates are subject to change; email Mike@ MyNewOrleans.com or contact him through Twitter @Minima.
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LOCAL COLOR . book reviews
by Eric Waters and Karen Celestan
The Craziest Fishing Tale on the Bayou
Sherwood Anderson and Other Famous Creoles
LSU Press
by Gary Alipio
by Thomas Bonner, Jr. and Ju-
Pelican Publishing
dith H. Bonner
Freedom’s Dance
In New Orleans, we celebrate a little bit differently. In “Freedom’s Dance,” photographer Eric Waters visually explores the dazzling array of celebrations, parades, second lines and more from the city’s social aid and pleasure clubs. From ornately decorated suits, fans and sashes to energetic displays of dance and music, Waters’ photographs act as a historic document of the city’s most precious moments. Writer Karen Celestan’s interviews some of the most preeminent leaders on the special African traditions.
In “The Craziest Fishing Tale on the Bayou,” middle grade readers follow the tale of 11-year-old Hatcher Hampton, as he attempts to catch “the big one” for the annual fishing rodeo. Many misshaps and foibles later, Hampton learns a lesson on the importance of the experience, persistence and family. Author Gary Alipio’s funny fish tale is a great choice for young and old. As a wise old fisherman (a la Grampa Grump) once said, “that’s why they call it ‘fishing,’ not ‘catching.’”
“Sherwood Anderson and Other Famous Creoles” was first published in 1926, and this refreshing reprint has lost none of its charm and wit. Written as a spoof of other more serous profiles of famous movers and shakers of the time, caracturist William Spratling drew some of the most colorful characters of the French Quarter during that golden age of artists. Editors Judith H. Bonner and Dr. Thomas Bonner provide history and clarity on the unique cast of characters of the times. History buffs and fans of literature will get a kick out this delightful and humorous offering.
By Ashley McLellan, Please send submissions for consideration, attention: Ashley McLellan, 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005
H = Did not finish
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HHH = Enjoyable HHHH = Really, really liked it HHHHH = Loved it; a new favorite!
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LOCAL COLOR . jazz life
Spirit of Fi Yi Yi Another take on Mardi Gras Indians By Jason Berry
T
he Mardi Gras Indians carry a cultural memory rooted in dances of enslaved Africans at the antebellum park, Congo Square. Choctaw and other indigenous peoples watched the swirling ring dances with people in costumes, and as black people moved beyond slavery, the circles opened into streams of dancers following bands in streets, and black men parading at Mardi Gras in costumes of Native Americans. The precise source of origin for Black Indians, or Masked Indians – the term preferred by some Big Chief leaders today – owes much to the late Tootie Montana, Big Chief of the Yellow Pocahontas tribe in the Seventh Ward. Montana’s great-uncle founded the first tribe, Creole Wild West, in the 1880s. No evidence has yet surfaced on Masked Indians with a neighborhood-based tribe before that, but oral traditions without corroborating documents rarely 50
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furnish tidy creation accounts. The costume art is a story in its own right. Today’s leading figure is Victor Harris, otherwise known as Spirit of the Fi Yi Yi and Big Chief of the Mandingo Warriors, a Seventh Ward group. Harris has been at it for 53 years. Since the 1980s his beaded masks, sleeves and coats for the many-feathered costumes have shown an evolving neo-African style with touches of Cubism unlike other suits of Masked Indians. In a popular culture with a meat parade of people famous for being famous, Big Chief Victor is the opposite of a media hound or celebrity wannabe. That is why the story of a man known for abruptly changing parade routes and stiff-arming interviewers makes for a compelling read in the new book, “Fire in the Hole: The Spirit Work of Fi Yi Yi & the Mandingo Warriors”. Edited by Rachel Breunlin for UNO Press’s
Neighborhood Story Project, the who founded Backstreet cultural book features photographs that museum in Tremé, a temple to the sometimes seem to move by long- Indians and jazz funeral tradition. time UNO anthropologist Jeffrey “I’ve known him practically all David Ehrenreich, who has spent my life,” Harris, who donated years documenting the cultural costumes to Backstreet, said of movement surrounding Harris, Francis in the book. “He preserves a brawny force of the cosmos all the culture and history of the who worked for many years in inner city. food services at Charity Hospital. Spirit of the Fi Yi Yi and Masked Indians are a mythic Mandingo Warriors perform tradition that links each tribal hier- Saturday May 5 at Jazz Fest on archy to a lineage of Big the Jazz and Heritage Chiefs past. Harris’s Stage. Harris and mentor was Tootie Victor Harris in front Jeff Ehrenreich will be interviewed at Montana. Around of St. Augustine Catholic Church in Victor Harris grew a 3:15 that day on Tremé for Father coterie of friends from the Allison Miner Jerome LeDoux’s childhood and young Heritage Stage - not 50th Anniversary adulthood, sewing to be missed if you’re in the priesthood across the weeks and celebration in 2007. at the festival that day. Otherwise, “Fire in the months leading up to Mardi Gras, carrying Hole” is a milestone a psyche of resistance in rituals work of oral history, yielding vistas of masking and street dance. of cultural memory and the role The stories captured in the book of performance art in the lives include that of Sylvester Francis, of those who carry the culture. • Jeffrey David Ehrenreich photo
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LOCAL COLOR . home
Built on Tradition Covington waterfront living By Lee Cutrone
A
shley Barrios grew up in Bay St. Louis. Her husband, Byron Barrios grew up in New Orleans. When the couple, who met and married while working in New York (he on Wall Street, she for designer Diane Furstenberg) decided to return to their southern roots to raise their daughters (Isla and Annie), they chose Covington as the place to build their new beginning. “We saw four acres of waterfront property,” said Ashley, noting that the couple had considered buying a home in Old Metairie
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or the Bay St. Louis area. “It was the perfect way to marry it all.” The couple intended to build on the land and though they still lived in New York, they instantly had an expert team for the project. Ashley’s mother, Marcia Artigues, designed the house and her father, Ronnie Artigues, owner of Artigues Construction in Bay St. Louis, built it. “My mother sketched the front of the house on the back of one of her sketch books,” said Ashley. “It means so much she designed it and that my father built it.”
A masonry fireplace, pine floors and exposed beams lend an old world feel to the newly built house, but the living room’s shag rug, modern floor lamp and sleek waterfall glass coffee table balance the old with the new; the clay sculpture on the coffee table is by Isla. Because the house is next to the river, building code required that it be raised. But Ashley did not want a house that looked like a vacation rental. Rather, she wanted it “to look like a house that you come home to at Christmas.” “I didn’t want it to feel like a beach house,” she said. With that in mind, the Barrioses opted for traditional architectural
elements that impart a sense of age - such as a deep porch, (something that Byron wanted in addition to a boat slip,) antique pine floors, brick instead of tile in the kitchen, 19th century solid wooden doors recycled from an aunt’s former Arabi house, and old pieces of furniture used as vanities in the bathrooms. “I tried to do what felt new
Greg Miles photographs
and exciting, but also that felt like Louisiana, that felt old,” said Ashley. Over time, Ashley’s decorating style, shaped by going on jobs with her mother, has evolved to balance new and old as well. While her taste once skewed toward modern design and the vintage bohemian look of Anthropologie, she now embraces a broader range of things and loves incorporating pieces with special meaning: a Pierre Deux pillow, a set of painted English chairs, a Welsh dresser - all culled from her parents’ home; a
colorful abstract painting that she acquired from a friends antique store when she was a little girl; and a grandfather clock from an old Bay St. Louis theatre. The curtains in the guest bath are especially cherished. Her grandmother bought them at Beauvoir, Jefferson Davis’s Biloxi, Mississippi home, but for 35 years, they had gone missing. When the movers delivered boxes from the Artigue family’s storage to the Barrioses’ new house, the curtains showed up on cue. “I wanted my house to feel
Top, left: Ashley combined black soapstone counters with a marble-topped island and stainless appliances in the kitchen; the lantern was found at market in New York. Top, right: Located next to the river, the house is raised for flood safety; the ground level houses an enclosed entertainment area; there are porches on three sides of the house. Bottom: Byron and Ashley Barrios with their daughters Annie (left) and Isla (right).
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warm,” said Ashley, who also envisioned a home that would be conducive to the family’s active lifestyle, which includes fishing, swimming and boating on the river.
“We wanted the girls to grow up in this kind of environment,” she said. “At the end of the day, family, simplicity, nature matters.”
Facing page: Top, left: A sitting room at the top of the stairs combines Shabby Chic, vintage, modern and bohemian styles for a look that is light, bright and playful. Top, right: An antique mirror serves as a headboard in the guest room; Ashley stripped the doors, which are from an aunt’s former house in Arabi; rugs, are used throughout the house, for pattern and color. Bottom, left: Ashley paired an antique table found at Scott Antique Market in Atlanta with painted English chairs from her parents’ home; the chairs are covered with antique Suzani; the three paintings above the windows are by Ashley’s mother; chandelier by Aiden Gray. Bottom, right: The girls’ whimsical bedroom includes a cottage style bunk bed, a bohemian mix of patterned rugs and a cozy window seat; the linens were Ashley’s as a child. This page: Top: The Barrios family’s cavapoo, Lilla, inspects the raised pool, edged with azure blue tile and surrounded by a large deck of pavers. Bottom: A freestanding acrylic tub is the focal point of the master bath, which has his and her sinks and a glass front shower; antique beaded pendant fixtures hang above the sinks.
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O Canada
Setting the table for a Tricentennial celebration BY Dale Curry
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hen Paul Prudhomme put Cajun cooking on the world-wide map, he told food writers beating down his door, “Go to the country.” Or, in other words, New Iberia, St. Martinville, Lafayette, his home-town of Opelousas and other southwest Louisiana towns where French-Canadians settled in the mid-1700s. In one week, recalled Cajun chef Alex Patout of New Iberia, he had reporters from the New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times on his doorstep. “It was pretty wonderful,” he said, reminiscing about the 1982 onslaught of food writers seeking out the scoop on Cajun cooking. Prudhomme picked Patout to help spread the word about the country fare with French similarities to the fancier Creole cuisine of New Orleans. Stirred into the melting pot were American Indian, African and other influences which made it similar yet different. Cajuns cooked white beans, Creoles red. Both made pots of gumbo and jambalaya, but tomatoes were found only in the Creole versions. Cajuns always ate crawfish, but it wasn’t until the 1970s when New Orleanians found a taste for them. Prudhomme reached stardom at Commander’s Palace and later at his own K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen. Like Patout, he descended from French settlers who first colonized in Nova Scotia and nearby parts of Canada. The Seven Years War between France and England left England in charge, and the disgruntled French were ousted. Many landed in Louisiana, bringing their skills of hunting, fishing, trapping and cooking with a French twist. I once asked Prudhomme what his favorite food was, and he said pork. Growing up in the land of the boucherie, where hogs were slaughtered in the fall and preserved for the winter, the chef was raised on cracklins, sausages, hogshead cheese and a sausage-stuffed pigs’ stomach called chaudin. His father, a sharecropper, would bring in a haul of softshell crawfish at dawn for the family breakfast. Living off the land, the Cajuns followed the life they had known in Acadia where they fished, farmed, hunted, and raised pigs and chickens. Award-winning chef Donald Link, who has brought Cajun cookbooks
photographed by Eugenia Uhl and New Orleans restaurants Herbsaint and Cochon to the forefront, says he grew up with simple roast meats and gravy and nothing spicy. “None was hot before Paul Prudhomme,” he said. Boudin, he said, “is a true Cajun invention” that combines rice from the Louisiana land, sausage-making skills from German settlers and liver from hogs. When he was a kid, fricasees or stews, usually with chicken, were the most popular dishes as well as “anything with a roux.” Before the late 20th century, Patout said, Cajun and Creole were “two distinct cultures living 60 miles apart. We had our own language, food, music and customs. (Cajun) is truly a home-style cuisine.” Patout believes the test of a Cajun cook is his chicken stew. His grandmother raised chickens and served it every Sunday. “Anyone who really wants to have a Cajun repertoire has to master Cajun chicken stew,” he said. French-Canadian dishes popular still popular in Canada are poutine (French fries with cheese curds and gravy), fricot (stew) and tourtiere (meat pie). Versions still live in Cajun cooking, and poutine has been brought back by a few local restaurants. “It’s been on our menu since we opened in 2010,” says Matt Alleman, owner of Capdeville Restaurant downtown. “It’s a popular bar fare in Canada.” Cajuns love to cook with seafood, a nod to their ties to coastal Nova Scotia and surrounding area. An old story goes that Acadians brought their lobsters with them, but the long journey caused them to lose weight, giving Louisiana its beloved crawfish. Thus we have the star of all stews, crawfish etouffee, along with crawfish boudin and the backyard bash known as the crawfish boil.
Meat pies graced French Canadian holiday tables, always with pork and sometimes a second meat, such as chicken or rabbit. The mixture was cradled into a typical piecrust or one made with yeastdough. Louisiana meat pies taste similar, but meat is tucked inside a smaller turnoverstyle crust.
For the Louisiana version, usually called a fricasee, serve over rice. A common addition in Louisiana is mushrooms. For the Acadian version, add 1 cup of cubed potatoes, about ½ inch square, in the last 20 minutes of cooking. Or add dumplings in the final 7 minutes of cooking. Some cooks add both. Summer savory is a popular seasoning in Canada but hard to find here. Thyme makes a good substitute.
White beans and rice reign in Cajun country just as red beans and rice are preferred in New Orleans. French Canadians grew beans of all kinds, and breakfast, usually the main meal of the day and called dĂŠjeuner, might consist of pork and beans, homemade bread and tea.
Cheese curds are solid pieces of curdled milk when separated from the whey. The most authentic cheese curds for Canadian-style poutine are white cheddar, but these are hard to find. They are sometimes available at St. James Cheese Company Uptown and can be ordered on-line. Substitutes are yellow cheddar cheese curds, available at some stores including Whole Foods, and pizza-style soft mozzarella (not fresh), cut into chunks. Fresh mozzarella melts too readily, according to some Canadian recipes.
If peeling your own crawfish, boil the shells, covered in water, for 30 minutes, strain and use instead of water. Freeze remaining stock for another use.
Crawfish Etoufee
Chicken Stew (Fricot) French Canadian Tourtiere (Meat Pie) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 large onion, chopped 4 green onions, chopped, white and green parts separated 1 bell pepper, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 pound lean ground pork 1 pound lean ground beef 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ½ cup beef stock Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper ½ teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon dried oregano 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 9-inch pie crusts, refrigerated pie crust dough or homemade 1 egg 2 tablespoons water 1. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet or medium pot. Saute white onions until transparent and add bell pepper and celery, cooking over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook a minute more. Add pork and beef and cook, stirring often, until meat is brown. 2. Stir flour into the mixture and mix well. Add beef stock, seasonings and Worcestershire, mix well, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. As meat cooks, skim fat off the top with a spoon and discard. When most fat is removed, the liquid should look like gravy. Stir in green part of onions and parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings. 3. Heat oven to 375. Place one crust into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Fill with meat mixture and place other crust on top. Pinch the crusts together into decorative edges. Use a sharp knife to make several (about 6) 3-inch cuts in the crust for ventilation. Beat egg in a small bowl, add water and paint the crust with some of the eggwash. 4. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the crust is brown. Serves 6 to 8.
1 chicken, cut into pieces Salt, freshly ground pepper and Creole seasoning 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup vegetable oil, divided ½ cup flour 1 large onion, chopped ½ bell pepper, chopped 2 ribs celery, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups chicken stock Pinch cayenne 1/4 teaspoon dried summer savory or thyme leaves 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley 1. If chicken is large, cut breasts into 2 or 3 pieces. Sprinkle chicken pieces with seasonings. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet, and brown chicken over high heat on both sides. This should be done in batches. Remove to paper towels. 2. Heat ½ cup oil in a large pot. Add flour and stir constantly to make a medium to dark roux, first over high heat and reducing heat to medium as roux darkens. Add chopped onion and cook over medium-low heat for several minutes. Add remaining vegetables except garlic and continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook a minute more. 3. When vegetables are sautéed, gradually add chicken stock, stirring constantly. Simmer for 2 minutes and add cayenne, bay leaf and savory or thyme. Add chicken pieces, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes until chicken is tender and gravy is thickened. Adjust seasonings and stir in parsley. Remove bay leaf. Serves 6 to 8.
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter, divided 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 medium onion, chopped 1 bunch green onions, chopped, white and green parts separated 1 bell pepper, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 5 cloves garlic, minced 3 cups water or stock* Salt and freshly ground black pepper ¼ to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 bay leaves 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 pounds Louisiana crawfish tails with fat 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley Cooked long-grain white rice 1. Melt 1 stick butter in a heavy pot. Add flour and stir over medium-high heat to make light brown roux, about 5 minutes. Add white onions, bell pepper and celery and saute over medium heat for several minutes until wilted. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add seasonings, tomato paste, lemon juice and crawfish, cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in remaining tablespoon butter, green onion tops and parsley. Serve over rice. Serves 8.
Cajun White Beans and Rice 1 pound Great Northern white beans 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ½ pound andouille sausage, cut into ½-inches pieces and/or 1 ham hock or ham bone 1 large onion, chopped 1 bunch green onions, chopped, white and green parts separated 1 bell pepper, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 bay leaves ½ teaspoon thyme 2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 pound smoked pork sausage 1 ½ cups long-grain rice
Poutine 2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus oil for frying 2 tablespoons flour 1/3 cup chopped onions 1 cup beef or chicken stock Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme 4 Idaho potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, cut like French fries ½ cup cheddar cheese curds, preferably white* 1. For the best gravy, deglaze a pan in which you have browned seasoned beef or chicken. For example, if you have pan-fried 2 steaks in a small amount of oil or butter, you will have a skillet of some remaining oil and brown bits and seasonings at the bottom of the pan after steaks are cooked. Add a half cup of water to this and heat over medium heat, stirring. When there is nothing left sticking to the skillet, strain out the liquid into a measuring cup. Use this as part of your 1 cup of stock. Used canned stock or base for the remainder. 2. In a clean skillet, mix 2 tablespoons oil and flour to make a roux over high heat, stirring constantly. When the roux begins to brown, lower heat to medium. Stir until dark brown and add onions. Reduce heat to low and cook onions until wilted. Gradually add stock, then seasonings, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened. 3. In a pot, fry potatoes in 2 inches of peanut or vegetable oil heated to 370 degrees until brown. Remove to paper towels and sprinkle with salt. 4. To compose the dish, place fries on a platter or individual plates. Sprinkle with cheese curds. Pour very hot gravy over all. The hot gravy will partially melt the cheese curds. Serves 4 as an appetizer or side.
1. Rinse beans in a strainer and place in a medium bowl. Cover with water 2 inches above the beans, and soak overnight or for 6 hours. Drain. 2. In a large, heavy pot, heat oil, add andouille and cook, turning, until beginning to brown. Add white onions and cook until transparent. Add bell pepper and celery, and saute a few minutes more. Add garlic for one minute more. Add 4 cups of water, beans, salt, pepper, bay leaves and
thyme. If using ham hock or ham bone, add it now. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are done. Remove bay leaves. 3. While the beans are cooking, prepare the smoked sausage. If you prefer the sausage cooked in the beans, cut sausage into ¼-inch slices and brown in a skillet on both sides. Add to the beans in the last half hour of cooking. If you want to serve the sausage on the side, cut into 3-inch pieces, brown in a skillet, cover and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, adding a small amount of water if needed. 4. When beans are done, use a large spoon to mash some of the beans on the side of the pot to make a creamy gravy. Stir in chopped green onions and parsley. 5. To make the rice, heat 3 cups of water to boiling in a medium sauce pan. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and rice. Reduce heat to very low. Cover and cook until no water is left in the pan, about 15 minutes. Serve beans over rice with sausage on plates or in bowls with hot sauce on the side. Serves 8.
The Namesake’s Art From the walls of the Duc d’Orléans By John R. Kemp
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s New Orleans celebrates its Tricentennial, nothing could be more fitting than a visit from the city’s namesake, Philippe II, Duc d’Orléans. Of course the duke can’t come in person, he died in 1723, but what is coming to the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) in October is a large selection from his vast and historic collection of European art that once graced the
grand salons of the Palais- Royal in Paris. A little over two years in the making, this princely blockbuster, titled “The Orléans Collection,” should prove a stunning contribution to the city’s birthday celebrations. Organized by the museum solely for New Orleans, the show will feature 40 to 50 masterpieces from the duke’s private art collection gathered from approximately 20 museums in the U.S. and Europe, including, among others, the
Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery of London, Washington, D.C.’s in 1666, and the duke brought it back to Paris after refurbishing National Gallery, Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, the J. Paul Getty Museum the palace. What we have for that section of the exhibition is the extraordinary centerpiece of the Palais-Royal, the Gallery of Aeneas in Los Angeles, and Holland’s Rijksmuseum. According to NOMA’s Senior Research Curator of European Art dedicated to the Aeneas, the mythical founder of Rome.” Vanessa Schmid, who researched and organized the exhibition, Philippe commissioned his court artist Antoine Coypel to paint the Philippe’s collection, originally numbering 772 artworks, ranked Assembly of the Gods ceiling as well as paintings along the walls of among the greatest private art collections in 18th century Europe. the gallery to tell the story of Aeneas. Tragically, a fire in the 19th “Praised as one of the finest in Paris,” Schmid said, “this exceptional century destroyed the paintings. collection comprised some of the preeminent works in the history “Fortunately,” said Schmid, “we have Coypel’s fabulous oil descripof art, including paintings by Veronese, Tintoretto, Poussin, Rubens tive copy of the paintings coming from the Musée des Beaux-Arts in and Rembrandt, all of whom will be represented in the exhibition. Angers, France. It is this most important record we have of the now This unprecedented, international exhibition will bring together a lost ceiling. It’s a rare and exceptional document that will situate selection of masterpieces from the collection for the first time in visitors in the Palais-Royal section of the exhibition.” over two centuries.” The Orléans Collection also will demonstrate how the duke Philippe, who began collecting in his early 20s, particularly favored organized his collection. Renaissance Florentine and Venetian art, which he reserved for his “It will be kind of hierarchical,” said Schmid. “He prioritized the grand gallery. A voracious collector, he also was among the first in importance of Venetian art. Venetian and Florentine-Roman Renaissance France to purchase Dutch and Flemish art, which he displayed in were considered the supreme examples of art historical achievement. his private apartments where, Schmid said, “most of his famous and We’ll also have a little section on his Dutch and Flemish pictures and notorious parties took place.” a later section will discuss the disposition of his collection. Before Underwritten by more than a dozen corporate, that, we will have works by early French artists who private, and public foundation grants, including got to study at the Palais-Royal.” the National Endowment of the Arts, Schmid To appreciate the exhibition better and has spent the last two years ferrying the duke’s relevance to New Orleans is back and forth across the U.S. and to know a little something about the Europe, tracking down paintings and collector himself and his place in researching their provenance. Some French history. Philippe was an museums have closed collections intriguing figure in 18th century and wouldn’t lend their works, Europe. At the death of his uncle while others restored their paintLouis XIV in 1715, the crown ings specifically for the show in passed to the former king’s New Orleans. Schmid’s selection five-year-old great grandson, criteria were simple – quality and Louis XV. Because the king was historical significance. so young, the Duc d’Orléans “I have been tenacious about served as regent to rule France quality and why everything has until his cousin became of age a place in the show,” she said. in 1723. “There were plenty of paintings I Apparently, the duke made the could have gotten but the priority most of his eight-year regency. In a 1997 biography of the duke, British from day one has been quality and range. The selection is representative historian Christine Pevitt describes this of artists and subject matter in the duke’s period as “the time of (French painter) collection. That’s been challenging to manage, Watteau, the young Voltaire, the Mississippi but it’s important.” Bubble, the founding of New Orleans, the plays of As Schmid describes the paintings she has chosen, Marivaux, the perfection of the Paris town house, and facing page: “The Meeting her thoughts seemed to turn inward as if she was there of David and Abigail,” by the Boulle commode.” Guido Reni (Italian), oil in Philippe’s Palais-Royal strolling slowly among the As to his New Orleans connection, the duke strongly on canvas, circa 1615-20, masterpieces. What a glorious walk that must have been. backed efforts to expand and develop France’s American Chrysler Museum of Art, In addition to luxurious and historic artwork, the Norfolk, Virginia above: colonies, especially in the Caribbean and Louisiana. In “Alexander and his show also will explore the duke’s artistic tastes and 1712 the crown granted Frenchman Antoine Crozat an Doctor,” by Eustache Le psychology as a collector, the Palais-Royal as a center for exclusive charter to the Louisiana colony. Antoine was Sueur, circa 1648-49, oil the arts in Paris, how the duke displayed his collection in on canvas, The National the brother of Pierre Crozat, the duke’s close friend Gallery, London private and public spaces in the palace, the history of the who often represented the duke in purchasing art for collection, court life, the collection’s reputation based on his collection. After five years of losing money, Philippe earlier writings and Parisian guidebooks from the early 1700s, and, relieved Crozat of his burden. Along came Scotsman John Law, who finally, the collection’s influences on 18th century artists in Europe. had formed the “Banque Générale” of France in 1716. The industrious “I conceived the show in themes and I selected paintings to take us Scot convinced his friend the duke that Louisiana had potential for through those themes,” Schmid said. “We have the Palais-Royal itself great wealth. In 1717 Law formed the Company of the West, later as the center of his court. Louis XIV brought court life to Versailles reorganized as the Company of the Indies, as a joint stock company
and sold shares to finance his Louisiana scheme. Tulane University historian Lawrence Powell describes Law’s adventure as a “Ponzi scheme of mind-boggling proportions.” Though a financial failure, the company firmly established the Louisiana colony, including New Orleans. In naming the city, Law and company officials chose “La Nouvelle Orléans” to flatter their benefactor. The duke and his legacy are a bit more complex, however. He inherited a kingdom almost bankrupt with rising social and
political unrest within the aristocracy and among the masses. As a result, he made friends and enemies. “The man who presided over (the royal court),” said historian Pevitt, “has been dismissed as a rake, an idler, a débouché, and hailed as a dedicated worker for the good of the state, a statesman of vision, a wit and a hero, a modern man in his tolerance and freedom from bigotry.” The 18th century French writer and philosopher Voltaire, once imprisoned by
top, left: “Ecstasy of Saint Paul,” by Nicolas Poussin (French), oil on panel, 1643, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, The State Art Museum of Florida, Florida State University, Sarasota. top, right: “Supper at Emmaus,” by Paolo Caliari, called Veronese (Italian), oil on canvas, mid-1570s, Museum Boijmans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam. bottom, left: Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, 1715-1723. Attributed to Guy Noël Aubry (French, 18th-century), Oil on canvas, 248 x 160 cm (97 5/8 x 63 in). Musée des Beaux Arts d’Orléans, Orléans, France, François Lauginie. bottom, right: “The Virgin and Child with Saints Jerome, Peter Francis and an Unidentified Female Saint,” by Lorenzo Lotto (Italian), ca. 1505. National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh
the duke for his writings, described Philippe as a tolerant man of mainly in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe.” intelligence, courage and good nature. He also said the duke was a man During the revolution, Louis-Philippe supported the moderate “of few scruples, but incapable of crime.” Philippe was also known democratic movement, hence the name Philippe-Égalité. Unfortunately for his amorous liaisons and his passion for the arts. He played the for him, a radical turn of political events during the Reign of Terror flute, guitar, clavichord and enjoyed painting, something he started sent him to the guillotine in 1793. With that historical note said, NOMA’s exhibit also will demonstrate as a child and continued for the rest of his life. “One of the most important developments over the last five to 10 how the duke’s collection contributed to the formation of public years is a reevaluation of the duke as a political figure,” Schmid said. museums such as the National Gallery in London. Prior to the sale “He inherited the crown in terrible debt and managed it very well of the collection in London in the 1790s, an enterprising Englishman and was able to achieve a great deal of stability. That reappraisal is put the collection up for public view in his gallery and charged already happening in France. What I am hoping this show can bring admission to see the paintings. According to Schmid, this was the out and reinforce is the duke as a tactician, a good politician, a good first time ordinary people got to see what was locked away in palaces. Many of the same people who purchased the paintings later formed political mind, and well educated but also a fun-loving hedonist.” As to the duke’s extensive art collection, the 18th century art museums in England. French writer Mathieu Marais once quipped tongue“The Orléans Collection” should proved to be exceptional. For unlike exhibitions that simply showcase in-cheek that “one does not know which is the NOMA’s collections or are on loan from other stronger passion, that for his paintings or for his women. But he has no taste for arrangeinstitutions, “The Orléans Collection” is ment; he hangs a religious painting near creating a historic moment with lasting a nude, an architectural drawing next to intellectual results. To accompany a landscape. His main pleasure comes the show, the museum will publish a 300-page, fully illustrated catalog from amassing so many.” about the duke and his collection with True, says Schmid, but Marais and scholarly essays written and edited by others at the time didn’t understand Schmid and a team of nine American that Philippe’s collecting philosophy was more about “connoisseurship.” and European art historians. It also will He organized his collection by artistic include a complete list of every painting schools and not simply by aesthetics in the original 18th century collection or visual content. The duke considered taken from an inventory compiled in his collection to be a history of art. 1727 after the duke’s death. “It was actually revolutionary “Presentation of ‘The Orléans and a new way of looking at art as Collection’ is an unprecedented opporconnoisseurship,” she said. “That was tunity to engage in new scholarship and something he was working on with research,” said Susan Taylor, NOMA’s his friend Crozat and his court painter Montine McDaniel Freeman Director. Coypel. They were very interested in “The collection offers a perspective exploring artists, style, the significances on collecting tastes at the time of the of a certain school, and how artists founding of New Orleans as well as dealt with subject matter. That mixing a direct connection to the city and its of nudes with religious paintings that namesake. As the Tricentennial will demonstrate, the connections to the court of the Duke was so jarring to many was actually quite brilliant and “Precious Recognized,” by Godfried Schalken of Orleans are many and varied.” forward thinking and a new way of looking at art. He (Dutch), oil on panel, late Schmid hopes visitors to the exhibition will take away didn’t collect willy-nilly. He had a discerning eye.” 1600s, National Gallery an understanding of a complex man in a different era Philippe, through dealers and agents such as Coypel of Ireland, Dublin and Crozat, lived in constant search of specific paintings, and world with an insatiable intellectual and aesthetic artists and subjects to add to his expanding collection. He purchased passion for art and what it meant to him and his regency. “The ideas around this show are big,” Schmid said. “What do paintings at auctions, exchanged paintings with other collectors, and accepted paintings as gifts. In 1721, for instance, he purchased over a these objects and subjects tell us about princely ideas? What are hundred masterpieces from the royal collection of Queen Christina of the allegories and what do they tell us about the historical thinking Sweden. Many of those paintings originally had been in the Habsburg at that moment? Why were some schools of art more appreciated family, which ruled much of Europe until World War I. than others? What were the artists doing and making? However, the After the duke’s death in 1723, the collection remained in his exhibition is about art. We are bringing important masterpieces that family and on view to the Parisian public at the Palais-Royal for our local public will never have a chance to see again. This hasn’t two generations before landing in the hands of his great grandson been done before and it won’t be done again. This is a real gift to the Louis-Philippe II, also known as Philippe-Égalité. city that our leadership at NOMA has made happen.” Thanks also to Philippe II, Duc d’Orléans, for his art and his name. “In the early 1790s during the French Revolutions, Louis-Philippe sold the collection, which was broken up into two parts, to two The “The Orléans Collection” opens Oct. 26 and runs through Jan. groups of London art dealers,” Schmid said. “Through various sales 27, 2019. For more information, visit Noma.org. and viewings in the 1790s in London the collection was dispersed
The Menu TABLE TALK . RESTAURANT INSIDER . FOOD . LAST CALL . DINING LISTINGS
jeffery johnston photo
Japchae (Sweet Potato Starch Noodle) at Kin Korean BBQ
THE MENU . TABLE TALK
Combo #3 that includes Chadolbagi and Maeun Dak Bulgogi along with the kimchi accompaniments
meet the chef Nga Vu and Shawn Tran
Cooking Korean Gin BBQ in Fat City By Jay Forman
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ooking for a way to shake up your dining experience? If so, consider Gin Korean BBQ in Fat City, where the line between kitchen and dining room blurs thanks to the tabletop grills that
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Nga Vu and Shawn Tran are culinary veterans. They own and operate Crystal Palace, a catering and event space with locations in Harvey and New Orleans East. The demands of such work have given them a remarkable breadth of cooking styles to accommodate the requests of their clients. “Vietnamese, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Hispanic and American – we do it all,” Vu says. Having Gin as part of their portfolio now is a win-win for both owners and staff. “Gin helps give our staff more regular hours, which they like and makes things steadier for them.”
enable guests to experiment with ready-to-cook meats and a constellation of accompaniments that will make any meal an adventure. Gin is owned by the husband-and-wife team of Nga Vu and
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Shawn Tran, a Vietnamese couple the meal. “Cabbage is the most who have long been interested popular,” Vu says. “The daikon in Korean cuisine. “We are food and carrot kimchi has more of a industry people – we travel to pickled flavor, a little sour and eat and learn, and love to bring a little sweet.” Meals unfold on that knowledge back home,” Vu a completely different timeline explains. Gin, which opened in than the typical three-course early March, is the realization event. “This is a social dining of their long-held desire to offer experience,” Vu explains.” You don’t cook it all at once, you let Korean BBQ to New Orleans. Bringing this type of restaurant it play out. Bring your friends, to New Orleans represents a larger talk about what happened at challenge than most, however. work and celebrate a promotion. The equipment cost is high – the We are not here trying to turn tabletop grills and downdraft tables – these meals can take a ventilation require serious invest- while and that is just part of the ment. At Gin you see experience.” it is money well spent Outside of the – the modern space BBQ grill selecGin Korean BBQ, is trimmed out with tions, popular 3012 N Arnoult blue accent lighting appetizers include Rd., Fat City; and comfortable seats Spicy Fried 309-7007. L, D Daily; and booths padded Chicken Wings, Ginkoreanbbq.com out in metallic silver Hamul Pajeon (a upholstery. It is a seafood-and-green large restaurant, neatly ordered, onion studded pancake) and with the back wall affording a the traditional Korean favorite view into the kitchen. Japchae, which uses clear noodles But the real show takes place made from sweet potato starch. at your table. Choose from a For drinks, a full bar menu is number of meat dishes, such as available, but consider pairing Chadolbagi, thin cylinders of beef your meal with Soju, a distilled brisket, and Maeun Dak Bulgogi, spirit akin to vodka but with a spicy marinated boneless chicken. lower alcohol content. They sell “We bring out the side dishes and Chamisul, a top Korean brand, marinate and prep all the meat,” and it is also available in a variety Vu says. “All you have to do is of flavors, including mango and lychee. Generous off-street parking cook it to perfection.” The quality of the meat and is provided, but come early as accompaniments set Gin apart. once it fills up street parking Many of the marinades involve in Fat City is hard to come by. • a three-day process, and all the meats are first butchered then prepped in-house. No MSG is employed, and the natural enzymes in fruit and citrus used in the marinades tenderize the meat, rather than commercial And Little Korea BBQ powders. Little Korea BBQ in the Lower Once the grill is ready, grab Garden District offers a similar the provided tongs and the fun experience Uptown. Here grilling begins. For non-marinated meats, takes place atop an open flame pass the finished bits through (rather than the griddle-like the triumvirate of green-tea stations at Gin). Recommended infused salt and pepper, sesame dishes here include the beef oil and ponzu sauce. Wrap it bulgogi and the la galbi – up in a lettuce leaf with a bit of marinated beef short rib. The rice and any one of the houseKim Chi Pancakes are a good made kimchi that accompany appetizer as well. my ne w orleans . co m
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THE MENU . restaurant insider
News From the Kitchen Hippie Kitchen, Jack Rose, Paloma Cafe By Robert Peyton
Pollo Con Papas A La Huancaina
Paloma Café
Hippie Kitchen
Jack Rose
Paloma Café took over the spot formerly home to Café Henri in the Bywater, serving a menu largely comprised of Latin food. Chefs Danny Alas and Justin Rodriguez hail from Venezuela and the Dominican Republic respectively, but most recently they both worked at Compere Lapin, chef Nina Compton’s outstanding restaurant in the CBD. The food at Paloma is fairly casual but professionally-presented. Birmingham-based coffee house Revelator is behind the venture, so expect high-end Java as well. Paloma Café: 800 Louisa St.; Monday and Tuesday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., until 11 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; Sunday brunch from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; 304-3062; Palomanola.com.
Hippie Kitchen opened recently in Old Jefferson. Yes, there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, but you’ll also find seafood, poultry and meat on the eclectic breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. The folks behind Hippie Kitchen can boast some impressive fine-dining credentials, and pretty much everything served is locallysourced, including the small selection of local beers. Most of the produce is grown in-house. Hippie Kitchen: 3741 Jefferson Highway; Tuesday through Saturday, 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; 444-4113; Hknola.com.
A great hotel in New Orleans needs a great restaurant. At the Pontchartrain Hotel, that restaurant is Jack Rose, which recently replaced the Caribbean Room. Besh Restaurant Group veterans Emery Whalen and chef Brian Landry operate the venture. Executive chef David Whitmore’s menu – with items like pompano en papillote and beef short rib daube – is reminiscent of classic New Orleans restaurants of years past. The “Living Room” lounge opens early, with more casual fare. Jack Rose: 2031 St. Charles Ave.; Living Room: daily from 3 to 10 p.m.; Dining Room: daily from 5 to 10 p.m.; 323-1500; JackRoseRestaurant.com.
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THE MENU . last call
Toasting History! The Smoky Mary By Tim McNally
F
or over 100 years, 1831-1932, a train, operated by the Pontchartrain Railroad, carried daytripping New Orleanians from the heat of the city to the cooling breezes on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. The Smoky Mary ran up Elysian Fields Avenue to an area known as Milneburg, the eventual site of Pontchartrain Beach Amusement Park, which is today’s University of New Orleans campus, and Lake Terrace and Lake Oaks neighborhoods. The train was properly nicknamed because the steam engine was infamous for belching heavy clouds of smoke onto its passengers. Not only has the Krewe of Orpheus honored this chapter of New Orleans history with a magnificent tandem float in its Lundi Gras parade, but there is now an appropriate and delicious cocktail created at Avo, the Uptown restaurant renowned for fine Italian cuisine. Drinking in history has never been so delightul.
RECIPE Smoky Mary
2 oz cucumber-infused blanco tequila 2 sliced English cucumbers, soaked in 1 Liter of Cimarron tequila for 5 days) 4 oz bouillon mix Bouillon mix, makes 1 quart: 8 oz tomato juice 8 oz beef broth .5 oz Worcestershire .5 oz fresh squeezed orange juice .25 oz tabasco Chipotle pepper sauce 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce cracked pepper to taste Combine into mixing glass, stir. Serve over fresh ice in a calabrian chile powder-rimmed glass, Garnish with spicy bean, okra and olive. As originated and served at Avo. Restaurant Avo, 5908 Magazine Street, 509-6550, Restaurantavo.com. 88
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THE MENU . dining listings H= New Orleans Magazine award winner
Abita Springs Abita Brew Pub Gastropub 72011 Holly St., (985) 892-5837, AbitaBrewPub.com. L, D Tue-Sun. Better-than-expected pub food in its namesake eatery.“Tasteful” tours available for visitors. $$ Akers Middendorf’s Seafood Interstate 55, Exit 15, 30160 Hwy. 51 S., (985) 386-6666, MiddendorfsRestaurant.com. L, D Wed-Sun. Historic seafood destination along the shores of Lake Maurepas is world-famous for its thin-fried catfish fillets. Open since 1934, it’s a Sun. drive tradition. $$ Avondale
H Mosca’s Italian 4137 Hwy. 90 W., 4368950, MoscasRestaurant.com. D Tue-Sat. Italian institution dishes out massive portions of great food, family-style. Good bets are the shrimp Mosca and chicken à la grande. Cash only. $$$ Bywater H Pizza Delicious pizza 617 Piety St., 676-8482, PizzaDelicious.com. L, D Tue-Sun. Authentic New York-style thin crust pizza is the reason to come to this affordable restaurant , that also offers excellent salads sourced from small farms and homemade pasta dishes. Outdoor seating a plus. $ Carrollton Bourré AMERICAN 1510 S. Carrollton Ave., 510-4040. L, D Tue-Sun.“Elevated” street food along with quality daiquiris and wings are the draw at this newcomer from the team behind Boucherie. $$ Breads on Oak Bakery/Breakfast 8640 Oak St., 324-8271, BreadsOnOak.com. B, L WedSun. Artisan bakeshop tucked away near the levee on Oak St. serves breads, sandwiches, gluten-free and vegan-friendly options. $ 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. $$ Morning Call Bakery/Breakfast 56 Dreyfous Dr., City Park, 885-4068, NewOrleansCityPark.com/in-the-park/ morning-call. 24 hours a day; cash-only. Chicory coffee and beignets make this the quintessential New Orleans coffee shop. $ CBD/Warehouse District H Annunciation Louisianian Fare 1016 Annunciation St., 568-0245, AnnunciationRestaurant.com. D Mon-Sat, Br Sun. Chef Steven Manning brings a refined sensibility to this refined Warehouse District oasis along with his famous fried oysters with melted brie. $$$ 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 90
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$ = Average entrée price
$ = $5-10
well alongside the excellent cocktail and beer list. $$$
H BH Steak Steakhouse Harrah’s Casino, 8 Canal St., 533-6111, HarrahsNewOrleans. com. D daily. Acclaimed chef John Besh reinterprets the classic steakhouse with his signature contemporary Louisiana flair. $$$$$
H Borgne Seafood 601 Loyola Ave., 613-3860, BorgneRestaurant.com. L, D daily. Coastal Louisiana with an emphasis on Isleños cuisine (descendants of Canary Islanders who settled in St. Bernard Parish) is the focus of this high-volume destination adjacent to the Superdome. $$$ Café Adelaide Louisianian Fare Loews New Orleans Hotel, 300 Poydras St., 595-3305, CafeAdelaide.com. B, L Mon-Fri, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. This offering from the Commander’s Palace family of restaurants has become a power-lunch favorite for business-people and politicos. Also features the Swizzle Stick Bar. $$$$ Calcasieu Specialty Foods 930 Tchoupitoulas St., 588-2188, CalcasieuRooms.com. For large and small gatherings, the catering menus feature modern Louisiana cooking and the Cajun cuisine for which chef Donald Link is justifiably famous. Chophouse New Orleans Steakhouse 322 Magazine St., 522-7902, ChophouseNola.com. D daily. In addition to USDA prime grade aged steaks, Chophouse offers lobster, redfish and classic steakhouse sides. $$$
$$ = $11-15
$$$ = $16-20
$$$$ = $21-25
Mon-Fri, D daily. The flagship of superstar chef Emeril Lagasse’s culinary empire, this landmark attracts pilgrims from all over the world. $$$$$ Gordon Biersch Gastropub 200 Poydras St., 552-2739, GordonBiersch.com. L, D daily. Local outpost of this popular chain serves specialty brews made on-site and crowdpleasing lunch and dinner fare. $$
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. $$$$$ Johnny Sanchez World 930 Poydras St., 304-6615, JohnnySanchezRestaurant. com. L, D daily. Contemporary Mexican mecca offering locally sourced produce accompanying the Bistec a la Parilla. Popular happy hour and downtown locale next to South Market District add to the appeal. $$$
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. $$$
H Lüke World 333 St. Charles Ave., 3782840, LukeNewOrleans.com. B, L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Germanic specialties and French bistro classics, house-made pâtés and plateaux of cold, fresh seafood. $$$
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. $$
Manning’s AMERICAN 519 Fulton St., 5938118. L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. A partnership between New Orleans’ First Family of Football and Harrah’s Casino, Manning’s offers sports bar fans a step up, with a menu that draws on both New Orleans and the Deep South. $$$
H Desi Vega’s Steakhouse Steakhouse
St., 571-9580, MerchantNewOrleans.com. B, L daily. Coffee, creative crêpes, sandwiches and more are served at this sleek and contemporary café on the ground floor of the Merchant Building. $
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 appeal. $$$ Drago’s Louisianian Fare Hilton Riverside Hotel, 2 Poydras St., 584-3911, DragosRestaurant.com. L, D daily. This favorite specializes in charbroiled oysters, a dish they invented. Great deals on fresh lobster as well. $$$$
H Domenica Italian The Roosevelt Hotel, 123 Baronne St., 648-6020, DomenicaRestaurant.com. L, D daily. Authentic, regional Italian cuisine. The menu of thin, lightly topped pizzas, artisanal salumi and cheese, and a carefully chosen selection of antipasti, pasta and entrées features locally raised products. $$$$ Emeril’s Louisianian Fare 800 Tchoupitoulas St., 528-9393, EmerilsRestaurants.com. L
H Merchant Bakery/Breakfast 800 Common
Morton’s The Steakhouse Steakhouse 365 Canal St., One Canal Place, 566-0221, Mortons.com/NewOrleans. D daily. Private elevator leads to the plush, wood-paneled environs of this local outpost of the famed Chicago steakhouse popular with politicians and celebrities. $$$$ Mother’s Louisianian Fare 401 Poydras St., 523-9656, MothersRestaurant.net. B, L, D daily. Locals and tourists alike endure long lines to enjoy iconic dishes such as the Ferdi poor boy and Jerry’s jambalaya. Come for a late lunch to avoid the rush. $$ 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
$$$$$ = $25 & up
Cajun destination. $$ 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. $$$
H Pêche Seafood 800 Magazine St., 5221744, PecheRestaurant.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Award-winning southern-inspired seafood destination by Chef Donald Link serves whole roasted Gulf fish from its massive, wood-burning oven, and an excellent raw bar. $$$ 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. $$
HRed Gravy Bakery/Breakfast 4125 Camp St., 561-8844, RedGravy.com. B, Br, L, Wed-Mon. Farm-to-table brunch restaurant offers a creative array of items such as Cannoli Pancakes and Skillet Cakes, as well as delectable sandwiches and more. Homemade pastas and authentic Tuscan specialties round out the menu. $$ 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. $$$$$ Sac-A-Lait Seafood 1051 Annunciation St., 324-3658, Sac-A-LaitRestaurant.com. D Tue-Sat, L Fri. Cody and Sam Carroll’s shrine to Gulf Coast and Louisiana culinary heritage melds seafood, game, artisan produce, and craft libations in an ambitious menu that celebrates local and southern cuisine. $$$$ The Grill AMERICAN 540 Chartres St., 522-1800. B, L, D daily. A diner with local character staffed by local characters. $ The Grill Room AMERICAN Windsor Court Hotel, 300 Gravier St., 522-6000, GrillRoomNewOrleans.com. B, L, D daily, Br Sun. Modern American cuisine with a distinctive New Orleans flair, the adjacent Polo Club Lounge offers live music nightly.
Jazz Brunch on Sunday. $$$$$ Tommy’s Cuisine Italian 746 Tchoupitoulas St., 581-1103, TommysNewOrleans.com. D daily. Classic Creole-Italian cuisine is the name of the game at this upscale eatery. Appetizers include the namesake oysters Tommy, baked in the shell with Romano cheese, pancetta and roasted red pepper. $$$$$ Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar AMERICAN 1009 Poydras St., 309-6530, Walk-Ons. com. L, D, daily. Burger, sandwiches, wraps and more with a Louisiana twist are served at this sports bar near the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. $$ Warehouse Grille AMERICAN 869 Magazine St., 322-2188, WarehouseGrille.com. L, D daily, Br Fri-Sat. Creative fare served in an art-filled environment. Try the lamb spring rolls. $$ Victory Gastropub 339 Baronne St., 522-8664, VictoryNola.com. D daily. Craft cocktails served by owner and acclaimed bartender Daniel Victory, as well as refined small plates and gourmet pizza. $$ 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. $$ Covington
Don’s Seafood seafood 126 Lake Dr., (985) 327-7111, DonsSeafoodOnline.com. L, D Daily. Popular neighborhood seafood joint offers an array of crowd-pleasing south Louisiana dishes, including char-broiled oysters and Zydeco shrimp. Kid’s Menu makes it a good choice for families. $$$ Darrow Café Burnside Louisianian Fare Houmas House Plantation, 40136 Hwy. 942, (225) 473-9380, HoumasHouse.com. L daily, Br Sun. Historic plantation’s casual dining option features dishes such as seafood pasta, fried catfish, crawfish and shrimp, gumbo and red beans and rice. $$ Latil’s Landing Louisianian Fare Houmas House Plantation, 40136 Hwy. 942, (225) 473-9380, HoumasHouse.com. D Wed-Sun. Nouvelle Louisiane cooking served in an opulent setting features dishes like rack of lamb and plume de veau. $$$$$ Faubourg Marigny Feelings Cafe, Bar and Courtyard Lounge Louisianian Fare 535 Franklin Ave, 446-0040, FeelingsCafeBar.com. D Tue-Sat, L Fri. The All New Feelings Marigny is a complete relaunch of the much beloved “Feelings Cafe”. Executive Chef Scott Maki has transformed the menu with an emphasis on contemporary Creole-Louisiana fare.$$$$ Langlois AMERICAN 1710 Pauger St., 934-1010, LangloisNola.com. L Fri-Sat, D Wed-Sun. *Reservations only Supper club and boutique cooking school in the Marigny
serves up culturally informed, farm-to-table fare with the added bonus of instruction. Open kitchen and convivial atmosphere add up to a good time. $$$
H Mona’s Café World 504 Frenchmen St., 949-4115. 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 Ruby Slipper Café Bakery/ Breakfast 2001 Burgundy St., 525-9355, 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. $$ The Marigny Brasserie AMERICAN 640 Frenchmen St., 945-4472, MarignyBrasserie. com. L, D daily. Chic neighborhood bistro with traditional dishes like fried green tomatoes and innovative cocktails such as the cucumber Collins. $$$ 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. $$
Eastern places. $$ French Quarter Angeline AMERICAN 1032 Chartres St., 308-3106, AngelineNola.com. B Mon-Thu, D daily, Br Sat-Sun,. Modern southern with a fine dining focus is this bistro’s hallmark. Southern Fried Quail and Duck Confit Ravoli represent the style. $$$ Acme Oyster House Louisianian Fare 724 Iberville St., 522-5973, AcmeOyster.com. L, D daily. Known as one of the best places to eat oysters. $$
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. $$$$$ Arnaud’s Remoulade Italian 309 Bourbon St., 523-0377, Remoulade.com. L, D daily. Home of the eclectic menu of famous shrimp Arnaud, red beans and rice and poor boys as well as specialty burgers, grilled allbeef hot dogs and thin-crust pizza. $$
H 1000 Figs World 3141 Ponce De Leon
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. $$$$$
St., 301-0848, 1000Figs.com. L, D Tue-Sat. Vegetarian-friendly offshoot of the Fat Falafel Food Truck offers a healthy farm-totable alternative to cookie-cutter Middle
Antoine’s Annex Specialty Foods 513 Royal St., 525-8045, Antoines.com/AntoinesAnnex. Open daily. Serves French pastries,
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including individual baked Alaskas, ice cream and gelato, as well as panini, salads and coffee. Delivery available.
French Quarter offers an expansive menu of Creole favorites and specialty cocktails served with New Orleans flair. $$$
BB King’s Blues Club Barbecue 1104 Decatur St., 934-5464, BBKings.com/neworleans. 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. $$$
Deanie’s Seafood Seafood 841 Iberville St., 581-1316, Deanies.com. L, D daily. Louisiana seafood, baked, broiled, boiled and fried is the name of the game. Try the barbecue shrimp or towering seafood platters. $$$
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. $$ Bourbon House Seafood 144 Bourbon St., 522-0111, BourbonHouse.com. B, L, D daily, Br Sun. Local seafood, featured in both classic and contemporary dishes, is the focus of this New Orleans-centric destination. And yes, bourbon is offered as well. $$$
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. $$$$
H Doris Metropolitan Steakhouse
Broussard’s French 819 Conti St., 581-3866, Broussards.com. D daily, Br Sun. Creole-French institution also offers beautiful courtyard seating. $$$$
El Gato Negro World 81 French Market Place, 525-9752, ElGatoNegroNola.com. L, D daily. Central Mexican cuisine along with hand-muddled mojitos and margaritas made with freshly squeezed juice. A weekend breakfast menu is an additional plus. $$
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. $$$ Creole Cookery Seafood 508 Toulouse St., Suite C110, 524-9632, NewOrleansCreoleCookery.com. L, D daily. Crowd-pleasing destination in the 92
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BourbonHouse.com. B, L, D daily, Br Sun. Classic Creole dishes, such as redfish on the halfshell, and an Oyster Bar. Its extensive bourbon menu will please aficionados. $$$$
620 Chartres St., 267-3500, DorisMetropolitan.com. L Fri-Sun, D daily. Innovative steakhouse plays with expectations and succeeds with modernist dishes like their Classified Cut and Beetroot Supreme. $$$$
Chartres House Italian 601 Chartres St., 586-8383, ChartresHouse.com. L, D daily. This iconic French Quarter bar serves terrific Mint Juleps and Gin Fizzes in its picturesque courtyard and balcony settings. Also famous for its fried green tomatoes and other local favorite dishes. $$$
Curio Restaurant Opens On Royal Street
H Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House Seafood 144 Bourbon St., 522-0111,
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. $$$$$
H Cane & Table Gastropub 1113 Decatur St., 581-1112, CaneAndTableNola.com. L Fri, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Open late, this chefdriven rustic colonial cuisine with rum and “proto-Tiki” cocktails make this a fun place to gather. $$
restaurant spotlight
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. $$$$$
H GW Fins Seafood 808 Bienville St., 581-FINS (3467), GWFins.com. D daily. Owners Gary Wollerman and twice chef of the year Tenney Flynn provide dishes at their seasonal peak. On a quest for unique variety, menu is printed daily. $$$$$ Galatoire’s 33 Bar & Steak Steakhouse 215 Bourbon St., 335-3932, Galatoires33BarAndSteak.com. L Fri, D Sun-Thu. Steakhouse offshoot of the venerable Creole grande dame offers hand-crafted cocktails and classic steakhouse fare and inspired dishes. Reservations accepted. $$$ Hard Rock Café AMERICAN 125 Bourbon St., 529-5617, HardRock.com. L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Local outpost of this global brand serves burgers, café fare and drinks in their rock memorabilia-themed environs. $$ House of Blues Louisianian Fare 225 Decatur St., 310-4999, HouseOfBlues. com/NewOrleans. L, D daily. Good menu complements music in the main room. World-famous Gospel Brunch every Sunday. Patio seating available. $$
Curio restaurant claims to serve “American cuisine with a Creole soul.” With Hayley Vanvleet as executive chef, it’s a claim the restaurant can live up to. Vanvleet grew up in Illinois, but she’s been at the heart of some of the most successful new restaurants in the city in recent years, including Meauxbar Bistro, Peche Seafood Grill and Kingfish. Now she leads the team at this new bar and restaurant located in the heart of the French Quarter on Royal Street. The premises were formerly an old curiosity shop, hence its name, and now is home to Curio, with a classic bistro décor that includes a tiled floor, marble bar and an outdoor dining room. 301 Royal Street, 717-4198, CurioNola.com.
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 cheryl gerber photo
this Creole-Italian favorite beloved by locals. Try the oysters Irene and crabmeat gratin appetizers. $$$$
H Italian Barrel Italian 430 Barracks St., 569-0198, ItalianBarrel.com. L, D daily. Northern Italian dishes like Braciola di Maiale as well as an exhaustive pasta menu tempt at this local favorite that also offers al fresco seating. $$$ Killer Poboys Louisianian Fare 811 Conti St., 252-6745, KillerPoboys.blogspot.com. L, D Wed-Mon. This quasi-popup operating out of the Erin Rose Bar serves some of the city’s best poor boys. $ 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. $$$$
H Kingfish Seafood 337 Charters St., 5985005, KingfishNewOrleans.com. L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Regionally inspired seafood dishes with carefully sourced ingredients and southern influence is the focus at this chefdriven French Quarter establishment. $$$ 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 seafoodcentric destination on Bourbon Street. $$$
H Marti’s French 1041 Dumaine St., 5225478, MartisNola.com. L Fri, D daily. Classic French cuisine, small plates and chilled seafood platters like Grand Plateau Fruits De Mer are the calling cards for this restaurant with elegant “Old World” feel. $$$ Muriel’s Jackson Square Italian 801 Chartres St., 568-1885, Muriels.com. L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Enjoy local classics while dining in the courtyard bar or any other room in this labyrinthine, rumored-to-behaunted establishment. $$$$ Napoleon House Italian 500 Chartres St., 524-9752, NapoleonHouse.com. L Mon-Sat, D Tue-Sat. Originally built in 1797 as a respite for Napoleon, this family-owned Europeanstyle café serves local favorites gumbo, jambalaya and muffulettas. A Sazerac or Pimm’s Cup are perfect accompaniments. $$ 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. $$$
H Patrick’s Bar Vin Gastropub 730 Bienville St., 200-3180, PatricksBarVin.com. D daily. This oasis of a wine bar offers terrific selections by the bottle and glass. Small
plates are served as well. $$
served in an elegant courtyard. $$
Pier 424 Seafood 424 Bourbon St., 309-1574, Pier424SeafoodMarket.com. L, D daily. Seafood-centric restaurant offers long menu of traditional New Orleans fare augmented by unusual twists like “Cajun-Boiled” Lobster. $$$
The Bombay Club Louisianian Fare Prince Conti Hotel, 830 Conti St., 577-2237, TheBombayClub.com. D daily. Popular martini 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. $$$$
Port of Call Burgers 838 Esplanade Ave., 523-0120, PortOfCallNola.com. L, D daily. It is all about the big, meaty burgers and giant baked potatoes in this popular bar/ restaurant – unless you’re cocktailing only, then it’s all about the Monsoons. $$
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. $$$$$ Ralph Brennan’s Red Fish Grill seafood 115 Bourbon St., 598-1200, RedFishGrill. com. L, D daily. Chef Austin Kirzner cooks up a broad menu peppered with local favorites such as barbecue oysters, blackened redfish and double-chocolate bread pudding. $$$$$ Rib Room AMERICAN Omni Royal Orleans Hotel, 621 St. Louis St., 529-7046, RibRoomNewOrleans.com. B, D daily, L Mon-Sat, Br Sun. Old World elegance, house classic cocktails and Anthony Spizale’s broad menu of prime rib, stunning seafood and on Sundays a jazz brunch. $$$ Richard Fiske’s Martini Bar & Restaurant Louisianian Fare 301 Dauphine St., 586-0972, 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-andBacon 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. $$
H Tableau Louisianian Fare 616 S. Peter St., 934-3463, TableauFrenchQuarter.com. B Mon-Fri, L Mon-Sat, D daily, Brunch Sat-Sun. Gulf seafood such as Redfish Bienville and classic Creole brunch dishes like eggs Hussard are the highlights of this Dickie Brennan restaurant that shares space with Le Petite Théâtre. $$$ 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
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. $$$$$
H Tujague’s Louisianian Fare 823 Decatur
D Wed-Sun, Br Sun. Time-honored Provençal cuisine rewards guests with a true farm-life experience, from house-made preserves, charcuterie, herbs, kitchen gardens and eggs cultivated on the property. $$$$$ Lakeview H Cava Louisianian Fare 789 Harrison Ave., 304-9034. D daily. Fine dining (and excellent wine list) at this high-end Cajun and Creole restaurant that makes customer service a big part of the experience. $$$ Lakeview Harbor Burgers 911 Harrison Ave., 486-4887. L, D daily. Burgers are the name of the game at this restaurant. Daily specials, pizza and steaks are offered as well. $
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 sixcourse table d’hôté menu featuring a unique beef brisket with Creole sauce. $$$$$
Lakeview Pearl Asian Fusion/Pan Asian 6300 Canal St., 309-5711, LakeviewPearl. com. L, D Mon-Sat. A long list of specialty rolls rounds out the offerings of this AsianFusion restaurant. $$
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. $$
2633, MondoNewOrleans.com. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat, Br Sun. Chef Susan Spicer’s take on world cuisine. This place has a deserved reputation for good food and good times. $$$
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. $ 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. $$
H Mr. John’s Steakhouse Steakhouse 2111 St. Charles Ave., 679-7697, MrJohnsSteakhouse.com. D Tue-Sat, L Fri-Sat. Wood paneling, white tile and USDA Prime Beef served sizzling in butter are the hallmarks of this classic New Orleans steakhouse. $$$ Gretna H Tan Dinh Asian Fusion/Pan Asian 1705 Lafayette St., 361-8008. B, L, D daily. Roasted quail and the beef pho rule at this Vietnamese outpost. $$
H Mondo World 900 Harrison Ave., 224-
Lower Garden District
H The Green Fork Vegan/Vegetarian 1400 Prytania St., 267-7672, GreenForkNola.com. B, L Mon-Sat. Fresh juices, smoothies and vegetarian-friendly fare make The Green Fork a favorite for lovers of healthy food. Catering is offered as well. $$ 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. $$ Voodoo BBQ Barbecue 1501 St. Charles Ave., 522-4647, VoodooBBQAndGrill.com. L, D daily. Diners are never too far from this homegrown barbecue chain that features an array of specialty sauces to accompany its smoked meats and seafood. $$ 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. $$$
H Oak Oven Italian 6625 Jefferson
Acme Oyster House Louisianian Fare 3000 Veterans Blvd., 309-4056, AcmeOyster.com. L, D daily. Known as one of the best places to eat oysters. $$
Highway, Harahan, 305-4039, OakOvenRestaurant.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Wood-fired pizza and seasonal Italian cuisine with a locavore philosophy brings respite to the burbs. Family friendly with patio seating to boot. $$
Austin’s Louisianian Fare 5101 W. Esplanade Ave., 888-5533, AustinsNo.com. D Mon-Sat. Mr. Ed’s upscale bistro serves contemporary Creole fare, including seafood and steaks. $$$
Harahan
Kenner H Fiesta Latina World 1924 Airline Drive, 469-5792, FiestaLatinaRestaurant.com. B, L, D daily. A big-screen TV normally shows a soccer match or MTV Latino at this home for authentic Central American food. Tacos include a charred carne asada. $$ Lacombe H La Provence French 25020 Highway 190, (985) 626-7662, LaProvenceRestaurant.com.
Boulevard American Bistro AMERICAN 4241 Veterans Memorial Blvd., 889-2301. L, D daily. Classic American cuisine including steaks, chops and more is augmented by regional favorites like Boulevard Oysters at this Metairie bistro. $$$ 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 familymy ne w orleans . co m
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friendly neighborhood spot. $$$
specialty. $$$
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. $
Voodoo BBQ Barbecue 2740 Severn Ave., 353-4227, VoodooBBQAndGrill.com. L, D daily. Diners are never too far from this homegrown barbecue chain that features an array of specialty sauces to accompany its smoked meats and seafood. $$
Crabby Jack’s Louisianian Fare 428 Jefferson Highway, 833-2722, CrabbyJacksNola.com. L Mon-Sat. Lunch outpost of Jacques-Imo’s. Famous for its fried seafood and poor boys including fried green tomatoes and roasted duck. $
H Blue Dot Donuts Specialty Foods 4301
Deanie’s Seafood Seafood 1713 Lake Ave., 831-4141, Deanies.com. L, D daily. Louisiana seafood, baked, broiled, boiled and fried, is the name of the game. Try the barbecue shrimp or towering seafood platters. $$$ 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. $$$ Drago’s Louisianian Fare 3232 N. Arnoult Road, 888-9254, DragosRestaurant.com. L, D Mon-Sat. This favorite specializes in charbroiled oysters, a dish they invented. Great deals on fresh lobster as well. $$$$ Martin Wine Cellar AMERICAN 714 Elmeer Ave., 896-7300, MartinWineCellar.com. Wine by the glass or bottle to go with daily lunch specials, burgers, soups, salads and deli-style sandwiches. $ Mr. Ed’s Seafood and Italian Restaurant Seafood 1001 Live Oak St., 838-0022, AustinsNo.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Neighborhood restaurant specializes in seafood and Italian offerings such as stuffed eggplant and bell pepper. Fried seafood and sandwiches make it a good stop for lunch. $$
H Royal China Asian Fusion/Pan Asian 600 Veterans Blvd., 831-9633. L daily, D Tue-Sun. Popular and family-friendly Chinese restaurant is one of the few places around that serves dim sum. $$ Ruth’s Chris Steak House Steakhouse 3633 Veterans Blvd., 888-3600, RuthsChris.com. L Fri, D daily. Filet mignon, creamed spinach and potatoes au gratin are the most popular dishes at this steak institution, and great seafood choices and top-notch desserts. $$$$$ Sucré Specialty Foods 3301 Veterans Blvd., 834-2277, ShopSucre.com. Desserts daily. Open late weekends. Chocolates, pastry and gelato draw rave reviews at this dessert destination. Beautiful packaging makes this a great place to shop for gifts. Catering available. Vincent’s Italian Cuisine Italian 4411 Chastant St., 885-2984, Metairie, VicentsItalianCuisine.com. L Tue-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Snug Italian boîte packs them in, yet manages to remain intimate at the same time. The cannelloni is a house 94
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restaurant spotlight 10 Entrees for $10 at Riccobono’s Peppermill By Mirella Cameran
Mid-City Canal St., 218-4866, BlueDotDonuts.com. B, L Tue-Sun. The Bacon Maple Long John gets all the press, but returning customers are happy with the classics as well as twists like peanut butter and jelly.
H Café Minh Asian Fusion/Pan Asian 4139 Canal St., 482-6266, CafeMinh.com. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Chef Minh Bui and Cynthia Vutran bring fusion to Vietnamese cuisine with French accents and a contemporary flair. $$
H Crescent City Steaks Steakhouse 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. $$$$ Five Happiness Asian Fusion/Pan Asian 3605 S. Carrollton Ave., 482-3935, FiveHappiness.com. L, D daily. This longtime Chinese favorite offers up an extensive menu including its beloved mu shu pork and house-baked duck. $$ 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. $ Juan’s Flying Burrito World 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., 486-9950, JuansFlyingBurrito.com. L, D daily. Hardcore tacos and massive burritos are served in an edgy atmosphere. $
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. $$
H Liuzza’s Italian 3636 Bienville St., 482-9120, Liuzzas.com. L, D daily. Classic neighborhood joint serves favorites like the “Frenchuletta,” stuffed artichokes and andouille gumbo. Kid’s menu offered. $$ 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. $$
H Mona’s Café World 3901 Banks St., 482-7743. L, D daily. Middle Eastern specialties such as baba ganuj, beef or chicken shawarma, falafel and gyros. The lentil soup and desserts, such as sticky sweet baklava, round out the menu. $
H MoPho Asian Fusion/Pan Asian 514 City Park Ave., 482-6845, MoPhoNola.com. L, D Wed-Mon. Vietnamese cuisine meets southern Louisiana in this upscale casual hybrid by chef Michael Gulotta. Mix-and-
When Joe and Josie Riccobono opened their Peppermill restaurant in 1976, it might have been hard to imagine they would be serving some of the same classic dishes 42 year later. Even more remarkable is that some of those recipes were already three generations old, having been handed down through the Riccobono family. The reality is that great Italian and Creole cooking never goes out of style. Starting soon, there is a hard-to-beat lunch deal offering 10 entrees for $10. Restaurant classics include chicken piccata, veal parmigiana, and fried catfish with mirliton and shrimp stuffing casserole. 3524 Severn Avenue, Metairie, 455-2266, RiccobonosPeppermill.com.
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match pho and an interesting poor boy menu rounds out the appeal. $$$ 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. $$$$
carnivore’s delight. $$$
easy reach. $$
experience with generous portions. $$$$$
Trèo Gastropub 3835 Tulane Ave., 304-4878, TreoNola.com. L Fri-Sat, D daily. Craft cocktail bar also serves a short but excellent small plates menu to accompany its artfully composed libations. $$
Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar & Fish House Seafood Multiple Locations, 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. $$$
H Del Porto Ristorante Italian
Multiple Locations Byblos World Multiple Locations, ByblosRestaurants.com. L, D daily. Upscale Middle Eastern cuisine featuring traditional seafood, lamb and vegetarian options. $$
H Ruby Slipper Café Bakery/Breakfast 139
Café du Monde Bakery/Breakfast Multiple Locations, CafeDuMonde.com. This New Orleans institution has been serving fresh café au lait, rich hot chocolate and positively addictive beignets since 1862 in the French Market 24/7. $
S. Cortez St., 525-9355, 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. $$
CC’s Coffee House Bakery/Breakfast Multiple locations in New Orleans, Metairie and Northshore, CCsCoffee.com. Coffeehouse specializing in coffee, espresso drinks and pastries. $
H Taqueria Guerrero World 208 N. Carrollton Ave., 484-6959. B, L, D, Tue-Sat. Friendly staff and authentic Mexican cuisine make this affordable neighborhood restaurant a neighborhood favorite. BYOB $
Copeland’s Louisianian Fare Multiple Locations, CopelandsofNewOrleans.com. L, D daily, Br Sun. Al Copeland’s namesake chain includes favorites such as Shrimp Ducky. Popular for lunch. $$
H Toups’ Meatery Louisianian Fare 845 N.
Little Tokyo Asian Fusion/Pan Asian Multiple locations, 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
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
Reginelli’s Pizzeria pizza Multiple Locations, Reginellis.com. L, D daily. Pizzas, pastas, salads, fat calzones and lofty focaccia sandwiches are at locations all over town. $$ Theo’s Pizza Multiple Locations, TheosPizza.com. L, D daily. The crackercrisp crust pizzas are complemented by a broad assortment of toppings with local ingredients at cheap prices. $$ Zea’s Rotisserie and Grill AMERICAN Multiple Locations, 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. $$$ Northshore Acme Oyster House Louisianian Fare 1202 N. Highway 190, Covington, (985) 246-6155, AcmeOyster.com. L, D daily. Known as one of the best places to eat oysters. $$ Dakota AMERICAN 629 N. Highway 190, (985) 892-3712, TheDakotaRestaurant.com. L Tue-Fri, D M on-Sat. A sophisticated dining
501 E. Boston St., (985) 875-1006, DelPortoRistorante.com. L, D Tue-Sat. One of the Northshore’s premier fine dining destinations serving Italian food that makes use of locally sourced meats and produce. $$$ Gallagher’s Grill Louisianian Fare 509 S. Tyler St., (985) 892-9992, GallaghersGrill. com. L, D Tue-Sat. Chef Pat Gallagher’s destination restaurant offers al fresco seating to accompany classically inspired New Orleans fare. Event catering offered. $$$ Riverbend H Ba Chi Canteen Asian Fusion/Pan Asian 7900 Maple St., 373-5628. L, D Mon-Sat. The kitchen plays fast and loose with Vietnamese fare at this eclectic outpost on Maple Street. Try the caramelized pork “Baco”. $
H Boucherie Louisianian Fare 1506 S. Carrollton Ave., 862-5514, Boucherie-Nola. 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. $$ Brigtsen’s Louisianian Fare 723 Dante St., 861-7610, Brigtsens.com. D Tue-Sat. Chef Frank Brigtsen’s nationally famous Creole cuisine makes this cozy cottage a true foodie destination. $$$$$
HCarrollton Market AMERICAN 8132 Hampson St., 252-9928, CarrolltonMarket. com. L Sat-Sun, D Tue-Sat. Modern Southern
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H Chill Out Café Asian Fusion/Pan Asian 729 Burdette St., 872-9628. B, L daily, D Mon-Sat. Thai food and breakfast favorites like waffles and pancakes can both be had at this affordable college-friendly hangout. $
H Cowbell Burgers 8801 Oak St., 298-8689, Cowbell-Nola.com. L, D Tue-Sat. Burgers and homemade sauces on potato rolls are the specialty here, along with other favorites. $$ 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. $$ Uptown Amici Italian 3218 Magazine St., 300-1250, AmiciNola.com. L, D daily. Coal-fired pizza, with an impressive list of authentic and Creole Italian specialties as well. $$
H Ancora pizza 4508 Freret St., 324-1636, AncoraPizza.com. D daily. Authentic Neapolitan-style pizza fired in an oven imported from Naples. The housemade charcuterie makes it a double-winner. $$
H Apolline Louisianian Fare 4729 Magazine St., 894-8881, ApollineRestaurant.com. D Tue-Sun, Br Sat-Sun. Cozy gem serves a refined menu of French and Creole classics peppered with Southern influences. $$$ 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. $$ Bouligny Tavern Gastropub 3641 Magazine St., 891-1810, BoulignyTavern.com. D Mon-Sat. Carefully curated small plates, inventive cocktails and select wines are the focus of this stylish offshoot of John Harris’s nationally acclaimed Lilette. $$
H Café Abyssinia World 3511 Magazine
happy hours are a plus. $$$ Clancy’s Louisianian Fare 6100 Annunciation St., 895-1111, ClancysNewOrleans.com. L ThuFri, D Mon-Sat. Their Creole-inspired menu has been a favorite of locals for years. $$$ 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. $$$$ Domilise’s Louisianian Fare 5240 Annunciation St., 899-912. L, D Mon-Sat. Local institution and rite-of-passage for those wanting an initiation to the real New Orleans. Wonderful poor boys and a unique atmosphere make this a one-of-a-kind place. $ Frankie & Johnny’s Seafood 321 Arabella St., 243-1234, FrankieAndJohnnys.net. L, D daily. Serves fried and boiled seafood along with poor boys and daily lunch specials. Kid-friendly. $$
H Gautreau’s Louisianian Fare 1728 Soniat St., 899-7397, GautreausRestaurant.com. D Mon-Sat. Upscale destination serves refined interpretations of classics along with contemporary creations. $$$$$ Jacques-Imo’s Cafe Louisianian Fare 8324 Oak St., 861-0886, Jacques-Imos.com. D MonSat. Reinvented New Orleans cuisine served in a party atmosphere. The deep-fried roast beef poor boy is delicious. The lively bar scene offsets the long wait on weekends. $$$$
St., 894-6238. L, D daily. One of a just few authentic Ethiopian restaurants in the city, excellent injera and spicy vegetarian fare make this a local favorite. $$
Juan’s Flying Burrito 2018 Magazine St., 569-0000, JuansFlyingBurrito.com. L, D daily. Hard-core tacos and massive burritos are served in an edgy atmosphere. $
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. $
H Jung’s Golden Dragon Asian Fusion/ Pan Asian 3009 Magazine St., 891-8280,
Casamento’s Louisianian Fare 4330 Magazine St., 895-9761, CasamentosRestaurant.com. L Thu-Sat, D Thu-Sun. The family-owned restaurant has shucked oysters and fried seafood since 1919; closed during summer and for all major holidays. $$ Chiba Asian Fusion/Pan Asian 8312 Oak St., 826-9119, Chiba-Nola.com. L Wed-Sat, D Mon-Sat. Contemporary restaurant features fresh, exotic fish from all over the world and fusion fare to go along with typical Japanese options. Extensive sake list and late night
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JungsChinese.com. L, D daily. This Chinese destination is a real find. One of the few local Chinese places that breaks the Americanized mold. $
H La Crêpe Nanou French 1410 Robert St., 899-2670, LaCrepeNanou.com. D daily, Br Sun. Classic French bistro fare, including terrific moules and decadent dessert crêpes, are served nightly at this neighborhood institution. $$$ 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 French-inspired with an emphasis on technique. $$$ Lilette French 3637 Magazine St., 895-1636,
LiletteRestaurant.com. L Tue-Sat, D Mon-Sat. Chef John Harris’ innovative menu draws discerning diners to this highly regarded bistro. Desserts are wonderful as well. $$$$$
of the best roast beef poor boys in town. The gumbo, cheeseburger poor boy and other sandwiches are also winners. Also a great location to watch the game. $
H Magasin Asian Fusion/Pan Asian 4201
H The Company Burger Burgers 4600
Magazine St., 896-7611, MagasinCafe.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Pho, banh mi and vegetarian options are offered at this attractive and budget-friendly Vietnamese restaurant. Café sua da is available as well. $
Freret St., 267-0320, TheCompanyBurger. com. L, D daily. Custom-baked butterbrushed buns and fresh-ground beef patties make all the difference at this excellent burger hotspot. Draft beer and craft cocktails round out the appeal. $
Martin Wine Cellar AMERICAN 3827 Baronne St., 899-7411, MartinWine.com. Wine by the glass or bottle with cheeses, salads, sandwiches and snacks. $
H Panchita’s World 1434 S. Carrollton Ave., 281-4127. L, D daily. Authentic, budgetfriendly Mexican restaurant serves tamales, mole and offers free chips and salsa as well as sangria. $ Pascal’s Manale Italian 1838 Napoleon Ave., 895-4877, PascalsManale.com. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. A neighborhood favorite since 1913 and the place to go for the creation of barbecued shrimp. Its oyster bar serves freshly shucked Louisiana oysters and the Italian specialties and steaks are also solid. $$$$
H Patois World 6078 Laurel St., 895-9441, PatoisNola.com. L Fri, D Wed-Sat, Br Sun. French food, with influences from across the Mediterranean as well as the American South, all filtered through the talent of chef Aaron Burgau. Reservations recommended. $$$ 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. $$
H Ruby Slipper Café Bakery/Breakfast 200 Magazine St., 525-9355; 1005 Canal St., 525-9355, TheRubySlipperCafe.net. B, L daily, Br Sun. Homegrown chain specializes in breakfast, lunch and brunch dishes with unique local twists such as bananas Foster French toast and barbecue shrimp and grits. $$
H Shaya World 4213 Magazine St., 891-4213, ShayaRestaurant.com. L, D daily. James Beard Award-winning menu pays homage to Israel at this contemporary Israeli hotspot. $$$ St. James Cheese Company Specialty Foods 5004 Prytania St., 899-4737, StJamesCheese.com. Open daily. Specialty shop offers a selection of fine cheeses, wines, beers and related accouterments. Look for wine and cheese specials every Friday. Sucré Specialty Foods 3025 Magazine St., 520-8311, ShopSucre.com. Desserts daily & nightly. Open late weekends. Chocolates, pastry and gelato draw rave reviews at this dessert destination. Beautiful packaging makes this a great place to shop for gifts. Catering available. Tracey’s Irish Restaurant & Bar AMERICAN 2604 Magazine St., 897-5413, TraceysNola. com. L, D daily. Neighborhood bar with one
The Delachaise Gastropub 3442 St. Charles Ave., 895-0858, TheDelaichaise.com. D daily. Cuisine elevated to the standards of the libations is the draw at this lively wine bar and gastropub. Food is grounded in French bistro fare with eclectic twists. $$ 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. $$$$ H Wayfare AMERICAN 4510 Freret St., 309-0069, WayfareNola.com. L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Creative sandwiches and southerninspired small plates. $$ 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. $$$ Vincent’s Italian Cuisine Italian 7839 St. Charles Ave., 866-9313, VicentsItalianCuisine.com. L Tue-Fri, D Tue-Sun. Snug Italian boîte packs them in yet manages to remain intimate at the same time. The cannelloni is a house specialty. $$$ Warehouse District Lucy’s World 710 Tchoupitoulas St., 523-8995, LucysRetiredSurfers.com. L, D daily. Island-themed oasis with a menu that cherry-picks tempting dishes from across the globe’s tropical latitudes. Popular for lunch, and the after-work crowds stay into the wee hours. $ West Bank Nine Roses Asian Fusion/Pan Asian 1100 Stephen St., 366-7665, NineRosesResturant. com. L, D Sun-Tue, Thu-Sat. The extensive Vietnamese menu specializes in hot pots, noodles and dishes big enough for everyone to share. $$ West End Landry’s Seafood Seafood 8000 Lakeshore Drive, West End, 283-1010, LandrysSeafood. com. L, D daily. Kid-friendly and popular seafood spot serves of heaping platters of fried shrimp, Gulf oysters, catfish and more. $$
If you feel that a restaurant has been misplaced, please email Managing Editor Ashley McLellan at Ashley@MyNewOrleans.com
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Arnaud's
Austin's
ArnaudsRestaurant.com 813 Bienville St., New Orleans 504-523-5433
AustinsNO.com 5101 West Esplanade Ave., Metairie 504-888-5533
This year, Arnaud’s Restaurant celebrates 100 years of delivering a quintessential New Orleans dining experience, from its original, historic location in the city’s most prized gem, the French Quarter. From dinner in the classic Main Dining Room, to Sunday Brunch with a side of Jazz, Arnaud’s celebrates the city’s history and culture with every bite.
Austin's Restaurant has been known as Metairie's hot spot for steak, seafood and the Creole-Italian creations of Ed McIntyre and his culinary staff. Serving dinner Monday-Saturday, 5 pm 'till. Private rooms are available for luncheons, banquets, rehearsal dinners and corporate events. Reservations recommended.
Café Adelaide
Compère Lapin
Crazy Lobster
CafeAdelaide.com 300 Poydras St., Warehouse District 504-595-3305
CompereLapin.com 535 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans 504-599-2119
TheCrazyLobster.com 500 Port of New Orleans Pl., Suite 83 504-569-3380
Everyone is eating, drinking and carrying on at Café Adelaide - little sister of Commander's Palace, located in the Warehouse District. Chef Meg serves up playful, modern Creole in a beautiful, newly renovated space. Daily happier hour in the Swizzle Stick Bar.
Compère Lapin (kom-pare la-pan) n. 1. French for "brother rabbit" 2. traditional Caribbean and Creole folktales featuring a mischievous rabbit named Compe re Lapin 3. Ground-breaking restaurant helmed by renowned Chef Nina Compton in the heart of the Warehouse Arts District in New Orleans.
Enjoy Riverside dining on the banks of the Mississippi River. Their signature dish is the Bounty of Sea, featuring a twopound Maine lobster, shrimp, crawfish, snow crab, clams, mussels, corn and potatoes. Listen to the sounds of live music featuring the best entertainment straight off Frenchmen Street. Visit them after a long day at Jazz Fest.
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Briquette BriquetteNOLA.com 701 South Peters, New Orleans Chef Hosie Bourgeois, formerly of Beau Chene Country Club, delights taste buds by providing some of the finest cuisine in the New Orleans area! There will also be handcrafted cocktails and well curated wine list as well as small plates perfect for sharing.
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Galatoire's 33
Hoshun
FiveHappiness.com 3605 S. Carrollton Ave., New Orleans 504-482-3935
Galatoires33BarandSteak.com 215 Bourbon St., New Orleans 504-335-3932
HoshunRestaurant.com 1601 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans 504-302-9171
At Five Happiness, the ambience and friendly staff will take you to a new level of dining experience. This award-winning restaurant always strives to achieve its best. Private party and banquet rooms are available.
Whether stopping in for a short visit or a comfortable stay, Galatoire's "33" Bar & Steak offers classic, hand-crafted cocktails and the finest wines and spirits, alongside USDA prime steaks from the dinner menu and lighter fare at Bar "33".
Chinese or Japanese? Can't decide? Hoshun is your answer, offering an extensive menu from classic Chinese dishes to Japanese sushi and everything in between (like Vietnamese pho or pad Thai). Stick with one cuisine, or mix and match. Open daily until 2 a.m.
Katie's
Morning Call
KatiesInMidCity.com 3701 Iberville St., New Orleans 504-488-6582
MorningCallCoffeeStand.com City Park Casino, 56 Dreyfous Dr. | 504300-1157 3325 Severn Ave. | 504-885-4068
Mr. Ed's Oyster Bar and Fishhouse
Katie's is known as one of New Orleans' favorite neighborhood restaurants. Serving daily specials and menu favorites like Katie's homemade crab cakes topped with lump crabmeat and remoulade. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday and Sunday brunch.
Come enjoy cafĂŠ au lait, beignets and other local favorites at New Orleans' "most famous coffee drinking place" since 1870. The City Park location is open 24 hours, seven days a week and 364 days of the year and features live music on Sundays call for weekly schedule.
MrEdsRestaurants.com Mid-City, Metairie, French Quarter & St. Charles
DINING & ENTERTAINMENT
Five Happiness
Now open in Mid-City at the corner of Carrollton and Bienville, Mr. Ed's Oyster Bar serves your choice of chargrilled, fried or raw oysters, as well as long time favorites such as Oyster Rockefeller and Bienville. Offering both a stand up oyster bar and cocktail bar, it's the perfect place to relax and enjoy. Four unique locations; one great menu.
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Creole Cuisine - Tommy's
New Orleans Creole Cookery
TommysNewOrleans.com 746 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans 504-581-1103
NewOrleansCreoleCookery.com 510 Toulouse St., New Orleans 504-524-9632
True Italian Cuisine with touches of French Creole influence served proudly in the heart of the Warehouse District. Tommy's Cuisine combines a quintessential New Orleans reverence for fine ingredients with artfully concocted combinations to create a worldclass dining experience.
Savor authentic Creole dishes prepared by chef John Trinh, formerly of Eleven 79. Delight in traditional dishes such as gumbo, shrimp Creole and crawfish etouffĂŠe, as well as an oyster happy hour Monday-Friday, 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. Enjoy handcrafted cocktails and signature drinks in the historic French Quarter.
NOPSI loves happy hour. That's why each of our bars - Public Service, underCURRENT and Above the Grid - hosts happy hour 4-6pm daily. Join us for seasonal drink & appetizer specials. Whether you're looking to mingle with the rooftop scene or get classy at our whiskey bar, we promise you the happiest of hours at NOPSI Hotel.
Poppy's Time Out Grill
Ralph Brennan
Red Gravy
PoppysTimeOutSportsBar.com Spanish Plaza across from Harrah's Casino 500 Port of New Orleans Place, Suite 80 504-247-9265
RalphBrennanCatering.com 504-539-5510
RedGravyCafe.com 125 Camp St., New Orleans 504-561-8844
Poppy's Time Out is the place with the hottest sports action. They have all the DirecTV packages on 21 huge screens, great food and 20 beers on tap. They are open seven days a week, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Catch the game with them.
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Ralph Brennan Catering is known as New Orleans' premier caterer for groups from 100 to 1,200 people. With the ability to match your palate, theme and budget in your home, restaurant, or venue of your choice, they are dedicated to providing a seamless, professional and, above all, memorable experience.
NOPSI Hotel NopsiHotel.com 317 Baronne St., New Orleans 844-439-1463
Can’t decide between brunch and lunch? Why not both! Chef de Cuisine Roseann is serving her handmade pasta with a sweet sausage sugo, fresh ricotta and a sunny up yard egg. Naturally named Breakfast Spaghetti, this dish is a must-try! Voted #1 Brunch AND #1 Italian in New Orleans Magazine and on Open Table! Open Wednesday through Monday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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RiccobonosPeppermill.com 504-455-2266 The concept of the Peppermill was to bring classic New Orleans dishes as well as Riccobono family Italian recipes to the city in a comfortable, casual atmosphere. Now, three generations later, that tradition continues to live on.
Rizzuto's Ristorante & Chop House 6262 Fleur de Lis Dr., New Orleans 504-300-1804
Royal House RoyalHouseRestaurant.com 441 Royal St., New Orleans 504-528-2601
Rizzuto's focuses on bringing you "Village Classics" that have been mainstays of our family for over half a century, as well as steak and chop specialties. With an exquisite wine list and specialty cocktail menu, your experience at Rizzuto's will be nothing short of satisfied.
Royal House is a classic New Orleans restaurant and oyster bar in the French Quarter. From fresh-shucked to charbroiled, and Rockefeller to Royale, this is your destination for everything oyster! Whether you’re a traveler to our great city or a New Orleans native, we’ve got the perfect place for you!
SALA
The Court of Two Sisters
SalaNola.com 124 Lake Marina Ave., New Orleans 504-513-2670
CourtOfTwoSisters.com 613 Royal St., New Orleans 504-522-7261
Tropical Isle/Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro
Enjoy breakfast with homemade Bloody Marys and Mimosas by the carafe on Saturdays and Sundays starting at 8 a.m. Try Traditional or Crab Cakes Benedict, Eggs Sardou, Omelets, or something sweet like Zeppole or French Toast. Weekdays open for lunch at 11 a.m., with happy hour 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Dinner nightly with great seafood, steaks, and burgers, and late-night hours until midnight Thursday through Saturday. Closed Monday.
The Court of Two Sisters, known for its large dining courtyard, serves a lavish daily Jazz Brunch buffet, and now serves appetizers at the Carriageway Bar. Enjoy Blackened Alligator or BBQ Shrimp while sipping cocktails at the bar. At night, order la carte or the four-course dinner menu. Reservations recommended.
OrleansGrapevine.com 720 Orleans Ave., New Orleans 504-523-1930
DINING & ENTERTAINMENT
Riccobono's Peppermill
Enjoy true New Orleans atmosphere in a beautiful, tropical courtyard. Orleans Grapevine serves high quality cuisine and one of the largest selections of wine by the bottle or by the glass. Don't miss the popular Bacon Happy Hour, where you'll enjoy free bacon with your cocktails and wine. 4-6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight daily.
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1. A Renee Boutique 824 Chartres St. 504-418-1448 A Renée Boutique’s mission; create a store for women who love fashion and want to create their own unique style. For Women who were the founders of the working, woman force, who always wore heels and dressed to kill: For Women starting over, picking themselves up, redefining their lives and making new impressions: For Women starting out and learning to navigate their lives.
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2. Auraluz shopauraluz.com 4408 Shores Dr., Metairie 504-888-3313 LAMPE BERGER...the perfect Mother's Day gift! It's both decorative and functional. Made in France for over 120 years, each Lampe Berger cleanses, purifies and fragrances the air with over 50 fragrances to choose from.....all available at AURALUZ 3. The Woodhouse NOLA.WoodhouseSpas.com 4030 Canal St., New Orleans 504-482-NOLA Woodhouse Day Spa is an award winning, full service, luxury spa. A perfect treat for any mother, the journey begins in a peaceful and relaxing environment. Woodhouse Spa will immerse mind, body and spirit; you can enjoy first-class comfort and a beverage while indulging in your choice of over 70 rejuvenating spa treatments. 4. Fleur D'Orleans FleurdOrleans.com 818 Chartres St. 504-475-5254 3701 Magazine St. 504-899-5585 Petite sterling silver fleur d’ lys earrings, hand set with 116 pave diamonds; gold and black rhodium plated. Designed by Fleur D Orleans, perfect gift for the holiday season. $220. Limited Edition. 5. Perlis Perlis.com 1281 N Causeway Blvd., Mandeville 985 674-1711 6070 Magazine St., New Orleans 504-895-8661 This seagrass weaved beach tote with colorful pompoms aligning the rim by Shiraleah makes a great gift. 102
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6 6. Le Visage Day Spa LeVisageDaySpaNola.com 8110 Hampson St. 504-265-8018 Celebrate mom this year with a sense that will diffuse her until next Mother’s Day. A porcelain peony diffuser from Le Visage.
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7. Queork Queork.com 838 Chartres St., French Quarter 3005 Magazine St., Garden District 504-481-4910 The Holly Cork handbag will make your Valentine swoon! Detachable shoulder strap, two exterior pockets and 3 interior pockets. Cork is durable like leather as well as water and stain resistant, and incredibly lightweight. 8. Cristy's Collection CristyCali.com 504-407-5041 Magnolias are a symbol of nobility, purity, and beauty. These are qualities no one can take from you. Your beauty shines through your smile and laughter. Your nobility expresses itself through your noble actions. Your purity manifests via your kindness and loving nature. 9. Trashy Diva TrashyDiva.com 2048 Magazine St. 537 Royal St. 504-299-8777 Dreaming of a fresh look for Mom and her little diva this Mother's Day? Shop the Trashy Diva Daisy Dream Dress and matching Rockabilly Baby Daisy Belle Dress for an adorable mother-daughter style.
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portofino island resort
Summer Travel
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ummer fun awaits you this season at a variety of destinations both near and far. From diverse day trips and sunny beaches to the allure of Germany, there’s an answer for every traveler looking to escape their routine for a few days of bliss. Whether you prefer to relax poolside, beachside, or sipping a glass of wine on the veranda of an elegant or historic hotel, your summer vacation needs can be met locally, regionally, and internationally. Not only is New Orleans the perfect staycation, it’s conveniently located near the diverse offerings of Mississippi, the gorgeous Florida beaches, and an airport gateway that delivers you directly to Frankfurt. From music, shopping, food and cocktails to water sports, gaming, museum exhibitions, and more, the plethora of ways to play this summer means fun for everyone. Plan your adventure now and check out the following travel-worthy destinations.
Soak up the fun in the sun with beautiful beaches, amazing events, endless shopping and more this summer. Plus, enjoy savings up to 25 percent with promo code WEEKLY. Start planning your vacation today. Visit Sandestin.com/nom or call 866-628-0572. Make the most of the summer travel season with an escape to 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 Portofino Island Resort where families enjoy the perfect balance of indulgence, natural beauty, and adventure. A Northwest Florida’s premier beach vacation experience offers plenty to do: explore the Santa Rosa Sound on a kayak or paddleboard, surf the emerald green waters of the Gulf, soar through the sky under a parasail, or board Portofino I and watch curious dolphins play in the water. Whether you want to spend time at the beach with your family, children, spouse or friends, guests of all ages will enjoy the properties of Premier Island. More than just another summer vacation, this will be one to remember for a lifetime. Discover yours at PremierIsland.com or call 866-966-1420.
Head to the Beaches Experience a top-rated Florida resort this summer. Located in popular South Walton is the iconic Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. This sprawling 2,400-acre resort is rated the #1 Resort in Destin by U.S. News and World Report and universally recognized as the finest resort on Florida’s Emerald Coast. This four-season resort for all ages features miles of pristine beaches and bay-front, deluxe accommodations, championship golf, tennis, marina, shopping, fitness center, spa, and The Village of Baytowne Wharf. Sandestin also offers more complimentary amenities than any other resort in Northwest Florida including daily bicycle rentals, access to the Tennis Center courts, fitness center, and boogie boards. Plus, enjoy entertainment and events all summer long with movie nights, luaus, fireworks, concerts, live music Fridays, family fishing tournaments, and more. The days just don’t seem long enough to enjoy everything Sandestin has to offer. 106
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Take a trip this summer that won’t break the bank and is only one hour outside of New Orleans. Mississippi’s finest beaches are located on West Ship Island approximately 11 miles south of Gulfport and Biloxi and are accessible by Ship Island Excursions’ ferry boats, located in the Gulfport Small Craft Harbor. Watch for Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins during the enjoyable 50-minute ferry boat ride. With its tranquil stretches of National Park beaches, West Ship Island invites you for an affordable family vacation to explore, swim, and relax across a fun-filled day. Experience the pristine gulf waters, explore high quality beaches, and tour historic Fort Massachusetts, all part of Gulf Islands National Seashore. Ferry service runs now through October 30. View the ferry schedule and more at MSShipIsland.com.
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Big Easy Livin’ Located in the Warehouse Arts District, three blocks from the French Quarter and a short stroll from the Convention Center, the Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery offers a New Orleans experience unlike any hotel in the city. With a focus on art and artistry, the Old No. 77 features its diverse chandlery (a retail space with New Orleans-made crafts, clothing, candles, jewelry, and more), free Wi-Fi for guests, Provenance Hotels’ signature Pillow and Spiritual menus, and the amenities you’d expect in an exceptional hotel. Award-winning cuisine is available at Compère Lapin and Tout La. In 2016, Compère Lapin was named Best Restaurant by The Times-Picayune for its fusion of Caribbean cuisine and indigenous New Orleans ingredients. This summer, take advantage of the Old No. 77 offer that best suits your inner traveler. From discounted rooms, to free parking, dinner credit, or shopping credit, you can treat yourself with a deal that appeals to your travel style. For details and booking, visit Old77Hotel.com/offers. For reservations and information on Compère Lapin, visit CompereLapin.com. Just in time for summer, Royal Sonesta New Orleans’ annual French Quarter Fling guest package is back offering nightly rates as low as $159 and a Sonesta Savings Pack for discounts on dining, attractions, and tours for budget-friendly, fun-seeking travelers. Guests can upgrade to a newly renovated R Club Level room from $259 per night for an elevated experience including daily breakfast and more. For New Orleans’ 300th anniversary, the Royal Sonesta New Orleans is celebrating all year long with specially created cocktails, such as the Flight of the Earls and the Tricentennial Sazerac from Restaurant R’evolution, or The French 300 from The Jazz Playhouse and daily Tricentennial Happy Hour inside Desire Oyster Bar. Come discover The New York Times’ Number One Destination on their list of "52 Places to Go in 2018". Visit Sonesta.com/RoyalNewOrleans to book your stay using online promo code FQF, or call 504-586-0300 today.
Entertainment & Adventures A Short Drive Away Come for the music. Stay for the experience. The annual Natchez Festival of Music hits the riverbanks of Natchez, Mississippi, with spectacular performances the entire month of May. The season kicks off with nine-time winner of CMA’s Musician of the Year, Mac McAnally, featuring members of the Coral Reefer Band, on May 5th for the Opening Night Gala.
Vicksburg, Mississippi
sandestin golf & beach resort Experience top national performers in Stephen Sondheim’s hit musical, A Little Night Music, and Gounod’s iconic opera, Faust. The Natchez Festival offers musical events from Salsa and Jazz, to Rock, Broadway, and Classical, including celebrations of the centennial of Leonard Bernstein, the bicentennial of Charles Gounod, the tricentennial of New Orleans, and even a tribute to the second wave of Classic Rock from the Beatles to the Stones with the “British Invasion II: Sgt. Pepper Onwards!” Enjoy magnificent music in beautiful Natchez, Mississippi. Get your tickets and plan a great getaway upriver. Visit NatchezFestivalofMusic.com. This summer, soak in a bit of Louisiana history with a visit to beautiful St. Joseph Plantation, where you can walk through time and enjoy a glimpse into the lives of the fascinating people who have called it home. Thanks to the plantation’s historic allure, scenes from “All The King’s Men,” “Skeleton Key,” “12 Years a Slave,” “Underground,” “Queen Sugar,” the remake of “Roots” and four-time Oscar nominee “Mudbound” were filmed at St. Joseph Plantation. Additionally, the plantation plays host to a number of weddings and private events throughout the year. Tour the grounds and learn about the Priestly family and grandson H. H. Richardson, who was born at St. Joseph and became one of America’s most important architects of the 19th century. Explore the story of Valcour Aime, known as “The Louis XIV of Louisiana,” and his two daughters, and learn about the slaves that lived and worked here. A thriving sugarcane plantation, St. Joseph also offers insight into the region’s significant sugarcane industry. Visit StJosephPlantation.com or call 225-265-4078 for information on tours and private events. Big Bay Lake is a one-of-a-kind planned community on Mississippi's largest private recreational lake. Located just 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 sun-kissed, 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 my n e w or l e a n s . com
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ADVERTISING SECTION tour today at 877-4BIG-BAY or visit bigbaylake.com. Vicksburg, Mississippi, is a city for every kind of explorer. If you are in search of the elusive sound of the Mississippi Delta Blues, you will find it in Vicksburg. Live Mississippi music from the Delta Blues to country and rock can be enjoyed at venues throughout the city. American history buffs love visiting the site of the defining battle of America’s defining war at the Vicksburg National Military Park. Shoppers and strollers enjoy the Southern charm and brick-paved streets of Vicksburg’s historic downtown with boutiques, art galleries, and great restaurants. Memorial Day Weekend in Vicksburg kicks off a busy summer with living history programs, Lake Fest, and Symphony at Sunset. Make plans to hit one of its summer shows such as the Miss Mississippi Pageant, Gold in the Hills, or Ritz on the River dinner show featuring the Molly Ringwalds. Enjoy sweeping views of the mighty Mississippi River and some of the most beautiful sunsets imaginable. Relax—it all runs on river time. For more to see and do in Vicksburg, go to VisitVicksburg.com or call 1-800-221-3536.
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Scarlet Pearl Casino service, inclusive fares in Business, Premium, and Economy class on the Boeing 767-300 aircraft. Condor Airlines is the second largest airline in Germany and repeatedly named the "most popular airline" in Germany in customer satisfaction surveys. When planning European travel, consider Condor—with low fares and growing schedules, it’s the very best in international value-based leisure travel. Experience all that Germany has to offer this summer with a hasslefree, non-stop flight from home. With its numerous partner airlines, Condor also offers flights beyond Frankfurt to over 120 destinations across Europe at competitive prices. All Condor passengers receive complimentary checked baggage, beverages and meals, and in-flight entertainment. Additionally, Condor’s business class features lieflat seats, a personal in-seat, premium touch-screen entertainment system, power and USB ports at every seat, gourmet meals with complimentary wine, beer, and cocktails, and a well-being amenity kit. Book online at Condor.com or by calling 1-866-960-7915.
Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort is “The New Way” on the Mississippi Gulf Coast! Featuring a bright, open, and friendly gaming floor, the casino resort prides itself on an atmosphere of resort modernity, complemented by the best Southern hospitality. Showcasing “The New Way to Win,” the property features over 1,170 state-of-the-art slot machines, 37 top-of-the-line table games and over 80 video poker games. The Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort also offers “The New Way to Dine” with something for everyone, from an extraordinary, over-the-top Sunday Jazz Brunch featuring the ultimate Bloody Mary drink in the elegant atmosphere of Scarlet’s Steaks & Seafood, to casual dining at Under The Oak Cafe, Chopstx Noodle Bar, or Waterfront Buffet. Frankly My Dear Boutique, located inside Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort, offers “The New Way to Shop” and carries top designers like Joseph Ribkoff, Hammit, Michael Kors, and many more. Additionally, on-site amenity Lava Links Miniature Golf Club offers family-friendly fun. Putt your way past an erupting volcano, and, afterwards, cool off by the luxurious Garden Oasis Pool. Book your next ultimate getaway at ScarletPearlCasino.com.
International Travel Condor Airlines, part of Thomas Cook Group Airline, will continue its twice-weekly service from Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport to Frankfurt, Germany in summer 2018. With 16 total gateways in North America, Condor is the only “leisure” carrier operating with full108
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Destin GulfgatE Whether you’re enjoying the view from your balcony or placing your toes in the cool, emerald waters, relaxing begins immediately at Destin Gulfgate. Destin Gulfgate's luxurious beachfront condos are among the largest and well-equipped two-bedroom condos in Destin and offer the ultimate family beach vacation on the Emerald Coast. Each unit’s 30' private balcony offers breathtaking, panoramic views of the pristine sugar-white beaches and sparkling, clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Enjoy the privacy of Destin Gulfgate’s exclusive beach access while remaining in the heart of it all. Guests also enjoy a luxurious, beachside, zero-entry pool, fitness center with Gulf views, free beach set-up (March through November), free high-speed wireless internet, a meeting and wedding reception facility, beachside pavilion, gated entry to the property, and more. Destin Gulfgate’s pool deck features a kid-friendly slide and play area and lounge chairs with extra large umbrellas. The pool is heated throughout winter and spring (call to confirm dates). Visit DestinGulfgate.com or call 888-234-4853 to book your next getaway. •
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ADVERTISING SECTION “In our first years, we were grateful for the opportunity to offer the local community a positive outlet following such devastation,” explained Munoz. “Ten years later, we look forward to continuing to serve the New Orleans community and helping you meet your goals, restore your mind, body, and spirit.” Visit the studio online at NolaPilates.com to schedule your first session. For more information, visit the website or call 504-483-8880. Orangetheory Fitness (OTF) is a one-of-a-kind, group personal training workout broken into intervals of cardiovascular and strength training that produces maximum calorie burn. Backed by science, the heart rate-monitored, high-intensity interval training is designed to maintain a target zone that stimulates metabolism and increases energy. During each 60 minute session, fitness coaches use a variety of equipment and methods such as treadmills, rowing machines, suspension training, and free weights to achieve the target Orange Zone heart rate for 12 minutes or more, which produces the Orange Effect, or “Afterburn.” In December, OTF launched their More Life campaign, stemming from the belief that you deserve more from your workout. More than sweating away extra pounds, it should transform you from the inside out with technology to keep you on track and coaches that give you more tough love. You want more results, more confidence, more community, and more energy. The more you do at Orangetheory, the more you get out of life. Orangetheory has three metro area locations—Uptown, MidCity, and Mandeville—with more on the way in Downtown New Orleans and Metairie. Try a free introductory class by signing up at OrangetheoryFitness.com.
Men's Health
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nyone looking for compassionate and dignified care for their terminally ill loved ones should take a look at the services offered by Canon Hospice. The caring team at Canon is dedicated to a hospice ministry that helps patients and families accept terminal illness positively and resourcefully. Their stated goal is to “allow our patients to live each day to the fullest and enjoy their time with family and friends.” With special expertise in pain management and symptom control, Canon Hospice designs individualized plans of care for each patient based on their unique needs. Home Based Services provide doctors, nurses, social workers, pastoral care and volunteers. For patients with more intensive symptom management needs, Canon has an Inpatient Hospice Unit. This unit provides 24-hour care in a home-like environment where patients are permitted to receive visits at any hour. For more information, visit CanonHospice.com or call 504-818-2723. Nola Pilates & Yoga/ Xtend Barre is one of Lakeview’s premier fitness studios. The studio’s extensive schedule features more than 65 group classes per week, including Pilates Reformer, Tower, Mat, Yoga, MELT Method, TRX Suspension and Xtend Barre. One-on-one sessions are available in the private equipment studio seven days per week. Classes range in focus and intensity from open-level Pilates Mat and Yoga classes to muscle-sculpting, calorie-torching classes like TRX and Xtend Barre. November 2017 marked the studio’s 10 year anniversary, and owner Kim Munoz fondly recalls opening its doors back in 2007, as small business owners worked tirelessly to revive their city following Hurricane Katrina. 110
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Based in the New Orleans area, Sensible Meals is the largest meal prep program in the country. People across the U.S. are signing up for this simple and effective path towards fast weight-loss results, all by consuming flavorful, chef-prepared, fresh foods. Sensible Meals boasts of the numerous health benefits including blood sugar regulation and overall heart health. This diet plan is changing lives. “After five days on the meal plan the appetite shrinks, and when you eat restaurant or home-prepared food, the desire for smaller portions remains,” explains Ingrid Rinck, Owner and Founder of Sensible Meals. Sensible Meals ships nationally to thousands of clients with FREE local pickup in 11 cities. For videos, client testimonials—including exciting local “before and after” photos and success stories—visit Sensible Meals’ Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter pages or head over to EatSensibleMeals.com. Williams Law Office, LLC represents individuals exposed to benzene, including workers in refineries, chemical plants, fuel distribution, mechanics and others encountering non-occupational exposures from consumer products. Benzene causes Aplastic anemia (AA), Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), Acute Myeloid Leukemia(AML), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), Childhood Leukemia’s, Multiple Myeloma (MM) and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL). These blood cancers are caused by exposure to pure benzene and benzene-containing products such as gasoline, crude oil, diesel, toluene, naphtha, xylene, heptane, hexane and other solvents. If you or a loved one have suffered from the effects of Benzene, you should contact an experience attorney immediately. You could be entitled to compensation for medical bills, loss of earnings, pain, suffering or wrongful death. Even if you are not certain as to whether you have a case, contact us today for a free case review at amlbenzene. net or 504-832-9898. •
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ADVERTISING SECTION
Hearing and Eye Care
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ur ability to hear and see the world is crucial to our interactions and relationships with those around us. You may be surprised to learn that our eyes are intimately connected to our body's health. The retina, or the film of your eye, receives more blood flow per unit mass than any other organ in your body. It’s hard to imagine, but the eye uses an incredible amount of energy to help you process your surroundings in a cohesive way, and maintaining its optimum performance is key to healthy eyes. In this resource section, we learn about the specialists in New Orleans who are eager to help us see the world with clarity. Eyecare Associates physicians are excited about new cataract surgery technology, now available for New Orleans area patients. The Catalys Precision Laser System is designed to make cataract surgery safer and more accurate, while new lens implant options, such as the latest in multifocal and extended focus intraocular lenses, provide patients with the best-corrected vision for both distance and near at the same time. The Ora System, used at the time of surgery, delivers the most accurate calculation for determining the power of the intraocular lens implanted. In addition to the new technology offered for cataract patients, Eyecare Optometrists offer the latest options in daily wear contact lenses that are known for clear vision and comfort. Patients have access to comprehensive routine and medical examinations as well as refractive surgery, glaucoma and retina services and procedures. For more information call 504-455-9825 or visit EyeCareNewOrleans.com. •
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TRY THIS
Roar of the PT Boat Splashing along Lake Pontchartrain by KELLY MASSICOT
“W
hen I come back, I’m gonna marry you, kid,” Earl told Lucille the last time he dropped her off at home before he shipped out for the second time. It was around 1944 and he was one of the 16.1 million soldiers who would fight in World War II. My grandparents truly were part of the greatest generation and each experience I have learning the history and sacrifices they made, I feel more and more connected to and thankful for them. Recently, I was honored with the opportunity to partake in a oncein-a-lifetime experience offered by The National WWII Museum. The PT-305 boat ride experience gives visitors a true step back in time. The PT-305 is the only fully restored and fully-operational
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WWII PT (patrol torpedo) boat in existence. The museum offers guests the opportunity to experience the same ride and practice route these boats took when testing its speed and agility on Lake Pontchartrain before leaving on active duty. I had seen the 1940s Andrew Higgins-created boat a few months ago during the museum’s annual “Air, Sea and Land” show. I was in awe of its size, but had no sense of all the additional information I would learn as I boarded the vessel one Friday morning. Though fully-restored to its former glory, the PT-305 sports some new rider-friendly additions that were not available for its original 44 man crew during its 77 patrols, two invasions and three
sunken vessels. As the boat took off and I sat on the nice cushioned seats, next to the safety railings, I could not have imagined being a sailor on top of that boat with no railing and definitely no cushioned seats. The boat reached 30 knots (around 35 mph) and the idea of a sailor taking a wrong step or getting too close to the edge and falling into the water, some waiting for hours before being rescued, was something I couldn’t even comprehend. Though these boats were known for speed – sometimes getting up to 45 knots – and stealth-like qualities, the ride was not a quiet one. You’re sitting right above the engine and it roars as you glide over the lake. One of my favorite aspects, and a way to block out
the noise of the boat, is the option of listening to the history and soldier’s stories that are available through headphones given out before the ride. Listening to the audio is not required, but having a WWII sailor’s voice in your ear as you’re taking the same path they did is truly something special. The ride is about 45 minutes in total and is just the perfect amount of time. You get to listen to the story, as well as live in the moment and think about those who served on this boat. My generation, and those to follow, all benefit from the sacrifice these men and women made so many years ago. As the privilege to speak with WWII soldiers in person lessens as the years go on, opportunities like this boat ride give us the ability to connect on a different level. It also, personally, gives me the opportunity to connect to a grandfather and WWII soldier I was never able to meet. Earl came back from the war, married Lucille like he declared, and had six beautiful children – one of which is my mother. My grandfather died before I was born and I was never able to hear his stories. The WWII Museum, is forever honoring the memory of The Greatest Generation, and that’s something we should all experience. Rides are available most Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year. Visit PT305.org to book your ride. •
cheryl gerber photo
cheryl gerber photo
ETC.
New Addiction Treatment Center Opens in Old Metairie
cheryl gerber photo
A new outpatient addiction treatment center, Longbranch Wellness Center, has opened in Metairie. It is part of Longbranch Healthcare, whose inpatient program at Longbranch Recovery Center in Abita Springs is part of the largest investment in addiction treatment in Louisiana. Founder and CEO Chris McMahon achieved his own sobriety nearly 17 years ago after battling an opioid addiction that nearly ended his life. Individuals receive counseling session and group support. 635-3535, LongbranchHealthcare.com.
Summer Camps at the YMCA School is out for summer! Well almost, and nearly three months of long summer days stretch ahead of us. For those parents looking for somewhere fun, safe and well organized for their children, consider your local YMCA. “Y Summer Day Camps� offer a wide range of experiences including field trips and swimming every day. You can sign up children from kindergarten to 6th grade for just one week or several. Drop-off is at a work-friendly 7:30 a.m., and after-care is open until 6 p.m. YMCANewOrleans.org
By Mirella Cameran
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streetcar
by errol laborde
A Mayor, An Inauguration and Two Crises Dutch Morial takes the reigns
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ay 1, 1978 was a fine day, especially for Dutch Morial who stood at the place of honor on the grandstand erected in front of City Hall. The crowd watched as Morial, dressed in the traditional white suit of mayorselect on inauguration day, raised his right hand and took the oath. It would forever be noted that Morial was the city’s first black mayor, another notch in the record book for a city that had long ago elected first mayors who were not born in France; Italian, Irish, from upstate; French but born in America. For this day, it was the celebration that mattered. May 2 was a day of getting down to business. The new administration began to pursue its plans, workers took down the viewing stands and, across from City Hall, some environmentalists were constructing various solar power devices which would be 128
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displayed the next day to promote the energy future. Though it would be on a Wednesday, it would be called SUN DAY. On May 3 the sun would be challenged. It was blocked out by a ceiling of dark clouds. By early morning the rain began. It would not stop. Now in only his 48th hour of governing, Morial presided over a city that was under water. Streets were flooded; rowboats were the vehicle of choice. The airport was closed. People were trapped. Not since Hurricane Betsy in 1965 had the city seen so much water damage. This was not Katrina- type flooding where the water came in from levee breaks. This was water from above. Governing a city is always tough. On May 3 the reality had gotten even tougher. There was too much concrete and not enough drainage. Even the city’s pride, the Superdome, covered land that had nowhere
to drain. In a city below sea level the subsurface pipe system was inadequate. What became forever known as the “May Third Flood” sent a message: without a drainage overhaul urban flooding was going to be a frequent part of the future. At a time when he could have been absorbing the glory of being a new mayor, Morial’s problems began from the start and there was more thunder in the distance. The New Orleans police were threatening to strike; what’s more, there was talk that, without a settlement, they were going to do so during the Carnival season. Without police for crowd control there could be no parade; without the parades the tourism-based economy would take a hit. Talks intensified as the season grew near, but there was no settlement. Then came the day when the police walked, but they had miscalculated the civic resolve of the krewes who they thought
would do anything to parade. Instead, the Carnival captains stood firmly behind Morial. It was a fine moment of people doing the right thing; the mostly white krewes backed the first black mayor in his effort to break a strike, although early in his career he had been a labor lawyer. Morial knew the pain that the police were feeling, but he also knew that giving in to their demands would have been a financial disaster for the city and given the unions too much control. There were no parades in New Orleans during Carnival season that year, but there was still Mardi Gras, the celebration. On that day, the French Quarter was alive with maskers frolicking through the streets. National Guard troops called in to provide protection tried to stand firm as girls danced around them. The soldiers held back smiles as they glanced at the balconies and saw things for which basic training had never prepared them. During the course of the strike, Edwin Edwards, serving one of his terms as governor, received a phone call from Morial. Edwards and Morial were both classic Democrat Moderate-Liberals. They got along well, though the governor had the upper hand with his wit. Answering the phone, Edwards teased Morial with a mock complaint that since he became mayor it had been one problem after another; first the flood now the police strike. By Ash Wednesday 1980, with Mardi Gras over, the police strike would have lost its leverage and the striking ended. It was a victory for the mayor. Within 10 months Morial had faced two major crises beginning on his second full day in office. Inauguration day must have seemed so distant. Now he could use a month of Sun Days. • ARTHUR NEAD Illustration