New Orleans Magazine December 2022

BY JYL BENSON, REBECCA FRIEDMAN, MISTY MILIOTO

BY BETH D'ADDONO

DIAL 12, D1

Fans of the popular BBC drama CALL THE MIDWIFE will be delighted to tune in for a holiday special featuring midwives Lucille, Trixie and Nancy. Watch the holiday special on Christmas Day, Sunday, December 25 at 8:00 p.m. with a repeat at 9:30 p.m. on WYES-TV, wyes. org and on the free WYES and PBS apps. Stay tuned to WYES for the premiere of Season 12 coming next year!

New Orleans Magazine, (ISSN 0897 8174) is published monthly by Renaissance Publishing, LLC., 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005;

Memorial Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005.

It’s our favorite time of year at New Orleans Magazine, when we highlight some of our favorite restaurants, great dishes, menus and dining memories of the year. This year’s task was to limit our selections to the top 25 things to try right now, a nearly impossible task. The options are almost endless, of course, but we’ve chosen some classic eats, innovative new selections, plus some individuals going above and beyond in the restaurant and hospitality community right here at home.

We also take a behind the scenes look at life for those working every day in the community. It’s an unflinching and honest take on the stresses, the challenges, the day-to-day life in the kitchens and dining rooms across New Orleans. It’s a reminder for all of us to be aware, appreciate, support and take care of the people that feed us, nourish us throughout the year, through every holiday and celebration.

Speaking of holidays and celebrations, we’ve got you covered with tips on hosting out of town family and friends, local holiday gift ideas, a hearty seven-fishes inspired meal, plus a killer egg nog cocktail to keep you warm.

The year is wrapping up with plenty of things to be grateful for in our community, from the return of our favorite festivals to the ability to gather once more in joyful celebration. There’s more good work to do and great times to be had just around the corner in 2023. So, raise a cup of cheer, get together with friends and family, and don’t forget to leave a big thanks (and a big tip) to all of those that make the season merry and bright.

ASHLEY MCLELLAN, EDITOR

Have something you want to share with us? Email ashley@myneworleans.com.

Morgus and Toulouse

HI JULIA,

I should have thought of this before Halloween. Well better late than never. Could you run a photo of Sid Noel NOT as Morgus the Magnificent but what he really looked like as himself, not Morgus. Secondly, could you give us the names and some information on the actors who played Chopsley and voiced Eric? Morgus was way better than Svengoolie!!!

-THOMAS “T” DIEMER, KENNER

It is OK to ask about Morgus during the Christmas season, Thomas. He was played by Sid Noel Rideau who was given the middle name Noel because he was born on Christmas Day, 1929. Coincidentally, Morgus and Maison Blanche’s Christmas elf, Mr. Bingle, were both New Orleans creations. Bingle was a snowman and Morgus always claimed to live above “the old city icehouse.” I don’t want to start any unverified gossip but it could it be that Bingle, the snowman, might have found an icehouse to be a cool place to live too.

Anyway, to your question: the late Sid Noel, who personi fied Morgus, was a local radio personality and entertainer. As you can see, he was a handsome man, far different than the ghoulish Morgus.

Chopsley, the house mummy-like character, was played by Tommy George, a St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy. (According to the script the totally bandaged Chopsley was a former medical school student who badly failed a face transplant experiment.) After George’s death in ’87, the role was assumed by actor James Guillot. E.R.I.C., the wired talking skull had the voice of Ed Hoerner, a program director for WWL radio and TV.

There is uncertainty to the rumor that Chopsley still prowls the streets of the French Quarter looking for the old city icehouse as a place to open a snowball stand.

HEY JULIA, I have a correction to suggest for an answer in the September issue of New Orleans Magazine. You said that Toulouse Street was named after Toulouse Lautrec. I beg to differ. Toulouse Street and Dumaine Street were named after two out of wedlock sons of King Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan.

- IRVIN T DIEMER II,NEW ORLEANS

There is a lesson to be learned here Irvin: never let a parrot do your research. I took one afternoon off to go skydiving and Poydras botched a question.

It was not uncommon for monarchs of the 17th century to have many mistresses, partially for amorous pleasure but also for political alliances. Among XIV’s collection was FrançoiseAthénaïs, better known as Madame de Montespan. Louis fathered seven kids (commonly whispered about as the “royal bastards"). All of the males were given the last name Bourbon. Among those were two whose names would be attached to New Orleans French Quarter streets: Louis Auguste de Bourbon (1670-1730); legitimized as Duc de Maine (Dumaine) and Louis Alexandre de Bourbon (1678-1737); legitimized as the Comte de Toulouse. By being legitimized an offspring was acknowledged by the king and received royal benefits and title. New Orleans has streets named after generals and saints plus, uniquely, royal bastards.

SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS

Poydras is looking for something to do. Send your questions to julia@myneworleans.com and be sure to include your name and information. For the subject line use: Julia and Poydras Question.

EDITORIAL

Executive Editor Errol Laborde

Editor Ashley McLellan

Creative Director Tiffani Reding Amedeo

Digital Media Editor Kelly Massicot

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Contributing Writers Jyl Benson, Cheré Coen, Lee Cutrone, Fritz Esker, Jay Forman, John Kemp, Misty Mioltio, Liz Scott Monaghan, Elizabeth Pearce, Eve Crawford Peyton

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COOK-ALONG

From start to finish, we’ve got your holiday menu covered. Watch La Boulangerie Chef Maggie Scales whip up the dreamiest, creamiest chocolate pie, just in time to add to your holiday menu with our monthly NOSH cook-along video. Plus be on the lookout for a special seven fishes inspired pasta shared by Gianna Restaurant Chef de Cuisine Jared Heider dish later this month. @

Editor’s Picks

Egg nog or pecan pie? Classic fudge candy or pecan pralines? What’s your favorite holiday indulgence and see if your pick made our editors’ list of seasonal favorites.

BEST OF DINING

Learn more about our top picks for 2022, plus discover expanded coverage of all the best places to take out, dine in and savor throughout the year.

PODCAST

Carnival is right around the corner! Get ready to break out your purple, green and gold, and learn about the past, present and future of Mardi Gras with our annual “Beyond the Beads” podcast. Hosted by Executive Editor Errol Laborde, “Beyond the Beads” feature interviews with Car nival movers, shaker and merry makers. Catch up on past episodes now, and catch the premier episode on Twelfth Night.

BILL BURR

On December 15, comedian Bill Burr will be bringing his “Slight Return” tour to the Smoothie King Center. SmoothieKingCenter.com

CHRISTKINDLMARKT

The Deutsches Haus will be holding its annual ChristKindl Markt Dec. 2-4. This local version of a traditional German Christmas market will offer food, handmade gifts and crafts, hot chocolate, and mulled wine. There will also be Christmas carols and visits from St. Nick! DeutschesHaus.org.market

NOLA CHRISTMAS FEST

The city’s premier indoor holiday festival returns with a real iceskating rink, giant ice slides, carnival rides, and magical holi day decorations, Dec. 21-30 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. NOLAChristmasFest.com

CAROLING IN JACKSON SQUARE

One of the city’s most magical, free holiday events returns with carolers gathering in Jackson Square at 7 p.m., Sun., Dec. 18. PatioPlanters.net

“NUTCRACKER! MAGICAL CHRISTMAS BALLET”

The classic Christmas ballet featuring the Sugar Plum Fairy returns to the Saenger on December 27. SaengerNOLA.com

TEDDY BEAR TEA

Throughout December, the Roosevelt Hotel will be hosting its annual Teddy Bear Tea. There will be visits from Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, and other special guests, as well as specialty teas and tasty pastries. Each child who attends will receive the Roosevelt Teddy Bear. For information on dates and ticketing, visit TheRoos eveltNewOrleans.com.

RUNNING OF THE SANTAS

For adults looking for a social holiday event, the 2022 New Or leans “Running of the Santas Bar Crawl” will kick off at 2 p.m. on Dec. 10 at Manning’s in the Warehouse District and ending with plenty of good cheer at Generations Hall. RunningOfThe Santas.com

FESTIVAL OF THE BONFIRES

If you’re willing to make the drive to Lutcher, you’ll find one of Louisi ana’s niftiest holiday cel ebrations at the Festival of the Bonfires. There’s live entertainment, crafts, Santa’s Very Merry Forest, carnival rides, and a bonfire lighting every night from Dec. 9-11. FestivalOfTheBon fires.org

THE MUSICAL”

Based on the clas sic animated TV special, this musical features sets and costumes inspired by Dr. Seuss’ original illustra tions, playing at the Saenger Dec. 13-20. SaengerNOLA.com

CHRISTMAS IN LAFRENIERE PARK

Laferniere Park, one of the greater New Orleans area’s underrated gems, will showcase its annual Christmas lights, Dec. 2-30. Booths with refreshments and crafts will also be featured. LafrenierePark.org

HARRY SHEARER AND JUDITH OWEN’S “CHRISTMAS WITHOUT TEARS”

Comedian and part-time New Orleans resident Harry Shearer (“The Simpsons,” “This Is Spinal Tap”) and Judith Owen bring back their Christmas variety show for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. Check it out, Dec. 20 at the Orpheum Theater. ticket master.com/Orpheum-TheaterTickets-New-Orleans

DASHING THROUGH THE DOME

If you’re looking for a running event in a unique location, this 2-mile race on Dec. 17 takes runners all through the Caesars Superdome’s ground, plaza and terrace levels before finishing on the field. The event is part of the festivities for the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (the football game will be on Dec. 21).

NewOrleansBowl.org

Check all event websites for the most up-to-date information.

LAUREN DAIGLE: “THE BEHOLD CHRISTMAS TOUR”

Grammy-winning artist Lauren Daigle returns to the Saenger Theatre with her annual Christ mas tour on Dec. 10-11. SaengerNOLA.com

“DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS!

Urban Oasis

Ole’ Orleans Wines, a minority- and woman-owned business, opened a new tasting room last month that spans more than 5,000 square feet. Ole’ Orleans produces handcrafted wines in the city’s only fullproduction winery. Try the 2019 Do You Love Me? Pinot Grigio, the Parishes Sauvignon Blanc or the Gumbeaux Merlot (among others). Wine-tasting tours—and monthly wine subscriptions and a variety of wine collections—also are available. Holiday gifts, anyone? 579 Brooklyn Ave., 354-2449, oleorleans.com

ROOFTOP REVELRY

SIP & SHOP

Commander’s Palace and Swirl Wine Bar are host ing their final CP Sips of Autumn event Dec. 7 at Commander’s Palace from 5:30-7 p.m., featuring more than 40 wines, including Champagnes, spar kling wines, outstanding whites and gift-worthy reds. A cocktail mixer station; gourmet cheeses, seafood and small bites from Executive Chef Meg Bickford; and pop-up shops from small makers also will be on hand. The featured local maker for this event is Bella Gifts to Geaux. 1403 Washington Ave., 899-8221, commanderspalace.com

WINE & DINE

The Tasting Room Collective is a new offering from one of our favorite wine bars in the city. The loyalty program includes priority access to events, specialty tastings, and monthly deals on food and drinks. Text “collective” to 985300-6463 to join. 1906 Magazine St., 766-6390, ttrneworleans.com

SAINTS SWIGS

On game days, sometimes it’s fun to belly up to the bar and cheer (or cry) with fellow fans. Anna’s—a local’s destination dive bar in the Mari gny—has the game on the TVs downstairs, plus a rotating selection of frozen drinks, and beer and shot specials. Meanwhile, The Will + The Way (in the French Quarter) is open for both Saints and LSU games with an all-day Happy Hour, buckets of Miller High Life ponies and food specials. 2601 Royal St., 766-8376, annasnola.com; 719 Toulouse St., 354-1139, thewillandtheway.com

Parish Line Bistro Bar is a modern bistro bar with the only rooftop dining option in Metairie. It’s open until 11 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. While the food menu will change often, some early offerings have included Cajun caviar fries, yellowfin tuna ceviche and the Parish pot of clams. And for drinks, expect plenty of beer and wine options, plus handcrafted cocktails (and mocktails, too). 601 Metairie Road, 264-7783, parishlinebistro.com

Holiday Happenings

Palm & Pine is offering a number of new guest experiences for the holidays. First up, the restaurant is offering a three-course lunch extravaganza on Dec. 16 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.. Enjoy a prix-fixe lunch along with holiday cocktails from Kimberly Patton-Bragg. Palm & Pine also is hosting its third annual Tamale Fest Dec. 21-23 with two types of tamales (available by the dozen, either hot or chilled). During the festival, coquito, a pre-batched coconut-based alcoholic beverage, will be available for pickup as a convenient option for holiday entertaining. And on New Year’s Eve, Palm & Pine will be serving a multi-course, prix-fixe menu from 5:30-11 p.m. 308 N. Rampart St., 814-6200, palmandpinenola.com

Meanwhile, Criollo—the gorgeous restaurant located within the Hotel Monteleone— has several offerings that are perfect for the holidays. For example, guests can enjoy Taittinger Champagne for $39 per bottle during its jazz brunches on Saturdays and Sundays. The restaurant also is offering Kaluga and Oscietra caviar during brunch and lunch. To really get in the spirit, visit Criollo for $1 martinis during lunch on Thursdays and Fridays. There’s also a seasonal five-course prix-fixe dinner available Thursdays through Mondays. And during December, Criollo also will offer a Réveillon food and cocktail menu. 214 Royal St., 681-4444, criollonola.com

PRIVATE PARTIES

Head to The Chloe during Saints games to enjoy a private party for six to 15 guests. The Game Day Food Package ($45 per person) includes chips, a fried chicken sandwich setup (white bread, pickles and sauces), wedge salads, cheese fries and an assortment of cookies. Meanwhile, the Game Day Drink Package ($25 per person) includes a cocktail pitcher and a bucket of beer. Items also can be added à la carte. 4125 St. Charles Ave., 541-5500, thechloenola.com

TACOS, PLEASE!

Rock-n-Taco has opened in the Central Business District, offering a bevy of tacos, burritos and fajitas, plus salads, burgers and specials like prime steaks and lobster tails. Try the carnitas tacos, made with pork shoulder stewed in orange citrus juice, roasted garlic, Mexican cinnamon, salsa tomatillo, onion and cilantro. The restaurant also features a large menu of tequilas, specialty cocktails, beer and appetizers. 800 S. Peters St., 302-1933, rockntaconola.com

COVETED COOKIES

The New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute is offering an enthusiast class called Holiday Cookies with The Chicory Head Chef Martha Gilreath on Dec. 13 from 6-8 p.m. Gilreath will demonstrate how to bake and decorate sweet treats like chocolate drops, peppermint white chocolate cookies, gingerbread crackles and classic sugar cookies. Guests are then invited to decorate their own assortment of cookies. $115, 725 Howard Ave., 891-4060, nochi.org

COOKING KIT

James Beard Award-winning Chef Nina Compton recently hosted a Caribbean Creole cooking class at Bywater American Bistro as part of The New York Times Cooking’s larger programming. To coincide with the event, Compton has curated a Caribbean Cuisine Kit with ingredients for signature restaurant dishes and spins on cherished family favorites (think dried curry leaf, cashews and green cardamom), plus exclusive recipes and access to video tutorials. $95, available at The New York Times Store, store.nytimes.com/ collections/cooking

Criollo

Mimi Holaday’s whimsical handcrafted hats are each made to order, keeping the interest and soul of the client in mind. Personalized to the finest detail, these tailored beauties will delight even the most discerning fashionista on your list. Available by custom order through Halo Mimi, halomimi.com

BY ANDY MYER MYER

Handcrafted Tidings

NOLA-made gifts that support local makers

For your festival loving friends (or anyone who appreciates a little extra sparkle), Cool Your Fannies’ hand sewn packs are locally made with flair and then some. Available in a range of festive patterns complete with fringe, this gift is sure to get lots of wear and bring the party at the same time. Available through Cool Your Fannies, @coolyourfannies.

Crowe Jewelry’s bicolor teardrop tourmaline charm handset in 14k gold lends an extra touch of magic to the gifting season. Even Mrs. Claus herself would light up as she opens this oneof-a-kind stunner. Available through Crowe Jewelry, crowejewelry.com.

Amada Talley’s exquisite painted turtle shells are a thoughtful and unique gift for the one who has it all. A statement piece that blends effortlessly with any aesthetic, these beauties will stand the test of time. Available through Amanda Stone Talley, aman datalley.com.

What recipient wouldn’t be thrilled to receive a tiny little Feel Good Potion?

Oxalis Apothecary’s blend of calming and cooling oils work to ease stress and tension opening up blood vessels to increase flow and reduce pressure. The product’s five-star reviews speak for themselves. Available through Oxalis Apothecary, oxal isapothecary.com.

BY KELLY MASSICOT

JULIE LACOUR

True Confession

I don’t eat anything purple or orange.

Lagniappe

Favorite Holiday Movie: “Love Actually”

Favorite holiday tradition besides Celebration in the Oaks: “Happy 3rd of July” in City Park!

The holidays are a time for lots of sparkle, magical moments and community celebration. Not many places celebrate the holidays quite like New Orleans City Park and its annual “Celebration in the Oaks,” a New Orleans favorite for decades. Each year, generations come together and make touring the ornate light displays part of family and friend traditions. This year, the event features a driving tour with more than a million lights on a 2.25 mile stretch through the park, a 90-minute Carousel Gardens Amusement Park and Botanical Garden walking tour experience complete with access to rides, play areas, festive food and more, plus exclusive “bike nights” for those looking for something a little different. Julie LaCour is the “head elf” in charge of making sure the entire process goes off without a hitch. We asked Julie what it’s like to pull off Celebration in the Oaks and some of her favorite aspects of the event heading into the 2022 holiday season.

Q: What is the history of Celebration in the Oaks and how did it come about? In 1984 the Botanical Garden staged a daytime event called “A Tribute to the Christmas Tree,” which grew in popularity to 1987, at which time sponsors and volunteers came onboard and this very sweet event grew into the New Orleans tradition we know now as Celebration in the Oaks.

Q: What is your role and how long have you been with Celebration in the Oaks? I am the Director of Special Events and Celebration in the Oaks, a position I have had the honor of holding for the last 17 years.

Q: What does a typical planning and execution look like to pull something like Celebration in the Oaks off? It generally takes eight months of the year to envision new exhibit designs, build the new exhibits, repair and freshen up existing light exhibits, and the installation of all lights and exhibits. And of course, what goes up, must come down. No phase is any more important than the other.

Q: What is your favorite part of Celebration in the Oaks? I absolutely love seeing the smiling faces and the excitement of children

driving and walking through the lights. It’s amazing to know that we are the family tradition for so many in our community. And working with all of the dedicated City Park staff is a joy!

CelebrationintheOaks.com

November 24, 2002- January 1, 2023

Tickets available online for driving, walking, biking or combination tours.

You got to be careful what your kids read these days.

You also got to be careful what your mother-in-law reads.

Awhile back, me and Ms. Larda went to a coffee shop. They got one of them take-one-leave-one bookshelves there, and while I am waiting for the coffee, she slips a Danielle Steele paperback out of her purse and onto the shelf.

She loves romance novels, but she don’t want me to know about THAT. They are her guilty pleasure, and she repents of them every time she goes to confession.

Anyway, she grabs another book, “Squeeze Me,” and sticks it in her purse.

It turns out this ain’t no romance novel.

It’s about pythons. She sat up late reading it.

In the book, a python eats a nasty little old lady who is inebriated. Now, Ms. Larda is not nasty or little, and she can’t imagine getting so inebriated she could get et by a snake.

But this book cost her some sleep - not that she was worried about herself, but she thinks about her chihuahua Chopsley, who is so badtempered he would keep yapping the whole time he was being swallowed.

A few weeks later, some people moved in next door - into that nice house with the swimming pool. She stops by to say hello and they seem real friendly - Larry and LaVerne.

They chitchat awhile, and then Larry strolls over to what looks like

Good Neighbors

Looking out for snakes in the grass

a enormous aquarium. But there’s no fish in it. What is in it is a huge snake. Larry says, “Here’s Lovey - our pet python. If you catch any rats, bring ‘em over,” and he chuckles. “He prefers his dinner live.”

Ms. Larda smiles with her teeth clenched, and scuttles home, snatching up Chopsley as she crosses the yard.

Immediately she calls up her grandson Comus, her daughter Gloriosa’s little boy, and asks him to look up pythons on his computer. He don’t need to look; he knows all about them. He wants one for Christmas. (He ain’t getting one.) “If

it ain’t a Burmese Python, you’re ok, Grandma Larda,” he says.

Ms. Larda don’t know whether this python is from Burma or not, but she starts checking on these neighbors, in case they take Lovey out for a walk or something.

Now, she is an expert at neighborchecking. She never lifts a Venetian blind slat or twitches a curtain. That’s for amateurs. She squats all the way down to the window ledge and adjusts the window shade so just her eyes peer out from underneath. (Lately she’s had to use a little footstool instead of squatting).

But it’s Christmas time and she

gets busy with other things. She always has Gloriosa’s family and in-laws (Ms. Sarcophaga and Mr. Proteus) over for Sunday afternoon dinner in December. This because Ms. Sarcophaga (who actually is skinny and mean) refuses to eat with the rest of us Gunches ever since that Thanksgiving she ate the potpourri by mistake and had to go off in a ambulance. (Like that was OUR fault.)

Anyway, that Sunday, Ms. Sarcophaga announces she is step ping out on the porch for “a breath of fresh air” (code for “Mr. Proteus cut one.) But then Chopsley shoots outside behind her. He heads for the yard next door, yapping. Ms. Sarcophaga scolds “Bad dog!” and marches after him. Ms. Larda looks out to see what the fuss is about and OH MY GOD, there’s a SNAKE bobbing up and down in the pool.

And its appetizer and main course just arrived.

She screams for an ax and actually starts over there, but Comus catches up with her. “Grandma Larda! It’s a pool hose,” he yells.

And it was. It was one of those hoses that automatically clean the pool, and the sweeper end must have come loose. So the hose is bobbing around, and it does look like a giant snake, if you’re hysterical.

So Comus saved the day and the pool hose. He’s still not going to get a python for Christmas. But he will get some expensive computer games from his grandma.

And Ms. Larda will get a Danielle Steele book from me.

Sisters of the Holy Family, Classroom Portrait, 1922. By Arthur P. Bedou. Image Courtesy of Xavier University of Louisiana, Archives & Special Collections © Arthur P. Bedou

As seen in this photograph by the renowned New Orleans photog rapher Arthur P. Bedou, Sisters of the Holy Family gather in a classroom for the reli gious order’s annual portrait. At one time, the streets, buses, streetcars and parochial schools of New Orleans were aflutter with various orders of nuns, but the Sisters of the Holy Family was unique for it was the only order of nuns founded by African Americans in New Orleans for young Black women. It is a compelling story that began two decades before the Civil War.

Unlike most Southern cities at the time, New Orleans was predomi nantly Catholic with a large, vibrant,

cultured and educated community of free people of color. Realizing the city had a great need for religious training among free Black people and the enslaved, New Orleanians Henriette DeLille, Juliette Gaudin and Josephine Charles formed the Congregation of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which later became the Sisters of the Holy Family. Over the last 180 years, the order has served the poor, indigent and the sick. It has established nursing homes, such as the Lafon Nursing Facility, and schools including St. Mary’s Academy. Eventually, the order opened convents in other states and several foreign countries. Based in the French Quarter for over a century, the order moved to its current location on

1922Gentilly Blvd. in the mid 1960s. A movement is now underway to have Henriette DeLille canonized a saint in the Catholic Church.

Also of historical interest is the photographer Arthur Paul Bedou. Born in Tremé, Bedou was a descen dant of French-speaking Creoles and a prominent photographer who built a national reputation for his work. In addition to documenting family and social life in the city’s AfricanAmerican communities, Bedou was Booker T. Washington’s personal photographer. Other notables he captured on film included, among many others, George Washington Carver and Theodore Roosevelt. He also served as the official photog rapher for Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans and

Tuskegee Institute as well as several national medical, business, social and religious organizations. During a long career that began in 1899 and ended with his death in 1966, Bedou received numerous honors, including a gold medal at the 1907 Jamestown Tricentennial Exposition.

This photograph of the “Sisters of the Holy Family” along with others by Bedou, and over 150 images by other Black photographers nationwide, are included in the current exhibi tion “Called to the Camera: Black American Studio Photographers” on view at the New Orleans Museum of Art until Jan. 8.

As to Bedou, an exhibit label states – “In many New Orleans families, the surname ‘Bedou’ remains interchange able with the word ‘photographer.’”

by jyl benson , rebecca friedman , misty milioto photography by sam hanna

25 must try dishes

Available for both lunch and dinner, the falafel platter at 1000 Figs features falafel, hummus, kale and cabbage salad, tahini, zhoug, toum and fresh bread. “We can't believe we've been serving falafel for eight years on Ponce de Leon,” said Theresa Galli, owner of 1000 Figs. “Absolutely everything on the falafel platter— and in the restaurant—is fresh and made from scratch. We try to make our falafel light and crispy on the outside but never dry on the inside. And we love sauces. We serve the falafel platter with tahini (nutty), zhoug (bright) and toum (zingy). We love how the

crispy falafel pairs with the smooth and creamy hummus and the crunchy, vibrant salad. It all goes together beautifully. When making our menu, we’re trying to create a perfect meal that we would be happy eating for lunch or dinner any day of the week. We wanted to make something that is delicious, vibrant, filling and healthy, and we think the falafel platter strikes that balance.” 3141 Ponce De Leon St., Ste. 1, 301-0848, 1000figs.com

BOUDIN BOY

Like many of New Orleans’ finest creations, the Boudin Boy has festive origins – in this case a pandemic-era, socially distanced Mardi Gras block party. A neighbor of Ayu Bakehouse co-founder Kelly Jacques had returned from Lafayette with a gift of boudin from The Best Stop (a standout Cajun country source). Jacques transformed the boudin into hand-held Mardi Gras fuel, initially as a stuffed fried pastry before evolving into a croissant dough concoction. With the addition of boiled egg, a hearty touch that recalls empanadas from the Argentinian province of Tucumán, the item has become an Ayu Bakehouse fan favorite. “Because we are on Frenchman, we wanted to have things that you could take

and walk to the park… a breakfast item that isn’t fussy,” said Jacques. She also recommends adding a side of spice. In the bakery’s earliest days, Jacques and co-founder Samantha Weiss often found themselves working into the wee hours. One night, hunger pangs led them to pop some Boudin Boys into the oven. The scent attracted partying passers-by, who began banging on the kitchen door.

Jacques and Weiss responded with Boudin Boys, and when the revelers requested hot sauce, the bakers handed over some chili crisp they had on hand. The combination was tasty enough to lure the partiers back the following day for more and has since become an off-menu staple. 801 Frenchman St., 302-7985, ayubakehouse.com

MR. MAO

KASHMIRI FRIED CHICKEN

3Passion drove chef Sophia Uong to create the Kashmiri Fried Chicken at her Uptown “tropical roadhouse,” Mr. Mao, that she runs with her husband William “Wildcat” Greenwell. “I love a fried chicken sandwich,” Uong said, “especially a spicy one like at Howlin’ Rays in Los Angeles, a chicken joint cooking up the Nashville-style hot chicken. “ “I've been working on a gluten-free chicken recipe for a few years. To get the right crust that can hold up to the hot oil dunk, I wanted something similar to Korean doublefried chicken but with less hassle of a wet batter. We double dredge the chicken. Kashmiri oil is a nod to that style of fried chicken but with Eastern spices. There's heat but also a savory fruitiness from the chiles. We turned up the heat to be as hot as possible without being rude to our tummies.” The fiery chicken is the only constant on an ever-changing menu, but Uong still mixes up its accompaniments from time to time.

“Currently the chicken is served with an Indian black salt, lime yogurt, and beet-marinated pineapples with Champagne vinegar,” she said. “The yogurt helps to tame the spices in your mouth and the pineapple is so good with its tartness and sweet acidity.“ 4501 Tchoupitoulas St., 345-2056, mrmaonola.com

ROSEDALE

The first taste of Rosedale’s shrimp creole is enough to erase one’s memory of the insipid versions frequently found in buffet chafing dishes and cafeteria lines across New Orleans. Like many other things touched by chef/owner Susan Spicer, (whose portfolio also includes Bayona and Mondo at MSY), this oft-overlooked dish takes on a vibrant new life. At her neighborhood spot Rosedale, Spicer shifted the culinary focus from global inspirations to Louisiana eats, including a classic shrimp Creole that she wanted to make “really good.” The Creole sauce is a plate-licking red gravy, made with shrimp stock to underscore the shrimp flavor and a touch of lemon zest and juice for brightness. Instead of a roux, Spicer livens the trinity with fresh thyme, white wine, stock, tomatoes, and Worcestershire, plus bit of Crystal hot sauce and red pepper flake for “zip and piquancy.” The dish’s eggplant accompaniment is a hearty slab fried crisp, inspired by the eggplant sticks and marinara found on many Creole Italian menus. “We have to make sure we do it nice and fresh,” said Spicer, a self-proclaimed eggplant lover. “It’s not something you can prepare ahead of time.” For the rice (Louisiana medium grain), Spicer credits another well-known chef for teaching her the cooking method: “I’ve taught a million people who worked for me to make perfect rice a la Frank Brigtsen.” 801 Rosedale Dr., 309-9595, rosedalerestaurant.com

BREANNE KOSTYK

FLOUR MOON BAGELS

4In June, the Lafitte Greenway welcomed Flour Moon Bagels to instant success. Breanne Kostyk started the business in the spring of 2020 when she was home recovering from a double mastectomy to treat breast cancer. She built a following through her Instagram account, working first from her home then staying very late on Saturday nights and returning very early on Sunday mornings to fulfill orders using the kitchen at The Ace Hotel where she served as the pastry chef. Things really took off when she started a weekly pop-up at Coffee Science in Mid City. Kostyk’s bagel repertoire includes the "Everything," sea salt, pumpernickel, rosemary sea salt, sesame, poppyseed, and "Everything" pumpernickel. After an overnight fermentation, the bagels are rolled, boiled in a kettle, then baked, making for a vaguely slick exterior and a chewy interior. Breakfast and lunch are offered with bagels and a variety of spreads, bagel breakfast sandwiches, and as tartines with bagels standing in for bread in the open-faced sandwiches. Fridays and Saturdays bring bialys— which are like bagels but made of sourdough and they are simply baked, rather than boiled then baked. A hole in the middle is filled with ingredients such as diced onion. Weekends also bring Jerusalem bagels— thinner oval-shaped baked bagels that are soft, airy, and less doughy with a slight sweetness, due to a honeyed sesame topping. 457 N. Dorgenois St., 354-1617, flourmoonbagels.com

SHRIMP CREOLE WITH LOUISIANA RICE AND FRIED EGGPLANT

Aperfectly executed breakfast sandwich

is one of life’s great pleasures. King of the genre might be the humble egg-on-a-roll, a foil-wrapped staple of New York City bodegas and street carts. Ryan Murphy, chef/owner of The Rabbit’s Foot, first fell in love with bodega breakfast sandwiches during childhood trips to visit family up north. “Coming from West Virginia, a bodega was a wonderland… all this food and these snacks I’d never seen,” said Murphy. Living in New York as an adult, Murphy grew to love the accessibility of the classic egg on a

roll and sought to share that delicacy at his New Orleans market/café, adding a few references to his personal culinary journey. At The Rabbit’s Foot, Murphy focuses on local goods and producers, so his sandwich features a kaiser roll from Cartozzo’s Bakery and an egg from Local Cooling Farms. Topped with thick-cut bacon, Tillamook cheddar (discovered during his time in Oregon), and a seasoned aioli whipped up from Duke’s mayonnaise and “a whole bunch of garlic,” it’s the perfect meal to start the day (or end a long night).

According to Murphy, the egg on a roll has consistently been the top seller; he’s even stocking the market with the sandwich fixings so people can satisfy their cravings at home: “People love it because there’s not much like it here in New Orleans.”

THE RABBIT’S FOOT

JOEL’S LOBSTER ROLLS

With a new undergraduate degree in Business Management from Tulane and an unshakeable envie for the lobster rolls of his Madison, Connecticut hometown, Joel Griffin, 23, launched Joel’s Lobster Rolls as a pop-up at the college bar, The Boot, at the end of 2021. “A lobster roll was the first thing I would grab when I went home,” Griffin said.” I was desperate to find one, good or bad, but no luck. I decided to just make my own. I used to be a bartender at The Boot, and they agreed to let me try out my concept.” With an investment of $600, his idea took off with students, many of whom hail from the Northeast. After “two or three” popups at The Boot, he wanted to see if his concept would survive “beyond sympathy late-night drunk sales.” In January, he started offering his homemade clam chowder and four ounces of butter-poached lobster served in a buttered, then griddled split-top New England-style hotdog bun outside of Gasa Gasa, then Henry’s Bar, fueled by word-ofmouth and his Instagram account. Today, he moves through up to 300 pounds of pre-picked lobster meat in a week. Save for the clarified butter, his ingredients come from New England. He is emphatic in crediting his two full-time employees for his success . “They save my business every day. I could not do this without them. When things exploded. I could not keep up.” The recent purchase of a food truck will bring an expanded menu. Expect Loaded Lobster Fries, Lobster Grilled Cheese, Fried Clams, and Fish and Chips. “I want Joel’s to be a beacon of foods you cannot get anywhere else.”

@joelslobsterrolls on Instagram

VYOONE’S

ONION SOUP

The French onion soup at this Warehouse District restaurant is a family recipe handed down through the generations from owner Vyoone Segue Lewis’s great grandmother. “It is special in that we caramelize and soak both red and white onions overnight in cognac, which gives it a unique flavor profile with the sweet red onions topped with Gruyère cheese,” she said. “It also includes thyme and other creole spices. It is a nontra ditional preparation with the addition of the wine varieties and the cognac.” 412 Girod St., 518-6007, vyoone.com

COMPÈRE LAPIN

CURRIED GOAT

Celebrity Chef Nina Compton wanted to create a dish that was familiar in flavor to her childhood but reflected techniques in the kitchen that she had come to enjoy throughout her career. As such, the curried goat dish at Compère Lapin was born. “We use the whole goat,” she said. “We break it down into pieces and braise it on the bone. Once that is cooked, we pull the meat and chop it into bite-sized morsels. Curried goat is a traditional Caribbean dish, but it is always served with rice. Making pasta is one of my favorite kitchen activities, so I decided to serve the goat with sweet-potato gnocchi. There are a lot of spices in my curry that work well together, and combining them with the smooth pillows of sweet potato works great. The cashews add a little texture, and the cilantro brightens the dish throughout the meal. It has turned out to be our No. 1 seller since we've opened. My husband joked shortly after we opened that he doesn't need spread sheets any more to judge the restaurant's performance—he just counts the goats being carried in the back door.” 535 Tchoupitoulas St., 599-2119, comperelapin.com

FRENCH

Octopus has been on the Zasu menu – in some form – since day one, but Executive Chef Sue Zemanick and Chef de Cuisine Jeff McLennan may not have anticipated its staying power. Said McLennan, “It was sort of a ‘Let’s give this a shot on the new restaurant menu,’ and it became clear very quickly that we could not take it off… People were coming back just for that dish.”

That said, McLennan and his colleagues have had some fun playing around with the dish’s composition. The theme is consistently Mediterranean, with influences meandering through Spain, Italy, and Greece. For this version, McLennan said he wanted to play off of

chorizo from Spain and build upon homemade chorizo spice. One of Zasu’s local purveyors, JV Foods, started bringing them a Calabrian chili sweet vermouth salami.

“I was obsessed with it,” said McClennan, who found that its smoky, spicy notes paired well with the grilled smoky chorizo. He built a base of fingerling potatoes and wove everything together with preserved lemon vinaigrette,

added vegetables and parsley, roasted red peppers, and preserved lemon before transfer ring the components to the octopus skillet. The final touch is a roasted garlic aioli that mellows the dish and adds a creaminess people crave. As McLennan said, “We have learned that if we take the mayonnaise off the octopus, people get upset.” 127 N. Carrollton Ave., 267-3233, zasunola.com

CHEF DEE LAVIGNE DEELIGHTFUL ROUX SCHOOL OF COOKING

9Chef Dee Lavigne opened her cooking school in The Southern Food & Beverage Museum in February. She is the only Black women to own a cooking school in New Orleans in over 80 years. The last was Lena Richard, who opened her school in 1937 to guide Black men and women in developing culinary careers while navigating the pitfalls and restrictions of the Jim Crow South. Richard went on to pen “New Orleans Cook Book” (sic) and became the first Black woman to host a television cooking show, Lena Richard’s New Orleans Cook Book, taped at WDSU. Lavigne, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, is a host of the kitchen segment of the WWL Saturday Morning Show. She has worked with The Smithsonian Institute as the “voice” of Lena Richard, reading from one of Richard’s essays in a Side Door podcast focusing on her as “America’s Unknown Celebrity Chef.” She also worked with the institution on its “Cooking Up History” series, preparing Richard’s classic Creole shrimp bisque while discussing her influence on American cuisine. Lavigne weaves lessons on Louisiana and Southern history through her hands-on Creole and Cajun cooking classes, offered three times each week. It is her goal to draw attention to Lena Richards and the many other women who cooked professionally in New Orleans and elsewhere with very little recognition.

1504 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., chefdeelavigne.com

CHORIZO SPICED BABY OCTOPUS, BABY POTATOES, KALE, SALAMI, RED PEPPERS, ROASTED GARLIC AIOLI

We like okra sliced in our gumbo and pickled in our bloody marys, and we REALLY like it center stage at Commons Club. Alex Harrell, Executive Chef of the Virgin Hotel and Commons Club, has a longstanding reverence for seasonal vegetables. In creating his latest menu, Harrell sought to feature locally produced elements with cultural significance in the area, then asked: “What can we do with that produce to present it in a different way that people maybe haven’t tried before?” In this dish, a southern staple shines alongside perfect partners. “Everyone in the

South grew up with fried okra or in gumbo or stew,” said Harrell. He recently started growing okra in his garden, exploring new ways of enjoying the flavor profile and changing the “negative slimy perception” people often have. Cooking the okra “hot and fast” in cast iron maintains a vibrant texture that is just soft enough and adds appealing caramelization –with no slime. Peanuts are a natural pairing, as they, like okra, are of African origin. The vinaigrette adds acid and earthy umami with the boiled peanuts, while the harissa lends a hint of spice and sweetness. According to Harrell, the dish has been

incredibly popular: “More restaurants are focusing attention on underuti lized ingredients, and vegetables are one of those – it’s an avenue for a different expression of creativity.” 550 Baronne St., virginhotels.com

COMMONS CLUB

CAMILLE STAUB + COLEEN ALLERTONHOLLIER

LET’S DO LUNCHEON

10A shared loathing for brunch service and the desire to work for themselves compelled Camille Staub and Coleen Allerton-Hollier to start Luncheon at the end of 2019, first at farmers’ markets, and later as a pop-up. Staub was born in southern Louisiana to a food-obsessed family and obtained a Culinary Arts degree from the Louisiana Culinary Institute. She met Allerton-Hollier at Willa Jean, where they both worked the kitchen. Staub then worked at Cochon Butcher as a butcher’s assistant until Allerton-Hollier begged her to become the production assistant at Simone’s Market, where she was working as the culinary director. Allerton-Hollier was raised in New Orleans. She obtained degrees and tried other careers before making food—her hobby—into her career. Her life as a Pastry Chef was cemented after “surviving her first king cake season at Domenica.” She ultimately landed at Willa Jean, then Levee Baking Company before taking the position at Simone’s Market (which later became Made Grocery) When Made closed the pair stuck out on their own. Today they are Chefs in Residence at The Southern Food & Beverage Museum, which serves as a culinary business incubator. In addition to catering, they offer private dining experiences and teach classes covering topics such as how to boil crawfish and baking tutorials. We try to uplift one another,” Staub said. “We are working toward the same goal. They no longer dread brunch.

Letsdoluncheon.com

CAST IRON ROASTED OKRA, HARISSA, BOILED PEANUT VINAIGRETTE, CRISPY SHALLOTS

RESTAURANT R’EVOLUTION

DEATH BY GUMBO

Another iconic New Orleans dish, the Death by Gumbo at Restaurant R’evolution, perfectly illustrates the restaurant’s menu concept of elevating dining experiences by offering modern, imaginative reinterpretations of classic Cajun and Creole cuisine. This dish came about when Craig Claiborne of The New York Times asked Chef John Folse to create a special dinner at his home depicting the evolution of Cajun and Creole cuisine. While the Death by Gumbo features traditional gumbo components, like a signature dark roux and seasonings, the innovation comes in the form of using a whole roasted quail stuffed with andouille, oysters and filé rice.

“Diners experience the blend of signature Louisiana flavors in every bite with the best of both worlds from seafood, and chicken and sausage gumbos,” said Alfred “Al” Groos, general manager of The Royal Sonesta New Orleans. “It’s a nod to seafood gumbo with the oysters and a nod to traditional chicken and sausage gumbo with the flavors of andouille. It is elevated thanks to the unique flavor of quail in place of chicken and filé rice that’s soaked up all the flavors as part of the stuffing rather than the plain rice that usually accompanies gumbo. It’s rich, flavorful and so satisfying.”

777 Bienville St., 553-2277, r evolutionnola.com

THE CHLOE

CHARRED BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER

T12he charred broccoli and cauliflower at The Chloe is available for brunch, lunch and dinner, and features pepita romesco, jalapeño and sesame seeds. “Romesco is usually used as a dip for vegetables; in this case, we turned it into a salad using the sauce as the base of the salad,” said Executive Chef, Todd Pulsinelli. “To make the sauce, we use grilled tomato, onion, jalapeño, piquillo peppers and garlic, and thicken it with pepitas. We use sesame seeds in the chili crunch topper for the salad. The ingredients play well together with the charred broccoli and cauliflower, and the sauce harmonizes together— much like vegetables and a good dip. My Sous Chef, Ben Triolo, had a big hand in this dish.” To note: The preparation of the broccoli and cauliflower dish sometimes varies. 4125 St. Charles Ave., 541-5500, thechloenola.com

QUEEN TRINI LISA

BBQ JERK CHICKEN

Lisa Nelson, owner of Queen Trini Lisa, opened her Mid-City restaurant in late 2021 with recipes for “Trinbagonian Island soul food” influenced by a lifetime of people and places, from her native Trinidad and Tobago to adopted hometown New Orleans to techniques learned from her late mother. Before opening Queen Trini Lisa, Nelson made a name for herself and her food through a journey that included corner store cooking, popups, festivals, and a stint as a resident chef at Roux Carre, the now-closed outdoor food court and incubator for food entre preneurs. Nelson had a recipe for jerk chicken, but when she learned that there was a Jamaican restaurant operating in

Roux Carre, she opted not to serve a competing version of the dish. “Out of respect, I didn’t do that,” said Nelson. “So, I elevated mine.” That elevation took a barbecue twist, with Nelson grilling the chicken, resting it, then glazing it in barbecue sauce. The sauce adds a spicy, sweet dimension to the jerk that has helped build an ardent following for the dish – and earned Nelson first prize at a 2019 jerk chicken festival. The flavor-packed chicken is indeed a winner, served with delectably sweet plantains that Nelson fries from frozen to get them “nice and plump and caramelized,” plus two sides (try the outstanding Island Stir Fry Cabbage and traditional rice and peas). 4200 D'Hemecourt St., 345-2058, queentrinilisa.com

SUKEBAN

At Sukeban, temaki are prepared and served one at a time. That pace is intentional – and it’s a gift for the diner, encouraging one to slow down and savor the hand roll’s delicate texture and flavor. That intentionality permeates every aspect of the Oak Street izakaya from chef/owner Jacqueline Blanchard (who also owns Coutelier, the nearby shop specializing in hand-forged Japanese cutlery). Years of sourcing pieces for Coutelier helped Blanchard develop relationships with artisans and producers across Japan, and she has leveraged that network to stock Sukeban’s kitchen with ingredients out of reach for most American chefs. “I spent the better part of a year securing the nori through my networks in Japan,” said Blanchard of the prized seaweed cultivated and harvested from the Ariake Sea (whose mineral-rich waters also feed Kumamoto oysters). Sukeban is only the third U.S. restaurant to serve the magically crisp yet pliable nori, which plays a starring role in the temaki. It wraps ingredients fresh from Tokyo fish markets and south Louisiana waters as well as heirloom rice produced by an American Japanese family that has honed their craft in California for generations. One standout roll embodies the delicious marriage of Japanese and south Louisiana tastes: blue crab from Higgins Seafood in Lafitte, touched with tamari, Kewpie mayo, julienned cucumbers, and katsuo furikake. According to Blanchard, “It’s the best seller – by far.” 8126 Oak St., 345-2367, barsukeban.com

TEMAKI

CHEF MARTHA WIGGINS

CAFÉ RECONCILE

Drained, in 2018, Chef Martha Wiggins shocked everyone when she left Sylvain, the celebrated French Quarter restaurant where she had cooked since 2010, the last four years as Executive Chef. While there she twice earned nominations from the James Beard Foundation. After a restorative respite she joined the opening team at The Elysian Bar, ranked number five among Bon Appetit’s 10 Best New Restaurants of 2019. In early 2021, she brought her powerful skills to Café Reconcile as Executive Chef. She is building a legacy as a mentor to youths, preparing them to navigate careers in the hospitality industry. “There are so many services we provide here that people are unaware of,” Wiggins said, “teamwork, mental and physical heath support.” To better focus on their young charges Wiggins and Hospitality Development Manager, Brandy Trepagnier, decided to close for lunch on Mondays to better focus on intensive workshops. Concerned about a drain on resources, in September they launched a series of monthly reservation-only brunches with live music and specialty cocktails and menus. They have been selling out ever since. “There is quite a vibe,” Wiggins said. “It is very joyful, and it gives our interns the opportunity to work outside of their regular schedules. As it turned out revenue has increased thanks to our regulars. I did not know how this was going to define itself, but it has in a very positive way. This is fulfilling work.” 1631 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 568-1157, caferecon cile.org

Chef Ana Castro’s 18-month-old restaurant in the Lower Garden District defies definition. With a five-course tasting menu Castro describes her food as “Mexican.” And, foundationally, it is. But each artfully executed course is informed not only by the chef’s memories of growing up in Mexico City and cooking with her relatives, but also by a career that spans Denmark, New York, and New Orleans. Inquiries will be made about food allergies and dietary restrictions. Beyond this, Castro makes the decisions. Each course will be a surprise. A printed menu will be presented at the culmination of the meal. Slight changes to the menu may occur daily with a full seasonal overhaul every five to six weeks. Masa, rice, and mole are staple ingredients, as is Gulf seafood. On a menu of standouts some recent ones were masa dumplings (chochoyote) with crabmeat, chanterelles, and corn. For dessert there was nicuatole (a sort of corn-based pudding) finished with sumac, peach, bee pollen, and Pineau de Charentes. Castro developed Lengua Madre with Michael Stoltzfus, chef/ owner of Coquette. While working at Coquette, in 2019 Castro was a finalist for the James Beard Award for “Rising Star Chef.” In 2021 Lengua Madre was named a “Favorite Restaurant” by The New York Times. Bon Appetit named it a “Best New “Best Restaurant of 2022,” and Food & Wine named Castro one of the country’s 10 “Best New Chefs” of 2022. 1245 Constance St., 655-1338, lenguamadrenola.com

LENGUA MADRE

Owner and Chef Aom Srisuk of Pomelo—a restaurant that opened in Oct. 2021, serving authentic Thai comfort food—added Mii Kiew to her menu to offer a true street-food dish from Thailand. It features pork and shrimp wontons with egg noodles, a house-made special sauce, barbecue pork or chicken, bok choy, dry chili and crushed peanuts. “You can find this dish on almost any corner in every city throughout Thailand, and it’s popular at many of the 24-hour street noodle vendors,” she said. “The blend between the flavors and textures make this dish particularly special. One thing that we specialize in at Pomelo is balancing the flavors in every dish. Fans of Thai food are familiar with the spicy, sour, pungent, salty and sweet notes. We take care to balance each of these elements beautifully in each of our offerings.” 4113 Magazine St., 442-9570, pomelonola.com

ADDIS ETHIOPIAN KITCHEN

T17he veggie combo at Addis Ethiopian Kitchen can be found on the vegan menu. The dish features stewed and steamed vegetables, including red and green lentils, collard greens, yellow split peas, beets and cabbage with carrots. All of the dry ingredients are sourced from Ethiopia, including berbere (Ethiopian cayenne pepper), turmeric and black cardamom. “Most of what we serve are the traditional Ethiopian vegetarian options with some of our additions,” said Founder and Co-owner, Dr. Biruk Alemayehu. “Ethiopia has several vegetarian meals due to the devotion of believers of the Orthodox Tewahedo Church to abstain from consuming meat, milk, butter, eggs and anything that contains these items for 160 to 250 days per year. Of course, we add our own touch to the traditional Ethiopian cuisine. Some of our additions are steamed beets. Conventionally, beets are cooked with potato, and we use sweet potato wot as an alternative to Ethiopian potato wot.” The veggies are served atop Injera, a traditional Ethiopian flat bread made from teff (a gluten-free seed). 2514 Bayou Rd., 218-5321, addisnola.com

VEGGIE COMBO

WINDOWSILL PIES

ALMOND-LACED APPLE PIE

It took Windowsill Pies a little time – and a lot of customers asking – to roll out an apple pie. Co-owners Nicole Eiden and Marielle Dupré are known for their innovative offerings (like amaretto pear and dried cherry or the dark chocolate tart with Earl Grey caramel), so a standard apple just wouldn’t do. Said Eiden, “Both of us wanted to do something that honored the traditional flavor profile of an apple pie but… had a little bit of a spark, while still being traditional.” The duo experimented with ingredients and techniques to maximize apple flavor and avoid the shrinking that can leave a sad space between crust and filling. The result was almond-laced apple pie, which features two kinds of apples, Granny Smith and Yellow Delicious, and a caramel cooked down from the apple juices. The kicker is a layer of homemade marzipan running through the middle. “It tastes like an apple pie but to me, has a little bit more depth to it,” said Eiden. The pie is topped with a lattice accented by leaves and cutouts, making it an eye-catching addition to any table. According to Eiden, this dish is best when eaten warm – and has even converted staunch traditionalists: “Some people are a little confused why there is almond in it, and I do understand that… but it all just works together.” 4714 Freret St., 381-4953, windowsillpiesnola.com

Avariation of sai ua, a type of sausage originating in Chiang Mai, is a house specialty at Thai D-Jing in Old Gretna. Though sausage is usually associated with European culinary cultures, these zesty sausages became popular in Northern Thailand due to its proximity to Burma, a British colony.

At Thai D-Jing Chef Suda Oun-in, a classically trained Thai chef, uses beef in the fresh sausages she makes every other day rather than the traditional pork.

Heavy doses of galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, coriander root and seeds, dried chilis, garlic, and shallots give intense flavor.

Traditionally, the abundance

of herbs and aromatics were used to stretch the protein in the dish. The herbs would also serve to neutralize any micro organisms that may have been present in the protein prior to the advent of refrigeration. Oun-in explained that sausages in Thailand are often allowed to ferment for over a week before consumption. To mimic this flavor, she instead allows the garlic she uses in the sausages to ferment for a few days to achieve a similar flavor that is still in keeping with American food preparation practices. As is customary, Oun-in serves her sai ua with portions of raw garlic, ginger, and herbs. Northern Thailand has a cold climate, and the combination produces a warming effect on the body, while enhancing the ingredients already preset in the sausages. 93 5th Street, Gretna, 766-0681, thaidjing.com

Long before Saffron Nola was a gleam in Arvinder Vilkhu’s eye, he told his wife Pardeep that if they ever opened a restaurant, the menu would include oysters and gumbo –infused with shades of flavor from their native India. Since moving to New Orleans in 1984, the Vilkhus had long enjoyed the charbroiled/ char-grilled oysters at local favorites Drago’s and Felix’s but wanted to put their own stamp on the dish for Saffron Nola. “I said, ‘We don’t want to copy anybody… We want to be very indigenous and original in our menu composition,” said Vilkhu, now President and Executive Chef at Saffron Nola. Seafood plays a significant role in the cuisine of southern India, and the region is also known for the black pepper and curry leaves used in the restaurant’s beloved Oyster Bed Roast. The Vilkhus grow curry leaves at their home, the bounty of a tree gifted by a friend almost 30 years ago. “I didn’t know I was going to be using it for a restaurant,” said Vilkhu. The oysters (sourced from local purveyor P&J Oyster Company) remain one of the most popular items on Saffron Nola’s menu, and Vilkhu believes consistency plays a big role: “We have not changed the recipe. We don’t want to change the recipe… Every table who comes here has to have gumbo and oysters before they can go any further.” 4128 Magazine St., 323-2626, saffronnola.com

SAFFRON NOLA

OYSTER BED ROAST

SAINT JOHN RESTAURANT

BAKED MACARONI PIE WITH RED GRAVY

The baked macaroni pie with red gravy at Saint John is simply to-die-for, thanks to the Bucatini pasta used in the dish. This hollow noodle allows the cheese and custard to get inside, providing a perfect bite every time. The red gravy, which is served beneath the macaroni and cheese pie, consists of freshly cooked tomatoes, mirepoix, garlic, bay leaves, a touch of crushed red pepper for spice and veal stock for richness. “For me personally, this dish is a family tradition,” said Chef de Cuisine, Daren Porretto. “Growing up in a New Orleans Italian family, baked macaroni pie with red gravy was a staple in our house. The acidity and slight spiciness of the red gravy add a complexity in flavor to the traditional baked macaroni pie. The flavor combination for me is nostalgic and heartwarming. When I see someone try it for the first time and love it, it means the world to me. It’s a taste of home, and a dish that always makes guests happy (and hungry).” 1117 Decatur St., 581-8120, saintjohnnola.com

CHEF NATHANIEL “NATE” ZIMET

BOUCHERIE

In April, chef Nathaniel Zimet launched “Boucherie Feeds,” a program dedicated to supplying fresh, nutritious, tasty meals to students in low-income areas. In 2020 Covid forced Zimet to change to dinner service only, three nights. With spare time and an available kitchen, Zimet and his team dedicated themselves to furthering their existing school lunch program. They grew the program exponentially to serve children in need. One in five people in New Orleans live with food insecurity, and 64% of children in Orleans Parish are income-eligible for federal nutrition programs. Zimet entered New Orleans’ first ever partnership with the Healthy School Food Collaborative using the kitchens and employees at Boucherie to prepare and deliver meals to 500 public school students throughout the city, in schools and directly to their homes, seven days a week. Zimet’s goal is to grow the program over the next three years to serve 5,000 meals a day. Throughout July, Zimet opened his other restaurant, Bourrée, to serve as a weekend pop-up incubator to give the city’s budding culinarians without a brick-and-mortar location the opportunity to showcase their offerings using Bourree’s restaurant space, free of charge. Popups were welcomed Fridays – Sundays starting at 4 p.m. with Bourree selling their signature fresh fruit daquiris and a choice of beers to guests during pop-ups. Among those culinary entrepreneurs to have benefited from Zimet’s largess were Joel’s Lobster Rolls, Sexy Meatballs, and KusinaNola. Boucherie, 8115 Jeannette St., 504.862.5514, boucherie-nola.com. Bourrée 1510 S Carrollton Ave, 504.510.4040 bourreenola.com

WISHING TOWN BAKERY & CAFÉ

The past two and a half years have brought the rapid ascension of the star that is Wishing Town Bakery & Café. When Vivi and Kevin Zheng, natives of Guangzhou, China moved their small bakery on David Drive into more visible digs in the former home of Morning Call in Metairie in 2020 business took off. Zheng then partnered with Aisha Chen to open a second location Uptown on Magazine and Nashville in the spring of this year. The bakery and dim sum menus at both locations include savory steamed buns, a variety of dumplings, salads, soups, and noodles in addition to the seductive cakes and pastries they started out making in their home kitchen. In September, the menu expanded to include a variety of soft, fluffy Asian-style stuffed

breads that make for an easy, portable choice for breakfast or a snack. The breads are baked fresh each day and include bacon, potato, and cheese; ham and scallion, teriyaki chicken; crab stick with garlic; umami-rich pork floss with ham and corn; and one stuffed with small medallions of chicken and pork hot hog and finished with ketchup, mayonnaise, sesame, and seaweed powder.

Of the latter, remember, this is the place that has successfully won us over with classic flavors as well as Cheeseburger Pocket Dumplings. 802 Nashville Ave., 533-9166, and 3327 Severn Ave, Metairie, 885-8272, wishingtown.com

TAVA

When considering the direction for his new Indian restaurant, Tava’s chef/owner Manish Patel knew it should bring something different to New Orleans. “We didn’t want to do the typical curry and naan situation that a lot of Indian restaurants are known for across the country,” said Patel. Instead, his eatery’s menu celebrates Indian street food, including dosa, fermented rice and lentil crepes that originated in southern India and have caught on quickly with downtown diners. Tava gets its name from the griddles used to cook dosa, and Patel encourages diners to sit at the bar near the dosa station to watch the action. Fillings include traditional masala (potatoes), chole (curried garbanzo beans), lamb vindaloo, and cheese, and they are served on the side to help maintain the dosa’s crisp exterior. Each dosa is plated as a golden-brown cone that begs to be torn, topped, and dunked with accompanying cilantro coconut chutney and sambhar (a lentil vegetable soup). If you’re feeling experimental, Patel is “always down to change out chutneys.” Up the spice factor by ordering a ‘gunpowder dosa,’ in which an aromatic mix of spices, garlic, chilis, and coconut is a sprinkled on the dosa as it cooks, or go fiery with Thai chilis. According to Patel, the majority of customers are familiar with dosa, but for those who are not: “We can make recommendations.” 611 O'Keefe, 766-9612, tavanola.com

MR. B'S

BARBECUED SHRIMP

The iconic barbecued shrimp at Mr. B’s features huge shrimp in a Worcestershirespiked, peppery butter sauce with freshly minced garlic, lemon and other seasonings. “Barbecued shrimp was not invented at Mr. B’s, but we like to think we perfected it,” said Julie Brignac, director of sales and marketing at Mr. B’s. "I say this humbly, of course, but I would say ours is a traditional New Orleans barbecued shrimp. The Worcestershire sauce balances out all of the butter, which gives the dish its richness and flavorful taste.” Try it with a glass of crisp sauvignon blanc, so that the acidity can balance out the richness of the dish. And of course, don’t forget to dip slices of hot, crispy French bread in the sauce. 201 Royal St., 523-2078, mrbsbistro.com

DOSA

25Christina Balzebre, owner of Levee Baking Co., opened shop in July 2019, but, before that, she was doing popups, farmers markets and wholesale baking. Her vegan salted chocolate olive oil cookie is a must-try. “It’s a rendition of a childhood favorite—a double chocolate chip cookie with added flavor from olive oil and flakey salt,” she said. “The reason this cookie might be considered innovative

is because it’s dairy- and egg-free, but vegan baking is really about finding the balance of ingredient substitutions until it’s just right. Using oil instead of butter is common in baking, but olive oil lends a different flavor profile. In Italian baking, olive oil and chocolate is paired often, and it’s a really delicious combination. The olive oil is peppery and bitter; the chocolate, while also bitter, is balanced with sweetener and is complemented by the olive oil; and flakey salt on top brings out those flavors.” 3138 Magazine St., Ste. D, 354-8708, leveebakingco.com

A N A CI

THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

BY BETH D'ADDONO ILLUSTRATION BY JIALEI SUN

The more than 14 million workers in the restaurant industry – 10 percent of the American workforce - are the most at risk for illicit drug and substance use disorders and the third most at risk for heavy alcohol use, muscled out of that top spot by mining and construction respectively.

These numbers, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration are no surprise to anybody in the business. A highly charged industry fraught with peril, hospitality has long wreaked havoc on the physical and mental health of many of its workers, from hourly servers and bartenders to back of the house workers to salaried management.

The expectation has always been for a relatively young labor pool to operate perfectly in a high stress environment. Business as usual meant performing at breakneck speed despite heavy workloads, low pay, insane hours, exposure to misogyny, sexual harassment, racial discrimination, verbal abuse and a tribal culture that often relied on drugs and alcohol to self-medicate.

No wonder hospitality workers, from the cooks who plate your food to the dishwashers who cleanup to the servers and bartenders who try to serve with a smile, are not ok. The service industry is not even close to being back to “normal” whatever that means in today’s current state of affairs, where everything from inflation to supply chain and labor issues dominate the conversation.

In New Orleans, where hospitality is the primary economic driver, COVID-19 exacerbated what was already an industry in crisis. When COVID-19 raged, restaurant workers were suddenly considered essential. Managers and owners found themselves on the front lines of enforcing rules and regulations that had nothing to do with what was on the menu. As friends, neighbors, family and community suffered a rollercoaster of pandemic anxiety, losses mounted. To dine in a restaurant, even socially distant, outside, masked up, was the balm of Gilead, a hint of the life that used to be. Customers were grateful, generous and solicitous.

But that pandemic honeymoon is over. “Customers are back to acting like entitled assholes,” said one Uptown chef. A labor shortage was spawned, with hospitality workers exiting the industry in droves. “I can take a lot less abuse for

a lot more money,” was how one worker explained his career shift into sales. Restauranters and customers are heard saying, again and again, ‘Nobody wants to work. Where did all the workers go?’ “They say it right in front of us, and we are the ones working,” said one server, rolling her eyes.

But here’s the thing. The conversation is happening. We are talking about mental health and substance abuse, about equity, safe spaces, fair wages. OK, maybe the conversation was forced by a perfect storm that swirled around #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter and the COVID-19 pandemic. Doesn’t matter. In New Orleans, of all places, there’s too much on the line to not fix what’s broken.

IN THE TRENCHES

“Being in the service industry can be like being in an abusive relationship,” said one 49-year-old bartender, who has been in the business more than two decades, most of that spent in the French Quarter. “You keep coming back to it despite the pain.” Speaking on the condition of anonymity, she recalls years of “pervie” managers and owners, verbally abusive chefs and rude customers. “I did it because the money was good,” she said.

She now works in fast casual on the edge of the Quarter, a place where she feels supported by manage ment. “I feel lucky – I have friends who are killing themselves at white tablecloth restaurants. Those places chew you up. I have one friend who is making six figures but has no life. He’s miserable. Another friend of mine left that same place because of the racism he saw. He called it The Plantation.”

Celebrated bartender Abigail Gulla got to the party late at 39, drawn to the performance aspect of hospitality. Feeling stifled in New York as a woman wanting to run her own bar, she came to New Orleans in 2012. “In New York, if you didn’t have a moustache, it was tough to move up. In L.A. you had to be super good looking. In New Orleans, I felt like I could be myself.”

After doing more but making significantly less money every year, she left in 2018. “They didn’t want to pay me a salary for what I did, and I was done working for tips,” she recalled. Gulla recently came back to take a management position as creative director at LOA in the International House Hotel.

“Many of us are in hospitality because we love what

we do. We love creating that sense of community. We are the gateway to a wonderful experience, but that community can turn on you. A lot of my friends took a step back and figured, ‘We don’t need this grind, for what?’”

Gulla believes that women still don’t get credit for the emotional intelligence they bring to the job. “There’s been movement, thanks to organizations like Turning Tables, which brings more women and people of color to their rightful place at the table. But they can only do so much - the real work has to be done in the community. How does the community treat people of color and women? Generally, not good.”

Beyond the Bar is another noteworthy program making a difference. An outgrowth of Tales of the Cocktail, which just celebrated its 20th year, Beyond the Bar is an in-person and virtual program that creates a safe space for physical and mental wellness and sobriety. “Physical health is deeply tied to mental health and longevity in career. We wanted to address that,” said Lola Thomas, program director for the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation.

Chef Martha Gilreath, executive chef at the Chicory House in the Rink, has worked in hospitality for more than 20 years since she was 16. She is almost three years sober. “Dealing with all that sexism, heat and anger in the kitchen, we’d all go drinking until four or five in the morning. Then get up and do it all again. It was like being part of an exclusive club. I wanted to belong to it. Like every night was the cast party after the show closed. One big soap opera.”

She didn’t realize the downward spiral, didn’t know she needed help or how to ask. “Nothing against partying if you aren’t hurting people and can put it down. I was not that person.” After battling depression and living unhoused for years, Gilreath woke up one day knowing she didn’t want to die. “I knew how to get high, how to survive on the street. I didn’t know how to live sober as a kind, mindful woman.”

Now that she has a kitchen of her own, Gilreath is fierce about creating a safe place for employees to be heard and get the help and resources they need. Decisions – like opting to work four 10-hour days with three off – are made as a team. She wants her team to feel supported and heard. “That bad boy chef mentality has to stop. It’s killing people.”

HELP IS AVAILABLE

It’s not so easy, as a small restaurant owner without a safety net, to stretch limited resources and do the right thing. Sophina Uong tries, every day. Uong, chef/owner of Mister Mao Uptown, has worked in the business for more than 25 years, the past five or so as an owner or manager. “COVID-19 has clearly changed people. We aren’t as optimistic about the world.”

She wants to be part of the change. Uong has gotten serious about ongoing Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiatives and despite chronic labor shortages, a 50-hour work week is the norm. “If they work more, it’s bonus pay.”

Uong has seen depression, mental health issues and addiction in her own life, with family and friends, and sees those issues in the workplace. “We want to take care of our people, but we don’t have deep pockets.” When she heard of WeHelp New Orleans, it was a no brainer to sign up.

Established in 2020 by Oliva McCoy, WeHelp offers restaurant owners deeply discounted access to mental health care for their employees. For restaurants with 25 or less employees, the monthly fee is $250, which includes two free monthly counseling sessions per worker and access to discounted holistic wellness services. All treatment is confidential, with the owner given a monthly report showing how many services were accessed by how many employees. “Last month I had five employees using WeHelp,” said Uong. “That makes it worth it.”

“Cost and convenience are the two major obstacles for hospitality workers who need mental health counseling,” said McCoy, herself a longtime restaurant worker. “I saw an immense need; I saw so many of my friends succumbing. Trying to locate a provider, if you even have health insurance, seemed insurmountable.” The idea of a subscription service that spread the costs around and brought help within easy reach took hold.

Katie Abadie is one of the WeHelp mental health professionals. “It was a great way to give back outside of my private practice,” she said. Abadie, who host essed during college, recalls the physical and mental exhaustion of the work. She sees workers dealing with addiction, depression, anxiety, relationship and family problems. “If a person can’t afford to pay rent, if their car is broken down, if their family is in crisis, how can we expect them not to be dysfunctional. They bring those traumas to work.”

Keith Chazin is another therapist involved in the program. He worked in kitchens for a few decades and experienced industry stresses firsthand. “It certainly can perpetuate pre-existing conditions,” he said. “It’s hard, stressful work. At the end of the day, taking care

of guests looks much differently if the people providing the care are doing ok themselves.”

Currently 46 restaurants work with the WeHelp New Orleans program, a wide-ranging list that incluides Turkey and the Wolf, Marjie’s, Blue Oak BBQ, Liuzza’s by the Track, Le Chat Noir, Addis, Bearcat and more, a list that continues to expand.

Chef Alex Harrell is well versed on the stresses inherent to hospitality. Harrell’s career has ranged from working his way up in kitchens to running his own restaurant, and managing hotel dining, first at Hotel Peter and Paul and now at Virgin Hotel New Orleans. The first eight years of his career he partied hard. Drinking became central in his life.

“A lot of people saw a change in me, but I wouldn’t listen,” he recalled. “The light came on when I realized I was starting to think about when I could drink again. I was planning it, putting mental effort into it. I was like, oh shit, that’s not normal. I was starting to lose everything that mattered to me.”

He made the choice to get sober in 2004. “The first meeting I went to, I had my hat pulled down over my eyes, dreading it. I saw a well-known chef in the room, and something just opened up inside. I realized I could do what I love, be a chef, and not drink.” Harrell now facilitates the local chapter of Ben’s Friends, a secular, hospitality focused group program founded in Charleston in 2016 by Steve Palmer and Mickey Bakst after their mutual friend Ben took his life because of addiction.

The local in-person meetings happen every Monday at 11a.m. at NOCHI Dining Lab 725 Howard Avenue in the Tisch Classroom on the third floor, with multiple Zoom meetings offered daily. “For me, when I had my first daughter, she became the reason for me not to drink every day,” said Harrell. “The weekly meeting is a place to support each other and share our stories.”

WOKE UP

Polly Watts started her career as a corporate worker at BellSouth. Everybody had health insurance, mental health benefits, addiction counseling for employees and their families. When her dad opened Avenue Pub in 1987, like everybody else in the business, none of that existed for his employees. When she took over her dad’s bar in 2006, she saw work that needed to be done. Watts just sold the bar but is well known for her outspoken activism on behalf of service workers.

Although she set a high bar, offering subsidized health insurance for workers, connecting them with a social worker to help navigate health and family challenges

and paying above the industry standard. But she notes that not every initiative costs money.

“Something as simple as giving people their schedules in advance so they can plan their doctor’s appointments, these are quality of life issues.” Paying employees fairly and treating them well is good business, said Watts. Her longtime GM Eileen Matuszewski got her first hospitality job at McDonalds at 16. She’s cycled through front and back of the house and knows from experience that if an owner is oblivious to an employee’s problems – say her special needs son can’t ride the school bus, or Uber drivers don’t take a worker to New Orleans East at two in the morning – that employee, no matter how good they are, is going to quit. “You have to problem solve with them.”

“If you approach with an employee first mindset, it makes a difference,” said Watts. “ Start with respect. Our industry has been skewed for many years. We don’t have an unskilled labor force A chef may create the menu, but he’s not cooking 200 covers every night. That takes skill.”

LeBlanc + Smith is a boutique hospitality company rooted in New Orleans, with four restaurants and a hotel in its current portfolio. The company has come through the pandemic leaner and ever more committed to supporting and preserving its workforce through programs like WeHelp, a higher compensation model and a cap on weekly hours and two consecutive days off for salaried workers. “We place a premium on excellence, but never expect perfection,” said co-owner Robert LeBlanc. “When people strive for perfection, they are indecisive, they fret, they are terrified to make a mistake. We encourage learning from experience and taking responsibility when there’s an issue, but there are always ways to make it right.”

Committed to DEI with zero tolerance for any kind of abuse, aggression or discrimination, LeBlanc strives to lead by example, including owning up to his own mistakes to the team. “Look, hospitality skills are highly transferable to other industries, as we now see. We are the only industry that tries to make things harder on ourselves – it’s hard enough doing business in New Orleans. We need to work smarter, not harder. Eliminate things that are wasteful of time, motion and energy. We had a forced pause, and we took that time to tighten things up and double down.”

FINDING BALANCE

For a small business owner like Chaya Conrad, whose Bywater Bakery is a bright hub of neighborhood activity and community support, walking the fine line between supporting employees and keeping necessary professional boundaries in place can be tricky. Six years since she left the corporate world of baking, Conrad is both proud and perplexed most every day. “We strive to support our team members and that’s lot to traverse, from depression and addiction to suicidal thoughts and homelessness. As a compassionate person, when someone is in crisis, you want to help.” She had a well-liked dishwasher who would work for a while, do well, then fall apart and disappear into the world of addiction. “We took him back multiple times, tried to find him housing, but how long can you keep that up?”

Providing a structured workplace, a regular schedule and a supportive environment is a given, said Conrad. “I didn’t want to work in restaurants late hours, surrounded by alcohol, “she said. “My own mental health couldn’t take that. That’s why I opened a bakery.”

Aaron Vogel’s background in theology has informed TurnChange, a restaurant group focused on turning profits and changing lives. Vogel, who has a growing number of District Donut locations, including the latest, District All Day Delicious in the CBD, is committed to running a profitable business while caring deeply for his team member’s holistic health.

The company provides health insurance for full time workers after a year, and contracts with an HR firm to give employees a safe and secure path to air grievances. Vogel understands the challenges that come with the territory. “We don’t know what is going on behind the scenes. We hold our patience, our kindness, our endurance and tact. We suffer long with people who might be coming from places of difficulty that we have no idea about. We do our part all the way until the end of the road - until in some way it’s inappropriate or they just can’t come back to work for a variety of reasons.”

Even when that happens, refusing to get angry, to lack empathy is not negotiable. “We all are enduring difficult times in this industry. As an owner, I know you can’t give and give without replenishing your own personal well. I have five kids, seven restaurants and two business partners. I constantly remind myself of truths that I believe are eternal. That allows me to come back day after day.”

top women in medicine

With over 30 years’ experience researching, reviewing, and selecting Top Doctors, Castle Connolly is a trusted and credible healthcare research and information company. Our mission is to help people find the best healthcare by connecting patients with best-in-class healthcare providers.

Castle Connolly’s physician-led team of researchers follows a rigorous screening process to select top doctors on both the national and regional levels. Its online nomination process is open to all licensed physicians in America who are able to nominate physicians in any medical specialty and in any part of the country, as well as indicate whether the nominated physician(s) is, in their opinion, among the best in their region in their medical specialty or among the best in the nation in their medical specialty. Then, Castle Connolly’s research team thoroughly vets each physician’s professional qualifica tions, education, hospital and faculty appointments, research leadership, professional reputation, disciplinary history and if available, outcomes data. Additionally, a physician’s interper sonal skills such as listening and communicating effectively,

demonstrating empathy, and instilling trust and confidence, are also considered in the review process. The Castle Connolly Doctor Directory is the largest network of peer-nominated physicians in the nation.

Through the nomination process, Castle Connolly also identifies female physicians for their annual Exceptional Women in Medicine award. This award was created by Castle Connolly in order to recognize female physicians who are often underrepresented among award recipients in the medical community. Physicians selected to be recognized for this honor are a subset of the female Top Doctors on their website who are the best in their specialties, in their communities and throughout the nation, delivering exceptional patient care. This award not only recognizes physicians who have greatly contributed to healthcare through clinical care, research, community service, education and leadership, but they have also improved healthcare outcomes for issues specific to women. Physicians do not pay and cannot pay to be selected and profiled for Exceptional Women in Medicine award.

ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY

MARRERO

Sonia Kamboj

Breathe Easy Allergy & Asthma

1111 Medical Center Boulevard, Suite N-804 (504) 662-1203

NEW ORLEANS

Margaret Huntwork

Tulane Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology Clinic 1415 Tulane Avenue, 7th Floor (504) 988-8600

Reena Mehta

Uptown Allergy & Asthma 2622 Jena Street (504) 605-5351

Laurianne Wild

Tulane Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology Clinic 1415 Tulane Avenue (504) 988-8600

SLIDELL

Jennifer Olivier

SMH Physicians Network Allergy Clinic 1051 Gause Boulevard, Suite 400 (985) 280-5350

ANESTHESIOLOGY

NEW ORLEANS Katherine Cox

Tulane Medical Center 1415 Tulane Avenue (504) 988-5263

CARDIAC ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY

NEW ORLEANS Colleen J. Johnson

Tulane Cardiology Clinic 1415 Tulane Avenue, 4th Floor (504) 988-6113

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

NEW ORLEANS

Sapna V. Desai

John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute 1514 Jefferson Highway, 3rd Floor (504) 842-4721

CHILD & ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY

NEW ORLEANS

Ashley Weiss

Tulane Doctors Specialty Psychiatry Clinic 4000 Bienville Street, Suite G (504) 988-0301

CHILD NEUROLOGY

NEW ORLEANS

Allison H. Conravey

Ochsner Health Center For Children

1319 Jefferson Highway (504) 842-3900

Ann Tilton

Children’s Hospital

New Orleans

200 Henry Clay Avenue (504) 896-2888

Maria B. Weimer

Children’s Hospital

New Orleans 200 Henry Clay Avenue, Suite 3040 (504) 896-9319

COLON & RECTAL SURGERY

METAIRIE Jennifer D. Silinsky

Colon & Rectal Surgery Associates 3100 Galleria Drive, Suite 303 (504) 456-5108

NEW ORLEANS

Jacquelyn S. Turner

Tulane Surgery and GI Clinic 1415 Tulane Avenue, 6th Floor (504) 988-5110

DERMATOLOGY

HARVEY Diane N. Trieu Trieu Dermatology

1525 Lapalco Boulevard, Suite 20 (504) 517-2025

LACOMBE Christel C. Malinski

Malinski Dermatology 64040 Highway 434, Suite 103 (985) 202-3376

MANDEVILLE

Martha E. Stewart Martha E. Stewart Dermatology 4060 Lonesome Road (985) 727-7701

METAIRIE Elizabeth F. Bucher

The Skin Surgery Centre 1615 Metairie Road, Suite 101 (504) 644-4226

Julie G. Danna

Ochsner Dermatology

2005 Veterans Memorial Boulevard (504) 842-3940

Patricia Farris

Sanova Dermatology

701 Metairie Road, Suite 2A205 (504) 836-2050

Mara Alena Haseltine

Pure Dermatology

3100 Galleria Drive, Suite 203 (504) 226-7873

Marilyn C. Ray

Ochsner Dermatology

2005 Veterans Memorial Boulevard (504) 842-3940

Nicole Elaine Rogers

Hair Restoration of the South 3100 Galleria Drive, Suite 201 (504) 315-4247

NEW ORLEANS

Erin E. Boh

Tulane Dermatology Clinic 1415 Tulane Avenue, 5th Floor (504) 988-1700

Patricia R. Hickham

Hickham Dermatology & Med Spa

4141 Bienville Street, Suite 108 (504) 962-7771

Deirdre O. Hooper

Audubon Dermatology 3525 Prytania Street, Suite 501 (504) 895-3376

Leah G. Jacob

Tulane Dermatology Clinic 1415 Tulane Avenue, 5th Floor (504) 988-1700

Kathryn G. Kerisit

Ochsner Health CenterMid-City at Canal 4100 Canal Street (504) 703-2750

Mary P. Lupo

Lupo Center for Aesthetic & General Dermatology 145 Robert E. Lee Boulevard, Suite 302 (504) 288-2381

Julie Mermilliod

Ochsner Medical Center 1514 Jefferson Highway, 11th Floor (504) 842-3940

Sharon S. Meyer Sanova Dermatology 3434 Prytania Street, Suite 310 (504) 897-5899

Andrea T. Murina Tulane Dermatology Clinic 1415 Tulane Avenue, 5th Floor (504) 988-1700

Suneeta S. Walia Ochsner Medical Center 1514 Jefferson Highway, 11th Floor (504) 842-3940

Laura C. Williams

Tulane Dermatology Clinic 1415 Tulane Avenue, 5th Floor (504) 988-1700

Katy L. Wiltz

Southern Dermatology of New Orleans 2633 Napoleon Avenue, Suite 1020 (504) 891-8004

SLIDELL Helene Erickson Ochsner North Shore 105 Medical Center Drive, Suite 303 (985) 639-3777

DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY

METAIRIE Cynthia W. Hanemann Tulane Lakeside Hospital 4700 South I-10 Service Road (504) 780-8282

ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES & METABOLISM

MARRERO

Marideli C. Scanlan West Jefferson Medical Center Endocrinology 1111 Medical Center Boulevard, Suite S850 (504) 349-6824

NEW ORLEANS Brandy Panunti Ochsner Medical Center 1514 Jefferson Highway (504) 842-4023

FAMILY MEDICINE

MADISONVILLE Catherine Pechon St. Tammany Physicians Network Madisonville Clinic 1520 Highway 22 West (985) 898-4001

MANDEVILLE Nathalie MascherpaKerkow St. Tammany Physicians Network - Mandeville 201 St. Ann Drive, Suite B (985) 898-4001

METAIRIE Clarissa J. Hoff Tulane Doctors - Family Medicine 2800 Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Suite 140 (504) 988-0501

Rachana Sus Tulane Lakeside Primary Care Clinic 4720 South I-10 Service Road West, Suite 101 (504) 988-8050

NEW ORLEANS Ariel Aguillard Ochsner Community Health Brees Family Center 5950 Bullard Avenue, Suite 101 (504) 354-4188

Vernilyn N. Juan

Crescent City Physicians 3434 Prytania Street, Suite 105 (504) 897-8240

Radha Raman Oak Street Medical 8708 Oak Street (504) 865-0805

Priya P. Velu

Ochsner Health CenterTchoupitoulas 5300 Tchoupitoulas Street, Suite C2 (504) 703-3070

NEW ORLEANS

Natalie H. Bzowej

Ochsner Medical Center 4429 Clara Street, Suite 600 (504) 842-3925

Rebekah H. Lemann

Metropolitan Gastroenterology Associates 2820 Napoleon Avenue, Suite 720 (504) 896-8670

Shamita Bhupendra Shah

Ochsner Medical Center 1514 Jefferson Highway (504) 842-4015

GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY

NEW ORLEANS

Pui C. Cheng Crescent City Physicians 3434 Prytania Street, Suite 320 (504) 897-7142

Jessica J. Shank

Tulane Cancer Center Clinic 150 South Liberty Street (504) 988-6300

HAND SURGERY

METAIRIE Kelly L. Babineaux LSU Plastic and Hand Surgery Clinic 3601 Houma Boulevard, Suite 300 (504) 412-1240

HEMATOLOGY

METAIRIE Maissaa Janbain Tulane Doctors Louisiana Center for Bleeding and Clotting Disorders 4720 South I-10 Service Road West (504) 988-5433

NEW ORLEANS Hana F. Safah Tulane Cancer Center Clinic 150 South Liberty Street (504) 988-6300

HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE MEDICINE

NEW ORLEANS

Sonia Malhotra University Medical Center New Orleans 2001 Tulane Avenue (504) 702-3669

INFECTIOUS DISEASE

NEW ORLEANS

Katherine Baumgarten Ochsner Medical Center 1514 Jefferson Highway (504) 842-4005

Sandra A. Kemmerly

Ochsner Medical Center 1514 Jefferson Highway (504) 842-4005

INTERNAL MEDICINE COVINGTON

Susan F. Ovella

Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group 728 West 11th Avenue (985) 730-7195

NEW ORLEANS

Jennifer M. Bertsch

Crescent City Physicians 3700 Saint Charles Avenue, 4th Floor (504) 897-7007

Jan Cooper

New Orleans East Clinic 5646 Read Boulevard, Suite 200 (504) 372-5100

Marlowe M. Maylin

Tulane Medical Center 1415 Tulane Avenue (504) 988-5800

Isis T. Smith

UMCNO Ambulatory Care Center 2000 Canal Street (504) 962-6338

Erica V. Tate

University Medical Center New Orleans

2001 Tulane Avenue, 2nd Floor (504) 962-6330

INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY

NEW ORLEANS

Madhur A. Roberts

Tulane Cardiology Clinic 1415 Tulane Avenue, 4th Floor (504) 988-6113

MATERNAL & FETAL MEDICINE

METAIRIE

Chi P. Dola

Tulane Center for Women’s Health 4720 South I-10 Service Road West, Suite 302 (504) 988-8070

Cecilia Gambala

Tulane Center for Women’s Health 4720 South I-10 Service Road West, Suite 302 (504) 988-8070

Gabriella C. Pridjian

Tulane Center for Women’s Health 4720 South I-10 Service Road West, Suite 302 (504) 988-8070

NEW ORLEANS

Debora Kimberlin

Ochsner Baptist Women’s Pavilion 2700 Napoleon Avenue (866) 624-7637

MEDICAL ONCOLOGY

NEW ORLEANS

Bridgette Collins-Burow

Tulane Cancer Center Clinic 150 South Liberty Street (504) 988-6300

Jodi L. Layton

Tulane Cancer Center Clinic

150 South Liberty Street (504) 988-6300

NEPHROLOGY

MARRERO

Hui Jin Kim

New Orleans Nephrology Associates 1111 Medical Center Boulevard, Suite N511 (504) 349-6301

NEW ORLEANS

Jing Chen

Tulane Medical Center 1415 Tulane Avenue (504) 988-5030

Annalisa B. Perez

LSU Health

St. Charles Multispecialty Clinic 3700 St. Charles Avenue, 2nd Floor (504) 412-1366

Angela D. Reginelli

Uptown Nephrology

3434 Prytania Street, Suite 300 (504) 897-4425

Catherine Staffeld-Coit

Ochsner Medical Center

Multi-Organ Transplant Institute 1514 Jefferson Highway, 1st Floor (504) 842-3925

NEUROLOGY

COVINGTON

Rana Abusoufeh

Tulane DoctorsNeurosciences 101 Judge Tanner Boulevard, Suite 402 (985) 951-3222

Michele Theresa Longo

Tulane DoctorsNeurosciences

101 Judge Tanner Boulevard, Suite 402 (985) 951-3222

Sarah Perez

Tulane DoctorsNeurosciences

101 Judge Tanner Boulevard, Suite 402 (985) 951-3222

NEW ORLEANS

Bridget A. Bagert

Ochsner Medical Center

1514 Jefferson Highway, 7th Floor (504) 842-3980

Elizabeth C. Crabtree

Tulane Neurosciences Center 1415 Tulane Avenue, 5th Floor (504) 988-5561

Neda Hidarilak

Tulane Neurosciences Center 1415 Tulane Avenue, 5th Floor (504) 988-5561

Jessica B. Kraker

Tulane Neurosciences Center 1415 Tulane Avenue, 5th Floor (504) 988-5561

Uma Menon

Ochsner Medical Center 1514 Jefferson Highway (504) 842-3980

Holly C. Rutherford

Tulane Neurosciences Center 1415 Tulane Avenue, 5th Floor (504) 988-5561

RACELAND

Jamie B. Huddleston Ochsner Specialty Health Center 141 Twin Oaks Drive (985) 537-2666

OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

COVINGTON Jill Gibson 106 Highland Park Plaza (985) 898-5990

Nancy N. Thomas Ochsner Women’s Health Center 71380 Highway 21 (985) 875-2828

GRETNA

Elizabeth N. Blanton

The Women’s Medical Center 515 Westbank Expressway (504) 366-7233

KENNER

Veronica Gillispie Ochsner Health Center - Kenner 200 West Esplanade Avenue, Suite 501 (504) 464-8506

Amy Truitt Ochsner Health Center - Kenner 200 West Esplanade Avenue, Suite 501 (504) 464-8506

METAIRIE

Amy N. Grace

Lakeside Women’s Services 4720 South I-10 Service Road, Suite 205 (504) 779-8282

Amy Vaughan

Tulane Women’s Services 4720 South I-10 Service Road West, Suite 104 (504) 988-2160

NEW ORLEANS

Elizabeth Lapeyre

Ochsner Baptist 2700 Napoleon Avenue (504) 842-4155

Amber Naresh

Tulane Multispecialty Clinic 200 Broadway Street, Suite 230 (504) 988-9000

Angela M. Parise

Ochsner Baptist 2700 Napoleon Avenue (504) 842-4155

Rebecca U. Perret

Crescent City Physicians 3434 Prytania Street, Suite 130 (504) 897-7580

Margaret Roberie

Ochsner Baptist 2700 Napoleon Avenue (504) 842-4155

Janet Ross

Crescent City Physicians 3525 Prytania Street, Suite 206 (504) 897-8281

OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

METAIRIE Pratibha Rayapati Tulane Women's Services 4720 S. I-10 Service Road West, Suite 502 (504) 988-2160

NEW ORLEANS

Donna S. Waters

Crescent City Physicians 3434 Prytania Street, Suite 320 (504) 897-7142

Anna White

Ochsner Baptist 2700 Napoleon Avenue (504) 842-4155

RETINA

Ellen R. Kruger

Ochsner Medical CenterWest Bank 120 Ochsner Boulevard (504) 391-8896

SLIDELL

Diana L. Clavin

Camellia City OB/GYN 1150 Robert Boulevard, Suite 360 (985) 781-4848

THIBODAUX

Anne Rodrigue

Thibodaux Regional Women’s Clinic 604 North Acadia Road, Suite 500 (985) 448-1216

OPHTHALMOLOGY

MANDEVILLE

Marilu O’Byrne

O’Byrne Eye Clinic 1580 West Causeway Approach, Suite 3 (985) 624-5573

NEW ORLEANS

Rebecca C. Metzinger Tulane Ophthalmology Clinic 1415 Tulane Avenue,

4th Floor (504) 988-5831

THIBODAUX Nano Karen Zeringue Southern Eye Institute 900 Canal Boulevard, Suite 3 (985) 448-3353

ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY COVINGTON McCall McDaniel St. Tammany Health System’s Bone and Joint Clinic 71211 Highway 21 (985) 893-9922

NEW ORLEANS

Anna R. Cohen-Rosenblum University Medical Center New Orleans 2001 Tulane Avenue (504) 702-3000

Mary K. Mulcahey

Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine 202 Janet Yulman Way (504) 988-8476

Leslie Elaine Sisco

Ochsner Medical Center 1514 Jefferson Highway, 5th Floor (504) 842-3970

OTOLARYNGOLOGY

COVINGTON Kathy L. Chauvin ENT & Plastic Surgery Specialists of Louisiana 350 Lakeview Court, Suite A (985) 845-2677

NEW ORLEANS

Elisabeth H. Rareshide Ochsner ENT 2820 Napoleon Avenue, Suite 820 (504) 314-4420

PAIN MEDICINE COVINGTON C. Ann Conn Advanced Pain Institute 187 Greenbriar Boulevard, Suite A (985) 345-7246

PATHOLOGY

NEW ORLEANS Shams K. Halat Tulane Medical Center 1415 Tulane Avenue (504) 988-5224

PEDIATRIC ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY

NEW ORLEANS Cathryn C. Hassett Ochsner Medical Center 1514 Jefferson Highway (504) 842-6742

PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY

NEW ORLEANS Tamara T. Bradford The Heart Center at Children’s Hospital 200 Henry Clay Avenue (504) 896-9751

Kelly Gajewski

The Heart Center at Children’s Hospital 200 Henry Clay Avenue (504) 896-9751

Shannon K. Powell

The Heart Center at Children’s Hospital 200 Henry Clay Avenue (504) 896-9751

Patricia E. Thomas

Ochsner Health Center for Children 1319 Jefferson Highway (504) 842-5200

PEDIATRIC CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE

NEW ORLEANS

Cara J. Lasley

The Heart Center at Children’s Hospital 200 Henry Clay Avenue (504) 896-9732

PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY

NEW ORLEANS

Ilana Fortgang Ochsner Health Center for Children 1315 Jefferson Highway (866) 624-7637

PEDIATRIC HEMATOLOGYONCOLOGY

NEW ORLEANS

Lolie Yu Children’s Hospital New Orleans 200 Henry Clay Avenue (504) 896-9740

SLIDELL

Tammuella E. ChrisenterySingleton Louisiana Center for Advanced Medicine 2053 Gause Boulevard East, Suite 200 (985) 259-8045

PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE

NEW ORLEANS

Margarita Silio Children’s Hospital New Orleans 200 Henry Clay Avenue (504) 896-2888

PEDIATRIC OTOLARYNGOLOGY

NEW ORLEANS

Adele K. Evans

Children’s Hospital New Orleans 200 Henry Clay Avenue (504) 896-2888

Belinda A. Mantle Children’s Hospital New Orleans 200 Henry Clay Avenue (504) 896-2888

Kimsey H. Rodriguez

Ochsner Medical Center 1514 Jefferson Highway (504) 842-4080

PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY

NEW ORLEANS

Adrienne P. Savant Children’s Hospital New Orleans 200 Henry Clay Avenue (504) 896-9436

Kristin N. Van Hook

Ochsner Health Center for Children 1315 Jefferson Highway (504) 842-3900

PEDIATRIC SURGERY

NEW ORLEANS Mary L. Brandt Children’s Hospital New Orleans 200 Henry Clay Avenue (504) 896-2888

Jessica A. Zagory Children’s Hospital New Orleans 200 Henry Clay Avenue (504) 894-5562

PEDIATRICS

CHALMETTE Quynh-Anh Tran Children’s International Medical Group 8250 West Judge Perez Drive (504) 279-5547

COVINGTON Sharon Lilly Fairway Pediatrics 7020 North Highway 190, Suite C (985) 871-7337

Nancy Mula Fairway Pediatrics 7020 North Highway 190, Suite C (985) 871-7337

Kathryn Quarls Fairway Pediatrics 7020 North Highway 190, Suite C (985) 871-7337

MADISONVILLE Linda Keefer St. Tammany Pediatrics 1520 Highway 22 West (985) 773-1600

MANDEVILLE Jill Fitzpatrick

Ochsner Health CenterEast Mandeville 3235 East Causeway Approach (985) 875-2828

Pamela E. Richard

Ochsner Health CenterEast Mandeville 3235 East Causeway Approach (985) 875-2828

METAIRIE Mamatha Ananth A & G Pediatrics 3001 Division Street, Suite 206 (504) 267-9001

Laura Classen Boykin

Ochsner Health Center

For Children - Metairie 4901 Veterans Memorial Boulevard (504) 887-1133

Theresa L. Dise

Children’s Hospital Pediatrics 4740 South I-10 Service Road West, Suite 200 (504) 894-5479

Patrice Evers

Children’s Hospital Pediatrics 4740 South I-10 Service Road West, Suite 200 (504) 894-5479

Reita Lawrence

Pelican Pediatric Physicians 3100 Kingman Street (504) 887-6355

Rayne F. Schexnayder

Ochsner Health Center For Children - Metairie 4901 Veterans Memorial Boulevard (504) 887-1133

Nicole N. Sheldon

Children’s Hospital Pediatrics 4740 South I-10 Service Road West, Suite 200 (504) 894-5479

Elizabeth Theriot

Ochsner Health Center

For Children - Metairie 4901 Veterans Memorial Boulevard (504) 887-1133

NEW ORLEANS

Betty P. Lo-Blais LSU Healthcare Network 3700 St. Charles Avenue, 2nd Floor (504) 412-1366

M. Nora Oates

Hales Pediatrics 3525 Prytania Street, Suite 602 (504) 897-0744

RIVER RIDGE

Janine T. Lissard Ochsner River RidgePediatrics 9605 Jefferson Highway, Suite J (504) 703-3270

SLIDELL

Tara E. Mitchell

Ochsner Health Center for Children - Slidell 2370 Gause Boulevard East (985) 639-3755

THIBODAUX

Anne T. Boudreaux Preferred Pediatrics 142 Rue Marguerite (985) 449-7529

PLASTIC SURGERY

METAIRIE

Abigail E. Chaffin Tulane Breast & Surgery Clinic 4720 South I-10 Service Road West, Suite 100 (504) 988-8100

PSYCHIATRY NEW ORLEANS Jennifer Greco Integrated Behavioral Health 400 Poydras Street, Suite 1950 (504) 322-3837

Holly MacKenna

Dara Wellness

1900 South Carrollton Avenue (504) 356-1624

PULMONARY DISEASE KENNER Carol Mason Ochsner LSU Multispecialty 200 West Esplanade Avenue, Suite 701 (504) 412-1705

NEW ORLEANS

Christine Bojanowski Tulane Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology Clinic 1415 Tulane Avenue, 7th Floor (504) 988-8600

Nereida A. Parada

Tulane Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology Clinic 1415 Tulane Avenue (504) 988-8600

RADIATION ONCOLOGY NEW ORLEANS Kendra Harris Tulane Cancer Center Clinic 150 South Liberty Street (504) 988-1070

Ellen L. Zakris

Crescent City Physicians 1401 Foucher Street (504) 897-8387

REPRODUCTIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY/ INFERTILITY METAIRIE Belinda M. Sartor The Fertility Institute 4770 South I-10 Service Road West (504) 454-2165

NEW ORLEANS

Lindsay M. Wells

Audubon Fertility & Reproductive Medicine 4321 Magnolia Street (504) 891-1390

RHEUMATOLOGY

NEW ORLEANS

Madelaine Feldman The Rheumatology Group 2633 Napoleon Avenue, Suite 530 (504) 899-1120

Chandana Keshavamurthy Ochsner Medical Center 1514 Jefferson Highway, 5th Floor (504) 842-3920

Karen A. Toribio

Ochsner Medical Center 1514 Jefferson Highway, 5th Floor (504) 842-3920

Tamika A. Webb-Detiege Ochsner Medical Center 1514 Jefferson Highway, 5th Floor (504) 842-3920

SPORTS MEDICINE

NEW ORLEANS

Christine M. Keating

Ochsner Baptist Back and Spine Center 2820 Napoleon Avenue (504) 842-2000

SURGERY

NEW ORLEANS

Mary Killackey

Tulane Transplant Institute Clinic 1415 Tulane Avenue, 6th Floor (504) 988-5344

Shauna M. Levy Tulane Surgery and GI Clinic 1415 Tulane Avenue, 6th Floor (504) 988-5110

Shawn A. McKinney

University Medical Center New Orleans 2000 Canal Street (504) 702-3311

UROGYNECOLOGY/ FEMALE PELVIC MEDICINE & RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY

METAIRIE Margie Kahn Tulane Center for Women’s Health 4720 South I-10 Service Road West, Suite 302 (504) 988-8070

NEW ORLEANS

Leise R. Knoepp

Ochsner Baptist 2700 Napoleon Avenue (504) 842-4155

UROLOGY

NEW ORLEANS

Melissa M. Montgomery Ochsner Medical Center 1514 Jefferson Highway, 4th Floor (504) 842-4083

VASCULAR & INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY

NEW ORLEANS Dee Malkerneker Ochsner Medical Center 1514 Jefferson Highway (504) 391-5177

Deck the Halls

A quaint holiday retreat

The logging town of Helen in the north Georgia mountains saw its industry die after World War II and folks began moving away. A few enterprising businessmen came up with an idea to entice visitors traveling the highways to and from Florida to pause and enjoy their town. They turned their ordinary-looking village into an Alpine haven.

Today, a trip to Helen is akin to visiting Bavaria. Helen offers more than German architecture and food, although their Octoberfest is the longest in the world, running September through the end of October. There’s also spectacular hiking, tubing and fly fishing on the Chattahoochee, historic buildings and Appalachian traditions and, this time of year, a Bavarian Christmas.

“We’re quickly becoming one of the top Christmas destinations in the United States,” said Jerry Brown, executive director of Alpine Helen/ White County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

Even better, the lights stay up until February to include Fasching, what Brown calls a “German Mardi Gras.”

STAY

Unicoi State Park offers a wide variety of cabins nestled in peaceful woods as well as a lodge with a breath taking view of the mountains and Chattahoochee National Forest. Horseback riding, a zip line, archery and more are regular activities of Unicoi. Nearby Smithgall Woods State Park’s cottages are even more remote, located along the picturesque Duke’s Creek. They’re popular so be sure to reserve way in advance. For

a more upscale experience, Valhalla Resort & Spa on a mountaintop allows visitors views of the Blue Ridge Mountains while sipping craft cocktails.

EAT

Start the day with breakfast at Hofer’s Bakery & Café where owner Ralph Hofer serves up German family recipes and delectable bakery items. The menu at Café International over looking the Chattahoochee River is a favorite among natives; don’t miss their outstanding Reuben sandwich. Bodensee Restaurant offers a wide menu of authentic German Cuisine as well, and Betty’s Country Store is the place to stock up for a cabin getaway.

HOLIDAYS

Helen goes all out for the holidays,

dressing the town with thousands of lights, erecting a 20-foot tree and hosting numerous activities. There’s musical performances, a visit from Santa and the annual Christkindlmarkt at the Marktplatz Dec. 3-4, a traditional German event of food and gift vendors. The Hardman Farm State Historic Site celebrates the inhabitants of its mansion and surrounding farm with a Victorian Christmas from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Dec. 2-17. Enjoy music, wagon rides, caroling s’mores and special sorghum cookies baked on an 19th century store.

Faschingsverein Helen follows Christmas, celebrating a German Carnival tradition with walking parade and a tube ride down the Chattahochee. “There’s horns and drums,” Brown said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

GET OUTSIDE

It’s a short hike to Anna Ruby Falls, a dramatic site that actually involve two falls side by side. Rangers offer guided hikes to the falls, as well as special events throughout the year. Kids might prefer the Georgia Mountain Coaster, a self-propelled alpine roller coaster down the moun tainside in the heart of downtown Helen. Don’t worry, they don’t go that fast, although it sure feels like it. If you’d rather a visit in summertime, Helen is a hotspot for tubing.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALPINE HELEN WHITE COUNTY

1

Hang a holiday wreath above the bed in your guest room.

2

If hosting family or close friends, personalize a length of garland by decorating it with old photos that show your histories together or bring fairy lights, ornaments, votives or a table-top bottle brush tree (the latter sold at Perch) into the space.

3

A seasonal candle such as a pine scent pampers guests with a subtle nod to the season.

CAROLINE ROBERT

Creating the ultimate guest space

For many people, guests are part of the holiday season. Whether they are staying for a single night, known these days as a “dine and sleep”, or an extended visit, making your guests feel welcome and comfortable is key to being a good host or hostess.

For ideas that will make the most of your guest room, Designer Caroline Robert, owner of home furnishings store and interior design source Perch, suggests thinking of the pleasures and luxuries encountered when traveling in style, both in terms of amenities and character.

“Think about the space like a high-end boutique hotel,” she said, noting that too often guest rooms get the second-tier leftovers from

the rest of the house.

To begin with, she advises the necessary furnishings: a comfortable bed, a place to sit, good lighting for tasks and reading, a place for luggage, storage for clothing, a large or full-length mirror if the bedroom doesn’t include its own bathroom, and window coverings with blackout lining that is conducive to quality sleep. Robert says putting a unique spin on those items is what takes a guest room from ordinary to distinctive.

“Think outside the box,” said Robert, who retrofitted an English phone booth found at an estate sale to be used as a closet in a guest room. Instead of a bench or luggage rack, she suggests using an antique trunk as a place for a suitcase. For rugs, she prefers wool because it’s easy to

clean, soft underfoot, and especially cozy in the winter months, when the holidays bring guests. Robert also likes to incorporate a sense of place with a vintage map of New Orleans, books about the city or artwork by locals.

A place to relax – other than a bed – is important for guests. Two of Robert’s favorite ways to fulfill that need is with a comfy chair paired with a floor lamp or side table and lamp, or with a pretty secretary, which serves as both a functional place to work or use a computer as well as a place for a cup of coffee.

Useful accessories and little extras elevate guest accommodations even more. Robert likes quality bed linens and fluffy towels and recommends giving them a special signature — literally — with monogramming. An

antique clock lends a traditional touch and a basket of mini toiletries, a dish or tray for holding jewelry, a phone charger, a plush robe and slippers are indulgences even the most spoiled of travelers will appreciate. A carafe of water on a bedside table is an elegant alternative to plastic bottles and a WiFi password printed on good cardstock is a bespoke, considerate detail sure to make an impression.

“You can make guests comfortable with textures, a thick and comfy wool blanket or quilt and soft things like velvet drapery,” she said. “And you can also add sensory comforts with candles, scented linen wash and dryer sheets that make it nice and clean and fresh.”

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Designer Caroline Robert opened Perch in 2007 with the concept of combining contemporary designs with antique and funky, vintage items. Perch has its own in-house workroom and Robert keeps a supply of vintage fabrics for bringing a one-of-a-kind edge to client projects.

Good Cheer

12 days of celebration and appreciation

Once Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday) wraps up and the last turkey sandwich and bowl of gumbo and slice of pie are all eaten, I’m forced to confront the fact that, ready or not, Christmas is here yet again.

Except as a very young child, Christmas has never been a particularly joyous time of year for me. We never had huge family gatherings – it was mostly just me and my mom – and we didn’t have any special traditions. We’d drive around to see the lights, sure, and we usually made it to Midnight Mass, but I was always happier when it was over and life got back to normal.

For more Eve, check out her blog “Joie d’Eve” on Tuesday mornings at myneworleans.com

With my own children, that’s even more the case. Christmas is indeed more magical through the eyes of a child … but being the one who has to make that magic happen takes a toll. It’s all worth it, of course, but I typically am ready to collapse by around noon on Christmas Day.

Facing my second Christmas without my mom, though, and with my dad in assisted living and my teenage daughter in a constant state of surliness, I’m feeling pretty close to collapse before the season is even fully under way.

My mom always told me to “fake it till you make it,” though, and I guess if I can do anything to honor her memory, it’s that.

So this year, for my mom, I will commit to 12 acts of holiday cheer – one for every day of the fabled 12 days of Christmas

1. Bake cookies. I do this anyway, so this one is a good way to ease into it.

2. Buy Christmas pajamas. Again, this one is a baby step since I love pajamas and would live my life in them if society only would relax.

3. Get a tree. I hate the entire Christmas tree industry and I hate sweeping up needles and I also hate fake trees, so I’m just a general Scrooge about the whole thing. But still. We have kids. We have to get a tree.  4. Do charity work. My mom used to insist on this when I was younger. We’d make sandwiches at St. Anna’s or deliver holiday meals on Christmas morning. I grumbled about it at the time, but I also have fond(ish) memories of helping my mom navigate in her Toyota Tercel while the car windows fogged up with the steam from turkey and peas.

5. Watch Christmas movies. I’m really not a movie person. I’ve never even seen It’s a Wonderful Life. But this year, I guess I’ll give it a try. Maybe in my pajamas.

6. Ride the train at Celebration in the Oaks. Georgia always begs to

do this and soon enough she too will be a surly teenager, so I will take advantage of the time while she still likes me and not only tolerates but enjoys my company.

7. Build a gingerbread house. From a kit, of course. I’m not going to suddenly become craft or anything.

8. Listen to Christmas music – especially “Mary’s Boy Child,” which my mom and I used to sing as “Mary’s Pork Chop” because I misheard the lyrics. I know that’s terribly sacrilegious, but it always made us laugh.

9. Set up my mom’s unique nativity scene. She had the traditional three wise men and Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus, but when Ruby was little, she was fascinated by the camels and donkeys, so my mom started buying extra animals to embellish it. Every year, the girls got to pick an animal, so it now includes kangaroos and toucans and flamingos and a corgi.

10. Go caroling. Grudgingly. This is so not my scene, but my mom desperately tried to get me to go caroling in 2019 and I put her off. In 2020, caroling was canceled due to the pandemic. In 2021, she was gone. I wish I’d gone caroling in 2019.

11. Make a yule log. This is another thing I feel guilty about. My mom really wanted to make a yule log together. I had to make so many roll cakes at Baskin Robbins in college – year-round, not just at the holidays – and so I kept coming up with excuses to not do it because I had bad memories of demanding customers and cracking cakes and fudge-smeared arms. I realized too late that I missed my chance to make better memories.

12. Find joy where I can. Random acts of kindness. Kissing my husband under the mistletoe. Hanging my late sister’s wreath.

And soon enough, Christmas will be over, and it will truly be the most wonderful time of the year: Carnival season!

Naughty and Nice

A cup of holiday cheer

There’s many ways to mark the start of the holiday season, but for some New Orleanians, it begins when Cochon Butcher puts its eggnog on sale. General manager Zack Shelton recounts how they began offering it during COVID to much acclaim, and it is now one of their most popular to-go offerings. Each 50-gallon batch requires about a day’s worth of prep, and Zack notes that care and

attention yields a superior product. Butcher uses sturdy professional mixers to beat the ingredients, but home cooks only need a whisk, a strong forearm and determination. In addition to selling bottles to go, this year Butcher will offer a frozen version of the treat. This eggnog is work, but worth it. After the holiday season passed last year, some guests even remarked that in the stressful times of COVID, the eggnog “made their family dinners tolerable.” ‘Tis the season!

1

Eggs determine the texture of this drink. Make sure you keep any egg yolk out of the whites when you separate them. And yes, you need all three dairy sources. They each impart their own texture and flavor.

2

Don’t use a fancy “sipping whiskey” for this. A solid one like Buffalo Trace works fine. Spiced rums can vary in flavor. Try to find Louisiana made 3 Roll Cinnamon Red Stick Rum if you can.

3

The longer it stays in the refrigerator, the more the flavors will mellow. But as it stores, it also deflates. Give the mixture a quick whisk each time before you serve it.

BUTCHER EGGNOG

12 eggs 2 cups sugar 2 cups milk

2 cups half-and-half 2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 ½ cups spiced rum ½ cup bourbon 1 tsp salt

Separate the egg whites and yolks into two clean mixing bowls. There can be no yolks in the white mixture or they won’t mix correctly. Whip the yolks until light. This can take 15-20 minutes if done by hand, less if using an electric mixer.

Add sugar and salt and whip again until thick and white. The mixture will have the consistency of cake batter. Set aside egg yolk mixture.

Whip the whites until they have soft peaks. If whipping with an electric mixture, stop before you reach this point and finish by hand so you don’t over mix. Egg whites should have the texture of cappuccino foam.

Fold the whites into the yolks. Add all the dairy and alcohol. Mix thoroughly. Pour into mason jars and seal.

BOOZY

BY JYL BENSON

Holiday Feast

A dish fit for friends, family and festing

The Fest of the Seven Fishes, part of the Italian American holiday celebration, is typically consumed on Christmas Eve, which is a vigil or fasting day. The abundance of seafood in the meal reflects the observance from meat until the feast of Christmas Day itself. Eating seven courses of delicious seafood seems not much of a sacrifice. This could be a holiday traditional worth adopting.

I will admit to having been a little intimidated by the thought of working with fresh clams as I have never tackled clams nor mussels, though I love them both. My fears were unwarranted. Clams and mussels are relatively easy to find, not as pricey as I expected, and the preparation is easy.

COOK WITH US!

Join us each third Tuesday of the month and cook along with New Orleans Magazine and our featured chef on Instagram.

@neworleansmagazine

1

I had no trouble finding Littleneck Clams. They were available at Whole Foods and Restaurant Depot.

2

When choosing clams looks for those that are tightly closed. Any opening or crack in the shell will admit more sand and, potentially, bacteria. Give the clams a sniff. If they smell fishy or of ammonia, pass. They should smell, fresh, clean, and lightly briny. Have the fishmonger pack them in a plastic bag set within another plastic bag filled with crushed ice. Do not seal the bag. The clams will suffocate.

3

If necessary, store the clams in an open container in the refriger ator until ready to use, up to two days. Do not put them in a sealed container

4

Check the clams before proceeding with cleaning: Tap the of top of any partially open clam. If a clam does not close its shell, it is dead and should be discarded.

5

To clean the clams first scrub them under running cold water and rinse them with cold water a few times until the water runs clear. In a large bowl, dissolve 1/4 cup of Kosher salt in 4 cups of cold water. Add the washed clams and soak the clams in the refrig erator for a minimum of 20 minutes or up to 2 hours. Soaking in salted water helps to draw out the sand. Drain and rinse the clams in cold water before proceeding with the recipe.

SPAGHETTI WITH FRESH

LITTLENECK CLAMS

Shared by Chef de Cuisine

Jared Heider, Gianna Serves 4

1pound dried spaghetti or 1 1/2 pounds fresh spaghetti

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

40 littleneck clams (or similar), cleaned and refrigerated (see NOTES, below)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Juice of one lemon

1tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves

1tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Save 1 cup of pasta water for later.

2. Add the oil to a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add the wine, crushed red pepper flakes, and the clams. Cover and steam the clams. When the liquid comes to a boil the clams will open within a minute or two. Do not overcook the clams. They will be rubbery. Discard any clams that do not open.

4. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the al dente pasta, the butter and 1/4 cup of pasta water, lemon juice, and fresh herbs. Using tongs, toss the paste until butter is emulsified, adding more of the pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

DINING GUIDE

The Dining Guide is comprised of restaurants recently reviewed and visited by New Orleans Magazine The list will change regularly to provide information on others that are also worth noting and acknowledging. Please check restaurant websites for up-to-date hours and locations. If you feel that a restaurant has been misplaced, please email Editor Ashley McLellan at Ashley@MyNewOrleans.com.

$ = AVERAGE ENTRÉE PRICE $ = $5-10 $$ = $11-15 $$$ = $16-20 $$$$ = $21-25 $$$$$ = $25 & UP

AMERICAN

Acorn

City Park, $ AcornNola.com

Audubon Clubhouse Uptown, $$ AudubonInstitute.org

Boulevard American Bistro

Multiple Locations, $$$ BoulevardBistro.com

Caffe! Caffe! Metairie, $ CaffeCaffe.com

Café NOMA City Park, $ CafeNoma.com

Camellia Grill Riverbend, $ 309-2679

District Donuts Sliders Brew

Multiple Locations, $ DonutsAndSliders.com

Five Happiness Mid-City, $$ FiveHappiness.com

Martin Wine Cellar

Multiple Locations, $ MartinWineCellar.com

New Orleans Social House CBD/Warehouse District, $$ NOSocialHouse.com

Parkway Bakery and Tavern Mid-City, $ ParkwayPoorBoys.com

Restaurant August CBD/Warehouse District, $$$$$ RestaurantAugust.com

Rib Room French Quarter, $$$ RibRoomNewOrleans.com

The Grill Room CBD/Warehouse District, $$$$$ GrillRoomNewOrleans.com

The Pelican Club French Quarter, $$$$$ PelicanClub.com

Ye Olde College Inn Carrollton, $$$ CollegeInn1933.com

Zea’s Rotisserie and Grill Multiple Locations, $$$ ZeaRestaurants.com

ASIAN FUSION/PAN ASIAN

Blue Giant

Lower Garden District, $$ BlueGiantNOLA.com

Hoshun Restaurant Uptown, $$ HoshunRestaurant.com

Little Tokyo Multiple Locations, $$ LittleTokyoNola.com

Lotus Bistro Lakeview, $$ LotusBistroNOLA.com

MoPho Mid-City, $$$ MoPhoNola.com

Rock-N-Sake Multiple Locations, $$$ RockNSake.com

Union Ramen Bar

Lower Garden District, $$ UnionRamen.com

BAKERY/BREAKFAST

Breads on Oak

Multiple Locations, $ BreadsOnOak.com.

Café du Monde Multiple Locations, $ CafeDuMonde.com

CC’s Coffee House Multiple Locations, $ CCsCoffee.com

Gracious Bakery + Café

Multiple Locations, $ GraciousBakery.com

Ruby Slipper Café Multiple Locations, $$ TheRubySlipperCafe.net

BURGERS

Bayou Burger

French Quarter, $$ 5SportsBarNewOrleans.com

Port of Call French Quarter, $$ PortOfCallNola.com

The Company Burger Uptown, $ TheCompanyBurger.com

FRENCH

Broussard’s French Quarter, $$$$ Broussards.com

Café Degas Faubourg St. John, $$ CafeDegas.com

Coquette Uptown, $$$ CoquetteNola.com

Justine French Quarter, $$$ JustineNola.com

La Crêpe Nanou Uptown, $$$ LaCrepeNanou.com

La Petite Grocery Uptown, $$$ LaPetiteGrocery.com

Lilette Uptown, $$$$$ LiletteRestaurant.com

GASTROPUB

Bouligny Tavern Uptown, $$ BoulignyTavern.com

Cane & Table French Quarter, $$ CaneAndTableNola.com

Copper Vine CBD/Warehouse District, $$$ CopperVine.com

Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar and Bistro French Quarter, $$$ OrleansGrapevine.com

Patrick’s Bar Vin French Quarter, $$ PatricksBarVin.com

Sylvain French Quarter, $$$ SylvainNOLA.com

The Delachaise Uptown, $$ TheDelaichaise.com

ITALIAN

Arnaud’s Remoulade French Quarter, $$ Remoulade.com

Chartres House French Quarter, $$$ ChartresHouse.com

Domenica CBD/Warehouse District, $$$$ DomenicaRestaurant.com

Gianna Restaurant CBD/Warehouse District, $$$$ GiannaRestaurant.com

Irene’s Cuisine French Quarter, $$$$ IrenesNola.com

Josephine Estelle CBD/Warehouse District, $$$ JosephineEstelle.com

Liuzza’s Mid-City, $$ Liuzzas.com

Muriel’s Jackson Square French Quarter, $$$$ Muriels.com

Napoleon House French Quarter, $ NapoleonHouse.com

Pascal’s Manale Uptown, $$$$ PascalsManale.com

Restaurant R’evolution French Quarter, $$$$$ RevolutionNola.com

Tommy’s Cuisine CBD/Warehouse District, $$$$$ TommysNewOrleans.com

Vincent’s Italian Cuisine Multiple Locations, $$$ VicentsItalianCuisine.com

LOUISIANA FARE

Acme Oyster House Multiple Locations, $$ AcmeOyster.com

Antoine’s French Quarter, $$$$$ Antoines.com

SALA

Sala is the latest enterprise in Joe Riccobono’s restaurant group. Housed in the bustling West End neighborhood near the lakefront, the CreoleItalian menu features classics like Chicken Caprese alongside fusion-y crowd pleasers like Duck Empanadas. Drinks are a big part of the draw – the specialty cocktail menu is longer than the dinner menu, and bar-friendly noshes like a cheese board sourced from St James Cheese compliment the craft libations. Gluten-free items and a kids menu round out the restaurant’s appeal.

LA PETITE GROCERY Don’t let it fool you - this kitchen in this elegant little cottage on the corner of Magazine and General Pershing streets Uptown plates up some of the most refined contempo rary Creole cuisine in the city. Backed by the James Beard Award-winning husband-and-wife team of Justin and Mia Devillier, the dishes have a timeless authenticity expressed through the finest sourcing and vendors New Orleans has to offer. Recommended choices include the Blue Crab Beignets and Pan-Roasted Hanger Steak served alongside hand-cut fries.

Arnaud’s French Quarter, $$$$$ ArnaudsRestaurant.com

Austin’s Metairie, $$$ AustinsNo.com

BIrdy’s Behind the Bower Garden District, $$ BirdysNola.com

Boucherie Carrollton, $$ Boucherie-Nola.com

The Bower Garden District, $$$ TheBowerNola.com

Brennan’s French Quarter, $$$$ BrennansNewOrleans.com

Brigtsen’s Riverbend, $$$$$ Brigtsens.com

Café Reconcile Central City, $$ CafeReconcile.org

Casamento’s Uptown, $$ CasamentosRestaurant.com

Clancy’s Uptown, $$$ ClancysNewOrleans.com

Cochon CBD/Warehouse District, $$ CochonRestaurant.com

Copeland’s Multiple Locations, $$ CopelandsofNewOrleans.com

Commander’s Palace Garden District, $$$$ CommandersPalace.com

Court of Two Sisters French Quarter, $$$$$ CourtOfTwoSisters.com

Crabby Jack’s Metairie, $ CrabbyJacksNola.com

Criollo French Quarter, $$$ CriolloNola.com

Dooky Chase Restaurant Treme, $$ DookyChaseRestaurant.com

Drago’s Multiple Locations, $$$$ DragosRestaurant.com

Emeril’s CBD/Warehouse District, $$$$$ EmerilsRestaurants.com

Galatoire’s French Quarter, $$$$$ Galatoires.com

Gautreau’s Uptown, $$$$$ GautreausRestaurant.com

Gris Gris Garden District, $$$ GrisGrisNola.com

Herbsaint CBD/Warehouse District, $$$$$ Herbsaint.com

House of Blues French Quarter, $$ HouseOfBlues.com/ NewOrleans

Jack Rose Garden District, $$$$ JackRoseRestaurant.com

Katie’s Restaurant and Bar Mid-City, $$ KatiesInMidCity.com

Mandina’s Mid-City, $$ MandinasRestaurant.com

Mother’s CBD/Warehouse District, $$ MothersRestaurant.net

Mr. B’s Bistro French Quarter, $$$$ MrBsBistro.com

Mulate’s CBD/Warehouse District, $$ Mulates.com

NOLA French Quarter, $$$$$ EmerilsRestaurants.com/NolaRestaurant

Palace Café

CBD/Warehouse District, $$$ PalaceCafe.com

Ralph’s On The Park Mid-City, $$$ RalphsOnThePark.com

Richard Fiske’s Martini

Bar & Restaurant French Quarter, $$$ RichardFiskes.com

Royal House French Quarter, $$$ RoyalHouseRestaurant.com

Saint John French Quarter, $$$ SaintJohnNola.com

St. Roch Market Upper 9th Ward, $$ StRochMarket.com

SoBou French Quarter, $$ SoBouNola.com

Tableau French Quarter, $$$ TableauFrenchQuarter.com

The Bistreaux French Quarter, $$ MaisonDupuy.com/dining

The Bombay Club French Quarter, $$$$ TheBombayClub.com

Toups’ Meatery Mid-City, $$$ ToupsMeatery.com

Tujague’s French Quarter, $$$$$ TujaguesRestaurant.com

PIZZA

Pizza Delicious Bywater, $ PizzaDelicious.com

Reginelli’s Pizzeria Multiple Locations, $$ Reginellis.com

Theo’s Pizza Multiple Locations, $$ TheosPizza.com

Pizza Domenica Multiple Locations, $$ PizzaDomenica.com

SEAFOOD

Borgne CBD/Warehouse District, $$$ BorgneRestaurant.com

Briquette CBD/Warehouse District, $$$$ Briquette-Nola.com

Deanie’s Seafood Multiple Locations,$$$ Deanies.com

Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House

French Quarter, $$$$ BourbonHouse.com

Don’s Seafood Metairie, $$$ DonsSeafoodOnline.com

Grand Isle Restaurant CBD/Warehouse District, $$$$ GrandIsleRestaurant.com

GW Fins French Quarter, $$$$$ GWFins.com

Kingfish

French Quarter, $$$ KingfishNewOrleans.com

Le Bayou French Quarter, $$$ LeBayouRestaurant.com

Mr. Ed’s Seafood and Italian Restaurant Metairie, $$ AustinsNo.com

Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar & Fish House

Multiple Locations, $$$ MrEdsRestaurants.com/ oyster-bar

New Orleans Creole Cookery

French Quarter, $$$ NewOrleansCreoleCookery. com

Oceana Grill French Quarter, $$ OceanaGrill.com

Pêche CBD/Warehouse District, $$$ PecheRestaurant.com.

Pier 424 French Quarter, $$$ Pier424SeafoodMarket.com

Red Fish Grill French Quarter, $$$ RedFishGrill.com

SPECIALTY FOODS

Antoine’s Annex French Quarter, $$$ Antoines.com/AntoinesAnnex

STEAKHOUSE

Crescent City Steaks Mid-City, $$$$ CrescentCitySteaks.com

Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse

French Quarter, $$$$ DickieBrennansSteakhouse. com

Doris Metropolitan French Quarter, $$$$ DorisMetropolitan.com

Galatoire’s 33 Bar & Steak French Quarter, $$$ Galatoires33BarAndSteak. com

La Boca

CBD/Warehouse District, $$$ LaBocaSteaks.com

Mr. John’s Steakhouse Uptown, $$$ MrJohnsSteakhouse.com

Ruth’s Chris Steak House Multiple Locations, $$$$$ RuthsChris.com

The Steakhouse at Harrah’s CBD/WarehouseDistrict, $$$$$ HarrahsNewOrleans.com

WORLD 1000 Figs

Faubourg St. John, $$ 1000Figs.com

Barracuda Uptown, $ EatBarracuda.com

Bayona French Quarter, $$$$$ Bayona.com

Bywater Brew Pub Bywater, $$$ BywaterBrewPub.com

Compére Lapin

CBD/Warehouse District, $$$$$ CompereLapin.com

El Gato Negro Multiple Locations, $$ ElGatoNegroNola.com

Lucy’s

CBD/Warehouse District, $ LucysRetiredSurfers.com

Lüke CBD/Warehouse District, $$$ LukeNewOrleans.com

Mona’s Café Mid-City, $ MonasCafeAndDeli.com

Patois Uptown,$$$ PatoisNola.com

Saba Uptown, $$$ EatWithSaba.com

Saffron NOLA Uptown, $$$ SaffronNOLA.com

Seaworthy CBD/Warehouse District, $$$$ SeaworthyNola.com

Shaya Uptown, $$$ ShayaRestaurant.com

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

Breads On Oak

BreadsOnOak.com

8640 Oak St, New Orleans 222 Carondelet St, New Orleans (504) 324-8271

Celebrating its 10-year anniversary and now with two locations, uptown and the CBD, Breads On Oak is known for its popular breakfasts and lunches, like Pumpkin Cheddar Biscuit or Big Daddy Burger to the maple-glazed walnut cinnamon rolls and sourdough Old World breads. Always organic and 100% plantbased.

Briquette

Briquette-Nola.com

701 South Peters St, New Orleans 504-302-7496

Briquette is proud to showcase contemporary and coastal dishes like Snapper Pontchartrain, Louisiana Redfish on the Half Shell, and Prime 14oz. Ribeye. Happy Hour Daily from 3-6pm. Join us after Saints games for dinner. Also, open until 11pm on New Year’s Eve!” at the end.

Commons Club

CommonsClub.com/New-Orleans 550 Baronne St, New Orleans 504-603-8000

Led by Chef Alex Harrell, Commons features an eclectic menu with reinvented takes on classic American dishes that Chef Alex is known for. Dinner is available daily. Brunch is served Friday-Sunday from 9am-2pm with creative cocktails and tempting bites, as well as a rotating lineup of live weekend entertainment and themed burlesque and drag brunches.

Dickie Brennan’s Tableau

TableauFrenchQuarter.com

616 Saint Peter St, New Orleans 504-934-3463

For one of the best views in the French Quarter, enjoy brunch on our balcony overlooking Jackson Square, or dine in our lush courtyard adjacent to historic Le Petit Theatre. Tableau showcases regional ingredients, Louisiana seafood, and classic Creole dishes with a contemporary edge. Tableau is also the premier spot to plan a New Orleans wedding!

Justine

JustineNola.com

225 Chartres St, New Orleans

504-218-8533

Justine is a Parisian-style brasserie by husband-and-wife team Justin and Mia Devillier. Combining the sophistication of a brasserie with the playfulness of the French Quarter, Justine honors the technique and simplicity of French classics in a bustling, multi-roomed restaurant with vibrant decor and grand presentation.

New Orleans Creole Cookery

NewOrleansCreoleCookery.com

508 Toulouse St, New Orleans 504-524-9632

Enjoy Oyster Happy Hour Daily from 3-6pm in our beautiful French Quarter courtyard. Brunch served Saturday and Sunday from 11am-3pm offering Bloody Mary’s and Shrimp and Grits. Game Day Happy Hour available in our Oyster Bar & Courtyard on Saturday & Sunday. Oyster specials, cocktails specials and football fun! Also, open until midnight on New Year’s Eve and open New Year’s Day.

Parkway Bakery and Tavern

ParkwayPoorboys.com

538 Hagan Ave, New Orleans 504-482-3047

Parkway can now take your orders over the phone or through the official Parkway Bakery App. Order online for a seamless poorboy pick up. Parkway is open from 10am to 6pm Wednesday through Sunday for dine in and parking lot pick up.

Seaworthy

SeaworthyNola.com

630 Carondelet St, New Orleans 504-930-3071

Seaworthy showcases wild-caught and sustainably harvested seafare from American coastal waters, suffused with Southern inspirations. Explore our wide selection of fresh oysters, and let our collection of fortifying cocktails light the way through your night in our historic cottage.

The Commissary Market + Kitchen by

Dickie Brennan & Co.

TheCommissaryNola.com

634 Orange St, Lower Garden District 504-274-1850

The Commissary offers Lunch and Dinner Wednesdays – Saturdays, and a new Brunch Menu on Sundays. The market is stocked with fresh local produce, gourmet grocery items, specialty wine & spirits, grab & go family meals, and a selection of favorites from DBC’s French Quarter restaurants like Gumbo Ya Ya, Turtle Soup and White Chocolate Bread Pudding. Christmas Feasts to feed the whole family available for pre-order online.

Saffron NOLA

SaffronNola.com

4128 Magazine St, New Orleans 504-323-2626

Saffron NOLA, a swanky Indian restaurant by the lauded Vilkhu family. Intertwining Indian tradition with New Orleans soul on a modern stage. The Vilkhus pay tribute to where they come from while also honoring where they live, New Orleans. Saffron is oneof-a-kind experience on Magazine Street.

SukhoThai

SukhoThai-Nola.com

4519 Magazine St, New Orleans 504-373-6471

2200 Royal St, New Orleans 504-948-9309

Serving fine Classical Thai cuisine in New Orleans for 20 years. Uncompromising authenticity, bold Thai spices, and healthy ingredients have made SukhoThai a foodie favorite. Distinctive seafood, spicy curries, scrumptious noodles, broad vegan / glutenfree options, Thai cocktails and sake.

Tito’s Ceviche and Pisco

TitosCevichePisco.com

5015 Magazine St, New Orleans

504-267-7612

1433 St Charles Ave, New Orleans

Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco is an intimate Peruvian Restaurant with premier handcrafted cocktails such as pisco sour, sangria and chilcano, heart healthy Peruvian wines, a variety of melt in your mouth ceviches, grilled octopus, tiraditos (sashimi), savory meats (Lamb Shank, pictured here) and a variety of seafood.

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Roux-Dolph & Co.

RouxDolph.com

PERLIS Clothing

Perlis.com

6070 Magazine Street, New Orleans 1281 N Causeway Blvd, Mandeville 8366 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge 800-725-6070

The Cajun Christmas Square Platter is perfect for your holiday party or as a gift. Made of dolomite and is 11.5 inches by 11.5 inches.

MELT Infrared Sauna + Cold Plunge

MeltSauna.com

234 W. Harrison Avenue, New Orleans

504-488-3767

Treat loved ones or yourself with the gift of mental and physical wellness. Just $25 for a 40-minute intro sauna session, MELT’s private, infrared saunas promote detoxification, boost immunity, burn calories and relieve pain. Book a cold plunge session following the sauna to reach your peak performance!

Wellington & Company

Fine Jewelry wcjewelry.com 505 Royal Street, New Orleans 504-525-4855

Go big with a Round Brilliant Cut or Cushion Cut Diamond Ring from Wellington & Co.

Start new traditions with these handmade towels featuring original artwork from Kelly Airhart. 16x24 in size and made from the softest microfiber blend, these towels make the perfect hostess gift, secret Santa gift, Pokeno gift or holiday decoration for your own home this season.

NOLA Boards

NolaBoards.com

4228 Magazine Street, New Orleans 504-256-0030

Tracks Board & Cheese Knife gift set, $50.

The Historic New Orleans Collection Hnoc.org

520 Royal Street, New Orleans 504-523-4662

Designed exclusively for The Historic New Orleans Collection by local jewelry designer Brandi Couvillion, this Sterling Silver Greek Key Cuff is derived from the wrought iron balcony on the third floor of the Seignouret-Brulatour House located at 520 Royal Street. Shop in-store or online at shophnoc.org.

Sazerac House Museum

SazeracHouse.com

101 Magazine Street, New Orleans

504-910-0100

Set of 4 Double Old Fashioned glasses, featuring satin frost and 22k gold details and halo. Glassware by New Orleans designer Mignon Faget featuring illustrations by Kate Lacour, $85.

Louisiana Children’s Museum

Lcm.org

Dillard’s

At Lakeside Shopping Center

LakesideShopping.com

3301 Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Metairie Spruce up any room this Christmas with the Mr. Bingle & Pom Pom Garland. 7.5-ft long, this festive garland can be draped on trees, mantles and doorways to add some extra holiday spirit. $36.

15 Henry Thomas Drive, New Orleans 504-523-1357

Let’s have a tea party! Little ones will love this Small Foot 17-piece Wooden Tea Party Set that includes a tea kettle, sugar bowl with removable lids, place settings for two people, different kinds of tea, milk foam, and cookies. Ideal for toddlers ages 3+, $29.99.

Auraluz Children’s Linens ShopAuraluz.com

4408 Shores Drive, Metairie 504-888-3313

Memories should be cherished and what better way to keep them close than in a beautiful frame. So many styles and sizes ... all available at AURALUZ!

Hall Piano Company

HallPiano.com

901 David Drive, Metairie 504-736-0109

Experience the world’s finest high resolution player piano, Steinway & Sons SPIRIO, only at Hall Piano Company.

Indigo Boutique

ShopIndigoBoutique.com

605 Metairie Road, Suite C, Metairie

1795 Martin Luther King Blvd, Suite B, Houma 504-635-7874

Find the perfect dress for any party this season. Series of Frank Lyman dresses between $260 and $385.

Wellness

The holiday season isn’t typically associated with wellness, or optimal health in general for that matter. Seasonal parties and holiday celebrations fill the calendar, peak flu season rears its ugly head and the standard seasonal blues tend to make an appearance. While the holidays are meant to be enjoyed, they are also the perfect time to get organized and make a wellness plan for the coming year. Start prioritizing physical wellbeing with specials on gym memberships and wellness studios, review health coverage plans for the new year, schedule that check-up that’s been put on the backburner or get ahead on an aging plan. Enter the new year feeling your best with these wellness resources.

MEDICAL RESOURCES

The Blood Center

The Holiday’s mean food, family… and a heightened need for blood donations! Increased elective surgeries and travel accidents can result in a decline in hospital blood supplies. Blood donors and those who’ve never donated before are encouraged to roll up their sleeves for our community’s patients.

Blood components are used daily for orthopedic and cardiovascular surgeries, cancer treatment, in trauma situations and childbirth; and because blood can’t be manufactured, it’s always needed.

Businesses, civic and religious groups are encouraged to host blood drives as many schools are on break. Call 800-86-BLOOD to learn how easy and rewarding organizing a blood drive can be. Healthy individuals 17 or older (or 16 with a parent’s consent) should visit thebloodcenter.org to find a blood drive in your area.

Give the gift that will truly be remembered. Hospitals don’t get a break from patient care on Christmas or New Year’s. It’s the blood donated BEFORE an emergency that’s going to save a life tomorrow,

so donate today! Visit thebloodcenter.org or call 1-800-86-BLOOD to learn more.

NeuroJust

While the holiday season can be a time of joy, holiday depression is a serious concern for a great deal of the population. In fact, 64% of those with mental illness find that the holidays worsen their condition – but this doesn’t have to be the case. Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS therapy), NeuroJust offers patients long-term relief from depression free of any systemic symptoms associated with antidepressant medications. TMS uses a noninvasive, MRI-strength magnetic impulse to return the brain to proper neurochemical balance. Treating the neurological source of depression and not just its symptoms, 84% of TMS patients experience relief in as little as several weeks.

Performed by a compassionate team of physicians and expertlytrained staff, TMS sessions are outpatient, painless treatments that take place in just about 20-minutes with no sedation. Treatment rooms are configured so patients can relax, listen to music, watch TV and interact with NeuroJust’s patient advocates.

With TMS therapy, NeuroJust changes patients’ minds so they can change their lives. NeuroJust accepts most commercial insurance and TRICARE. To learn more, visit neurojust.com or call 504-619-8695.

Tulane Bariatric Center

In the middle of the Holiday season - surrounded by parties, family, friends and good food – it can be tough to stick to a weight loss plan. While we know many of us struggle with willpower, not many know that obesity affects over 67% of the adult population in the United States! The Tulane Bariatric Center thinks differently about obesity. We

know obesity is a chronic medical condition, and our board-certified physicians are experts in both surgical and non-surgical medical weight loss. Our Tulane Doctors and expert clinical staff take the time to know you, explain your options and formulate a plan tailored to your individual goals and needs. If you’ve tried weight loss programs in the past but did not see the success you were hoping for, you are not alone.

Our Tulane Doctors are here to help: Call 504-988-BARI or visit tulaneweightloss.com today to get started on your personalized weight loss journey.

Lupo Center for Aesthetic & General Dermatology

For more than 38 years, the Lupo Center for Aesthetic & General Dermatology has treated patients of all ages and skin types to help them look their personal best. Dr. Mary Lupo, founder and one of the nation’s leading experts in the field of non-surgical skin rejuvenation, is joined by cosmetic fellowship-trained dermatologist Dr. Nina Hartman.

The two board certified dermatologists and their team listen carefully to each patient’s needs and personal desires in order to design individualized treatment plans and provide unparalleled service. Their comprehensive approach with innovative and ethical skin care gives each patient a natural, meaningful result.

The Lupo Center for Aesthetic & General Dermatology specializes in a wide variety of cosmetic services including injectables, state-ofthe-art lasers and devices, peels and rejuvenation treatments, as well as medical and surgical dermatologic care, which sets them apart from med spas and non-specialist cosmetic centers. To schedule an appointment, visit drmarylupo.com or call 504-777-3047.

FITNESS & WELLNESS

Mayweather Boxing + Fitness

Ever wanted to train like World Champion boxer Floyd Mayweather? Mayweather Boxing + Fitness allows beginners and advanced athletes alike to do just that. Located in the heart of New Orleans’ Warehouse District, this NEW state-of-the-art facility offers an authentic experience for those wanting to learn from Floyd’s techniques and training regimens, while getting in the best shape of their lives in a group fitness setting. Their hybrid boxing and functional training programs are led by world-class pro trainers. The studio also offers fitness only classes to include TRX and strength training.

The workouts are designed to use every muscle with a strategic combination of boxing, strength, cardio, and conditioning intervals. With group classes and personal training sessions offered 7 days a week, studio-goers can always expect a high-calorie burn session that fits with their schedule.

To register for a FREE CLASS or explore a membership, visit Mayweather Boxing + Fitness at 897 St. Joseph Street, call 504-930-4730, or go to mayweather.fit/downtown-nola/

MELT Sauna

Opened by registered nurse and wellness advocate Amanda Barrios, MELT Infrared Sauna + Cold Plunge is the ultimate method of taking care of the mind, body and soul. The one-of-a-kind wellness and

recovery studio offers private sessions where clients can relax, meditate, watch their favorite show or lift weights, all followed with a frozen, essential oil towelette.

Generating heat using a full spectrum of infrared lights, MELT’s 40-minute infrared sauna sessions offer a multitude of benefits including chronic and acute pain reduction, skin rejuvenation, muscle recovery, release of serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins, testosterone boosts and reduced inflammation. To reap the full range of health benefits, take a 3-6 minute Cold Plunge following sauna sessions to trigger changes in the circulatory system and experience positive mental health effects.

The world can be fast paced and draining — detox and feel at peak performance with a regular MELT routine. Experience MELT Infrared Sauna + Cold Plunge at its Lakeview location by booking a reservation at meltsauna.com

Thibodaux Regional Wellness Center

Thibodaux Regional’s innovative Wellness Center, located in Lafourche Parish, is making great strides in improving the health and wellness of the region. One of the Center’s initiatives, WellFit, integrates wellness with clinical care, offering individuals the ability to achieve the highest quality, most active lifestyle possible. Participants continue to achieve consistent improvement in walk distance, quality of life indicators, and weight loss.

First of its kind in the state, the Thibodaux Regional Wellness Center offers even more opportunities for people to improve their overall health and well-being, featuring Fitness, Sports Medicine, Neurosciences, Pain, Spine, Rehabilitation, Weight Management, Wellness Education and Aquatics Centers.

“The new facilities enhance our current sports and wellness programs while offering opportunities to host outside events and tournaments potentially increasing the economic impact to our area,” said Greg Stock, CEO of Thibodaux Regional.

For more information, visit thibodaux.com.

HEALTH COVERAGE

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) is committed to helping you find health plan coverage that is the best fit for your family. Healthcare.gov enrollment runs through Jan. 15, 2023. Thanks to recent federal changes, any dependents who were covered on your plan could now be able to buy plans on healthcare.gov. And, many people qualify for tax credits to help pay for their health plans. Create an account and see what’s available to you.

Need help reviewing your plan options? You can work with a licensed, experienced agent at no cost. Connect with one by visiting getplanoptions.com or calling 1-844-GET-BLUE (1-844-438-2583). There is no obligation to buy because you speak to an agent. Visit straighttalkla.com or connect with us on social media @BCBSLA to get more 2023 enrollment tips.

For more information on BCBSLA, visit bcbsla.com or call 1-800-495-2583.

SENIOR LIVING

The Peristyle at Bucktown

Located at 1443 Seminole Avenue in the heart of Bucktown, the Peristyle at Bucktown is the newest of the Peristyle Homes located just one block from Lake Pontchartrain. Peristyle Residences offer Residential Assisted Living and Memory Care in the comfort of luxurious, intimate homes complete with private bedrooms. At The Peristyle at Bucktown, the best of both worlds is at your fingertips. The Peristyle at Bucktown offers senior care services in a true residence that larger assisted living communities can emulate, but never truly compare. Peristyle Residences prides themselves in providing the highest level of care, comfort and compassion to seniors, offering peace of mind to their loved ones.

The Peristyle at Bucktown is specifically designed and built for people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia and is now accepting priority reservations. Schedule a tour today at peristyleresidences.com or by calling 504-285-5188.

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MELT Sauna

PHOTO CREDIT: RAY BURMISTON / NEIL STREET PRODUCTIONS

PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

WYES-TV’s broadcast streams simultaneously at wyes.org/live and on the WYES and PBS apps.

JUDY WOODRUFF: WOMAN OF THE HOUR

Wednesday, December 7 at 7pm; Repeats Saturday, December 10 at 5:30pm; Monday, December 12 at 9:30pm; Tuesday, December 27 at 8:30pm

WYES producer Marcia Kavanaugh recently sat down with PBS NEWSHOUR anchor and managing editor Judy Woodruff to talk about her 45 plus year career in media and politics as she prepares to step down from the nightly anchor desk at the end of this month.

THE EARTHSHOT PRIZE 2022

Wednesday, December 14 at 7pm and Saturday, December 17 at 3pm

A global environmental prize founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in 2020 aims to spotlight, support and scale groundbreaking solutions to our world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Inspired by the extraordinary achievements of President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot, The Earthshot Prize is centered on repairing our planet through five Earthshots: Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build A Waste-Free World, and Fix Our Climate. Held in the United States for the first time, the second annual Earthshot Prize will be hosted in Boston. With starstudded international celebrities presenting the awards, the prestigious ceremony will celebrate a cohort of fifteen incredible global finalists and award five winners, each with $1 million in prize money, and provide them with access to a global support network to scale their work.

MARY BERRY’S ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS

Monday, December 19 at 8pm and Saturday, December 24 at 1:30pm

Learn how to prepare the perfect three-course Christmas dinner with Dame Mary Berry in this merry new special filled to the brim with her time-tested recipes. Mary provides the only guide you’ll ever need for a festive feast as she and some special friends show how to plan, shop and prep for a delicious, stress-free day. Photo Credit: Cody Burridge for Plank PR

CALL THE MIDWIFE HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2022

Sunday, December 25 at 8pm & 9:30pm

With Christmas approaching, the midwives move to their maternity clinic and are delighted when their first patient is a familiar face. Life in Poplar returns to normal after the tragic train crash, and everyone unites for a festive talent show. Photo Credit: Neal Street Productions and BBC Studios

AMERICAN MASTERS “Groucho & Cavett”

Tuesday, December 27 at 7pm and Saturday, December 31 at 8pm explores the enduring friendship between Emmy Award-winning television personality Dick Cavett and iconic comedian Groucho Marx. Cavett, a writer for Jack Parr on The Tonight Show, met Marx at the funeral of playwright George S. Kaufman in 1961. When Cavett made the transition from writer to comedian in 1965, he was encouraged and mentored by Marx. In 1968, Cavett became the host of his own talk show and Marx became a frequent guest capturing what Cavett calls, “the last of Groucho’s greatness.” Photo Credit: Ron Baldwin

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2023

WYES Paulette and Frank Stewart Innovation Center for Educational Media 916 Navarre Avenue, New Orleans Join us for King Cake and Conversation in celebration of all things Carnival! TASTE A VARIETY OF KING CAKES FROM LOCAL BAKERIES

Explore Carnival history with Peggy Scott Laborde, Errol Laborde, Arthur Hardy and others

• Appearances by well-known krewes

• Performances by parade dance troops

• Music from a local high school marching band

•

To view all menus with wine pairings and to reserve your seat, go to wyes.org/events.

Seats go on sale on Wednesday, January 4 at 8:00 a.m.

DO YOU HAVE AN ESTATE SALE FIND YOU JUST COULDN’T PASS UP OR A FAMILY HEIRLOOM YOU’VE BEEN WONDERING ABOUT?

Find out what they’re really worth during… WYES ANTIQUES SHOWCASE with New Orleans Auction Galleries Saturday, February 4, 2023 | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

WYES located at 916 Navarre Avenue in New Orleans.

During the event, attendees may have items evaluated by antique experts, attend three antique-related seminars and visit the vendor area. Tickets on sale at wyes.org/events

WYES-TV gratefully acknowledges memorial gifts received during this past year in loving memory of the following individuals:

In memory of Eleanore H. Didriksen Max N.Tobias, Jr.

In memory of Charles N. Kahn, Jr. Catherine Kahn

In memory of Sharon Perlis

Anonymous Jennifer and Jack Benjamin Emile “Peppi” Buneau, State Representative Retired Katie and Howell Crosby Gay Cunningham Jeanie Dragon Margaret Epstein Mr. and Mrs. Edward N. George Laurie Rolling Hagan Judge & Mrs. Jacob L. Karno JoAnn and Larry Katz Sydney and Ken Lawder Claudia Sandoz Marquis Dominic Massa Patrick McCausland Metairie Bank Dee and Susan Moses Peneguy Family Tia and Jimmy Roddy Jeanne Sandoz Joyce and Reginald Smith

In memory of Stephen Rizzo Terri E. Hamilton

In memory of Suzanne Pfefferle Tafur Dr. and Mrs. Christopher White

In memory of Dr. Aysen Young Eileen Wallen

WYES gratefully acknowledges these special gifts and respectfully honors the memory of the named individuals.

For more information on making a memorial or celebration gift or a planned gift to WYES through your estate, contact Robin Cooper at (504) 486-5511 or rcooper@wyes.org.

7pm

GREAT PERFORMANCES “Andrea Bocelli Live in Central Park” Accompanied by the New York Philharmonic under the direction of music director Alan Gilbert, the world-renowned tenor performs from Central Park’s Great Lawn. Photo Credit: Joseph Sinnott ***WYES has a membership offer for tickets to see Andrea Bocelli live on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at the Smoothie King Center. Two tickets plus subscription to New Orleans Magazine and WYES Passport from $480-$900. Pledge at wyes.org/ tickets or call 504-486-7311.

AGING BACKWARDS 3 WITH MIRANDA ESMONDE-WHITE Miranda, a former ballerina, combines groundbreaking science with her knowledge of the human body and the benefits of gentle, full body workouts to give viewers a practical plan to keep their bodies moving.

7am AGING BREAKTHROUGH WITH DR. KELLYANN It’s been nearly 20 years since nutrition expert and naturopathic physician, Dr. Kellyann Petrucci, found a way to slow down her own body from aging. Now, she’s revealing her blueprint to transform everyone into an aging enigma. 9am SUZE ORMAN’S ULTIMATE RETIREMENT GUIDE Join the acclaimed personal finance expert for essential advice on planning for and thriving in retirement. 11am EAT YOUR MEDICINE: THE PEGAN DIET WITH MARK HYMAN, MD

STEVES: WHY WE TRAVEL

MOMENTS: THE BEST OF 50s POP

REWIND

WELK: SONGS OF PERRY COMO

BONAMASSA: MUDDY WOLF AT RED ROCKS The concert highlights the natural beauty of the amphitheater and focuses on Howlin’ Wolf, one of the most influential Chicago bluesmen of all time, and Muddy Waters, considered the “father of modern Chicago blues” and a major inspiration for the British blues explosion of the 1960s. ***WYES has a membership offer for tickets to see Joe Bonamassa at the Saenger Theater on March 8, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. One ticket plus subscription to New Orleans Magazine and WYES Passport for $360. Pledge at wyes.org/tickets or call 504-486-7311.

4:30pm MOMENTS TO REMEMBER 7pm

MASTERPIECE “All Creatures Great and Small, Season 2” (Pts. 1-2/7) Get caught up with Season 2 before Season 3 premieres on Sunday, January 8.

8:30pm

JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR —LIVE! Join #1 Billboard Blues Artist Joanne Shaw Taylor for a historic concert at the Franklin Theatre. This performance will feature songs from her highly acclaimed release The Blues Album in addition to fan favorites and never-before-heard tracks. This incredible event welcomes Grammy Nominated Recording Artist and album producer Joe Bonamassa as the night’s special guest, giving attendees a once-in-a-lifetime concert experience. Photo Credit: Christie Goodwin ***WYES has a membership offer for tickets to see Joanne Shaw Taylor at the Orpheum Theater on March 21, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. One ticket (limited soundcheck passes available while supplies last), plus subscription to New Orleans Magazine and WYES Passport for $100. Pledge at wyes.org/ tickets or call 504-486-7311.

10pm

THE WHO HITS 50! LIVE Celebrate the legendary rock band’s 50th anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall in London, where they tear through their greatest hits including “My Generation,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Baba O’Riley,” “You Better You Bet” and “Who Are You.”

11:30pm JOHN SEBASTIAN PRESENTS: FOLK

9:30pm

MARIAH CAREY–LIVE AT THE TOKYO DOME Grab a front-row seat to Mariah Carey’s historic first show in Japan from 1996, featuring standout versions of her greatest hits, including “Emotions,” “Dreamlover” and “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” Photo Credit: Naoko Ogura 11:30pm RICK STEVES: WHY WE TRAVEL 5 MONDAY 6pm PBS NEWSHOUR 7pm ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Modern Icons” 8pm

REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR Narrated by veteran Hollywood actor Tom Selleck, REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR chronicles the personal stories of veterans and citizens who witnessed the surprise attack by the Japanese on the American Pacific Fleet on December 7, 1941, launching the United States into World War II.

9:30pm CHRISTMAS IN NEW ORLEANS 10:30pm CREOLE CHRISTMAS 11pm

AND COMPANY

CELTIC WOMAN: POSTCARDS FROM IRELAND Join the Grammy-nominated ensemble on a musical journey through stunning land and seascapes around Ireland. Shot in 14 locations on the island, the new special is filled with songs from their latest album, including “The Dawning of the Day.”

TUESDAY

NEWSHOUR

From?”

HOMES THAT CHANGED AMERICA 9pm FRONTLINE “Whistleblower” 10pm GHOSTS OF AMISTAD: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE REBELS Retrace the path of the 53 Africans who rebelled against their captors and seized the slave schooner Amistad in 1839.

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

WEDNESDAY 6pm PBS NEWSHOUR 7pm JUDY WOODRUFF: WOMAN OF THE HOUR WYES producer Marcia Kavanaugh recently sat down with PBS NEWSHOUR anchor and managing editor Judy Woodruff to talk about her 45 plus year career in media and politics. 7:30pm NATURE “Penguins: Meet the Family” 8:30pm NOVA “Ghosts of Stonehenge” 9:30pm EUROPEAN CHRISTMAS MARKETS Travel along the rivers that connect Germany, France and Switzerland (the Mosel, Rhine and Main rivers), and visit the cities and towns and learn of their history, see their major sights and visit their charming markets. 10pm MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER: 30/40 LIVE 11pm

ROOTS “Where

We

6pm

7pm ANTIQUES

8pm FINDING

We

9pm IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE: SPIRIT OF THE SEASON Revel in dazzling musical performances from the White House in celebration of the holiday season, featuring President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., host Jennifer Garner, Andrea Bocelli, Camila Cabello, Eric Church, Jonas Brothers, Billy Porter and more. Photo Credit: Cable Risdon 10pm ST. OLAF CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL: LOVE DIVINE Familiar carols and exciting new compositions are performed in this annual tradition. 11pm AUSTIN CITY LIMITS “Leon Bridges” 11 SUNDAY 2pm MASTERPIECE “Downton Abbey, Season 4” (Pts. 2-5/8) 7pm MASTERPIECE “All Creatures Great and Small, Season 2” ‘We Can But Hope/Many Happy Returns’ (Pts. 3-4/7) 9:30pm BROADCHURCH, SEASON 3 (Pt. 5/8) 10:30pm LA OTRA MIRADA “Let it Go” (Pt. 10/13)

12 MONDAY 6pm

10pm

POV “Let Little Light Shine” National Teachers Academy (NTA) is a topranked, high-performing elementary school in a growing south side Chicago neighborhood. As the neighborhood gentrifies, a wealthy parents group seeks to close NTA and replace it with a high school campus.

11:30pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

13 TUESDAY

6pm

PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm

O HOLY NIGHT: CHRISTMAS WITH THE TABERNACLE CHOIR welcomes Tony® Award-nominated performer Megan Hilty as guest artist and actor Neal McDonough as narrator. Hilty and McDonough, who each share Irish heritage and traditions, join The Tabernacle Choir to deliver a deeply personal program that weaves together well-known holiday tunes and classic Christmas carols.

8pm

IN A DIFFERENT KEY A mother tracks down the first person diagnosed with autism to learn if his life holds promise for her own autistic son. She documents both cruelty and kindness, but also hope that more of us are learning to have the backs of those who are different.

10pm

ADVENTURES OF T-MAN is a coming of age story focused on Terrence, a 26-yearold African American man with highfunctioning autism living in Charlotte, North Carolina.

11pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

14 WEDNESDAY 6pm PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm

THE EARTHSHOT PRIZE 2022 A global environmental prize founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in 2020 aims to spotlight, support and scale groundbreaking solutions to our world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Inspired by the extraordinary achievements of President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot, The Earthshot Prize is centered on repairing our planet through five Earthshots: Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build A Waste-Free World, and Fix Our Climate. This year the event, for the first time, will be held in the United States in Boston.

8pm

NOVA “Rebuilding Notre Dame”

9pm

SECRETS OF SACRED ARCHITECTURE

10pm

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA: GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS EVE A runaway little girl decides to return to her family after she enters a rundown theater for shelter and encounters an old caretaker (Ossie Davis), who guides her on her journey. The caretaker brings the theater to life through various musical performances by singers Jewel, Michael Crawford and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

11pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

15 THURSDAY 6pm PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm

OUT Host and producer

Scott Laborde

of the craft movement in the United States and its impact on our nation’s rich cultural heritage. Pictured: Ayumi Horie in her home studio. Photo Credit: Denise Kang

8pm

SARAH BRIGHTMAN: A CHRISTMAS SYMPHONY Join the soprano for holiday classics and festive fan favorites of the season. Sarah is joined by guests Andrew Lloyd Webber, Aled Jones and choir Gregorian. Photo Credit: Oliver Sommers

9pm

O HOLY NIGHT: CHRISTMAS WITH THE TABERNACLE CHOIR

10pm

ANTHONY WILLIAMS URBAN NUTCRACKER puts a modern spin on the 19th-century fairy tale and transports viewers to an enchanted world not unlike their own. Drawing upon classical ballet, urban tap, hiphop, swing, flamenco, step and jazz, the performance uniquely retells a Christmas classic.

11:30pm

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS “The War and Treaty”

18 SUNDAY

2pm

MASTERPIECE “Downton Abbey, Season 4” (Pts. 6-8/8) Be sure to check out the WYES member benefit, WYES Passport, where you can watch all six seasons of “Downton Abbey” before the hit drama leaves Passport on January 31st. Learn more at: wyes.org/passport.

7pm

MASTERPIECE “All Creatures Great and Small, Season 2” ‘The Last Man In/Home Truths’ (Pts. 5-6/7) James Herriot will be back with new creatures and crises in Season 3, premiering Sunday, January 8th.

9:30pm

BROADCHURCH, SEASON 3 (Pt. 6/8)

10:30pm

LA OTRA MIRADA “The Mirror in Which I Look at Myself” (Pt. 11/13)

19 MONDAY

5:30pm

CHRISTMAS WITH WALDO 6pm PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW

or Nice”

8pm

MARY BERRY’S ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS Join the beloved British home cook and her friends and chefs Angela Hartnett and Monica Galetti for Mary’s definitive guide to a festive Christmas feast . Plus, Mary and TV host Rylan visit a “pick your own” vegetable farm where they cook up a yummy dish of Brussels Sprouts with peas and cashews, hoping to convert some sprouts-hating kids. Photo Credit: Cody Burridge for Plank PR 9pm JUBILEE PUDDING: 70 YEARS IN THE BAKING See which home baker took home the prize in the national competition of creating a new pudding to mark The Queen’s historic Platinum Jubilee.

21

6pm PBS NEWSHOUR 7pm THE LETTER: A MESSAGE FOR OUR EARTH Experience Pope Francis’ encyclical letter to care for our planet— interwoven with personal stories from five characters on their voyages of discovery and solving perhaps the biggest globally defining issue of our time: climate change. 8:30pm EMERY BLAGDON AND THE HEALING MACHINE 9pm EARTH EMERGENCY 10pm JEWISH NEW ORLEANS 11pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY 22 THURSDAY 6pm PBS NEWSHOUR 7pm STEPPIN’ OUT 7:30pm BRITISH ANTIQUES ROADSHOW 8pm HOTEL PORTOFINO (Pts. 4-6/6) 11pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY 23 FRIDAY 6pm PBS NEWSHOUR 7pm INFORMED SOURCES Now in its 38th year, the weekly series hosted by Marcia Kavanaugh and produced by Errol Laborde, gives an in-depth look into the important news of metro New Orleans and Louisiana. Repeats Sunday mornings at 9:30am. 7:30pm LOUISIANA: THE STATE WE’RE IN

8pm WASHINGTON WEEK 8:30pm WALL $TREET WRAP-UP WITH ANDRÉ LABORDE 9pm THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING Join Alan Cumming for the real story with the beloved music of Tchaikovsky Featuring the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

10:30pm CLOWN BY QUENTIN BLAKE

11pm STEPPIN’ OUT 11:30pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

24 SATURDAY

1:30pm MARY BERRY’S ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS

2:30pm

JUBILEE PUDDING: 70 YEARS IN THE BAKING

3:30pm

BUTTONS: A CHRISTMAS TALE

An American fantasy drama film directed by Tim Janis, and starring Ioan Gruffudd, Jane Seymour, Roma Downey, Abigail Spencer, Dick Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury (in her final film role), with narration by Robert Redford and Kate Winslet. 5pm O HOLY NIGHT: CHRISTMAS WITH THE TABERNACLE CHOIR 6pm LAWRENCE WELK: CHRISTMAS REUNION 1985 7pm ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Naughty or Nice” Highlights from past seasons include an 1863 Temperance lithograph, a letter from Gerald Ford to his kindergarten teacher, and a dress worn by Marilyn Monroe.

HIGHLIGHT

fiddler Amanda Shaw, bringing a burst of Louisiana flavor to your holidays.

6pm LUCY WORSLEY’S 12 DAYS OF TUDOR CHRISTMAS 7pm

MASTERPIECE “All Creatures Great and Small, Season 2” ‘The Last Man In/Home Truths’ (Pt. 7/7) James Herriot will be back with new creatures and crises in Season 3, premiering Sunday, January 8th, 2023.

HIGHLIGHT

7pm

8pm

CALL THE MIDWIFE HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2022 With Christmas approaching, the midwives move to their maternity clinic and are delighted when their first patient is a familiar face. Life in Poplar returns to normal after the tragic train crash, and everyone unites for a festive talent show. Photo Credit: Neal Street Productions and BBC Studios 9:30pm CALL THE MIDWIFE HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2022 11pm LA OTRA MIRADA “Being a Woman” (Pt. 12/13)

ROADSHOW “Best

8pm THE GREAT AMERICAN RECIPE (Pts. 1-2/8) Enjoy an encore of the eightpart cooking competition that celebrates the multiculturalism that makes American food unique and iconic. Hosted by Alejandra Ramos with Judges Leah Cohen, Tiffany Derry and Graham Elliot. 10pm AN EVENING AT THE GOVERNOR’S MANSION: A CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION

AMERICAN MASTERS “Groucho & Cavett” Discover the enduring friendship between television personality Dick Cavett and his mentor iconic comedian Groucho Marx. Their relationship is chronicled through interviews with Cavett, archival footage and interviews with George Burns and others. Photo Credit: Ron Baldwin 8:30pm JUDY WOODRUFF: WOMAN OF THE HOUR WYES producer Marcia Kavanaugh recently sat down with PBS NEWSHOUR anchor and managing editor Judy Woodruff to talk about her 45 plus year career in media and politics. 9pm THE GREAT AMERICAN RECIPE (Pt. 3/8) 10pm NO PASSPORT REQUIRED “New Orleans” 11pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY 28 WEDNESDAY 6pm PBS NEWSHOUR 7pm NATURE “American Arctic” 8pm NOVA “Truth about Fat” 9pm THE GREAT AMERICAN RECIPE (Pt. 4/8) 10pm NATURE “American Arctic” 11pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY 29 THURSDAY 6pm PBS NEWSHOUR 7pm STEPPIN’ OUT 7:30pm BRITISH ANTIQUES ROADSHOW 8pm THE GREAT AMERICAN RECIPE (Pts. 5-6/8)

10pm LUCY WORSLEY’S 12 DAYS OF TUDOR CHRISTMAS 11pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY 30 FRIDAY 6pm PBS NEWSHOUR 7pm INFORMED SOURCES 7:30pm LOUISIANA: THE STATE WE’RE IN

HIGHLIGHT

Business partnerships

quality programming and events are brought to you through the generous support of the following businesses and corporations. To join our list of community-minded groups, contact Jim Tapley at (504) 837-8987, jtapley@wyes.org or Kerri Blache at (504) 483-8487, kblache@wyes.org.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

WYES Address 916 Navarre Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70124 Mailing Address P.O. Box 24026, New Orleans, LA 70184 Web Site wyes.org Questions or Comments info@wyes.org General (504) 486-5511 Membership (504) 831-1503 Programming Questions (504) 486-5511

Christmas 2004 Spirit from the sky

From the beginning we knew that Christmas dinner 2004 was going to be more senti mental than joyous. For the last several years Mom had insisted on preparing a dinner in memory of Dad for whom Christmas was his favorite time of the year. To him, who was raised during the Depression, Christmas was not just about merriment but overcoming hard times. (That sentiment would be enhanced in 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge where he and thousands of other soldiers had been submerged in deep snow during one of the coldest winters in European history.)

No longer was her house decorated as ambitiously as it had once been, which is how Mom wanted it. Instead of the usual big, flocked tree, a small plant with ornaments stood near the television. There was, however, no cutting back on dinner which included turkey, dressing and, most of all, two of Mom’s signature dishes - mushroom rice and stuffed mirlitons.

We tried to be as upbeat as we could during dinner, but the moment was badly in need of something special. That’s when one of us glanced out the window and noticed that the landscape had suddenly changed. The gray brown of winter foliage had suddenly disap peared and was covered in white. Lo and behold it was snowing—on Christmas Day, beginning almost precisely at noon. Never had a family needed a flurry from the sky so badly; never was the timing more opportune. The street was white; the vehicles were white. For a moment life seemed purified of any hint of sadness.

Sitting at the table we did face a protocol question. Should we leave briefly to go romp in the street? Or should we remain seated? Out of respect for the stuffed mirlitons maintaining their temperature we did the latter

though with many glances through the window. We could not have realized how much life would change by the following Christmas.

On August 29, 2005. because of Hurricane Katrina, the levee would break only four blocks from Mom’s house. Luckily, we were all in central Louisiana by that time and spared witnessing the horror. The aftermath was horrible enough. It was about two weeks before I got to Mom’s house where the entire interior had been turned into mush with huge pieces of furniture tossed around.

By Christmas 2005 Mom was still in central Louisiana staying with a sister, but constantly wanting to return to a home that barely existed.

We relocated to a small apartment on Julia Street that at Christmas was brightened by a

two-foot artificial tree purchased at the Alexandria Wal-Mart.

In 1843 Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol” had created a template of Christmas being a time for good will and helping the needy. For Christmas 2005 New Orleans was a city of Tiny Tims leaning on its crutches hoping for help.

It became part of the Katrina lore, spoken in jest by some but taken seriously by others, that the ’05 hurricane was nature’s adjustment for the ’04 Christmas snow as though the cosmos was responding to a weather pattern that had gone astray.

That is a debate for meteorologists and spiritualists. I am just appreciative that the last Christmas experienced in the house that Dad built was a white one.