New Orleans Magazine February 2023

DIAL 12, D1 WYES has Carnival covered all month long. Tune in for our Mardi Gras Marathon on Saturday, February 11 starting at 3:00 p.m. and don’t miss another full day of Carnival programming on Mardi Gras Day starting at 9:00 a.m. From the youngest Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief in New Orleans to the origins of Mardi Gras…WYES is New Orleans’ storyteller where history and culture meet. Head to wyes.org for a full schedule. Watch on WYES-TV, wyes.org/ live and on the free WYES and PBS Apps.

Photograph by Theresa Cassagne

FROM THE EDITOR

February in New Orleans is, generally, all about Carnival. Which parades to attend, which foods to bring, where to park, what costumes are you going to wear? For me, it means getting ready to parade with my krewes, the Dames de Perlage and, most recently, the Krewe of Dolly. This means the culmination of months of hand sewing tiny beads to a unique corset design each year (for the Dames) and getting my big blonde wig styled and some good marching boots in order (for Dolly). It can be a lot of work, but I wouldn’t trade it for that feeling you get when you are on the parade route, soaking up all those smiles and enjoying seeing families, friends and visitors along the neutral ground or sidewalk side. Nothing can beat that feeling, especially since experiencing COVID lockdown.

For our family and friends, we have our Carnival routine down pat. We generally are neutral ground people. We generally pack the same sandwiches and refreshments for adults and kids. We have our sturdy step stool and parade ladders ready to go. This year, however, we took this as an opportunity to propose some new ideas for your parade experience. Thinking “outside the box,” so we called it. It’s fun to shake things up, and we have lots of ideas to get your parade experience going in some new fun ways.

While Carnival is a time to get somewhat carried away with frivolity, we also have some practical tips to keep life on track when the parades end. Our heart health feature takes a look at the importance of mindfulness and wellness, and how to incorporate good practices. We also have a financial planning tool kit to guide your financial wellness through all that life brings, from birth to education, home ownership to estate planning and more.

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

As with each issue, we also bring you all the top places to go, things to do, and some fun recipes to include this month as you celebrate the season.

Carnival is back! Celebrate and embrace this month fully with friends and family, and maybe give those visitors near you a high five. Because, in the end, Carnival is all about sharing good times and great food, music, costumes and fun – everything that makes New Orleans the place we love to call home.

ASHLEY MCLELLAN, EDITOR

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Carnival Time

HEY JULIA,

Is it true that LSU’s colors, purple and gold, were adapted from the New Orleans Carnival’s colors, purple, green and gold?

- BOB GOLDEN, BAY ST. LOUIS, MS.

Yes, Bob that’s true. There are variations in the story of how the university selected purple and gold as its colors, but the common thread is that the colors were adapted from Carnival. A generally accepted version of the story is that in 1893, some LSU football players, in anticipation of the team’s inaugural season, were looking for ribbons to adorn their gray jerseys. A Baton Rouge store had stocked Carnival colors in anticipation of the upcoming season—or at least two-thirds of the colors. The green had not arrived yet. So, the players settled on purple and gold. (Since the team’s first game was to be against Tulane, green may not have been a popular choice anyway.) Curiously one of the players, quarterback Ruffin Pleasant, would eventually make even more decisions with statewide implications. From 1916-1920 he would serve as governor of Louisiana. There are variations of the story saying that the baseball team had actually chosen the colors first, but Pleasant’s involvement has endured, thus he is most celebrated as the man who gave LSU its purple and gold. Looking good was about all that the LSU team brought to that first game as it fell to Tulane 34-0.  But don’t mourn for Ruffin Pleasant; his name survives. There is even a building named for him on the LSU campus.

A tip- off that he might have been destined for public service was that his mother’s maiden name was Martha Washington Duty, and his father was Benjamin Franklin Pleasant. That should be good for a few victories in politics and football.

HEY JULIA, What makes you mad during Carnival? Hello to Poydras.

- RICKEY SALTAFOMAGGIO,KENNER

Rickey, there is so much that makes me mad during Carnival that Poydras is planning to go skiing in Vail at Mardi Gras just to get away from my grousing. Nevertheless, here are my top three.

3. SLOPPY PARADES. This is more common in the outskirts rather than the city where the laws are stricter, but parades in which the riders are wearing sweatshirts, sunglass and drinking beers while flinging recycled beads certainly destroy the magic. The riders act as though they’re hanging on to their “Animal House” days while riding on a truck bed, only “Animal House” had more class.

2. COMMCIALS IN PARADES. Again, this is more in the fringes than in the city where commercialism in parades is not allowed, but if there is anything that none of us need more of in our lives it is commercials. Mardi Gras, when done right, is one of the last great institutions that is sponsor free. If someone has something to sell, go to the Rose Bowl parade.

1. SPECTATORS WHO FLING THROWS BACK AT FLOAT RIDERS. This is not only stupid, but dangerous. I have seen spectators fling a bag of beads at masked riders who are not able to see the coming projectile and can’t defend against it. There should be a place for those who throw at the floats. It is called jail.

BONUS. Poydras is touched that you mentioned him above, so he has requested a bonus complaint. That’s easy. Here it is.

PREDATORY TICKET WRITERS. These are the people who slink around back streets knowing that parade-goers are desperate for parking spaces. One of their favorite targets is those who do not park far enough from a corner. Six-inches too short, and you have got a ticket. This year there is an extra edge because of the rash of car windows being broken; yet the ticket writers by their zealousness are pushing parking spots further back into the neighborhoods where vehicles can be more vulnerable. Please parking folks, be on our side.

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.

Associate Publisher Kate Henry

EDITORIAL

Editor Ashley McLellan

Creative Director Tiffani Reding Amedeo

Digital Media Editor Kelly Massicot

Style Editor Andy Myer

Executive Editor Errol Laborde

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

ADVERTISING

Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Kate Henry, Kate@MyNewOrleans.com

Account Director Meggie Schmidt

Senior Account Executives Erin Chiartano, Brooke Genusa, Rachel Webber

Advertising Consultant Penn Iarocci

Business Development Coordinator

Becca Rubenstein

RENAISSANCE PUBLISHING

MARKETING

Coordinator Abbie Whatley

PRODUCTION

Manager Rosa Balaguer Arostegui

Senior Designer Meghan Rooney

CIRCULATION

Subscriptions Jessica Armand

Distribution John Holzer

ADMINISTRATION

Office Manager Mallary Wolfe

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CARNIVAL PODCAST

Season three of our “Beyond the Beads” podcast, hosted by Executive Editor Errol Laborde, returns with weekly interviews with Carnival history and interviews with makers, musicians, local celebrities and inside information.

MARDI GRAS SEASON

Visit MyNewOrleans.com for the latest Carnival information, purple, green and gold fashion and accessories, events, history and much more.

EDITOR'S PICKS

Each Monday, New Orleans Magazine editor Ashley McLellan highlights what’s going on around town in “On Assignment.” From restaurant picks to author events, podcast recommendations or the best king cake reviews, we’ve got you covered.

BY FRITZ ESKER

TINA - THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL

Take a trip through the song catalog of rock goddess Tina Turner in this musical journey through her life story, February 7-12 at the Saenger. SaengerNOLA.com

“SISTAS THE MUSICAL”

This musical tells the story of five women cleaning out their matriarch’s home and reflecting on their shared past. The play features songs from artists ranging from Billie Holiday to Beyonce. Playing at Teatro Wego, January 27-February 12. jpas.org

LOUISIANA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: THE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS

The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra will perform the best of the legendary composer John Williams (“Jurassic Park,” “Star Wars,” “Jaws,” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark”) on February 25 at the Orpheum Theater. OrpheumNOLA.net

JOHN MELLENCAMP

Rock star John Mellencamp will be performing one night only at the Saenger on February 24. SaengerNOLA.com

ZULU LUNDI GRAS FESTIVAL

On February 20, the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club will host its annual Lundi Gras Festival at Woldenberg Park. This year’s festival, which is free and open to the public, will feature three stages of live music. LundiGrasFestival.com

ANITA BAKER

Eight-time Grammy winner Anita Baker performs at the Smoothie King Center on February 17 as part of her Songstress Tour. SmoothieKingCenter.com

ALABAMA

Country music group Alabama will perform with The SteelDrivers at the Smoothie King Center on February 23 as part of their Roll on 2 North America Tour. SmoothieKingCenter. com

“HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS” WITH THE LPO

Watch the family fantasy blockbuster film “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra performing the score live! February 3-4 at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts. MahaliaJacksonTheater.com

SHEN YUN

ANDREA BOCELLI

On February 11 celebrated Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli comes to New Orleans f or the first time, performing with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at the Smoothie King Center. SmoothieKingCenter.com

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE

Indie rock stars Death Cab for Cutie perform for one night only at the Orpheum Theater on February 3. OrpheumNOLA.net

Shen Yun celebrates 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture with classical dance, dynamic animated backdrops, and original orchestral works. Two performances on Saturday, February 11 at the Mahalia Jackson Theater. MahaliaJacksonTheater.com

FRANKIE VALLI AND THE FOUR SEASONS

American legends Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons have sold more than 100 million records worldwide. They will be performing their greatest hits at the Saenger on February 4. SaengerNOLA.com

SAENGER PHOTO

ORPHEUM THEATER PHOTO

MISTY MILIOTO

Carnival Cocktails

For something a bit unexpected, this Mardi Gras season, Virgin Hotels New Orleans is featuring specialty Mardi Gras cocktails with house-made ice-cube babies. virginhotels.com/new-orleans

COCKTAILS TO-GO

Tujague’s, the birthplace of the Grasshopper cocktail, is showcasing a Mardi Gras satellite bar in front of the three-story indooroutdoor French Quarter restaurant. Belly up to the bar, and enjoy specialty libations that include Hurricanes, Pimm’s Cups and Palomas. Select beers also will be available for $5, including Gnarly Barley Jucifer, Port Orleans Bacchus Blonde Ale, Paradise Park and Michelob Ultra, along with High Noon alcoholic seltzers. Drinks can be ordered directly from the bar (open Feb. 17-21 from 11 a.m to 7 p.m.) with no reservation required. tujaguesrestaurant.com

V-DAY LIBATIONS

Named after the Dominican Republic passion fruit, which locals pronounce as chee-nohlah, Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur balances the fruit’s unique tartness with natural sweetness and tropical essence. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Chinola has partnered with Vesta Chocolate to create limited-edition Chinola bonbon and ganache chocolates made with Dominican cacao. The single-origin collection features Vesta’s signature 66 percent chocolate bonbons and dark chocolate ganache with a caramel filling made with Chinola liqueur. Once bitten, the bonbons burst forth with bright and juicy Chinola, including subtle notes of citrus and spices. shopchinola.com; vestachocolate.com

On another note, mixologist extraordinaire Chris Hannah, co-owner and bartender at Jewel of the South, shares this Valentine’s Day recipe for those looking to experiment at home. The Coco-Spagliatto features Campari infused with toasted coconut, which will immediately have you dreaming about your next island adventure. jewelnola.com

Coco-Spagliatto

Toast a cup of shredded coconut and add to a sealable container. Pour in a bottle of Campari and let it sit for a couple of hours to overnight. Strain the liquor back into the empty bottle.

1 oz. Coconut Campari

1 oz. sweet vermouth

3 oz. sparkling wine

Add the Campari and vermouth to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain over an ice-filled Collins glass and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with orange peel.

FIT FOR A KING

Maison Courvoisier (the most awarded cognac house based on 20 top spirits competitions since 2019) has released Courvoisier XO Royal nationwide. The ultra-premium spirit is a blend of old Fins Bois de Jarnac and carefully selected Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie, resulting in a complex spirit that pays tribute to the cognac that graced the royal courts of Europe in the 1900s. Expect a long and powerful finish balanced by Courvoisier’s signature floral style. Courvoisier XO Royal is presented in a teardrop-shaped bottle with a stunning faceted glass stopper. Find local retailers at courvoisier.com/locate.

LATE-NIGHT IMBIBING

For those looking to power through the night, The Tasting Room, the cozy wine bar on Magazine Street, has a new Reverse Happy Hour Thursday through Saturday from 9-12 p.m. Enjoy food and drink specials that include margaritas, Old Fashioned cocktails and house tap wine for $8, and sliders ($8), a pickle board ($12), a cheese board ($14) and charcuterie ($14). ttrneworleans.com

SAM HANNA PHOTO

BY MISTY MILIOTO THE DISH

King Cakes

Through Feb. 21, Maggie Scales, executive pastry chef of the Link Restaurant Group, is offering several flavors and sizes of king cakes at Cochon Butcher and La Boulangerie. The popular Elvis option consists of a soft brioche filled with peanut butter and roasted banana, and topped with house-cured bacon, toasted marshmallow and Mardi Gras sprinkles. Other options include cinnamon, strawberry and chocolate almond. The king cakes are available in two sizes: a six-inch individual (exclusively available at Cochon Butcher) and a nine-inch large (available at both Cochon Butcher and La Boulangerie). The Elvis will be sold at Cochon Butcher daily by the slice or as a full-size special order cake with required 48-hour notice. La Boulangerie also will offer eight- and 10-inch traditional French Galette des Rois (two rounds of puff pastry filled with almond cream), and a nine-inch pretzel king cake decorated with Mardi Gras colored salt and served with Cochon Abita mustard. cochonbutcher.com, laboulangerienola.com

CAFE WITH A CAUSE

After suffering through a few ups and downs during the pandemic, Dragonfly Cafe is officially open. A social enterprise of Raphael Village (a local organization providing education, life-skills and vocational training opportunities for children and adults with exceptionalities), Dragonfly Cafe serves breakfast, lunch and brunch with a focus on fresh, local produce. Popular menu items include the braised short rib on a sweet potato cornbread waffle, the breakfast burrito, shrimp and grits, the veggie melt and sweet potato hash. dragonflynola.com

BRUNCH BITES

Jack Rose at the Pontchartrain Hotel is hosting a Galentine’s Day Brunch on Feb. 12. It includes a threecourse prix fixe menu and a variety of specialty cocktails. jackroserestaurant.com

Commons Club at Virgin Hotel New Orleans is offering a Bottomless Brunch every Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. this month until Feb. 21. It includes specialty dishes created by Executive Chef Alex Harrell, bottomless mimosas or Veuve Clicquot and accompanying live entertainment. There will also be a special Lundi Gras Brunch on Feb. 20. virginhotels.com/ new-orleans

WEST AFRICAN DELIGHTS

Dakar NOLA opened in November on Magazine Street offering Senegalese food with a modern twist. Managing partners Effie Richardson and Serigne Mbaye are highlighting the flavors of Senegal through a finedining, multi-course tasting menu experience. Each dish is near and dear to Richardson’s heart and comes from cherished memories throughout her childhood as well as travels throughout Africa. The bread rolls with spiced butter, served at the beginning of the meal, have become a customer favorite, as well as the tea service (fragrant jasmine tea with locally grown herbs) served at the end of the meal. Be on the lookout for monthly collaborations with local, national and international chefs. dakarnola.com

FRENCH FARE

Mamou is a new French brasserie on North Rampart Street that features a sumptuous menu by Chef Tom Branighan and a well curated wine list by Sommelier Molly Wismeier. The intimate restaurant, designed by Jennie West and Jason Richards of Studio West Design & Architecture, spotlights European continental cuisine mixed with Creole influences. In addition to staple items, the menu also features seasonal items— with ingredients sourced from many local farmers and producers in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. Additionally, the cocktail menu by John Michael Kinsella pulls inspiration from French culinary techniques and ingredients seen in French cooking. For dinner, try the braised celery hearts and the Gulf fish court bouillon (featuring seasonal crusted gulf fish and oyster dressing). mamounola.com

Meanwhile, French Quarter Boulangerie, the latest project from New Orleans hotelier and restaurateur Robert Thompson of Angevin & Co., is set to reimagine the historic building that once housed K Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen on Chartres Street. The all-day breakfast and lunch restaurant will open in the second half of 2023. Expect sweet and savory items, including freshly made pastries, baked baguettes, spice bread, peach hand pies, ham danishes with red eye gravy, croque madames on fresh-baked sourdough and more. There also will be a full coffee and espresso bar alongside a lineup of wines, bottled and canned beers, and all-day cocktails. Photo credit: Angevin & Co.

Style

BY ANDY MYER

It’s a given that at some point during a Carnival brunch your neck will be adorned with beads, boas, or something else tossed your way. So, better make it a Mardi party for your ears. Ella Bartlow’s Swarovski crystal earrings in a range of colorful styles are the perfect festive touch to add to your ensemble. Ella Bartlow, ellabartlow.com.

Crafted from gold metal mesh, this showstopper is made in Spain by Isabel Moore with a nod to vintage Whiting and Davis dresses. You won’t be able to resist shimmying to the mambo in this number. Available at Century Girl, centurygirlvintage.com.

Carnival Brunch

One thing is certain, if you’re dressing up for an occasion during Mardi Gras, you’ll inevitably be doing a good bit of walking. A chunky heel is a no-brainer, and this sparkly pair by Sam Edelman will have your toes tapping with flair. Available at Hemline, shophemline.com.

This just feels like a good idea. After a day (or perhaps a week or two) of reveling, why not prepare for the unwelcome hangover? Created to help users bounce back after time on the town, the Rescue Patch is infused with DHM, green tea and vitamin B1 for “when the struggle is real.” Available at Lionheart Prints, lionheartprints.com.

It’s hands-free time while you second line. This playful Shearling Bumbag by Primecut can be worn around the waste or as a crossbody, and with this is tow, there will be no going back to the restaurant because you forgot your purse. Available at Saint Claude Social Club, saintclaudesocialclub.com.

BY KELLY MASSICOT

ALYSSA FLETCHINGER HIGGINS

Carnival season is upon us. The beads have been bought, the floats are in line, and the throws are ready to be thrown. As kids of all ages line the streets of Uptown and all over Greater New Orleans, we wait and wonder as to what throws are going to be this year‘s hot ticket items.

Someone who knows a lot about prepping our krewes with pieces ready for the person with the best, “throw me something, mister,“ is Alyssa Fletchinger Higgins of Plush Appeal LLC. Fletchinger Higgins has been in the business of Mardi Gras throws since she was just a child. Now she helps runs the show as the vice president of the company. Ahead of the chaos that can be Carnival season, we asked Fletchinger Higgins about the industry, how the pandemic impacted her business, her favorite parts of Mardi Gras celebrations and more

Q: What is Plush Appeal, “The Mardi Gras Spot,” and when did the company form? New Orleans is known for its joyful camaradrie and celebrations. In many ways, Plush Appeal reflects the spirt and resilience of our great city. I am fortunate to be a part of a family company with a mission of spreading joy to our customers every day. Plush Appeal was founded by my father, Daryl Fletchinger, in 1989 when he worked in the gaming business. He originally distributed the plush animals that are so popular in the crane games in arcades. He revolutionized this distribution when he invented a way to provide assorted bags of stuffed animals, rather than bags of all the same toys, to game makers. From there the business took off to include customized and fabricated Mardi Gras throws and supplies for carnival krewes. Eventually we added a retail storefront and online outlet for the public to access carnival as well as party flair and décor for every holiday and occasion.

Q: What kind of products does Plush Appeal offer? While we may be known for Carnival time, we offer something for every occasion. Our products include craft items, home décor, game-day gear, birthday party supplies, holiday flair and decorations.

Q: What is the number one selling product every Carnival season? Beads are still the highest volume purchase across Carnival krewes in south Louisiana. At Plush Appeal – The Mardi Gras Spot, we’ve made a conscious effort to make Mardi Gras more sustainable. Many people don’t know that 80 percent of beads we sell are made of recycled materials. Plush and customized, themed throws still generate the biggest amount of delight. In terms of Mardi Gras, if you can dream up a customized throw, we can make it a reality.

Q: How did the pandemic and cancelled Mardi Gras impact Plush Appeal? When the pandemic shuttered public gatherings immediately after Mardi Gras in 2020, it was sad for many reasons. Our online store and Mid-City retail location were places that could offer a respite and a bit of levity from the chaos. Our products remind people that every day is worth celebrating.

Q: How far ahead of Carnival season do y’all start getting orders for throws? It is not unusual to begin planning for the next year’s themes and customized throws before the current season. The supply chain has faced

significant challenges since the start of COVID-19. Other factors such as shutdowns have greatly impacted the shipping and delivery schedules. Plush Appeal, and similar companies, have been successfully innovating solutions to manage these hurdles for several years now. Our message to our customers has been consistent: plan and place your orders sooner rather than later.

Q: I’m sure Carnival is a huge time for the company, but are there any other big selling seasons or time during the year when y’all are busy? Halloween has always been another favorite celebration. We see a spooky amount around this night of revelry and fun in the city. Recently, we have noted trends in wedding and holiday celebrations.

True Confession

I assumed the role of acting head of the company this year, but I have been involved in my family’s business since I was 8 years old as the official “product tester,” helping select the hottest products.

Lagniappe

Favorite parade

I love Mardi Gras and seeing all the parades. I have so many wonderful experiences with family and friends on the parade routes. As a child, I would beg my dad to take me to every parade. Unfortunately, today most of my parade viewing is behind the scenes.

Favorite thing to catch at a parade

I love catching fun wearables such as headbands, necklaces and bracelets. Some Krewes are even throwing earrings. With three children at home, their interests are more focused on stuffed toys and fun novelties. My son came home from the fair last month with three different krewes' stuffed toys and was thrilled.

You know what gnomes are - hairy little men with big pointy hats that come down to their noses, and beards to their feet. People stick gnomes in their flower gardens and, lately, everywhere else for decoration. I don’t see the point, myself. You could just as well set my brothers-in-law around. But some people are just crazy about gnomes.

My sister-in-law Larva is a gnome maniac. She calls herself Gnola the Gnomlier, and she makes them to sell - including mini-gnomes for the mantel, for the table, for wreaths, and just to set around the house to startle the cat.

Now usually the Gunch family dresses more or less alike and goes as a group for Mardi Gras - except for the teenagers, who naturally don’t want nothing to do with us.

Larva wants us to dress as gnomes this one year, because she thinks it will be good for business. She says WDSU-TV will come along before the parade and we will probably be on TV. My mother-in-law in law Ms. Larva says that Mardi Gras is never supposed to be used for commercial purposes. But Larva says this one time won’t hurt.

Also, she says the costume is easy to make because it is half hat.

You make a huge cone-shaped hat out of purple felt - big enough to come down to your belly button. You cut a inconspicuous slot for eyes halfway up the hat so you can

Mardi Gras Mambo

There’s gnome place like home

see out of it.

Below the hat, you attach a big squishy ball-shaped nose at your belly button, and the rest of the costume is beard that touches the floor.

Your arms are mostly under the hat, but you got slits so you can shoot them out real quick and catch stuff, like a lizard catches a fly on its tongue.

Well, there’s a whole LOT of argument in the family about this. As usual, the teenagers, including Larva’s own kids, refuse to be associated with us. But we don’t want them out on Mardi Gras by themselves, so the agreement is, they’ll be nearby, in contact by cell phone. But we won’t,

under any circumstances, walk up to them personally or call them by name. They will, however, have a key to our port-a-potty.

(We always bring a port-a-potty on a pick-up and park it near the parade route. But it’s locked, and this year Gnola puts a sign on it that says “Gnomes Alone.” )

So we are all out there on St. Charles Avenue, dressed like gnomes, waiting for the parade - and then, would you believe, this other family comes along and sets up right next to us. And they also claim to be gnomes. They are dressed more like elves if you ask me. Their costumes are pointy hat-size hats, beards on their

faces, and balloony pants tucked into their boots. They tried to make their cooler look like a mushroom by putting a round spotted pillow on top. Which is a cute touch, but still.

Anyway, their older kids wander around and happen to find our “Gnomes Alone” port-a-potty. Our own stupid teenagers left it unlocked. Anyway, they read the sign, and go ahead and pee in it. Thank God Larva’s oldest boy sees them, and calls us on his cell phone, and Ms. Larda has to waddle over there and straighten them out. “Gnomes Alone” don’t mean EVERY gnome.

Anyway, words are had, and both groups of gnomes are sulking. And then, a roach runs up Larva’s beard. Well, she lets out a screech that can be heard in Jefferson Parish, and starts dancing around slapping her beard, screeching ROACH and immediately all the rest of us think maybe we got roaches in our beards too, and we all start dancing and slapping ourselves. And just then, the WDSU-TV guy walks by, and he says “Dancing gnomes!” The elf/ gnomes next to us pick up on that, and they start doing the “Mardi Gras Mambo,” which is playing on somebody’s cell phone. So WDSU interviews them, and not us.

And that night, you probably saw them on the evening news, prancing around.

Which goes to show.

Never use Mardi Gras for commercial purposes.

BY JOHN R. KEMP

For generations, American soldiers and sailors dressed and posed in their finest have sent photographs of themselves back home to their mothers, wives or girlfriends. These two Union soldiers were no different. Seen in this 1864 image, taken by Leeson’s Photographic Gallery at 167 Poydras St. in New Orleans, are Sergeant Major William. L. Henderson and Hospital Steward Thomas H. Sands Pennington, both are members of the 20th United States Colored Troop Infantry Regiment, one of several Federal military commands occupying an uneasy and at times resistant New Orleans after the city fell to Union forces on May 1, 1862.

During the Civil War, both the North and South created African-American units to fill their ranks. In Louisiana, it was the Native Guard, a unit of free men of color who volunteered to serve in the Confederate army but later joined the Union army after the city fell. By the end of the war, almost 180,000 Black soldiers had fought in the Union Army. One of those units was the 20th U.S. Colored Troop Infantry Regiment, organized on Feb. 9, 1864, at Rikers Island, New York. A month after its creation, the War Department ordered the regiment to the Department of the Gulf. It arrived in New Orleans on March 20. The first few months, the regiment moved from New Orleans to Port Hudson on the Mississippi north of Baton Rouge and then to Texas, before returning to Louisiana for a brief stay in Plaquemine, La. The regiment returned to the New Orleans area in August 1864 where it remained until June 1865. Its next post was Nashville, Tenn. The regiment disbanded on Oct. 7, 1865. According to reports, the 20th Regiment lost 285 men. Most died from diseases rather than hostile fire. Only one soldier, an enlisted man, died from wounds received in battle.

As to the two soldiers seen here, little information is available about Sgt. Major Henderson. More is known about Pennington, the adopted

son of an escaped slave and Black abolitionist preacher from Albany, New York. The young Pennington studied pharmacy under Thomas Elkins a New York State member of the Vigilance Committee of the Underground Railroad. After the war, Pennington worked briefly for a druggist in New York City, married Elkins’ niece, and returned to Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where he went on to build a highly regarded career in pharmacy. He died in 1900.

Sergeant Major William L. Henderson and Hospital Steward Thomas H.S. Pennington of 20th U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) Infantry Regiment in uniform, ca. 1864, Leeson's Photographic Gallery, 167 Poydras St., New Orleans. Library of Congress

BLUE BELL MARDI GRAS

KING CAKE ICE CREAM

Need an easy treat? Look for this seasonal release that’s only available in select areas (including ours, fortunately). Cinnamon ice cream with pieces of pastry, sprinkles and a cream cheese swirl? Save us a scoop!

THIS CITY REVERES ITS TRADITIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE SURROUNDING CARNIVAL. BUT EVEN IN NEW ORLEANS, PEOPLE WILL PUSH THE ENVELOPE IF THERE IS FUN – OR GLITTER – INVOLVED. WE ROUNDED UP SOME FESTIVE TWISTS ON STANDARD PRACTICES AROUND THE FOUR POINTS OF THE MARDI GRAS COMPASS: EATING, DRINKING, PARADING, AND COSTUMING. MAKE THIS THE YEAR YOU STEP OUT OF YOUR CARNIVAL COMFORT ZONE.

FRESH FASHIONS

The Mardi Gras rugby shirt will never go out of style, but there are so many new options for parade apparel. Some are glittery, some cozy – but all equally at home along the route.

Fringe + Co.

Mardi Gras trendsetters will adore this Mid-City spot for all things bedecked and bedazzled. Carnival is a natural fit for Fringe, with offerings ranging from sequin jumpsuits to caftans of every shine. All items are designed and made in New Orleans, so it’s a great option if you’re looking to support local creatives with your Mardi Gras duds. Fringe-co.com

To-dye-for jumpsuits

Nothing says cool Carnival comfort like a jumpsuit tie-dyed in purple, green, and gold from local maker Dyers. Owner and artist Via Fortier was captivated by tie dye at age 10 when her uncle gifted her a Grateful Dead tee. Gradually, she honed the skill and upped her game to ‘ice dying,’ the process she uses today. Fortier started making and selling garments two years ago with the Dyers label, including the signature jumpsuit (priced at $138). She has outfitted fashion-forward clients including the folks at Lekha and Turkey & the Wolf and welcomes custom orders. @dyersdyes on Instagram, dyersdyes.com

Mardi Gras-themed tees

Mardi Gras is for t-shirts: oversized, baby tees, sequins, and all the rest. Some of our favorites can be found at Dirty Coast and Fleurty Girl (like the “YEAH YA ROUTE” or “No Sleep Til Ash Wednesday” designs). Tees also make excellent host/hostess gifts for parade parties and can be shipped to homesick expats missing their favorite celebration. Dirtycoast.com, fleurtygirl.net

Fabulous fanny packs

Creator Sara Lowenburg has always loved crafting, especially the Mardi Gras variety. She began making eyecatching fanny packs in 2020 as a quarantine hobby, gifting them to friends. Those lucky recipients were so smitten that in 2021, Lowenburg began selling the packs now strapped on savvy paradegoers around town. The hand-decorated fanny packs ($125 each) are insulated, come with a removable ice pack, and have space for three cans, along with a back pocket for stashing valuables. “I hand decorate them with sequins, fringe, and appliques, many of which are vintage or discontinued designs I find around town and online,” said Lowenburg. Packs can be purchased from Lowenburg through Instagram, at various market appearances around town, and at Mood Salon on Oak Street. @CoolYourFannies on Instagram

Marvelous millinery

After missing the Covid-crushed Mardi Gras festivities in 2021, Jackie Violette was ready to celebrate in 2022. She decided to make festive gear for herself and some friends, including intricately decorated hats. Her pals were so impressed that they encouraged Violette to sell her creations. “At first, I was like, ‘Who is going to buy these?’” recalled Violette, “and then I almost immediately realized that I live in New Orleans and folks here will use any excuse to dress up!” She began posting her works on her Facebook page and within a few weeks had nearly 1,000 followers and lots of custom orders. Designs for the hats (which run about $150 each) span Mardi Gras, Saints, bridal, and every sparkly holiday in between. Violette also hosts hat-making classes where she shares her techniques and supplies with wanna-be hatters. “I always warn customers that if they see a hat on my site that they love, I’ll use it as inspiration but will always make them slightly different to ensure that everyone gets a unique item.”  @thejaxhatter on Instagram, thejaxhatter.com

by Rebecca Friedman photography by Theresa Cassagne

CRAFTY CATCHES

Every year it seems like more beads hit the sidewalk… and stay there. While long pearl necklaces were once a coveted catch, parade goers are now seeking – or making – unique items that can enjoy a second life after Mardi Gras.

Plush Appeal

This local Mardi Gras supply store offers an array of throws, party favors, and festive paraphernalia. If you’re looking to step up from plastic, Plush Appeal’s large selection of glass beads allows you to color coordinate with any outfit – and keep the baubles for next year. Mardigrasspot.com

Epiphany Throws

If sustainability is on your Carnival agenda, check out the goods from Epiphany Throws, a greener alternative to the plastic waste of Mardi Gras. Epiphany’s accessories and throws are made from biodegradable, recycled, and upcycled materials. You’ll find beads made from [biodegradable] silk, cotton, and acai as well as necklaces, headbands, and scrunchies made from repurposed Mardi Gras costumes. Epiphanythrows.com

NOLA

Craft and Culture

If you’re someone who marvels at the artistry of a glittery Muses shoe or a showstopping headpiece, you might enjoy making your own. Rediscover the fun of arts and crafts at NOLA Craft and Culture – a wonderland of sparkle and hot glue where you can indulge your sequined dreams and not worry about the post-glitter vacuuming. Their Mid-City spot offers retail supplies, workshops, private classes, and even locker storage for your [messy] works in progress. The shop also features an art market where you can purchase/marvel at creations from students and instructors. Nolacraftculture.com

Pixie Dust

Biodegradable sparkles! This guiltless glitter allows you to shine to your heart’s content, knowing that the plant-based substance will fully break down in the natural environment within 6 weeks. Pixiedust.eco

CARNIVAL 2023 FEBRUARY PARADE SCHEDULE

Friday, Feb. 3

FRENCH QUARTER

Krewe of Bohème, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 4

FRENCH QUARTER

Krewe du Vieux, 7 p.m.

Krewedelusion, follows

Sunday, Feb. 5

METAIRIE

Krewe of Little Rascals, 12 p.m.

MARIGNY

‘tit Rǝx, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 10

FRENCH QUARTER

Krewe of Cork, 3 p.m.

UPTOWN

Krewe of Oshun, 6 p.m.

Krewe of Cleopatra, follows Krewe of Alla, follows

METAIRIE

Krewe of Excalibur, 6:30 p.m.

Krewe of Symphony, follows

Saturday, Feb. 11

UPTOWN

Krewe of Pontchartrain, 1 p.m.

Krewe of Choctaw, follows Krewe of Freret, follows

Knights of Sparta, 5:30 p.m.

Krewe of Pygmalion, follows

METAIRIE

Magical Krewe of Mad Hatters, 5 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 12

UPTOWN

The Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale, 11 a.m.

Krewe of Carrollton, follows Krewe of King Arthur, follows

FRENCH QUARTER

Krewe of Barkus, 2 p.m.

METAIRIE

Krewe of Atlas, 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 15

UPTOWN

Krewe of Druids, 6:15 p.m.

Krewe of Nyx, follows

DITCH THE DAIQUIRI

There are plenty of options for livening your libations this Mardi Gras – it is New Orleans, after all.

Happy Raptor Distilling

Looking for cocktails-to-go? Check out the offerings from Happy Raptor Distilling (located just a block off the St. Charles Ave. parade route). This local operation produces 504Rum (in Premium White, Premium Gold, Hibiscus, and Bananas Foster) as well as their seasonal favorite King Cake Spiced Rum (see below). For this Carnival season, during all uptown parades, cocktails to-go include Rum Punch and 504Hibiscus Lemonade in single 8oz. sizes, 2-serving cocktail pouches, 4-serving jugs, half-gallons, and gallons. Spring for a branded souvenir cup and get discounted refills. Early risers can sip on spiked coffee and apple cider, and frozen specialty cocktails are also available. Bonus: the patio space is a great option to rent out for parade parties with groups of 10 or more. Happyraptor.com

Urban South

Urban South is known for twists on local tastes and traditions. This year, the brewery is teaming up with the folks at Dong Phuong for a line of Carnival Time king cake sour ales. The ales are brewed with real DP king cakes, packing notes of cream cheese and cinnamon brioche flavors into a tasty beverage. “Carnival Time: Sour Ale with Dong Phuong King Cake” is available across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. At the New Orleans Urban South taproom, visitors can sample varieties made with Dong Phuong’s strawberry filled and coconut cream flavors. Wookie-loving fans of the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus might enjoy the “RAWRGWAWRR!” stout, a smooth, chocolatey stout infused with granola bar flavors. Once parades get rolling, hit the taproom for “Sidewalk Side Double IPA” (with notes of passionfruit and peach) and “Neutral Ground: Pineapple IPA.” Urbansouthbrewery.com

Cane & Table

Looking for an upgrade from typical FQ walking beverages?

Try the Frozen Pina Colada from CureCo.’s critically acclaimed French Quarter restaurant and bar. No bottled mix in play here – you’ll get house-made coconut cream, fresh citrus, pineapple juice, and a generous pour of rum to keep you in high spirits. Caneandtablenola.com

Wetlands Sake

Class up your canned consumption with the offerings from Wetlands Sake. The petite cans are highly portable and contain filtered and unfiltered varieties of their sakes, made locally with Louisiana rice. For a lower alcohol content, try the sparkling sakes in passionfruit and blood orange flavors. Stop by the taproom to pick up a pack or find them at local groceries and liquor stores. Wetlandssake.com

King of Carnival red wine

Drink like a king (or queen) with a sweet red wine fit for royalty. Local vintner Olé Orleans releases its King of Carnival red for this special season, a full-flavored vintage with “notes of candied cherries and finishing notes of confectioners’ sugar.” Oleorleans. com

Sazerac

House cocktail kits

If you find yourself on Canal Street during Carnival, Sazerac House offers curbside pickup for their cocktail collection that includes several Mardi Gras-friendly treasures. Grab a 750ml. bottle of Handy & Schiller Manhattan, a ready-todrink cocktail made with Sazerac Rye and Peychaud Bitters, aged in a Sazerac Rye barrel. Or for a more elaborate offering, pick up a Merchants Exchange Cocktail Kit (we like the Sazerac), which provides everything you need (750ml. bottle of Sazerac Rye Whiskey, 750ml. bottle of Legendre Herbsaint Original, 5oz. bottle Peychaud’s Bitters, and two cocktail glasses) to whip up the famed cocktail – wherever you land during Mardi Gras. Sazerachouse.com

KING CAKE WITH A TWIST

King Cake syrup

Cocktail & Sons offers this seasonal syrup to make cocktails and mocktails as delicious as the taste that inspired it. The handcrafted syrup blends Louisiana cane sugar with cinnamon, lemon, and pecan and pairs well with bourbon, rye, scotch, rum, and vodka. You can also add a little zip to coffee or tea. Had enough king cake? Look for the line’s Fassionola syrup, which celebrates Louisiana strawberries, hibiscus, and lime. Store. cocktailandsons.com

It’s a scrumptious Mardi Gras staple, but sometimes you need a break from the cake. With that in mind, here are a few new ways to get your fix without waiting in line at Manny Randazzo.

Gambino’s King Cake Rum Cream

If you’d rather drink your king cake, try this creamy elixir from the masters at Gambino’s Bakery and Cocktail & Sons. The beverage blends aged Caribbean rum with spices and fresh Wisconsin cream to replicate the flavor of Mardi Gras’ favorite treat. Add it to coffee, cocktails, or just drink it straight. Gambinos.com

King Cake meringues

Beth Biundo Sweets is rolling out a new treat for the season. These king cake flavored meringues feature glitter and all the colors of Carnival in a bite-sized package perfect for gifting (or neutral ground noshing). Bethbiundosweets.com

Happy Raptor 504KingCake Rum

This seasonal favorite is available at the distillery’s tasting room and select local outlets through Mardi Gras Day. The spirit is made with Louisiana molasses and infused with orange, pecan, cinnamon, and vanilla to capture the essence of king cake. A portion of 504King Cake bottle sales will be donated to Sprout Nola, a local nonprofit that supports urban farmers and agricultural education programming. 504kingcake.com

DANCE PARTNERS

Every year, Mardi Gras marching/dance groups become a more integral part of the parade experience. Their elaborate costumes, boogie-down routines, and personalities range from gregariously goofy to super sexy. But behind (and alongside and in front of) every group is a cast of supporting players who are stars in their own right.

Priscillas

You can hear the Krewe of the Rolling Elvi long before they pass by on their scooters. The signature look is all Elvis, all the time. Their faithful Priscillas have become a key part of the group’s appeal. Dressed in costumes that reflect Elvis’s famous bride, the 36 Priscillas travel with their pompadoured “Rollers” and add to the Presley magic. According to Kimberley Farrell, the board member who serves as ‘voice of the Priscillas,’ you can spot the members at events all year long, often clad in their signature leopard print coats and wigs (“with a bump – the higher the better”). Look for their float at Mardi Gras in the Krewes of King Arthur and Muses, as they, along with other krewe members the Ann-Margrets and Memphis Mafia, celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Rolling Elvi.

Sailors

The Sirens of New Orleans emerge from the watery depths to charm paradegoers with their sea-colored wigs and shimmering corsets. The Sailor Corps play a central role in the Sirens’ success, performing feats of crowd control, carrying banners and props, passing out the Krewe’s signature “Message in a Bottle” throws, and more. The men and women of the Sailor Corps can be distinguished from ordinary landlubbers by their jaunty sailor and pirate suits.

610 Splits

The 610 Stompers have become perhaps the most widely recognizable among the dance krewes, with their signature blue shorts and knee-high athletic socks. They would be lost without the 610 Splits, the women who march alongside them to provide security and support.

Dames’ Dudes

The Dames de Perlage present one of the most breathtaking costume spectacles of the circuit. Their hand-beaded costumes showcase the art of perlage (the French word for beadwork) that has long played a role in traditional Carnival costuming. The Dames are ably supported by the Dudes (identifiable by the ‘DUDES’ signs on their caps), who strut beside them, carry their banners, and allow the Dames to shine.

CARNIVAL CUISINE

We love a box of chicken from our favorite chain, but why not try a new taste this season?

Picnic Provisions & Whiskey

Picnic offers its Crawfish Boil Fried Chicken in catering boxes for the route – without the drivethru line wait. They will also be offering Frozen Pina Coladas to-go. Nolapicnic.com

Sweet Soulfood

If you’re looking for plant-based fare, this Broad Street spot offers takeout and catering. Check out their delicious vegan takes on classic Carnival eats like jambalaya and red beans and rice, plus killer fried cauliflower and many more options (including a wide array of vegan ice creams and sweets) on the rotating menu of specials. Sweetvegansoulfood.com

The Rabbit’s Foot

This chic bodega and eatery on Prytania St. in the Garden District is another option just off the route for easy eats. They’ll be starting with tasty to-go breakfast items and coffee and progressing to sandwiches, cocktail kits, and more as the day unfolds. Rabbitsfootnola.com

We Dat’s Chicken & Shrimp

This local business has four locations around the city, including one on Canal Street that’s central to the Mardi Gras action. Their chicken wraps and chicken tenders are blessedly boneless, so you can hold them in one hand while catching throws with the other.  Wedatschickenand shrimp.com

Gracious Bakery

The Gracious location on St. Charles Ave. in the Garden District is a prime refueling spot for paradegoers. On morning parade days, they’ve got pastries and bacon/egg/cheese sandwiches on white cheddar biscuits to pair with your coffee (make it an Irish) or bloody Mary. Non-breakfast spreads include sandwiches on focaccia, BBQ pulled pork hand pies, cookies, cupcakes, and king cake slices. Try the Gracious Rum Punch, or stick with beer, wine, and mixed drinks. Lagniappe: they also sell all-day passes for their portable toilets. Graciousbakery.com

OFF THE AVENUE

Uptown parades are a Carnival staple, of course, but there’s a lot of fun to be had in other neighborhoods. Every season brings new offerings in the form of smaller krewes with fantastical themes and a hearty dose of irreverence.

Marigny and Bywater

These areas host highlights like the Krewe of ‘tit Rəx on February 5. ‘tit Rəx is a diminutive departure from the king of Carnival parades, a ‘microkrewe’ founded in 2008 that showcases intricate shoebox-based ‘floats’ and a family-friendly Marigny march from St. Roch to St. Claude. On Lundi Gras, you might also check out the Krewe of Red Beans, which kicks off at 2 p.m. at Royal and St. Ferdinand Streets and second lines its way through the Marigny or the Bywater’s Feijao and Green Beans Parade, which starts at 2 p.m. in at Piety and Burgundy Streets and celebrates the cultural connections between Louisiana and Brazil.

French Quarter

Krewe Bohème, founded in 2018, is a gorgeous addition to the Carnival scene. On February 3, the krewe will follow the absinthe-minded ‘Supreme Green Fairy,’ winding its way through the Quarter. Inner krewes include groups like the Merry Antoinettes and Les ReBelles (a dance group with a fabulous French twist), and “throws” are locally made and eco-friendly.

Abita Springs

The Push Mow Parade comes to life on February 11 at noon, starting at the Abita Springs Town Hall. This year’s theme is “Lousy Fast Food Combos” and promises creative and wacky costumes, marching groups, and decorated lawnmowers.

All around town

The Krewe of House Floats was formed during the pandemic’s parade-less 2021 Mardi Gras season. When Founder Megan Boudreaux suggested on social media that people turn their homes into floats, she couldn’t have imagined the response. Houses across the city were transformed into works of art, with many of the creations made by out-of-work float designers and artists. Though the real parades returned in 2022, many homes still proudly display their Krewe of House Float treasures, reminding us how lucky we are to celebrate communally once again.

AFTER (OR INSTEAD OF) THE PARADE

Want to keep the party going after the last float passes? We’ve got a few ideas.

Burlesque

The AllWays Lounge & Cabaret is a good bet for burlesque, drag, and cabaret entertainment several nights a week, from burlesque bingo to musical jam sessions. Theallwayslounge.net

Catch Sultry Sundays by Minx Burlesque at The Howlin’ Wolf on Sundays at 6 p.m. The weekly show is presented by New Orleans’ best-known burlesque star Trixie Minx and features a rotating cast of performers who perform classic strip tease, circus acts, and more. Thehowlinwolf.com

Bands and live music   Mardi Gras season is an ideal time to catch live music around town. Weekly options include the Hot 8 Brass Band on Sundays at The Howlin’ Wolf and Jon Cleary on Wednesday nights at Chickie Wah Wah. And as always, with live music standards like Tipitina’s and Maple Leaf Bar, or Frenchmen Street gems like The Spotted Cat, Blue Nile, Snug Harbor, and d.b.a., you really can’t miss – assuming you can stay up late enough for the shows to start.

Thursday, Feb. 16

UPTOWN

Knights of Baylon, 5:30 p.m. Knights of Chaos, follows Krewe of Muses, follows

Friday, Feb. 17

FRENCH QUARTER

Krewe of Bosom Buddies, 11:30 a.m.

UPTOWN

Krewe of Hermes, 5:30 p.m. Krewe d’Etat, 6:30 p.m. Krewe of Morpheus, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 18

WESTBANK Krewe of NOMTOC, 10:45 a.m.

UPTOWN Krewe of Iris, 11 a.m. Krewe of Tucks, 12 p.m.

MID-CITY

Krewe of Endymion, 4:15 p.m.

KENNER

Krewe of Isis, 6 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 19

UPTOWN

Krewe of Okeanos, 11 a.m. Krewe of Mid-City, follows Krewe of Thoth, 12 p.m.

Krewe of Bacchus, 5:15 p.m.

METAIRIE

Krewe of Athena, 5:30 p.m. Krewe of Pandora, follows

Monday, Feb. 20

UPTOWN Krewe of Proteus, 5:15 p.m.

Krewe of Orpheus, 6 p.m.

METAIRIE

Krewe of Centurions, 6:30 p.m.

Mardi Gras Day, Tuesday, Feb. 21

UPTOWN

Krewe of Zulu, 8 a.m.

Krewe of Rex, 10 a.m.

Krewe of Elks Orleans, follows Krewe of Crescent City, follows

METAIRIE

Krewe of Argus, 10 a.m.

Krewe of Elks Jefferson, follows Krewe of Jefferson, follows

MIND-BODY CONNECTIONS FOR GOOD HEART HEALTH

Good Practice

Meditation is a great way to relieve stress, relax, and get much needed “me time” in our busy lives. But did you know that meditation can also help improve your overall health?

Over the past few decades, studies have shown that meditation benefits your heart in many ways. These include helping lower your blood pressure, decrease anxiety, improve depression, reduce inflammation, and even help you notice where your mind wanders so you can make healthier choices! So, if you’re looking for something new to try out this week at home to boost your mental well-being and physical health: consider adding meditation to your self-care routine.

Meditation is a tool for self-care and is a practice that helps you create space between you and your thoughts. It’s an opportunity to become more aware of yourself, both physically and emotionally. When you create this space, you allow your mind to receive new ideas and possibilities that may be ignored. We often get so caught up in our daily routines that we forget how important it is to take care of ourselves.

What is Meditation

Meditation is a personal experience, and there are countless ways to practice it. Don’t stress if you need to do it exactly right. You don’t need to follow a specific guide or teacher—figure out what works for you. The key is committing to the practice, which will take time as you get better at it. The goal is to clear your mind to be more mindful of what’s happening around you.

Make sure that whatever type of meditation you choose fits your lifestyle without disrupting it too much. Meditating might be difficult if your job requires a lot of mental focus because it requires

clearing your mind and focusing on one thing.

Types of Meditation

There are many different types of meditation; some focus on breathing and relaxation, while others involve repeatedly repeating a word or phrase to clear the mind. Some people even practice mindfulness meditation by focusing their attention on their senses (such as hearing birds chirping outside). Throughout all these meditation methods, one thing remains constant: for them to work effectively, they require intense focus from the person practicing meditation so that they may be successful at clearing their minds from outside distractions.

When choosing the correct form of meditation for your needs, consider the following:

· Do you want to meditate alone or with others? Some prefer meditating alone because it’s less distracting than in a group setting. Others prefer meditating with others because it helps them focus on breathing and clears their minds more easily.

· How much time do you have to spend each day or week? If you are short on time and need something quick and easy to incorporate into your daily routine, try a guided meditation or mindfulness app.

By Dr. Alisha Reed

Meditation vs Mindfulness

Meditation involves physical and mental stillness. The practice encourages quieting the mind so you can focus solely on your breath or a mantra (a word or phrase). It can also be used to clear your mind of thoughts that are unrelated to the present moment.

Mindfulness is a state of being in which you focus on the present moment without judgment or preconceived notions about what’s happening around you. It doesn’t require complete silence but rather allows for any sort of sounds—whether they’re pleasant or unpleasant—to come into your awareness without making them more important than they are at that moment in time.

How to Meditate

Dr. Herbert Benson, director emeritus of the Harvard-affiliated Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine recommends practicing the relaxation response twice a day, for 10 to 20 minutes, like other meditation experts recommend.

Here’s how to do it:

· Sit in a quiet place with your eyes closed.

· Relax your muscles and silently repeat a word, phrase, sound, or short prayer of your choosing over and over.

· When stray thoughts interfere (as they will), let them come and go and return to your word, phrase, or sound.

Benefits of Meditation

In addition to helping you relax, meditation has been linked with many other health benefits. Your heart is a vital organ, and meditation can help keep it healthy. There have been many studies on the benefits of meditation for your heart and cardiovascular system. Here are a few ways that meditation can improve your health:

Meditation can lower blood pressure. Several well-designed studies show that meditation can modestly lower blood pressure, according to an American Heart Association scientific statement published in the journal Hypertension.

Stress is one of the most common causes of high blood pressure. Still, researchers at Harvard Medical School found that practicing mindfulness has been shown to decrease stress and improve overall health in patients with chronic pain conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Stress also exacerbates asthma and autoimmune disorders and affects fertility.

Adults with elevated blood pressure who participated in a mindfulness behavior program for eight weeks had significantly lower blood pressure levels and greatly reduced sedentary time when evaluated at six months follow-up.

Meditation may improve depression symptoms. Meditation effectively alleviates symptoms among

people who struggle with depression or anxiety because it allows them to focus inwardly instead of worrying about their physical surroundings or other outside stressors. This practice will enable you to sit with your thoughts and process them.

Researchers have discovered a connection between meditation and lower levels of stress hormones like cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone released by your body when you’re stressed. It helps you deal with emergencies but can also contribute to weight gain and high blood pressure if it stays in your system for too long.

People who meditate increase their rate of survival following a heart attack by 48 percent compared to those who don’t meditate after experiencing a heart attack. According to a study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, meditation improves blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and body mass index (BMI).

A new study on anxiety in JAMA Psychiatry shows a mindfulness program works as well as the popular anti-anxiety medication Lexapro. Mediation helps to calm anxiety, but studies are now showing that it can effectively manage stress.

The Link Between Mental Health and Heart Health

Chronic stress, depression, and anxiety are all connected to heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S. Mental health, and heart health are closely related. When stressed, our heart rate increases, our blood pressure rises, and our blood vessels constrict. These changes can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular problems. Mental health and heart disease share common risk factors, including depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. People with mental health problems are more likely to have heart disease, and people with heart disease are more likely to have mental health problems. Anxiety can contribute to poor diet and exercise choices that raise blood pressure and cholesterol levels; it may also lead people to smoke or abuse drugs which further increase the risk of stroke or heart attack.

There is a link between improving your mental health and reducing your risk for heart disease. When you address feelings of sadness or hopelessness through effective treatment for depression or anxiety (whether it’s therapy, medication, or meditation), it can help improve your overall well-being by lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in addition to making it easier for you to stick with healthy habits such as eating right and getting enough sleep each night.

Meditation can help people with heart disease reduce both their anxiety and depression.

A study published in the American Journal of Cardiology found that patients with heart disease who participated in an eight-week mindfulness-

based stress reduction program experienced a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms compared to those who didn’t.

Another study published in Psychosomatic Medicine found that participants who completed an eight-week course on mindfulness training displayed increased parasympathetic nervous system activity compared to those who didn’t receive the training.

Other Tips

Heart health is an essential part of overall wellness, so it’s important to take care of your heart. Many factors contribute to your risk for heart disease and stroke; some are under your control, and others you can’t do anything about. However, there are steps you can take to improve your heart health. Meditation and mental health are two fundamental practices, but there are others.

Exercise is a great way to improve your heart health, and it can help you avoid or delay cardiovascular disease and reduce the risk of other conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Maintaining a healthy weight also helps to lower cardiovascular risk. To lower your blood pressure, keep your weight in check. This can be achieved by making healthy food choices and exercising regularly. While it may be difficult to change the habits of a lifetime, it’s essential for heart health that you do so.

Sleep is an essential part of our health because it allows our bodies to repair or restore themselves. It helps keep our moods balanced, improves memory and learning abilities, keeps our immune system strong, and helps control heart rate and blood pressure.

You can manage stress in healthy ways. Some people find that meditating helps them relax, while others prefer to exercise or socializing with friends. If you have trouble managing your stress, try one of these strategies and see if it works. It’s important to note that these tips aren’t just for people with heart disease. Managing your mental health is vital for everyone, especially those with a chronic condition like heart disease.

These health behaviors can lead to severe consequences: anxiety and depression often lead to unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking heavily, or overeating. Stress and anxiety can also trigger a heart attack in someone who has had one before or increases their risk of developing a stroke.

Conclusion

Improving heart health is possible when we take care of ourselves. We can all work towards having better hearts by eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, getting enough sleep, making time for relaxation and stress reduction, and more.

FINANCIAL FREEDOM FINANCIAL FREEDOM

Planning ahead for all stages of life

by Jeremy Marshall

THE

financial costs of a life lived are almost incalculable; the struggles, joys, and challenges that come from the signposts of life. Signposts - like marriage, college, having children, or retiring - are both emotionally enriching and monetarily draining. With the finite amount of money that most Americans make each year, tackling these life goals requires careful consideration and planning to maximize their impact. However, just like trying to get into peak physical shape with only a gym membership and new shoes might seem like a Herculean task, so too is trying to navigate the maze of investments and financial planning on the strength of your own intuition and Googling abilities. Instead, it’s important to seek out a financial planning professional to help guide you toward a fuller, more financially secure life.

These professionals pride themselves on being malleable to the needs of their clients, working tirelessly to discover a clean path toward any financial goal with ease. Jennifer Barrett, a financial adviser for Edward Jones, describes her role in a client’s life as being knowledgeable and flexible to a fault; a learned guide into an unknowable future.

“Along the scope of a person’s life journey, things will change. So, what might be most important when they have young children is paying down debt, saving for education, or saving for retirement. But then as you transition to being an empty nester, your concern may become caring for older parents while also providing for yourself.” Barrett said, “I really think you have to take a holistic approach when dealing with somebody’s entire life.”

That approach is further outlined by Renee Pastor of the Pastor Financial Group who describes the four steps one must follow to find financial independence:

“1. Determining where you are right now.

2. Determining where you want to go.

3. Developing a plan to get there.

4. Monitoring and working your plan. It is with these steps that financial advisers shepherd clients toward a life of financial fulfillment.”

CHILDREN & EDUCATION

There is no financial commitment which has a more lasting impact on a person’s life than having and raising a child. According to Alyssa Klein, a Senior Registered Client Service Associate with Raymond James & Associates, the initial step to securing your child’s financial future is first securing your own.

“If a client comes up and says, ‘We are thinking about having kids,’ the first thing we are going to say is ‘do you have an emergency fund?’” Klein said.

Renee Pastor, seconds this notion.

“Most people in this country are one paycheck away from bankruptcy. Your first layer of protecting yourself is having 3-6 months of living expenses tucked away,” she said.

After making sure you are insulated from any unforeseen debts, the next step is maximizing your retirement plan. Even then, Klein does not recommend saving for children until the children themselves are around.

“Don’t start saving for children until you have children,” Pastor said. “You really should be saving for yourself.”

When the child is born, however, unforeseen costs begin to pile up, predominantly education.

“We typically say once you have the social security number for your child, start saving,” Klein said, “and I recommend a combination of a 529 Plan and a UTMA, which is a custodial account.”

The 529 Account requires a focus on education, but can be utilized for both private primary school as well as college, whereas the UTMA, or Uniform Transferred to Minor Account, is more flexible, with the account transferring into the child’s control at age eighteen. Funds from a UTMA can be utilized for any purpose; buying a house, traveling the word, etc. However, the 529, while solely focused on education, can be transferred to another beneficiary for that same purpose; so, if your oldest child decides to forego college or gets a full ride scholarship and does not need the funds, another child can take on the savings without any loss of benefit.

HOME OWNERSHIP

Purchasing a home is a fraught endeavor for anyone, but for first-time home buyers, making the jump from renting to ownership, the path can feel treacherous and filled with financial commitments. However, some financial advisers specialize in the world of residential real estate and pride themselves on smoothing out the home buying experience. Enter, Drew Remson, President at America’s Mortgage Resource, a 30-year veteran of the greater New Orleans real estate market who cannot overstate the benefits of home ownership.

“Nothing is more important than getting a house under your belt,” he said. “Because you build more wealth from the home than any other way possible with less effort.”

The first step in fulfilling that dream is a preapproval process to establish what options are available depending on your current debts, income, and credit profile.

“In that process we develop a relationship, and we ask you a series of questions to figure out what your goals are, what money you have available to put into the project, and where your comfort level is,” he said.

This process is crucial as it gives the potential home buyer a full scope of the costs coming their way, as well as an estimate of what monthly mortgage payments might look like, creating a realistic path toward a predetermined goal. As opposed to other life events which require significant foresight and savings, purchasing a home is also an investment, an asset which can be spun for higher return in the future.

“The beauty of real estate is that it is a long-term investment and it’s leveraged,” Remson said. “So you might buy a house with 3 to 5 percent down, but you are earning 3 to 4 percent a year on the total value, even though you only put up 3 percent of that value.”

This, coupled with the fact that the geography of the greater New Orleans area leads to a historically consistent real estate market, means that investing in your own future, through purchasing a home, is one of the surest investments you can make. However first-time home buyers should not expect to move into the same size homes that their parents live in at the outset.

“Your parents bought properties and moved up over 30 years. They started with a $70,000 house and they took the appreciation on that house, sold it, and dumped it into a $150,000 house,” Remson said.

As with all financial management situations, setting realistic goals with manageable expectations is ideal for maximizing the positive impact on your life.

STARTING A BUSINESS

Starting a business sounds simplehave an idea, sell that idea and make money off of it. But without sound guidance from a financial planner; your path is fraught with pitfalls and innumerable taxation trepidations. In this sense, Michele Moore Echols and Gregory S. LaCour, attorneys with Metairie law firm Blue Williams, recommend seeking out a strong litigator with experience starting a business in Louisiana.

“There’s very rarely a reason not to do an L.L.C. (Limited Liability Company),” Echols said. “Right now, an LLC can be taxed any way you want them too; as a sole proprietorship, partnership, C Corporation, S Corporation depending where we want to focus.”

The variabilities of business filing are seemingly endless, as are the liabilities if not entered into properly, as LaCour explained.

“First the articles of organization are filed, then a tax I.D. number is received, but it’s always best practice to have an operating agreement as well,” he said.

An “operating agreement” is basically the overriding charter of the company, it delineates ownership percentages, creates a tie breaking mechanism to make decisions, and forms a path to exit the business amicably if need be. While it is technically possible to file online to create your own company or nonprofit, the chances of not including the required language in the bylines are extremely high, meaning consulting with specialized attorneys is overwhelmingly advisable.

ESTATE PLANNING

The culmination of a life spent saving money, acquiring assets, and running a (hopefully) successful business invariably leads to the most uncomfortable signpost of life to plan for; end of life and what is to be ultimately done with your estate. As with all long-term financial planning, it is never too early to put things in place.

“What people don’t think about is, you want to have powers of attorney in place, medical, financial, and when you have children, the will is going to control who is raising your minor children,” LaCour said.

Even single people without a traditional family should consider having these documents prepared for their own benefit, explained Echols.

“You have to have a HIPAA form so that your power of attorney can access your medical records, because if you don’t then that power is going to default to your parents and you don’t want them fighting over your medical decisions,” Echols said.

While at the outset, making plans for one’s eventual demise might seem macabre and unpleasant, in truth setting goals for how one might want this transfer of assets to occur reclaims a sense of autonomy and control over an inevitable reality.

“You want people to have peace. The government is not going to tell you where your property is going to go or what is going to happen. You develop that plan, and most people who are fearful of doing the documents are peaceful after it’s done. They’ve checked this thing off their list,” Echols said.

For all the signposts of life, both joyous and tedious, Jennifer Barrett sums up the full breadth of what financial advisers can bring to your life:

“Financial services have really shifted from back in the old days of just selling investments into somebody helping you realize the full picture of what you want to accomplish. It is really about the legacy you want to leave and the life that you want to experience with the people you love,” she said.

The information provided in this interview does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; but rather is for general informational purposes only. Readers of this article should contact their attorney to obtain advise with respect to any particular legal matter.

RETIREMENT

While planning for home ownership and children are largely a matter of setting aside money for a certain purchase in the near future, saving for retirement is the source meant to sustain a life of leisure and comfort. And in a life of finite resources meant to sustain a finite life, keeping your focus on your personal future could not be of more importance.

For most people, a company 401K plan allows one to be fairly hands off when it comes to setting aside money for retirement. However, for many younger professionals who are deeply entrenched in a freelance economy, without mechanized function for putting money aside for retirement, there is a fantastic solution: the Roth IRA. The benefits of this type of retirement account are that the money grows completely tax free for the rest of your life, although this opportunity is only available for certain levels of income.

For example, a married couple in 2023, filing jointly, could only take advantage of a Roth IRA if they make less than $228,000 together. Also in 2023, the maximum that a person could put into their account is $6,500. That being said, anyone who is 50 years or older has the opportunity to add an additional $1,000 to their account per year, known as the “catch up provision.” When it comes to a Roth IRA, the earlier you start, the better off you are, according to financial advisers like Renee Pastor, who can help navigate your way through the system.

“Personally, I want my insurance person to be my insurance person, and I want my banker to be my banker, and I want my investment advisor to be my investment advisor,” Pastor said.

Besselman Wealth Planners

FAST FACTS

Besselman Wealth Planners is commemorating 50 years of service by opening a new office in Metairie with more space to continue to grow and enhance client service.

Besselman Wealth Planners celebrates 50 years of serving individuals, families, and business owners, building a financial foundation that clients can trust. Founder James Besselman established the culture for the full-service financial planning firm by emphasizing the importance of relationships built on respect, confidence, and communication. Now led by his daughter, Patricia Besselman-Main, CFP®, the company remains committed to these core values. “Our clients are the most important part of our business,” says Patricia. “That philosophy is a major reason we’ve grown for the last 50 years, and it’s why we’ll be here for our clients for the next 50 years.”

BY CHERÉ COEN TRAVEL

Alaskan Adventure

Winter wonderland

John Hall fell in love with Alaska in his youth, when his father hauled a truckload of eggs from their home in Minnesota to eager buyers in Fairbanks. The two-week journey took father and son along the Alaska Highway, dodging potholes and witnessing moose and other unique wildlife.

In 1982, Hall started his business sharing that love. Today, John Hall’s Alaska tours bring visitors to the Last Frontier on numerous upscale packages, including the 14-day National Parks of Alaska tour in which visitors tour six parks, many not accessible by car. Tours are all inclusive, from delicious meals to having luggage delivered to every accommodation. It’s an ideal way to view the majesty of Alaska without

worrying about a thing.

Here’s a peek into the tour’s six parks visited throughout the nation’s largest state. For more information on John Hall’s Alaska, visit KissAlaska.com.

LAKE CLARK AND KATMAI NATIONAL PARKS

The tour begins from Anchorage, flying to both parks only accessible by plane. Lake Clark, one of the least visited parks in Alaska, requires a short flight and offers the lime green waters of Lake Clark, with depths up to 800 feet. A hike is required from the airstrip to the welcome center, which offers displays of wildlife and indigenous history. Hiking trails take visitors to dramatic waterfalls.

It’s a longer plane ride to Katmai National Park, where the big attraction is a rare witness of bears feeding

on salmon at Brooks Falls. Visitors get up close and personal to the bears but rangers are on hand to keep people safe.

WRANGELL-ST. ELIAS NATIONAL PARK

The tour travels comfortably by motor coach along the Glenn Highway and then by plane to the Chugach and Wrangell mountains inside America’s largest national park on the eastern side of the state. The rustic but comfortable Kennicott Glacier Lodge overlooks the Kennecott Glacier moraine, massive hills of grit and rocks pushed ahead of the glacier over thousands of years. Visitors may take guided tours of the old Kennecott Copper mine or hike two miles to walk on the glacier’s surface.

GATES OF THE ARCTIC

A flight to meet the motor coach, and then a drive takes the tour to Fairbanks with a stop at Trail Breaker Kennel, home of the late Susan Butcher, dug musher and multiple Iditarod winner. The next morning the group flies to the native village of Anaktuvuk Pass within the Gates of the Arctic National Park and above the Arctic Circle. Another plane ride brings visitors even further north to the top of the world, the Inupiat village of Utqiagvik along the Arctic Ocean.

DENALI NATIONAL PARK

North America’s largest mountain, at 20,320 feet, is viewable only 35 percent of the time, and when that happens, it’s a magical experience. The tour leaves Fairbanks onboard the Alaska Railroad, stopping at Denali National Park and a two-night stay at Denali Cabins. Activities include park adventures, white water rafting and dinner at 229 Parks Restaurant, helmed by James Beard nominee and “Top Chef” contestant Chef Laura Cole. The third night involves Talkeetna, the town that inspired the TV show “Northern Exposure.” If one’s lucky, the southern view of Denali will be visible.

KENAI FJORDS

After a stop in Anchorage, the motor coach heads down the Kenai Peninsula to Seward and the Kenai Fjords National Park. Visitors board a boat helmed by Major Marine Tours to visit the remote fjords and view a wide variety of wildlife, including otters, eagles, puffins, sea lions, humpback whales and orcas. Midway through the all-day cruise, the boat moves close to glaciers for an up-close look at one of nature’s most remarkable features.

REBECCA HAYS

February in New Orleans can range from icy cold to warm and springlike. On cold, wet or dreary days, home improvement projects are a productive way to pass the time indoors. Designer Rebecca Hays of House of Hays provides useful advice, Houseofhaysla.com

Declutter. Getting rid of clutter helps you see the important things in a room. “If it doesn’t mean anything to you, why is it collecting dust in your house?” asks Hays.

Focus on one room. While design books and Pinterest can be great for inspiration, Hays advises limiting your project to one room and honing in on one thing that you really love

such as a sofa or wallpaper and building on that.

Break up matching furniture. Matching sets look dated. Combining styles and finishes modernizes and freshen things. Move a chest from a matching bedroom set to a foyer or change out your nightstands to bring some variety into the mix. “Anytime you move furniture around, you’re stirring up fresh energy,” says Hays.

Replace fake plants with fresh greenery. Real plants add a natural touch to your décor and improve indoor air quality.

Refresh upholstered pieces. Reupholstering large furnishings can cost as much as replacing them, so Hays suggests sticking to smaller

pieces such as dining chairs (unless it’s a favorite vintage item or antique). The seats of some dining chairs or benches can be popped out and recovered with a staple gun.

Revitalize with paint. Hays advises against touch up painting because it’s usually noticeable. Instead paint a whole room, including baseboards and crown molding to visually expand the space.

Try a symmetrical furniture arrangement. Placing furniture in an open concept layout can be challenging for some homeowners. Hays says, “A symmetrical room is calming and easy to achieve.”

Consider a change of window treatment. “A designer once told me ‘curtains

1

Organize a closet by taking advantage of unused vertical space.

2

Repurpose a piece of furniture with a painted finish and new hardware.

3

Steer clear of peel and stick wallpaper as it can be more difficult to use than the glue-on option.

should be a woo not a wow,’” says Hays. Hays says curtains should soften, add texture and be functional. Rods shouldn’t be less than one inch in diameter and should be higher and wider than the actual window.

Add an accent wall. Wallpapering or painting a single focal wall is a quick, one-day project that adds new life to a lackluster room.

Play around. “On a cold rainy day, candles and fresh flowers lift your spirit,” says Hays. “Move a table, restyle your shelves. Play around.”

ABOUT THE EXPERT

A native of North Louisiana, Rebecca Hays began her design career in Shreveport, where she gained experience in residential and commercial design. Now based in Madisonville, she continues to work with both and says her degree in sociology has proven as useful as her background in design. “My job is about people,” she says.

PAINS

BY EVE CRAWFORD PEYTON GROWING

“There is no better time and place to be alive,” a high school friend reminisced a few weeks ago, “than as a teenager in New Orleans during Mardi Gras.”

“Yes,” I agreed, warily. “I remember, and that’s the whole problem.”

There is so much joy in raising my kids where I myself grew up.

Watching Georgia scramble up the same trees in City Park that I climbed in my Rainbow Brite hoodie in 1987. Watching Ruby and her friends picnic by the Lakefront in the exact spot where, circa 1996, my friends and I used to sit and idly make clover necklaces while gossiping. Watching them both dig into cheese fries and roast beef po’ boys at R & O’s, my family’s go-to spot growing up.

But the flip side of that is knowing exactly how much trouble they can get into here … because I did it myself.

Overall, I was a mostly wholesome teenager; see above regarding making clover necklaces at the Lakefront. My friends and I studied hard; ate lots of junk food, particularly at the blessedly now-defunct Pancho’s Mexican buffet; hung out at bookstores and coffee shops; and listened to nerdy music like The Foreman, which was a left-leaning satirical folk band (listening to it now, it feels so innocent and dated), and “Schoolhouse Rock” Rocks!, which featured ’90s icons such as Moby, The Lemonheads, and Biz Markie (RIP) covering songs from the classic children’s TV show.

But I still did things my parents didn’t know about. I sneaked out to The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the blessedly now-defunct theater on Vets, where I met and fell deeply in love with a much-older boy whom I knew only as Skungy. (I am 97% certain my own teenage daughter has sneaked out to The Rocky Horror

Picture Show at The Prytania, but she hasn’t tried to bring any sketchy guys with weird nicknames home, so I’ll count that as a win.) I drove erratically and with a certain inherent confusion about basic traffic laws. I carried – more for effect than actual consumption – a package of clove

cigarettes with me everywhere I went.  And then there was Mardi Gras.  I will always remember being 16 and sipping an illegally obtained daiquiri while wandering through the Quarter with my friends on Fat Tuesday … only to run smack-dab into one of our teachers fully decked

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

out in bondage gear.

She looked at us, and we looked at her – and then she whispered, “I won’t tell if you won’t tell,” and we all gave her a hasty thumbs-up and ran.

(I guess I am now telling, but I’m telling on myself, too, so it seems fair.)

I flirted with Tulane boys I met along the parade route for beer; I lifted my shirt for beads; I was once plucked off a friend’s shoulders by a float-rider and carried along, laughing, legs dangling, for at least a full block.

Nothing we did during Mardi Gras was, as such, exactly safe or advisable. Nothing we did is anything I’m especially proud of. Nothing we did was anything I want my own teenager to do.

And yet, God help me, my friend is right: It sure was fun.

I was the first of my friends to have a baby. Ruby was born when I was 26, which obviously isn’t Teen Mom territory, but I was still the first one staying home and changing diapers while my friends were out partying until the wee hours.

But then when my friends were all struggling with sleep-training and teething and tantrums while my kid was breezing through second grade, I felt a smug sense of satisfaction.

Now, though, my friends all have kids solidly in the sweet spot of ages 4-12 while I am fumbling around in the terrifying wilderness of the teen years.

I have to let her grow up. I have to let her take risks. I have to let her make her own mistakes.

I just wish I didn’t have to know so precisely what those risks and mistakes might be.

But at least she can’t buy clove cigarettes anymore, I guess.

Too Many “Bon Temps” I don’t want to let the good times roll when it’s my teenager having all the fun.

BY JAY FORMAN TABLE TALK

Heart of the City

Rosedale comfort food

When the crush of the Carnival season becomes a bit much, a homey meal in a peaceful setting can reset the soul. And if the chef behind it is Susan Spicer – well it doesn’t get much better than that. So if you get caught up in the madness, take a time out to consider Rosedale, a quintessentially NOLA nook that is perfect for escaping the crowds.

The vibe is folksy and low-key. Rooms are paneled with local art and the furnishings largely built by Spicer’s husband Chip Martinson, who is both a chef and woodworker. Buildings don’t often get as good of an origin story as does Rosedale, which along the way has served as a police precinct. Situated on a huge lot that backs up against train tracks in a part of New Orleans that even locals might have trouble finding, it feels as small town as one can feel in the heart of the city.

The crowd here is loyal and local, skewing slightly older and made up of people who have followed Spicer throughout her career. Though Spicer has other restaurants, one feels that at this point Rosedale is where her heart lies. That you will often find her here in the kitchen says volumes. And it is not just the clientele who are loyal – it is also the staff, many of whom have worked for Spicer for several years across her other restaurants in an industry notorious for high turnover. This yields a close-knit, family-style restaurant.

While any seating is pleasant enough, Rosedale’s artful sandwiches put forward a decidedly lunch-friendly feel. Lunch also allows you to lounge in the sun-splashed

patio (heated in winter) whose lush plantings and open space abutting railroad tracks lend a small-town vibe. After sunset the string lights come on for a festive feel. Regardless of whether you visit for lunch or dinner, consider the duck pastrami sandwich. The duck breast responds enthusiastically to the pastrami-style curing treatment, yielding a complexly seasoned protein that gets built out with Russian dressing, pickled red onion and cabbage piled atop grilled sourdough. Rosedale’s relative proximity to the Fairgrounds also puts one in mind for a cochon de lait po-boy, with succulent shredded pork smothered in Creole mayonnaise and peppery-sweet slaw. Or keep things simple with a grilled pimento cheese sandwich. That will leave you with some room for small plates like the Greek taramasalata (Spicer is famously devoted to Mediterranean cuisine), whose salty pops of fish roe play out against the namesake creamy schmear. Or fried cauliflower, where crab boil adds body to the nuggets glazed with pepper jelly. Who knew cauliflower could be so compelling?

Desserts are simple, with timeless options like pecan pie, and drinks are spearheaded by a range of local craft breweries with options both canned and on tap – Zony Mash is recommended for the former and Gnarly Barley for the later. Wine lovers will be satiated as well, as the list leans on Bayona’s cultivated fine dining distributor relationships.

All in all Rosedale captures the essence of today’s Susan Spicer. “Rosedale is smaller and a more personable restaurant for me,” Spicer said. “I’ve got my family involved here. I also think this is the way people like to eat these days. Don’t get me wrong -- there is always a place for fine dining – but when I go out now I tend to want just good food made from scratch and a nice glass of wine.” On these counts, Rosedale delivers. Rosedale, 801 Rosedale Drive, Navarre, (504) 309-9595, Rosedalerestaurant.com

ABOUT THE CHEF

Chef Susan Spicer burst onto the scene in the 90s, forging a reputation for thoughtful global cuisine as well as blazing a trail for women in the industry. She has collected loads of industry accolades along the way, including (most recently) the Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award. Her father was in the military so they moved around growing up, which helped shape her signature multifaceted style. Bayona – her fine dining powerhouse – is what made her a household name in the 90s. But at heart she is a West Bank girl, more happy in a casual setting than a fancy one. Rosedale is the best expression of this sentiment.

JEFFERY JOHNSTON PHOTOS

COCHON AU LAIT POORBOY

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BY ELIZABETH PEARCE CHEERS

Carnival Classic …with a

twist

Even though Ryan Wilkins has been the bar manager at Bar Marilou for more than three years, he affirms, “I’m still struck by how gorgeous the room is...with an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ quality.” His king cake themed drink is equally pleasing and unexpected. Many guests hear “milk punch” and think of something creamy, but clarified milk punch is another matter. The technique of removing milk solids was used to preserve milk before refrigeration, yielding a product he describes as having “textural and richness without being heavy.” Ryan enjoys the myriad guests who fill his bar as much as its lovely decor. “You never know what famous person you may trip over,” he says. “It never stops being fun.” Whether famous or not, Ryan works to ensure every guest is a VIP. “It’s a challenge, but also positive to elevate your game.” Lucky for us that while he does that, he also elevates our drinking.

KING CAKE CLARIFIED MILK PUNCH

This recipe is scaled to serve 10-12; it can be scaled down for smaller groups.

750 ml. Appleton Estate

Signature Jamaica Rum (1 bottle)

175 ml. St. Elizabeth

Allspice Dram

175 ml. Trader Vic’s Macadamia Liqueur (Frangelico works as a substitute)

200 ml. water

20 grams citric acid powder

100 ml. El Guapo Chicory Pecan bitters

125 grams dark brown sugar

750 ml. whole milk

Mix all ingredients EXCEPT milk until the sugar is completely dissolved. Place milk in a separate container like a mixing bowl or large plastic container. Pour the cocktail mixture SLOWLY into the milk. The milk will curdle; this is good.The slower you pour, the lower the pH. This yields bigger curds, which clarify more effectively and strain out more cleanly. Cover and let stand for one hour. Filter mixture through cheesecloth, and again through coffee filters. You will need to change both cheesecloth and coffee filters several times to strain the whole mixture. Store refrigerated for up to a month.

1

Powdered citric acid is a substitute for citrus juice when you want a drink to have an acidic punch but not taste like lemon or lime.

2

After straining, if you still see sediment, put the mixture in the refrigerator. The sediment will settle to the bottom and you can pour off the liquid, leaving the sediment behind.

3

Clarified milk is endlessly adaptable, paired with any recipe already containing citrus like a Daiquiri (rum, lime, sugar, milk) or Margarita (tequila, lime triple sec and milk)

BY JYL BENSON

Fit for a King

A Carnival bread pudding

If you are like most New Orleanians your new year’s health and fitness resolutions checked out the morning after Twelfth Night when the first king cake of the season hit the office conference table. As your teeth sunk into that achingly sweet bite—crackly on the outside with colored sugar, soft on the inside with brioche dough—you vowed to revisit your goals after Mardi Gras when you’re giving up everything, anyway for Lent.

Of the king cake you choose as the base for this over-the-top confection Shalonda Berry, pastry chef at Palm & Pine on the edge of the French Quarter advises, “I’m a huge fan of Dong Phuong King Cakes – any flavor. They use a soft dough that is incredible. Then I’d say Hi-Do, which is a very traditional king cake. Bywater Bakery is also awesome.”

1

I was preparing King Cake Bread Pudding before Twelfth Night and discovered that they are available year ‘round at Langenstein’s markets via Party Palace, a wholesaler in Kenner. There are Tulane and LSU king cakes, autumn king cakes, Christmas king cakes, and anything else you can think of. I went with an unfilled variety and scraped off as much icing as I could wrestle off before cutting the cake into squares and proceeding with the recipe.

2

Ice cream, toasted nuts, whipped cream, jam, caramel sauce, Crème Anglaise, or chocolate sauce work well for serving, if desired. I went with Torani brand caramel sauce.

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

Tip: Read through this recipe before starting. There are some decisions to make before you begin.

KING CAKE BREAD PUDDING

Shared by Pastry Chef Shalonda Berry, Palm & Pine

3 large eggs

2 cups half & half

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

Zest of 1 lemon or orange, chef’s choice (I went with orange)

9 – 10 generous cups of 1-inch cubes of king cake Colored sugars for sprinkling (optional)

Oil for frying, optional

Accompaniments for serving, optional. See NOTES

1. Butter a 9-x-5-inch loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla.

3. Add the cubed king cake to the custard and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

4. After 15 minutes, preheat the oven to 350ºF.

5. Stir the mixture with a spatula to ensure complete coverage.

6. Dump the mixture into the loaf pan, pressing down gently with the spatula. Place the loaf pan on a baking sheet.

7. If you do not intend to fry the king cake after baking sprinkle the top of the loaf with colored sugar, if desired.

8. Bake the bread pudding for 40 to 50 minutes. To test for doneness, shake the pan. The liquid should jiggle but not slosh around. The custard should be nice and puffy.

9. Allow the king cake to rest for 30 minutes before serving.

10. If you intend to fry the king cake allow it to cool overnight, then cut it into even slices using a serrated knife.

11. Add the oil to a deep fryer with a frying basket. Heat the oil to 350ºF.

12. Working in batches so the slices do not overlap, add the sliced bread pudding to the fryer basket and lower into the hot oil. Fry until the slices are golden, about 5 to 7 minutes.

13. Remove from oil, drain on paper towels.

14. Decorate each slice with colored sugar and serve with sauce, if desired.

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

THE COMMISSARY (DICKIE BRENNAN GROUP)

Everyone has heard of Dickie Brennan’s namesake restaurant group, whose powerhouse collection of restaurants help set the pace for fine dining in New Orleans. Less familiar to some will be The Commissary, the DBG’s centralized production hub tucked down near the river in the LGD. The facility serves double duty as a retail market for excellent prepared food. In addition to soups, dips, appetizers and a gourmet store, guests can also order turnkey holiday feasts that take the stress out of entertaining. Oh, and it has a bar. With a name like this behind a concept like that, what’s not to love?

BARRACUDA

Tacos took New Orleans by storm a few years back, when a wave of new shabby-chic shacks swept across the New Orleans area. Still in the lead is Barracuda, an effortlessly casual hotspot that brings together tacos with a farm-to-table ethos. The result in a simple menu built around top-notch ingredients with an ethos focused on sustainability and community, which sets it apart from the pack. In addition to their Uptown location not far from Tipitina’s, Barracuda can now also be found in Algiers, bringing their flour tortilla’d goodness to the West Bank. Barracuda is family-friendly and can accommodate groups at their large picnic tables, and also makes for a fun catering option for larger groups.

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

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 5-6pm.

Dickie Brennan's Palace Café

Palacecafe.com

605 Canal St, New Orleans 504-523-1661

Jazz Brunch is back at Palace Café on Saturdays & Sundays from 10:30am-3pm!

Located at the foot of the French Quarter, Palace Café honors the rich history of New Orleans cuisine in an upbeat and lively grand café. Photo Credit: Randy Schmidt

Galatoire’s

Galatoires.com

209 Bourbon St, New Orleans 504-525-2021

What’s your tradition? From the worldfamous New Orleans cuisine to impeccable service, every aspect of the private dining experience at Galatoire’s reflects the traditions guests have enjoyed for generations. Book your private dining reservation today!

Mother’s Restaurant

Mothersrestaurant.net

401 Poydras St, New Orleans 504-523-9656

More than po’ boys … did you know Mother’s serves a variety of seafood dishes for dinner? From soft shell crabs to crawfish étouffée, there’s a wide variety of offerings. Some items can be grilled. Beer, wine, and Bloody Marys too. Free parking nightly & weekends.

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.

Parkway

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.

Sukho Thai

Sukhothai-nola.com

4519 Magazine St, New Orleans

504-73-6471

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.

Healthcare

Whether you’re fighting a typical case of the sniffles or preparing for a life-changing surgery that will require a brief hospital stay, you want to feel confident in your healthcare providers and options as you journey towards wellness. The local healthcare industry is vast and wide, with general practitioners and specialists, large hospital systems and small private hospitals, familyrun pharmacies and other supportive services. As you peruse options for the care you need, you’ll find dedicated professionals in a variety of fields across the city.

Crescent City Surgical Centre

Crescent City Surgical Centre (CCSC) is America’s premier physicianowned surgical hospital. Owned and operated by a combination of 41 elite local practicing physicians and Louisiana Children’s Medical Center, CCSC offers eight operating rooms and two procedure rooms. Using cutting-edge DaVinci robotic laparoscopic technology, CCSC offers patients minimally invasive surgery resulting in less pain and faster recovery time.

Twenty VIP private rooms are available, and CCSC can make accommodations for those whose loved ones wish to stay overnight. Catered restaurant-style meals are served and designed to meet patients’ personal dietary needs. They offer expedited wait times on appointments in a relaxing and comfortable environment. CCSC features surgical specialists in the fields of Bariatric, Neurosurgery,

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.

Orthopedics, ENT, Colo-Rectal, General Surgery, Gynecological Procedures, Urology, Interventional Radiology, Pain Management, Plastic, Reconstructive and Advanced Cosmetic Surgery.

For more information about Crescent City Surgical Centre, please call 504-830-2500 or visit ccsurg.com.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) is committed to helping families find health plan coverage that is the best fit for their needs. Healthcare.gov enrollment runs through Jan. 15. Thanks to recent federal changes, more people qualify for tax credits to help them pay for individual health plans. If you’ve been paying a lot to cover a spouse or dependents on an employer health plan, you might have more affordable choices on Healthcare.gov. 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 enrollment tips.

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

VALENTINE’S DAY & MARDI GRAS GIFTS

Perlis Clothing

Perlis.com

6070 Magazine St, Uptown

800-725-6055

600 Decatur St, French Quarter

1281 N Causeway Blvd, Mandeville

8366 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge 800-725-6070

Warm your Valentine's heart with the new wide purple ground stripe PERLIS Mardi Gras Rugby featuring the iconic crawfish embroidered logo. Quality-made in the USA.

The Historic New Orleans Collection Hnoc.org

520 Royal St, New Orleans 504-523-4662

Enamel and gold-plated brass King Cake pendant jewelry. King Cake bracelet, earrings & necklace $38; King Cake Cufflinks $46. Also available in pastel color.

NOLA Boards

NolaBoards.com

4228 Magazine St, New Orleans 504-256-0030

Wooden Heart Shaped Ring Box. Custom Engraving Available! $36

Sazerac House

Sazerachouse.com

101 Magazine St, New Orleans

504-910-0100

Mixology Bar Kit, $75.00 Stainless steel bar kit includes: Japanese-style jigger (2 oz./1 oz), shaker tins (28 oz. & 18 oz), bar spoon, and strainer.

Victoria’s Indigo Boutique Shopindigoboutique.com

605 Metairie Rd, Suite C, Metairie

504-635-7874

Checkered color block sweater featuring heart details at front, $58.

Love Swimming

Loveswimming.com

5221 South Front St, New Orleans 504-891-4662

Give the gift of swim, the best gift for all ages. Googles, dive toys, fins and bath toys are available for purchase to help you enjoy the water.

PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

WYES Programming Note: WYES’ daytime lineup is changing. Starting Monday, February 6th, WYES’ children’s programming will shift each weekday at 2pm to the PBS Kids channel. This is available 24/7 on WYES Channel 12.4 and on the free WYES, PBS and PBS Kids Apps. More of the primetime PBS programming you enjoy will appear weekday afternoons. Get the full program schedule at wyes.org.

STEPPIN’ OUT “It’s Carnival Time”

Thursday, February 2 at 7:30pm; repeats Saturday, February 4 at 5pm; Sunday, February 5 at 6pm; Wednesday, February 8 at 2pm; Thursday, February 16 at 7pm; Friday, February 17 at 11pm; Sunday, February 19 at 9:30pm; Sunday, February 20 at 3:30 pm; Tuesday, February 21 at 9am

Host Peggy Scott Laborde

welcomes Carnival historians Arthur Hardy, publisher of Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide, and Errol Laborde, executive editor of Louisiana Life Magazine, for an annual overview of the season. Topics this year include krewe anniversaries, the continuing shortage of New Orleans Police personnel, and the growth of krewe membership.

AMERICA REFRAMED

“Big Chief, Black Hawk”

Saturday, February 18 at 9pm; repeats Tuesday, February 21 at 5pm Big Chief T is a high school senior and the youngest Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief in New Orleans. During COVID-19, he and the Black Hawk Hunters navigate the impacts of gentrification and systemic racism on their annual masking tradition. Through haute couture, movement, and words, BIG CHIEF, BLACK HAWK celebrates the beauty and resilience of “the culture” even in the face of crisis and change.

Photo Credit: Jonathan Isaac Jackson

THE 2023 REX BALL AND MEETING OF THE COURTS OF REX AND COMUS

Tuesday, February 21 at 7pm & 11:30pm

WYES presents the 2023 Rex Ball along with the historic Meeting of the Courts of Rex and the Mistick Krewe of Comus. Founded in 1857, Comus, is New Orleans’ oldest Carnival organization and stages its pageantry on the same evening as Rex, founded in 1872. WYES host/producer Peggy Scott Laborde, along with Errol Laborde, Carnival historian and author of Mardi Gras: Chronicles of the New Orleans Carnival, and Will French, Rex Organization historian, provide commentary throughout the evening. The program contains interviews with past and present Rex and Comus royalty along with some historical video vignettes, including a feature on recently discovered footage of the 1898 Rex Parade. Mardi Gras historian Arthur Hardy will also be interviewed. Producers are Barbara Sillery and Terri Landry. Executive Producers are Peggy Scott Laborde and Jim Moriarty.

Photo Credit: Kathy Anderson

Mardi Gras Marathon on Saturday, February 11 starting at 3pm!

From the youngest Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief in New Orleans to the origins of Mardi Gras…WYES is New Orleans’ storyteller where history and culture meet. Don’t miss WYES’ Mardi Gras Marathon on Saturday, February 11 starting at 3pm plus watch your favorite Carnival programs all month long. Head to wyes.org for a full schedule.

FIND OUT WHAT YOUR ART, JEWELRY, FINE BOOKS, SILVER AND MORE ARE WORTH ON FEBRUARY 4TH.

WYES ANTIQUES SHOWCASE with New Orleans Auction Galleries

Saturday, February 4, 2023

WYES Paulette and Frank Stewart Innovation Center for Educational Media | 916 Navarre Ave.

Three separate time slots offered: 10am - Noon | Noon – 2pm | 2pm – 4pm

Tickets: $20-$100

New Ticket Price! $30 —one item to be evaluated + seminars + wine/light bites

* Anyone who enters the building MUST have a ticket.

Why is NOAG participating in this first-time event with WYES?

As one of the country’s leading auction companies, NOAG has built strong relationships with collectors from around the world working closely with buyers and sellers to educate. We have the privilege to meet and develop relationships within our community and beyond. While every item we offer in our auctions may not be historic, each piece has a story to be told. Like WYES, NOAG believes in the power of storytelling.

What should participants expect at this event?

Similar to what you have seen on television, NOAG’s experts will provide an evaluation of your antique. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn about the value of your item. There will also be a video recording area where attendees can share their experience and show their special pieces. Guests will have the chance to hear from three different experts leading seminars about furniture restoration, silver and Louisiana art. Plus, everyone is welcome to enjoy refreshments and light bites throughout the day.

Can you provide some examples when someone was surprised by the value of their item? One of the many reasons we all love what we do is that there are always surprises! There are so many wonderful stories to share, but here are a few memorable moments that come to mind.

We received an inquiry from a couple about an antique garden sculpture that was being removed from their yard. They were unsure of the value, but the wife insisted that they have it evaluated by NOAG before deciding what to do with it. We offered the fountain in an auction with an estimate of $3,000 to $5,000 and it ended up selling for $40,000 with the premium!

A few years ago, a portrait was consigned to us out of a large estate. Upon further research and evaluation at our gallery, we discovered that this was an 18th century work by Thomas Gainsborough! The painting was initially estimated at $15,000 to $25,000, but soared to $200,000 to an international bidder.

Lastly, we offered a collection of mid-century furniture out of a estate several years ago. When the furniture arrived at NOAG, we discovered that it was a custom suite that contained several one-of-akind or early examples of this designer’s work. One of the pieces, a table estimated at $1,400 to $1,800, realized $40,000 and is now in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. While the heirs knew the significance of what their parents had, you never know what something will bring when it is presented to collectors around the world.

We are excited about the Antiques Showcase and hope to help create many more moments such as these on February 4th! See you there.

Q&A with Taylor Eichenwald, Assistant Director, New Orleans Auction Galleries (NOAG)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5

$125

CHEF DANA HONN & CHEF CHRISTINA HONN PRESENT

South American Tasting Menu

Enjoy wine dinners benefiting WYES, now through July 2023. Dinner prices vary from $115-$250 and include tax and gratuity. All dinners begin at 6:30 p.m.

Thank you to this season’s participating restaurants.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

1st Course:

TIRADITO NIKKEI

Peruvian Sashimi

Prepared with Fresh Local Gulf Fish

Mind & Body Pinot Grigio

2nd Course: LOCRO DE PAPA

Ecuadorian Potato Soup

Nitida Riesling

3rd Course: REGAÑONAS DE MAZORCA

Colombian Corn Fritters

Porta Merlot Reserva

4th Course: MOQUECA

Brazilian Seafood Stew Served with Rice, Cassava Grits, Brazilian Hot Sauce

Piemonte Pinot Noir

5th Course: DESSERT

QUE SUPRESA! What a surprise!

THURSDAY, MARCH 2

$135

CHEF JIMI SETCHIM PRESENTS

1st Course: CRAWFISH & GRUYERE “FONDUE”

2nd Course: FOIE GRAS CHEESECAKE

3rd Course: REDFISH EN PAPILLOTTE

4th Course: CHOCOLATE SIN CAKE

Wine Pairings Coming Soon!

FRIDAY, MARCH 3

$200

*Dinner begins at 6pm

CHEF JOE MAYNARD PRESENTS

1st Course: BURRATA

2018 Henri Bourgeois "Les Baronnes" Sancerre

2nd Course: BOUILLABAISSE

2016 Chateau Lamothe Castera Bordeaux

3rd Course: BUTTER POACHED LOBSTER TAIL

2019 Reynolds Chardonnay, Napa Valley

4th Course: WAGYU BEEF TENDERLOIN

2016 Robert Mondavi Single Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

5th Course: DARK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TULIP

Henriques + Henriques 15-year Madeira

TUESDAY, MARCH 21

$115

EXECUTIVE CHEF SUSAN SPICER AND CHEF JACOB ANGUIANO PRESENT

1st Course: GULF FISH AND OCTOPUS EN ESCABECHE

2nd Course: PAPAS BRAVAS

3rd Course: RIOJA-BRAISED CHICKEN

4th Course: OLIVE OIL CAKE

Wine Pairing Coming Soon!

Following the menu’s Spanish theme Sommelier & Wine Educator Michelle Gueydan will feature a sherry, sparkling, rosé and red.

TUESDAY, JUNE 6

$250

CHEF RICHARD HUGHES PRESENTS

1st Course: OYSTER & ABSINTHE DOME SOUP

Vignoble Dauny Sancerre ‘Terres Blanche’ 2021

2nd Course: YELLOWFIN TUNA CARPACCIO & FOIE GRAS TORCHON

Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir ‘ Whole Cluster’ 2021

3rd Course: TRIO OF LOUISIANA CITRUS SALAD

Domaine Bunan Bandol Rose ‘Moulin des Costes’ 2021

4th Course: GULF RED SNAPPER & SEA SCALLOPS IN PAPILLOTE

Far Niente Chardonnay 2021

INTERMEZZO

5th Course: RACK OF VENISON

Guigal Chateauneuf du Pape 2019

6th Course: CRÈME BRULEE TRIO

Monmousseau Cremant de Loire Brut

Wines Provided by Wines Unlimited

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21

$135

CHEF AMARYS KOENIG HERNDON & CHEF JORDAN HERNDON PRESENT

FRIDAY, JULY 14

$125

CHEF PETER ISAAC

1st Course: CRAB CLAW COCKTAIL

Chenin Blanc, L.A. Cetto 2019, Baja California, Mexico

2nd Course: BLACK EYED PEA FRITTERS

Carmenere, Dagaz 2019, Colchagua Valley, Chile

3rd Course: BEEF CHEEKS, RICE & GRAVY

Cabernet Sauvignon, Milliman, “Condor” 2020, Central Valley, Chile

4th Course: PEACH BUTTERMILK CHESS PIE

Lustav Palo Cortado Sherry

1st Course: BRIQUETTE HEIRLOOM SALAD

Menage de Trois Prosecco

2nd Course: BEEF CARPACCIO

Bieler Pere et Fils Coteaux d’ Aix Sabine Rose

3rd Course: BURGUNDY BRAISED SHORT RIB

Siduri Pinot Noir

4th Course: FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE TORTE Roscato Rosso Dolce

Wines provided by Republic National Distributors

Have you seen our new WYES digital shorts called “Did You Knowla?” on WYES’ YouTube channel?

These fun and informative video shorts take a different view of the people and places that make New Orleans special.

Each digital segment highlights local history drawing from WYES’ video archives and continues to showcase WYES’ role as New Orleans’ storyteller.

“The way viewers are watching our content is rapidly changing, and through these new digital shorts we have made it a priority to come up with new ways to respond to these changes. This also includes our ongoing "Peggy's Piece of the Past" and "Carnival Close-Up" digital series, which have received a great response. We will also continue to offer our new documentaries for a limited time on our YouTube channel and find ways to add digital-only content for future projects,” said Robin Cooper, WYES President & CEO.

The series of videos feature host Nia Woodside, one of our summer interns, and Jonathan Evans is the videographer/ editor.

When you subscribe to WYES’ YouTube channel you’ll receive notifications when we add a new program and short video, and stay up-to-date on all events and programs coming up. It’s easy…head to wyes. org and click the YouTube icon at the very top, then click ‘subscribe’.

6pm

PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm

NATURE “The Elephant and The Termite”

8pm

NOVA “London Super Tunnel”

Construction teams confront immense challenges as they hurry to build a new subterranean railroad under London: the Elizabeth Line.

9pm

SECRETS OF THE DEAD “King Arthur’s Lost Kingdom”

10pm

CHAPPY GOES TO MARDI GRAS New Orleans native Chappy Hardy explores the history, traditions and festivities of Mardi Gras in 1985.

11pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

2 THURSDAY

6pm

PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm

STEPPIN’ OUT covers the region’s arts and entertainment scene with host Peggy Scott Laborde and guests.

11pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

3 FRIDAY

11pm

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS “Pavement”

5 SUNDAY

6pm

STEPPIN’ OUT “It’s Carnival Time”

6:30pm

WHILE WE DANCED: THE MUSIC OF MARDI GRAS

6pm

PBS NEWSHOUR Join co-anchors Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett for in-depth analysis of current events. Photo Credit: Mike Morgan

7pm

INFORMED SOURCES

7:30pm

LOUISIANA: THE STATE WE’RE IN

8pm

WASHINGTON WEEK

8:30pm

WALL $TREET WRAP-UP WITH ANDRÉ LABORDE

9pm

MAKING BLACK AMERICA: THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE (Pt. 1-2/4) Watch an encore of the four-part series hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., that chronicles the vast social networks and organizations created by and for Black people.

11pm

STEPPIN’ OUT

11:30pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

7:30pm

STEPPIN’ OUT “It’s Carnival Time”

Host Peggy Scott Laborde welcomes Carnival historians Arthur Hardy, publisher of Arthur Hardy's Mardi Gras Guide, and Errol Laborde, executive editor of Louisiana Life Magazine, for an annual overview of the season. Topics this year include krewe anniversaries, the continuing shortage of New Orleans Police personnel and the growth of krewe membership.

8pm

CALL THE MIDWIFE, SEASON 11 (Pt. 1-2/8) Save the date! Season 12 premieres March 19th.

10pm

SEASIDE HOTEL “Not a Bed of Roses” (Pt. 5/7)

4 SATURDAY

5pm

STEPPIN’ OUT “It’s Carnival Time”

5:30pm

WHILE WE DANCED: THE MUSIC OF MARDI GRAS

6pm

LAWRENCE WELK: SALUTE TO SINATRA

7pm

WHY LOUISIANA AIN’T MISSISSIPPI…. OR ANY PLACE ELSE! (Pts. 1-2/2) From history, politics, the arts and athletics, explore the diversity found in Louisiana and discover the unique combination of people that make everything in Louisiana just a little different than any place else.

7pm

MASTERPIECE “Miss Scarlet and The Duke, Season 3” ‘The Heir’ (Pt. 5/6) Eliza is on the verge of earning lifechanging money when she offers to help the heir to an unclaimed fortune. It’s a race against time to claim the money and Eliza will need Duke’s help, but a revelation about his personal life makes working together impossible.

8pm

MASTERPIECE “All Creatures Great and Small, Season 3” ‘Edward’ (Pt. 5/7) Mrs. Hall conquers demons from her past. While she is away, Tristan discovers the challenge of housekeeping. Meanwhile, Helen is at loose ends.

9pm

VIENNA BLOOD, SEASON 3 “Death is Now a Welcome Guest, Part 1” (Pt. 5/6) It’s 1908 and the magical new world of cinema has captured the imagination of the Viennese public. When tragedy strikes at a film premiere, Max and Oskar investigate the murder of a famous actress, a former patient at Max’s hospital.

10pm

ASTRID “Missing Link” (Pt. 4/9)

A Natural History Museum employee is found dead at the foot of a dinosaur skeleton. Not a drop of water on the horizon and yet, the victim drowned. In French with English subtitles.

11pm

LA OTRA MIRADA “Masquerade” (Pt. 5/8)

6 MONDAY 6pm PBS NEWSHOUR

WEEKDAYS ON

7pm

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Santa Fe’s Museum Hill” (Hour 3/3)

8pm

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Celebrating Black Americana”

9pm

BLAINE KERN: THEY CALL HIM MR. MARDI GRAS The business Blaine Kern built 75 plus years ago opened Carnival to people of all races and backgrounds and continues to build spectacular parades here and around the world. Hear his story through interviews with family, friends, Carnival insiders and Kern himself.

10pm

INDEPENDENT LENS “Outta the Muck” Beyond its football legacy, including sending over a dozen players to the NFL (like Anquan Boldin, Fred Taylor and Rickey Jackson), the fiercely self-determined community in Pahokee, Florida tells their stories of Black achievement and resilience in the face of tragic storms and personal trauma.

11:30pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

7 TUESDAY

6pm

PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm

FINDING YOUR ROOTS “Family: Lost and Found” Joe Manganiello and Tony Gonzalez uncover close relatives whose names they never knew before.

10pm

GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY takes a hard look at the criminal justice system and its treatment of African-Americans.

11pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

8 WEDNESDAY

6pm

PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm

NATURE “Dogs in the Wild: Meet the Family” (Pt. 1/3) Travel the globe to meet the many species of the wild dog family, from the formidable Arctic wolf to the talkative Dhole, from the tiny Fennec fox to the longlegged Maned wolf.

8pm

NOVA “Star Chasers of Senegal” A visionary astronomer in West Africa attempts a high-stakes observation of a distant asteroid vital to a NASA mission.

9pm

SECRETS OF THE DEAD “The Woman in the Iron Coffin”

10pm

CHAPPY GOES TO MARDI GRAS

11pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

9 THURSDAY

6pm

PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm STEPPIN’ OUT

7:30pm

BRITISH ANTIQUES ROADSHOW

8pm

CALL THE MIDWIFE, SEASON 11 (Pt. 3-4/8) Save the date! Season 12 premieres March 19th.

*WYES PROGRAMMING NOTE: Starting Monday, February 6th, WYES' children's programming will shift each weekday at 2pm to the PBS Kids channel. This is available 24/7 on WYES Channel 12.4 and on the free WYES, PBS and PBS Kids Apps. Get the full program schedule at wyes.org.

8pm

FIGHT THE POWER: HOW HIP HOP CHANGED THE WORLD “Under Siege” (Pt. 2/4) Explore the 1980s and the birth of Hip Hop as social commentary in the Reagan Era with the emergence of artists like Public Enemy, KRS-One, Ice-T (pictured) and NWA. Photo Credit: Yemi Bamiro / © Owner: BBC Studios

9pm

FRONTLINE “America and the Taliban” (Pt. 1/2)

10pm

SEASIDE HOTEL “Cloudburst” (Pt. 6/7)

11pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

10 FRIDAY

6pm PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm

INFORMED SOURCES

7:30pm

LOUISIANA: THE STATE WE’RE IN

8pm

WASHINGTON WEEK

4:30pm

BIG QUEENS OF CARNIVAL: IT’S YOUR GLORY

5pm

MARDI GRAS: THE PASSING PARADE

6pm

LAWRENCE WELK: MARDI GRAS

In this 1966 show viewers are invited to "Come To The Mardi Gras,” the Lennon Sisters sing a whimsical "I Dreamed,” and Natalie Nevins performs a beautiful rendition of "Mr. Wonderful.” The cast and band swing out to close the show with the "South Rampart Street Parade.”

7pm

MASTERPIECE “Miss Scarlet and The Duke, Season 3” ‘The Jewel of the North’ (Pt. 6/6) The season comes to an explosive climax when Eliza receives a bomb in the mail. Who sent it and why?

Eliza teams up with Duke, Moses and her old enemy Patrick Nash to find out who is behind the deadly delivery.

8:30pm

WALL $TREET WRAP-UP WITH ANDRÉ LABORDE looks at the past week’s market and brings local and national investment professionals to you. Have a question for André? Email andre@wallstreetwrapup.info

9pm

MAKING BLACK AMERICA: THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE (Pt. 3-4/4)

11pm STEPPIN’ OUT

11:30pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

Mardi Gras Marathon!

11 SATURDAY

3pm

CHAPPY GOES TO MARDI GRAS

7pm

NEW ORLEANS PRADES FROM THE PAST Enjoy rare home movies and archival footage of past parades of Rex, Comus, Zulu, Endymion, Bacchus and nearly a dozen other krewes. The one-hour program is hosted by Peggy Scott Laborde and produced by Dominic Massa. Providing commentary throughout the program are Carnival historians Arthur Hardy and Errol Laborde. Pictured: King Zulu 1940 Photo Credit: Courtesy The Times-Picayune

8pm

KREWE OF JANUS: 75 YEARS OF CARNIVAL New Orleans Carnival krewe celebrates 75 years of staging an annual ball.

9pm

BLAINE KERN: THEY CALL HIM MR. MARDI GRAS

10pm

ALL ON A MARDI GRAS DAY celebrates Black Carnival in New Orleans in all its riotous, colorful and spiritual glory.

4pm

BIG CHIEFS OF CARNIVAL: THE SPIRIT MOVES MY NEEDLE captures the artistry and strength of the legendary leaders of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras Indian tribes. Every year the neighborhood tribes create intricate suits of the finest beads and choicest feathers, competing for the role of “prettiest” when they mask on Mardi Gras morning. Photo Credit: Pableau Johnson

11pm

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS “Marren Morris”

8pm

MASTERPIECE “All Creatures Great and Small, Season 3” ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ (Pt. 6/7) As war comes in September 1939, everyone faces decisions small and large. Romance beckons for Tristan and Mrs. Hall. TB plagues Helen’s farm. Photo Credit: Playground Entertainment and MASTERPIECE

9pm

VIENNA BLOOD, SEASON 3 “Death is Now a Welcome Guest, Part 2” (Pt. 6/6) Some aspects of Ida's complicated life remain unclear and her missing handbag still can't be found. An attack on another actor turns the spotlight of Max and Oskar's investigation onto Ida Rego's poisoner. They now search in the direction of men obsessed with Ida's rival, Arianna Amsel.

10pm

ASTRID “Closed Room” (Pt. 5/9)

11pm

LA OTRA MIRADA “I Have a Dream” (Pt. 6/8)

13 MONDAY

6pm PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Cheekwood Estate & Gardens” (Hour 1/3)

8pm

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Indianapolis” (Hour 3/3)

12 SUNDAY

6pm

HARRIET TUBMAN: VISIONS OF FREEDOM

9pm

ALL ON A MARDI GRAS DAY 10pm

INDEPENDENT LENS “Love in the Time of Fentanyl” The Overdose Prevention

SATURDAYS ON

Society opens its doors as deaths in Vancouver reach an all-time high due to the use of fentanyl and other drugs.

11:30pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

14 TUESDAY 6pm PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm

FINDING YOUR ROOTS “Chosen”

8pm

FIGHT THE POWER: HOW HIP HOP CHANGED THE WORLD “Culture Wars” (Pt. 3/4) Experience the 1990s and the unstoppable rise in the popularity of Hip Hop.

9pm

10pm

BLAINE KERN: THEY CALL HIM MR. MARDI GRAS The business Blaine Kern built 75 plus years ago opened Carnival to people of all races and backgrounds and continues to build spectacular parades here and around the world. Hear his story through interviews with family, friends, Carnival insiders and Kern himself.

11pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

12:30pm

CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL'S MILK STREET TELEVISION

The series shares techniques and ingredients that can transform home cooking, producing bigger, bolder dishes with less time and effort.

10:30am CHEF PAUL PRUDHOMME'S ALWAYS COOKING

11am

LIDIA’S KITCHEN

FRONTLINE “America and the Taliban” (Pt. 2/2)

16 THURSDAY

6pm PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm

STEPPIN’ OUT “It’s Carnival

Time” An annual overview of Mardi Gras with topics including krewe anniversaries, the continuing shortage of New Orleans Police personnel and the growth of krewe membership.

OF DENALI

6:30am WILD KRATTS

7am

P. ALLEN SMITH'S GARDEN HOME

7:30am WOODSMITH SHOP

8am AMERICAN WOODSHOP

8:30am THIS OLD HOUSE 9am ASK THIS OLD HOUSE

9:30am KEVIN BELTON’S COOKIN’ LOUISIANA

10am KITCHEN QUEENS: NEW ORLEANS

11:30am AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN FROM COOK’S ILLUSTRATED NOON COOK’S COUNTRY

12:30pm

CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL'S MILK STREET TELEVISION

1pm PATTI’S MEXICAN TABLE 1:30pm

JACQUES PEPIN: HEART & SOUL

2pm SARA'S WEEKNIGHT MEALS

2:30pm

LES STROUD'S WILD HARVEST

10:30pm

POV SHORTS “This Sacred Place” includes two segments — "You Can't Stop Spirit" and "Coming Home."

The first segment focuses on a group of self-liberated Black women who create an alternative social space where they are encouraged to be free and looks at the Baby Doll Mardi Gras masking tradition.

11pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

15 WEDNESDAY

6pm PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm

NATURE “Dogs in the Wild: Secrets of Success” (Pt. 2/3)

8pm

NOVA “Ancient Builders of the Amazon”

9pm

SECRETS OF THE DEAD “Hannibal in the Alps”

7:30pm

BRITISH ANTIQUES ROADSHOW

8pm CALL THE MIDWIFE, SEASON 11 (Pt. 5-6/8) Save the date! Season 12 premieres March 19th.

10pm

SEASIDE HOTEL “For Sale” (Pt. 7/7)

11pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

17 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

GREAT PERFORMANCES “Movies for Grownups® Awards 2022 with AARP The Magazine” Celebrating and encouraging films with unique appeal to moviegoers aged 50 and older, and the artists who make them.

11pm

STEPPIN’ OUT “It’s Carnival Time”

11:30pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

18 SATURDAY

5pm

NEW ORLEANS PARADES FROM THE PAST

6pm

LAWRENCE WELK: SALUTE TO NASHVILLE

7pm

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Cheekwood Estate & Gardens” (Hour 1/3)

8pm

FINDING YOUR ROOTS “Chosen”

10pm

IRMA: MY LIFE IN MUSIC On her 82nd birthday, celebrate the story of Grammy award-winner and New Orleans treasure Irma Thomas.

11:30pm

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS “Spoon”

19 SUNDAY

2pm

IRMA: MY LIFE IN MUSIC

3:30pm

POV SHORTS “This Sacred Place” One part of the program centers on the Baby Doll Mardi Gras masking tradition.

4pm

BLAINE KERN: THEY CALL HIM MR. MARDI GRAS

5pm

CARNIVAL MEMORIES looks at the first Rex, Lewis J. Salomon , and the historic visit of the Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanov. Meet Rex parade costume designer Susu Kearney and experience Carnival memories captured through the lens of award-winning photographer Syndey Byrd.

6pm

MARDI GRAS STORIES

7pm

MASTERPIECE “All Creatures Great and Small, Season 3” ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ (Pt. 6/7)

20 MONDAY

6pm

PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW “Cheekwood Estate & Gardens” (Hour 2/3)

9pm

AMERICA REFRAMED “Big Chief, Black Hawk” Big Chief T is a high school senior and the youngest Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief in New Orleans. During COVID-19, he and the Black Hawk Hunters navigate the impacts of gentrification and systemic racism on their annual masking tradition. Through haute couture, movement, and words, BIG CHIEF, BLACK HAWK celebrates the beauty and resilience of “the culture” even in the face of crisis and change. Photo Credit: Jonathan Isaac Jackson

8pm

MASTERPIECE “All Creatures Great and Small, Season 3” ‘Merry Bloody Christmas’ (Pt. 7/7) It’s Christmas at Skeldale and Siegfried has a big decision to make. Mrs. Hall realizes she has to face her feelings for Gerald. Photo Credit: Playground Entertainment and MASTERPIECE

9:30pm

STEPPIN’ OUT “It’s Carnival Time”

10pm

ASTRID “Fulcanelli” (Pt. 6/9)

11:30pm

LA OTRA MIRADA “There is no Failure” (Pt. 7/8)

8pm

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “Ruthless: Monopoly’s Secret History” Discover the fascinating and unexpected history behind Monopoly, America’s favorite board game. Photo Credit: Tom Forsyth

9pm

POV SHORTS “This Sacred Place”

9:30pm

SONS OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS

11pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

21 TUESDAY

9am

STEPPIN’ OUT “It’s Carnival Time” Host Peggy Scott Laborde, along with Carnival historians Arthur Hardy and Errol Laborde, give their annual overview the Mardi Gras season.

9:30am

WHILE WE DANCED THE MUSIC OF MARDI GRAS

10am

BLAINE KERN: THEY CALL HIM MR. MARDI GRAS

11am

CHAPPY GOES TO MARDI GRAS takes viewers on an insider's tour of Mardi Gras during the 1985 Mardi Gras season. Noon

THE BIG CHIEFS OF CARNIVAL: THE SPIRIT LEADS MY NEEDLE

SUNDAYS ON

12:30pm

BIG QUEENS OF CARNIVAL: IT’S YOUR GLORY In New Orleans some women were born to be queens, but not because their fathers were kings. They do not inherit their crowns: they create their own. This documentary gives voice to the powerful women in a tradition best known for its male leaders. Photo Credit: Pableaux Johnson

1pm

MARDI GRAS: THE PASSING PARADE explores memories and traditions of Mardi Gras including rare footage of the 1929 Rex parade, French Quarter parades, origins of gay Carnival, Original Illinois Club traditional dance, King Cake and more!

2pm

FROM THE GROUND UP: MARDI GRAS FLOATS

7pm

THE 2023 REX BALL AND THE MEETING OF THE COURTS OF REX AND COMUS WYES host/producer

Peggy Scott Laborde, along with Errol Laborde, Carnival historian and author of Mardi Gras: Chronicles of the New Orleans Carnival, and Will French, Rex Organization historian, provide commentary throughout the evening. The program contains interviews with past and present Rex and Comus royalty along with some historical video vignettes, including a feature on recently discovered footage of the 1898 Rex Parade. The program will also stream live on WYES’ YouTube page. Photo Credit: Kathy Anderson

11:30pm

THE 2023 REX BALL AND THE MEETING OF THE COURTS OF REX AND COMUS

22 WEDNESDAY

6pm

PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm

NATURE “Dogs in the Wild: Defending Wild Dogs” (Pt. 3/3)

8pm

NOVA “New Eye on the Universe”

3pm

ALL ON A MARDI GRAS DAY

Incorporating classic New Orleans music, previously unseen photographs and film footage, and interviews with major Carnival players, the program will explore African-Creole Carnival traditions. These celebrations date from colonial times, through Reconstruction and Jim Crow – and into the 21st century.

4pm

NEW ORLEANS PARADES FROM THE PAST

5pm

AMERICAN REFRAMED “Big Chief, Black Hawk” celebrates the beauty and resilience of “the culture” even in the face of crisis and change.

6pm

PBS NEWSHOUR

9pm

NOVA “Meteor Strike”

10pm

NATURE “Dogs in the Wild: Defending Wild Dogs” (Pt. 3/3)

11pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

23 THURSDAY

6pm

PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm STEPPIN’ OUT

7:30pm

BRITISH ANTIQUES ROADSHOW

8pm CALL THE MIDWIFE, SEASON

(Pt. 7-8/8) Save the date! Season 12 premieres March 19th.

10pm

SEASIDE HOTEL (Pt. 1/6)

11pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

24 FRIDAY

6pm PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm

INFORMED SOURCES

7:30pm

LOUISIANA: THE STATE WE’RE IN

8pm

WASHINGTON WEEK

8:30pm

WALL $TREET WRAP-UP WITH ANDRÉ LABORDE

9pm

GREAT PERFORMANCES “The Magic of Spirituals” Glimpse behind the curtain at opera stars Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman’s famed 1990 concert.

10pm

FIGHT THE POWER: HOW HIP HOP CHANGED THE WORLD “Still Fighting” (Pt. 4/4) Follow the evolution of Hip Hop as its artists turn into multimillionaires and successful entrepreneurs. As a cultural phenomenon, Hip Hop continues to change history and is adopted as the voice of protest around the world.

11pm STEPPIN’ OUT

11:30pm AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

25 SATURDAY

7am

JUST ONE THING WITH STEVEN GUNDRY, MD

8:30am

RICK STEVES: WHY WE TRAVEL

9:30am

KEVIN BELTON’S COOKIN’ LOUISIANA

across two continents to explore the transition of African-Americans. The series encompasses five centuries of events, visits key sites, and engages in debates with historians and eyewitnesses like school integration pioneers Ruby Bridges and Charlayne Hunter-Gault, former Black Panther Kathleen Neal Cleaver and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

6pm

LAWRENCE WELK: ITALIAN SHOW

7pm

70’S SOUL SUPERSTARS

27 MONDAY

2pm

MASTERPIECE “Sanditon, Season 2” (Pts. 1-2/6)

4:30pm

ENDEAVOUR: A COUNTDOWN TO THE FINAL GOODBYE

6pm

PBS NEWSHOUR

10am

THE AFRICAN AMERICANS “Many Rivers to Cross” (Pts. 1-6) Presented and written by Henry Louis Gates Jr., this sixhour series guides viewers on a journey

9:30pm

60’S POP, ROCK AND SOUL Appearing on stage are Davy Jones (pictured) of The Monkees, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Jefferson Starship, The Miracles, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, The Vogues, The Kingsmen, Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone and other greats.

11:30pm

SAM COOKE: LEGEND

26 SUNDAY

10am

JUST ONE THING WITH STEVEN GUNDRY, MD

11:30am

SUZE ORMAN’S ULTIMATE RETIREMENT GUIDE

1:30am

YOUNG FOREVER WITH DR. MARK HYMAN

3:30pm

RICK STEVES’ HEART OF ITALY From hill towns to harbors, and from vino rosso to Giotto, this program savors the good life in the Italian heartland.

5:30pm

MASTERPIECE “All Creatures Great and Small, Season 3” (Pt. 7/7)

7pm

LES MISERABLES: THE STAGED CONCERT stars Michael Ball, Alfie Boe, Carrie Hope Fletcher and Matt Lucas, in the final performance of the stage production.

10:30pm

MEMORY MAKEOVER WITH DANIEL AMEN, MD

7pm

ELVIS PRESLEY: ’68 COMEBACK SPECIAL Watch one of the great moments in rock and roll history as Elvis performs some of the best music of his life. Taped in Burbank, California, this television special — his first — was a brilliant milestone for Elvis and saved his career.

8:30pm

THE SEVEN AGES OF ELVIS This documentary looks at the legacy of Elvis Presley through the lens of seven stages of his life.

10:30pm

ELVIS PRESLEY: ’68 COMEBACK SPECIAL

28 TUESDAY

2pm

RICK STEVES’ HEART OF ITALY

4pm

MEMORY MAKEOVER WITH DANIEL AMEN, MD Award-winning psychiatrist, neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author Dr. Daniel Amen will show you how to supercharge your memory and remember what matters most to you.

6pm PBS NEWSHOUR

7pm

BLACK BROADWAY: A PROUD HISTORY, A LIMITLESS FUTURE Celebrate legendary performances and roles made famous by Black artists as well as the new generation of Black Broadway stars. An acclaimed cast performs classic songs from The Wiz, The Color Purple, Company, Porgy & Bess, Ain’t Misbehavin’ and more.

9pm

70’S SOUL SUPERSTARS

11:30pm

AMANPOUR AND COMPANY

Lagniappe

Business partnerships

WYES’ 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 on including WYES in your plans, contact Robin Cooper — 504.486.5511 / rcooper@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

WYES

OFFICERS Chair

Lori Savoie

Vice-Chair

Mark Romig

Secretary

Greg Bensel

Treasurer

Len Aucoin

TRUSTEES

Ryan Berger

Wayne Baquet, Jr.

Manny Blanco

Stephanie Burks

Karen Coaxum

Filippo Feoli

David Gaines

Tony Gelderman

Laurie Guillaume

Renette Dejoie Hall

Jennifer Heebe

Benjamin Karp

Rick Kirschman

Bill Langenstein

Marc Leunissen

Jonathan C. McCall

David Perlis, Jr.

Paul Peyronnin

Anne Redd

Richard Rodriguez

Susu Stall

Alison Toussaint-LeBeaux

Tommy Westervelt

President & Chief Executive Officer

Robin Cooper

Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer

Dominic Massa

STEPPIN' OUT

KEVIN BELTON’S COOKIN’ LOUISIANA

YOUR

SANDRA AND RUSS HERMAN

PBS KIDS 24/7

JANE AUSTEN ADAPTATIONS

BRITISH ANTIQUES ROADSHOW ANTIQUES ROADSHOW

Suzie and Pierre G. Villere STEPPIN’ OUT AND INFORMED SOURCES

RICK STEVES TRAVELS

DAVID ORECK LAWRENCE WELK

"I require reliable news and information – and quality entertainment. That’s why I support WYES, my local PBS station, and have included them in my will and estate plan."

— Al Duvernay, WYES member

BY ERROL LABORDE

Sparta Goes Global The girl who would be Queen

On the evening of Saturday, Feb. 14, 2004, a young girl named Sophia witnessed her first Carnival parade. She was only about 7-months old and already had lived a lifetime of activity. On the day before, she had arrived in New Orleans from her birth country of Kazakhstan. Newly adopted by Jeremy and Karen Zollinger, Sophia Rose Zollinger, as she would then be known, was taken to her new West Bank home.

Having already crossed the world, on the next day, she crossed the Mississippi river for the second time to see the Sparta parade. There was the music and the flambeaux, and then a man riding a white horse approached. Dressed in glittering white and wearing a sparkling medallion, he looked somewhat like a European knight. Then something strange happened. Sophia was just a newborn in a new world, but the man in white stopped before her. He was Sparta’s captain, the equivalent of prime minister in the land she came from. Though English was literally foreign to her, she might have noticed the excitement in then Captain Dave Mulnick’s voice as he proclaimed something futuristic, “Hail Queen Sophia!”

There are no queens in Kazakhstan, which is a part of the old Soviet Union but has managed to maintain independence. Oil is its biggest industry. The country is also the site of “Baikonur”, the largest space launch complex in the world. The country’s most famous celebrity is fictional, “Borat,” the Kazakhstani journalist played in the movies by English comedian Sasha

Baron Cohen. Reportedly the Borat character has such a following that he has been a stimulant for the area’s tourism.

Sophia has never visited Kazakhstan, nor does she have immediate plans to do so. She has lived the life of an American girl blessed with having the New Orleans experience.

Unique to that experience is Carnival. Her dad and uncle are both in Sparta. She has been a junior maid and a senior maid. Last year, she got the news that the rider in white had tipped her off to way back at her first parade. She will be the Queen of Sparta, 2023. Her king will be Dr. Marc Ryan Matrana, and they will reign over a krewe now renamed from the Knights of Sparta to the Sparta Society, in recognition of the influx of female members who now make up the majority of the formerly all-male krewe.

Sophia’s resume is fit for a queen. She attended Sacred Heart school. Working with kids has been one of her favorite pastimes. Now she is majoring in kinesiology (the study of body movements) at LSU with plans to be an occupational therapist.

At the Bal Masque, she will be making the gracious movements of a queen, for which she says she is “very excited.”

On parade night she will watch from a royal reviewing stand as the path connecting Kazakhstan and Sparta winds through a land where beads dangle from trees.