New Orleans Magazine September 2013 by Renaissance Publishing

September 2013 VOLUME 48 NUMBER 12 Editor Errol Laborde Managing Editor Morgan Packard Art Director Eric Gernhauser Associate Editors Haley Adams and

Lauren LaBorde Contributing Editor Liz Scott Monaghan Food Editor Dale Curry Dining Editor Jay Forman Wine and Spirits Editor Tim McNally Restaurant Reporter Robert Peyton Home and Garden Editor Bonnie Warren Interns Shannon Donaldson, Paige Nulty and Nina

Takahashi SALES MANAGER Shannon Smith Senior Account ExecutiveS Jonée Daigle Ferrand,

Erica Northcott Adams Account Executives

Erin Fontenot, Maegan O’Brien, Elizabeth Schindler Sales Assistant Erin Maher Azar Web/Production Manager Staci Woodward McCarty Production Designers Sarah George, Antoine Passelac Web Editor Haley Adams Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne President Alan Campell Executive VICE PRESIDENT/Editor-in-Chief Errol Laborde Executive Assistant Kristi Ferrante Distribution Manager Christian Coombs SUBSCRIPTIONS Erin Duhe

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

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

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

Online at www.MyNewOrleans.com

New Orleans Magazine (ISSN 0897 8174) is published monthly by Renaissance Publishing, LLC., 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005; (504) 8281380. Subscription rates: one year $19.95; Mexico, South America and Canada $48; Europe, Asia and Australia $75. An associate subscription to New Orleans Magazine is available by a contribution of $40 or more to WYES-TV/Channel 12, $10.00 of which is used to offset the cost of publication. Also available electronically, on CD-ROM and on-line. Periodicals postage paid at Metairie, LA, and additional entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to New Orleans Magazine, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005. Copyright 2012 New Orleans Magazine. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. The trademark New Orleans and New Orleans Magazine are registered. New Orleans Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and artwork even if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. The opinions expressed in New Orleans Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the magazine managers or owners.

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CONTENTS 9.13 VOL. 48 NO. 12

PEOPLE TO WATCH PAGE

FEATURES 88 People to Watch Our annual list of newly notables. Profiles by Haley Adams, Shannon Donaldson, Lauren LaBorde, Morgan Packard and Nina Takahashi

100 Music through the lens The photos of John Kuhlman rediscovered

IN EVERY ISSUE 8 12 14 143 144 4

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INSIDE Hank and Billie Jean speaking out Editorial, plus a Mike Luckovich cartoon JULIA STREET Questions and answers about our city Try This “When Paint and Wine Come Together” STREETCAR “Riding Hitler’s Elevator”

ON THE COVER Hank Williams and Miss Billie Jones’ 1952 marriage at the Municipal Auditorium JOHN KUHLMAN PHOTOGRAPH

PERSONA PAGE

CONTENTS

TABLE TALK PAGE

THE BEAT 20 22 26 28 32 34 38 42

MARQUEE Entertainment calendar PERSONA Writer Lolis Eric Elie newsbeat “Broad Street Neon” Biz ”Living Upscale Downtown” newsbeat “Alliance for the River” Education “Paul Vallas Faces ‘Absurd Drama’” HEALTH Retinal detachments HEALTHBEAT The latest news in health from New Orleans and beyond 44 Crime FIghting “Two Cops, One City” 46 newsbeat “New School On the Block”

LOCAL COLOR 48 52 53 56 58 60 62 64

THE SCOOP “The Evolving Frenchmen Street” music William Ferris’ stories of Southern life Read & Spin A look at the latest CDs and books CAST OF CHARACTERS David Thibodeaux’s drive-in MODINE’S NEW ORLEANS “Raising Eyebrows” Joie d’Eve “Mom Identity” CHRONICLES Boxing and dancing with the CYO HOME ”From the Quarter to the Garden District:” Michael and Ruth Burke begin a new chapter

THE MENU 70 72 74 78 80

table talk “Take a Bao: Three Asian occasions” restaurant insider “New Places Revisited” FOOD Recipes from newspaper veterans LAST CALL The New Fangled DINING GUIDE

DIAL 12 D1 WYES-TV sits down with native New Orleanian Bryan Hymel (page D2) to discuss his saving performance as Aeneas in the New York Metropolitan Opera’s production of Berlioz’ “Les Troyens.” Be sure not to miss his inspiring performance airing on WYES Thurs., Sept. 19 at 70 p.m. WYES still has a few openings for its popular wine and coffee pairing dinners, Season of Good Tastes (page D3). Call 840-4886 to see what amazing restaurants still have seats available. 6

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CHRONICLES PAGE

MODINE’S NEW ORLEANS PAGE

THE SCOOP PAGE

IN SID E

Hank and Billie Jean

ank W illiams married B illie J ean J ones

Eshlimar, on Oct. 18, 1952, in Minden, La. It was the second marriage for both, though it wouldn’t be the only ceremony. The next day Williams was scheduled to perform at the Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans, where the vows were exchanged at each of two performances. Billy Jean wore a bridal gown for each and she and Hank took a slice from a towering wedding cake. For 50 cents, those in the sold-out audiences of 14,000 could buy a program of the event. Though the Williams said, “I do” three times, a judge would eventually say, “No, you don’t.” Answering a lawsuit from Williams’ first wife, Audrey Sheppard, after Williams’ death, the court would rule that the wedding was invalid since Eschimar’s divorce from her first marriage hadn’t become finalized by the time of her weddings to Williams. (Audrey Sheppard couldn’t be too smug, though, because her wedding to Williams occurred before her first divorce was finalized.) Thus was the life of Hank Williams, a man whose heart suffered both figuratively and actually. Two and half months later, Jan. 1, 1953, Williams died of a heart malady, triggered by a life of heavy drinking and hard living. While he lived for only 29 years, Hank Williams provides evidence that there was a time when giants walked the earth. For a man who spent too many of his few years aching and crawling, his repertoire of songs includes brilliant American classics that defined country music. Louisiana benefitted from his brief stay, not only from hosting his final nuptials here, but also from his appearances on Shreveport’s Louisiana Hayride radio broadcasts, and most of all, from the song “Jambalaya,” which he co-wrote and made globally famous. I maintain that crawfish pie would be an extinct dish were it not for that song, and jambalaya would be just another way to serve rice. Put them together though, and son of a gun we can have big fun on the bayou. Our cover story is about the photos of photographer John Kuhlman, whose mission was photographing musicians. Most of his images are of jazz performers, but he was there for Williams’ ceremonies, too. Many of these photographs have been seldom seen. We are proud to do our part to correct that. There is genius to be discovered both in front of and behind the lens.

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On The Web Mastering Home Design Renovating soon? Click on over to our sister publication, New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles, to see who made out list of the best in New Orleans design. See the honorees at MyNewOrleans.com/NOHL.

New ON THE WEB: The Marquee Blog There is always something to do in New Orleans, so planning weekend fun can be daunting. Luckily you’ve got New Orleans Magazine’s Associate Editor Lauren LaBorde to help you pick what to do with her weekly suggestions on the The Marquee Blog. Catch her updates every Thursday at MyNewOrleans.com/MarqueeBlog.

Watch and Listen We’ve moved all of our videos and podcasts to one place so they’re easier for you to find and enjoy. Watch the videos and listen to our podcasts at MyNewOrleans.com/Multimedia.

facebook.com/NewOrleansMagazine

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pinterest.com/neworleansmag/

S P E A KI N G O U T

Katrina Plus Eight; Remember the Hispanic Workers

here are a million K atrina stories out there ,

including this one from a man who after exile returned to his home, where the water mark was at the four-foot level, and tried to begin the repair process. He called a local contractor who wanted more than his insurance could cover, but could not guarantee when he could start the work, nor could he do anything until the electricity was turned on. Also, he could not do any work under the house until it was cleared of dead animals and hazardous debris that might have floated there. Next came a Hispanic man looking for work. Did he need electricity before he could start the work? “No,” the man replied, “I can get a generator.” Could he clear beneath the house? “No problem.” When could he start? “Tomorrow?” On the question of cost, the price fit the budget. That scene, in various forms, was enacted throughout the region. In this, the eighth anniversary of Katrina – an event none of us will ever forget – we should never fail to remember the contribution of Hispanic workers. They saved us. World history is filled with the saga of young men from poorer countries journeying to other places in hopes of making a living, often sending money back home, quite often with the intention of returning themselves one day. Locally, during the 1890s Sicilian men were recruited to work in the Louisiana sugar cane fields, which no longer were served by slave labor. Like the Hispanics, many stayed and added their own flavor to the culture. From the days after Katrina, and still today, it has been a common site to see men from Mexico and Central America clustered outside of home supply stores eager for someone to pull up looking for workers. To some the sight was at first off-putting, but to us it is an encouraging sign of enterprise and globalization. Just as young Angelo Brocato from Cefalù in Sicily brought with him a skill in baking, there will be some people in the crowd whose talents will manifest themselves in ways far beyond fixing a house. Assimilation often begins with food service; predictably the taco truck has already become a part of the landscape. To all the Hispanics who came here to work, we offer our thanks and best wishes for their future. When the final list of heroes of the recovery is recorded they, like the Saints, will be in that number.

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AN ORIGINAL ©MIKE LUCKOVICH CARTOON FOR NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE

JULIA STREET

W IT H P O Y D R A S THE PARROT

T H E P U R S U IT T O A N S W E R E T E R N A L Q U E S TI O N S

Opened in 1946, The Gallo provided a motion picture venue for blacks during segregation.

Dear Julia, Can you tell me something of the history of the Gallo Theater that was on Claiborne Avenue? I know that it was about one block away from my father’s store, Beerman Tire Service, at 2000 S. Claiborne Ave. At that time of the late 1940s-early ’50s, it was the “downtown” movie theater for African-Americans and showed first-run movies. When I was a youngster, my mom sometimes brought me to my dad’s store for “babysitting” purposes. Daddy, in turn, would send me down the street to Mr. Louie Gallo, the owner, who would give me a bag of popcorn and sit me in the back of the theater to watch the movie. Elene Beerman Blotner M e ta irie

The 1949 city directory confirms your dad’s tire service business was located exactly 14

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where you remember it at 2000 S. Claiborne Ave. It was only one block away and on the same side of the street as the Gallo. The Gallo opened in June 1946 and was, at the time, the city’s premier “colored” motion picture theater. Stone Brothers designed the Gallo, which was located at 2122 S. Claiborne Ave., and named for its owner, August Gallo. According to There’s One in Your Neighborhood: The Lost Movie Theaters of New Orleans, by Rene Brunet Jr. and Jack Stewart, the Gallo changed hands several times. In late ’58, Louis Gallo bought a portion of the business but was soon bought out by Eugene T. Cologne, who operated the Gallo until his death in July ’75. Rene Brunet then purchased the theater from Cologne’s estate, suc-

cessfully operating the Gallo as a single screen, and later, a two-screen venue. The neighborhood movie theater business dropped off in the 1980s, prompting Brunet to lease the Gallo to a pawnshop. In ’90, the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission declared the Gallo a local landmark. Brunet later sold the shuttered theater to an investor. Although the Gallo was damaged by a post-Hurricane Katrina fire, plans for its renovation remained alive until it was discovered that the city’s Department of Safety and Permits had issued a demolition permit. By the time its historic landmark status was noted, it was too late to save the structure.

Win a Court of Two Sisters Jazz Brunch Here is a chance to eat, drink and listen to music, and have your curiosity satiated all at once. Send Julia a question. If we use it, you’ll be eligible for a monthly drawing for one of two Jazz Brunch gift certificates for two at The Court of Two Sisters in the Vieux Carré. To take part, send your question to: Julia Street, c/o New Orleans Magazine, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 or email: Errol@MyNewOrleans. com. This month’s winners are: Irene Beary, Baton Rouge; and Elene Beerman Blotner, Metairie.

Dear Julia and Poydras, My grandfather, Willie P hotograph C O urtesy T H E H I S T O R I C N E W O R L E A N S C O L L E C T I O N

celebrate national

month

brought to you by...

SEPTEMBER 2013 SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Labor Day

Crescent City Farmers Market

Saints VS Falcons 12:00 PM/ Home Hurricane Betsy, 1965

N. O. Restaurant Week Starts

Crescent City Farmers Market

Saints VS Buccaneers 3:05 PM/ Away

THURSDAY

NEW MOON

18 25

Hurricane Rita, 2005

Saints VS Dolphins 7:40 PM/ Home

SATURDAY

7 Tulane VS South Alabama 2:30 PM/ Home LSU VS UAB 6:00 PM/ Home

Yom Kippur

LSU VS Kent State 6:00 PM/ Home

Scales and Ales Justice for All Ball

Syracuse VS Tulane TBA/ Away LSU VS Auburn TBA/ Home

Cancer Crusader Celebration of Life Luncheon

LOVE in the Garden

ULM VS Tulane TBA/ Away Georgia VS LSU TBA/ Away

FIRST QUARTER

LA Tech VS Tulane 6:00 PM/ Away

Crescent City Farmers Market

FRIDAY

Rosh Hashanah starts

FULL MOON

Crescent City Farmers Market

Saints VS Cardinals 12:00 PM/ Home

WEDNESDAY

LAST QUARTER

Groh, and another German immigrant, Art Gessner, lived in New Orleans and began an electric welding business, Gessner and Groh, on a barge in the Mississippi River sometime after 1911. My family always said that they introduced electric welding to the city. Can you tell me if this is accurate? Freddie Anne Lambremont S t . M a rys , Ga .

I can assure you that your grandfather was certainly among the earliest and most successful electric welders in this area, but I found no statements indicating his business was the first of several electro-welders operating here in the early 1910s. I was, however, able to confirm Gessner & Groh conducted business from a barge that held its own onboard power plant and workshop, enabling it to travel to a stricken vessel, thereby reducing repair time and allowing damaged vessels

SEPTEMBER 2013

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to be put back into service more quickly than if they had to travel to a wharf or dry dock for repair. In late 1912, William Groh of the Gessner & Groh Electric Welding Company arrived in New Orleans from the company’s hometown of Boston, Mass. Accompanying him was F. A. Wilson, a business agent for the same firm. Business boomed. By spring ’13, Groh and Wilson felt secure enough to send for their families and put down local roots. Gessner & Groh provided a valuable maritime service, mending leaking seams, fixing cracks, and repairing worn boiler plates and broken rudder frames. In addition to their mobile welding shop and power plant, the firm had a telephone as well as a land-based office in the Wells-Fargo Building. Louisiana corporation records indicate the company was dissolved in 1930.

Dear Julia, I remember the My-O-My Club in West End as a child. Because I was young, I never enjoyed the show there, but heard all the stories. Who owned it, what went on there and what happened to make it close? Irene Beary Baton Rou ge

Often identified as a West End location, Club My-O-My was actually located on a pier extending over Lake Pontchartain at East End, the eastern tip of Jefferson Parish. You may recall that the parish line ran behind the original Bruning’s. The small bridge to the left of Bruning’s connected West End with East End. The club’s claim to fame was its all-cross-dressers entertainment revues. By today’s standards, the shows were tame, appealing to both gay and straight adult audiences. The club was twice destroyed by fire. The first blaze began in Swanson’s

Restaurant in the wee hours of May 5, 1948, before spreading to the Club My-O-My but owner Herman Brunies quickly rebuilt, only to move the My-O-My in ’56, because of a levee project. In ’72, Club My-O-My, then owned by Joe Nuccio and L. D. Jones, was again destroyed by fire. The uninsured nightclub wasn’t rebuilt. Thus ended Club My-O-My’s years on the lakefront. Attempts to resurrect the club at a French Quarter location were unsuccessful. Dear Julia Street Having lived in New Orleans for more than 10 years, I have become intrigued by the various statues. I daily see Robert E. Lee standing on his pedestal in the middle of Lee Circle (being a Yankee, I once made the unforgivable mistake of referring to it as Lincoln Square). I’ve learned that Lee’s statue is 12 feet tall and the pedestal he stands on is a Doric column 60 feet tall. Lee stands with his arms folded

facing North, as if in continuing defiance of the “damn yankees.” Is this in fact why he’s situated so? In Jackson Square, we find the magnificent equestrian statue of General Jackson, which I’ve learned was commissioned by no less than the Baroness Pontalba. A close friend insisted that Jackson is facing the river but I told her I was sure he’s facing Canal Street. But why? I’m sure you and Poydras can come up with many other stories about our many statues and why they are positioned as they are. Sarah Poag New Orleans Accounts of the Robert E. Lee memorial’s 1884 dedication offer no explanation for the statue’s orientation. The earliest anecdotal explanation I noted was a humorous World War I-era two-line filler which appeared in the New Orleans Item on Aug. 8, 1916. Only 32 years had elapsed since the statue’s dedication, a timespan

well within living memory of people who may have attended the 1884 ceremony or who may have known people involved with the statue’s creation and installation. Stating that the Lee statue “... faced north because the living Lee always faced that way,” the anonymous New Orleans Item writer quipped that, if Europe were to employ the same reasoning when installing future memorials to World War I leaders, “... many of the statues will be mounted on turntables.” As far as Jackson is concerned, he and his horse are facing in the direction of Canal Street. Our statue, by Clark Mills, is one of at least four similar memorials erected in Washington, D.C., Nashville, Tenn. and Jacksonville, Fla. I know of no official significance to the orientation of the local Jackson memorial statue. Most people see it from the Chartres Street or N. Peters Street perspectives. Perhaps it

just looks best when viewed from the side, where sensitive onlookers are spared unobstructed views of the horse’s butt and his anatomically correct genitalia. Dear Julia and Poydras, I am a native New Orleanian. I recall as a child the entrance to City Park at Esplanade Avenue and Marconi Drive being a clock, perhaps constructed of flowers. I don’t have any pictures of it and am curious of its story. Tracy Schroeder Toups New Orleans

Your geography is a bit off but you’re right about the clock. Marconi Drive is on the opposite side of the park and doesn’t intersect Esplanade Avenue. The floral clock was located on Lelong Avenue, the entrance that extends from the P.G.T. Beauregard monument to the New Orleans Museum of Art. The story of City Park’s floral clock begins in 1952,

when City Park officials traveled to Canada to attend the annual National Park and Recreation Convention. While in Montreal, park directory Ellis Laborde and board member Alan Generes visited Westmount Park, which had installed a floral clock. Returning to New Orleans, Generes donated a similar clock to City Park. Built at a cost of $2,000 and based on plans provided by the Mayor of Montreal, City Park’s floral clock was located near the park’s Lelong Street entrance. The timepiece lasted only 30 years. Vandalism had been a problem. Furthermore, park officials found that big hands and little feet didn’t go together very well. Generations of children climbing and jumping on the clock’s hands had taken a toll on the timepiece’s inner gears. Battered and broken, the floral clock was dismantled and removed in 1982.

myneworleans.com

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THEBEAT MARQUEE

PERSONA

BIZ

EDUCATION

HEALTH

CRIME FIGHTING

NEWS

MARQUEE:

Ripped FromThe Headlines PAGE 21

The NOLA Project cast reads through the script for A Truckload of Ink, a play set during the massive overhaul of a city newspaper. Sound familiar?

NOLA PERRIN PHOTOGRAPH

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SEPTEMBER 2013

T HE BE A T OUR

MARQUEE

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

LAUREN

LABORDE

SEINFELD AT SAENGER

He may be considered part of the old guard, but Jerry Seinfeld is staying relevant in today’s comedy landscape, in which more and more comics are using video sites like Funny or Die and YouTube, Twitter and other nontraditional platforms to get noticed. In Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, the web series Seinfeld launched in 2012, funny friends that have included Larry David, Alec Baldwin and Chris Rock join Seinfeld for a spin in a classic car and a trip to get coffee, riffing along the way. Seinfeld brings his signature observational stand-up, made famous by his eponymous sitcom, to the renovated Saenger Theatre for three shows on Sept. 27-28. Information, SaengerNola.com.

A Sister Act at House of Blues

Un Gran Solista The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra presents Strauss’ “Don Quixote,” conducted by Carlos Miguel Prieto and featuring soloist Asier Polo, a Spanish cellist, at right. The concert also features selections from Berloiz’ “Romeo and Juliet.” After performing Covington’s First Baptist Church the day before, the LPO presents the concert at the Mahalia Jackson Theater on Sept. 28. Information, LPOMusic.com.

Sept. 6-21. Lombardi, Le Petit Théâtre. Information, LePetitTheatre.com Sept. 6-29. Ma Rainey’s

Black Bottom, Anthony Bean Community Theater. Information, AnthonyBeanTheater.com.

Sept. 6-7. Just for Men National Beard and Moustache Championships, House of Blues. Information,

BeardTeamUSA.org. Sept. 8. New Orleans

Saints versus Atlanta Falcons, Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Information, NewOrleansSaints.com.

SEPTEMBER 2013

about crushes and heartbreak like “Drive Me Wild” and “Closer.” Their catchy confections are satisfying for pop fans, but lyrically and sonically there’s enough substance there to appeal to the musically discerning – Tegan and Sara is a guilty pleasure you don’t have to feel guilty about. What’s Eating Gilbert opens for the pair Sept. 15 at the House of Blues. Information, HouseOfBlues.com.

Information, SouthernRep.com.

Sept. 12-22. Beatlemania

Sept. 12. Hanson in concert,

House of Blues. Information, HouseOfBlues.com.

Now, Joy Theater. Information, TheJoyTheater.com. Sept. 13-28. 42nd Street,

Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts. Information, RivertownTheaters.com.

Sept. 11-29. Southern Rep

presents 33 Variations, Contemporary Arts Center.

Lombardi, Sept. 6-21

The prolific career of Tegan and Sara has seen the Canadian twin sister duo experiment with different pop sounds: from the gentle punk and folk-pop of their earlier releases, to the radio-ready sounds of So Jealous, to the melancholy The Con, to the power-pop of Sainthood (they wrote a song for that album while in New Orleans). Their 2013 release Heartthrob goes full 1980s with synth-heavy songs

Beatlemania Now, Sept. 12-22

myneworleans.com

SPOTLIGHT

RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES

against it: the paper does publish seven days a week in tabloid form now. I hope this play keeps the conversation going about whether a newspaper is a cultural institution and tradition that’s worth saving, or if it’s a dinosaur technology that needs to evolve.

N O L A P errin P hotograph

A.J. Allegra discusses A Truckload of Ink

The NOLA Project opens its ninth season on Sept. 5 with A Truckload of Ink, Jim Fitzmorris’ play following the upheaval of an established city newspaper – sound familiar? The season also includes Oregon Trail, A.J. Allegra’s irreverent take on the computer game; A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant, the story of the “religion” presented as a bad elementary school production; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Alice in Wonderland, which will be staged in NOMA’s Besthoff

Sculpture Garden. Allegra, who’s also the company’s artistic director, discusses the season opener.

Sept. 14. Rising Tide New

Ales, Aquarium of the Americas. Information, AudubonInstitute.org.

Media Conference, Xavier University. Information, RisingTideNola.com. Sept. 16. Mumford &

Sons in concert, Mardi Gras World. Information, MardiGrasWorld.com.

Tell me about A Truckload of Ink. It’s

inspired by the massive overhaul that happened at our city’s local paper. When they announced the cutbacks, I was out of town but remember reading the news fervently. The more I read about the actual goings-on within the newsroom and within the community of people who work there, the more I became fascinated by the human

Sept. 20. Martini Madness,

City Park. Information, FriendsOfCityPark.com.

Sept. 20. Scales &

This season’s theme is “desperate times.” How did you arrive at this theme? The theme grew

story – all of the sudden, they had the rug pulled out from under them. To me, that’s something that would make an interesting drama. I was reading about angry speeches that were made in the newsroom by employees, employees passing around Crown Royal, the news staff going to Wit’s Inn and getting their bar tab paid by the Chicago Tribune. And it occurred to me that the paper business is inherently dramatic: it’s a bunch of people running around like maniacs to meet deadlines, uncover infor-

mation and secrets. I called Jim Fitzmorris, a gifted playwright, and said here’s my idea for this story – why don’t you write it? He came up with a script with which we were happy. We don’t use real names or call it The Times-Picayune, but it’s based on our interpretation of what went down during those dark days. The cool thing is it’s coming at a point we still haven’t yet determined if this was a good or bad thing for our city. To a degree we’ve gotten used to it; to a degree we’ve fought back

Sept. 25. Alt-J in con-

Civic Theatre. Information, CivicNOLA.com.

Grounds. Information, NewOrleansOnTap.org.

Sept. 27. Love in the

Sept. 29. Men of Soul with

Garden, New Orleans Museum of Art. Information, Noma.org.

Jeffrey Osborne, Peabo Bryson, Freddie Jackson and Howard Hewett, Saenger Theatre. Information, SaengerNOLA.com.

cert, House of Blues. Information, HouseOfBlues.com. Sept. 27-28. Million

MILF March, Warehouse District. Information, MillionMILFMarch.com. Sept. 27. Russell Brand,

Sept. 28. New

Orleans on Tap, City Park Festival

out of A Truckload of Ink, the first play we knew we wanted to do. To me, the lives of the newspaper reporters and lives of people who are avid readers of The T-P seemed to be in desperate times, cornered by a large corporation that’s based in New Jersey. When Tom Benson offers to buys something and is rejected, it does seems like we’re in desperate times, aren’t we? Visit NolaProject. com for details on the play and season.

Martini Madness, Sept. 20

Russell Brand, Sept. 27

myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

T HE BEA T

PERSONA

Lolis Eric Elie BY SUE STRACHAN

hen y o u ’ re a writer , and read another writer ’ s biograph y ,

there’s often a moment when you’re impressed – accompanied by a twinge of jealousy – with what that person has accomplished. That is exactly what happened when I read about Lolis Eric Elie. Now, of course, the moment passed, but with the realization I was probably intimidated because Elie has accomplished a lot – and not just as a writer. But, let’s start with the writing: his most recent book is Treme: Stories and Recipes from the Heart of New Orleans (see related story on pg. 53), which is an interesting blend of fiction and nonfiction, just like the HBO television show that inspired it, and for which he was one of its writers. The nonfiction is obviously the recipes, while the fiction is the background profiles he created for the show’s characters, primarily chef Janette Desautel. Various characters have “contributed” recipes – including Aunt Mimi’s libation concoctions. Elie is no stranger to books about food, as he’s the author of Smokestack Lightning: Adventures in the Heart of Barbecue Country and his pieces are in a number of anthologies, including Cornbread Nation 2: The United States of Barbecue. Elie isn’t just a cultural attaché and proponent for Southern food, as he was also a columnist for 13 years for The Times-Picayune, and a contributor for Oxford American and other publications discussing the state of affairs for New Orleans, the South, blacks and other subjects. In addition to his work on HBO’s “Treme,” he’s currently a writer on “Hell on Wheels,” which now makes him bi-coastal, traveling between New Orleans and the show’s production base in Los Angeles. And, there are the documentaries: With award-winning director Dawn Logsdon he co-produced and wrote the PBS documentary, Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans and was co-producer and writer of Smokestack Lightning: A Day in the Life of Barbecue. See what I mean – intimidating with accomplishments. Yet, interviewing Elie was an enlightening experience. Elie answered my questions thoughtfully and with a subtle sense of humor. With that said, I look forward to: 1) Reading more of Elie’s books; 2) Trying some of the recipes from the “Treme” cookbook; 3) Ordering AMC to watch “Hell on Wheels” and 4) Seeing what else he’s going to do in the coming years – because it will be ever changing, but continuously fascinating.

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At a Glance Age: 50 Profession: Writer Resides: Faubourg Tremé Born/raised: New Orleans Education: New Orleans

Center for Creative Arts; Ben Franklin High School; University of Pennsylvania, MA from Columbia Journalism School; MFA in creative writing, University of Virginia. Favorite book: Flight to Canada by Ishmael Reed Favorite movie: My Life as a Dog Favorite TV show: “Deadwood” Favorite food: Gumbo Favorite restaurant: Dooky Chase’s Favorite music: Jazz Favorite musician: Miles Davis Hobby: Wine. My first big wine experience was tasting an Opus One at the winery. Favorite vacation spot: Brazil

G reg M iles P H O T O G R A P H

Did the actors have a say on what recipes were in the “Treme” cookbook? No, they

didn’t. On a TV show, what happens is we write the scripts, send them to the actors, directors and other people on the crew who need to make adjustments based on the script, and at that point the actors will give back feedback. But in this case, the book was sort of parallel with production, and a big part of what I was trying to do was script backstories that didn’t interfere with what was on screen. I was writing about things with which the actors wouldn’t have been familiar. So, are all the profiles in the book written by you? Yes.

And that’s what you’re doing when you are writing for a TV show anyway. What is your favorite recipe in the “Treme” cookbook?

Probably the fried chicken. Or the Clemenceau shrimp. In addition to testing the food recipes in the book, did you test Aunt Mimi’s cocktail recipes? I

did, I did, I did. It was a cocktail education for me. “Hell on Wheels”: What’s your title on the show? Script

supervisor – but basically I’m a writer. Because “Hell on Wheels” is set just after the Civil War, do you now have to do more historical research? On “Treme”

we boned up on our recent history, but tried as best we could to be faithful. With “Hell on Wheels,” we’re taking a few liberties with what happened back then. Your favorite book is Ishmael Reed’s Flight to Canada, which is a type of historical fiction that blends past and present. How is “Hell on Wheels” like that? I

would say to you that if you don’t read the book, at least read the opening poem. It is absolutely hilarious. Anytime you’re dealing with historical fiction, you’re taking a mix of the present and the past, and the challenge is to figure out how to make historical characters believable and sympathetic to modern 24

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viewers. It’s always as a mix of past and present. But I really hadn’t connected these two [book and TV show], even though there are parallels. What I like about the book is the language and the way in which modern language is being used to comment on a historical situation, which therefore means you’re also commenting on a contemporary situation. When we use language on “Hell on Wheels,” I’m certain there are times it isn’t of the historical period, but we never do that intentionally. True Confession: I have a weakness for sales. When I was young, my mother was quite a shopper, so I guess I learned from her. I would rather wait and not get something, if I think I can get it for less. Author’s Note: Though the “Persona” column will continue, this is my final time writing it, as I’m now the Social Scene Editor at NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune. My first New Orleans Magazine “Persona” was February 2006, in which I profiled actor and radio personality Spud McConnell. Subsequent “Personas” have included athletes, writers, musicians, a DJ, actors, artists, TV and movie producers, chefs, restaurant entrepreneurs, a burlesque producer and performer, comedians, politicians, businessmen, TV anchors, businessmen, New Orleans Saints coaches and players, educators, the Captain of Rex and multiple King Zulus. It has been an amazingly educational and fun ride. Many thanks go to the following people for allowing me to do this column, and for their infinite patience: Editor Errol Laborde, Managing Editor Morgan Packard, former Managing Editor Faith Dawson, Art Directors Eric Gernhauser and Tiffani Reding Amedeo, Assistant Editor Sarah Ravits, Kristi Ferrante and Bev Church. And of course, thank you to all of those who I profiled – what an amazing group of people!

N EWSBEAT

Broad Street Neon There is a lot of new activity along Broad Street, where a once-derelict grocery store is being rapidly renovated into the newest Whole Foods Market and the massive hospital construction projects a few blocks away loom over it all. But there’s also a more subtle addition to the busy street that’s mostly noticeable once the sun goes down and the lights flicker on. Elaborate neon signs with a vintage look have proliferated along Broad Street, with the latest lighting up the headquarters of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club. It is the result of an ongoing campaign to build an identity for the cross-town corridor and promote new business growth there. Broad Community Connections, a nonprofit formed to help revitalize the area, worked with the Arts Council of New Orleans for what they call the Iconic Signage Project. Jeff Schwartz, executive director of Broad Community Connections, says they wanted to create a more cohesive image for the commercial corridor, but recognized that banners, billboards and similar tools commonly used for civic branding wouldn’t fit here. “It’s a recognition that Broad Street is this really diverse, eclectic corridor,” he says. “There’s not really one defining characteristic in the types of businesses or the buildings, so we didn’t want 26

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to put in something that would feel too uniform or Disneyfied.” Instead, they took inspiration from the vintage neon signs at the Crescent City Steak House, a Broad Street restaurant dating back to 1934, and designed a program that would provide businesses with a new, tangible asset while at the same time restoring some character to the street they share. Businesses were invited to apply for the program, and those selected are as diverse as Broad Street itself. In addition to Zulu’s headquarters, there’s the Godbarber barbershop, the retailer F&F Botanica Spiritual Supply, the Crescent School of Gaming and Bartending training program and Calamari Auto Trim Shop, where the neon now traces out the grill of a classic American car. Graphic designers and artists were hired to create the signs, and the project was funded with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Schwartz says that more may be in the works in the future. “We think it benefits the businesses and it definitely contributes to more of an identity for Broad Street, something that harkens back to the heyday,” he says. – I an M c N u l ty

T HE BE A T

BIZ property type,” he says, noting the surging demand for housing on the East Bank of the Mississippi River in New Orleans during the past 18 months. Ragas says the trend is clear not only in apartments but also in the market for condominiums and single-family homes. Demand is coming from several sectors, ranging from young professionals to second-home shoppers to retirees looking for wellsized luxury digs, he says. One factor that has made the apartment market tight is that financing terms for single-family home purchases have become more stringent in the years since the nation experienced a financial collapse. Unable to manage the 20-percent down payments required on houses that appeal to them, many younger shoppers have turned to the rental market and snapped up much of the inventory that developers added during the rebuilding years after Hurricane Katrina. The tightening supply of apartments has pushed rental rates upward, but even rising rents don’t appear to be squelching demand. And that seems to bode well for the new apartments at 100 Elk Place, where rental rates, with parking, will be in the vicinity of $2,000 a month. Meanwhile, the market for singlefamily homes continues to heat up, from the Carrollton area all the way to the Marigny. “In some areas brokers say they’re getting four or five offers on a property and the bidding is above the asking price,” Ragas says. One housing segment that has seen little expansion in recent years but may be poised for growth is condominiums. Shaun Talbot, of Talbot Realty Group, points out that the bulk of the residential development that’s occurred in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina have been apartments, not just because of strong demand but also because rental properties are among the few projects that lenders have been willing to finance. During the national recession, and particularly after the Wall Street implosion, lenders shied away from the risk they associated with condos. Several big projects planned in New Orleans, including one proposed by Donald Trump, died on the vine before reaching construction stage. Talbot says the market may be at a turning point. “Last fall the condo inventory started to drop,”

100 Elk Place

Living Upscale Downtown Demand and prices rise in tight local housing market B y K athy F inn

major

makeover

u nder

wa y

aging

downtown high-rise is an important sign of the times, local real estate sources say. A conversion of the 16-story former office tower at 100 Elk Place is creating about 100 new apartments that will be decked out in high-demand amenities. The project includes retail and restaurant space on the ground floor and seven floors of parking. Local real estate analysts say the apartments, by developer Mike Wampold, will fill a need. “Apartment occupancy in the area is running at 95 percent or higher right now,” says real estate consultant Wade Ragas. He says the growing appeal of living downtown and in areas close to the Mississippi River in New Orleans has pushed the rental market and some other housing into record territory. “People are voting with their money, and they’re voting on more than one

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CHERYL GERBER PHOTOGRAPH

owners of high-end properties such he says. “We were putting units as those at One River Place or 625 under contract, and we weren’t Here are a few highlights about the local residential real estate St. Charles Ave., buyers anxious seeing the normal level of new market, courtesy of real estate website Trulia.com: to move up to a larger unit or one units coming on the market to Overview. The median sales price for homes in New Orleans with a better view will jump at the take their place.” for the period April 13 to June 13, 2013 was $200,000, based on opportunity. The decreasing supply cou602 home sales. Compared to the same period a year earlier, the Whereas local luxury condo pled with rising demand is enermedian home sales price increased 16.2 percent, or $27,850, and prices in the past have topped out gizing prices. Talbot cites as an the number of home sales decreased 12 percent. at a little above $500 per square example a Julia Street condo There are currently 1,289 resale and new homes in New Orleans foot, Talbot says some recent sales that recently went up for sale. shown on Trulia, including 18 open houses, as well as 1,126 have pushed past $600, making the Even though it was a small unit homes in the pre-foreclosure, auction or bank-owned stages of total price on a larger unit $2 milin need of updating, it drew the foreclosure process. The average listing price for homes for lion or higher. “That’s what we’re five offers in two days and sold sale in New Orleans was $280,330 for the week ending July 24. starting to see because of the lack above the asking price. of available properties,” he says. “People are getting into bidIn time, the action may renew investors’ faith in the future ding wars in the luxury home market, and we’re seeing it with of condominiums and developers may tiptoe in to build more. condominiums,” Talbot says. Meanwhile, residential real estate watchers are focused on a single Many people with means, including those shopping for secproject taking shape in the Warehouse District, where developer ond homes and retirees looking to simplify their lifestyles while Susan Brennan is creating the city’s first new retaining plenty of amenities, have been luxury condominiums in years. waiting a long time for the right property The midrise building at 425 Notre Dame St. to come along because so few new condos (for week ending July 24, 2013) will include close to 40 units ranging from one have been built. Average listing price. $280,330 to four bedrooms, with a host of amenities Elie Khoury’s conversion of the old Krauss Median sales price. $200,000 including a 24-hour doorman, a backup generDepartment Store on Canal Street into conNumber of homes for sale. 1,289 ator system, concierge services, a conference dos is one of the few additions to local Number recently sold. 1,626 room, work spaces and a rooftop dog park. condo inventory since Katrina. These days, Average listing price in: B French Quarter – $463,823 For luxury shoppers willing to pony up when a premium condo does become availB Audubon – $769,358 $500 to $600 per square foot for a new condo, able, it may never be advertised to the pubB Uptown – $722,465 425 Notre Dame St. is “the only game in lic, Talbot says. town,” Talbot says. When word of an opening gets out among Source: Trulia.com

Market Glimpse

Market View

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N EWSBEAT

Alliance for the River To crib a motto from Las Vegas, what happens on the Mississippi River doesn’t necessarily stay on the Mississippi River. The conditions of the river and its access to shipping and goods, commodities and raw materials, all reverberate through the United States economy and the job prospects for states linked together by the river as it flows through the American heartland, past New Orleans and out to the world. That is why a coalition of international trade organizations from 10 states along the river recently formed the World Trade Center Mississippi River Alliance. Led by the World Trade Center of New Orleans, the group’s aim is to give one voice to shared issues of maintenance, policy and planning for the river. “This was born out of necessity, and now we have a vehicle to respond in a quicker way when situations come up,” says Dominik Knoll, CEO of the local World Trade Center. “The Mississippi River is very complex, a sophisticated system, and it requires a coordinated approach.” Knoll explains that the 32

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new Mississippi River Alliance came about after a budget crisis at the Army Corps of Engineers last year threatened to impact the Corps’ dredging work on the river, which is crucial to keeping the navigation channel open to large vessels. The crisis was averted, and the river channel was dredged, but Knoll says it was a close call that demonstrated the need for more advocacy for the economies linked by the river. Dedicated funding for dredging and river maintenance remains a key issue for the alliance. “If we have a problem here in Louisiana, it’s local but it can become a national issue because it can reach all the way up the river and impact commerce and trade,” Knoll says. An impediment to shipping in the lower reaches of the Mississippi means it could hamper the flow of commodities originating far upstream, he points out as one example, while trouble with an obsolete river lock in the Midwest could impact businesses and jobs down here. Last year, a study funded by the state Department of Transportation and the Ports Association of Louisiana concluded that one in five jobs in Louisiana is directly tied to the maritime industry. – I an M c N u l ty CHERYL GERBER PHOTOGRAPH

T HE BEA T

EDUCATION

Paul Vallas Faces ‘‘Absurd Drama’’ How bureaucracy is being used to keep a good man down a u ghter was m y first reaction to news reports

about a court ruling that deems Paul Vallas unqualified to lead Bridgeport, Conn.’s small school system. My reaction was echoed by a retired principal who interacted with him often when he supervised New Orleans’ Recovery School District. “That’s a scream,” said Barbara MacPhee, who was vacationing in Santa Fe and hadn’t heard the news. A “scream,” in popular lingo means about as funny as funny gets, too absurd to be believed. And “absurd” is the proper word to use in this situation. Vallas, the man most responsible for New Orleans’ nationally celebrated RSD charter network, has been leading Bridgeport schools since December 2011, the Connecticut Post reported in June. Responding to a lawsuit that questioned his qualifications, the newspaper reported that a judge has decided Vallas’ academic credentials don’t meet state standards. The decision brings to mind a body of theatrical work known as “theater of the absurd.” Such plays as Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot fall in that category, because the characters are typically caught in irrational situations that defy logic. Vallas must have left the courtroom feeling like a character in an absurd drama. He served as CEO for schools in Chicago and Philadelphia, turned around failing schools in New Orleans, and influenced educational policy in Haiti and Chile, but isn’t qualified to govern 37 floundering schools in Bridgeport?

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Clearly, his success in a field he wasn’t academically trained to work in is off-putting to some people. Educators who climbed the ladder the hard way, through teaching, doctoral programs in education and mid-level administrative posts, sometimes resent Vallas’ meteoritic rise to power through a political backdoor. A former budget analyst, Vallas was appointed CEO of Chicago’s troubled schools by then-Mayor Richard Daley. Chicago led him to Philadelphia and a reputation as a school turnaround expert. His success in New Orleans cinched that reputation. A doctorate in education or something similar is a reasonable and common requirement for a school superintendent, but many state officials waive it when they want to hire a proven, non-traditional candidate like Vallas. Connecticut’s state law on the subject is so far proving more difficult to dismiss. The judge in Connecticut decided that Vallas should be removed as Bridgeport’s superintendent because he hasn’t completed an adequate leadership program at the University of Connecticut.

C her y l G erber P hotograph

BY DAWN RUTH

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Upon appointment, the Connecticut Post said he’d been given leave by officials to take a shortened version of the 13-month UConn program, but the judge considered the completed effort “a sham.” An appeal to Connecticut’s Supreme Court protects Vallas’ position for the moment. The outcome of that appeal may influence an ongoing debate about superintendents’ qualifications. A wiry man of thinning hair and fast speech, Vallas’ perpetual motion personality tends to draw as many critics as admirers. One critic mused that he appears to have an attention deficit disorder. His hopscotch career and glued-to-the-cell-phone habits annoy people. As a journalist, I appreciated Vallas’ straightforward, shootfrom-the-hip approach to communication and his decisive manner. A man in a hurry tends to get to the point. I saw him in action often during his three-year stint in New Orleans. In a 2009 news conference held by the Rethinkers, a youth activist group, he agreed to some of their requests for changes in schools but said he would never agree to removing metal detectors because “everyone seems to be packing.” He throws out ideas at lightning speed, makes use of the best ones and then moves on to the next challenge when the balls he put in motion are spinning too fast to stop. That was his modus operandi in New Orleans. When he took over the majority of New Orleans’ storm damaged schools in 2007, two years after the state seized them because they were “failing,” he became impatient with continued poor performance and handed over the lowest performers to semi-autonomous charter operators. When he left in 2010 to help Haiti restore its schools after a devastating earthquake, 71 percent of the New Orleans’ schools were charters, Tulane University’s Cowen Institute’s 2011 report

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shows. Today more than 80 percent are charters. That shift has made all the difference to the future of thousands of school children because RSD charters have raised students’ test scores dramatically over the years. The institute’s 2013 report shows that the percentage of all RSD students, chartered and traditional, who score “basic” or above for all grades and all subjects has increased from 37 percent in ’09 to 57 percent in ’13. That achievement is the result of hard work by scores of teachers and principals, but Vallas’ leadership set the foundation for it. An analyst writing for a Fordham Institute study on the RSD last year praised Vallas’ willingness to be a “bull in a china shop.” His willingness to dissemble and recreate better performing schools in New Orleans wins him accolades from reformers, but frightens those whose livelihoods depend on the status quo. Charter schools aren’t bound by collective bargaining agreements, which weaken teacher unions, and they aren’t managed by elected school boards. As a central figure in the nationwide struggle between traditional school advocates and all sorts of “reformers” and their initiatives, Vallas is a symbol of unsettling change as much as he is a man, so it isn’t surprising that he finds himself the target of a lawsuit to unseat him. Brian Riedlinger, founder and former superintendent of the Algiers Charter Schools Association and CEO of the School Leadership Center, said that commonly held professional credentials may not ensure a good superintendent, but a recognized standard should be necessary “at that level, just like a lawyer should pass the bar.” Maybe so, but after 20 years of challenging on-the-job training, Vallas could write the exam.

T HE BE A T

HEALTH Dr. Robert Travis Kenny

From Mayan Ruins to New Orleans A road of retinal detachments

‘‘

B Y B R O B S O N L U T Z , M.D. e were standing in the back of a mini - tr u ck

bouncing over bad roads. I was worried about Dick, a 75-yearold professor scheduled for spinal stenosis surgery a month later. But I ended up the victim,” says New Orleans physician and frequent world traveler Dr. Robert Travis Kenny. The primitive road that Kenny describes could’ve been Iberville or Bienville in downtown New Orleans, but he was far from the potholed streets we call home. He was one of 16 diverse travelers on an Overseas Adventure Travel tour last December to visit Mayan ruins. The timing of their trip coincided with the every 400 year flip of the Mayan calender. “After about 45 minutes I started to notice a little blurry vision in the bottom of my left eye. First I thought it was a fleck of road dust. When it didn’t go away, I told the guide I wanted to see an ophthalmologist. He dropped me off in downtown Antigua and pointed in the direction of a medical office. The office was closed. We found another nearby ophthalmologist’s office and again, no doctor.” He continues, “By this time, being a doctor, I was sure I was having a retinal detachment. I knew if I didn’t get laser (surgery) quickly, I would go blind. First it was just my peripheral vision. I couldn’t see my feet. By 2 p.m., I couldn’t see a chair. Fortunately, I had a friend in Guatemala who speaks fluent Spanish and English. I called him, and he drove right over to my hotel. He suggested we go to Guatemala City, about 45 minutes away. “By late that afternoon I was in the office of a retinal specialist,” Kenny says.

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“By now I could only see the ceiling with my left eye. Dr. Jeffrey Singer, my ophthalmologist from New Orleans, called while the specialist was examining me, which was reassuring. My older brother also called. He had had similar surgery and asked if I had the best surgeon in Guatemala, like I was in a position to doctor shop.” Kenny’s surgery was scheduled for 7:30 a.m. the next morning. “I had passed the stage for a simple laser repair and needed what’s called a sclera buckle procedure to pin down the retina,” Kenny says. “He incised three of my four eye muscles, removed the eye, put in a backing called the buckle, reattached the eye, injected a gas bubble to flatten the retina, lasered things shut and reattached the lens. When I awoke after the two-hour procedure, the surgeon said the operation was a complete success. He didn’t expect any vision loss, but I couldn’t fly or travel until things healed.” Kenny dropped out of the tour, settled into a Best Western in Guatemala City and ventured out only to see the retinal specialist for eye checks every few BRIAN GAUVIN PHOTOGRAPH

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R A D I O G R A P H I C S . com I M A G E

days. After two weeks he was given the He continues, “The following day Arrows indicate the edges of a retinal detachment. green light to fly home. a friend drove me to my beach “I was so happy. I was finally going house in Pensacola (Fla.). But at home,” Kenny says. “The plane flight 1:30 in the morning I woke up in was only 3.5 hours to Miami. But the pain again, not a severe pain, but I last 45 minutes was the Spanish inquiwanted to go home to New Orleans. sition. As we descended, the pain Dr. Singer arranged for me to see Dr. became very severe. I was crying, hopBrandon Davis, a highly respected ing I would die. The other passengers retinal specialist. Dr. Davis also said I cleared the way so I was first off the had flown too soon. Apparently, the plane. I had problems decompressing gas bubble injected into my eyeball after a flight years ago and assumed during the surgery in Guatemala had the swelling from surgery was causing expanded on the airplane during the problem. I couldn’t hear. But I descent. I needed additional laser remembered I had Afrin decongestant therapy to tack back more pieces of spray in my bag. Dr. Ray Lousteau tattered and displaced retina.” once told me to lie down, suck back on the Afrin and turn my “Dr. Davis told me I should only feel a warm sensation,” he head toward the ear tube to open it. I was flat on the carpet with continues. “The first 30 seconds I was OK. But then the pain people walking by, looking like a crazy man with Afrin spray. But became unbearable and kept me from holding my eye in posiI was 50 percent better in a few minutes. I cleared customs half tion. I was praying to God. I remembered the torture methods blind and near deaf after the flight.” used during the Spanish inquisition by the Jesuits and apoloKenny’s sister and her husband, who live in Pompano Beach, gized profusely. Dr. Davis used clamps to keep my eye open. It met him at the airport. They arranged a next-day appointment for was over in 10 minutes. My vision still isn’t perfect but it’s getting him to see a retinal specialist they knew. better with time.” “He told me I should never have flown, that the surgeon in Kenny put all his medical charges in Guatemala on his Guatemala shouldn’t have let me fly for two months and I was American Express card. He hadn’t purchased additional travel probably going to be blind in my left eye. My brothers and sisinsurance for his trip as his Blue Cross coverage was supposed ters and I were all convinced that our sainted mother, a devote to reimburse holders for emergency care anywhere in the world. Catholic, would restore my vision through the Blessed Mary. The “The surgery in Guatemala that cost me $3,000 there would next day I could read my watch with my left eye for the first time. have cost over $20,000 here,” Kenny says. “Blue Cross got even a I was elated! The pain was gone.” better deal. They still haven’t reimbursed me.”

HEALTHBEAT Dr. James Diaz, a professor at the LSU Health Sciences Center, conducted a study that finds new modes of transmission and behaviors associated with parasitic lung infection. In the study, which appears in the current issue of Clinical Microbiology Reviews, Diaz found the Paragonimus parasite can live in freshwater Asian crabs and raw or undercooked local crawfish. The

parasitic infection can produce tuberculosis mimicking symptoms of fever, recurrent or bloody cough, night sweats, pleurisy, pneumonia, seizures and vision loss. U.S. cases of Paragonimus were rare prior to 1984; now Asian crabs are eaten raw in sushi bars or alcohol-pickled for “drunken crabs” in martinis, and crawfish can be undercooked at boils. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Food and Drug Administration recommend cooking crawfish to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit before eating.

David Liff is the newest cardiologist Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner. Liff earned his medical degree from Ohio State University School of Medicine. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Cardiology at Emory University Hospital System in Atlanta, Ga. and a fellowship in Interventional Cardiology at North

Shore University-Long Island Health System in New York. He specializes in Interventional Cardiology, having received COCAT Level 2 training in Nuclear Cardiology and Transesophageal Exhocardiography. Liff is ABIM Certified in Cardiology and has participated in various conferences and research studies.

The Tulane University School of Medicine and New Orleans Mission are partnering to create a student-run clinic for the

homeless beginning in the 2013-’14 academic year. The clinic will be open two days a week upstairs at the New Orleans Mission at 1130 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. Previously, Tulane medical students have administered tuberculosis tests at the Brantley Center and Ozanam Inn homeless shelters. Students Melissa Keller, Yea Ping Lin, Sunnie Wong and Max Shapiro will serve in the clinic this year. – P ai g e N u l ty

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T HE BE A T

CRIME FIGHTING

ian administrators such as Paula Huber and Janice Roussell. He improved police response times, the reporting of crimes and gave officers more time for police work by replacing long handwritten narratives with “check-box” reports. He introduced NOPD’s “customer satisfaction” survey, among other reforms. “Parsons left a legacy of attempts to modernize and improve the relationship between the city and the citizens,” says First Assistant District Attorney Graymond Martin, a police sergeant assigned to the “reform” chief. “He wanted to make the NOPD more human,” says Leonard Moore, author of Black Rage in New Orleans (LSU Press, 2010). He hoped that “minor administrative reforms would change the overall character of the NOPD.” Personal attempts to bridge the abyss between the NOPD and the city’s black community proved “ineffective.” Parsons resigned Nov. 24, 1980, amid public uproar over the brutality of the Algiers Incidents. His stint at NOPD destroyed his once-promising career in police administration. New Orleans didn’t see another “outsider” chief until October 1994, when Dutch Morial’s son, former Mayor Marc Morial, hired Superintendent Richard Pennington away from Washington D.C.

Two Cops, One City The Last Beat: James Parsons and John Raphael B Y A LL E N J O H N S O N J R .

“Time is an implacable foe.” – Robert S. Robins (ret.), Tulane University police science professor

wo veterans from a formative period in the

history of the New Orleans Police Department died this summer. They are remembered here: James C. Parsons. James C. “Jim” Parsons, 79, died June 5 in his hometown of Birmingham, Ala. Credited with transforming the Birmingham Police Department from the unabashed racism of the “Bull” Connor era into one of the nation’s more modern police departments, Chief Parsons (1972-’78), who was white, was appointed by New Orleans’ first black mayor, Dutch Morial, to reform the NOPD. Selected from more than 110 applicants, Parsons served as chief from 1978’80. His stormy tenure included the ’79 police strike and “the Algiers Incidents” of November ’80: the NOPD investigation of the murder of Officer Gregory Neupert, resulting in the police shooting deaths of four blacks and – a federal trial judge later concluded – the police “torture” of alleged witnesses. The two watershed controversies and a playboy reputation overshadowed Parsons’ administrative innovations and personal efforts at community outreach. “The strike undermined him; Algiers finished him off,” says Anthony Radosti, vice president of the private Metropolitan Crime Commission and a retired NOPD detective. “He did come in with some fresh ideas. The department as it was in that era resisted those changes as it has done up until recently.” Parsons was the first chief to “civilianize” the NOPD, hiring civilians to replace cops at desk jobs, saving money and putting more police on the street. He cleared the way for more women to join the force and hired respected civil-

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John C. Raphael Jr. During the 1979 police strike,

NOPD Officer John C. “J.C.” Raphael Jr. and his police partner Ronald Recasner continued working. They were pursuing the “Kissing Bandit,” a violent sex offender who terrorized the university area of Uptown. I covered the attacks as a freelancing journalism student at Loyola University. I saw one of the victims, moments after she had been shot in the face, near Tulane University campus. She walked calmly out of the dark holding her bleeding jaw as she crossed Broadway Avenue near Zimple Street. She survived. As the strike and the crime spree continued, racial tensions mounted. The suspect was a black male. All the victims known to police were white women. Recasner and Raphael, both black, spent many nights looking for the deranged suspect and possible copycats while trying to assure residents of the racially-mixed neighborhoods in the Second District. One night, the blue-uniformed cops appeared at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit on Broadway Avenue to update a packed church on the case. I remember being struck by how comfortable Officer Raphael appeared at the altar. He was tall JOSEPH DANIEL FIEDLER ILLUSTRATION

and thin and gripped the dais like the pastor he would later become. He calmed the crowd, separating facts from rumors. Soon, neighbors were confidently exchanging phone numbers and vowing to look after one another. “By the way,” Raphael said. “I hope nobody thinks this is all racial.” The predominantly white crowd erupted with laughter. A few shook their heads, no. For weeks, in fact, young black males in the Uptown area complained of being routinely stopped, searched and sometimes cursed by police until a suspect was arrested and convicted on an attempted murder charge. The son of Det. John Raphael, one of the first black officers to join the NOPD in the 20th century, the younger Raphael later said he found his badge and gun were no buffer to the pain of racism. In 1988, Raphael married fellow Officer Catherine Peacock, after a long courtship shadowed by grief. On Aug. 31, 1983, her unarmed son Gerard Glover, 18, was fatally shot in the back by a white NOPD officer during a highspeed police chase of a motorcycle in the Palmetto Overpass area. Another unarmed youth drove the motorcycle. He escaped harm and imprisonment. At the time, I interviewed Officer Peacock at her home for The Louisiana Weekly. Officer Raphael sat solemnly with her at the kitchen table. Peacock expressed the same shock and disbelief to me as she did later to The New York Times: “I said, ‘This couldn’t be. Police don’t shoot people in the back.’” She called for independent investigations of her son’s death, resulting in the disclosure of a police cover-up of Glover’s death and her ostracism from the NOPD. She told me how she took the stairs to work at police headquarters to avoid hearing cruel criticisms from police colleagues in the elevator. Officer Stephen Rosiere was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Although police admitted that they planted a drop gun and lied to NOPD investigators, Rosiere’s conviction and life sentence was vacated on appeal for insufficient evidence and the failure of prosecutors to turn over exculpatory statements. By the end of the 1980s, Peacock and Raphael had left the NOPD to lead New Hope Baptist Church in impoverished Central City. Rev. John C. Raphael, 60, died July 1 of bone cancer. “He was unbelievable,” Mayor Mitch Landrieu told reporters after a huge memorial service at the Mahalia Jackson Theater, where he eulogized the pastor’s ministry of well-publicized street crusades, prayer vigils and postings of “Thou Shalt Not Kill” signs against drugs and violence. As one of the city’s first second-generation black officers on the NOPD, Raphael’s 14 years on the force helped to establish the peace-keeping role of a black police presence. B

It is odd – the things we remember when someone dies. I recall riding with young officers Raphael and Recasner some 30 years ago as a reporter for the Loyola Maroon student newspaper. Recasner joked as he wheeled the blue-and-white unit off Magazine Street toward the Riverview behind Audubon Zoo. We talked about the factors citizens should consider before buying a firearm for protection. “Watch out for (police) rookies,” Recasner quipped. The more pensive of the two, Raphael emphasized the awesome power and responsibility. He seemed to weigh his words as he spoke: “The thing about a gun is, you have to know where it is – at all times.” Years later, he holstered his police service weapon for the last time. He had found love, marriage, a church – and a new cross to bear. myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

New School on the Block The array of charter schools across the modern New Orleans public education landscape has created a great deal more choices for students and parents. But some education advocates say that the notion of the neighborhood school as a community hub has diminished as those choices lead so many students to campuses that might be far from where they live. “Last year, 80 percent of public school students traveled at least three miles to get to school, each way, every day,” says Mat Schwarzman, executive director of the New Orleans Kids Partnership. The partnership is a nonprofit that coordinates and supports a network of after school and summer programs. Schwarzman says all that commuting by students and their parents has changed the way families access the afterschool and enrichment services available to them, while also limiting the contact students and families in the same neighborhoods would otherwise have if they attended the same nearby schools. In response, the New Orleans Kids Partnership created a new initiative to bring the potential of its member organizations to families closer to home, 46

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through those neighborhood schools, even if the students are enrolled somewhere across town. Over the summer, the group started Great Resources Where Y’at (or GRoW) as a 14-week pilot program at Arthur Ashe Charter School in Gentilly. Each Saturday, students attending any school are welcome there and can participate in programs and student clubs including bicycling, karate, theater and dance. Students and families pick the programs that interest them and can spend the day exploring the arts, learning new skills or getting fun exercise, while the nonprofit community cafe Liberty’s Kitchen prepares and serves healthy lunches. These GRoW programs are free and open to students of all ages and to families as well. “It’s a way of knitting the future of neighborhoods back together through young people because everyone agrees they are the future,” Schwarzman says. As the new school year gets underway, the partnership hopes to expand this community hub model to other parts of town and link it with similar initiatives that are also working to make the schoolhouse more central to neighborhood life. In the meantime, GRoW continues at Arthur Ashe on Saturdays this fall. For details, visit nokp.org. – I an M c N u l ty

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The Evolving Frenchmen Street PAGE 48

Frenchmen Street is thriving and attracting new businesses and entrepreneurs, which has led to many discussions about its future.

CRAIG MULCAHY PHOTOGRAPH

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T H E S C O O P

The Evolving Frenchmen Street by HALEY ADAMS

n an e v ening in A ugust , it ’ s easy to

sense that Frenchmen Street is a mix of locals and visitors. There is a man wearing a Saints hat walking by a couple speaking a different language. There is a brass band playing on a corner, with a mini audience on the other side of the street. The spectators have their phones in the air appearing to be taking pictures, like they’ve never seen a brass band before. The mix of locals and visitors is typical for a tourism town like New Orleans, but tourists hanging out on Frenchmen Street is a relatively new thing. “Pre-Katrina, you would never see any tourists on this side of Esplanade,” says Kate Gaar, founder of the Frenchmen Art Market. “It was crazy because I lived on Chartres and Barracks, and from watching every season, it was just crazy how you could tell it was growing.” Often referred to as the “locals’ Bourbon Street,” Frenchmen Street is clearly no longer a locals’ secret. The street’s famous jazz clubs paired with its wonderfully weird New Orleans character has made Frenchmen Street a favorite suggestion for savvy tourists looking to explore beyond Bourbon Street. Travel magazines and blogs love to include the location as a must-see for visitors. The street is thriving and attracting new businesses and entrepreneurs, which has led to many discussions about its future and how to keep it from becoming the next Bourbon Street. Fast Success. It is no surprise many of Frenchmen Street’s businesses are enjoying success and recognition. Frenchmen’s uptick in non-locals was what made Gaar think an art market might do well. “The year before, I was down here 48

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and I realized how many locals really don’t come down, but it’s a No. 1 place for tourists,” Gaar says. “It was all these baby boomers. They were there having fun and spending money. I just knew: that’s the age group that’s coming down to Jazz Fest and spending all their money.” The first pop-up art market was next to the Blue Nile for the 2012 French Quarter Festival and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The pop-up was a success, so Gaar worked on acquiring a vacant lot at 619 Frenchmen St. What is now the Frenchmen Art Market officially opened the first weekend of August 2012. Gaar says Frenchmen has become one of the top places to see, so for her, it was an easy decision to bring the artists to the people. She adds, “In a million years I never thought it would be so well-received.” Another relatively new spot that has gained lots of recognition quickly is Three Muses, which opened in 2010; the bar and restaurant has been featured in Food & Wine Magazine and The New York Times’ “Frugal Traveler” blog. Chef Daniel Esses thinks the restaurant’s success comes from its combination of music, food and booze on Frenchmen Street. “It was kind of like the perfect storm,” Esses says. “It’s what everyone thinks New Orleans is all about and it’s in one place.” Updates Coming Soon. Frenchmen Street will have a few more new residents soon, including the third location of the local favorite Dat Dog to be located at 601 Frenchmen St. Co-owner Constantine Georges says the neighborhood is excited for Dat Dog because the restaurant will offer lunch, a much-needed meal for the residents of the surrounding areas, since Frenchmen is usually known for nightlife. “We like to go where people want us,” CRAIG MULCAHY PHOTOGRAPH

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SEPTEMBER 2013

Frenchmen Art Market

Frenchmen Hot Spots

Frenchmen Art Market 619 Frenchmen St., 941-1149, FrenchmenArtMarket.com Three Muses 536 Frenchmen St., 252-4801, TheThreeMuses.com Blue Nile 532 Frenchmen St., 948-2583, BlueNileLive.com

Tips for a Successful Frenchmen Street Evening

If you haven’t been to Frenchmen Street in a while, here are a few tips to remember. Bring cash. Some places on Frenchmen Street are cash only. It’s also good to have cash to tip the musicians. Park and walk in. While Frenchmen Street isn’t closed off to cars at night, it gets busy, so don’t try to park on the street. Instead park away from the area, such as on Elysian Fields, and walk in. Check out the “Poets for Hire.” Look for the “Poets for Hire” next time you’re on Frenchmen Street. For a donation of your choice, one of the poets will write you a poem on a typewriter about any subject you want. It’s a great souvenir for your friends visiting from out of town.

Georges says. “The neighborhood association was very happy to see us coming, especially because we’ll be serving lunch.” While Georges says Dat Dog is a popular place for everyone, locals or not, he hopes whoever frequents Frenchmen Street will enjoy the new place. “Dat Dog never targeted individuals,” Georges says. “We’re blessed because every demographic of person enjoys coming to Dat Dog. We just thought we would reach out to another area that might not have easy access to us.” Other updates include a pizza place planned for 520 Frenchmen St. The Blue Nile is also getting a makeover, as it has been closed since July for renovations. The club is slated to re-open in September. But not every new idea for Frenchmen has been a hit with the street’s residents. One of the most talked about proposals for Frenchmen Street has been Bamboula’s, which was originally supposed to be a cocktail lounge with live entertainment to go in at 516 Frenchmen St. The neighborhood association and other residents and business owners on Frenchmen Street did not support it, as many thought the street already had enough music clubs. Alexandre Vialou, the president of the Faubourg Marigny Improvement Association (FMIA), says he didn’t hear one business owner or resident who supported the idea for Bamboula’s. Vialou says supporters of Frenchmen Street don’t want it to become another Bourbon Street, with a long line of clubs. “There is this belief – and it’s written in the law – that if you have 50

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too many clubs on Frenchmen Street, you will start to have the beginning of the ‘Bourbonization,’” Vialou says. “What people really want to see on Frenchmen Street is a healthy and vibrant commercial and residential corridor.” Vialou adds that the neighborhood wants to have things to do at night, as well as during the day. “To have another club was not something the other businesses have been wanting to see.” Because of the Frenchmen Street Arts and Cultural Overlay, created by the City Council in 2004, zoning guidelines limit how many music locations, or any other type of business, should be on the street. There are only supposed to be 20 percent live music venues, including restaurants and cocktail lounges, but according to current FMIA numbers, music establishments take up 36 percent of all properties of Frenchmen Street – 50 percent when looking at only commercial properties. The FMIA submitted a letter to the City Planning Commission to say they did not support the project. A second plan was submitted for Bamboula’s, but the City Planning Commission denied the permit, saying the business conflicted with the overlay. The Future of Frenchmen Street. The controversy with Bamboula’s is an example of how supporters of Frenchmen Street hope to keep its neighborhood-like feel. Vialou hopes Frenchmen Street remains a place where people can enjoy the nightlife, but also be a place where people can work and live. “It would be sad if Frenchmen was going to become something that is busy at night and there’s nothing during the day, and nobody lives there because it’s too dirty,” Vialou. “So that’s why we’re looking at that balance.” Frenchmen Street’s ability to retain its New Orleans charm is what Esses of Three Muses thinks is why it’s become a popular spot for visitors. “With America today, you have strip malls with cookie cutter companies all over the place and people don’t want that,” Esses says. “They come to New Orleans and they don’t want that. They have that where they’re from and they don’t want that here. Frenchmen Street still has that eclectic feel to it.” CRAIG MULCAHY PHOTOGRAPH

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MUSIC Top left: William Eggelston, Untitled, 1973; middle left: Bobby Rush, Oxford, Miss., 1987; bottom left: Benny Andrews’ “Down the Road,” 1971; right: William Ferris

The Writings and Rhythms of Southern Life William Ferris’ stories

‘‘

BY J A S O N B E R R Y v en if you ha v e money and are li v ing in a rich neighborhood , there

is a time when you feel bad, and that is the blues.” So counseled bluesman Bobby Rush in 1987 to William Ferris, then a professor at Ole Miss (University of Mississippi), and author of Blues from the Delta. The interview was in Ferris’ office. “It could be the president of the United States,” continues Rush. “He has the blues when things are not going right.” Back then Ronald Reagan was bruised by the Iran-Contra affair, but Rush was speaking universally of any president. “It is hard times. That is the blues to me. I think any man can have them,” he continues. “The bluesman tells a story, and the preacher tells a story. I am not saying that the bluesman is the only one to tell a story.” Storytelling is central to Southern life; the intersection of words and rhythms, how people speak and sing are rituals Bill Ferris absorbed growing up on a large farm outside of Vicksburg, Miss. “The story is the inescapable net that binds southerners together,” he writes in The Storied South: Voices of Southern Writers and Artists, a gathering of oral histories and a companion CD from his friendships with writers, musicians and artists on a career path to Washington, D.C., as chairman of the National Endowment of the Humanities, that took him, finally, to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a director of the Center for the Study of the American South. (Ferris will be in New Orleans on Sept. 22 for a gathering of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance.) “Southern writers translate the story into fiction,” Ferris writes. “Musicians transform story

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COOKBOOK While it’s mostly a book of recipes, Lolis Eric Elie’s Treme: Stories and Recipes from the Heart of New Orleans is much more than something to store in your cookbook cabinet. As a staff writer and story editor for HBO’s New Orleans series “Treme,” Elie meshes stories from the show’s characters with recipes from real celebrity chefs such as John Besh and Emeril Lagasse. The book features quintessential New Orleans recipes plus lots of photos from the show. (See related story, Persona, pg. 22.)

DESIGN There are many New Orleanscentric books to choose from these days, but Love Letters from New Orleans is one of the most striking. Put together by designer Nessim Higson, photographer Daymon Gardner and writer Anthony Vachris, the book reminds you of the titles you read as a kid that assigned a different word to every letter of the alphabet. This book does the same thing about New Orleans – “J” is for jazz, “L” is for Louis Armstrong – and while there isn’t a lot of text, the beautiful designs and photographs make you think of the alphabet in a whole new way.

SPORTS In Fight, Grin & Squarely Play the Game, author Ramon A. Vargas tells the story of the 1945 Loyola University New Orleans basketball team, the city’s only basketball team to win a national championship. While the book most likely appeals to local sports fans, it’s also interesting to read about how World War II affected sports and life in New Orleans.

JAZZ Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s latest album, That’s It!, is a milestone for the band as it’s the first album of completely original music. The group has been receiving positive reviews for the 11-track album, which was produced by the band’s Ben Jaffe and My Morning Jacket’s Jim James. Preservation Hall Jazz Band also recently performed a much-talked about set on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” showing this New Orleans institution will remain one of the city’s mainstays for the years to come. – H ale y A D A M S Please send submissions for consideration, attention: Haley Adams, 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005. myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

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into song. And photographers and The profiles Ferris draws from “In the South, we have an inherited painters capture story in images.” interviews with novelists Eudora identification with place. It still mat“I think a series of photographs is Welty, Robert Penn Warren, ters. Life changes, as it always will and like a novel,“ explains the photogMargaret Walker Alexander, should. But I think the heritage of place rapher William Eggleston, whose critic Cleanth Brooks and hisis still too important to let slide away.” works hang in the Ogden Museum torian C. Vann Woodward – all – Eudora Welty to William Ferris of Southern Art. “If a person went now deceased – broaden this slowly through that body of work, it would be like reading a novel. cultural travelogue, with grace notes in Ferris’ photographs of his ... Some of it deals with the way a sign is held up with wires, or subjects, drawn together in thematic unity many years later. The the way unplanned architecture comes about, like a grocery store book by University of North Carolina Press is handsomely illusthat no one designed.” trated and designed. The musicality of language is a leitmotif dancing across these Ferris’s idea of an essential South, layered by a narrative senpages. Louisiana author Ernest Gaines, author of A Lesson Before sibility in music, literature and the visual arts, sings to the better Dying and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, seems to be angels of our nature. Most of the Southern states have jumped on riffing off Bobby Rush when he says: “I try to write what I hear. the cultural economy bandwagon, doing their best to market the That is all I try to do. I never think about the difference between food, festivals, musical concerts and preserved architecture as a the written and the oral word. I just write as truly as I can – as simsign of how good prevails. ply as I can – to communicate with anyone who reads my book.” Yet reading this remarkable book one realizes, too, that a Benny Andrews, a painter prominently featured at the Ogden brooding, unsettled nature about the South is still sadly with us. Museum, tells Ferris about his childhood in a large sharecropping “They cut down the trees that made the country beautiful,” family in rural Georgia, as if he were one of Gaines’ characters. Robert Penn Warren, author of All the King’s Men, laments of his “We would go from sunup to sundown in flat lands of cotton. Just native Kentucky. “They plowed over the fields. It is all mechanized as far you could see would be cotton. It would be hoe, and you now. There has been a decline, I believe, in human values.” would be doing this repetitive thing. You would go from one end But we should give the final word to Bill Ferris, whose oxygen of a row to the others, and that would be just unbelievably long.” supply is fraught with optimism. The large farm where he grew up He continues, “You had to do something, something to keep your was a metaphysical principle in his family of readers and avocamind occupied. I would look up at the clouds, and I got to a place tional writers “who encouraged me in my career as a folklorist and where I could make pictures out of clouds ... making pictures up. student of the South,” he writes. “As I tried to build bridges between Sometimes I would stop and draw in the sand. And at night – black people and white people, between formally educated and when I would go home – I would draw some of those things I had folk worlds, the memory of families on the farm inspired me to tell seen in the clouds.” their stories and through them the story of the South.”

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C A S T O F CH ARAC TERS

Blasts From the Past David Thibodeaux’s drive-in BY G E O R G E G U R T N E R

ddie “ S nuff ” T willey and J ohnny

Nichols are each chompin’ down on a couple of Lotta-Burgers at the Frostop on Clearview Parkway. The two men argue their all-time favorite drive-in movies. Twilley hasn’t been this all fired up since the Battle of Chosin Reservoir back during his Korean War days. Twilley gives his nod to I Was a Teenage Werewolf while Nichols’ best is Two Thousand Maniacs. Frostop owner David Thibodeaux walks by the table and smiles. No doubt his vote goes to Naughty New Orleans, that “ground breaking” nudie flick that featured (cough, cough, hack, hack) “actress” Jean Carroll in a one-piece bathing suit strutting her stuff as a stripper on Bourbon Street. Naughty New Orleans was an “adults only” flick back in the 1950s and you know Thibodeaux remembers that meant somebody’s big brother had to drive and buy a ticket with a little brother and four of his neighborhood pals stuffed into the trunk. The parking lot at the iconic restaurant this night is jammed with 1932 Fords, chopped and dropped Chevys and just about every other street rod you can imagine, all pinstriped, flamed, underlit and overprotected with seemingly everybody in the parking lot in a constant state of buffing their street rods with thick, puffy microfiber pads like proud daddies rubbing down the backsides of their newborns.

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The sideburned, blue jean-clad rodders are a bit grayer, thinner on top and most are a little paunchier around the middle than they were back in the late 1950s and ’60s when they tooled around Audubon Park in their classy chassis, but what the hell, this is “Cruise Night” at the Frostop and it’s doo wop, sha boom all over again. Pal Al from WTIX-FM oldies radio is whirling “In the Still of the Night” as a couple of Yats from the past lay down a few dance steps around a picture perfect 1957 Chevy. FRANK METHE PHOTOGRAPHs

To put the cap on the burgeoning darkness, a screen goes up at one end of the lot as a guy who goes by the moniker “The Nutty Professor” works on the keyboard of his computer to bring up the picture. In an instant, drive-in movies are back in New Orleans: Dancing popcorn boxes, soda cups and candy bars jiggle their way across the screen and sing, “Let’s all go to the lobby! Let’s all go to the lobby! Let’s all go to the lobby and get ourselves a treat!” Pal Al tunes down the rock ’n’ roll and it’s 1962 all over again, Nirvana in the suburbs, going home again, no matter what the poets say to the contrary. Reminiscing smiles cross the weather-beaten faces of men and women sitting next to the shining rods. The whole scenario isn’t a bad accomplishment for a husband, wife and daughter combo who went from their Uptown workin’ class roots to unemployment to a venture that’s putting pep back into the step of a lot of old rodders. “I was in the construction business right after Katrina,” Thibodeaux says. “My wife (Nancy) was working for Saia Motor Lines. Things were great for a while. Then construction went rock bottom. Nancy lost her job. You couldn’t find a job.” “We actually went to a business broker and looked at all kinds of business,” Nancy says. “We looked at coffee shops, dollar stores, many different things. I finally got a job as a party booker at Laser Tag, but we were hardly making ends meet. That lasted about a year and a half.” Nancy had always had a hankering to own a sandwich shop, so it seemed like a sign when she and her husband ran across a newspaper ad seeking buyers for a “fast food restaurant” in River Ridge. The restaurant turned out to be a Frostop. They bought the restaurant in a shopping center that turned out to be on a downward turn. “When the anchor tenant moved out we knew it was time to look elsewhere,” David says. They leased a shuttered Pizza Hut on Clearview Parkway in 2011, turned it into a Frostop and “Everything just fell into place.” From the outset, the 1950s motif was never in doubt: James Dean era murals inside, pink and blue rolled vinyl seating, black and white checkered floor tiles. Even the occasional Elvis-look alike customer and pre-teen girl in a poodle hoop skirt who happened into the restaurant are nice, if unscripted touches. When two guys from the River Ridge Hot Rod club brought their idea for “Cruise Night” on Clearview Parkway to David, Nancy and daughter Lauren, it didn’t take a lot of arm-twisting to make it happen. The drive-in movie idea was a natural. Adding to the time warp was the involvement of WTIX, the longtime New Orleans radio station that went from “… the mighty 690” of a past era to today’s FM outlet specializing in (what else) the oldies. “This is an absolute blast,” says Doug Reason, a vintage old rock ’n’ roller who’s sitting on a folding chair next to his immaculate 1970 Ford F100. “I got about $15,000 tied up in it (his truck). Got a 302 (cubic inch) engine in it and it hums like a top. No flames, no special rims, just good upkeep on a great truck. I spend so much time with this truck my wife said, ‘Either that truck goes or I go.’ Ya see who I came with tonight, don’t ’cha? What times does the show start tonight?” So, on the next Friday of the month, if you’re having fond memories of the Airline and Jefferson highways drive-ins or the Twin Screen Do Drive-In on Metairie Road or the Sky Vue on Chef Menteur Highway or the Westgate on Veterans Boulevard and you’d love to hear that reminder to “return the speaker to the ticket office” just one more time, fret not. You still have the opportunity to revive, if not relive, your doo-wop past with your best babe in the back seat of your Chevy. And this time around, you don’t even have to stuff four of your buddies in the trunk. myneworleans.com

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M O D I N E’S N EW O RLEAN S

Raising Eybrows

BY M O D I N E G U N C H y

daughter

G ladiola

is sitting and staring at nothing. Poor heart. Her senior year just started and I know she has plenty on her mind: Will she do good on her tests? How will we pay for college? What will she do with the rest of her life ... I ask what’s the matter and she breaks down in tears. Uh-oh. Must be worse than I thought. Drugs? P.G.? What? Do I need a slug of cooking sherry before I hear this?

She wails, “It’s my eyebrows!” Her eyebrows? “I got prom. I got graduation. I got Senior Day. I can’t go through that with these eyebrows,” she says. I blurt out, “Eyebrows, schmybrows. You got boobs.” For this I get a “Motherrr” and she stomps off to her bedroom. I reach for the sherry. The thing is, Gladiola is gorgeous. I got no idea how it happened. Now, I ain’t so ugly I scare little children and neither was her daddy, my late husband Lout. But on our best day, neither of us would have won no Pontchartrain Beach Heartthrob Contest. Gladiola could win that title hands down with no makeup. She ain’t never going to be picked to be anybody’s bridesmaid. She also gets good grades, has friends out the wazoo and can crack a joke as fast as I can snap my fingers. But obviously that ain’t enough. She got imperfect eyebrows. Why are girls like that? When my son Gargoyle was that age, I don’t think he knew he had eyebrows. And if I told him he stunk like a pig, he would chew a mouthful of Altoids and spray his armpits with Glade. Then he considered himself just fine. Life is simple if you’re a man. I am spouting off about this to my friend Awlette, and she asks why am I so hard on Gladiola. Don’t I remember the eyebrow crisis I had myself all those years ago? If only I could forget. I had just graduated from Celibacy Academy, and I was now a woman of the world, so I took up cigarette smoking. I wasn’t too good at it. One day I decided to light up from the gas stove. I turned the flame high, bent down and whoosh – there went my right eyebrow. (And also my cigarette habit.) Thing was, this was a week before both myself and Awlette and six other bridesmaids were supposed to stand in our friend Boopsy’s wedding at The Roosevelt Hotel. Boopsy was rich and Protestant, so she was allowed to get married at night in a hotel. Us Catholics had to get married in church, and in the morning. Boopsy had planned it all perfectly – matching hairpieces, nails and dresses in a shade of puke green that gave us all the complexion of zombies. She wanted to be sure she wasn’t outshone by her bridesmaids. (To take the curse off this dress, I bought a push-up miraculous bra, X-treme version. I might look like a zombie, but at least a zombie with a bosom.) But she didn’t plan on me having one eyebrow bandaged, and I was afraid to tell her. If I could’ve found matching puke band aids for us all to wear over our right eyebrows she might have gone along, but I didn’t have the heart. 58

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To make it worse, I had asked my new boyfriend Lout (this was before he was my late husband, naturally) as my date. Awlette came up with an idea. She had cats, so we gathered up some fur and combed it and trimmed it and shaped it into an eyebrow. We pressed it onto Saran Wrap, sprayed it with hair spray and stuck it over my eye with Vaseline. But when I showed my mama, she yanked it off and stomped it to death on the floor. She said she thought it was a buck moth caterpillar. So forget that. The next day, Awlette found a copy of Seventeen Magazine with a whole section on eyebrow grooming. We propped it up and followed the directions; we plucked out most of my left eyebrow, then we drew both of them on to match. She found some dark shadow for my eyelids, and white make-up to rub in above and below each eyebrow to make them look dimensional. It turned out so good, she decided to do the same thing to her own eyebrows, leaving out the part about setting one of them on fire, of course. Boopsy’s wedding was short and sweet, and everything went great – until the reception. We were sitting at a little table across from Awlette and her date when the lights went low. I glanced at Awlette, and then I looked again. Her eyebrows were glowing in the dark. She looked back at me, and them eyebrows shot up and then we excused ourselves and tore off to the ladies room together. We both had glow-in-the-dark eyebrows. Turns out she borrowed the eye makeup kit without asking from her sister, who dressed as a werewolf last Halloween. We tried to wash it off, but it didn’t come off. We found out later it’s guaranteed to last 12 hours. All we could do was keep our heads down and hope nobody noticed. But they did. The old lady relatives pointed at us and muttered to each other, and every one of the other bridesmaids came over to whisper little comments and snicker. At least Lout was polite and kept his eyes down whenever he looked at me. Finally, it was over. Boopsy threw her bouquet to some bridesmaid who didn’t have lit-up eyebrows, and we all went home. At the door, I thanked Lout for being a perfect gentleman and ignoring my eyebrow problem. He gave me a blank look. “What eyebrows?” he said, with his eyes down. I realized he was looking at my chest. Life is simple if you’re a man. LORI OSIECKI ILLUSTRATION

myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

J OIE D’ E V E

BLOGS FROM THE NEW NEW ORLEANS

Mom Identity

BY E V E C ra w f ord P e y ton uring a recent team - building exercise at my

new job the group leader passed out little slips of paper that read simply, “I am ...” We were all given 30 seconds to complete the sentence with one word that summed us up. After rejecting “detail-oriented” because I wasn’t sure if it counted as two words, I just stared at the paper, trying to think of something. Thirty seconds doesn’t sound like a lot of time, but it really can drag on longer than you’d think. Finally, as the leader started to count down the last few seconds, I just wrote “Mom” and passed it in. Mom. It is absolutely true that that is one of the main ways I identify. I adore my kids and think and worry about them and delight in them constantly. And from as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a mom – an artist/acrobat/singer/mom when I was 5 and a vet/writer/mom when I was 10 and a journalist/editor/mom when I was 13 to ... well, now. While everything else changed, that never did. So it isn’t really that weird that “Mom” was the one word I picked to define me. But still. A few months ago, at a first birthday party for the son of a friend of mine, I met a woman my age with two daughters roughly the same ages as my two daughters. Our girls immediately became fast friends, and so did we. We talked for two hours about schools and different methods for teaching reading and potty readiness and cloth diapers and poop and pregnancy cravings and our birth experiences and pediatricians and vaccinations and sleep and so on. Two weeks later, we were surprised to find ourselves seated next to each other at a media lunch; we had no idea that we worked in the same industry. We had talked for two straight hours and never once mentioned our careers. It just hadn’t come up. I am sort of OK with that – I mean, we were at a kid’s birthday party with our kids, not a business networking event. But I still was a little disturbed that motherhood has become so much my primary identity that I didn’t even mention in passing what I do to earn money, nor did I ask her about her career, even while we were discussing other extremely personal matters. To be honest, though, I’m really just too tired and busy to have an existential crisis about the whole thing. Right now, Georgia is pushing the same button repeatedly on a toy so that it keeps making this godawful noise in an unceasing loop, and Ruby is skating by me with one foot in a My Little Pony car and a too-full cup of root beer mixed with milk in her hand. I started to tell her that milk-plus-root beer was a bad idea, but then I figured, “What the hell; it’s almost like a root beer float, and anyway, I’m not going to fight this particular battle because even if it’s gross, it won’t hurt her.” I have just finished Googling “dry drowning” and scaring the crap out of myself because the baby swallowed a mouthful of bath water earlier. Ruby’s sheets are still in the wash with bedtime looming. A basket of clothes needs to be folded, and even though I make a constant vow that I’ll do one load of laundry, start to finish, every day, I never do; I just wash and dry the clothes and then pull them, wrinkled, out of the basket as needed and fold 60

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them all on the weekend. There are dominoes and Cheerios scattered all over the floor and half-full bowls of cold spaghetti on the table. By the time I get everyone to sleep and drag the house out of squalor and safely back to just basic mess, I’ll have enough time to choose between shaving my legs or reading one chapter of a bad novel before I fall asleep (I’ve been working my way through James Thurber’s biography of Harold Ross since November but have somehow managed to read approximately 27 terrible mystery novels in that same time span). The existential crisis will just have to wait. I didn’t know, all those years ago when I wanted to be a mom, just how all-consuming this “parenting” thing was. When I was pregnant with Ruby, I remember complaining bitterly on a trip that “when you’re pregnant, vacation apparently just means a new toilet to throw up into.” Little did I know that “vacation” would soon be a foreign concept altogether. The closest I get to vacation these days, ironically, is days at work when I’m not too busy. Those are the times I can take my time drinking a cup of coffee, have a long lunch with a friend, chat with coworkers about real issues that require a lot more thought than just answering a constant stream of “Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!” And yet, in the end, even if being “Mom” isn’t all I want to be, it’s all I ever wanted to be. Of all the words I could pick to describe me in an impossible exercise that has zero real world applications, it’s probably the most apt. And for the people who matter most to me, I know it’s the word they would pick to describe me. “Who am I, Ruby?” I ask her when she skates by me again with her root beer-milk. “Mom,” she says, wrinkling her nose at me like it’s the stupidest question in the world. “You’re my mom.” And I really couldn’t ask for anything more. Excerpted from Eve Kidd Crawford’s blog, Joie d’Eve, which appears each Friday on MyNewOrleans.com. For comments: Info@NewOrleansMagazine.com.

myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

L OCAL C O L O R

C H R O N I C LES St. Anthony of Padua’s CYO basketball champions

CYO: Giving Them Something To Do BY C A R O L Y N K O L B

n 1 9 3 0 , C hicago was filled with tough neighborhoods ,

where “the outfit,” including the infamous Al Capone, seemed to be in control. Many youngsters were in danger of turning to crime. Something had to be done. The Catholic Church, particularly an auxiliary Bishop, Bernard J. Sheil, wanted to provide a better choice for at-risk teens. And so, the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) began. At first, the CYO was known primarily for its intense sports programs: the initials were said to stand for “Crush Your Opponents.” CYO was immediately popular and quickly spread to other dioceses around the country. It reached New Orleans in 1936. Team sports and boxing were offered. The first CYO boxing event in New Orleans took place in February of 1937, announced with a Times-Picayune story Feb. 17. Under the headline “Program Set Friday Night: Eleven Bouts Scheduled at St. Mary’s Italian Church Hall” the news story proclaimed that “Amateur boxing under the auspices of the parish Catholic Youth Organization will be inaugurated at St. Mary’s Italian Church Hall Friday at 8:15 p.m. with a card of 11 bouts. “Coach Jack Russo, former prominent local lightweight, has arranged a program featuring some of the organization’s hardest-hitting talent.” The organization planned to sponsor boxing shows to raise funds for equipping the CYO athletic teams. Father Vincent Liberto, when pastor at St. Mary’s, worked with boxing director Joe Falati. Professionals Willie Pastrano, Ralph Dupas and Tony Licata all came

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up through the St. Mary’s CYO boxing program. Ralph Dupas was born in 1935 and died in 2008. In his professional career, ’50 to ’66, he had 104 wins, 23 losses and six draws. He lost a World’s Lightweight Championship match in ’58 in Houston, as Louisiana law prohibited interracial boxing matches, and Dupas was said to have black heritage. By ’63, things changed; he won the Junior Middleweight Championship in New Orleans and was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 2000. Willie Pastrano began his professional career in 1951 at the Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans and fought his last fight in ’64 at Madison Square Garden in New York, when he lost the World Light Heavyweight title match to Joe Torres. He died in ’97. Anthony “Tony” Licata had a 21 year long career as a middleweight boxer, winning 60 fights out of a career total of 71 bouts, with seven losses and four fights called as a draw. He made his professional debut in 1969 in Tampa, Fla., which he won by a knockout. He died in 2008. St. Mary’s CYO was also well known for its bas-

ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW ORLEANS PHOTOGRAPH

SABREE HILL/UPTOWN MESSENGER PHOTOGRAPH

ketball teams. Herb Montalbano, 81, recalls that he began as “a water boy. I was about 8 years old.” He was on two CYO District championship teams: 1945, and again in ’49. Uptown on Napoleon Avenue, St. Henry’s Church held their CYO basketball games in its gymnasium on Annunciation Street. That is where John Arthurs began his basketball career, which would earn him Biddy Basketball All-American honors. He followed that by becoming a high school All-American at De La Salle, was also named an All-American while playing for Tulane University and played professionally with the Milwaukee Bucks. “The St. Henry’s gym was so small you had to open the front door if you were running to shoot a basket,” Arthurs says. Besides sports, the CYOs were known for their dances. Herb Montalbano recalls that the St. Louis Cathedral Friday night dances were “really popular with the French Quarter teenagers.” St. Henry’s had dances, as did Sacred Heart on Canal Street, St. Dominic’s and many others. John Moore, otherwise known as Deacon John, often played for CYO dances. According to him, the dances served a purpose: “to keep the kids out of bars, and give them a clean place to enjoy themselves and just have fun and dance.” One advantage for musicians who played CYO dances: “They were a good place to play because it was a conduit to other jobs,” Deacon John says. “If their school needed a band for the prom, well, you were standing right there in front of them!” Harvey Jesus Ancar, now known as Harvey Jesus, played CYO dances with “The Jokers.” He recalled one of the hazards of CYO dances: “The nuns. They had these big long rulers. They’d walk around and check and see if anyone was dancing too close.” Today the Archdiocese of New Orleans still has a CYO, directed since 2003 by John Smestad Jr. Known today as the CYO/Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office, the organization has undergone changes, most recently in the 1990s. There is still what’s now called the All State Sugar Bowl CYO Basketball Tournament the week after Thanksgiving, but CYO aims now not only to include recreation but also leadership development, service, pastoral care and spiritual outreach. When Smestad himself was involved in CYO at St. Dominic’s in the 1990s, “I wasn’t really playing ball, but I grew up in it. We had a lot of service projects, summer trips, a lot of Catholic youth conferences” he says. Today, there are service projects, but there are still sports: “cabbage ball, basketball, flag football, volleyball (spring and fall)” according to Smestad. Some sports are even coed, and 15 or 20 churches might be involved. Obviously, New Orleans Catholic teenagers still appreciate a safe place to go and have fun. Now, however, they can do some good in their community, too.

Friends Forever

Uptown on Napoleon Avenue, St. Henry’s CYO dances were popular events in the 1950s and ’60s. While St. Henry’s teenagers might be attending different high schools, both parochial and public, the dances were a way for neighborhood kids to gather. In recent years, especially when St. Henry’s Parish was being de-activated by the Archdiocese, a “CYO Reunion” dance was a way for the church community to get in touch. “We had raffles and auctions, and people brought pictures from the past,” says Alden Hagardorn, who now serves as president of the Friends of St. Henry, Inc. myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

LOCAL COLOR

H O ME

From the Quarter to the Garden District Beginning a new chapter BY B O N N I E W A R R E N photographed b y c H E R Y L G E R B E R

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ichael B urke ’ s ties to N ew O rleans

run deep, so it’s easy to understand why he and his wife, Ruth, have owned a condo and an 1840 Creole cottage in the French Quarter, and now live in a historic Garden District home that they purchased in 2010. Designed by Henry Howard, the 19th-century architect who also designed Madewood and Nottoway plantations, the side-hall shotgun-style residence was built in the 1860s. Michael’s great grandfather George P. Anderton, an architect and engineer in the sugar industry who worked in Cuba, the West Indies and South America, owned a sugar plantation below New Orleans in the mid-19th century. Michael is a designer and licensor of home furnishing collections, who has teamed with museums and historic preservation groups such as The Historic Natchez Foundation and New Orleans’ Preservation Resource Center, as well as creating the historic Royal Retreats Collection of great British manor houses, including Blenheim Palace and Woburn Abbey. “My grandmother Alice Anderton was born here and it seems we were destined to call New Orleans home at some point,” Michael says. “We loved the chapter of our lives in the French Quarter, and it just seemed like a good time to try something different,” he says. “We were immediately drawn to the layout of our current home when we started looking at houses in the Garden District. It’s not a huge house, yet all of the rooms flow, there are lots of different spaces and for a final surprise the floor plan ends with a garden room that opens onto a beautiful private rear garden.” This page, top: Built in the 1860s, the sidehall shotgun house was designed by Henry Howard. Left: A collection of 18th-century Italian architectural engravings are displayed above the couch in the spacious living room overlooking the side garden. Facing page: A 19th-century terra cotta bust of an Arab rests on the painted chest in the foyer.

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SEPTEMBER 2013

Although the house was structurally sound, there were many things the couple wanted to do to bring the interior up to a higher standard. “We called in Michael Carbine, New Orleans’ premier restoration contractor and designer extraordinaire, to work with us and completely rework the house,” he says. “His restoration included a new kitchen and modernization of the bathrooms. He paid attention to everything, and on his first tour of the house he told us that some of our doorways needed to be taller. We agreed, and it made all the difference in the world in the way things look today. We both feel that Michael did an exciting restoration, and we loved every minute of working with a professional who is talented and detail-oriented.” 66

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The Burkes credit their good friend Vicente Wolf, the well-known New York designer, photographer collector and author, with helping to shape their taste. “Vicente is always our inspiration and most of all, he’s a good friend,” Michael says. “Over the years he has designed two houses for us – an antebellum cotton plantation outside Natchez, and a wonderful house in Taos, New Mexico – and those collaborative efforts will never leave us.” The interior design of the home was executed with a very personal touch by Ruth and Michael. Of particular interest is the collection of sketches by fashion designer Bill Blass that are displayed on either side of the walls as you enter the master bedroom. “I never get tired of seeing the beautiful sketches by Bill Blass,” Ruth says. She acquired the sketches while working with the awardwinning designer. Furnishings in the home are eclectic, and although there are recognizable treasures from their French Quarter homes, everything looks fresh in the new Garden District setting. “We have no aversion to moving,” Michael says. “Each new house is an exciting project, but there are special treasures we have collected over the years that will always go with us wherever we live.”

Facing page, top left: Curtains in the opening to the cozy library, just off the living room, further define the space. Top right: Mounted deer heads on the wall are Ruth’s hunting trophies, while below are framed 18thcentury Italian architectural engravings from the couple’s extensive collection; Chinese 19th century porcelain jars are displayed on the pair of 19th-century ebony chests that were painted white. Bottom: Homeowners Michael and Ruth Burke. This page, top: The garden room is located across the back of the house and embraces the view of the patio and large yard. Left: The oil painting between the windows of Chief PlentyCoups, the last great Crow Indian chief, was painted by the chief’s grandson Earl Biss; engravings are displayed on the opposite wall. myneworleans.com

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THEMENU TABLE TALK

RESTAURANT INSIDER

FOOD

LAST CALL

DINING LISTINGS TABLE TALK:

Take a Bao PAGEâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;70

Formerly of NOLA and Delmonico, chef Neal Swidler offers his Asian mash-up at Lucky Rooster

JEFFERY JOHNSTON PHOTOGRAPH

myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

T HE M EN U

T A B L E T A L K

Lucky Rooster’s BLT Bao

Take a Bao Three Asian occasions By Jay Forman

he l l o

ne w

wave

A s i an

m ash - u p

restaurants. But unlike the fine-dining fusion temples so popular in the 1980s and ’90s, these are decidedly more dressed down, with a tongue-in-cheek approach more in line with street food than white tablecloths. One thing they all have in common is willingness to raid the condiment cupboards across national lines, as well as profusion of bao – white ovals of steamed dough that serve as a foldable platform for a variety of accompaniments from the mundane (grilled chicken) to the inspired (honey cured pork belly, butter lettuce and Thai tomato salsa). Bao may be trending and arguably supplanting the banh mi as a creative canvas, but there are plenty more novel creations at these places to keep guests coming back. At Lucky Rooster on Baronne Street, chef Neal Swidler makes his bao in-house using a dough made from flour, salt, water and a bit of oil. After it rises they punch it down, let it rise again and then steam it to set its shape. When the order comes up the disks get filled and then steamed again before going out to the tables. “Our BLT is filled with cured and seared pork belly with a Rooster aioli and a Thai-style tomato salsa, as well as Japanese shiso leaves. I don’t want to hide that in a filled bun – I want to show it off.” Hence the fold-over style bao. All the bao at Lucky Rooster are worth trying, and they come two to an order and work well for family-style sharing. Along with the BLT, there’s a Korean version with sesame barbecue beef and a spicy kimchee slaw – a fusion-like condiment whose creamy matrix slightly tempers and spreads out the garlic and chili bite like some kind of culinary time-release mechanism. A shitake spring roll offers a shitake mushroom and rice mousse that provides body as

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well as a tamarind hoisin sauce for sweet and sour punch. “Even the non-vegetarians like that one,” Swidler says. Lucky Rooster draws heavily from Chinese and Korean cuisines. Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese appear as well. Chef Swidler doesn’t call it fusion, though. The latest effort from the emergent restaurant group behind Juan’s Flying Burrito and Slice, Lucky Rooster takes advantage of Swidler’s fine dining background (he served as chef de cuisine at NOLA as well as Delmonico) to present a more dressed up offering. With Joe Briand on board as general manager, it definitely is a fancier offering from the group. The restaurant’s large plate glass windows overlook a swath of the CBD near the emerging South Market corridor and a slick interior features Flavor Paper wallpaper as well as repurposed original architectural details. It is a promising addition to the revitalized neighborhood’s mix. “There is kind of a ‘snacky’ style to this type of food. It’s all from scratch but it isn’t pretentious or stuffy,” says Swindler. “But the thing is you don’t just rely on novelty. You got to say, this is the right food at the right time at the right place. There has to be a JEFFERY JOHNSTON PHOTOGRAPH

Don’t Bao Out sense of timelessness about the food Lucky Rooster and that is what I think we really 515 Baronne St. have going for us.” 529-5825 Ba Chi Canteen on Maple Street is LuckyRoosterNola.com a decidedly youthful spinoff from Lunch Mondays-Fridays; dinGretna’s popular Tan Dinh. But ner Tuesdays-Saturdays instead of sticking close to home with the rote Vietnamese staples Ba Chi Canteen of chargrilled pork and pho, here 7900 Maple St. you’ll find a mash-up of dishes that 373-5628 reach into a cross-cultural toolbox. facebook.com/ First and foremost are the creative BaChiCanteenLA “Bacos” – steamed and folded bao Lunch and dinner Mondayssimilar in assemblage to that of Lucky Saturdays Rooster. Korean cuisine makes an Pho Bistreaux appearance with a Bulgogi Brisket 1200 S. Carrollton Ave. Baco garnished with kimchee (as Suite A well as in the kimchee french fries), 304-8334 and Japanese accompaniments help PhoBistreaux.biz define the flavors of the spicy catfish Lunch Tuesdays-Sundays; with eel sauce and nori. Vegetarian dinner Tuesdays-Saturdays options include honey ponzu tofu Bacos, dressed with wasabi aioli and pickled ginger, as well as one with tamarind tofu with a chili mango sauce. Also interesting is a $25 seven course beef “Tasting Menu” – an all-in offering rare at this kind of price point. Formerly the site of Figaro’s Pizzeria, Ba Chi joins an emerging strip of Maple Street eateries that cater to both the neighborhood and nearby universities. There is plenty on the menu that draws from the more traditional offerings of Tan Dinh, such as garlic butter chicken wings and Vietnamese crêpes, but this newcomer clearly aims for a younger demographic excited about food and more willing to try new flavor combinations. At press time it was BYOB and offers enclosed patio seating as well as its primary dining room. Pho Bistreaux, Uptown at the corner of Carrollton Avenue and Oak Street, was formerly the location of a steamed burger joint and before that the Curry Corner. Housed in an old Whitney bank and with a large, open kitchen, the menu is largely traditional Vietnamese. But it does break with tradition on its appetizer and spring roll sections. There you will find “Sliders” offering grilled chicken or grilled pork in a choice of two wrappings – the puffy steamed goodness of bao or (interestingly) tortillas. Both offer the same garnishes, including cilantro, cucumber, pickled daikon and carrot, as well as jalapeño peppers and aioli. The Bistreaux Egg Rolls are essentially fried egg rolls grafted onto a traditional spring roll by means of a rice wrapper and served with a housemade peanut dipping sauce. The prices are low to begin with, but you get your dollar’s worth here. A shrimp with avocado spring roll makes for a fairly atypical but pleasing choice as well. Vegetarians will find a lot of options here, such as a lemongrass tofu as well as a tofu banh mi. Asian Occasions The menu at Booty’s Street Food, while global, offers a lot of Asian overlap and you can find dishes that play with a lot of the same ingredients as found here. Chill Out Café, right, also on Maple Street, offers traditional Thai food but has a Western breakfast menu grafted onto it, allowing you to enjoy waffles alongside your pad thai. myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

T HE M E N U

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

Places New and Revisited B Y RO B E R T P E Y T ON

n m any parts of the Un i ted S tates , S epte m ber

is when you first start considering whether you should bring a sweater with you when you leave the house. If you’ve got kids, it’s also when you start getting reacclimated to the routine of the school year. In the restaurant world, September is when we start seeing an end to the summer doldrums. I am not pulling the winter clothes out of storage yet, but I do always feel a bit more peckish when there’s an “r” in the month. Casa Borrega

The return of restaurants Bucktown Burger & Fish Co. to the Lakefront is a particularly welcome, and a particularly long-hoped-for part of New Orleans’ recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Like New Orleans generally, these restaurants come in all forms, including casual places such as Bucktown Burger & Fish Co. (200 Old Hammond Highway), which opened in July in the space formerly occupied by the similarly casual Live Bait. From the name you’d probably guess the focus is on hamburgers and seafood, and you’d be right. Owner Andrew Jaeger is an old hand at running New Orleans’ restaurants, and the Bucktown operation includes local music on a regular basis. Call 840-0902 to find out who’s playing next. Sainte Marie’s Kristen Essig

Casa Borrega (1719 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.) opened over the summer in a converted residence dating from 1892 that’s been restored with elements from New Orleans, Texas and Mexico. Hugo Montero and his wife Linda Stone own and operate the place. Montero is an artist, and Stone founded the Green Project. Both of their sensibilities are evident throughout the structure, but it’s Montero’s hand behind the food. He is a native of Mexico City, and the menu is heavy on the sort of antojitos popular in Mexico’s capital. There are tacos, yes, but also sopes, griddled cakes of cornmeal with black beans, queso fresco, radish and for $2 more than the $10 base price, you can add chicken. Whole roasted red snapper comes à la Veracruzana, with onions, garlic, tomato, chiles and olives, and there’s a daily ceviche made with seafood from the Gulf. Casa Borrega is, as I write, open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight, and for brunch on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 427-0654 to find out more.

Chef Kristen Essig grew up in Florida, but she came to New Orleans in 1999 to work at Emeril’s, and has called it home since. She has worked with Anne Kearney at Peristyle and Susan Spicer at Bayona, as well as operating NolaBean, a private chef and catering company. Most recently she took over as the executive chef at the sleek bistro Sainte Marie (900 Poydras St.). Essig has gradually been putting her own spin on the restaurant’s menu. She is a true believer in the value of sourcing product locally, and that’s reflected in some of the changes to the food on offer at Sainte Marie. Gnocchi has been on the menu since the place opened, but these days Essig pairs it with local squash, pesto and Parmesan cheese; the agnolotti is now stuffed with ricotta and mushrooms instead of chard, and served with caramelized onions in a mint-tomato broth. New items include pork belly with watermelon, arugula, pickled turnip and basil oil and grilled duck with a celery root gratin, duck cracklin’ and honey-hazelnut demi glace. Essig has also added desserts such as S’mores Please, a graham cracker genoise cake with toasted marshmallow semifreddo rolled into a log, topped with chocolate sauce that’s allowed to harden before being garnished with graham cracker dust. To find out more about chef Essig’s food, call Sainte Marie at 304-6988. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email rdpeyton@gmail.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

myneworleans.com

SARA ESSEX BRADLEY PHOTOGRAPHS

myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

THE MENU

FOOD

Classics from the Dailies Newspaper veterans knew their way around the kitchen. B Y D A L E C U RRY

ne v er m et Leon S on i at , b u t I fee l l i ke I kno w h i m

through his cookbooks, La Bouche Creole and La Bouche Creole II. Soniat and I missed each other by several years on the old StatesItem, which was eventually absorbed by The Times-Picayune. We StatesItem people liked to say it was the other way around, but no one’s arguing about that these days. To us cooks who go back a generation or two, there are few names that demand our reverence like Soniat’s. He lived and breathed the events that took place in the kitchens of Mamete and Memere and continued to document them through his newspaper columns, television shows and cooking lessons for the rest of his life. He died in 1981, just as his second cookbook got underway. His wife June Soniat, also an accomplished cook, completed the cookbook.

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EUGENIA UHL PHOTOGRAPH

Soniat liked to write about Milneburg, a former town and port on Lake Pontchartrain that became a recreation area of camps and restaurants on boardwalks over the water. It eventually became part of New Orleans. Every summer Soniat’s family spent time there and the children crabbed off the boardwalks and picked the meat for Mamete’s and Memere’s stuffed crabs. They bought shrimp, croakers, redfish and speckled trout off the boats from the many fishermen in the area. “For a little or nothing, we had a half-dozen or so fresh ‘specs’ to clean, fillet and cook into that greatest of all trout dishes – amandine,” he wrote. His passion for cooking was contagious, and he was a key player in preserving the love of traditional dishes such as gumbo z’herbes, stuffed eggplant and crawfish bisque. Many French recipes no longer popular in today’s home kitchens were part of his childhood in New Orleans and are recorded in his books – stewed kidneys, poulet a la bonne femme and bouillabaisse. A few old timers rarely served any more include recipes for possum and chitlins. Another revered cook is the late Myriam Guidroz, a cooking teacher and long-time columnist for The States-Item and The Times-Picayune. A native of Belgium, she was trained in classic French cooking and loved writing about her childhood years and Maria, the family cook. She married an American military man from Louisiana and spent most of her life in Raceland, La., and New Orleans. She, too, wrote a cookbook: Adventures in French Cooking. Much of her cooking was quite simple, like the lunch she prepared for me one day. I went over to her house to talk shop, and, although she was almost an invalid from osteoporosis, she brought out some stunning plates of boiled eggs, fresh asparagus

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and homemade mayonnaise for a lunch that I continue to copy today. It was the simplicity of it and the perfection to which it was prepared that marked it on my memory forever. Guidroz knew what she was doing because Maria had her making mayonnaise at age 7 and poaching eggs at 8.

Oyster, Eggplant and Mushroom Casserole This is an adaptation of one of Soniat’s recipes that contains three of my favorite foods: oysters, eggplant and mushrooms. 1 large eggplant 2 dozen oysters with their water 6 Tablespoons butter, divided 6 green onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese 1/3 cup evaporated milk 1 cup mushrooms

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stick eggplant a few times with a fork to allow the

vegetable to release steam that builds up during the baking. Bake eggplant for about 1/2hour, until it’s tender when tested with a fork. Let the eggplant cool while you assemble the rest of the recipe. Place oysters and their water in a saucepan and cook until oysters begin to curl. Remove oysters with a slotted spoon. Add 2 Tablespoons of the butter and mushrooms and simmer about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the oysters into 1-inch pieces, add 1/4-cup breadcrumbs and Tabasco, return to the pot, mix and set aside. Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a skillet and sauté green onions for 5 minutes. Add parsley, garlic and 1/4-cup breadcrumbs. Mix and remove from heat, and add Italian

seasoning, salt and pepper. When eggplant is cool, peel and slice into 1/4-inch rounds. In a baking dish (8 or 9 inches) layer half the eggplant, half the breadcrumbs and onion mixture, then half the oyster and mushroom mixture. Repeat with another layer. Sprinkle cheese on top of the casserole, top with 3 Tablespoons of the butter, cut into little pieces and pour over the evaporated milk. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Serves 4

Mamere’s Trout Amandine This recipe for trout amandine is as Soniat wrote it in La Bouche Creole. 6 trout fillets Milk for soaking Salt and pepper to taste Flour 1 1/2 sticks plus 2 Tablespoons butter 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil 3/4 cup slivered almonds 1 teaspoon Worcestershire 2 drops Tabasco 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons minced parsley

Start with the freshest trout available. Soak trout fillets in enough milk to cover them for about 30 minutes. Remove from the milk, dry well and rub with a little salt and pepper. Dust lightly (“and I mean lightly”) in flour. Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a heavy skillet. Add oil. When it’s hot, sauté the trout, browning lightly on each side. Do not overcook! (Most cooks have a tendency to overcook fish, and this destroys both the texture and the flavor. A good rule of thumb would be no more than 2 minutes for each side, slightly more if the fillets are unusually thick, says Soniat.) When the fish are lightly browned, remove to a warm platter and keep warm. Pour out the oil and butter in the pan and add 1 1/2 sticks butter. Melt this over low heat and then add slivered almonds. Cook slowly until the almonds are slightly brown. Add Worcestershire, Tabasco and lemon juice. Mix well and pour

over the fillets. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately. This is best served with brabant potatoes. Serves 6

Myriam’s Memorable Lunch The following recipe contains Guidroz’s recipe for mayonnaise and my own way of copying her asparagus and eggs. 3 eggs 1/2 pound fresh asparagus

Mayonnaise: 2 egg yolks Salt 1 teaspoon French or Dijon mustard 1 cup vegetable oil Vinegar or lemon juice to taste Salt and pepper

Place eggs in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and turn off heat. Leave cover on for 10 minutes. Remove and peel eggs. Keep in warm water until ready to use. Meanwhile, snap off the tough ends of asparagus. Place in boiling water for several minutes, depend-

ing on size of the asparagus, or until fork-tender but still crisp and bright green. Do not overcook. To make mayonnaise: place yolks in a bowl with a pinch of salt and mustard and whisk until well-mixed and slightly thickened. Add 2 drops oil, beat until mixed, adding more drop by drop and increasing gradually until you’re pouring a thin stream. Beat hard and fast until you’ve added half the oil and mixture is quite thick. Add a little vinegar or lemon juice a few drops at a time, add more oil, then more vinegar or lemon juice and finish with oil, always beating hard. When it’s getting fluffy, you can switch to an electric mixer to be less tiring. Season with salt and pepper and more vinegar or lemon juice, if needed. On 2 pretty plates, place a serving of asparagus, 1 1/2 eggs, sliced in halves, and several Tablespoons of mayonnaise in a ramekin or on the plate for distributing on asparagus and eggs. Serves 2

myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

THE MENU

LAST CALL

Updating a Classic B Y T I M M C NA L L Y

e w O r l eans no w f i nds i tse l f i n the odd pos i t i on ,

at least to our eyes, as a national leader in population growth, blazing new trails in public education, making entrepreneurs feel quite welcome and reaping positive recognition about our noted accomplishments over the past eight years. Not bad for a city preparing to celebrate the 300th anniversary of our formal organization. And not to be left out of all the good news is our burgeoning restaurant and bar community, which shows no sign of slowing down, either in regards to the new openings or watching beloved establishments expand their menus. Suddenly new New Orleans can’t get enough of change, and all without losing the most precious possessions we have: our culture and each other. Ladies and gentlemen, we’re officially “hot.” Eric Dahm, new resident and head bar man at Grand Isle restaurant on Fulton Street in the Warehouse District – words never before used together – suggests that we update the classic Old Fashioned cocktail to something that better describes the state of our favorite burg in its current status.

SEPTEMBER 2013

myneworleans.com

New Fangled 3 ounces bourbon 1/2 ounce ginger syrup* 3-4 dashes cherry bitters Orange slice

Muddle orange and bitters in the bottom of an old fashioned glass. Fill glass with ice, add bourbon and ginger syrup, and stir to combine. * Ginger Syrup 8 cups water 6 cups raw sugar 4 ounces ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns 2 teaspoon orange zest 3 whole cloves

Combine ingredients in high-sided stockpot over medium heat. Simmer, without boiling, for 1 hour or so, until golden. Strain and let cool to room temperature. Store and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. SARA ESSEX BRADLEY PHOTOGRAPH

myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

THE MENU

DINING GUIDE

$= Average entrée price of $5-$10; $$=$1115; $$$=$16-20; $$$$=$21-25; $$$$$=$25 and up.

5 Fifty 5 Restaurant Marriott Hotel, 555 Canal St., 553-5638, French Quarter, 555Canal.com. B, L, D daily. This restaurant offers innovative American fare such as lobster macaroni and cheese, seasonal Gulf fish with crab and mâche salad with boudin. Many of the dishes receive an additional touch from their wood-burning oven. $$$$

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

Andrea’s Restaurant 3100 19th St., 8348583, Metairie, AndreasRestaurant.com. L Mon-Sat D daily, Br Sun. Indulge in osso buco and homemade pastas in a setting that’s both elegant and intimate; off-premise catering. New Orleans Magazine Honor Roll honoree 2009. $$$

Antoine’s 713 St. Louis St., 581-4422, French Quarter, Antoines.com. L Mon-Sat, D Mon-Sat, Br Sun. This pinnacle of haute cuisine and birthplace of Oysters Rockefeller is New Orleans’ oldest restaurant. (Every item is á la carte, with an $11 minimum.) Private dining rooms are available. $$$$$ Arnaud’s 813 Bienville St., 523-5433,

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

French Quarter, Arnauds.com. D daily, Br Sun. Waiters in tuxedos prepare Café Brulot tableside at this storied Creole grande dame in the French Quarter; live jazz during Sun. brunch. New Orleans Magazine’s 2011 Honor Roll winner. $$$$$

Abita Brew Pub 72011 Holly St., (985)

Audubon Clubhouse 6500 Magazine St.,

13 Restaurant and Bar 517 Frenchmen St.,

892-5837, Abita Springs, AbitaBrewPub.com. L, D Tue-Sun. Famous for its Purple Haze and Turbodog brews, Abita serves up better-thanexpected pub food in their namesake eatery. “Tasteful” tours available for visitors. $$

Acme Oyster House 724 Iberville St., 5225973, French Quarter; 3000 Veterans Blvd., 309-4056, Metairie; 1202 N. Highway 190, (985) 246-6155, Covington; AcmeOyster.com. L, D daily. Known as one of the best places to eat oysters. $$

Aloha Sushi 1051 Annunciation St., 5660021, Warehouse District, SunRayGrill.com. L, D Tue-Sat. A large list of rolls, hot rice bowls, Asian-inspired soups, salads, cocktails and more. Visit for Sake Hour (4-6 p.m.): half-priced sake and three rolls for the price of two. $$

A Mano 870 Tchoupitoulas St., 208-9280, Warehouse District, AManoNola.com. L Fri, D Mon-Sat. A Mano is chef Adolfo Garcia’s take on authentic regional Italian cuisine. Executive chef Joshua Smith handles day-to-day duties at this Warehouse District spot. “A mano” means “by hand” in Italian; fitting for a restaurant where much of the pasta and charcuterie are made in-house. $$

Ancora 4508 Freret St., 324-1636, Uptown, AncoraPizza.com. L Fri-Sat, D Mon-Sat. Authentic Neapolitan-style pizza fired in an oven imported from Naples keeps pizza connoisseurs coming back to this Freret Street hot-spot. The housemade charcuterie makes it a double-winner. New Orleans Magazine’s 20011 Pizza Restaurant of the Year. $$

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

August Moon 3635 Prytania St., 899-5129, 899-5122, Uptown, MoonNola.com. L, D Mon-Fri, D Sat. Lots of vegetarian offerings and reasonable prices make this dependable Chinese/Vietnamese place a popular choice for students and locals. Take-out and delivery available. $

Austin’s 5101 W. Esplanade Ave., 888-5533, Metairie, AustinsNo.com. D Mon-Sat. Mr. Ed’s upscale bistro serves contemporary Creole fare, including seafood and steaks. $$$ The Avenue Pub 1732 St. Charles Ave., 586-9243, Uptown, TheAvenuePub.com. L, D daily (kitchen open 24 hours a day). With more than 47 rotating draft beers, this pub also offers food including a cheese plate from St. James Cheese Co., a crab cake sandwich and the “Pub Burger.” $

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

Barcelona Tapas 720 Dublin St., 861-9696, Riverbend, LetsEat.at/BarcelonaTapas. D TueSun. Barcelona Tapas is chef-owner Xavier Laurentino’s homage to the small-plates

restaurants he knew from his hometown of Barcelona. The tapas are authentic, and the space, renovated largely by Laurentino himself, is charming. $

Basil Leaf Restaurant 1438 S. Carrollton Ave., 862-9001, Uptown, BasilLeafThai.com. L Mon-Fri, D daily. Thai food and sushi bar with a contemporary spin is served in this date-friendly establishment; private rooms available. $$ Basin Seafood & Spirits 3222 Magazine St., 302-7391, Uptown. L, D Tue-Sat. The focus is on seafood at this uncluttered, contemporary joint venture between Colombian chef Edgar Caro from Barü Bistro & Tapas and Louisiana fishing guide Tommy Peters. Their generally lighter approach is represented in dishes such as whole grilled snapper as well as traditional favorites such as spicy boiled crawfish (in season). $$

Bayona 430 Dauphine St., 525-4455, French Quarter, Bayona.com. L Wed-Sat, D Mon-Sat. Chef Susan Spicer’s nationally acclaimed cuisine is served in this 200-year-old cottage. Ask for a seat on the romantic patio, weatherpermitting. $$$$$

The Beach House 2401 N. Woodlawn St., 456-7470, Metairie. L, D daily. Gumbo, steaks, lobsters, burgers and seafood are accompanied by live music each and every night. $$$

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

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

Blue Plate Café 1330 Prytania St., 3099500, Uptown. B, L Mon-Fri. Breakfasts and lunches are the hallmarks of this neighborhood spot. The Ignatius sandwich comes equipped with 10 inches of paradise. $

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

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

Bouche 840 Tchoupitoulas St., 267-7485, Warehouse District, BoucheNola.com. L, D Wed-Sat. Bouche is a mix of lounge, cigar bar and restaurant with an open kitchen serving largely Southern food in portions Bouche calls “Partailles” – something larger than an appetizer but smaller than an entrée. $$$ Boucherie 8115 Jeannette St., 862-5514, Riverbend, Boucherie-Nola.com. L, D Tue-Sat. Serving contemporary Southern food with an international angle, Chef Nathaniel Zimet offers excellent ingredients, presented simply. New Orleans Magazine’s Best New Restaurant 2009. $$

Brigtsen’s 723 Dante St., 861-7610, Uptown, Brigtsens.com. D Tue-Sat. Chef Frank Brigtsen’s nationally-famous Creole cuisine makes this cozy Riverbend cottage a true foodie destination. $$$$$

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

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

Byblos 1501 Metairie Road, 834-9773, Metairie; 3342 Magazine St., 894-1233, Uptown; 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., 8307333 Metairie; 29 McAlister Drive, Tulane University;2020 Veterans Blvd., 837-9777; ByblosRestaurants.com. L, D daily. Upscale Middle Eastern cuisine featuring traditional seafood, lamb and vegetarian options. $$

Café Adelaide Loews New Orleans Hotel, 300 Poydras St., 595-3305, CBD/Warehouse District, CafeAdelaide.com. B, D daily, L Mon-Fri. This offering from the Commander’s Palace family of restaurants has become a power-lunch favorite for businessmen and politicos. Also features the Swizzle Stick Bar. $$$$

Café Burnside Houmas House Plantation, 40136 Highway 942, (225) 473-9380, Darrow, HoumasHouse.com. L daily, Br Sun. Historic plantation’s casual dining option features dishes such as seafood pasta, fried catfish, crawfish and shrimp, gumbo and red beans

Pascal’s Manale 100th Birthday Block Party Pascal’s Manale Restaurant, 1838 Napoleon Ave., 895-4877

When a culinary landmark reaches 100 years, it’s a cause for celebration. In the case of famed local restaurant Pascal’s Manale, its centennial birthday is a source of pride for the whole city. Not only does it show that New Orleanians valued great cooking 100 years ago, but also that great cooking stands the test of time. So it’s completely appropriate that the restaurant is inviting everyone to a block party on Sun., Oct. 20, (on the block between Dryades Street and Napoleon Avenue) where its most iconic dishes through the decades will be served (and yes, that includes the barbecue shrimp and raw oysters). For those with a passion for the city’s other great love, don’t worry, it’s a Saints bye week. – Mi r ell a c a m e r a n 80

SEPTEMBER 2013

myneworleans.com

and rice. $$

hour adds to the atmosphere. $$$$

parking. $$$

sics. Private rooms available. $$

Café Degas 3127 Esplanade Ave., 945-5635,

Café Luna 802 Nashville Ave., 269-2444,

Cake Café 2440 Chartres St., 943-0010,

Casamento’s 4330 Magazine St., 895-9761,

Mid-City, CafeDegas.com. L Wed-Sat, D WedSun, Br Sun. Light French bistro food including salads and quiche make this indoor/outdoor boîte a Faubourg St. John favorite. New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 French Restaurant of the Year. $$$

Uptown. B, L daily. Charismatic coffee shop in a converted house offers a range of panini, caffeinated favorites and free WiFi. The front porch is a prime spot for people-watching along adjacent Magazine Street. $

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

Uptown, CasamentosRestaurant.com. L TueSat, D Thu-Sat. The family-owned restaurant has shucked oysters and fried seafood since 1919; closed during summer and for all major holidays. $$

Café du Monde 800 Decatur St., 525-0454, French Quarter; One Poydras Suite 27, 5870841, New Orleans; 3301 Veterans Blvd., Suite 104, 834-8694, Metairie; 1401 West Esplanade, Suite 100, 468-3588, Kenner; 4700 Veterans Blvd., 888-9770, Metairie; 1814 N. Causeway Approach, Suite 1, (985) 951-7474, Mandeville; CafeDuMonde.com. This New Orleans institution has been serving fresh café au lait, rich hot chocolate and positively addictive beignets since 1862 in the French Market 24/7. $

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

Café Freret 7329 Freret St., 861-7890, Uptown, CafeFreret.com. B, L, D Fri-Wed. Convenient location near Tulane and Loyola universities makes this a place for students (and dogs) to indulge in decadent breakfasts, casual lunches and tasty dinners – and their “A la Collar” menu. $$ Café Giovanni 117 Decatur St., 529-2154, Downtown, CafeGiovanni.com. D daily. Live opera singers three nights a week round out the atmosphere at this contemporary Italian dining destination. The menu offers a selection of Italian specialties tweaked with a Creole influence and their Belli Baci happy

Café Maspero 601 Decatur St., 523-6250, French Quarter. L, D daily. Tourists line up for their generous portions of seafood and large deli sandwiches. $ Café Minh 4139 Canal St., 482-6266, MidCity, CafeMinh.com. L Mon-Fri., D Mon-Sat. Chef Minh Bui and Cynthia Vutran bring their fusion-y touch with Vietnamese cuisine to this corner location. French accents and a contemporary flair make this one of the more notable cross-cultural venues in town. New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 Maître D’ of the Year. $$

Café Negril 606 Frenchmen St., 944-4744, Marigny. D daily. This music club draws locals in with their lineup of live reggae and blues. Tacos and BBQ in back are a plus for late-night revelers. $

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

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

Camellia Grill 626 S. Carrollton Ave., 3092679, Uptown; 540 Chartres St., 533-6250, Downtown. B, L, D daily, until 1 a.m. SunThu and 3 a.m. Fri-Sat. The venerable diner has reopened following an extensive renovation and change in ownership (in 2006). Patrons can rest assured that its essential character has remained intact and many of the original waiters have returned. The new downtown location has a liquor license and credit cards are now accepted. $ Capdeville 520 Capdeville St., 371-5161, French Quarter, CapdevilleNola.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Capdeville is an upscale bar-bistro with a short but interesting menu of food that’s a mix of comfort and ambition. Burgers are on offer, but so are fried red beans and rice – a take on calas or Italian arancini. $$ Carmo 527 Julia St., 875-4132, Warehouse District, CafeCarmo.com. L Mon-Sat., D TueSat. Caribbean-inspired fare offers a creative array of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free fare in a sleek location on Julia Street. One of the few places in the city where healthy dining is celebrated rather than accommodated. $$

Carmelo Ristorante 1901 Highway 190, (985) 624-4844, Mandeville, RistoranteCarmelo.com. L, D Wed-Fri, SunMon. Italian trattoria serves old-world clas-

CC’s Community Coffee House Multiple locations in New Orleans, Metairie and Northshore, CCsCoffee.com. Coffeehouse specializing in coffee, espresso drinks and pastries. $ Chateau du Lac 2037 Metairie Road, 831-3773, Old Metairie, ChateauduLacBistro. com. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. This casual French bistro, run by chef-owner Jacques Saleun, offers up classic dishes such as escargot, coq au vin and blanquette de veau. A Provençal-inspired atmosphere and French wine round out the appeal. $$$$ Checkered Parrot 132 Royal St., 592-1270, French Quarter; 3629 Prytania St., Uptown; CheckeredParrot.com. B, L, D daily. The Checkered Parrot is an upscale sports bar with a large menu, featuring nachos, fajitas, wings in seven flavors, wraps and burgers and an outdoor patio. $$

Chiba 8312 Oak St., 826-9119, Carrollton, chiba-nola.com. L Thu-Sat, D Mon-Sat. Contemporary restaurant on Oak Street features an extensive list of special rolls, steamed buns and fusion-y fare to go along with typical Japanese options. Late night hours are a plus. $$$

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

myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

T HE M E N U redfish and classic steakhouse sides. $$$

Clancy’s 6100 Annunciation St., 895-1111, Uptown, ClancysNewOrleans.com. L Thu-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Their Creole-inspired menu has been a favorite of locals for years. $$$

Cochon 930 Tchoupitoulas St., 588-2123, CBD/Warehouse District, CochonRestaurant. com. L, D, Mon-Sat. Chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski showcase Cajun and Southern cuisine at this Warehouse District hot spot. Boudin and other pork dishes reign supreme here, along with Louisiana seafood and real moonshine from the bar. New Orleans Magazine named Link Chef of the Year 2009. Reservations strongly recommended. $$

Commander’s Palace 1403 Washington Ave., 899-8221, Uptown, CommandersPalace. com. L Mon-Fri, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. The Grande Dame in the Garden District is going strong under the auspices of chef Tory McPhail. The turtle soup might be the best in the city, and its weekend Jazz Brunch is a great deal. $$$$

Cooter Brown’s 509 S. Carrollton Ave., 866-9104, Uptown, CooterBrowns.com. L, D daily. Riverbend-area sports bar serves up the city’s largest selection of beers along with great bar food. The cheese fries are a rite of passage, and the Radiator’s Special poor boy makes for a great late-night meal. $

Copeland’s 701 Veterans Blvd., 831-3437, Metairie; 1001 S. Clearview Parkway, 6207800, Jefferson; 1319 West Esplanade Ave., 617-9146, Kenner; 1700 Lapalco Blvd., 364-1575, Harvey; 680 N. Highway 190, (985) 809-9659, Covington; 1337 Gause Blvd., (985) 643-0001, Slidell; CopelandsofNewOrleans.com. L, D daily, Br Sun. Al Copeland’s namesake chain includes favorites such as Shrimp Ducky. Popular for lunch. $$

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

Coquette 2800 Magazine St., 265-0421, Uptown, Coquette-Nola.com. Br Sun, L TueSat, D daily. A bistro located at the corner of Washington and Magazine streets. The food is French in inspiration and technique, with added imagination from chef Michael Stoltzfus (New Orleans Magazine’s Best New Chef 2009) and his partner Lillian Hubbard. $$$ Corky’s Bar-B-Q Restaurant 4243 Veterans Blvd., 887-5000, Metairie, CorkysBarBQ.com. L, D daily. Memphis-

DINING GUIDE based barbecue chain offers good hickorysmoked ribs, pork and beef in a family setting with catering service available. $

Court of Two Sisters 613 Royal St., 5227261, French Quarter, CourtOfTwoSisters. com. Br, D daily. The historic environs make for a memorable outdoor dining experience. The famous daily Jazz Brunch buffet and classic Creole dishes sweeten the deal. $$$$$

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

Dick and Jenny’s 4501 Tchoupitoulas St., 894-9880, Uptown, DickAndJennys.com. L Tue-Fri, D Mon-Sat. A funky cottage serving Louisiana comfort food with flashes of innovation. $$$$ Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House 144 Bourbon St., 522-0111, French Quarter, BourbonHouse.com. B, L, D daily. Classic Creole dishes such as redfish on the halfshell and baked oysters are served with classic Brennan’s style at this French Quarter outpost. Its extensive bourbon menu will please aficionados. New Orleans Magazine’s 2011 Oyster Bar of the Year. $$$$ Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse 716

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

Iberville St., 522-2467, French Quarter, DickieBrennansSteakhouse.com. L Fri, D daily. Nationally recognized steakhouse serves USDA Prime steaks and local seafood in a New Orleans setting with the usual Brennan’s family flair. $$$$$

Crescent City Brewhouse 527

Domenica The Roosevelt Hotel,

Crépes a la Carte 1039 Broadway St.,

Decatur St., 522-0571, French Quarter, CrescentCityBrehouse.com. L, D daily. Contemporary brewpub features an eclectic menu complementing its freshly-brewed wares. Live jazz and good location make it a fun place to meet up. $$$

Crescent City Steakhouse 1001 N. Broad St., 821-3271, Mid-City, CrescentCitySteaks. com. L Tue-Fri & Sun, D daily. One of the classic New Orleans steakhouses, it’s a throwback in every sense of the term. Steaks, sides and drinks are what you get at Crescent City. New Orleans Magazine’s Steakhouse of the Year 2009 and Honor Roll honoree 2007. $$$$

Criollo 214 Royal St., Hotel Monteleone,

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

Domilise’s 5240 Annunciation St., 8999126, Uptown. L, D Mon-Wed, Fri-Sat. Local institution and rite-of-passage for those wanting an initiation to the real New Orleans. Wonderful poor boys and a unique atmosphere make this a one-of-a-kind place. $

681-4444, French Quarter, HotelMonteleone. com/Criollo. B, L, D daily. Next to the famous Carousel Bar in the historic Monteleone Hotel, Criollo represents an amalgam of the various cultures reflected in Louisiana cooking and cuisine, often with a slight contemporary twist. $$$

Dong Phuong 14207 Chef Menteur

The Crystal Room Le Pavillon Hotel, 833 Poydras St., 581-3111, CBD/Warehouse District, LePavillon.com. B, D daily; L, MonFri. Franco-American cuisine with Louisiana influences is served in the environs of the Le Pavillon Hotel. The Southern-style breakfast features its decadent Bananas Foster Waffle “Le Pavillon.” $$$

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

Dakota 629 N. Highway 190, (985) 892-

Dry Dock Cafe & Bar 133 Delaronde St.,

3712, Covington, TheDakotaRestaurant.com. D Mon-Sat. A sophisticated dining experience with generous portions. $$$$$

The Delachaise 3442 St. Charles Ave., 895-0858, Uptown, TheDelachaise.com. L Fri-Sat, D daily. Elegant bar food fit for the wine connoisseur; kitchen open late. $$

Highway, 254-0296, N.O. East. L Wed-Mon. Vietnamese bakery and restaurant in the community of Versailles makes great banh mi sandwiches and interesting baked goods both savory and sweet. Unbeatable prices. $

Drago’s 3232 N. Arnoult Road, 888-9254,

361-8240, Algiers, TheDryDockCafe.com. Br Sun, L, D daily. Fancier daily specials have been added to the menu of this casual neighborhood seafood joint in historic Algiers Point near the ferry landing. Burgers, sandwiches and fried seafood are the staples. $$

El Gato Negro 81 French Market Place,

Another Taste of Italy at Andrea’s

Andrea’s Restaurant and Capri Blu Bar, 3100 19th St., Metairie, 834-8583, AndreasRestaurant.com

Andrea Apuzzo, chef and proprietor of Andrea’s Restaurant in Metairie, has just added a new wood burning brick oven to produce pizzas in the true style of his mother country. He started at the age of 7 in a bakery on the island of Capri in Italy and has been cooking for more than 35 years in restaurants and hotels around the world, and is as enthusiastic as ever about food, drink and entertainment. This is why he has also installed a new char grill oven, so expect charred oysters to compete with the homemade pastas, fresh meat and fish dishes to become local favorites. – M . c . 82

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525-9752, French Quarter, B Sat-Sun, L. D daily; 300 Harrison Ave., 488-0107, Lakeview, L, D Tue-Sun; 3001 Ormond Blvd. (985) 307-0460, Destrehan, L, D Tue-Sun. ElGatoNegroNola.com. Popular spot near the Frenchmen Street clubs serves up authentic Central Mexican cuisine along with handmuddled mojitos and margaritas made with freshly squeezed juice. A weekend breakfast menu is an additional plus. $$

Elizabeth’s 601 Gallier St., 944-9272, Bywater, ElizabethsRestaurantNola.com. B, L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat, Br Sun. This eclectic local restaurant draws rave reviews for its Praline Bacon and distinctive Southerninspired brunch specials. $$$ Emeril’s 800 Tchoupitoulas St., 528-9393, CBD/Warehouse District, Emerils.com. L Mon-Fri, D daily. The flagship of superstar chef Emeril Lagasse’s culinary empire, this landmark attracts pilgrims from all over the world. $$$$$ Fat Hen Grocery 7457 St. Charles Ave., 266-2921, Riverbend, FatHenGrill.com. B, L, D Wed-Mon. Breakfast gets re-imagined and dressed up at this diner headed by Chef Shane Pritchett, formerly of Emeril’s Delmonico. The house special is the Womlette, an omelet baked on a waffle. $$

Feelings Cafe 2600 Chartres St., 945-2222, Faubourg Marigny, FeelingsCafe.com. D WedSun, Br Sun. Romantic ambiance and skillfully created dishes, such as veal d’aunoy, make dining here on the patio a memorable experience. A piano bar on Fridays adds to the atmosphere. Vegan menu offered. $$$$ Fellini’s Café 900 N. Carrollton Ave., 4882155, Mid-City, FellinisNewOrleans.com. L, D daily. With décor inspired by its namesake Italian filmmaker, this casual indoor/outdoor spot serves large portions of reasonablypriced Mediterranean specialties such as pizza, pastas and hummus. $ Fiesta Latina 1924 Airline Drive, 468-2384, Kenner, FiestaLatinaRestaurant.com. B, L, D Tue-Sun. A big-screen TV normally shows a soccer match or MTV Latino at this home for authentic Central American food. Tacos include a charred carne asada. New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 Latin Restaurant of the Year. $$ Five Happiness 3605 S. Carrollton Ave., 482-3935, Mid-City, FiveHappiness.com. L, D daily. This longtime Chinese favorite offers up an extensive menu including its beloved mu shu pork and house baked duck. It is a popular choice for families as well. $$

Flaming Torch 737 Octavia St., 895-0900, Uptown, FlamingTorchNola.com. L, D daily, Br Sun. French classics including a tasty onion soup make this a nice place for a

slightly upscale lunch while shopping along Magazine Street. $$

Frank’s 933 Decatur St., 525-1602, French Quarter, FranksRestaurantNewOrleans.com. L, D daily. Locally inspired Italian sandwiches such as muffulettas and Genoa salami poor boys are served here in the heart of the French Quarter. $$$ Galatoire’s 209 Bourbon St., 525-2021, French Quarter, Galatoires.com. L, D TueSun. Friday lunches are a New Orleans tradition at this world-famous French-Creole grand dame. Tradition counts for everything here, and the crabmeat Sardou is delicious. Note: Jackets required for dinner and all day Sun. $$$$$

Galatoire’s 33 Bar & Steak 215 Bourbon St., 335-3932, French Quarter. L Friday, D daily. Steakhouse offshoot of the venerable Creole Grande Dame offers hand-crafted cocktails to accompany classic steakhouse fare as well as inspired dishes like the Gouté 33 – horseradish-crusted bone marrow and deviled eggs with crab ravigote and smoked trout. Reservations are accepted. $$$ Galley Seafood 2535 Metairie Road, 8320955, Metairie. L, D Tue-Sat. A great local place for seafood, both fried and boiled. Famous for its softshell crab poor boy, a Jazz Fest favorite. $$

Gautreau’s 1728 Soniat St., 899-7397, Uptown, GautreausRestaurant.com. D, Mon-Sat. Upscale destination serves refined interpretations of classics along with contemporary creations in a clubby setting nested deep within a residential neighborhood. New Orleans Magazine named Sue Zemanick Chef of the Year 2008. $$$$$ Gott Gourmet Café 3100 Magazine St., 373-6579, Uptown, GottGourmetCafe.com.

B Sat-Sun, L, Tue-Sun, D Tue-Fri. Upscalecasual restaurant serves a variety of specialty sandwiches, salads and wraps, like the Chicago-style hot dog and the St. Paddy’s Day Massacre – Chef Gotter’s take on the Rueben. $$

Gracious Bakery + Café 1000 S. Jeff Davis Parkway, Suite 100, 301-3709, MidCity, GraciousBakery.com. B, L Mon-Sat. Boutique bakery in the ground floor of the new Woodward Building offers small-batch coffee, baked goods, individual desserts and sandwiches on breads made in-house. Catering options are available as well. $

The Green Goddess 307 Exchange Alley, 301-3347, French Quarter, GreenGoddessNola.com. L, D Wed-Sun. Located in a tiny space, the Green Goddess is one of the most imaginative restaurants in New Orleans. The menu is constantly changing, and chef Paul Artigues always has ample vegetarian options. Combine all of that with a fantastic selection of drinks, wine and beer, and it’s the total (albeit small) package. $$ The Grill Room Windsor Court Hotel, 300 Gravier St., 522-1994, CBD/Warehouse District, GrillRoomNewOrleans.com. B, L, D daily, Br Sun. Jazz Brunch on Sunday with live music. Featuring modern American cuisine with a distinctive New Orleans flair, the adjacent Polo Club Lounge offers live music nightly. $$$$$

GW Fins 808 Bienville St., 581-FINS (3467), French Quarter, GWFins.com. D daily. To ensure the best possible flavors at GW Fins, owners Gary Wollerman and New Orleans Magazine’s 2005 and 2001 Chef of the Year Tenney Flynn provide dishes at their seasonal peak by flying in products from around the globe. That commitment to freshness and

quest for unique variety are two of the reasons why the menu is printed daily. $$$$$

Herbsaint 701 St. Charles Ave., 524-4114, CBD/Warehouse District, Herbsaint.com. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Enjoy a sophisticated cocktail before sampling Chef Donald Link’s (New Orleans Magazine’s Chef of the Year 2009) menu that melds contemporary bistro fare with classic Louisiana cuisine. The banana brown butter tart is a favorite dessert. $$$$$ Horinoya 920 Poydras St., 561-8914, CBD/ Warehouse District. L Mon-Fri, D daily. Excellent Japanese dining in an understated and oft-overlooked location. The chu-toro is delicious and the selection of authentic Japanese appetizers is the best in the city. $$$ Hoshun Restaurant 1601 St. Charles Ave., 302-9716, Garden District, HoshunRestaurant.com. L, D daily. Hoshun offers a wide variety of Asian cuisines, primarily dishes culled from China, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia. Their five-pepper calamari is a tasty way to begin the meal, and their creative sushi rolls are good as well. $$

Impastato’s 3400 16th St., 455-1545, Metairie, Impastatos.com. D Tue-Sat. Bustling Italian restaurant on the edge of Fat City serves homemade pasta in a convivial atmosphere. Chef/Owner Joe Impastato greets guests warmly and treats them like family. The prix fixe options are a good way to taste a lot for not much money. $$$$ Irene’s Cuisine 539 St. Philip St., 5298811, French Quarter. D Mon-Sat. Long waits at the lively piano bar are part of the appeal of this Creole-Italian favorite beloved by locals. Try the oysters Irene and crabmeat gratin appetizers. $$$$

Iris 321 N. Peters St., 299-3944, French Quarter, IrisNewOrleans.com. L Fri, D Mon, Wed-Sat. This inviting bistro offers sophisticated fare in a charming setting. The veal cheek ravioli is a winner. New Orleans Magazine’s Best New Restaurant 2006. $$$$ Jack Dempsey’s 738 Poland Ave., 9439914, Bywater, JackDempseysLLC.com. L Tue-Sat, D Wed-Sat. Local favorite nestled deep in the heart of the Bywater is known for its stuffed flounder and baked macaroni served in generous portions. $$$

House of Blues 225 Decatur St., 310-4999,

Jacques-Imo’s Cafe 8324 Oak St., 861-

French Quarter, HouseOfBlues.com. L, D daily. World-famous Gospel Brunch every Sunday. Surprisingly good menu makes this a complement to the music in the main room. Patio seating is available as well. $$

0886, Uptown, JacquesImosCafe.com. D Mon-Sat. Reinvented New Orleans cuisine served in a party atmosphere are the cornerstones of this Oak Street institution. The deep-fried roast beef poor boy is delicious. The lively bar scene offsets the long wait on weekends. $$$$

Il Posto Café 4607 Dryades St., 895-2620, Uptown, ilPostoCafe-Nola.com. B, L, D Tue-Sat, B, L Sun. Italian café specializes in pressed panini, like their Milano, featuring sopressata, Fontina, tomatoes and balsamic on ciabatta. Soups, imported coffee and H&H bagels make this a comfortable neighborhood spot to relax with the morning paper. $

Jamila’s Mediterranean Tunisian Cuisine 7808 Maple St., 866-4366, Uptown. D Tue-Sun. Intimate and exotic bistro serving Mediterranean and Tunisian cuisine. The Grilled Merguez is a Jazz Fest favorite and vegetarian options are offered. $$

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Jeff’s Creole Grille 5241 Veterans Blvd., 889-7992, Metairie, JeffsCreoleGrille.com. L, D Mon-Sat, Br Sun. This quaint, upscale restaurant offers a variety of classic New Orleans cuisine, fresh fish and homemade soups and salads with early bird and daily chef specials. $$

Mon-Sat. This Argentine steakhouse specializes in cuts of meat along with pastas and wines. Specials include the provoleta appetizer and the Vacio flank steak. New Orleans Magazine’s Chef of the Year 2006 & 2010 Steakhouse of the Year. $$$

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Café

486-4887, Lakeview, BestNewOrleansBurger. com. L, D daily. Burgers are the name of the game here at this restaurant which shares a pedigree with Snug Harbor and Port of Call. Rounded out with a loaded baked potato, their half-pound patties are sure to please. Daily specials, pizza and steaks are offered as well. $

1104 Decatur St., 592-2565, French Quarter, MargaritavilleNewOrleans.com. L, D daily. Parrotheads and other music lovers flock to Jimmy’s outpost along the more local-friendly stretch of Decatur. Strong bar menu and stronger drinks keep them coming back. $$

Joey K’s 3001 Magazine St., 891-0997, Uptown, JoeyKsRestaurant.com. L, D MonSat. A true neighborhood New Orleans restaurant with daily lunch plates keeps it real; red beans and rice are classic. $ The Joint 701 Mazant St., 949-3232, Bywater, AlwaysSmokin.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Some of the city’s best barbecue can be had at this locally owned and operated favorite in Bywater. $ Juan’s Flying Burrito 2018 Magazine St., 569-0000, Uptown; 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., 486-9950, Mid-City. L, D daily. Hard-core tacos and massive burritos are served in an edgy atmosphere. $ Jung’s Golden Dragon 3009 Magazine St., Uptown, JungsGoldenDragon2.com. L, D daily. This Chinese destination is a real find. Along with the usual you’ll find spicy cold noodle dishes and dumplings. This is one of the few local Chinese places that breaks the Americanized mold. New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 Chinese Restaurant of the Year. $

Kosher Cajun New York Deli and Grocery 3519 Severn Ave., 888-2010, Metairie, KosherCajun.com. L Mon-Fri & Sun, D Mon-Thu. Great kosher meals and complete kosher grocery in the rear make this Metairie eatery a unique destination. The matzo ball soup is a winner and catering is available for parties of any size. $

K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen 416 Chartres St., 596-2930, French Quarter, ChefPaul. com/KPaul. L Thu-Sat, D Mon-Sat. Paul Prudhomme’s landmark restaurant helped introduce Cajun food to a grateful nation. Lots of seasoning and bountiful offerings, along with reserved seating, make this a destination for locals and tourists alike. $$$$

Kyoto 4920 Prytania St., 891-3644, Uptown, KyotoNola.com. L, D Mon-Sat. A neighborhood sushi restaurant where the regulars order off-the-menu rolls. $$

La Boca 857 Fulton St., 525-8205, Warehouse District, LaBocaSteaks.com. D

Lakeview Harbor 911 Harrison Ave.,

by the glass and by the plate. Complimentary valet parking. $$$

Le Salon Windsor Court Hotel, 300 Gravier St., 596-4773, CBD/Warehouse District. Afternoon Tea, Thu-Fri, seating at 2 p.m., Sat-Sun, seating at 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. Formal afternoon tea with harpist or string quartet served in a sophisticated atmosphere. A local mother-daughter tradition. $$

La Macarena Pupuseria & Latin Cafe 8120 Hampson St., 862-5252, Uptown. L, D Mon-Fri, Br, L, D Sat & Sun. This cash-only and BYOB restaurant has recently overhauled their menu, now including a large selection of vegan and vegetarian items, as well as a tapas menu. $$

Lil’ Dizzy’s Café 1500 Esplanade Ave., 569-8997, Mid-City. B, L daily, D Thu-Sat. Spot local and national politicos dining at this favored Creole soul restaurant known for homey classics like fried chicken and Trout Baquet. $

The Marigny Brasserie 640 Frenchmen

La Petite Grocery 4238 Magazine St.,

Lilette 3637 Magazine St., 895-1636, Uptown, LiletteRestaurant.com. L, D Tue-Sat. Chef John Harris’ innovative menu draws discerning diners to this highly regarded bistro on Magazine Street. Desserts are wonderful as well. $$$$$

Martin Wine Cellar 714 Elmeer Ave., 8967300, Metairie, MartinWine.com. Br Sun, L daily, D Mon-Fri. Wine by the glass or bottle to go with daily lunch specials, towering burgers, hearty soups, salads and giant, delistyle sandwiches. $

Lola’s 3312 Esplanade Ave., 488-6946,

Mat & Naddie’s 937 Leonidas St., 861-

891-3377, Uptown, LaPetiteGrocery.com. L Tue-Sat, D daily. Elegant dining in a convivial atmosphere quickly made this place an Uptown darling. The menu is heavily Frenchinspired with an emphasis on technique. $$$

La Provence 25020 Highway 190, (985) 626-7662, Lacombe, LaProvenceRestaurant. com. D Wed-Sun, Br Sun. John Besh (New Orleans Magazine’s Chef of the Year 2007) upholds time-honored Provençal cuisine and rewards his guests with a true farm-life experience, from house-made preserves, charcuterie, herbs, kitchen gardens and eggs cultivated on the property, an elegant French colonial stucco house. $$$$$ La Thai Uptown 4938 Prytania St., 8998886, Uptown, LaThaiUptown.com. L, D TueSun. Uptown outpost of the Chauvin family’s ingredient-driven Thai-Cajun fusion cuisine. The summer rolls are good as is the tom kar gai soup. Lunch specials are a good deal and vegetarian dishes are offered as well. $$

Latil’s Landing Houmas House Plantation, 40136 Highway 942, (225) 473-9380, Darrow, HoumasHouse.com. L Sun, D WedSun. Nouvelle Louisiane, plantation-style cooking served in an opulent setting features dishes like rack of lamb and plume de veau. $$$$$

Le Meritage 1001 Toulouse St., 522-8800, French Quarter, LeMeritageRestaurant.com. D Tue-Sat. This restaurant blends fine wines with Southern-flavored cuisine for a memorable fine-dining experience in a casual environment. Chef Michael Farrell’s well-rounded menu features suggested wine and food pairings, along with full or half servings both

Mid-City. D daily. Garlicky Spanish dishes and great paella make this artsy Faubourg St. John boîte a hipster destination. $$$

Lüke 333 St. Charles Ave., 378-2840, CBD, LukeNewOrleans.com. Br Sat-Sun, B, L, D daily. John Besh (New Orleans Magazine’s Chef of the Year 2007) and executive chef Matt Regan characterize the cuisine “Alsace meets New Orleans in an authentic brasserie setting.” Germanic specialties and French bistro classics, house-made patés and abundant plateaux of cold, fresh seafood. New Orleans Magazine’s Best New Restaurant 2007 and 2012 Raw Bar of the Year. $$$

Mahony’s 3454 Magazine St., 899-3374, Uptown, MahonysPoBoys.com. L, D MonSat. Along with the usual poor boys, this sandwich shop serves up a Grilled Shrimp and Fried Green Tomato version dressed with remoulade sauce. Sandwich offerings are augmented by a full bar. $ Mandina’s 3800 Canal St., 482-9179, MidCity, MandinasRestaurant.com. L, D daily. Quintessential New Orleans neighborhood institution reopened following an extensive renovation. Though the ambiance is more upscale, the same food and seafood dishes make dining here a New Orleans experience. New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year. $$

Zea Rotisserie & Grill, multiple locations, ZeaRestaurants.com

Zea Rotisserie and Grill is now offering a big summer hit, the Tuna Sashimi Stack, year-round. Previously only available as a seasonal special, Zea has found a continuing supply of the high quality, fresh Gulf tuna. The stack is a combination of marinated fresh sashimi tuna, avocado and cucumber served with wasabi aioli and sesame crackers. Billed as an appetizer, the generous portion doubles as an entrée at only $10. Zea is also developing new rotisserie meat and vegetarian dishes, so look out for some debuts this fall. – M . c . SEPTEMBER 2013

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Warehouse District. L, D daily. Born of a partnership between New Orleans’ First Family of Football and Harrah’s Casino, Manning’s offers sports bar fans a step up in terms of comfort and quality. With a menu that draws on both New Orleans and the Deep South, traditional dishes get punched up with inspired but accessible twists in surroundings accented by both memorabilia and local art. $$$

Liborio’s Cuban Restaurant 321 Magazine St., 581-9680, CBD/Warehouse District, LiborioCuban.com. L Mon-Sat, D Tue-Sat. Authentic Cuban favorites such as Ropa Vieja and pressed Cuban sandwiches along with great specials make this a popular lunch choice. $$$

Zea stamps Tuna Sashimi Stack on main menu

Manning’s 519 Fulton St., 593-8118,

Maple Street Café 7623 Maple St., 3149003, Uptown. L, D daily. Casual dinner spot serving Mediterranean-inspired pastas and Italian-style entrées, along with heartier fare such as duck and filet mignon. $$ St., 945-4472, Faubourg Marigny, MarignyBrasserie.com. L, D daily. Chic neighborhood bistro with traditional dishes like the Wedge of Lettuce salad and innovative cocktails like the Cucumber Cosmo. $$$

9600, Uptown, MatAndNaddies.com. D MonTue, Thu-Sat. Cozy converted house along River Road serves up creative and eclectic regionally-inspired fare. Crab cakes with cucumber slaw makes for a good appetizer and when the weather is right the romantic patio is the place to sit. $$$$

Maximo’s Italian Grill 1117 Decatur St., 586-8883, French Quarter. MaximosGrill. com. D Daily. Italian destination on Decatur Street features a sprawling menu including housemade salumi and antipasti as well as old school classics like Veal Osso Bucco. Private dining is offered for special events. New Orleans Magazine’s 2012 Continental Italian Restaurant of the Year. $$$

Middendorf’s Interstate 55, Exit 15, 30160 Highway 51 South, (985) 386-6666, Akers, MiddendorfsRestaurant.com. L, D Wed-Sun. Historic seafood destination along the shores of Lake Maurepas is world-famous for its thin-fried catfish fillets. Open since 1934, it transitioned to its next generation of owners when Horst Pfeifer purchased it in 2007. More than a restaurant, this is a Sunday Drive tradition. $$ MiLa 817 Common St., 412-2580, French Quarter, MiLaNewOrleans.com. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Latest offering from husbandand-wife chefs Slade Rushing and Allison Vines-Rushing focuses on the fusion of the cuisines of Miss. and La. Signature dishes include Oysters Rockefeller “Deconstructed” and New Orleans-style barbecue lobster. New Orleans Magazine’s Best New Restaurant 2008. $$$$ Mona’s Café 504 Frenchmen St., 485-6583, Marigny; 4126 Magazine St., 894-9800, Uptown; 1120 S. Carrollton Ave., 861-8174, Uptown; 3901 Banks St., 482-7743, Mid-City. L, D daily. Middle Eastern specialties such as baba ganuj, tender-tangy beef or chicken shawarma, falafel and gyros, stuffed into pillowy pita bread or on platters. The lentil soup with crunchy pita chips and desserts, such as sticky sweet baklava, round out the menu. New Orleans Magazine’s 2012 Middle

Eastern Restaurant of the Year. $

Muriel’s Jackson Square 801 Chartres St.,

Mondo 900 Harrison Ave., 224-2633,

568-1885, French Quarter, Muriels.com. L, D daily, Br Sun. Enjoy pecan-crusted drum and other New Orleans classics while dining in the courtyard bar or any other room in this labyrinthine, rumored-to-be-haunted establishment. $$$$

Lakeview, MondoNewOrleans.com. Br Sun, L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 Chef of the Year Susan Spicer’s take on world cuisine isn’t far from her home in Lakeview. Make sure to call ahead because the place has a deserved reputation for good food and good times. $$$

Morton’s, The Steakhouse The Shops at Canal Place, 365 Canal St., 566-0221, French Quarter, Mortons.com/NewOrleans. D daily. Quintessential Chicago steakhouse serves up top-quality slabs of meat along with jumbo seafood. Clubhouse atmosphere makes this chophouse a favorite of Saints players and businessmen alike. $$$$$

Mosca’s 4137 Highway 90 West, 436-9942, Avondale. D Tue-Sat. Italian institution near the Huey Long Bridge dishes out massive portions of great food family-style. Good bets are the shrimp Mosca and chicken à la grande. New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 Honor Roll winner. Note: Cash Only. $$$

Mother’s 401 Poydras St., 436-8940, CBD/ Warehouse District, MothersRestaurant.net. B, L, D daily. Locals and tourists alike endure long queues and a confounding ordering system to enjoy iconic dishes such as the Ferdi poor boy and Jerry’s jambalaya. Come for a late lunch to avoid the rush. $$

Mr. Ed’s Seafood and Italian Restaurant 1001 Live Oak St., 8380022, Bucktown; 910 W. Esplanade Ave., Ste. A, 463-3030, Kenner. L, D Mon-Sat. Neighborhood restaurant specializes in seafood and Italian offerings such as stuffed eggplant and bell pepper. Fried seafood and sandwiches make it a good stop for lunch. $$

Naked Pizza 6307 S. Miro St., 8650244, Uptown (takeout & delivery only), NakedPizza.biz. L, D daily. Pizza place with a focus on fresh ingredients and a healthy crust. The Mediterranean pie is a good choice. $

Napoleon House 500 Chartres St., 5249752, French Quarter, NapoleonHouse.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Originally built in 1797 as a respite for Napoleon, this family-owned European-style café serves local favorites: gumbo, jambalaya, muffulettas and for sipping, a Sazerac or lemony Pimm’s Cup. $$ Nine Roses 1100 Stephen St., 366-7665, Gretna, NineRosesResturant.com. L, D SunTue, Thu-Sat. The extensive Vietnamese menu specializes in hot pots, noodles and dishes big enough for everyone to share. Great for families. $$

NOLA 534 St. Louis St., 522-6652, French Quarter, Emerils.com. L Thu-Sun, D daily. Emeril’s more affordable eatery, featuring cedar-plank-roasted redfish; private dining. $$$$$

Nuvolari’s 246 Girod St., (985) 6265619, Mandeville, Nuvolaris.com. D daily. Dark woods and soft lighting highlight this Northshore Creole Continental-Italian fusion restaurant famous for crabmeat ravioli, veal dishes, seafood specialties and delectable desserts. $$$$

One Restaurant and Lounge 8132

Hampson St., 301-9061, Uptown, OrleansGrapevine.com. L Tue-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Black seating and herbaceous sage-colored walls form a dining room where every seat is a view into the open kitchen and the chefs creating contemporary comfort food on a seasonally changing menu. The bar is also known for cranking out clever cocktails. New Orleans Magazine’s Best New Restaurant 2005. $$$$

Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar and Bistro 720 Orleans Ave., 523-1930, French Quarter, OrleansGrapevine.com. D daily. Wine is the muse at this beautifully renovated French Quarter bistro, which offers vino by the flight, glass and bottle. A classic menu with an emphasis on New Orleans cuisine adds to the appeal. $$$

Palace Café 605 Canal St., 523-1661, CBD/ Warehouse District, PalaceCafe.com. L MonSat, D daily, Br Sun. Dickie Brennan-owned brasserie with French-style sidewalk seating and house-created specialties of Chef Darrin Nesbit at lunch, dinner and Jazz Brunch. Favorites here include crabmeat cheesecake, turtle soup, the Werlein salad with fried Louisiana oysters and pork ”debris” studded Palace Potato Pie. $$$$$

Parkway Bakery and Tavern 538 Hagan Ave., 482-3047, Mid-City, ParkwayBakeryAndTavernNola.com. L, D daily, closed Tue. Featured on national TV and having served poor boys to presidents, Parkway stakes a claim to some of the best sandwiches in town. Their french fry version with gravy and cheese is a classic at a great price. $

Pascal’s Manale 1838 Napoleon Ave., 895-4877, Uptown. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Vintage New Orleans neighborhood restau-

rant since 1913 and the place to go for the house-creation of barbecued shrimp. Its oyster bar serves icy cold, freshly shucked Louisiana oysters and the Italian specialties and steaks are also solid. $$$$

Patois 6078 Laurel St., 895-9441, Uptown, PatoisNola.com. Br Sun, L Fri, D Wed-Sat. The food is French in technique, with influences from across the Mediterranean as well as the American South, all filtered through the talent of Chef Aaron Burgau (New Orleans Magazine’s Best New Chef 2009). Reservations recommended. $$$ Paul’s Café 100 Pine St., (985) 386-9581, Ponchatoula, PaulsCafe.net. B, L daily. Best known for its strawberry daiquiris, Paul’s also cooks up egg breakfasts and lunches including all manner of sandwiches and poor boys. $

The Pelican Club 312 Exchange Place, 523-1504, French Quarter, PelicanClub.com. D daily. Tucked into a French Quarter alley, Pelican Club serves an eclectic mix of hip food, from the seafood “martini” to clay pot barbecued shrimp and a trio of duck. Three dining rooms available. $$$$$ PJ’s Coffee Multiple locations throughout Greater New Orleans, PJsCoffee.com. The city’s first iced-coffee spot that pioneered the coffee house experience in New Orleans and introduced us all to velvet ices, drinkable granitas and locally made Ronald Reginald vanilla. A wide assortment of pastries and bagels are offered as well as juices and fresh ground or whole bean coffees. $ Port of Call 838 Esplanade Ave., 523-0120, French Quarter, PortOfCallNola.com. L, D daily. It is all about the big, meaty burgers and giant baked potatoes in this popular

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bar/restaurant – unless you’re cocktailing only, then it’s all about the Monsoons. $$

Restaurant of the Year. $$$$$

Praline Connection 542 Frenchmen St., 943-3934, Faubourg Marigny, PralineConnection.com. L, D daily. Downhome dishes of smothered pork chops, greens, beans and cornbread are on the menu at this homey Creole soul restaurant. $$

469-8585, Kenner, RistoranteDaPiero.com. L, D Tue-Sat. Homemade pastas and an emphasis on Northern Italian cuisine make this cozy spot in Kenner’s Rivertown a romantic destination. $

Ralph Brennan’s Red Fish Grill 115 Bourbon St., 598-1200, French Quarter, RedFishGrill.com. L, D Mon-Thu & Sun. Chef Austin Kirzner cooks up a broad menu peppered with Big Easy favorites such as BBQ oysters, blackened redfish and double chocolate bread pudding. $$$$$

Ralph’s On The Park 900 City Park Ave., 488-1000, Mid-City, RalphsOnThePark. com. Br Sun, L Wed-Fri, D daily. A modern interior, a view of City Park’s moss-draped oaks and contemporary Creole dishes such as City Park salad, turtle soup and BBQ Gulf shrimp. The bar gets special notice for cocktails. $$$$

The Red Maple 1036 Lafayette St., 3670935, Gretna, TheRedMaple.com. L Tue-Fri, D Tue-Sat. This West Bank institution since 1963 is known for its seafood, steaks, wine list and some of the best bread pudding around. $$$$

Reginelli’s Pizzeria 741 State St., 8991414, Uptown; 3244 Magazine St., 895-7272, Uptown; 5608 Citrus Blvd., 818-0111, Harahan; 817 W. Esplanade Ave., 7126868, Kenner; 874 Harrison Ave, 488-0133, Lakeview; Reginellis.com. L, D daily. Pizzas, pastas, salads, fat calzones and lofty focaccia sandwiches are on tap at locations all over town. $$

Arnaud’s Remoulade 309 Bourbon St., 523-0377, French Quarter, Remoulade. com. L, D daily. Granite-topped tables and an antique mahogany bar are home to the eclectic menu of Famous Shrimp Arnaud, red beans and rice and poor boys as well as specialty burgers, grilled all-beef hot dogs and thin-crust pizza. $$

René Bistrot 700 Tchoupitoulas St., 613-2350, CBD/Warehouse District, LaCoteBrasserie.com. Br Sun, L Mon-Fri, D daily. Fresh local seafood, international ingredients and a contemporary atmosphere fill the room at this hotel restaurant near the Convention Center. $$$

Restaurant August 301 Tchoupitoulas St., 299-9777, CBD/Warehouse District, RestaurantAugust.com. L Mon-Fri, D daily. James Beard Award-winning chef (New Orleans Magazine’s Chef of the Year 2007) John Besh’s menu is based on classical techniques of Louisiana cuisine and produce with a splash of European flavor set in a historic carriage warehouse. $$$$$

R’evolution 777 Bienville St., 553-2277, French Quarter, RevolutionNola.com. L, D Mon-Fri, Br, D Sun, open late Fri-Sat. R’evolution is the partnership between chefs John Folse and Rick Tramonto. Located in the Royal Sonesta Hotel, it’s an opulent place that combines the local flavors of chef Folse with the more cosmopolitan influence of chef Tramonto. Chef de cuisine Chris Lusk and executive sous chef Erik Veney are in charge of day-to-day operations, which include house-made charcuterie, pastries, pastas and more. New Orleans Magazine’s 2012

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Ristorante Da Piero 401 Williams Blvd.,

Sat-Sun; 525 Fulton St. in Harrah’s Hotel, 587-7099, L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun; RuthsChris. com. Filet Mignon, creamed spinach and potatoes au gratin are the most popular dishes at this area steak institution, but there are also great seafood choices and top-notch desserts. $$$$$

Rib Room Omni Royal Orleans Hotel, 621 St. Louis St., 529-7046, French Quarter, RibRoomNewOrleans.com. Br Sat-Sun, L, D daily. Old World elegance, high ceilings and views of Royal Street, house classic cocktails and Anthony Spizale’s broad menu of prime rib, stunning seafood and on weekends, a Champagne Brunch. $$$

Sake Café 2830 Magazine St., 894-0033,

Riccobono’s Panola Street Café 7801

901 Veterans Blvd., 835-0916, Metairie, SammysPoBoys.com. L Mon-Sat, D daily. Bucktown transplant offers a seafood-centric menu rounded out with wraps, kid meals and catering options all at a reasonable price. $

Panola St., 314-1810, Garden District. B, L daily. This breakfast spot at the corner of Burdette and Panola streets has been waking up bleary college students for years. The omelets are good, as are the Belgian waffles. Offers daily specials as well. $

Rio Mar 800 S. Peters St., 525-3474, CBD/ Warehouse District, RioMarSeafood.com. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Seafood-centric Warehouse District destination focuses on Latin American and Spanish cuisines. Try the bacalaitos and the escabeche. The tapas lunch is a great way to try a little of everything. Save room for the Tres Leches, a favorite dessert. New Orleans Magazine’s Chef of the Year 2006. $$$$

Ristorante Filippo 1917 Ridgelake Drive, 835-4008, Metairie. L, D Tue-Sat. CreoleItalian destination serves up southern Italian specialties bathed in red sauces and cheese alongside New Orleans classics like pan-fried Gulf fish and plump shellfish. $$$ River 127 Westin New Orleans Canal Place, 100 Rue Iberville, 533-5082, French Quarter. B, L, D daily. Continental cuisine with Louisiana flare in a dining room that overlooks the Mississippi River and French Quarter. $$$$

Rivershack Tavern 3449 River Road, 8344938, Jefferson, TheRivershackTavern.com. L, D daily. Home of the Tacky Ashtray, this popular bar alongside the Mississippi levee offers surprisingly wide-ranging menu featuring seafood, poor boys and deli-style sandwiches along with live music. Open late. $

Rock-N-Sake 823 Fulton St., 581-7253, CBD/Warehouse District, RockNSake.com. L Fri, D Tue-Sun. Enjoy fresh sushi along with contemporary takes on Japanese favorites in this club-like setting in the Warehouse District. Open until midnight on Fri. and Sat., this makes for a unique late-night destination. $$$

Root 200 Julia St., 252-9480, CBD, RootNola.com. L Mon-Fri, D daily. Chef Philip Lopez opened Root in November 2011 and has garnered a loyal following for his modernist, eclectic cuisine. Try the Korean fried chicken wings and the Cohiba-smoked scallops crusted with chorizo. New Orleans Magazine’s 2012 Maître D’ of the Year. $$$$

Royal Blend Coffee and Tea House 621 Royal St., 523-2716, French Quarter; 204 Metairie Road, 835-7779, Metairie; RoyalBlendCoffee.com. B, L daily. Known for their frozen Café Glace and a wide selection of coffees and teas, as well as pastries, daily specials and hearty breakfasts. $

Ruth’s Chris Steak House 3633 Veterans Blvd., 888-3600, Metairie. L Fri, D daily, Br

Uptown, SakeCafeUptown.com. L, D daily. Creative and traditional Japanese food in an ultramodern décor. Sushi and sashimi boats, wild rolls filled with the usual and not-sousual suspects and a nice bar with a number of sakes from which to choose. $$$

Sammy’s Po-Boys and Catering

Satsuma Café 3218 Dauphine St., 3045962, Bywater; 7901 Maple St., 309-5557, Uptown; SatsumaCafe.com. B, L daily (until 7 p.m.). Two locations offer healthy, inspired breakfast and lunch fare, along with freshly squeezed juices. $

Semolina 4436 Veterans Blvd., Suite 37, Metairie, 454-7930, Semolina.com. L, D daily. This casual, contemporary pasta restaurant takes a bold approach to cooking Italian food, emphasizing flavors, texture and color; many of the dishes feature a signature Louisiana twist, such as the Muffuletta Pasta and Pasta Jambalaya. Popular entrées include Grilled Chicken Alfredo, Chicken Marsala and Veal Parmesan. $$

Serendipity 3700 Orleans Ave. 407-0818, Mid-City, SerendipityNola.com. D daily. Chef Chris DeBarr brings his eclectic and far-ranging style of cuisine and classically inspired cocktails to an outpost in American Can. A late-night option as well. $$

Slice 1513 St. Charles Ave., 525-7437, Uptown; 5538 Magazine St., 897-4800; SlicePizzeria.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Order up slices or whole pizza pies done in several styles (thin- and thick-crust) as well as pastas, seafood, paninis and salads. $

Slim Goodies Diner 3322 Magazine St., 891-EGGS (3447). B, L daily. This diner offers up an exhaustive menu heavily influenced by local cuisine. Try the Creole Slammer, a breakfast platter rounded out with Crawfish Étouffée. The laid-back vibe is best enjoyed on the patio out back. $

SoBou 310 Chartres St., 552-4095, French Quarter, SoBouNola.com. B, L, D daily. There is something for everyone at this “Modern Creole Saloon,” the latest offering from the Commander’s Restaurant Family. Decidedly unstuffy with an emphasis on craft cocktails and wines by the glass, diners will find everything from $1 pork cracklins to an extravagant foie gras burger on the accomplished yet eclectic menus. $$

the real deal and the half-sours and pickled tomatoes complete the deli experience. $

Stella! 1032 Chartres St., 587-0091, French Quarter, RestaurantStella.com. D daily. Global cuisine with a Louisiana blush by native son chef Scott Boswell. Dishes are always inventive and flavorful from appetizer to dessert. The wine list is bold and the service “stellar.” Boswell was New Orleans Magazine’s 2005 Chef of the Year. $$$$$ Sun Ray Grill 619 Pink St., 837-0055, Old Metairie; 1051 Annunciation St., 566-0021, CBD/Warehouse District; 2600 Belle Chasse Highway, 391-0053, Gretna; SunRayGrill. com. L, D daily, Br Sun (at Annunciation). This local chain offers a globally influenced menu with burgers, steaks, sesame crusted tuna, sandwiches and salads. $$

Surrey’s Café and Juice Bar 1418 Magazine St., 524-3828, Coliseum Square; 4807 Magazine St., 895-5757, Uptown; SurreysCafeAndJuiceBar.com. B, L daily. Laid-back café focuses on breakfast and brunch dishes to accompany freshly squeezed juice offerings. Health-food lovers will like it here, along with fans of favorites such as peanut butter and banana pancakes. Note: Cash only. $$

Tan Dinh 1705 Lafayette St., 361-8008, Gretna. B, L, D Wed-Mon. Roasted quail and the beef pho rule at this Vietnamese outpost. New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 Vietnamese Restaurant of the Year. $$ Theo’s Pizza 4218 Magazine St., 8948554, Uptown; 4024 Canal, 302-1133, MidCity; 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, 733-3803, Elmwood TheosPizza.com. L, D daily. The thin, cracker-crisp crust pizzas are complemented by the broad assortment of toppings which include a lot of local ingredients. Cheap prices make this an economical and delicious choice. $$ Three Muses 536 Frenchmen St., 2524801, Marigny, TheThreeMuses.com. D Sun-Mon, Wed, Fri-Sat. Three Muses is a bar-restaurant serving the eclectic cuisine of chef Daniel Esses. The menu changes, but expect Esses’ take on Italian, Spanish, North African and Korean cooking. Local bands provide music on a regular basis. $ Tommy’s Cuisine 746 Tchoupitoulas St., 581-1103, CBD/Warehouse District, TommysNewOrleans.com. D daily. Classic Creole-Italian cuisine is the name of the game at this upscale eatery. Appetizers include the namesake Oysters Tommy, baked in the shell with Romano cheese, pancetta and roasted red pepper. $$$$$

Tony Angello’s 6262 Fleur de Lis Drive, 488-0888. Lakeview. D Tue-Sat. CreoleItalian favorite serves up fare in the completely restored Lakeview location. Ask Tony to “Feed Me” if you want a real multi-course dining experience. New Orleans Magazine’s 2010 Traditional New Orleans Italian Restaurant of the Year. $$$$

Snug Harbor 626 Frenchman St., 9490696, Faubourg Marigny, SnugJazz.com. D daily. The city’s premier jazz club serves cocktails and a dining menu loaded with steaks, seafood and meaty burgers served with loaded baked potatoes. $$$$

Tout de Suite Cafe 347 Verret St., 3622264, Algiers. B, L, D daily. Neighborhood coffeehouse/café in historic Algiers Point offers a light menu of soups, salads and sandwiches for a quick meal or carryout. $$

Stein’s Market and Deli 2207 Magazine

Tracey’s Irish Restaurant & Bar 2604

St., 527-0771, Uptown, SteinsDeli.net. B, L, D Tue-Sun. New York meets New Orleans. The Reuben and Rachel sandwiches are

Magazine St., 897-5413, TraeysNola.com, Uptown. L, D daily. A neighborhood bar with one of the best messy roast beef poor boys

in town. The gumbo, cheeseburger poor boy and other sandwiches are also winners. Grab a local Abita beer to wash it all down. Also a great location to watch “the game.” $

pizzas. Good lunch specials make this a popular choice as well. $$

626-4476, Mandeville, TreyYuen.com. L Tue-Fri & Sun, D Tue-Sun. Chinese cuisine meets with local seafood in dishes like their Szechuan Spicy Alligator and Tong Cho Crawfish; private rooms available. $$

Vincent’s Italian Cuisine 4411 Chastant St., 885-2984, Metairie, L TueFri, D Mon-Sat; 7839 St. Charles Ave., 866-9313, Uptown. L Tue-Fri, D Tue-Sun; VicentsItalianCuisine.com. Snug Italian boîte packs them in yet manages to remain intimate at the same time. The cannelloni is a house specialty. $$$

Tujague’s 823 Decatur St., 525-8676,

Wolfe’s in the Warehouse 859

French Quarter, TujaguesRestaurant.com. D daily. For more than 150 years this landmark restaurant has been offering Creole cuisine. Favorites include a nightly six-course table d’hôté menu featuring a unique Beef Brisket with Creole Sauce. New Orleans Magazine’s Honor Roll honoree 2008. $$$$$

Convention Center Blvd., 613-2882, CBD/ Warehouse District. B, L, D daily. Chef Tom Wolfe brings his refined cuisine to the booming Fulton Street corridor. His Smoked Kobe Short Ribs are a good choice. $$$

Trey Yuen 600 N. Causeway Blvd., (985)

Upperline 1413 Upperline St., 891-9822, Uptown, Upperline.com. D Wed-Sun. Consummate hostess JoAnn Clevenger and talented chef Dave Bridges make for a winning combination at this nationally heralded Uptown favorite, New Orleans Magazine’s 2012 Honor Roll winner. The oft-copied Fried Green Tomatoes with Shrimp Remoulade originated here. $$$$

Vega Tapas Café 2051 Metairie Road, 836-2007, Metairie. D Mon-Sat. Innovative establishment offers fresh seafood, grilled meats and vegetarian dishes in a chic environment. Daily chef specials showcase unique ingredients and make this place a popular destination for dates as well as groups of friends. $$

Venezia 134 N. Carrollton Ave., 488-7991, Mid-City, VeneziaNewOrleans.com. L Wed-Fri & Sun, D Wed-Sun. Casual neighborhood Italian destination known for its thin-crust

Ye Olde College Inn 3000 S. Carrollton Ave., 866-3683, Uptown, CollegeInn1933. com. D Tue-Sat. The institution moved next door into brand-new digs but serves up the same classic fare, albeit with a few new upscale dishes peppering the menu. $$$

Yuki Izakaya 525 Frenchmen St., 9431122, Marigny. D daily. Authentic Japanese Izakaya serves small plates to late-night crowds at this unique destination. Try the Hokke Fish or the Agedashi Tofu. An excellent sake menu rounds out the appeal, as does the sexy, club-like ambiance. $ Zea’s Rotisserie and Bar 1525 St. Charles Ave., Lower Garden District, 520-8100; 1655 Hickory Ave, Harahan, 738-0799; 4450 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 780-9090; 1325 West Esplanade, Kenner, 468-7733; 1121 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey, 361-8293; 110 Lake Drive, Covington, (985) 327-0520, ZeaRestaurants.com. L, D daily. This popular restaurant serves a variety of grilled items as well as appetizers, salads, side dishes, sea-

food, pasta and other entrées, drawing from a wide range of worldly influences. Zea’s also offers catering services. $$$

Zoë Restaurant W New Orleans Hotel, 333 Poydras St., 2nd Floor, 207-5018, ZoeNewOrleans.com. B, L daily. Completely redone in both décor and cuisine, each section features a separate menu by executive chef Chris Brown. $$$

SPECIALTY FOODS Antoine’s Annex 513 Royal St., 525-8045, French Quarter, Antoines.com/AntoinesAnnex. Open daily. Around the corner from the oldest continuously operated restaurant in the country, Antoine’s Annex serves French pastries, including individual baked Alaskas, ice cream and gelato, as well as panini, salads and coffee. They also deliver. Bee Sweet Cupcakes 5706 Magazine St., 891-8333, Uptown, BeeSweetCupcakes.net. Open Mon-Sat. Tiny shop sells its namesake treats with a New Orleans twist. Try the Bananas Foster or the Pralines and Cream flavors. Daily specials are offered, as well as catering orders for weddings and parties. Bittersweet Confections 725 Magazine St., 523-2626, Warehouse District, BittersweetConfections.com. Open MonSat. Freshly baked cookies, cupcakes and specialty cakes. Serving handmade chocolate truffles, fudge, caramels, gelato, ice coffee, chocolate-dipped strawberries and freshly squeezed lemonade. Children’s birthday parties, chocolate tasting parties, custom chocolates and truffle party bar. Call for details. Blue Dot Donuts 4301 Canal St., 2184866, Mid-City, BlueDotDonuts.com. B, L daily. Heard the one about the cops that

opened a donut shop? This is no joke. The Bacon Maple Long John gets all the press, but returning customers are happy with the classics as well as twists like peanut butter and jelly. New Orleans Magazine’s 2012 Doughnut Shop of the Year.

Blue Frog Chocolates 5707 Magazine St., 269-5707, Uptown, BlueFrogChocolate.com. Open daily. French and Belgian chocolate truffles and Italian candy flowers make this boutique a great place for gifts. Calcasieu 930 Tchoupitoulas St., 588-2188, Warehouse District, CalcasieuRooms.com. Located in the second floor of a renovated warehouse, above Cochon and Cochon Butcher, is a place to host gatherings both large and small. Catering menus feature modern Louisiana cooking and the Cajun cuisine for which chef Donald Link is justifiably famous.

Magic Seasonings Mail Order (800) 4572857. Offers chef Paul Prudhomme’s famous cookbooks, smoked meats, videos, seasonings and more. Online shopping available at shop. ChefPaul.com/Seasonings. St. James Cheese Company 5004 Prytania St., 899-4737, Uptown, StJamesCheese.com. Open daily. Specialty shop offers a selection of fine cheeses, wines, beers and related accouterments. Look for wine and cheese specials every Friday.

Sucré 3025 Magazine St., 520-8311; 3301 Veterans Blvd., 834-2277; ShopSucre.com. Desserts daily & nightly. Open late weekends. Chocolates, pastry and gelato draw rave reviews at this new dessert destination. Beautiful packaging makes this a great place to shop for gifts. Catering available.

myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

EYE CONTACT There is so much energy in New Orleans these days with new people doing new things that keeping up with them all could be a full time obsession. By comparison, our method is modest but sincere as we present a sample of the newly notables. We define “People to Watch” as mostly new faces who are doing something interesting with their lives that’s worthy of your awareness, or in some cases, familiar faces moving in different directions. As always, we concede that there are many other watch-worthy people out there. We are interested in them all, and we’ll keep an eye open.

Profiles by Haley Adams,

Our 2013 Class 88

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myneworleans.com

Shannon Donaldson, Lauren LaBorde, Morgan Packard and Nina Takahashi

Brian Bordainick and Francisco “Paco” Robert Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Culinary Officer, Dinner Lab

Christine Alexis

Owner, Culture Shock, LLC After Christine Alexis graduated from Loyola University, she noticed the job market wasn’t too great. Instead, she decided to start a business inspired by the gifts she had obtained from her travels abroad. Culture Shock, LLC, was born; now it’s an online store where women can find special pieces from around the world. Culture Shock sells jewelry, clothing and accessories from countries Alexis has visited and where she’s made contacts, but it also features ethnic-inspired jewelry Alexis has designed herself. She has plans to grow her business online, and would like to see her pieces in department stores. In the near future, she’s looking forward to the launch of the Naturally Creole line of Culture Shock and she’ll be traveling to Costa Rica and Morocco. “I’ve been very fortunate to travel and learn about other cultures and ways of life,” she says. “Everyday I try to expose my customers to other cultures and educate them about the importance of cultural acceptance. I whole-heartedly believe that when somebody learns about and accepts other cultures, they’ll truly begin to appreciate their own.” While her biggest challenge is competing with larger companies that have invested a lot more money than she has, Alexis considers having the courage to start her own business her greatest accomplishment. “I was at home one day analyzing the pros and the cons of starting my own business, and I realized that the biggest factor that outweighed all the others was regret,” she says. “I would rather start a business and fail than to not even try.” – H.A.

New Orleans has recently become enamored with pop-up restaurants, but Dinner Lab takes that trend to a new level: How about dining in a deconsecrated curch? Dinner Lab is the brainchild of Brian Bordainick, a social entrepreneur who has appeared on the Forbes “30 Under 30” list, and Francisco “Paco” Robert, a business and culinary school grad who has worked as a sous chef and as a restaurant consultant. The membership-based concept stages one-night-only meals in interesting spaces – that aren’t revealed to diners until the day of the event – featuring a menu of global cuisine prepared by an up-and-coming chef. With Dinner Lab’s global focus, Bordainick and Robert hope to expand New Orleans’ culinary offerings. “Part of the original concept evolved out of the idea of bringing more diversity to the food scene in New Orleans,” Robert says. “Yet, we still live in a melting pot with young chefs from all over the world working in our kitchens.” That is another focus of Dinner Lab: to give the sous chefs, sauciers, line cooks and chefs de cuisine toiling in the kitchens of New Orleans’ “brand name” chefs a chance to shine. As a bonus, Dinner Lab – which has since expanded to Nashville and Austin – brings together a variety of people who share a love of food and drink. “We are part of the fortunate few that get to make their living on bringing together people over food and wine,” Bordainick says. “Doesn’t get much better than that.” – N.T.

Kim Cook

President and CEO, Arts Council of New Orleans Kim Cook is the newly appointed president and CEO of the Arts Council of New Orleans. Her current energies lie in creating platforms for local artists to be recognized on a national and international stage, and engaging the city’s youth in the design of civic projects that positively impact their neighborhoods and cultivate their individual skills. Through spreading awareness and support for art and culture as instrumental factors in making a city functional, Cook aims to “elevate an understanding of how art and culture intersect with all aspects of a healthy community.” She cites her biggest personal accomplishment to date as being able to connect choreographer Bill “Crutchmaster” Shannon to Cirque du Soleil, effectively launching his career with the internationally renowned FrenchCanadian circus. Cook’s background will be invaluable in navigating the many cultural nuances of the city and in creating longlasting ties with its community. Cook was selected as a Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Fellow. She was also an employee of the Nonprofit Finance Fund where she worked with more than 100 nonprofit cultural organizations to re-structure and balance their business models. So what’s in store for this determined new president? For now, she aims to settle into New Orleans and get to know the city she will soon greatly impact. – N.T.

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SEPTEMBER 2013

Allan A. Pizzato

Bruce Spizer

Lawyer and Beatles author/historian Bruce Spizer maintains two careers: a lawyer and a Beatles author and historian – or as he puts it, “a ‘taxman’ by day and ‘paperback writer’ by night.” He has written nine books on the Fab Four, and with the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ arrival in America coming up in February 2014, he’s going to be a busy man. While Spizer has been running his own law practice since 1984, he’s been a Beatles fan since he was a kid. “I became a Beatles fan from the moment I first heard ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ on the Newman school bus radio back in January ’64,” he says. For the 50th anniversary, Spizer will be in New York presenting at the Fest for Beatles Fans, speaking at a Beatles exhibit opening sponsored by the Grammy museum and making national television appearances. He is also working on plans to celebrate the anniversary of the Beatles’ New Orleans concert, which took place Sept. 16, 1964. While you might think the life of a lawyer would be very different from the life of a Beatles expert, Spizer has found similarities between the two. “I decided to become a lawyer because I enjoy solving problems, assisting others and settling disputes,” he says. “I approach research and writing Beatles books the same way I prepare for a lawsuit, starting with the discovery process of reviewing documents and interviewing people, and then putting it all together in a clear and convincing matter that’s easy to read and follow.” – H.A.

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Ashlee Arceneaux

Owner and Artist, Smallchalk If you’ve visited a hip coffee shop or eatery around town, chances are you’ve noticed chalkboards that go beyond mere listings of menu items. That is the work of artist Ashlee Arceneaux, owner of Smallchalk, whose flourishes and charming illustrations can bring life to even the most basic list of coffee drinks. Smallchalk provides custom chalk signage for: clients; individuals needing signage for weddings and other events; and even ESPN, who commissioned custom chalkboards to be shown on “Sunday NFL Countdown.” During a string of bar and restaurant jobs, Arceneaux realized she had a knack for creating interesting chalk signs at these places. After a friend opened a restaurant and asked her to draw his menu on a wall painted with chalk paint, she began to get noticed for her work and was able to foray that talent into a business. In addition, Arceneaux is the store artist at the Metairie Whole Foods Market, often working 50to 60-hour weeks. She is also working with a local carpenter to design a line of hand-constructed chalkboards, easels and table-top chalkboards that will be available for purchase or rent, offering boards and designs as a package. “My favorite thing about what I do is the fact that every day and every project is different. I’ve gotten a chance to work with a variety of clients on a variety of commissions,” Arceneaux says. “It also feels really great to create big, bold pieces of art that get looked at every day by lots of people.” – L.L.

President and General Manager, WYES-TV and YES Productions Allan A. Pizzato was a freshman in high school when he first realized his admiration for the world of television. “I fell in love with the technology of television, even more so than the impact it could have on people,” he says. Now as the new president and general manager at WYES-TV and YES Productions, Pizzato is impacting the New Orleans area with the power of the small screen. Previously the executive director of Alabama Public Television, Pizzato started at WYES Jan. 7, 2013. “I have been focused on taking WYES, an already vibrant and important part of the New Orleans community, and moving from being an excellent educational public television station to being an educational multimedia resource to the New Orleans community and region,” he says. One of the highlights coming up for WYES is the coverage of New Orleans’ upcoming tricentennial. WYES is currently working on an in-depth documentary, a coffee table book, web content and more to celebrate the milestone. “WYES is our storyteller, preserving our history through the creation of award-winning documentaries,” he says. “We are working to increase our capacity to tell great stories about our wonderful, unique region.” Pizzato is also looking forward to the results of a partnership with the National World War II Museum to create educational content for schools; he’s also excited about the planning and building of “phase 2” of WYES’ new building which will, Pizzato says, “allow us to interact more with the community and expand our production capacity.” – H.A.

Melissa Beese

Founder and Owner, Little Pnuts In June 2012, a former senior account executive at a major advertising agency, Melissa Beese, launched Little Pnuts, a sustainable, eco-friendly, organic toy company for children. Little Pnuts was created following the challenges she faced as the mother of a premature baby. When her oldest son, Tristan, was born at 24 weeks, he was labeled a “micro-preemie” and was faced with daily therapy for the first three years of his life. When her second son, Finn, was also born premature at 34 weeks, Beese was only further inspired to build a brand based on healthy, natural ways of creating playtime. Identifying a need for natural, handmade educational toys, Beese founded Little Pnuts, which operates on a subscription system, sending special deliveries to doorsteps every quarter. “I actually didn’t choose what I do; my career chose me. Through the experiences and challenges of raising a micropreemie, Little Pnuts was inspired,” Beese says. “I wanted to help other parents find the best toys world wide to provide their Little Pnuts the optimal tools to enhance learning through play.” Today, both of Beese’s sons are strong and healthy, continually inspiring Beese to grow her business and help children everywhere. Little Pnuts has plans to expand and has garnered national attention from parents with similar needs. “I never dreamt that I would own an amazing toy company that brings joy and laughter to children worldwide, and yet,” Beese says, “through the birth of Tristan and all the challenges we faced … he inspired a dream come true.” – S.D.

Neil Barclay

Lee Hamm, M.D.

Senior Vice President and Dean, Tulane University School of Medicine After wearing many hats at Tulane University’s Medical School, Dr. Lee Hamm has found the one that fits him best. As of July, the former professor of medicine and physiology, Nephrology and Hypertension Department Chief, Interim Vice Dean, and most recently, Executive Vice Dean, Hamm is the Senior Vice President and Dean of Tulane’s School of Medicine. In his new position, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical School graduate aims to “Help make Tulane’s School of Medicine the best possible,” and to “Focus on our central missions of education, research and clinical care.” These goals aren’t surprising coming from a man who, despite his lengthy list of prestigious medical accolades, cites his biggest accomplishment as “helping with Tulane’s renaissance after Katrina.” Hamm, who joined Tulane’s faculty in 1992 from a professor position at Washington University in St. Louis’ Medical School, says that in addition to being able to work with “the extraordinary people of Tulane and New Orleans,” his favorite part of his job is that the “fascinating mixture of missions of education, cutting-edge research and quality clinical care are everything.” Hamm, who has spent the past year focused on recruiting top-notch doctors and scientists to Tulane’s Medical School, hopes to continue the institution’s legacy as a leading educational destination in the South. – S.D.

Executive Director, Contemporary Arts Center With a varied background that includes earning a law degree, experience as a singer and actor and work as an art consultant, Neil Barclay’s new role as executive director of the Contemporary Arts Center – a center that has housed such multidisciplinary fare as multimedia art installations, dance performances, film screenings and avant-garde children’s theater – seems fitting. “I have worked in the cultural sector for most of my career,” Barclay says. “I was classically trained in theater and voice, and have most enjoyed working closely with artists from all artistic disciplines to realize their creative visions.” Before taking the CAC position, Barclay was a senior consultant at the West Hollywood, Calif.-based Arts Consulting Group. Before that he served as associate director of the University of Texas at Austin’s Performing Arts Center and was founding president and CEO of the August Wilson Center in Pittsburgh. He was also the engine behind the completion of capital development, operations and fundraising plans for Los Angeles’ historic Vision Theater. Barclay has big plans for his CAC tenure. “My short-term goal is to guide the CAC in its efforts to become the best multi-disciplinary arts organization of its kind, not just in the United States but the world,” he says. “I’m mostly looking forward to the worldclass performances and exhibitions the CAC will be bringing to New Orleans audiences.” – L.L.

myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

Lagniappe Brass Band Mario Abney (trumpet), Joshua Brown (tuba), Roy Lancaster (trombone), Joshua Marotta (drums), Chet Overall (tenor sax, founder), Rob Walker (trombone) and James Williams (trumpet) In October 2010, Chet Overall decided to form a highenergy brass band. In their own words: “The sticky, fried catfish scented air is the funk that New Orleans’ own Lagniappe Brass Band breathes. (It) hits hard with its uptempo, high energy funk that makes asses shake and sweat glands sweat.” Logging more than 250 shows a year both nationally and internationally, the seven-member band plays small, smoke-filled bars and in front of thousands at festivals, and boast of their “undeniable, massive wall of sound,” backed by an “infectious Afro-Cuban bass drum pulse

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myneworleans.com

that alone is the foundation for dancing,” Overall says. This past year alone, the band has learned about “contracts with big networks, (working with) big corporations (they appeared on “America’s Got Talent”) and finding the right people to do the job.” They have reached out to several people, including Jenny Tripkovich, to aid in their promotion and booking. In addition, they were selected by the Krewe of Endymion to serenade Grand Marshal Kelly Clarkson on her float during the parade, played numerous venues during the national NCAA Women’s Final Four and recently returned from several gigs around Spain. – M.P.

Joseph F. Toomy

Ron Maestri

Head Baseball Coach, University of New Orleans In trying to resurrect the University of New Orleans’ baseball program, who better to recruit than the person considered responsible for leading the team to its former greatness? Under Ron Maestri, who coached the UNO Privateers from 1972-’85 before serving as the school’s athletics director, the team advanced to the Division I College World Series – a first for a Louisiana team. After spending 30 years at UNO, Maestri went on to become the COO of the New Orleans Zephyrs. Maestri was among the many who were disappointed when UNO dropped out of the Division I classification, but now that the school has reverted to its former classification Maestri was asked to come back and rebuild the team. “My long-term goal is to help restore the baseball program the pride and enthusiasm it once had. In the short term I want to recruit the kind of athlete who has a vision of improving as a player, developing pride in UNO as we all remember it and graduating,” he says. “I want them to enjoy the game while they’re here.” Maestri’s first game as coach will be Feb. 14, 2014. With the benefit of his experiences, perhaps he can create a baseball program that’s even better than fans remember it. “I’m looking forward to working with the players, and also with the staff and faculty at UNO, who previously gave me 30 wonderful years,” he says. “How many times do you get the chance to ‘do it over again’ when you’re older, hopefully wiser and with a different perspective?” – L.L.

Chairman of the Board of the Commissioners, Port of New Orleans The Mississippi River has played a big role in the history of New Orleans – both literally and figuratively – and Joseph F. Toomy knows all about it. He has sat on the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans since March 2009, and the board elected him chairman in December 2012. Toomy’s experience in the maritime industry comes from his genes, as his father worked on both the Hudson River and the Mississippi River. Toomy also worked on barges and travelled on international cargo ships in high school and college. His background helped him develop an appreciation for the river and its impact on New Orleans. “It’s very humbling to play a leadership role in a sector that’s an essential part of who we are as New Orleanians,” he says. Toomy, who also served as a state representative in the Louisiana legislature from 1984 to 2008, has big plans to help the riverfront get to its “full potential.” Projects include building a third cruise terminal, as well as redeveloping wharfs that aren’t currently usable. There is also a plan to meet the Port’s goal of handling 1 million containers per year, which is double what it handles now. In addition, he has been instrumental in starting the Port’s environmental office, which will help shippers reduce their carbon footprint. “I view this effort as a continuation of the work that the Port does,” he says, “to be a good neighbor in our community.” – H.A.

LaShawna Schofield

Executive Director, Raintree Children & Family Services Having worked at Raintree Children & Family Services, a nonprofit that strives to provide an array of services to the community in order to “create opportunities for independent lives,” since 2007 in multiple positions, Schofield has always enjoyed helping others. While attending high school at Xavier Prep she became a peer counselor and went on to study Counseling Education at the University of New Orleans. Once she became a professional counselor she found herself, “wanting to concentrate on children” and how she “could make an impact on their lives.” “Once arriving at Raintree,” she says, “I was able to work with troubled youth on a daily basis and felt this was where I was most needed. I choose to work with children who experience emotional, behavioral and developmental challenges. They are less heard and often overlooked. I love seeing them smile when they’ve accomplished something that others might take for granted.” At Raintree, she plans to: increase long term permanency outcomes for children in foster care; continue helping families meet the challenges of caring for children who experience developmental delays (through their Family Support Coordination program); recruit additional families to foster and adopt; and increase support to families with children in need of early intervention services. In addition, a new portion of programing will begin this fall to “further educate and support families whose children experience developmental delays.” When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Derrick Bennett, and her stepdaughters, Domonique and Demi. – M.P.

myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

Pearce Grieshaber

Owner and Editor, Once Upon a Home Pearce Grieshaber is fascinated with our city’s history. When his parents were renovating their Uptown home in 2006, he found a piece of newspaper in the wall dated 1885. As a gift to them, he researched the history of their house and created a “tailor-made narrative” of the home from the time it was grazing lands more than 200 years ago to the house it is today. He created Once Upon a Home to write detailed histories of local houses, coordinating research and layout to produce illustrated hardcovers for the homeowners, making it convenient for them to share their house’s story with friends and guests. “My favorite moments happen when I find pictures or stories that really shed light on a house or building’s narrative,” he says. “Our city’s history isn’t limited to gregarious personalities.” It is also “… the maritime engineer who made his living salvaging ships from the bottom of the Mississippi River.” Moving forward he hopes to expand the size of his publishing staff to meet increased volume, including the posters that he has recently completed for local businesses, as well as continuing as a member of the New Orleans Fire Department. “It’s one thing to have the information out there, it’s another to locate it, process it, write about it, edit it and lay it all out to create a compelling story,” he says. “People often say. ‘If these walls could talk …’” Through Once Upon a Home walls do talk, and Grieshaber gives them a voice. – M.P.

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Joel M. Hamilton

Vice President, Audubon Nature Institute; General Curator, Audubon Zoo Joel M. Hamilton got into the zoo business to work around exotic animals, to both take care of them in captivity and to make a difference in the world people and animals share. That is exactly what he’s doing as the general curator of Audubon Zoo and as a vice president for the Audubon Nature Institute. Hamilton took over at the Audubon Zoo in January 2013. He previously served as the zoo director of Salisbury Zoological Park in Salisbury, Md., but he has been a part of several different conservation programs. “One of the most rewarding was assisting scientists in Amazonia Peru in doing a population study of birds,” he says. “This work combined with the data from the other scientists resulted in the Peruvian government setting aside the research site as a national park.” In New Orleans, Hamilton is looking forward to the new elephant and orangutan exhibits at the zoo, which are scheduled to be completed in 2014. He is also excited to see “The Alliance for Sustainable Wildlife, a partnership between the Audubon Nature Institute and San Diego Zoo Global to create a breeding center for rare species in Algiers, come to fruition.” “My long-term goal is to be part of a major zoological facility that is dedicated to the environment, conservation and teaching guests about it,” he says. “That is one of the reasons why I joined the Audubon team.” – H.A.

Dana Reed

Director, Hope Stone Kids New Orleans Before landing in New Orleans, Dana Reed danced her way from her hometown of Meridian, Miss., all the way up to New York City, with a few stops in Asia and Europe along the way. Reed started her latest dance project from scratch in 2010 with Hope Stone Kids New Orleans, a nonprofit that provides after school dance and arts programs to area children. Since its founding, Hope Stone has grown from 23 children in its first summer camp to more than 250 children during the ’12-’13 school year and is now based in NOLA Spaces on Toledano Street. At Hope Stone, 90 percent of area children receive scholarships for free or reduced tuition. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2003 with a degree in dance education, Reed moved to New York City to pursue a professional dance career. From there, she established her adult dance company, Alternative Collaborations Dance, which she has brought to New Orleans as well. Reed considers building the arts program at Hope Stone New Orleans as her greatest accomplishment, and is grateful to be surrounded by a team of educators who are as passionate about arts education as she is. “Personally, I owe my success to my involvement in the arts, because they gave me self-confidence and determination,” Reed says. “No matter the odds, I persist; dance has given me that. I find it so important to teach these values to our youth. I’m showing them that you can be successful in what you love doing.” – S.D.

Cassie and Candace Bienvenu

Co-owners and buyers, Candy Apple Candace Bienvenu decided to channel her love of fashion through Candy Apple, a “blog shop” on Facebook where she sold jewelry she made herself. The idea took off and now Candace, and her sister, Cassie, have plans to open a Candy Apple brick and mortar store in Metairie this month. Candace started the Candy Apple blog shop in March 2012. In addition to her jewelry, she was selling purses and clothing, with everything costing $60 or less. Within the first few months, she was selling out of everything. “I soon realized our shoppers made decisions in minutes, not hours, because everything was reasonably priced,” she says. As the small business grew, Cassie joined Candy Apple in June 2012 and the two sisters started hosting several pop-up shops, inspired by similar events Candace had seen while living in New York City as well as flash sales online. The combination took off, thanks to heavy social media marketing on Facebook and Instagram. Being sisters, one of the biggest challenges the two faced in the last year was finding the balance between business and family and making a business partnership work. But sibling rivalry hasn’t seemed to slow them down; they’re proud they’re taking “Candy Apple to the next level as a team;” and they’re elated that their dream of opening their own boutique is finally happening. The sisters say they choose to live by the motto, “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” – H.A.

William Pittman Andrews

Stirling Barrett Owner and founder, KREWE du optic Luxury frames are in, as evidenced by the ubiquity of the vintage chic eyewear of Warby Parker and the perennial favorite Ray Bans. Stirling Barrett is making it possible to sport stylish glasses and support a local business with KREWE du optic, his homegrown eyewear brand. An artist and photographer known for his photo collages of New Orleans houses and his printmaking work, Barrett saw designing sunglasses as a natural progression as an artist. “The same artistic consideration and process goes into designing the line as composing a photograph,” he says. KREWE offers its own takes on classic styles like the “P3” and “Wayfarer” with New Orleans-centric names including Calliope, Toulouse and The Fly. The line is available online and in some local boutiques. Barrett used musicians Meschiya Lake, Charles Lumar II, Luke Winslow King and other locals as models for KREWE’s website, and in the future he’d like to partner with New Orleans artists to design frames and cases. The city’s “casual-in-character attitude” is the main inspiration for the line, but Barrett sees KREWE becoming a brand known outside the city. “I’d love to see KREWE grow into a global and recognizable product,” he says. “I want to expand past the city, but always maintain the integrity of being a New Orleans-based and inspired brand.” – L.L.

Director, Ogden Museum of Southern Art As the Director of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, William Andrews not only provides leadership and administration, he’s also responsible for the museum’s intellectual and aesthetic philosophy; advocates for the museum and its mission; works closely with the Board of Trustees and staff to provide ongoing strategic planning; works with the staff to create exhibitions, programs and events that appeal to a diverse community; and works further the museum’s mission. “I have worked in galleries and museums for nearly 20 years,” Andrews says, adding that he’s “passionate about the region’s history, geography and culture – the art of the American South.” Andrews is an artist himself, maintaining a studio and seeing his art included in exhibitions at Octavia Gallery and, “in a recent exhibition called ‘Pencil Pushed’ at the University of Tennessee, which was about non-traditional drawing practices.” This past August marked the museum’s 10th anniversary, and with more than 40,000 people visiting each year, Andrews says its primary goal is to remain relevant, “to actively engage the audience and to be good stewards of the resources you have been entrusted care of,” while creating a “participatory experience” where people come to “do things together as a community.” A particular accomplishment this year, Andrews says, was receiving the Sweet Home New Orleans Empower Musicians award for “Best Music Business Practices.” Because the museum employs around 400 musicians a year, “being recognized for our support of Southern musicians and their music is gratifying.” – M.P.

myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

Joel Dinerstein Rebecca A. Burt

Metalsmith Rebecca Burt was the kid “who always had a pocket full of rocks and shells and strange pieces of wood or plastic.” As a metalsmith, she specializes in the “odd and eclectic” and her one-of-a-kind pieces portray a “juxtaposition of smoothness with textures, round shapes with points, static with motion.” Her pieces tend to combine traditional metals, including copper, silver and brass, with found objects such as poker chips and watch parts. Her pieces also often incorporate keum boo, a Korean technique that fuses 24 karat gold to silver, as well as incorporating textures achieved through roller printing, forging, reticulation, stamping, filing, chasing, soldering, repoussé (which involves hammering on the wrong side) and wrapping. In addition to working on a set of larger pieces for a gallery show later this fall, she’s also continuing a series of pieces that feature King Cake babies, “I want to continue revealing their exploits,” she shares. In addition to displaying her works at festivals, art markets and galleries throughout Louisiana and multiple states, Burt also teaches jewelry making at The New Orleans School of Art and Craft in Bywater. Teaching, she says, allows her “the opportunity to educate people in techniques and help them learn for themselves that they, too, can create art.” In addition, she “would like to establish a permanent working studio for metal artists where they can share studio time and space as a less expensive alternative to establishing their own studios and have access to visiting artists in other fields.” – M.P.

Director, Tulane University’s Center for the Gulf South; Curator and Historian of American Cool Joel Dinerstein is “passionate about the art and complexity of American popular culture, especially when revealed in historical context,” which he “teaches to pass it on.” For the past nearly 30 years, Dinerstein has been using popular, “specifically, AfricanAmerican music,” to create a more accurate narrative of American history. “Through music,” he says, “I create pathways for understanding that the United States has always been a multi-ethnic, multiracial society.” His first book, Swinging the Machine: Modernity, Technology and African-American Culture Between the World Wars, is a cultural history of jazz and industrialization, and won the prestigious Kayden Book Prize in 2004, an award given to the best book on the humanities published by an academic press. He has lectured on “cool” all over the country and Europe, which will culminate on Feb. 7, 2014, when the exhibit he co-curated, American Cool, will open at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery. This photography and American Studies exhibit will “attempt to define the elusive concept of cool through 100 icons of American culture.” Sponsored by The History Channel, it will run until midSeptember. His next book, American Cool (Prestel) is the museum catalogue and will be out Feb. 1. In addition, at Tulane University, Dinerstein is facilitating the Gulf South Center’s building of a website, with the help of a grant from the Music-Rising Foundation, to be called Music-Rising at Tulane, which will serve as a portal for understanding the music, dance and ritual of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region through academic frameworks. – M.P.

Marguerite Green

Manager of Press St. Gardens, The NOCCA Institute “I think some people are just born plant people. They know each other when they see each other,” Marguerite Green says. “There’s just something about growing that compels me to want to do it every hour of every day.” It is perfect, then, that Green is now the manager of Press St. Gardens, a half-acre garden space The NOCCA Institute is developing to serve as an outdoor classroom for students and to provide produce for the institute’s culinary arts department’s food truck, which will be located in the garden, as well as for local markets and restaurants. The institute plans for the garden to be open every day, selling flowers and produce, and for the food truck to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Before taking on the position in May, Green served as a staff educator for Teaching Responsible Earth Education (T.R.E.E.), which provides outdoor education programs to children, and started her own horticulture business. At NOCCA she will oversee all agricultural operations, create educational programs for students and the public and market produce to area farmers markets and restaurants. “Choosing to support these operations isn’t always easier for you as a consumer, but it helps build a system where it can be later down the line,” Green says. “When you can purchase something, anything, made in Louisiana or the Gulf South, rather than overseas, it sends a message to us, the producers, that you want these operations to continue.” – L.L.

Billy Bosch

CEO and Co-Founder, Be Well Nutrition, Inc. New Orleans is certainly known for cocktails, but thanks to Billy Bosch, CEO and cofounder of Be Well Nutrition, the city is now getting recognition for a different sort of drink. Bosch and his business partner, Matt Mouras, have teamed up with Molly Kimball, lead nutritionist at Oschner’s Elmwood Fitness Center, to create ICONIC – a natural, healthy beverage that promises to create healthy energy, satisfy hunger and enhance focus. “There was a gap in the market for a product that didn’t exist, a drink that’s healthy, filling, and of course, tasty,” Bosch says. “Most drinks are loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients, or don’t provide the qualities I needed to fuel a typical person’s busy day in a healthy way. That’s how ICONIC was created.” ICONIC is currently offered in chocolate truffle, pure vanilla bean and wild strawberry flavors. While he admits that the challenges that arise with a startup can be rough, Bosch has already reached milestones that many small business owners only dream of. In 2013 alone, Be Well and ICONIC won first place prizes in the Jefferson Economic Development Commission’s Cordina Challenge and the Tulane Business Plan Competition, and Bosch was named a “Top 30 Under 30” for New Orleans by Under30Ceo.com. With ICONIC on shelves in more than 20 stores, including Rouses and Robért Fresh Market in the Greater New Orleans area, Bosch has plans to expand even further. In the meantime, he suggests, “Try an ICONIC. If you don’t like it, your next drink is on us.” – S.D.

Jerry Bologna

Executive Director, Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission After serving Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission for 12 years in various capacities, most recently as Deputy Director, Jerry Bologna feels equipped to take Jefferson Parish to the next level as JEDCO’s’s newly appointed Executive Director. “My long term goal is to make sure that the economic landscape of Jefferson Parish remains the most vibrant and diverse in the state of Louisiana,” he says, “Towards that end, this year has already been one of the most successful in JEDCO’s history.” Under Bologna’s leadership, JEDCO, with community and political support, has been able to attract national headquarters, international production facilities, new retailers and service firms to the area. “I would say my greatest accomplishment has been taking over a mature organization – the only local accredited economic development organization in the state – and achieving that organization’s most successful year in nearly every measurable category in just six months,” he says. On top of JEDCO’s successes under his command, Bologna’s personal successes with the organization are notable as well. This year he made the inaugural “40 under 40” international list of economic developers by Development Counsellors International, and in 2011 he was named the International Economic Development Council’s “New Economic Development Professional of the Year.” But Bologna’s drive to do his job right goes much deeper. “Not many people get to go to work every morning knowing that their efforts that day are going to have an impact on the future of the community in which they live,” he says. – S.D.

Jackie Sumell

Artist and Activist, Herman’s House Film and Project Like others, Jackie Sumell has a prison pen pal. But her friend Herman Wallace is a part of the “Angola Three,” a group of inmates who were linked to the death of a prison guard – despite any physical evidence of their role in the murder – and given solitary confinement. Wallace has lived in his tiny cell for more than 41 years. In a letter in 2003, Sumell posed a question meant to trigger Wallace’s imagination: “What kind of house does a man who has lived in a six-foot-by-nine-foot box for over 30 years dream of?” This question has inspired an art project that was exhibited at Prospect.1 and around the world, a book containing excerpts of their letters, the documentary Herman’s House, which premiered on PBS in July, and a plan to build the house of Wallace’s dreams. Sumell is working to raise the money to build the house, which would serve as a community center before Wallace’s release. She is also working with activists that include Amnesty International to give Wallace freedom, a goal that has become more important: Wallace was diagnosed with liver cancer in June. Sumell is devoted to fighting for Wallace’s release, building his dream home and working against what she sees as a criminal justice system rife with inequalities, but it isn’t always easy. “It’s a delicate balance between exhaustion and frustration,” Sumell says. “That means I practice a lot of yoga in the short term.” – L.L.

myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

Kelly Fouchi and Gary Rucker

Artistic and Managing Directors, Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts What Kelly Fouchi and Gary Rucker have already accomplished as the new artistic and managing directors of the Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts is impressive. Their list of accomplishments in their first year with the theater includes producing 13 shows, renovating and reinstating the children’s theater and upgrading the technical equipment. But they see this as only the beginning. Fouchi and Rucker have been around the New Orleans performing arts scene for a while, as both attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and have performed at every major theater in the New Orleans area. The two founded FourFront Theatre in 2008 and then Theatre 13 in ’09. In ’12, Theatre 13 became the managing theater company of The Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts, which is owned by the city of Kenner. Fouchi and Rucker say the secret to their successful first year was being hard on themselves and setting high standards. “Our biggest challenge of the last year was starting from scratch … and letting people know the theater was open and the game had changed,” Fouchi says. The first season received positive reviews and good attendance, but Rucker and Fouchi continue to set new goals such as building a larger season ticket base and appealing to a younger audience. They are also looking for corporate sponsors to help continue to upgrade the productions and the theater’s equipment. “Our sophomore season is more ambitious than our first “ Fouchi says, “and we plan to continue to raise the bar.” – H.A.

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Herreast J. Harrison

Founder and Program Director, Guardians Institute While some 76-year-olds might choose to retire and live a life of relaxation, Herreast J. Harrison is in no way relaxing. As the founder and program director of the Guardians Institute, a volunteer organization in the 9th Ward that helps promote literacy and physical fitness among kids, she’s devoting much of her time to helping her community through spreading the love of reading. Herreast is the widow of the late Big Chief Donald Harrison Sr., a famous Mardi Gras Indian who loved to read. He passed away in 1998; she started the Guardians Institute in 2006 in his honor. Through The Big Chief Donald Harrison Sr., Book Club, Harrison has been able to put “high quality literature into the hands of children,” she says. In 2011 she received the Director’s Community Leadership Award for New Orleans, which was presented to her in Washington D.C., for how her “efforts have helped provide at-risk children a chance to succeed.” One of her biggest challenges in the last year was maintaining community outreach while securing funds to open the Donald Harrison Sr., Museum, but she persevered and the museum was finished in 2013. The official opening is set to happen around Mardi Gras 2014. She is also proud her group has distributed more than 33,000 books valued at more than $400,000 to area school children through educational programming. At 76 years old, Harrison says she’ll continue to enhance the lives of children because, she says, “The joy of seeing a child flip through the pages of the book warms my heart.” – H.A.

CJ Hunt and Kyle June Williams

Creators and actors, Sunken City web series Two of the characters CJ Hunt and Kyle June Williams portray in Sunken City are a pair of style-over-substance entrepreneurs peddling a bogus startup. The actors behind the characters, though, couldn’t be any more different: the two have worked hard to create, star in and secure funding for their New Orleans-based comedy web series. “I have to constantly remind myself that great comedies like ‘Arrested Development’ are made not simply by a good concept, but by people choosing to put off the laundry, hunker down in a coffee shop and write, write, write,” Hunt says. Williams echoes that: “We are proud to be apart of a generation who doesn’t wait for opportunity – we make it.” Williams is a NYU-trained actor from Florida; Hunt is a comedian from Illinois. Both moved to New Orleans — where Williams would work as an actor and Hunt would eventually help found The New Movement comedy theater – and both fell in love with the city. The series follows three sets of New Orleans characters, all played by Hunt and Williams: besides the entrepreneurs, there’s the owners of a French Quarter ghost tour business and a couple who aspires to Carnival royalty. The pilot premiered in June, and recently the pair met their $10,000 Kickstarter funding goal to film the rest of the six-episode season, which is slated to premiere this fall. Hunt and Williams plan to submit the series to film festivals and hope for it to get picked up by a national network. – L.L.

Morgan Molthrop

Curry W. Smith

Executive Director, Young Leadership Council The new executive director of the Young Leadership Council has no easy task achieving the successful execution of the major projects for which the nonprofit is known. The YLC has taken on such projects as the Wednesday at the Square concert series as well as successfully advocating for and funding the installation of lights on the Crescent City Expressway. Prior to his arrival with YLC, Smith was no stranger to promoting civic-minded progress for the city, as he acted as the senior business development associate at Greater New Orleans, Inc. There are many reasons he enjoys his job, he says. It is “more challenging than any other endeavor I’ve undertaken … and that makes it the most rewarding thing that I’ve done in my professional life.” He believes his new role at YLC will open up opportunities for both the city of New Orleans and for him to live his personal axiom of “leave everything better than you found it.” His most recent project, called NOLAbound, provides an all-expenses-paid program in New Orleans to 25 professionals from around the country. Looking ahead, Smith is excited about starting next year’s Wednesday at the Square concert series, as it will be his first time overseeing the operation of one of the city’s favorite springtime traditions. He says that it’s the continuous support and encouragement he receives from his mother, Conni Harris Smith, and younger brother, Charles “Cas” Smith, that has allowed him to be in such an advantageous position to effect positive change for New Orleans. – N.T.

Megan Victoria

Artist and Gemologist; Proprietor of Jupiter Lala Getting married, moving to a new city and starting a business are major life changes usually made one at a time; artist and gemologist Megan Victoria did all three in the last year. Her business, Jupiter Lala, currently focuses on her jewelry, which she feels is very personal. “Jewelry is something we wear, so it’s close to our skin; it’s close to our hearts.” She enjoys the artistry of it, “the grinding, the heating of the precious metals,” and says it feels like painting. “Even on my most trying days,” she says, “my focus is beauty, sentiment and meaning. I love each of my jewels and am always happy seeing them go to a new home to be treasured year after year.” Victoria is creating a themed collection that will combine her paintings and jewelry. “I’m using my token storytelling narrative in such a way where creatures and their mediums will play off of each other … it brings together my three loves: jewelry, painting and fable.” In the long term, she would like to see her pieces in “galleries and museums in remote spots around the world.” Locally, you can find her pieces in the gift shop of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and once a month at the Arts Market of New Orleans. In addition, she recently partnered with a friend to launch Bats on Tees, a curated collection of goods made with other creative individuals from the New Orleans area. – M.P.

Founder, Owner, Tailored Tours New Orleans After obtaining a law degree, teaching at New York University, working for Disney, modeling in Paris and Milan, becoming the “Levi’s guy” in Greece and even editing books for the woman who managed Martha Stewart, Morgan Molthrop has arrived back in his hometown of New Orleans with a splash that can only be expected from a man with such a colorful background. Upon leaving New York to return to the Big Easy, he ran the tour guide training program for Gray Line Tours. From there, Molthrop quickly discovered his next project: revamping the tour industry in the city. “When I got back home from New York, I was astonished at the ‘hoop skirt’ approach to Southern touring that was going on especially in the French Quarter,” Molthrop says. “And, frankly, New Orleans deserves a lot better.” His company, Tailored Tours, offers authentic, raw experiences for consumers, with tours ranging from “Code Noir Congo Square, Civil Rights and Rooftop Rescues,” to “Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln in New Orleans,” to “The Art Scene in PostKatrina New Orleans.” The company offers tours in five different languages, employs a wide array of guides and the menu of custom events offers entertainment that even a local would enjoy, such as “block parties in undiscovered neighborhoods,” and “dinearounds in pop-up restaurants.” Additionally, he will be focusing on two major programs with Tailored Tours this year: Free tour guide training classes for minorities and an annual fundraiser for the NO/AIDS task force that involves a gay history tour. – S.D.

myneworleans.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

music lens through the

The Photos of John Kuhlman Rediscovered

“Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things.”

Photographer John Kuhlman with his daughter Sue.

– Denis Diderot, French philosopher J o h n K u h l m an , t h e l at e N e w O r l e an s

photographer, was a man of such passions. To be sure, Kuhlman earned his living peering through the lens daily at the more mundane things of life: kids on their daddies’ knees, newborns held by proud, grinning moms and weddings – there were always weddings. These are the subjects that pay the photographer’s bills. But the real passion that drove John Kuhlman to work late into the night without ever looking up at the clock and over long weekends that were always too short, came with names such as Pete Fountain, Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, George Girard, Sharkey Bonano, Al Hirt, the Dukes of Dixieland, Pork Chops and Kidney Stew, Lizzie Miles … “Music was his passion, no doubt,” Susan Morris says of her father’s life and work, which sometimes seemed to be one. “And he captured his love for music in his photographs. Here’s the proof.” Mrs. Morris lays out on her dining room table hundreds of 8-by-10-inch photos of the biggest of the big names of New Orleans music. In addition, there are countless more yellow envelopes holding precious negatives of still more photos of the men and women of jazz. Upon his death in 1978, Kuhlman’s life’s work was placed carefully in a box and stuffed away in his attic. Following the death of her mother, Morris moved the boxes of photos to her closet, its contents undisturbed and unseen for 35 years. “To be honest, I don’t really know what to do with them,” Morris says. “They’re memories of my father, but I really don’t have his passion for his subjects or for photography. Neither do my brother and sister. After his death, we closed his studio on Canal Boulevard and tried to

return all of the wedding and other photos to the people in them. These? We kept, as you can see.” No doubt Morris had a special spot in her heart for the photos because some of her earliest childhood memories were of traipsing behind her dad and into the presence of the music makers while he shot his photos. “I remember when I was about 6 or so, I used to go into Lenfant’s on Canal Boulevard,” she says. “Daddy would put me on a barstool and I’d just sit there watching while he worked shooting his photos. I recall seeing Pete Fountain playing and I was fascinated by him. I decided right then and there that I was going to marry him.” “Here’s Johnny Wiggs,” she says as she holds up a photo. “Here’s the Basin Street Six. Pinky Vidacovich, Lulu White, Armand Hug, George Lewis, Godfrey Hirsch, ‘Slow Drag’ Pavageau … Look, here’s Liberace when he was in New Orleans once. Santo Pecora, Hank Williams!” Huh? Hanks Williams? Yes, that Hank Williams of “Jambalaya,” “KawLiga” and “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” Seems the “Hillbilly Shakespeare” decided to get married to “Miss Billie Jean Jones” on Sun., Oct. 19, 1952, at the Municipal Auditorium. The wedding photographer? You guessed it: John Edward Kuhlman. Morris holds up a “souvenir wedding program” from the event, which were sold at the nuptials for 50 cents each. Less than three months later, Hank Williams was dead. He passed away on an icy New Years Night in the back seat of a Cadillac in Oak Hill, W.V., while on his way to a gig. John Kuhlman lived on to photograph many more musical giants. And his work lives on still. And the fate of all those photos? “Like I said, I just don’t know,” Morris says. “I’ve thought about a coffee table book, post cards to sell in the French Quarter. I just don’t know. This is a great treasure that I just don’t know what to do with.” - G e o r g e G U R T N ER

Blues singer and self-proclaimed “Queen of the Blues,” Blanche Thomas, who often sang at popular jazz clubs on Bourbon Street, performs with the Papa Celestin Band in 1968.

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The Basin Street Six play in 1950. Pete Fountain is second from right.

Clarinetist Pete Fountain poses for a publicity shot.

The dance team of Kidney Stew and Pork Chop perform in 1952; during this time, tapâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heyday, French Quarter establishments would hire them to dance inside and outside to attract patrons.

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A “spiritual” organized by Southland Record label owner Joe Mares.

Grammy Award-winner Al Hirt performs at a 1963 concert.

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Bandleader Cab Calloway leads his orchestra at the Booker T. Washington High School auditorium in 1950.

Clarinetist George Lewis, whose traveling band became a symbol of the New Orleans jazz tradition across the country, performs at the El Morocco Lounge in 1951.

Clarinetist Willie Humphrey, who used to tour around the world with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, plays with the Eureka Brass Band at the Royal Orleans in 1964.

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The Onward Brass Band march along Claiborne Avenue in 1963.

Duke Ellington and his orchestra performed at the Coliseum Arena in 1951.

Duke Ellington (back) is joined by his musical collaborator Billy Strayhorn (front center) at a 1951 concert.

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Liberace performs in New Orleans in 1953.

Sharkey Bonano performs at the Mardi Gras Lounge in 1954.

The Eureka Brass Band march down Royal Street 1968.

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Papa Celestin and his band perform on WDSU-TV in 1951.

Hank Williams and Billie Jones married in the Municipal Auditorium in 1952.

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ime to dust off the calculators, gather school supplies and plan or pack lunches. School is back in session across Greater New Orleans and local institutions are beaming with pride. It’s never too soon to prepare for your child’s educational future, so mark your calendars now for fall and winter open houses, and school tours. From public to private, Catholic to charter, pre-school to high school, the metro area is full of exceptional programs designed to foster the mental, physical and spiritual growth of New Orleans children and teens. Here’s a first look at some of the region’s offerings, from specialized early and primary schools, to the seamless education offered by Kindergarten through 12th grade schools, to nationally recognized high schools and educational resources. Early & Primary School St. Benilde School is nestled in a quiet neighborhood at 1801 Division St. in Metairie, away from the hustle and bustle of city streets. Starting at six weeks through the end of seventh grade, SBS children are nurtured and educated in a Catholic family environment that enables each child to reach his or her full spiritual, academic, intellectual and human potential. In addition to its solid curriculum, children also learn through regular celebration of the Sacraments, weekly liturgy, daily religion class and service to others for a well-rounded life rooted in the call to discipleship. Beginning in Pre-Kindergarten 4, St. Benilde uses cutting edge technology and assessments to drive instruction that is personalized to your child’s unique learning needs. This ensures that your child is engaged in learning every single day. Enriching after-school and summer programs are also available. Children at St. Benilde are challenged to think critically about what they learn and apply that learning to real world problems while exploring what it means to act as a person of faith in the world of today and tomorrow. For more information, call 504-833-9894 or visit StBenilde.com. St. Paul’s Episcopal School, located in Lakeview, is a private, coed, independent school for toddlers through the eighth grade. Founded in 1961, St. Paul’s offers a wide-range of exceptional academic and enrichment programs including: • Advanced and hands-on curriculum • Professional industry-standard media lab • Educating for sustainability • Low student/teacher ratio and project-based learning 108

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• Full-time Learning Specialist • Foreign language program (Spanish: toddlers – fourth grade; Latin & Spanish: grades fifth – eighth) • Visual arts, music, physical education, outdoor education, technology, Eighth Grade Leadership Program, service learning and more The fall Open House is Thursday, Oct. 17, at 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The event includes a tour of the state-of-the art technology center and the outdoor culinary center. To reserve a private tour or for more information, call 504-488-1319 or visit the website at StPauls-lakeview.org. For a strong primary education combined with the unique qualities of an outdoor country environment, check out Arden Cahill Academy, which is nestled on a 12-acre tract of land along Bayou Fatma in Gretna. Not only does the campus provide state-ofthe-art classroom learning facilities, but an equestrian arena, stables and petting farm help the school provide unique learning experiences outside of the traditional classroom environment. The school focuses on cultural enrichment as one part of its primary education and tradition of academic excellence. Their 300-seat theater, art studios, music rooms and foreign language programs ensure students’ abilities to excel in the arts, while a football field, competition pool, gymnasium and extracurricular athletics allow students to excel in physical competition as well. To provide family-friendly support services, Arden Cahill Academy offers beforeand after-school care and a specialized Infant Center that accepts children as young as 2 months. For more information on the school, including tours and admission policies, please call 504-392-0902 or visit their website: ArdenCahillAcademy.com.

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Trinity is a co-educational, prekindergarten through eighth grade school. Their campus is located in the Garden District and offers a pleasant and stimulating learning environment for students and faculty. Trinity continues in the tradition of its predecessor school, Miss Edith Aiken’s Little School, founded in 1917, and in that of Trinity Episcopal Church, which since its founding in 1847 has maintained a commitment to the educational and civic life of New Orleans. The school motto articulates their mission of: “Celebrating the Intellect, Nourishing the Spirit, Celebrating Community.” Trinity nurtures a child’s mind, body and spirit through a fun and challenging program that offers the best in the academic disciplines, uses best practices and is taught by a skillful, experienced and loving faculty and staff. For more information or to schedule an individual tour, please visit TrinityNola.com or call the Admission Office at 504-525-8661. Open Houses for PreKindergarten through eighth grade will take place on Oct. 18, Nov. 1 and 8, and Jan. 17, all at 8:45 a.m. St. Andrew’s Episcopal School is the oldest Episcopal school in New Orleans with 56 years of experience in educating the mind, body and spirit of young children. St. Andrew’s enrolls boys and girls from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade eighth grade, offering 10 years of nurturing yet challenging education that focuses on the Decade of Childhood. St. Andrew’s has three full divisions: the KinderCottage (PreKindergarten and Kindergarten), the Lower School

(first through fourth grades) and the Middle School (fifth through eighth grades). Under the direction of Mason Lecky, Head of School, St. Andrew’s utilizes small classes to promote a challenging learning environment where students interact with teachers and grow spiritually, socially and intellectually. A strong academic program, enhanced by state-of-the-art technology, includes Spanish, Chinese, music, chapel, fine arts, athletics and library skills. Student publications, dramatics, interscholastic sports and community service round out St. Andrew’s program. Visit the school at an upcoming Open House (Oct. 24, Nov. 14, Dec. 12 or Jan. 16) or call for a personal tour. For further information, please visit their website: StAndrewsEpiscopalSchool.org. Community Day School is a small, independent school for boys and girls in grades Kindergarten through fifth. They educate a diverse student body with the goal of preparing them to be productive and engaged citizens. Community Day School is a place where children master a rigorous academic curriculum while developing a strong ethical foundation rooted in Judaism. Small class sizes allow teachers to give students the individual attention they need to develop academically, intellectually and socially. With an average student-toteacher ratio of 6 to 1, Community Day School ensures that every child receives the individual attention they need to be successful. Community Day School alumni attend the area’s best charter, public and independent schools. Wherever they go following Community Day School, they know they go with a solid academic and ethical foundation. The new Head of School, Ms. Sharon Pollin, is excited to lead the school in its 18th year. Please feel welcome to visit the school at 3747 W. Esplanade Ave., in the heart of Metairie, or call for a personal tour 504-887-4091 anytime. Visit the school website at CommunityNola.org. Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle-Orléans is the only private French school in New Orleans that is accredited by the French Ministry of Education and State of Louisiana providing multilingual education for 2-year-old students to fifth grade. Since its founding in 1998, Ecole Bilingue’s mission has been to provide a strong and

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distinctive bilingual education for children in New Orleans by combining the best of French and American academics. Ecole Bilingue follows the curriculum of the French Education Nationale, considered to be one of the most rigorous educational systems in the world. Ecole Bilingue also offers rich English language arts and American mathematics and social studies programs designed to balance out and complement the strength of the French curriculum. Classes are offered for children in preschool (2 years old) through fifth grade. The studentto-teacher ratio is 8 to 1, allowing each student an opportunity to have personalized attention for a better, differentiated education. For more information on Ecole Bilingue de la NouvelleOrléans, please visit ebnola.com. To schedule a tour, call 504-896-4500. Christian Brothers School is a private, Catholic school serving academically capable middle school boys in fifth through seventh grades. Enrollment for the current school year is 350 students. In addition to a grade-level accelerated curriculum, the school offers more than two dozen extracurricular activities in athletics, academics, the arts and community service. It is the only school of its kind in the greater New Orleans area. The annual Open House is Thursday, Oct. 17, at 6:30 p.m. Guests will meet members of the faculty, administration, student and parent bodies, and the alumni association. The school will also provide tours of the new building and renovated campus. The school president and principal will greet all visitors in the Cultural Center, explaining the admissions process and the unique middle school experience awaiting young men of the greater New Orleans area. Refreshments are served at the end of a tour. Christian Brothers School is located at 8 Friederichs Ave. in City Park. Visit cbsno.org or call 504-486-6770 for more information. Audubon Charter School offers one great, A+ school with two unique programs. Serving Pre-K through eighth grade, Audubon is a popular choice for families seeking a high performing New Orleans public school with a diverse student population and strong academics. Audubon excels in fostering a culturally rich and academically rigorous program that uniquely combines French and Montessori curricula with a comprehensive arts curriculum. The school’s French program is the only public elementary school program in Louisiana that is accredited by the French government. Audubon’s Montessori program utilizes specially trained teachers who direct self-motivated learning and exploration based on each child’s individual development. Audubon offers enrichment programs in Talented in Theater, Visual Arts and Music. Their extracurricular activities include ArtsReach, nationally ranked Academic Games and Debate teams, and award-winning chess and robotics teams. Audubon’s athletic teams have won numerous Metro League championships. For more information, visit auduboncharter.com or contact admissions at 504-3247110 or admissions@auduboncharter.com. Located in Lake Vista, St. Pius X is a co-educational Catholic school for

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Pre-Kindergarten 3 through seventh grade and offers a comprehensive, challenging curriculum in religion, academics, music, art, technology, language and athletics in a loving, faith-filled environment. Founded in 1953, St. Pius X School is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and was the only school in New Orleans named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education in 2007. Please visit them online at StPiusXnola.org/school to see how they encourage students through works, actions and deeds, to prepare them for tomorrow’s challenges. Admission Open House is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 16, from 6-8 p.m., and Friday, Jan. 17, from 9-11 a.m. For more information, call 504-282-2811. Named by the Louisiana Department of Education as a School of Exemplary Academic Growth, the International School of Louisiana (ISL) is the first multi-language public school chartered by the state and the only Louisiana school named “Charter School of the Year” by the Center for Education Reform. ISL, now in its 13th year of operation, is proud to announce its new campus in Jefferson Parish. Using its innovative language curriculum, students at ISL Jefferson Parish (ISL-JP) will be taught core academic subjects in Spanish and French and a new Language Intensive Program will be introduced in middle school for students with no prior language immersion education. ISL’s unique Kindergarten through eighth grade public charter school program, now in three campuses in the Greater New Orleans area, strengthens academic skill through every day conversation and academic instruction in the target language. With faculty and staff from more than 23 different nations, many of which reflect the history and culture of New Orleans, students at ISL are better prepared to meet the demands of today’s global workforce. Visit isl-edu.org or call 504-6541088 for more information and special announcements. In 1984, William Gallop saw the need for an elementary Catholic boys school in New Orleans and decided to turn a dream into reality by founding Stuart Hall School for Boys. During Gallop’s tenure, he oversaw the school’s establishment of a permanent campus on Carrollton Avenue and the addition of a middle school as the student body grew both in numbers and maturity. Shortly after becoming an accredited member of the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest, Stuart Hall embarked on an expansion and continued to increase enrollment under the guidance of the school’s second headmaster, Kevin Avin, who is beginning his 18th year as head of school.

ADVERTISING SECTION Now in its 30th year, Stuart Hall possesses Blue Ribbon School of Excellence status and celebrates the continued success of its graduates. For more information on Stuart Hall School for Boys, or to tour the campus, please call 504-861-5384 or visit them online at StuartHall.org. Open House dates for 2013 are: Oct. 23 at 8:30 a.m. for Preschool (grades PK3-K); Oct. 24 at 8:30 a.m. for Lower School (first through fourth grades); and Oct. 25 at 8:30 a.m. for Middle School (fifth through seventh grades). K-12/Continuous Education Ursuline Academy, founded in 1727, is a Catholic school for girls offering a strong educational environment from early childhood (Toddler-2) through a college preparatory secondary program (grade 12). Ursuline fosters spiritual formation, academic excellence and a life-long commitment to Serviam: I will serve. The Academy values the uniqueness of the individual, nurtures the whole person and develops leaders of confidence and compassion. An Academy Open House will be held Sunday, Oct. 20, from 1-3 p.m. Private tours are available by appointment. For more information, contact the Office of Admissions, 504-866-5292 or admissions@ursulineneworleans.org, or visit UrsulineNewOrleans.org.

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St. Martin’s Episcopal School is a coeducational, independent college preparatory day school for students from ages 18 months through 12th grade. St. Martin’s is a vibrant learning community with a rich history, engaging and bright students, topnotch faculty, nationally recognized academic, artistic and athletic programs, and a state-of-the-art campus second to none in the greater New Orleans area. They encourage you to visit their beautiful 18-acre campus for a personal tour or at their Open Houses: Lower School on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 10 a.m.; Middle and Upper School on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 10 a.m.; and at an all-school open house on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 9:30 a.m. For more information or to schedule a personal tour, please call the Admission Office at 504-736-9917. Visit St. Martin’s on the Web at StMSaints.com. Founded in 1929, Metairie Park Country Day School believes that today’s world demands more than a traditional education; it demands the values and practices that have made Country Day unique since its inception. An innovative, handson approach teaches Pre-K through grade 12 students how to think creatively and independently as they tackle an expansive, rigorous curriculum. High academic standards and expectations of personal accountability are sustained by a nurturing community, a low student-to-teacher ratio, robust athletics and outstanding creative arts programs. The Country Day faculty focuses on individual achievement through depth of inquiry rather than mere recitation of facts, and ensures that every child’s experience is exceptional. The successes of the graduates in college and beyond are testimony to the curiosity, involvement and creativity engendered by the Country Day philosophy and community. Visit an Admission Open House or email rgreen@mpcds.com for a private tour, Mondays through Fridays. Pre-K Open House: Tuesday, Nov. 5. Middle & Upper School Open House: Thursday, Nov. 19. Visit mpcds.com for more. Academy of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school for girls, toddler through grade 12. The school is committed to values of faith, intellectual excellence, social awareness, the building of community and personal growth. Recently, the school opened its new Arts and Athletics Complex. The 37,000-square-foot facility has a 13,000-square-foot tournament size gym; a fitness center;

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ADVERTISING SECTION an indoor, elevated running track; and a student rehab room. The connected Favrot Arts Center has a dance studio, a multimedia center for television production, graphic design and digital photography, a music wing for instrumental and choral music and an art studio. Sacred Heart is the only area Catholic girls’ school that is a member of the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS), the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and the Network of Sacred Heart Schools. Open House for Toddlers - Grade 4 will be held Nov. 6, and Open House for grades five-12 will be Oct. 23, both from 5-7 p.m. Informal tours are available on select Tuesdays (Oct. 22, 29, Nov. 12) or call to set up a private tour. For more information, call 504-269-1213 or visit AshRosary.org. High Schools Benjamin Franklin High School, located at 2001 Leon C. Simon Drive, was founded in 1957 to promote a spirit of excellence among New Orleans high school students. Franklin is consistently ranked among the top schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and Newsweek. Franklin is the No. 1 public high school in Louisiana. Take one look at their website, and you’ll see there’s no question that their students excel both in and out of the classroom. An impressive list of honors and achievements speaks as well of their extracurricular

activities as it does their academics. Prospective parents and students are invited to the Admissions Open House, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 10, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, visit bfhsla.org or call the admissions office directly at 504-286-2610. Mount Carmel Academy, a four-time Top 50 Catholic High School in the U.S. and twice-recognized Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, is a secondary school for girls, grades eight-12, conducted by the Sisters of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The school’s mission is to provide young women the opportunity to develop their Godgiven talents through academic excellence and co-curricular programs, and empower them to develop zeal for their faith with a commitment to prayer and service. Prospective students and their parents are invited to their annual Open House, Thursday, Oct. 10, 3-7 p.m. Private tours are available by appointment. For more information, visit mcacubs.com, contact the Office of Admissions at 504-2887626, ext. 229, or e-mail admissions@mcacubs.org. Founded in 1903 by the Benedictine Sisters, St. Scholastica Academy (SSA) is a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence for young women in grades eight-12. Located on the Northshore in Covington, SSA strives to provide learning experiences that are student-centered, innovative, creative, hands-on and interactive. Excellence in education, coupled with the spiritual and personal growth and development of the young women they serve is the hallmark of St. Scholastica’s ministry. They are committed to establishing a Christ-centered environment that promotes care, concern and confidence in the minds and hearts of students while simultaneously providing the latest in technological advancements and tools for today’s learning. The Academy’s college preparatory curriculum, when combined with the Benedictine tradition of prayer, work, study and community, prepares students for success in a college environment and beyond. SSA invites you to learn more about their 110-year tradition of sisterhood and join them in the accomplishment of their scholastic and spiritual goals. To learn more, visit ssacad.com or call 985-892-2540, ext. 140. All are welcome to the Open House on Nov. 3 at 1 p.m., in the SSA gym.

ADMISSIONS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013 5:30pm - 8pm

Come learn how your child can be a part of the spirit of excellence. Number 1 public high school in Louisiana Consistently ranked among the top schools in the nation by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report 35% of the senior class received National Merit recognition Benjamin Franklin High School, under the governance of Advocates for Academic Excellence in Education, Inc., shall not discriminate in the rendering of services to/or employment of individuals because of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other non-merit factor.

504.286.2610 2001 Leon C. Simon Drive New Orleans, LA 70122 www.bfhsla.org myneworleans.com

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ADVERTISING SECTION Brother Martin High School, located at 4401 Elysian Fields Ave., in the Gentilly/Lakefront section of New Orleans, is operated by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. Educating young men in grades seven through 12, Brother Martin challenges its students to define their lives with Courage and Confidence. Brother Martin is committed to holistic education with a focus on personal attention, academic excellence and strong character formation. A District 9-5A school, Brother Martin offers a full range of athletic teams at the 7th, 8th, 9th, JV and varsity levels, and students can choose from more than 80 extracurricular activities. Permeated with the tradition of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, Brother Martin offers young men the opportunity to make positive contributions to their world. To quote our name sake, Brother Martin Hernandez, S.C., (1904 -1991), “We are not here to teach boys how to make a living, but how to make a life.” For more information, visit BrotherMartin.com. De La Salle High School is a dynamic, innovative Catholic secondary school preparing young people for college, career and life within a community associated for the Lasallian mission. De La Salle has embarked on the “Classrooms of the Future Project” to upgrade existing classroom, library and lobby spaces to provide new learning environments for students. These new learning environments will align with our commitment to provide every opportunity for our young people to acquire the skills necessary for the 21st century. De La Salle exceeds the Louisiana TOPS requirements and offers a wide array of AP classes in which Cavaliers have consistently topped the national scores, earning them acceptance in colleges and universities across the United States. In extracurricular activities, the Academic Games team, the Math team, the Speech team and the Maroon Legend have all won multiple state and national championships. The Cavalette dance team, Chess Club, Junior Classical League and Cheerleaders have also earned state and national awards. The school sports teams of cross country, football, volleyball, swimming, wrestling, basketball, soccer, tennis, softball, baseball and track have taken district and state titles.

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For more information on De LaSalle, visit DeLaSalleNola.com. Or contact the Admissions Office at (504) 895-5717. Test Preparation Prepping for an exam is as important as its results, which can affect one’s acceptance into college as well as possible scholarships and other financing. The Princeton Review offers area students a vast array of prep options, ranging from private tutoring and small group instruction to self-guided online courses and the LiveOnline Classroom. The Princeton Review’s SAT, ACT and PSAT programs provide students with a personal prep experience that fits their unique learning style, schedule and budget. Find the option that works best for your future graduate. Program components vary and include several hours of in-class instruction, practice tests, personalized feedback, interactive multimedia lessons and more. For more information on prep possibilities, visit PrincetonReview.com or call 800-2Review (800-2738439). Find out if your student will make the grade with a free practice test at PrincetonReview.com/ FreePracticeTest. In addition to prep programs, a complete line of prep books for SAT and ACT are also available at PrincetonReview.com/Bookstore.

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generations hall

ew Orleans is known for so many things that trying to pinpoint what definitive element characterizes the city and its one-of-a-kind atmosphere is an impossible task. The oft-used “melting pot” metaphor certainly touches on what makes the task so difficult: a complex, multi-cultural heritage that birthed its own unique architecture, cuisine, music, style and more. With such a long history, it’s easy to see how New Orleans’ brands, restaurants, events and destinations have become part of the traditional New Orleans experience. Whether local or visiting, take a look at the following longstanding New Orleans traditions and consider taking advantage of the city’s distinctive offerings. Celebrating 19 years of music, food and fun, the Gretna Heritage Festival is back this October and better than ever. From Oct. 4-6, head over to historic downtown Gretna to see musical acts Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, ZZ Top, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Uncle Kracker, Marcia Ball, Tab Benoit, The Ben Miller Band and so many more. In addition to music and a wide array of foods, the Gretna Heritage Festival features carnival rides and games, arts and crafts, and an Italian Village and German Beer Garden. The festival extends across 25 city blocks and attendees can take free shuttles from Westside Shopping Center, Oakwood Center and behind Academy Sporting Goods. Admission is $20 per person, free for children 12 years old and under, and $50 for a weekend pass. Purchase tickets online at ticketmaster.com. For more info and music lineups, visit GretnaFest.com. For more than 40 years, the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA) has brought world-class dance to the metropolitan area. NOBA serves to advance the dance field with a mission to cultivate understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of dance through performance, education and community service.

NOBA is proud to announce its 2013-’14 Season of Dance. Performances at the Mahalia Jackson Theater include Scottish Ballet’s dramatic A Streetcar Named Desire on Oct. 4, Diavolo Dance Theater with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra on Jan. 25, The Joffrey Ballet on March 29, Parsons Dance on May 10, with a special NOBA world premiere featuring New Orleans-based musicians. For the complete schedule of performances, visit nobadance.com. Season ticket packages will save up to 20 percent off of the single ticket price and may be purchased by calling NOBA at 504-522-0996, ext. 201. Single tickets may be purchased by calling NOBA or through NobaDance.com or ticketmaster.com. One of New Orleans’ most celebrated event spaces, Generations Hall was originally built in the early 1820s as a sugar refinery conveniently located for easy export along the Mississippi River. Today, this 36,000-square-foot, three-room, multi-use venue is decorated with artwork by prominent artists George Schmidt and Xavier deCallatay and is complete with stateof-the-art audio and video technology with large video screens and monitors throughout the facility. The venue is New Orleans most sought-after venue for galas, award ceremonies, concerts and receptions. Their three primary spaces are: The Metropolitan One, The Metropolitan Two and The Big Room. Complete with seven high volume service bars and three full sets of restrooms, the facility is perfect for private functions, banquets, concerts, luncheons, weddings, trade shows and convention meetings of any size. From 50 to 5,000, Generations Hall provides a unique New Orleans atmosphere for any event. Open catering as well as catering and beverage packages are available. For more information on Generations Hall booking and events, visit GenerationsHall.com or call 504-581-4367. In Louisiana, we love to talk about food, and Rouses Markets has been a part of the local conversation since 1960, when Anthony J. Rouse opened his first grocery store in Houma, La. A commitment to buying from local farmers, fishermen and manufacturers helped Mr. Anthony expand his business, which today includes 38 stores in two states. The family-owned company continues its legacy into the second and third generations.

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The best fresh, local ingredients are one reason why the chefs from Commander’s Palace, Arnaud’s, Antoine’s and your favorite neighborhood restaurants shop at Rouses for their families. Rouses’ own quality products are another reason. Rouses’ butchers still craft small batch Cajun specialties right in their stores. Rouses’ cooks still use Rouses’ time-honored South Louisiana recipes. And Rouses’ bakers still make Louisiana favorites like doberge cake and tarte-a-la-bouillie pie. It’s that commitment to buying and serving local that has helped Rouses grow into one of the largest independent grocers in the U.S., with 38 stores in two states. For more information on Rouses’ quality foods and store locations, visit Rouses.com. Originally built as a Federal Reserve bank, The Security Center located in downtown New Orleans is a 90-year-old fortress that has withstood nearly a century of New Orleans catastrophes. Today, The Security Center keeps a watchful eye on your home and business, monitoring against break-ins, fire, carbon monoxide and flooding while its vault safeguards your most precious of valuables. A local company, they offer fast monitoring response time and the assurance of backup generators, UL certification and 75-foot elevation above ground level. The new Security Center MedAl (Medical Alert) system offers immediate assistance in an accident or emergency and is New Orleans’ only local monitoring system—they know where you are and how to reach you the fastest. The MedAl’s peace-of-mind protection includes superfast local response, is manned by New Orleans neighbors, and features two-way communication and perpetual monitoring. Fees are reasonable and geared towards a retirement budget. Doctors agree that the first hour after an accident is critical for a positive recovery. Act now by calling 504-522-SAFE. This past summer, Saint Germain owner Faye Cannon reintroduced a timeless line of shoes to the New Orleans fashion market. Arche designer boots, shoes and sandals are hand crafted by artisans located just outside of Paris. All Arche shoes are constructed with a 100 percent natural Latex cushioning system for maximum durability, flexibility and unrelenting shock absorption. Arche shoes represent the perfect complement to Saint Germain’s signature collection by Donald J Pliner, who made a personal appearance at the store this year. In addition to Arche’s and Pliner’s award-winning shoes, Saint Germain carries French hair accessories and fine jewelry and handbags by designers from all over the world. For more than 30 years, Faye Cannon has brought the best in fashionable shoes and accessories to New Orleans and is known for catering to each customer’s individual style and desire. Fearless, passionate and knowledgeable, Cannon keeps both locals and international customers coming back to see what’s new at Saint Germain. To see the latest designs, or for more information, visit SaintGermainNewOrleans.com or call 504-522-1720. In New Orleans, just about every tradition revolves around food, and the family of the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group restaurants are known for bringing the perfect balance of old-world New Orleans and contemporary cuisine. The third annual We Live to Eat Restaurant Week takes place Sept. 9-15, with area restaurants offering two-

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course lunches and three-course dinners at affordable prices. Red Fish Grill, café b and Ralph’s on the Park will all participate in the annual celebration of local cuisine. Fans of bubbly beverages won’t want to miss the several-course Moet & Chandon Champagne dinner hosted by café b on Sept. 18, during which each course will be paired with a sparkling, chilled champagne. October brings the first Broadway Series show, Book of Mormon, to the newly opened Saenger Theater in downtown New Orleans. Ralph’s on the Park and café be will offer a three-course, pre-theater dinner menu with a limo ride to and from the show for only $55. For menus and information, visit NewOrleans-Food.com. For some of the most iconic and traditional New Orleans symbols in art, jewelry, accessories and gifts, be sure to visit the designers at Fleur d’ Orleans at 3701-A Magazine St. Open daily, Fleur d’ Orleans has designed more than 150 different pieces of sterling silver jewelry. All of their jewelry is inspired by art and architectural designs found around the city, which allows you many ways to celebrate and share the design heritage of New Orleans. Whether you need handmade sterling silver earrings, brooches or pendants, semi-precious jewels set in sterling, beautiful wood blocked textiles and scarves, or handmade paper notecards, you will find a rich array of designer accessories at Fleur d’ Orleans. Fleur d’ Orleans designs are exclusive to their shop and can’t be found anywhere else. Visit charming and bustling Magazine Street for a genuine New Orleans shopping experience. You can also view their exclusive designs online and order with free shipping from their website, FleurDOrleans.com. For more information and hours, call 504-899-5585. Antique Heart Pine and Cypress were a craftsman’s first choice when building the Victorian-era homes prevalent in New Orleans and the Gulf South. Albany Woodworks takes special care to reclaim these beautiful old materials and transforms them into traditional style floors, beams, doors, plantation shutters and architectural millwork ready for the project you have in mind. Family owned and operated, Albany Woodworks has brought new life to reclaimed Heart Pine and Virgin Growth Cypress for more than 33 years. With a focus on detail and superb customer service, they can answer questions you have, and will offer expertise

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when you want it. When you are thinking of remodeling and want to choose from original materials, their products are a perfect fit. For renovations or for new construction designed with the look and value of a traditional New Orleans home, they’re the “company you’ll keep.” For more information and to see many examples of their quality woodwork, visit AlbanyWoodworks.com, take a little drive and visit their showroom, open daily on the Northshore, or call 225-567-1155 or 800-551-1282. For more than a century, Adler’s has held its position as the leading jeweler in New Orleans and the Gulf South. From the original shop on Royal Street in the historic French Quarter, Coleman E. Adler I founded the family jewelry business that quickly gained a reputation for excellence. Today, Coleman E. Adler II, the founder’s grandson, continues the tradition of service and leadership that makes Adler’s one of America’s premier destinations for fine jewelry, watches, giftware, china, crystal, silver and so much more. Adler’s is still very much a family-owned business. Mr. Adler is joined by four members of the fourth generation, each taking a vigorous role in the daily operation of the business. Together they uphold their family’s legacy and honor their New Orleans roots by seeking out stunning new brands as well as local items that surpass the ever-increasing expectations of their loyal customers. For more information and to view their stunning collection of jewelry, watches, gifts and more, visit AdlersJewelry.com or visit one of their three Greater New Orleans locations. Personal service is a common thread for retailers who survive for generations and has certainly proven effective for Perlis Clothing, now in its 74th year of business. A third generation, family-owned retail business, Perlis offers men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and accessories. Perlis stores are located on Magazine Street in New Orleans, in Mandeville and in Baton Rouge. The company’s Crawfish insignia brand is also highlighted at Cajun Clothing Co. by Perlis stores in the French Quarter and Louis Armstrong Airport.

“We’re proud to sell classic, signature Southern Louisiana clothing,” says David W. Perlis, President. “We’re known for seersucker and linen, but what makes us different is our staff and our desire to exceed expectations.” Perlis attributes the company’s success to a combination of their family atmosphere, vast selection of designer merchandise interpreted in a unique way and expert complimentary tailoring on anything they sell. We like to think we’re becoming a part of the shopping heritage of our region. For more information or to shop online, visit Perlis.com. New Orleans Auction Galleries fits perfectly in a city so ripe with history, culture and tradition. Housed in a 19th century cotton exchange building in the heart of the city’s historic Arts District, each auction features an eclectic selection of important and unique items from estates and private collections. For more than 20 years, New Orleans Auction Galleries has sold the finest antique and contemporary fine art, furniture, silver, estate jewelry and more. The next auction will be held Oct. 5-6 and will feature an important collection of American furniture and fine art, including a recently discovered early Louisiana armoire and works by Jean-Joseph Vaudechamp, a French born artist who spent time in New Orleans during the 1830s painting portraits of some of the most famous Creole families and left an indelible mark on Louisiana history. For more information on the auction, items and consignment, visit NewOrleansAuction.com.

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as the summer gone by so fast that you forgot to take time to enjoy it? Thank goodness for the exceptional fall weather hitting the southern region, as there’s now an even better time to get out and enjoy the nearby travel offerings. From sparsely populated beaches to outdoor food and music festivals, fall vacation destinations are available all the way from South Texas across the Gulf Coast to the white-sand beaches of Florida. Shoppers, golfers, anglers, foodies, beach bums and history buffs can all be satisfied this fall with trips to destinations surrounding and including New Orleans. Take a look at the following regional favorites and find an adventure to suit the season.

Hou ston When visiting Houston, location is everything. The Hilton Garden Inn Houston Galleria Area is located in the Uptown District, the city’s most cosmopolitan area of sophistication, style and international appeal. The world-renowned Galleria Mall has established itself as Houston’s No. 1 shopping and tourist destination and is situated within walking distance of the hotel. The hotel’s shuttle will take you there or anywhere else within a three-mile range. The Galleria features more than 375 fine stores and restaurants and even has an indoor ice rink. A trip to Houston would not be complete without trying one of the city’s award-winning restaurants, as a variety of cuisines dot the area. After experiencing shopping, fine dining and entertainment, enjoy relaxation by the pool and rock waterfall. Surf the internet poolside with complimentary high speed internet. Food is big in Houston, so satisfy your Texas-sized appetite by dining at the on-site Great American Grill. HGI Galleria Area offers something for everyone. Visit the hotel’s website, houstongalleriaarea.hgi.com, for great rates, packages and promotions – book your weekend get-a-away today.

Caju n Co untr y St. Landry Parish hosts several fall events and festivals that highlight Louisiana cuisine, language and culture. Take the Zydeco Cajun Prairie Byway to go antiquing, shop the 7 Mile Yard Sale, Washington Semi-Annual Antique Fair & Yard Sale, or browse local art galleries in cultural districts where sales tax is waived (ask for details). Adventurers are invited to paddle along Bayou Teche and experience, at a slower 118

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pace, the route of Tour du Teche, a three-day, 130-mile race held every October. If you’re a foodie, head to the Melville Atchafalaya Catfish Festival, Sweet Dough Pie Festival, or Port Barre Cracklin Festival to get your Cajun and Creole fix. For a more casual day, drive to Arnaudville for lively French conversations with locals or stroll through Opelousas at Le Vieux Village, featuring buildings from the 1700s and 1800s. Finally, don’t miss out on live music every Saturday night in Eunice at The Liberty Theatre. Experience all aspects of South Louisiana with a trip to St. Landry Parish. Visit CajunTravel.com or call 877-948-8004 for details and information. Voted Top Louisiana Tourist Attraction in 2009, Houmas House Plantation is so much more than just a tour of a grand antebellum estate. Experience the southern splendor of “The Sugar Palace” when you step into 16 rooms filled with period antiques and Louisiana artwork. An experiential tour takes you back to the 1880s to catch a glimpse of the life of a wealthy sugar baron and his mistress. You’ll also want to take time to stroll through the gardens. Sit and experience the year-round grandeur of the ancient oak alley, the fragrance of spring and summer blooms and the sights and sounds of bird life, wildlife and plantation life of long ago. Ready to eat? In the tradition of Old Louisiana Dining, Executive Chef Jeremy Langlois has created menus that delight while presenting you with an experience rivaling those of the great sugar barons of the 1800s. Latil’s Landing is the award-winning, fine dining restaurant situated in the rear wing of the mansion overlooking the Hampton Courtyard. For a more casual meal, Café Burnside serves lunch daily from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. For information and stunning images, visit HoumasHouse.com. Lafayette is all about festivals, food, music and fun. For many, a love of Cajun and Zydeco music is a craving that can only be satisfied by a visit to discover all that makes Lafayette special – unique establishments, delectable food, year-round festivals and family friendly attractions. This fall, the capital city of the Cajun heartland boasts a remarkable lineup of events. Downtown Alive, celebrating its 31st year, begins Sept. 13 and brings free entertainment to downtown Lafayette every Friday. With October comes the annual Festivals Acadiens et Créoles (Oct. 11-13), located in Girard Park and a tasty Boudin Cook-Off on Oct. 19. At the Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folklife Park, experience the cultures of South Louisiana through exhibits, artisans, music and events. Vermilionville features weekly jam sessions and dances, along with scheduled lectures, films and more. A new addition, the Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market is held every Saturday morning at the Horse Farm.

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On the third Saturday of each month, the Lafayette Travel Food Pavilion adds to the fun with more than a dozen food trucks, restaurants and caterers. Visit Lafayette.travel for more destinations and events in Lafayette.

INN at houma house

Bayou Country Fall is festival time in the Bayou Lafourche area. Youngsters love the yearly Cut Off Youth Center Fair (Sept. 27-29) for its great Cajun food, music, dancing and a carnival mid-way. October kicks off with the Bayou Music Festival (Oct. 12) in Golden Meadow. The Cajun Heritage Festival extends the fun Oct. 12-13 at the Larose Civic Center. Carving competitions, a duck calling contest and delicious food highlight this fest, a must-see for outdoors enthusiasts. Food lovers must check out three Southeast Tourism Society “Top 20 Events.” The 42nd Annual Louisiana Gumbo Festival (Oct. 11-13) in Chackbay, the “Gumbo Capitol of Louisiana,” offers the best in Cajun food, music and dancing. The 40th Annual French Food Festival in Larose (Oct. 25-27), holds more than 30 local food booths, featuring traditional Bayou classics such as White Oyster Soup, Shrimp Boulettes, Jambalaya and more. The Thibodeauxville Fall Festival (Nov. 9) offers live music, a Cajun food court, arts booths and a duck race on Bayou Lafourche. Fall is an ideal season to experience the Cajun way of life. For more information, including special festival hotel

rates, visit VisitLafourche.com or call 877-537-5800. For a unique adventure, let Houma be your passport to Louisiana’s Bayou Country. Less than an hour southwest of New Orleans, the Houma area offers a rich and rare blend of nature with a mix of wildlife found nowhere else on earth. With thrilling swamp tours, a wildlife park and alligator farm, world-class charter fishing and a wide assortment of monthly festivals and more, there’s always something fun to do. This fall, a terrific lineup of family-friendly events includes the Best of the Bayou Festival (Sept. 28-29) held in Historic Downtown Houma and featuring live music, Cajun food and local artists; the Southdown Marketplace Arts & Crafts Festival (Nov. 2) featuring

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more than 300 arts and crafts vendors, Cajun cuisine and more; and the ninth annual Voices of the Wetlands Festival (Oct. 11-13) which will once again celebrate southern Louisiana’s lifestyle, culture and value to all of the U.S. For more information, call 985-868-2732 or visit them online at HoumaTravel.com. New Orleans With a prime location in the heart of Downtown New Orleans, the new Blake Hotel New Orleans invites guests to experience the sophistication, innovation and convenience of this newly remodeled hotel. At the Blake Hotel you will be able to indulge with their fitness center, high speed wireless internet, premium HD channels, comfortable bedding and business center, completely complimentary for you. Most of all, you can relax and be assured that while staying at the Blake Hotel, their team will deliver the highest level of guest satisfaction. The Blake Hotel makes you feel right at home in the center of America’s most unique city, whether you’re visiting or seeking a vacation in your own backyard. This fall, take advantage of their central location, walking distance to the French Quarter, Superdome, New Orleans Arena, Harrah’s Casino, River Walk and the National World War II Museum. Want to venture out farther? Hop on the streetcar line that passes directly in front of the hotel. The Blake Hotel is the perfect place to stay while spending the weekend in town for a Saints or Pelicans game. For more information, please visit BlakeHotelNeworleans.com, or call 504-522-9000. The captivating spirit and style of the Big Easy is alive and well at Loews New Orleans Hotel, where plush surroundings, lively flavors and extraordinary service are all within walking distance of the French Quarter, Riverfront attractions and the city’s finest shopping, restaurants, bars and entertainment. But for true New Orleans flavor, you don’t have to travel much farther than the lobby, where locals and guests alike mingle over perfectly presented signature cocktails at the famous Swizzle Stick Bar, and live music gets you in the right mood every Friday and Saturday night. Or tempt your taste buds with the playful modern Creole menu at Café Adelaide, by the Commander’s Palace Family of Restaurants and Executive Chef, Carl Schaubhut. For more information or to book, visit LoewsNewOrleans.com or call 800-23-LOEWS.

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ADVERTISING SECTION Head out of work early on Fridays and enjoy Live After Five, a free downtown concert series that features the best of the area’s live music. For more information and activities, explore VisitBatonRouge.com.

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L’auberge Baton Rouge Hotel and Casino Baton Rouge It’s time to discover Baton Rouge – where the weather is always warm, the food has a special little kick and the people are always ready to entertain. From every direction, everything uniquely Louisiana culminates here in the “Red Stick.” So while you’re here, take time to experience all Baton Rouge has to offer – from an eclectic mix of museums to unique shopping destinations and legendary Southern cuisine. Enjoy collegiate football at its finest by tailgating and watching a game at LSU or Southern University. Looking for unique cuisine? From boiled and broiled to blackened and fried – Baton Rouge is never in short supply of ways to prepare food; nor are they short on great places to eat. History buffs can tour one of the area’s many plantations and families can explore the exciting BREC Baton Rouge Zoo. Perhaps you’d rather enjoy a stroll through lovely downtown.

Fall has the perfect weather for shopping ‘til you drop. Visit Gulfport Premium Outlets®, conveniently located in nearby Gulfport, MS, and shop 70 designer and name brand outlet stores including Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, BCBG Max Azria, Coach, Fossil, Gap Outlet, Guess, J.Crew, Nautica, Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, Talbots, Tommy Hilfiger, Under Armour and much more. Spend your day taking advantage of sales and diverse selections before enjoying exciting local attractions and luxurious accommodations. Gulfport Premium Outlets provides a comprehensive shopping experience for the serious or casual shopper with its vast array of merchandise, offering access to designer fashions, sportswear, children’s apparel, shoes, fine leather and luggage, accessories, jewelry, housewares, gifts and more. Gulfport Premium Outlets is more than a shopping trip – it’s a vacation experience. For complete information including directions, a list of stores, upcoming sales and events, accommodations and more, visit PremiumOutlets.com/Gulfport. Be sure to register for the free online VIP Shopper Club for exclusive coupons and savings offers.

G u lf S h o r es With cooler ocean breezes and lower rates for accommodations, fall is a fantastic time for a beach vacation along the Gulf Coast. With more than 200 properties ranging from

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ADVERTISING SECTION one-bedroom condos to six-bedroom beach homes, Gulf Shores Rentals can help arrange the perfect beach package for you and your family. Guests of Gulf Shores Rentals receive complimentary tickets to area attractions for each night they stay. Such attractions include championship golf, charter boats, and deep-sea fishing. Other bonuses include 14 points daily to The Track Amusement Center and unlimited daily movie rentals. This Oct. 10-13, don’t miss the 42nd Annual National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, which attracts more than 200,000 people for its succulent seafood, live music, diverse vendors, kids’ village and more. By planning your adventure with Gulf Shores Rentals, you’ll be able to relax even before you arrive. Visit GulfShoresRentals.com and check out their Hot Deals page, where specials are updated regularly. You can also follow on Twitter (@GulfShoresRenta) or visit the Gulf Shores Rentals fan page on Facebook for extra savings and updates at facebook.com/gsrentalsfanpage.

K e y Wes t The award-winning Southernmost Hotel Collection is a simple, yet sophisticated group of four unique hotels in historic Old Town Key West, where Duval meets the Atlantic. Southernmost Hotel in the USA, recently renovated in 2012, sits on the quieter side of Duval. Southernmost on the Beach offers a front row seat to the Atlantic Ocean’s sunrises and winter sunsets. And, La Mer and Dewey House are the only Four Diamond, oceanfront bed and breakfasts in Key West. With your choice of three pools, two beaches – one private and one public – two pool bars, an oceanfront bar, The Southernmost Beach Café oceanfront restaurant, a spa and many on-property activities, The Southernmost Hotel Collection offers something for everyone. Plus, you will find no hidden resort fees. Book your room today at the Southernmost Hotel Collection, the best-kept secret on America’s Caribbean Island, and experience paradise. Visit SouthernmostResorts.com or call 888-946-8539 to begin planning your Key West vacation now. Seaside

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Seaside, Fla. is an idyllic town where family values and the golden rule still apply. Whether planning a family vacation, romantic escape or a group gathering, an escape to this charming beachside community this fall is the perfect place to unwind from the hectic summer. Enjoy milder

ADVERTISING SECTION gulf shores rentals

temperatures, local festivals and events like the 23rd annual Seeing Red Wine Festival, held Nov. 2. With more than 25 years of experience as the premier rental provider, Cottage Rental Agency is making it easy for beach-lovers to visit this fall with the best rates available. Choose from one- to six-bedroom cottages, luxury townhouses, penthouses and beachfront hideaways and be sure to check out CRA’s special offers and packages where you’ll enjoy complimentary amenities and FREE tickets to the 23rd Annual Seeing Red Wine Festival. To make your reservation or for more information, call toll-free at 866-976-1984 or visit CottageRentalAgency.com. This November, sip your way along South Walton at the Seeing Red Wine Festival, a culinary event you won’t want to miss. Now in its 23rd year, the festival brings four days of food and wine events to the beautiful beach of Seaside, Fla. Located in the heart of Scenic Highway 30A, Seaside offers a relaxing atmosphere complemented by lovely beaches and charming, walkable streets. This young town hosts the wine festival throughout these streets, allowing visitors to meander through tents and shops, sampling wines, meats, cheeses, chocolates and breads as they enjoy the fall beachside weather. The four-day festival begins Oct. 31 with a Vintner’s Dinner featuring guest vintner Jed Steele of Steele Wines. Friday’s events include a wine seminar and dinner but are highlighted by the Al Fresco Reserve Wine Tasting in Seaside’s Ruskin Place Park. The Grand Tasting occurs throughout the day Saturday and features the new “Savor South Walton Culinary Demo Stage,” and the festival closes with a Wine Brunch, A Celebration of Bubbles, on Sunday morning. For more information on the events, tickets and lodging packages, visit SeeingRedWineFestival.com. Destin Fall is a best-kept secret along the beaches of South Walton and Destin, Fla., as summer heat fades, cool breezes roll in, and crowds become a distant memory. Sugar-white sand beaches and emerald waters are complemented by fall festivals and seasonal rates that are more than 30 percent off peak season. As an added incentive, Newman-Dailey Resort Properties has created several “Absolutely” fantastic fall beach packages for a variety of lifestyles and tastes. Each package includes an ABSOLUT Sunset Cocktail Kit with a bottle of ABSOLUT, Tervis-style glasses and delicious sunset drink recipes. Travelers may select from the charm of the Beachside Inn, the serenity of Sanctuary at Redfish, the seclusion of Hidden Dunes Beach & Tennis Resort, the panoramic views of Jade East Condos or a spacious, wellappointed vacation home. Rated “excellent” on TripAdvisor, NewmanDailey also provides guests with the Newman-Dailey Gift Card. Call 800-225-7652 or visit DestinVacation.com.

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Andrea’s Restaurant & Catering 3011 19th St. at Ridgelake Drive, Metairie (504) 834-8583 AndreasRestaurant.com Andrea’s Restaurant is celebrating 28 years of success. “We are here to serve you, your family, friends and children for many years to come. My home is your home.” Royal Andrea’s NEW woodburning pizza oven and rotisserie serves Fresh Gourmet Pizza, Prime Rib, Lamb and Rotisserie Chicken.

Chophouse New Orleans

Commander’s Palace

The Court of Two Sister’s

322 Magazine St. 504-522-7902 chophousenola.com

1403 Washington Ave., New Orleans (504) 899-8221 CommandersPalace.com

613 Royal St., New Orleans  (504) 522-7261 CourtOfTwoSisters.com

Commander’s Palace’s Tory McPhail was awarded 2013 James Beard Foundation Award Best Chef: South. Come taste why! Open daily for dinner, lunch Monday – Friday, and for our world-famous jazz brunches on Saturday & Sunday. Complimentary valet parking. What living in New Orleans is all about!

The Court of Two Sisters, known for its large dining courtyard, serves a lavish daily Jazz Brunch buffet. At night choose from its à la carte dinner menu or a fourcourse dinner. Complete menus available at CourtOfTwoSisters.com. Reservations are recommended.

Chophouse New Orleans has crafted a niche by serving a USDA Prime-only menu including chilled Carpaccio, expertly broiled Filet and a monster 40oz. Porterhouse for two. The restaurants relaxed sophistication complements the great food and bustling, live entertainment nightly. Top ratings from previous diners attest to an exceptional experience ahead.

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713 St. Louis St., New Orleans  (504) 581-4422 Antoines.com Since 1840, world-renowned Antoine’s Restaurant has set the standard that made New Orleans one of the greatest dining centers in the world. Antoine’s Restaurant’s excellent French-Creole cuisine, service and atmosphere have combined to create an unmatched dining experience for both locals and visitors to New Orleans.

Austin’s Seafood & Steakhouse 5101 W. Esplanade Ave., Metairie (504) 523-5433 • AustinsNO.com Austin’s Seafood and Steakhouse welcomes you to a casual upscale dining experience. Voted Best Restaurant in Metairie and Top 3 Steakhouses in the city. Local owner Ed McIntyre and his son, Austin, invite you and your family to enjoy his famous cuisine time and again. Great menu changes and specials for the new year. Private dining rooms are available for special occasions. Hours: Monday- Saturday 5p.m.-’til.

Cheeseburger Eddie’s 4517 W. Esplanade Ave., Metairie (504) 455-5511 MrEdsNO.com Mr. Ed’s newest venture is now open! Serving prime burgers, great seafood, fries, tacos, wings, homemade shakes and martinis in a casual counter-service atmosphere. Here we grind our beef fresh daily so you can build your burger as you like it. Enjoy our patio dining with TVs for your sporting events. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday.

Crescent City Steaks

Five Happiness

Hoshun Restaurant

1001 N. Broad St., New Orleans (504) 821-3271 CrescentCitySteaks.com

3605 S. Carrollton Ave., New Orleans  (504) 482-3935 FiveHappiness.com

Open for lunch and dinner TuesdaySunday. Continue the tradition: Bring your family to the place your parents brought you. Reservations welcome. Private parties available. Why go anywhere else when you can go to the Home of the Original Sizzling Steak?

Come to Five Happiness and let the ambiance and friendly staff take you to a new level of dining experience. This award-wining restaurant always strives to achieve its best. Private party and banquet rooms are available.

1601 St. Charles Ave. New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 302-9717 HoshunRestaurant.com Chinese or Japanese? Can’t decide? Hoshun is your answer! We offer an extensive menu from classic Chinese dishes to Japanese sushi and everything in between (like Vietnamese pho or Pad Thai). Stick with one cuisine or mix and match! Open daily till 2 a.m.

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Martin Wine Cellar

Maximo’s Italian Grill

Mr. Ed’s Restaurant

(504) 896-7350 MartinWine.com

1117 Rue Decatur, New Orleans (504) 586-8883 MaximosGrill.com

813 1001 Live Oak St., Metairie (504) 838-0022 910 W. Esplanade Ave., #A, Kenner (504) 463-3030 MrEdsNO.com

Redfish wrapped in phyllo dough with a crawfish ouzo sauce prepared by Chef David Bockstruck. Weekly Specials as well as regular lunch menu available Monday through Friday from 4-8 p.m. in Metairie. Dine in or take-out. View menu at MartinWine.com or call (504) 896-7350.

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Indulge in the city’s finest Italian cuisine at Maximo’s, a French Quarter favorite for 25 years. Sit at our Grill-Bar and be amazed as you watch Executive Chef Justin Daw prepare his fire roasted specialty dishes. We can accommodate your private events as well.

Mr. Ed’s is celebrating its 24th year with two convenient locations and one great menu! Serving New Orleans home cooking from po-boys to the best fried chicken in town! Mr. Ed’s caters for any occasion and is open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday.

RioMar

SoBou

Vega Tapas Café

800 S. Peters St., Warehouse District 525-3474 riomarseafood.com

310 Chartres St., New Orleans (504) 552-4095 SoBouNola.com

2051 Metairie Road, Old Metairie (504) 836-2007 VegaTapasCafe.com

Experience seafood from a different perspective when dining at RioMar. Executive Chef/Owner Miles Prescott brings fresh Spanish & Latin American inspired seafood dishes to life by creating seasonal menus highlighted with local ingredients. Indulge in signature cocktails, Spanish wines & authentic tapas dishes!

Created by the Commander’s Family of Restaurants, SoBou is a spirited restaurant, offering cutting-edge cocktails and Louisiana street food-inspired small plates. Enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner alongside an innovative cocktail, wine and bar program. SoBou, a modern Creole saloon, offers a beer garden and self-serve wine taps.

Vega Tapas Café began more than 16 years ago and has defined small plates in the New Orleans area. Chef Glen Hogh presents Spanish inspired cuisine with his personal flair in this casual, chic Old Metairie eatery. Come linger over a delicious mosaic of flavors and Bring Your Taste for Adventure.

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Opening in early September, Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar & Seafood Restaurant will offer a variety of fresh seafood dishes and southern cooking. Formerly, Mr. Chris’ Bozo’s Restaurant since 1979, Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar will feature several signature dishes including oysters on the half shell along with new grilled and baked oyster favorites.

538 Hagan Ave., New Orleans (504) 482-3047 Parkway Bakery and Tavern is the oldest, most entertaining poor boy shop in New Orleans, overlooking the historic Bayou St. John at 538 Hagan Ave. in Mid-City, New Orleans. Come and enjoy a Parkway poor boy in our restaurant, covered patio or our classic New Orleans bar.

Pascal’s Manale 1838 Napoleon Ave., New Orleans (504) 895-4877 This famous restaurant has been familyowned and-operated since 1913. Pascal’s Manale Restaurant is the origin of the well-known Bar-B-Que Shrimp. The oldtime oyster and cocktail bars offer raw oysters on the half-shell and all types of cocktails, as well as a great selection of fine wines. Fresh seafood, Italian dishes and delicious steaks are featured.

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3117 21st St., Metairie (504) 833- 6310

Parkway Bakery & Tavern

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar & Seafood Restaurant

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ccording to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is second only to skin cancer as the most common cancer in American men. It is estimated that in the U.S. in 2013 alone, about 238,590 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed. While prostate cancer is a serious disease, ranking only second to lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths, most men diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from it. By learning about the risks, symptoms and treatments of prostate cancer, you may be able to help yourself or a loved one prevent or survive the disease. Several specialized, regional health care providers are available to assist with the latest technology, breakthrough treatments and state-of-the-art cancer centers. Serving Thibodaux and the Bayou Region, the Cancer Center of Thibodaux Regional has been a leader in the fight against cancer for more than 18 years. Accredited with Commendation by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and the only program in Louisiana to receive the College’s Outstanding Achievement Award three times, the Center provides the most advanced and comprehensive cancer care in a quality-based and compassionate environment. Thibodaux Regional’s Cancer Center provides many options for the treatment of prostate cancer. Prostate Seed Implants (brachytherapy), performed by the radiation oncologist and urologists, deliver radiation directly to the prostate while sparing nearby healthy tissue. The revolutionary daVinci Robotic Surgical System is a minimally invasive microsurgery procedure that allows the surgeon more pinpoint movement than traditional surgery, decreasing the risk of damage to nearby tissue. Additionally, the Cancer Center’s advanced Trilogy System can be utilized to perform Stereotactic Radiosurgery, which delivers a high dose of radiation to the targeted tissue without cutting. To find out more about the Cancer Center of Thibodaux Regional, visit Thibodaux.com or call 985-493-4008. Doctors Wesley Bryan, Pablo Labadie and Ryan Glass are in the practice of urology on the West Bank. Board certified by the American Board of Urology, these three urologists make up West Jefferson Urology Specialists. Located in the Physicians Center on the West Jefferson Medical Center campus in Marrero, these urologists focus on early detection of cancers of the kidney and bladder and genitourinary tract including the prostate. The urologic surgeons of West Jefferson Urology Specialists also perform minimally invasive surgery, pelvic reconstructive surgery, and take care of persons with sexual 128

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health-related needs. They treat incontinence, kidney stones and other urological conditions. Supportive of West Jefferson’s Cancer Center, these doctors join their colleagues in educational offerings by taking part in community programs to increase cancer awareness. For an appointment at West Jefferson Urology Associates, call 504-934-8100. Dr. Benjamin R. Lee and the Department of Urology at Tulane Medical Center, are experts in treating even the most complex cases of kidney cancer. Establishing complete tumor removal, preservation of kidney function, minimal blood loss during surgery and superior clinical outcomes, have made Tulane doctors the most experienced in Kidney Stone Disease and Robotic Kidney Surgery in the entire Gulf South. All patients are evaluated on an individual, case by case basis and depending on the diagnosis, options for surgery may include Robotic Partial Nephrectomy, Laparoscopic Radical Nephrectomy, Single Port Laparoscopic Cryosurgery, Single Port Robotic Partial Nephrectomy and more. Utilizing the state-of-the-art daVinci high-definition robot, Tulane doctors are able to perform these minimally invasive surgeries in an efficient and timely manner. If you would like more information on the various treatments and procedures offered by Dr. Benjamin R. Lee and Tulane Urology, visit SaveTheKidney.net.

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TRYTHIS A

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(multiple locations, CorksNCanvas.com) with some friends from work. The premise behind

the place and many others like it around the country is simple: combine an art class with wine and you’ve got yourself a party. At Corks N Canvas, classes are offered throughout the week, but with 15 people you can reserve the space for your own private party and choose what you want to paint. When I walked in, the room reminded me of the art room in middle school for that art class everyone had to take. There were small easels set up, a white erase board was at the front and there were paintings hanging on the walls. Off to the side was a long counter where we put plates of food and wine for everyone to share. While the place is BYOW, the staff at Corks N Canvas did supply wine openers. When the class started, we all sat down at an easel with a canvas, paint brushes and paper plates for paint palettes. The staff at Corks N Canvas organized everything before we got there, and they provided aprons to protect our party clothes. It was a little intimidating at first since I had very limited painting experience, plus the wine in my hand probably wasn’t going to help me find any hidden talents. But the instructor who taught the two-hour class gave very clear, step-by-step directions, brushing away any intimidation factor. The instructor and another staff member also offered their expertise and trained hands to help fix any blunders we made on our future masterpiece. In the end, we all took home a decent painting and everyone seemed a little surB Y H ALE Y A D A M S prised how well each one turned out. Overall, the evening was a fun way to spend time with friends, and offered a nice alternative to the “girls night out” formula that usually takes place at a bar or someone’s house. The only downside was when I noticed some paint on my dress and my purse when I got home. I frantically went to Facebook and asked for recommendations about getting it out. Apparently cotton balls soaked in hairspray gets paint off of leather. I would recommend an evening at Corks N Canvas to anyone looking for a way to mix up a night out, just make sure you leave your fancy clothes at home or keep them far from the paint.

When Paint and Wine Come Together

Shopping

Poster Special at Fleur de Lis Framing & Gifts

Fleur de Lis Framing & Gifts, 9029 Jefferson Highway, Suite B, River Ridge, 738-1880, FleurDeLisFraming.com

Fleur de Lis Framing & Gifts, boasting a collection of 2,000 custom frame mouldings and mattes, is offering a special: $99 for a custom-framed poster. They also offer locally made gifts that celebrate the fleur-de-lis and other New Orleans icons. Recently added are French Quarter Candles, previously only available in the French Market, made locally using 100 percent soy. – M i r e l l a c a m e r a n

Health

Omega Hospital to provide Genetic Testing for Cancer

Omega Hospital, 2525 Severn Ave., Metairie, 832-4200, OmegaHospital.com

Omega Hospital in Metairie will be introducing the latest genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancers. The Metairie-based hospital is a leading Greater New Orleans surgery center, with one wing dedicated to breast surgery. Dr. Bob Allen, a plastic surgeon specializing in microsurgical breast reconstruction, has pioneered advancements in breast reconstruction that have been adopted worldwide. Surgeons Ali Sadeghi and Eliana Soto work alongside Allen to provide exemplary breast care. They are part of a 50-physician team, providing care in more than 19 specialties. – M . C . myneworleans.com

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STREETCAR

Riding Hitler’s Elevator B Y ERR O L LA B O R D E

ur schedule that afternoon in the Bavarian

Alps was to visit Hitler’s Kehlstein, or as the Americans called it, “the Eagle’s Nest.” Not that he was trying to suck up to the Fürher or anything, but the mountain peak retreat was built at the direction of Nazi boss Martin Bormann, who used Nazi party money to build the getaway as a 50th birthday present to Hitler. Eva Braun, the Führer’s gal, reportedly was especially fond of romping in the celestial cottage where she could marvel at the valleys below and at the Austrian Alps in the distance. In one room is an Italian red marble fireplace given to Hitler by his good friend Benito Mussolini, perhaps in anticipation of the good times they would have once Europe was conquered. Instead, in the days immediately after the war, American and French troops rushed to the place enacting a grown-up version of “King of the Mountain,” making it clear that the old king had fallen off for good. Mussolini’s fireplace was left pockmarked because of chips taken away by conquering soldiers. Tourism was the ultimate conqueror. The Bavarian government laid claim to the place where a trip to the top opens to a restaurant, gift shops, some framed pictures from the Reich days and the stunning views of Alpine valleys and peaks. First, though, is the issue of getting to the top. To reach the elevator you have to walk through a long, damp tunnel, stand in a crowded line and then wait in front of the elevator door in anticipation of three dozen or so fellow passengers being packed in with you for the 407 foot trip (about 40 stories) up a tube in a mountain. There must have been 200 people standing single file in the tunnel. The line nudged a little closer each time the elevator door opened, having disposed of its previous cargo. The elevator, which is about twice the size of an average freight elevator, was ostentatious as to befit a passenger whose Reich was to last 1,000 years. The walls are adorned with brass and mirrors. Originally there were green leather benches to rest Reich rumps, but they were eventually removed to pack more tourists. Feeling somewhat claustrophobic, when our turn came my strategy was

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to try to stand next to the elevator operator whose presence somehow seemed assuring. I watched anxiously as others entered in anticipation of the full load: two, three, four. I wished those in line would somehow go away. And then a miracle: With only seven of us in the elevator and another man about to enter, the operator put up the palm of his hand to tell him not to enter. The man had paused to take a picture, which was verboten. To make his point the operator closed the door and began our journey – seven of us in an elevator built for 40. I was thrilled. There would have been enough room for an oom-pah band and for us all to do the chicken dance. Here was a spiritual lesson: Miracles can occur, even in a Nazi elevator. We reached the top in less than a minute. The doors opened into the granite stone hideaway camp, next to the dining room, not far from the Mussolini fireplace and near the room said to be Eva Braun’s favorite because of the views. We walked around, had a beer, peered at the nearby Austrian Alps and weaved through the crowd. Getting down via the elevator wasn’t so bad. There wasn’t a dank tunnel to wait in. I just stood near the elevator door waiting for the moment when the crowd seemed light and hurried in. If I felt at all edgy, it turns out the precedent had been set by the most unlikely person. Hitler, we learned, seldom visited the Eagle’s Nest, and when he did, his stays were brief. He was uneasy with heights. He was also claustrophobic, so he too dreaded the elevator – even with its leather benches. For all the anxiety the Fürher got out of his birthday present, it proved to be a waste of Deutsche Marks. Perhaps the Nazi cash could’ve better been used to give him an early retirement. ARTHUR NEAD ILLUSTRATION