Where Y'at - Halloween Issue, OCTOBER 2020 by Where Y'at Magazine

October 2020

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DINING • MUSIC • ENTERTAINMENT • NIGHTLIFE

THE REAL VODOU BEHIND VOODOO p. 6

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CONTENTS October 2020 Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Josh Danzig Executive Editor: Kathy Bradshaw Movie Editors: David Vicari & Fritz Esker

Features

Food & Drink

The Real Vodou Behind Voodoo

Restaurant Guide

Halloween Costumes

$20 & Under

Electronic Music Scene

Cajun Culture

Tourism in NOLA

10 Day Trips

Contributing Writers: Kathy Bradshaw, Phil LaMancusa, Debbie Lindsey, Kim Ranjbar, Burke Bischoff, Julie Mitchell, Greg Roques, Eliana Blum, Leigh Wright, Steve Melendez, Michelle Nicholson, Sabrina Stone Cover Image: Alexei Kzantsev Director of Sales: Stephen Romero Photographers & Designers: Gus Escanelle, Kimmie Tubre, Emily Hingle, Kyla Veal, Annabel Morrison, Kathy Bradshaw Interns: Melanie Hucklebridge, Lawrence Bourgeois, Brhea Washington, Abbey Hebert, Blake Anderson, Amanda Gomez, Olivia G Wimberly Subscribe: Receive 1 year (14 issues) for $30 and get a FREE Where Y’at CD. Subscribe today at WhereYat.com.

Extras 28

Columns

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Letter from the Publisher Happy Halloween! While this year will be different than years past, what better excuse is there to wear a mask? Julie Mitchell’s humorous look at Halloween costumes is sure to inspire you. Ideas include the dreaded murder hornet, a cough, and, as a nod to the upcoming election: the two-party system. Burke Bischoff explores the real Vodou behind “voodoo” with his interview of Vodou high priestess Sallie Ann Glassman. This piece will enlighten you to the Vodou religion and its origin. While the weather is still nice, consider a day trip this weekend to one of the 10 spots profiled by Eliana Blum. And if you’re heading to Cajun country, don’t miss Kathy Bradshaw’s look at Cajun culture before you go. –Josh Danzig, Publisher

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6 10

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WhereYat.com | October 2020

THE REAL VODOU BEHIND VOODOO By Burke Bischoff

PHOTO: ALEXEI KZANTSEV

Sallie Ann Glassman, co-chair of the New Orleans Healing Center and owner of the Island of Salvation Botanica on St. Claude Avenue, is an initiated mambo asogwe, or high priestess, of Haitian Vodou. Born into an ethnically Ukrainian-Jewish family, Glassman showed a desire for spirituality since she was young and didn’t discover what was right for her until she went to Haiti. “I started doing tarot and created my own cards when I was at least 14,” Glassman said. “I started studying yoga and Eastern religions and got involved with a Western occult ceremonial magic order. That didn’t really appeal to me that much. But through that order, I discovered the work of Maya Deren, who was an experimental filmmaker and a dancer. She had made a documentary of footage she had taken in Haiti called Divine Horsemen, and I was just enamored with her work. And I found myself being involved with Vodou and ultimately doing a tarot deck, the New Orleans VooDoo Tarot, and that kind of opened up the door for me to go to Haiti and initiate, which I did.” Glassman explained that the Vodou ceremonies that she and other priests/ priestesses in the Haitian religion perform are not at all what is portrayed in movies and popular culture. Mainly through the act of drumming, singing, and dancing, the focal point in each ceremony is the arrival of spirits, referred to as loa, that

Halloween Issue | Where Y'at Magazine

Ask someone, local or not, what “Voodoo” is, and you might get mumblings of dolls, gris-gris, magic, and herbs. While those are popular images of what most people think of as Louisiana Voodoo, there is so much more to the story of how a version of these traditions came to the Big Easy. What started as West African Vodun in what is today Benin and Togo, modern Louisiana Voodoo owes more to the religion of Vodou, which was formed in French-controlled Haiti.

essentially take over the ceremony, talk to the congregation, and offer advice and healing. “I think everything in a Vodou ritual is about the technology for opening the doors between the invisible and visible worlds and allowing the two to exchange and influence one another,” Glassman said. “And to an outsider, it might seem like something supernatural is going on, but Vodou is extremely natural. Through the effect of the drumming and the singing and the dancing, which is very precise and very complex, a doorway is opened, and another frequency is established. It allows a particular power or intelligent energy to come through that we think of as a type of spirit.” According to Glassman, during the transfer of the religion from West Africa to Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti) and then to New Orleans, a mixing of traditions took place that helped Vodou to take root in the Catholic-dominant city. During Haiti’s French colonial period, the practice of Vodou was outlawed, and the French would give slaves lithograph images of Catholic saints to try to convert them. “In those images, they saw symbols that they recognized from the spirits that they observed in their homeland,” Glassman said. “And initially, these images were used as a mask or a blind to cover the spirit that they were actually serving. One

example is when they would honor St. Patrick, who was known for driving the snakes out of Ireland, but in fact, they were recognizing Damballa, who is a serpent spirit, and honoring him. Over time, the boundaries between these images became blurred.” Vodou, while taking on elements from Catholicism, did end up developing a presence in New Orleans when more slaves were brought over from Saint-Domingue. “We had Congo Square, where the slaves were allowed to congregate on Sundays, and they were allowed to have what we call dances,” Glassman said. “Well, all of the knowledge of Vodou was included within the songs and the dances. It’s unclear whether or not these were actual ceremonies, but it does seem to be the case that having this ability to congregate and perform this music allowed Vodou to stay alive in Louisiana.” The Catholic influence on Vodou is further cemented with the presence of a singular absolute god and celebrations of particular loa, coinciding with the feast days of the Catholic saint they are often paired with. “We should say that in spite of having all of these various spirits in Vodou, there is a recognition of a supreme deity, a god called Bondyé,” Glassman said. “God is seen as so abstract and so absolute that we simply cannot comprehend God with our human limitations, so these loa are integral and intermediary and are patrons of various natural elements. So, like the saints, they each carry certain vibrations and elements of the divine, but they are also forces of nature that surround us. We bathe in their waters and walk on their earth and breathe their air.” Glassman described that while Haitian Vodou and Louisiana Voodoo may have some similarities, such as using herbs for healing and enlightenment, they are two completely different entities. She said that what most people know as “Voodoo” is often confused with Hoodoo, which involves more spell-crafting and conjuring, but has a more Hollywoodized and tourist-oriented image. “There are aspects that might seem supernatural or magical in the Vodou religion, but again, it’s within this context of religion,” Glassman said. “Vodou itself is extremely ceremonial. It’s always about serving the spirits and serving the loa and going to them for guidance and asking for their moral judgment and asking them to guide us in their own way. A lot of people are disappointed that I won’t do spells to punish their ex-boyfriend or whatever. And they’ll say, ‘Well, you’re a priestess.’ And I say, ’Yeah, to serve the spirits and the community. I can talk to them to better your life, but I’m not going to do that kind of work for you.’” From what Glassman has noticed, there’s been a movement in New Orleans to incorporate a greater and deeper understanding of the actual religion. Holding ceremonies at a temple called a peristyle about 10 blocks away from her botanica, Glassman said that her weekly ceremonies usually bring in 15 to 25 people, but she also has about 75 people involved in her congregation who are from out of town. However, since the spread of COVID-19, things have changed. “One of the most dangerous things to do now is to get together and sing,” Glassman said. “So, we have been doing stay-at-home ceremonies and meeting up, quote-unquote astrally in the temple afterwards without physically being there. And now, with some of the restrictions removed, we’re doing some outdoor ceremonies in the backyard that are socially distanced—wearing masks and very limited ceremonies, not the full-on deal. It’s actually been very beautiful. And we wait two weeks in between to make sure nobody got sick, and then we do it again.” While COVID-19 has introduced challenges with practicing Vodou, Glassman explained that there have been some benefits as well. She’s been hosting Zoom choir practices that have helped to connect her out-of-town congregation more easily, and she’s noticed that new people are starting to find their way to her temple. “I think people are really, really hungry for some spiritual foundation because everything else feels so unstable, and rightfully so,” Glassman said. “I’m finding more and more people are turning to spiritual practice to help them through this and help them stabilize, despite all of the turbulence around them. And that has led to the house actually growing.” Glassman recognized that while Voodoo is known more by its touristy persona, she is grateful that the religion and its traditions have continually been passed down to each generation with the help of prominent people like Marie Laveau and Dr. John, a Senegalese priest who served as the persona inspiration for Mac Rebennack. “On the one hand, I find it very affronting that ‘Voodoo’ has been very touristed and sensationalized in that way, but on the other hand, it’s kept the tradition alive,” Glassman said. “It’s legal; it’s funded. I can go do ceremonies in the middle of the street, and I won’t get arrested. The police will show up just to make sure I’m safe.” Glassman said that the religion is important for New Orleans’s image because it not only cements the city as the Vodou capital of the United States, but it also serves as a reminder of those original Africans who were brought here and were able to keep their traditions going for hundreds of years. “I do think it’s really important that people realize that there is a recognition of God, of the divine, and that these spirits are not in opposition of the divine,” Glassman said. “They’re in service to the divine and to our communities. But also, I would like to say that there have been people practicing Vodou and passing it down to their families for centuries here.” “People will say that New Orleans seems like a European city, and to me, it dances to an Afro-Caribbean beat,” Glassman said.

WhereYat.com | October 2020

WAY MORE TRICKS THAN TREATS: Halloween Costumes That Reflect 2020 By Julie Mitchell

What do you wear on the scariest night of the year when every day has become the scariest night of the year? Since we’ve realized the world is ending, “mummy” just isn’t gonna cut it anymore. Here are some costumes that will let people know: “I’m depressed, but that doesn’t mean that I’ve lost my sense of hope. Also, I love candy!” Murder Hornet Doesn’t it seem like the writer’s made a mistake? I feel like we were so worried, then never heard anything else about them. What happened to them? Did they unionize and go on strike? Teach us your ways, hornets! For this one, you can get a regular bee costume, but then also corn syrup and red food dye so that you can put a lot of blood everywhere. Maybe put in those all-black contact lenses? You just want to have a generally unsettling vibe. Or, I guess if you’re a Charlotte Hornets fan, you can just cut out a piece of paper that says “Murder” and put it over “Charlotte” for the night. More than one way to skin a cat! Two-Party System Spooky! You know what’s scarier than a fake zombie? The collapse of democracy! Democracy is the idea that everyone’s voice is heard and gets counted, so why do we have a system where the options for representation for 328 million people are a white Christian man who has a gun, and a white Christian man who has a gun but wears jeans? Other countries get to have multiple parties and ranked voting, so they have more scope of voice with their vote. They also have free healthcare, so I think it’ll be a while. For this costume, you should get a Hanes cotton t-shirt and dye half of it blue and half of it red and take up smoking. Someone Coughing So this one’s pretty self-explanatory. What you run the risk of here is that people won’t understand that it’s a costume and that you’re not actually sick, and, therefore, you might be socially and perhaps physically ostracized—but Halloween is all about risks. What better way to make other people scared than by making them think that they are catching a highly contagious respiratory illness with no known cure? That’s way scarier than a ghost. It’s funny because on Halloween, people usually wear masks to be scary. But this year, it’s way scarier if you see someone without a mask! Your Bank Account Yikes! It’s been a rough year, huh? How many candles did you buy online when you were drunk? It is a virtual impossibility to have gone the entire pandemic without committing at least one escapist financial mistake. Mine was journals and movies from my childhood (I need them!). This costume is universal, because under capitalism, we all need to have money to survive, but within current conditions, it’s unsafe to work. Conundrum! For this one, you’re gonna want to do a monochrome outfit the color of your banking institution (for me, this is a Chase blue), then just cut out a bunch of zeros and safety pin or hot-glue them to your outfit, depending on how much you care about the

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clothes. For bonus points, do your actual balance. You can make checking your chest and savings your butt. Good luck. Emails Emails are always stressful. Even when it’s good news, you have to respond within a framework that is so completely devoid of humanity that it’s next to impossible. Have you ever tried to sound warm in an email? It’s impossible! Have you ever been emailed that someone just had a baby? There’s literally nothing you can say that conveys the appropriate level of sincerity. “Congratulations”? Grow up. Alternatively, the non-warm emails are worse. Why does American Airlines need to send me my “current eSummary” every week, when I haven’t been on a plane in half a year? It’s a nightmare. Your email inbox is just people who want things from you: to vote, to change something, to buy stuff, sign up, save a coupon, etc. Everything is an urgent reminder about something that I’ve never heard of and do not care about. People will hate this costume! But that’s the spirit of emails. You have a couple of options, depending on how you want to do this one. You could go Gmail and paint some white envelopes with red edging. You could go meta and tie some carrier pigeons to your back and be “Old Email.” You could buy six VHS copies of You’ve Got Mail and tape the cardboard boxes to you and keep playing a clip of the AOL notification sound all night. The world is your oyster! Messages From Old Co-Workers Going Through AA This pandemic has (hopefully) been a time of self-reflection and growth. Some people are learning that they’re racist (we all are!), some people are learning that they don’t like Shia LaBeouf (I get it!), and some people are learning that they should be in AA. That’s beautiful! Halloween is a time of self-discovery. Look at Mary Shelly. She invented the genre of science fiction and then discovered that people were sexist. But the only thing that’s certain is that you’re going to get an Instagram message from a blocked account apologizing to you. Someone in your past is going to choose to reach out, and you need to be ready with a costume to depict this. However you want to deal with that is your business, as is the costume. I cannot guide you in this; it is a journey you must take alone. Sense of Self Just completely gone. This costume is: If you don’t want to go out, just tell people that you’ll meet them dressed as this, then ghost them. Builds character. Happy Halloween!

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UNPLUGGED: COVID-19 (and Facebook) Pull the Plug on the Local Electronic Music Scene By Greg Roques

2019 was an epic year for live music in New Orleans. Jazz Fest, French Quarter Fest, and Essence Fest all saw record-breaking attendance, Buku Fest dropped the bass on a sold-out crowd, and fans braved inclement weather to watch reunited rock legends Guns N’ Roses deliver a blistering nearthree-hour performance at Voodoo Fest. The combined audience for these annual showcases alone was nearly two million—or slightly more than 42 percent of the population of Louisiana. Then came COVID-19.

At the onset of the outbreak, spring favorites Buku, French Quarter Fest, and Jazz Fest scrambled to reschedule for the fall, only to cancel their postponed shows shortly thereafter, once the long-lasting impact of the pandemic became clear. At the time of this writing, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases and a leading member of the White Houses’s Cornavirus Task Force, said that the nation may not experience a degree of pre-COVID normalcy until the end of 2021, stressing the continued need to “hunker down.” If he is correct, New Orleans (along with everyone, everywhere) could continue to thirst through a live-music drought for at least another year—an economic dry spell which many promoters, artists, and music professionals cannot endure. “For a large selection of people, being a full-time musician here, even in a city as musical as New Orleans, is a struggle,” says Erik Browne, a local electronic music artist, producer, and organizer who performs under the unforgettable alter-ego Unicorn Fukr. “I don’t know any full-time musicians, either locally or even folks I’ve performed with touring internationally, who aren’t having a hard time right now— myself included.” Browne took a position as the resident DJ for the Fillmore New Orleans earlier this year, broadcasting live performances from his home studio Saturday nights via Twitch

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and Facebook. At the start, these streams allowed him to earn roughly the same amount, via digital tips, that he would get for a live performance. However, as the pandemic progressed, those gestures have been harder to come by. He’s now lucky to bring in $50 a show. Though electronic dance music may be synonymous with technology (all its sub-genres were crammed under the catch-all term “techno” before the turn of the century), many indie-EDM artists are finding it hard—possibly harder than other musicians—to take advantage of the physically removed digital landscape in which we all now interact. “The beautiful thing about live music is that you can connect with your audience,” says Andre Waguespack, aka Klutch, a local DJ who has performed at Buku numerous times. “[When music isn’t live], you can’t look out into the crowd and see if they are feeling what you are playing, and if they’re not, transition to something totally different and then get a sense for if they vibe with that.” Waguespack’s digital output has been strong since shutdown. He has continued to put out new music on a monthly basis, a practice he has maintained for the past two years. He also continues to livestream performances, including a recent set at the

Republic, also collecting tips via services made available by Gmail and PayPal. However, a much higher hurdle than this digital connect is rapidly approaching independent electronic artists. “Electronic music has a history of sharing music—it’s just always been a borrowing culture,” says Browne. “I have sets constantly cut short or muted on social media because copyright algorithms won’t allow me to sample a song. It doesn’t matter how indie or obscure it is. Sometimes it’s even a tune from my own label.” Copyright law has been a thorn in the side of dance-music producers since before most U.S. homes even knew what a dial-up modem was. Defenders of digital sampling contend that it is a continuation of the folk tradition of building upon songs of the past generation, creating something new in the process; detractors demonize it as “groove sampling.” In the third chapter of his book, Owning Culture: Authorship, Ownership, and Intellectual Property Law, Kembrew McLeod recalls how record labels began recruiting small armies of employees whose sole job function was to list and listen to new releases all day in search of samples that they may own; this followed an early-90s court ruling in Grand Upright Music, Ltd. v. Warner Bros. Records, Inc., finding that sampling without permission constituted copyright infringement. This case was seen as a major blow to the emerging hip-hop and then-still-underexposed, at least in the U.S., electronic music industries. That was 30 years ago. Now, sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch can recognize a sample before a video has even finished uploading, silencing producers without the backing of a major label and cutting off their already suffocating online cash flows. Browne recently received notice that Facebook will begin banning artist pages that continue to engage in these practices, starting this month. This would further deepen the already-hemorrhaging creative and financial wounds he and other independent DJs are suffering during these trying times. While he concedes that there are other, better streaming outlets for musicians, it would be nearly impossible to recoup the audience he has amassed on the ubiquitous platform and its subsidiary apps. Although Browne, Waguespack, and countless others will continue to innovate and find ways to entertain fans online, both see the return of live music—once it is safe—as the only true way forward. Though it may seem impossible to see that end through the thick global fog, local promoters are working towards making live music a safe reality. The Voodoo Music + Arts Experience experimented this past July with socially distanced shows, via its NOLA Drive-In series. The performances, hosted at the UNO Lakefront Arena and simultaneously broadcast online, featured local favorites Tank and the Bangas, Galactic, and The Revivalists playing to a live audience watching from their cars (think drive-in movie theater). Though each of these performers have strong followings, the series’s true success (the final July show sold out) stems from its focus on social distancing and safety. No matter how much we may miss a pulsating dance floor or bloodthirsty mosh pit, it is still not safe to engage in large gatherings. South Dakota’s Surgis Motorcyle Rally concert provided a cautionary tale this past August. Its crowd—bereft of even the slightest signs of social distancing, mask-wearing, or basic human intelligence—has been linked to more than a quarter-million COVID-19 cases by a recent IZA Institute of Labor Economics study. Reeves Price, co-founder of Winter Circle Productions, which produces New Orleans’s annual Buku Music + Art Project, says his team has dedicated its time these past few months to assessing how they can improve upon its processes, including anticipating health and safety measures that audiences will come to expect post-COVID. He believes that phone payments, ticket scanning, and contactless interactions that were slowly being adopted for the sake of convenience will now become the norm, and that audiences will generally expect “cleaner” venues moving forward. However, once a vaccine is well distributed and concerts are deemed safe, he doesn’t see the “pit” going anywhere. “Once there is a vaccine and we’re back to business, we’re putting people shoulder-to-shoulder on the barricade and letting them have the time of their lives,” says Price. “That’s always going to be the end goal—assuming, of course, that’s what it’s safe to do,” he says. Browne echoes this sentiment, with some parting advice. “You can’t have dance music without dancing,” stresses Browne. “DJs were never considered rock stars up until about the past 10 years. Before that, the focus was always on the audience, and the DJ was off to the side doing his thing in the shadows. Electronic music has always been about the audience being together on a hot, sweaty dance floor—but we’ll only get there if people wear masks, practice social distancing, and do their part to make this thing go away. When we come back, we need to make sure that it’s safe for everyone.” You can find Klutch on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @klutchbass. You can find Unicorn Fukr on Facebook/Instagram: @unicornfukr; and on Twitch.tv: @hornandtail.

WhereYat.com | October 2020

MODERN CAJUNS:

Playing Second Fiddle to No One By Kathy Bradshaw

From bayous to boudin balls, pirogues to pistolettes, zydeco to Zatarain’s, Cajun culture has become an integral part of the very identity of Louisiana. You simply can’t take the Cajun out of Louisiana. “A Cajun can look at a rice field and tell how much gravy it would take to cover that much rice.” —Cajun proverb Cajun culture is vibrant, historic, and multi-faceted. It’s the accordion, the washboard, the two-step. It’s family gatherings, fais do-dos, and catfish courtbouillon. Jambalaya, crawfish pie, filé gumbo… The Cajuns have become so much the beloved face of Louisiana that certain aspects of their culture are regularly packaged and peddled to people everywhere, in Acadiana and beyond. The word Cajun has become a genuine brand that is tacked on to the names of food and merchandise that have nothing whatsoever to do with being Cajun, in order to increase these items’ appeal. Whether it’s on beer cans or snack mix bags, “Cajun” keeps turning up in the most unexpected and non-Cajun of places. Cajun culture is also a big draw for tourists. From the music and heritage festivals, such as Festivals Acadiens and the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Fest, to the Cajun restaurants and swamp tours, hundreds of thousands of people come out annually (in a normal year) to enjoy fresh-boiled crawfish, dance to the sounds of the fiddle, and feed marshmallows to alligators from the back of an airboat. All of this can make it very difficult to decipher what is authentically Cajun and what is just the watered-down, tourist-friendly version. Cajuns are so much more than the beer-guzzling, gumbo-scarfing, crawfish-trapping, fun-loving, French-speaking residents of the backwoods of Louisiana that many people think they are. Their culture is based on nearly 300 years of history, community, innovation, perseverance, and tradition. But how did the Cajun culture come to be what it is today, and how did it end up being associated with everything from a daiquiri flavor to a variety of cold cut turkey? And how much of what we perceive as Cajun really is? Cajuns in the Beginning In the 1600s and 1700s, still long before the French Revolution, many French people left France in search of liberté, egalité, and the makings of a better brie and headed to the New World. Some of them settled in Louisiana and set about converting swampland into Bourbon Street, while others found themselves much further north in what would later become parts of Canada, including Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. This area was named French Acadia. The Acadians, as they were called, lived happily French for many years, raising their dairy cattle for cheese, growing grapes for wine, and cultivating grains for bread—or cake, if they chose to eat cake, with no pressure from the French monarchy either way—

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until the British came and ruined their fun. In 1710, the British invaded French Acadia and demanded that the Acadians break their ties with France and pledge their undying allegiance to Britain instead. Surely not wanting to downgrade from foie gras to Yorkshire pudding, the Acadians refused. But the animosity between France and Britain continued to grow, ultimately leading to the dreadful Seven Years’ War between the two countries, from 1756 until 1763. During the war, the British kicked the Acadians out of Nova Scotia and the surrounding areas in a mass eviction that was referred to as The Great Expulsion or The Great Upheaval. Although the Acadians were dispersed throughout the U.S. and many returned to France, the vast majority ended up gathering in Louisiana, in a region that came to be aptly called Acadiana, and ultimately creating the Cajun heritage that they are known for today. Parlez-vous français? The Cajuns had a rough go of it for a while. Not only did they have to brave the harsh conditions of rural Louisiana, but they were also often met with prejudice and intolerance by other people. In fact, the term Cajun itself originated as a shortened and disparaging form of the word Acadian. For a long time, French remained the official language of Louisiana, but that didn’t last. “The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and statehood in 1812 placed serious pressure on French Louisiana to conform to the language and culture of the United States,” explains Barry Ancelet, a Cajun folklorist in Lafayette. Under pressure from English-speaking authorities, the French language was slowly but forcefully removed from Louisiana. English was taught exclusively in schools, and speaking French was not just frowned upon, but eventually strictly outlawed. “Children were humiliated and punished for speaking the language of their ancestors,” Ancelet says. Philip Smith, a Cajun from Erath, Louisiana, adds, “I can remember my grandpa saying that he got disciplined—which means that they paddled him—on multiple occasions, for speaking French with his friends in school.” But while French wasn’t tolerated in public, this didn’t stop the Cajuns from speaking their language behind closed doors. Like so many things that are officially forbidden, speaking French never went away entirely; it just went underground. “Anytime you spoke French, it was like Prohibition—drinking alcohol in somebody’s basement,” says Smith. Nevertheless, the Americanization of 19th-century Louisiana caused a multigenerational gap in French-speakers among the Cajuns of Louisiana. While this was

unfortunate for the preservation of the culture, it proved to come in handy for family dynamics. Several Cajuns who were interviewed admitted that although they never learned French, it was still spoken in their presence—and they were never meant to understand. “My parents used to speak French when they wanted to talk about private things in front of the kids,” says Glen Romero (aka “Gumbo Glen”), a Lafayette Cajun. “We never knew what they were talking about. It was over our heads.” Beginning in the 1960s, the steadily diminishing Cajun French underwent an official renaissance, thanks in large part to CODOFIL, or the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, an organization that has been successfully fighting to bring French back to Louisiana, both in schools and through various cultural events. Cajun French is a dialect of French, but one that is somewhat divergent from traditional, standard, French French. “Our French is slang,” says Romero. “It’s country French.” This is because Louisiana French was blended with other dialects, such as Creole and Haitian French, and also because Cajun French was passed down through the generations primarily as an oral tradition, unwritten, allowing for diverse spellings and usage. The end result is a version of French that, although equally as legitimate, differs significantly from European French. The words are different. The sayings are different. The accent is different. If you say “Laissez les bons temps rouler!” to a Frenchman, or call him “Sha,” he’ll likely give you that “you silly American” look, as if you just put ketchup on your escargot. Cajuns Today While Cajun French was making its big comeback, “Cajunism” was experiencing an emergence of its own. Cajun culture was put on the map thanks to the Cajun cooking of Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme, and Cajuns have come a long way from the days when they were discriminated against and belittled. In the past few decades, Cajun culture has increased in popularity to the point that it could now be considered trendy, hip. To be Cajun has become almost a badge of honor. “It’s been popular for 25 years,” says Romero. “Before that, everybody said, ‘I’ve never met a Cajun before.’ Now, you walk around, you carry your own Tabasco with you, and they know where you’re from.” And yet, even while Cajun culture is having its heyday, some stereotypes still persist. Outsiders, especially those outside of Louisiana, often see only the Hollywood version of Cajuns: Bobby Boucher from The Waterboy. Evinrude in The Rescuers. Troy Landry from Swamp People. “Most people think Cajuns are associated with spicy food and nothing else,” says Romero. “Most movies stereotype Cajuns as old, poorly dressed, uneducated, and living in a cabin near alligators.” “The stereotype is that we’re just backwoods, eat-the-squirrels, take-the-fan-boat-toschool, talk-in-a-dialect-that-no-one-can-understand...” says Skip Boudreaux, also a Cajun from Lafayette. “But we have paved roads, you know? And buildings.” “I think they picture somebody in overalls, maybe carrying a shotgun,” adds Smith. But what is Cajun culture, really, according to those who live it every day? What does it mean to the Cajuns to be Cajun? One thing that everyone seems to agree on is the importance of food to the culture. For the Cajuns, food is connection. Food is currency. It’s practically religion. “Everything here is about food in South Louisiana,” says Romero. “You have breakfast, you talk about lunch. You have lunch, you talk about dinner. Families get together for meals here, and it’s a big thing.” “Being Cajun, to me, is family and gathering,” agrees Smith. “The Cajun culture is about letting go of work, letting go of all your troubles, and we’re in this moment together. And good food always makes that a better experience.” “The food’s good, but it’s more about the atmosphere and the socialization along with it. Crawfish boils, for example: It’s not about the actual eating of the crawfish,” Boudreaux explains. “It’s about: You’re going to someone’s house, you’re spending time, you’re drinking beer. You stand around the pot. It’s just a good time. And the food’s lagniappe.” If you like to eat, it’s definitely a handy thing to be in a Cajun’s good graces. Romero says that he used to work as a travelling salesman, and when his clients found out that he’s from Louisiana, they’d always beg him to bring them boudin or crawfish. “So when I travelled, I’d put that in my car and bring it to my customers,” he says. “Man, that’s better than a bottle of scotch. Anybody can get a bottle of scotch. Not everybody can get a boudin.” Ultimately, being Cajun means good food and family. It means neighbors and community. It’s friends gathering in the kitchen. Crawfish and comradery. Meals and music. It’s being asked by non-Cajuns to cook, because if you’re Cajun, you must be a good cook. It’s enjoying what you’re eating, but less than who you’re eating it with. It’s the Cajun joie de vivre. “I think it’s just having a unique identity that has some sort of sense of culture,” says Boudreaux. “Here in Acadiana, here in Cajun culture, it’s the food, it’s the music, it’s the Cajun French language as well. It’s just all of it together that makes it something unique that you can’t find anywhere else.” Ça c’est bon.

WhereYat.com | October 2020

TOURISM IN FUTURE NEW ORLEANS: What’s Next for the French Quarter? By Leigh Wright

Writing an article a month before it will be published is difficult in an ordinary time; however, this year, we all know, is not ordinary. As of now, the pandemic is still raging in the media as the city’s COVID-19 infection and death numbers thankfully drop. Who knows how the city and the country will be different as the summer heat gets put to sleep by our enthusiasm for dark liquor and hot gumbo? One thing is for sure: The times, they are a-changin’. Looking toward the New Orleans of the future, we need to understand how our citizens feel and think about its current state. The city, but especially the touristcentric French Quarter, turned into a ghost town in the early stages of lockdown, with restaurants and businesses shuttering—some closing for cleaning and others boarding up their windows forever. Laws and mandates change by the day, and while we have been locked away in our homes, the city’s lawmakers have been at work. Reduced restaurant capacity, a temporary restriction on the sale of to-go drinks, and a dramatic fall in short-term rentals all circled around, creating a vastly different environment for the hospitality industry. We need to take stock of our tourism industry as it currently stands. According to a 2018 report by nonprofit organization JFF (Jobs for the Future), 72,000 people work in the hospitality industry in New Orleans. Their jobs and lives were destroyed, with many sent home indefinitely on what should have been a normal day in March. Now, seven months into a tumultuous pandemic, service-industry workers are sharing spreadsheets and programs on social media to try to help each other navigate unemployment benefits. The community is rising to help where the political structure has failed. For many, the debate over how to protect workers versus keeping a city running is murky. One server from a French Quarter steakhouse, who chose to remain anonymous, has not set foot in his workplace since COVID-19 began. What started as the necessity of claiming unemployment benefits due to job cutbacks slowly turned into a distrust of

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the government (national, regional, and local) to provide adequate plans and safety for workers. “There is no God,” he dramatically laments. What he is revealing is a dramatic existence, symbolic to spiraling down Dante’s nine circles. Every day is the same as the last and the next one. What began as a high ride on economic security and safety is now a slow crawl back to a zero-sum bank account. While his co-workers have gone back to work—with one becoming sick—he has refused to return. “It’s not worth it to me, and I don’t feel safe. You have to rely on so many people to conform, and when I walk outside my house, I have people sneezing without masks on the street.” As many criticize these workers, it is actually their distrust of the safety systems themselves that keep them at home. Another common story is from Katherin Griffin, a former bartender at Bayou Wine Garden. Although not centrally located in the heart of tourist country, this Mid-City favorite garners massive crowds of locals, Endymion-parade tourists, and Jazz Fest-ers. The Wine Garden and its original sister, Bayou Beer Garden, have both been closed since March, meaning that a majority of the staff and management have been out of jobs. “Now, the bulk of the service industry in New Orleans is competing for the few jobs left available in a drastically changed market,” Griffin says. The economic toll is apparent, but the underlying emotional toll is harder to see. She continues, talking about her regulars who would follow her from job to job: “These

people were part of my week, every week, as friendly faces, advice-seekers and -givers, and, pivotally, the people who help pay my bills. I miss them greatly.” We can all agree that everyone is dealing with some sort of trauma, although felt to varying degrees, from this year. The people we rely on to literally serve us in our times of need are hurting, too. Griffin continues, “I have been applying to industry jobs and jobs outside of that spectrum as well, looking for anything that will get me employed again, so I can pay for school and my apartment. Just like during Katrina, many of my coworkers have scattered to different cities. Our social structures have shattered as much as our work and our financial stability.” If locals continue to filter out of the city, will they return? If not, who will be left? In my recent book, Local Life: New Orleans (Pelican Publishing), many ordinary citizens reveal what they are most afraid of and hopeful for in the future of New Orleans and its tourism industry. It was written before COVID-19 altered many lives, but the sentiments stay true. Some residents wanted visitors to blend into the scenery and learn from locals on how to act and participate in New Orleans. Others wanted tourists regulated to certain sections of the city in order to maintain a semblance of ordinary life for themselves. So, how will our city be altered in this tidal wave of change? One way is with the mayor’s new proposal to reimagine the French Quarter as a vehicle-free zone. Released under the blanket of COVID lockdown, this massive undertaking is comprised of several “concepts.” They focus on reducing speed limits for cars in the Quarter, partitioning off bike lanes to only Dauphine and Burgundy, a “safer North Rampart” objective, decreasing parking within the Quarter, and creating an entire “pedestrian mall,” with all vehicles forbidden on one of the major residential streets: Orleans Street. Although the mayor states that citizens will be given a voice, this issue has blossomed almost unnoticed. Cantrell and several city shareholders (police, fire, Vieux Carré Commission) have combined to create a “tiger team,” a.k.a. a team of specialists. This begs the question: specialists in what? The people who are allowed into these meetings are focused on crowd sizes, not cultural preservation. On the nola.gov website, the mayor’s office states that “the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a unique opportunity to explore creative, pedestrian-centric approaches that have the potential to draw both locals and tourists to sustain the French Quarter in a healthy and vibrant way.” In an area of only 3,200 residents but 20 million visitors, that would be quite historical. One Decatur Street resident, Stephanie Young, remarked, “In my opinion, she wants residents out. [Put] short term rentals in the Quarter, and [she] doesn’t care about the fabric of the French Quarter community. That, and crime will increase, puke on the streets, and old people are supposed to catch a shuttle to outlying parking lots? Come on.” Creating a more walkable French Quarter is not a bad idea. Scenes of strolling down a music-laden, art-filled street is romantic. Who doesn’t want to have a lazy weekend day sipping a cocktail as you walk among the history and culture of New Orleans? By looking over the plans, however, a few questions do arise. First, the current bike plan shows how bikes will be designated to one section. This is a common method of transportation for service-industry workers across the rectangular neighborhood. How will burnt-out hospitality workers get to their jobs if they are not allowed to bike to the entrance or be dropped off when it’s raining? The park-and-ride concept would encourage crime, be a hassle for those on tight schedules (since nothing in this city is on time), or simply make carrying instruments more difficult for street musicians. Can outdoor seating and a revamped car-less area make the French Quarter attractive to locals? Locals need to have a say in what happens, and not only by being polled. A better way would be to invite ground-level organizations such as the Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans (MACCNO) into the Tiger Team from the beginning. Yet the lack of community organizers reveals the downside of New Orleans’s tourism industry: The service workers and musicians are often given “a prominent place in an announcement, but barely an afterthought in implementation.” The analysis from VCPORA’s website shows the concerns broken down by concept from the mayor’s “Tiger Team.” Currently, more effort and attention needs to be paid to the tireless workers, from managers and owners to line cooks and bar backs, who are keeping the city of New Orleans fed and filled with food and booze. In a summary for Concept 3, the “civic spine” that would create a pedestrian mall on Orleans Street, VCPORA says that the plan “simply does not make sense and raises the question of who this is designed for. It places a visitor’s experience over residential accessibility and quality of life.” The future of New Orleans needs its citizens. We need locals to support businesses and their workers. We also need visitors whose constant thought is, ”First, do no harm.” Restaurants and bars have tried their best throughout the pandemic to adjust and serve the public. When we were tired of cooking and cleaning every night, New Orleanians could still go to at least one of their favorite spots. Workers still show up to their jobs to explain new protocols, greet tourists, and maintain some semblance of normalcy. Yes, tourism keeps New Orleans humming, but the workers in the machine deserve the credit. As a last note, remember that locals are needed to set the tone, if we want to keep the city the way we love it. Staycations are great ways to help out small businesses. You need it. The workers need it. The city needs it. Besides, maybe if visitors see more locals and the way they treat the city, they will learn to remember, “First, do no harm.”

WhereYat.com | October 2020

HAVE A NICE DAY TRIP! Top 10 Short Getaways From New Orleans By Eliana Blum

Autumn weather provides the perfect opportunity to leave the city and escape into nature. Whether your destination is a hike, a beach trip, or a picnic, there is always a good excuse to explore life outside of New Orleans. These 10 spots are idyllic and easy-to-access one-day getaways.

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1. Fontainebleau Less than 45 minutes from New Orleans, this short day trip offers both beaches and beautiful nature walks. The drive over Lake Pontchartrain via the 24-mile bridge is half the fun. Once arriving in Fontainebleau, there are copious spots to picnic, ride bikes, and bird-watch. If desired, it is easy to turn this day trip into an overnight one by staying in a cabin near the water. 2. De Soto State Park This national forest offers a number of recreational activities in the great outdoors, including swimming, hiking, biking, fishing, and horseback riding. One of the most popular areas in the park is the Black Creek Wilderness. The 10-mile Black Creek Trail is a must, as it shows off the best views that the park has to offer. Aside from the well-maintained trail, there are no other man-made developments, allowing visitors to feel completely removed from urban life. 3. Grand Isle In the southern-most region of Louisiana, this beautiful tiny town is home to scenic beaches, top-notch fishing, and diverse wildlife. Popular for bird watching, Grand Isle hosts the Migratory Bird Festival each spring, when hundreds of species of birds are spotted flying north. Even outside of peak avian season, this spot is worth visiting. Grand Isle offers several great spots for swimming and boating. While there, be sure to visit Elmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Island, just off of the main road into town. Although only a two-minute drive from the main stretch, this tiny and secluded island offers plenty of space to roam. 4. Tunica Falls Suitable for all ages and abilities, Tunica Falls offers a variety of great hikes. Certain trails are longer or more difficult than others, permitting visitors to choose the rigor of their own experience. The terrain varies greatly; expect to walk through trees, rocks, and sand. It is easy to digress from the marked trails and wander towards unusual-looking plants and even covert quicksand. Mini-adventures on the route are encouraged, and all paths are marked clearly enough so that trekkers can easily find their way back. 5. Bogue Chiitto A trip to Bogue Chitto River is an excellent opportunity to absorb nature while drifting downstream. It is most visited by water-lovers who rent tubes or kayaks to enjoy the area. Water tours are open seven days a week, and they last either two or four hours. Alcohol is permitted on the river, as long as it is not in a glass or Styrofoam container. Overall, this is the perfect place to enjoy a lazy Sunday on a lazy river.

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6. Dauphin Island

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Although Alabama may seem far from New Orleans, Dauphin Island is an easy two-hour drive from the city. The island is visually striking, and it proudly shows off its brightly colored houses, bleachwhite sand, and expansive ocean. The beach is a long, narrow strip, which makes it easy to spread out and keep distance from others. Although many tourists choose to spend the entire day on the beach, there are other activities to participate in. Visit Aloe Bay to launch kayaks or investigate Audubon Bird Sanctuary to spot hundreds of species of feathered friends.

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7. Woodlands Conservancy With a mission to conserve the forest in Louisiana, Woodlands actively strives to protect over 800 acres of wetlands. Many animals, including 40 species of birds, depend on this land and can be spotted on some of the nature trails. History buffs are especially attracted to the area; those who dare to venture far enough into the woods will discover 10 ammunition magazines from World War II. The large structures serve as a humbling reminder that the region was occupied by the military not too long ago. 8. Bay St. Louis Bay St. Louis is the archetype of a beach town. The beautiful stretch of sand spans for miles and is great for swimming and taking long walks. For lunch, be sure to venture into town and dine at The Blind Tiger or delight in ice cream at Purple Banana, both noteworthy staples of the area. 9. Bayou Sauvage Natonal Wildlife Refuge This hidden gem is mere minutes outside of the city, yet it provides complete seclusion from the New Orleans buzz. The well-marked trails bring visitors on scenic walks, where it is easy to spot all kinds of wildlife, from birds to wild pigs. The trails are lined with signs to educate visitors interested in learning more about the natural makeup of the refuge.

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10. Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge This area is the ideal space to explore flora and fauna, as well as wildlife, in Mississippi. In 1992, Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge was established to help protect the pine savanna habitats. Since Grand Bay is only an hour from Dauphin Island, it is worth it to fit in a stop here on the way back from the beach.

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RESTAURANT GUIDE AMERICAN

beautiful outdoor patio while enjoying the Farmer’s Salad with avocado, olive oil, and toasted almonds. Or try the pumpkin 5216 Table & Tap offers classic American ravioli, served with sage and a garlicfare and drinks. They have tacos, burgers, butter sauce. It’s a perfect meal for fall. salads, sandwiches, steaks, desserts from 4734 Magazine St., 504-510-2791, Maurice French Pastries, and the cheesiest misanola.com cheeseburger and best fries you could hope for. Try a delicious craft cocktail from their renovated bar. 5216 Veterans The Steakhouse at Harrah’s combines local ingredients and techniques with highMemorial Blvd., Metairie, 504-766end steakhouse dishes. Try any of their 1417, 5216tableandtap.com juicy steaks, and make it “surf-and-turf” by Bayou Hot Wings does wings right. They topping it with shrimp. The Steakhouse is one of only 28 restaurants in New Orleans put care into each perfectly cooked wing, to be recognized for its wine collection. with 24 hours of seasoning and brining. 228 Poydras St., 504-533-6111, Don’t miss out on their popular housemade sauces and sides. Try the Bayou Hot caesars.com/harrahs-new-orleans/ Wing Challenge for a chance to have your restaurants/the-steakhouse meal comped and your picture on the Wall of Fame. 6221 S. Claiborne Ave., 504865-9464, bayouhotwings.com Crescent City Steakhouse has influenced New Orleans for over 85 years. Their steaks, including their rib eye and delectable baconwrapped filet mignon, are unmatched. The secret? For four generations, the chefs have been cooking their steaks in sizzling butter. 1001 N. Broad St., 504-821-3271, crescentcitysteaks.com The Duke’s legend lies in the food, and their burgers are definitely legendary. They also serve salads, pasta, and fried dessert. Fried bread pudding, anyone? Anything fried ought to be tried. Treat yourself to “The Hangover,” a burger patty with scrambled eggs, bacon, cheddar, and gravy. 2740 Severn Ave., Metairie, 504-3534227, thedukemetairie.com Gattuso’s will satisfy your hunger, whether you’re craving a burger or a salmon salad. They also offer gumbo and appetizers that can sate your appetite before you dig into delectable entrees. Enjoy a meal and cocktail in the large and inviting courtyard. Gattuso’s brings great food with friendly service. 435 Huey P. Long Ave., Gretna, 504-386-1114, gattusos.net Legacy Kitchen’s Craft Tavern offers a refreshing take on New Orleans classics. For their daily brunch, diners can indulge in beignets or customizable waffles. For dinner, try their Redfish St. Charles. All dishes can be paired excellently with one of their signature craft cocktails. 700 Tchoupitoulas St., 504-613-2350, LegacyKitchen.com Legacy Kitchen’s Steak + Chop enhances the foodscape of the Westbank, with refined cuisine in a casual setting. Check out their daily Happy Hour specials, including $5 martinis on Thursdays, half-priced wine, and $1 charbroiled oysters. Their steaks are seasoned with “butter and parsley love.” 91 Westbank Expy., Gretna, 504-513-2606, LegacyKitchen.com Misa offers delicious and unique dishes at a customer-friendly price. Dine on their

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The Vintage serves fantastic breakfasts, delectable sandwiches, and late-night bites. The relaxing atmosphere almost makes you forget the state of the world, and if not, their crawfish queso or beignets will. Take advantage of their $6 house cocktails, beers, wines, and appetizers, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily. 3121 Magazine St., 504324-7144, thevintagenola.com

ASIAN MoPho is located near City Park and offers Vietnamese dishes with a Louisiana twist. Chef Michael Gulotta brings it all together, making MoPho what it is: a super spot for people who want great cocktails, fabulous pho, and cozy patio seating. Also try their Vietnamese coffee. 514 City Park Ave., 504-482-6845, mophonola.com Mikimoto is popular for its tempura, tuna tartar, and excellent sushi selection. They even offer riceless rolls for those going Keto. For something different, try the wasabi mussels or the squid steak. Enjoy your sushi while sipping a Tiki Bowl cocktail for two. 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., 504488-1881, mikimotosushi.com

BARS WITH GREAT FOOD Orleans Grapevine is a wine bar and bistro located in the heart of the French Quarter, with over 375 different bottled wines. Grab a seat in their cozy courtyard for a breath of fresh air, and pair a glass of fine wine with a cheese board or their ahi tuna dish. 720 Orleans St., 504-523-1930, orleansgrapevine.com Rum & The Lash, located inside Finn McCool’s, offers great bar food, such as a classic burger with two patties and all the fixings, including a special serving of their own spicy mayo. Get your burger with their amazing curry fries, made with curry sauce, lime yogurt, cheese, and jalapenos. 4801 Bienville St., 504-482-9113, rumandthelash.com

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WhereYat.com | October 2020

A New Orleans Tradition Since 1913

A part of the Ray and Jessica Brandt Family since 2019. Italian dishes, fresh seafood & delicious steaks. Have your special occasion or business function with us. Private rooms available. Ample off-street parking.

“Good Cat” (for lighter fare) and “Bad Cat” (something more sinful) sections. Visit them for breakfast, lunch, or brunch, with comfortable patio seating, fantastic cocktails, and their special Alinea coffee. Multiple Locations, bearcatcafe.com Café 615 (Home of Da Wabbit) is a special Westbank spot that you don’t want to miss. Founded in 1948, this café has served authentic Creole dishes—ranging from turtle soup to crawfish queso—to generations of families. Pair your meal with one of their cocktails or draft beers. 615 Kepler St., Gretna, 504-365-1225, cafe615.com Caffe! Caffe! warrants its name’s enthusiasm. Their multiple locations are renowned for both their coffee and their cuisine. They offer made-from-scratch options, from breakfast sandwiches to fresh juices, along with creative salad and sandwich selections and a delicious soup du jour. Multiple Locations, caffecaffe.com

Closed Sun. & Mon. Tues. Dinner Open at 4 Wed. through Fri. Lunch & Dinner Open at 11:30 Saturday Dinner Open at 4 1838 Napoleon Av. Raw Oyster Bar 895-4877 PascalsManale.com

Jimmy J’s Café is known as “Nawlins’ Funkiest Lil’ Café.” This eatery serves Instagram-worthy food for lunch, dinner, and all-day breakfast. You won’t want to leave without first trying their French Toast Monte Cristo, served with shaved ham, bacon, cheese, maple syrup, and a side of home fries. 115 Chartres St., 504-3099360, jimmyjscafe.com

CARIBBEAN Carmo boasts flavors “from Southeast Asia to West Africa, the Caribbean, South America, and beyond.” And everything tastes even better with one of their fantastic cocktails or fresh tropical juices. They provide a comfortable atmosphere and amazing food that is perfect for vegetarians and carnivores alike. 527 Julia St., 504875-4132, cafecarmo.com NOLA Caye is a Caribbean-inspired restaurant in the Warehouse District with a hip, modern vibe and gorgeous decor. Get fresh and authentic island cuisine, such as conch fritters, jerk chicken, watermelon gazpacho, or fish tacos. Don’t miss their creative cocktails to accompany your meal. 98 Baronne St., 504-302-1302, nolacaye.com

ITALIAN Elle-J’s offers Creole-Italian food. Try Chef Ludovic “Vic” Gerrets’s famous Shrimp Lucia: jumbo shrimp tossed in a light butter sauce and served over linguini. Join Elle-J’s mid-week for Wine Wednesdays, when you can enjoy an awesome meal with half-off bottled wines from 3 p.m. – 9 p.m. 900 Harrison Ave., 504-459-2262, ellejslakeview.com Josephine Estelle, run by James Beard Award-winners, blends Italian cooking with flavors of the American South. They feature both fried chicken with an Italian

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twist and rigatoni on the same menu. This restaurant offers the best of both worlds: truly fine dining and reasonable prices. 600 Carondelet St., 504-930-3070, josephineestelle.com Mosca’s has been serving some of the city’s best Italian food for more than 60 years. Favorites include Shrimp Mosca, Oysters Mosca, and Italian crab salad. Mosca’s is good for groups, as dishes are served family-style. Make sure to stay for the grand dessert finale: pineapple fluff! 4137 US-90 West, Westwego, 504436-8950, moscasrestaurant.com Pascal’s Manale is owned and operated by the Ray Brandt family and has been open for over 100 years. Known for its fresh oysters and BBQ shrimp, Pascal’s also serves delicious Italian options, salads, steaks, and seafood specialties. Come in for their two-for-one apps and martinis on Tuesdays. 1838 Napoleon Ave., 504895-4877, pascalsmanale.com Tavolino Pizza & Lounge is a pizzeria known for its traditional Italian fare and wine selection. They offer apps, salads, and signature pizzas, such as the meatheavy Carne or the Fantasy Island with prosciutto, pineapple, and jalapeños. Enjoy it on the patio with a drink. 141 Delaronde St., Algiers, 504-913-8921, facebook.com/TavolinoLounge Red Gravy has moved Uptown and serves Italian-influenced cuisine, such as homemade pasta and their famous meatballs. For brunch, try their Brûlée French Toast with caramel and pecans, and for dinner, order the Rolatini: breaded eggplant with ricotta, mozzarella, and red gravy. It’ll leave you wanting more. 4206 Magazine St., 504-561.8844, redgravycafe.com

LATIN Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco brings Peruvian flavors to seafood, including their eponymous ceviche. They also offer a number of other plates, such as duck confit with a beer glaze. But a trip to Tito’s wouldn’t be complete without sipping some of their famous pisco, on its own or in a cocktail. 5015 Magazine St., 504267-7612, titoscevichepisco.com

MIDDLE EASTERN Lebanon’s Café offers traditional options, including homemade Lebanese tea and delicious kabobs. Order one of their lunch plates, which come with hummus, salad, and pita, or try their rosemary lamb chops. This spot combines the hospitality of a family-owned restaurant with affordable prices. 1500 S. Carrollton Ave., 504862-6200, lebanonscafe.com Tal’s Hummus only uses the freshest ingredients to create Israeli-inspired food, such as falafel, pita sandwiches, and kabobs. Their hummus can be served with everything from falafel to fava beans, but it’s also great on its own. Tal’s is open for delivery, dine-in, and catering.

4800 Magazine St., 504-267-7357, ordertalsonline.com

MEXICAN Carreta’s Grill has been serving quality Mexican food for two decades. They have fajitas, tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, and more. Try a mango or strawberry margarita with chips and fresh guacamole or a giant burrito. They bring a festive ambience and friendly service to the table, along with affordable prices. Multiple locations, carretasgrillrestaurant.com Felipe’s Mexican Taqueria is one of the best-known Mexican restaurants in New Orleans. Choose between their numerous taco, burrito, and quesadilla options. Everyone loves their Baja Tacos, which come with either shrimp or fish. Do them up right by adding pickled cabbage, pico de gallo, and baja sauce. Multiple locations, felipestaqueria.com

Short Stop Poboys doesn’t play when it comes to serving the city’s famed sandwich; they make it an artform. You can personalize your po-boy with meats and extras, creating the sandwich of your stomach’s dreams. Feeling indecisive? We recommend the roast beef or fried shrimp poboys. 119 Transcontinental Dr., Metairie, 504-885-4572, ShortStopPoboysNo.com

both deemed their fried chicken “America’s Best.” Multiple locations, williemaesnola.com

SEAFOOD Briquette is located in a former molasses refinery, with an open kitchen and a large bar area. This restaurant has a first-rate atmosphere to match its excellent food. You can’t go wrong with the Tuna Crudo appetizer or the Snapper Pontchartrain entree, or try their blackened redfish with grilled Gulf shrimp. 701 S. Peters St., 504-3027496, briquette-nola.com

Willie Mae’s is a quintessential New Orleans restaurant. Their Fried Chicken Plate is the very definition of soul food. There’s now another location at Pythian Market, with all the same chicken you love. Come taste why WhereYat-Oct ad.pdf 1 10/7/20 9:14 AM Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar has the Food Network and Travel Channel

served locals fresh and delicious oysters since 1940. Whether you like your oysters raw, chargrilled, or fried, Felix’s has something for you. Satisfy your seafood hankering or enjoy numerous other New Orleans-style dishes. Now reopened in the French Quarter. Multiple Locations, felixs.com Seaworthy features locally caught and sustainably harvested seafood with a global flair. It’s a culinary heaven for seafood aficionados and dabblers alike. The octopus dish packs an impressive amount of flavor, and profits from their handcrafted cocktails help fund the Gulf Coast Restoration Initiative. 630 Carondelet St., 504-930-3071, SeaworthyNola.com

NEW ORLEANS CUISINE Daisy Dukes offers Southern dining in a relaxed atmosphere—good food with a casual vibe. Their Diner Delight Sandwich is a delightful combination of bacon, scrambled eggs, and fried chicken, sandwiched between two waffles and served with a breakfast gravy dipping sauce. Multiple Locations, daisydukesrestaurant.com Mandina’s offers a combination of Italian and New Orleans cuisine. Guests can get not only fried catfish, but also spaghetti and meatballs. And in Italian fashion, they dole it out in heaping portions, so expect to take some home. One of their specialities is their Gulf Fish Almandine, served with fries. 3800 Canal St., 504-482-9179, mandinasrestaurant.com/nola New Orleans Creole Cookery blends together ambience and cuisine. They offer a stylish interior as well as a spacious patio area, complete with hanging lights and a fountain. Their menu includes highlights such as great gumbo, raw oysters, and six unique styles of Hurricane cocktail. 508 Toulouse St., 504-5249632, neworleanscreolecookery.com Neyow’s Creole Café is a black-owned business in Mid-City that serves a full menu of Creole food. Neyow’s has different specials every day, such as Cornish hen or BBQ shrimp, as well as everyday salads, pasta, po-boys, and chargrilled oysters. Sit inside or enjoy their outdoor patio seating. 3332 Bienville St., 504-827-5474, neyows.com Poppa’s Seafood & Deli has served the Ninth Ward for 25 years, providing a blend of traditional, Southern, and New Orleans food. They’ve got fried chicken, spaghetti and meatballs, and beans and greens. The crawfish pies, bread pudding, and gumbo all get rave reviews, as does the catfish platter. 3311 N. Galvez St., 504-947-3373

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How to Become Blue-Furred and Googly-Eyed By Kim Ranjbar

“I’d give you a cookie, but I ate it.” –Cookie Monster I refuse to bake chocolate chip cookies. It’s not because I don’t love baking or hate chocolate chip cookies (perish the thought). It’s the simple fact that I turn into a demon-possessed, chocolate chip cookie-hoarding monster who will eat them in such quantities as to make myself sick. La Boulangerie When I do make a batch of chocolate chip cookies, you can stake your life on the fact stick to this approach with everything we make. Simple, direct, high-quality ingredients, that I will sit down and gobble at least eight—or probably 10. All right, a dozen! Yes, a made from scratch and un-messed with.” dozen chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes I do it all at once, like a wood-chipper plowing In addition to “honing her craft” at Uptown’s Levee Baking Co., self-taught pastry cook through branches, bits flying everywhere that will later be found on my Catherine Killeen has also struck out on her own with an online bakery, pants or in my hair. Other times, I will grab a few here and a few there, dubbed With Love Baking Co. Among the chocolate espresso cakes duping myself into believing that “I really haven’t had that many,” and salted maple pies on offer, Killeen also bakes a small selection of and, by bedtime, nearly half the batch is gone. Do I have a problem? cookies, including her own Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip. The Most definitely. But in all honesty, don’t we all, when it comes to this brown butter provides a different, nuttier dimension to the flavor, along extraordinary treat? with the combination of semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolates. To give There are plenty of reasons chocolate chip cookies have the ability it an extra boost, Killeen tops her cookies with a sprinkling of Maldon to turn practically anyone into a wild-eyed gorger. For many, this particSea Salt, an extra that only makes her cookies that much chocolate-ier. ular delicacy can deliver a giant warm-and-fuzzy, a nostalgic whammy I heard rumors that the chocolate chip cookies at Cochon Butcher comparable to suddenly hearing a song you loved in high school or getwere “to die for,” and I was not disappointed, not that I could ever be ting an out-of-the-blue whiff of your beloved grandfather’s aftershave. disappointed in any dessert item coming out of the Link Restaurant It’s the ultimate comfort food, taking you back to a time when you were Group. Executive Chef Maggie Scales knows her way around sweets, With Love Baking Co not only young and invincible, but also safe and loved. and those chocolate chip cookies, found both at Cochon Butcher and Those sentimental triggers are only the beginning. Consider the La Boulangerie, are no exception. Knowing everyone has their own ingredients: sugar, fat, flour, salt, and chocolate. Has there ever been preferences for what exactly makes the perfect cookie, Scales finally a more perfectly diabolical combination? Almost every single ingredisettled over a decade ago on her favorite recipe, which features Belgian ent has been proven to be addictive, and together, they’re literally an Callebaut Chocolate Chips. Though she’s tried many others, she finds endorphin bomb. that Callebaut has the best flavor. “Someone at the bakery told me that our cookies look like the cookie emoji,” says Scales. “The exact thing you Finally, think about how it actually feels to bite into a chocolate chip think of when thinking of a cookie.” cookie. Do your like them crispy and buttery, with pops of salt and chocolate; soft and gooey, like barely-baked batter; or somewhere in Apparently, Callebaut Chocolate is a popular choice among pastry between? The contrast of textures, the way the cookie feels in your chefs. Thomas McGovern, owner and operator of the recently launched mouth, is almost as alluring as the rest of its many qualities. How anytM breads & pastries, also believes their chocolate is the best option. one can “only eat just one” is beyond me. After working as a pastry chef at the Ritz Carlton for 10 years, McGovern Cochon Butcher and La Boulangerie decided it was time to break out on his own on Baronne Street in the An excellent way to avoid scarfing far too many chocolate chip Central Business District. In addition to coffee, tea, sandwiches, and cookies is to go out and buy them from one of the many stellar cookiesalads, early visitors can expect to choose from a bounty of pastries, making masters around town. Hopefully, if you don’t have a lot of fifrom cakes and croissants to brownies and, of course, heavenly choconancial leeway, like myself, this will prevent you from going overboard. late chip cookies. If you’re loaded, you may still be limited by what’s available, and if not, the spectacle of purchasing dozens of cookies only to stuff them, At Sweet Handkraft in Metairie, owners and bakers Thuy Le and relentlessly, into your maw might shame you into practicing a modicum Loc Nguyen also enjoy using Callebaut chocolate in their chocolate chip of self-control. cookies. Mainly known for their delicious, unique macarons and ice cream flavors, the dynamic duo also makes cookies that are not to be In Mid-City on Orleans Avenue, Mayhew Bakery is pouring out evmissed. “We bake them throughout the day, so they’re always fresh,” erything from baguettes and biscuits to cinnamon rolls and pizza, but says Nguyen. “Our cookies are ooey-gooey, as opposed to crispy.” If their chocolate chip cookies are definitely worth more than a mention. their ginormous chocolate chip cookies aren’t enough, try having two Other than using “really good chocolate,” Pastry Chef Jessica RaganSweet Handkraft with house-made vanilla ice cream sandwiched in between. Williams believes that the key to great cookies lies mostly in how you mix the ingredients. At Mayhew, they cream the European butter with In case you haven’t heard, Chef Frank Brigtsen has been touting a sugar until it’s light in color and incredibly fluffy. Then, once you add mini-bake sale held by Elizabeth Venable, a pastry chef who formerly the flour (in their case, King Arthur), you shouldn’t mix too much. worked at the Ritz Carlton and Sheraton but was furloughed due to These are all techniques that ensure a cookie that’s light and crispy. the coronavirus. For a couple of weekends, she’s been slinging quick “We also use Ronald Reginald’s Mexican Vanilla,” says Ragan-Williams. breads, baguettes, and, naturally, chocolate chip cookies in the Dante “We love that it’s a local company, and I just think Mexican vanilla is Village parking lot, and causing all kinds of good-tasting commotion. the best.” With a combination of dark chocolate and semi-sweet Ghirardelli chips, this particular cookie is worth your time and effort to seek out. Over on Broad Street in Central City, Laurel Street Bakery’s owner and operator Hillary Guttman takes a different approach. All Finally, Rhonda Findley, owner of Pop City and Luna Libre, refrom scratch, the bakery’s cookies are made with standard ingredicently announced on Instagram the creation of the Creole Chocolate ents: all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, brown and granulated sugar, Chip Cookie. Made with Steens Cane Syrup, milk chocolate Tollhouse Pop City pure vanilla extract, and Hershey’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. Morsels, and pecans, this “granny-style” cookie is only three or four Guttman prides herself on using ingredients that can be found at any bites of bliss. This is a brand-new recipe that Findley worked on for six grocery store to produce a cookie similar to one you’d make at home. “One of the things months and is now offering at Pop City on Decatur Street. “The low-protein flour gives it I hear the most about our baked goods is that they taste very familiar, not too sweet, just a different structure, allows for it to be thin and a bit soft. It’s melty and chocolaty,” says like they are homemade with nothing fake, overly sweet, or odd,” says Guttman. “I try to Findley. “I ate a dozen last night.”

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WhereYat.com | October 2020

TALES FROM THE QUARTER By Debbie Lindsey

Ageless

need three people to ride in the van with me to go pick up the folding tables.” I joined in with my fellow food distribution volunteers, and one of the guys said, “Ma’am, you can have the front seat.” “Thanks, but please don’t call me ma’am, or I’ll have to hurt ya. When you get older, you’ll understand how ancient this makes one feel.” We all laughed, and the driver shared her first ma’am moment and how, even at 35, she had felt kind of insulted, too. I felt that I had achieved my point and was hopefully on my way to being regarded as an equal and not some delicate elder— until we got to the pick-up spot for loading the tables. My back just couldn’t equal the strength of the three 30-somethings. I joked that I might better accept a “ma’am moment” and spare my lower back as I uselessly stood by. Damn, damn, and double damn. Anyone can have a back issue, but when you get to my age, you simply appear old. Yes, my birthday is around the corner, and most of my November columns lean towards this inevitable thing called “getting older.” It happens

to everybody once a year. Oh sure, one day doesn’t make it happen; it is an ongoing process. But on your birthday, a number officially changes. I will be 68. And damn if I don’t feel like it. But I sure as heck try not to act it—unless there are heavy-ass folding tables to load into a van (when did they get heavier, and when did vans start being so high off the ground?). The other day, I went to pick up a supply of cat food from my veterinarian. It was a small, lightweight case of cans and a medium bag of dry kibble. My car was mere feet away, yet the young and thoughtful employee offered to carry it for me. I said, “Oh, this is nothing. I just got through lifting 80 pounds.” Yes, 80 pounds! What in the world would anyone other than a weightlifter or construction worker be doin’ picking up 80 pounds? I just had to prove to the helpful young woman that I did not need help with 10 pounds. Now she must think that, in addition to being old, I am also delusional about my superpowers. Funny how I have no problem admitting my physical shortcomings to a friend of like age. And if I have the upper hand in the dialogue when

addressing the young and supple, then trashing my own looks, caused by the ravages of age, can be rich! Just seeing the fear in their eyes that one day this will be their reality is rather satisfying. I am fodder for stand-up comedy—I could work the AARP club circuit. I might call myself an old fart, but don’t even think about saying that to me or anyone of a certain age if you are young. And it’s not just that getting older has become personal and real to me. I have always felt anger when someone older is disparaged in any way relating to their age or looks. I remember when I was bartending at a restaurant (I was much younger then), and a waitress referenced her customers at one of her tables as “the old couple over there.” Thought I would come out of my skin. “Couldn’t you just say the couple at table 51?” Why mention their age at all? (I hoped that they would stiff her, but then, of course, she would have bitched about how “old people” are lousy tippers.) My parents had me when they were older (not old), and they would often be mistaken as my grandparents. This really got under my skin (and I assume that it annoyed them, too). I suspect my sensitivity to ageism has much to do with my parents and the role models they unwittingly became for me. They were my first up-close and personal example of age having nothing to do with ability. They could hold their own against any of the younger parents. They simply did

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not ever use age as an excuse not to rise up to whatever life threw at them. As I entered adulthood, they would become my friends, and I always expected my younger friends to treat them as equals. Many a party of mine included Mom and Dad—they were Veronica and Phil to everyone, not a Mr. and a Mrs. And now I, too, request that my friends’ children call me by my first name. Give me respect as a person—not because I am older or have the advantage of height over some five-year-old. When I start to feel my age in a negative way—like a prelude to a permanent interruption of life—I look about me and see role models everywhere: people older than I, creating, politicking, policing, governing, legislating, and singing their asses off. Oh, Tony Bennett, croon me a love song! Germaine Bazzle, uplift me with your scatting. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, you will always continue to inspire me; please look down upon our Supreme Court, sending it strength and righteousness. And, let’s remember, regardless of your political leanings, the next president will be well into his 70s. When I think of the power that we have and the opportunities still available to those willing to jump in and be engaged, my sagging butt seems like a minor distraction. Let’s forget ageism and think ageless. So, show me some respect and skip the “ma’am” formalities, get to know me, and expect—always, please expect—a lot from me.

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few weeks ago, I made the mistake of posting on social media that I believed that there was no justification for looting, the destroying of private property, and/or violence in what should be civil protests. I released a virtual sh*tstorm of responses, one of which accused my viewpoint of being naive and clouded because it was coming from a place of “privilege.” I was enraged. I immediately dusted off my cred resume to check off my qualifications for the miscreant who would dare to label and libel me with this poison arrow that went to my heart. Privileged. Raised poor: check. Single parent, five children, on welfare, in the projects: check, check, check check check. Mistreated and maligned: check again. Second-generation American, Vietnam-era veteran, retired and living on social security: That’s me. Who would have the nerve to think me “privileged”? This conundrum kept me from getting the peaceful rest that I so well deserve (and have earned), causing me to ponder both weak and weary. There was no systemic racism in my young world, per se. Everybody almost instinctually distanced themselves from anybody and everybody who was not of their class, religion, and background. We were biased against (and were suspicious of) Aryan Eastern Europeans, Asians, Blacks, Latinos, swarthy Mediterranean types, Jews, Protestants, intellectuals, anyone possibly Socialist, Fascist, or Communist, and the possibility of persons who would become known as the LGBTQ+ community. Also, those who had more money than we did, certainly those who had less, and anyone who rooted for an out-of-town sports team. In short, everyone around us. We all got along in social and public places (even making friends), and we never pictured those people or ourselves as being underprivileged or disadvantaged—just different from us all and everybody else. I was a difficult child—imaginative, intelligent, insecure, and headstrong. I got in trouble, pushed boundaries, and avoided conformity, doing as I pleased, when I pleased. What was I rebelling against? In the words of Johnny Strabler (Marlon Brando, The Wild One, 1953), “Whaddya got?” I never considered myself part of a privileged class, until the other night when the “get a clue” phone rang, and the voice on the other end said, “But, you’re white.” It’s true. I am white. Walking down the street, entering a business, congregating with other white folks and being out and about in general, I appear harmless and nothing to be apprehensive about: “It’s okay, it’s just some old white guy.” When applying for a position or attention, I’m out on stage in my “normal” clothes, and I put on my “white” vocal accent and use my “white” enunciation, and there I am: the old white guy. I know how to work the system. I can rent pretty much anywhere I want

and can afford. I don’t appear suspicious, so any time I walk into a saloon, the bartender wants to know what I want to drink, instead of making sure that the cash register is closed before serving me. I don’t look tough, so that’s a plus. I don’t act tough, because, basically, I’m not. I’m pretty much accepted anywhere I go because I’m just some old white guy. I don’t know what it’s like to be Black, Jewish, Hispanic, Palestinian, gay, a woman, a person with disabilities, someone forced to live on a reservation, or anyone else who gets singled out for abuse or dismissed for no apparent reason, except that they are who they are. Self-actualization comes slowly, and with my short attention span, I had to repeat to myself the fact that in the real world, I am invisible and pretty much immune to the reality that there are people out there having legitimate beefs with the world at large because the world believes, in reality, that they don’t, in fact, matter. That old song: “The whole world is teeming with unhappy souls. The French hate the Germans, the Germans hate the Poles, Italians hate Yugoslavs, South Africans hate the Dutch, and I don’t like anybody very much” fits well. And then, the oppressed have the nerve to bitch about the oppressor. The nerve. In the screw-or-be-screwed world that we live in, there seems to be little hope for what our venerated religious saviors have instructed us to do: love one another and treat one another the way we wish ourselves to be treated—with kindness, respect, and dignity, with fairness and equality. Is that so hard of a pill to swallow? Obviously, it is. Well, I’m still rebellious, and although, in the scheme of things, I’m still immune from the challenges that persist, I believe that seeking justice is the highest form of rebellion. So, I’ll continue to rebel against racism, sexism, classism, slavery, ageism, and bias. I’m for equality and the betterment of education, wages, and housing, and the protection of the environment. And, most importantly, I’m against labels, boundaries, and walls that keep people apart from one another. What I believe we need is for a level of intelligence to become common that will allow all of us to see past our preconditioned and preconceived ideas. All living beings need to feel safety in movement and environment and to be able to live free and without constraints. None of us should feel the need to protect ourselves because we feel threatened by someone or something different than ourselves, and we should live the faith that that is totally and unequivocally reciprocated. We should put an end to hate and hurt. It’s proven to have a counterproductive track record. Also, I still believe that there is no justification in looting, violence, or destruction in civil protests. But what do I know? I’m just this old white guy.

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