Latest Issue: October 2023–Fall Restaurant Guide

Kanpai! Who doesn’t love sushi? There are multiple Japanese restaurants in New Orleans, but this is a relatively new phenomenon. Enjoy Kim Ranjbar’s look at the Crescent City sushi scene, started largely by the owners of Shogun Japanese Restaurant.

If you’re looking for somewhere to eat, play roulette with our Fall Restaurant Guide. Close your eyes and place a finger on a random photo of one of the beautiful entrees; then dine at that restaurant. You won’t be disappointed.

Other tasty articles include Frances Deese’s profile of great cookbooks by local chefs, as well as Cynthea Corfah’s can’t-miss black-owned restaurants in the Tremé.

Fall festivals are upon us, and this issue shares the best ones through mid-October. Look out next for the special Halloween issue for more fall festivals, plus a preview of all the Halloween happenings. –Josh

Publisher

YEARS

October 2023

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Josh Danzig

Creative Director: Robert Witkowski

Executive Editor: Reine Dugas

Copy Editor: Donald Rickert

Movie Editors: David Vicari, Fritz Esker

Contributing Writers: Kathy Bradshaw, Phil LaMancusa, Debbie Lindsey, Kim Ranjbar, Burke Bischoff, Julie Mitchell, Greg Roques, Sabrina Stone, Kimmie Tubre, Emily Hingle, Camille Barnett, Celeste Turner, Rowan Roudebush, Dean Shapiro, Jeff Boudreaux

Cover: Shogun sushi by Romney Caruso

Director of Sales: Jim Sylve

Photographers and Designers: Gus Escanelle, Kim Ranjbar, Emily Hingle, Kathy Bradshaw, Morgan Spizale, Abigail Schmidt, Robert Witkowski

Interns: Abigail Schmidt, Morgan Spizale, Janie Bickerton, Kaitlin Lowe, Trinity Brown, Ashley Damron, Martha Wilson, Schyler Vicknair, Amelia Hervey, Presley Tyler, Abby Polipoli

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SHOGUN SHAPED NOLA'S SUSHI SCENE

Shogun Japanese Restaurant & Steak House's cuisine launched a thousand chefs in NOLA

The first and oldest Japanese restaurant in Metairie is not only beloved by generations of suburbanites, it's also been a springboard from which skilled chefs and entrepreneurs launched their own sushi bars, thus playing a major role in shaping the landscape of Japanese cuisine in New Orleans.

By Kim Ranjbar

To people who live and work in the area, the cobalt blue-roofed Japanese restaurant hunkered on its own corner of Metairie Heights and Veterans Memorial Boulevard is something of a landmark. Owned and operated by Masako “Peggy” Kamata and her husband, Shogun started life in a small space on the second floor of a strip mall just down the road. It was the first Japanese restaurant in Metairie to offer a sushi bar, replete with chefs slicing and serving sushi right in front of diners.

These days, Miss Peggy has retired, and has handed over the restaurant's reins to a longtime, trusted employee Fusao “Tony” Toyonishi, who began his career at Shogun in 1984. “I started here when I was 24 years old, and I have been working here for 39 years,” stated Toyonishi.

Born and raised in Osaka, Japan, Toyonishi attended the Tsuji Culinary Institute. “Japanese cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Italian, French—can you believe all in one year?” Toyonishsi laughed. “I learned the basics, how to handle the knife—a Japanese knife, a western knife—and how to cook basics: how to make soups, sauces, lots of things.” After his general cooking classes, he also spent an additional three hours per day focusing solely on Japanese cuisine. When Toyonishi first came to the United States, he worked at a sushi restaurant in Houston for several years, but a toxic work environment made him look elsewhere. It was then he discovered an opening at Shogun through a mutual friend.

Although sushi's popularity really hit its stride in the 80s, many people in the United States were still uncomfortable about eating raw fish. Most of Toyonishi's customers in Houston were of Japanese or other Asian descent. But in New Orleans, he was not prepared for the local response. “I was surprised to see people eating mackerel, which is very fishy, and sea urchin, octopus, squid,” he confessed. “Here more people choose what Japanese people eat.”

After working at Shogun for a few years, Toyonishi, with the Kamata’s help, was able to buy his own home. “They are good to their employees,” extolled Toyonishi. “They treated the staff like family.” According to Toyonishi, Mr. and Mrs. Kamata not only helped with down payments on homes and vehicles, they also cared about their employees’ health and general well-being. “They liked to take care of people.”

Perhaps the Kamatas also invested in their employees because like any savvy business people, they sought out the best, and were constantly on the hunt for new talent. “Every time a sushi chef quit or left, they [Mr. and Mrs.

Kamata] would go to California or New York and look for a new chef,” said Toyonishi.

These days, talented chefs, such as Tammy Mai and Atsushi Morishita, are manning the knives at Shogun and serving sushi to the latest generation of New Orleanians. But, over the years, many other chefs and other staff, who honed their skills at the venerated Metairie restaurant moved on, making concentric waves out into the local sushi scene.

Case in point, in 2020, Chef Kazuyuki “Kaz” Ishikawa left Shogun to partner with Eli Ramos to develop Nagomi, New Orleans’ first-ever omakase, which basically means “I'll leave it up to you.” Three years later, reservations at the little 12-seat, Bywater restaurant are next to impossible to acquire.

Seiji Nakano, previously head sushi chef at Shogun, was

recently lured away with an offer to become a business partner and open his own omakase inside Little Tokyo Restaurant on Causeway. The owner of Little Tokyo, Yusuke Kawahara, also worked at Shogun back in the restaurant's beginning, before he went on to launch his own sushi spot on N. Causeway Boulevard back in 1986.

Hana Sushi is a longtime go-to for Japanese cuisine in New Orleans. Located on Hampson Street in the Riverbend, the always-busy neighborhood restaurant is run by Tai Tomiyama, yet another Shogun alumnus, who went on to create what has become a local family favorite for over 30 years.

Originally trained in fine dining back in Japan, Chef Hidetoshi Suzuki (Elvis to his fans) honed his sushi skills at Shogun before opening Fat City's finest (and tiniest?) Japanese joint, Kanno California Sushi Bar. Popular in its obscurity, Chef Hide’s place stands out for creative touches including “Dijon” tuna, tossed with mustard seeds and ponzu, or the Elvis roll, loaded with salmon and avocado and topped with Louisiana blue crab meat.

Huy Pham, a first-generation Vietnamese-American chef with a passion for Japanese cuisine who honed his skills behind the counter at Shogun, opened a tiny sushi spot called Yakuza House on Veterans Memorial Boulevard in 2021. A year of better-than-expected popularity enabled Pham to move Yakuza to its current, bigger and betterthan-ever location in a brand new building on Severn Avenue just last fall.

Though sushi fans can’t help but flock to new restaurants opening all across the Greater New Orleans area, they frequently find themselves returning to Shogun. “We have a lot of regular customers, generation to generation,” said Toyonishi. The key, according to consistency. “We've been serving a bean sprout salad for 40 years. It never changed—same flavors, same quality.

630 Carondelet Street, New Orleans,

Daily happy hour with half off gulf oysters & wine by the glass, multi-coastal bivalves, courtyard dinning

600 Carondelet St, New Orleans, Louisiana

Daily happy hour, weekly Jazz brunch, monthly pasta-making & wine tasting classes.

ROMNEY CARUSO

Real Louisiana food goes beyond Cajun or Creole - it’s got a little bit of everything. And if real Louisiana food is what you’re looking for, you won’t find fare with that kind of flair anywhere other than Baton Rouge – Louisiana’s Capital City.

VisitBatonRouge.com/Restaurants

FALL

New Orleans • 2023 FALL

RESTAURANT GUIDE

CBD / WAREHOUSE DISTRICT

Alto Rooftop Bar at the Ace Hotel serves up succulent Italian small plates and salads next to the picturesque hotel rooftop pool. Alto’s choice of cocktails, beers, and wines make for a great day of delicious tastes at the pool. The “snacks'' portion of the menu features chicken wings with a calabrian vinaigrette and furikaki. 600 Carondelet St., (504) 900-1180, acehotel.com/new-orleans

Annunciation brings out the best of New Orleans cuisine with classic and contemporary takes on Cajun and Creole cooking. The relaxed atmosphere makes it the ideal getaway, the perfect celebration spot, and a top spot for visitors to New Orleans. Annunciation’s escargot appetizer comes served with mushrooms and a Moutarde Beurre Blanc. 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245, annunciationrestaurant.com

Bar Marilou is best known for its stylish setting and its signature cocktails, but they also serve up French small plates, dinner, and desserts. Velvet seating, bookshelves, and patterned carpet make the bar uniquely ornate. A notable dish is their pommes Marilou, which is a crispy layer of potatoes with crème fraîche, bowfin caviar, and chives. 544 Carondelet St., (504) 814-7711, barmarilou.com

Briquette showcases beautiful fresh fish in an icy display before it ends up on your plate. With up to 240 seats for a seated dinner, Briquette is ready to cater their menu towards your next private event. Their Louisiana redfish on the half shell combines the flavors of charred lemon butter, Belle River crawfish relish, and heirloom potatoes. 701 S. Peters St., (504) 302-7496, briquette-nola.com

Cafe Normandie, located in the Higgins Hotel, pays homage to the spread of French culture and cuisine during World War II. The welcoming environment and appetizing, refreshing breakfast and lunch menus make Cafe Normandie a must-try. Try their sweet and spicy chicken wings, crab beignets, or oyster and pork belly tacos for a real treat. 1000 Magazine St., (504) 528-1941, higginshotelnola.com/new-orleans

Carmo offers vegan and vegetarian dishes in an inviting atmosphere. They serve tropical fare with influences from Southeast Asia, West Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. The tiradito Peruvian-style sashimi with yellow chili pepper, combines the tenderness of fish with the fiery zest of yellow chili peppers, resulting in a vibrant and bold flavor. 527 Julia St., (504) 8754132, cafecarmo.com

Domenica will instantly transport you to Italy with its authentic menu filled with unique antipasti, pizza, pasta, and wine. Set in a warm, refined scene, Domenica is a great place to share some pizza and indulge with family and friends. Be sure to try their wood fire-roasted delicata squash, which is flavorful and fresh. 123 Baronne St., (504) 648-6020, domenicarestaurant.com

Josephine Estelle specializes in Italian-Southern fusion for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Located in the Ace Hotel, the elegance of the beautifully appointed dining room evokes comfort and sophistication. When you go, try their rigatoni or their tasty tortellini en brodo, with a rich pork consomme, corn, pickled sweet pepper, and Parmesan. 600 Carondelet St., (504) 930-3070, josephineestelle.com

King Brasserie and Bar brings fresh ingredients to their French and Louisianian dishes. The walls adorned with pop culture legends make the space connected to the Kimpton Hotel Fontenot both unique and welcoming for meet-ups with coworkers, family, or friends. Taste the restaurant’s exotic grilled octopus with vadouvan curry and Benton’s bacon. 521 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3000, kingbrasserieandbar.com

Legacy Kitchen’s Tacklebox, located in the Renaissance Pere Marquette Hotel, serves up seafood your favorite way. Start off your day with coffee and beignets or stop by for oysters and beer. The Tacklebox has a variety of raw oyster choices, and their chargrilled oysters come served in a garlic and Parmesan herb butter. 817 Common St., (504) 827-1651, legacykitchen.com

Luke honors the Franco-German brasseries of New Orleans’ past by adding Creole inspiration to the mix. Come for the raw bar serving fresh oysters and seafood, caught and delivered daily. One of Luke’s signature dishes is a delicious speckled trout amandine served with wild mushrooms, gulf shrimp, toasted almonds, and a side of haricots verts. 333 St Charles Ave., (504) 378-2840, lukeneworleans.com

Luzianne Café serves up New Orleans breakfast classics in the same building where Luzianne Coffee was first roasted in 1909. A staple on the menu is the Morning Joy biscuit sandwich, which is a Swans Down biscuit served with two eggs any style, bacon or sausage, American cheese, and hot sauce. 481 Girod St., (504) 265-1972, luziannecafe.com

Meril is Emeril Lagasse’s latest New Orleans endeavor serving up New American dining. Take a seat at the large bar or peer into the open kitchen to watch your delicious meal take shape before it’s served. Enjoy their spin on a New Orleans classic with the muffuletta flatbread, featuring salami, mortadella, olive salad, and sesame. 424 Girod St., (504) 5263745, emerilsrestaurants.com

Mother’s is a New Orleans' institution that has been serving classic Southern Creole dishes since 1938. Known for their ham, their crispy fried chicken can be ordered two different ways. An order of quarter fried chicken comes with two pieces of dark or white meat—the choice of either a leg and a thigh or a breast and a wing. 401 Poydras St., (504) 5239656, mothersrestaurant.net

Peacock Room is the Kimpton Hotel Fontenot’s elegant bar serving handcrafted cocktails and savory small plates. Visit for brunch and sip on a light, floral spirit. A noteworthy menu option is the Peacock smash burger, made with cheddar, grilled onions, pickles, and secret sauce. 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073, peacockroomnola.com

Restaurant August is a contemporary Creole restaurant featuring unique dishes that focus on classic Louisiana ingredients. One of the unique dishes you must try is the Duck Three Ways. This entree is a seared duck breast with toasted coriander, orange zest, seasoned heirloom grits, seared foie duck confit, sauteed chanterelles and brandy soaked cherries finished with a cherry port pour 301 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 299-9777, restaurantaugust.com

Seaworthy serves the best catches of the Gulf and beyond in a smart cottage setting. Enjoy fresh, briny oysters and delicious seafood in a cozy setting before late night happy hour. Seaworthy brings you a taste of the East, South, and West coasts with wild-caught oysters charbroiled for the best flavor profile. 630 Carondelet St., (504) 930-3071, seaworthynola.com

At Stumpy’s Hatchet House, you can get your frustrations out or have the time of your life with friends by throwing hatchets at the walls. Their full bar and traditional pub fare make this cathartic experience even more enjoyable. Stumpy’s Hatchet House offers a full bar and also sells light snacks, such as chips and pretzels. 1200 Poydras St, Suite C, (504) 577-2937, stumpyshh.com/ neworleans

ALL PHOTOS: GUSTAVO ESCANELLE OR PROVIDED PHOTOS

The Steakhouse at Harrah’s is a fine establishment to enjoy succulent steaks and local artwork. On the walls are variations of the Blue Dog paintings, making the environment both colorful and cozy. Savor a high-quality steak with a side of their decadent Steakhouse mac and cheese served with white cheddar and fried onions. 228 Poydras St., (504) 5336111, caesars.com/harrahs

Willa Jean is known for their hot-out-theoven chocolate chip cookies and classic New Orleans dishes. The chic, welcoming atmosphere makes Willa Jean a great spot to celebrate or simply have a great brunch or lunch. Willa Jean’s unique BBQ shrimp toast makes a great breakfast meal, served with gulf shrimp, NOLA-style BBQ sauce, and burrata on grilled sourdough. 611 O'Keefe Ave., (504) 509-7334, willajean.com

DARROW

Houmas House, a historic plantation estate, offers fine dining in the Manor House at Latil’s Landing Restaurant, more casual dining at the Carriage House Restaurant, or breakfast, lunch, or dinner, at Dixie Café. A signature dish at the Carriage House, the eggplant Napoleon: layers jumbo-lump crab meat and saffron cream sauce with crispy eggplant medallions. 40136 Hwy 942, (225) 473-9380, houmashouse.com

FRENCH QUARTER

Cafe Amelie serves tasty, modern Louisiana dishes to be enjoyed in their picturesque courtyard. This quaint, elegant café is perfect for a romantic meal. Be sure to try a staple on the menu– their shrimp and grits with blackened gulf shrimp and a corn and andouille maque choux that brings all the Louisiana flavors together 900 Royal St., (504) 412-8065, cafeamelie.com

Crescent City Brewhouse is a microbrewery serving flavorful modern Louisiana dishes. Enjoy the view in their courtyard, and visit for dinner to hear nightly live jazz music. A star attraction is the redfish Acadiana which includes the opinion to add jumbo grilled shrimp to redfish and roasted potatoes with crawfish cream sauce. 527 Decatur St., (504) 522-0571, crescentcitybrewhouse.com

Curio is the perfect spot to enjoy Creoleinfluenced cuisine and craft cocktails in a renovated historic building in the French Quarter. Known for their ambiance, they serve up vibrant meals on their balcony overlooking Royal Street. Enjoy a local favorite—the pan roasted salmon and Gulf shrimp with sauteed vegetables. 301 Royal St., (504) 717-4198, curionola.com

Evangeline has a quaint courtyard setting for a lovely dining experience. Serving Cajun and Creole flavors, they offer a flavorful taste of top New Orleans’ cooking. A specialty menu highlight is the Alligator and waffles— fried alligator nuggets on a fluffy waffle and dusted with powdered sugar and served with Cajun breakfast potatoes. 329 Decatur St., (504) 373-4852, evangelineneworleans.com

House of Blues is the place to go for live music, and it also has a delicious restaurant to elevate the experience. Feast on Southern favorites from their scratch kitchen and sip on a unique cocktail before the show. House of Blues’ NY steak & fries is cooked in a delicious “blues rub,” served with garlic fries, cajun butter, and garlic aioli. 225 Decatur St., (504) 310-4961, houseofblues.com/ neworleans

Jimmy J’s Cafe is a vibrant spot for breakfast and lunch. The colorful stained glass windows that bedeck its facade signal a welcoming environment complete with tasty, comforting meals. The cochon panini serves up a cheesy and jammy bite with slow roasted pork, bacon jam, and a fried egg. 115 Chartres St., (504) 3099360, jimmyjscafe.com

Kingfish honors traditional New Orleans cuisine while adding their own new-school twists. It is the perfect meeting spot for anyone, local or tourist, to stop and have a drink or to catch up over a meal. Kingfish’s delicious blackened gulf shrimp fettuccine is a creamy, decadent choice for dinner. 337 Chartres St., (504) 598-

5005, kingfishneworleans.com

New Orleans Creole Cookery is the quintessential New Orleans’ dining experience. Enjoy Cajun and Creole fare while dining on the courtyard patio. Oyster lovers should try oyster happy hour in their newly remodeled oyster bar. The menu star attraction, the pecan crusted redfish, features fried fish topped with a Creole mineure sauce. 508 Toulouse St., (504) 524-9632, neworleanscreolecookery.com

New Orleans Vampire Cafe serves classic breakfast and brunch to both vampires and mortals alike in a hauntingly beautiful setting. While they may not serve blood, their Bloody Marys and specialty cocktails are to die for. Be sure to try their steak tartare for a bit of real vampire cuisine. 801 Royal St., (504) 581-0801, nolavampirecafe.com

Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar and Bistro is a great date spot in the heart of the French Quarter. Try an array of wines while enjoying their intimate courtyard. The Grapevine black angus house filet is best with bacon wrapped around the eight oz. steak served with wedge potatoes, chef’s choice of vegetables, and a blue cheese cream sauce. 720 Orleans Ave., (504) 523-1930, orleansgrapevine.com

The Garage is a happening spot steps from Bourbon Street that has delicious food and daily live music. It’s known for its spectacular service and one-of-a-kind atmosphere. Housed in a historic building, this bar will transport you to the 1930s. The Cajun gumbo is a local favorite and never disappoints. 810 Conti St., thegaragemusicclub.com

The Jimani lets you watch sports on multiple TVs, jam out to the jukebox, or play trivia. From specialty po-boys to gourmet burgers, the pub fare is perfect to feast on while having fun. The hang ova burger will cure you of any hangover—it’s a cheeseburger with a hot sausage patty, bacon, and a fried egg. 141 Chartres St., (504) 524-0493, thejimani.com

Inspired by late nights, big games and bold college-town taste, our new Slap Ya Mama® Buffalo Wing Sauce is the perfect cookout companion for crispy wings, sizzling pork chops, grilled chicken and more. It’s smooth. It’s buttery. It’s going to get everywhere. But with finger-licking flavor this good — who needs napkins?

GENTILLY

Thai’d Up serves modern Thai street food in a quaint setting. Explore their tasty menu with vegetarian options while enjoying your choice of coffee, tea, or soft drinks. The convivial vibe of this family-owned business would make anyone smile, even more so if paired with their fresh and tasty Thai papaya salad. 1839 Gentilly Blvd., (504)-354-8202, thaidupla.com

JEFFERSON

Rivershack Tavern has an unmistakable location on River Road with classic oldtimey decor and fantastic fare. They have an extensive beer selection and Cajun flavors on the menu. Their kitchen stays open until 10 pm, and the Rivershack Tavern also has live music on the weekends. 3449 River Rd, (504) 8344938, rivershacktavern.com

LAKEVIEW

JB's Fuel Dock’s open bar and kitchen makes its waterfront setting even more inviting. Stay satisfied with an assortment of pizzas and rotating specials while connecting with friends old and new over a cocktail. Meat lovers and veggie lovers unite to enjoy the supreme pizza with pepperoni, Italian sausage, red onion, green peppers, black olives, and mushrooms. 126 S Roadway St., (504) 510-2260, jbsfueldock.com

Lakeview Harbor brings both land and sea to your plate with specialty burgers as well as tasty po-boys. This casual, nautical-themed joint is great for a hearty meal and excellent service. Lakeview Harbor serves up the classics with an eight oz. cheeseburger of USDA choice meat cut daily and a buttery hot potato. 8550 Pontchartrain Blvd., (504) 486-4887, lakeviewharbor.us

MARIGNY/BYWATER

Alma Cafe is the perfect spot for a trendy, yet homey, breakfast or lunch. Serving up Honduran flavors with a modern twist, Alma Cafe ensures that each menu item is altogether unique, comforting, and delicious. A signature dish, the pescado ceibeño, comes with deep fried red snapper, tostones, and encurtido 800 Louisa St., (504) 381-5877, eatalmanola.com

Bamboulas exemplifies all the best parts about New Orleans with their CaribbeanCreole cuisine and live music. This casual bar and restaurant are the perfect place to end the day with good food, local music, and dancing. The signature dish is blue crab cakes served with a baby greens salad and champagne vinaigrette. 514 Frenchmen St., (504) 206-8057, bamboulasmusic.com

Buffa’s has been a staple New Orleansstyle neighborhood bar since 1939. With great food, plenty of live music events, and weekly Sunday brunch, Buffa’s has everything someone would want from their local bar. They are known for their specialty sandwiches, especially their Avenger sandwich with deli meats, pepper jack, and spicy sambal sauce. 1001 Esplanade Ave., (504)-949-0038, buffasbar.com

JusTini’s is known for its specialty cocktails and small-plate style cuisine. This sophisticated spot in the heart of New Orleans has a sleek decor with beautiful chandeliers. Their most popular dish is the Clouet St. salmon bites—lightly fried fish tossed in mango ginger sauce and served with a zesty lemon aioli. 3162 Dauphine St., (504) 381-5098, justinisnola.com

Tapas e Vino is a cozy dining spot located on the second floor of Bamboula’s music club. Split several small plates curated by the chef with your group while sipping on the well-paired wines, then head downstairs for live music. Tapas e Vino offers tasty crawfish beignets that are savory and spicy—perfect to have with a glass of merlot. 514 Frenchmen St., (504) 206-8057, bamboulasmusic.com

The Country Club is a sophisticated spot that fuses local and Italian-French cuisine. This upscale restaurant experience is known for its thoughtfully prepared dishes and specialty cocktails. They offer a weekly brunch and serve a delicious short rib and eggs dish complete with tasso and potato hash with a bearnaise sauce on top. 634 Louisa St., (504) 945-0742, thecountryclubneworleans.com

METAIRIE

A Tavola is a family-friendly restaurant with modern Italian cuisine. Enjoy woodfired pizzas, pasta, or their house-made limoncello. Voted one of the best happy hours in the city, A Tavola Restaurant and Wine Bar, offers modern Italian cuisine with extensive wine offerings. Try their meatballs with Fontina fonduta and Sunday gravy. 3413 Veterans Memorial Blvd., (504) 577-2235, atavo.la

Chef Ron's Gumbo Stop is an unassuming Metairie hotspot serving up classic New Orleans dishes. This restaurant specializes in hot bowls of gumbo and all things seafood. Their mumbo gumbo is a medley of chicken, shrimp, crabmeat, sausage, okra, crawfish, and tomato, and it’s best when “stuffed” with Louisiana fried catfish. 230 N. Causeway Blvd., (504) 835-2022, gumbostop.com

Short Stop Po-Boys is perfect for a quick, delicious bite of classic New Orleans fare. Choose from an array of po-boys and specialty sides at this inviting counterservice joint. Their prime size soft shell crab po-boy is just that—soft on the inside with a double breaded and fried crisp on the outside. 119 Transcontinental Dr., (504) 885-4572, shortstoppoboysno.com

Spudly’s surely has a menu like no other, especially if you’re a potato lover. From their extensive choice of gourmet baked potatoes to juicy, inventive burgers, an exciting meal awaits at Spudly’s. A musttry is their “shrimply put” one-pounder spud freshly baked with an original cheese sauce, cheddar, chives, and shrimp. 2609 Harvard Ave., (504) 455-3250, spudlys.com

Tacos Del Cartel has healthy, hearty options for all Mexican food lovers. The neon pink decor offers a glimpse of the vibrant flavors you’ll taste. Their famous birria tacos are stuffed with chile adobo stewed beef short ribs, chihuahua and mozzarella cheese, and served with a chile adobo broth that taco lovers will drown in. 2901 David Dr., (504) 381-5063, tacosdelcartel.com

The Galley Seafood is located in the heart of Old Metairie and has been serving delicious seafood for decades. They offer live concert videos on their TVs, mouthwatering boiled seafood, and tasty poboys. Their Louisiana fresh soft shell crab comes topped with crabmeat with alfredo pasta. 2535 Metairie Rd., (504) 8329055, facebook.com/galleyseafood

The Marsh Room is a bar and grill also serving up rocking live music. Each night has something new in store, from steak night to karaoke night. The eight oz. Marsh burger is served on your choice of french bread or bun, and is topped with marsh sauce (green chilis, onions and garlic) as well as pepper jack cheese. 4740 Rye St., (504) 571-5733, facebook.com/themarshroom

MID-CITY

Cafe Degas serves decadent French cuisine for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. What sets Cafe Degas apart as a romantic, elegant restaurant is the tree that grows in the middle of the dining room. The fan favorite, seared hanger steak with pommes frites, mixed vegetables, and toasted garlic and shallot bordelaise is sure to impress. 3127 Esplanade Ave., (504) 945-5635, cafedegas.com

Crescent City Steakhouse sizzles their steaks in butter and cooks them to perfection. This family-owned steakhouse has been serving up tradition for 89 years, making it an essential stop for authentic New Orleans cooking. Their filet mignon, ordered to your liking, is a juicy and flavorful Crescent City delight. 1001 N. Broad St., (504) 821-3271, crescentcitysteaks.com

Gita Pita provides quick service for a fresh, healthy Mediterranean meal. Dine in, take out, or order delivery to satisfy your shawarma or gyro craving. Try their fattah and have some baklava for dessert. Their basmati rice is light and fluffy—the perfect accompaniment to their delicious entrees. 2530 Canal St., (504) 7666519, gitapita.com

ALL PHOTOS: GUSTAVO ESCANELLE OR PROVIDED PHOTOS

Lil Dizzy’s Cafe offers Creole classics for lunch in a laid-back environment. This tasty café also has fantastic daily specials such as delicious gumbo, crispy fried chicken, and shrimp po-boys. A star attraction is the catfish Jourdain, which is topped with crabmeat and shrimp in a lemon butter sauce. 1500 Esplanade Ave., (504) 766-8687, lildizzyscafe.net

Mandina’s is a classic New Orleans restaurant and has been a pink-painted staple in Mid-City since 1932. This family owned and operated seafood joint serves delicious, comforting Creole Italian dishes. Their Gulf fish almandine served with hot french fries adds the perfect amount of nutty sweetness to a Gulf Coast classic. 3800 Canal St., (504) 482-9179, mandinasrestaurant.com

Mikimoto is the place to go for fresh sushi and fast, friendly service. This Japanese restaurant provides a welcoming experience whether you’re dining in or picking up through the drive-thru. They offer an assortment of sushi that is sweet, spicy, and tangy, and presented to you in a beautiful, colorful arrangement. 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881, mikimotosushi.com

• REHEARSAL DINNERS

Neyow’s Creole Cafe serves Southern soul food in a setting complete with New Orleans decor. Come for the delightful food and stay for the amazing service. Try their delicious gumbo or crab claws. Known for their chargrilled oysters topped with Parmesan and a butter sauce, Neyow’s is sure to impress. 3332 Bienville St., (504) 827-5474, neyows.com

Neyow’s XL is the steakhouse next door to the Creole Café offering a fine dining experience. Enjoy sizzling steaks and authentic Creole cuisine in a white tablecloth setting. Serving both steak and seafood—and more. Be sure to try their red snapper, which is subtly sweet and delicate with a hint of nuttiness. 3336 Bienville St., (504)-503-1081, xl.neyows.com

• BUSINESS MEETINGS

• SOCIAL OCCASIONS

• INTIMATE RECEPTIONS 101 6 A nnunciation St . New Orleans, LA 70130

DINE-IN & TAKE OUT THURSD AY–

At Nice Guys Nola, you can feast on delicious classics with a Creole twist in a sprawling covered outdoor bar setting. Nice Guys is perfect for socializing while sipping on specialty drinks and craft beers. Grab your friends and head to Nice Guys to watch the big game on their many TVs. 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504) 302-2404, niceguysnola.com

Parkway Bakery has been perfecting their po-boys, breads, and more since 1911. The classic diner ambiance and extensive outdoor seating make Parkway Bakery a New Orleans staple. You’ll have your choice of classic and seasonal poboys. Their flash-fried Louisiana wild caught Gulf shrimp po-boy is New Orleans in a bite. 538 Hagan Ave., (504) 4823047, parkwaypoorboys.com

Venezia Restaurant is the place to go in Mid-City for tried-and-true, old-school Italian dishes. Enjoy pastas, pizzas, steaks, and more in a cozy, welcoming environment with exquisite service. Venezia’s Veal Pontchartrain is the best panne veal option on the menu with lump crabmeat, mushrooms, artichoke, and a lemon butter sauce. 134 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-7991, venezianeworleans.com

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

Boulevard American Bistro serves wood-fired grilled dishes from their scratch kitchen while providing exceptional service. It’s the perfect spot to have dinner in one of their red booths or enjoy a martini at their bar. Their boulevard oysters are served crispy with cream spinach, and Crystal aioli. Multiple Locations, (504) 889-2301, boulevardbistro.com

Daisy Dukes is a casual spot for authentic Southern food, served in a fun atmosphere. If you’re craving breakfast food, you’re in luck. Daisy Dukes serves traditional breakfast favorites all day as well as lunch and dinner. Their shrimp po-boy is a fan favorite due to its crispy seasoned shrimp and accompanying tangy sauces. Multiple locations, daisydukesrestaurant.com

ALL PHOTOS: GUSTAVO ESCANELLE OR PROVIDED PHOTOS

Empanola is a fusion restaurant that blends South American empanadas with New Orleans cuisine. They have been serving up creative and hand-crafted cuisine since 2017. Take advantage of their cost-efficient combo deals and try out multiple flavors of empanadas. Catering to many lifestyles, Empanola has something for people with different dietary restrictions. Multiple locations, empanolaempanadas.com

Felipe's Mexican Taqueria is great for a quick, budget-friendly bite of hot, fresh Mexican food. Pick your favorite fillings and watch your meal sizzle to perfection on the griddle. You can’t go to Felipe’s without getting the nachos classico served with grilled chicken, monterey jack cheese, refried pinto beans, pico de gallo, corn, crema, salsa verde, and guacamole. Multiple locations, felipestaqueria.com

Italian Pie specializes in freshly-served, budget-friendly bites of pizza. This Italian spot has a varied menu and they also serve up delectable pastas, wraps, and sandwiches. The Italian pie combo features a house-made pizza sauce topped with pepperoni, Italian sausage, ground beef, fresh mushrooms, sautéed onions, green bell peppers, black olives, and mozzarella. Multiple Locations, (504) 766-8912, italianpie.com

Middendorf’s has all you need for a fintastic seafood experience. They offer some of the best fried seafood around. Come for the world-famous thin fried catfish and stay for the live music and happy hour. Be sure to order the seafood platter with catfish or shrimp, oysters, stuffed crab, fries, and hush puppies. Multiple locations, middendorfsrestaurant.com

Pizza Domenica serves both classic and inventive pies in a chic setting. Traditional Italian dishes are modernized at this stylish eatery. Pizza Domenica’s pizzas taste authentic, like they’re fresh from Italy. Try their funghi e salsiccia—a decadent pizza with mixed local mushrooms, black truffle salami, smoked mozzarella, roasted garlic, and egg. Multiple locations, pizzadomenica.com

Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco is a picturesque bistro offering Peruvian cuisine for brunch, lunch, or dinner. Take a seat on the terrace with a tart and tasty pisco sour and enjoy meals made with love and with the freshest ingredients. The ceviche limeño combines tender seafood marinated in lime juice with chili peppers, onions, and cilantro. Multiple locations, titoscevichepisco.com

Voodoo Chicken and Daiquiris serves mouth-watering fried chicken in a bright, lively environment. Stop by for a bite or grab a fresh fruit daiquiri while exploring the French Quarter at this anytime spot. Get the best of both worlds with their four-piece mixed combo and enjoy a selection of white and dark meat. Multiple locations, (504) 345-2222, voodoochickenanddaiquirisnola.com

UPTOWN

Apolline is a cozy Uptown spot for traditional Louisiana cooking with a modern flair. Each dish prepared at this renovated cottage is freshly cooked with local ingredients and kitchen-grown herbs and peppers. Be sure to try Apolline’s grilled four-bone lamb rack, which comes with yellow rice, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and collard greens. 4729 Magazine St., (504) 894-8881, apollinerestaurant.com

Le Bon Temps Roule is known for their Bloody Marys, billiards, live music, and juicy burgers and sandwiches. This 24hour bar is perfect for a late-night bite while out with friends. Pimento cheese is good as a spread, but it’s even better on a burger with bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and onion at Le Bon Temps Roule. 4801 Magazine St., (504) 897-3448, lbtrnola.com

Lebanon’s Cafe serves the top Middle Eastern dishes in New Orleans. Colorful murals and friendly service set the mood for your delicious dining experience. A staple is their rosemary lamb chops chargrilled and marinated with rosemary, Middle Eastern spices, and extra virgin olive oil, served over grilled vegetables to give you that rustic taste and experience. 1500 S Carrollton Ave., (504) 8626200, lebanonscafe.com

ALL PHOTOS: GUSTAVO ESCANELLE OR PROVIDED PHOTOS

Lafreniere Park

Please-U-Restaurant has been serving the New Orleans community since 1946. This casual diner-style restaurant dishes up all of the Louisiana classics. Stop by for brunch, lunch, or their weekly Seafood Fridays. Take a seat at the counter or in a booth and indulge in a selection of dozens of po-boys, omelets, and more. 1751 St. Charles Ave., (504) 525-9131, pleaseunola.com

Shaya offers upscale Israeli dishes in a warm, sophisticated setting. Dine in the lush indoor dining room or on the elegant patio at this James Beard Award-winning restaurant. The entire carefully curated menu is spectacular, but consider opting for their crispy halloumi which is served with seasonal fruit, apricots, arak, and mint. 4213 Magazine St., (504) 8914213, shayarestaurant.com

The Vintage is a cute, stylish café serving small plates, cocktails, coffee, and hot, fresh beignets. Take a much-needed break and enjoy a replenishing, delicious meal complete with great service. If you want something different from the tried and true traditional beignets, order a flight with your choice of three fancy beignets. 3121 Magazine St., (504) 324-7144, thevintagenola.com

Tracey’s Original Irish Channel Bar is a casual spot serving succulent seafood and po-boys. With hundreds of beers and several specialty cocktails to choose from, Tracey’s is a great place to grab a drink and a bite with friends. Their oyster sandwich is made with the freshest of oysters. 2604 Magazine St., (504) 897-5413, traceysnola.com

WESTBANK

Asia offers traditional Vietnamese and Chinese flavors in a warm, inviting setting. They offer classics including shaking beef and lo mein noodles as well as great appetizers such as pork potstickers and crab rangoon. Visitors to Boomtown Casino should grab a bite at this yummy dinner spot located in the casino. 4132 Peters Rd., (504) 364-8812, boomtownneworleans.com

Gattuso’s serves comfort food with Southern inspiration. Listen to live music and sit outside at this chill, welcoming bar and grill. If you want something with a kick, try the firecracker shrimp salad served with fried shrimp in a firecracker sauce, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, fresh spinach, red onions, and heirloom tomatoes. 435 Huey P Long Ave., (504) 368-1114, gattusos.net

Legacy Kitchen’s Steak + Chop always delivers with their sizzling steaks and traditional American offerings. Enjoy a tasty crafted cocktail served by friendly staff in a delightful setting. Their hearty cowboy bone in ribeye is 22 ounces of pure flavor with sizzling butter and parsley served with loaded mashed potatoes—the perfect meal. 91 Westbank Expy #51, (504) 513-2606, legacykitchen.com

Mosca’s has been a classic spot for traditional Italian dishes since 1943. The white, unassuming exterior makes this casual restaurant feel like home, but once inside, you’ll feel transported to another time. Their famous Shrimp Mosca’s dish tastes like Italy on a fork with shrimp in shell sauteed with Italian seasonings and white wine. 4137 US-90 West, (504) 436-8950, moscasrestaurant.com

NOLA Steak is Boomtown Casino’s finest dining spot serving up juicy steaks and classic American entrees. On the weekends, local musicians elevate the experience with live performances. There are lots of delicious choices, but consider opting for a signature dish including the 16 oz. flavorful ribeye with a loaded baked potato. 4132 Peters Rd., (855) 8055596, boomtownneworleans.com

TD Seafood and Pho House offers authentic Vietnamese food in a cozy dining environment. Along with dishes such as pho and banh mi, this tasty restaurant also serves boiled seafood with a Louisiana flair. If you want the best of both worlds, order the combination pho for TD’s best seafood, veggies, and meat pho. 1028 Manhattan Blvd., (504) 302-1727, tdseafoodphohouse.com

BREAKFAST OF

Indulgent CHAMPIONS BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS Indulgent

Fried Chicken Delights

By Frances Deese

As Oscar Wilde once said, “Everything in moderation, even moderation.” This is the sort of mindset that comes with a breakfast meal featuring fried chicken as the star. When paired with nourishing sides, or other lighter meals throughout the day, it offers the perspective that life is all about balance. And when budgets are tight, a meal needs to provide strength throughout the workday, and all while still being delicious. Thus, the humble fried chicken is a saving grace. Whether looking for a weekday treat to get you through the workday, or a lazy weekend meal with loved ones, New Orleans offers a multitude of options. True to the origins of the city, these meals are for many budgets, and represent an evolving New Orleans and larger South. Whether savory or sweet, Twisted Waffles offers imaginative takes on classic waffle preparations, such as their chicken and waffles. While creativity is in play, so is the well thought out preparation, where the chicken here is marinated for at least twenty-four hours, so it is juicy and tender after fried. Homemade sauces such as ranch kickin’ dippin’, spicy jalapeño, smokey honey mustard, or chipotle chili, Twisted sauce offer a savory way to twist it up. If you’re looking for a sweeter option, you can find fruit and other dessert-inspired inclusions at play such as: it’s peachy, strawberry shortcake, Fruity Pebbles, or Cookie Monster. The only limit at this spot is how hungry you show up at their doors.

Who said breakfast had to be boring? Molly’s Rise and Shine has the same revitalized off-the-wall Americana energy as Turkey and the Wolf, and showcase founder, Mason Hereford’s and his team’s take on a go to counter service breakfast spot. Gone are the days of bland chicken and biscuits. Here, find their fried chicken biscuit well-spiced and crispy, and on a biscuit fresh from the ovens. Take in the fun and uplifting restaurant decor, and stroll down Magazine Street with enough energy to take on the day.

Nestled in a classic shotgun, Biscuits and Buns on Banks offers familiar, yet elevated, breakfast and brunching options. Their fried chicken on a brioche bun features a piece fried to perfection, with a golden crust and well-fluffed bite on the bun. Accompanied by bacon, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese, and served with the options of creamy grits, breakfast potatoes, or Zapp’s chips, this meal takes the thought out of deciding on a brunch option.

While fried chicken may not be the go-to dish that comes to mind in New Orleans, many restaurants do it to perfection. These breakfast and brunch options are just the meals to start a lovely day.

Molly’s Rise and Shine

In alignment with their mission statement, at Los Catrachos, flavor meets tradition. Honoring Honduran classics and authenticity, the owners are eager to share the dishes from their upbringing. They open at 6 a.m., so wake up before the roosters to grab their fried chicken options. Order classic fried chicken served alongside green banana slices, or a baleada (a thick wheat flour tortilla) with fried beans, cheese, and butter to accompany the fried chicken. Stellar sides and affordable prices round out the reasons for starting your day with a meal here.

Sometimes a good meal involves a bit of DIY. Do just that at Chubbies Fried Chicken. It opens at 11 a.m., so whether you’re running late with no breakfast or looking for a lazier routine for a brunch, this spot is ideal, whether you’re alone or with a group. A side biscuit (or a half dozen, appetite and crowd depending) pairs perfectly with a range of chicken options, from strips to wings, and a variety of combo options.

Those who said salads are no fun have yet to try a fried chicken wedge salad at Broussard’s for their jazz brunch. This dish’s Southern take on a classic wedge salad features crispy glazed chicken, bacon lardons, cherry tomatoes, and bibb lettuce, served with a creamy Roquefort dressing. Choose this for a refreshing pairing for fried chicken and delight in the cocktail menu that reflects their full century of serving in an elevated ambiance.

While wings or breast meat often steals the show, other sections still offer

a palatable and rich meal. At Elizabeth’s restaurant, delight in their appetizer of fried chicken livers, with a homemade pepper jelly. Coast on the appetizer route with fried green tomatoes, and fried grit cakes, or delight in their numerous entree options with filling egg, meat, and seafood combinations and options.

This Louisiana-style diner has stood the test of time and still offers patrons great dishes to this day. Please-URestaurant is a spot where quality ingredients meet great value. Their classic chicken and waffles is a dish that showcases why they’ve kept doors open since 1946 and host a number of repeat customers.

Daisy Mae’s Southern Fried Chicken and Breakfast has perfected the dishes they’re known for, and offer unique takes on what one thinks they know for these recipes. Their breakfast sandwich of a fried chicken breast, bacon, with scrambled eggs with a side of country gravy is enough to satisfy the hungriest visitor, but placing it on a waffle bun is a standout way they perfect the order.

At Flamingo A-Go-Go, a great meal idea for brunching it up is their crispy chicken BLT. Served with applewood bacon, avocado ranch, Go-Go sauce, and pepperjack cheese, the blend of creaminess offers a nice contrast to the crispiness of the chicken. The funky decor, great patio seating, and fun “flocktails” along with options for the pooch with “puppy plates” keep the vibes going all brunch long.

Banana Nut

FruityPebbles

Strawberry Shortcake

KENNER'S LATIN ROW

Go west of the [Orleans & Jefferson Parish] Border

poco. Acuérdate

In the 2022 state census, only 6% of the total population of Louisiana is Hispanic, which is low compared to the national average of 20% throughout the United States. However, the Latino population of Jefferson Parish is 15%. Between 2010 and 2021, the Hispanic population of Jefferson had the most growth of all ethnicities in the area, increasing from 53,965 in 2010 to 66,207 in 2021. In Kenner, Hispanics make up 25% of the population.

–Latinarepublic.com

Kenner is Jefferson Parish’s largest city and NOLA’s largest suburb, boasting the largest concentration of Latinos in in the state. So it is no wonder that when the local Hispanic newspaper, Que Pasa, compiled its annual roundup of Hispanic restaurants in 2023, there were nearly 35 in Kenner alone. The biggest concentration is on Williams Boulevard between Veterans and West Esplanade, where half are nestled. (See the complete listings in the sidebar at end of this article.

It's always been easy to spot Hispanic shops and eateries en route to the airport, which is the only time many New Orleanians venture to Kenner. But given that it is just 10 miles from New Orleans, it is surprising how rarely the normally culinarily keen and adventurous New Orleanian will venture here for a tasty and inexpensive adventure.

Cafetomas

Of the 32 Latin American listings in the Que Pasa listing of Kenner restaurants, 15 are Latin American, nine are Mexican, one is Cuban, two are Honduran, one is Salvadoran, two are Peruvian, and two are Nicaraguan. Why do so many “identify” as Latin American, despite clues on their menus displaying dishes that seem specific to one or two countries?

According to Brenda Melara, Editor in Chief of Que Pasa Newspaper at Hispanic Flavor Productions, it’s reflective of the melting pot of Central and South Americans that work in these kitchens. “You would have what began as a Honduran restaurant hire a Guatemalan, and she is making her native dishes. Then someone might come in and ask for Salvadoran or Venezuelan food, and they didn’t have it. Soon, many of the restaurants began to expand their menus to have something from a few countries to

Kenner based restaurants: Chilango’s Restaurant and Chilango’s Seafood Restaurant.

Others now flourishing as restaurantes started their businesses as food booths at Que Pasa Fest, which began 13 years ago as a showcase of local Latino culture. Salvadoran restaurant Las Cabanas started this way, recruited via their Facebook page

“Ven y come un

que las penas con pan son buenas.”

“Come and eat. Remember that all griefs with bread are less.” —Mexican saying

By Amy Kirk Duvoisin

Don Jose's

La Orquidea

THE JEFFERSON PARISH LOUISIANA OYSTER TRAIL

Whether you’re an oyster aficionado or you have an adventurous palate, the Jefferson Parish Louisiana Oyster Trail is an experience to savor. Feast your eyes on each restaurant’s life-size oyster sculpture, hand-painted by a local artist which marks the eatery’s recipe for oyster success!

The trail spans the parish and features oysters prepared every which way imaginable. Try Oysters Bienville, Oyster Dressing, Fried Oysters, Charbroiled Oysters, or you can slurp the briny delicacy straight from our Louisiana waters. Our Oyster Trail gets more bountiful every day with new restaurants and dishes. So go to louisianaoystertrail.com, where we’ll tempt you to try the wild side of Louisiana cooking.

Balcony Ballroom

Boulevard American Bistro

Colonial Bowling Lanes

Deanie's Seafood, Bucktown

Don's Seafood

Drago's Seafood Restaurant

Gattuso's Neighborhood Restaurant, Bar & Catering

Grand Isle, Collection of eateries

N.O. Marriott Metairie at Lakeway's Bistreaux Restaurant

Perino's Boiling Pot Restaurant

R&O's Restaurant

Restaurant des Familles

Short Stop Poboys

The Galley Seafood Restaurant

The Red Maple Restaurant

Town of Jean Lafitte, collection of eateries

Vincent's Italian Cuisine

Only one trail is the pearl of Louisiana cooking!

Acme Oyster House

the first year of the fest. They were so encouraged by their strong (and always sold out) success that a few years later, they launched a full restaurant.

While the biggest influx of Latin eateries was visible post-Katrina, there are no indications that the growth of Latino restaurants is slowing down. There are still people opening new establishments, such as Saul Alcazar, a Mexican raised in California who arrived in New Orleans in 2019, opening Cafétomas during the pandemic, in the spring of 2020. Despite this rough start, the business survived and is now thriving. His Honduran wife, three sons, and one daughter ranging in age from 18 to 30, work various shifts, and he is proud to say that you will “always” see him there, greeting customers, enjoying the locals as well as visitors who stop in on their way to or from the airport.

His lighter fare reflects his California upbringing. In addition to dishes ranging from Puerto Rican to Venezuelan, they offer healthy wraps, gluten free dishes, and freshly squeezed juice drinks. When asked what he appreciates most about his new home, he said, “This area gives you opportunities if you want them. People are always willing to help you. And the locals love to support local businesses.”

Another way to sample and support these Hispanic entrepreneurs is to attend the Que Pasa Fest, held each year during Hispanic Heritage Month in Metairie’s Lafreniere Park. This year it will be held October 7 and 8 and will feature 18 different food booths, offering a great way to survey the local Latino food landscape. Baleada Fest is a newer fest in Harvey, Louisiana, that focuses on the beloved baleada and variations on it. This festival kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month on September 16. Find out more at flavorsofhonduras.com/baleada-festival.

Take advantage of all our port city has to offer and give your palette a vacation. Go south of your NOLA border to sample the many varieties of pupusas, baleadas, curtidos, carne asada, and sopas that these enthusiastic and authentic neighbors have to offer. Sitting in these restaurants is a way to travel while at home.

Sit surrounded by colorful decorations and new smells and sounds, with Latin music playing overhead, and the Spanish speaking staff transporting you to another place. If you do speak a little Spanish, it is a wonderful way to practice and learn new palabras

ON WILLIAMS BOULEVARD

TRAILBLAZERS IN TREMÉ

By Cynthea Corfah

think of places to get traditional New Orleans cuisine, they think of renowned places including Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, Willie Mae’s Scotch House, and Lil Dizzy’s Café. What makes these Crescent City staples even more special is that they are located in Tremé, recognized as the oldest African-American neighborhood in the United States.

“Black Creole folks built Tremé,” founder of Lil Dizzy’s Café Wayne Baquet Sr. says. “It’s the oldest Black neighborhood. My family grew up in it. My dad, grandfather, and all the Baquet people grew up in Tremé. I’m 76 years-old now, and I’ve seen many changes over the years. It is a special neighborhood to live in and be a part of.”

Many Black-owned restaurants in Tremé have survived Hurricane Katrina, segregation, and gentrification. These resilient restaurant owners are a testament to the strength and diligence of the New Orleans Black community as a whole.

“There has been an unbelievable turnaround,” Baquet says. “When I first opened Lil Dizzy’s, it was like being a pioneer to open up a restaurant in a neighborhood that had been run down for so long, but you could see change was coming.”

Get to know these six historic and up-andcoming Black owned restaurants in the Tremé neighborhood.

LIL DIZZY’S CAFÉ

1500 Esplanade Avenue

True New Orleaniens know where to go for an authentic Creole soul food lunch. Lil Dizzy’s Café is a historic New Orleans staple in the Tremé neighborhood that has been open since 2004. People travel near and far to get their hands on some of the restaurant’s famous fried chicken, red beans, gumbo, and hot sausage.

Walking inside of Lil Dizzy’s Café feels like stopping by your Southern grandma’s kitchen. The staff is friendly and welcoming, the walls are decorated with photos, paintings, and memorabilia

When locals

Black-owned restaurants are the heart and soul of New Orleans.

that pay homage to Baquet lineage, and the food tastes like real home cooking.

In addition to their popular fried chicken and gumbo, the Baquet family restaurant also serves po-boys, seafood platters including shrimp and catfish, bread pudding, and homestyle sides such as mac and cheese, collard greens, potato salad, dirty rice, green beans, candied yams, and fries.

FRITAI

1535 Basin Street

You can’t talk about New Orleans cuisine without highlighting Caribbean faire. Fritai, a Haitian Street food restaurant in Tremé created by Chef Charly Pierre, serves tasty lunch and dinner that blends Creole and Haitian flavor.

The lunch menu includes Southern dishes such as poboys, baked crab mac and cheese, multiple flavors of chicken wings, and roasted chicken wraps. It also includes Haitian influenced meals including an oxtail sub, akra (spiced root vegetable fritters), and griyo (fried pork) served with rice and beans, fried green plantains, spicy relish, and Creole sauce.

The dinner menu is also bursting with flavor. It features the Fritai sandwich, which is chicken, pork, or vegan mushroom tofu sandwiched in between two fried plantains and topped with avocado, mango sauce, and spicy relish. The sandwich comes with a side of plantain chips and dip. For dinner, customers can also get a whole roasted fish, Creole chicken, shrimp Kreyol (creole shrimp), and multiple vegan options.

ADDIS NOLA

2514 Bayou Road

This Black family-owned restaurant gives you a taste of the Motherland with traditional Ethiopian cuisine and culture. The vibrant restaurant feels like an East African getaway. Large woven lamp shades hang from the ceiling, tall tropical plants and bright yellow chair cushions splash color throughout the space. The side of the restaurant is lined with booths that have a tucked-away Ethiopian hut vibe. Above the red booths

METAIRIE • ELMWOOD • HARAHAN • FRENCH QUARTER • BOULEVARDBISTRO.COM

$20 & UNDER

Flustered by Custard

By Kim Ranjbar

Creamy, cool, smooth, and eggy, custard is often (but not always) sweet, and sadly ephemeral as its undeniable deliciousness will quickly vanish from your plate.

There aren't enough words in the English language to describe the ethereal, yet luscious, sensory experience that is custard. Whether it be a deep-fried donut, piped to almost bursting with Bavarian cream or strawberry waffles drizzled in crème anglais, custard has the magical ability to elicit feelings of utter joy and even rapture, especially in the uninitiated.

There's a special kind of magic that happens when egg yolks come together with sugar and milk. It’s almost like they were meant to be a romantic triangle resulting in an unusually spectacular coalescence. One would be forgiven in thinking that it was a recipe gifted by the gods—ambrosia enjoyed by immortal and mortal alike.

If there's one type of custard we're most familiar with in New Orleans, it would have to be crème brûlée. A simple, elegant dessert born in France sometime in the late 1600s, crème brûlée became a shining symbol of indulgence in the 1980s and, to many, has never lost its luster. While there 's absolutely nothing wrong with classic vanilla, such as Justin Devillier's version at his French Quarter restaurant Justine, it's always a treat when chefs offer their

own riffs. Take, for example, the tropical coconut milk and mango crème brûlée at Fritai, a Haitian restaurant in Tremé. For a mere $8, your tongue is transported to a tropical island in the clouds. It should come with a warning as the post-brûlée blues can be rough. It might be best to order two.

Speaking of islands, have you ever had a floating one? The île flottante, or floating island, is a fluff of steamed meringue served atop a silky pool of crème anglais, a custard sauce so dreamy, you'll want to bring the plate to your lips and drink it. Travel to the island requires a jaunt to Bayou St. John where you'll sit under the trees in the Parisian-style, outdoor dining room at Café Degas and after (or before) treating yourself to garlicky escargot or imported cheeses with fresh berries, dip your spoon into a marshmallowy meringue drifting in a pool of cool, creamy custard sauce. Don't worry, the gratuitous licking of spoons and fingers is required for proper consumption.

We're going into Cajun country with this next custard creation—the magical, mystical tarte à la bouillie. This is a genuine Louisiana-born dessert featuring a sugar cookie-like crust and a thick, silky vanilla custard. Granted, you can find several versions of this unassuming, yet utterly fulfilling custard tart, but our money is on one found in Algiers Point. Check the Appetite Repair Shop menu group for regular updates on Chef Pete Vasquez's unique menus as the tarte à la bouillie makes a regular appearance. We promise it's worth the trip. Cool, velvety, and oh-so smooth, Vasquez's double-tall version is sure to make you swoon, especially after a to-go dinner of grilled sourdough with burrata and summer tomatoes, or Zapp's-crusted redfish with Parmesan cream rice.

Since we've dipped our toes into pastry, we may as well go ahead and dive all the way in with a quick trip to Angelo Brocato, the iconic, 100+ year-old Italian ice cream parlor in Mid-City. By all means, enjoy an espresso with a biscotti or a creamy-cool scoop of their Sicilian pistachio nut gelato, but the custard-based amusements don't end there. Try a classic Napoleon or mille-feuille with thick pastry cream oozing between layers of buttery puff pastry with every bite or the lovely zeppole di San Giuseppe, a St. Joseph's Day treat made with fried dough filled with, you guessed it, delicious custard.

Since the door has opened into the wonderful, custardy world of pastry cream, the possibilities are almost endless. Pick a local patisserie, whether it be Gracious Bakery, La Boulangerie, La Petite Sophie (the list goes on), and you're bound to find an apt egg-sample. Just take Ayu Bakehouse, a self-described modern bakery on Frenchmen Street. Opened in the Marigny just over a year ago, Ayu has been drawing in neighbors and visitors with their chocolate babka knots and seeded sourdough. Over the summer, they dropped a precious pavlita—a mini pavlova, AKA meringue topped with mascarpone pastry cream and fresh berries.

Finally, in New Orleans, one of our most celebrated ways to enjoy custard is during Mardi Gras when it is piped generously into a king cake. While it may be difficult, it's upholding tradition to bide your time until king cake is “in season,” from King's Day to Mardi Gras. Then, and only then, can you walk into almost any grocery store and score a glorious king cake, particularly one bursting at the seams with Bavarian cream, a custard-based filling made with a crème anglais base, thickened with gelatin and made airy with whipped cream. Just be sure to mark your calendar for January 6th.

Angelo Brocato

Appetite Repair Shop

Justine

Ayu Bakehouse

Café Degas

FOOD NEWS

A chicken chorus line …

It seems the fried chicken sandwich isn't losing its pizzazz anytime soon, especially with the recent launch of Showbird. This latest and greatest by Chef Jose Sanchez (yes, the guy who created Johnny Sanchez right next door) opened its doors in the Poydras Street building lovingly referred to as the “Death Star” a few months ago. With no fuss, the menu at Showbird is straightforward and to the point with a small array of sandwiches for breakfast and lunch, featuring items such as the Banty Rooster— fried chicken (spicy or mild) with bacon jam and birdy sauce on a buttery biscuit—or the eponymous fried chicken sandwich with mayo, slaw, and pickles on a brioche bun. We'd pair a chicken 'wich with a sausage and cheese grit bowl or the Bird Dog, a quarter pound sausage link dipped in pancake batter, fried and served with maple syrup, but you do you. 930 Poydras St., (504) 7660568, @showbirdnola

A little bird told me … Psst! There's a new wine bar in Algiers Point. Opened in late April, The Little House is a pleasant little outdoor spot on Bouny Street with lots of wine, cocktails, small plates, and cheese boards. Already a popular spot for families in the Point, it's like hanging out in your neighbor's backyard. Well, a neighbor with good eats and a decent selection of wines. Happy hour tends to linger with $5 glasses and eats include snackin' olives, pickled shrimp with heirloom tomatoes, and smoked catfish dip with saltine crackers. 640 Bouny Street, (504) 3021926, @thelittlehousenola

What's in a sub? … All we know are po-boys and muffulettas, right? Well, not anymore. Tara Francolini launched her brick and mortar (previously a pop-up) Francolini's Italian Deli on Tchoupitoulas Street. Opened in the middle of a New Orleans’ summer, sandwich lovers from all over town are lined up down the street to get a little taste of New Jersey in the Deep South. Francolini's tagline is “not everything from Jersey sucks,” and when you get a bite of one of her subs, we think you'll agree. Just try the Elmer Fudd with prosciutto cotto, fontina, and marinated artichokes or the Underdog featuring thinly sliced mortadella, sharp provolone, and Italian salsa verde. All sandwiches are served on seven-inch sub rolls baked by Ayu Bakehouse, but we encourage you to

By Kim Ranjbar

go the extra mile and pay $2 more for their house made foccaccia.

3987 Tchoupitoulas Street, francolinis. com, @francolinisnola

Hoppy harmonies … Not long after the beloved burger spot Cowbell closed, we've been watching the end-of-Oak-Street building slowly making changes and now, a new brew pub has opened in its place. Competing with Oak St. Brewery only a few blocks away, Calliope Beer Works has a couple of their own brews on tap, fantastic murals and artwork by Nicole Modica Todaro (@ nicolemodicatodaro), and a small menu with munchables such as shrimp lettuce boats with avocado, pimento dip, and portabella cheesesteak. 8801 Oak St., (504) 5102982, calliopebeerworks.com

Café Degas

Pigeon & Whale

Jimmy J’s Specials

Monte Cristo French Toast

shaved ham, American cheese, bacon & home fries

Cochon Panini

slow-roasted pulled pork, Provolone, bell peppers, bacon jam, fried egg on a pressed panini

Shrimp and Grits

shrimp sautéed in a cream of garlic sauce over grits & served with white toast

Crab Cake Benedict

2 poached eggs, 2 sautéed crab cakes, hollandaise on a toasted English muffin

Steak Burrito

steak, home fries, eggs, Cheddar cheese, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, jalapeños, Chipotle Southwest sauce wrapped in a spinach tortilla

Dirty South Bowl

shrimp, andouille sausage, garlic cream sauce over breakfast potatoes topped with Parmesan cheese

Surf and Turf Burrito

Shrimp, steak, onions, bell peppers, eggs, jalapeños, cheddar cheese, Southwest Sauce & avocado crème

Eggs Ranchero

2 fried eggs, Cheddar cheese, crispy tortilla, black beans, red & green salsa, avocado crème

Cajun Cuban

Slow-roasted pork, onions, bell peppers, pickles, served on Ciabatta

Hangover Po Boy

Fried eggs, bacon, hot sausage, American cheese

Bananas Foster French Toast

Served with bacon or sausage, sprinkled with powdered sugar

Shrimp Po Boy

Pork Chop Benedict

Tomatoes Benedict

Also Serving

Cochon Benedict

Bacon Bloody Mary’s Mimosas

Loaded Peach Tea

FOOD NEWS

Ignore the ampersan… A seafood restaurant dubbed Pigeon & Whale opened on the food-laden Freret corridor a few months ago. The spot was opened by local restaurateur John Michael Rowland and his business partner, pastry chef, and wife, Winnie Rubin. Pigeon & Whale's menu created by Chef Jeremy Latimer (also from Station 6 out in Bucktown), features a raw oyster bar with local, and not so local mollusks, grilled octopus, $32 lobster rolls, and swordfish schnitzel. 4525 Freret St., pigeonandwhalenola.com

Feed me Indian food … Sarthak Samantray and Aman Kota have taken Lufu NOLA from pop-up to a vendor slot at the Pythian Market, to their own brick and mortar in the CBD on St. Charles Avenue. Lufu NOLA's tag is “Let us feed U,” and feed us they do with incredible Indian-inspired

cuisine from a fried shrimp “naanwich” and Makhana chaat with puffed lotus seeds to ragda patties or fried potato cakes with white peas. Once we thought there wasn't enough Indian cuisine in New Orleans and now, well, we just can't get enough. 301 St. Charles Ave., (504) 354-1104, lufunola.com

Tuk in … A brand new Thai spot opened in early July in Metairie. Owners Terry Cuskelly and Jar Williamson launched Tuk Tuk Thai Street Food on Veterans Memorial Boulevard in the space that formerly housed the Store, and are serving dishes including golden shrimp toast with plum sauce, chicken satay skewers, and classics such as tom yum and pad Thai with heat levels dialed to your preference.

901 Veterans Memorial Blvd., (504) 766- 8512, nolatuktukthai.com

Lufu NOLA

Calliope Beer Works The Little House

Showbird

MUSIC CALENDAR

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

21st Amendment James Beaumont

30/90 The Dapper Dandies, Natural Bone

Killers

Apple Barrel Mark Appleford

Bamboula’s The Villains, The Melatauns, Ed Willis

BJ’s Lounge Smokehouse Brown Red

Beans Blues

Bourbon Orleans Hotel Tiffany Hall

Buffa’s Doyle Cooper

Cafe Negril Lyndsey Smith

Capulet Washboard Chaz

Columns Hotel Stanton Moore

Da Jump Off Lounge Big 6 Brass Band

DBA Russell Welch

DMac’s Danny Alexander

Dos Jefes John Fohl

Fritzel's Jazz Club Lee Floyd, Richard

Scott

Gasa Gasa Diners, Slow Rosary

Hi Ho Lounge Bluegrass Pickin’ Party

House of Blues The Fall of Troy, Greyhaven, Zeta

Houston’s Hansen’s Garden District Band

Kermit's Tremé Mother-in-Law Lounge

Mike Jones

Mahogany Jazz Hall Paul Longstretch, The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band

Maison Paradise Swing, Amber & the Sweet

Potatoes

Maple Leaf Russell Batiste

MRB Ben Buchbinder

Polar Club Lounge John Royen

Royal Frenchmen Jazz Vipers

Spotted Cat Dominick Grillo, Watson & the

Alchemy

St. Roch Tavern Cricket

Three Muses Leslie Martin

Tropical Isle Original Dave Ferrato

Tuesday, September 19

Bamboula’s Tiffany Pollock, Giselle

Anguizola

Buffa’s Alex McMurray

Deutsches Haus Kulturabend

Fillmore Sylvan Esso

Gasa Gasa Juleser

New Orleans Jazz Museum Arrowhead

Jazz Band

Siberia Dusty and the Decision, Painted

Hands, Roselit Bone

Smoothie King Center Lil Baby

The Goat Summoner's Circle, Eshtadur

The Rabbit Hole Rebirth Brass Band

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

Bamboula’s Walker and the 3 Finger

Slingers, John Saavedra

Blue Nile New Breed

Buffa’s Wooton Wednesdays

Cafe Negril Colin Davis, Night People

Davenport Lounge Jeremy Davenport

House of Blues Kari Faux

Music Box Village Alabaster DePlume

Santos Bar

Wizard Dick Smoothie King Center

THURSDAY,

SEPTEMBER 21

Bamboula’s Cristina Kaminis, Wolfe John’s Blues

Blue Nile

Buffa’s Adam Rodgers, Rebecca Leigh and Harry Mayronne

Cafe Negril

Davenport Lounge

Dixon Annex Recital Hall Thursday Night

Jazz

Fillmore Boys Like Girls

Gasa Gasa Death Posture, Quaalords

New Orleans Jazz Market The Big Easy Beat

Peacock Room Robin Barnes, Pat Casey

The Joy Theater Victoria Monet

Toulouse Theatre Scotty ATL

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

Bamboula’s Stephen Brashears, Chris

Christy

Blue Nile Barbecue Swingers, Caesar

Brothers

Buffa’s Washboard Chaz Blues Trio

Cafe Negril Higher Heights

Civic Theatre Broken Social Scene

Davenport Lounge Jeremy Davenport

Gasa Gasa Ghostbath, Witch Burial

George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage

Center Los Güiros, La Tran-K

Honky Tonk Bourbon Street The Bad

Sandys

House of Blues

Thunderstruck:

America's AC/DC

Le Bon Temps

Roule Evan Oberla, the Grow

New Orleans Jazz Market The Big

Easy Beat

Public Belt Bar

Phil Melancon

Republic NOLA Lil

Tracy

Santos Foxy

Shazam, Painted

Hands

Southport Hall

Eyehategod, Goatwhore

The Howlin' Wolf

Jeff Dye

The Jazz

Playhouse Trixie

Minx, Romy Kaye

Tipitina's Johnny

Sketch

Toulouse Theatre

Zulu, Soul Glo

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

Bamboula’s Johnny Mastro, Paggy Prine

Blue Nile Balcony

Room New Breed

Buffa’s Sam Price

And Friends

Cafe Negril Sierra Green

Davenport Lounge Jeremy Davenport

Gasa Gasa Anime Soirée

George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage

Center Fermín Ceballos, Merengue4-FOUR

Le Bon Temps Roule Dale Dolese

Public Belt Bar Phil Melancon

Santos Bar Blind Texas Marlin

The Jazz Playhouse Nayo Jones

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

Ace Hotel New Orleans Easy

Bamboula’s Secret Six, Midnight Brawlers, Ed Wills

Blue Nile Baked Potatoes, Street Legends

Buffa’s Some Like it Hot, Steve Pistorius and His Porch Pals

Cafe Negril Vegas Cola

Fillmore Ty Dolla $ign

Honky Tonk Bourbon Street Bad Sandys

House of Blues TV Girl

Howlin' Wolf Hot 8 Brass Band

Le Bon Temps Roule Russell Batiste

The Jazz Playhouse Doyle Cooper Jazz

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

Apple Barrel Mark Appleford

Bamboula’s Jon Roniger, The Melatauns

BJ's Lounge Smokehouse Brown Red

Beans Blues

Bourbon Orleans Hotel Darren Murphy

Buffa's Doyle Cooper

Café Negril Paradise Jazz, Lyndsey Smith

Capulet Layla Musselwhite

Columns Hotel Stanton Moore

Da Jump Off Lounge Big 6 Brass Band

DBA Secret Six, Russell Welch

DMac’s Danny Alexander

Dos Jefes John Fohl

Fritzel's Jazz Club Lee Floyd, Richard Scott

Hi Ho Lounge Bluegrass Pickin' Party

Houston's Hansen's Garden District Band

Kermit's Tremé Mother-in-Law Lounge

Mike Jones

Mahogany Jazz Hall Paul Longstreth, The

VICTORIA

MONET AT JOY THEATER

Victoria Monét, popular pop artist, will be coming to Joy Theater for her debut headline tour, the JAGUAR Tour. Thursday, September 21, 7 p.m., $59 to $167, thejoytheater.com

Lastie

New Orleans

Jazz Museum

Arrowhead Jazz

Orpheum Theater

Corinne Bailey Rae

Polo Club Lounge

David Boeddinghaus

Royal Frenchmen Trumpet Mafia

Siberia Goddess Complex, Discernment

Spotted Cat The Little Big Horns, Smoking Time Jazz Club

The Rabbit Hole Rebirth Brass Band

Tropical Isle Dave Ferrato

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

Bamboula’s Walker and the 3 Finger

Slingers, John Saavedra

Blue Nile New Breed Brass Band

Buffa’s Wooton Wednesdays

Cafe Negril Colin Davis, Night People

Davenport Lounge Jeremy Davenport

Fillmore Tash Sultana

Gasa Gasa Bullshit Machine, Forrest Isn’t Dead

Southport Hall 1983, Pallbearers

The Goat Slowhole, Guts Club

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

Bamboula’s Ms. Sigrid, Cristina Kaminis

Blue Nile Where Y'at Brass Band

Buffa’s Adam Rodgers

Burger Republic Hamro

Cafe Negril Sierra Green

Davenport Lounge Jeremy Davenport

Fillmore Nimesh Patel

Gasa Gasa Easy Honey

Le Bon Temps Roule The Soul Rebels

Peacock Room Robin Barnes, Pat Casey

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29

Bamboula’s Stephen Brashears, Chris

Christy

Blue Nile Kermit Ruffins

Buffa’s Jamie Bernstein and Dave Easley— Zen Cowboys

Cafe Negril Higher Heights

Civic Theatre The Mavericks

Davenport Lounge Jeremy Davenport

Gasa Gasa CAPRA, Stay Lost

Honky Tonk Bourbon Street The Bad Sandys

House of Blues Todrick Hall

Le Bon Temps Roule Lee Yankie

Original Tuxedo Jazz Band

Maison Eight Dice Cloth, Amber & the Sweet Potatoes

Maple Leaf George Porter Jr.

MRB Ben Buchbinder

Polo Club Lounge John Royen

Royal Frenchmen Jazz Vipers

Spotted Cat Jenavieve Cooke, Dominick Grillo

St. Roch Tavern The Crybabies

Three Muses Leslie Martin

Tropical Isle Original Dave Ferrato, Cass Faulconer

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

Bamboula’s Tiffany Pollock, Giselle

Anguizola

Bayou Bar Peter Harris

Bourbon Orleans Dr. Zach, Ingrid Lucia

Buffa’s Alex McMurray

Caesars Superdome Beyoncé

Capulet The Co

Dos Jefes Kris Tokarski

Fritzel’s Jazz Club Colin Myers, Fritzel’s All Star Band

Houston’s Hansen’s Garden District Band

Kermit's Tremé Mother-in-Law Lounge

Irvin Mayfield, Kermit Ruffins

Kitchen Table Cafe KTC

Mahogany Jazz Hall Big Joe Kennedy, Joe

New Orleans Jazz Museum Mia Borders

Public Belt Bar Phil Melancon

The Jazz Playhouse Trixie Minx, Romy

Kaye

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

Apple Barrel Smoky Greenwell

Bamboula’s The Jaywalkers, John

Saavedra

Bayou Bar YYRP

BJ’s Lounge Amigos Do Samba

Blue Nile the Vibe, Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph

Bombay Club Anaïs St. John

Bourbon Orleans Marc Stone, Blues

Masters

Bourbon Street Honky Tonk John George

Broadside The Brightsides

Buffa’s Jonathan Freilich

Cafe Negril Jason Neville, Sierra Green

Carousel Lounge Big Joe Kennedy, Lena Prima

Carrollton Station Lynn Drury

Chickie Wah Wah The Currys

Davenport Lounge Jeremy Davenport

DBA Shake ‘Em Up, The Soul Rebels

Dos Jefes Sunpie

Fillmore Warren Zeiders, A Thousand Horses

Fritzel’s Jazz Club Lee Floyd, Fritzel’s All Star Band

“Same Fair, New Flair & Fun”

October 4th - 8th 2023

Florida Parishes Arena • 1301 NW Central Ave. • Amite City, LA

Gnarly Barley Brewery Oktoberfest

House of Blues Gasolina Party

Houston’s Hansen’s Garden District Band

Le Bon Temps Roule Simon Lott, SOUL

Brass Band

Madam Vic’s Tetrad

Mahogany Jazz Hall Gerald French, Mahogany Jazz Hall All Stars

Maison Smoking Time Jazz Club, City of Trees Brass Band

Maison Bourbon Leroy Marshall

Maple Leaf Quarx, Zita

May Bailey’s Place Jelly Roll Stompers

Mid-City Rock N Bowl The Boogie Men

MRB Wolfe Johns

NOLA Brewing Connor Donohue

Palm Court Jazz Cafe Will Smith

Polo Club Lounge John Royen, Bean

Pour House Gal Holiday

Public Belt Bar Phil Melancon

Silk Road The KatieCat

HEADLINER: DIAMOND RIO • OCT 6TH AT 10 PM

RIDES, GAMES, LIVE MUSIC, PIONEER TOWN , 4–H EVENTS , MINI WEDGE RACING, FOOD, CRAFTS, AND MORE!

BEYONCÉ AT CAESARS SUPERDOME

Musical icon and global superstar Beyoncé is coming to Caesar’s Superdome for her Renaissance World Tour, which is her first solo tour in over six years.

Wednesday, September 27, 8 p.m., $300 to $2,750, caesarssuperdome.com

Snug Harbor NOLATET

Spotted Cat Panorama Jazz Band

Sweet Lorraine’s Rick David

The Jazz Playhouse Nayo Jones

Three Keys AfroXotica

Three Muses Mia Borders, Jon Atkinson

Tipitina's Melvins & Boris

Toulouse Theatre Judith Owen

Zony Marsh Beer Project Kings of the Small Time, Tchop Making Sense

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1

Allways Lounge Sunday Swing

BK House & Gardens Cole Williams

Bombay Club Loyola Musician Clinic

Buffa’s Some Like it Hot

Cafe Negril Vegas Cola

Da Jump Off Lounge Big 6 Brass Band

DBA Palmetto Bug Stompers, Treme Brass

Band

Donz on the Lake Patrick Cooper

Fillmore All Time Low

Gasa Gasa Poison Ruïn

House of Blues Kes

Jazz Playhouse Sierra Green

NOLA Brewing Sean Riley

Palm Court Jazz Cafe Mark Braud

Santos Bar 3 Balls of Fire

Siberia Dead Bars, Shidded

Three Keys Juan Tigre

Tipitina’s Jon Cleary

Toulouse Theatre Shawn Williams

MONDAY, OCTOBER 2

Apple Barrel Mark Appleford

DMac’s Danny Alexander

Fillmore Death Grips

Kermit's Tremé Mother-in-Law Lounge

Mike Jones

MRB Ben Buchbinder

Silk Road The No Quarter Shanty Krewe

Tulane Dixon Hall Danny Driver

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3

Gasa Gasa Avey Tare, Geologist House of Blues Electric Six, The Surfrajettes, Poolside

National WWII Museum Victory Belles

Vignette

New Orleans Jazz Museum Arrowhead

Jazz

The Rabbit Hole Rebirth Brass Band

Tipitina's Eric Gales, Ghalia Volt

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4

Bombay Club Harry Mayronne

Buffa’s Wooton Wednesdays

Cafe Negril Colin Davis

Davenport Lounge Jeremy Davenport

DBA Tin Men

Hard Rock Cafe Max Muscato

Jazz Playhouse Funkin’ It Up

Madam Vic’s La La Soul

MRB Lynn Drury

New Orleans Jazz Museum Herbert

MUSIC CALENDAR

McCarver III, Pin Stripe Brass Band

Palm Court Jazz Cafe Lars Edegran

Santos Bar Deeper

Zony Mash Beer Project Synth Cult

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5

Apple Barrel Bubbles Brown

Bombay Club Shawan Rice

Cafe Negril Sierra Green

Carrollton Station Ted Hefko

Chickie Wah Wah Renée Gros, Andriu

Yanovski

City Park Thursdays at Twilight

Davenport Lounge Jeremy Davenport

DBA John Boutté, Soul Brass Band

Jazz Playhouse Brass-A-Holics

Madam Vic’s The Barflies of Bohemia

MRB Clint Johnson

Orpheum Theatre Prokofiev & Price

Palm Court Jazz Cafe Crescent City

Joymakers

Peacock Room Robin Barnes, Pat Casey

Santos Bar Dead Boys, The Midnight

Devils

Southport Hall Corey Feldman

Toulouse Theatre Declan McKenna

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6

Apple Barrel Bubbles Brown

Bombay Club The Co & Co Travelin’ Show

Buffa’s Cole Williams

Cafe Negril Higher Heights

Carrollton Station Midriff

Chickie Wah Wah Jerry Joseph, Rainy

Eyes

Davenport Lounge Jeremy Davenport

Hard Rock Cafe Jamie Lynn Vessels

Higgins Hotel Wartime Piano

House of Blues Electric Feels

Jazz Playhouse Trixie Minx

Le Bon Temps Roule Renée Gros

Madam Vic’s Cricket

New Orleans Jazz Museum Los Güiros

NOLA Brewing Luther Dickerson

Palm Court Jazz Cafe Kevin Louis

Republic New Orleans Riot Ten

Santos Bar NUOVO TESTAMENTO

Three Keys Jaime Woods

Tipitina’s Beat the System

Toulouse Theatre Ashlin Parker

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7

Apple Barrel Smoky Greenwell

Blue Nile Muevelo

Bombay Club Anaïs St. John

Buffa’s Sigrid & the Zig Zags

Cafe Negril Sierra Green

Chickie Wah Wah Michael Juan

Nunez

City Park Or Shovaly Plus

Davenport Lounge Jeremy

Davenport

DBA Tuba Skinny

Fillmore Teddy Swims

Fountain Lounge Leslie Martin

Hotel Storyville The Quickening, Steely Dead

Jazz Playhouse Nayo Jones

Le Bon Temps Roule Renée Gros

Madam Vic’s Funhouse

Orpheum Theatre Janelle Monáe

Palm Court Jazz Cafe Will Smith

Smoothie King Center Depeche

Mode

Three Keys Steve Lands

Tipitina's The Teskey Brothers

Toulouse Theatre 79rs Gang

For up-to-date listings visit WhereYat.com

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8

BK House & Gardens Soirée in the Vieux

Carré

Bombay Club T Marie

Buffa’s Some Like it Hot, Simon Burke

Cafe Negril Vegas Cola

DBA Palmetto Bug Stompers, Steely Dead

Da Jump Off Lounge Big 6 Brass Band

Hi Ho Lounge Slick Mick

Jazz Playhouse Quiana Lynell

Joy Theater

CloZee

NOLA Brewing

Indian Blue

Palm Court Jazz

Cafe Mark Braud

Santos Bar

Sextile, N8NOFACE

The Joy Theater CloZee

Tipitina’s Teskey Brothers, Allysha Joy

DEPECHE MODE AT SMOOTHIE KING CENTER

Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, Depeche Mode, are coming to New Orleans for the Memento Mori Tour, their first tour in over five years.

Saturday, October 7, 7:30 p.m., $46 to $531, smoothiekingcenter.com

LAKESIDE2RIVERSIDE

MODELO MICHELADA MIX OFF FINALS

September 26 | whereyat.com

Where Y’at Magazine will host the Modelo Michelada Mix Off, where the best bartenders in New Orleans will compete for the title of who can make the best michelada. The finalists in the Modelo Michelada Mix Off are Uly at La Tia, Micah at Superior Grill, Aaron at the Higgins Hotel, and Christy at Central City BBQ/Las Cruces. Bartenders will craft their best takes on micheladas, a Mexican drink made with beer, lime juice, sauces, spices, and peppers. This event will take place at Blue Crab in Lakeview. There will be no cover charge and free drink samples, food, and more.

NOLA X NOLA

September 28-October 8 | neworleans.com/nolaxnola

Nola x Nola returns at the end of September for two funfilled weekends of New Orleans music, culture, and artists with entertainers performing at different venues around town. This event is filled with some of the hottest entertainment the city offers. Their 2023 edition is currently in the works, but you can follow facebook.com/ NOLAxNOLA504 for updates.

ZOMBIE PAINTBALL AT NOLA MOTORSPORTS

September 28-October 30 | nolamotor.com

If you’re looking for spooky activities this fall, NOLA Motorsports Park will be having Zombie Paintball. This is an interactive experience where attendees board a bus and try to defeat horrifying zombie targets. Bring some friends and take out some zombies. Dates for Zombie Paintball start the weekend of September 28-30 and run through October 26-30.

BOGALUSA BLUES & HERITAGE

September 29-30 | bogalusablues.com

FESTIVAL

The Bogalusa Blues is coming back for another year of good music and good times at Cassidy Park. A festival with the goal of preserving and promoting the blues, it will feature singers including Claire Kellar, D.K. Harrell, The Chitlins, Lil Red and Big Bad with Renee Gros, Gregg Wright, Johnny Sansone, and Mr. Sipp. There will be food and drink vendors to choose from, added attractions like rock climbing, and campsites open for concert goers. For ticket information, visit bogalusablues.com.

NATIONAL FRIED CHICKEN FESTIVAL

September 30-October 1 | friedchickenfestival.com

This two day celebration will return to its new location along the New Orleans Lakefront for the second year to accommodate more vendors, activities, and fun. Over 50 restaurants will be participating in the culinary competition to win the “Best Fried Chicken” and “Best Use of Fried Chicken in a Dish” awards. There will be two music stages with local and national artists performing, and this will be the first year introducing a third stage called the “Food and Cultural” stage with cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs and discussion panels led by culinary leaders.

LIVE MUSIC

LAKESIDE2RIVERSIDE

GRETNA FEST

October 6-8 | gretnafest.com

Since 1994, the Gretna Fest has grown to become one of Louisiana’s largest cultural festivals, and after a two year hiatus, the Gretna Fest plans to make the greatest comeback with an exciting lineup of music, food, and talent throughout the weekend. Headliners such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kool & the Gang, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue will be performing alongside Grammy winners Living Colour and the Iceman Special. With three days, three stages, and 60 acts, there will be endless fun for everyone to enjoy on the river.

ART FOR ART’S SAKE

October 7 | magazinestreet.com

Magazine Street will be flooded with art lovers on October 7 for the Magazine Street Merchants Association’s annual Art for Art’s Sake event. This year will feature over 100 participating shops, restaurants, and galleries with live music, special deals, and extended hours for businesses throughout the day. Sip on some wine and stroll down the six-mile stretch to peruse at your leisure.

FALL FESTIVAL GUIDE

BREWSTOCK FESTIVAL

September 23 | University of New Orleans brewstock.com

The second annual Brewstock Festival held at the University of New Orleans is partnering with the LASPCA and will feature over 100 homebrewed beers with unlimited sampling, dog adoptions, food from Hogs for the Cause teams, and more. Brewstock, the only homebrew supply shop in New Orleans, will pledge the proceeds of the festival to the rescue animals at the LASPCA.

WESTBANK HERITAGE FESTIVAL

Sept. 23-24 | John A. Alario Center and Segnette Field WestbankHeritageFest.com

Attend the Westbank Heritage Festival to experience Louisiana’s favorite R&B and hip hop artists. The artists K. Michelle and Juvenile will be headlining the festival, and the artists Choppa, Cupid, Denisia, Fresh X Reckless, Brass-A-Holics, Dave Lemon, and more will also perform.

listen to live music. Presented by Raising Cane’s, this festival is made for chicken lovers everywhere.

BACHTOBERFEST

October 4 | Margaret Place Hotel masno.org/bachtoberfest-2023

The fourth annual Bachtoberfesr will be held in the courtyard of the Margaret Place Hotel. The event, sponsored by the Gauthier Family Foundation, will feature the Electric Yat Quartet, pianist André Bohren, and trumpeter Vance Woolf. The concert will span musical talent from Bach to the Beatles to Schumann and Queen.

TANGIPAHOA PARISH FAIR

Oct. 4-8 | Florida Parishes Arena, tangifair.org

The drive to Amite City is worth it for the Tangipahoa Parish Fair. Revel in five days of live music by acts including Ryan Foret and Rockin’ Dopsie Jr., rodeos, parades, carnival rides, and more. Explore a fully recreated pioneer town or view Louisiana’s finest textiles and livestock.

INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL

October 5-8 | Crescent Park, iafnola.com

The International Arts Festival is a global celebration of music, culture, and people. The event will be held at the Civic Theatre and the Mandeville Wharf in Crescent Park. The 2023 lineup features Stephen Marley, Steel Pulse, George Porter Jr., Ernie Smith, Irvin Mayfield, Rick Braun, and more. .

watching live music from three stages. With a kids’ village, craft tables, and tons of delectable local food vendors, this festival is non-stop fun. Foster community with the neighborhood’s first responders while enjoying a weekend in Gentilly.

BLUESBERRY FESTIVAL

Oct. 7 | Bogue Falaya Park, thebluesberryfest.com

Enjoy a day filled with phenomenal live music and riveting art booths in Covington. Take a stroll down Food Truck Alley to sample Southern favorites with a blueberry twist. This family-friendly festival also features art activities and a beer garden, so make sure to bring your entire crew.

BLUES, BREWS AND BBQ FEST

October 7 | Docville Farm ccofstb.com/bluesbrewsbbq2022

Blues, Brews, and BBQ is a family-friendly event that will feature blues music, refreshing brews, and delicious BBQ. Proceeds from the festival will benefit the Community Center of St. Bernard. Expect live music performances from the Chalmette High School Jazz Band, Ghalia Volt, Pennsylvania Wolfe Johns, and Lil' Red & Big Bad.

OKTOBERFEST NEW ORLEANS

Oct. 13-14, 20-21, 27-28 | Deutsches Haus oktoberfestnola.com

Don your lederhosen and tie your braids with ribbons for this famous local festival celebrating German food and culture. Try several brats and beers while watching the Schnauzer Parade, or do the chicken dance and shop for all things German. You can also enjoy schnitzel and flammkuchen.

CRESCENT CITY BLUES & BBQ FESTIVAL

Oct. 13-15 | Lafayette Square Park jazzandheritage.org/events/crescent-city-bluesbbq-festival

Pig out and sing the blues at this free-admission festival. Explore the art market and feel the music by acts including Tab Benoit and Little Freddie King at two stages throughout the weekend. Best of all, NOLA’s top barbeque joints will come together to bring you juicy, tangy barbeque.

FESTIVALS ACADIENS ET CRÉOLES

Oct. 13-15 | Girard Park, festivalsacadiens.com

This event celebrates French Louisiana, especially the culture of the Cajuns and Creoles. Live music, food, and good times are what you can expect when you attend this vibrant festival. It celebrates Acadian’s history while bringing together an entire community through Southern love.

BRIDGE CITY GUMBO FESTIVAL

Celebrate the delightfully crispy and absolutely delicious Southern staple on New Orleans’ Lakefront. Food vendors will serve you succulent samples of fried chicken as you shop local merchants and

GRETNA FEST

Oct. 6-8 | Historic Old Gretna, gretnafest.com

This music and family festival is bringing Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Temptations, Kool & the Gang, Trombone Shorty, and plenty of local acts to the Westbank. Come for the famous acts, and stay for the food, crafts, and fun. Rockin’ good times await at Gretna Fest.

GENTILLY FESTIVAL

Oct. 6-8 | Pontchartrain Park, gentillyfestival.com Head out and support the Gentilly community while

Oct. 13-15 | Holy Guardian Angels Catholic Church bridgecitygumbofestival.org

The Bridge City Gumbo Festival is one that every Louisianian can relate to as its theme is the most beloved dish from our region—gumbo. Between the 2,000 gallons of gumbo and the rides for your kids to enjoy, the whole family will leave with a smile.

PRAISE FESTIVAL ON THE BAYOU

Oct. 13-15 | Bayou St. John, praisefestnola.com

Created in 2009 to lift victims' spirits after Hurricane Katrina, Praise Fest is a highly anticipated free three-day outdoor event. Families travel from all over to spend a

weekend getting closer to the Lord and eating good food in celebration. Gospel music artists, entertainers, and world-renowned speakers will be present.

iberiachamber.org/gumbocookoff

Hot, fresh, and delicious gumbo awaits in New Iberia. Listen to live music and taste several types of the classic New Orleans dishes as over 100 teams vie to win the “Super Bowl of Gumbo.” Professional and amateur categories include chicken and sausage,

The French Market District will be having their spooky-fun annual Boo Carré Haunt this year with live music, children’s activities, trick-or-treating, and a Spooky Second Line. Be sure to wear your best costumes and get out for a night of fun. Kids who wear costumes are eligible for a free Boo Carré tote bag so they can trick or treat and scoop up on all of the goodies.

nolafunkfest.com

The Louisiana Music & Heritage Experience is hosting the New Orleans Funk Fest. The festival will feature exhibits and funk artists at the Jazz Museum for a three-day celebration of Big Easy culture, food, and music. The lineup will include Funky Uncle Allstar, Irma Thomas, David Batiste and the Gladiators, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band,

natchezballoonfestival.com

The Natchez Balloon Festival promises a colorful time and is continuing its tradition with an even better lineup of live music, food vendors, and, of course, hot air balloons. This is one of the best festivals in Mississippi so bring the family for balloons with a side of

Abita Fall Fest is a cozy festival with a harvest matchup, a kids’ zone, food, and live music. This is an event that will provide you with full-on activities all day on the Northshore. Don’t miss out on the "After Dark" performance on Friday or the Main and

andouillefestival.com

Enjoy a weekend full of the best sausage in the town. There will be the 48th annual Andouille run, the kickoff and poster reveal, and the famous Andouille Pageant. The

famous andouille sausage is a true staple to South Louisiana and there will be plenty for everyone to enjoy.

GULF BREW

Oct. 21 | Acadiana Center for the Arts

acadianacenterforthearts.org/events/gulf-brew-2023

Louisiana’s oldest craft beer festival, Gulf Brew, will be returning to downtown Lafayette with more than 200 different types of beer to try. There will also be craft vendors, live entertainment, a coronation of the King and Queen of the Brew, and more.

TREMÉ FALL FESTIVAL

Oct. 21 | 1210 Governor Nicholls, tremefest.org Celebrate Tremé’s history and culture at this familyfriendly festival. With an art market, local food vendors, performances, and activities for all to enjoy, this historic New Orleans neighborhood will be filled with fun for all ages. The fest will also raise funds for St. Augustine Catholic Church.

TOP TACO

Oct. 26 | Lafreniere Park, toptaconola.com

For anyone interested in experiencing an exciting taste of Hispanic culture in the South, do not hesitate to buy a ticket for Top Taco. There will be lots of tasty tacos to try. With a purchase of a ticket, the event promises unlimited dishes, cocktails, beers, spirit tastings, and live entertainment.

DOMCON

Oct. 26-29 | Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel, domcon.com/ sessions/new You will not want to miss this passion-filled fest. The event is a four-day experience in New Orleans for all the doms, subs, and more out there.

Workshops, performances, and intriguing displays will occur before you leave, so be prepared to mingle and have fun while you're doing it.

NOLA REGGAE FEST

Oct. 27-29 | Congo Square

Vibe along at this year’s Summer Reggae Fest. This is a perfect festival for family and friends of all ages. There will be performances by Sister Nancy, the Meditations, Tanto Metro & Devonte, Ha Sizzle, Claude Bryant AllStars, and more. There will be great music to dance to and Jamaican food to enjoy.

ACADIA MUSIC FEST

Oct. 28 | Percy Brown Road, Thibodaux, acadiamusicfest.net

This fest is for true music lovers, both young and old. Marcus King, Better Than Ezra, Niko Moon, and so many more will take the stage for this family-friendly event. Face painting and a fine selection of handmade crafts and art will also be available.

SLIDELL ANTIQUES & CRAFTS STREET FAIR

October 29-30 | Historic Olde Towne Slidell slidellstreetfair.com

Slidell’s largest antiques and crafts fair is back this year with more historical and unique items. These creations can add that special touch to your home. The goal of the street fair has remained the same after 40-plus years, to provide family entertainment and promote shopping in the Slidell area.

KITCHEN INSPIRATIONS

Cookbooks offer a peek into a New Orleans' chef’s world and lived experiences through their recipes

By Frances Deese

With a modern world packed full of to-do lists and technologies, it can be hard to escape these even within the kitchen. The tranquility of browsing through a cookbook offers a respite from such busyness.

Outside of the invaluable tips and tricks they provide, cookbook recipes can often be even more authentic and accurate than digital recipes or social media. With glossy images, unique typography, and recipe inspiration, keeping up a cookbook collection is one way to pay homage to the city’s many chefs and escape the doldrums of the everyday.

Cooking for the Culture, Recipes and Stories from the New Orleans Streets to the Table by Toya Boudy

Cooking is a form of self expression that first grew out of necessity to honor history and traditions, and today is a way for a chef to remain authentic to themselves. This is what Toya Boudy successfully masters, utilizing everyday

ingredients to offer traditional dishes with elevated takes. Some of the recipes she had the most fun with include: expensive ass deviled eggs, fried chicken with a watermelon jam, classic eggs and rice, and mama’s 7-Up pound cake recipe.

Nana’s Creole Italian Table - Recipes and Stories from Sicilian New Orleans by Elizabeth Williams Starting as a passion project and way to preserve family recipes for her children and grandchildren, Williams soon saw how her food traditions could help address a gap in cookbooks, and honor the experience of immigrants the world over. With her Sicilian family and heritage, and as a native New Orleanian, Williams offers many classic recipes from the melding of these cultures.

With her perspective and knowing the differences between cultures allows for fun takes, such as her olive salad by three generations.

Tremé: Stories and Recipes from the Heart of New Orleans by Lolis Eric Elie

With 100 heritage and modern recipes, Tremé helps to unfold the story of one of the city’s most iconic neighborhoods. Told through different characters from the successful HBO show, and a foreword by Anthony Bourdain, fiction meets fact in this deeply knowledgeable collection. Working in collaboration with numerous local chefs, Elie worked to include the countries and cultures that have crafted the

culinary landscape in the city as known today.

The Frank Davis Seafood Notebook by Frank Davis

The culinary legend continues to shine in this bookshelf essential. The Frank Davis Seafood Notebook is written in his classic style, featuring a foreword from chef Paul Prudhomme, and offers a bounty of practical tips and lessons on how to cook seafood. For most cooks, knowing that perfecting seafood is hard to learn, and Davis’ work offers readers a chance to tackle them, and over 200 types of fish that are best (and worst) for cooking.

Southern Creole by Kenneth Temple

It takes a well-skilled chef to honor the versatility of Creole and Southern cooking, while still showcasing simple preparations. Temple does just that in his book, and shares he what he hopes will help the homecook build confidence and knowledge while working their way through the recipes. While he stays true to his roots by offering distinctive dishes that are still familiar to the city such as such as crab and corn egg rolls, crawfish quesadillas, and bread pudding with turtle candy.

New Orleans Cookbook by Lena Richards

Originally written in the 1930s, Richards calls upon her work from her well sought after catering business, restaurant owner, and TV show, with preparations for both formal and casual meals, with strong inspiration from her Southern roots. Originally written in 1930, this step back in time has beautifullyaged recipes that are sure to delight diners of today.

Turkey and the Wolf: Flavor Trippin’ in New Orleans by Mason Hereford Turkey and the Wolf tells the story of how Chef Mason Hereford utilized his combined experiences of common ingredient creativity— such as gas station delights, to delicately crafted family meals. Outside of the box of Southern classics comes recipes such as deviled eggs tostada, and collards and grits with salsa macha, are sure to pleasantly push the bounds of what one has come to know for flavor and ingredient combinations.

Kevin Belton’s New Orleans Celebrations by Kevin

Belton and Rhonda Findley

Everyone certainly loves a party in the city where the good times don’t stop rolling. In his third cookbook, Belton honors the many festivals and lively events through the food that has come to shape them and allow many to look forward to. He presents these dishes in a manner for the homecook to properly prepare for a crowd, and to bring these celebratory days to any meal with loved ones.

Secrets of a Taste Maker: Al Copeland the Cookbook by Chris Rose and Kit Wohl

From the incredible mind behind Popeyes, comes Al Copeland’s cookbook that provides inspiration beyond food preparation. Dishes such as fettuccine Lamborghini and Cajun duckanoff utilize Copeland’s ability to notice subtle ingredient differences that profoundly set a recipe apart from the rest. Additionally, all proceeds from purchases go directly to the Al Copeland Foundation, which seeks to save lives and fight cancer.

Dam Good Sweet by David Guas and Raquel Pelzel

The plethora of sweets that add to the legend of this culinary capital are well accounted for in this cookbook by pastry chef David Guas and food writer Raquel Pelzel. This beautiful collection is laden with classics as well as lesser known delights, and will help the home baker learn how to craft these themselves with useful tips. As the saying goes, life is short—eat dessert first.

OKT. 13-14, 20-21, 27-28

DOWN IN THE TREMÉ…

A look at New Orleans’s historically Black neighborhood, its fascination, and folklore

By Kathy Bradshaw

The Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans is enjoying some much-deserved attention lately. First thrown into the spotlight years ago by the HBO series by the same name, Tremé—whose full, fancy name is Faubourg Tremé (and sometimes, Tremé/Lafitte)—is finally getting the recognition it’s due as the birthplace of jazz, a cultural hot spot, and a center of Black heritage.

The neighborhood was once relegated to the position of jilted stepbrother of its better-known and flashier French Quarter neighbor to the south—even being dismissively referred to as “Back of Town”—but Tremé has more history, tradition, and architectural charm in one little acre than all 78 square blocks of the Vieux Carré combined.

Bordered by Esplanade Avenue, North Rampart Street, North Broad Street, and Canal Street (or, technically, St. Louis Street), Tremé packs a lot of culture into 150 blocks on 442 acres, or less than one square mile. The neighborhood has brought us second lines and dancing krewes, Mardi Gras Indians, and Zulu coconuts. Tremé offers authentic cooking at places including Dooky Chase’s and Lil’ Dizzy’s Café, and it regularly hosts festivals and events, such as the Tremé Creole

Gumbo Festival, Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Concert Series, and the upcoming Tremé Fall Fest in October.

The land that Tremé has long since filled with music and life was formerly part of the Morand Plantation, as well as Forts St. Ferdinand and St. John. In around 1721, Charles Morand, working for the Company of the Indies, had built the city’s first brickyard—whose bricks would be used to build some of the city’s original buildings and streets. Morand soon bought that land, turning the brickyard into his plantation home. After he died, his son eventually sold the plantation to the Moreau family in 1774.

And that’s when Claude Tremé came onto the scene. Tremé was a poor, white hatmaker from France who met and charmed the petticoats off Julia Moreau (whom some

say was the granddaughter of the original Moreau plantation owners, while others insist that she was a freed woman, formerly enslaved on their plantation). Either way, Julia fell for Tremé’s French allure and his chapeau-making ways, and the two were happily married.

Soon after they got hitched, Tremé took over the deed to the Moreau plantation. He and Julia began divvying up the land and selling off plots, primarily to both enslaved and freed people of color, including many refugees from Haiti (SaintDomingue) fleeing the revolution there. The city snatched up the remaining land for $40,000 in 1810, and the Tremé neighborhood, which continued to be dominated by Black residents, became an official part of New Orleans in 1812. This is how Tremé came to be one of the oldest

Second Line at Caldonia Club Jazz Funeral

Second Line tradition represented in HBO's Tremé

neighborhoods in New Orleans and among the oldest African American neighborhoods in the entire country. A bit of irony: Claude Tremé, whose legacy lives on in the name of this historic Black area, was previously sentenced to five years in prison for having killed a Black man.

In the neighborhood’s early days, Congo Square, which is now part of modern-day Armstrong Park, was developed. It was a town square that became a place for Blacks—both enslaved and free—to gather, dance, sing, and sell goods on Sundays. In fact, in 1806, a law was passed that slaves must have Sundays off to allow for such leisure activities.

Armstrong Park itself was built in the 1960s and 1970s and finally opened, some $10 million later in 1980, following an urban renewal project that destroyed 12 blocks’ worth of original Tremé homes and buildings. The park was named after famous jazz great Louis Armstrong and is 31 acres of lagoons, bridges, statues, green space and buildings such as the Mahalia Jackson Theater.

But African Americans and other people of color didn’t just live in the Tremé neighborhood. They also helped to build it, enrich it, and bring it to life. Black men and women provided their labor, knowledge, skills, and creativity to make the Tremé the vibrant, innovative area that it still is today. They made art and music, formed social aid and pleasure clubs, and created groups such as the Baby Doll Ladies and the North Side Skull and Bone Gang. They constructed the beautiful, historic architecture—mainly Creole cottages, townhouses, shotgun homes, and some elaborate mansions along Esplanade Avenue—that the neighborhood is known for. And they gave the area the flavor and flair that makes it unique.

There was jazz: The Tremé has a rich musical history, producing many famous

musicians and at least two musical genres, including brass-band music and jazz. Musical greats such as Kermit Ruffins, Trombone Shorty, Sidney Bechet, Jelly Roll Morton, Lionel Batiste, Louis Prima, the Tremé Brass Band, and, of course, Louis Armstrong have all called Tremé home.

There were politics: Homer Plessy of Plessy v. Ferguson fame worshipped at Tremé’s St. Augustine Church, one of the oldest African American Catholic churches in the U.S. and the first integrated church in New Orleans. The first Civil Rights movement in the country, which fought for Black rights in a racially charged New Orleans, is also said to have come out of the Tremé.

And there was sex and immorality: Tremé is the previous site of the red-light district of Storyville, the infamous area of sin and song. People went there to be entertained by the music of jazz musicians in the saloons or the company of the ladies in the (mostly) legalized brothels. Storyville was shut down in 1917.

North Claiborne Avenue used to be an active and attractive stretch of Tremé, complete with approximately 120 homes, shops, restaurants, and other businesses under the shade of hundreds of live oak trees. Then, in 1966, the geniuses of city planning decided to trade culture for concrete, leveling most of the area to make way for the giant cement slabs supporting the section of highway I-10 that now passes overhead. The construction razed a huge chunk of the neighborhood and sliced the remaining area in half.

But although they may have demolished some of the physical infrastructure of the neighborhood, they couldn’t destroy the history and heritage of Tremé, which continues to thrive and reinvent itself, even under the overpass.

Tremé market

"Down the Line" on Basin St.

Dancing in Congo Square

25 NOLA ARTISTS

You Should Know

By Sabrina Stone

Spanning dozens of mediums and six decades in age, there’s someone, or maybe many someones, on this list we can each relate to. Who are you just now discovering? Who did you already know? Who is your favorite? Who are you inspired by?

1. Ceaux Even if you don’t know that you know Ceaux, you do. Courtney “Ceaux” Buckley’s work is bright, brilliant, and omnipresent throughout New Orleans. You may have seen it on Mardi Gras posters, tattoos, album covers, NBA backboards, in galleries, or sprawled across the beams of the I-10. His art is at the heart of our city.

2. Joey Hartmann-Dow Through the platforms of Us+We Art and the Badass Women Project, Hartmann-Dow creates “art for humans.” Meticulously detailed hands-span maps sprawl over every surface, portraits of powerful, world-changing women stare out from calendars and postcards, illustrated like they’ve been minted onto currency, flora and fauna creep along massive mural walls, and weird little creatures feel their feelings, all in a pastel palette.

3. Remy Diamond The proprietress of C’Mere, the cutest shop on Esplanade, Remy Diamond sits in her store, greeting customers and making perfectly miniature, wearable food art. *Bonus points to artists who support other artists in welcoming spaces.

4. Frank Relle Rarely does a nature photographer elicit such consistent emotions of pure awe and eeriness. Often lit by night, taken by boat, out in the swamps, his cathedrals of cypress trees are intense and breathtakingly beautiful.

5. Polo Silk Sthaddeus “Polo Silk” Terrell has been taking Polaroid portraits of Black New Orleanians since 1987, documenting eras of style and expression. Five years ago, Pop That Thing, a great retrospective book of his work, was published and just last year, the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) featured him in an exhibit called Picture Man: Portraits by Polo Silk.

6. Caroline Thomas is responsible for quite a bit of your Mardi Gras joy. As a float designer for the Krewe of Proteus and the Krewe of Rex, and a float and prop painter for many other parades, with work featured at Fifi Mahony’s and Miette, you’ve at least seen her enormous house flowers blooming around town, if not some of her massive, fanciful, 3D creations.

7. Lillian Aguinaga A gorgeous woman who paints gorgeous women, Aguinaga’s work explores themes of pain, love, fear, perseverance, and rebellion.

8. Jay Mckay When you enter the CAC, you’re greeted by a wall of a piece by Jay Mckay. His masterful book mural at Baldwin & Co anchors the whole shop. With a solo exhibit this year at Mortal Machine Gallery and one last year at International House hotel, we’re going to be seeing more of Jay. He paints on canvas, bicycle wheels, skateboards, community fridges, fences, he’s even featured as part of Lil’ Wayne’s 15th anniversary album release.

This list of 25 Artists You Should Know could have easily kept going until we reached 100. There is a density of creative brilliance that New Orleans encourages and attracts.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: JOEY HARTMANN-DOW; LIONEL MILTON; BRANDY HIRSCH; AURA JANE; PHOTO BY SABRINA STONE; LILLIAN AGUINAGA

9. Magda Boreysza Magda’s magical world of “Fox & Comet” explores fairytale and folkloric themes. Her illustrations of whimsical creatures in quiet forests, houses on abandoned streets, and botanicals taking over are equally at home in gift shops, museums, and apothecaries.

10. Kevin Comarda A self-proclaimed “paper addict,” Comarda’s art is as rock n’ roll as his music. Gracing the album covers and posters of many bands, as well as his own (the Self-Help Tapes and Community), his mixed media collages provide a dark, anarchist brand of whimsy.

11. Anna “Banana” Schnitzler The creator of Sassy Banana Design Co. brings colorful (often pun-y) humor to her locally-themed greeting cards, stationery, and gifts. With super cute illustrations and captions such as “I’ll stand bayou,” “shrimply in love,” “to the Moon Pie and back,” and “there’s NOLA place like home,” she’s sure to charm her way into your view.

12. Tim Neil deifies our local legends in his portraits. His work has graced many an OffBeat Jazz Fest Bible, and he recently turned his home into an interactive gallery called the Last Gallery on Magazine, where he displays his own art and the work of local artists he admires.

13. Lionel Milton is another one of those artists who is so enmeshed with New Orleans that the moment you start looking for his art, you’ll see it everywhere, and realize that you’ve been seeing it everywhere. The man is prolific and distinctive and his work is selfrealized enough to wink at you from the many walls it adorns.

14. Aura Jane practices body positivity modification and tattoo art, as well as performance art, illustration, and she creates sculptural pieces, all in brilliant hues.

15. Brent Houzenga’s rainbow-colored pop art has taken over the city. His handprinted almost digital-looking pixelated art is in galleries, on beer cans, comic book covers, cars, and campaigns for change. He even paints on old records and mannequins and leaves them around the city for art lovers to find and take home, like the best kind of scavenger hunt.

16. Robert Tannen If you’ve ever jogged or driven down Esplanade and found yourself staring at the oversized fireman’s red sculptures in front of the columned house with the enormous golden marlin, you’ve seen Robert Tannen’s plein air exhibit “REDART” that begs you to stop, look, and think about what we manufacture and consume.

17. Carrie Beene From NYC to Haiti to New Orleans, Beene brings decades and worlds of experience and feeling to her work, viewable at Second Story and Sullivan Galleries.

18. Maren Antee Antee created some of my favorite pieces at the CAC’s Teen Open Call Exhibitions during the pandemic, an ongoing series where it's easy finding future artists to watch. Antee graduated from Lusher Charter School only last year.

19. Ken Schexnayder’s multimedia art is so visceral and masterfully done. “Don’t Bite the Hand that Feed You” featured at Mr. Wolf Espresso in the CAC is the sort of piece that isn’t easily forgotten.

20. Brandy Hirsch Primarily a painter of acrylic on wood, Hirsch’s fluid, layered art often comes to life at festivals and concerts where she live-paints. The flow of the music she works by is visually apparent in

all of her pieces.

21. Kenneth Scott, Jr.’s art uplifts. It is a celebration of local culture and even when houses are being swept to sea, there is positivity and resilience. His Zulu coconuts are pure joy.

22. Hannah Chalew An environmentalist artist, Chalew’s paper art is hand-milled from recycled materials. Even her inks are ethically collected from natural resources. As well as making thoughtful, patient art, she runs sustainability-focused workshops.

23. Luis Cruz Azaceta is a Cuban-New Orleans painter with some really spectacular pieces featured at the Ogden

Museum of Southern Art.

24. Emilie Rhys Daughter of acclaimed artist Noel Rockmore and beloved painter in her own right, Rhys’s portraits of local musicians sing with light and color.

25. Vitus Shell Fresh off a solo exhibit at IBIS contemporary art gallery on Julia street, Shell has been quietly building an enormous resumé from his home in Monroe, LA. Combining classical techniques with modern fashion and newspaper with gold leafing, his subjects leap off the canvas. He represents a scope of contemporary black culture by highlighting the strong personalities of each individual model.

THE BEST BOOKSTORES

THE BEST BOOKSTORES

Introverts

unite—quietly,

your own little book nooks.

We’re doing a New Orleans bookstore roundup

By Sabrina Stone

Introverts unite—quietly, in your own little book nooks. We’re doing a New Orleans bookstore roundup

Bookstores are the most magical havens for browsing and taking home a whole world to a new adventure. New Orleans has a surprisingly large amount of options when it comes to places to see authors speak, trade books, sip coffee in the stacks, and fall in love with a narrative. From Bayou Road to the Bywater, Uptown to the CBD, Mid-City to the French Quarter, we’ve compiled over a dozen options of places to fill your literary needs.

CBD/WAREHOUSE

Mr. Wolf Espresso - This coffeeshop in the Contemporary Art Center has a wall of intelligently curated artbooks and the best caffeinated drinks. The owner and staff are always warm and accommodating. It’s a calm, sunny, wonderful place to lounge and read in the CBD.

FRENCH QUARTER

Arcadian Books & Prints – You could drown in books here. The stacks are floor to ceiling, the owner somehow knows what and where everything is, and he can speak to you about all of it in multiple languages. There’s also an enormous bilingual French section. Once you enter, you’ll completely forget the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter.

Beckham’s Bookshop – This multilevel used bookshop is loosely organized and feels like a wander through time. Surprisingly affordable for its location right across from the House of Blues on Decatur Street, Beckham’s always has a favorite old standby worth taking home. Bonus: If you keep going up the stairs, you’ll run into No Pulp, a vibey record store on the third floor.

Crescent City Books – If you’re into rarities, architectural prints, and maps, this French Quarter corner store is your shop. You can always find a classic David Lee Burke, and there’s a locals’ section right as you walk in, but the best stuff in here is the incredibly special editions and matted art you never even thought to look for.

Dauphine Street Books - Just blocks from Faulkner House and Arcadia, popping into Dauphine Street Books completes your journey through the French Quarter literary trifecta book crawl.

Faulkner House Books - Nestled in Pirates Alley, Faulkner House is another tiny, charming French Quarter nook. It’s a great place to dip in to recharge from your Bourbon Street tourist fatigue.

MARIGNY/BYWATER

Baldwin and Company - This blackowned independent bookstore off St. Claude is a soon-to-be, if it isn’t already, local favorite place to have a meeting over a cup of insanely good coffee. They have a book tree, a pod-casting studio, a stellar eye for book covers, and an arresting mural of James Baldwin himself, masterfully painted on a wall of books by the one and only Jay McKay.

Frenchmen Art & Books - There’s no place quite as New Orleans as Frenchmen Art & Books.

These “radical booksellers since 1978” have a kids’ section, a sex section, an occult section, a horror section, a coloring section, a music section, and a zine section. Smack in the middle of Frenchmen Street, it’s open as late as the clubs are, which makes for brilliant drunk book browsing, and, at that time of night, going home with a book is definitely a choice you’ll thank yourself for in the morning.

Parlour Books - This place has limited hours but limitless charm. Tucked into the Bywater, up a tiny staircase, it really feels like you’ve been invited into someone’s lovely, homey front parlor, and their selection, while small, is varied and tasteful.

MID-CITY

Tubby & Coo’s Traveling Book Shop - There’s so much queer, sci-fi, romance, horror, and mystery lining the "walls" of this magical traveling book shop. Its three main pop-up locations are at Second Line Brewing's Boozy Book Fair, HI-BALLZ, and Books & Brews Book Fair for Grown-Ups at Funny Library at Virgin Hotels New Orleans, but you can also request them to appear at your events.

TREMÉ

Community Book Center – This African community bookstore, in the afro-centric neighborhood of Bayou Road, is a must visit. Make a reservation at Addis Nola, see a performance at St. Rose de Lima Church, shop for records down the street at Domino Sound, or grab a smoothie from Froot Orleans, then pop in and make it a low-key, bookish adventure day.

UPTOWN

Blue Cypress Books - This Oak Street place is a femalerun, super-LGBTQ+ friendly, romance and poetry obsessed shop. They’ve got an enormous locals section, all the cheeky stickers, poetry readings, performances, murder mystery nights, and their cat is so beloved that when he went missing, it sent the internet into a tailspin. Their socials are filled with book suggestions, ridiculous memes, and satisfyingly bookish quotes.

Octavia Books goes heavy on the charm and whimsy. The home of many an author talk and performance, they’re an Uptown neighborhood favorite and they’re currently building an expansion.

The Garden District Bookshop – Located in the Rink, with its beautiful atrium and neighboring coffee shops and homegoods stores, the Garden District Bookshop has a huge selection, exceptionally cool author signings, and the sweetest dog named Pete.

in

HAPPY TRAILS & WAGGING TAILS

By Celeste Turner

Top Dog-Friendly Hiking Trails Near NOLA

Hiking with your dog is a perfect way for you and your pet to stay physically fit while enjoying the outdoors. For your pup, sniffing and exploring a new environment provides mental stimulation, as well as a deepening experience to bond with the owner. But where are the best dog-friendly hiking trails around New Orleans?

If you are sticking close to home, you can always bring your four-legged, furry friend to Couturie Forest, the nature preserve inside City Park, the Audubon Park loop, or the Mississippi River Trail on top of the levee for an easy walk, as long as you keep your dog on a leash. However, if you’re ready to embark on an adventure hike with your beloved pet and enjoy nature together, you could start at one of our six state parks within an eighty-mile radius of New Orleans that have designated trails which permit dogs.

St. Bernard State Park - Located approximately 18 miles southeast of New Orleans and open daily, it provides a relaxing, family-friendly atmosphere amidst Louisiana’s natural beauty. Located on the Mississippi River, the park’s nature trail is ideal for you and your dog to experience the contrast of the woodlands versus the wetlands in St. Bernard. The cost of entrance for a daily pass is $2 per adult and $1 for children age 15 years or under. Dogs are allowed, on leash. (504) 682-2101.

Bayou Segnette State Park - Located in Westwego and approximately 15 miles from downtown New Orleans, it features access to two types of wetlands, swamp, and marsh. Bayou Segnette Park is a beautiful, serene recreational area with abundant wildlife that also offers comfortable cabins especially on the water to rent for your family and furry pet. Standard entrance fee is $3 per person, while seniors and children under the age of 3 are free. Since wildlife is plentiful, dogs must be on leash when walking around the park. (504)736-7140.

Fontainebleau State Park - Located on the northshore of Lake Pontchartrain, approximately 40 miles from downtown New Orleans, it is a part of the “Rails to Trails'' program, which provides routes for cycling, hiking, and in-line skating. Considered a wildlife paradise with beautiful live oak trees, Fountainbleau State Park offers 4.8 miles of hiking and a 1.25 mile nature trail. Dogs are allowed but must be on leash. The cost is $3 per person and free for seniors as well as children under the age of 3. This 2,800-acre park is a favorite of nature-lovers while providing signs and guides to help you identify the plant life and wildlife, including more than 400 different bird and animal species that live in and around Fontainebleau. (985) 624-4443 or (888) 677-3668 toll free.

Fairview-Riverside State Park - Located two miles east of Madisonville, Fairview-Riverside Park encompasses 99 acres of natural beauty, which is set along the banks of Tchefuncte River and is only about an hour drive from New Orleans. The park and campground offers a quarter-mile accessible nature trail for you and your leashed dog to explore together. Although the fishing boardwalk is currently not open, you and your pet can wander around the park by the Otis House for a relaxing walk alongside the river. The entrance fee is $3 per person and free for seniors as well as children under the age of 3. (888) 677-3247.

Grand Isle State Park - Located on a barrier island off the coast of Louisiana about 103 miles from New Orleans, Grand Isle State Park features clean beaches, amazing sunsets and the launching point for deep-sea, salt-water fishing. Although pets are not allowed on the beach, dogs are welcomed on the 2.5 mile nature trail at Grand Isle State Park. Despite the restriction of pets on the beach, you and your furry friend can enjoy the beauty of the lagoons and the Gulf shore while visiting the park. The entrance fee is $3 per person and free for seniors, as well as children under the age of 3. (985)787-2559.

Bogue Chitto State Park - Located off Louisiana State Highway 25, south of Franklinton in Washington Parish, this state park may be more than an hour away, but the diversity of natural habitats and the rolling landscape is well worth the drive. Explore the 7-mile nature trail with your dog on a leash. Potty bags are provided along the trail. Take a relaxing walk with your dog along the boardwalks and admire the sandstone creations on the beach. The cost is $3 per person and free for seniors as well as children under the age of 3. (985) 839-5707.

Just a short 30-minute trip from New Orleans tucked away in the town of Jean Lafitte is a local favorite trail called the Wetland Trace Nature Boardwalk. Located adjacent to the Lafitte-Barataria Museum, this one-mile raised boardwalk loops through the swamp where you can hike deep into the mosscovered cypress and wetlands. Trails include covered pavilions, benches and scenic overlooks for viewing Louisiana wildlife and native plant life. The cost is free. Dogs are welcomed and required to be on leash on the main wooden trail. For more information, contact Jill Darda at (504) 689-2208.

Another long-distance hiking adventure for you and your fur companion is located directly off the I-10 Interstate in Breaux Bridge. Just about one hour and 45 minutes from New Orleans, you can stop at the Atchalafaya Welcome Center, grab a detailed map, gain free access to the 12 hiking trails, and explore the Atchafalaya Basin, the world’s largest freshwater swamp wilderness. Dogs are required to be on leash. For more information, contact Brandy Landry, Tourism Supervisor, at (337) 228-1094.

Whether you are new to hiking or an experienced outdoor enthusiast, you will appreciate your canine companionship when you hit the trails. So, the next time you go hiking with your furry best friend, be sure to check out our state’s countless options of year-round exploration. What a “pawsome” paradise for you and your dog.

Gentilly is one of the city's largest and most diverse neighborhoods. It is a historic neighborhood with a rich history dating back to the early days of the city's settlement with its own distinct vibe within New Orleans' city limits.

Its vast area roughly comprises Pontchartrain, Bayou St. John, Canal. But many may argue that this land extends through the Fair Grounds area to Esplanade including Gentilly Terrace, Gentilly Woods, Filmore, Lake TerraceDillard, and one of the first African American suburbs in the U.S.,

MOST HISTORICAL MOMENTS & PLACES

• Gentilly Boulevard was once part of the Old Spanish Trail from St. Augustine, Florida, to Los Angeles, California.

• The historically black Dillard University in New Orleans, was founded in 1930. It incorporates institutions from as early as 1869 after the American Civil War.

• Pontchartrain Beach Amusement Park original location is the present-day lakefront neighborhood of Lake Terrace, but it later moved to a new location at the lake end of Elysian Fields Avenue. The park closed in 1983.

• Joseph M. Bartholomew Golf Course opened as the Pontchartrain Golf Course in 1956. This course was renovated in 1979 and renamed to honor the first African-American inducted into the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame.

• The University of New Orleans opened in 1958 as Louisiana State University in New Orleans. It is the largest public university and one of two doctoral research universities in the Greater New Orleans region.

• One of the first levy breeches during Hurricane Katrina was at the London Avenue Canal near the corner of Warrington Drive and Mirabeau Avenue in Gentilly. The neighborhood suffered extensive flooding, with waters rising to area rooflines. The result was an increase of raised homes, changing the traditional architectural lanscape of the neighborhood.

Pontchartrain Park.

The primarily middle-class area is unique from the other neighborhoods in New Orleans. From its architecture to the modest amount of bars and restaurants, Gentilly is seemingly one of the most residential areas in the city, essentially operating as a suburb. Its spaciousness makes it an ideal location for locals who want more land, off-street parking, and sizable backyards. Being an ideal location is familiar to Gentilly. This neighborhood has a vast history of being prime real estate that dates back centuries.

THE EARLIEST SETTLERS

While the land now known as Gentilly was initially inhabited by indigenous Native tribes, the area did not receive its name until the 18th century, shortly after the establishment of New Orleans in 1718.

Land grants were given to settlers, and several plantations were established in the area. The land was fertile and suitable for agriculture, leading to the growth of large farms and plantations that primarily produced indigo, sugar, and cotton.

Spearheading this venture were French colonists Mathurin and Pierre Dreux, who decided to build their plantation near the natural levee along Bayou Sauvage in 1727. They named the area Gentilly after the "Chantilly" commune in France.

Throughout the 19th century, Gentilly experienced growth and development by establishing residential neighborhoods and institutions. The opening of the Pontchartrain RailRoad in the mid-19th century contributed to the neighborhood's accessibility and facilitated further development.

Over time, Gentilly became home to a diverse community of people, including African Americans, European immigrants, and Creoles. The mix of cultures and backgrounds enriched the neighborhood's character and traditions.

UNIQUE ARCHITECTURE

The 20th century brought in new developers, leading to the unique architecture in Gentilly that we know and love today. In an attempt to gather popularity, these investors advertised Gentilly as a place "where homes are built on hills," and it was also deemed "Little California." While there are no natural hills in the flat lands of New Orleans, parts of Gentilly sit on some of the highest ground in the city, and many of those homes were built on manufactured hills.

Mimicking the bungalow-style homes of California, Gentilly homes became an optimal choice for middle-class residents eager to leave the more cramped areas in other parts of the city.

While shotgun homes still exist in parts of Gentilly, many houses in this neighborhood are larger and offer features traditional New Orleans homes did not provide. At the time, Gentilly homes were built with modern lower ceilings and often included above-ground basement-like areas. During the mid-century, many homes had enough space to add garages and off-street parking, but the biggest highlight of owning a home in Gentilly was its curb appeal.

TODAY IN “CHILLY” GENTILLY

After Hurricane Katrina, efforts were made to rebuild and revitalize Gentilly. Residents, organizations and government agencies worked to restore homes, infrastructure, and public services. The rebuilding process continues today, with ongoing efforts to strengthen the neighborhood's resilience to future natural disasters.

Today, Gentilly is known for its distinct architecture, oak-lined streets, and community-oriented spirit. It is home to several schools, universities, parks, and cultural institutions. The neighborhood's history and heritage remain essential to its identity, and efforts have been made to preserve its historical significance while embracing modern developments.

Its proximity to Lake Pontchartrain makes it one of the cooler parts of the city, hence the nickname "Chilly Gentilly."

Alto (Ace Hotel)

600 Carondelet St. 504-900-1180

Babylon Sports Bar

2917 Harvard Ave., Suite A 504-324-9961

Bar Marilou

544 Carondelet St. 504-814-7711

Boot Scootin’ Rodeo

522 Bourbon St. 504-552-2510

Bourbon “O” Bar

730 Bourbon St. 504-523-2222

Buffa’s 1001 Esplanade Av. 504-949-0038

Club 38 4132 Peters Rd. 504-366-7711

Crescent City Brewhouse

527 Decatur St. 504-522-0571

Evangeline

329 Decatur St.  504-373-4852

Fillmore New Orleans

6 Canal St. 504-881-1555

High Grace NOLA

733 St. Peter 504-218-5649

House of Blues

225 Decatur St. 504-310-4999

Lots A Luck Tavern

203 Homedale St. 504-483-0978

Martine’s Lounge

2347 Metairie Rd. 504-831-8637

Pal’s Lounge

949 N. Rendon St. 504-488-7257

Rosie’s on the Roof 1000 Magazine St. 504-528-1941

Stumpy’s Hatchet House 1200 Poydras St., Suite C 504-577-2937.

The Garage 810 Conti St.

The Marsh Room Patio Bar & Grill 4740 Rye St. 504-571-5733

The Metropolitan 310 Andrew Higgins Blvd. 504-568-1702

The Rabbit Hole 1228 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. 504-354-9709

The Vintage 3121 Magazine St. 504-324-7144

Tracey’s Original Irish Channel Bar 2604 Magazine St. 504-897-5413

Tropical Isle Multiple Locations 504-523-1927

MICHELADA MIX-OFF FINALS PARTY

9/26 @ Blue Crab Lakeview

Located on top of the Ace Hotel, Alto is a chill spot to hang out with your friends. You can cool down with some of the bar’s signature cocktails like Calypso and Turkish Royale.

Babylon is a great place to watch football and listen to live music in Metairie. The bar also provides a homey atmosphere with reasonable prices on all of their drinks.

Bar Marilou has a sophisticated French-style atmosphere in a very beautiful location alongside the Maison de la Luz hotel. The bar offers plenty of wine, beer, and craft cocktails.

If you’re in the mood for country, Boot Scootin’ Rodeo is your place. This country bar plays good old music and serves cold beer and cocktails. Mechanical bull included.

The Bourbon “O” Bar is the perfect French Quarter spot, right on Bourbon Street, offering great live music options every night as well as an excellent menu of fresh cocktails.

Since 1939, Buffa’s has served authentic New Orleans fare, spirits, and live music. Feast on Buffa’s award-winning bratwurst jambalaya. Open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day, with local music Wednesday through Monday.

Located inside Boomtown Casino & Hotel in Harvey, Club 38 is the perfect VIP experience. Available through Boomtown’s mychoice® loyalty program, guests can enjoy complimentary food and drinks after signing up.

Enjoy live jazz performances, signature craft brews, and traditional Louisiana bites in the only microbrewery in the French Quarter. Crescent City Brewhouse offers courtyard and balcony dining.

Evangeline provides some of the best Cajun food that can be found in the French Quarter. Enjoy local craft beers and other drinks the restaurant offers like the strawberry blonde or the rum punch.

The Fillmore is a beautiful, state-of-the-art 22,000 square-foot entertainment space above Harrah’s Casino. While there for a night of live music, make sure to grab a cocktail in BG’s Lounge.

A cozy, upscale dive bar offering light bites, specialty cocktails, and friendly service in a chill, inclusive environment. In the heart of the French Quarter, stop in day or night for a sip while touring historic New Orleans.

The House of Blues offers one of the best nightlife experiences in all of NOLA. Choose from a long list of beers, wines, and more and jam out to one of the venue’s many live music events.

Lots A Luck Tavern is one of the best places in New Orleans to play bar games. Watch the next big football game while enjoying cold beer or some of the bar’s other refreshments.

Cold beer and other specialty drinks including frozen Irish coffee, cherry limeade, and frozen sangria await at Martine’s Lounge. Pop-ups are sometimes on-site to offer food.

Open from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m., Pal’s Lounge is one of New Orleans’ perfect late-night spots. Some of Pal’s most popular, and affordable, drinks include the gingerita, the watermelon mojito, and the bacon Bloody Mary.

Located atop of the Higgins Hotel, Rosie’s surrounds guests with World War II-era Americana. Cold beer and delicious small plates like fries loaded with brisket and bacon cheese curds are available.

Stumpy’s Hatchet House gives patrons the perfect opportunity to test their hatchet-throwing skills. Light snacks and refreshing drinks from Stumpy’s fully-stocked bar are available for a quick pick-me-up.

Enjoy all sorts of entertainment like live music and open mic nights at The Garage. In addition to a fully stocked bar, the venue offers tasty NOLA favorites such as gumbo and spicy beef yaka mein.

The Marsh Room is one of the best establishments to hang out at in Metairie. While sipping on your favorite drink, grab some bites such as cheese curds, steak, and the bar’s “Marsh burger.”

The Metropolitan is one of New Orleans’ premiere nightclubs. While partying with your friends, make sure to visit the multiple different bars located all around the large, two-story club.

The Rabbit Hole is a truly eclectic club that always provides a great night of fun. Enjoy the venue’s outdoor and indoor stages for live music, as well as The Rabbit Hole’s downstairs bar.

Indulge in the best of New Orleans’ bubbles and bites at The Vintage with a menu of gourmet beignets, bar bites, coffee, wine, and signature cocktails, Try a mix of sips with a Bitter Good Morning, a boozy cold brew, or Espresso Yourself.

Beer lovers will be happy when they see Tracey’s six draught taps and over 100 bottles of different brands to choose from. The bar also serves delicious oysters, poboys, and more.

Tropical Isle is a Bourbon Street staple that is beloved by both tourists and locals. The bar is best known for being the birthplace of the “hand grenade,” aka New Orleans’ most powerful drink.

TALES FROM THE QUARTER

By Debbie Lindsey

Mother Nature and Her Entourage

r. Akens sang of romantic love. But as we also know, love of nature can be fulfilling, meaningful, and downright entertaining. My cat Lefty taught me the sheer joy of watching bees. She will sit for hours looking out our kitchen window at the bees feasting upon the wild flowers and vines along the fence. She is my lil’ bee keeper.

I first became enchanted with bees when I started rescuing them from swimming pools. The first time I played lifeguard to a bee flailing on the pool’s surface was by gently scooping it onto my palm and releasing it poolside. Blowing gently on it to dry it a bit was my CPR method. Then, as I swam my laps, I would check on it until it could fly off.

I felt a kinship from then on with bees. There is something about saving a small life that is humbling. I now feel compelled to rescue bugs from near drowning at sea (yes, even a birdbath can seem like a treacherous ocean to a bee since they are unable to fly from water without something to climb upon—so leave some pebbles in that birdbath). And as a self-appointed paramedic, I even (when on bug duty) resist discriminating and save the occasional cockroach. I draw the line at

This obsession with drowning bugs started during the Katrina aftermath/evacuation diaspora that we became a part of. After we escaped New Orleans, six days following Hurricane Katrina’s hit, we road-tripped (fled) across-country and stayed in motels that could meet our criteria: pet-friendly (or easy to sneak pets into), within walking distance of pizza and beer, and a swimming pool. While we were so blessed not to have endured flood waters deeper than a few inches to a couple of feet, the horror stories soon made their way to us and then, once on the road, motel television showed us what we were spared. That, I assume, prompted my scooping of pool top bugs. The concrete rim of the pool looked like a miniature levee wall. I just couldn’t watch anything drown.

Was it Katrina, swimming, or my cat Lefty that opened my eyes wide to bees and butterflies? Yes to all three. Plus, PBS’s Nature: My Garden of a Thousand Bees by wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrm) and Nova: Butterfly Blueprints began my long overdue education about insects and critters, large and small—as did experiences on my front porch. During the COVID lockdown, I never felt lonely. A crowd—a gathering of life— scuttered, flew, swooped, and lived their little lives within a few feet or less of me. Of course, after falling in love with lizards in

my grass, mowing had to take on a more Zen-like approach—grass had to be swept first to warn lizards and bugs to scamper away before the death-machine (battery/ electric of course) could mow or trim grass. Of course, this meant my dreams of a job as a groundskeeper couldn’t happen.

Guilt is a powerful element to why we do things. And right this moment, I have a bit of guilt after fishing a bee just now from my bucket that catches condensation from my A/C window unit. I thought I was so smart to repurpose that water for plants and I even had something in it to act as a lifebuoy ring. Well, it didn’t work. So check those buckets of rain water, put something stable and solid in it, and always verify it and empty it before it fills too high. Frogs and lizards will also thank you.

Such simple joy can be had watching nature. And you do not need to live in the country or hike the wilderness to find it. My friend Dee recently moved from a small (too small for even a flea to have leg-room) ground-floor apartment with no windows. Even the front door, the only door, opened into a viewless hallway. She has some health issues which prevented her from easily strolling to a park. Nature was not within her daily view. She now lives in an apartment building on the 6th floor with windows. Her view is spectacular. She is still sort of home-bound but spends hours marveling at the birds that fly outside her windows. She delights in watching sunrises and sunsets. All things most of us take for granted. Not Dee, she appreciates it.

My new home has no front yard and no trees, but the newly refurbished school across the street has been landscaped with grass and trees. These lovely trees are young and far from being big enough for nesting birds or to provide shade. But soon, very soon, they will enhance the quality of life here. And until then, I have a miniature wilderness of sparrows and big beautiful crows that I feed. I am trying to mimic the crows’ cawing and so far, I know they’re laughing at me (“Yo! did ya hear that lady trying to speak ‘Crow’— hate to hear her attempts at Spanish. Can ya imagine her in a French restaurant trying to order wine? No aptitude for languages. But she sure is generous with the peanuts—”). Fortunately my planters provide a tiny habitat for lizards, bees, and butterflies. My point is that you can be entertained and delighted by nature as it showcases an endless array of performances; starring life as it swoops, dashes, and crawls outside your window. Just be sure to tune in.

PO-BOY VIEWS

By Phil LaMancusa

Newspeak or Murphy’s Vocabulary

Paranoia is the suspicion that the world is out to get you. Its antonym, confidence, is when you assuredly know that it is.

Murphy’s Law says that “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong,” and its antonym Yhprum’s Law (Murphy spelled backwards) says that “anything that can work, will work.” Of course, Murphy is the one we believe most often, and if you’re a Murphy-phile you can even take your outlook a step further with Finagle’s Law which says that “things will always go wrong with the worst possible outcome at the worst possible time.” By the way, there’s Sod’s Law as well, but things, at this point, are starting to confuse me, so we’ll skip over that one.

On language: I’m sure that bards and poets roll and roil in their ghostly graves and cringe in their monolithic mausoleums listening to the butchering these modern times and mentalities have inflicted on our expansive and handsome language. Expletives and our use of modern idiotic catch phrases, euphemisms, and the uses of spelling and punctuation proliferate as if people had primary school educations in Outer Mongolia and were left back for not shaving and are grist for the mill.

Short bursts of expletives plague our linguistic existence. Here’s a question: What generally is the expletive that kicks into our brain pan and escapes our thoughts and mouths when someone speeds up from the right lane, cuts us off to make an illegal left turn at a major intersection, while on their phone (and it’s not a cop), and the traffic and weather is moderate to fricking challenging?

Yes, it’s the “whiskey tango foxtrot” reaction—WTF or “What the fuck?” and not something like “you goddamned, motherless, pox-faced, neolithic mutated dim-witted scrotum—may syphilitic goats defecate primordial mucus on your tent floor should the occasion of your next undeserved life’s positive achievement occur.” No, just WTF (warning: that other stuff will get you sent straight to HR).

Other arresting thoughts and reactions are: “Nobody warned me” (uh oh), “Why didn’t I think of that?” (duh), “I’ve got a bad feeling about this” (face grimace), “Oh my frikkin’ stars” (eye roll), and, finally, “Nice turn signal f**kface!” (bang on the steering wheel).

Fact: Your grandparents lived in a world where plastic was a novelty. They also lived in a world where recreation was an outdoor activity. Also, on the not so positive side, they lived in a world that disposed of its waste indiscriminately (which they then passed on to you).

You could also understand every word they used verbally as they issued Shakespearian-like threats, “Oh thy vile, troublesome blackguard of a rodent, thy dodge is a bitter sweeting to my patience;

canst you naught attend patiently my deepest furies, cease the undoing of my goings and cast me not as a fool whilst I harry with alacrity the smote of aspen sapling against thine alabaster fundament?”

Or, as they would say in my family, “Keep it up, you little twerp, and I’ll break off your arm and beat you with the bloody end,” or “I’ll knock you so hard your head will ring like a ten-penny nail hit with a greasy ball peen hammer.”

Other things are acronyms and initialisms. Okay, believe it or don’t— two days ago I read an article in the NYT (“No More FOMO for Plus-Size Travelers”) telling the world that fat people on these particular vacations (and these bipeds were referred to, blatantly, unapologetically and repeatedly, as “fat”) no longer had to worry about FOMO. “The poor bastards—I hope it’s not contagious.” I thought, is FOMO some kind of fat affliction? No, for those as uninformed as I, FOMO is short for “fear of missing out.”

Further investigation into this FOMO thing hipped me to MOMO or the mystery of when you think that you’re missing out on something but you aren’t sure what you’re missing out on. And then I saw that further still there was the FOMOMO, and, with that, I yelled “well, WTF!” shot the computer, set my hair on fire, and regurgitated in the wastebasket.

Initialisms like SNAFU, FUBAR, and BIHICA (look ‘em up) came long before OMG, LOL, LMFAO, FFS, SFW, and HMU, and have, I think, greater panaché thn thir cntrprts. I think it’s kind of lazy to write “WRU,” or “OMW," or "DM me.”

C’mon. In my day (when actual composed letters were the thing), a guy might write on the envelope HOLLAND or SWAK or here’s one from a girlfriend “CHINA” (come home I’m naked already) See, YAKS (you ain’t know shyte).

All in all, it’s a perfect BOGO, BYOB, Catch 22 , NIMBY. Fact: As far as correspondence goes, we actually don’t write letters anymore (maybe a few do). No one actually “writes” anything. We use the computer, we use our cell phones, we text, post, emoji, and send pictures. Sometimes we talk. And we counter in kind with another emoji or a like (thumbs up), a heart, care-hug, sad-face, laugh, or angry, and that says it all. I have almost 600 “friends” on FB that I only see on screen, and I don’t know half of them. We send our holiday, birthday, congrats, and condolences over the ethernet (IEEE 802.3.), and we’re caught between Scylla and Charybdis with only Hobson’s choice as a result. Let this be a lesson.

It doesn’t get any easier, and I’m getting more flummoxed by the day. I think I’ll just go outside and eat some worms

Monday–Saturday – 4–10pm

Sunday–Noon – 9pm

FILM REVIEWS

By David Vicari & Fritz Esker

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

The 2002 film My Big Fat Greek Wedding was one of the more surprising box office blockbusters of the 21st century. It arrived with little hype but then rode positive wordof-mouth and steadily accumulated a fortune in theaters. Twenty-one years later, the filmmakers have returned to the well with My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.

Toula (Nia Vardolos), the daughter of Greek immigrants, and her non-Greek husband Ian (John Corbett) take their teenage daughter (Elena Kampouris) and a coterie of other family members to Greece to visit her late father’s hometown.

The main issue with the original Wedding was that there was little to no conflict or drama—even by the standards of romantic comedies. It was benign and inoffensive, but the comedy never elicited more than a few chuckles. In that regard, it felt like the precursor to modern Hallmark channel movies. The same is true of the new film. It never annoys or offends, and the Greek scenery is beautiful to look at, but the jokes are usually telegraphed far in advance, and even mild conflict between characters remains at a minimum. It feels like a 30 minute sitcom episode stretched to 90.

Even though it was unimpressive, those who did enjoy the original film will likely enjoy this latest iteration. –Fritz

Esker

Equalizer 3

There have been The Equalizer 1 or 2, and a 1980s TV series that starred Edward Woodward, which is the general basis for these movies starring Denzel Washington. There is also a current TV reworking of the show with Queen Latifah.

In the movies, Washington is Robert McCall, a retired U.S. Marine and CIA operative who helps innocent people with his special brand of justice.

At the start of Equalizer 3, McCall lays waste to a gangster and his enforcers at a winery in Sicily. During the slaughter, however, McCall is badly injured. He is saved by a local Carabiniere (Eugenio Mastrandrea) and a kind doctor (Remo Girone), and slowly recovers at a small coastal Italian village. McCall soon falls in love with the town and also strikes up a friendship with a lovely waitress named Aminah (Gaia Scodellaro), but things go south when drug dealing gangsters begin terrorizing the village. Predictably, McCall goes back into action and starts murdering the crap out of these bad guys.

Antoine Fuqua's film is extreme in its violence to an almost fetishistic degree. Cool gore is fine, but sometimes this was a bit much. When he's in massacre mode, McCall is like the Michael Myers of action heroes—being very stealthy

and using any and everything at his disposal: butcher knives, piano wire, or a meat cleaver. Washington is great to watch, delivering little nuances in his performance. This is just more proof of why he is one of the great movie stars. It's also fun to see him on screen again with actress Dakota Fanning. If you recall, they worked together in 2004's Man on Fire, when she was a tiny lass. Here, Fanning plays a CIA agent who McCall trusts.

The Equalizer 3 delivers exactly what you would expect from this kind of action film, and that is fine, but the plot is so aggressively formulaic that you're hoping that it would go a little askew and throw in a surprise or two.

–David Vicari

BROOKE LAIZER

AMY RUSSO LBJ