Spring Restaurant Guide (March 2019)

March 2019

St.Patrick’sDay

WhereYat.com

HistoryOfThePo-Boy

Crawfish

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 3

4 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 5

CONTENTS Features

March 2019 Vol. 22 No. 07

Casamento's Restaurant Spring Restaurant Guide History of the Po-Boy French Bread Bakeries Ways to Get Invited To A Crawfish Boil

St. Patrick's Day Parades & Parties St. Joseph's & St. Patrick's Day Food

NOLA Food Delivery Options BUKU Music + Art Project Preview

Fair Grounds Racing in 2019 Diet Myths Debunked

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Josh Danzig Creative Director: Michael Fulkerson Assistant Editor: Kathy Bradshaw Movie Editors: David Vicari & Fritz Esker Copy Editor: Michelle Nicholson Contributing Writers: Emily Hingle, Kathy Bradshaw, Phil LaMancusa, Debbie Lindsey, Kim Ranjbar, Landon Murray, Leigh Wright, Emil Flemmon, Greg Roques, Steven Melendez, Andrew Alexander, Noah StokesRaab, Kimmie Tubre, Jon DeTrinis Director of Sales: Stephen Romero Cover Photo by Randy P. Schmidt at Casamento's Restaurant

,

8 12 26 28 30 39 40 42 44 48 50

Events & Nightlife 32 Concert Calendar 38 Lakeside 2 Riverside

Food & Drink 22 Food News 24 $20 and Under 52 Bar Guide

Extras 54 56 58 60 62

Film Reviews Columns Around the Web Where Ya Been?

Where Y'at Chat

Photographers & Designers: Gus Escanelle, Jason Hall, Steve Hatley, Romney Caruso, Jorge Menes, Kathy Bradshaw, Greg Roques, James Macaluso Interns: Marissa Williams, Raven West, Madison Mcloughlin, Emilia DiFabrizio, Brailey Penny, Brooke Leggett, Maddy Shenfield Subscribe: Receive 1 year (14 issues) for $30 and get a FREE Where Y’at CD. Subscribe today at WhereYat.com.

Logo © 2019 All rights reserved Bruce Betzer, Legal Counsel: (504) 304-9952 Where Y’at Magazine 5500 Prytania St., #133 New Orleans, LA 70115 (504) 891-0144 info@whereyat.com | WhereYat.com

As Italians say, “mangiamo” – let’s eat! This Spring Restaurant Guide is filled with super spots to enjoy for a meal; visit an old favorite or try a new locale today.

Carnival is over, and Lent has begun. If you’re looking to enjoy seafood on a Friday, check out Casamento’s Restaurant. Known for their amazing oyster sandwich that graces this month’s cover, Casamento’s celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

Speaking of sandwiches, don’t miss Burke Bischoff’s great piece on the history of po-boys. While the origin of the po-boy name may be in question, there’s no arguing the importance of this sandwich to New Orleans cuisine.

March brings flowers, baseball, and St. Patrick’s Day. Emily Hingle takes us on a tour of great restaurants to visit for an authentic Irish meal. She also shares some of her go-to favorites for Italian food in celebration of St. Joseph’s Day. And if all this eating makes you feel like going on a diet, then Celeste Thomas’s “Diet Myths Debunked” article is for you! –Josh Danzig, Publisher

6 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 7

Loafing About:

Casamento’s Celebrates 100 Years

By Madison McLoughlin

E

xactly 100 years ago in 1919, a cozy little restaurant on the corner of Magazine Street and Napoleon Avenue came to life under the ownership of Joe Casamento. Casamento was a native of Ustica, Italy, who was dedicated to combining the traditions of Italy with the traditions of New Orleans after immigrating to the United States. Familiar with the building traditions in Italy, Casamento knew that having a tiled interior would be easier to clean, thus influencing his decision to pay four different tile companies from across the United States to tile his restaurant, inside and out. Out of those tiles, Casamento’s Restaurant was born and has been family-run ever since.

The tile is not the only aspect of Casamento’s that sets the restaurant apart from the mainstream New Orleans restaurants. In its 100 years, the menu has barely changed. The restaurant is unparalleled in its use of fresh pan loaves rather than the typical French bread when it comes to po-boys and other sandwiches.

The pan loaf is one of the unordinary key ingredients that helped to make the Oyster Loaf an internationally acclaimed menu item from England to Australia. The famous sandwich has also been featured in several publications, such as New Orleans Magazine and Playboy. The soft-shell crab and seafood gumbo are also mentioned often as unmissable dishes that Casamento’s offers.

In addition, most of the menu items are

8 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

gluten-free, including all of the fried seafood.

The restaurant also prepares the Italian favorite of spaghetti and meatballs.

Casamento’s Restaurant is renowned for its oysters—charbroiled, raw, or on a loaf—since its opening 100 years ago, attracting both locals and celebrities.

Signed t-shirts crowd a bulletin board on the restaurant wall, boasting the names of visiting celebrities and their heartfelt messages about the restaurant. Guy Fieri, the host of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, has featured the restaurant twice, most recently in 2018. Other celebrity visits include Archie and Peyton Manning, Sheryl Crow, Nicole Kidman, Tommy Lee Jones, Bradley Cooper, Emeril Lagasse, and many more. Additionally, because of the unique, tiled ambiance of Casamento’s Restaurant, the dining room of the restaurant has been the setting for both commercials and television pilots.

When the original owner, Joe Casamento, died at the age of 90 in 1979, his grandson, CJ Gerdes, took over the business and now co-owns the restaurant with his wife Linda.

Linda and CJ have two daughters, Natalie and Nicole, as well as a niece, who all help out with the restaurant. Gerdes continues to blend Italian traditions with Louisiana seafood favorites, creating an iconic New Orleans restaurant.

“As far as my claim to fame, it is consistency. You have to be consistent,” Gerdes said. “My food tastes the same today as it did back in the 50s and 60s, and I've been cooking here for 40 years.”

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 9

African

Bennachin’s West African flavors are a welcome break from conventional New Orleans fare. Their lunch menu is incredibly affordable—and it’s BYOB. They serve delicious vegetarian dishes and sides, like coconut rice, pounded cassava, and fried ripe plantains.

Or, you can start with their traditional fish pies and move on to try their Domoda, a spicy beef and peanut stew. 1212 Royal St. | 522-1230 | bennachinrestaurant.com

Bayou Hot Wings is finger-lickin’ good. With irresistibly spicy wings and meaty wraps, this is a game-day must-have. Chefs Nguyen and Makepeace show their culinary expertise with the care they put into each perfect wing—24 hours of seasoning and brining’s worth!

Don’t miss out on their popular house-made sauces, like Bayou Sweet Heat and Bayou Hotboy. 6221 S. Claiborne Ave. | 662-9933 | bayouhotwings.com

City Diner offers their giant, pizza-sized pancakes all day, every day, along with omelettes, Hashbrown Creations, burgers, salads, and much more. How can you resist?

Their menu is overflowing with overstuffed plate options, from diner classics to New Orleans staples. Whether you order the Eggs Benedict or the Cajun Crawfish Pasta, you’re in for a truly delectable treat. 3116 S. I-10 Service Road E. | Metairie | 831-1030 | citydiner.biz

Cowbell is where you can sink your teeth into a “Locally World-Famous” grass-fed beef burger—or try the hot tuna or vegetarian harvest burger instead. They also serve dishes to please all palates, including skirt steak, tacos, and grilled chicken or fish. Their Signature Mac & Cheese, Riverbend Fries, and homemade pies will have you coming back for more. 8801 Oak St. | 866-4222 | cowbell-nola.com

Daisy Dukes is known for its Cajun Bloody Mary Mix, but they also deliver equally delicious New Orleans staples, like boiled seafood, fried seafood platters, and po-boys, to satisfy your belly. Two of their five locations are 24/7, and you can order breakfast here throughout the day, too. Trouble choosing? The New Orleans Sampler gives you a taste of it all. Multiple Locations | daisydukesrestaurant.com

Gattuso’s Neighborhood Restaurant shines in the heart of Gretna, serving all the flavorful dishes locals expect and love, from crab and corn bisque and fried seafood to burgers and muffulettas. They also cater, to help you feed your guests for any occasion.

Their Dirty Bird po-boy—stuffed with turkey, roast beef, Swiss, and gravy—can’t be beat. 435 Huey P. Long Ave. | Gretna | 3681114 | gattusos.net

Gordon Biersch is taking over the handcrafted brewing scene with its German brews and grub along with eclectic American fare. They have an impressive variety of beers on tap and a menu built specifically for pairing with their award-winning beers. Grab a table on their Fulton Street patio for lunch or dinner.

They even have a gluten-sensitive menu! 200 Poydras St. | 522-2739 | gordonbiersch.com

American

Apolline, nestled in an old shotgun house, offers dishes influenced by flavors from around the world, all made with local ingredients.

Try their Louisiana Cioppino, combining Gulf seafood and alligator sausage in a sherry broth. Enjoy delectable small plates and drink specials during Happy Hour, wine specials on Wednesdays, and bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys at brunch. 4729 Magazine St. | 894-8881 | apollinerestaurant.com

The Country Club has been setting the standard for low-key chic in New Orleans for over 40 years. Just imagine luxuriating by the pool, sipping cocktails, and swimming the day away. Their various menus—brunch, lunch, dinner, poolside, small-plate, and dessert—all showcase expertly executed contemporary Creole cuisine. And rain means that it’s Happy Hour all day! 634 Louisa St. | 945-0742 | thecountryclubneworleans.com

10 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

Fullblast Brunch is one of the Crescent City’s newest breakfast spots, with a menu featuring a variety of breakfast and brunch options, all with Creole, Cajun, and Latin influences. Pair a mango mimosa with their traditional New Orleans Grillades & Grits or their signature Chicken Milanesa Benedict, served with pico de gallo over a black bean cake. 139 S. Cortez St. | 302-2800 | fullblastbrunch.com

Lakeview Harbor might take inspiration from local waters for its name, but you’ll find a lot more on the menu than just seafood. They are famous for their burgers, sliders, steaks, and loaded potatoes. Don’t miss out on their classic daily specials, such as Paneed Chicken on Tuesdays and Shrimp Creole with Cheese Grits on Fridays. 8550 Pontchartrain Blvd. | 486-4887 | lakeviewharbor.us

Asian

Legacy Kitchen has been slowly building a legacy, thanks to their dedication and commitment to always using fresh and flavorful ingredients, prepared to order. Be sure to join them for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights, when all wine bottles are half price, or get your charbroiled oyster fix during their daily Happy Hour, when they serve up charbroiled oysters for just $1 each. Multiple locations | legacykitchen.com

Liberty Cheesesteaks is making a home for itself in the land of the po-boy, one Philly steak at a time. They serve up traditional cheesesteaks, like The Original and The Wiz, which any native Philadelphian would approve of, and folks are raving about their Boil Fries.

The Pizza Steak Hoagie with mozzarella and marinara is also a must-have. 5039 Freret St. | 875-4447 | libertycheesesteaks.com

Pokéworks was founded on the concept of bringing the flavors and ingredients of Hawaii to the mainland—in poke form. The menu offers “poke your way,” where you can make your own poke just the way you like it. Pick from a bowl, burrito, or salad, and then add a protein, mix-ins, toppings, and the sauce of your choosing. Pokéworks stands by using the freshest ingredients and also promotes a policy of sustainability and environmental responsibility. 3413 Veterans Memorial Blvd #119 | Metairie | 218-5352 | pokeworks. com

Spudly's Super Spuds is a potato heaven where overstuffed spuds take center stage.

Optional toppings include seafood, veal, chicken, corned beef, veggies, and many more.

They also serve Small Spuds and Spud Skins, as well as soups, salads, starters, and sides— along with burgers and specialty sandwiches, like the Italian Dream—for those who want to try something different. 2609 Harvard Ave. | Metairie | 455-3250 | spudlys.com

Bao & Noodle is the perfect place in the Marigny to slurp down a bowl of authentic Chinese soup or tear into a steamed bun. Start with a small plate, like their Scallion Pancakes, and stay for an entrée, like the Dan Dan Noodle with Pork. The restaurant is not only vegetarianand vegan-friendly, but also BYOB, so everyone leaves happy. 2700 Chartres St. | 272-0004 | baoandnoodle.com

Willie Mae’s Scotch House knows how to make memorable fried chicken. Since 1957, they’ve been pleasing foodies with their short and sweet menu. With accolades that include a James Beard Award and Travel Channel’s distinction for Best Fried Chicken in America, this place is a must if you’re in the market for unrivaled flavor. Be sure to try the cornbread! 2401 St. Ann St. | 822-9503 | williemaesnola.com

Green Tea has got your back. This eatery’s menu features great healthy options, soups, fried rice, noodles, and customizable dinner and lunch combos—all at an extremely reasonable price. They even offer family dinner specials for two to nine people! Offering everything from dumplings to Mai Fun to General Tso’s chicken, these Chinese take-out (and dine-in) titans will feed you in a flash. 3001 Napoleon Ave. | 899-8005 | greenteanola. com

WOW Café Doubletree will have your taste buds begging for more of their wings with signature sauces, which range from spicy to sweet and tangy. Wings aside, their vast menu offers handhelds and New Orleans-inspired dishes, as well as a breakfast buffet and brunch classics. The Shanghai Shrimp Po’Boy has won Best in Fest at the Oak Street Po-Boy Festival. 300 Canal St. | 212-3250 | wowcafe. com/stores/double-tree-new-orleans

Kyoto 2, located in an unassuming strip mall, has perfected the art of sushi, with a creative menu of rolls you won’t find anywhere else—and a complimentary bowl of noodle salad with every meal. Don’t like sushi? Try the lightly seared tuna tataki to test the waters or one of the many other adventurous (and fully cooked) options available. 5608 Citrus Blvd. | Harahan | 818-0228 | facebook.com/ Kyoto2Nola

Mikimoto infuses Japanese favorites with New Orleans flavor. Their rolls rep the entire city, from the Uptown Roll (stuffed with seafood, asparagus, and cream cheese, then fried) to the Metairie Roll (crab, tuna, and avocado with BBQ eel sauce). But they don’t stop there, and neither should you. Spice things up with their Seafood Yakiudon and end with something sweet, like their Tempura Cheesecake. 3301 S. Carrollton Ave. | 4881881 | mikimotosushi.com

Miyako offers dinner with a fiery show. Their hibachi chefs perform daring feats of culinary artistry, all the while chopping, flipping, and masterfully preparing your entrees before your eyes. Perfect for a night out with friends or family or even for an adventurous date, Miyako is great for other occasions, too, offering various hibachi lunch combos, sushi bar standards, and dessert. 1403 St. Charles Ave. | 410-9997 | miyakonola.com

Origami may be a paper-folding art, but here, it takes the form of an artful roll.

Located in the hip dining area of Freret Street between Napoleon and Jefferson Avenues, the restaurant offers an ambience that is as notable as its food. Lunch extends to 3 p.m., and they have poke bowls as well as combo meals. Their sake cocktail game is strong, too.

Origami is a great spot for a date or a night out with friends. 5130 Freret St. | 899-6532 | sushinola.com

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 11

Bars With Great Food

Backspace Bar & Kitchen is a one-of-akind gastropub where you can sip and nibble on some delicious offerings that pay homage to famed authors. The drinks, like Death in the Afternoon, are quickly becoming classics at this sophisticated nook. Get inspired with the likes of the Whitman Roast Beef sammy, stuffed with fried oysters and debris gravy, in this cozy literary haven. 139 Chartres St. | 322-2245 | backspacenola.com

Flamingo A-Go-Go will have you flocking to the Warehouse District to sample fresh salads, NOLA classics, and inventive “flocktails,” including the Bloody Mary A-Go-Go with vodka, a spice mix, and Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix, to get the party started. Pair your drink or draft wine with a juicy Hawaiian Steak Kabob, made tropical with grilled pineapple and mango salsa. 869 Magazine St. | 577-2202 | flamingonola.com

Buffa’s Bar and Restaurant in the Marigny is known not only for its daily offerings of live local music, but also for its delicious food, including red beans and rice, their incredibly creative half-pound burgers, and dishes like Carrot Croquettes. They’re open 24/7, making it a perfect destination for any meal. Check out their Sunday jazz brunch. 1001 Esplanade Ave. | 949-0038 | buffasbar.com

The Jimani is a sportsman’s paradise—for those more into watching any game imaginable than participating in sports. Drink a beer with the locals and relish amazing bar food, like nachos made special with the addition of chorizo or chicken sausage. With 10 screens to watch, 100 beers to choose from, and an extensive menu, you’ll have plenty to feast your senses on here. 141 Chartres St. | 524-0493 | thejimani.com

FEED ME SOMETHIN’, MISTER!

FA M O U S G U L F C O A S T C U I S I N E IN THE HEART OF THE FRENCH QUARTER 620 Decatur St, Jackson Square, French Quarter • www.LandrysSeafood.com @LandrysSeafoodHouse

@LandrysSeafoodHouse

12 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

Copper Vine Winepub has a lush courtyard, a unique fine-dining menu, and all the wine on tap you’ll ever need to relax and enjoy life in the CBD. They also have a selection of draft beers and cocktails designed to please even the most discerning palate. Try the duck confit flatbread or the crabmeat deviled eggs. 1001 Poydras St. | 208-9535 | coppervinewine.com

Mimi’s in the Marigny is technically a bar, but when it comes to the bar food, don’t expect simple peanuts here. The menu features gourmet tapas for vegetarians and carnivores alike. You can’t go wrong with the lamb chops or the ultimate shareable staple: a cheese board. For more adventurous patrons, order the “Trust Me” cocktail or small plate. You won’t be disappointed. 2601 Royal St. | 872-9868 | mimismarigny.com

Ole Saint takes you down memory lane with Deuce McAllister’s football memorabilia, but brings you back to reality when a game is on. Watch your team and have a local brew at this former New Orleans Saint’s watering hole.

You’ll find everything from American favorites to Southern coastal cuisine, like the aptly named Deuce’s Chicken over dirty rice. 132 Royal St. | 309-4797 | olesaint.com

Orleans Grapevine pairs classic and contemporary French-Creole cuisine with over 65 varieties of wine and champagne by the glass and 375 by the bottle. Have a wine flight in the courtyard of this casual fine-dining bistro. Or, take advantage of Happy Hour from 4 p.m. till 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. till 12 a.m. daily, when you’ll get FREE BACON! 720 Orleans Ave. | 523-1930 | orleansgrapvine.com

Parasol’s is a neighborhood bar with rave-worthy po-boys. Their classic roast beef debris po-boy is the talk of the town—but you might want to spice things up with their popular firecracker shrimp or try the Irish Sundae (potato salad topped with that delicious debris!) instead. Add a side of onion rings or red beans and rice to make life complete. 2533 Constance St. | 302-1543 | facebook.com/ ParasolsNOLA

Rivershack Tavern is about as funky as New Orleans gets. With tacky ashtrays, fun novelty bar stools with legs, and an exterior covered with vintage ads, this River Road joint dishes out local flavor that is not to be missed—just try their undeniably great poboys and “boigers” to see for yourself. Bring in a kitschy ashtray and belly up to the bar for a free cocktail. 3449 River Rd. | 834-4938 | therivershacktavern.com

Shamrock Bar and Grill is all about the games—and the food and libations.

Challenge your friends to some air hockey, mini-bowling, ping pong, or darts at the city’s largest neighborhood bar. Then, refuel with a ribeye steak dinner, including mashed taters and salad. Games aren’t your thing? The dance floor is open all night long, so you can get your groove on. 4133 S. Carrollton Ave. | 3010938 | shamrockparty.com

Three Palms Bar and Grill is home to spring crawfish boils, chicken wings, and $12 steak dinners. The friendly staff and atmosphere make for a fun neighborhood bar with a Happy Hour you can count on. If you stop by on Mondays between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., have yourself some free red beans and rice! 3813 Tulane Ave. | 459-4474 | 3palmsnola.com

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 13

Tracey’s Irish Bar and Restaurant is famous for its wild St. Patty’s Day party, but their tasty bar food keeps the crowds coming back. They’re distinguished as having had the first colored TVs in the ‘hood, and they feature great local beers. Try out some alligator or crawfish sausage or another local delicacy, the french fry po-boy, “dressed” and doused in roast beef debris gravy. 2604 Magazine St. | 897-5413 | traceysnola.com

Café

Another Broken Egg Café is here if you’re looking for a gourmet breakfast or brunch featuring local seafood, sweet treats, or seasonal specials. Try their biscuit beignets with honey marmalade or the delicious Bananas Foster French Toast. With plenty of outdoor seating, this brunchery is sure to make your top 10 list. Garden District | Lakeview | 3012771 | anotherbrokeneggcafe.com

Café 615 Home of Dawabbit offers great homestyle meals at great prices. Their crispy fried chicken was voted among the best fried chicken in the New Orleans area, and they certainly don’t skimp on portions. With oyster plates and daily lunch specials, such as red beans and rice, meatloaf, and catfish, it's clear why Café 615 was voted best restaurant on the Westbank! 615 Kepler St. | Gretna | 3651225 | dawabbit.net

Café Amelie is perfect for a romantic night in a scenic French Quarter courtyard. Located in the 150-year-old Princess of Monaco Courtyard and Carriage House, this place will have you rethinking café dining altogether.

No other café will serve you oven-roasted salmon topped with horseradish cream and fingerling potatoes. Try their lauded jumbo lump crab cake, beet salad, or oven-roasted chicken and waffles 912 Royal St. | 412-8965 | cafeamelie.com

Café Beignet has some of the best chicory coffee and beignets anywhere. Order breakfast here any time of day or try one of their Cajun specialties. Stop by the Musical Legends Park at their Bourbon Street location for live local jazz beginning at 8 a.m., relax in their beautiful courtyard on Royal Street, or people-watch through their large French windows on Decatur Street. Multiple locations | cafebeignet.com

Caffe! Caffe! beats all the coffee chains when it comes to offering a vast array of cakes and pies. If you don’t have a sweet tooth, order from their extensive breakfast and lunch menus. Looking for a healthier option? This café also offers soups, salads, and Eat Fit selections. Start the morning off right with an avocado salad drizzled with homemade mango vinaigrette. Two Metairie Locations | caffecaffe.com

14 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

Compère Lapin guarantees a one-of-akind experience inspired by Chef Compton’s Caribbean heritage, and an artful menu that blends indigenous ingredients with both French and Italian culinary expertise. Imagine spiced carrot soup and curried goat with sweet potato gnocchi for lunch or conch croquettes and confit duck leg for dinner. The drink menu is equally tasteful, and brunch is also an option. 535 Tchoupitoulas St. | 599-2119 | comperelapin.com

Cru by Chef Marlon Alexander is elevating the culinary status of the Marigny. Sip a specialty cocktail while you nibble on one of several varieties of caviar or keep it simple with a gourmet sandwich on brioche. They also offer sushi and vegan rolls and entrees, showcasing classic American, New Orleans, and Italian influences. Cru’s weekend brunch features live entertainment and bottomless cocktail options. 535 Franklin Ave. | 266-2856 | crunola.com

Jimmy J’s Café is here to make all your breakfast dreams come true, even at 10 p.m.

Pork Chop Eggs Benedict and French toast for lunch, brunch, and dinner? They’ve got it.

They are a small, funky café, tucked away in the French Quarter, but they’re big and bold when it comes to Southern flavor and hospitality. 115 Chartres St. | 309-9360 | jimmyjscafe.com

Petite Amelie is a great spot for a healthy breakfast or lunch. In a corner shop on Royal Street, this eatery has a rotating menu of fresh and fast gourmet cuisine. Offering locally sourced milk, juices, salads, and pastries, this place is sure to satisfy. Try the panini waffle melt with Gruyère and ham or their show-stopping tomato soup. 900 Royal St. | 412-8065 | petiteamelienola.wordpress.com

Riccobono’s Panola Street Café is a neighborhood go-to for a filling, homestyle breakfast. Wake up to a delicious iced coffee, made with chocolate milk, or skip right to the bellinis. Try the California Benedict, with avocado and tomatoes, or the Crawfish Sauté Three-Egg Omelette. Especially popular with Uptown students and locals, Riccobono’s doesn’t disappoint. 7801 Panola St. | 314-1810 | panolastreetcafe.com

Surrey’s Cafe & Juice Bar is the place to go for freshly squeezed organic juices. Its New Orleanian- and Latin-influenced cuisine is not to be missed, and the vibrant décor is as inviting as the staff. For brunch, try the Huevos Rancheros Deluxe or the Black Bean and Veggie Burger. With their glutensensitive, vegan, and vegetarian options, Surrey’s has something for everyone. 1418 & 4807 Magazine St. | surreysnola.com

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 15

The Vintage is a one-of-a-kind café on Magazine Street with mouthwatering beignets, delicious coffees and teas, and an atmosphere that allows all patrons to sip, savor, and shine. Be sure to sample one of their exquisite flatbreads, like the Vintage flatbread with generous portions of marinara, pepperoni, sliced roma tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Also, you can pair any of their yummy menu items with a great glass (or bottle) of champagne. 3121 Magazine St. | 324-7144 | thevintagenola.com

Mellow Mushroom on Oak Street is a necessary stop for any hungry patron in the Carrollton area. Their quintessential pizza parlor menu is anything but the usual. They have classic and thin-crust specialty pizzas, like the Holy Shitake with black truffle oil. Build your own salad, swap out your mozzarella for vegan cheese, or feast on pizza that is deliciously gluten-free. 8227 Oak St. | 345-8229 | mellowmushroom.com

French

Café Degas, with its unbeatable romantic ambiance, has been voted one of the 15 best restaurants in the city. This lauded traditional Gallic French eatery is located in a charming historic area once frequented by the restaurant’s famed namesake. For something really special, try the Caille Rôtie—roasted quail over baby greens—or the homemade crawfish and mushroom ravioli. 3127 Esplanade Ave. | 945-5635 | cafedegas.com

Mosca’s Restaurant has served some of the best Italian food in New Orleans for over 70 years. Orders are made fresh and served family-style. It’s impossible to resist their Italian crab salad, heaping plates of spaghetti and meatballs, or their signature Shrimp Mosca. Pop a bottle of their impressive wine menu and be sure to save room for some pineapple fluff! 4137 U.S. Highway 90 West | Westwego | 436-8950 | moscasrestaurant. com

Italian

Josephine Estelle, an Italian osteria run

by James Beard nominees, knows good pasta.

Combining Italian cooking with flavors of the American South, this upscale eatery has all your favorite dishes. Head on over to their soaring dining room with ornate decor for some homemade spaghetti or delectable soft-shell crab bathed in brown butter. Don’t forget to stay for the praline mousse. 600 Carondelet St. | 930-3070 | josephineestelle.com

16 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

Red Gravy, a rustic Italian café, makes it okay to have cannoli, spaghetti, meatballs, and gnocchi for breakfast, brunch, or lunch.

Try their highly rated Sicilian egg pie or their delicious polpetta for an authentic Italian treat. Most of their recipes have been passed down from generation to generation, making the dishes here time-tested homestyle masterpieces. 125 Camp St. | 561-8844 | redgravycafe.com

Mexican

Tavolino has a family-friendly atmosphere up front, but a party out back. Here, you can enjoy pizza with the family in the dining room or drinks with adults in the lounge.

The thin-crust 13-inch pies with gourmet toppings will encourage you to drive across the river. Try their stuffed and fried “Ping” olives or the Prosciutto Brie pizza with arugula. 141 Delaronde St. | Algiers | 605- 3365 | facebook.com/TavolinoLounge

Venezia has been a Mid-City staple for over 60 years. With everything from veal and spinach cannelloni to chicken marsala, fresh fish almondine, and muffalettas, the menu never disappoints. Don’t forget to check out the pizzas. The House Special is topped with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, and artichoke hearts. Our mouths are watering already! 134 N. Carrollton Ave. | 488-7991 | venezianeworleans.net

Vincent’s Italian Cuisine has been a New Orleans staple since 1989, boasting some of the best Italian food in the city. The cozy little restaurant is perfect for a date night and serves delicious dishes, such as their famous corn and crabmeat bisque in a fresh-baked bread bowl and traditional osso bucco. If you’re really hungry, order the homemade lasagna or the roasted duck breast. Multiple Locations | 866-9313 | vincentsitaliancuisine.com

Carreta’s Grill is sure to impress, with large portions of ceviche, chicken fajitas, and even vegetarian options. Check out their delicious Mariachi Fries or tortilla soup to start or skip to the Chile Ranchero, a poblano stuffed with queso fresco and wrapped in carne asada. Don’t forget about the margaritas, either, and remember to save room for the tres leches for dessert. Multiple locations | carrettasgrillrestaurant.com

Juan’s Flying Burrito is a hip Creole-infused taqueria that makes Taco Tuesday happen every day. Don’t miss their freshly made guac or their Banh Mi Tacos: Vietnamese-style tacos with your choice of meat (or tofu), veggies, and sriracha sour cream. And as far as drinks go, they’ve got everything from margaritas to boozy lemonade to mojitos at this neighborhood joint.

Multiple locations | juansflyingburrito.com

NOLA Cantina has great food, live music, and salsa dancing right off of Frenchmen Street. Relax on the patio while you chow down on their gourmet tacos and other Central American fare. You’ll definitely want to sample all of their artfully crafted cocktails, such as the Smoke & Mirrors Margarita with chamomile and lavender. Plan a morning visit for their burlesque brunch. 437 Esplanade Ave. | 2662848 | nolacantina.com

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 17

Middle Eastern

Lebanon’s Café is under the shady oak trees of Uptown, offering generous portions of Middle Eastern food in a warm environment. Snack on savory hummus, grape leaves, and falafel and drink sweet Lebanese tea with pine nuts. Make sure to save room for their gyro plate with spiced lamb and beef, tomatoes, and onions, all cooked in delectable spices. 1500 S. Carrollton Ave. | 862-6200 | lebanonscafe.com

Pyramid’s Cafe is a classic Mediterranean storefront diner serving some seriously delicious dips, salads, and entrees that come with a side of hummus. Stop by for standards like shawarma or kibby—spicy lamb, onions, and pinenuts, crusted with cracked wheat and ground beef and then deep-fried. Or, have a family feast: a whole lamb stuffed with chickpeas, perfect for a special dinner. 3149 Calhoun St. | 861-9602 | pyramidscafeonline.com

Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop has some legit Louisiana-style cooking. Their Mumbo Gumbo, Southern fried chicken, or crab cakes make for a classic New Orleans experience. Enjoy a half po-boy and half-gumbo meal to sample their best. A hidden gem of a mom-and-pop café, Chef Ron’s will have you returning soon for more. 2309 N. Causeway Blvd. | 835-2022 | gumbostop.com

The Columns Hotel offers a memorable dining experience in a graceful historic mansion built in 1863. With breakfast, brunch, and an award-winning Happy Hour, this establishment holds the title of one of the top 100 bars in the country. Try their seasonal charcuterie and cheese combination board in the Victorian dining room or front gallery with a view of beautiful Saint Charles Avenue. 3811 St. Charles Ave. | 899-9308 | thecolums.com

Crescent City Brewhouse, the French Quarter’s only microbrewery, is an experience for all the senses. Enjoy live jazz music, local art, traditional Louisiana fare with a creative flair, and a monthly beer choice. Take a beer flight on the balcony or in the courtyard of this singular bistro setting, while snacking on small plates, sandwiches, and mains that pair with their premium brews. 527 Decatur St. | 5220571 | crescentictybrewhouse.com

Crossroads at House of Blues is at a “crossroads” between music, art, and great food, all inspired by the American South. Try the melt-in-your-mouth brisket plate with cornbread while listening to live music or, for a 100 percent vegan option, try their “Impossible Cheeseburger”—made up of a vegan burger patty with cheese, lettuce, pickles, and a secret sauce on a bun. 225 Decatur St. | 310-0499 | houseofblues.com\neworleans\menu

Neyow’s Creole Café serves authentic Creole cuisine that is “straight from their grandmother’s recipes.” Located in Mid-City, this elegant stop has charbroiled oysters you can’t go wrong with. They’ve got a large selection of specials every day of the week, ranging from the Shrimp Creole to an eightounce ribeye. And if you’re thirsty, try their Bow Wow punch, which features both light and dark rum. 3332 Bienville St. | 827-5474 | neyows. com

New Orleans Cajun Cookery is located among some of the city’s trendiest restaurants, but it’s keeping traditions alive with its take on the classics. Located in the Warehouse District, this spot shows that a good ol’ shrimp po-boy can still be the best meal around. Oh, and let’s not forget to mention their Bacon Bloody Mary.

701 S. Peters St. | 985-778-2529 | facebook. com/pages/category/Restaurant/NewOrleans-Cajun-Cookery-659728691032348/

New Orleans Cuisine

Antoine’s Restaurant is the oldest familyrun restaurant in the country, having been established in 1840. Antoine’s is famous for consistently delivering a classic FrenchCreole fine-dining experience in a city known for just that. This iconic foodie destination also invented the world-renowned Oysters Rockefeller. Visit for a romantic dinner or make Sunday classy with their jazz brunch. 713 St. Louis St. | 581-4422 | antoines.com

Coterie NOLA Restaurant & Oyster Bar has classic New Orleans and American munchies. Here, you can eat blackened alligator, seafood specialties, beignets, fried pickles, salads, or burgers in a casual environment amidst the beauty of the French Quarter. Their extensive breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus warrant multiple visits, and you’ll want to stop by during Happy Hour to nibble away at their oysters. 135 Decatur St. | 529-8600 | coterienola.com

18 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

Dick and Jenny’s is located in a cozy Creole cottage on Tchoupitoulas Street and serves classics, like their famous crab cakes and Creole Style BBQ Gulf Shrimp with goat cheese grits. Using locally sourced ingredients with New Orleans flair, Chef Merlin prides himself on “creating Cajun Creole culinary dishes with just a touch of Thai influence.” 4501 Tchoupitoulas St. | 894-9880 | dickandjennys.com

New Orleans Creole Cookery, with its reputation for excellent food and service, is perfect for a night on the town. They’ve got great boozy beverages, like the Hurricane (drink the Category 5 at your own risk), and a large selection of delicious NOLA-style food, like blackened redfish, gator bites, and jambalaya.

Enjoy dining in their courtyard, bar, or dining room. 508 Toulouse St. | 524-9632 | neworleanscreolecookery.com

OUR VISION YOUR STYLE

We Make it Happen The Forum and Heritage Hall is a multipurpose venue.

The combination of the traditional banquet room is combined with a progressive room paying tribute to New Orleans favorite musicians.

This meeting, party, wedding and reception facility is one of a kind. Two venues under one roof that will appeal to any guest.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT US AT: INFO@THEFORUMMETAIRIE.COM : (504) 644-4155

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 19

Seafood

Parran's Po-Boys and Restaurant serves up a variety of delicious fried and grilled po-boys on fresh French bread, along with gigantic muffalettas and mouthwatering Italian dishes, such as their Eggplant Parran and spaghetti. Can’t decide which po-boy to try? Get half fried shrimp and half fried oyster. Or try the fried cauliflower and the roast beef po-boy to leave you deliciously satisfied. Multiple locations | parranspoboys.com

Public Service at the NOPSI Hotel truly serves the public with a delicious option for any meal of the day. Start your day with the Crab Cakes Benedict. For lunch, try the Cuban Muffaletta. Their dishes do us all a public service by consistently offering twists on Creole classics, including Cajun poutine or their Braised Short Ribs with Wild Mushroom and Potato Ragout. 311 Baronne St. | 962-6527 | publicservicenola.com

Short Stop Poboys doesn’t mess around when it comes to making the city’s famed sandwich. Hopefully you’re hungry, because it’s the only place around where you can get a king-sized 14-inch soft-shell crab po-boy. Try something different with the french fry po-boy, topped with homemade roast beef gravy. If you’re still hungry, the peanut butter pie is to die for. 119 Transcontinental Dr. | Metairie | 885-4572 | shortstoppoboysno.com

Briquette makes its home in an old molasses refinery, offering a classy taste of New Orleans. Start your night with the Crabcake Napoleon or the Spotlight Gumbo. Try one of their mouthwatering entrées, such as the Skinhead Salmon or the Snapper Pontchartrain, to taste the colors of the city. Finish strong with the delectable Dark Chocolate Creme Brulée.

701 S. Peters St. | 302-7496 | briquette-nola. com

Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar takes pride in having the “first name in oysters.”

They’re sure to appease all mollusk-lovers, whether you like them raw or fried. Try the Oysters Bienville or the Oysters Rockefeller. Not in the mood for oysters? Check out classic New Orleans traditions, like jambalaya. Finish your meal with a delicious slice of Creole pecan pie.

Multiple locations | felixs.com

Landry’s Seafood is renowned for its unique takes on classic seafood dishes. With a gluten-sensitive menu and vegetarian options, Landry’s truly has something for everyone. Try the Blackened Redfish Etouffée or the Mahi Mahi topped with Firecracker Shrimp. If you’re looking to class up your meal, check out their extensive wine menu. And be sure to save room for a slice of praline cheesecake! Multiple Locations | landrysseafood.com

20 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

Vegan

Poseidon serenades you with its sushi rolls, hibachi, and even karaoke. Open six days a week and until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, it serves everything in the sea.

Warm up your vocal chords with a fancy cocktail and enjoy the divine atmosphere as you dig into their specialty rolls, such as the Poseidon and Crouching Tiger Rolls. 2100 St. Charles Ave. | 509-6675 | poseidonnola.com

Seaworthy carries a selection of seafood worthy of trying. They are known for sustainably harvested seafood, specifically oysters, prepared with a global flair. Try oysters from the East Coast, West Coast, or Gulf Coast. Pair your oysters with the Squid Hushpuppies and a handcrafted cocktail, like Scarlet in the Library. And don’t miss out on the brunch! 630 Carondelet St. | 930-3071 | seaworthynola.com

Tito’s Ceviche and Pisco takes you to Peru without your having to hop on a plane.

Spice up your meal with an assortment of ceviches, mixed seafood platters, or grilled octopus that the competition just doesn’t offer. Take a trip into uncharted territory with the Causa de Cangrejo, a dish made with Louisiana crab meat, aji potatoes, avocado, and olives. 5015 Magazine St. | 267-7612 | titoscevichepisco.com

Green Goddess showcases the influence of Thai cuisine on Cajun classics with dishes for everyone. Romantically tucked into the Exchange Place pedestrian zone, the restaurant offers inventive gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options, like the tofu po-boy or the Veggie Cuban Luau. But they also cater to carnivores, offering dishes like Duck Off! and Chimichurri Brisket for those feeling less green. 307 Exchange Pl. | 301-3347 | greengoddessrestaurant.com

Max Well prides itself on transparent sourcing and clean eating with organic whole foods. Visit for fresh cold-pressed juices, soups, salads, and protein bowls, stuffed with greens or rice and toppings like almonds, avocado, and sweet potatoes. Try the Banh Mi Bowl or the Hippie Salad, served with cucumber avocado dressing and quinoa cranberry stuffing, for a healthy and satisfying meal. 6101 Magazine St. | 301-0510 | maxwellneworleans.com

Seed has firmly planted itself in a city known for its love of seafood and everything fried. They're proud to share their version of tantalizing vegan soul food, with items such as their eggplant po-boy, Seed Gumbo, and even beignets. Thirsty for something healthy? Try a drink off of Seed’s fruitful juice, smoothie, and cocktail menu. 1330 Prytania St. & 2372 St. Claude Ave. | 302-2599 | seedyourhealth. com

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 21

Food News

By Kim Ranjbar

Keepin' it real … New Orleanians seeking authentic Chinese cuisine can now lift their chopsticks at Dian Xin, which just opened in the French Quarter. Located near the French Market on Decatur Street, this cozy restaurant was launched by Judy Ceng, who previously launched Little Chinatown in Kenner. Dian Xin offers an extensive menu of dim sum (something local denizens have been clamoring for), Szechuan beef, sizzling garlic shrimp, pepper steak, General Tso's chicken, and more. The restaurant is open daily from 3-10 p.m.

1218 Decatur St., (504) 266-2828, facebook.com/dianxinnola Bella donna … Partners Billy Blatty, chef Max Mackissock, and Juan Padro of the Culinary Creative Group out of Denver have launched Sofia, a new Italian-inspired restaurant in the Warehouse District.

Executive Chef Talia Diele is currently offering a dinner menu with dishes like Gulf Squid with cannellini beans and soffritto, bucatini with guanciale and fennel sausage, Pork Milanase, and spicy clam pizza with chili oil and grana padano. Sofia is open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday, with lunch and brunch coming soon.

516 Julia St., (504) 322-3216, sofianola. com

Sofia

Burger money … When the Bud's Broiler closed down on City Park Avenue after a legal dispute, many mourned the city's loss. But burgers will be made there again! According to NOLA.com, New Orleans-born rapper

Curren$y has purchased the building and has plans to open a new burger joint in the iconic location under a new name: Life Burger. We'll be keeping an eye out for its opening.

500 City Park Ave. It's not a playhouse! ... Charles "Pee-Wee" Armstrong, an entreprenurial soul who has been selling his excellent crabcakes and other Creole-style seafood platters out of his brother's On Faith Donut Shop in Central City, has found new digs. Pee Wee's Crabcakes is now open inside CBD Social in the Warehouse District. Dishes include red beans and rice, crabcake balls, seafood jambalaya, yaka mein, seafood-stuffed potatoes, and more. Pee-Wee's is open daily for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to midnight.

709 St. Charles Ave., (504) 358-7986, facebook.com/peeweecrabcakes Poke across the lake ... Poke Loa, New Orleans's first poke restaurant, which opened on Magazine Street just over two years ago, has been taking the city by storm with new locations in Elmwood, Old Metairie, the Central Business District, and even Baton Rouge. Now they've taken poke to the Northshore, with their sixth installment in Mandeville. The same fresh, build-your-ownbowl menu is available at the new locale and is open daily for lunch and dinner.

1810 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville, (985) 778-0444, eatpokeloa.com New to the market ... Thai street food pop-up Long Chim is now a vendor at Auction

A New Orleans Tradition

600 Decatur • 334 Royal • 311 Bourbon

www.cafebeignet.com 22 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

Dian Xin

House Market in the Warehouse District.

Transplants May Mananya and Kirk Cohen from Los Angeles have been offering their interpretations of Thai street-food dishes in spots like the Catahoula Hotel and Courtyard Brewery over the past months. The menu features dishes like jackfruit dumplings, roasted cauliflower larb, Khao Soi Mushroom Noodle Soup, and green curry with chicken and eggplant.

801 Magazine St., (504) 372-4321, auctionhousemarket.com/long-chim Talk about fusion ... Another pop-up has found a home inside the popular Mid-City bar Twelve Mile Limit. Amanda Alard and Zahara Dimassi have launched Que Pasta, a combination of Cuban cuisine and fresh handmade pasta. Dishes include smoked chicken empanadas, stewed oxtail with yucca puree, crispy spiced chick peas, and Cubanbraised pork shoulder with cotija served atop cilantro pasta. Que Pasta is serving dinner daily, as well as brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

500 S. Telemachus St., facebook.com/ quepastanola Three Dats! ... We Dat's Chicken & Shrimp has launched its third location, in Marrero.

New Orleans Seventh Ward-born-andbred Gregoire Tillery has been growing his business by leaps and bounds, from starting a food truck in 2013 to launching three restaurants, the latest located on the Westbank Expressway. Like the other locations in Gentilly and Downtown on Canal

Street, We Dat's offers chicken wings, shrimp and catfish platters, loaded fries, and more.

The new Westbank location is open daily.

4905 Westbank Expwy., wedatschickenandshrimp.com Two is better than one ... Beloved local restaurant Li'l Dizzy's in the Treme has just launched a second location, inside the Rendon Inn in Gert Town. Owner and longtime local restauteur Wayne Baquet Sr. is offering a menu featuring his famous fried chicken, potato salad, po-boys, and more, "always hot and straight from the pot." Li'l Dizzy's at the Rendon is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

4501 Eve St., (504) 218-7106, lildizzyscafe. net We'd eat that! ... Houston native Will Edwards has expanded his Baton Rouge business to New Orleans with the opening of Kolache Kitchen on Freret Street. Located inside the building that formerly housed the Freret St. Po-Boy & Donut Shop, the new restaurant offers both sweet and savory versions of this Eastern European treat— pastries filled with everything from bacon and cheese to boudin to fruit. The menu also features breakfast and lunch items, like tacos and rancheros, empanadas, sandwiches from BBQ brisket and pulled pork to grilled cheese, and quite a few tacos filled with everything from pork to shrimp. Kolache Kitchen is open daily from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

4701 Freret St., (504) 218-5341, kolachekitchenbr.com

Long Chim WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 23

Manolito's Cuban Sandwich

20 and Under

$

Cuban Comeback

W

Japanese Restaurant, Sushi & Such Mon – Thur 11:30 am – 10 pm Fri & Sat 11:30 am – 11 pm Sun 5 – 9 pm SushiNOLA.com | @NolaSushi 899-6532| 5130 Freret St.

24 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

hen former President Barack Obama relaxed the restrictions on American citizens traveling to Cuba in 2014, there was a wave of renewed interest in that region's culture across the U.S. Tourism spiked dramatically on the Caribbean island, and by 2015, there had been a 77 percent increase in visitors from the United States alone. Considering this renewed interest, it's no surprise that Cuban cuisine is also making a resurgence.

I've only been in New Orleans since 2003, but it's interesting to note that not so long ago (but before I was here), there were many more Cuban restaurants in New Orleans than there are now. Esteemed local food writer Lorin Gaudin pointed this tidbit out to me when I queried her about the new interest we're seeing today. Changing trends and customer interest shifted the focus away from Cuban cuisine for a while, but it seems to be coming back.

One of the most popular and obvious examples would have to be Manolito, the Havana-inspired bar and café opened by Nick Detrich, who helped co-found Cane & Table, and Chris Hannah, the famed head bartender from Arnaud's French 75. Though the main attraction at Manolito would have to be its incredible daiquiris and other cocktails, the food prepared by Cesar Nunez, Coquette's chef de cuisine, is worth your attention. Score their earthy black bean soup with crema and crunchy plantain chips for $6 or their Cuban sandwich, pressed with flavorful mojo pork, ham, Swiss, and

By Kim Ranjbar

mustard, for $12—an excellent deal for lunch, especially in the French Quarter.

Another recent Cuban addition to our restaurant ranks is Que Rico! Owners Iderlin Donna Rivera and her husband, Richard, were forced to find a new building after nine years in Slidell, and fortunately for us, they relocated to a small space on the corner of Magazine and Milan Streets, Uptown. Since opening shortly before the New Year, the little aromatic place has been packed. Try a platter of their lechon (braised pork shoulder) asado or slow-roasted pork, served with rice, black beans, and sweet plantains, for $16 or a ropa vieja pressed sandwich for $12. They also serve Cuban coffee in different incarnations, and though I haven't yet tried it, I've been fantasizing about their Tres Leches Cortadito, made with heavy cream, condensed milk, and whole milk, for $3.50.

Open since late 2007, Mayas Restaurant in the Lower Garden District is certainly not new, and they have been serving several Cuban dishes for many years now. Their Cuban sandwich, available at lunch, is made with roasted pork, ham, provolone cheese, butter pickles, and mustard and is served with crispy fries for only $12. They also offer a lechon platter, with jasmine rice and ranchero black beans, for $13.

Another newcomer that's an installation at the popular Mid-City bar Twelve Mile Limit is Que Pasta. Run by Amada Alard and Zahara Dimassi (both originally from Florida), this creative pop-up offers dishes like smoked chicken empanadas, croquetas,

Que Rico!'s Lechon Asado (Braised Pork Shoulder) oxtail stewed Cuban-style, and lechon over handmade pasta.

Finally, there are many other eateries around the GNO that offer Cuban-style dishes without necessarily being Cuban restaurants, like the Cubano at Luca Eats in the Carrollton neighborhood, with deli ham, pulled pork, and yellow mustard, for $11 or

Cochon Butcher's version on a bolillo roll for $10. But one recently caught my eye and tempted my tummy: the Cubano at Piece of Meat, the new restaurant and butcher in Mid-City.

Opened by Daniel Jackson and Leighann Smith in April of last year, Piece of Meat offers a meat case with all kinds of deli

Mayas Restaurant's Cuban Sandwich delights, from mortadella and bacon to fresh bratwurst and Maple Leaf duck breasts. They also have a short-but-sweet menu, with items like a hot pastrami sandwich with thousand island dressing and “The Delicate Lady”—a smoked chicken salad with blueberry BBQ sauce—but it was their “regular special” that really had me

oohing and aahing. It's a buttery pressed Cubano on Leidenheimer bread, made with their own city ham, Webber's mustard, dill pickles, Havarti cheese, and crispy Home Place Pastures (out of Mississippi) skin-on pork belly, for $14. Excuse me while I wipe the drool from my chin.

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 25

The History of The Po-Boy

By Burke Bischoff

N

o one is going to argue about how important food is to the very identity of New Orleans. The city has graced the culinary world with all kinds of savory (gumbo, crawfish etouffée, red beans and rice) and sweet (beignets, Bananas Foster, sno-balls) creations. One New Orleans food dish, however, is almost deceptive in its simplicity, and that is the humble po-boy.

For the uninitiated, a poor boy (aka poboy, po’ boy, or po boy) is a sandwich that uses a six-inch or foot-long baguette-style bread that is more commonly known as French bread. Traditionally, po-boys are filled with either roast beef or fried seafood (oysters, shrimp, crab, what have you) and topped with pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayonnaise. Nowadays, however, you can fill a po-boy with basically anything you want (burger patties, hot sausage, french fries, alligator meat, caprese salad, etc.). But for a sandwich with such a modest look, it has a pretty unique history behind it.

The sandwich itself has been present in New Orleans since around the late 1800s, when it was then called an oyster loaf (literally, fried oysters on French loaves). The origins of when it started being called a “poboy” are actually not too certain, because a lot of different legends have attached

themselves to the sandwich over the years.

The most common consensus to explain the “po-boy” term, at least locally, comes from the story of the Martin brothers.

In the mid-1910s, Bennie and Clovis Martin moved to New Orleans from their home in Raceland, Louisiana, to work as streetcar conductors. In 1922, the brothers then decided to open up their own restaurant, Martin Brothers’ Coffee Stand and Restaurant, specializing in French loaf sandwiches with anything you wanted on them. These sandwiches wouldn’t be called po-boys until 1929, when members of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America, Division No. 194, went on a four-monthlong strike, thereby leaving over a thousand union streetcar workers without a source of income. The Martin brothers, to show their support for the workers affected by this strike, wrote a letter to one of the local newspapers, stating that they would give a free meal to any members of Division 194.

Legend has it that when the brothers saw one of the union workers walk into their restaurant, one of them would yell, “Here comes another poor boy!” Since the free meal given to these workers often included the customary sandwich, the name “poor boy” gradually became associated with the

26 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

sandwich itself.

Now, as with any legend, it’s debatable whether or not this actually happened or if the public consciousness just accepted it as fact throughout the years. But one thing’s for sure, especially since the Martin Brothers’ po-boys were so popular: The name has stuck with that sandwich ever since. The Martin brothers ended up partnering with John Gendusa, who, in 1922, opened up his own bakery, located on 2009 Mirabeau Ave., which remains open today. Gendusa developed a uniform 35-inch loaf of French bread, which made it easier for the Martins to sell 15- to 20-inch sandwiches to their customers.

Martin Brothers’ Coffee Stand and Restaurant maintained its popularity— thanks to their po-boys—until closing in 1972; meanwhile, other restaurants around New Orleans started popping up with poboys on their menus. One of the most popular po-boy shops to sprout in the city is Parkway Bakery and Tavern, which has been operating on 538 Hagan Ave. since 1911, when it was founded by German baker Charles Gooering Sr. In 1922, Henry Timothy Sr. purchased Parkway and added the poboy to its menu in 1929. The restaurant has had a few owners over the years (Timothy Sr.’s two sons in the 1960s and Jay Nix in 1995) and temporarily closed down due to changing hands and damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. But Parkway Bakery and Tavern has stood the test of time, providing the citizens of Mid-City and beyond with over 25 different po-boy selections.

Some po-boy shops have put their own spin on the sandwich, like the long-lasting Casamento’s on 4330 Magazine St. Founded in 1919 by Joe Casamento, who was a native of Ustica, Italy, Casamento’s is particularly known for its oysters, fried seafood, Italian dishes, and, of course, its poboys. Casamento’s, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, sets itself apart from other po-boy establishments by using

pan bread, which is basically like Texas toast, instead of using the traditional French bread.

The restaurant, along with its po-boys, has been so popular that it has been visited by a number of well-known celebrities, like Guy Fieri, Peyton Manning, Bradley Cooper, and Johnny Knoxville.

Another longstanding restaurant that specializes in po-boys is Johnny’s PoBoys, on 511 St. Louis St. in the French Quarter. Established in 1950, Johnny’s has an impressive selection of po-boys for any palate, with over 50 sandwiches to choose from. Mother’s Restaurant, on 401 Poydras St., made po-boy history with its creation of the Ferdi Special, which is a roast beef po-boy with slices of ham added to it (named after Mr. Ferdi, who was a local merchant who asked for that combination).

Po-boys have become so synonymous with New Orleans that any local restaurant worth its salt has a couple on its menu, with some stand-outs being Killer Po-boys, Domilise’s, Boucherie, and Liuzza’s by the Track. The po-boy has also gone through a type of evolution, following the introduction of our sizable Vietnamese population after the Fall of Saigon in 1975.

The Vietnamese po-boy, called bánh mì, is commonly made with chả lụa (Vietnamese pork sausage), carrots, daikon, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno, pâté, and mayonnaise.

Over the years, bánh mìs have started to incorporate fillings such as charbroiled pork, lemongrass chicken, and New Orleans staples like hot sausage and BBQ shrimp.

As a way of showing our appreciation for the po-boy and its designation as such a fixture in our city, New Orleans citizens and local restauranteurs gather together on Oak Street one day each November for the Oak Street Po-Boy Festival, which just celebrated its 12th anniversary in 2018. And considering how many New Orleanians and people from all around the world love our po-boys, we’ll be celebrating these simple sandwiches for a long, long time.

COTERIE B R E A K FA S T, L U N C H , D I N N E R & M O R E !

135 Decatur St. ~ New Orleans 504-529-8600 ~ CoterieNOLA.com

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 27

best king cakes around. The French bread that Dong Phuong bakes is used in a number of highly rated Vietnamese restaurants, such as Tân Định, Phở Tàu Bay, and Nine Roses.

Take a drive out to New Orleans East, order some French bread, sit down and have a bánh mì, and see why Dong Phuong Bakery is so renowned.

The Greatest Thing Since French Bread Where To Get A Good Loaf Around New Orleans

By Burke Bischoff

N

ew Orleanians are completely spoiled by their city’s food. Honestly, it’s a given how world-famous most New Orleans cuisine has become over the years, so people here expect only the best when they’re shopping around for their meals. This, of course, includes our favorite local loaf: French bread. Planning on making some po-boys or bánh mìs for a family party?

Need something to dip into your gumbo or etouffée? Do you want to just slap some butter or olive oil on it and dig right in? Well, here are some places in the Greater New Orleans area where you can pick up some of the best French bread around.

Hi-Do Bakery 439 Terry Pkwy., Terrytown (504) 366-6555 facebook.com/hidobakery This is a particularly great little gem on the Westbank. Founded in 1995 by baker Ha Do, Hi-Do is a family-owned and -operated bakery that is known for its custom-designed king cakes, pastries (my favorite are their raisin scones), and, of course, French bread. You can order their freshly made, inexpensive French bread in three sizes: small (6 inches), medium (12 inches), and large (about 20 inches). So, the next time you find yourself on the Westbank, stop by Hi-Do Bakery. You’ll surely be greeted with a warm hello from the staff and the smell of delicious baked goods.

28 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

Hong Kong Food Market 925 Behrman Hwy. #3, Gretna (504) 397-7075 hongkongmarketnola.com Considered to be one of the largest Asian markets in the Greater New Orleans area, the Hong Kong Food Market has really anything you could possibly want. It offers everything from fresh meat, produce, and fish to sweets, condiments, drinks, and other items from all kinds of different cultures, not just Asian.

When you first go into the market, head to the right until you see a stand selling freshcooked meat and bánh mìs. There will be a clear compartment filled to the brim with French bread. The bread is soft and fluffy, and you can take three loaves for just $1. So, go get yourself some good French bread and do some exploring while you’re in the Hong Kong Food Market.

Dong Phuong Bakery 14207 Chef Menteur Hwy. (504) 254-0214 dpbakeshop.com If you live in New Orleans or even just passed through for Mardi Gras, you’ve no doubt heard of Dong Phuong Bakery. Owned

by Huong Tran and located in the Little Vietnam section of New Orleans East, Dong Phuong has become nationally famous for its assortment of Vietnamese baked goods and cuisine, as well as for providing some of the

John Gendusa Bakery Inc. 2009 Mirabeau Ave. (504) 283-2747 gendusabakery.com Proudly proclaimed as “the originators of the famous poor boy bread,” this bakery was founded by John Gendusa in 1922. It gained its fame when brothers Bennie and Clovis Martin asked Gendusa to produce a long, uniform loaf of bread so that they could use it for their sandwiches, now commonly referred to as po-boys. Family-run for about four generations, John Gendusa’s provides multiple restaurants, like Parran’s Po-Boys and Gene’s Po-Boys, with their traditional French bread, as well as muffuletta loaves and pistolettes. Get yourself some John Gendusa’s French bread, serve some poboys to your friends and family, and tell them they’re eating the “original” po-boy.

Leidenheimer Baking Company 1501 Simon Bolivar Ave. (504) 525-1575 leidenheimer.com The oldest and most famous breadprovider on this list, Leidenheimer Bakery was founded in New Orleans in 1896 by George Leidenheimer from Deidesheim, Germany.

Originally located on Dryades Street, the business moved to a new location on Simon Bolivar Avenue in 1904 and has continued to be family-owned and -operated there ever since. Originally using heavy German breads before switching to New Orleans French bread, Leidenheimer is the primary French bread-provider for New Orleans, most of Louisiana, and the Gulf South. If you’re having Leidenheimer French bread, then you’re having some of the best French bread around.

Langlinais Bakery 815 S. St. Antoine St., Lafayette (337) 235-2644 neworleansfrenchbread.com The go-to place for French bread in Lafayette, Langlinais Bakery was founded in 1968 in order to meet the demand for French bread for roast beef po-boys in the area.

By 1971, Langlinais’s popularity continued to grow, and the bakery now delivers its products all throughout Lafayette and even to restaurants across the United States.

In addition to offering their famed French bread in whatever size you want, the bakery also provides muffuletta bread, boule bread, breadsticks, and Italian twists. Order yourself some French bread and see why Langlinais Bakery is the talk of Lafayette.

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 29

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

15 Ways To Get Invited to the Next Crawfish Boil hile there are definitely a few spots around town that serve excellent boiled crawfish (Bevi Seafood, Clesi's, Big Fisherman, Seither's, etc.), some of the best and most memorable boils are typically held in a friend’s and/or family's backyard. While important, the crawfish itself isn't necessarily a marker for a successful boil. There are other essentials that have to be taken into account, from sides like sausage and red potatoes to whether there's ice-cold beer in easy reach or a table large enough to accommodate every head-sucker and tail-pincher who attends. Most importantly, crawfish boils are highly social events, and while tasty, there's just so much missing if you're sucking down a few pounds all by yourself.

Hopefully, you're the kind of person everyone wants to invite to their crawfish boil, but just in case, there are quite a few things you can do to ensure your spot at the table.

30 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

1.

2.

3.

10.

11.

By Kim Ranjbar

W

9.

Bring beer. This seems like a nobrainer, but you'd be surprised how many people think it's cool to come to a party without supplying, at the very least, your own libations. Also, though I shouldn't have to say it, bring good beer. A local brew like NOLA Blonde Ale or something from LA 31 would be a great addition to any boil.

Chip in! Regardless of what point in the season the boil will be held, crawfish can get pretty expensive, especially if you're serving a large group of people. Last year, the average price was $2.50 per pound, and with a minimum of five pounds per person, the mudbugs alone will set your host back $250 for a party of 20 people!

Support the Black & Gold. It's practically assumed that if you live in

12.

13.

14.

15.

New Orleans, you must be a Saints fan, but even if you aren't, it's better to be safe than sorry!

Offer to be a designated driver.

Lots of people like to drink lots of beer when suckin' the heads, and we all know that drinking and driving is never the answer. Yeah, you'll have to keep your consumption to a bare minimum, but isn't all that tasty crawfish worth a little sacrifice? Not to mention, you'll be keeping friends and loved ones safe and/or out of jail.

Bring dessert. After eating a bunch of spicy crawfish and sides, a dessert certainly wouldn't go amiss. Several pints of Quintin's Natural Ice Cream would hit the spot, or better yet, a gallon jug of New Orleans Original Daiquiris.

Wash your hands. It doesn't matter if you washed your hands before you left the house, wash them again!

Wouldn't you want all the other people touching that pile of food you’re eating from to wash their hands, too? It's just good manners.

Make room. Don't hog your spot at the table! Always be willing to squeeze another person in next to you. After all, the more the merrier!

Save some sides for others. Like making room for more, don't hoard all of the corn, sausage, mushrooms, or precious garlic. This is a shared experience, so do what you can to make everyone happy.

Suck the heads! Be brave and suck away! If it's really not your thing, try at least one before moving on to the next bug.

Stand up. Oftentimes, there aren't enough chairs for everyone. If you are able, save the few seats for those who really need them, like Maw Maw or Paw Paw. Keep your boiling tips to yourself.

Unless the cook is asking for input or seems to be having a hard time and is surreptitiously seeking help, just keep your advice under your Saints hat. No one likes a backseat boiler.

Hang out. It's plain rude to show up just to eat the crawfish and then disappear after you've had your fill.

These are your friends and/or family!

Take your time and enjoy being around the people who make your life complete.

Help tidy up. Like any get-together, crawfish boils can be messy. Do your part to pitch in. Your efforts will be appreciated and remembered.

Thank your host. This should be a given, but in case you missed etiquette class, thank your host—at least twice. Everyone who hosts a party takes great pleasure in knowing their guests enjoyed themselves.

Throw your own crawfish boil. At the very least, you'll know you have an invite!

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 31

MUSICCALENDAR

Be sure to check out our new interactive concert calendar at WhereYat.com!

Three Keys - DJ Shane Love Three Muses - Tuba Skinny Tropical Isle Original - the Hangovers

P!NK Pop icon P!NK will be rocking out at the Smoothie King Center as an extension to her Beautiful Trauma World Tour. Join P!NK as she performs songs off of Beautiful Trauma and her previous albums. Tickets range from $100 to $250. Sunday, March 17, 7:30 p.m. $100$250. Smoothie King Center, smoothiekingcenter.com Monday, March 4 Apple Barrel - James McClaskey, Bourbon Bastards Balcony Music Club - Alicia Renee aka Blue Eyes, Lil Red & Big Bad, Retrospex, Jam Brass Band, Huckleberry Funk Bamboula’s - Saint Louis Slim, Bann-Bua’s Hot Jazz 4, G & the Swinging Gypsies, Lez Getrez N Creole Cooking Blue Nile - Flow Tribe Bombay Club - David Beddinghaus and Ray Moore Buffa’s - Arsene DeLay, Antoine Diel, Bywater Skanks Cafe Negril - Shawn Williams Band, Noggin, Soul Project NOLA Carousel Bar - James Martin Band Checkpoint Charlie - Decatur Street Allstars, The Unnaturals Columns Hotel - David Doucet Crescent City Brewhouse - New Orleans Street Beat D.b.a - Cyril Neville & Swamp Funk Dmac’s Bar and Grill - Danny Alexander & The Monday Night Blues Jam Session Dos Jefes - John Fohl Dragon’s Den - DJ Kidd Love and DJ FTK French Market Dutch Alley - Charles Brewer Trio, Marc Stone 3, Young Pin Stripe Brass Band Funky Pirate - Willie Lockett Band Gasa Gasa - Dave Catching’s Rancho de la Lunatics + Hickoids + Gools Hi Ho Lounge - Bluegrass Pickin’ Party with Tucker Baker, Victoria Coy, and Mark Andrews, Jimbo Mathus Hot Tin - Michael Watson & The Alchemy House of Blues The Parish - The Interrupters House of Blues Restaurant - Alison McConnel, Big Al & The Heavyweights, Old Riley & the Waters Jazz Playhouse - Gerald French & The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band Kajun’s Pub - Karaoke Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge - Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers Kerry Irish Pub - Van Hudson & Will Dickerson Le Bon Temps Roule - The Truth Brass Band The Maison - Frog and Henry, Chicken & Waffles, Aurora Nealand & The Royal Roses, Big E Brass Band, Brass-A-Holics, Mannie Fresh One Eyed Jacks - Quintron Palm Court Jazz Cafe - Palm Court Jazz Band Portside Lounge - Valerie Sassyfras Republic - 11th Annual Lundifest feat. Juvenile, Choppa, DJ Keith Scott, DJ BZRK, 2009 Tour After-Party hosted

by Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa Siberia - Jackson and the Janks, Esther Rose, Tumbling WHeels, Leo Rondeau Snug Harbor - Charmaine Neville Band Spanish Plaza - Lundi Gras at Riverwalk’s Spanish Plaza feat. Cowboy Mouth Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters, Darcy Malone and the Tangle

Spotted Cat - Royal Street Winding Boys, Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars, Hot Club of New Orleans The Starlight - Lulu & The Broadsides with Dayna Kurtz and Josh Paxton, Orphaned in Storyville, Burris Three Keys - DJ Josh Lee Hooker Tipitina’s - Galactic feat. Erica Falls, Con Brio, and DJ Quickie Mart Tropical Isle Original - Graham Robinson Band, Trop Rock Express Tuesday, March 5 Bamboula’s - Christopher Johnson, Kala Chandra, John Lisi, Jason Neville Funky Soul Band Balcony Music Club - Captain Green, Abe Thompson & Drs. Of Funk, Pagy Prine & Southern Soul, Vance Orange, Sandra Love & The Reason Bombay Club - Joe Krown Trio Buffa’s - Davis Rogan Sherman Bernard and the Old Man River Band, Jeremy Joyce, Spogga: Brother Hash Cafe Beignet - Steamboat Willie Jazz Band Cafe Negril - 4 Sidemen of the Apocalypse, John Lisi and Delta Funk Checkpoint Charlie - Jamie Lynn Vessels, Duplex, Joystick Crescent City Brewhouse - New Orleans Street Beat D.b.a - New Orleans Klezmer Allstars, Treme Brass Brand Dmac’s Bar and Grill - R & R Music Group Dos Jefe’s - Tangiers Combo Dragon’s Den - DJ Ill Medina, DJ BZRK, DJ Bryce, DJ G Cue Dragon’s Den Upstairs - DJ Legatron Prime Hi Ho Lounge - Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra + Jimbo Mathus & The Durrty Crooks with Alvin Youngblood Hart House of Blues - Wiz Khalifa & Curren$y House of Blues Restaurant - Cary Hudson Band, Jake Landry & the Right Lane Bandits, Michael Liuzza Howlin’ Wolf “the Den” - Comedy Beast Jazz Playhouse - The James Rivers Movement Kajun’s Pub - Karaoke Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge - Cyril Neville Jam Session Little Tropical Isle - Mark Pentone, Frank Fairbanks The Maison - DJ Dizzi, R&R Music Group, B Miller Zone, Gene’s Music Machine Portside Lounge - thering of the Wild Red Flames Mardi Gras Indian Tribe Prime Example - Spectrum 6 Quintet feat. Arthur Miller & Percy Williams Siberia - Mars, Holy Spirit, Haint Spotted Cat - Jazz Band Ballers, Andy J. Forest, Ecrib Muller’s Twisted Dixie, Smoking Time Jazz Club Starlight - DJ Nene, Mardi Gras Dance Party

32 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

Wednesday, March 6 Apple Barrel - Andre Lovett, Josh Benitez Balcony Music Club - Tempted, Yisrael, Soul Legacy Bamboula’s - Eight Dice Cloth, Bamboula’s Hot Jazz Quartet, Mem Shannon, Smoky Greenwell Blues Band Bombay Club - John Royen Buffa’s Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez Bullet’s Sports Bar - Treme Brass Band Checkpoint Charlie - T Bone Stone & The Happy Monsters Circle Bar - The Iguanas Columns Hotel - Kathleen Moore D.b.a - Tin Men, Walter Wolfman & the Roadmasters Dmac’s Bar and Grill - Sam Hotchkiss Dos Jefe’s - Carl LeBlanc and Ellen Smith Dragon’s Den - DJ FTK Dragon’s Den Upstairs - DJ T-Roy Funky Pirate - Blues Masters Hi Ho Lounge - Beardsley House of Blues Restaurant - Cary Hudson Jazz Playhouse - Shannon Powell Jazz Quartet Kajun’s Pub - Karaoke Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge - Karaoke Kerry Irish Pub - Patrick Cooper Little Gem Saloon - Naydja Cojoe Little Tropical Isle - Mark Parsons, Reed Lightfoot The Maison - Jazmarae Beebe, New Orleans Jazz Vipers, Big E Brass Band Neutral Ground Coffeehouse - Mike True & Phantom Band, Cosmic Collective Preservation Hall - New Orleans Sounds with Joe Lastie, Preservation All Stars with Mike Bruad SideBar NOLA - Mahmoud Chouki, Martin Masakowski and Oscar Rossignoli, Mike Dillon, Brian Haas and Alex Massa Snug Harbor - Uptown Jazz Orchestra with Delfeayo Marsalis Spotted Cat - Antoine Diel & The New Orleans Misfit Power Starlight - Tuba Skinny, Nahum Zdybel’s Hot Jazz Jam Tapps II - Kevin Morris & Uptown Production Three Muses - Leslie Martin, Hot Club of New Orleans Tropical Isle Original - Debi and the Deacons, Late As Usual Thursday, March 7 Balcony Music Club - Ainsley Matich & Broken Blues, Kennedy Kuntz & Men of the Hour, One Percent Bombay Club - Banu Gibson and David Boeddinghaus Buffa’s Gumbo Cabaret, Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand Bullet’s - Shamar Allen and the Underdawgs Cafe Beignet - Steamboat Willie Jazz Band Cafe Negril - Claude Bryant and the All-Stars, Sierra Green and the Soul Machine d.b.a. - Alexis and the Samurai, Ari Teitel Funky Pirate - Mark and the Pentones, Blues Masters House of Blues (the Parish) - Le Butcherettes House of Blues - Between the Buried and Me Howlin’ Wolf (the Den) - Comedy Gumbeaux Jazz Playhouse - Brass-A-Holics Kajun’s Pub - Karaoke Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge - Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers Kerry Irish Pub - Chip Wilson Ogden Museum of Southern Art - Ogden After Hours feat. KatieCat and Cain Palm Court Jazz Cafe - Duke Heitger and Crescent City Joymakers Preservation Hall - Preservation Legacy Band feat.

Gregg Stafford, Preservation All-Stars feat. Lucien Barbarin Snug Harbor - James Singleton Quintet Spotted Cat - Up Up We Go, Miss Sophie Lee, Jumbo Shrimp Starlight - Keith Burnstein, John Zarsky Trio, Elephant’s Gerald Three Keys - Roldan Guerin Band

Three Muses - Tom McDermott, St. Louis Slim Tropical Isle Original - The Hangovers, Late As Usual Vaughan’s - DJ Black Pearl, Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet Friday, March 8 Balcony Music Club - Lifesavers, Winslow, Moments of Truth, Jamz Reggae Band Blue Nile - Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers Boomtown Casino - No Idea Buffa’s - Catie Rodgers and the Gentilly Stompers, Joe Krown and Jason Ricci Cafe Beignet - Steamboat Willie Jazz Band Cafe Negril - Shawn Williams, Dana Abbott, Higher Heights d.b.a. - Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers Hi-Ho Lounge - the River Dragon, Cole Williams House of Blues (Foundation Room) - Jake Landry and the Right Lane Bandits Jazz Playhouse - Crescent By Choice, Trixie Minx’s Burlesque Ballroom feat. Romy Kaye and the Mercy Buckets Kajun’s Pub - Karaoke Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge - DJ Sugar Ray Kerry Irish Pub - Chip Wilson, Patrick Cooper and Shawn Williams Little Gem Saloon - Germaine Bazzle and the Peter Harris Trio Little Tropical Isle - Reed Lightfoot, Styk Maison - Rhythm Stompers, Swinging Gypsies, Shotgun Jazz Band, Gene’s Music Machine, Buena Vista Social Latin Night Marigny Opera House - Louis Moreau Institute presents Amiable Neighbors Old Point Bar - Rick Trolsen, Maid of Orleans Palm Court Jazz Cafe - Kevin Louis and Palm Court Jazz Band Portside Lounge - Mike Dillon Band, Bubastis Preservation Hall - Preservation Legacy Band feat.

Wendell Brunious, Preservation All-Stars feat. Will Smith SideBar NOLA - Alex McMurray and Glenn Hartman, Martin Krusche and Anthony Cuccia Snug Harbor - Ellis Marsalis Quintet Spotted Cat - Andy Forest Treaux, Washboard Chaz Blues Trio, Dr. Brice Miller’s BukuNOLA Starlight - Shaye Cohn and Coleman Akin, Ingrid Lucia Trio Three Keys - DJ Rozay Rell Three Muses - Matt Johnson, Doro Wat Jazz Band Tropical Isle Bourbon - Wild Card, Debi and the Deacons Saturday, March 9 Balcony Music Club - Orphans of Storyville, Abe Thompson & Drs. of Funk, Retrospex, Sierra Green & Soul Machine, Kristen Palmer Boomtown Casino - Joey Thomas Band Buffa’s Warren Battiste, Freddie Blue and the Friendship Circle, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and Steve DeTroy Cafe Beignet - Steamboat Willie Jazz Band Cafe Negril - Joy Clark, Jamey St. Pierre and the Honeycreepers, Another Day in Paradise d.b.a. - Tuba Skinny, Soul Brass Band, Dew Drop Social and Benevolent Hall: Steve Pistorius and the Southern Syncopators present the music of Bunk Johnson Fillmore - Franco Escamilla House of Blues (Foundation Room) - Juan Tigre House of Blues - Jacob Collier Howlin’ Wolf (the Den) - Mobile Steam Unit, VUZZ, the Dommes Jazz Playhouse - My Best Friend: The Game Show Kajun’s Pub - Karaoke Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge - Neshia Ruffins Kerry Irish Pub - Will Dickerson, Hurricane Refugees Little Gem Saloon - Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers Little Tropical Isle - Reed Lightfoot, Styk Maison - Chance Bushman and the Ibervillianaires, Eight Dice Cloth, Smoking Time Jazz Club, Big Easy Brawlers, Night Level Nightclub Experience, Soul Project One Eyed Jacks - Luna, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, DJ

Riviera Slim Palm Court Jazz Cafe - Will Smith and Palm Court Jazz Band Portside Lounge - Stone Cold Hippies, Something From Nothing Preservation Hall - Preservation Brass feat. Mark Braud, Preservation All-Stars feat. Rickie Monie SideBar NOLA - Lynn Drury, New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars Trio Smoothie King Center - Zac Brown Band Snug Harbor - Quiana Lynell Spotted Cat - Antoine Diel and Arsene DeLay, Panorama Jazz Band, James Martin Band Starlight - Gypsy Stew, Shawan Rice, Siren Series with Kathryn Rose, Kirsten Palmer and Kadi Helms Three Keys - NOJO 7, DJ Chris Stylez Three Muses - Chris Christy, Debbie Davis Tropical Isle Original - the Hangovers, Late As Usual Sunday, March 10 Balcony Music Club - Will Dickerson Band, Abe Thompson & Drs. of Funk, Jazmarae, Moments of Truth Buffa’s - Some Like It Hot!, Taft Jazz Band, Steve Pistorius Jazz Quartet d.b.a. - Palmetto Bugs Stompers, Aaron Wilkinson Band Funky Pirate - Mark and the Pentones, Willie Lockett Band Gasa Gasa - Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Frankie and the Witch Fingers, the Painted Hands Howlin’ Wolf (the Den) - Hot 8 Brass Band Kajun’s Pub - Karaoke Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge - DJ Sugar Ray, TBC Brass Band Kerry Irish Pub - Patrick Cooper Little Gem Saloon - Little Freddie King Little Tropical Isle - Styk, Frank Fairbanks One Eyed Jacks - Marina Orchestra Palm Court Jazz Cafe - Mark Braud and Sunday Night Swingsters Preservation Hall - Preservation Legacy Band feat.

Gregg Stafford, Preservation All-Stars feat. Wendell Brunious Snug Harbor - Trio Griot with Torkanowsky, Ross and Bloom Spotted Cat - Aurora Nealand and the Reed Minders, Robin Barnes and the FiyaBirds, Pat Casey and the New Sound Starlight - Gypsy Stew, Gabriella Cavassa Trio, Gabriella Cavassa Jazz Jam Three Muses - Raphael et Pascal, the Clementines Tropical Isle Original - the Hangovers, Late As Usual

Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge - Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers Kerry Irish Pub - Kim Carson Preservation Hall - Preservation Jazz Masters with Leroy Jones, Preservation All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel Snug Harbor - Charmaine Neville Band Spotted Cat - Royal Street Winding Boys, Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars, Hot Club of New Orleans Tropical Isle Original - Graham Robinson Band, Trop Rock Express Tuesday, March 12 Apple Barrell - G-Volt, Steve Mignano Band Balcony Music Club - Sweet Magnolia, Dapper Dandies, Abe Thompson & Doctors of Funk Bamboula’s - Christopher Johnson, Rancho Tee Motel, Chance Bushman’s Rhythm Stompers, The Budz Bombay Club - Matt Lemmler Checkpoint Charlie - Jamie Lynn Vessels Circle Bar - The Geraniums, Forest Ray + Leafdrinker + Jurassic Shark and more D.b.a - Dinosaurchestra, Treme Brass Brand Dmac’s Bar and Grill - Rainey Vexen Dragon’s Den - Frog and Henry

Gasa Gasa - Hot Flash Heat Wave + Vacations + Field Trip House of Blues Restaurant - Michael Liuzza Kerry Irish Pub - Jason Bishop Little Gem Saloon - Yoshitaka “Z2” Tsuji The Maison - Jazmarae Beebe, Gregory Agid Quartet, Gene’s Music Machine Neutral Ground Coffehouse - Lenny Jorns, Calli Solano, The Harp Guy Preservation Hall - Preservation Legacy Band with Wendell Brunios, Preservation All Stars with Charlie Gabriel The Prime Example - Spectrum 6 Quintet featuring Arthur Miller & Percy Williams Snug Harbor - Stanton Moore Trio Southern Rep Theater - Michaela Harrison Trio The Starlight - Hannah Mignano Trio, Caves with Adam Keil, Asher Danziger Three Muses - Sam Cammarata Wednesday, March 13 Apple Barrell - Andre Lovett, Big Mike Balcony Music Club - Tempted, Les Getrex & Creole Cooking, Soul Legacy Bamboula’s - Eight Dice Cloth, Bamboulas Hot Jazz Quartet, Mem Shannon, John Lisi Band

Bombay Club - Josh Paxton Bullet’s Sports Bar - Treme Brass Band Carousel Lounge Hotel Monteleone - James Martin Band Checkpoint Charlie - T Bone Stone & the Happy Monsters Circle Bar - The Iguanas, Herzog Columns Hotel - Kathleen Moore D.b.a. - Tin Men, Walter Wolfman Washington & the Roadmasters Dmac’s Bar and Grill - Simple Sound Retreat, Coliseum Dragon’s Den - DJ FTK Dragon’s Den “Upstairs” - DJ T-Roy Gasa Gasa - Carinae + Sun Parade + Cicada & more Hey Cafe - Heaven Honey, + Balms + Winded & more Hi Ho Lounge - Beardsley House of Blues Foundation Room - Michael Liuzza House of Blues Restaurant - Jon Roniger Kerry Irish Pub - Beth Patterson Little Gem Saloon - Naydja Cole The Maison - Sidewalk Swing, New Orleans Jazz Vipers, B Miller Zone Neutral Ground Coffeehouse - Karyn Ann Partridge, Sam Tepper, Sex Jesus Palm Court Jazz Cafe - Lars Edegran & Topsy Chapman

Monday, March 11 Balcony Music Club - Bob & Dave, Lil Red & Big Bad, Paggy Prine & Southern Soul Buffa’s - Arsene DeLay, Antoine Diel Cafe Negril - Maid of Orleans, Soul Project NOLA Circle Bar - Dem Roach Boyz, Big Bliss, Parrot Dream, Cicada, Jack and the Jackrabbits d.b.a. - John Boutte, Jazz Vipers Dixon Hall (Tulane University) - Louis Moreau Institute presents An Ode for Troubled Times Funky Pirate - Willie Lockett Band House of Blues - Buckethead Howlin’ Wolf (the Den) - Paint Nite NOLA Jazz Playhouse - Gerald French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band Kajun’s Pub - Karaoke

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 33

with Palm Court Jazz Band Preservation Hall - New Orleans Sounds with Joe Lastie, Preservation All stars with Mike Braud Snug Harbor - Uptown Jazz Orchestra with Delfeayo Marsalis The Spotted Cat - Antoine Del & the New Orleans Misfit Power The Starlight - Davis Rogan, Tuba Skinny, Nahum Zydbel’s Hot Jazz Jam Tapps II - Kevin Morris & Uptown Production Three Muses - Leslie Martin, Hot Club of New Orleans University of New Orleans the Sandbar at the Cove Shannon Powell Thursday, March 14 Apple Barrell - Slick Skillet Serenaders, Big Soul BMC - Ainsley Martin & Broken Blues, AfroBear, Captain Green Bamboula’s - Christopher Johnson, Jan Marie & the Mean Reds, Marty Peters & the Party Meters, City of Trees Brass Band Bombay Club - Kris Tokarski and Duke Heitger Bullet’s Sports Bar - Shamar Allen & the Underdawgs Cafe Istanbul - Versipel New Music Capulet - The Jazz Congress Carousel Lounge Hotel Monetelone - Antoine Del Quartet Checkpoint Lounge - Locomotive Pie Circle Bar - Dark Lounge with Rik Slave, Dead Selves + Epic Reflexes + Macavoy City Park Pavilion of the Two Sisters - Boogiemen Swing Band D.b.a. - Dinola & Malevitus Dmac’s Bar and Grill - The Brothers Keegan Dragon’s Den - DJ Jess Dragon’s Den “Upstairs” - HasSizzle Gasa Gasa - Tasche De La Rocha, Joanna Tomassoni, Aaron Benjamin & more Hi Ho Lounge - John Paul Carmody, Midnight Rebel + Mike Doussan Band + South Jones House of Blues - Zoso House of Blues Foundation Room - Todd Adams and Damon Kirin House of Blues Restaurant - Jake Landry Kerry Irish Pub - Patrick Cooper Le Bon Temps Roule - The Soul Rebels Little Gem Saloon - John Mooney & Marc Stone The Maison - Good for Nothin’ Band, Tuba Skinny, Dysfunktional Bone Neutral Ground Coffeehouse - Vali Talbot, Chris Robinson NOLA Brewing - Dave Jordan & the NIA Ogden Museum of Southern Art - Kim Carson Palm Court Jazz Cafe - Tim Laughlin & Crescent City Joymakers Preservation Hall - Preservation Legacy Band with Gregg Stafford, Preservation All Stars with Lucien Barbarin The Prime Example - Alexey Martin Quintet Rib Room at the Omni Royal Orleans - Alan Bailey Snug Harbor - Shannon Powell Trio The Starlight - Neal Todten, Matt “Baby Boy” Bartells, Shawan Rice, Amani Black Pearl and Tarrah Reynolds Three Muses - Tom McDermott, Arsene DeLay Vaughan’s Lounge - DJ Black Pearl 504, Corey Henry & the Treme Funktet Friday, March 15 Balcony Music Club - Lifesavers, Winslow, La Tran K, Treces Del Sur Boomtown Casino - Junior & Sumtin’ Sneaky Buffa’s - Calvin Johnson and Native Son, Bluebird String Band with Albanie Falletta Cafe Beignet - Steamboat Willie Jazz Band Cafe Negril - Shawn Williams, Dana Abbott, Higher Heights d.b.a. - Smoking Time Jazz Club, Honey Island Swamp Band Fillmore - Avett Brothers House of Blues - Blues Traveler Howlin’ Wolf (the Den) - Baby Boy Bartels and the Boys, Frankie Boots and the Country Line Kajun’s Pub - Karaoke Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge - DJ Sugar Ray Kerry Irish Pub - Vali Talbot, Will Dickerson Little Gem Saloon - Quiana Lynell NOLA Brewing - Paul Sanchez One Eyed Jacks - Zenith Sunn feat. Anson Funderburgh and Eric Lindell Palm Court Jazz Cafe - Kevin Louis and Palm Court Jazz Band

Preservation Hall - Preservation Legacy Band feat.

Wendell Brunious, Preservation All-Stars feat. Will Smith Snug Harbor - Ellis Marsalis Quintet Spotted Cat - Andy J. Forest, New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings, Shake ‘Em Up Jazz Band Three Keys - Ezra Collective Three Muses - Royal Roses, Doro Wat Jazz Band Tipitina’s - Water Seed, Sexual Thunder, Raj Smoove Tropical Isle Original - the Hangovers, Late As Usual Saturday, March 16 Abita Springs Town Hall - Abita Springs Opry feat.

Anderson Group, Big Easy Playboys, Fair River Station, Riverside Ramblers Balcony Music Club - Orphans of Storyville, Abe Thompson & Drs. of Funk, Retrospex, JAM Brass Band, Twisted Circus Boomtown Casino - Aaron Foret Buffa’s Warren Battiste, Royal Rounders, Asylum Chorus d.b.a. - Tuba Skinny, Soul Rebels Fillmore - Avett Brothers House of Blues (Foundation Room) - Rahim Glaspy House of Blues - Marsha Ambrosius Jazz Playhouse - Cyril Neville and Swamp Funk Band Kajun’s Pub - Karaoke Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge - Neshia Ruffins Kerry Irish Pub - Speed the Mule, Van Hudson Little Gem Saloon - Evan Christopher Maison - Chance Bushman and the Ibervillianaires, Eight Dice Cloth, Smoking Time Jazz Club, SIerra Green and the Soul Machine, Next Level Nightclub Experience, Big Easy Brawlers Palm Court Jazz Cafe - Will Smith and Palm Court Jazz Band Portside Lounge - Old Riley and the Water Preservation Hall - Preservation Brass feat. Mark Braud, Preservation All-Stars feat. Rick Monie Siberia - Leafdrinker, Biscuithound, Tranche SideBar NOLA - Klezervation Hall, Soul O’Sam with Sam Price, Chris Alford and Marcello Benetti Snug Harbor - Amina Figerova Sextet Spotted Cat - New Bourbon Street Jazz Band, Panorama Jazz Band, Jumbo Shrimp Three Keys - La Noche Caliente with Muevelo and Mambo Orleans, Late Night Snacks with G-Cue Three Muses - Chris Christy, Debbie Davis, Shotgun Jazz Band Tipitina’s - Fortunate Sons: A Creedence Clearwater Revival Tribute Tropical Isle Original - the Hangovers, Late As Usual Sunday, March 17 AllWays Lounge - James McClaskey & his Rhythm Band Apple Barrell - G-Volt, Jeremy Joyce, Sierra Green Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits - John Zarsky Balcony Music Club - Will Dickerson Band, Abe Thompson & Doctors of Funk, Jazmarae, Moments of Truth Bamboula’s - Eh La Bas, New Orleans Ragweeds, Carl LeBlanc, Ed Wills Blues 4 Sale Bombay Club - Kris Tokarski Trio with Duke Heitger Bullet’s Sports Bar - VL & Just Eight Band Checkpoint Charlie - Open Mic with Jim Smith Circle Bar - Dick Deluxe, Micah McKee & Friends + Blind Texas Marlin, Looms D.b.a. - Palmetto Bug Stompers, Funk Monkey Dmac’s Bar & Grill - Dan Aguilar Blues Band Dragon’s Den - Open Mic with Anuraag Pendyal, DJ Kidd Love Gasa Gasa - Das Body + French for Rabbits + Kate Teague House of Blues Restaurant - Jason Bishop Howlin’ Wolf “The Den” - Hot 8 Brass Band Kerry Irish Pub - Beth Patterson, Speed the Mule, Roux the Day! Little Gem Saloon - Little Freddie King The Maison - Jitterbugs Jazz Band with Chance Bushman, Nanci Zee, and Lisa Casper, Second Hand Street Band, Tuba Skinny, Royal Street Winding Boys, Higher Heights Maison Bourbon Jazz Club - Jan Marie & the Mean Reds Neutral Ground Coffeehouse - Open Mic with Maddie Old Point Bar - Romy Kaye & the Mercy Buckets Palm Court Jazz Cafe - Mark Braud & Sunday Night Swingsters Preservation Hall - Mountain Man, Preservation Legacy Band with Gregg Stafford, Preservation All Stars with Wendell Brunious Snug Harbor - Phillip Manuel The Starlight - Gypsy Stew, Another Michael with Pop,

34 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

BrothersOsborne The two Osborne brothers who make up Brothers Osborne can play everything from traditional country music to rock and roll, creating a broad, full-bodied sound that fills the 11 songs on their major-label debut, Pawn Shop. Thursday, March 21, 7:00 p.m. $32.50$59.50. The Fillmore, fillmorenola.com Bellows with Julie Odell Three Muses - Raphael et Pascal, The Clementines Monday, March 18 Apple Barrel - James McClaskey, Bourbon Bastards Balcony Music Club - Zoe K., Lil Red & Big Bad, Paggy Prine & Southern Soul Bamboula’s - Saint Louis Slim, Bann-Bua’s Hot Jazz 4, G & the Swinging Gypsies, Smoky Greenwell Blues Band Bombay Club - David Boeddinghaus Checkpoint Charlie - Decatur Street Allstars Circle Bar - Dem Roach Boyz, Mom & the Mailman + Coco Cruse Columns Hotel - David Doucet D.b.a. - John Boutte, New Orleans Jazz Vipers Dmac’s Bar & Grill - Danny Alexander Dragon’s Den - DJ Ill Medina Dragon’s Den “Upstairs” - The Javels Jazz Band Gasa Gasa - The KVB + Numb.Er + J Sweatt Hi Ho Lounge - Bluegrass Pickin Party with Tucker Baker, Victoria Coy and Mark Andrews, Ron Hotstream & Tina: The Bad Sandys Hot Tin Pontchartrain Hotel - Rachel Murray House of Blues Restaurant - Sean Riley Kerry Irish Pub - Kim Carson The Maison - Chicken & Waffles, Aurora Nealand & The Royal Roses, Sierra Green & The Soul Machine Neutral Ground Coffeehouse - David Wiseman, Palm Sunday, Dig Nitty, Amelia Neville Preservation Hall - Preservation Jazz Masters with Leroy Jones, Preservation All Stars with Charlie Gabriel, Mountain Man Snug Harbor - Charmaine Neville Band The Starlight - Lulu & the Broadsides with Dayna Kurtz and Carlo Nuccio, Beth Patterson and Seth Hitsky, Amanda Walker and Keith Burnstein Three Muses - Washboard Rodeo Tuesday, March 19 Apple Barrel - G-Volt, Steve Mignano Band Balcony Music Club - Sweet Magnolia, Dapper Dandies, Abe Thompson & Doctors of Funk Bamboula’s - Christopher Johnson, Rancho Tee Motel, Chance Bushman’s Rhythm Stompers, The Budz Bombay Club - Matt Lemmler Checkpoint Charlie - Jamie Lynn Vessels Circle Bar - Speaking Suns + HMPH + Bug Lord & more D.b.a. - Dinosaurchestra, Treme Brass Band Dmac’s Bar and Grill - The Band Winslow Dragon’s Den - Frog and Henry Gasa Gasa - Tyler Ramsey Hi Ho Lounge - The Mystery Lights House of Blues Restaurant - Michael Liuzza Kerry Irish Pub - Jason Bishop Little Gem Saloon - Yoshitaka “Z2” Tsuji Mag’s 940 - Jazz Vipers The Maison - Novos Sapatos, Gregory Agid Quartet,

Gene’s Music Machine Neutral Ground Coffeehouse - Ed Moseley, Fillmore Duo, Dorian Greys One Eyed Jacks - Novo Amore with Gia Margaret Preservation Hall - PReservation Legacy Band with Wendell Brunious, Preservation All Stars with Charlie Gabriel The Prime Example - Spectrum 6 Quintet feat. Arthur Miller & Percy Williams Snug Harbor - Chuck Redd Vibes Quartet The Starlight - Dayna Kurtz, Violet & the Undercurrents with Mikayla Braun, Asher Danziger The Orpheum Theater - Amos Lee Three Muses - Josh Gouzy Wednesday, March 20 AllWays Lounge - Smoking Time Jazz Club Apple Barrel - Andre Lovett, Josh Benitez Balcony Music Club - Ron Hacker, LC Smoove, Sandra Love & the Reason Bamboula’s - Eight Dice Cloth, Bamboula’s Hot Jazz Quartet, Mem Shannon, John Lisi Band Bombay Club - Josh Paxton Bullet’s Sports Bar - Treme Brass Band Carousel Lounge Hotel Monteleone - James Martin Band Checkpoint Charlie - T Bone Stone & the Happy Monsters Circle Bar - The Iguanas Columns Hotel - Kathleen Moore D.b.a. - Tin Men Dmac’s Bar & Grill - Rebel Roadside Dragon’s Den - DJ FTK Dragon’s Den “Upstairs” - DJ T-Roy Gasa Gasa - Fatai Hi Ho Lounge - Beardsley House of Blues - Black Violin House of Blues Foundation Room - Nikia Yung and Burris House of Blues Restaurant - Sean Riley Kerry Irish Pub - Beth Patterson Lafayette Square - Big Sam’s Funky Nation with RumpleSTEELskin Little Gem Saloon - Naydja CoJoe The Maison - Reid Poole’s Boppin’ 5, New Orleans Jazz Vipers, Sam Friend Neutral Ground Coffeehouse - River Gypsy Jazz, Daddy’s Beemer Palm Court Jazz Cafe - Lars Edegran and Topsy Chapman with Palm Court Jazz Band Preservation Hall - New Orleans Sounds with Joe Lastie, Preservation All Stars with Mark Braud Snug Harbor - Uptown Jazz Orchestra with Delfeayo Marsalis The Spotted Cat - Antoine Diel & the New Orleans Misfit Power The Starlight - Davis Rogan, Tuba Skinny, Nahum Zdybel’s Hot Jazz Jam

Tapps II - Kevin Morris & Uptown Production Three Muses - Leslie Martin, Schatzy University of New Orleans The Sandbar at the Cove Chuck Redd Thursday, March 21 Buffa’s - Yvette Voelker and Harry Mayronne, Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand Cafe Negril - Claude Bryant and the All-Star, Sierra Green and the Soul Machine d.b.a. - Alexis & the Samurai, Little Freddie King Fillmore - Brothers Osborne, Devon Gilfillian House of Blues - Lords of Acid, Orgy, Genitortuerers, Little Miss Nasty Howlin’ Wolf - Comedy Gumbeaux Jazz Playhouse - Brass-A-Holics Kajun’s Pub - Karaoke Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge - Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers Kerry Irish Pub - Chip Wilson Le Bon Temps Roule - Soul Rebels Little Gem Saloon - Creole Stringbeans NOLA Brewing - Marc Stone Band Ogden Museum of Southern Art - Ogden After Hours feat. Cha Wa Palm Court Jazz Cafe - Tim Laughlin and Ben Polcer with Crescent City Joymakers Preservation Hall - Preservation Legacy Band feat.

Gregg Stafford, Preservation All-Stars feat Lucien Barbarin Siberia - Eastern Bloc Party feat. Sages of Khelm SideBar NOLA - Dayna Kurtz and Robert Mache, Justin Peake and Ira Echo Pickles Snug Harbor - Khari Allen Lee and New Creative Collective Spotted Cat - Up Up We Go, Miss Sophie Lee, Jumbo Shrimp Starlight - Anuraag Pendyal, Trevarri Trio, Pony Hunt, Andrea and Mudd Three Muses - Tom McDermott, Mia Borders Tipitina’s - Dirty Bourbon River Show 10th Anniversary Show, Bon Bon Vivant and friends Tropical Isle Original - the Hangovers, Late As Usual Vaughan’s - DJ Black Pearl, Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet

Friday, March 22 Boomtown Casino - B Street Benny Buffa’s - Dayna Kurtz, Candace and Robert Mache Cafe Negril - Shawn Williams, Dana ABbott, Higher Heights d.b.a. - Hot Club of New Orleans, Brass-A-Holics Fillmore - French Quarter Fest Gala Fundraiser feat.

Nicholas Payton, A Tribe Called Gumbolia Gasa Gasa - Standards, Static Masks, Shambles, Guns of the Senca Hi-Ho Lounge - the River Dragon, Jay and the Causeways, Roadside Glorious House of Blues - Shaggadelic and raw Revolution feat. the Rahim Glaspy Experience Howlin’ Wolf - Delish Da Goddess Jazz Playhouse - Chucky C and Clearly Blue, Trixie Minx’s Burlesque Ballroom feat. Romy Kaye and the Mercy Buckets Joy Theater - BUKU Late presents Gud Vibrations feat.

NGHTMRE, Slander, Ekali, Medasin, Wavedash, Klutch Kajun’s Pub - Karaoke Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge - DJ Sugar Ray Kerry Irish Pub - Patrick Cooper, Vincent Marini and Kennedy Kuntz Mahalia Jackson Theater - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Maison - Rhythm Stompers, Swinging Gypsies, Shotgun Jazz Band, Big Easy Brawlers, Buena Vista Social LAtin Night, DJ FTK Mardi Gras World - BUKU Music and Art Project Palm Court Jazz Cafe - Kevin Louis and Palm Court Jazz Band Preservation hall - Preservation Legacy Band feat.

Wendell Brunious, Preservation All-Stars feat. Will Smith Republic - BUKU Late x Emo Nite LA Present: From First to Last Siberia - Sabine and the Dewdrops, Okay Crawdad, Casey Jane SideBar NOLA - Cyrille Amiee and Ryan Hansler, Daniel Meinecke Ensemble Snug Harbor - Ellis Marsalis Quintet Spotted Cat - Andy J. Forest, Washboard Chaz Blues Trio, Soul Brass Band Starlight - Shaye Cohn with Coleman Akin, Anais St. John, DJ Nene

FunnyAsIshComedyTour If you love to laugh, don’t miss the Funny As Ish Comedy Tour at the Lakefront Arena, with Mike Epps and special guest hosts Sommore, Lavell Crawford, George Wallace, and Mark Curry. Saturday, March 23, 8:00 p.m. $50-$100. Lakefront Arena, arena.uno.edu Three Keys - King of Brass, DJ Raj Smoove Three Muses - Matt Johnson, Doro Wat Jazz Band Tropical Isle Original - the Hangovers, Late As Usual Saturday, March 23 Boomtown Casino - Supercharger Buffa’s - Warren Battiste, Shake ‘Em Up Jazz Band, Marina Orchestra Central City BBQ - Where Y’acht d.b.a. -Cottonmouth Kings, Rebirth Brass Band Dew Drop Social and Benevolent Hall - Helen Gillet and Wazozo Fillmore - The Haters Roast 2019

Funky Pirate - Mark and the Pentones, Blues Masters Gasa Gasa - Brent Cobb and Them, Adam Hood House of Blues - Jake Landry and the Right Lane Bandits Howlin’ Wolf - Pentagram, Brother Dege, Dirty Streets, Raise the Death Toll Joy Theater - BUKU Late presents Wakaan Takeover feat Liquid Stranger, LUZCID, Esseks, LSDREAM, Shlump, G-Rex, Eazybaked, SFAM Joy Theater - Tab Benoit and Whiskey Bayou Revue feat Jeff McCarty and Eric Johanson Kajun’s Pub - Karaoke Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge - Neshia Ruffins

Step into Spotlights with us prior to the event and enjoy our exclusive lounge with private entry, complimentary premium bar and light hors d’ourves.

Tickets for Spotlights can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com or at the Box Office.

March 13 - 17.......... Sun Belt Conference Men & Women’s Basketball Championship March 23...................................................................Funny As Ish Tour with Mike Epps March 29 - 30................................................................................. Hogs For The Cause April 12.................................................................. 12th Annual Big Easy Blues Festival April 21..................................................... The Millennium Tour featuring B2K & Mario May 2 - 5............................................... Disney On Ice presents Mickey’s Search Party May 7............................................................................................................ Juice WRLD May 31 - June 2........................................................ 65th Annual Symphony Book Fair Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com, Lakefront Arena Box Office, or charge by phone at 800-745-3000.

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 35

36 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 37

Lakeside2Riverside U P C O M I N G F E S T I VA L S & E V E N T S

Los Isleños Fiesta March 9 - 10

FESTIVALS Los Isleños Fiesta Los Isleños Museum & Village: 1345 Bayou Rd., St. Bernard Saturday, March 9 – Sunday, March 10 losislenos.org Come celebrate St. Bernard’s Spanish roots, which date back to the 1700s, at the annual Los Isleños Fiesta. The historic Isleños Village is the setting for a series of living history demonstrations, featuring folk crafts, historic vernacular lifestyles, and the cultural identity of the Canary Islanders’ community in St. Bernard Parish. Hear from representatives of the Houma Nation interpreting the history, culture, and folk traditions of the Houma Tribe and watch musicians and dancers from the Canary Islands along with popular New Orleans bands. There will also be rides, and both Spanish and New Orleans food will be available for purchase.

New Orleans Bourbon Festival Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Ace Hotel, and the Contemporary Arts Center Wednesday, March 20 – Saturday, March 23 neworleansbourbonfestival.com Come to New Orleans’s third annual Bourbon Festival to experience exceptional bourbon and cuisine, featuring educational seminars, a Bourbon Brunch, and a patron party. You’ll deal with the finest Bourbon distilleries and

restaurants and listen to the experts speak. Enjoy a New Orleans-themed 1920s speakeasy and sample the finest bourbon, eat the best traditional New Orleans cuisine, and shop for bourbon-inspired goods. There will be music by Matt Lemmler’s New Orleans Jazz Revival Band and food vendors located in the adjacent courtyard and blocked-off street. Need a cigar with that bourbon?

Relax in an outdoor smoking lounge sure to satisfy your cravings.

Ales & Rails from Around the World The Hollywood Warehouse, Gulfport, MS Saturday, March 23: 7 – 10 p.m. neworleanschamber.org/events/details/ales-railsfrom-around-the-world-13214 Taste beers from around the world at the third annual Wild West-themed fundraiser in Gulfport, Mississippi.

Located at the warehouse where you’ll find movie sets and props from movies such as Magnificent 7 and Abraham Lincoln - Vampire Hunter, this event is sure to wow. Costumes are encouraged at this 21+ extravaganza that will feature beer tastings, a silent auction, and a mechanical bull, entertaining all of your western fantasies.

With country music, dancing, and beer from around the world, this is a fest you won't want to miss. The weekend itinerary will also include horseback riding and distillery tours all along the Southeast Corridor.

ENTERTAINMENT Mamma Mia! Cutting Edge Theater: 767 Robert Blvd., Slidell March 15 – April 13: Dates and times vary cuttingedgetheater.com/project/mamma-mia-themusical Enjoy ABBA’s timeless songs in the renowned musical Mamma Mia! at the regional theater company Cutting

New Orleans Bourbon Festival March 20 - 23 Agave Week & Top Taco Ace Hotel and Woldenberg Park Sunday, March 10 – Thursday, March 14: Times vary toptaconola.com Join mezcal enthusiasts for the premier tequila event in the Big Easy, centered around Ace Hotel. Attend seminars and tastings to learn about the famous Mexican spirit from some of the best palates in the industry.

With classes on margarita-making and the Top Tequila Competition, you will learn the ins and outs of great tequila. Participate in the Don Julio scavenger hunt from the Warehouse District to the French Quarter and enjoy dinners at the best Mexican restaurants around town. And don’t miss out on the Lucha Libre wrestling competition or the Mezcalicious Burlesque show with Trixie Minx.

38 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

New Orleans Home and Garden Show March 15 - 17

Edge Theater. A hilarious story of a young woman’s search for her birth father, this tale unfolds on a Greek Island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, her quest brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years earlier. ABBA’s songs propel this story of love, laughter, and friendship, creating an unforgettable show. A talented cast, non-stop laughs, and explosive dance numbers combine to make Mamma Mia! a guaranteed smash hit.

HOME IMPROVEMENT New Orleans Home and Garden Show Mercedes-Benz Superdome Friday, March 15 – Sunday, March 17: Times vary neworleanshomeshows.com The largest home and garden show in the Southeast is returning to the Superdome to bring you the latest and greatest products, technology, and inspiration for your home. Hear from experts, like members of the Home Builder’s Association; marvel at the show’s “Tropical Paradise” display with a custom waterfall; and visit the Maker’s Market to browse and shop for art. This event will also feature cooking demonstrations from celebrity chef Shaun O’Neale and a Junior Chef Challenge as well as an interactive technology display put on by author Boyce Thompson. Also make sure to stop by the Bark Park, featuring adoptable dogs and agility trainings.

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 39

Food of the Saints St. Joseph’s and St. Patrick’s Day Dishes and Where to Get Them

By Emily Hingle

N

ew Orleans is a simmering pot of gumbo with flavors and influences from several nationalities well represented in it. During our city’s 300 years of existence, we’ve welcomed waves of immigrants from countries all over the world, and they’ve only added to our entirely unique culture. The Irish and Italian people who traveled here have left a tasty mark on this city, and their biggest holidays are here. Here are some places where you can indulge in the traditional eats of the Italians and Irish.

St. Patrick’s Day will take place on the weekend this year: Sunday, March 17.

The Irish began arriving in New Orleans in the early 1800s, and their food traditions continue to this day at many popular Irish pubs. In 2018, many new kitchens took over at Mid-City Irish pubs. Finn McCool’s specifically brought The Wolfhound to their bar’s kitchen in summer 2018 because they were cooking up Irish-fusion fare. On their menu, you can now find traditional and modern dishes, like fish and chips, Irish nachos, Guinness sliders, and a corned beef sandwich. Many people recommend the one-of-a-kind Salmon Fries. Just a few blocks away, The Holy Ground Pub also brought in new kitchen masters to up their Irish pub-food game. Mother Mary’s happily serves fish and chips, homemade mashed potatoes, and shepherd’s pie among their typical bar-food dishes.

Mick’s invited in Rum and The Lash, and they’ve got several interesting Irishinfused offerings. You can have corned beef

poutine with spicy cabbage, mustard gravy, and beer-battered fries; fish and chips; or corned beef with spicy cabbage.

Parasol’s and Tracey’s are cultural institutions in the Irish Channel, especially during St. Patrick’s season. At Parasol’s, you may want to seek out the Irish Sundae, which is potato salad with roast beef debris on top. Tracey’s offers a corned beef on rye bread sandwich, served with potato salad.

The world-famous Rib Room isn’t known for Irish fare, but their shepherd’s pie made with prime rib, braised vegetables, creamed parsnip potatoes, and mustard-and-ale cheddar cheese is a popular menu item.

St. Joseph’s Day, on Tuesday, March 19, is well-known, due to the many St. Joseph’s altars that are erected in churches, community centers, and even a few bars, but there are hundreds of places to get traditional and nouveau Italian dishes in this city year-round.

In Italy, northern regions have heartier fare with rich buttery sauces, lots of cheese, and land-animal meats. Southern regions produce more seafood-, vegetable-, tomato sauce-, and olive oil-based dishes.

Vincent’s Italian Cuisine, located in Uptown and Metairie, has the best of both these types of traditional Italian regional fare, even though the Catalanotto family, who started it in 1989, hailed from Sicily.

Vincent’s boasts a full menu of delicious pasta dishes, including cannelloni and fettucine alfredo; meat-forward meals, like chicken marsala and a seafood-stuffed pork chop; and specialties, including Rose of

40 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

Sicily and Artichoke Vincent.

Impastato’s in Metairie still labels their menu in Italian. For your primi piatti (main course), you can choose from several frutti del mare (seafood) dishes, like the Shrimp Scampi Don Giuseppe, or carne (meat) dishes, like Pecan-Smoked Filet Mignon.

In Old Metairie, you can shop for ingredients that you can put into your own Italian cooking at Nor-Joe Imports.

While you’re there, you can indulge in deli sandwiches, like the hefty Italian Meatball and Little Joe, or even a stuffed artichoke.

The Central Grocery store and restaurant in the French Quarter was established in 1906 by Sicilian immigrant Salvatore Lupo. There, you can order their famous muffuletta, dripping with their signature olive salad and Italian sausage.

Back Uptown, Marcello’s Wine Market Café boasts traditional fare, like spaghetti Bolognese and pollo arrostito.

Red Gravy offers Breakfast Spaghetti and Gnocchi & Eggs for those wanting to experiment with their Italian. Arabella Casa Di Pasta hasn’t been around as long as the stalwart Italian restaurants, but they have a unique make-your-own pasta system that’s popular with people looking for something specific. Venezia in Mid-City has traditional Italian dishes alongside handtossed pizza pies. The House Special pizza, with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, and artichoke hearts, is highly recommended. Oak Oven Restaurant in Harahan is so popular that they’ve decided to expand to Mandeville and Metairie. Their wood-fired oven makes perfectly crisp crusts for their several signature pizzas.

The historic Pascal’s Manale ties together beloved Italian dishes, like pasta with meatballs, with New Orleans favorites, like Grilled Fish Orleans. Mandina’s has an interesting Italian-fusion dish, known as Crab Fingers in Wine Sauce, but they are known for their traditional Italian plates, po-boys, and muffulettas, too. Two Tony’s separates its menu into Pasta Favorites (Shrimp Pasta Mediterranean, Capellini Aglio Olio) and Sicilian Marinara Favorites (lasagna, manicotti, and eggplant

parmesan).

But Italian food isn’t just savory. When you’re ready for something sweet, head to Angelo Brocato’s to pick out a pastry, biscotti, or delicious cannoli.

Gourmet cuisine has become extraordinarily diverse, and chefs enjoy experimenting and fusing together traditional foods from a variety of cultures to create something entirely new. However, the most long-standing dishes from Italy and Ireland will certainly last unfettered here for a long time to come.

THE PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE CAN BE FOUND AT: The Wolfhound—3701 Banks St., 504486-9080 Mother Mary’s—3340 Canal St., 504-6629791, mothermarysnola.com Rum and The Lash—4801 Bienville St., 504-265-8997, facebook.com/ RumandtheLash Parasol’s—2533 Constance St., 504-3021543, facebook.com/ParasolsNOLA Tracey’s—2604 Magazine St., 504-8975413, traceysnola.com Rib Room—621 St Louis St., 504-529-7045, ribroomneworleans.com Vincent’s—7839 St Charles Ave., 504-8669313, vincentsitaliancuisine.com Impastato’s—3400 16th St., 504-4551545, impastatos.com Nor-Joe Imports—505 Frisco Ave., 504833-9240, norjoe.com Central Grocery & Deli—923 Decatur St., 504-523-1620, centralgrocery.com Marcello’s—715 St Charles Ave., 504-5816333, marcelloscafe.com Red Gravy—125 Camp St., 504-561-8844, redgravycafe.com Venezia Restaurant—134 N. Carrollton Ave., 504-488-7991, venezianeworleans.net Oak Oven—6625 Jefferson Hwy., 504-3054039, oakovenrestaurant.com Angelo Brocato’s—214 N. Carrollton Ave., 504-486-0078, angelobrocatoicecream.com Pascal’s Manale—1838 Napoleon Ave., 504-895-4877, pascalsmanale.com

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 41

Just like with Uber’s transportation services, prices can vary from time to time and place to place, based on demand. The app will usually highlight restaurants where you can get a relative bargain at the time you’re ordering. You can also track your delivery person in real time on an in-app map, so you have a sense of when your food is arriving.

DoorDash doordash.com Another national service, DoorDash has lately won over some new fans with frequent specials offering 30 days of $1 delivery fees to new customers. It’s worth noting that the delivery fee is in addition to a 10 percent “service fee” and any tip you choose to give the couriers. DoorDash includes one of the widest selections of chain restaurants, so it can be an especially good option if you’re craving a Chipotle burrito or something from The Cheesecake Factory, but it also offers a decent range of local dining options.

Special Delivery Apps That Bring the Food to Your Door Right Here in New Orleans

By Steven Melendez

N

ew Orleans is known around the world for its great nightlife and restaurant scene, but sometimes you want to enjoy the city’s food without having to venture out of your house. While plenty of local restaurants and national chains have always offered delivery, a new breed of online ordering service makes it easier than ever to enjoy what New Orleans has to offer at the touch of a button.

Most do charge a few dollars on top of the cost of the meal for the convenience of delivery, and it’s generally expected that you’ll tip your driver in cash or through the ordering apps. Since different services can have different deals and fees for the same restaurants, it can be worth checking if a meal from your favorite dining option is cheaper on one service than another before you place your order.

Here are a few of the ordering options:

42 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

Waitr waitrapp.com Based in Lake Charles, Waitr has focused, so far, on markets in Louisiana and throughout the Southeast. Its local ties can be an advantage, since it sometimes offers delivery from local spots that aren’t available through the big national delivery services.

Waitr also generally features photos of each menu item, which can be missing from some of its competitors and helpful if you’re looking to try a new dish. If you’d rather skip the delivery charges and pick up your order yourself at a participating restaurant, that’s also an option.

Uber Eats ubereats.com If you’ve ever ordered a ride from Uber, you can use the same account to order food through its delivery service Uber Eats, which offers a mix of local favorites and meals from national chains like McDonalds and IHOP.

Postmates postmates.com Like its competitors, Postmates offers delivery from a range of local and national restaurants for a fee of a few dollars. An easy-to-use search-by-category feature makes it easy to find old favorites and new restaurants to try. Postmates also offers grocery delivery from stores like Winn-Dixie and Whole Foods Market if you’re looking to prepare your own meals without a trip to the store, though the prices can be higher than what you’d pay for the same merchandise in-store. Frequent users can sign up for Postmates Unlimited, an Amazon Prime-style service that waives fees for deliveries over $15 in exchange for a monthly or annual subscription payment.

Grubhub grubhub.com This food delivery service that merged with Seamless in 2013 is a national favorite, but it offers fewer choices in New Orleans than many of its competitors. Where it does shine is price: Delivery fees can often be a few dollars lower than ordering from the same restaurant on alternative services, and the company frequently runs generous specials for first-time users. The Grubhub and Seamless sites and apps offer the same deals and restaurants, so there’s no need to sign up for an account through more than one of the two brands.

Instacart instacart.com Instacart focuses on delivery food from grocery stores, not from restaurants, so it’s likely a better way to stock up on components for a home-cooked meal than to feed your household when you’re already hungry. In New Orleans, options include Rouses and The Fresh Market as well as more specialized stores like CVS and Petco. One big advantage of Instacart: You can order from warehouse club stores, including Costco and Sam’s Club, without a store membership, although you may pay more for your order than you would with a traditional membership.

Beer VOTED Best Selection

WHAT’S YOUR CRAFT? 54 Craft Beers on Tap Southern Louisiana Cuisine 2 for 1 Draft Beer Happy Hour Weekdays 3pm - 7pm * Excludes Holidays and Special Events

132 ROYAL STREET • 504-309-4797 • OLESAINT.COM • LOCATED NEXT TO THE WYNDHAM HOTEL

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 43

Too BUKU!

BUKU Music + Art Project Returns March 22 & 23 Article and Photos by Jon DeTrinis

T

he BUKU Music + Art Project is all grown-up and ready for the limelight.

On March 22 and 23, BUKU Music + Art Project (aka “The BUKU Project,” “BUKU Fest,” or, simply, “BUKU”) will return for its eighth and, unquestionably, most anticipated installment to date.

In an era overloaded with characterless music festivals lacking in originality, the BUKU Project has emerged over the years to firmly establish itself as one of the country’s preeminent festival experiences. Every spring, thousands from around the world descend upon the expansive festival grounds, tucked along the Mississippi riverfront at Mardi Gras World, to immerse themselves in this innovative event, featuring local, national, and international artists.

Since Winter Circle Productions (an AEG Presents Company) debuted BUKU in 2012, it has evolved into an annual stomping ground for a creative underground sub-culture that is fueled by the tanks of present-day youth. With help from top-tier electronic, hip-hop, and indie rock artists, Winter Circle

44 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

flawlessly manufactures an inventive art and music oasis every year that magnificently complements New Orleans by commingling BUKU’s thriving and progressive community with some of the city’s most pictorial aesthetics. From art installations and distinctive stages along the Mississippi to massive warehouse dance parties bordered

by Mardi Gras floats, BUKU Fest effectively fuses traditional New Orleans concepts with a vibrant modern-day attitude.

Winter Circle has achieved the somewhat impossible in successfully establishing a unique niche festival experience in a highly competitive music city that was, arguably, already saturated with festivals.

Over the years, the BUKU Fest revelers— aka the “BUKREWE”— have created their own culture (aka “BUKUlture”), celebrating music and art that is typically overshadowed by other, more traditional New Orleans cultures. The inspirations for and influences on BUKU are clearly illustrated through the festival’s blend of diverse music acts, exclusive industrial art installations, and surprise pop-up music and dance performances.

Celebrating 20 Years in New Orleans!

JUAN’S FLYING BURRITO MARGARITA MONDAY Every MONDAY

we Feature a TOP SHELF Margarita it’s Double sized but.... you’ll only pay the Single price new location!

Uptown-5538 Magazine 897.4800

CBD-515 Baronne 529.5825

LGD-2018 Magazine 569.0000

Mid-City-4724 S.Carrollton 486.9950

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 45

Among all the creative facets of BUKU Fest, nothing embodies BUKU’s identity more than the scaffolding structures that hold gigantic canvases that showcase some of the most talented street artists from NOLA and from around the country. Throughout the weekend, this graffiti gallery provides festival attendees with the opportunity to observe the creation of colorful BUKU-inspired works of art and, most importantly, to bid on the paintings through a silent auction benefitting Winter Circle’s charity, Upbeat Academy Foundation. Upbeat Academy is a local non-profit organization that provides NOLA youth with after-school programs to study hip-hop and electronic dance music production and performance. In a city rich in music history and culture, Upbeat creates hope and possibility for children who desire opportunity to pursue the art.

Often imitated, never duplicated, the BUKU Project has become a major player in festival innovation and entertainment. The incredible team at Winter Circle deserves all the recognition and respect that the general public has bestowed upon its brainchild over the years. The public’s overwhelming online adoration for BUKU’s lineups validates Winter Circle’s insane talent and ability in curating a diverse, well-balanced, and inimitable music lineup. Typically, when a festival lineup is released, it’s almost guaranteed to have outspoken critics, or “trolls,” ready to vehemently disparage some facet or detail. While some of this criticism is expected, considering musical tastes are vastly different, there are always those

individuals whose sole purpose in life is to besmirch the success of others. Despite this near-guarantee of negativity, the online trolling of BUKU is uncommonly scarce. The minimal complaints surrounding this year’s lineup are vastly overpowered by the large contingent of admiring perspectives and glowing commendations.

With BUKU’s continued success over the years, it’s hard to imagine how the festival keeps getting better. However, every year, Winter Circle transfigures expectations with innovations and upgrades to its avant-garde production. In 2018, we were introduced to more expansive festival grounds, new stages, and upgraded VIP amenities, including a rooftop viewing area of the main stage.

These modifications were very effective and advantageous, as the sprawling grounds provided more comfortable space for adventure.

Coming off an extremely successful sell-out weekend in 2018, BUKU is almost guaranteed to sell out again. With headliners such as Lana Del Ray, Excision, Kevin Gates, RL Grime, A$AP Rocky, Dog Blood (Skrillex x Boys Noize), Griz, and Louis the Child, there is no reason to think that this year will be any different. So, consider this your warning to buy your tickets early! You can purchase general-admission tickets or various VIP packages, which include some spectacular amenities, such as private performances from various artists.

For additional info, visit BUKU Music + Art Project online at thebukuproject.com or on all social media @thebukuproject.

46 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

331 331 Decatur Decatur 527-5954 527-5954 Best Best Guinness Guinness In In New New Orleans Orleans Live Live Music Music Nightly Nightly NO NO COVER COVER www.kerryirishpub.com www.kerryirishpub.com Every Tuesday is Honky Tonk Tuesday Every Tuesday in March – Honky Tonk Tuesday with JasonBishop Bishop 8:30 pm!! w/ Jason 8:30 pm Fri. 3/08

Patrick Cooper & Shawn Williams

Fri. 3/04

Patrick 9 pm Cooper 5 pm

Sat. 3/09

Rubin/Wilson Folk-Blues Explosion 9 pm Hurricane Refugees 9 pm

Sat. 3/05

Kim Carson 8:30 pm

Mon. 3/11

Speed The Mule 5 pm Ruby Ross 9 pm

St. Patrick’s Day Weekend!

Thurs. 3/10

Foot & Friends 9 pm

Fri. 3/15

Vali Talbot 5 pm

Fri. 3/15

Will Dickerson 9 pm

Sat. 3/16

Speed The Mule 5 pm

Sat. 3/16

Van Hudson 9 pm

Fri. 3/11

Sat. 3/12

Van Hudson 5 pm

Hurricane Refugees 9 pm Mark Parsons 5 pm

Roux The Day! 9 pm

St. Patrick’s Day Live Irish Music All Day!

Sun. 3/13

Sun. 3/17 Mon. 3/14

Traditional Irish Session 5 pm

Beth Patterson 11:30 am Kim Carson 8:30 pm

Speed The Mule 2:30 pm

Roux The Day!Live 7 pm Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!

Irish Music w/ Mon. 3/18 Carson 8:30 pm pm (Noon) Thurs.

3/17Kim Van Hudson 12:00 Fri. 3/22 Patrick Cooper 5 pm 3:30 pm Thurs. 3/17 Speed The Mule Fri. 3/223/17 Vincent Marini & Kennedy Thurs.

Roux The Day! 7:30 pm –Kuntz til the 9 pm wee hours Sat. 3/23

Dave Hickey 5pm

Fri. 3/18 Sat. 3/23

PatrickPatterson Cooper 5 pm Beth 9 pm

Fri. 3/29

One Tailed Three 9 Hugh Morrison 5pm pm

Sat. 3/29 3/19 Fri.

SpeedPatterson The Mule 9 5 pm Beth pm

Sat. 3/30

FrankKerwin Sautier & 9 pm 5 pm Mike &Friends Geoff Coats

Mon.3/30 3/21 Sat.

Kim CarsonRefugees 8:30 pm Hurricane 9 pm

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 47

Fast Times at the Fair Grounds Horses, Camels, and Wiener Dogs Vie for Racetrack Glory

By Andrew Alexander Photos by Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots

N

ew Orleans sports fans are accustomed to cheering for Drew Brees, Anthony Davis, and countless other professional athletes playing in the city. Unbeknownst to many area athletic aficionados, however, there are scores of world-class four-legged athletes competing in Mid-City each winter and spring.

The Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots is home to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the illustrious event celebrating its golden anniversary this year, but the hallowed racing ground is also home to some of the finest horse racing in the country.

Beginning in late November, the Fair Grounds showcases racing on a variety of levels, culminating in three major stakes races, which comprise a portion of the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

To qualify for the prestigious first leg of the Triple Crown in Louisville, Kentucky, horses from around the country descend upon New Orleans for the Lecomte Stakes, Risen Star Stakes, and Louisiana Derby to compete for coveted

points and lucrative purses. “[The races] are the centerpieces of three huge days, both racing-wise and socially,” Joe Kristufek, Fair Grounds racing analyst, says.

“It’s a natural progression of quality of race and distances.”

Kristufek points to the Fair Grounds’s superior racing surfaces and track composition as key reasons why it’s one of the top tests for horses aiming for the Kentucky Derby. “The long stretch presents a challenge for horses who are going to eventually need to run a mile and a quarter at Churchill Downs, which will be the first time in their lives they have ever done that,” Kristufek says. “When you get to the mile and an eighth at the Louisiana Derby, it is a true test for horses to prove their merits.”

Track composition is a major reason many trainers bring their horses to the Fair Grounds. The track utilizes sand from the Mississippi River spillway, which creates a safer racing surface for horses during training. “You can ask most of the out-of-state trainers that come here, and nine out of 10 will say this is the best surface they can train and run on,”

48 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

Jason Boulet, Senior Director of Racing, says.

Earlier in the racing season, War of Will emerged victorious at the Lecomte Stakes, earning 10 points towards Kentucky Derby qualification. The Lecomte Stakes typically showcases local three-year-old horses.

The three major stakes races at the Fair Grounds gradually increase in distance, purse size, and Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

The winner of the Risen Star Stakes will earn 50 points, while the Louisiana Derby victor receives 100 points. Competitors at the Louisiana Derby will also vie for the $2.38 million purse.

“If you win the Risen Star, you’re most likely going to have enough points to get into the Kentucky Derby,” Kristufek explains. “If you win or run second in the Louisiana Derby— for sure the winner, and if you run second, that’s worth 40 points—that’s usually around the cutoff to make it into the 20-horse field.”

Historically, Fair Grounds alumni have fared well at Churchill Downs. After winning the Risen Star Stakes and Louisiana Derby in 2016, Gun Runner went on to place third in the Kentucky Derby. “We always consider the Louisiana Derby as the best road to get to the Kentucky Derby,” Boulet says.

Doug Shipley, president of the Fair Grounds, says the course’s prestigious

lineage of horses is a testament to the quality of the track and the team that works to ensure conditions remain pristine and consistent. “The team takes great pride in making sure, for lack of a better term, it’s the best arena in the country,” Shipley says.

The Fair Grounds boasts a wide variety of programming between the major races and before Jazz Fest for the casual racing fans to enjoy each winter and spring because, as Shipley puts it, “New Orleans loves a party.”

Starlight Racing is one of the staple events on the Fair Grounds's calendar, where visitors can enjoy the thrill of live racing under the stars along with live entertainment. Racing fans looking for a little animal variety can also enjoy exotic animal races, featuring camels, ostriches, and zebras, or the ever-popular wiener dog races.

From music to horseracing, there are few venues that can match the versatility offered by the legendary racetrack. “The state is very fortunate to have Fair Grounds and Churchill operating here in New Orleans,” Shipley says.

“Where else do you have 150 acres of parking and space and an infrastructure to do this type of stuff, whether it’s racing or Jazz Fest?”

UPCOMING RACE DATES: March 9: Wiener Dog Racing, March 15: Starlight Racing, and March 23: Louisiana Derby

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 49

Whole Grains of Truth Common Diet Myths Debunked

By Celeste Turner

T

oday, we live in a society that has become increasingly more aware of our health and quality of life. An overwhelming supply of information is constantly coming out about how to lose weight, how to get fit, how to eat, sleep, breathe—everything in order to help you get healthy! How do you decipher what is true and what is false?

I have compiled a list of the most popular diet myths, deflated and exposed for their inaccurate information. Keep in mind that losing weight and achieving health-related goals requires effort and commitment. The true solution involves lifestyle and behavior changes to typically achieve and maintain weight loss. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advised that anything above a weight loss of one to two pounds per week is difficult to maintain. You can refer to www.

Choosemyplate.gov, which provides tools to help you plan and track your diet and physical activity. Some of these myths may surprise you: 1. Never eat before you go to bed.

You have heard this piece of advice for years, but seriously, to restrain from eating when the clock turns a particular hour is bogus, depending on your personal circumstances.

Eating late at night—or at any particular time of day—will not cause you to put on more weight, depending on whether that is normal for you and the amount of activity you engage in. Weight gain occurs when you consume more calories than you expend, whether that happens in the

middle of the day, the morning, or at night. However, in reality, people who eat a lot of food late at night tend to consume more calorie-dense foods and, therefore, eat more calories—which can cause weight gain. If you missed dinner or you are still hungry, and it’s after 8 p.m., EAT, but choose something nutritious. Healthy options are a low-calorie whey protein drink or two boiled eggs, raw vegetables, and ¼ cup of hummus. Another suggestion by Blythe Peters, R.D.N.L.D.N., is a high-fiber, lowsugar cereal, like Shredded Wheat, plus a cup of low-fat milk.

2. Eating fat will MAKE you FAT. Eating fat will not contribute to weight gain unless you eat an excess number of servings of high-fat foods for your activity level. Remember that fats are calorically dense, so you want to choose healthier fats. Paired with a healthy diet, the good fats provide a benefit to your overall eating in order to lose weight. Skip the trans fats and select the mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Examples of monounsaturated fats are avocados and olive oil. For polyunsaturated fats, like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, try salmon and flaxseeds.

3. Eating carbs can MAKE you FAT. Carbs are not the enemy.

It is the quality and quantity of carbohydrates that can add extra pounds. Carbohydrates are essential for a normal healthy

50 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

diet because they provide fuel for your body and your brain.

As far as weight loss goes, the proportion of macronutrients— carbs, fat, and protein—consumed is not as important as the total caloric intake versus caloric expenditure. However, foods rich in fiber and protein tend to be the most filling, which means, in theory, that eating more of these foods would lead to a reduced intake of food and calories. On the other hand, choosing high-fat foods and low-fiber carbohydrates can lead to a cycle of continued eating.

So, if you cut out the processed carbs and eat mostly fresh fruits and vegetables with some healthy proteins, you’ll likely lose weight.

You can choose to add a variety of grains to your diet. Whole grains such as amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, and brown rice are great sources of fiber, B vitamins, and iron. And since these foods are so high in fiber, they keep you full for longer periods of time, which helps prevent overeating.

Whether you eat whole grains or other carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables, these options are undoubtedly healthier than processed carbohydrates.

4. You can eat WHATEVER you want as long as you EXERCISE. You train HARD almost every day, in the gym or running outside, so it shouldn’t matter what you put in your mouth, right? Wrong. The truth is exercise does not eliminate the effects of a consistently poor diet. When it comes to weight loss, decreasing calories and maintaining a healthy diet actually matter more than exercise. You should monitor the number of calories you consume and NOT outnumber the calories you expend for the week. Fitness apps and/or fitness trackers can

help you stay within your goals.

5. All calories are EQUAL. Sure, realistically, all calories have the same amount of energy. One dietary calorie contains 4,184 joules of energy. In that respect, a calorie is a calorie. However, the quality of calories found in nutritionally dense foods, like a chicken breast, fruits, and vegetables, do not match up with the calories found in a potato chip bag. Peters, a dietitian for over 20 years, noted that the calories in the potato chip bag may equal one chicken breast, but it is not giving you the same nutrients. She said, “You’re getting a lot of fat and salt without nutrients in a potato chip bag.”

6. More protein is always BETTER. The amount of protein you need to keep your body functioning properly depends on certain factors: age, size, gender, and activity level. According to the USDA, the average person requires about 0.8 grams of protein per every kilogram of body weight. For example, a 130-pound person (60 kg) would only need 48 grams of protein per day. However, if you’re an endurance athlete, you will need 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight in order to maintain muscle mass and performance.

Or, if you’re a weightlifter and your goal is to preserve and add muscle mass, then you will need two grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For a 130-pound person, that means 120 grams of protein per day. So, if you break it down, the body can only use about 25 to 30 grams of protein at one time for muscle growth and repair. Inevitably, the extra protein that your body doesn’t utilize for its primary purpose basically gets

broken down like a carb and can be either used for energy or stored as fat. Therefore, more protein doesn’t automatically equal more muscle.

7. Don’t eat before a workout to burn more fat. Should you eat before a workout? This question raises debate, but it has been recently tested in the British Journal of Nutrition (August 2013). In this study, 12 active, healthy males were followed to compare total energy expenditure and amounts of fat and carbohydrate burned before, during, and after exercise.

The results demonstrated that fasting before exercise gave a 15 percent greater rate of fat-burning during exercise compared to eating breakfast. However, eating breakfast led to a 20 percent greater total exercise energy expenditure compared to fasting.

Conclusively, energy and fatburning were greater with breakfast consumption.

8.

Grapefruit will speed up your metabolism. We’ve all heard of the grapefruit diet, which can be touted as the “secret ingredient” for quick weight loss. However, in a recent comparative study, found in the Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (February 2017), there was no significant change in body weight utilizing grapefruit vs. placebo. Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet to weight loss. The only way to speed up your metabolism beyond dispute is to exercise and build muscle.

9.

Rapid weight loss can be maintained. There are many diets that promise rapid weight loss, even 10 to 20 pounds in a week. This amount of weight loss is possible on extremely restrictive diets, but it can’t be maintained. The primary

reason for such rapid weight loss on these types of diets is due to the reduction of water and lean tissue.

So, when you get off this extreme diet and go back to eating normally, you’ll gain the weight back, with the risk of an additional 10 pounds. The most successful approach to weight loss and weight-loss maintenance is to make permanent lifestyle changes that include a healthful eating plan and ample physical activity.

10. Picking the diet trend of the moment is your answer to quick and sustained weight loss.

“Following trendy diet plans can cause cyclical weight fluctuations,” said Peters. “The anecdote is a healthy lifestyle, choosing nutritionally dense foods over foods with little nutritional value. Carefully choose your foods when you eat out. Also, limit your alcohol intake.”

Another important component for weight loss: Get moving! Increase your physical activity with an exercise program or do simple things like take the stairs, park farther from your destination, or walk to do your errands—all of which will increase your caloric expenditure. Additionally, Peters suggested getting up and moving during commercial breaks when watching television because even little things like that can add up. Next, surround yourself with support. Encouragement from friends and family is essential when you find yourself unmotivated. The best weight loss plan begins with you. As Venus Williams once said, “You have to believe in yourself when no one else does—that makes you a winner right there.”

Celeste Turner is a writer, blogger, and fitness guru who was born and raised in New Orleans. Please email comments, suggestions, or ideas for articles to (cmturner10966@gmail.com) or check out her website at celestefit.com.

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 51

BarGuide

Sponsored by

Above the Grid (NOPSI Hotel) NOPSI’s dynamic rooftop pool and bar, Above the Grid, is a peaceful oasis for hotel guests, visitors, and locals to 317 Baronne St. savor chilled drinks and dine on creative, healthy fare.

844-439-1463

Alto (Ace Hotel) 600 Carondelet St. 900-1180

Offering fantastic drinks and a stunning view of New Orleans’s skyline, Ace’s rooftop bar Alto is a sanctum of relaxation in an ever-busy concrete jungle.

Backspace Bar 139 Chartres St. 322-2245

Brimming with inspiration and local color, Backspace feeds both the mind and the taste buds in an atmosphere where you can channel your inner Tennessee Williams.

Bar Tonique 820 N. Rampart St. 324-6045

A hidden gem at the edge of the French Quarter, this cozy, brick-built space offers classic cocktails and a chalkboard full of daily specials.

Boot Scootin Rodeo 522 Bourbon St. 552-2510

Boot Scootin Rodeo is as country as it comes, with plenty of honky-tonk—and the refreshments to go with it—as well as the largest oak dance floor on Bourbon Street.

Buffa’s Bar & Restaurant 1001 Esplanade Ave. 949-0038

New Orleans is known for its 24/7 party scene, and Buffa’s Lounge makes sure its doors are always open.

They've been doing so for almost 80 years!

Crescent City Brewhouse The first brewpub in New Orleans, Crescent City Brewhouse offers nightly live music, skillfully house527 Decatur St. brewed lagers, and monthly exhibitions of local art.

522-3901

52 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

Copper Vine 1001 Poydras St. 208-9535

A new spot in the CBD with over 30 wines on tap and plenty of eclectic eats, Copper Vine is the perfect place to gather with your friends before a Saints or Pelicans game.

Cosimo's Bar 1201 Burgundy St. 522-9428

A cozy neighborhood spot since 1934, Cosimo’s offers a great Happy Hour and delicious bar food options, such as mouthwatering pizzas, burgers, and wings.

Gattuso’s 435 Huey P. Long Ave. 368-1114

A gem in the Gretna Historic District, Gattuso’s is the perfect place for family night, a meet-up with a group of friends, or Trivia Night every Tuesday.

Hermes Bar at Antoine's 725 St. Louis St. 581-4422

In a converted dining room of the renowned Antoine's Restaurant, the polished and pleasant Hermes Bar serves up classic New Orleans cocktails alongside traditional dishes.

House of Blues 225 Decatur St. 310-4999

This long-standing concert venue features great live music and a rich atmosphere. Be sure to try their deliciously soulshaking Crossroads Cadillac Margarita.

Jimani 141 Chartres St. 524-0493

Whether you’re looking for a place to end the night or start it, the Jimani is a great haunt for any night owl, with one of the largest beer selections in the Quarter.

Kerry Irish Pub 331 Decatur St. 527-5954

If you want to escape the Bourbon Street scene, Kerry Irish Pub is the welcoming, authentic bar you need, with possibly the best Guinness poured in the city.

Martine's Lounge 2347 Metairie Rd. 831-8637

Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a weekday barfly, any day spent at Martine’s Lounge is far from dull, thanks to their variety of weekly events and drink specials.

Pal's Lounge 949 N. Rendon St. 488-7257

If you’re searching for a neighborhood bar with sophisticated cocktails, then Pal’s is the place to go, where they offer a unique rotation of drinks and pop-ups.

Pat O'Brien's Bar 718 St. Peter St. 525-4823

As the inventor of the Hurricane cocktail, this bar has been a long-standing destination for visitors clamoring to try the fruity rum concoction in their gorgeous courtyard.

Penthouse Club 727 Iberville St. 524-4354

For an unforgettable night of luxury or to celebrate a special event, Penthouse Club is the place for mature entertainment on one of three stages.

Rick’s Cabaret 315 Bourbon St. 524-4222

There’s fun to be had with the 18,000 square feet of teasingly naughty entertainment, including the group of beautiful ecdysiasts on stage at Rick’s Cabaret.

Royal Frenchmen Hotel 700 Frenchmen St. 619-9660

This Creole mansion features 16 guest rooms and suites, a stunning courtyard, beautiful event space, and Frenchmen Street's only craft cocktail bar.

Shamrock Bar & Grill 4133 S. Carrollton Ave. 217-0787

One of the largest neighborhood bars in the city, Shamrock has 16,000 square feet of wall-to-wall fun, with over 20 pool tables, ping-pong, and arcade-style games.

Three Palms Bar and Grill 3183 Tulane Ave. 529-1702

A neighborhood gem with a friendly staff and affordable drinks, Three Palms is the perfect spot for a Happy Hour beverage or some late-night grub.

Tropical Isle Multiple Locations 529-1702

Home of the Hand Grenade, Tropical Isle has plenty of locations along Bourbon Street to get “Have a Hand Grenade” off your to-do list.

Vintage Rock Club 1007 Poydras St. 308-1305

This is a high-end entertainment venue built upon the concept of the greatest jukebox that ever existed. Be sure to rock with them every Friday and Saturday night!

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 53

FilmReviews

Catch all of Where Y'at's film reviews

by Movie Editor David Vicari and Critic Fritz Esker at WhereYat.com.

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

By David Vicari The How to Train Your Dragon saga is a series of films that just keeps getting better and better. This third film, subtitled The Hidden World, is one of the most beautiful-looking computer-animated films I have ever seen. It really pays to have the great cinematographer Roger Deakins (Fargo, Blade Runner 2049) as your visual consultant. Not only is The Hidden World great to look at, but it has a good story going for it as well.

Hiccup (voice of Jay Baruchel) is now the leader of his Viking tribe, and they spend much of their time rescuing enslaved dragons.

It comes as a surprise when Hiccup's dragon, Toothless, finds a Night Fury like himself, and a female Night Fury at that. So, Toothless is in love, as both Hiccup and Astrid (voice of America Ferrera) try avoiding that whole marriage thing. However, all is not sunny bliss, as a hired dragon hunter, Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham), is set on finishing off the last of the Night Furies. Hiccup realizes that the only hope for the dragons is to find a fabled dragon utopia.

This closing chapter of the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy is just as exciting, fresh, and emotional as the first two. We see Hiccup grow into a wise man, and Grimmel is such a formidable villain that you really feel that a lot is at stake.

And yes, The Hidden World is a visual wonder, like when Toothless goes on a date with his Night Fury girlfriend, and they fly through dark storm clouds. Or when Hiccup is painting Toothless's prosthetic tail fin, you can see Hiccup's blurred reflection in the paint. And the eye-popping colors of the hidden dragon world are a sight to behold.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a movie you need to see in a theater and catch in 3D, if you can.

Happy Death Day 2U

By David Vicari Happy Death Day 2U is the surprisingly good and inventive sequel to the surprisingly good and inventive 2017 horror/comedy Happy Death Day. The first movie was essentially Groundhog Day (1993) as a slasher movie, with snotty college girl Tree Gelbman living her birthday over and over again until she prevents her own murder and discovers the identity of the killer behind the baby-face mask.

2U makes the bold move to switch genres.

While the baby-face killer is still in this one, the horror elements take a backseat to science fiction and fantasy. Instead of Groundhog Day, this sequel borrows from another sequel: Back to the Future Part II (1989).

Tree (Jessica Rothe, charming as ever) returns to get zapped into an alternate universe where the same day is on a loop, meaning that the killer is someone different than in the original timeline. Also, Tree's mother (Missy Yager) is alive in this alternate reality.

Everyone returns for this sequel—it even features the same New Orleans locations—and it is fun seeing the actors play different variations of their characters. For instance, Rachel Matthews's witchy sorority sister in the original is now—in the alternate universe—a goodhearted, but kind of dumb, theater major. New to the series is New Orleans actor Steve Zissis (Baghead, The Front Runner), and he is hilarious as the mean college dean.

Sure, there are holes in the plot, but what really bugged me was a lame montage of Tree taking her own life in goofy ways. This was meant to remind us of a similar montage in the first movie, but here, it comes off as very forced. Thankfully, this descent into badness is brief. Otherwise, Happy Death Day 2U is a fun and refreshing sequel.

54 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

Alita: Battle Angel

What Men Want

By Fritz Esker

By David Vicari

Based on a popular manga series, Alita: Battle Angel boasts some impressive visuals, but is lacking in the storytelling department.

Directed by Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Desperado) and with a script co-written by Rodriguez and legendary action director James Cameron (The Terminator, Aliens), Alita: Battle Angel tells the story of a deactivated cyborg (a VFX voiced by Rosa Salazar) who is put back together again by a doctor (Christoph Waltz).

She does not remember her past, but before long, she discovers she has amazing fighting skills.

The plotting will be familiar to anyone who has seen dystopian sci-fi. There is an elite class in a floating spaceship city ruling over the working class, who is struggling over scraps below. Alita is both drawn to a popular bloodsport (reminiscent of Rollerball) and pursued by bounty hunters working on behalf of the sinister Vector (Mahershala Ali).

Much like the film’s main character, Alita: Battle Angel’s story seems cobbled together from previous films. It also suffers from the same problem lots of big-budget spectacles have these days: It clearly wants to be a multi-film franchise. As a result, it fails to work as a stand-alone film. It’s overstuffed and feels unresolved at the end.

However, Rodriguez is a good director of action scenes, and it shows here. Two scenes— one where Alita fights off a bar full of bounty hunters and another where she plays the aforementioned bloodsport with every other competitor united against her—crackle with energy. The 3D visuals work pretty well here, too.

At the end of the day, Alita: Battle Angel is a mixed bag. There’s enough diverting action to keep it from being a total loss, but there’s not enough heft in its story to make it memorable.

Ali Davis (Taraji P. Henson) is the lone female sports agent in an agency that is a boys’ club, which means that she is always passed over for a promotion. That's the main reason why she isn't that nice of a person. She is career-driven to a fault, often talks down to her young gay male assistant (Josh Brener), and is very single. Her female friends tell her that she just doesn't “get” men.

But then, an exotic herbal tea concoction from a stoner psychic (a hilarious Erykah Badu) plus a blow to the head allow Ali to actually hear the inner thoughts of every man she comes in contact with.

If this scenario sounds familiar, that is because this movie is a companion piece to the 2000 stinker What Women Want, which stars Mel Gibson as a guy who is able to hear women's thoughts.

What Men Want is a better movie than its predecessor, but it has the same main flaw, which is that the inner thoughts are infantile and generally unfunny. The few inner thought moments here that do work are how men react to meeting their sports heroes, along with a riotous sex scene. Still, director Adam Shankman’s movie never attempts to bring up anything insightful about the differences between men and women. The film works best when it’s leaning toward screwball comedy, which Henson plays very well.

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 55

TalesFromTheQuarter

By Debbie Lindsey

Lenten Lessons

Y

ou know ya need to embrace a Lenten sobriety when an impending dread of this 46-day period of denial is felt as early as August. Yep, if not being able to partake of my evening wine feels like the end of the world, then perhaps I really do need to abstain. Ah, addictions, and the nasty way they make you feel. Note that I say “you,” so as to not feel so alone in this. Now, do not feel that I am being flip or insensitive when referencing addiction—I fully grasp the severity of substance abuse, as well as food, sex, gambling, and electronic device addictions, and I sing the praises of those who successfully battle any demon. However, I’d prefer to keep this a bit lighter than rehab. I simply need to rein myself in, and Lent is my time of year to allow the tether of sobriety to take hold. Yet again, I must mention my fear and trepidation as I prepare my hiatus from the high life.

The first time I decided to partake of Lent was on a dare of sorts. A friend, a solid alcoholic, asked if I wanted to join him for a libation-free Lent. I thought if he could do it, so could I. A week into this period of grace, he succumbed to the allure of the bottle (and of the cigarettes he had also tried to give up). Well, “damn him,” I was stuck, as I had made a vow to myself to do this, and I would follow through. That Lent was the first of many such lents to come, and each year, there have been lessons learned.

My first lesson was not to substitute coffee for booze—whoa, that was a high-strung Lent. If you imbibe to keep the stress in tow, then a caffeinated surrogate might prove unsuitable. My second lesson was not to take melatonin, thinking that if it’s good for sleeping, then it might create a calming effect … NOT. When I returned to the herbalist and told her I felt like I was a sleepwalking zombie, she said she’d assumed I had trouble sleeping (didn’t), and that for a normal person (me, normal?), naturally producing normal levels of melatonin, it was like overdosing to supplement it. (Additional lesson here: Know what the heck you are taking.)

Many years of lessons followed. In addition to learning that you will not lose weight

56 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

during alcohol-free Lent if you sub fruit juice for wine, I discovered that taking up chewing gum for that nervous energy can create dental bills surpassing any bar tab. Oh, and I learned that Lent is not 40 days (who the hell ever put that out there?). It is 46 long days and nights!

Some participants of Lent allow themselves a pass on Sundays (perhaps this is where that deceptive 40 days came from). Those giving up sweets, smoking, caffeine, cussing, and/or drinking for Lent might really wanna rethink those Sunday sabbaticals. There are just so many addictions, pleasures, and bad habits one can fit into 24 hours without serious strain. And then there is the Slippery Slope Syndrome. If you are refraining from something you truly hate to give up, then it just might be painful to return every Monday to abstinence. It’s like approaching Lent six times instead of just taking a one-time plunge. How many times do you want to taste that strip of bacon, only to bid it adieu over and over? Breaking up is hard to do.

Does one need to ascribe to Lent’s religious roots to partake in Lent? No way. This secular, atheistic/agnostic heathen doesn’t need the fear of God to get on board—the fear of my doctor’s stink-eye when we discuss my wine consumption is its own cometo-Jesus-moment. I firmly believe that if you like to drink, you had damn-well better be honest with yourself. Denial of any excessive indulgence does not make that delightful vice less harmful. I look at excessive consumption of libations like having a dance card that gets overbooked, and since I intend to stay on this dance floor for a long time, perhaps I should sit out a few rounds. If you intend to enjoy that fatty food, drink, weed, whatever, for some years to come, then you better use moderation. Savor the indulgences rather than squander them by spinning out of control.

I mentioned lessons learned earlier. I found that I really could cope without a drink (something I wasn’t so sure about 29 years ago when I took that Lenten dare). And I quickly discovered the bonus of money saved. I would put aside the moneys otherwise spent on libations and find a tidy little nest egg waiting for me on Easter Sunday—usually enough to buy all my Jazz Fest tickets! Friends giving up sweets or meat usually find themselves leaner and healthier in this short period of time. And tobacco smokers often find Lent a segue for eventually quitting altogether. There is a yin and yang here: You give up a little, and in the process, you gain a little, perhaps even more than you gave up.

So, as Ash Wednesday approaches, I will stock up on my favorite herbal teas and start reminding myself that I will sleep better, drop a pound or two, feel more energized, save money, and gain a sense of control over my more hedonistic tendencies. And for a period of time, the recycling bin will not shame me. Cheers!

Po-BoyViews

By Phil LaMancusa

Saint Joe Street Cred OR Blessed Be "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!” Big Red would yell in frustration when, as a kid, I had done something particularly dim-witted; and face it, oftentimes stuff I did as a youngster was considered dumb. Of course, I saw myself as clever, smart, and extremely witty. Others around me, however, when not considering that I was just another pretty face, believed I was as dim as a box of rocks, a tree stump, a sack of hammers, a Brillo pad. You get the picture.

I was raised in the Catholic religion, which was, even then, losing parishioners faster than a sinking ship. My family was intractable in its loyalty, and all the children were subjected to a fair amount of religious instruction, coming away with scars to prove it.

Be that as it may, picture a younger me mulling over the story of Jesus and Mary being ferried around by this guy, this carpenter, this fatherly figure to a savant savior child, born of a virgin—a man who, after the kid kicks moneylenders out of the temple, totally disappears from the gospels. Who is this guy?

Where did he go?

Where did he come from? is more like the question. Some writings say that a man named Joseph was married to the virgin before she gave birth. Some recount a Joseph of Arimathea, purportedly Mary’s uncle, a disciple and spreader of the gospel into Britain. He is not the saint; he’s the guy who paid for the tomb to house the so-called dead body of the 33-year-old King of the Jews. I think it was the Joseph in the first instance who became the saint because he brought the mother and son through trials and tribulations and taught the kid how to use a hammer.

I grew up Catholic. We looked up to Saint Joseph. I was raised Italian; we celebrated Saint Joseph’s Day. I wound up in New Orleans where Catholic Italians, especially the Sicilians, would take a bullet for Saint Joe. Growing up, we couldn’t have explained St. Joe if our ice cream money depended on it. My question is still: Who is this guy?

Let’s go with what we know and what’s been told to us. Saint Joseph’s Day is March 19, every year. In New Orleans, we celebrate with altars of food and public meals. We make special dishes, savory and sweet. We essentially pay back St. Joe for all his blessings bestowed upon us during the year. March 19, payback time: the job we got, the school that our kid got accepted to, the pregnancy that did (or didn’t) happen, business deals, living arrangements, debts paid or forgiven, blood unshed. “Thank you, Saint Joseph. I will build an altar of food, donate it to the less fortunate, and invite strangers to eat at my table.” Churches, homes, and businesses participate. It’s during the Lenten season, so there are no red-

blooded animals consumed.

Here’s what we’re told: Saint Joseph is the saint of the everyman, the patron of unwed mothers, a model for fathers, protector of children, keeper of secrets, married to that blessed mother (after she became preggo), and the one who gives us strength when we are sick and/or leaving this earthly coil. He is considered the legal (not spiritual) father of Jesus. Chief David Montana once explained to me why the Mardi Gras Indians came out on St. Joe’s Day: “Because he was black!” Take your pick. I’m only here for lunch.

Saint Joseph is considered patron of the universal church of Catholicism. The Sicilians believe that he saved them from starvation by giving them the fava bean, and some believe that if you want to sell your house, you plant a statue of St. Joseph, headfirst, in your backyard. I’m a fan and look forward to St. Joe’s Day for the cookies (sesame and fig), if nothing else.

Logistically, Saint Joseph and Saint Patrick days are March 19 and 17, respectively; there are not enough Italians or Irish in New Orleans to have enough participants to throw individual parades, so they combine them.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s my story.

So, here come the two cultures parading: Irish giving potatoes and cabbages as gifts and Italians trading flowers for kisses. It’s a good day for Italians.

On March 19, I go to whatever Catholic church is nearby, and I am served, sometimes up to a dozen different morsels of lunch (of course, pasta rules) with lemonade and/or sweet tea; I’m as happy as a clam. I donate money, light candles, and generally feel part of the family of man (and woman), all in the name of this guy who heard God’s voice and did what he was told. I’d like to think that he held down the fort with the lovely Mary while “his son” went traveling for 18 years, preparing for his ministry and eventual execution.

Back to the day of lunch: Because I have greased the celebratory wheels, I’m given a little paper bag of goodies containing a prayer card, cookies, a blessed fava bean, and a slice of French bread. I bring that home (after eating the cookies) and place it on my home altar; I put the fava bean in my wallet to bring me luck and money during the next year. The significance of the bread has something to do with casting bread upon waters to calm them. Here, we believe that the bread is used to ward off hurricanes. That’s correct—when a storm is approaching, we take that slice of bread and throw it out our back window, and the tempest will pass us by. It works, too (but not for “outer bands”). For the sake of St. Joseph, we remember that we’re all part of the same tribe. At lunch, we say to ourselves, “Welcome home, and thank you, Joe.”

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 57

YaGram

Below are our staff's favorite #NOLA hashtags on Instagram for February.

Tag us @WhereYatNola or #WhereYatNola to be featured in an upcoming issue.

NewsAroundTheWeb

Updated Daily at WhereYat.com

ESSENCEFestivalRevealsEpicLineupFor2019

@boozeyandbeignyay

@cakes_from_mimi

@missclaudiasvintage

During Fourth of July weekend, New Orleans will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Essence Festival, the world’s largest entertainment and cultural experience, with performances by over 80 artists. The three-day Superdome concert series will include artists like Missy Elliot, Mary J. Blige, NAS, and H.E.R. Weekend ticket packages are on sale now, with prices starting at $185.

ManInGorillaSuitBreaksIntoSulphurHome @theneworleanslifestyle

@johnsanpietro3

@southof_eden

@districtdonuts

@etiennestcharles

@lets_eat_nola

TweetBites

Below are our staff's New Orleans hashtag picks from Twitter for February. Tag us @WhereYatNola or #WhereYatNola to be featured in an upcoming issue.

@MandyPeine: Bourbon st> any other st #neworleanstweets

Jeremie Moran was arrested Thursday, February 21, on charges of resisting an officer with force or violence, unauthorized entry, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, fleeing from an officer, and wearing a mask in public—an illegal offense in Louisiana, outside of religious reasons or on holidays. According to the Sulphur Police Department, Moran—dressed in all black with a gorilla mask—was seen peering into the windows of various homes in the area. As the police approached, he broke into one of the houses and hid under a mattress there, where officers found and arrested him.

TulaneUniversityVotedTopPartySchool New Orleans’s own Tulane University has earned the title of #1 Party School in America according to niche.com. Following its unofficial motto of “play hard, study hard,” Tulane earned the top spot because of its unique Tuesday-through-Saturday going-out schedule and its wide variety of events, both on and off campus. From Happy Hours to fraternity socials, Tulane students know how to party.

@TheHangoverShot: This couple and their children were enjoying #MardiGras #MardiGras2019. We are glad to report this couple are both having a #HangoverFree #Saturday. We're going to be here all the way till #FatTuesday keeping #Nola #NewOrleans #HangoverFree. @PSUMatt2005: Can't help but think that being out on Bourbon St. at 1 on a SUN night will come back to bite me when my alarm goes off. #NewOrleansTweets @BoydKassie: Gumbo and potato salad makes a wonderful food pairing. #NewOrleansTweets @RepublicNOLA: my boss told me to think of a creative tweet to remind everyone that mardi gras weekend starts a week from now, so here it is @DavidMora: Purple, green, and gold from head to toe! #mardigras #neworleans #onetimeinnola

58 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

WednesdayAtTheSquareAnnounces2019Lineup The Young Leadership Council has announced the lineup for its annual “Wednesdays at the Square” concerts, held weekly at Lafayette Square. The series begins Wednesday, March 20, at 5 p.m. and features well-known and critically acclaimed musical acts hailing from the New Orleans area and broader region. Headliners will include Flow Tribe, Irma Thomas, Eric Lindell, and Kermit Ruffins. The concerts will take place every Wednesday from 5 until 8 p.m.

Eat, Drink and Relax at Apolline NEW HAPPY HOUR 4:30 - 6:30 Tuesday - Friday $1 Charbroiled Oysters - $2 Mimosas

4729 Magazine Street • (504) 894-8881 • www.ApollineRestaurant.com WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 59

5 3

3 2

1

Where Ya Been?

1.

Franco’s Brad Jefferson, The Fillmore’s Alex Rosen, and Harris-Paul Williams enjoyed the Where Y’at suite at Starlight Racing at the Fair Grounds.

2.

Antoine’s CEO Rick Blount introduced their new executive chef Rich Lee to replace beloved chef Michael Regua.

3.

Chewbacchus showed off great science fiction-themed costumes.

4.

Krewe du Vieux paraded through the Marigny, Bywater, and French Quarter.

5.

Queen Gayle Dellinger led Krewe of Cork with King Patrick van Hoorebeek.

6.

Pet Fest was fun for two-legged and four-legged creatures alike.

7.

The Pussyfooters’ Blush Ball at Generations Hall featured music, dancing, and more.

8.

The Halloween & Party Expo provided a preview of costumes, body paint, and party supplies.

9 .

Top Chef star Carla Hall (center) led a seminar on biscuits at the new NOCHI.

10. The New Orleans Baby Doll Ladies’ Mardi Gras Induction Luncheon was a great time for all.

5

8

4

6

9

60 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

7

10

WhereYat.com | March 2019 | 61

Chat NIKKI REYES with

Chefs Greg and Mary Sonnier first opened Gabrielle Restaurant in 1992 on Esplanade Avenue. Now located on Orleans Avenue, Gabrielle is where award-winning Chef Sonnier serves his take on Cajun/New Orleans cuisine. If you like dark roux, pan sauces, fresh seafood, smoked meats, or homemade sausages, this is the place for you!

Greg Sonnier

Dr. Corey Hébert

Chef/Owner, Gabrielle Restaurant

Physician/Educator/TV Personality

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Stuffed Crawfish Squash Blossom with Papa Diablo Mezcal.

Eating jellyfish in Hawaii.

A blue star! I'm a sailor.

Being a semi-pro Catholic!

I can't remember.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Fresh grilled fish and ice-cold beer!

Sea urchin.

“Eat with me and greet with me.”

My commitment to HUMANITY! Six years ago.

Gabrielle Sonnier

Liz Kenny

General Manager, Gabrielle Restaurant

Marketing Manager, Live Nation New Orleans

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Cadbury Eggs with mimosas.

Receipt paper after blotting my lipstick.

My signature dish.

I'm a Saint for the WHO DAT NATION! EVERY night at work!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Fried oysters and rosé.

Pizza—in the Midwest!

The Grateful Dead Bertha.

My smile.

Last week.

Mary Sonnier

Mark Aspiazu

Owner, Gabrielle Restaurant

Co-Owner, New Orleans Secrets Tours

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Panéed rabbit with fettuccini and rosé.

Foie gras, slightly crudo.

A cat!

Doing my husband's laundry.

Yesterday.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Chargrilled oysters and a true Cuban daiquiri!

Thai curry and peanut gelato.

A pan with BBQ shrimp in it.

My pancho with the New Orleans Saints insignia.

Yesterday. Actually, ALWAYS!

Terry Davis

Tim Levy

Assistant Program Director/Personality, Cumulus Radio

President, Greater Mid-City Business Association

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Trout meunière and floral white wine.

Steak Lagniappe. Tastes like tuna.

“Food is Love.”

My friendships.

Last Tuesday.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Trout Banana and chardonnay!

Tripe.

A loaf of bread with the word thou.

My love of people.

Hmmm...

Timothy Walls

Chris Willard

Horticultural Assistant, City Park

Associate/Sleep Expert

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Chicken and sausage gumbo and pinot noir.

A bad oyster.

The ones I have. More? Money?

Need me at the last minute? I'M THERE! 10 minutes ago.

62 | Spring Restaurant Guide | Where Y'at Magazine

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

A French entrée and champagne.

Fried pâté.

A fleur de lis with three roses.

Appreciating the St. Louis Cathedral.

In Old Metairie at the Blue Line Restaurant.

Where Y’at Chat Questions: 1. Spring has sprung! Pair me a spring entrée with a drink.

2. What is the most bizarre taste you've ever experienced?

3. You are an awardwinning chef with a tattoo.

What's your tattoo?

4. Happy St. Patty’s Day! What about you is "SAINTLY"?

5. March is International Listening Awareness Month. When did you last eavesdrop on a conversation?