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New album featuring The Rolling Stones a historic mix of cultures
The Rolling Stones don’t do tribute albums. Rock ’n’ roll gods with more than 250 million albums sold, the Stones are usually the worshipped, not the worshippers. But rock guitarist C.C. Adcock, of Lafayette, was on to something that could change that Adcock, like Mick Jagger, cut his musical molars on the accordion blues and boogie of Opelousas native Clifton Chenier, the heralded King of Zydeco. Adcock is also a producer on an album that celebrates the 100th anniversary of Chenier’s birth. He’s also friends with a couple of Jagger’s children, Lizzy and Jimmy, known to crash at Adcock’s place in the French Quarter All were together for a dinner at Antoine’s in New Orleans when Adcock brought up the Chenier tribute and a possible Stones participation
IMAGE FROM FRANCIS PAVY/FACEBOOK
Smithsonian Folkways
Recordings is releasing a 7-inch vinyl of the Rolling Stones and Steve Riley performing Clifton Chenier’s ‘Zydeco Sont Pas Sale,’ as part of a 100th anniversary tribute to the King of Zydeco.
“I had already gone to Keith Richards’ camp,” Adcock said “I knew a couple of people there We had been told it was a possibility, but nothing firm.
“When I brought it up to Mick, he said, ‘Yeah, that’s something I’d like to be involved in. Let’s do it,’” Adcock continued. “I said I had been waiting to hear back from Keith. He goes, ‘You asked the wrong man, didn’t you?’
The world gets to hear the Stones’ reverence for Chenier when “A Tribute to the King of Zydeco” is officially released June 27 on Valcour Records and Smithsonian Folkways. The 14song album features the Stones, Taj Mahal, Lucinda Williams, Charley Crockett and other icons performing Chenier classics with Keith Frank, Nathan Williams, Clifton’s son C.J. Chenier, Sonny Landreth and other Louisiana music stars
A special, 7-inch vinyl of the Stones’ single, “Zydeco Sont Pas Sale,” drops June 25, Clifton
ä See ALBUM, page 2G
ALL IN
‘Louisiana Eats’ Poppy Tooker dishes on love, loss and oysters at Antoine’s in New Orleans
BY JAN RISHER Staff writer
Sharing a meal with someone creates possibilities far beyond immediate nourishment. In this lunch series, Louisiana Culture editor Jan Risher meets notable Louisianans at the restaurant of their choice and tells the story of their lunch.
Poppy Tooker knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to ask for it.
“So I want it to be a dark pink, not a pale pink. OK? No ice, no fruit — and in a stemmed glass Got it?” she said, as she ordered what she calls “Poppy’s Pink drink” at Antoine’s. It’s her signature drink, and she’s happy to teach others how to make it.
That generosity sums up much of the spirit with which Tooker approaches life. (For the record, to make Poppy’s Pink drink, shake 10 shakes of Peychaud’s bitters into a stemmed glass, top with 8 ounces of sparkling water Garnish with lime, if desired.)
The bitters’ distinctive New Orleans flavor is no accident. Tooker describes herself as old-school New Orleans, which, in local parlance, means that the next sentence should be about where she went to school.
“I was a lifer at Ursuline, kindergarten all the way through,” she said, eventually explaining
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU
that it was almost all the way through. In her senior year in 1975, she left Ursuline amidst a bit of drama. She finished at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts a brief detour that, 50 years later, came full circle.
Even so, she did eventually become Ursuline’s alumni president, which she considers one of the greatest feathers in her cap.
‘Food became my love language’ Tooker is the award-winning
host and producer of the radio show “Louisiana Eats,” which is broadcast weekly on NPR affiliates throughout the Gulf South. Her much-loved radio broadcast celebrates its 15-year anniversary this month. Our lunch was evidence of its influence and reach. Lunch with Tooker is a community affair — a running conversation with staff friends and family She credits her paternal greatgrandmother for her deep interest
ä See TOOKER, page 2G
But where, exactly, is the geographical
Mary Guillory, left, assistant director of the Avoyelles Parish Commission of Tourism, and Wilbert Carmouche, director, frame themselves within the Centre de la Louisiane sign, marking the geographic center of the state in Avoyelles Parish.
STAFF PHOTO BY ROBIN MILLER
BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer
Herman Fuselier
Jan Risher and Poppy Tooker in front of Antoine’s in New Orleans
STAFF PHOTOS BY JAN RISHER
Antoine’s waiter Alvin Ross delivered the restaurant’s classic baked Alaska for dessert.
Flying to El Paso for a passport one Sunday
BY PAUL CLIFTON Contributing writer
Human Condition
It was a hot Sunday afternoon when the wheels touched down at the El Paso (Texas) International Airport. The purple/gray silhouette of the Franklin Mountains loomed in the west as I hopped into a taxi and headed downtown to my hotel. I had never been to El Paso, never had an inclination to visit Until a few days prior, that is On a Friday evening. I came home from work and my wife was on the phone. She was distraught, pacing. “We have a problem,” she mouthed to me, hand over the phone. “Passport.” She hung up the phone and told me that my passport would expire on Sept 10 We were to leave for Scotland to attend my oldest son’s wedding on Sept 4. It was Aug
CURIOUS
Continued from page 1G
said Wilbert Carmouche, tourism director “You use your iPhone or smartphone to click on this code, and it takes you to a site that tells you how to get there.” Visitors are indeed finding the site, and they’re taking photos with the sign for social media, Carmouche said.
Those who don’t want to seek out a QR code kiosk can either visit travelavoyelles.com/about/ find-your-center-in-the-centerof-louisiana on where to find Centre de la Louisiane or simply drive to its physical address at 1860 Old River Road in Mansura which is a little more than 5 miles southeast of Marksville. Visitors driving north on La. 1 should turn right on La. 107, locally known as Cocoville Road, upon approaching Marksville. After about a mile, turn right on Old River Road, which eventually follows an oxbow lake called Raccourci Old River, a curve left behind by the Mississippi River after it changed course.
A little more than three miles down this road, the marker stands on the left, surrounded by its own crushed stone parking lot in the midst of private fishing camps bordering former waterway
“CLECO put up a security light for us in the parking area,” Carmouche said. “So this is a safe spot.”
Marked by a metal sign
The sign is a large, metal cutout of Louisiana, where visitors can frame themselves within the state for photos. “Avoyelles Centre de la Louisiane” borders the top in blue and red letters, and a bubble noting “You are here” marks the location on a mini outline of the state The exact coordinates of this
ALBUM
Continued from page 1G
Chenier’s birthday It features Jagger singing the original Creole lyrics, backed by Grammywinning accordionist Steve Riley of Mamou Playboys fame.
Recorded in 1965, the original is a hard-driving, stripped-down romp of accordion, rubboard and drums, Clifton Chenier’s early sound that rocked dancehalls and rural house dances in southwest Louisiana In later years, he added horns, organ and blues guitar, an electrifying mix that put his “Bogalusa Boogie” album in the Grammy Hall of Fame and Library of Congress.
Adcock was challenged with making Clifton Chenier’s barebones, old-school zydeco work with the signature guitars of Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards. The results gave him the “frissons,” French for chill bumps.
“Keith and Ronnie did what they always do — the ancient art of weaving,” Adcock said “They find a way to snake around each other and support each other
Two guitars end up sounding like one. I was on cloud nine watching how they let it unfold
“It sounded like the Stones. It wasn’t a little cute, cultural cameo. It was like, ‘Oh let us pay tribute to your culture.’ It was also ‘No, we’re the Stones. We make Stones records — in whatever we do.’ I thought that was a very, very cool thing.” Adcock will always cherish his “catbird seat” in producing a historic blend of music cultures.
27. I could fly to Ireland but I could not return Panicked, I googled expedited passports. The U.S. Department of State website noted that one could make an appointment at a passport agency/office for a quick turnaround under certain circumstances. I called the number and
location are 30.5191 degrees north, 91.5209 degrees west. Carmouche and assistant tourism director Mary Guillory pinpointed these numbers after extensive research.
“We started working on this in September of 2024,” Carmouche said. “We looked at maps in the Assessor’s Office and discovered that the center was not where it was previously marked.”
Guillory said a concrete marker once declared the state’s geographic center as being 40 yards north of where the new marker stands.
“We looked at the maps and we knew that wasn’t right,” Guillory said “We were doing a rebranding of Avoyelles Parish at the time, and we knew this would be the perfect identity for us, because though we have good food and friendly people, we aren’t the only parish in the state that has these things.”
But not every parish can claim to be the exact center of the state, bringing together north and south Louisiana, along with a diversity of cultures and traditions where where French and English are equally prevalent.
Avoyelles Parish is also home to the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana.
Dare to drive the twisty-turns of Avoyelles Parish’s backroads for a chance to stand right smack in the middle of the state. While there, take a selfie or group photo. And don’t forget to tag Avoyelles Parish Tourism when posting them.
For more information, visit travelavoyelles.com
Do you have a question about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and the city where you live.
IMAGE FROM FRANCIS PAVY/FACEBOOK Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is releasing a 7-inch vinyl of the Rolling Stones and Steve Riley performing Clifton Chenier’s ‘Zydeco Sont Pas Sale,’ as part of a 100th anniversary tribute to the King of Zydeco.
“This speaks to how much they respect Clifton and how important that music is. I would not have felt comfortable going to them with a tribute to Buddy Guy or Muddy Waters or Dolly Parton,” Adcock said. “It was something about Clifton. They knew that music. It was just kinky enough that it would be something that they would be involved in.
“It speaks to how much they love American music and how much they knew zydeco.”
Herman Fuselier is executive director of the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. A longtime journalist covering Louisiana music and culture, he lives in Opelousas. His “Zydeco Stomp” show airs at noon Saturdays on KRVS 88.7 FM.
waited, held captive to dreadful, soulless hold music.
As I sat, sporadic skitterings emanated from our attic.
Being an environmental consultant, I knew well the black hole that is bureaucracy Finally, an angel came on the line and I told her our story
“OK, let’s see if we can get you into the New Orleans office,” she said. I listened, her keyboard clacked, each stroke a spike to my skull.
“Hmmm, there is an opening in November Well, that’s not gonna work, is it? Hold on.”
And then she said something I will never forget.
“Don’t worry, we are going to get you to your son’s wedding.”
After more searching, she came up with an open 8 a.m. slot the following Monday in El Paso. That night, I booked a flight for Sunday
By the next evening, the thumping and skittering in the attic had
become louder, bolder I climbed the attic steps, cleared the top and shone a flashlight into the dusty darkness. The beam exposed two neon eyes, perfectly still.
The raccoon assumed an indignant posture on its hind legs as if I had interrupted something. I had read somewhere that light, sound and scent can run them off, so I filled a huge bowl with white vinegar, grabbed a portable radio (tuned to the most annoying country music station I could find), left the light on and hoped for the best.
“Yep, it’s a raccoon,” I told my wife, trying, and failing, to be nonchalant.
Now to Sunday I got on a plane and left my wife at home, alone, with a raccoon banging around in the attic and the specter of an expired passport hanging over the family like Damocles’ sword.
Once I checked into the hotel, I walked five blocks to the passport office to recon. I had the requisite documents
proof of travel and receipts, birth certificate, on and on. All night, I obsessed over what else could go wrong. Then I found it. A sign on the office door stated cash only so I wandered around downtown El Paso searching for an ATM. At 8 a.m. Monday, the passport office was quite busy but well-run with helpful staff and, unbelievably, I was out of there by 10 a.m., crisp new passport in hand. I called home. The raccoon had fled.
I got on a plane bound for Baton Rouge first thing Tuesday I could finally breathe; all was well. Scotland and the wedding were beautiful.
— Clifton lives in Baton Rouge. Human Condition submissions of 600 words or fewer may be emailed to features@ theadvocate.com. Stories will be kept on file and publication is not guaranteed. There is no payment for Human Condition.
TOOKER
Continued from page 1G
in and love of Louisiana food.
“My world revolved around her and meals at her house,” Tooker said. “My great-grandmother coming to pick me up and taking me out to lunch or cooking in her kitchen with Rose and Lily, who were like the original food processors, taught me how to love people with food — so that food became my love language and my vehicle for showing you how much.”
I asked Tooker to choose a restaurant for our lunch that she felt best represented classic New Orleans. She said it was a tough call, but ultimately, for her, there was only one answer: Antoine’s Restaurant.
Located at 713 St. Louis St. in the French Quarter, Antoine’s dates back to 1840, “when New Orleans was queen city of the Mississippi River when cotton was king and French gentlemen settled their differences under the oaks with pistols for two and coffee for one,” as the restaurant describes its origins.
Rick Blount, CEO, is the current family custodian of Antoine’s. He’s the fifth generation of the family to run the iconic establishment. He stopped by the table to chat, too. As he describes it, “Our family’s been hoarding here on St. Louis Street for 185 years.”
His wife Lisa Blount stopped by later to chat and get feedback on the meal, the new menu design and the importance of keeping dishes reasonably priced.
Antoine’s food and ambience for our Friday lunch would be hard to beat. Gentle piano music played in the background. The light was perfect.
We tried three different oysters: the Rockefeller, the Foch and Ronquille. All three were outstanding, but Tooker and I agreed that the Ronquille — new to Antoine’s menu and a specialty of chef Ralph Pausina — was a revalation.
On a first-name basis
Tooker knows the incredible vastness of Antoine’s and its history well. A few years ago, she had the chance to help catalog the contents of some of the restaurant’s rooms that had been locked for decades. In 2019, she facilitated the donation of the ephemera to the Historic New Orleans Collection, which has an ongoing cataloging project of the artifacts.
“Have you ever been in the Japanese room on the second floor?” she asked.
I said I had not.
Tooker, by the way, is on a firstname basis with Antoine’s family members, including those who ran the place 150 years ago.
“It’s a wonderful room in and of itself. Jules (Alciatore, son of Antoine) created it in the late 1890s when Japanese art was so in. It was one of his first really big banquet rooms,” she explains. “When Dec. 7 happened in Pearl Harbor, they literally locked the doors and never went back in there for like 40 years. They never used the space. Isn’t that the wildest thing? That is how big and how great this place is.”
She moves on to another room where she found and read handwritten and typed correspondence from Roy Alciatore, who managed the restaurant through the Prohibition era and World War II.
“Roy really brought this place into its 20th-century fame,” she said. “He planned the 100th anniversary and marketed that so successfully that it really put them on the map.”
She explained that Roy Alciatore didn’t think that there should be a telephone that people could call for reservations. Instead, he believed people should write a letter
“So, every letter that Roy received was there,” she said. “The original was there, but even better, he meticulously made a carbon copy of his response to every letter, attached to the original. I mean, what a writer’s dream.”
The treasure trove of Antoine’s and New Orleans history included correspondence from Walt Disney, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and more.
An all-in approach
Beyond the oysters, Antoine’s iconic potato puffs served with Bearnaise sauce might have been
the best thing on the table. I keep thinking of them. The French onion soup was rich and the cheese just right. The salad was fresh and satisfying.
The baked Alaska at the end of the meal was over the top. Its meringue was perfectly charred and tasted just as good.
The overall experience felt fancy Even so, Antoine’s does a great job of keeping the dishes affordable. If you haven’t been to Antoine’s in a while (or forever), take this as your sign to go. We had a peek behind the scenes, thanks to Tooker, but the magic wasn’t exclusive.
Tooker won me over with her all-in approach to life, love and Louisiana. She’s not one of those people who compartmentalizes her life into various segments — it’s all on the table at once, mixing and meshing flavors.
She doesn’t shy away from the hardest parts of life. Earlier this year, she became a widow Her husband, Kenny Tobin, died on Feb. 28, 2025. He was diagnosed with ALS in March 2024. Tobin was the teenage love she never forgot — and she believed he was the love of her life. The pair reconnected in 2015 and married in 2022.
“The disease raced through his body We had only been married about two years at that point,” she said.
After she buried him, she wanted to move away from the home where she had nursed him through the illness. One day, she ran into Geoffrey Lutz at Costco. He was an old high school friend from her brief stint at NOCCA. Fifty years later, that brief detour ended up reshaping her world again through Lutz.
She mentioned she was looking for a place in the French Quarter As it happened, he had one. She took it, and, in the months since, the two have fallen in love.
Tooker is aware that the timing may seem unconventional, but she is in love. She’s happy and grateful for another chance.
“I just keep singing. I feel like Julie Andrews,” she said. “When I burst into song, which I do often, I will sing, ‘Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.’”
Whether ordering a drink, sharing the history of a place she adores or falling in love again, Tooker lives with the same intensity she brings to the table — all heart, all flavor, all in.
Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.
STAFF PHOTO BY JAN RISHER
French onion soup from Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans
STAFF PHOTO BY IAN McNULTY
Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans is the oldest continuously family-run restaurant in the U.S
AT THE TABLE
Pork jambalaya was once a staple on wedding menus
Country-style recipe can feed a crowd
BY DEBRA TAGHEHCHIAN
Contributing writer
June has long been considered the best time of year to get married.
In today’s world of elaborate weddings, I tried to think back to a time when the focus was not so much about spending large amounts of money but instead was a time when a relative made your dress, and the reception was held at the church hall.
I remember attending a wedding with my mother and grandmother long ago. My great-aunt’s daughter was getting married at a small Catholic church in rural Rayne. The church was a white wooden building the interior was filled with rows of wooden pews and sparsely decorated, even for a wedding
The wedding ceremony was a full Mass and lasted at least an hour Guests were then invited to the church hall for a meal. This was not the kind of wedding with dainty finger sandwiches or vegetable trays and deviled eggs. We were served a plate of food, and guests sat at long tables, communal style.
The couple who got married and most of the guests were hardworking Cajun folks. They had little interest in finger foods but rather preferred a “stick to your ribs” kind of repast We joined the line with others and received a plate of pork jambalaya, black-eyed peas, cabbage slaw dressed with white vinegar, salt and pepper and a slice of white bread.
“Do you need me to bring in more jambalaya?” shouted the cook from the kitchen door
The jambalaya had been cooked outside in a large black cast-iron pot Tray by tray, the jambalaya was brought to the kitchen and served to guests.
“Yeah, bring in more. We got more people coming,” answered the server
We made our way to the empty spots at the table and had a seat next to distant relatives. We began our hearty meal, and I told my mom, “Look, I got some of the crispy rice!”
“Yeah, you did get some of the crispy rice from the bottom of the pot, you lucky girl!” she replied.
That crispy rice was a prized bite.
After the meal, the music started. There was a three-piece Cajun band, and couples danced the two-step. Next came the bride and groom
Everyone cleared the floor, and they slowly danced to their favorite song Then, one by one, guests took a turn dancing with the bride or groom. Each new partner pinned money onto the bride’s veil or the groom’s lapel. By the end of a few songs, the newlyweds had collected a sizable amount of money to spend on their honeymoon
Not all weddings are meant to be grand affairs.
Regardless of the size or level of fanfare, family and friends who help to support the bride and groom as they embark on a life together are what make the celebration truly meaningful, turning a single day into the foundation of a partnership. This Louisiana, countrystyle jambalaya is a great crowd pleaser
Pork Jambalaya
um-high heat.
3. Add half of the pork and brown the meat well on both sides. Remove browned meat and add remaining pork. Brown on both sides and remove from the pot.
4. Add diced onions, diced bell peppers and diced celery Sauté vegetables until they just begin to brown. Add chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute.
1.
Dutch oven or cast iron pot, heat oil over a high to medi-
5. Return browned meat to the pot. Add enough water to cover the meat. Cover the pot and reduce to medium heat. Cook for about 30-45 minutes or until the meat is tender, adding more water as necessary Cook until the liquid has thickened to a gravy consistency
6. Add raw rice and stir Add water or chicken broth and stir
again. The amount of water added will depend on the gravy with the meat. If there is a lot of liquid, add less water or broth. If your gravy is really reduced, add the 4 cups. As a rule of thumb, for every cup of rice, you will need 2 cups of liquid.
7. Over medium heat, bring to a gentle boil. When the water has been absorbed and is even with the rice level, cover the pot with a tight lid and reduce heat to medium-low
8. Cook for about 20 minutes.
Check for the doneness of the rice.
Remove from heat and set aside with the lid on. This resting time allows for the moisture to be absorbed by the rice.
9. Uncover jambalaya, add chopped green onions and gently fluff the rice.
PHOTO BY DEBRA TAGHEHCHIAN Pork Jambalaya