Country Roads Magazine "The Cuisine Issue" July 2025

Comfort Food by James Fox-Smith

A new director of Folklife, the Aioli Supper Club

The history of the Slow Food movement in Louisiana by Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

Three classic New Orleans restaurants on the secrets to longevity by Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

Summertime’s cultural feast is served

In an age of imitation, how will we value authenticity? by Jacqueline DeRobertis-Braun

On the Cover

Artwork by Herb Roe

This remarkable work from Acadiana artist Herb Roe is part of a collection titled Louisiana Food Still Lifes, for which Roe photographed his daily lunches at local eateries in Lafayette—focusing on the regional comfort food of South Louisiana: rice and gravy plates, boudin, gratons, and, of course shrimp poboys.

In a world ever-leaning toward efficiency, virality, and homogenization, people in this region have historically taken pride in the unique foodways that set our culture apart. We take part in these collective “meal memories” by purchasing a poboy made from fish caught by our neighbors (page 38), by practicing the ritual of preparing our mother’s stuffed artichoke recipe (page 45), or by visiting a neighborhood restaurant that still serves chicken just as it did when it opened forty years ago (35). There’s something spiritual about our relationship to food, here. And like so many good things infused with nostalgia, the authenticity at the root of our food traditions is something to be protected—held up against the threat of inauthenticity, of the idea of something overshadowing the real, true thing. What is a Louisiana poboy without genuine Gulf shrimp? Who cares if okra belongs in gumbo if the okra we’re using has been shipped across the world?

Can our Creole gardens be complete if we’ve forgotten the tomato varieties our grandmothers planted? Can our cookbooks be true if we don’t remember the traditional recipes? And can we name our food earnestly Louisianan without paying tribute to the half-dozen immigrant cultures that have influenced it? As Richard McCarthy, a New Orleanian and board member of Slow Food International put it: “If there’s anything that really runs counter to the Louisiana frame of mind, it’s that taste should be homogenous.”

46

DOWN HOME MUSHROOMS

Mississippi mushrooms make for good business by Mimi Greenwood Knight

A family tradition by Liz Williams 45

by Alexandra Kennon Shahin

51 OVERHEARD IN LA Eavesdropping looks different here by Megan Broussard

A travel guide to “Singing River” City by Kristy Christiansen

Greenwood Knight

Publisher James Fox-Smith

Associate

Publisher Ashley Fox-Smith

Managing Editor Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

Arts & Entertainment

Editor

Jacqueline DeRobertis-Braun

Creative Director Kourtney Zimmerman

Contributors: Kevell Boyd, Megan Broussard, William Browning, Kristy Christiansen, Paul Christiansen, Jess Cole, Teresa Day, Burton Durand, Mimi Greenwood Knight, Alexandra Kennon Shahin, Liz Williams

Cover Artist

Herb Roe

Advertising

SALES@COUNTRYROADSMAG.COM

Sales Team Heather Gammill & Heather Gibbons

Operations Coordinator Molly McNeal

President Dorcas Woods Brown

The largest alligator park in Louisiana, offering Cajun music, petting zoo, bird sanctuary, reptile house, jungle, tortoise exhibit, baby gator wading pool, feeding show, and more!

Reflections

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Thhe other day, moved to mild panic by the quantity of ripe tomatoes piling up on our kitchen counter, I rang my mother. Back in March, while suffering a kind of seasonal affective disorder brought on by cardboard-tasting grocery store tomatoes, I had planted enough tomato plants to supply a medium-sized chain of pizza restaurants. These I’d fussed over through April and May, and by the beginning of June, when we returned from a couple of back-to-back trips, a tidal wave of enormous heirloom tomatoes was about to crest. The first week was heaven: salads, tomato sandwiches, and salsa at every meal; tomato pie and pasta sauce in high rotation. Still, they kept coming. Running out of ideas, I called the most resourceful cook I know.

My mother, who despite being eightythree and widowed, still grows enough produce to feed a vegan commune, had all the answers. Blend them with cucumbers, bell pepper, garlic and sourdough bread to make gazpacho soup by the gallon, she advised. Roast trays of chopped tomatoes with onions, garlic, basil and

olive oil, then puree the delicious results into sauce. And if I still had too many, just puree the damn things raw and freeze one-pound quantities—the amount called for by the average sauce or casserole recipe. She was right, as usual. In half a rainy Saturday, with a stick blender and a box of ziplocks, the crisis has been averted, the counter reclaimed, and the freezer filled with pound-sized parcels containing the very essence of summertime.

At times like these, an energetic cook with a scarcity mentality and a horror of wasting food is a useful source of advice. Time and again, when facing some culinary conundrum—an unexpectedly successful fishing trip, say, or trouble with hollandaise sauce—I’ve called her up; she always has the answer. As a result, most of the dishes in my repertoire bear the signature of my mother’s kitchen. They incorporate her techniques, approximate her ingredients, and adapt her recipes according to the seasons and the produce available, here in my adopted home. Since we are successive generations of culinary expatriates, I suppose this is to be expected. My mother was born and raised in England, then emigrated to Australia with her young family in the early 1970s. There, she set about adapting the very English cooking style she’d learned from her own mother to

the different (and frankly, better quality) meat, seafood, and fresh produce available in her new home. In Australia, her repertoire evolved without ever losing its English underpinnings. I’m fairly sure, for example, that during sweltering mid-summer Australian Christmases, ours was the only family sitting down to roast turkey with sage and apple stuffing, while everyone else was having a barbecue and going to the beach. I wonder what she would have done with the culinary traditions of Louisiana.

This spring, our daughter has graduated from college, and our son—a rising junior at the University of North Carolina—has moved out of his fraternity house and into a shared rental. So, suddenly, both kids are cooking for themselves. A week ago, I drove with our son from St. Francisville to Chapel Hill, to help him move into his house for the

summer. Before we got on the road, my wife and I spent an enjoyable evening gathering recipes for his favorite childhood dishes into a kind of homemade cookbook. As we wrote out the recipes, I couldn’t help noticing how many could be traced straight to my mother’s kitchen, albeit with various detours into Louisiana cuisine along the way. This got me thinking about how family food traditions are their own kind of inheritance—how feeding your family is about far more than sustenance. Feeding your family is cultural transmission: nighttime dinners encoded with memory, love, and belonging.

In the week since I left him fending for himself in North Carolina, our son has called or texted home often with questions: about how long to sauté onions, celery, and bell pepper for an étouffée, say; or how long to braise chicken thighs. Each response adds another building block to his culinary lineage. His repertoire will be different from ours, and from those of his grandmothers and great-grandmothers before us. But all those cooks, the meals that they made and the people they fed, are part of that lineage, binding him to us, to them, around the long dining table of time.

—James Fox-Smith, publisher james@countryroadsmag.com

Pairing Perfection

With sophisticated selections and an easygoing atmosphere, The Hangar Bay brings fine wines and spirits from all over the world to Jackson, Louisiana

Tucked away in an unassuming building on Highway 10 in Jackson, Louisiana, The Hangar Bay is a hidden gem for wine and spirits aficionados—especially those searching out premium selections not typically found at grocery stores or big box retailers. It’s not just the curated selection of imported fine wines and exclusive spirits that you’ll find here which differentiates Hangar Bay – it’s the hospitality, the attention to detail and the expertise that set it apart. Here, selecting a fresh summer rosé or browsing for a bespoke bourbon is not just a shopping trip; it’s an education, too.

That’s because Tony Linton, owner of The Hangar Bay and adjacent Thompson Sporting Goods, which sells firearms and other hunting gear, is more than a store proprietor. He’s a wine and spirits aficionado with an uncanny knack for matching customers with distinctive products they’ll love. With just one or two questions about their food and beverage preferences, Linton’s ability to match customers’ tastes with new flavors from around the world makes Hangar Bay a rare find.

A foodie himself, Linton recommends pairing pasta or seafood with a 2022 Fichet Bourgogne Aligoté for a refined summer dining experience, since this French white from the Burgundy region is light, crisp, not too acidic, and in Linton’s words, “just a good, smooth easy drinker.” He credits the subtle flavor profile of a white pinot noir to the fact that it’s made with red wine grapes picked before they turn red. This results in a wine that finishes more richly than many white wines, with flavors of baked apple and pear, but still brisk and light in body. He pours a sample of a delicious and very affordable Spanish red, CEPA 21, noting that it retails at his shop for less than at a well-known, regional package store. That’s thanks to the relationships Linton has built with suppliers around the region, and to purchasing

in bulk, which enables him to sell at unrivalled low prices, saving Hangar Bay shoppers the overhead they’d pay elsewhere.

“I can listen to what people like and don’t like and can place them into a higher quality of wine for less cost,” Linton said.

While some upscale purveyors of fine wines and spirits can feel intimidating, part of The Hangar Bay’s draw is the fact that the atmosphere here is delightfully unpretentious. On a Saturday morning in early June, dressed in a short-sleeved Columbia fishing shirt, khaki shorts and a baseball cap, Linton welcomes customers by name, often cracking jokes and laughing as they walk in. Sometimes even before they’ve climbed the steps to his shop, he’s already pouring a sample to taste.

“We just want to treat everyone the way we want to be treated,” Linton said.

On Hangar Bay’s shelves, you’ll find French and Italian wines not available anywhere else within a 75-mile radius, except by wine subscription service. Across the way, Linton offers top-shelf rums, tequilas, bourbons and scotches, alongside cigars and seltzers (Hangar Bay boasts the only license to sell CBD-R drinks in the Felicianas).

Hangar Bay’s YouTube page is updated often, highlighting current stock. One video notes that a 2019 Chateau Fage Graves de Vayres, from Bordeaux, earned a rating of 90 points out of 100 from Wine Enthusiast magazine, which puts it in the category of “outstanding” wine of superior character and style. The price? Just $9.99, reflecting Linton’s mantra of offering the best quality for the lowest possible price.

Private tastings are available, offering customers the chance to savor a variety of wines accompanied by upscale Southern fare, with four to five sommeliers offering unexpected pairings at each table. At a recent tasting, Cava, a sparkling white wine from Spain,

paired beautifully with crispy fried chicken, while scrumptious cream cheese fingers with fig preserves were served alongside a French white burgundy. Whether you have a seasoned palette or you’re looking to expand your horizons, The Hangar Bay presents customers with exceptional variety, topnotch customer service and unmatched low prices in a down-to-earth environment, making it entirely worth the 30-minute drive north of Baton Rouge. As Linton notes in one YouTube video:

“Y’all come see us over at Hangar Bay. Come pick you up a bottle of Traveller, or come get you a good cigar, or come in and just enjoy yourself while you’re here.”

Make it a weekend: Book a gorgeous (and surprisingly affordable) suite at Jackson’s Old Centenary Inn, and savor your wine and spirits on the Inn’s picturesque balcony overlooking the town’s quaint shops and restaurants. Enjoy the Inn’s (complimentary!) traditional Southern breakfast, before embarking on a day spent perusing Jackson’s antiques district, which overflows with affordable vintage finds, within easy walking distance. Stroll tree-lined downtown streets dotted with historic homes and countless historical markers, and discover the birthplace of stately Centenary College and its charming grounds, before rounding out your day at the Iron Horse Café with classic Louisiana fare.

Thompson Creek Sporting Goods & The Hangar Bay 2031 Highway 10 Jackson, LA, 70748 thompsoncreeksportinggoods.com/hangar-bay-inventory

Following the Folktales Home

MEET THE NEW DIRECTOR OF THE LOUISIANA FOLKLIFE PROGRAM

Thhe year Maria Zeringue spent in France was one of reflection. She was there to teach English to elementary school students after completing a master’s degree in French from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. But something else was calling her.

“I realized that what I really liked about my French program, and all the courses I took, were the cultural aspects of it,” Zeringue said. “I think I’m a very curious person.” In fact, her thesis had been, in the end, less about language and more about tradition, and how it evolves: a study on Mardi Gras traditions in the village of Gheens, Louisiana.

Zeringue loved the language and had studied it because she’d grown up hearing her grandparents speak it. But they’d given her more than just their language: “Both my grandmothers were artists of sorts,” she said. One was a seamstress, quilter, and crocheter, who could create an afghan from scratch in just seven days. “She got really kind of obsessed

with trying to make them as fast as she could,” recalled Zeringue. The other was a painter, a potter, and a quilter as well. “She would repair statues from the church across the street when they broke,” said Zeringue of her maternal grandmother. “That art was always such a big part of my family life, I think that’s where the interest in folklife came from.”

working on the Baton Rouge Traditions Project. It wasn’t long after she completed this second Master’s Degree that she got the opportunity, in 2017, to lead Mississippi’s Folk & Traditional Arts Program as Director. In this capacity, for the past eight years, she has worked to support artists like Alan Kolodny, one of the only wire tatting practitioners in the world. “I’ve worked with a lot of

“I CAN’T WAIT TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON IN LOUISIANA, TO GET TO KNOW THE ARTISTS . . . I’LL WANT TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE THE NEEDS ARE, AND HOW I CAN BEST CREATE MORE AWARENESS FOR THE INCREDIBLE TRADITIONAL ARTS AND CULTURE HERE IN LOUISIANA.”

—MARIA ZERINGUE

From France, Zeringue decided to pivot. She applied to the Indiana University’s Folklore Master’s Program (of which the esteemed folklorist Barry Ancelet is also an alumnus) and secured a summer internship with Maida Owens at the Louisiana Folklife Program,

amazing woodturners and, of course, have gotten to know the blues very well,” she said. “I have really enjoyed learning about all of these different artforms and why people pursue them, why practicing this means something to them.”

Now, twelve years since she last lived

A Storytelling Tradition Continues

MUSICIAN, ARTIST, AND CULTURE BEARER CHRISTINE BALFA LAUNCHES A NEW PODCAST

In musician, artist, and Cajun culture aficionado Christine Balfa’s first episode of her new podcast, hshe unveils the true impetus behind her venture about a half hour into a conversation with her sister, Nelda Balfa.

“I think there are so many interesting people I meet every day that I want to learn more about,” she says to her sibling. “And so, it was something that—if I’m interested in that, maybe other people might want to hear these stories or these themes.”

The podcast is a project Balfa, a renowned musician and native Louisiana French speaker, has wanted to undertake for more than a decade. Known throughout Acadiana for her efforts to center and celebrate Cajun culture, she is the founder of musical group Balfa Toujours and Cajun band Bonsoir, Catin. Her interests have also led her to establish and head the

nonprofit organization Louisiana Folk Roots. She is the youngest daughter of famed Cajun musician Dewey Balfa, who spent his life popularizing and performing music from the genre. Her goal with this new podcast is to highlight the stories of “musicians, artists, small business owners, [culture] bearers, and everyday heroes.”

“This podcast is a celebration of the human spirit,” Balfa said in a press release announcing the project. “It’s about honoring those who stay true to themselves—people who inspire us, challenge norms, and keep culture alive through how they live and love.”

Nelda Balfa, a Louisiana music icon in her own right, takes center stage in the first episode, which was released June 1. For more than an hour, the sisters delve into the many and sundry details of

growing up in a rural area, the challenges of being daughters with ambition in a musical family, the legacy of beloved and powerful parents, and the tragedies that have formed them along the way. The experience is supremely unhurried, a warm and convivial audio setting, filled with laughter, tears, pet names, and (of course) a smattering of Cajun French. The format is such that listeners can imagine they are overhearing a personal conversation the next table over at a cozy restaurant deep in the heart of Cajun country. Although the atmosphere is intimate and friendly, Christine does not shy away from the difficult questions. At one point she urges Nelda to sit with the struggle of being a female musician who was not allowed to go to bars or big dances to perform, like the male members of the family.

in Louisiana, Zeringue is returning home—this time to serve as the first new director of the Louisiana Folklife Program in more than forty years. It’s a privilege that she recognizes many folklorists, bound to the trail of limited job opportunities, don’t receive: the opportunity to study folklife in their home state. “I feel very lucky,” she said.

She plans to continue the work of her predecessor Maida Owens, who over her tenure has elevated the stories of Louisiana’s immigrant communities, produced a wealth of media on microcultures and folktales, and asked questions no one else has dared about how climate change might impact culture.

“I’ve had a front row seat to Maida’s work these past ten years, and she leaves behind such an impressive legacy,” said Zeringue. “They are definitely big shoes to fill, and I certainly intend to continue much of what she’s started.”

And she plans to do a lot of listening. “I can’t wait to learn about what’s going on in Louisiana, to get to know the artists, and see what they want out of the folklife program,” she said. “I’ll want to really understand where the needs are, and how I can best create more awareness for the incredible traditional arts and culture here in Louisiana.”

—Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

“You have so much talent, and so much that I feel like you didn’t get to do,” Christine says at one point, her voice breaking. “I wonder how much of that is timing?” Nelda pushes back, gently, reminding her she has four wonderful children and a life she remains proud of. “I don’t have too . . . too much, like, regret.”

Then, in one of the most emotional sections of the podcast, Nelda discusses the harrowing experience of losing their brother, Joe, to a car accident. Through her tears, Christine comforts her sister and thanks her for telling a story that had been shrouded in silence for much of her life.

“I think one of the gifts our family has is we’re very vulnerable,” she says. “We’re not scared to talk about things that were very painful.”

New episodes will drop on a biweekly schedule. Learn more about the podcast at christinebalfa.com/podcast.

—Jacqueline DeRobertis-Braun

Inside the Aioli Dinner

BRINGING RODRIGUE BACK TO THE LOUISIANA DINNER TABLE

Thhe first time George Rodrigue, then a landscape artist, decided to paint people, he struck gold—and he knew it. For much of his life, “The Aioli Dinner” was his most expensive work, and he never ended up selling it.

In the work, a group of gentlemen are enjoying the traditionally lavish six-hour meal of the Creole Gourmet Societies, the women who cooked it standing in the back. Each man has his own bottle of wine. The historic Darby Plantation, built in 1813 in New Iberia, stands in the background.

The painting breaks all the rules of traditional art. The people, seated around a long table, all dressed in white and looking at the viewer, seem to give off their own light—despite being set beneath trees, which themselves are drenched in a haunting darkness.

“The Aioli Dinner,” still one of Rodrigue’s most famous, has for the past ten years inspired new gatherings of Louisianans (and their friends) hosted through the George Rodrigue Foundation’s Aioli Supper Club. A recent rendition of the

pop-up fundraiser, which benefits arts in education programs, was held at the historic Cabildo in New Orleans—where Rodrigue’s works are currently on display in the exhibition Rodrigue: Before the Blue Dog. The event also coincided with the national public television premiere of the new documentary on Rodrigue’s life, BLUE: The Life and Art of George Rodrigue

We arrived in the gallery for a pre-dinner glass of champagne, free to wander through the works that defined Rodrigue’s career before his little blue version of the Rougarou won him international fame. Beneath his haunted oaks, Rodrigue’s Cajuns glowed, just as they did in that very first dinner painting. The artist would, at some point, explain that his figures—bourré players, musicians like Cleoma Breaux and Joe Falcon, Paul Prudhomme, and (my favorites) his many Evangelines—held light within, symbolic of the strength of their culture, their hope, their transcendence.

Those of us gathered were called by groups to a table set with bottles of wine. We were all dressed for the occasion, in

whites and blacks—just like the original participants in the Aioli Dinner, all of us looking at the camera, Rodrigue’s ghosts.

The dinner itself had us seated at a long table, enjoying the decadence of a fourcourse Dickie Brennan & Co. dinner prepared by Chef Matt Diunzio. Over corn and crab bisque, Rodrigue’s son Jacques—the Executive Director of the Foundation—regaled us with the history of the Cajuns, and how that history influenced his father’s art. When the shrimp remoulade salad came out, we watched a tantalizing preview of BLUE. The documentary—which is available for screening on WLAE through July 30—features interviews with Rodrigue’s friends and family, cut against rare, unseen footage of the artist himself discussing his work. I serendipitously found myself seated right beside one of the film’s executive producers, Ron Yager—an Emmy award-winning filmmaker who described the experience of making BLUE as the privilege of a lifetime.

As we dug into our (massive) pork chops, served with a tasso marchand de vin, Yager and my other neighbors dis-

cussed elements of Cajun life Rodrigue’s paintings had brought to mind: the music, the food, the grand exile that brought them here. We had to speak loudly to hear each other over the sounds of the fiddle and accordion in the corner, played with verve by Cameron Fontenot and the Rhythm Aces. The culture was in the room, pervading it, glowing—just as Rodrigue would have wanted.

The night ended, appropriately, with Creole cream cheesecake and an auction; several of Rodrigue’s paintings went home with my fellow diners that night, but the one I remember best is the rare edition of Rodrigue’s “Blue Dog Rocky”—in which the Blue Dog poses in front of a muscled Sylvester Stallone, who stands in front of an American flag.

As for me, I’m still holding out for one of those glowing “Evangelines.”

Learn more about upcoming Aioli Dinner Supper Club events, including one soon to come to the LSU Museum of Art in Baton Rouge, at aiolidinner.com.

Screen BLUE: The Life and Art of George Rodrigue at wlae.com or pbs.org.

—Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

Independence Day Extravaganzas

From the Northshore (pictured) to Cajun Country, New Orleans to Natchez, and everywhere in between, July 4 celebrations look a little different from town to town, city to city. Of course, it also looks the same, mostly involving fireworks. Peruse a sampling of how Louisiana and Mississippi let freedom ring this July. Then, read on for the many other events the summer has to offer.

Fourth of July Celebrations in Cajun Country & Southwest LA

June 30–July 4

Erath Independence Day Cajun Carnival: One of the oldest Fourth of July celebrations in Acadiana, this Cajun Carnival in Downtown Erath is set to be chock full of rides, fais do dos, water fights, a fun run, a parade, and more! Look forward to live performances by local musicians the likes of Parade Route Party Band, DJ Trashy, Dustin Sonnier, The Chee-Weez, Cliff Bernard, and DJ – Mike Jamez. Cap it all off with a fireworks display the evening of the Fourth at 9pm. Free. erath4.com. 1

July 3

Red, White & Boom! Youngsville Independence Day Celebration: Meet at the Youngsville Sports Complex and, before lighting up the night, enjoy music from Clay Cormier & The Highway Boys (among others), a kid zone, food, and fireworks to end the celebration. 5 pm–9 pm. Free. Find the event on Facebook. 1

July 4

Jennings Stars & Stripes Celebration and Fireworks Show: An outdoor community festival at Oil and Gas Park, with food trucks, cornhole, face painting, inflatables, and live music by First Street Hooligans and Colby Latiolais, followed by a fireworks show at 9 pm. 4 pm–10 pm. Free. Visit the Jennings Festival Association Facebook Page for more information. 1

Old Fashioned July 4th Celebration: Celebrate Independence all day long at the City of DeRidder's annual July 4th celebration at the Beauregard Parish Fairgrounds. Expect fireworks, food trucks, and a good old fashioned time.

5 pm–10 pm. cityofderidder.org. 1

Lake Charles Red, White, Blue & You Celebration: Voted one of the "STS Top 20 Events" for July by the Southeast Tourism Society, this festival celebration paints the town patriotic with a starspangled street parade, concessions, face painting, and a huge fireworks display over the lake at the Lake Charles Civic Center. 6 pm–10 pm. visitlakecharles.org. 1

Fourth of July Lake Jam: Bring the boat or the car out to celebrate America at Morgan City's Lake End Parkway with

a boat parade, food trucks, live music, a Kid Zone with water inflatables, the fireworks show finale at 9 pm, and more. This year's lineup includes Swampland Revival and Kings of Neon. 3 pm–9 pm. Free. cajuncoast.com. 1

Broussard Independence Festival: big ole birthday party for the nation, Broussard-style. Family friendly activities, a DJ, and fireworks at the St. Julien Park Sports Complex. 5 pm–9 pm. Free. lafayettetravel.com. 1

Krotz Springs Fireworks on the River: The name says it all—head out to the Atchafalaya for a sportsman's paradise fireworks show in Nall Park, 562 Front Street. The little town goes the whole nine yards with hot dogs, watermelon, and live local music. 6:30 pm–8 pm. cajuntravel.com. 1

July 5–6

Dugas Landing Annual Fourth of July Fishing Rodeo: A yee-haw good time is sure to be had on the water at Dugas Landing. There will be hamburgers, hot dogs, a DJ, and karaoke on Sunday, along with prizes. Free for spectators. 5:30 am Saturday; weigh-in ends at 4 pm Sunday. visitlakecharles.org. 1

Photo courtesy of St. Tammany Parish Government.

Fourth of July Events

Fourth of July Celebrations on the Northshore

June 28

Covington's Sparks in the Park : Celebrate the birth of our nation with Covington's Sparks in the Park annual festival. The event includes fireworks at dusk, live patriotic music, and fresh food made by local vendors. The Rotary Club of Covington will keep the crowd hydrated with lemonade and water. While there are plenty of activities for the kids, the Covington Business Association will also have wine aplenty for adults. So pull out those lawn chairs and blankets and head to Bogue Falaya Park. Free. 5:30 pm. louisiananorthshore.com. 1

Slidell Heritage Festival: Inside Heritage Park, join the community in celebration of our nation with live music from Amanda Shaw and The Chee-Weez, plus food trucks and beverages, water slides and face painting, and of course a fireworks show to cap it all off. Gates open at 5 pm, lasts until 11 pm. $15 admission for ages thirteen and older. slidellheritagefest.org. 1

July 4

Mandeville's Light Up the Lake: On the Mandeville Lakefront, the fireworks will be beautifully mirrored in Lake Pontchartrain, providing a sure "fire" way to ring in the Fourth of July. With patriotic tributes and live music, a kid's tent, games, face painting, a parade by the Mande Milkshakers, and food trucks, the fireworks are not the only thing to look forward to at this event. Onstage entertainment includes Amanda Shaw and The Boogie Men starting at 4 pm. Fireworks begin at 8:45 pm and will be launched from a raised barge for great viewing all along the lakefront. Picnics are not only welcome, but encouraged. Free. louisiananorthshore.com. 1

Madisonville Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration: The Town of Madisonville and Keep Madisonville Beautiful invite all to the Old-Fashioned Fourth of July celebration of America's Independence on the banks of the Tchefuncte River. Bring your chairs, coolers, and picnic baskets, and find a spot on the riverfront to enjoy the fun. Feel free to bring the kids along, as some

of the activities include kids' games, cornhole and horseshoe tournaments, a Veteran's Salute, watermelon eating and rooster crowing contests, a pie bake-off, and fireworks in front of Old Town Hall. Festivities begin at 10 am, and come to a close with fireworks around 8:45 pm. Free. louisiananorthshore.com. 1

Abita Springs' Fourth of July Celebration: Abita Springs' patriotic celebration offers excitement for all ages, with live music by Four Unplugged, fireworks, face painting for the kids, and food from favorite vendors. Held at the Abita Springs Trailhead Park. Free. 5 pm–9:30 pm. louisananorthshore.com. 1

Fourth of July Celebrations in Central & North Louisiana

July 4

The Sportspectrum Firecracker 5K Race in Shreveport: Don't miss the annual Firecracker 5K at St. Vincent Mall in Shreveport this year, proving patriotism one heated mile at a time. Kids can come too, with a half-mile fun run. 7:30 am. $32. Donations will directly benefit the Spine Institute of Louisiana Foundation. sbfunguide.com. 1

The Avoyelles Arts and Music Festival: "Louisiana’s July 4th Destination Festival" is getting bigger and better. This year's highly anticipated Avoyelles Arts and Music Festival heads to the Paragon Casino Resort for its 13th annual celebration. With two stages for entertainment, the live music will continue all day long. Other events include a cake and pie cook-off; an arts & crafts fair; a car, truck, and jeep show; and fun and games. 10 am–8 pm, with fireworks to follow. $10; free for four and younger. avoyellesarts.com. 1

Alexandria's Rock the Red Independence Day Celebration: Head to Alexandria City Hall for a freedom celebration featuring a sky lit up in sparkles, delicious food, and live music from Trini Triggs and Roi “Chip” Anthony. Free. 5:30 pm–9:30 pm. cityofalexandriala.com. 1

Shreveport KTBS Freedom Fest: The fireworks will be coming from towns throughout the region, across from the Sci-Port Discover Center, the American Rose Center, South Bossier Park; Cypress Lake; Jefferson, Texas; and Longview, Texas. KTBS will be airing all of it on KTBS and KPXJ, but on the ground locals can celebrate with live performances by local bands at South Bossier Park. Food trucks will be on

July

5

Independence Day Celebration in Monroe-West Monroe: Settle in downtown on the west or the east to watch the highly-anticipated annual fireworks show. Throughout the day, local vendors will be peddling their wares, and the streets will be filled with the sounds of live bands. Fireworks start at 9 pm, over the Ouachita River—best viewed from downtown West Monroe or Monroe, or on the West Monroe levee. Free. monroe-westmonroe.org. 1

Fourth of July

Celebrations in Greater Baton Rouge

July 3

Kenilworth Independence Day Parade: Having trinkets, candy, and other priceless treasures thrown at us from passing floats is a time-honored tradition in Louisiana, but why not bust it out for America's birthday, too? Kenilworth is celebrating its 53rd Annual Independence Day Parade. Rolls at 6:30 pm. For route information and more, visit kenilworthneighborhood.com. 1

and other acts all afternoon before the fireworks—this historic little town puts on a good show. 4 pm–10 pm. Free. visitlasweetspot.com. 1

July 4

Baton Rouge Fourth of July Spectacular: Every year, for our nation's birthday, WBRZ lights up the sky above the Mississippi River. The fireworks can be viewed from anywhere along the levee, and from Downtown Baton Rouge, starting at 9 pm. visitbatonrouge.com. 1

LSU Museum of Art and Tsunami

Baton Rouge Fourth of July Annual Celebration: Enjoy a colorful sushi dinner by Tsunami, an incredible view of the evening's fireworks, music and much more at Fourth of July Celebration presented by LSU Museum of Art. $85; $25 for terrace-only access; $165 for VIP. 7 pm–10 pm. lsumoa.org. 1

Baton Rouge Concert Band: Head to the Main Library at Goodwood for a beloved Capital area tradition—a soaring patriotic concert by the Baton Rouge Concert Band, beneath the evening sum-

A golf cart decked out in red, white, and blue for 4th of July festivites on the Cajun Coast at Lake End Park in Morgan City. Photo courtesy of Cajun Coast Tourism. See more on page 11.

Fourth of July Events

mer sky. Bring lawn chairs and refreshments to this family-friendly event, where everyone can enjoy an upbeat selection of American classics to celebrate independence. 7 pm. brcb.org. 1

Annual Plaquemine Hometown

Celebration: At its annual Hometown Celebration at Bayou Plaquemine Community Center, expect an evening that feels like a blast from the past, complete with old-fashioned games. There will also be a veterans' boat parade, tasty food, crafts, live music, dancing, and a fireworks display. 5 pm–9 pm. See The City of Plaquemine Facebook page for more details. 1

July 5

Walker’s Fourth of July Firework Show : It's not just an opportunity for fireworks at this country-style celebration of the Fourth—in Walker, come for the Jeep Show and blessing of the Jeeps (in your own, or to admire the rest), in true Americana fashion. Gather at Sidney Hutchinson Park for festivities and stay for the fireworks. 5 pm–dusk. livingstontourism.com. 1

Fourth of July Celebrations in New Orleans

July 3

3rd of July in City Park: Yes, you can celebrate our great nation on July 4th, but you can also show your pride year-round— July 3rd included, at City Park in New Orleans. Bring your chairs and blankets to enjoy patriotic music with The Marine Forces Reserve Band on the Goldring/ Woldenberg Great Lawn and fireworks at the Peristyle. Bring a picnic. A dress code of red, white, and blue is definitely recommended. 6 pm. Free and open to to the public. neworleanscitypark.com. 1

St. Charles Independence Day Celebration: St. Charles Parish will hold its annual Independence Day celebration at West Bank Bridge Park, featuring performances by popular band Ryan Foret & The Foret Tradition and food and drinks sold by local nonprofit organizations. It wouldn't be the Fourth without a firework show to close out the night. 6 pm–9 pm. Free. stcharlesparish-la.gov. 1

July 4

Go Fourth on the River: The Mississippi River has long linked the people of this region to the rest of America, and on our great country's birthday, the people of New Orleans invite all to Go Fourth in celebration. Come down earlier in the day to experience the fabulous attractions along the Riverfront. Then, starting at 9 pm on both sides of the Great Mississippi, fireworks will shoot and scream and burst into the sky from the banks and from barges, accompanied by a medley of patriotic songs. Settle in between Governor Nichols St. Wharf and Canal St. Dock. Free. go4thontheriver.com. 1

Fourth of July on the Creole Queen: Celebrate independence on the water, watching fireworks from the decks of the paddlewheeler Creole Queen. This dinner cruise, which sets sail complete with special buffet menu, open call brand bar, and live entertainment, offers the best seat in the house to view the "Dueling Barges" fireworks display that the City of New Orleans puts on above the Mississippi. $149; $69 for youth (ages 6–12) and $20 for children ages 3–5. Boarding from 7 pm–8 pm, located at Poydras St. Wharf/ Spanish Plaza. The riverboat sets sail following the fireworks. Reservations are required. creolequeen.com. 1

Fourth of July Celebrations in the Felicianas, Natchez, & Pointe Coupée

July 4

City of New Roads Independence Day Celebration: The City of New Roads invites all to celebrate the birth of our nation this Fourth of July on Morrison Parkway with food, entertainment, and activities for the whole family. The day also includes sounds by Raccoon Band and the annual boat parade down False River beginning at 4 pm, with boats dressed in vibrant shades of red, white, and blue. Music starts at 5:30 pm with a golf cart parade at 7 pm and fireworks show at 9 pm. Free. 4 pm–9 pm. newroads.net. 1

Natchez Fourth of July Fireworks: Join the party at the Natchez Bluff to celebrate Independence Day! Enjoy a booming firework show to cap off the night. Free. Fireworks at 9:30 pm. visitnatchez.org. 1

St. Francisville's Fireworks at Parker Park: St. Francisville celebrates the Fourth with live music by Trey & Lexi Pendley and Levee Road Revue, food trucks, and fireworks in Parker Park. 6 pm. Free. stfrancisville.net. 1

Other Events

Beginning July 1st

UNTIL JUL 5th

ART EXHIBITIONS

RANDY DAUTERIVE & CAROL MILLER OF THE LOUISIANA CRAFTS GUILD

Lafayette, Louisiana

In the Acadiana Center for the Arts Mallia Gallery, the Louisiana Crafts Guild presents two artists working out of Breaux Bridge: metal worker Randy Dauterive and ceramic artist Carol Miller. acadianacenterforthearts.org. 1

UNTIL JUL 13th

ART EXHIBITIONS

"CRESCENT CITYSCAPES"

New Orleans, Louisiana

In this exhibition pulled from the Ogden Museum of Southern Art's permanent collection, New Orleans is the muse. In works that capture the "slant of light through thick humid air," and "cracked sidewalks of urban entropy juxtaposed against the shock of new construction in the midst of history," "climbing vines and persistence of nature that threatens daily to swallow the landscape"—we see

how, from the nineteenth century to now, artists have been inspired by the Crescent City. ogdenmuseum.org. 1

UNTIL JUL 14th

LENSES

"DELICATE SIGHTS: PHOTOGRAPHY AND GLASS"

New Orleans, Louisiana

Focusing on an under-discussed element in the history of photography, Delicate Sights hones in on glass as a tool in the artform, showcasing processes and formats of ambrotypes, magic lantern slides, and glass plate negatives. These works have been produced across the world, including those by photographers like E.J. Bellocq, Joseph Woodson "Pops" Whitesell, and Felicita Felli Maynard. noma.org. 1

UNTIL JUL 19th

ART EXHIBITIONS

"SO REAL: A GROUP SHOW OF SOUTHERN PAINTERS OF REALISM"

New Orleans, Louisiana

LeMieux Galleries presents So Real:

A Group Show of Southern Painters of Realism, featuring works curated by Christy Wood, the gallery director and co-owner of LeMieux. Don't miss pieces by Benji Alexander Palus, Jonathan Hodge, Phil Sandusky, Mary Monk, Michael Deas, Benjamin Shamback, Shirley Rabe Masinter, Nicolina Morra, Diego Larguia, and Julie Crews. lemieuxgalleries.com. 1

UNTIL JUL 29th

INSIGHTS

BAC PRESENTS

"THE INNER REALMS"

Bossier City, Louisiana

The Bossier Arts Council hosts The Inner Realms at the Virginia Cook Gallery, an exhibition by local artist, Dyra Turner. Turner works with oil paint and glass mosaics, exploring themes of transformation and imagination to create pieces that reflect personal growth. bossierarts.org. 1

UNTIL AUG 1st

YEE-HAW "AMERICAN COWBOY: ALTERNATIVE LANDSCAPES" Monroe, Louisiana

Monroe's Masur Museum presents American Cowboy: Alternative Landscapes,

exploring the rugged American icon and the space he occupies, both in the country's imagination and in reality. The exhibition grapples with, questions, and engages this storied Western legacy through reconfiguring the myth, resisting realism, and carving a new image.

American Cowbo y features works from the Masur Museum's collection, Coloradobased artist Grace Kennison, and Jason Byron Nelson. masurmuseum.org. 1

UNTIL AUG 16th

ART EXHIBITIONS

"OUR POINT IN SPACE" AT THE ACA Lafayette, Louisiana

A tried and true tradition, the Acadiana Center for the Arts dedicates its Main Gallery exhibition in the hot summer months (ideal for strolling through excessive air conditioning and admiring art) to a thematic group exhibition. This year, artists were asked to explore their place in the world (whether that be personally, regionally, or globally); in other words, what shapes their sense of belonging, and how can they depict that imagining of self? In Our Point in Space, more than forty Louisiana artists answer that question. acadianacenterforthearts.org. 1

Events

Beginning July 1st - 5th

UNTIL SEP 7th

PHOTOGRAPHY

"THE UNENDING STREAM: CHAPTER I"

New Orleans, Louisiana

Paying homage to Clarence John Laughlin's photograph of the same title, which depicts a New Orleans graveyard in black and white, this twopart exhibition at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art honors New Orleans's photography community, with a special focus on emerging and underrepresented photographers whose work centers on the South. The artists featured in the exhibition explore themes that align with Laughlin's: memory, decay, the supernatural, forgotten places, time, place, family, identity. In this first chapter of the exhibition, works by Trenity Thomas, Kevin Kline, Jacob Mitchell, Brittany Markert, Thom Bennett, and Tiffany Smith are included. ogdenmuseum.org. 1

UNTIL NOV 2nd

LANGUAGE

"CREOLE: REFRAMED"

Port Allen, Louisiana

The West Baton Rouge Museum hosts a new mini-exhibition titled Creole: Reframed, displaying work from photographer Cécile Smetana and linguist Oliver Mayeux. A year ago, the two launched a project to create a contemporary portrait of Creole-speaking communities in South Louisiana. Through documentary photography and linguistic fieldwork, the exhibition acts as a teaser before the full exhibit is presented in 2027. westbatonrougemuseum.org. 1

JUL 1st HISTORY

LOUIS ARMSTRONG’S BIRTHDAY LECTURE

Opelousas, Louisiana

Stop by the Opelousas Museum & Interpretive Center to learn about the kerfuffle involving Louis Armstrong's birthday, which he celebrated on Independence Day. Sam Irwin, author of The Hidden History of Louisiana’s Jazz , explores the facts of Armstrong's birthday, along with the history and cultural resonance of a holiday commemorating freedom for Black Americans. 5:30 pm–7 pm. Free. museum@cityofopelousas.com. 1

JUL 1st - JUL 16th

FIT & FUN

CALVIN ROWE

COMMUNITY CLASSES

New Orleans, Louisiana

Get fit and stay active at the Marigny Opera House this summer (and don't be afraid to throw some dance moves in for fun). Summer residency artist Calvin Rowe, who has toured nationally and internationally with FLOCK Dance and Lightwire Theater, offers three community classes involving dance, breathing, and strengthening.

• July 7 & July 14: Creative/ Improvisational Movement

• July 1, July 8 & July 15: Body T: Strength & Conditioning

• July 2, July 9 & July 16: Escuchar Profundo: Daoist Breathing

6 pm–7 pm. $10–20 is the suggested donation, though none will be turned away for lack of funds. marignyoperahouse.org. 1

JUL 3rd

MUSIC

STEVE RILEY PRESENTS INTERNATIONAL ACCORDION KINGS

Lafayette, Louisiana

Steve Riley, a recognized master of the accordion and Mamou native, will be joined by the Agrentinian Chamamé musician Alejandro Brittes, father of the “Afro-Louisiana style," Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, and Klezmer virtuoso Glenn Hartman for a musical journey of styles and cultures at the Acadiana Center for the Arts. 7:30 pm–9:30 pm. $40. acadianacenterforthearts.org. 1

JUL 3rd - JUL 5th

GOOD EATS

OUR LADY OF THE GULF CRAB FEST

Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi

Celebrate Fourth of July weekend in true Southern style at Bay St. Louis at Our Lady of the Gulf's annual Crab Festival. Enjoy tasty eafood, rollicking live music, rides for the kiddos, and craft booths, among other family-friendly festivities. Other highlights include a 5k run on Saturday and a golf cart raffle. This year's music lineup features the Brandon Houge, Assumed Risk, DJ & Soul Shine, Dave Mayley Band, Ross Grisham, Bo King Band, and more. Free. olgchurch.net. 1

Some big acts are headlining Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, the annual showcase of African American musical talent hosted by Essence Magazine, which brings some starstriking names to a city that isn't easily impressed by superstar musicians... including Boyz II Men, Davido, Maxwell, Master P, GloRilla, The Isley Brothers, Nas, and Summer Walker, and many more. Jermaine Dupri will perform a tribute to legendary producer Quincy Jones. In addition to offering superb celebrity and music, the festival—which takes place at the Caesar's Superdome— provides inspirational and businessrelated seminars as well as arts markets to showcase the work of African American writers, craftsmen and women, and visual artists. Single day tickets start at $82. essence.com/essencefestival2025. 1

JUL 4th

UP IN THE AIR GLOFEST AT THE BAKOWSKI BRIDGE OF LIGHTS

Shreveport, Louisiana

On the first Friday of the month in Riverview Park, enjoy Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC)'s GloFests, featuring a dazzling light show on the Bakowski Bridge of Lights on the Texas Street Bridge. In July, the show coincides with the holiday's stupendous fireworks display. Also catch an arts market, food truck court, street performances by Spinner Entertainment, and more. 7:30 pm–9 pm. visitshreveportbossier.org. 1

continues bringing a wide variety of New Orleans's favorite musical acts to Professor Longhair's legendary stage. Here's what's happening:

• July 4: Soul Brass Band + Vegas Cola.

• July 5: DJ RQ Away Presents Lagniappe with Special Guest DJ Sean Falyon.

• July 10: An Evening With Mountain Grass Unit.

• July 11: Erica Falls + Ghalia Volt.

• July 12: Lost Bayou Ramblers + Marcella Simien.

• July 13: Fais Do-Do With Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band. Doors

• July 16: Wavves ‘Spun’ North America Summer 2025 Tour + Beach Goons + chokecherry.

• July 18: Flow Tribe + LeTrainiump.

• July 19: The Low End Theory Players Present A Tribute to OUTKAST.

• July 20: Broncho Natural Pleasure Tour 2025.

• July 25: The Quickening + Paris Avenue.

• July 26: Rakim. Ticket prices and times at tipitinas.com.1

JUL 5th

TURN IT UP LEBEAU ZYDECO FESTIVAL Lebeau, Louisiana

Immaculate Conception Church does it again, luring zydeco lovers back to this tiny Louisiana hamlet with a top-notch lineup of zydeco heavy-hitters. Bring your Toot Toot (and don't mess with mine) out to the home of legend Rockin' Sydney. Expect Geno Delafose, Jeremy

Events

Beginning July 5th - 10th

Fruge, Step Rideau, and Rusty Metoyer, who will be performing live with sounds by DJ Jammin’ J. $20; children $10. 9 am–10 pm. cajuntravel.com. 1

JUL 5th

HISTORY

THE 14TH COLONY

Saint Francisville, Louisiana

At Audubon State Historic Site, learn about the rarely discussed British colony of West Florida, whose denizens watched and waited as the thirteen other British colonies began to voice rebellion in 1775. Explore the history of colonial soldiers, watch demonstrations of musket and artillery firing, and delve into the details of eighteenth century surgical and medical practices. 10 am–4 pm. 225-635-3739. 1

JUL 5th

MUSIC

'LIVE' AT THE LITTLE THEATREQUINTRON & MISS PUSSYCAT

Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi

The Bay St. Louis Little Theatre proudly present Quintron & Miss Pussycat

from New Orleans, known for their seventeen full-length albums exploring the psychedelic soul of traditional New Orleans party music. Vibe in an environment of electronic chaos, "SwampTech" dance beats, small explosions, fashion, and entertaining puppet stories. 8 pm–10 pm. $25. bontempstix.com. 1

JUL 5th

DANCE CONTRA DANCING

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Lace up your dancing shoes: Contra dancing at St. Alban's Chapel is sure to get you moving to the beat. A traditional American social dance, similar to square dancing but done in two long lines, contra dancing requires no experience, with both singles and couples welcome. Newcomer orientation 3:45 pm–4 pm; dance 4 pm–6:30 pm. $7, free for first time attendees. louisianacontrasandsquares.com. 1

JUL 5th

WARES

EUNICE MARKET ON THE LAWN

Eunice, Louisiana

Antiques, art, handmade jewelry,

and culinary delights arise in front of downtown Eunice's LA Legion building every first Saturday of the month, starting at 10 am. Free. (337) 466-3611. 1

JUL 5th - JUL 26th

FARM-TO-TABLE FRESH FEST

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Throughout the early weeks of summer, when the spectacular bounty of Louisiana farms reaches its peak, the Red Stick Farmers Market sets into motion a series of themed events at its Saturday downtown markets. From local chefs demonstrating seasonal cooking tips to live music, art, and garden activities— each week will celebrate one of our regional crops. See the schedule below:

• July 5: Star Spangled Saturday

• July 12 : Melon Mania

• July 19: Everything Eggplant

• July 26: Oh My Okra

More info at breada.org. 1

JUL 5th - JUL 31st

ART EXHIBITIONS "LOUISIANA ROOTS"

New Orleans, Louisiana

Gallery 600 Julia hosts artist Linda Lesperance's solo exhibition, Louisiana

Roots. Lesperance, a well-known Jazz Fest artist, depicts scenes of African American life in Louisiana through colorful, bright paintings that capture joy. gallery600julia.com. 1

JUL 6th

ON THE WATER

BLESSING OF THE FLEET

Biloxi, Mississippi

Biloxi's annual summertime bash sets sail on Saturday from 11 am until 4 pm, when live music and hundreds of artisans provide hours of diversion on the Great Lawn at Harrah’s Casino, all building to the Biloxi Boat Blessing. The ceremonial wreath dropping happens at 12:30 pm, after which boats will line up at the end of the Biloxi Channel for a procession to receive their blessings for a safe and bountiful season. For details, visit the Biloxi Blessing of the Fleet Facebook page. 1

JUL 6th - JUL 31st

SOCIAL JUSTICE "EXONERATED" ARTIST RECEPTION AND TALK WITH BECKY GOTTSEGEN

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The Main Library on Goodwood will host sculpture artist Becky Gottsegen as she discusses her exhibition, Exonerated:

Portraits of the Wrongfully Convicted, on display at the branch through the month of July. The exhibition features ceramic busts of twenty-three men wrongfully imprisoned in Louisiana and seeks to honor those unjustly incarcerated and highlight the dangers of wrongful convictions. A reception will be held July 6 at 2 pm. Free, but registration is required at ebrpl.co/events. 1

JUL

7th - JUL 20th

FACT OR FICTION

HISTORY MYTHBUSTERS AT ROSEDOWN

Saint Francisville, Louisiana

History Mythbusters, a popular two-week

series, returns to Rosedown State Historic Site. The sessions explore commonlybelieved antebellum myths and discuss where these misconceptions came from—along with the truth behind them. 10 am–4 pm daily. lastateparks.com. 1

JUL 8th

MUSIC

STEVE EARLE

ACOUSTIC SHOW

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The Manship Theatre hosts Steve Earle, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and protege of legendary songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark. Earle is a master storyteller, with his songs recorded

by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, The Pretenders, and many others. 7:30 pm. $60–$80. manshiptheatre.org. 1

JUL 10th

SNEAK PEEK

2ND ANNUAL (NEIGHBOR) HOOD FEST PRE-PARTY

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Gear up for the 2nd annual (Neighbor) Hood Fest at an exclusive pre-party at Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room. Enjoy a buffet and sneak peek at talent performing at the festival on July 12— including Henry Turner Jr. & Flavor and the Listening Room All-Stars. 7 pm–midnight. $30. bontempstix.com. 1

JUL 10th

ART EXHIBITIONS

THE SUMMER ART SHOW OPENING NIGHT DINNER

Saint Francisville, Louisiana

The Corbel's Summer Art Show "Opening Night" Dinner is the stuff whimsical midsummer dreams are made of. Hosted at The Mallory in St. Francisville, the evening will include live music, complimentary champagne, an exclusive first look at the art, a catered four-course dinner, expertly

paired wines, and more. 6 pm. $115. bontempstix.com. 1

JUL 10th - JUL 13th

MUSIC LESSONS

SONGBIRD MUSIC SCHOOL WEEKEND

Saint Francisville, Louisiana

At Songbird Music School's adult weekend, participants ages fifteen and older can experience a range of vocal and instrumental training. Hosted by Old Crow Gallery and 3V Tourist Court, class offerings include voice, guitar, cabin orchestra, percussion, choir, and songwriting sessions, among others. 8 am–4 pm. $350 for all four days; $250 per class; $125 deposit to save a spot. bontempstix.com. 1

JUL 10th - JUL 15th

KID STUFF

BRIGHT STAR THEATER PRESENTS "ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND"

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Children of all ages will find excitement and whimsy watching Bright Star Theater's production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at East Baton Rouge Parish libraries. Along with curious Alice, drift through a fantastical land filled with

Evoking the thrill of the famous Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain, the New Orleans Running of the Bulls involves running while being pursued by the Big Easy Roller Derby. The event begins at 6:30 am on July 12 at Gallier Hall. Learn more at nolabulls.com. Photo courtesy of San Fermin in Nueva

Events

Beginning July 10th - 11th

the Queen of Hearts, Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter, and other beloved characters. The schedule is as follows:

• July 10 at 2 pm: South Branch Library

• July 11 at 10 am: Eden Park Branch Library

• July 11 at 2:30 pm: Central Branch Library

• July 15 at 10 am: Baker Branch Library Free. Registration may be required at some locations. ebrpl.com. 1

JUL

10th - JUL 27th

MUSICALS

ACENSION

COMMUNITY THEATRE PRESENTS "ANNIE"

Gonzales, Louisiana

It's a hard knock life for us—and by us, we mean the cast of Ascension Community Theatre's Annie. This beloved musical about a precocious red-headed orphan who befriends a billionaire and evades the clutches of a wicked orphanage owner and her minions has long wowed audiences from the stage to the screen. Don't miss this heartfelt

performance with Annie, Sandy, Miss Hannigan, Oliver Warbucks, and the rest. 7 pm; 2 pm Sundays. $20–$35. actgonzales.org. 1

JUL 10th - JUL 27th

BARD BASH

TULANE

SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

New Orleans, Louisiana

Founded in 1993 by a handful of Tulane faculty members, the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane has become one of the most significant theatre events in the Gulf South and a rich celebration of the Bard. Throughout July, see a more traditional Shakespearian performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Graham Burk. The preview performance will be held July 10, and opening night on July 11—with performances Thursdays–Sundays through July 27 (7:30 pm Thursday–Saturday; 1:30 pm Saturday–Sunday). $40. All events will take place in Tulane's Lupin Theater. neworleansshakespeare.org. 1

JUL 10th - JUL 27th

THEATRE "CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF" BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS THEATRE COMPANY

New Orleans, Louisiana

The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans presents Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, at Marquette Theater at Loyola University. The play explores the nuances of family, legacy, and truth, following the struggle and drama of the Pollitt house. 7:30 pm; 3 pm Sundays. $40; $25 for those under twenty-five, with an ID; $10 for Loyola University students. twtheatrenola.com. 1

JUL 10th - AUG 3rd

SOCIAL JUSTICE

"RECLAIMING YOUR VOICE": ARTISTS RESPOND TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

At Kelwood Contemporary Art, a new exhibition titled Reclaiming Your Voice showcases artistic works created by domestic violence survivors. Organizers hope the show will foster a dialogue about the epidemic of domestic violence and bring more awareness to the issue. An opening

reception is July 12, from 5 pm–8 pm. kelwoodcontemporaryart.com. 1

JUL 11th

ART EXHIBITIONS "EXPRESSIONS OF EMPOWERMENT": EXHIBITION OPENING RECEPTION

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Step into a celebration of women’s voices through Expressions of Empowerment, a summer gallery exhibition that honors journeys of self-discovery, transformation, and inner strength. Hosted at The Red Shoes and curated in partnership with ELLEMnop Art, this collection showcases women artists exploring the intersection of creativity and personal growth, connecting viewers to the wisdom and beauty of lived experiences. Opening reception from 6 pm–8 pm. RSVP at theredshoes.org. 1

JUL 11th

MUSIC

JILL BUTLER’S "JOYRIDE"

Lafayette, Louisiana

Jill Butler, a jazz composer, pianist, and vocalist, harnesses her Southern Louisiana and Mississippi roots in her inaugural album JOYRIDE . The album was recently up for Grammy consideration and currently ranks in Top 40 across

Jazz Radio airplay charts internationally. At the Acadiana Center for the Arts, Butler will bring her compositions to the stage with her band composed of music greats. 7:30 pm–9:30 pm. $25. acadianacenterforthearts.org. 1

JUL 11th

COMMUNITY

GATHERING ON THE GROUNDS

Laurel, Mississippi

At Gathering on the Grounds, come for the live entertainment, stay for the food trucks, outdoor movies, kid activities, fresh produce and plants, local art, and more. Held at the South Mississippi Fair Grounds Magnolia Center in Laurel. 5:30 pm–9:30 pm. jonescounty.com. 1

JUL 11th

RETAIL THERAPY

FULL MOON MARKET

Plaquemine, Louisiana

Stroll through a whimsical market under the light of the full moon, all in celebration of local art, food, and creativity. Shop handmade creations from local artists, partake in a plethora of delicious local food, and enjoy the ambiance at Plaquemine Main Street Gallery. visitiberville.com. 1

JUL 11th - JUL 20th

THEATRE

IPAL PRESENTS "MATILDA"

New Iberia, Louisiana

It's a classic for precocious children everywhere—Matilda, unloved by her parents, has astonishing wit and psychokinetic powers. Matilda, presented by the Iberia Performing Arts League, follows her to school and tells the story of the hijinks that follow. Don't miss Trunchbull, Miss Honey, and, of course,

the eponymous heroine in this classic movie-to-stage adaptation. 7 pm; 2 pm Sundays and Saturday, July 19. $17. ipaltheater.com. 1

JUL 11th - JUL 25th

ART EXCURSIONS

GROWN FOLK SUMMER CAMPS

Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Who says summer camps are only for kids? The Walter Anderson Museum of Art offers four adults-only art workshops for those looking to flex their creativity this summer.

• July 11: Chromatic Memories: Poetry and Painting—Campers bring a found object from home to paint in watercolor.

• July 18: Grass is Greener: Acrylic Landscape—Campers bring a landscape photograph (or follow along with the instructor) to create an acrylic painting.

• July 25: Black, White and Wet: Ink and Watercolor—Campers receive a sketch book upon entry, and learn pen and ink illustration techniques.

6 pm–8 pm. $160 for the whole series; $120 for members; $50 for individual classes; $40 for members. walterandersonmuseum.org. 1

JUL 11th - AUG 31st

ART EXHIBITION

“BUDDS” AT NUNU Arnaudville, Louisiana

NUNU Arts & Culture Collective presents BUDDS, a solo art exhibit by Gwendolyn Alexis Richard. Richard, a visual artist, art therapist, floral designer, and retired arts grant administrator, prefers to paint in acrylics. Her work captures her love of "flowers, whimsey, various elements of design, and diversity," according to her artist's statement. nunucollective.org. 1

A crowd enjoying the music at Island Strong Music Fest, returning for a fourth year on the weekend of July 17. The festival celebrates and supports Grand Isle's ongoing recovery efforts from Hurricane Ida, which decimated much of the area. Photo courtesy of Island Strong Music Fest. See more on pages 23–24.

Events

Beginning July 11th - 17th

JUL 11th - SEP 30th

ART EXHIBITIONS

POYDRAS CENTER

POP UP EXHIBIT

New Roads, Louisiana

The Poydras Center in New Roads hosts a joint art exhibition this summer by Pointe Coupée native Leslie Charleville and Baton Rouge artist Ellen Ogden. Charleville specializes in the seventeenth century Japanese art form of gyotaku, or fish rubbing; she uses the technique on alligators. Over the course of her career, among other artistic feats involving the craft, she has printed massive gators and 600-pound tuna. Ogden works with Kouri-vini (Louisiana Creole) activists and is currently a student of the Master Naturalist program, and a fellow of the Institute of Environmental Communication at Loyola University. Her art explores healing and accessibility, among other themes. In addition to work from each artist, the exhibition will feature a collaborative work. A meet and great reception is July 11 at 6 pm. artscouncilofpointecoupee.org. 1

JUL 12th

SOUND ON (NEIGHBOR) HOOD FEST

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baton Rouge's second annual (Neighbor) Hood Fest comes to the East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, and is devoted to building unity and celebrating Red Stick's diverse cultural communities. At this event about neighborhood associations and what makes different parts of town interesting places to live and work, the goal is to introduce new arrivals to Baton Rouge’s neighborhoods. Expect a vendor village and food court, live music, films, and film panels. Live entertainment includes Henry Turner Jr. & Flavor and the Listening Room All-Stars, King Solomon, and Ervin “Maestro” Foster, among others. Noon–8 pm. Free and family-friendly. ebrpl.com. 1

JUL 12th

SELF-CARE

HONEY GOLD: SOUND HEALING CONCERT

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

In collaboration with the Arts Council

of Greater Baton Rouge, The Red Shoes invites the community to experience an immersive audio-visual healing concert and meditation journey in the Virginia & John Noland Black Box Studio at the Cary Saurage Community Arts Center. The event will feature Honey Gold, the acoustic-electric sound healing band created by musicians Sariah Sizemore and Taylor Matherne, in a special performance. A short guided meditation opens the evening; limited spots will be available for participants to lie down, and

seating will also be provided. 6 pm–7:30 pm. $39. theredshoes.org. 1

JUL 12th

RETAIL THERAPY

ST. GABRIEL’S FIREFLY MARKET

Saint Gabriel, Louisiana

At the Chatsworth House in St. Gabriel, the Firefly Market hosts more than sixty vendors serving beer, wine, cocktails, fresh produce, jelly, jams, seasonings, food, and more—alongside all sorts of

Sariah Storm, of Sariah Storm and The Mysteries. The band will perform at the West Baton Rouge Museum''s July Historical Happy Hour on July 18. Photo by David Normand; courtesy of the West Baton Rouge Museum. See more on page 24.

traditional arts and crafts. Come for the wares, stay to enjoy the breeze and shade beneath the historic oaks. 4 pm–8 pm. Free off-street parking available. info@stgabrielfarmersmarket.com. 1

JUL 12th - JUL 13th

RETAIL THERAPY

BATON ROUGE SUMMER SIZZLE CRAFT AND VENDOR MARKET

Gonzales,Louisiana

Grab your purse, wallet, and some quality tote bags, and head to Tanger Outlets in Gonzales for this sizzling craft and vendor market. It's the perfect excursion for the summertime, just before the school season starts and while there is still time for a last-minute beach trip (wit h the new outfits that entails). Don't miss seasonal items, back-to-school goodies, and more. 10 am–4 pm Saturday; 10 am–5 pm Sunday. Free. visitlasweetspot.com. 1

JUL 12th - JUL 27th

THEATRE

"SOMETHING ROTTEN!" AT PLAYMAKERS THEATER OF COVINGTON

Covington, Louisiana

In this Shakespeare-inspired, irreverent romp of a musical, two brothers hope to write a hit play but are constantly

roadblocked by "The Bard" himself. Something Rotten!, a Broadway comedy, is set in 1595 and charts the brothers as they aim to write the world's first musical after a soothsayer predicts the future of theater. Expect all the trappings of the genre, like showy dance numbers, powerful songs, and bold costumes. 7:30 pm; 2 pm Sundays. $15–$30. bontempstix.com. 1

JUL 12th - AUG 23rd

ART EXHIBITIONS

LSU SCHOOL OF ART SUMMER

CONTEMPORARY: "FELT"

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The Glassell Gallery at the Shaw Center hosts its juried summer show, FELT Artists approach "feel, feeling, felt" in works that explore emotional states and embodiment, locating the tension between "touch, temperature, vibration, aura." Experience an exhibition that embraces the sensuous. design.lsu.edu. 1

JUL 12th - SEP 13th

ART EXHIBITION

STAA SUMMER SHOW

Covington, Louisiana

For over fifty years running, the St. Tammany Art Association has organized the national juried art exhibition, the Summer Show. The show, which brings

together artists across the country, returns this year after an extended hiatus post-pandemic. A closing reception will be held July 12 from 6 pm–9 pm. Entrance to the gallery is free. sttammanyartassociation.org. 1

JUL 16th

TINY TREES

BONSAI WORKSHOP AT PORT ORLEANS BREWING CO.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Round up your friends with the greenest thumbs and head to Port Orleans Brewing Co. to learn the specialized art of making personalized tiny trees. At Bonsai Bar, an expert teaches the fundamental skills and techniques behind the art of bonsai while participants enjoy a night out with friends over a drink. Teachers introduce core concepts and guide the experience as attendees pot, prune, and design their very own bonsai tree. 6 pm. $85. bonsaibar.com. 1

JUL 16th

MUSIC

ALVIN BATISTE

JAZZ SOCIETY SERIES: MIKE

ESNEAULT WITH HOUSE TRIO Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Hosted at the Virginia and John Noland Black Box Studio at the Cary Saurage

Community Arts Center, the Alvin Batiste Jazz Society Series presents an eclectic mix of local and national artists performing in an intimate space. This evening, catch Mike Esneault with House Trio, followed by open jam session. 6:30 pm–8 pm. $10; $5 for students. artsbr.org. 1

JUL 17th

ARTISTIC ICONS CLEMENTINE HUNTER AND LOUISIANA FOLK ART

New Iberia, Louisiana

Shadows-on-the-Teche, in partnership with the Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios (HAHS), a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, continues its celebration of Louisiana art with a virtual discussion of Clementine Hunter and Louisiana Folk Art. The conversation will include Tom Whitehead, a leading expert on Clementine Hunter, and feature Valerie Balint, Director of Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios. 5:30 pm. Register at shadowsontheteche.org. 1

JUL 17th - JUL 19th

TURN IT UP ISLAND STRONG MUSIC FEST

Grand Isle, Louisiana

The fourth annual Island Strong Music

You’re free to live your life out loud! Because you’ve got the compassion of the cross, the security of the shield, and the comfort of Blue behind you.

Events

Beginning July 18th - 24th

Fest returns to the Tarpon Rodeo Pavilion this summer. The three-day festival celebrates Grand Isle's ongoing recovery from Hurricane Ida. Enjoy food, craft booths, and other local vendors—plus performances by 3rd Street, Danny Jr. & Shinesoul, Roger Dowdy, Ross Grisham & Friends, Swampland Revival, and many more. Thursday 5 pm–11 pm. Friday and Saturday 11:30 am–11:30 pm. $45 for weekend bracelet. $10 for Thursday's events. $20 for Friday and Saturday. 12 and younger are free. islandstrongmusicfest.com. 1

JUL 18th

(FUN)DRAISERES

SOUTHERN NIGHTS SOIRÉE

Mandeville, Louisiana

Ready to celebrate summer with a night to remember? The St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce's biggest fundraiser of the year brings casino games, an open bar, samples from area fine-dining restaurants, and both live and silent auctions to The Greystone event center in Mandeville. Proceeds from the event—an opportunity

to network with business leaders from across St. Tammany parish—enable the chamber to offer members relevant programs and services at reasonable prices. 7 pm–10 pm at 935 Clausel Street. $150; $2,000 for ten tickets. sttammanychamber.org. 1

JUL 18th

VISTAS

SUNSET AT THE LANDING

Covington, Louisiana

Who doesn't like free, outdoor live music? We, and the folks on the Northshore, certainly do, and they go all out for their spring Sunset at the Landing concerts, which feature local artists performing cozy, outdoor concerts at the Columbia Street boat landing overlooking the Bogue Falaya River. Past acts have included The Groove Kings, The Magnolia Sisters, Sweet Olive, and many other esteemed local artists. Find out who is performing next at the weekly announcements on the Sunset Concert Series Facebook Page. Just bring chairs and refreshments. Free. 6 pm–9 pm. sunsetatthelanding.org. 1

JUL 18th

LIVE MUSIC

JULY HISTORICAL HAPPY

HOUR: SARIAH STORM AND THE MYSTERIES

Port Allen, Louisiana

The West Baton Rouge Museum's July Historical Happy Hour features Sariah Storm and The Mysteries. The band offers a fresh interpretation of early 1900s traditional jazz and blues standards with an upbeat and soulful repertoire of original songs. Experience the influences of cabaret, blues, jazz, and rock and roll, woven together to create a unique sound. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, folding chairs, and refreshments. 6 pm–8 pm. Free. westbatonrougemuseum.org. 1

JUL 18th - JUL 19th

UP IN THE AIR

RED RIVER BALLOON RALLY

Shreveport, Louisiana

Summer is the right time to make the most of hot air. With that in mind, head up to Shreveport to enjoy the Red River Balloon Rally. In this two-day celebration, catch music, activities, food, tethered balloon rides, and more. Kids especially love the balloon glow night show, not to mention

the fireworks display. $5 at the gate. redriverballoonrally.com. 1

JUL 19th

WRITE LIKE AN EGYPTIAN STUDIO SATURDAY AT LASM

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

It's the perfect opportunity for a familyfriendly, educational experience at the Louisiana Arts & Science Museum. Bring the kids to this immersive workshop exploring ancient writing in a hands-on activity. The class will be led by Nathalie Roy, a National Board-Certified educator and the 2021 Louisiana State Teacher of the Year, and will delve into the ins and outs of how ancient Mediterranean civilizations produced papyrus and inks. Saturday's workshop is held in conjunction with LASM’s year-long exhibition, Discoveries on the Nile: Exploring King Tut’s Tomb and the Amin Egyptian Collection. Ages fourteen and older are welcome. 10 am–noon. $15 for adults; $12 for children and seniors; free for LASM members. lasm.org. 1

JUL 19th

GOOD EATS

TASTE OF AFRICA FEST

New Orleans, Louisiana

At this food fest presented by

AfrobeatNOLA at The Broadside, come for the authentic food vendors from Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Togo, Ethiopia, and Haiti—and stay for the vibrant musical lineup. Live entertainment includes African dance and drumming performance by Nkiruka African Dance Company, Togalese singer Kodjo, Nigerian DJ Ojay, South African DJ Shan Li, Guyanese percussionist Majek Fingers, West African DJ Chika, Afrobeat artist Kari Jay, and Louisiana’s DJ T-Roy. Also expect an African dance competition and a free African rhythms history lesson. 4 pm–11 pm. $20. tasteafricafest.com. 1

JUL 22nd - JUL 24th

HANDMADE

TATTING WORKSHOP SERIES AT WEST BATON ROUGE MUSEUM

Port Allen, Louisiana

The West Baton Rouge Museum hosts a series of tatting workshops, teaching a handwork dating back to the 1700s found throughout Europe. Led by Louisiana artist Christy Benoit Castille, the courses will teach participants how to use a double thread to create double knots. The schedule for classes includes:

• July 22 : Beginner Shuttle Tatting— Participants use their fingers to focus on

mastering the double stitch. Shuttle and thread provided.

• July 24 : Beginner Needle Tatting— Participants are taught how to read diagram patterns, then add in thread, and tact simple edging. If planning to attend, consider bringing a needle, thread, and copy of the book, Learning Needle Tatting. Some kits, including the book, will be available for a fee of $15.

10 am–noon. Register by calling the the West Baton Rouge Museum at (225) 336-2422. $30. westbatonrougemuseum.org. 1

JUL 24th - JUL 26th

FISH FRENZY

GRAND ISLE TARPON RODEO Grand Isle, Louisiana

Do you love to fish? Do you love rodeos? What about both, at the same time (so to speak)? The International Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo is the oldest fishing tournament in the United States, with a reputation that's been making a splash since 1928. The event will be taking place at Grand Isle's Sand Dollar Marina. Food, live entertainment educational booths, children's crab races, vendors, and a $10,000 grand price drawing are just a

A crop of fairytale eggplant for sale at Baton Rouge's Red Stick Farmers Market. In June and July, a series of themed downtown markets take over every summer Saturday in "Fresh Fest." Photo courtesy of BREADA. See more on page 18.

Events

Beginning July 25th - 29th

few things to expect. 11 am–10 pm on July 24 and 25, 11 am–9 pm on July 26. tarponrodeo.org. 1

JUL 25th

PSYCHADELIC

ZACH EDWARDS & THE MEDICINE’S LIQUID LIGHT SHOW

Lafayette, Louisiana

Experience the dreamlike look and feel from several decades ago, set to music. This Live Liquid Light Show features Zach Edwards and The Medicine, who bring their high energy, psychedelic southern rock sound to the Acadiana Center for the Arts stage. With stunning and immersive visuals made famous in the 1960s and 70s using just liquids and dyes, the show projects images that create an unforgettable experience. 7:30 pm–9:30 pm. $25. acadianacenterforthearts.org. 1

JUL 25th - JUL 26th SMOKES

14TH ANNUAL BAYOU BBQ BASH IN MORGAN CITY

Morgan City, Louisiana

Slow and steady wins the race in

this International Barbecue Cookers Association competition that sets the area beneath the Highway 90 bridge to smoking. Competitors should come armed with their homemade rubs and marinades—and a thirst to prove themselves. Categories include pork spare ribs, brisket, and chicken. In addition to the competitive cooking events for corporations, teams, and kids, Saturday offers a full schedule of chances to devour tasty things from highly regarded barbecue vendors, booths for arts & crafts, live music in the evenings, and on and on. 4 pm–9 pm Friday; 8 am–5 pm Saturday. Free. cajuncoast.com. 1

JUL

25th

- JUL 27th

WINE & DINE

NATCHEZ FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL

Natchez, Mississippi

One of the most highly-anticipated culinary events in Mississippi, the Natchez Food & Wine Festival attracts top chefs and restaurateurs from across the Gulf South. Each summer, they come to the city on the Natchez bluffs to stage multiple-course dinners in historic

mansions, progressive dining events, gourmet tastings, and casual social occasions that make the most of the city's spectacular riverside setting. Things begin on Friday night with the traditional (and huge) "Visit Mississippi Tastings Along the River" taster's fair, which brings scores of regional chefs, restaurants, and wine and beer purveyors to the Natchez Convention Center (it always sells out).

The feast continues through Saturday evening, when the Invitation to the Natchez Table dinners bring top regional chefs to stage elaborate feasts in grand Natchez mansions. Other events on the agenda this year include:

• Mixology classes at Smoot's Grocery (11 am & 1 pm Saturday).

• A Wine & Cheese Tasting at The Castle Restaurant on the grounds of Dunleith Historic Inn (1:30 pm Saturday).

• Boots, Booze and Beer at Church Hill Variety (6 pm).

• The traditional Brats, Beer and Bocce event at Natchez Brewing Co (5 pm–7 pm Saturday).

• This year the festival's signature Invitation to the Natchez Table Wine Dinners bring multi-course menus by visiting chefs and winemakers to Dunleith Historic Inn (7 pm Saturday).

'• Garden of Earthly Delights' Dinner at

Conde Contemporary Art Gallery ( 7 pm Saturday).

It's a weekend-long chance to enjoy fine food, wine, and craft brews in Natchez— the oldest permanent settlement along the Mississippi River and home to more than five hundred antebellum structures. Details for individual events and tickets at natchezfoodandwine.com and bontempstix.com. 1

JUL 26th

OLDIES

"ROLL BOUNCE"

SOUL FOOD FESTIVAL Slidell, Louisiana

Pack your roller skates and good vibes only. This event at the Harbor Center brings together throwback fun, live music, and good eats, sponsored by KT’s House of Soul Food. Oldies to look forward to include a hula hoop contest, a game or two of "red light green light," and some back-to-school giveaways thrown in for good measure. Jam to music by DJ Red Bean on a light-up dance floor, and catch a live performance by The Voice contestant Nell Simmons-Bradley. Entry is $5, or five non-perishable food items to support families in need; includes a free hot dog. 11 am–6 pm. visitthenorthshore.com. 1

JUL 26th

SOUND ON THE LAUREL BLUES FESTIVAL 2025

Laurel, Mississippi

The Laurel Fairgrounds in Mississippi plays host to the inaugural Laurel Blues Festival, with a day chockfull of blues, soul, and fun featuring popular Southern soul artists. The lineup includes Calvin Richardson, Cupid, Young Guy, Cecily Wilborn, Shae Nycole, Krishunda Echols, TK Soul, Jones The Artist, and Tirvarrus Hadley. Gates open at 11 am; showtime at 1 pm. $45. laurelbluesfestival.com. 1

JUL 26th

JAMS LIVE MUSIC BY REUBEN RIVERA

Berwick, Louisiana

Catch an evening of live music by Reuben Rivera —and a c ocktail or two at One80 Downtown in Berwick. 6 pm–9 pm. cajuncoast.com. 1

JUL 27th

BUNNIES & BISCUITS

BEATRIX POTTER TEA

Monroe, Louisiana

Step into the whimsical, heartwarming stories of Beatrix Potter—filled with

bunnies, gardens, and other sweet childhood themes—at this charming, full-service tea hosted at the Biedenharn Museum & Gardens. Ages three and older. 2 pm–4 pm. $50. bmuseum.org. 1

JUL 28th

MONDAYS

UNITED WAY

RED BEANS 'N' RICE

COOK-OFF

Covington, Louisiana

United Way will again celebrate the hallowed tradition of red beans on Monday at its annual all-you-can-eat Red Beans ‘N’ Rice Cook-Off. The event marks the official kick-off of the organization's St. Tammany Parish fundraising campaign. Proceeds support suicide prevention, mental health services, and other United Way programs. So come gorge yourself for a good cause. 11 am–2 pm at St. Paul’s School Briggs Assembly Center. $10 for all-you-can-eat red beans. unitedwaysela.org. 1

JUL 28th

(FUN)DRAISERS

CHRISTMAS IN JULY CARD

PARTY AT THE WEST BATON ROUGE MUSEUM

Port Allen, Louisiana

Channel your holiday spirit (and all the

cool air it brings) and spend the day with the West Baton Rouge Museum for its annual Christmas in July fundraising event. Taking place next door to the museum in the Port Allen Community Center, the event will include chicken fettuccini, salad, and home-made desserts. 10 am–3 pm. $30. wbrmuseum.org. 1

JUL 28th - JUL 31st

CHOREOGRAPHY

"FLUID": A NEW DANCE BY CALVIN ROWE

New Orleans, Louisiana

Calvin Rowe presents multiple shows featuring modern dance, pole dancing, spoken word, and electronic musical compositions. Rowe is a former dancer with international touring companies FLOCK Dance and Lightwire Theater. The evening includes an ensemble of eight performers and music by Landon Strause. Doors open at 7:30 pm; shows at 8 pm. Suggested donation for Monday's preview is $15–$25, though no one will be turned away for lack of funds; $30 for tickets July 29–31. marignyoperahouse.org. 1

JUL 29th

STRETCHES

YOGA WORKSHOP AT THE WEST BATON ROUGE MUSEUM

Port Allen, Louisiana

Join nearly thirty-year veteran instructor

Elena Moreno-Keegan for a special yoga workshop at the West Baton Rouge Museum's Brick Gallery. MorenoKeegan will lead students of every age, shape, size, fitness and skill level in a stretching and breathing session as part of Port Allen Cultural District's wellness initiative programming. Bring a yoga mat, wear comfy clothes, and don't eat one hour before class. 6 pm. Free. westbatonrougemuseum.org. 1

As usual, we couldn't fit everything. For information about all these events and many more, searchable by name, date, and destination, visit countryroadsmag.com/eventsand-festivals.

30 THE HISTORY OF SLOW FOOD IN NEW ORLEANS, AND BEYOND // 35 NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE BECOME "PART OF THE FABRIC OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD" // 38 THE SEAFOOD FRAUD CASE

SPREADING ACROSS LOUISIANA

REVOLUTIONS

Taste and See

THE

RISE, FALL, AND ENDURING IMPACT OF THE SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT IN LOUISIANA

Story by Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

It was a Saturday morning on Magazine Street in the year 2000, and a thin, bearded Italian man was ringing a bell as loudly as he could, announcing the beginning of the weekly Crescent City Farmers Market.

Likely, most of the farmers and urban growers poised at their vendor stands had no idea who Carlo Petrini was, had never heard of his “Slow Food” movement. But internationally, Petrini was recognized as a revolutionary, challenging the global shift towards mass-produced food systems. In 1986, he and other activists launched the movement by protesting the opening of Italy’s first McDonald’s near the Spanish Steps in Piazza di Spagna, ultimately publishing the “Slow Food Manifesto,” which declared: “Speed became our shackles. We fell prey to the same virus: ‘the fast life’ that fractures our customs and assails us even in our own homes, forcing us to ingest ‘fast-food’ . . . we propose the vaccine of an adequate portion of sensual gourmandise pleasures, to be taken with slow and prolonged enjoyment.”

When, around 1999, leaders working in New Orleans’s farm-to-table movement learned about the principles of Slow Food—this defense of culinary and agricultural tradition as meaningful parts of the human experience—they were energized.

“For those of us working in the Deep South, where

we were always slow, but we were embarrassed about it, Slow Food was this exciting international movement that kind of captured the ethos of what we knew in our hearts was right,” said Richard McCarthy, the founder of the Crescent City Farmers Market. “It provided a counterweight to the kind of industrial default that farms should be larger and taste should be homogenized.

“And if there’s anything that really runs counter to the Louisiana frame of mind, it’s that taste should be homogenous.”

Slow Food’s Arrival in America, and in New Orleans

After a little more than a decade as a European phenomenon, Slow Food made its way to America, the “home of fast food,” at the start of the millennium. Petrini visited New Orleans in 2000 as part of his tour of the United States, marking the official establishment of Slow Food USA. The movement would join hands with the American champions of the still-somewhat-novel-at-the-time “farm-to-table” revolution pioneered by Chef Alice Waters in California.

Though quieter, perhaps, than the activities on the West Coast, Louisiana—a place whose history is

intrinsically tied to its foodways—was already on its own journey of re-establishing connections between regional food and its origins, connections that had been fractured, if not altogether lost, through the industrialization of the food system.

“It would be quite easy to argue that New Orleans is the capital of slow food in America,” wrote restaurant columnist S.M. Hahn in The Times-Picayune in August 1999. “Change doesn’t happen easily here, and that’s why the local cuisine has preserved such strong ties to the past. Still, however much resisted, every tide eventually turns.” Louisianans weren’t immune to the ease and allure of the supermarket, where the origins of the mass-produced, processed foods are far away and promptly forgotten. And increasingly, local producers were being pushed out, to the point of becoming a rarity.

“When I look at all the archival images from the past, we had this abundance of fruits, vegetables, and seafood,” said Zella Palmer, a culinary historian and the director of the Dillard University Ray Charles Program in African American Material Culture. “There was so much coming into our ports, and so much that we grew. The disparity to what we have today, as far as fresh Louisiana food, is striking.”

At the same time, movements toward cultural culinary appreciation were underway in the early

Left: Scene from the 2024 Fête on the Farm fundraiser Slow Food North Louisiana holds each year at Mahaffey Farms. Right: Jelly made from the Red-n-Sweet Watermelon, the endangered seeds of which were rediscovered and brought back to life by the North Louisiana Seed Preservation Program, a partner of Slow Food North Louisiana. Images courtesy of Angie White.

twenty-first century. Chef John Folse was spreading the gospel of Louisiana’s indigenous foods across the globe, writing books and opening restaurants centered on local ingredients and old school recipes. Chef Paul Prudhomme’s prairie Cajun cuisine was making headlines. And across the region, home gardeners and cooks without major platforms remained committed to their grandparents’ heirloom varieties of produce, to their recipes.

“We have lost so much biodiversity, and we’ve lost so much traditional knowledge,” said McCarthy. “But compared to a lot of places, in Louisiana we’ve held on to more of it.”

In hopes of connecting local foods, and appreciation of their place in our culture, back to the average consumer—in 1995, McCarthy founded the organization Market Umbrella, dedicated to cultivating open-air markets for local growers to sell their products. The first of these was the Crescent City Farmers Market.

In fact, by the time Petrini visited New Orleans, Slow Food was already an active presence in the city. Poppy Tooker, who at the time had been promoting New Orleans culinary heritage around the country through cooking classes, led the charge. For a 2012 article in Grist, she recalled learning about the Slow Food movement in the late 1990s, and thinking, “This was what my life’s work had always been about, preserving foodways, valuing the food producers, closing the ties between chefs and farmers. And now there was an international organization out there ready to help me!” In New Orleans, she started one of the first ten Slow Food chapters in the United States, a year before Slow Food USA was even formed.

“Poppy had a kind of religious fervor that was required to translate this rather obtuse concept at a time when most people weren’t talking like this about food and food traditions,” said McCarthy.

“Many people were working on it, in their isolated ways.” But they hadn’t found the language to articulate why it was valuable, or to organize around it. Slow Food provided the infrastructure to do just that.

Preserving Endangered Louisiana Foodways

During the 2000s, Tooker attracted Slow Food New Orleans memberships from foodies like McCarthy, as well as many of the city’s best-known chefs, including Frank Brigtsen and Susan Spicer. The chapter met regularly to host events like cookbook author signings, oyster tastings, cooking demos, film screenings, and canning seminars. The chapter advocated for healthier school lunch programs and was involved in the establishment of New Orleans’s Edible Schoolyard in local charter schools. The group’s biggest focus, though, was promoting and educating the public on endangered Louisiana foodways, work Tooker has described as her “great love.”

Slow Food’s mission culminates with the organization’s Ark of Taste, an international catalogue of food products—recipes, seeds, and heritage breeds of livestock—that possess cultural significance and are at risk of being lost because of the decline in agricultural biodiversity.

Tooker advocated for many Louisiana foods to be added to the Ark—but perhaps no campaign was more successful than that of Creole Cream Cheese, a soft single-curd cheese once made by Louisianans from clabbered milk hung in a pillowcase from the branch of an oak tree. When more families began outsourcing their dairy products in the twentieth century, knowledge of how to make the cheese began to disappear. And when the rise of consolidated, industrial farming pushed small local dairies out of business, the store varieties were lost, too. By the dawn of the twenty-first century, this Louisiana tradition, once a commonplace household staple, had nearly been forgotten entirely.

With support from Slow Food USA, Tooker began promoting the cheese as a Louisiana cultural treasure worth keeping, performing demonstrations on how to make it at the Crescent City Farmers Markets, encouraging local farms to produce it, local grocery stores to sell it, and local chefs to incorporate it into their dishes. Because of these efforts, the cheese remains, to this day, on the menu at Commander’s Palace, in the cheesecake.

Other Louisiana foods that have benefitted from Slow Food’s Ark of Taste status include Louisiana mirliton, filé, New Orleans French bread, tasso, cane syrup, and yellow Creole corn.

“That was the focus [of Slow Food New Orleans], in the beginning,” said McCarthy. “Trying to recognize and legitimize our food traditions, not just as stumbling blocks that prevent us from being

Kevell Byrd, a photography student at Dillard University, joined the school's Slow Food chapter after attending the international Slow Food festival in Italy, Terre Madre. She was then inspired to document produce in her local supermarkets, as well as at the Crescent City Farmers Market, in a project she called, “Beyond the Bite.”

“When I created my project Beyond the Bite it was to encourage the audience to view food as more than just a necessity for consumption. Like food is memories, connection, it’s emotion, it’s identity. I wanted to redefine conventional ideas about food and transforming it into a realm of cultural appreciation for not only the fine arts, but also the memory that’s associated with food.”

—Kevell Byrd

“FOR THOSE OF US WORKING IN THE DEEP SOUTH, WHERE WE WERE ALWAYS SLOW, BUT WE WERE EMBARRASSED ABOUT IT, SLOW FOOD WAS THIS EXCITING INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT THAT KIND OF CAPTURED THE ETHOS OF WHAT WE KNEW IN OUR HEARTS WAS RIGHT. IT PROVIDED A COUNTERWEIGHT TO THE KIND OF INDUSTRIAL DEFAULT THAT FARMS SHOULD BE LARGER AND TASTE SHOULD BE HOMOGENIZED.

AND IF THERE’S ANYTHING THAT REALLY RUNS COUNTER TO THE LOUISIANA FRAME OF MIND, IT’S THAT TASTE SHOULD BE HOMOGENOUS.”

successful in this fast paced, homogenized world, but actually key ingredients that make our communities successful, because we know who we are.”

An Identity Crisis

The critiques of Slow Food in America began upon its arrival in the late 1990s—a polarizing launch one journalist for The New York Times described as an “awkward landing,” in which much of the messaging of food-as-pleasure got wrapped up in elitist pseudo-intellectualism and nostalgia around an idealized notion of rural life. Basically, “that first impression was that it was this fancy supper club for rich people,” said Tooker. “Which it wasn’t supposed to be, and it never really was.”

“I was always puzzled by that tension, where if you talk about pleasure, then you’re elitist,” said McCarthy. “I think that America in general—where this kind of cultural Protestantism dominates the psyche—is very uncomfortable with the issue of pleasure. But in Louisiana, where we have this strange swampy mix of people, we tend to be much more comfortable with pleasure as an everyday thing,” regardless of where you sit in the class system. If Slow Food as a celebration of pleasure could work anywhere, it should work in Louisiana— especially in its biggest food city, New Orleans.

By 2006, Slow Food International had already begun to expand its stated mission, incorporating social justice into its manifesto and declaring its slogan: “Good, clean, and fair food for all.” In the United States, membership was growing, and there were up to 160 chapters in the country by 2007, by which time the national office was actively working to address its messaging issues. The Slow Food Nation Festival in San Francisco was held in 2008 as a concerted effort to showcase the organization as an inclusive one interested in food justice, and featured panel discussions on the intersections of food, race, and poverty. Over the next few years, under the leadership of Josh Viertel, food access advocacy would rise as the foremost priority at Slow Food USA. However, with this shift in focus, fewer resources were devoted to cultural and biodiversity projects like the Ark of Taste.

This shift, in turn, had its critics—Tooker, one of the organization’s longstanding local leaders, was one of the most outspoken. Quoting Petrini’s declaration that the organization’s work was in the kitchen, not the streets, she argued that leaders at Slow Food USA were working so hard to prove they weren’t elitist that they had abandoned their original mission to support farmers and artisan food producers, and to preserve cultural

—RICHARD MCCARTHY

foodways. A battle of philosophies ensued between critics like Tooker and food justice advocates, the heart of it being the question: Who is Slow Food for?

In an editorial for The Atlantic, Viertel responded to the turmoil, writing: “Should we be a movement that meets the interests of those who are naturally drawn to us and who can afford to take part [by paying farmers the premium prices required to produce specialty, intentionally-grown food], or should we be a movement that meets the needs of those who are most dependent on our being successful, and who are the most vulnerable if we fail?”

A New Era for Slow Food New Orleans

The dispute within Slow Food USA ultimately led to both Tooker and Viertel stepping away from the organization. The New Orleans chapter of Slow Food dissolved, ironically around the same time that the national organization tapped a New Orleanian as its new leader: Richard McCarthy.

McCarthy stepped in as Executive Director of Slow Food USA as a somewhat neutral party—a longtime collaborator of Tooker’s who understood the value of cultural foodways, but also a footsoldier with a history of working to expand access to local foods for public housing residents and families on public assistance. His vision for mending the rifts within Slow Food USA was encompassed by a mantra to restore a sense of “joy with justice” to the organization. During his six years as the Executive Director (2013–2019), McCarthy re-articulated the mission of Slow Food as one of food sovereignty—fighting for the rights of individuals to access healthy, locally-produced, culturally-significant food.

“It was a balance, between addressing the reality that people live and the place where we want them to discover the joys of community,” he said. “Now, did I succeed? I don’t know.”

Back in New Orleans, local nutritionist and farmer Gary Granata took up Tooker’s mantle and began working to revive Slow Food in the city. “I had the support of a lot of people that wanted to see it go in a different direction,” said Granata, whose approach placed a greater emphasis on the people behind the city’s food traditions. “We’re trying to preserve foods and stuff like that, but what about the land and the people who produce these amazing food traditions that have influenced the entire world, that are disappearing?” he asked. “If we’re going to represent our food, we’ve got to have the history of our foods. We’re going to include Indigenous people and Africans, we’re going to have Vietnamese people. And we’re going to have cocktails.”

During his stint, from around 2012–2016, the chapter hosted boucheries, worked with local organizations like SproutNOLA—an organization supporting smallscale farmers in Louisiana—and with students at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). Granata and his collaborators launched the Vanishing Foodways project—which explored the intersections of Louisiana and Vietnam’s culinary traditions and ecological challenges, and they hosted the first Slow Fish International gathering held in North America. Ultimately, though, Granata didn’t feel he had the administrative support from the national office, nor the local enthusiasm that he needed to keep the New Orleans chapter alive. After years of fits and starts, in 2022 he shifted gears and started drawing in students at Dillard University—ultimately leaving the organization in their hands. “I couldn’t really find anyone to take over the work I was doing,” he said, expressing frustration at the bureaucracy of the organization’s administrative limitations. “Perhaps these problems in our food system are just better addressed outside of the nonprofit sector.”

Today, the city of New Orleans no longer has an active Slow Foods chapter. “It’s strange,” said Mina Seck, a chef and community food director at SproutNOLA who was a member of Slow Food New Orleans during the 2010s. “It’s funny that of all the places in the world where Slow Food isn’t working, it would be New Orleans.”

Where Slow Food Lives On

Today, Louisiana has two active chapters of Slow Food USA. One is Granata’s legacy, the student chapter at Dillard. Overseen by Palmer as part of the Ray Charles Program in African American Material Culture— which has an emphasis on Southern foodways—the organization, open only to university students, is alive and well, making a lasting impression on some of the South's youngest up-and-coming food leaders. In addition to the planting and gardening experiences available on Dillard’s increasingly “edible” campus (in Palmer’s words)—students take part in hands-on cooking and canning classes, connecting them directly to their food, and learning about its cultural significance.

A main focus for the chapter is addressing the specific needs of its students; Dillard University is located in a food desert, and most of the students who live on or near campus don’t have easy access to fresh, local food.

While acting as president of Dillard’s Slow Food chapter over the past year, Breyunha Smith has focused on educating her fellow students on how to overcome those limitations—using a three-pronged mission of gardening, cooking, and travel.

“Once people learn how to garden, then they can start preparing meals without being dependent on the grocery store,” she said. “And once they can start cooking these meals, they can share them wherever they go via travel and expose them to other people—even if that’s just traveling to their family’s home and sharing what they’ve learned.” Currently, the chapter is working to publish a cookbook that teaches other college students how to eat healthy, fresh meals on a budget.

Palmer has even taken a selection of students to Terre Madre Salone del Gusto, Slow Food International’s biannual festival in Italy. She got emotional recalling the impact it has had on the students, some of whom had never left the country before, to witness the vast diversity of other cultures’ food traditions. “You don’t realize what a seed can do at such a young age,” she said.

“That trip is what inspired me to pursue the movement on our campus,” said Smith, who had never traveled outside of the country before going to Terre Madre. That spark led her to study in Chile for a semester, and to travel to Cuba and Paris to learn about other food cultures and philosophies around food justice. “I truly appreciate what Slow Food has done at Dillard, and [its

principles are] something I’ll continue to integrate into my life in the future.”

Slow Food’s main public presence in Louisiana today, though, is thriving miles away from the state’s most famed food city—in North Louisiana. “You just wouldn’t have guessed that twenty years ago,” said McCarthy.

The Slow Food North Louisiana chapter has been active since 2007, and Angie White has been involved from the beginning, serving as chapter chair since 2010. Not a food professional per se, White grew up inspired by farming, cooking grandparents in Caddo Parish. When she discovered Slow Food while living in Washington, D.C., she was already part of a cooking club, taking classes for fun. “In Slow Food I found this way to celebrate the food in my local community, which was helping people understand that the closer you can get your food to where you live, the better it’s going to taste, with ingredients well-suited for your region, and you’re going to support your regional economy,” she said.

Over the last twenty years, the chapter’s objectives have evolved with Slow Food USA's, moving from a focus on eating—hosting elaborate farm-to-table dinners—to a more balanced approach that draws together pleasure alongside education and access initiatives. In North Louisiana, where there are no year-round farmers markets, Slow Food aims to fill the gaps of awareness and access when it comes to where to find local food, as well as to provide affordable (often free) education opportunities on how to grow and cook your own food. White said that the chapter has made conscious efforts to ensure that North Louisiana’s many diverse cultures and communities are represented on their board, and it spotlights farmers who are finding flexible solutions that make even specialty, sustainably grown products more accessible. “Mahaffy Farms, for instance, has created a color code for their meat,” she said. “Red label is fully sustainable—grass fed only. And the blue label, they are raised in pasture and finished on a high-quality grain, with no GMOs. It’s better than the grocery store, but more affordable than the red label.”

Part of Slow Food North Louisiana’s effectiveness is due to the partnership-based system that White has built, in which Slow Food acts as a central place of support for the farmers, chefs, and organizations/businesses already doing work to better our food systems. The organization has funded the donation of heirloom seeds to local gardeners and farmers, stipends to send people interested in sustainable farming to conferences, or— for example—to send a local chef to a writer’s workshop to finish her cookbook.

Preserving the regionally distinct foodways of North Louisiana, which are less celebrated and well-known than New Orleans’s, is also a central tenant of the chapter. One of Slow Food North Louisiana’s biggest annual events is in partnership with Shreveport Green, as well as the LSU AgCenter and the Red River Coalition of Community Gardeners. The family-friendly, free cook-off, called “Greens on the Red,” is a celebration of North Louisiana greens. This underdog on the plate is given the spotlight and served up in dozens of creative different ways—from callaloo, to gumbo z’herbes. “People really come out for that event,” said Lauren Jones, Executive Director of Shreveport Green, describing it as a day of pride and rediscovery around a dish everyone there has a relationship with.

“People who grew up here—whether they lived in a rural area or spent time in a rural area with their grandparents or someone, the memories of meals we’ve had are very strong,” said White.

This sense of storytelling around food is one of the most powerful ways to draw people into the larger movement, she says. Which is part of why the Ark

of Taste—which first drew Poppy Tooker’s heart to the cause all those years ago—remains so important to Slow Food in Louisiana. White actively works to source seeds from the Ark of Taste for local growers, especially with North Louisiana sitting on the border of the Southeast and Southwest regions of the Ark in the United States.

“Working with these varieties has been such a beneficial movement in the right direction to get people excited about foods that are unfamiliar, but tie back to our roots when we look deep into the ancestry of our food, and it gives us a platform to have these conversations,” said Jones. “That’s honestly what the Ark of Taste has done for us, is give us these stories that connect people to the food we’re growing.”

Slow Food, Beyond Itself

“Most people, the average person, they don’t even know what those two words mean necessarily—‘slow food,’” said Tooker. “But so many of them are doing it now.” It’s been more than ten years since she stepped away from the organization, but still, Tooker sees slow food, as a concept, everywhere she looks—in the Mirliton.org Facebook community, in Brandon Pellerin’s rice calas at his Harvest Pop-up, in Bryant Terry’s book, Black Food.

And then there’s Tooker herself—“My gosh, look at what she’s doing with Louisiana Eats,” said McCarthy of Tooker’s fifteen-year-old radio show on Louisiana foodways. “It’s 100% slow food. She doesn’t even have to say it, she’s put it in her own words, and that’s when these things start to really stick.”

McCarthy, who now serves on the board of Slow Food International, acknowledged the difficulties of operating an organization like Slow Food from a local

Angie White have found a way to utilize the infrastructure of Slow Food as an energy source working for the many arms striving towards a better food system in North Louisiana. But that’s not possible in every community, in every age.

Though he expressed disappointment that Slow Food no longer has a city-wide presence in New Orleans, McCarthy said, “if it gave birth to a movement that has its own words and name to describe how it continues to evolve . . . maybe it did its job.”

In New Orleans alone, much like the rest of Louisiana, the desire for sustainably grown, culturally resonant, accessible food is alive and well. You can find it in agricultural organizations like New Orleans Food & Farm Network and Grow Dat Youth Farm, in policy initiatives like the New Orleans Food Policy Action Council, in restaurants like Mosquito Supper Club and Bellegarde Bakery, in farms like the VEGGI Co-op in New Orleans East and CRISP Farms.

“The work I do today [with SproutNOLA] is slow food,” said Seck. “I don’t know why the organization didn’t stick here. But the ideas do. They were always here, just integrated into the fabric of Louisiana, of the South.”

Whether working inside of an organization like Slow Food, or outside of it, the experts working on the ground within our food systems agree on two things: we’ve made progress, but we still have a long way to go. “We have to show up and do the work in our communities,” said Palmer. “And only from there can we make changes in our nation, in our world.”

In addition to his frustration with the institution of Slow Food, Granata ended his stint as chair of the New Orleans chapter in part because he needed to move home to Alabama to care for his aging parents. He’s

Even outside of the organization, the values of Slow Food continue on across Louisiana at countless small farms, in restaurants, and in organizations. One example is seed farmer Lilli Voorhies, who is cultivating L'anse Grise Red Field Peas, a regionally-specific seed grown for generations in Evangeline Parish.

Landmark Status

THREE CLASSIC

NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANTS ON THE SECRETS TO LONGEVITY

Nuntouched by time, where the walls have watched children grow into old men and women, but the tablecloths have stayed the same; where the chicken is still pan roasted just as the very first chef’s mother made it and the mussels are still, hands down, the freshest in town. The city changes all around these places; it shifts and ages, grows in grace and grandeur, the tree roots breaking through the sidewalks a little more every year. But inside these oases of constancy, a diner can be transported, via the senses, back to a meal they had twenty years ago, thirty, or more—to a meal their parents had, or their grandparents.

Many of these restaurants, especially the ones that have seen a century, have achieved a certain level of fame—their names gracing the tops of the “must-visit” lists, their chefs acclaimed globally. They’ve become so ingrained in the fabric as to be inextricable, in a sense, from the city’s material identity itself.

But then there are the others—classics whose names are not secrets but are, in fact, spoken quieter than the outsized Commanders, Brennan’s, Galatoire’s, Antoine’s. This second category of restaurants is young enough that people still remember when they were new, but have lived whole lifetimes since then, watching the novelty settle into corner-

neighborhoods.

Each of these restaurants started only as a dream, as all restaurants do. The painter Jacques Soulas and his partners, back in 1986, wanted to bring the casual spirit of the guinguette to the Frenchest city in America, and opened Cafe Degas.

In 1982, Josie Gristina and Mariano “Nanou” Deraczyinski were just serving crepes at a local festival, the inception of La Crêpe Nanou.

Anne Avegno Russell, a forty-oneyear-old pregnant housewife, decided to transform her family’s vacant pharmacy into a “polite lunch” spot. “I just did it,” she told a reporter in 1982. “I wanted a bistro feel, a neighborhood restaurant feel.” The result? Gautreau’s.

The response at each of these ventures—Cafe Degas, La Crêpe Nanou, and Gautreau’s, respectively—was instant. It’s no small challenge to make an impact in a city like New Orleans, where new culinary concepts rise and fall by the week. Here’s a city where diners can eat almost anything they want, whenever they want; a city that clings to tradition, and prefers what it knows. To stand out too much is to alienate; to be too familiar is to be boring. And if the quality of food isn’t up to par, you’re out the door before you’ve even begun.

But these restaurants of the 1980s— simple in concept, earnest in vision,

and of the highest culinary standard— tapped into the desires of their era. The people of Faubourg St. John found themselves right at home in Soulas’s verdant garden café on Esplanade, a street that, at the time, had very few restaurants. “People immediately came to be in love with us because we offered something simpler than the continental French restaurants in town,” said Soulas. “You didn’t have to be afraid of being underdressed, or of the prices either. And it was somewhere you could bring your kids.”

Gristina’s and Deraczyinski’s crepes were such a hit that they opened a stand Uptown, and soon had to expand to occupy other locations across the city to keep up with the demand.

And before anyone knew it, Gautreau’s had become the place for ladies to join up for lunch in the Uptown neighborhood.

Each restaurant got their flowers as the new “hot” spot in the neighborhood, with word-of-mouth recommendations, collectives of regulars, and Times Picayune features to boot.

But what’s more remarkable than instant success in New Orleans is longevity. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, only about half of restaurants opened in the country survive five years, and those statistics are even more complicated in New Orleans—where the industry is challenged by a desperately fragile infrastructure, fluctuating food

costs, labor shortages, and dependence on a seasonal tourism market. Anticipating the doldrums of the upcoming slow months, fifteen restaurants in the city have announced closures this summer alone, including local favorites that surpassed the five-year-mark like Maypop, BABs, and Justine.

But Cafe Degas, La Crêpe Nanou, and Gautreau’s carry on as they have for forty-some years—filling their intimate spaces with mostly locals, serving up many of the same dishes they have since the beginning. Over the years, these restaurants have acquired the status of landmarks, their identities and brands surviving and surpassing the turbulence of time, ownership changes, and an ever-advancing legacy of chefs.

In fact, when Russell shocked her regulars by announcing Gautreau’s closure in 1990, she asserted that she wanted to “go out when we’re on top.” The place was quickly bought up by a group of young lawyers who had been eating there for years and kept everything almost exactly the same, albeit with the addition of a professional chef in the kitchen. The restaurant would undergo two more changes of ownership before landing, today, with Bill Kearney and Jay Adams. And still, much today at Gautreau’s remains unchanged, the very same regulars still calling it home. “At this point, I think it’s become part of the fabric of Uptown New Orleans,” said Kearney.

“We have been referred to as a neighborhood institution,” echoed Rich Seigel, Gristina’s son, who now runs La Crêpe Nanou. “The same families have been dining with us, and now we are seeing third and fourth generations come through.”

“I’d say we’ve been the anchor of the neighborhood,” said Soulas. “Most of our diners are from nearby. At least one couple has been coming since 1986. I saw them last Friday.”

So, what is the secret? How does a restaurant, operating on a relatively low, neighborhood-centric profile, achieve landmark status in New Orleans?

First, the food has to be phenomenal—it goes without saying. “In the food business, having good food is critical, right?” said Kearney of Gautreau’s, which has been helmed by James Beard nominated chefs Larkin Selman and Sue Zemanick, as well as Lilette’s John Harris. “Looking back on the kitchen and who has run it is certainly part of the lore of Gautreau’s history and its success, with the quality of the food coming out on a consistent basis.”

Story and photos by Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

Cafe Degas has remained a "cornerstone" of Esplanade Avenue's dining scene since 1986.

When Kearney, who has been eating at Gautreau’s since the 1990s, purchased the restaurant with Adams in late 2023, finding the right chef was of the utmost importance. They tapped Chef Rob Mistry, who had nearly a decade of restaurant experience and training from Johnson & Wales Culinary School in Providence, Rhode Island. He had also spent the last four years as sous chef at Commander’s Palace.

“Operating a restaurant like this, you have to rely on the traditions of the menu, but also have your own sense of creativity,” said Kearney. “The things Rob comes up with are remarkable, and like I said when we hired him, ‘anyone who can be a sous chef to Ti Martin [at Commander’s Palace] can be a chef for me.’”

Seigel said that La Crêpe Nanou’s legacy has been shaped by a line of traditional French and Vietnamese chefs, who brought dependability to a menu of beloved French classics. “The menu has been consistent for decades, while each chef showcases specials every evening,” he said. “We were one of the first restaurants in New Orleans to bring mussels to the menu”—a dish that remains one of the restaurant’s most popular. For the last decade, the kitchen has been helmed by Chef Jeb Wartelle.

Cafe Degas enjoyed tenures from chefs like Ryan Hughes and Joe Turley, and is currently led in the kitchen by Chef Gaetan Croisier, who heralds from Brittany, France—bringing in his regional cuisine in the form of dishes like cotriade, a traditional Breton fish stew, alongside the restaurant’s cozy classics of escargots, paté, onion soup, and rack of lamb.

“We were serving our classic dishes,” said Soulas. “And over time we morphed

into adding more daily specials, especially featuring local sources. We didn’t want to discount the local seafood—the oysters, shrimp, crawfish. We can’t ignore it. We live here. So, we gave the menu a little Creole bend.”

More powerful even than the impact of a truly delicious, New Orleans-worthy dining experience, the chefs at these restaurants have historically achieved something visceral: they’ve created meals worth remembering. Part of this quality is in the tastes—the indulgent delight of La Crêpe Nanou’s fondue plate, the play of cinnamon spice and sweet cream

in Chef Ryan Hughes’s crab and mirliton bisque, and the flavorful tenderness of the duck confit at Gautreau’s. But the other part is strictly environment—in the sounds, the colors, the sense of place.

“In here, it’s essentially a miniature forest,” said Soulas at Cafe Degas, which has a literal tree growing at the heart of the building. “It’s green everywhere. Sometimes it’s even hard to find us, even though we’re right on Esplanade. We’re not a very obvious presence, and that is charming, and part of the allure. It’s romantic, a place where you can be at ease.”

La Crêpe Nanou has its own

signature “bohemian” atmosphere (as Seigel describes it)—almost theatrical, with art glass panels, dimmed warm lighting, and windowed walls. It’s intimate, the tables close together and mosaics everywhere, and altogether more Parisian than any other place in this French city.

And as for Gautreau’s, the original interior tin roof was once a matter of complaint for diners, its acoustics amplifying the chatter. Today, it is part of the ambience—along with the apothecary glass cases now holding the wine. “There are a lot of exchanges between tables, people telling one another hello,” said Kearney. “That camaraderie builds upon itself, especially over time. You kind of feel like you’re really at home. Lots of people refer to Gautreau’s as the best private club they don’t have to pay a penny to belong to.”

Such spaces create memories, striking every one of the senses. And when places stick around, and hold true to the traditions that make them memorable, people can return to their own pasts, step back into a moment they loved. Upon a visit to La Crêpe Nanou in 2023, Nola.com’s restaurant reporter Ian McNulty aptly described the sensation as a “memory meal”—made possible by a “constancy of approach” signature to restaurants like Seigel’s.

“It’s about maintaining traditions while growing at the same time,” said Kearney who, when he bought Gautreau’s, said he “didn’t want to be the person who changed Gautreau’s.” “You’ve got to respect the traditions and refine them. It’s about finding that balance and creating those interpersonal connections with your customers, so that when they come to your restaurant, they know what they’re going to get, time and time again—and occasionally a little flair for change now and again. That has proven to be, I think, the real secret.” •

Gautreau's has been a mainstay of its Uptown neighborhood for more than forty years now.

La Crêpe Nanou has been Uptown's "Frenchest" restaurant since the early 1980s.

WILD CAUGHT

In Search of Real Gulf Seafood

IN AN AGE OF IMITATION, WHAT VALUE WILL WE PLACE ON AUTHENTICITY?

Story by Jacqueline DeRobertis-Braun • Photos by Molly McNeal

Last fall, the headlines sent shockwaves through the Louisiana seafood community: “Mostly foreign shrimp at Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival.”

Morgan City’s Labor Day weekend seafood extravaganza had just celebrated its eighty-ninth year as a mainstay on the Louisiana food festival circuit. During the 2024 event, a consulting group had conducted genetic testing on the shrimp being sold onsite and found, remarkably, only one in five vendors was selling a product actually sourced from the Gulf. In revealing their findings to local media, the group accused other sampled vendors of peddling imported, farm-raised shrimp to an unsuspecting public under the guise of serving a local product—at an event whose very purpose is to support and celebrate the local shrimping community.

“Think you love Gulf shrimp? It’s possible you’ve never even tasted it,” read the provocative opening to a press release from SEAD Consulting, the independent company that has since begun an onslaught of shrimp genetic testing along the Gulf Coast to uncover fraudulent labeling. In a region where food authenticity is not only a brand, but also a crucial characteristic of a cultural identity increasingly threatened by the slow creep of assimilation, vanishing local industries, and a dissolving coastline, the questions surrounding the source and labeling of seafood have never been more urgent or politically charged.

“I grew up watching fishing communities die,” said David Williams, a commercial fisheries scientist and the founder of SEAD Consulting, based in Houston, Texas. “I could see that happening all along the Gulf Coast, along the East Coast, in the shrimping industries and other industries, because people are unaware of the importance of having a thriving coast with infrastructure.”

While the issue of domestic versus imported seafood is not a new phenomenon in Louisiana, the matter has become more urgent as shrimpers and other fishermen on the Gulf Coast face increasing and varied setbacks that are slowly but surely decimating the industry, from their catches netting bottom-of-the-barrel prices and rising costs for regular vessel maintenance, to punishing weather events and worker shortages. At restaurants, meanwhile, managers and owners grapple with difficult decisions to defray overhead expenses as inflation impacts food and labor costs. It’s no secret that foreign seafood is significantly cheaper than the local product—an issue that has led to its ubiquity in our grocery stores and restaurants, ultimately leaving fishermen catching wild shrimp in the Gulf in a financial bind, unable to afford the boats and equipment that ensure their livelihoods.

What’s more, apart from the economic toll to domestic fishermen, imported seafood also carries a higher risk of introducing harmful contaminants that can impact human health. For instance, imported shrimp from India, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Bangladesh,

and Ecuador purchased in Baton Rouge stores were found to contain “veterinary drug residue,” according to a 2020 study from researchers with the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center.

In Louisiana, where “seafood is king,” fresh and local fare additionally bears the mantle of culture, heritage, and history. More and more, the consumer is caught between the boat and table.

“I don't think that the public has a problem with restaurants serving imported seafood,” said Jeremy Conner, a Lafayette-based restaurant consultant and former executive chef of Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant. “I think the public has a problem with restaurants serving imported seafood and calling it Gulf seafood.”

The Fraud Next Door

After SEAD published its bombshell results last September, a heated discussion began to swirl in legislative and media circles about the strength of Louisiana’s seafood labeling laws, and whether or not they had enough teeth to protect a fishing industry under attack.

With haste, Shrimp & Petroleum Festival organizers released a statement in October emphasizing that in 2025, vendors would comply with a new state law set to go into effect before the ninetieth annual festival, which would require certain labeling rules; but State Rep. Jessica Domangue, a Republican lawmaker based in

Louisiana Gulf shrimp from Tony's Seafood in Baton Rouge. Photo by Molly McNeal.

Houma who was raised in a family of commercial shrimpers, called out organizers in an open letter, referring to the statement as “misleading”; she pointed out that current law already requires certain disclosures for imported seafood. “It is possible the Festival has actually allowed its restaurant vendors to openly violate Louisiana law for the past four years,” she suggested.

“Imported shrimp has no place at the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival,” she added.

It’s true that the 2019 Louisiana labeling law Domangue refers to had little means to enforce compliance, even in the form of fines, despite the Louisiana Department of Health issuing more than 2,600 reported violations as of 2023. Since the Shrimp & Petroleum fiasco, a new act took effect in January containing provisions for the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and the Louisiana Department of Health to issue heavier fines to deter seafood fraudsters.

Amid the ongoing political fallout, SEAD Consulting has continued a steady march of genetic testing across an eight-state trek from the Gulf South to the East Coast, hired in part by the Southern Shrimp Alliance and the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force. To conduct these tests, SEAD is utilizing a methodology developed in tandem with Florida State University, called the Rapid ID Genetics High-Accuracy Test (RIGHTTest), which is able to detect seafood species. In recent months, the company has released increasingly damning reports revealing the fraud rates of shrimp labeling in cities throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, and beyond. Williams estimates the company has tested more than five hundred restaurants. “The more you assume that you’re definitely eating Gulf shrimp,” he said. “The less likely you are.”

What’s more, the fraudulent menu listings have financial consequences for restaurant-goers. According to Williams, the average price of an imported shrimp dish is about $10, while the average price for a Gulf shrimp dish is $14. The average price of a shrimp dish that is imported, but falsely labeled as Gulf shrimp? Also $14.

“You can see every time someone doesn’t tell the truth about what a product is, they’re charging an extra $4 per plate,” Williams said. “All we want is the consumer to be able to make a fair and reasonable choice.”

According to SEAD’s reports, in Baton Rouge, nearly 30% of seafood dishes sampled at twenty-four restaurants were misrepresented, advertising imported shrimp as from the Gulf; the company found 33% of Lafayette restaurants were selling foreign shrimp, with a fraction of those misrepresenting their offerings as local; and in Shreveport, the company uncovered a staggering 71% of restaurants serving imported shrimp, with more than half incorrectly labeling the dishes.

Beyond Louisiana, the findings aren’t better. In Biloxi, Gulf Shores, and surrounding areas in Mississippi, SEAD Consulting found 39% of “Gulf White Shrimp” and 92% of “Royal Red Shrimp” served at tested restaurants were not local. Further afield, in places like Tampa-St. Petersburg in Florida, SEAD uncovered a shrimp fraud rate of 96%—despite the proximity of genuine ocean vistas.

More favorable findings were reported in New Orleans, with a relatively low 13% fraud rate among twenty-four randomly selected seafood restaurants, and Lake Charles, which has a 21% inauthenticity rate.

Generally, Williams’s team has found that the fewer seafood labeling rules and regulations a state has, the lower the shrimp authenticity rate. Enforcement and regulations work, he argues, and could solve many of the demand issues facing the domestic shrimp industry.

“The average authenticity rate along the Gulf Coast is 70% inauthentic,” Williams said. “If you could drop that down to 30% along the Gulf Coast states and East Coast states, that would inject over a billion dollars into our industry.”

“I DON'T THINK THAT THE PUBLIC HAS A PROBLEM WITH RESTAURANTS SERVING IMPORTED SEAFOOD. I THINK THE PUBLIC HAS A PROBLEM WITH RESTAURANTS SERVING IMPORTED SEAFOOD AND CALLING IT GULF SEAFOOD.”

— CHEF JEREMY

CONNER

Restaurants “Doing the Right Thing”

Each time SEAD releases its results on shrimp fraud rates in different cities, the company also makes a point to showcase the restaurants tested that stayed true to the customer by labeling their seafood accurately. Common among many of these “restaurants doing the right thing” is a bold throughline of loyalty—to the customer, to the fishing industry as a whole and, perhaps most significantly, to themselves.

In New Orleans, where the shrimp fraud rate is the lowest among any of the cities SEAD tested across various states, Chef Corey Sharp of the Creole-inspired Luke believes “it's important for us to show off the product that we have here and not utilize anything from anywhere else.” His perspective is that Louisiana is home to one of the “greatest fisheries in this country,” with a readily available product that can’t be beat for flavor or freshness; as a chef, he feels a responsibility to support those fisheries for future generations. By sustaining and preserving the seafood tradition of New Orleans through practices like ethical harvesting, the restaurant also supports the fishing industry and the waterways that provide a source of community survival.

“Our Gulf seafood has kind of been the heartbeat of what we're trying to do here. It’s fresh, local,” he said. “Especially here at Luke, with how much seafood we serve, it is a big part of our identity—being honest with our guests.”

“You know, food is memory,” Sharp went on. “You eat these shrimp, you eat these crawfish—it kind of reminds you of either crawfish boils or Sunday gatherings, Mardi Gras feasts. They're in all of our staples; gumbo, barbecue shrimp, shrimp and grits. And each one of these dishes tells a story of New Orleans cuisine. It's just very important for us to uphold that and carry on that tradition.”

For Tyler Benoit, general manager of the legendary Darrell’s in Lake Charles, using Gulf shrimp in the restaurant’s famous poboys is what his grandparents— the forty-year-old institution’s founders—would have wanted. And choosing local providers for their shrimp sandwiches comes down to uplifting Louisiana fishermen who are “basically our families,” he said.

“[My grandparents] wanted everything as authentic as possible,” Benoit said. “‘It's got to be from the Gulf.’ That's what [my grandpa would] always tell us. You

Spoonbill's seared tuna dish—prepared with Gulf sourced, Louisiana landed Yellowfin Tuna. Courtesy of Jeremy Conner.

know, him and my grandma were pretty stern on that.”

At Spoonbill in Lafayette, Conner sought to tell the story of the region through the seafood he served—even serving bycatch, or so-called “trash” fish, to minimize waste and elevate what’s local and fresh.

“We have this hierarchy, and at the very top is Louisiana landed fish,” Conner said. “Like, I want this fish to come off a boat on the coast of Louisiana somewhere. And then, if we can't get that, then it's got to be Gulf. And then if we can't get that, it's got to be United States. And if we can't get that, we'll serve beef.”

Conner believes the Shrimp & Petroleum Festival scandal resonated so widely because the public is interested in supporting local fishermen and connecting with Louisiana foodways. At Spoonbill, the restaurant allows patrons to prove their love of local seafood by paying a little extra for the real deal.

“It’s like this two-way promise,” Conner said. “We ask them to trust us to not serve imported seafood and call it domestic seafood, call it Louisiana or Gulf seafood. And we trust them to be interested in the difference, and to make the choice to spend the extra couple of dollars.”

Chef Tyler Langley, who recently took over as Spoonbill’s executive chef, has worked to overhaul the restaurant’s menu and showcase more Gulf seafood in the tradition Conner brought to the kitchen—even if it costs a bit more. And back of house, there is too much constant churn and chaos to pay attention to media reports about seafood testing and authenticity. The mission to put out a product people can trust was already there; the goal is to stay true to that promise.

“Kind of just business as usual, I think,” Langley said. “Spoonbill is going to keep making the menu a reflection of the Gulf.”

“They’re tying up their boats.”

Rodney Olander wears many hats. He serves as the chairman of the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force and a councilman in St. Mary Parish, for starters. But his longest-held title remains “fisherman,” a job he has worked for more than forty-five years.

On a recent day at the end of May, nearly one month into Gulf shrimp season, Olander was home—not on the water, not in his boat. This year, the shrimp are in short supply—“the catch is off tremendous,” he said. “I’ve been parked the last couple of days because it just don’t make any sense for me to go.” That, and his boat needs a repair.

“The last thing you want to have this year is any kind of breakdown, because there wasn’t any money made this year, and the little bit I did make? Now it has to go to cover this breakdown,” Olander said. “It’s not good. That’s why a lot of fishermen are bailing out—because there’s just no money in it.”

Nevertheless, Olander considers himself “one of the lucky few”; he worked for years to pay off his equipment and motors. He’s spent decades in the business and knows how to take his losses in stride. But if you’re new to the industry and have a boat note, times are tough.

“A lot of guys are like, ‘You know, I can’t afford this.’ So they go out and get a job, and a lot of them keep their boats,” he said. “But it’s just tied up in back of their house, or at the docks.”

The problems facing commercial fishermen are varied, multifaceted; the competition with foreign imports has left them cash-strapped, trying to pay off their boats and ongoing maintenance, while contending with natural disasters that wreck their equipment, or regulatory challenges that restrict their catch.

“I know that those guys across

industries, not just shrimp, but across industries, are under incredible price pressure from imported seafood,” said Conner. “It's nearly impossible for them to make a living. One bad weather event or one bad season, and the debt on their equipment outweighs their mortgage payments, you know?” He went on, “There are other factors—not least among them what is in the water coming down the Mississippi River, and climate change, and all those kinds of things.”

And everything, it seems, costs more—even as the money made on each catch seems to be in free fall. In the last five years alone, the price has doubled for everything Olander buys for his boat.

“We’re in a spiral going downhill. We have a lot of fishermen—they’re tying up their boats,” Olander said. “The problem is, we don’t have another generation

behind us to keep this industry going.” This season, Olander said the price for Gulf shrimp has been low, much like in previous years.“We’re seeing rock bottom prices, without a doubt. I’ve been here long enough. It’s never been this bad. The problem is, you, the consumer, are not seeing it. When you go to a restaurant, you’re not seeing a cheap shrimp platter. When you go to the grocery store, you’re not seeing a cheap product,” he said. “After it leaves our boat, to what the consumer has to pay, there’s a lot of profit being made along the chain—and we’re not getting it.”

Williams pointed out that fishermen are the crux of the industry, and their experiences of fair treatment can make or break the supply chain: “If fishermen don’t go out fishing, there is no industry.”

Top: A genuine Gulf shrimp poboy meal from Darrell's in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Photo courtesy of Darrell's. Bottom: True Gulf oysters, served at Luke in New Orleans. Photo courtesy of Luke.

“I would love for the wild caught American shrimp to sell at a similar premium to, like certified Angus Beef against other beef products,” he said. “ It needs to be sold for a lot more money, so the percentage share that everybody gets is bigger and better.”

Conner argues that, given the hurdles fishermen are currently confronting, the least the restaurant industry can do is be honest about what they are serving. Ultimately, he doesn’t feel all restaurant operators are acting maliciously when mislabeling seafood. Some are just desperately scrambling to make ends meet, alongside a mistaken and pervasive belief that everyone in the industry is also mislabeling. He imagines a scenario in which seafood stocks run low and an import must be used last-minute, with little time allotted to reprint a menu. Although he can speculate on conditions that lead operators to make mistakes without intentionally deceiving the consumer, he emphasizes that there remains a human cost.

For his part, speaking independently as a fisherman, Olander bemoaned how he and his fellows feel they are taking the worst blows at the bottom of the ladder—one they are trying to hold steady amid hurricane-force headwinds.

“Every time there’s a cut, we take the cut,” he said. “It’s to the point where—we can’t cut anymore. And that’s what’s happened. Fishermen are bailing out. We’re losing the industry, and to be honest, I don’t know how much longer it can go.”

It's these communities and their challenges that are often top of mind when local restaurants choose Gulf shrimp over cheaper imports.

“We're supporting local fishermen,” Sharp said. “We're not supporting these big commercial businesses that are doing this elsewhere. We want to help that guy pay off his boat. We want to, you know, take care of their families, too.”

Benoit, of Darrell’s, explained that it’s a matter of family—of helping out the shrimper or fisherman down the street, because that’s just the right thing to do.

“We know a lot of people that, like, just locally, that's all they do. You know, [it's] their livelihood,” he said. “And why would I get some shrimp from somewhere else when I can help my neighbor?”

Something Real

In his official capacity heading up the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force, Olander has a sense of what needs to be done on a macro level to turn the tide. Labeling laws, like the one in Louisiana that went into effect in January, are a start. The task force also works on the federal level, seeking limits on foreign shrimp and urging more testing at ports. If tariffs are charged for shrimp, Olander argues that money should be injected directly back into the shrimping industry, rather than funneled into the general fund.

“It don’t need to be done today or tomorrow—it should have been done years ago,” he said. “Once you lose an industry, it’s tough to get it back.”

Last year, Olander also drafted and passed a resolution in his role as a St. Mary Parish Councilman, asking Shrimp & Petroleum Festival organizers to commit to exclusively using Gulf Coast shrimp at the upcoming event over Labor Day weekend in 2025, when the festival will celebrate ninety years. According to Olander, festival organizers have agreed to request that vendors only serve local shrimp.

In recent months, SEAD has seen some more promising results, despite the clear indication of fraud across so many areas. In April, for instance, the company announced that only one out of nineteen vendors tested at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival sold imported shrimp—a significant win for the city’s food scene.

There have also been efforts to bolster venues for local seafood, such as last October’s inaugural Shrimp Festival & Shrimp Aid in New Orleans, which earned a 100% authenticity rating after SEAD testing. When event organizers and restaurants commit not only to telling the truth in their labeling, but also using the local product because it is local, Williams believes people can sense the difference—and that difference is extraordinary: “You know the whole thing about authenticity? It shows through the entire business, or community.” •

Learn more about Louisiana's shrimping industry and seafood fraud at shrimpalliance.com.

Louisiana Gulf shrimp from Tony's Seafood in Baton Rouge. Photo by Molly McNeal.

Creole Folktales

Malaika Favorite, Pa Lapin é Pa Bouki (Br’er Rabbit & Br’er Hyena), Mixed media

Come Home to Sal & Judy's

Story by Teresa Day

Thhe story of Sal & Judy’s begins with Sal Impastato, an impetuous teenager, setting out for America from Sicily with little else besides memories of his mother’s recipes. He spent several years working in restaurants in New Orleans and Dallas, honing his culinary skills, and working toward his dream of sharing the cuisine of his homeland in a restaurant of his own.

In New Orleans, Impastato found restaurant space unaffordable and competition fierce, and began seeking out a smaller market. He heard about Lacombe on The Northshore from his late friend Chef Chris Kerageorgiou of La Provence Restaurant fame. When he visited Lacombe, he found the little fishing town reminiscent of his own coastal home, Cinisi, outside Palermo, Sicily.

In 1974, despite doubts about the small-town location, Impastato spent $50,000 on an 1,800 square-foot gas station. He started serving up his mother’s recipes, infusing them with Creole flavors he’d picked up during his time in New Orleans. The restaurant, which he called Sal and Judy’s (after his wife at the time), quickly outgrew the space. Today, you can’t miss the iconic pink stucco building Impastato moved into next, which is complete with an herb container garden in the back for easy access to fresh basil.

People who knew Impastato from his work in the French Quarter started traveling to The Northshore to eat at Sal and Judy’s. Word of his authentic Sicilian dishes spread quickly among hungry and homesick Sicilian Americans living in South Louisiana.

Now, more than fifty years later, those

same dishes continue to feed a loyal local crowd craving high quality comfort food. Impastato says the secret to a restaurant’s long-term success is, “Serving good food, putting in hard work and being consistent.” Locals love the Creole Italian pasta and seafood dishes, and a bestseller for decades now is Impastato’s mother’s Baked Lasagne—which has layers of homemade pasta, hearty beef and cheese, and a slightly sweet sauce seasoned with bright, fresh cut herbs. Impastato’s personal favorite is the Veal Pane, a simple dish of crispy pan-fried veal served with spaghetti. He also serves Sicilian Sunday dinner standards like Brucioloni, a tender round steak stuffed with cheese, Italian sausage, and ground beef draped in a signature red gravy.

At a spry eighty-three years young, Impastato still acts as executive chef,

overseeing his famous sauce and making pasta for Sal and Judy’s menu every single day—a labor of love he’s now perfected over the course of the decades. His sons, Joe and Jimmy, were two years and two months old when the restaurant opened, and today they are still working right alongside him. “It was a little rough raising a family in the restaurant business, but it paid off,” he said.

In the small town of Lacombe, Sal and Judy’s has become the go-to for cozy first dates, birthday and graduation celebrations, and entertaining guests from out of town. But the place is usually busy, even without occasion. One regular goes to Sal and Judy’s simply because it’s Wednesday. It’s a classic dining experience, white tablecloths and all, but the atmosphere is inviting, and the food feels familiar, in the best way.

“People come to Sal and Judy’s because it reminds them of their own family— like what their mother or grandmother made,” said Impastato.

It’s deeper than nostalgia though— Impastato’s food is delicious because it is made with care and intentionality, rooted in family traditions. For Impastato’s family, as with many Sicilian families, producing essential ingredients for quintessential Sicilian meals was a way of life.

On the walls, this history is honored through photos of the Impastato family and the beginnings of the business here in America.

“It’s a family atmosphere here, and you feel that warmth every time you come in,” says Katie Guasco of Visit The Northshore.

When asked what his mother would say about Impastato sharing her recipes with Louisiana, in his own restaurant, for all these years, he very simply said, with twinkling eyes, “She’d be very proud.” •

Find a line of products bearing Sal’s face and name in most grocery stores in South Louisiana. Check out the options, or make a reservation, at salandjudys.com.

Sal Impastato, pictured with his famous spaghetti and meatballs. Photo courtesy of LouisianaNorthshore.com.

Soupçon

A DASH OF DINING NEWS

By CR Editorial Staff

Back to Biloxi

Chef David Dickensauge has made his mark on Baton Rouge, acting for years either as chef or consultant for local favorites the likes of Beausoleil Coastal, Tsunami, Bin 77, and The Colonel’s Club. But at the end of the day, he’s a true Biloxi boy. This summer, Dickensauge is making the move to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where he will be re-opening Field’s Steak and Oyster Bar with a new concept: Field’s Mediterranean. With a Gulf seafood-sourced menu inspired by Mediterranean classics, as well as Moroccan and African dishes, the new restaurant is housed in the historic, waterfront Magnolia building in downtown Biloxi, and is set to open in late June. fieldsbiloxi.com.

Legendary highballs

Deep in the Pearl River swamp, there is a tree. Legend has it, back in the days of Prohibition, the moonshiners would gather there—a for bidden place of creativity, mischief, and cul ture. The story is the inspiration behind New Orleans’s Seven Three Distilling’s Whiskey Tree High Rye Bourbon, which this spring earned the Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, as well as a vote for best in class finalist in the special barrel finished bourbon category. “These results prove that Louisiana’s heat, humidity, and storytelling spirit can produce world-class whiskey, said Seven Three founder Jeff Rogers. seventhreedistilling.com.

Feeding the Family

When the pandemic forced restaurants to shutter dine-in service, husband-and-wife team Isaac and Amanda Toups of Toups Meatery in Mid-City New Orleans started packaging “family meals” (the staff meal many restaurants partake in before service) for their employees to take home. Before they knew it, the operation grew to the point where they were feeding 500 people a day. In eighteen months, the Toups had distributed almost 100,000 boxed meals to community members looking for a good meal and a little comfort, before wrapping up the program. But last summer, when the Summer EBT program—which provided low-income families with $120 per eligible child—was discontinued, the Toups cranked up the stoves once again to serve students without access to regular meals in the summer months. They ended up reviving Toups Family Meal as a non-profit organization, and by the end of the summer had surpassed 70,000 meals delivered. This summer, they’re back at it. Learn more at toupsfamilymeal.com.

Introducing . . . Your Seafood Superstars

By the time you’re holding this issue in your hand, the 2025 King or Queen of Louisiana Seafood will be proudly wearing their crown (in part due to the judiciousness of our Country Roads publisher James Fox-Smith, who is one of the judges for this year’s Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off). But in the spirit of an issue celebrating the chefs who make the effort to utilize the incomparable resource that is our Gulf seafood, we wanted to take a moment to honor this year’s contenders—who represent the finest culinary talent from across our state. From Acadiana, there is Karlos Knott (Cajun Saucer at Bayou Teche Brewery) and Alexis Indest (Whiskey and Vine). Hailing from the Northshore are Trenten Oliphant (Benteaux Cajun-Asian Fusion), Jaylen Cherry (The Depeaux), Michael Kelley (Gallagher’s Grill), and Joseph Fontenot (Creole Bagelry & Café). From New Orleans and the surrounding region: Willie Gaspard, Jr. (Cypress Bayou Casino & Hotel), Farrell Harrison (Plates Restaurant & Bar), and Jared Heider (Juniors on Harrison). From North Louisiana come Blake Jackson (Heron Seafood / Mae & Co.) and Chase Raley (Parish Restaurant and Bar). And from Baton Rouge—Kaleb Scott of the University Club of Baton Rouge. Find out who won at louisianaseafood.com/louisiana-seafood-cook-off.

Friday, July 4 at 7PM

Featuring Louisiana Contestant

Coby Bailey of Lafayette Friday, July 11 at 8PM

PÂTÉ OF THE SOUTH

Thoughts on Pimento Cheese

CONTEMPLATING THE NATURE OF A SOUTHERN DELICACY

Story

Thhat my parents’ divorce created a crisis of identity for me will surprise no one. What may surprise a few, though, is that I do not mean a crisis of self-identity. I'm referring to something much more consequential and important, especially for a Southerner—and one with an appetite. I’m referring to the identity of pimento cheese.

Don’t get me wrong. As someone born and raised south of the Mason-Dixon line, I’ve known the basic ingredients of “the pâté of the South” since I was tall enough to survey the food table at any family gathering—funerals, weddings. or reunions. Indeed, that other holy trinity—cheese, pimento and mayonnaise— has lurked in most of my life’s refrigerators. What eluded me about the dish, for decades, was its essential character, temperament—its personality, if you will.

I mean, is pimento cheese meant strictly to be a sandwich spread, or can it serve as a dip? Also, is it comfort food, to be indulged in liberally, or a snack to tide one over? Is it a workingman’s easy, cheap lunch or does the snobbery it occasionally inspires point to a more highfalutin’ spirit? Most importantly, is the formal three-ingredient recipe to be followed like a religion, or can it serve as a base for exciting additions like, say, sliced jalapenos and green onions?

If putting these questions to a food seems odd, let me just say, I love pimento cheese, always have. Not knowing the answers felt like having a close friend whose politics you don’t know. It felt like I never knew pimento cheese’s politics. And as anyone who has lived through the last several U.S. presidential elections knows, that meant I didn’t truly know pimento cheese.

So why blame the divorce? It all goes back to the store-bought pimento cheese (Mrs. Stratton’s) of my childhood. At my mother’s home, the cheese was to be consumed between two bread slices, typically at lunch, and, frankly, when there was nothing else to eat. It was, in a word, uninspiring.

Meanwhile, at my father’s, there would almost always be a metal mixing bowl in the refrigerator that contained a homemade pimento cheese concoction with downright addictive qualities. Making a sandwich of that stuff was just wasteful: you’d end up eating two more, heathenlike. Instead, my father, an inspired chef, favored getting that bowl out, opening a bag of chips (Fritos or tortillas) and snacking on it while he cooked dinner.

These dueling visions of pimento cheese left me unable to discern the true identity of one of the South’s most iconic foods. It felt like failing some legacy, which is a tough burden for a Southerner to carry.

Happily, I was able to resolve this culinary conflict by learning more about the history of pimento cheese, as well as my family, and Mississippi itself.

First, a decade-plus ago, I learned from the great Robert Moss, contributing barbecue editor for Southern Living, that pimento cheese did not originate in the South at all. It was a late-nineteenth-century New York creation that, in its original form, involved cream cheese mixed with canned pimentos. But it was the Southerners who replaced the cream cheese with cheddar and introduced mayonnaise to bind it to the pimentos, thus creating the pimento cheese we know today.

Second, I came to see that my parents grew up in Mississippi kitchens of oppos-

ing cultures. My maternal grandmother, a rather passionate pimento cheese fan, is a native of the Piney Woods, a part of the state with poor soil—which means her ancestors made a living by raising livestock on small farms. It was a life of hard work and few leisurely pursuits. The culture my grandmother inherited, and passed to my mother, would have viewed pimento cheese as something to place in the middle of a plate, as an entree, utilitarian nourishment. My paternal grandmother, in contrast, was a Delta native. While her family was blue-collar, that soil-rich region’s culture has always contained a strain of planter class tastes and style, meaning proper entertaining involves hors d'oeuvres, which pimento cheese can qualify as—so long as it's appropriately gussied up. My grandmother passed this approach to my father.

At some point I learned that my mother actually despises pimento, and my stepdad does not eat cheese. I suddenly realized that I was the only person in that household to ever consume the store-bought pimento cheese they kept

around. This explains a lot, to say the least.

As time revealed these factors and histories to me, my once-uneasy relationship with pimento cheese was replaced with a more tasteful understanding. Pimento cheese is not a Southern invention, but it is certainly a Southern creation, one with core ingredients that should be respected, but can be molded to fit your tastes and consumed as you like. My wife and I like to whip up a batch and throw it in a cooler for summer road trips, eating it on sandwiches along the way. She likes more mayonnaise than I do, but I eat it anyway. I do so in my hard-earned, pimento cheese peace.

I will add that we plan to pass these tenets to our four-year-old Mississippi-born son. I hope he always knows to avoid store-bought varieties at all costs; to always feel free to eat it on a sandwich, as a dip, or any other way he may like; and to always follow Papa Browning’s recipe, for it is the best.

There’s just one hurdle: my son doesn’t like cheese. •

Papa Browning’s Pimento Cheese

Ingredients

One pound cheese, shredded (preferably extra sharp)

Two small jars of diced pimentos

Several tablespoons of mayonnaise

Couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: minced garlic, Tabasco sauce, few shakes of ground red pepper, ranch dressing (reduced mayo), jalopeno peppers, seasonings.

Directions

Stir all together until well mixed. Serve on crackers, on white bread, or however you like.

by William Browning • Photo by Molly McNeal

Payment in Artichokes

A FAMILY TRADITION GAINS THE STATUS OF CURRENCY

Story by Liz Williams • Illustration by Kourtney Zimmerman

Ihwas fortunate enough to grow up within the Sicilian community in New Orleans, the granddaughter of Sicilian immigrants. Food was the heartbeat of both our hculture and the city that held it, which allowed me to grow up eating deliciously at every turn.

Immigrants often struggle to feel completely at home in their new country, even if they have had a good life. I am a third generation American, and old enough that, in my childhood and early adulthood, I was interacting with family and friends who still spoke Sicilian as their native language. That not only marked them as from Sicily, but indicated that they held onto the values of that culture. Today, as fewer and fewer people speak the language here, the memory and values of our homeland live on most resiliently in our food.

One of my favorite traditional Sicilian dishes is stuffed artichokes—my mother’s were legendary, at least to me. Eschewing the simple breadcrumb stuffing that is usually served with the dish, my mother would add crabmeat, as well as freshly chopped basil, parsley, oregano, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and lemon zest. Her artichokes were baked in the oven with more olive oil and white wine. The result would melt in your mouth. They were magnificent.

When I got my law degree, I became a useful commodity within my Sicilian family. I was unintimidating (they had probably changed my diaper when I was a baby) and someone they trusted. Unlike outsiders, I wouldn’t try to take advantage of them. For my great aunts, I became the interpreter of the formal letters of information from the government, the applications or questionnaires that they received.

They would call me, explain that they had received a letter or form of some sort, and I was expected to come to them. I would sit at the kitchen table while they explained the issue at hand. Sometimes all I had to do was answer their questions. Sometimes I had to write a letter. Occasionally there was something that truly required my intervention, but that was rare. But no matter what kind of legal service I provided, I was always paid the same way: I received a disposable pan full of stuffed artichokes. I could not take money from these aunts. They knew that, and these perfectly made stuffed artichokes were a sign of respect for me, their much younger relative.

The ritual would unfold as I acknowledged that I knew that they took no shortcuts—no commercially made breadcrumbs, hand-grated cheese. They also wanted me to say, and I almost always obliged, that their stuffed artichokes were the very best, better than those of the client aunt’s sisters, the other aunts. Whoever’s kitchen I was sitting in made the very best stuffed artichokes.

While I was there, I was almost always served a cup of coffee and some sort of simple dessert—perhaps a biscotti assortment, or a canolo purchased from one of the local Sicilian bakeries. In the middle of summer, sometimes there was mineral water with a side dish of lemon ice or, even better, watermelon ice.

All of those great aunts are gone now. There is no one left in the family who speaks with a Sicilian accent. We are all now American-born and spread around the country. And I am older, now, than my elders were when they called on me for reassurance and advice. They taught me the importance of family, and I was always honored that they trusted me to be a family consigliere, thrilled to come home with stuffed artichokes that filled the car with the cheesy, winey aroma.

But the truth is that no one made better stuffed artichokes than my mother. And no aunt ever asked me to say so. •

Stuffed Artichokes with Crabmeat

My aunts all made delicious stuffed artichokes, traditionally served with breadcrumbs and cheese stuffing. But I remember my mother’s stuffed artichokes the best. Besides all of the regular ingredients, there was a pound of crabmeat in the stuffing—taking the artichoke to a new level of deliciousness. And because I can’t help myself, I have changed the recipe to add my own taste preferences. I love the flavor of anise, especially with seafood, so I add absinthe or Herbsaint to my braising liquid. It makes a lovely perfume during cooking and enhances the flavor.

Ingredients

2 lemons

4 globe artichokes

1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (homemade is best)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch flat leaf parsley, minced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F

¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 lb. crabmeat

3 tbsp olive oil, plus 4 tsp for drizzling

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

½ cup dry white wine

3 tbsp absinthe or Herbsaint

2. Prepare acidulated water: Zest the lemon and set aside. Cut open the zested lemon and squeeze the juice into a large bowl of water, then add the lemon halves. This keeps the artichokes from browning.

3. Prepare the artichokes: Cut the stem with the shoulders of the artichoke. That should allow the artichoke to sit firmly on the stem end. With a bread knife, a ham knife, or other serrated knife, cut about an inch across the artichoke, removing the thorny end of the leaves. You can remove the very tough outer leaves and trim the thorns off any short leaves with scissors. Place the artichoke on the work surface, stem end down. With your hands, open the leaves until you get to the choke—the fibrous part in the middle. With a small knife or a sharp spoon like a melon baller, scrape out the choke fibers to reveal the heart of the artichoke. Make sure that no fibers remain. Place artichoke into the prepared water. Repeat the process with all the artichokes.

4. Prepare the breadcrumb mixture: Place the lemon zest, breadcrumbs, garlic, half of the prepared parsley, the cheese, and the crabmeat into a large mixing bowl. Stir gently to distribute all the ingredients evenly. Add three tbsp. of olive oil and mix well again.

5. Stuff the artichokes: Take out the first artichoke and allow it to drain for a minute, thorn-side down. Then turn the artichoke onto its stem side. With your fingers, pull open the leaves, without breaking them, to get to the choke. With your small knife or spoon, remove the choke to reveal the heart. Working with ¼ of the breadcrumb mixture, fill the cavity above the heart. Then, working from the inside out, stuff between the leaves of the artichoke, pushing it down to the base. The artichoke will seem bigger. Repeat this process for each artichoke.

6. Prepare the artichokes for cooking: Pour the white wine and absinthe into a nonreactive Dutch oven or large deep casserole, then place all four artichokes stem side down into the vessel. You can let them touch if it is snug. They need to be side by side, not on top of each other. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the tops of the artichokes. Slice the remaining lemon and place a slice of lemon on the top of each artichoke. Drizzle about a teaspoon of oil over each one. Being careful not to wet the stuffing, and add enough water to come up about a third of the way up the artichoke.

7. Cook: Cover with the lid or aluminum foil. Place into the preheated oven for ninety minutes. Check for doneness by pulling off one of the leaves. If it comes off easily, it is done. If it does not, recover and return the pot to the oven for fifteen more minutes. Then remove. Place on a platter and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.

ket. And on Thursday afternoons, he town Farmers Market. All that on-theground exposure has led to restaurant clients across the Gulf Coast, including White Pillars in Biloxi, Siren Social Club la, Brew Paddle in Biloxi, and Vestige in Ocean Springs. Gipson is also a popular speaker teaching local master gardeners rooms and ways to cultivate, prepare, and

for a dinner recipe. A native of Mississippi, Gipson served as head chef at Beau

In his new man cave, Gipson was able to inoculate about ten bags of substrate a week and grow enough mushrooms

and became his right hand. That was three years ago. Saturdays now find Nick at The Pass Market in Pass Christian and

“If anyone wants to learn how to grow mushrooms, I want to show them how easy and rewarding it can be,” Gipson said. As part of his offerings, he sells “grow blocks,” which allow even the most fungal-naive to produce a hearty flush of mushrooms. And his website is packed with beginner-level recipes. Down Home Mushrooms has even

Mushroom and Shrimp Gnocchi with Brown Butter

2 servings

Ingredients

1 pack of gnocchi

6–8 oz. oyster mushrooms

1 cup diced onion

Shrimp, to your liking

Chopped garlic, to taste

Butter or oil

Balsamic reduction, to taste

Directions

Boil water (heavily salted). Toss in gnocchi once water begins to boil, cook until softened (you want the gnocchi to have a firm texture when done—this only takes a few minutes). In a medium skillet, add butter/oil and onions. Cook until onions soften, then add in garlic and shrimp. When almost done, toss in mushrooms and cook until they are to your likening. Add the gnocchi to the skillet, and top with 1–2 tablespoons of brown butter. Toss until hot, and plate. Top with microgreens and drizzle with balsamic reduction.

expanded into the realm of mushroom teas—a collaboration with Gipson’s brother, Timmy, co-owner of Mississippi Tea Company—and is working with Two Bros Roasting out of Hattiesburg on a mushroom coffee. He’s created several blends of mushroom seasoning and is also working on powder to make mushroom broth on demand. Katie has brought her medical experience to the venture, maximizing the health benefits

of mushrooms by formulating medicinal tinctures to sell at market.

“We just bought a freeze dryer and I’m experimenting with mushroom snacks,” Gipson said. “I’ve got 120 ideas, and I want to try them all. It truly never gets old for us. I hope when I’m one hundred, I’m still waking up and walking to the grow room to see what the mushrooms will teach me today.” • downhomemushroomsllc.com.

Outdoors

OUR SUSTAINABLE GARDEN

Pages on Growing

A READING LIST FOR THE NATIVE GARDENER IN LOUISIANA

Story and photos by Jess Cole

Whhen I was a child, I spent hours upon hours of each day reading—in my tree house, the stairs my grandfather built for me by our creek, my bed, on the bus, at the dinner table— wherever I was not forbade. Books, journaling, and making lists have consumed my life, historically, and still do. Nowadays these books are, almost always, nonfiction and centered around the natural world.

In a reality now so tethered to screens, where knowledge is shared through the echo chamber of A.I.-compiled Google searches, I still turn to books as my most reliable resource on plants. In paper, I discover novel thought, bizarre perspectives, and beautiful observations. There is something to learning by book that cannot be replaced by technology.

This month, I want to share the six books concerning the natural world of Louisiana that have touched me most in the past decade. Though it was hard to narrow, these six have greatly influenced my work and helped broaden my knowledge of native plants and the environment we call home.

Bayou-Diversity: Nature and People in Louisiana Bayou Country by

Kelby Ouchley

This is, perhaps, the absolute most fun book I have ever encountered. I read this book, and its sequel, Bayou-Diversity 2, on a constant rotation. It is so interesting, so diverse, and so easy, especially if you only have a few moments at a time to read. This collection of vignettes on local flora and fauna is a product of Ouchley’s long standing public radio program of the same title. The petite essays cover nearly anything you could fathom involving Louisiana's natural environs. Two of my most beloved, as of late, are “Swamp Rabbits” and “Bottom Land Oaks vs. Upland Oaks.” This is my most gifted book, hands down. I should purchase it in bulk.

Gardening with Native Plants of the South by Sally and Andy Wasowski

This stellar book on plants native to the Gulf Coast withstands the test of time. It’s one of the first books that influenced my landscape designs when it came to native plants, with its excellent breakdown of how to use our native plants within formal gardens. Without this book, I would have great trouble designing native shade gardens.

Louisiana Wild: The Protected and Restored Lands of the Nature Conservancy by C.C. Lockwood

A classic from a classic! With this gorgeous book, Lockwood brings his readers on a diverse and robust journey around our state, through the lens of his camera. He shares with us images and thoughts on various Louisiana Nature Conservancy properties he has spent time in. I find it to be a joyous ode to the wildly complex and varied landscapes that we call home. This is my favorite of all the Lockwood books I have yet encountered.

Louisiana Wildflower Guide by Charles Allen, Kenneth Wilson, and Harry Winters

For at least a year, this book never left the canvas tote I call “purse.” These gentlemen offer a wealth of native plant knowledge in an enticing and well-organized manner. It’s an all around incredible guide book that any Louisiana naturalist or plantswoman should hold dear.

Native Plants of the South

East:

A Comprehensive Guide to the Best

460 Species for the Garden by Larry Mellichamp and Will Stuart

This is the only book on this list not from a Louisiana author— which is one of the reasons it's so interesting to me. Mellichamp is a renowned biologist, professor, and author out of North Carolina with a wildly inspiring understanding of the southeast as a whole. I think it's important to look beyond our immediate surroundings to see the bigger picture, especially in our rapidly changing natural environments and interesting, seemingly erratic, climate as of late. The Southeast and how the Mississippi River defines us and our surrounding states is endlessly fascinating to me, and Mellichamp explores it with verve.

Wild Flowers of Louisiana by Caroline Dormon

I have purposely placed this book last, for it is of the utmost importance to me. When we purchased the old cottage that I call home, we unintentionally acquired sixty percent of the objects within the cottage from the eccentric couple, nearing the age of one hundred, who had originally built the house. My home was their weekend

oasis where they curated plants, catalogued Native American artifacts, and hosted parties over rum and cards next to the tiny woodstove. The greatest of all the treasures inherited was the majority of their book collection—mostly vintage plant books and other musings surrounding the cultures and natural world of Louisiana. I kept every single one they left behind. The greatest gem was a tiny collection of Caroline Dormon books.

Dormon is a great national treasure. Elementary Louisiana history class failed us all, greatly, to have not heralded her, nor even mentioned her. Organized by plant families, this book includes her plant descriptions, which are thoughtful and distinct. She uses words and phrases I have never encountered in the plant world. In addition to her botanical meditations, vivid botanical drawings are throughout. She was entirely self-taught and the most knowledgeable plants person I have ever read; it’s incredible what a vast knowledge she accumulated of the natural systems and native plants of the entire state in such a time. Caroline Dorman is the truest of naturalists and the realest Girl Scout there ever was. I stumbled upon an original signed copy of Wildflowers, furled edges and all, last Christmas. I have never stuttered over an object more. I mostly study my inherited copy, but often carefully flip through this old, delicate edition … Her choice of poetic wording, her use, often, of antiquated Latin nomenclature, her conciseness and forthright language … I learn so much from it all. My 1934 edition of Dorman’s Wildflowers of Louisiana, my rookie Michael Jordan card, and my old Grumman canoe are the resplendent entirety of my child's inheritance. •

July Plant Spotlight: Coastal Mallow, Kosteletzkya pentacarpos

This is my favorite of all native mallows and one of my most adored, grown, and planted perennials. It’s beyond resilient, growing fast and tall and reseeding readily. Coastal mallow can grow up to eight feet in height and four feet wide. She boasts an enormous profusion of dainty pink blooms that remind me of hollyhocks and bring in an abundance of pollinators, including hummingbirds. These precious blooms offer endless ecological benefit throughout the day and then “fall asleep” at dusk, closing their flowers to rest. I use this plant in groupings of at least three at the back of a perennial bed or at the center of a giant bed with other plants tapering down and surrounding each side. I often plant coastal mallow with other perennials that bloom pink, white, and purple such as salvias, echinacea, vervain, and bee balm. This plant is incredibly dear to my heart as it links me to my love affair with the marsh. My favorite place to visit the mallows is when crabbing on Pecan Island and the I-10 Laplace exit ditches—there's nothing like jumping off the interstate into crawfish fields, with these blooms en masse, to signal its time to fish on the coast. •

Visit Louisiana's "Toe" of Adventures!

Welcome to Washington Parish, Louisiana, one of the most scenic rural parishes in the state –our beautiful countryside of rolling hills, pine forests, farms, waterways, and rural backroads! We invite you to sh, hunt, canoe, “tube”, and drive our Scenic Byways of Highways 10 & 21 and points beyond and in between. Good food, festivals, local heritage, and the largest free fair in the nation are just some of the offerings in our little corner of the state.

Coastal Mallow, by Jess Cole

INTERDISCIPLINARY DELIGHTS

Art of Food; Food of Art

NOMA'S INAUGURAL SALON SUPPER CLUB CELEBRATED FLUID CREATIVE CONNECTIONS

Story and photos by Alexandra Kennon Shahin

Nture; technology. Color; grayscale. Some relationships are inextricable, forged and maintained across time. For its inaugural Salon Supper Club, the New Orleans Museum of Art mused on and celebrated such connections as it does: with a tasteful affair beneath the marble pillars of its great hall and galleries.

NOMA’s first-ever supper club event on May 22 was centered around the exhibition currently on display until February 2026—Nicolas Floc’h’s FleuvesOcéan, Mississippi Watershed, which is presented in two parts. For Floc’h, the concept was born during a 2022 artist residency with Villa Albertine in collaboration with the Camargo Foundation

along the Mississippi River, documenting its water and banks.

One gallery wall is engulfed by Floc’h’s saturated, monochromatic photographs, which were captured beneath the river’s surface. The way the light filters through the water creates an array of different pigments, which vary in color due to factors like plant/animal influence, mineral run-off, and other components that impact the water’s chemical makeup. The collective effect creates a massive grid of 300 color gradients: oranges, yellows, greens, and blues leading into one another. If one didn’t know that the “water color” images were of natural phenomena, one might assume the tidy-seeming art was generated digitally. The intersection of nature and

technology struck me, looking across the vibrant wall. (And, prompted by a traveling station with a ring light, my friend Kyly and I didn’t resist joining our fellow patrons in snapping a couple of selfies in front of the artful backdrop).

Tucked in another gallery on the opposite side of the museum is the counterpoint to Floc’h’s water gradient wall. Black and white photographs depicting scenes along the Mississippi River could not be more aesthetically different from the rectangles of colors, yet thematically they provide a striking alliance—the rough, textural reality of the chaotic path the Mississippi has forged, juxtaposed against the isolated color slides from beneath its surface. Floc’h is “making a visual connection between what we can see happening on the land and the quality of the water that surrounds us,” according to his artist statement.

The exhibition is powerful enough to be worth a museum visit on its own, but for the Salon Supper Club, curators and organizers situated Floc’h’s works within a lively, artful dinner and cocktail party. And it was, without question, a party: stepping into the grand, pillared Great Hall, guests were greeted immediately with glasses of prosecco and access to several open bars. Grammy-nominated Cajun accordionist Cameron Dupuy and the Cajun Troubadours provided lively music throughout the night, occasionally stopping between songs to talk with guests.

EJ Lagasse—Emeril Lagasse’s twenty-two-year-old son who has taken the helm of Emeril’s flagship restaurant and joined him in launching their new Portuguese-inspired 34 Restaurant and Bar— joined his team serving slices of a delicate tart with smoked salmon and Beluga caviar layered atop cream cheese and a flaky pastry. He chatted with guests (even graciously fielding my embarrassing, “I’ve had the honor of meeting your dad!” story), and spoke briefly to the gathering about New Orleans, and the inextricable links between food and art.

Of course, Lagasse was not the only restaurateur who showed out for the

occasion. Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, who handles Cafe NOMA Restaurant in the museum, catered several stations, offering various Louisiana-inspired bites like corn maque choux and Gulf shrimp, a biscuit dressed in pimento cheese with tomato jam and a fried green tomato, and fried oysters with crawfish étouffée. Food and bar/cocktail stations were tucked into various corners and hallways throughout, creating a bit of a scavenger hunt experience as guests wandered, admired the art, sipped, and nibbled. This meant that only those diligently referencing their programs got to try everything, which seems fair.

One thing to note about this experience is that Salon Supper Club is not a seated, coursed-out dining experience— more like an artful cocktail party with substantial bites sprinkled throughout. One slightly perplexing aspect was that, despite the immersive nature of the event, food and drinks were not allowed in the galleries—which, again, is fair.

Flitting between galleries, espresso martini in hand (and set on tables in between viewings), I enjoyed chatting with other guests, many from the worlds of art and philanthropy. I even met Scott Pilié, my favorite meteorologist, and his husband, Ben, over the display of “Mississippi mud” pies. It felt fitting for the occasion, if unofficially, that the same day he had attended the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s announcement of the anticipated above-average 2025 hurricane season. “Water, water, everywhere,” indeed.

All in all, NOMA’s first Salon Supper Club lived up to expectations: it felt very artful, very Louisiana-inspired, and very much in the canon of NOMA’s sparkling events. Those looking to discuss art and indulge in drinks and hors d'oeuvres in the sophisticated setting of the museum should be on the lookout for the next Salon Supper Club, as the first event promises to certainly not be the last. And, in the meantime, Floc’h’s powerful studies of the Mississippi River are worth viewing and pondering—cocktail in-hand or not. • noma.org

Top: Work by Nicolas Floc’h, "The Color of Water, Water Columns: Mississippi River Delta, from Empire, Louisiana to the Gulf of Mexico, 2022." On display at NOMA as part of the exhibition: Fleuves-Océan, Mississippi Watershed. Bottom: Chef EJ Lagasse, serving tart with smoked salmon, Beluga caviar, cream cheese, and a flaky pastry

Overheard in Louisiana

EAVESDROPPING LOOKS DIFFERENT HERE

Story by Megan Broussard • Cartoons by Burton Durand

Store clerk in Maurice: “Aay! I need a translator over here!”

Manager: “French tourist?”

Store clerk: “Nah, Bossier, I think.”

Bourbon: “Yoooo, let’s get

Yankee Bachelor on another round of shots while we wait for the rain to stop!”

Server: “It ain’t raining. They just waterin’ the plants on the balcony, baby.”

Girl eating crawfish: “Ew, I don’t know how people can suck the heads.”

Friend: “I’ve seen you do a lot worse Freshman year, Celeste.”

Cashier at Sephora: “Your skin is incredible. What serum are you using?”

Customer: “Nothing. My car's AC broke.”

Woman to swollen-lipped maltese:

“See what I told you about gettin’ in them bees’s business, Claudine?”

Woman to friend: “I can’t wait for vacation. I need to get away from everybody.”

Friend: “When y’all leave’?”

Woman: “July 3rd.”

Friend: “Where y’all goin’?”

Woman: “Destin.”

Teenage girl trying on clothes: “But, mom, everyone’s wearing these!!”

Mom: “Yeah, and they all look fonky.”

Man: “Everything is so dang expensive. It’s ridiculous.”

Same man: “Hey, wanna see my new custom .308?”

Escapes

THE COAST IS CALLING

Passin’ Time in Pascagoula

A TRAVEL GUIDE TO "SINGING RIVER" CITY

Story by Kristy Christiansen • Photos by Paul Christiansen

Barefoot and sunkissed, I was watching jet skiers fly across the Pascagoula River, lazily hswinging my legs off the pier. My youngest, Bryce, patiently sat, waiting to call out, “Fish on!” as the ladies next to us dropped their crab net into the water with a splash. The setting sun sparkled in the waves and cast long shadows across the weathered boards beneath us. It was a perfect ending to a long day of exploring, and perhaps my favorite moment of our weekend in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

We were here to rediscover the town of my youth. I grew up in Alabama, but my birth certificate bears the name Pascagoula, because we lived near the state line, closer to this town than any other. My memories of this place are lumped into two categories—those passed down to me and the shadowy images leftover from a distant childhood. I knew that my grandfather—who I’ll always picture in his blue jumpsuits—worked at Ingalls Shipbuilding, a shipyard that has operated in the coastal town since 1938. Years later, my brother would build his career at the nearby Chevron refinery. As for myself, I have two specific memories of Pascagoula: me, tagging along with my mom to watch her play tennis at the local park; and attending, with my family, the Jackson County Fair every fall. To this day, the sounds of pigs squealing and the scent of a funnel cake’s sweet, fried dough transport me back there.

On this visit, my husband, Paul, and I, with our sons had rolled into town on a stormy Friday, dodging fat rain drops to duck inside one of the newest restaurants in town, Czak’s. Chef Josh Walczak, sporting vibrant, multi-colored pants, was busy running the kitchen for

a packed house of lunchtime visitors. There were the elderly ladies dressed for an afternoon out on the town, as well as a cadre of fishermen who had been forced back onto land by the weather. We ordered a sampling of the Gulf-inspired menu—standouts were the shrimp bread and the crab cake patty sandwich, dubbed the “Vancleave Smash.”

Across the railroad tracks and two blocks over, we pulled into the last open parking spot in front of Hotel Whiskey Pascagoula. Built in 2016, the boutique hotel on Delmas Avenue holds court in the spot where the historic Brumfield’s Department Store stood from 1923 until 1990.

Paige Roberts, a Commissioner with Coastal Mississippi Tourism and President and CEO of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, explained how downtown Pascagoula has evolved over time. Delmas Avenue sits in three districts at once: Flagship City (a nod to the Navy ships built here), Main Street, and Pascagoula Redevelopment Authority (PRA).

“The PRA is the urban renewal agency of the city,” said Roberts. “It identifies properties that have sat for a long time, and through public-private partnerships, it helps bring in new business.” Hotel Whiskey is one of the many success stories here, along with the City Centre—a building housing both businesses and luxury condos (and soon a rooftop bar), The District Coffee Co., and townhomes down the street. “The idea was to get residents downtown,” said Roberts, and with the residents came the restaurants and shops. “When we attracted Hotel Whiskey, we knew we were in good shape.”

Upstairs in our room, we changed out of our rainsoaked clothes and took in the tranquil effects of the space’s natural wood and soothing hues. The kids raided the complimentary snack basket while we put the Keurig to use, bringing our steaming coffees outside onto the wide balcony that spanned the length of the hotel. Below us, umbrella-carrying visitors dotted the sidewalks, ducking inside the Italian bistro across the street and the women’s clothing stores, Stella Gray and Zeal Boutique.

We debated a quick nap in the inviting beds, but instead jumped back in the car for a windshield tour of the town, stopping to admire the circa-1859 Round Island Lighthouse, lovingly restored after being relocated to mainland Pascagoula in 2010. We passed by the small, yellow cottage on Roosevelt Street where Jimmy Buffett spent his childhood; and drove by Point Park, which overlooks the massive Navy ships under construction at Ingalls Shipbuilding. As we cruised Beach Boulevard, we noted the long line of historic signs, marking the locations of countless historic homes lost to Hurricane Katrina.

For dinner, we followed the crowd to Bozo’s Too, a lively family-run seafood stop that has been around since 1957. The unassuming restaurant was packed with families, energetic voices, and platters of crawfish. We joined in, ordering mudbug-laden nachos and mac-andcheese, served with orders of Caribbean tacos and flounder baskets. Bellies full, we returned to the Whiskey, collapsed in our beds, and woke up refreshed bright and early Saturday morning.

A few blocks down from the hotel, The District Coffee

Co. offers pastries, gourmet bagel bites; and bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits alongside a myriad of coffee options. The patio seating proved to be prime people-watching real estate. We settled in to observe a steady flow of customers cycling in and out, several talking football, even in the off-season.

From here, we traveled north to Moss Point and the Pascagoula River Audubon Center, one of forty-one educational facilities operated by the National Audubon Society. The Visitor Center showcased aquariums of native aquatic species, such as speckled trout and the Yellow Blotched Sawback turtle, as well as interactive exhibits about the Pascagoula River and its ecology. Trails and boardwalks crisscross the facility’s ten acres of land, leading to a kayak launch on Rhodes Bayou.

After teaching us the “Rules of the Road,” senior center assistant Malik Wells steered us on an informative, guided kayak tour of the surrounding waters. As we dipped our paddles into Rhodes Bayou, we passed an alligator sunning himself on a log while a pair of nesting osprey flew overhead. Wells guided us from the Bayou into the Pascagoula River, pointing out the area’s thick aquatic grasses.

“The cattails are a signal of brackish water, a sign that it’s not too salty,” said Wells, explaining how grasses are an important part of the river’s ecosystem, helping to prevent erosion. Then he gestured toward a grouping of firm leaves standing tall in the shallow water. “That is Bulltongue. Their roots are called duck potatoes, and the Native Americans would grind it into flour to make bread.” In fact, Pascagoula means “bread eaters” in Muskogean, the language of the Pascagoula nation, which occupied this area when Europeans first started exploring here.

As we hugged the shoreline to avoid motorboats, Wells told us how the National Audubon Society aims to protect birds’ migration lands, from where they start in South America to where they end in Canada, as well as everything in between. Here, the Audubon Center helps protect the Pascagoula River, the largest free-flowing river in the contiguous United States. The river’s entire eighty-mile route flows undammed from its origins to the Gulf.

As we rounded a bend and passed underneath a bridge, we came upon a ship graveyard of sorts—mysterious, rusting vessels abandoned to the elements. This was our turning point, and we maneuvered our kayaks around to bring us back to the Center.

To celebrate the river’s renowned status, Pascagoula annually hosts the Free Flowin’ Fest. We were lucky enough to be in town on the weekend of the festival and headed to the Pascagoula Beach Park. The entire town seemed to have turned out, with kids scaling the jungle gym and music-lovers relaxing in lawn chairs, tapping their toes. We puddle-jumped our way to the food trucks and picked up some delicious burritos from The

Flamin’ Pepper and “fresh off the kettle” candied pecans from Gulf Coast Sweet Nuts. Across Beach Boulevard, we walked the massive pier jutting out over the water. Bryce caught a pinfish on his first cast, using the leftover corner of the burrito as his bait.

After the festival, we ventured across Highway 90, deep into a neighborhood that backed up against the Pascagoula River and Krebs Lake. On the edge of the water sits La Pointe-Krebs Museum. Dating back to 1757, it’s the oldest structure in Mississippi and likely the oldest home between the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains. The house’s construction is unique as well, the only example on the Gulf Coast of walls made from tabby, which is a concrete-like mixture of quicklime and water with sand, ash, and locally found shell. Originally a two-room home, the owners expanded it over the years, and a look inside the building shows the various renovations.

An adjacent museum gives an extensive overview of Pascagoula’s history, with many artifacts and historical details, and includes several theories on why the Pascagoula River is often referred to as the “Singing River.” One of the most common legends speaks of two neighboring Native American tribes, the Pascagoula and Biloxi. When the Pascagoula chief’s son fell in love with the Biloxi princess, a forbidden match, the fierce Biloxi planned a war against the peace-loving Pascagoula. In response, the Pascagoula people joined hands and sang songs while walking into the river to drown. To this day, people say they still hear the river singing. We listened for the notes as we lingered on the pier behind the La Pointe-Krebs house.

On Saturday evening, Delmas Avenue was alive with restaurant-goers. We ordered two large, specialty pizzas—and a personal pan for the munchkin—from Uncle Joe’s Pizza & Wings and ate upstairs on our hotel balcony, enjoying a relaxing evening overlooking the crowds below.

While the kids slept in Sunday morning, my husband Paul and I slipped out to Delicious Donuts Pascagoula for some morning treats, including a half dozen variety pack of donuts.

Car packed, we bid farewell to Hotel Whiskey and drove north to the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge for a morning walk through the wet pine savanna ecosystem.

Looking closely, we spotted orchids and carnivorous pitcher plants lining the path. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch a rare glimpse of the red-capped Mississippi sandhill crane. Through conservation efforts, the refuge has helped grow the population from around thirty birds to now more than two hundred. Though we missed the sandhill crane, we were serenaded by a plethora of songbirds, which my Merlin app identified as more than six different species singing at the same time.

Our last leg of the journey involved an unforgettable experience at Gulf Coast Gator Ranch & Airboat Swamp Tours. Armed with large chunks of gator food, we strolled the scenic walking path, where only a chain-link fence separated us from some of the largest alligators we’ve ever seen. These hungry reptiles did not disappoint, rolling through the water every time their massive jaws latched on to a piece of feed tossed over the fence. Once we emptied our food cups, we embarked on an airboat adventure with tour guide David Bower. He navigated us through the surrounding swamp, thrilling the crowd with his daring turns and educating us on the inner workings of the wetlands. As we passed underneath a bridge, he pointed out purple martin nests attached to the underside and explained how alligators lie in wait underneath, in hopes that the babies fail in their attempts to fly. Around another turn, Bower showed us an abandoned mound of mud and grasses—a leftover alligator nest slowly disintegrating back into the swamp. It was an unforgettable finale to my (re)discovery of this corner of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where a sleepy town that embraces its past revealed a vibrant core and a promising future built on community and industry. •

Disclaimer: This trip was partially funded by Coastal Mississippi, though the opinions of the writer are entirely her own and formed independently of this fact.

A mural by artist Banks Compton at Scranton's in downtown Pascagoula.

The circa-1859 Round Island Lighthouse.

Walking along the trails at the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge.

DIRECTORY OF MERCHANTS

Avery Island, LA Tabasco Brand 13

Baton Rouge, LA

AllWood Furniture 6

Baton Rouge Clinic 21

Becky Parrish 43

Blue Cross Blue Shield 23

East Baton Rouge Parish Librar y 60

Elizabethan Gallery 53

Lagniappe Antiques 53

Louisiana Public Broadcasting 43

LSU Online and Continuing Education (OLLI) 18

LSU Rural Life Museum 12

Old State Capitol 14 WRKF 89.3 41

Biloxi, MS Coastal Mississippi 2

Breaux Bridge, MS St. Martin Parish Tourism Commission 27

Brookhaven, MS Brookhaven Tourism Council 24 Franklinton, LA

LA

LA

LA

LA

LA City of New Roads 28

Boutique 29

Pointe Coupee Chamber of Commerce 29

Mama’s 29

Home and Farm 29 Pointe Coupee Historical Society 29 The Pointe Mercantile & More 29

New Orleans, LA Historic New Orleans Collection 3 Visit Jefferson Parish 17

Opelousas, LA St. Landr y Parish Tourist Commission 18

Plaquemine, LA Iber ville Parish Tourism

19 Port Allen, LA

Shreveport, LA

Shreveport- Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau 9

St. Francisville, LA Music on the Mount - Mt Carmel Catholic Church 20 Poppin Up Plants 53 Southern Garden Symposium 37 St. Francisville Food and Wine Festival 57 Town of St. Francisville 20

Zachary, L A Lane Regional Medical Center 47 McHugh House 53

41 Scott, LA Bob’s Tree Preservation 24

FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL

Gwen Sellers, Agent

Sponsored by Tangipahoa Parish Tourism

PERSPECTIVES: ART OF OUR STATE

Painting the ‘Underdogs of Nature’

Fopossums. For me, it’s raccoons.”

ones that intrigue me most.”

rarely begins on the canvas—or even on the walls of a historic building. It begins in her mind, as she walks in natural places, rides her bike along the Gulf, or paddles down a stream or bayou. From there, the images travel onto the pages of one of Reyes’s ever-present journals.

Years’ worth of these journals line the shelves of the artist’s Biloxi studio. “Since I was little, I’ve kept a book with me to write down the things I see in nature,” she said. “It was just a way to pause and observe and document what I was experiencing. As I got older, I incorporated shapes and sketches with the words. Eventually, my journals evolved into mostly images.”

Once Reyes returns to her studio, the art—which has moved from the outside world into her mind and from her mind onto the pages of her journals—now finds its way onto a canvas or into a design for a mural installation. Or, it may simply be popped on a shelf to marinate for a while. “When I’m looking for inspiration, I go back to those journals, sometimes years later,” Reyes said. “Sometimes I notice themes that have persisted. If there’s something that’s captured my interest over the years and I haven’t explored it yet, I might grab a brush and see where it takes me.”

In her practice, Reyes takes much inspiration from the work and the lore of one of the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s most iconic artists, Walter Anderson. “Walter was relentless in his observation of nature and our kinship with the natural world,” Reyes said. “His paintings celebrate nature . . . our interconnectedness and interdependence with it. And he painted many of the same themes that intrigue me. We both like painting the ‘underdogs’ of nature. For him, it was

Reyes has even followed Anderson’s footsteps to nearby Deer and Horn islands, staying on these remote coastal isles for stretches of time, immersing herself in the wild wonders that take place there and becoming, as Anderson wrote in his journals, “a part of nature instead of just observing it.”

Also, in the spirit of Anderson, Reyes works in vibrant colors and energetic strokes. But it wasn’t until she read through the artist’s meticulously documented travelogues that she realized their shared tendency towards bright colors came from similar influences. Just as Reyes is inspired by her Latino heritage and time she spent in Peru, Anderson was influenced by his extensive travels through Mexico and South America— drawing on the objects, people, and animals he encountered there. Back home in Mississippi, he explored that same aesthetic in his paintings of regional flora and fauna, celebrating the rhythms, patterns, and interconnectedness in the style of the "artesania”.

Reyes’s work has been described as kaleidoscopic—animal themes repeating and echoing around her canvas with a playful sense of movement. “I like to deconstruct recognizable things, think about the shape, peel back the layers, and explore the patterns, the systems within a system, the relationships of shapes.”

Just as Anderson stayed close to the land on his rickety, old bike or his barely seaworthy skiff, Reyes finds the most inspiration when she’s not painting at all but just “removing herself from walls,” moving her body, experiencing new landscapes, and being in nature. “It doesn’t have to be a grand place,” she said. “In fact, the simpler the space, the more you can experience the miracle of the smallest elements of nature. Often, those are the

With so much Anderson influence in her work, Reyes was a natural choice, when the Walter Anderson Museum of Art was commissioning artwork for the newest addition to The Art Block in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. A combination coffee house/art gallery/community hub, The Traveler is a four-dimensional tribute to Anderson’s travels across this country and others and is situated directly behind the Walter Anderson Museum of Art on Joseph Street.

For her mural in the dining room of The Traveler, Reyes was provided access to Anderson’s extensive bike logs, which have recently been published, and carte blanche to design and create her own tribute to the man many consider to be the South’s most prolific artist. Drawn to one log entry in particular, about an encounter Anderson had with a herd of cows in Texas, Reyes designed a mural she named “Cows on the Border.”

She drew inspiration not only from Anderson’s written description of falling asleep in a roadside pond and waking to find himself surrounded by curious cows, but she also worked from photos of Anderson’s own mural of the incident, which he painted above his bathtub at his Ocean Springs home, Shearwater. Reyes incorporated influences from her Mexican heritage and her own life experience into a vibrant retelling of the story.

Reyes has other murals scattered across Coastal Mississippi and as far away as Nashville. And although she works extensively on canvas and has done some installation work, she’s particularly passionate about her murals. “Public art allows people to experience art who might never set foot in a gallery,” Reyes said. “Murals tell the story of a local community, its history, and its residents, or of the artist themselves. Murals encompass

a space, rather than just a square on the wall. They take in the environment, and you find yourself suddenly a part of it. It’s hard to pass public art without taking a moment to reflect—at least that’s my hope.”

And just as images from Reyes’s sketch books find their way into her murals, themes from her murals sometimes develop into a series on canvas. “Walter referenced many birds in his bike logs,” she said. “Painting The Traveler mural sent me down rabbit holes researching those birds, the white ibis in particular.”

Even as Reyes found a kindred spirit in Anderson’s celebration of wild beauty, she hopes to encourage young artists coming up behind her to find their own way. “I try to tell younger artists, ‘You may have a concrete idea of what you want to do, but be open to the doors, even if it’s not what you originally anticipated.’ It’s only when you walk through those doors— keep making and keep paying attention to the things that feel right, keep being curious—that you’ll find out what kind of artist you are. Don’t box yourself in to one idea of art. There are many different roads your art can take.”

Reyes’s murals can be seen around the state of Mississippi, including at MacGown Art Retreat and Studio in Starkville, YaYa’s in Biloxi, the Gulf Islands Waterpark in Gulfport, Bob Boyte Honda in Moss Point, Driftwood Motel in Bay St. Louis, and a crosswalk at Reynoir Street in Biloxi, as well as Peach by the Beach in Gulf Shores. A favorite of many—Reyes’s Dolly Parton mural at Graduate Nashville Hotel in Nashville is a must-stop. •

See more of Reyes’s work on Instagram at @juliareyes_art.

hor artist and muralist Julia Reyes, art

Image courtesy of Julia Reyes

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