Gambit: December 21, 2021

December 21-27 2021 Volume 42 Number 50

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DECEMBER 21 — 27, 2021 VOLUME 42 || NUMBER 50

CONTENTS

NEWS Opening Gambit ...............................6

FINE ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES KRATOM • CBD 3137 CALHOUN ST. MON - SAT 11-7

•

504-309-4717

Blake Pontchartrain.......................9 Clancy DuBos...................................11

ADVERTISE WITH US Call Sandy Stein (504) 483-3150 or sstein@gambitweekly.com

FEATURES Arts & Entertainment ....................5

WISHING YOU

Love & Joy Holiday Season

Eat + Drink...................................... 23 Music Calendar...............................31

THIS

Music ................................................ 32 Film ................................................... 34 I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y T Y L A M A I D E N

13

We will be closed Dec 25th through Jan 2nd.

CURRENT HOURS: MON-FRI 7am-1pm /// SAT 7am-Noon

olid ays e H h t s y r o o j v n a E l f l a n o s with RthHOeLsIDeAsY PeICaK UOPROCRHDREISRTSMAS EVE OU PLACE Y

Puzzles............................................. 35

The Holidaymaker

A Christmas Invasion Tale

by Brittany N. Williams

S TA F F

F

Publisher | JEANNE EXNICIOS FOSTER

EDITORIAL

CHRISTMAS EVE 8AM - 5PM TUES - SAT 10AM - 10PM SUNDAY 10AM - 9PM EGGNOG

SICILIAN PINK PEPPERMINT CHESTNUT

214 N. CARROLLTON IN MID CITY

ONLINE ORDERING AVAIL ABLE

A NGEL OBROCAT OICECR E A M.COM • OR CALL 5 0 4 • 4 8 6 •14 6 5

gift them

BOOTS & BANDS

LIVE ON FACEBOOK EVERY WED AT 7PM! DOWNLOAD

OUR

for christmas

APP

(504) 483-3105// response@ gambitweekly.com Editor | JOHN STANTON Political Editor | CLANCY DUBOS Arts & Entertainment Editor | WILL COVIELLO

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS Billing Inquiries 1 (225) 388-0185 Administrative Assistant | LINDA LACHIN

ADVERTISING

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Staff Writers | JAKE CLAPP,

SANDY STEIN BRONDUM (504) 483-3150

KAYLEE POCHE, SARAH RAVITS

[sstein@gambitweekly.com]

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PRODUCTION

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(504) 486-5900. We cannot be held responsible for the return of unsolicited manuscripts even if accompanied by a SASE. All material published in Gambit is copyrighted: Copyright 2021 Capital City Press, LLC. All rights reserved.

5

Holiday Vibes

Nikki Glaspie celebrates her Christmas birthday with Punkadelick

|

by Will Coviello Christmas Without Tears

NEW ORLEANS HAD A RESTRAINED CARNIVAL LAST YEAR DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS. But Texas had

much more lax rules, and Austin benefitted.

“I called Mike (Dillon) to do my Fat Tuesday party in Austin,” says Nikki Glaspie, a former drummer for Dumpstaphunk and Beyonce.

“New Orleans was shut down, so I was like, let’s have Mardi Gras here.

He did the party, and then we were like, let’s do some shows.”

Glaspie is returning the holiday visit this week. She’s playing a show on Christmas at Toulouse Theatre with Dillon and Brian Haas in their collective project, Punkadelick. The show is at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, and Quarx and LOTAGRFD also perform.

It’s also Glaspie’s birthday.

“I’m a Christmas baby,” she says.

“When I was growing up, my mom tried to have the family give me two presents so we wouldn’t forget.”

Because of the time she spent with Dumpstaphunk and the projects she’s working on with local musicians, it may seem like Glaspie lives here. But she’s never lived in New Orleans full time.

Glaspie grew up in Maryland and North Carolina and went to Berklee College of Music in Boston. There she met musicians Sam Kininger and Eric Krasno and the core of what would become Lettuce and Soulive — jazz and funk bands that were popular on the jam band scene. They helped introduce her to New Orleans.

“I came down to Jazz Fest with Sam in 2004,” she says. “In 2005, I came down with Krasno and he took me everywhere and we sat in with everybody.”

The visits to New Orleans became regular, but Glaspie wound up in New York, where she joined Beyonce’s all-female backing band, The Suga Mamas, in 2006. She also was in Beyonce’s The OGs, and Glaspie toured with the singer for several years.

Glaspie joined Ivan Neville in Dumpstaphunk after that. She played with the heavy funk group from 2011 to 2014, and is featured on its 2013 release, “Dirty Word.”

During the time she was playing in Dumpstaphunk, she started her own side project, The Nth Power, which originally featured New Orleans’ Nigel Hall.

COMEDIAN AND VOICE OF MANY OF “THE SIMPSONS” CHARACTERS

Harry Shearer and singer Judith Owen welcome musical guests and entertainers for their annual holiday sing-along and fundraiser. Performers include Bryan Batt, Tonya Boyd-Cannon, Helen Gillet, Phil DeGruy, Solid Harmony, Jamison Ross and more. Proceeds benefit Le Petit Theatre, The Innocence Project New Orleans and the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic and Assistance Foundation.

The events start at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 21, and Wednesday, Dec. 22. Find tickets and information at christmaswithouttears.com.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NIKKI GL ASPIE

Nikki Glaspie performs at Toulouse Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 25.

“People know me from playing with Beyonce and playing with the Nevilles in Dumpstaphunk,” she says. “I am put in this category of R&B/funk drummer, but I am really a rocker.”

Over the years, The Nth Power solidified into a trio, including guitarist Nick Cassarino and bassist Nate Edgar. Glaspie had played in a rock back with Edgar while in Boston.

In September, The Nth Power released “Reverence,” its first studio album in six years. It blends in R&B and funk but is powered by a contemporary soul sound. The group toured in support of the album, but had to stick to areas where Covid restrictions allowed clubs or outdoor venues to open.

Glaspie expects the band to tour more heavily in 2022.

But the disruption of Covid also allowed her to work on other projects. In November 2019, Glaspie formed the funk band Kamani. She reunited with guitarist Kat Dyson, a member of Beyonce’s band who also backed Prince. Later the group added drummer Robert “Sput” Searight, a Grammy-winning gospel artist. With the two prominent drummers, they sometimes switch off to other instruments.

Searight plays keyboards, and Glaspie also plays guitar. In recent weeks, the band played several shows in Colorado.

Punkadelick is another band with two prominent percussionists. It’s the project of Dillon, a vibraphonist who Glaspie met at Jazz Fest a decade ago. Dillon sometimes gets behind the drum kit while Glaspie plays guitar. The band is rounded out by jazz-based keyboardist Haas, who also performs with Dillon in Nolatet. Dillon released three albums this year, and much of that music is material for Punkadelick.

“It just happens that Brian and I are the perfect people to play this music with,” Glaspie says. “He didn’t know he was writing music for this band, but now we’re bringing it to life.”

Glaspie also is in another band with Haas. They’re in New Orleans cellist Helen Gillet’s Tephra Sound.

Tephra is a substance created during volcanic eruptions. The band is an experimental project working off a groove while contrasting styles, and musicians come from diverse musical backgrounds.

Glaspie says the group has plans to release new music soon.

“It’s been amazing this year,” Glaspie says. “This year wouldn’t have happened if Covid didn’t exist. I am doing really cool things with people l have always wanted to play with, but never had the opportunity. With things not being regular, I have been able to tour around with Mike D and Sput.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY GREG SHAPELL

Kitten N’ Lou’s Living Nativity

LAST YEAR, WHEN THE PANDEMIC PREVENTED CAMPY BURLESQUE COUPLE KITTEN N’ LOU FROM HOSTING THEIR POPULAR ANNUAL HOLIDAY SHOW IN SEATTLE, the two

performers conjured some safe holiday merriment in their Bywater backyard. The duo invited other New Orleans drag, burlesque and cabaret performers and staged a queer, comedic Living Nativity.

It was a hit, and Kitten N’ Lou are back for another run of backyard Baby Jezus story time. Along with Kitten N’ Lou as Mr. and Mrs. Claus, the cast features Jeez Loueez, Lola van Ella, Woody Shticks, Laveau Contraire and more. The Living Nativity runs Wednesday, Dec. 22, PAGE 33

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OPENING GAMBIT NEW ORLEANS NEWS + VIEWS

Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas From the Gambit Weekly Staff!

#

T H U M B S U P/ THUMBS DOWN

0

Tulane’s Women’s Prison Project,

THE NUMBER OF TIMES ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF LANDRY HAS SUCCEEDED IN UNDERMINING GOV. JOHN BEL EDWARDS’ ABILITY TO ISSUE COVID-19 MANDATES.

in just its first 20 months, has helped free six women who were unjustly serving or facing life sentences without parole.

In separate cases spanning years, all six women had been convicted or were charged with using deadly force to defend themselves against intimate partner violence or sexual assault, the WPP says. The project is a collaboration between Tulane’s Domestic Violence and Criminal Justice Clinics.

The latest suit was filed Dec. 15 against Edwards’ new vaccine mandate in schools, which was opposed by GOP lawmakers. The policy adds Covid to the list of viruses like mumps, rubella and polio students are required to be vaccinated against to attend school during the 2022-2023 school year.

Anti-vax parents can opt out of vaccinating their children simply by signing a waiver.

P H O T O B Y B R E T T D U K E / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

New Orleans Council member Joseph Giarrusso.

Gov. John Bel Edwards will push ahead with adding the COVID19 vaccine to the Louisiana Department of Health’s list of shots that students are required to have before attending school. The rule will go into effect with the 2022-23 school year and will only apply to the groups already approved by the FDA to receive the vaccine. As with the other vaccines on the list, parents will have the ability to opt out for medical, religious or philosophical reasons.

Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin

invited a contributor to Donald Trump’s efforts to subvert the 2020 election to speak to a Louisiana election commission hearing last week. In January, Phil Waldron contributed to and helped circulate to Republican lawmakers a PowerPoint presentation outlining a plan for Trump to overturn the election, which Trump clearly lost.

THE COUNT

Councilmember says city tried to undermine Council’s authority CITY COUNCILMEMBER JOE GIARRUSSO SAYS CANTRELL ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS are attempting an end

run around the council on parts of a plan to curb a developer land-grab, warning the effort represents a potentially dangerous expansion of executive power and further erosion of the balance of power in city government.

“I don’t think we should have any rogue city department or agency that says, ‘we’ve made a unilateral decision not to abide

by Council action,’” Giarrusso told Gambit Tuesday.

At issue is the so-called “doubles to dorms” phenomenon: the mass conversion of historic residential homes into mini student dormitories, which has led to skyrocketing rent and residents being pushed out of neighborhoods.

The City Planning Commission and Council have been at odds over parts of the plan, the parking overlay — which the council fully supports — and the fight boiled over into public during a city council hearing Monday.

CPC Executive Director Bob Rivers told the council his department was substituting the council’s parking overlay with the CPC’s preferred plan, which gets rid of it.

“You are saying to me that we are going to substitute, now, for elected officials, nonelected officials’ opinions,” said Giarrusso in a terse exchange.

Giarrusso also called it an attempt to undermine more than a year’s worth of work with neighborhood associations, public input and stakeholders, and pressed Rivers on whether “anyone from City Planning informed the city planning commissioners that the parking overlay had been passed 7-0.”

Despite Giarrusso’s frustration, Rivers argued that “we felt in our professional opinion, in the interest of supporting and facilitating and creating more opportunities for affordable units, it was appropriate PAGE 7

C’EST W H AT

?

What should New Orleans ask Santa for this year?

8.6%

34.4%

A DAY WITHOUT JEFF LANDRY

NEW TIRES FOR EVERY CAR

45.2%

FOR RECYCLING TO COME BACK

7.5%

A CHRISTMAS EVE VISIT FROM ST. FREEDIA

4.3% A HUGE,

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Vote on “C’est What?” at www.bestofneworleans.com

PAGE 6

to put in the staff report. The commission felt the same so they approved it.”

The motion passed requires one off-street parking space for each newly created bedroom in the areas close to the Uptown universities ,and it applies specifically to new homes or renovations with more than four bedrooms and twoand-a-half bathrooms per unit.

Each space must be permeable to reduce stormwater run-off.

It also features carve-outs for homestead exemptions and affordable housing projects and only applies to residential districts.

It appears CPC has since backed down: City Council will vote tomorrow on recommendations for zoning for four-plexes in the area which now honor the provisions laid out in the Oct. 6 plan voted on by the council.

Nevertheless, Giarrusso warned the fact that CPC attempted to overrule the council represents a dangerous mindset within the executive branch. Tension between the executive and legislative

branches of city government isn’t new. While the city charter gives the executive branch significant powers, for decades mayors and councils have battled for more authority and control.

But in recent years, mayors have had a decidedly stronger hand, one which Mayor LaToya Cantrell has used in a variety of areas.

As a result, even the appearance of an effort to further expand that power can set off alarm bells for councilmembers, as happened this week.

“They don’t have that veto power. Only the mayor has the veto power and she didn’t exercise it,” Giarrusso said.

— SARAH RAVITS

New Orleans proof of vaccination rules now includes children 5 and older MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL DEC. 16 ANNOUNCED AN EXPANSION of the

citywide COVID-19 proof of vaccination rule to include children, 5 and up. The new rule will go into effect Jan. 3.

Children will be required to show proof that they’ve received at least one dose of the vaccine — or show a recent negative test results — in order to enter restaurants and other venues. By February, two doses will be required.

The decision comes amid explosive case growth of the new omicron variant in the region, which public health officials say will likely be the dominant variant by New Year’s.

Cantrell is also considering reinstating an indoor mask mandate, but will likely not make that decision until after the New Year.

It would tie in with the beginning of Carnival season, when hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to arrive and parades are expected to roll.

City health director Dr. Jennifer Avegno likened preparation for the new variant to a looming storm in the Gulf and is also calling for people to get booster shots — and as soon as possible.

“Just as you gather food and batteries and emergency supplies

when you see a storm in the Caribbean, you should boost now.

Omicron has entered the Gulf, so to speak,” Avegno said.

Much remains to be known about the new variant, which was first identified in South Africa last month.

The double vaccinations are not as effective in preventing new infections from the omicron variant, though preliminary data indicates three shots are more effective and remain the best mode of protection.

Avegno also cautioned that “natural immunity” among the unvaccinated who have been previously infected was not reliable against the new variant.

Cases internationally and locally appear to double every two days, she said.

“That’s exponential rate of growth that surpasses even the delta variant,” said Avegno. “We expect infections to continue to rise ... If they are mild and our hospital capacity may be preserved, that’s really the best-case scenario.” — SARAH RAVITS

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OPENING GAMBIT

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@GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com

delicate

jewels

for your holiday

Hey Blake,

My parents used to talk about going on dates at the Swan Room in the Hotel Monteleone. Where was it located in the hotel and when was its heyday?

Dear reader,

WHILE THE CAROUSEL BAR AND LOUNGE IS STILL SPINNING at the Hotel

Monteleone in the French Quarter, the Swan Room is definitely a name from the past. It was adjacent to the Carousel Bar and its accompanying lounge, in the space which is now the hotel restaurant Criollo.

The club opened in the 1930s.

According to a 1938 newspaper description, it featured handsome leather furnishings and “mirrors adding to the feeling of space and roominess.” Well-known sculptor Enrique Alferez was hired to create a piece for the room, which became a focal point. It was a statue of “Leda with the Swan,” inspired by Antonio Allegri’s painting. According to a history of the hotel, the sculpture was placed behind the stage, creating a backdrop for the musical acts who would perform there.

Much like The Blue Room at the Roosevelt Hotel, the Swan Room became a swank supper club and a place to see and be seen. Among the celebrities who performed

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

In the 1930s, the Hotel Monteleone opened the Swan Room, a place to see and be seen. on the Swan Room’s stage were comic and TV star Andy Griffith, piano great Liberace, singer Nelson Eddy, comedian George Gobel and actress and New Orleans native Dorothy Lamour.

The Swan Room closed in 1967 and the name and concept were changed several times in the decades that followed. In the 1970s it was Steaks Unlimited, which featured prime steaks, seafood and wild game. Duck decoys and mounted birds on loan from the personal collection of hotel owner Billy Monteleone were part of the decor.

Later incarnations of the room included Le Chasseur, The Men’s Grill, The Hunt Room and Hunt Room Grill. Following a 2012 renovation, the restaurant reopened as Criollo.

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shop @gaetanasnola

BL AKEVIE W TUJAGUE’S, ONE OF THE FRENCH QUARTER’S ICONIC RESTAURANTS, is celebrating its 165th anniversary this year. As the second-oldest restaurant in New Orleans (only Antoine’s is older) and the third-oldest continuously operating restaurant in the country, Tujague’s rightfully holds a place in culinary history.

According to Poppy Tooker, who wrote a cookbook about the restaurant, Guillaume and Marie Abadie Tujague established the restaurant in 1856. The restaurant, then located at 811 Decatur St., changed hands over the years, with various family members later taking the helm. In 1914, Guillaume’s sister Alice and her husband Emile Anouilh moved the restaurant to 823 Decatur. Later, members of the Guichet and Castet families purchased the restaurant and ran it for decades.

The restaurant became well-known for its brand of French Creole cooking, including brunch, which it claims to have popularized by catering to the early morning schedules of workers at the nearby French Market.

Other favorite dishes on its five-course table d’hôte menu included the shrimp remoulade, boiled beef brisket and Chicken Bonne Femme.

Tujague’s bar is also known for the signature cocktails it introduced, including the Grasshopper and Whiskey Punch.

In 1982, the Guichets sold the business to brothers Steven and Stanford Latter. When Steven Latter died in 2013, his son Mark and his wife Candace took over ownership.

Late last year, the restaurant moved to 429 Decatur St. Throughout the month of December, Tujague’s is offering food and drink specials to celebrate its anniversary. For more information, visit tujaguesrestaurant.com.

STOCKING STUFFERS DIAMOND EARRINGS $295 RUBY AND DIAMONDS $375 WHITE SAPPHIRE AND DIAMONDS $375 SAPPHIRE AND DIAMONDS $375 DIAMOND “X” EARRINGS $225

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@clancygambit

Da Winnas & Da Loozas of the 2021 elections THE2021ELECTIONS BROUGHTA WATERSHEDMOMENT — and some harsh reali-

ties — to New Orleans politics. Mayor LaToya Cantrell won re-election easily, only to lose her City Council allies. Progressives scored big wins, while some major statewide players lost big-time in the Crescent City.

Now that the votes have been tallied, it’s time to survey the field of battle and count the victors and the vanquished. Herewith my recap of Da Winnas and Da Loozas, starting with …

DA WINNAS

PROGRESSIVES — In recent years, progressives have redefined the local political landscape. They helped elect Cantrell four years ago, then put Jason Williams in the DA’s office last year (as well as a few folks on the Criminal Court bench). This year they pulled off a major upset by helping former Independent Police Monitor Susan Hutson defeat 17-year incumbent Sheriff Marlin Gusman. They also nearly elected newcomer Troy Glover in Council District D (he lost by a scant 60 votes). It took more than $1 million in “outside” political action committee money to put Hutson over the top — the same formula that worked for DA Williams last year. Now that they control key levers in the criminal justice system, can they deliver on their promises?

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Ana Carter stands next to her husband Troy Carter after he wins in the 2nd Congressional District Run-Off against Karen Carter Peterson in New Orleans, Saturday, April 24, 2021.

TEAM TROY CARTER — Carter is the bell cow of an unnamed political herd that includes attorney Ike Spears and bondsman Blair Boutte. They supported winners in some key races this year: new state Rep. Delisha Boyd in Algiers; new

District C Councilman Freddie King III; and new Criminal Court Clerk Darren Lombard. Spears and Boutte were the local guys behind former Congressman Cedric Richmond; now they fill the same role for Carter.

DA JASON WILLIAMS — The DA was the main backer of new District B Councilmember Lesli Harris in her win over incumbent Jay Banks, and Williams’ endorsement of Hutson in the sheriff’s race gave her a huge boost. He also helped make Glover a near-winner in Council District D. Williams and Carter are the new kingpins of city politics, which is not good news for Mayor Cantrell, whose coattails got trimmed big time this year.

HELENA MORENO — The council president’s already strong hand at City Hall just got stronger. She endorsed Lesli Harris and Oliver Thomas against two of her current colleagues (Banks and current District E Councilmember Cyndi Nguyen), and she supported longtime ally JP Morrell in his primary win in the other at-large council race (against incumbent Council members Kristin Gisleson Palmer and Jared Brossett). Moreno clearly wants to be mayor four years from now.

Meanwhile, she will play a big role in council efforts to stand up to Cantrell.

LIBRARY SUPPORTERS — Voters gave 70% approval to renewing the library’s property-tax millage for another 20 years. That, one year after Cantrell tried to cut library funding.

LOCAL & MISSISSIPPI CASINOS — St. Tammany voters overwhelmingly rejected the proposed Slidell casino. Mississippi Coast casinos spent heavily against the proposition. Which brings us to …

DA LOOZAS

BOLD — For the first time in more than 40 years, the Central Citybased Black Organization for Leadership Development has no seat on the City Council. Jay Banks’ loss to Lesli Harris caps a bad year for the organization. State Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, a leader in the group founded by her late father, lost the special election for Congress last spring after managing Keva Landrum’s losing campaign in the DA’s race last December. In another setback, First City Court

P H O T O B Y D AV I D G R U N F E L D / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Susan Hutson thanks supporters after beating incumbent Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman Saturday night. New Orleans DA Jason Williams, right, supported Hutson in the race.

Austin Badon (a BOLD ally) lost the race for Criminal District Court clerk to Darren Lombard, an ally of Team Troy Carter.

INCUMBENTS — Change was in the air this election season. The biggest incumbent to fall was Marlin Gusman in the sheriff’s race. Four current City Council members also fell: Palmer and Brossett against former state Sen. JP Morrell in the at-large Division 2 race; Banks in District B; and District E incumbent

FILE PHOTOS

Incumbent Cyndi Nguyen, left, lost to Oliver Thomas in the Dec. 11 runoff for the City Council District E seat.

Cyndi Nguyen against former Councilman Oliver Thomas, who capped a long redemption story after going to federal prison for bribery more than a decade ago.

MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL — Yeah, I know, she won re-election with 65% of the vote, but that was against a large field of unknowns who spent almost nothing in a primary that generated a paltry 28.2% turnout. The bigger story is Cantrell losing all her council allies, particularly Jay Banks. Cantrell went all-out for Banks in the runoff, and his 57-43 loss on Dec. 11 speaks

volumes about Heronner’s coattails in the district that launched her own political career. If you think we’re in a “malaise” after Hurricane Ida, just wait till Hurricane Teedy tangles with a newly independent City Council. In fairness, Cantrell helped defeat Amendment 1 (the proposed overhaul of sales tax reporting and collections) on Nov. 13, but Lege leaders will no doubt make the city pay dearly for that — which will only add to the mayor’s challenges in the next four years.

PENINSULA PACIFIC ENTERTAINMENT — P2E spent millions and even served up Cajun Chef John Folse and Saints icon Drew Brees in its failed effort (63% voted against) to convince St. Tammany voters to approve the proposed Camellia Bay Casino and Resort in Slidell.

HOUSING ADVOCATES — The proposed renewal of a property tax for the Neighborhood Housing Improvement Fund narrowly lost on Dec. 11. The good news is housing initiatives still have lots of public support. The new council needs to propose a specific, long-range plan for addressing housing issues — sooner rather than later.

And, lest we forget … The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry lost in the Nov. 13 primary when voters rejected Amendment 1, the proposed sales tax overhaul, by a 52-48 margin.

Also in the primary, U.S. Sen. John Neely Kennedy and state AG Jeff Landry (both right-wing Republicans) tried to tip the balance in a Black-majority, solidly Democratic state House district in Algiers. They failed miserably when their candidate, Jordan Bridges, got only 38% of the vote against Delisha Boyd, who won with 62% — and the help of Team Troy Carter.

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Fiction

A CHRISTMAS INVASION INVASIO TALE

BY

BRITTANY N. WILLIAMS

D

EJA NEVER APP PRECIATED the luxurious bliiss of a child-free Christmas Eve until after she’d had her two little cru umb snatchers. The joy off no real responsibilities ffor the holiday — no wo ork, no one to entertain, no one to keep alive and d safe besides herself — was usually a thing o of the past.

But tonight, she’d g gotten a gift. Big Tré — her e ex — had volunteered to handle the Eve this year. That meantt instead of staying up all night building new play sets and pu utting batteries in toys, Deja a could actually go out and h have some grown-up fun. Sure, sshe’d get Little Tré and Brielle back tomorrow all hopped up on sugar from eating Big Tré’s Special Christmas Cookies but not even the thought of the twins bouncing off the walls could sour tthe break she had now.

The only person Deja had to worry about tonight was herself.

Talk about a Holly, Jolly Christmas.

She’d met Kiki on Frenchmen, and they’d bar-hopped a and danced until they bo oth sweated through the eir festive club fits. Thre ee o’clock in the mornin ng found them pleasantly tly buzzed with tired muscles and aching feet, and heading back to Deja’s car.

“I’ll never understand how you always manage to get me caught up in The Quarter.”

Deja rolled her eyes at her best friend but didn’t respond. How could she when Kiki was right?

Deja constantly constructed new excuses to drag them through the French Quarter because as much as she hated the crowded crush of tourists looking to overindulge

I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y T Y L A M A I D E N

and locals obligated to cater to them, something in the oldest part of the city still fascinated her. Definitely not Bourbon or Decatur or even the galleries and jewelers on Royal. But something in the quiet streets past the Ursuline Convent where residents kept out the chaos with fastidiously closed shutters, refusing to treat the world-famous neighborhood as anything but the place they called home.

There the quiet felt novel. You could walk undisturbed all the way to the dark tress on Esplanade.

And tonight, with all of it draped with ribbons, wreaths, garlands and twinkling lights for Christmas, that ephemeral magic felt even more potent.

Deja hated how much she loved it even if she avoided a certain intersection where she’d had to toss a demonic ring down a storm drain.

But she wasn’t confessing all that …

“Parking’s easier this way,” she said breezily.

Kiki scrunched up her nose but left the lie alone.

Deja grinned and bumped her friend’s shoulder. They both laughed.

“Shit!” Someone hissed.

“Shitshitshitshit.”

They froze and locked eyes in the dim light of the quiet street, a nearby drape of blinking icicle lights dancing shadows across their faces.

A thin form barreled down the sidewalk at them, stumbling and cursing, a bright purple bag swinging from his clenched hands. The man’s foot caught on a split in the sidewalk — some long-delayed municipal repair left to decompose from a crack into a deep gouge in the concrete — and barreled directly into Deja.

“Move,” he said, voice cracking as he spit out the word.

Deja glimpsed frightened gray eyes in a pale face obscured from nose to chin by a black mask entirely too hot for New Orleans weather before he shoved her away.

She stumbled back, tripping off the curb and into the street. She heard Kiki curse at the guy as he struggled to rebalance himself and sprinted away.

“Sir, are you serious? It’s Christmas,” Kiki grumbled. “People really wylin’ out here. You good?”

Deja nodded as she stepped back onto the sidewalk, a lone car

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honking impatiently as she moved.

No doubt some poor woman would be along shortly crying for her purse and, honestly, Deja preferred not to get involved.

Sorry to that woman’s Christmas, but she needed sleep.

“Let’s get to the car. I don’t want to be out here if they’re snatching purses.” She grabbed Kiki’s arm then froze, a chill running up her spine.

A pair of legs splayed out across the concrete, the body they were attached to collapsed alongside some stairs. The woman was so still Deja couldn’t be sure if she was alive or dead. A slash cut across her blouse, a dark liquid leaking out of the exposed wound on her stomach. It didn’t look like she was breathing.

“Call 911,” Deja hissed as she dropped down beside the woman and pressed her hands against the bloody gash.

Click.

Something angular shifted beneath the woman’s skin, lifting Deja’s hands as it moved.

Hiss.

The color of the woman’s shirt flickered suddenly like a fritzing hologram, then disappeared as her entire chest lifted and just slid to the left. A light clicked on in the small compartment where her internal organs should be, revealing a tiny creature in an equally tiny jump seat. It looked to be a miniature version of the woman, only slightly stranger.

Long brownish-blondish hair hung down over its shoulders in loose waves framing a pale, noseless gray face with huge dark eyes.

It looked like one of those big-headed figurines Little Tré loved collecting so much but designed to resemble some social media influencer or a diet Kardashian. And was it wearing an itty-bitty Santa hat?

Deja heard Kiki start cussing behind her.

A display popped up in front of the thing’s face. “Darn, I think he severed some of the functionary tubing.” It looked up at Deja with luminous, completely black eyes that engulfed most of its face.

“You, Kalorian, what color is that liquid on your hands? Is it green or blue?”

Deja blinked at it before glancing at her hands. Illuminated by the bright light shining out of the woman’s chest cavity, Deja saw navy ichor covered her palms instead of the red she expected to see.

Kiki cursed harder.

“Uh —” Deja felt her heart racing in her chest. “It — it’s blue.”

The creature perked up. “Blue?

Wonderful, that other Kalorian hit

something non-essential then.” It adjusted its red and white hat and poked at something within its console in the woman’s chest.

Deja turned to Kiki who’d hung up her phone at some point and just held it pressed against her mouth in total shock. Their eyes met as a frenzy of emotions passed between them.

“You can remove your appendages now, Kalorian,” the creature said. “I staunched the flow of liquid.”

A light clicked on in the small compartment where her internal organs should be, revealing a tiny creature in an equally tiny jump seat.

Deja jumped up, ripping her hands away from the body. The wound she’d covered zipped itself shut and the regular-sized body sat up.

Kiki started swearing again.

The chest cavity swung closed and the body’s eyes blinked open to reveal ordinary brown irises with a black pupil in the center and surrounded by white.

“Everything’s back in working order,” the woman’s mouth said.

“Now where’s my bag?”

Deja felt she should be cursing at this point too because what was even happening?

Kiki tugged at her arm, stretching her red and green duster.

“Chile, let’s go.”

Deja looked at her blue-covered hands again, then jerked her head in the direction of the car. “Yeah.

Yeah. This is enough weird mess for the night.” She was pretty sure she could clean herself up with the emergency stack of napkins in her center console and the five half-empty water bottles Tré and Brielle left scattered across the floor in the back of her car.

“Oh dear,” the woman said.

Deja knew she should ignore that and keep it moving.

“Oh no.”

It wasn’t even Christmas Eve anymore. Christmas Day had started three hours ago.

“Where is it? Oh no.”

THE Holidaymaker

15

The kids would be back home at noon and she still hadn’t gotten any sleep. Getting tangled up in this — whatever this turned out to be — was foolish. Homegirl’s chest had opened like some suicide doors while she bled blue … something.

Yeah, they needed to call it a night. The car was only three blocks away.

Deja turned back because she was a damn fool who couldn’t mind her own business. “Yo, you good?”

“I am, in fact, very bad.” The woman-suit looked up, fake human eyes wide. “I think the Kalorian who stabbed me has my bag.”

“Yeah, ‘cause he robbed you,” Deja said. “Go ‘head and find a cop.” — Did this … person … even know what that was? — “And file a report. They not gonna do anything but it’s your only option besides chasing the dude down yourself.”

The woman-suit grabbed Deja’s hand. “Yes, let’s go find him. I can trace my bag with this.” She flashed the watch on her wrist.

“Look,” Kiki shoved her way between them. “Whoever or whatever you are, we ain’t in this.

I’m sorry somebody robbed you, but you’re gonna have to handle this on your own.” She locked eyes with Deja. “D, let’s go home.”

Her gaze was hard but Deja had known Kiki her whole life, could read the other woman like an open book. Kiki — who’d helped her face down a malevolent ghost and had a whole album full of selfies at the top of an abandoned rollercoaster — was terrified.

And Deja didn’t fault her one bit.

“She’s right. If you head towards Jackson Square, I’m sure you’ll find a cop to help you out.”

The woman-suit’s grip tightened. “You don’t understand.

My transmitter is in that bag and if I’m not with it when the travel agency pings in one local hour, they’re going to send their security strike team to find me.”

“Okay,” Deja said, “sounds like you’re set then. Just wait for … your ride … to pick you up.”

The woman-suit frowned. “You don’t understand. They have permission to raze this planet in their search if the transmitter doesn’t return me to the Arrivals office at the appointed time.”

“Raze the planet?” Deja near yelled.

“All the more reason to get with the police,” Kiki said through gritted teeth, “instead of two randoms on the street.”

“And these police will help me retrieve it quickly?”

Deja’s heart sank as she met Kiki’s eyes again. One hour or they’d all get planetary destruction as the world’s worst stocking stuffer.

Damnit.

“So,” Deja said, steeling herself for more weirdness and another Christmas overnight with no sleep. “Which way is your tracker telling you this guy went?”

“What should we call you?”

Deja asked.

She and Kiki followed behind the real, extraterrestrial being riding a human robot whose eyes stared at the tech wrapped around a synthetic wrist. It looked like a regular smartwatch from afar, but after seeing it activated, Deja knew it could never be manufactured here.

“My true name is unpronounceable with your physiology but the name I chose for this excursion is Carol, Carol O’Thebells.

And you are?”

“I’m Deja and this is Kiki.”

“Carol O’Thebells?” Kiki scrunched her face up. “Ain’t no

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Relief shot through Deja at the sight of the blade. A knife was dangerous but at least it wasn’t a gun. … never mind. Why are you here, Carol O’Thebells?”

“I’m here on vacation.” Carol glanced up for a moment, then quickened her step. “There’s an agency that offers luxury trips to dangerous places, kind of like survivalist trips. They’re extremely expensive.”

Kiki snorted. “Of course you are, Carol O’Thebells.”

“You don’t have to say the full thing every time,” Carol said.

“Oh, but I do, Carol O’Thebells, I really do.”

The name really was absurd but tourists gonna tourist even if from another planet.

What a mess.

The trio crossed Barracks Street and kept straight on Royal. Deja paused as they approached that spot that still sent chills up her spine. She caught Kiki’s eye over Carol’s head, and the two of them wordlessly guided the alien woman to the right.

Deja and Kiki both would rather brave Bourbon Street that get within spitting distance of Lalaurie Mansion again. Or ever.

Carol looked up, startled.

“Where are we going? The signal was —” “Don’t worry, Carol O’Thebells,” Kiki said, “it’s a shortcut.”

“Ah, yes. Exactly why I need you two Kalorians,” Carol said grinning.

The sounds of unceasing revelry grew louder as they trooped down Bourbon. Folks in their Christmas skimpiest — including a man wearing only a Santa Claus apron — stumbled along having sped well past three sheets to the wind at least four drinks ago. Holiday songs blended with bounce beats blared out from bars and clashed in a cacophony on the street. Deja maneuvered Carol around murky puddles that littered the road even though it hadn’t rained in two weeks.

“Why do you keep calling us that?” Kiki said. “It’s not some kinda slur, is it?”

Carol pulled a face. “Not inherently. It just means someone from Kalor, which is what we call this place on my planet. But, colloquially, it’s become our slang for a very unsafe place or unsavory person.”

“Hold up. Y’all use your name for New Orleans to call a place a dump?” Deja was tempted to accidentally on purpose let Carol step in the next scum puddle they encountered.

“Oh, not this place specifically.

Kalor is the name for your entire planet.” Carol shook her head.

“And honestly, can you blame us?

This place is so backwards and upsetting. You murder each other so frequently.”

Well, they couldn’t really argue with that description ...

“I must tell my friends that I got mugged by an actual Kalorian!

They’ll be so jealous.”

“I mean, with that stab wound,” Kiki said, “he clearly tried to murder you, too.”

Carol gasped happily. “You’re right! The full authentic Kalorian experience. I’ll have to give the agency a glowing review.”

“Can you worry about that after you find your transmitter thing?”

Deja rolled her eyes.

“Oh!” Carol perked up suddenly.

“It’s in there.”

The trio slipped into a random gift shop, Carol stopping to admire the tutu-wearing mannequins just outside the door.

Kiki grabbed Carol’s arm — the one not wearing the watch tracker.

“Do we have time for this?”

Carol glanced at the tracker and pulled a face. “Let’s go.”

Kiki’s glare could’ve incinerated Carol on the spot. Sadly, she was ordinarily human.

Inside the store, a slim man with lanky dirty blonde hair leaned across the counter examining something, with the shorter, balding man behind it in a shirt with a leg lamp and “You’ll shoot your eye out” across it. The edge of a purple bag peeked out from the space between them.

“There’s my bag!” Carol said.

“Found it with seven minutes to spare.”

Both men turned.

“Did y’all follow me?” The blonde jerked upright, hand going immediately for his pocket.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Kiki shouted.

“Hold up!” Deja said. “She just needs her stuff.”

Getting shot in a tourist trap shop in the wee hours of Christmas would be a hell of a way to go.

“Shouldn’t be following strangers,” the man said pulling his knife.

“It’s not healthy.”

Relief shot through Deja at the

THE Holidaymaker somebody put a root on you.

But THIS is totally outside of my experience.”

Deja turned to Carol. “Say something! They’re here for you.”

“You just expect me to just —” Carol frowned. “They’re terrifying.”

Deja felt her entire body go hot with rage. “You wanted a dangerous vacation. Well, you got it.”

She grabbed the front of Carol’s shirt, saw Kiki pick up the plan immediately and grab Carol’s other side. Together, they hauled the alien tourist up and in front of what had to be the security detail.

Carol let out a squeak as nine eyes locked on them. Deja did her best to ignore everything in her body screaming at her to run.

“Say something to them,” she hissed.

Carol coughed then spoke in those same monotone whines.

The lead creature’s eyes narrowed before it clicked something on its visor. A bright chime clanged out the opening notes of “Deck the Halls,” and the leader nodded before lowering its gun. It beckoned Carol over.

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“Oh good, they confirmed my guest identification through my synthetic body.” Carol’s posture relaxed. “I was hoping they could.”

“Hoping?” Kiki dropped Carol’s arm, her face going dark. “You were hoping?”

Deja nudged Carol forward.

“You better go before Kiki decides fighting you is worth the risk.”

Carol looked shocked then smiled. “Thank you both for —” Deja shook her head. “Just go.

I’m serious.”

Something in Kiki’s face sent Carol scampering over to the security detail. The leader pressed something else on its visor.

“Kalorians,” it said in deep, flat English, “vacate the premises as we prepare to erase our presence.”

“You ain’t gotta tell us twice.”

Kiki jerked Deja out of the store. “See, this is why I hate coming down here with you. It’s always something.”

Deja sighed. “Well, at least it was a Christmas for the books.”

“Girl —” Kiki glared. “Home. Just take me the hell home.”

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Apply at: http://www.theadvocate.com/careers

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sight of the blade. A knife was dangerous but at least it wasn’t a gun.

Carol pushed her way forward.

“We don’t have time for this. Just give me my bag back.”

“Make me,” the man said. He lifted his chin cockily but Deja could see his hand shaking.

A sudden screeching beep echoed throughout the shop.

“Yo, Kev,” the man behind the counter said, “what the hell is this?”

He lifted a wand that glowed with pulsing white light. Three bright chimes sounded, seeming to come from all around them.

“This concludes your Uncharted Planet Excursion: Kalorian Christmas Menace. We hope you enjoyed your time in the untamed wilds and welcome you back to civilization.”

And then they were gone — the man, wand, light, and noise.

“Steve!” the blonde yelled rushing to the counter. “Steve, where’d you go, man?”

“Oh no …” Carol said.

Deja looked at her. “What do you mean ‘Oh no?’ Was that your ride out of here?”

Carol squirmed uncomfortably.

The blonde whirled on them brandishing his knife. “What the hell just happened to Steve?”

BOOM! The ceiling imploded, raining dust, debris and overpriced merchandise all over them.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Three creatures dropped to the floor, tall enough for their large, slim heads to brush the ceiling.

The one in front had some kind of visor over his three eyes and held some kind of massive gun in both clawed hands. All three were decked out in green suits with scalloped red collars, cuffs and boots.

“What’d you do with Steve?” the blonde yelled. He ran at the creatures with his knife raised. A single shot blew a perfectly circular hole in his chest. The man swayed on his feet for a moment before his body dropped.

The lead creature lowered its smoking gun and said something to the others in a series of monotone whines.

Deja felt someone yank her to the floor and found herself crouched behind a shelf with Kiki and Carol. “Are they dressed like Santa’s elves?”

Carol shrugged. “It fits the theme. The agency is very good about providing an immersive —” “What are we gonna do?” Deja hissed to Kiki.

Kiki shook her head. “I’ll be honest. I can handle ghosts, somebody who’s possessed or even if

17

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Gifting Local

Mosquito Supper Club Cajun Recipes from a Disappearing Bayou,

by Melissa M. Martin. $35 from Alice & Amelia (4432 Magazine St., 504-502-6206; shopaliceandamelia.com).

GAMBIT STAFF PHOTO

This holiday season spend your money where your home is.

Gift Cards from Saintly Skin

(3000 Kingman St. #101, Metairie, 504-475-5510; saintlyskin.com).

Can be used for products and services.

Gift Cards from Joey K’s

(3001 Magazine St., 504-891-0997; Joeyksrestaurant.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SAINTLY SKIN

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOEY K’S

Wooden Biker Santa $100 from Judy at the Rink (2727 Prytania St., 504-891-7018; judyattherink.com) GAMBIT STAFF PHOTO

Ornament Plate

$45 for a set of four from Judy at the Rink.

GAMBIT STAFF PHOTO

(Locations Uptown, Mid-City, Metairie, Elmwood and Covington; theospizza.com).

GAMBIT STAFF PHOTO

19

Fleur de lis Cut Crystal Champagne Flutes

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > D E C E M B E R 2 1 - 27 > 2 02 1

Gift Card from Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza

Set of Two. $110 from Mignon Faget (3801 Magazine St., 504-891-2005; and Lakeside Shopping Center, 3301 Veterans Blvd., 504-835-2244; mignonfaget.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MIGNON FAGET

Merry Christmas Y’all Table Runner

$28.99 from Nola Gifts and Decor (5101 W. Esplanade Ave., Metairie, 504-407-3532; and 3001 Ormond Blvd., Destrehan, 985-603-4011; nolagiftsanddecoronline.com).

Designed by local artist Bridget Prater. Measures 70” long, 14.25” wide.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NOLA GIFTS AND DECOR

KORBEL Champagne

The Official sponsor of Brunch. Find delicious easy-to-make KORBEL mimosas for brunch and holiday happenings. (korbel.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY KORBEL

Crossback Sweater Abbi Custis Cuffs

$188 to $400 from Fisher and Sons Jewelers (5101 W. Esplanade Ave., 504-885-4956; fishersonsjewelers.com).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY FISHER AND SONS JEWELERS

$28 from gae-tana’s (7732 Maple St., 504-865-9625; @gaetanasnola).

Available in shimmering pink or black.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY GAE-TANA’S

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > D E C E M B E R 2 1 - 27 > 2 02 1

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Gifting Local

Voluspa Forbidden Fig Large Jar Candle

$29.99 from Gordon’s (4308 Waverly St., Mettairie, 504-354-2248; gordonshomedecor.com m).

PHOTO PROVIDED BY GORD DON’S

La Florentine Italian Specialty Cake

Andrea’s Gift Cards

Buy $125 and Get $25 from Andrea’s Restaurant (3100 19th St., Metairie, 504-834-8583; andreasrestaurant.com).

GAMBIT STAFF PHOTO

)'

()&% ! #" " $ '(

MJ Arsenal Polar Mini Waterpipe

$99.99 from Ra Shop (locations citywide, rashop.us).

PHOTO PROVIDED

BY RA SHOP

$10.50 from Angelo Brocato (214 N. Carrollton Ave., 504-486-0078; angelobrocatoicecream.com).

A traditional Italian cake baked with Sultana raisins and candied orange peels.

PHOTO PROVIDE BY ANGELO BROCATO

Dr. Robert A. Savoie (third from right) is pictured with his family as the University of New Orleans named its College of Engineering in his honor.

By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com This article is brought to you by the University of New Orleans

The University of New Orleans is poised to bring one of its premier colleges to even greater heights with a new name and generous donation that will mean more resources for students and faculty.

The Dr. Robert A. Savoie College of Engineering has been named in honor of the Louisiana native and longtime businessman who, along with his wife, Lori, donated $5 million to the college.

It is the largest gift to an academic college in the university’s history.

Currently, Savoie is the president and Chief Science and Engineering Officer of Sev1Tech, a leading provider of IT modernization, cybersecurity, cloud services and engineering to government agencies and major commercial organizations. He served as the CEO of Geocent, LLC, a Metairie-based technology and engineering services company until its acquisition by Sev1Tech this year. Previously, he led other companies, including Integrated Resources Group and Science & Engineering Associates.

Savoie said that throughout his career, he has seen the important role that UNO plays in educating and developing new talent in the region.

“We could not have built the companies that we built here without UNO. It’s that simple,” Savoie said.

“We have hired many UNO graduates and many of our employees have gone to UNO to continue their education.

The university has provided us with

subject matter experts, interns and resources. Companies like the ones we have built, that are focused on technology, engineering and science, cannot exist with a strong public university in the community.”

Savoie’s own relationship with UNO deepened when he enrolled in the College of Engineering’s Ph.D. program. In 2009, he earned his Ph.D. in engineering and applied science with a specialization in engineering management and systems engineering.

“It was challenging because I had to learn a lot of things I had forgotten,” Savoie said. “But I got along well with my classmates and I knew most of my professors. I really loved it. When I did that, I fulfilled a promise I had made to myself in 1981 to finish my doctorate. I finally did it at age 51. It was an incredibly rewarding experience.”

Savoie said he is humbled and still stunned that UNO chose to name its College of Engineering in his honor.

“Never in my wildest dreams, growing up on a sugar cane farm, did I ever think I would have a college named after me,” he said. “My first reaction was actually to want to decline because I felt it’s something that happens to people far more accomplished than me. But it’s a tremendous honor because technical education is a great equalizer. It allows us to lift up whole communities. My wife and I embrace the opportunity to have an impact on students, especially those who might not otherwise have access to education that is so important.’

Gary Solomon, a longtime New Orleans businessman and one of Savoie’s close friends, said he has been impressed with how Savoie and his

Dr. Robert A. Savoie with his wife Lori, his daughter Mallory and University of New Orleans President John Nicklow.

team have developed resources and relationships among UNO and local industry leaders.

“With NASA having a facility here and many companies in oil and gas, New Orleans is a very fruitful place to have a college of engineering, and Bobby has done a magnificent job in creating bridges among them,” Solomon said. “He is known as one of the best business leaders in the community and as someone who is very honorable. I know this won’t be a situation where his name will simply go on the college. It’s not just about writing a check for him. He’s going to be very involved and take pride in what is happening at the college.”

UNO President John Nicklow said Savoie and his wife, Lori, have already proven to be staunch supporters of the university and understand how quality education can change the lives of students for the better.

“I think it says a lot about his values and that they align with ours,” Nicklow said. “It’s so meaningful to have people like him and Lori engaged in our university and be a partner in our institution. They are both so accomplished and well-respected in the state and the nation, and we are incredibly grateful to have him continue to come back and support us the way he has.”

Nicklow noted that UNO has New Orleans’ only civil, mechanical and electrical engineering programs.

The college also includes the Boysie Bollinger School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, one of only a few such programs in the country. The Savoies’ gift will help the college continue to grow in both academics and research.

“We want to continue to grow the enrollment and supply the engineering industry with its future workforce,” Nicklow said. “To do that effectively, we need to tear down financial barriers that may prevent students from accessing education. We also want to make some cutting-edge facility enhancements, and this commitment from the Savoies will help us do that. It will provide more access to more facilities for more students.”

Cory Darling, a master’s student in engineering and a graduate teaching assistant, said the news made him excited about the future of the college.

“It’s already a great school with great professors who are passionate about what they do and who care about their students,” Darling said.

“I think that by updating equipment, they can attract more students, which can mean more faculty and classes.

The college is already filled with great people, so anything we can do to add to that is an advantage.”

Darling said having top-tier equipment for students is a major component of an engineering education, since using such equipment properly will be part of their future job duties.

“Getting students used to doing things like materials testing and experimental testing is pretty important,” he said. “I think anyone who is studying engineering will have to use this equipment in some capacity, so being able to work with it beforehand and gain that experience is really valuable.”

For more information on the Dr. Robert A. Savoie College of Engineering, visit https://www.uno.edu/ academics/coe.

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > D E C E M B E R 2 1 - 27 > 2 02 1

Tech leader Dr. Robert ‘Bobby’ Savoie and UNO team up to enhance engineering education

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23

Loving Thai Food Pomelo serves Thai food in Uptown

|

FORK + CENTER

by Beth D’Addono

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

FOOD IS LOVE. JUST ASK CHEF AOM SRISUK , who last month opened her

Thai restaurant Pomelo, a welcoming haven of light and spice that exists because of a love story.

The story starts in 2000, when a romance blossomed in the city of Ayutthaya, once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Thailand.

Frankie Weinberg, an American college student teaching English in Thailand, met Srisuk, who was working at her family’s restaurant. They got to know each other over plates of glass noodles and shrimp, bowls of rice and green curry. They fell in love. But as time went on, the strains of being 9,000 miles apart and the demands of their separate everyday lives took a toll on their romance.

Fast forward 17 years, and Weinberg, then 44 and a professor at Loyola University New Orleans, decided to travel back to Thailand on sabbatical. “I figured, I’d just see if Aom was around, maybe have coffee with her.”

The pair hadn’t spoken since they went their separate ways. But they were both single.

“When I reunited with Frankie, from the first day, I still felt that I knew the same person,” says Srisuk, now 41. “We reconnected fast. I was so young when we first met, going to school, working in my family businesses. I wasn’t ready to get married or come to America.”

Srisuk had spent 17 years cooking in her family restaurants, which included Japanese and Thai cafes in Bangkok. After spending six months together, she was open to coming to New Orleans.

“I felt like I was ready to go forward to the next step of my life,” she says. “I was tired of being by myself in Thailand. It is nice to have someone by your side who loves you.”

She came to New Orleans, extending her love affair to the Big Easy. To her family’s — especially her mother’s — delight, the pair wed in December 2018 and settled in Uptown.

Srisuk started working both in back-of-house and front-of-house jobs at BRG Hospitality restaurants and Saffron NOLA. But her goal

Dook’s Downtown

AS A LONG-IDLED BUILDING COMES BACK TO LIFE IN DOWNTOWN New Orleans,

PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER

always was to open a place of her own. Named for the grapefruit-like citrus native to Southeast Asia, Pomelo is Srisuk’s baby, a place to serve traditional Thai cuisine based on her family recipes and showcase Thai hospitality. It’s an intimate café with a small dining room and a couple of tables outside. Weinberg helped build out the online ordering site and now handles social media and marketing for the business.

Srisuk crafted a menu that includes familiar noodle dishes and curries along with specials that speak more to common Thai street food. A recent special, pok pok noodles, is a dish cooked by traveling vendors who roll into a neighborhood and announce their presence by knocking two big wooden sticks together to attract customers. It features a generous serving of chewy glass noodles with roasted pork shoulder, shrimp, baby bok choy, peanuts and chili.

While her flavors are familiar, there also are ingredients that surprise. Her green curry has a rich coconut broth studded with tender enoki mushrooms and crisp kernels of sweet corn, along with Chinese eggplant and broccoli, all topped with a generous slab of grilled salmon. Krapaw eggplant is stirfried with minced pork, spices, chili,

Pomelo chef and owners Aom Srisuk and Frankie Weinberg. garlic and plenty of slightly sweet Thai basil.

Chicken massaman, a curry popular in southern Thailand, combines chicken thigh with bits of potatoes, onion and peanuts in a broth fragrant with cinnamon, cardamom and a hint of star anise. Laab, a dish that hails from northeast Thailand, near Laos, uses dry-roasted bits of rice for crispy texture in a minced pork salad full of vegetables, spices and herbs. A salad of mango and shrimp is bright with cilantro, onion, lime and mint. Som yam soup delivers the sour and sweet flavor punch that distinguishes so many Thai dishes. The restaurant is BYOB, with no immediate plans to add liquor into the mix.

Srisuk has settled happily into New Orleans life, not bothered a bit by summer heat that is all too familiar to her from Thailand. “It’s different, but I’m happier here with Frankie,” she says.

She’s also enjoying introducing the neighbors to her food.

“For now, I want to bring out the true flavor of our food,” Srisuk says.

“In the future I might do a little bit more modern dishes.”

?

WHAT

Pomelo

WHERE

4113 Magazine St., (504) 442-9570; facebook.com/pomelonola

WHEN

Lunch Fri.-Sun., dinner Wed.-Sun.

HOW

Dine-in, takeout, delivery and limited outdoor seating

CHECK IT OUT

Thai favorites at an intimate cafe in Uptown

it will have a new restaurant from a rising star chef and scion of an influential local hospitality family.

Edgar “Dook” Chase IV, part of the Dooky Chase’s Restaurant family, is working with Tulane University to open the new restaurant on the ground floor of Thirteen15. That’s the apartment building at 1315 Gravier St., which Tulane is redeveloping as a complex of 154 furnished residential units.

The restaurant is slated to open in spring 2022. It has not yet been named, but even as menu development continues Chase says one dish is certain to be in rotation.

“Gumbo for sure,” Chase says.

“Gumbo is part of everything I do.”

The restaurant is aimed at downtown residents and workers and will serve breakfast and lunch, with a mix of grab-and-go items and

P H O T O B Y I A N M C N U LT Y / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Chef Edgar “Dook” Chase IV at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant a dine-in menu. It also will serve weekend brunch with live music.

The restaurant will have a bar, and Chase says an after-work happy hour could be a possibility.

Thirteen15 sits across Duncan Plaza from City Hall. The 12-story building dates to the 1950s and was formerly known as the Warwick Hotel. It has been vacant since Hurricane Katrina.

It is close to Tulane’s downtown campus, and also to the former Charity Hospital, where PAGE 24

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E AT + D R I N K

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FORK & CENTER PAGE 23

OPEN DAILY 7AM-9PM FRI & SAT 10PM

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(504)523-9656  MothersRestaurant.net  401 Poydras St

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BIKES & ACCESSORIES OF

Tulane recently signed a lease to become an anchor tenant for that long-stagnant property’s redevelopment.

Chase is the grandson of the late Leah Chase, known as the queen of Creole cuisine and equally renowned for her role as a community leader. Beginning in the 1940s, she gradually developed the Orleans Avenue restaurant her in-laws started as a bar and po-boy shop into a progressively more upscale destination. Her goal was to turn the family business into the best restaurant available to Black people during segregation.

By the 1950s, with the civil rights movement gaining ground, the restaurant became a meeting place for activists and civic leaders, and the Chase family openly defied Jim Crow laws by serving all customers.

The restaurant continued to evolve into a crossroads of culture and community, and a destination for everyone from weekly regulars to visiting presidents. Today, it is led by the Chase family’s second and third generations in the business, including Edgar Chase IV. Dooky Chase’s Restaurant is home to an extensive collection of paintings and works by Black artists, part of Leah Chase’s legacy of support to the arts and community.

The new restaurant at Thirteen15 will extend that dedication, with art on its walls curated in collaboration with Stella Jones Gallery.

Dook Chase IV also runs a pair of restaurants at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport — the full-service Leah’s Kitchen and the fast-casual spot Dook’s.

He’s also been collaborating with other chefs around New Orleans, including Nina Compton of Compere Lapin and Bywater American Bistro and Meg Bickford of Commander’s Palace. — IAN McNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Ruby in Metairie

FROM ITS START AS A SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD CAFE , the Ruby Slipper

FULL SERVICE SHOP FOR ALL YOUR

HOLIDAY NEEDS

3530 TOULOUSE ST | (504) 488-1946

has grown into a regional brand with all-day brunch menus and eye-opener cocktails at locations in six states.

The company’s next expansion is in Metairie. Work is underway for a new Ruby Slipper at 4236 Veterans Memorial Blvd., near Clearview Mall, taking over a location that was previously a mattress store. It is slated to open in the summer, the company announced in a press release.

This will be the eighth Ruby Slipper in the metro area and the second in Metairie. The company

has more than 20 locations, either as Ruby Slipper or its sister brand, Ruby Sunshine.

The first Ruby Slipper opened in Mid-City in 2008, in the location that’s now home to a different restaurant called Full Blast Brunch.

The Ruby Slipper menu features morning basics and brings a dose of regional flavor through bacon praline pancakes, bananas Foster pain perdu, barbecue shrimp and grits and eggs Benedict dishes done with pork debris, fried chicken and shrimp Creole. The bars at these brunch spots are known for an array of mimosa and bloody Mary variations. — IAN McNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

NOLA Poboys on Frenchmen

THE RESTAURANT AND BAR CALLED 13, a longtime late-night spot for food and drinks on Frenchmen Street, has closed, but its owner has partnered with another local restaurant to expand at its former home.

The Bourbon Street po-boy shop NOLA Poboys has opened a second location at 517 Frenchmen St., called NOLA Poboys & Bar. It has a roster of po-boys, gumbo, crawfish pies and other staples alongside a full bar.

Like 13 before it, NOLA Poboys keeps late hours, serving until 2 a.m.

13 was first opened in 2004 by the family behind the Decatur Street bar Molly’s at the Market.

It served sandwiches, pints and comfort food amid the bustling stretch of music clubs and bars.

One specialty was a dish called tater tachos — potato tots served like nachos with a variety of toppings. NOLA Poboys & Bar plans to add a similar dish to its own menu soon, along with more vegan items.

Earlier in 2020, local restaurant and bar owner Brian Mullin bought 13 from its founders.

By the fall, however, he was looking for ways to ramp up the business and wagered that po-boys would do well on Frenchmen. He partnered with Murray Tate, who started NOLA Poboys on the (relatively) quieter end of Bourbon Street in 2013.

Mullin runs the Little Easy, a tavern at 634 Julia St., in the former home of La Casita. He also took over the longtime home of Johnny White’s on the corner of Bourbon Street and Orleans Avenue, which had closed in 2020. Here, he opened Local 718, a bar and restaurant. — IAN McNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

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C O M P L E T E L I S T I N G S A T W W W. B E S T O F N E W O R L E A N S . C O M Out 2 Eat is an index of Gambit contract advertisers. Unless noted, addresses are for New Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: Email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.

CBD

Juan’s Flying Burrito — 515 Baronne St., (504) 529-5825; juansflyingburrito.com — See Uptown section for restaurant description. Outdoor dining available.

No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$

CARROLLTON

Mid City Pizza — 6307 S. Miro St., (504) 509-6224; midcitypizza.com — See MidCity section for restaurant description.

Delivery available. Lunch Thu.-Sun., dinner Thu.-Mon. $$ Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado and snow crab. Delivery available. Lunch Sun.-Fri., dinner daily. $$

CITYWIDE

Breaux Mart — Citywide; breauxmart. com — The deli counter’s changing specials include dishes such as baked catfish and red beans and rice. Lunch and dinner daily. $

FRENCH QUARTER

Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 586-0300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — The menu features Gulf seafood in Creole dishes, po-boys char-grilled oysters and more. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

JEFFERSON/RIVER RIDGE

The Rivershack Tavern — 3449 River Road, (504) 834-4938; therivershacktavern.com — This bar and music spot serves burgers, sandwiches and lunch specials. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 733-3803; theospizza.com — Choose from specialty pies, salads, sandwiches and more. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $

LAKEVIEW

The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar — 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 2842898; thebluecrabnola.com — The menu includes sandwiches, fried seafood platters, boiled seafood, shrimp and grits and more. Outdoor seating available.

Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$ Lakeview Brew Coffee Cafe — 5606 Canal Blvd., (504) 483-7001; lakeviewbrew.com — This casual cafe offers coffee, pastries, desserts, sandwiches and salads. Delivery are available. Breakfast and lunch daily. $

METAIRIE

Andrea’s Restaurant — 3100 N. 19th St., Metairie, (504) 834-8583; andreasrestaurant.com — Chef Andrea Apuzzo’s speckled trout royale is topped with crabmeat and lemon-cream sauce.

Delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sun. $$$

$ — average dinner entrée under $10 $$ — $11-$20 $$$ — $20-up

Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop — 2309 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie, (504) 835-2022; gumbostop.com — The seafood platter includes fried catfish, shrimp, oysters, crab balls fries and a side. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ Kosher Cajun New York Deli & Grocery — 3519 Severn Ave., Metairie, (504) 8882010; koshercajun.com — New York-style deli sandwiches feature corned beef, pastrami and more. Lunch Sun.-Thu., dinner Mon.-Thu. $ Martin Wine Cellar — 714 Elmeer Ave., Metairie, (504) 896-7350; martinwine. com — See Uptown section for restaurant description. No reservations. Lunch daily. $$ Nephew’s Ristorante — 4445 W. Metairie Ave., Metairie, (504) 533-9998; nephewsristorante.com — The Creole-Italian menu features dishes like veal, eggplant and chicken parmigiana. Reservations required. Dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; theospizza.com — See Jefferson section for restaurant description. $ Short Stop Po-Boys — 119 Transcontinental Drive, Metairie, (504) 8854572; shortstoppoboysno.com — Fried Louisiana oysters and Gulf shrimp are served on a Leidenheimer loaf. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $

MID-CITY/TREME

Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream. com — Try house-made gelato, spumoni, Italian ice, cannolis, fig cookies and other treats. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $ Juan’s Flying Burrito — 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-9950; juansflyingburrito.com — See Uptown section for restaurant description. Outdoor dining available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$ Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — Boudreaux pizza is topped with cochon de lait, spinach, red onions, roasted garlic and scallions. Delivery available.

Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$ Mid City Pizza — 4400 Banks St., (504) 483-8609; midcitypizza.com — Shrimp remoulade pizza includes spinach, red onion, garlic, basil and green onions on an garlic-olive oil brushed curst.

Delivery available. Lunch Thu.-Sun., dinner Thu.-Mon. $$ Neyow’s Creole Cafe — 3332 Bienville St., (504) 827-5474; neyows.com — The menu includes red beans with fried chicken or pork chops, as well as seafood plates, po-boys, char-grilled oysters and more. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; theospizza.com — See Jefferson section for restaurant description. $

NORTHSHORE

The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar — 118 Harbor View Court, Slidell, (985) 315-7001; thebluecrabnola.com — See Lakeview section for restaurant description. No reservations. Lunch Fri.Sat., dinner Wed.-Sun. $$

Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 234-9420; theospizza.com — See Jefferson section for restaurant description. $

UPTOWN Joey K’s — 3001 Magazine St., (504) 891-0997; joeyksrestaurant.com — Sauteed trout Tchoupitoulas is served with shrimp, crabmeat, vegetables and potatoes. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Juan’s Flying Burrito — 2018 Magazine St., (504) 569-0000; 5538 Magazine St., (504) 897-4800; juansflyingburrito. com — The Flying Burrito includes steak, shrimp, chicken, cheddar-jack cheese, black beans, yellow rice, salsa la fonda, guacamole and sour cream. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$ Martin Wine Cellar — 3827 Baronne St., (504) 894-7444; martinwine.com — Sena salad includes pulled roasted chicken, golden raisins, blue cheese, pecans and field greens tossed with Tabasco pepperjelly vinaigrette.

No reservations. Lunch daily. $$ Red Gravy — 4206 Magazine St., (504) 561-8844; redgravycafe.com — Cannoli pancakes are filled with cannoli cream and topped with chocolate.

Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; theospizza.com — See Jefferson section for restaurant description. $ Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco — 5015 Magazine St., (504) 267-7612; titoscevichepisco. com — Peruvian lomo saltado features beef tenderloin tips sauteed with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, soy sauce and pisco, and is served with fried potatoes and rice. Outdoor seating and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$

WINE OF THE

WEEK

Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

WAREHOUSE DISTRICT Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; annunciationrestaurant. com — Fried oysters and skewered bacon are served with meuniere sauce and toasted French bread. Reservations required. Dinner Thu.-Sun. $$$ The Mill — 1051 Annunciation St., (504) 582-9544; themillnola.com — Short ribs are braised with red wine and served with risotto. Reservations accepted.

Dinner Thu.-Sat., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$

WEST BANK Asia — Boomtown Casino & Hotel, 4132 Peters Road, Harvey, (504) 364- 8812; boomtownneworleans.com — The menu of Chinese and Vietnamese dishes includes a Lau Hot Pot with a choice of scallops, snow crab or shrimp. Reservations accepted. Dinner Fri.-Sun. $$ Mosca’s — 4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery serves shrimp Mosca, chicken a la grande and baked oysters Mosca. Dinner Wed.-Sat. Cash only. $$$

Deep garnet-ruby in color, the 2018 Knights Valley Reserve invites with deep aromas of black cherries and kirsch lifted with a touch of blue flowers and mint. Concentrated flavors of black currant, blackberries and cassis coat the palate with notes of warm spices, vanilla and mocha.

This is a bold Cabernet richly textured with polished tannins, focused in crushed dark fruit, and underlain with a fine tension that extends the long, earthy finish.

DISTRIBUTED BY

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New Years Day LIVE EntertainMENt Featuring:

Gina Brown & ANUTHA LEVEL BAND

Performing the best in New/Old School R&B, Jazz and the Blues

SATURDAY JANUARY 1, 2022

9pm Showtime FMI or to reserve a table: (504)975-6200

1234 N Claiborne Ave, NOLA

31

FOR COMPLETE MUSIC LISTINGS A N D M O R E E V E N T S TA K I N G P L AC E IN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA, VISIT C A L E N D A R . G A M B I T W E E K LY. C O M To learn more about adding your event to the music calendar, please email listingsedit@gambitweekly.com Note: Due to COVID-19, events may have certain restrictions or may be postponed; we recommend checking out a venues social media sites or call before you go for the most up to dateinformation.

TUESDAY 21 BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Peter Harris Quartet, 7 pm DOS JEFES — Tom Hook, Wendell Brunious, 8:30 pm FRITZEL’S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Fritzel’s All Star Band, 8 pm PRESERVATION HALL — Creole Christmas, 1:15, 2:30, & 3:45 pm

WEDNESDAY 22 BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Peter Harris Trio, 7 pm BOURREE — The Chandeleurs, 6 pm D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS — Tin Men, 6 pm; Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters, 9 pm FRITZEL’S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Fritzel’s All Star Band, 8 pm; Richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm GASA GASA — Christmas of Misfits, 8 pm PRESERVATION HALL — Creole Christmas, 1:15, 2:30, & 3:45 pm ROCK ‘N’ BOWL — Johnny J & The Hitmen, 8 pm SANTOS — Swamp Moves with Russell Welch, 5 pm & 8 pm ST. ANNA’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH — Electric Yat Quartet, 7 pm THE BROADSIDE — Benny Grunch and the Bunch Christmas Singalong with “Elf” screening, 6 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Funkin’ It Up with Big Sam, 7:30 pm

THURSDAY 23 BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Peter Harris Quartet, 8 pm BOURREE — T Marie and Bayou Juju, 6 pm BUFFA’S — Tom McDermott and Marla Dixon, 7 & 9 pm D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS — Alexis & the Samurai, 6 pm; The Get Together, 9 pm DOS JEFES — The Mark Coleman Trio, 8:30 pm FRITZEL’S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm; Doyle Cooper Trio, 2:30 pm; John Saavedra Trio, 6 pm; Fritzel’s All Star Band, 8 pm GASA GASA — Abasi: Welcome to the Village, 9 pm LE BON TEMPS ROULE — Soul Rebels, 10 pm PEACOCK ROOM, HOTEL FONTENOT — Da Lovebirds with Robin Barnes, 8 pm PRESERVATION HALL — Creole Christmas, 1:15, 2:30, & 3:45 pm ROCK ‘N’ BOWL — Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie, 8 pm SAENGER THEATRE — Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, 8 pm SIDNEY’S SALOON — DarkLounge Ministries, 6 pm SNUG HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO — Phillip Manuel: A Christmas Concert, 8 & 10 pm SOUTHPORT HALL LIVE MUSIC & PARTY HALL — Marc Broussard Annual Full Band Show, 7 pm THE ALLWAYS LOUNGE & CABARET — The HoHoHo Show, 7 pm THE BROADSIDE — Shannon Powell, Helen Gillet and “Big Sam” Williams, 7 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Brass-AHolics, 7:30 pm

FRIDAY 24 ACE HOTEL NEW ORLEANS — A Soulful Christmas with Robin Barnes & Friends, 7 pm BOURREE — Tom Andes, 12 pm; Ivor Simpson-Kennedy, 3 pm FRITZEL’S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm;

Sam Friend Trio, 2:30 pm; Steve Pistorious Trio, 6 pm; Fritzel’s All Star Band, 9 pm LIVE OAK CAFE — Valerie Sassyfras, 6 pm PRESERVATION HALL — Creole Christmas, 1:15, 2:30, & 3:45 pm

SATURDAY 25 BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Jordan Anderson, 7 pm CARNAVAL LOUNGE — Dummy Dumpster Christmas, 9 pm FRITZEL’S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm; Joe Kennedy Trio, 2:30 pm; John Saalvedra Trio, 6 pm; Fritzel’s All Star Band, 9 pm ROCK ‘N’ BOWL — Benny Grunch and the Bunch, 4 pm; Bag of Donuts, 9 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Sierra Green, 7:30 pm

SUNDAY 26 BUFFA’S — Some Like It Hot, 11 am & 1 pm; James Evans and the Kindred Swindlers, 7 pm

PHOTO BY CHRIS GR ANGER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Preservation Hall hosts a Creole Christmas Thursday, Dec. 23.

D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS — Palmetto Bug Stompers, 4 pm; Treme Brass Band, 9 pm FRITZEL’S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm; Joe Kennedy Trio, 2:30 pm; Marla Dixon Trio, 6 pm; Fritzel’s All Star Band, 8 pm GASA GASA — Mikey Duran, 9 pm LE BON TEMPS ROULE — Doctor Lo, 8 pm MONKEY MONKEY — Valerie Sassyfras, 8 am ROCK ‘N’ BOWL — Topcats, 5 pm SNUG HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO — Herlin Riley Quartet, 8 & 10 pm

MONDAY 27 BUFFA’S — Leslie Cooper & Harry Mayronne with Doyle Cooper, 7 & 9 pm CARROLLTON STATION — Mike Dillon, Thomas Helton, Jacob Stanley, 8 pm FRITZEL’S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Twisty River Band, 8 pm

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MUSIC

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MUSIC

How the Grunch Sang Christmas

by Jake Clapp

AFTER 31 YEARS, A LOT OF NEW ORLEANIANS KNOW

BY HEART the words

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/6/! ', ' 0 , ) 3 $

to Benny Grunch & The Bunch’s “The 12 Yats of Christmas”— or at least, they know how to draw out “fried onion rings” in spectacular fashion. A lot of Benny Grunch’s holiday parodies and satirical songs, like “O Little Town of Destrehan,” have the easy flow of Christmas carols and are meant to be sung with others. And in the case of “Ain’t No Place to Pee on Mardi Gras Day,” they’re easy to remember when you’ve had a few on the parade route.

But whether or not you know all the words to “Ain’t Dere No More” won’t matter, as Benny Grunch & The Bunch will help you with the lyrics when they play the Broadside on Wednesday, Dec. 22.

The band hosts a sing-along at the outdoor venue and a screening of the modern holiday classic “Elf.” “I am going to go through my hits, and some of them, maybe some you don’t pay much attention to, are really good sing-alongs,” Benny “Grunch” Antin told Gambit last week. “I’m looking at a song right now called ‘Red Light Cameras & Pot-Holes for Auld Lang Syne.’”

Antin doesn’t waste a second and launches into a few lines of the song: “Our deepest potholes go ‘ker-schplott’ when they swallow compact cars / We need the ‘S.U.V.-Curiosity’ like they drive around on Mars / Like we’re drivin’ around on Mars down here, like we’re drivin’ around on Mars / And ya know it’s bad, now I’m really sad, we got more potholes than bars.”

For many, Antin’s songs as Benny Grunch are a natural part of the holiday season. The band in 2020 celebrated 30 years of its “The 12 Yats of Christmas” album with a “Thoity Year Annivoisary” edition and a new song, “K&B Stayed Open Christmas.” This time of year, the gig calendar is usually packed: Benny Grunch & The Bunch could have around 25 shows during the holiday season, Antin says, but the

PHOTO BY MA X BECHERER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Satirist Benny ‘Grunch’ Antin leads his band Benny Grunch & the Bunch including Cathy Savoie, center, at Rock ‘n Bowl Dec. 25, 2018. pandemic has knocked that down by half the last two years.

This month’s schedule has about 10 shows, Antin says, but that does include his long-standing annual Christmas Day show at Rock ’n’ Bowl — the band kept the tradition going last year by streaming the performance from the venue.

“As soon as this pandemic is over, I’m thinking about a tune, it goes, ‘Santa’s out of quarantine, just in time for Christmas,” Antin says.

Antin, a Lakeview native, began playing music professionally in 1959 and was touring with musicians starting in 1967. He came up with the Grunch stage name while playing in Hammond during his time as a student at Southeastern. “The 12 Yats of Christmas” was a hit for Antin when it was released in 1990, and he’s had success with a few of his non-holiday songs. His track “My Pants Are Way Too Tight” was used in the NBC show “Homicide.” Now at 76, Antin has played every state in the U.S., except for Hawaii and Alaska, “which, you know, that and $1.35 will get me on the Canal Boulevard bus,” he says with a laugh.

“I’ve just been really lucky,” he adds. “This is hard to make a living at, but I’ve never had a real job.”

The Benny Grunch & The Bunch sing-along starts at 6 p.m. with “Elf” screening to follow. Tickets are $10 at broadsidenola.com.

33

PAGE 5

through Tuesday, Dec. 28, with multiple showtimes. Tickets are $20 at eventbrite.com.

Christmas of Misfits

Boudreaux Family Affair

Show and The Devil’s Farmhouse, a country-style tribute to the Misfits, celebrate the holidays with a show at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 22, at Gasa Gasa. Tickets are $10 at ticketweb.com.

BIG CHIEF MONK BOUDREAUX, HIS SON JOSEPH BOUDREAUX JR., AND HIS GRANDSON, J’WAN BOUDREAUX (JOSEPH’S NEPHEW), all have

birthdays in December — and all three were recently nominated for Grammy Awards. It’s a cause for celebration, and the Boudreaux family will do just that with a party on Thursday, Dec. 23, at Toulouse Theatre. Both Big Chief Monk’s latest album “Bloodstains & Teardrops” and Cha Wa’s “My People” — which features Joseph and J’wan — are nominated for the 2022 Grammy for Best Regional Roots album. The Boudreaux family party starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 at toulousetheatre.com.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JERRY MOR AN

Big Chief Monk Boudreaux performs at Toulouse Theatre Thursday, Dec. 23.

NOCCA: Home for the Holidays

THE DANIEL PRICE MEMORIAL FUND FOR ASPIRING ARTISTS’ ANNUAL FUNDRAISER benefits NOCCA

students with training, supplies and college scholarships. This year the event returns to the House of Blues on Wednesday, Dec. 22, and will feature Trombone Shorty & Friends, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Kermit Ruffins, The Soul Rebels, James Andrews, Anders Osborne, Sasha Masakowski and emcee Gralen Banks. The concert starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased at houseofblues.com/neworleans.

All I Want for XXXMas is You

THIS DRAG SHOW AT ALLWAYS LOUNGE & THEATRE ON TUESDAY, DEC. 21 is a tribute to the queen of

Christmas music herself Mariah Carey. Carina Von Juna hosts and there are performances by Cosette LaFemme, Anjle, Synamin Vixen, Wontonya Dumpling, Qween Quan and others. The show starts at 10:30 p.m. and cover is $10. For more information, visit theallwayslounge.net.

BLIND TEXAS MARLIN, WHISPER PARTY!, The Jak Locke Rock

Shannon Powell, Helen Gillet and Sam Williams

SCATTERJAZZ ORGANIZED THIS UNIQUE JAM FEATURING TRAD JAZZ DRUMMER SHANNON POWELL,

cellist and singer Helen Gillet and jazz and funk trombonist Big Sam Williams. The show is at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 23, at the Broadside. Tickets $12-$15 at broadsidenola.com.

‘How They Got Over’

ROBERT CLEM’S DOCUMENTARY TRACES HOW BLACK GOSPEL QUARTETS OF THE 1920S, ’30S AND ’40S PAVED THE WAY for what would

become rock and roll, propelling singers including Sam Cooke, Lou Rawls and Wilson Pickett to fame. There’s footage of Blind Boys of Alabama, Dixie Hummingbirds, Mighty Clouds of Joy, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and more. The film opens at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 25, at Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge and runs for a week. Visit zeitgeistnola.org for info.

Brunch

IN THE

NEW YEAR All 1/4 ad sizes or larger receive a

FREE Menu Item photo/ description feature in this issue and will be included in our Brunch in the New Year Facebook Gallery

Matt Fulchiron

COMEDIAN MATT FULCHIRON SHARES A DARK STREAK WITH DANIEL TOSH,

who he’s toured with. He’s also appeared on Comedy Central and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and hosts the podcast The Full Charge. He performs at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 23, at Comedy House NOLA. Tickets start at $15 on eventbrite.com.

James Williams and the New Orleans Swamp Donkeys

TRUMPETER JAMES WILLIAMS LEADS HIS TRAD JAZZ GROUP in a free

show from the balcony of the New Orleans Jazz Museum at 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 21. The show also is available virtually on facebook. com/nolajazzmuseum/live.

Mannheim Steamroller

CHIP DAVIS’ JUGGERNAUT OF CLASSICAL MEETS NEW AGE MUSIC has

made uplifting holiday shows its signature. The group’s 35th anniversary tour comes to Seanger Theatre at 8 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 23. Find tickets at ticketmaster.com.

ISSUE DATE

DECEMBER 28

Call Today!

To advertise call Sandy Stein at 504.483.3150 or email sstein@gambitweekly.com

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Health + Fitness

New Year Special

Increase 2022

memberships and sales.

GET

FIT IN 2022

Print + digital ad package rates and a promotional photo feature and up to 100 words of copy in our GET FIT IN 2022 section – January 11, 2022 Issue

CALL TODAY! CALL OR EMAIL SANDY STEIN 504.483.3150 • SSTEIN@GAMBITWEEKLY.COM

FILM

NSFW

by Will Coviello A LEAKED HOMEMADE SEX TAPE

is bound to change a participant’s life. Such videos didn’t end the careers of celebrities like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian, but the same is not likely true for a teacher. That’s the premise of award-winning Romanian director Radu Jude’s “Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn.”

The film kicks off with the smartphone recording of Emi and her husband. The scene is graphic, and even funny as one of their parents almost interrupts. The sex also gets a little kinky, but both partners clearly say what they want and how much they enjoy it. And while there isn’t anything wrong with a married couple enjoying a robust sex life, once it gets uploaded to Pornhub, that part of their lives is no longer private.

Though often funny, the movie asks what is actually obscene as it works its way to a confrontation between the teacher and parents at the school. It’s a frank and heated debate about privacy, community standards, prejudices and sacred cow ideas and institutions.

In the first part of the film, Emi goes through her day, dreading the meeting scheduled that evening. A few phone calls confirm that just as the video gets pulled from one internet platform, it gets re-uploaded or shared elsewhere. There’s a sense of paranoia anytime someone in the street looks at her. She also walks past billboards with nearly naked bodies and is hit on while just shopping. But also noticeable is how uncivil people can be to each other over the most mundane issues, like parking.

Jude inserts a long middle portion subtitled, “A short dictionary of anecdotes, signs and wonders.” It leaves the narrative aside and includes everything from a goofy vignette about blonde jokes to facts and commentary about Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, who was killed in the country’s 1989 revolution. The story of Medusa is presented as an allegory that people cannot face horrible truths. One scene

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAGNOLIA PICTURES

notes that more than half of Romanian children are subjected to family violence. The film is concise, though it doesn’t link all the factoids and anecdotes to the story.

The final confrontation looks like a kangaroo court, but much of the debate is engaging.

Regardless of what Emi says about her privacy, some parents don’t want her teaching their children. Some are extremely moralistic, and there’s much to say beyond passing easy judgement. Do they really think a married woman doesn’t have a sex life? Are they punishing the victim, since her privacy was violated? Are they more distracted by the fact that she enjoyed the sex, and is the underlying issue a backlash against feminism? They call her worse things than a pornographer, but is it even fair to call it porn if it was never intended for distribution or profit? Is she to blame if children were to go to adult websites, using devices provided by the parents?

There’s plenty of moral posturing and insults fly. Inevitably other arguments and slurs spill out, including antisemitism and hatred for Roma people.

Romania also has issues left over from its 1989 revolution, including the use of the military against citizens who overthrew Ceausescu. The Romanian Orthodox Church also had a history of tolerating the Holocaust and working with repressive Romanian regimes.

But regardless of the broader perspectives and parents’ fears and prejudices, the group is set to vote on whether to keep an admittedly good teacher in the school. Emi’s vision of the battle is hilarious, though not necessarily the last word.

“Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn” opens Dec. 25 at Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge.

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PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE GOLDEN STATE GIRLS

By Frank A. Longo

32 French painter of “The Horse Fair” 36 Commotion 38 The “N” of USNA: Abbr.

40 “— never believe me!”

41 Rap’s “Dr.” 42 She played Abby Parker on HBO’s “The Deuce” 48 Cut with a light beam 49 Continuously 50 Cruel emperor 51 Troop’s group 52 Partners 53 Scenes 54 Title sorority in a 1985 film 56 Turkish cap

57 French friends 58 Smithereens 59 Onetime rival of Steffi Graf 65 Swimmer Thorpe 66 Farm female 67 Disfigure 68 Calculus, e.g.

69 Made in the manner of 70 American Red Cross founder 73 Therefore 74 Fix, as a pet 75 Frigid 76 House pests 78 Spirited 79 Flub up

82 Sense by touch 84 Zeus’ wife 85 Singer Della 86 Fencing sword 87 She played Miss Ellie Ewing on “Dallas” 90 Gore- — (rainwear fabric) 91 Herb in pesto 92 Farm female 93 FedEx competitor 94 1996-2002 “Saturday Night Live” cast member 97 Agra apparel 100 Band’s job 103 Guarantee 104 The, to Henri 106 “Velvet Fog” vocalist 109 Actor Falk 110 Comedian with the 1990 HBO special “Cats, Cops and Stuff” 114 Bel — (Italian cheese) 115 Resistance to alternating current 116 Hunter constellation 117 RBIs, e.g.

118 Engulfed by fire 119 It can precede eight first names in this puzzle to form the names of California cities

GARDEN DISTRICT OFFICE 2016, 2017 & 2020

24 Part of MLB 28 Boxer Oscar de la — 31 Curs’ sounds 33 Add while mixing 34 Throat-clearing noise 35 Flock of quail 36 Dancer de Mille 37 Pappies 39 Boatloads 42 Piece of tile art 43 Zoo dweller 44 Eyeball part 45 India’s Gandhi 46 Be wobbly 47 Fog or steam 48 Lounge around 52 Fishnet stuff 55 Oven brand 56 “Good” or “bad” dietary intake 58 Bundle of joy 60 Cry upon arriving 61 Leading to something 62 Drank like a dog or cat 63 Go by 64 Give assent 66 Speed-of-sound ratio 67 Green stuff 71 Paddy crop 72 Like a tinny recording

ABR, CRS, GRI, SFR, SRS

73 City of ancient Egypt 74 Plants-to-be 77 Tobacco plug 78 Get set for surgery 79 Test versions of smartphone programs, e.g.

80 Vacant political position 81 Oil, in slang 82 High-speed 83 A Great Lake 87 Military post 88 Scans again 89 Artisans’ club 91 Rails in ballet 95 Invited one 96 Actress Page 98 “Duck —” (Warner Bros. short) 99 Zellweger of the screen 100 Body part often pulled by an athlete 101 “— buying it” 102 “Hero” actress Davis 105 Emailed junk 107 General — chicken 108 Other, in Oviedo 110 More, in a music score 111 Band blaster 112 News svc.

113 Vocalist Yoko

DOWN 1 Get a lock on 2 Milan’s La — 3 Gold purity unit 4 St. Pat’s land 5 Bargain buy 6 Home 7 Advances, as money 8 Vietnamese New Year 9 Several 10 Lay away 11 Deep-voiced singer 12 Siouan tribesperson 13 “— out!”

14 — Lankan 15 Kind of nut 16 Averse 17 Criticized petulantly 18 “No question” 19 Some hardwoods

ANSWERS FOR LAST ISSUE’S PUZZLE: P 2

PUZZLES

ACROSS 1 Requested 6 Mass helpers 15 Foil maker 20 Empathetic declaration 21 Steak lover, e.g.

22 Lounges idly 23 Italian developer of an educational method 25 Third month 26 “Two Years Before the Mast” star 27 Film director Craven 28 Family-style Chinese dish 29 Body design, in brief 30 The new girl on “New Girl”

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