Gambit: Feb. 2, 2021

February 2-8 2021 Volume 42 Number 5

BULLETIN BOARD

Mardi Gras

MJ’s

Y-5’A&LSaLt. 10-3

Weekly Tails

.- Fri. 10 NOW OPEN Mon

Mardi Gras reversible table runner $17.99 DAKOTA

Kennel #45905772

Dakota is a 2-year-old Rottweiler who is looking for a place

Cristina’s

Family owned and operated since 1996

King & Queen Mugs $8.99 ea.

Mardi Gras Garden Flag $8.99

Cleaning Service

Mardi Gras Tote Bag $8.99

to call his own. He has had a rough start to his young life but is looking for a family to show him what love is. Despite his size, Dakota thinks of himself as a lap dog and tries to be as close to you as possible. He loves to play with his favorite plush toys and hopes to be spoiled in his forever home. This sweet snuggly boy is hoping that his forever family finds him soon.

BORIS

Kennel #446317673

Boris is a 2-year-old Domestic Shorthair who would love

MJ’s

nothing more than to find his forever home. He is super friendly and would make a great snuggle buddy. This big guy enjoys lots of head scratches and will happily demand attention by rubbing up against you. He hopes his forever family will help him reach his fitness goals and shed a few pounds.

1513 Metairie Rd.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, we have moved our adoption process to appointment only.

Fill out the adoption application on our website, www.la-spca.org, and a staff member will call you back within 24 hours to schedule your appointment.

Let our crew help you with all your cleaning needs!

• Disinfecting/Sanitation Services Available • • General House Cleaning • • After Construction Cleaning • Residential & Commercial • Licensed & Bonded

504-232-5554 cristinascleaningnola@gmail.com

✁ ✁ ✁ ✁ INTERIOR/EXTERIOR • Sheetrock • Painting • New Gutters • Roofing repairs • Patio Covers • Decks • Siding/Fascia • Concrete

CALL JEFFREY • (504) 610-5181

Lakeview

Locally owned & serving the New Orleans area for over 25 years

CLEANING SERVICE

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL AFTER CONSTRUCTION CLEANING HOLIDAY CLEANING LIGHT/GENERAL HOUSEKEEPING HEAVY DUTY CLEANING

METAIRIE SHOPPING CENTER MJSMETAIRIE • mjsofmetairie.com

504-250-0884 504-309-6662

Call Eugene Redmann 504.834.6430 2632 Athania Pkwy, Met., LA 70002 Se Habla Espanol •www.redmannlawnola.com

REAL ESTATE FOR RENT ALGIERS ALGIERS 1/2 DOUBLE

2BR, 1BA. Central a/c, new appls, $950/mo + $950 dep. 2310 Kraft Pl. Call 504-782-3133.

GARDEN DISTRICT 1/2 BLOCK TO MAGAZINE

1 & 2 bedrooms available in ideal location and ROOMS BY THE MONTH with PRIVATE BATH. All utilities included monthly. Call 504-202-0381 for appointment.

FRENCH QUARTER & UPTOWN ONE AND TWO BEDROOM APTS IN FRENCH QUARTER & UPTOWN KIRBY & REESE TEAM 290-9211 LATTER & BLUM 891-6400 2727 PRYTANIA SUITE 20.

LAKEFRONT LAKE MARINA DR CONDO

Overlooking Marina w/balc, newly renov.

3br,2ba, ss appls, o/s w&d, granite cntrtps, no carpet. Mstr ba w/jacuzzi tub & bidet.

Pool, elevator, gym, 2 pkg spots. No smkg, no pets. $2500 mo + dep. 504-710-9062.

Susana Palma

lakeviewcleaningllc@yahoo.com Fully Insured & Bonded

835-6099

Immigration. Criminal Law. Traffic Tickets

✁ ✁ ✁ ✁

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F E B R UA R Y 2 - 8 > 2 0 2 1

2

YOUR AD HERE!

CALL 483-3100

MISSED AN ISSUE? VISIT BESTOFNEWORLEANS.COM/

CURRENT

TO READ THE LATEST ISSUES

NOTICES NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY

Pursuant to Louisiana statutes Metro Storage LLC, as managing agent for Lessor, will sell by public auction (or otherwise dispose) personal property (in its entirety) belonging to the tenants listed below to the highest bidder to satisfy the lien of the Lessor for rental and other charges due. The said property has been stored and is located at the respective address below. Units up for auction will be listed for public bidding on-line at www.StorageTreasures.com beginning five days prior to the scheduled auction date and time. The terms of the sale will be cash only. A 10% buyer’s premium will be charged per unit. All sales are final.

Metro Storage LLC reserves the right to withdraw any or all units, partial or entire, from the sale at any time before the sale or to refuse any bids. The property to be sold is described as “general household items” unless otherwise noted. All contents must be removed completely from the property within 48 hours or sooner or are deemed abandoned by bidder/buyer. Sale rules and regulations are available at the time of sale.

Metro Self Storage-4320 Hessmer Ave., Metairie, LA 70002-(504) 455-3330-Bidding will close on the website www.StorageTreasures.com on 2-18-2021 at 10:00 am for the following units: Rosalyn Anita Miles unit 3089: Dresser, box spring, mattress rocking chair, and TV. Perry L Lemons unit 3052: box spring, headboard, floor lamp, nightstand, and clothing. Kleven Marine LLC unit 1008: boxes, shelf and files. Leskisher Renee Luckett unit 3147: slow cooker, box spring, frame, headboard, mattress, chest of drawers and toys. Timaya Aaliyah Forman unit 1057: bag of clothing. Cortney Lawrence McCarter unit 2013: shelf and shoe boxes.

SMALL SPACE FOR SALE

CALL 483-3100

3

MORROW’S , SYLVAIN,

OR

PIERRE MASPERO

HOW TO PLAY Post a picture of your favorite Mardi Gras spots on Instagram and tag @GAMBITNEWORLEANS | #RIDETHEROUTE to enter to win.

Multiple submissions encouraged.

ENTRY DATES: FEBRUARY 1 - 28, 2021

SUGGESTED SPOTS FRENCH QUARTER

Attiki Bar and Grill Cafe Maspero Flambo Restaurant & Bar Coterie Restaurant & Oyster Bar The Original French Market Restaurant and Bar Sylvain The Original Pierre Maspero’s Creole House Restaurant & Oyster Bar

WAREHOUSE DISTRICT

Barcadia New Orleans Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant The District

UPTOWN

The Boot Bruno’s Tavern Fat Harry’s

MID-CITY

Bayou Beer Garden Bayou Wine Garden Wrong Iron On The Greenway Mid City Yacht Club

FAUBOURG MARIGNY Morrow's

METAIRIE

The Swamp Room Bar and Grill 5216 Table & Tap City Bar and Grill Shenanigans Kitchen and Cocktails Jiggers Grill Moby’s Bar and Grill

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 0 2 1

SUPPORT YOUR FAVORITE BARS AND RESTAURANTS ON THE ROUTE THIS CARNIVAL SEASON AND ENTER TO WIN A $200 GIFT CARD TO

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 02 1

4

CONTENTS

FEB. 2 – FEB. 8, 2021 VOLUME 42 || NUMBER 5

KREWE OF HOUSE FLOATS KEEPS THE SPIRIT ALIVE 16 NEWS

OPENING GAMBIT

7

COMMENTARY 9 CLANCY DUBOS

10

BLAKE PONTCHARTRAIN 11

Now Open!

PULLOUT

*Advance Reservations Recommended*

DETAILS FEATURES

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 5 EAT + DRINK

19

GOING OUT

25

FILM 26 PUZZLES 27 EXCHANGE 27 @The_Gambit @gambitneworleans

1200 Poydras Street, Suite 103 | 504-577-2937 stumpyshh.com/neworleansla DONATED BY KIPP RHOADS AND ROBERT MOSSY

HAND GRENADE

®

12

NEW ORLEANS MOST POWERFUL DRINK®

Skipping a beat

Publisher | JEANNE EXNICIOS FOSTER

EDITORIAL

DOG FRIENDLY. PEOPLE TOLERANT.

Advertising Inquiries (504) 483-3150

Editor | JOHN STANTON

Advertising Director | SANDY STEIN BRONDUM

Political Editor | CLANCY DUBOS

(504) 483-3150 [sstein@gambitweekly.com]

Arts & Entertainment Editor | WILL COVIELLO

Senior Sales Representative

Staff Writers | JAKE CLAPP, KAYLEE POCHE, Contributing Writers | IAN MCNULTY

PRODUCTION Creative Services Director | DORA SISON Pre-Press Coordinator | JASON WHITTAKER Web & Classifieds Designer | MARIA VIDACOVICH BOUÉ

Graphic Designers | CATHERINE FLOTTE,

706INFRANKLIN AVE THE MARIGNY

EMMA VEITH, TIANA WATTS

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

DRINK LOCAL Little Tropical Isle 435 BOURBON Tropical Isle Original 600 BOURBON Tropical Isle’s Bayou Club 610 BOURBON Tropical Isle 721 BOURBON Bourbon Street Honky Tonk 727 BOURBON Orleans Grapevine 720 BOURBON

ADVERTISING

(504) 483-3105// response@gambitweekly.com

SARAH RAVITS

OUTDOOR SEATING AVAILABLE

COVER PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER, NOLA.COM | THE TIMES-PICAYUNE COVER DESIGN BY DORA SISON

High school musicians and dancers are heartbroken at missing carnival parades.

STAFF

Now serving food from The Franklin All menu items under $10 Tues- Sat 5-9:30 pm

@GambitNewOrleans

P H O T O B Y TAY L O R P I T T M A N

JILL GIEGER (504) 483-3131

[jgieger@gambitweekly.com] Sales Representatives KATIE BISHOP (504) 262-9519

[kbishop@gambitweekly.com] KELLY SONNIER (504) 483-3143

[ksonnier@gambitweekly.com] CHARLIE THOMAS

Billing Inquiries 1 (225) 388-0185

(504) 636-7438

Administrative Assistant | LINDA LACHIN

[cthomas@gambitweekly.com]

Gambit (ISSN 1089-3520) is published weekly by Capital City Press, LLC, 840 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130. (504) 4865900. 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.

At the heart

NOLA vibes NOLATET PERCUSSIONIST MIKE DILLON, bassist James Singleton and keyboardist Brian Haas played gigs with Galactic drummer Stanton Moore before the pandemic. For this live show, they’ll draw songs from Nolatet’s albums “Dogs” and “No Revenge Necessary,” as well as compositions by Moore, who’s sitting in for Johnny Vidacovich.

At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, at the Broadside. Find tickets at broadsidenola.com.

BY JAKE CLAPP A FEW WEEKS AGO, as 2020 ticked over into 2021, Lilli Lewis grew more and more uncomfortable with the way she had sent a set of new songs out into the world.

Early in December, the New Orleans singer-songwriter and pianist released “My American Heart: The Blue EP,” a small offering of patient, gripping folk and country that many listeners may grab on to as more “mainstream” Americana. Two weeks later, Lewis followed it up with “The Red EP,” which includes songs that lean into rhythm and blues, “to say, ‘But you know what? Black people think this is Americana,” she says.

“And guess what, it’s the same country, it’s the same people. And the same information that informed [the ‘Blue EP’s’] side of the genre lives in this music, too,” Lewis adds.

Lewis initially released the two EPs as “diary work” previews for her upcoming album, “Americana,” due out later this year. Reflective of her experiences as a Black woman in Americana, she says, she didn’t want to release one “side of the story” without the other — the “Blue EP’s” more prevalent view of Americana and the “Red EP’s” message about the genre’s roots as Black American music traditions.

Still, the further away she got from publishing the EPs as separate entities, the more she felt compelled to rethink the strategy. And so, two weeks ago, Lewis combined and re-released the EPs as “My American Heart: Red + Blue” with a rearranged track listing that seamlessly merges the songs together.

“I’m not separate entities. I’m one person,” Lewis says. “Recognizing how these two sides of my world had been in conflict was fundamentally integrating for me. I was like, ‘Oh! I don’t have to have that conflict anymore.’ I’ll speak my languages, all of them, and I’ll let people know these languages interact with each other pretty fluently.”

Lewis will perform music from “My American Heart” during a virtual piano hour at 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5. The free livestream is presented by the New Orleans Jazz Museum and New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park and can be watched at facebook.com/ nolajazzmuseum/live.

Along with Lewis on piano and vocals, the EP features Wade Hymel on acoustic guitar, drums and vocals, bassists Kenny Murphy and Jimbo Walsh, fiddler Gina Forsyth, Dave Easley on lap steel, and organist Josh Paxton.

At the core of “My American Heart” is the EP’s eponymous track, a powerful country ballad that highlights Lewis’

Trucking MIKEY B3, aka Mike Burkhart, leads his own New Orleans-style funk band and has backed Billy Iuso in the Restless Natives band and performed with Dave Malone’s Raw Oyster Cult. He’s at the keys of Piano on a Truck at Zony Mash Beer Project at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4. Visit zonymashbeer.com for info. kind voice with soaring ease. Lewis sings directly to her fellow Americans, first wishing them well with lines like “My American heart / Wants your job to help you feed your family / Hopes it lets you build a home that houses / Generations of joy.”

But the song builds and resolves with clear eyes from Lewis’ perspective as a Black queer woman in America: “My American heart wishes safety / For my family too, don’t wanna have to keep them / safe from you, but / Nevertheless, here we are.”

The final verse continues: “We’re in a difficult conversation / One that might go on for years / But in this difficult conversation / I want you to know I can see you, know I can hear you / Know I still pray for you / With my American heart.”

“I work largely in Americana fields and people in Americana were essentially saying that me claiming my Blackness means that I’m less American, or that ‘Oh, we’re all American now,’ ” Lewis says. “No, you can be both things. They’re not mutually exclusive. And I think Black Americans have shown ourselves to be heavily invested in the American story.

We’ve been responsible for building this country in a real, literal way.”

Lewis, who is the vice president and head of A&R for Louisiana Red Hot Records, has worked throughout her career for Black equity within Americana. The country and folk genres were built on Black music, but those musicians were blocked from the industry and the genre became dominated by white people in the 20th century, from the artists on the radio to the Nashville

P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y DAV I D V I L L A LTA

New Orleans Americana artist Lilli Lewis will perform music from her recently released EP during a virtual concert on Friday, Feb. 5.

executives controlling the labels.

In 2020, like with many other aspects of American life, the call for Black equity in Americana genres kicked into high gear, and Lewis was asked to take part in several industry discussions. Over the last six months of the year, she sat on a panel for the Thriving Roots conference — with coverage by Rolling Stone, Billboard and American Songwriter — met with label executives, organized a showcase for the Country Soul Songbook Summit, and performed as part of The Kennedy Center’s “New Orleans Voices on Social Justice” concert. A trained classical vocalist, Lewis also was recently commissioned by Loyola University’s Opera workshop for a set of compositions, including an aria for tenor Antonio Domino.

“You will not have racial equity without economic equity,” Lewis says. Her focus has been on inclusion — Black country and folk artists are here and always have been, but they historically haven’t been part of the economics.

The artists are even close at hand: New Orleans country trio Chapel Hart and Shreveport’s Willie Jones have both recently received significant coverage from country music press. “[Black artists] have a stake in this, and we just have to claim it,” Lewis says. “I think it’s blossomed, and I think we’re on the cusp of a revolution.”

Garden party PARADIGM GARDENS, the urban garden and event space in Central City, hosts Carnival parties featuring music by the Kings of Brass band and DJ Kash, food prepared

by Karibu Kitchen on the garden’s wood-burning oven and grill, local beers, cocktails and more. Costumes are encouraged. There are events at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 5, through Sunday, Feb. 7, as well as Feb. 11-13. Find tickets at paradigmgardensnola.com.

Wolfpack WALTER “WOLFMAN” WASHINGTON has been working on a follow-up to “My Future is My Past” during the pandemic — a bluesier project with some solo tunes and special guests. For this show, he’s back with his Roadmasters band and special guests including bluesman Little Freddie King and Johnny Sansone. Shows are at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, and Saturday, Feb. 6. Find tickets at broadsidenola.com.

Dancing in the daylight THE GYPSY JAZZ, folk and roots music ensemble Bon Bon Vivant celebrated the release of its recent album “Dancing in the Darkness” at the Broadside in December. It returns to the venue for a live performance at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7. Find tickets at broadsidenola.com.

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 0 2 1

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

5

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 02 1

6

N O M I N AT E

A

FRONTLINE HERO

P R E S E N T E D BY:

NOLAmedics.com

FROM SERVICE INDUSTRY WORKERS TO HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND TEACHERS —

this March, Gambit will honor a selection of local citizens who have been on the frontlines and provided essential services to our community since COVID-19 started.

If you know an outstanding local citizen who deserves to be recognized nominate them at

bestofneworleans.com/frontline

7

N E W

O R L E A N S

N E W S

+

V I E W S

“Mardi Gras is a state mind. You don’t need parades to feel the feeling” — DJ Soul Sister

# The Count

Thumbs Up/ Thumbs Down

33

The ACLU of Louisiana

The number of rare Rice’s whales the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates live in the Gulf of Mexico.

marked a free speech win in Covington after interceding for two students who were pulled from class and sent to in-school suspension for wearing Black Lives Matter face masks. In December, a 13-yearold student and her younger brother were told their masks were in violation of the school district’s dress code, but after the ACLU intervened, the district relented.

J O H N S O N & J O H N S O N V I A T H E A S S O C I AT E D P RE S S

Marcus Lemonis, an entrepreneur and host of CNBC’s “The Profit,” donated $20,000 to Welty’s Deli for use in preparing and delivering meals to New Orleanians in need. Welty’s is partnering with Grace and Bridge House, Second Harvest Food Bank and the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic to distribute the food. Lemonis’ donation is part of the “Plating Change” initiative, which will distribute $1 million to restaurants across the country.

The Mystic Krewe of Nyx held a masquerade ball in Biloxi, Mississippi, during the middle of a pandemic. The cherry on top: Guests included right-wing radio hosts Jeff Crouere and Mimi Owens, who was banned from the Krewe of Freret in 2019 for throwing pro-Confederate monument beads. In 2020, many Nyx members left the krewe after co-founder and captain Julie Lea posted “all lives matter” on social media in response to protests against white supremacy and police brutality.

Two months later, Nyx’s Twitter account “liked” a racist post that said “white power.”

The COVID-19 vaccine distribution has been slow nationally, resulting in Ochsner cancelling 21,000 vaccine appointments locally.

A not-so-smooth Covid vaccine rollout ONE MONTH INTO 2021, and the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines is still off to a slow start. While health care workers and people 70 or older in Louisiana have been eligible for the vaccine for at least a month, most in the state have yet to receive their doses.

In Louisiana, 889,000 people are eligible for vaccines as of Jan. 28, and 339,445 people had received the first of two doses, according to the state health department. But only 57,926 people in the state had received both doses.

Like in other states, some residents have made appointments for vaccines only to have them canceled as shipments have decreased or plateaued over recent weeks. On Jan. 22, Ochsner announced it would postpone any appointments for the first dose scheduled for Jan. 26 or later in south Louisiana, reporting a 70% decrease in its vaccine shipments from the federal government over four weeks.

That led to the cancellation of roughly 21,000 appointments, according to an Ochsner official.

Louisianans are also expressing concerns about older residents’ ability to make appointments in the first place, especially because people 70 and older are less likely to use the internet.

Appointments may be made over the phone, but those online may have an advantage to first see when spots open up and even find details about who to call in the first place.

“My mom would not have gotten one of it weren’t for me being on Twitter,” wrote Twitter user @shimoji___, whose mother was reportedly able to get the first dose before Ochsner began canceling appointments.

New Orleans Health Department Director Dr. Jennifer Avegno said at a press conference last week that the city has been working to make sure people who may not have access to technology or transportation are still able to access the vaccine — reaching out to community leaders and partners to get the word out.

PAGE 8

The endangered whales — previously thought to be Bryde’s whales, which look nearly identical but have different feeding habits — are protected under the Endangered Species Act and will receive protection under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Meanwhile they face imminent threats from oil and gas exploration, oil spills, vessel strikes, ocean trash and entanglement from fishing gear in their preferred habitat, the DeSoto Canyon, which is a commercial area of the Gulf.

C’est What

?

Are you decorating your porch or yard for Mardi Gras?

34%

NAH, WE’VE NEVER BEEN INTO DECORATIONS

29.9%

ABSOLUTELY, WITH BANNERS, BEADS AND LIGHTS

30.5%

YES, BUT NOTHING FANCY, MAYBE JUST A FLAG

5.6%

MY HOUSE IS GONNA PUT ENDYMION TO SHAME

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

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 0 2 1

OPENING GAMBIT

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 02 1

8

OPENING GAMBIT

Amethyst

THE FEBRUA RY BIRTHSTONE

TUES-FRI 10AM-5PM | SAT 10AM-3PM

Curbside Pickup Available

5101 W. ESPLANADE AVENUE | (504) 885-4956

www.fishersonsjewelers.com

IT’S MARDI GRAS TIME!

CATCH YOUR FLAVOR!

WEEKDAY SPECIALS and $5 SPECIALTY DRINKS 3701 IBERVILLE ST•504.488.6582

katiesinmidcity.com

MON-THURS 11AM-9PM•FRI & SAT 11AM-10PM SUN BRUNCH 9AM-3PM

PAGE 7

Avegno said the city is in the process of calling those eligible for the vaccine and setting up through its NOLA-311 hotline a citywide waitlist that providers can draw from when they have extra doses.

She also said officials are preparing for mass vaccination sites, transportation to and from the sites and delivering vaccines to homebound individuals, and they are confident the city will be ready when more doses become available.

“We are trying to reach every single corner every single person because this is not going to work if the only people that get this vaccine are those who have access to technology, a car and all sorts of resources, and we leave others behind,” Avegno said.

The Biden administration — which has said it inherited a largely nonexistent vaccine distribution plan from the Trump administration — announced last week that it would purchase an additional 200 million vaccine doses in hopes of vaccinating 300 million Americans by the end of the summer or early fall. Louisiana officials said they’re expecting 67,350 doses this week, up from about 58,000 last week. Louisiana has a population of more than 4.6 million — KAYLEE POCHE

A mostly virtual Black History Month in New Orleans This week marks the start of Black History Month, which was first officially recognized in 1976. Here’s how New Orleans is paying tribute to the contributions and history of Black Americans in Covid times.

The Ashe Cultural Arts Center continues “In the Tone of Truth,” a six-week series on racial healing and equity in partnership with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, with virtual concerts featuring performers like Tarriona “Tank” Ball and Norman Spence of Tank and the Bangas. Upcoming shows are at 7 p.m. Feb. 2, 9 and 23. Poet Kalamu ya Salaam hosts weekly conversations with Black creatives and activists at 6:30 p.m.

Feb 4, 11 and 25. The series will close out with a virtual stream of Baton Rouge poet Donney Rose’s multimedia spoken word poetry project “The American Audit,” which looks at 400 years of Black American history through the lens of the U.S. as a business being audited by African Americans, at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27. ashenola. org/tone-of-truth The New Orleans Public Library hosts virtual programming for teens

throughout the month. There’s a Black History Month Jeopardy at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, a freedom quilt-making workshop at 4 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 9, a discussion with local young Black activists at 6 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 18, and a talk on the desegregation of New Orleans public schools at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 25. nolalibrary.org The Ogden Museum of Southern Art will put on a Black History Month scavenger hunt starting Monday, Feb. 8, featuring its exhibitions and collections by Black artists including Benny Andrews and Clementine Hunter and photojournalist Ernest C. Withers. Prizes include free passes to the museum, an Ogden Museum Art Box and more. Special civil rights educational tours will be available for school children, and a Black History Month art activity can be found online. ogdenmuseum.org The National World War II Museum hosts a series of webinars throughout the month on Black veterans and researchers. There’s a talk on Eugene Bullard, the first African-American combat pilot, who fought in both world wars at 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 1, and another on Charles Drew, a surgeon who led the Blood Plasma Program development during WWII. Xavier University history professor Marcus Cox gives a lecture on the relationship between racial integration in the military and the Civil Rights Movement at 11 a.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 17, and a conversation at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24 focuses on the role African Americans at home played during WWII. nationalww2museum.org Tulane University will have two virtual lectures focusing on Black artists. The first, at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 2, looks at the works of 19th-century Black artists Robert S. Duncanson, Robert Douglass Jr. and Edmonia Lewis and the depiction of Native Americans in the works. The other, at 11 a.m.

Friday, Feb. 5, is a discussion with local Black female creatives, jazz clarinetist Doreen Ketchens, Queen of the Guardians of the Flame Maroon Society Cherice HarrisonNelson, singer-songwriter Joy Clark and WWNO producer and Morning Edition host Diane Mack. tulane.edu The Hermann-Grima + Gallier Historic Houses will have a virtual lecture by historian Kimberley Coleman on free people of color living in antebellum New Orleans. at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10. The lecture is free, but the museum is accepting donations. hgghh.org — KAYLEE POCHE

9

COMMENTARY

a little edgy

a lot of comfort

WE’VE COMMENTED EXTENSIVELY over the

last 10 months on the Cantrell administration’s up-and-down handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and for good reason: Leadership in a time of crisis necessarily comes from the top. Our elected officials, particularly Gov. John Bel Edwards, Mayor LaToya Cantrell and City Council members, sit atop our political pyramid. By and large, they have led us well.

But even the best set of rules means nothing without buy-in from citizens. For much of the pandemic, New Orleanians answered the call. Even when City Hall has not evenly or equitably enforced the rules by allowing tourists to run amok, the vast majority of New Orleanians toed the line.

With multiple new strains of Covid spreading at the height of Carnival season, this is no time to let our guard down. Too many people have sacrificed too much to throw it all away over a Mardi Gras that won’t hold a candle to those of years past, which makes the recent spate of flagrant rule-breaking particularly outrageous.

The Krewe of Nyx, which imploded under the weight of its leadership’s race-baiting, drew widespread scorn after photos surfaced of the krewe’s 2021 Mardi Gras “ball” in Biloxi. While many lampooned the few dozen participants on social media for taking their show of defiance to Mississippi, this was no laughing matter. Each of those unmasked faces represented a danger not only to themselves and their families, but also to our entire city. Any one of them could still trigger a deadly super-spreader event — a fact that seemed to be part of Nyx’s “contrarian” fun of flouting the rules.

If Nyx’s event were the only example, we could write it off as a small group of Covid-denying fools.

Unfortunately, the problem is much larger. Monkey Hill Bar recently held its own super-spreader event — an egregious example of a bar and its patrons ignoring public safety and common sense. Sadly, they are not

$59

$58

pandemic hours mon - sat 10 - 5:30 7732 m a p l e 865 . 9625 From Facebook.

alone. In areas that cater to tourists or to younger crowds, more and more bars are bending, breaking or completely ignoring Covidrelated occupancy and social-distancing rules.

The impulse to gather in celebration is understandable, particularly in New Orleans. We’ve been cooped up for nearly a year, and there’s little chance of a sustained economic rebound anytime soon. But fostering large crowds these days is reckless and selfish.

Worst of all, the mayor has foolishly welcomed tourists with open arms even as she imposed restrictions on locals. Cantrell’s mixed message has produced predictable results: businesses and individuals risking it all for a crowded Saturday night out or a goofy selfie to own the libs. How should we expect them to behave come Mardi Gras weekend, when throngs of tourists pack the Quarter and the allure of joining the fun is harder than ever to resist?

We’re not against Mardi Gras fun, but we urge our fellow citizens to keep their eyes on the prize — namely, our city emerging from the pandemic as whole as possible.

Keep wearing your masks, practice social distancing, and above all avoid crowds, no matter how much “fun” you think you’re missing.

Because Zoom funerals are no fun at all.

BRING ON BR UN CH SATURDAY & SUNDAY

$

15

Bloody M a ry s & Mimosas

S S E L M O BOTT

231 N Carrollton Ave. Suite C • 504-609-3871

www.BrownButterRestaurant.com

OPEN LUNCH WED - FRI | DINNER WED - SAT | BRUNCH SAT + SUN

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 0 2 1

Cantrell’s mixed message on COVID rules has had predictable ill effects

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 02 1

10

CLANCY DUBOS @clancygambit

Race to succeed Richmond about to heat up THE SPECIAL ELECTION TO SUCCEED CEDRIC RICHMOND in Congress

BOTTLE SIGNING with the winemaker

Chris Agan thursday, february 4th 2pm - 4pm

Napa wines with a New Orleans spirit.

710 VETERANS MEMORIAL BLVD. | METAIRIE | DORIGNACS.COM (504) 834-8216

Open 7am-8pm Everyday

is about to heat up.

Election Day, March 20, is only seven weeks away — and early voting, which runs March 6-13, is only five weeks away.

That doesn’t leave much time for candidates to connect with voters — and attack one another.

Brace yourselves.

Fifteen candidates qualified for the Second District seat — eight Democrats, four Republicans, one Libertarian, one “Independent” and one “No Party.”

The district includes most of New Orleans and much of the West Bank from Algiers to metro Baton Rouge, including the River Parishes. The district’s voters are 63% Democrat, 61% Black, more than 56% female, and more than 68% of them live in Orleans and Jefferson parishes.

For almost two decades, the district gave Louisiana its only Democrat in the House. It looks to stay that way: fewer than 12% of its voters are Republicans.

The brevity of the campaign favors those with well-known names and well-oiled political organizations behind them. The two front runners are state Sens.

Troy Carter and Karen Carter Peterson (no relation to one another), but don’t discount the potential of Baton Rouge community organizer Gary Chambers. All three are Black Democrats with liberal bona fides, but each is running a distinctive campaign.

Peterson has served in the Louisiana Legislature since 1999, starting in the House and then in the Senate since 2010.

Her campaign has a number of “national” attributes thanks to her tenure on the Democratic National Committee. She also chaired the state Democratic Party for eight years, from 2012-2020.

Peterson’s endorsements include Democratic rock star Stacey Abrams, who played a huge role in turning Georgia’s two U.S. Senate seats Democratic on Jan. 5. She also has a national fundraising base thanks to her stint as DNC vice chair for civic engagement and voter participation. Look for other high-profile endorsements to come her way, both nationally

PHOTO BY CHRIS GR ANGER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

Who will replace Cedric Richmond? The race is about to heat up.

and locally — she is a close ally of Mayor LaToya Cantrell.

Carter’s campaign has a decidedly local focus. He served in the Legislature from 1992-94, then on the New Orleans City Council 1994-2002. He won his Senate seat in 2015 representing Algiers and parts of West Jefferson. He’s a close ally of Richmond — who endorsed Carter before resigning his congressional seat. A TV ad containing Richmond’s endorsement ran all day on major networks during Biden’s inauguration ceremonies.

Carter likely will garner endorsements from other local allies like New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno, who considered entering this race herself, and some officials in Jefferson Parish. He may also get a turnout boost from contested municipal elections in Gretna, which is in his Senate district.

If any of the lesser-known candidates has the potential to cut into Carter and Peterson’s support, it’s Chambers. He is well-known in Baton Rouge for his blog and social media presence as well as his community organizing skills. He has more than 273,000 followers on Instagram, more than 83,000 on Twitter and 49,000 on Facebook.

Equally important, he claims to have raised some $260,000 in small donations from nearly 7,500 donors. That’s what real grassroots campaigning looks like.

Stay tuned. This one’s about to get very interesting.

BLAKE PONTCHARTRAIN™

11

@GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 0 2 1

Hey Blake, I’ve heard stories and seen photos of Mardi Gras parades rolling through the French Quarter. What was the route?

Dear reader,

In pre-pandemic Carnival seasons, the small-scale, satirical parades of Krewe du Vieux and krewedelusion, along with several walking krewes, were the only parades allowed to wind their way through the French Quarter.

Nearly 50 years earlier, though, large parades rolled through the Quarter.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, some krewes’ routes included St. Louis, Royal and Bourbon streets.

Since Comus, Momus and Proteus held their Carnival balls at the French Opera House (at Bourbon and Toulouse), their routes ended there.

When that building burned in 1919, parades stopped rolling in the Quarter for about 15 years. The 1930 opening of the Municipal Auditorium prompted parades to enter the Vieux Carre again as many disbanded at the auditorium for their respective balls.

In 1972 (the last year of French Quarter parades), 12 krewes paraded in the Quarter, turning from Canal Street onto Royal and then turning left on Orleans Avenue to end at the Municipal Auditorium. Iris and Bacchus reversed the route, turning from Canal onto Rampart, then heading river-bound on Orleans Avenue and turning onto Royal, before heading back to Canal and disbanding near the Rivergate (where Bacchus held its post-parade Rendezvous).

The large size of Bacchus’ floats — combined with the growing size of parade crowds — generated

T I M E S - P I C AYU N E F I L E P H OTO BY H . J . PAT T ER S O N

The Krewe of Proteus parades down Canal Street in this photo from 1966.

serious concerns about French Quarter parades.

In a September 1972 article in The Times-Picayune, Deputy Police Superintendent Louis Sirgo said that 40 steel barricades were destroyed the previous Carnival because crowds were so large on Royal Street. Fire Chief Louis San Salvador said he would be “the most relieved person in New Orleans” if the city kept parades out of the Quarter. “I think you can see what would happen if a man dropped a flambeaux on Royal Street,” San Salvador said.

“There would be nowhere to go.”

An advisory committee made up of krewe officials recommended a ban on French Quarter parades, and the City Council adopted it as official policy. The ban took effect with the 1973 Carnival season.

BLAKEVIEW FEBRUARY MARKS THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY of the opening of the Orpheum,

the downtown theater listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Built at a cost of $750,000, construction on the Beaux-Arts style building began in 1918. Designed by architects G. Albert Lansburgh and Samuel Stone, the theater opened on Feb. 7, 1921. “There is no prettier theater in the South that compares with it in appointments and acoustics,” wrote The New Orleans States.

The building, owned by the Orpheum theater chain, hosted national touring vaudeville acts. The local theater later showed motion pictures and hosted concerts, Carnival balls and marquee performers such as Bob Hope, George Burns and Harry Houdini.

The Orpheum was threatened with demolition in the 1970s before preservationists convinced the owners to donate it to the New Orleans Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra (the predecessor to the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra). The building was renovated and hosted symphony performances for nearly two decades.

The Orpheum closed in 2005 after extensive flood damage from Hurricane Katrina. In 2014, Dr. Eric George and Roland and Mary von Kurnatowski bought the building and launched a painstaking $14 million renovation. It reopened in August 2015, and several years ago George became sole owner.

Though its schedule has been affected by the pandemic, the theater is once again host to the symphony (via virtual performances) as well as other concerts and special events.

g n i p ip

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 02 1

12

Sk

t a e a b

rs e c n ades a d , r s a p n l ia r niva c i s u ng Ca a n m ol missi P i t t m o h sc n at y l o r

ke o r High r tb hea

L P H OTO B Y K E I T H P I C OT

WAR REN EASTON 2020 HOMECOMING GAME

AST YEAR ON MARDI GRAS DAY, Imani

Powell woke up at 5 a.m. to get to school for band warm-ups.

Donning her feathered cap and purple and yellow jacket, the 17-year-old instinctively rattled the valves on her trumpet while some of her best friends did the same next to her. The only thing on her mind in that moment was that shiny Rex trophy.

“I was nervous, but I just wanted our lines to be straight and the music to sound good,” Powell says.

Her school, Warren Easton Charter High School, had won the Rex parade’s band contest four years in a row, so she figured the nerves would ease. But it wasn’t until marching past Jesuit High School’s band that she was able to shake the jitters. Stepping high as she possibly could, her world stopped, her mind drifting effortlessly between the bars of sheet music that took so long to memorize.

a

By T

At one point farther down St. Charles Avenue — after passing the judges — her band director announced that they just won the trophy for the fifth year in a row. They broke their pristine formation to celebrate, and some band members cried tears of joy — especially those wearing sashes that said “senior.” As they neared the end of the route, band members took out their mouthpieces and swapped instruments. Powell took on a baritone, tapping into an unknown talent for a horn of entirely new dimensions. It was a hard flex for the five-time champs of Mardi Gras.

Afterwards on the bus to the school, students began passing the trophy around, posing for selfies. Powell, a junior at the time, initiated the chant “six-peat! sixpeat!” urging her team on to win again in 2021.

But there will be no six-peat, at least not for Powell. Instead, there’s a lingering sense of loss, a hole where band practices and early morning nerves should be, a hole punched into her life — and the lives of thousands of other New Orleans teens — by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rise of COVID-19 in New Orleans has been anything but festive — with many of the state’s earliest cases traced to last year’s Carnival celebrations. So on Nov.

17, 2020, when all 2021 parades were canceled, it was understandable that Mayor LaToya Cantrell was trying to prevent another massive super-spreader event from happening. There have been solutions to many missing aspects of the holiday, but one beating heart of the Mardi Gras spirit will be removed entirely: school marching bands and dance auxiliaries.

On a normal year, you can fill your hands with different throws, eyes with brightly colored Indian suits and costumes in parades.

But plenty of people point to the highly-skilled local school dancers and brass bands as their favorite parts of the Mardi Gras season.

As a casual local observer, it’s easy to take the swishing banners, the drum major’s high step, and the goosebump-inducing blare of harmonizing brass for granted.

School bands sometimes pass by in a flash. But each troupe and its coordinated routines can take nearly a year of practice to master. And with school being such a short cycle of time, missing a single year can be devastating for students.

“This is supposed to be the moment where all those long runs at practice pay off and become everything you could imagine,” Amber Muhammad, 17, captain of the flag team at McDonogh 35 Senior High says. “But now all of that is gone for us.”

This year will mark the first year since a 1979 police union strike that a vast majority of parades have been canceled. The tradition of an organized Mardi Gras didn’t really pick up in the city until the Civil War era, when military bands

13 G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 0 2 1

P H OTO B Y K E I T H P I C OT

WAR REN EASTON 2020 HOMECOMING GAME featured heavily in parades.

And it wasn’t until the 1930s that high school bands started getting involved. In the ’70s, dance schools got in on the act.

Marching bands have evolved over the years, from performing military songs to traditional New Orleans jazz to pop music.

And that evolution has happened on a micro scale as well.

Each year, bands bring something a little different. If they’re doing it right.

The hardest part for students not marching during Mardi Gras this year is that they know exactly what they’ll be missing.

“The spotlight is on you,” says Coby Meija, 17, a trumpet player and drum major at McDonogh 35. “And everything you’ve been feeling from when the parade first started just takes over your body, and you get lost in the music.”

Muhammad remembers a special moment from last year when her co-captain called her up to the front of the formation to lead the team on the last parade — in a literal passing of the baton for her senior year.

“It’s like the Olympics,” Muhammad says. “That adrenaline from people screaming my name and cheering me on felt like floating on life.”

Of course every student has their favorite parade. Marchers spoke wistfully of years past and the specifics of individual parades that stuck out.

“Marching in Bacchus is so exciting because you get the rush from performing in the Convention Center,” says Da’Shay Hooker, the 17-year-old

captain of McDonogh 35’s majorette team, referring to the superkrewe parade that takes place the last big weekend before Fat Tuesday. “And being on TV is amazing.”

Some schools even get to look at the place where it all started. “I loved marching in Endymion because it’s one of the biggest parades that passes in front of my school,” Powell says. “It’s tiring marching the long route, but it’s worth seeing all of my people.”

Bands and auxiliaries can march up to seven miles per route at around two miles per hour, with little to no rest. So while marchers’ sensory overload is made up of glittery, dazzling visuals and sweet brass and drums that’ll rattle tooth fillings, another sense plays a big factor for these musical athletes: the varied smells of the parade route.

“We only get little candies and water to keep us going, and we need more than that,” Muhammad says, adding that the smell of food trucks begin to taunt her after she’s a couple of miles deep down the route, having burned hundreds of calories.

“The smell of rain gets me excited,” says Powell. “When that hits, I just know we are going to have fun the rest of the route.”

But it wouldn’t be rain that would eventually rain on high schoolers’ parades — at least this year.

PAGE 14

KREWE Barber Shop the

(504) 645-0454

South, 3348 W Esplanade Ave., #305 Metairie, LA 70002

14

cover story

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 02 1

PAGE 13

P H OTO B Y TAY LO R P I T T M A N

MCDONOGH 35 BAND MEMBER S IN 2019

P H OTO B Y K E I T H P I C OT

MEMBER S OF THE WAR REN EASTON BAND

On the first day of classes after winter break, Jan. 4, Warren Easton band students came prepared to start focusing on their spring concert. Sanaia Polk, 19, a cymbal player, sprinted out of class to make it to practice — she missed the 2020 parade season and was eager to use the concert as a way to get focused. After she burnt out all of her energy that day, one of her closest friends ran up to her and told her the devastating news. Her heart dropped to the bottom of her sneakers.

School was going to be canceled and she just knew deep down that her band dreams would be canceled too — but she still denied the truth.

But things were clearly not going to work out. Although

Cantrell had cancelled formal parades, she’d left any alternatives up to the individual krewes. Although the mayor insists that Mardi Gras isn’t ‘canceled,’ per se — and even encouraged visitors from outside of the city to come — there’s been little direction from the city.

Technically, balls and events may be held, but they won’t look like anything we’re used to. City rules generally cap private events at 10 people, and neither dancing nor buffets are allowed at this point. Although it appears some larger events might be allowed on a case by case basis, they would need explicit approval from the city and must be permitted. Bars are allowed to sell alcohol curbside and in go cups, but indoor seating is not permitted. House parties are also allowed if they are limited to people who live in one home.

“None of the alternate ideas put forth by the krewes allow us to participate,” McDonogh 35 Senior High band director, Lawrence Rawlins says. “We haven’t been able to practice and don’t have the proper preparation needed. There are only about six bands in New Orleans that can do that, and we are not one of them.”

Students expected to have a more solid option on the table from schools or the city before the parade season began.

“I feel like [Cantrell] did not even try to think of any alternatives,” Powell says.

The only music that will be getting played throughout neighborhoods will be on speakers by different DJs, but students believe nothing can compare to the authentic sound of horns and

drums being played by a full brass band.

Lyric Andrew, 17, believes that the bands are the highlight of the holiday itself.

“What does Mardi Gras even truly sound like without music?” Andrew says.

“People can’t dance without their souls being filled with the true spirit of the holiday.”

“You never know what somebody is going through at home when they get to the parade,” Powell says. “And it can make the whole difference in their life — hearing it — whether you know it or not.”

Aside from performances, nearly all schools have canceled practice altogether. St. Augustine High School is one of the few band programs practicing right now to prepare for a possible season.

Few bands got to experience this year’s past football season, and many are currently not practicing. And if they are practicing or playing, they are required to wear a band mask and have instrument covers, according to CDC guidelines. Think of the bell of horns as an amplifier of the kind of aerosols that spread the virus.

McDonogh 35 is one of many schools that decided to not let their band students participate in practice or any band-related events since the summer.

“We just did not know how risky practicing was,” Rawlins says. “And my biggest concern is the safety of our students. Many of the schools that participated during football season did not follow the CDC guidelines — no

cover story

WATCH THE

family,” Powell chirps. “It’s amazing to see all of these different people come together and have a good time.”

Freshmen will miss out on an important formative year of band practice, adjusting to the higher standards that come with the rigor of high school bands and auxiliaries. It’s a step up from the lower schools that participate in Mardi Gras, but freshmen at least have time to make up for the slack. Seniors, on the other hand, are missing out on an important final year that sometimes results in scholarships.

“I’m still up for band scholarships because my band director is helping me get one,” Powell says. Not all students, though, have that opportunity and were hoping to have the chance to earn theirs in their senior year.

Some students believe that this missing year will cause them to be unprepared for future performances in college, so they came up with alternate plans.

“I didn’t even plan on marching this year because I knew I wouldn’t be able to get a scholarship, so I decided to focus on softball,” says Jahira Sanders, 17, a clarinet player at McDonogh 35. Sanders and other seniors dedicated hours after school practicing to prepare for a senior parade season that they would never have. Others were devastated because they could not play those solos they knew they wanted in their senior year.

Muhammad thinks that the only solution to a lost parade season is a kind of battle of the bands, held in the same way that Grambling and Southern play at the Bayou Classic, which could allow bands to play while keeping their distance. Muhammad

P H OTO B Y TAY LO R P I T T M A N

MCDONOGH 35 STUDENT JAHIR A SANDER S POSES BEFORE A FOOTBALL GAME IN 2019 feels like the audience could pan out like how NFL games have been played recently: sparse but attended at the same time.

“I want to look the flag team captain of another school in their eyes and make them feel fear in their chest and hearts,” Muhammad says. “They need to know that I am the best captain to ever walk the streets of New Orleans.”

There’s so much seniors have to offer to their final year. Yes, there are throws to catch, but nothing really compares to the feeling of that band playing a song you know intimately, arranged in a different way.

“You worry about everybody looking good and being on the same movement,” Hooker says.

“Everything has to be clean, clear, and precise, or we might just turn into the next joke on Twitter.”

“I am probably not going to do anything this big in college,” Muhammad says. “So it meant

BIG GAME AT ANDREA’S

Join us Sunday at 5:00 pm. Game will be on our Big Screens!!

Beer Buckets (domestic only) $10 ½ priced Bottles of Wine under $100 House Wine $6

Est 1985 Est.

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 0 2 1

bell covers and no masks — and nothing was done about it.”

Rawlins says that McDonogh 35 had the proper band equipment to follow the guidelines, but that he felt the risk was still too high. Yet band and auxiliary students were upset about the double standard applied to them and sports teams.

“Football is a contact sport that was still pushed to get played, and they won,” Hooker says. “We asked for a socially distanced practice, but now the concern is too high? We understand safety, but as auxiliaries, we don’t even touch each other, and we were still not allowed to practice through this whole pandemic.”

But ultimately, Rawlins sided with Cantrell, understanding that the toll of the virus is beyond the scale of one Mardi Gras.

“Let this lady do her job and shut the city down,” Rawlins says, pointing out how crowded Mardi Gras can be. “Every Sunday during Mardi Gras, you see how packed it is underneath the [I-10].”

Rawlins is talking about the culture band students love most about Mardi Gras.

Underneath the Pontchartrain Expressway on St. Charles, there are almost always brass bands and different food trucks crowding the six-lane width. In years past, it’s a celebration.

But for now, it makes for an unsafe environment.

Mardi Gras crowds are usually drawn to the excitement of Bourbon or Canal street, but it’s a tradition for many Black families to watch Zulu pass under the I-10 and gather as a community.

For many people, that’s exactly where you watch family members pass by.

“I love to see everyone gather around us while we’re marching and cheer us on like we are

PARTY FOOD Pork Ribs, Pizza, Jambalaya, Seafood Gumbo, Chicken Wings, & More

P H OTO B Y TAY LO R P I T T M A N

MCDONOGH 35 DRUM MAJORETTE DA’SHAY HOOKER IN 2019. everything to me to leave it all out there on the streets this year.”

With seniors on their way out — with a season that robbed them — they have a bit of advice for the younger recruits: “Play like it’s your last parade marching,” says Powell, “because you’ll never know when it is over.”

EWE KRof

BOO

3100 19th St., Metairie Andrea’s Restaurant and Catering

(N. Causeway @ Ridgelake) 504.834.8583

www.andreasrestaurant.com

15

FOLLOW US!

517 METAIRIE RD. OLD METAIRIE | 504-510-4655 | nolaboo.com

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 02 1

16

COVID-19 may have canceled parades, but the spirit of Carnival remains THE KREWE OF HOUSE FLOATS may have started as a social media

E G A T S THE FAIRGROUNDS/ BAYOU ST. JOHN 3027 Fortin St. P H OTO S P R OV I D E D B Y VA L E R I E L A N D R Y

musing, but it’s become bigger than anyone could have ever imagined, spanning not just the city, but the world.

The krewe is an expression of New Orleanians’ creativity, ingenuity and inability to just simply give up. From DIY floats to houses done up by artists put out of work by the pandemic, the spirit of Carnival is alive and well in the yards of New Orleans.

17

P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y JILL WHALEN

uPTOWN 5819 S. Galvez St. P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y B E T H B AY E R

OLD JEFFERSON 675 Jefferson St. P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y K I M B E R LY F E R R E L L

IRISH CHANNEL 822 4th St. P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y J OY B R U C E

GRETNA 628 3rd St. P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y D O N N A R I C H E

BROADMOOR 1701-1703 S. Gayoso St. P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y DENISE HANCOCK

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 0 2 1

BREVARD, NORTH CAROLINA

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 02 1

18

KREWE OF

S E K A C KING D A I LY H S E R F D E K BA

TRADITIONAL Plain • Cream Cheese • Apple Strawberry Cream Cheese • Mudslide

GARDEN DISTRICT HAPPY HOUR Tuesday-Thursday 4pm-6:30pm CHARGRILLED OYSTERS $1.10 EACH

METAIRIE

DAT CHOCOLATE RIVER RIDGE

CHALMETTE

PRALINE www.breauxmart.com

y p p Ha Hour

with a

View

OPEN Tuesday-Sunday 11am-9pm THEBLUECRABNOLA.COM

7900 Lakeshore Dr. • New Orleans • 504-284-2898

Under new type of ownership

Upper crust

WHEN PAGODA CAFE RECENTLY REOPENED, Brandon Duncan got his

NOLA Pizza Co. serves New York-style pies

old job back and also a chance to become a restaurant owner.

Duncan is one of 10 employees here who are now in the process of turning Pagoda Cafe into a worker-owned cooperative.

If successful, they will collectively takeover ownership from founder Shana Mae Sassoon and operate the small 7th Ward cafe together, sharing management responsibilities and whatever profits it generates.

BY B E T H D ’A D D O N O NEW YORK-NATIVE DOUG WALNER

believes the marriage of pizza and beer is a match made in heaven.

So when the NOLA Brewing Co. owner was scrambling to come up with creative ways to stay afloat during the pandemic, running a pizza operation out of the tap room’s kitchen seemed to make sense.

The brewery took over the kitchen space in summer 2020 and on Nov. 1, Walner opened what he’d been thinking about for a while — a pizza operation as crafty and artisanal as the brewery’s award-winning beers.

Not that there isn’t good pizza in New Orleans, but fans of the New York style love the large handtossed, thin-crust pies that are thick and crisp at the edges, but pliable enough in the middle to fold a big slice in half lengthwise.

First, Walner had to answer the question: What makes New York pizza good?

“It’s the water, definitely the water,” he says.

Since making great beer involves as much science as art, Walner and his team, which includes brewmaster Peter Caddoo and consulting chef Brandon Byrd, got geeky, comparing the water of the Big Apple to the Big Easy. It turns out the exact mineral and pH content of New York water are consistent, but here in New Orleans, both mineral content and pH balance vary wildly. That wasn’t OK. So using a gizmo that manages reverse osmosis, the team was able to take local tap and strip it down to neutral, then add in the exact mineral and pH content of New York City water — and keep it consistent. Byrd tinkered with a higher ratio of water to flour and a 48-hour proofing process, and the resulting pizza is as good as you’d get on Carmine Street in the Village.

Byrd brought a wealth of New York experience to NOLA’s Bakers Pride

oven, a brand preferred by many pizza makers. Besides working at Dinner Lab and restaurants including Momofuku Noodle Bar and Kith/ Kin, he’s spun dough at Two Boots Pizza and Frank Pinello’s Best Pizza in Manhattan.

On a recent Saturday, the pizza kitchen was cranking out pies as guests waited in line (spaced six feet apart) to place orders for fermented food and ale. The newly renovated 5,300-square-foot brewery has plenty of dining space in the airy interior, as well as a large second-floor balcony. On most weekends, local bands perform in the afternoons and the crowd is familyand dog-friendly.

The menu is small and straightforward. Pizza options are red, white and square. Pies start at $18 and run the gamut, with a classic combination of mushroom, olives and onions and white pizza with ricotta, provolone, Parmesan and garlic. There’s also a pizza with sausage, broccoli rabe, breadcrumbs and pecorino; and a square pizza topped with vodka sauce, pepperoni and basil.

Quality ingredients are the baseline, from a tomato-based sauce made strictly from Roma tomatoes and cheese from Wisconsin’s Grande Cheese Company. Online ordering is focused on whole pies, but patrons can get single slices in the tap room.

P H OTO B Y C H ERY L G ER B ER

NOLA Pizza Co. serves New York-style thin-crust pizza in the NOLA Brewing tap room.

There are tasty salads, including a traditional Italian with romaine, breadcrumbs, Parmesan and creamy garlic dressing. There also are what New Yorkers call “heroes” — think po-boys with a Brooklyn accent — with fillings such as eggplant Parmesan, meatball and chicken marsala. Sweets lovers can order a Nutella bun or tiramisu.

The tap room lineup of 20 brews includes flagship beers and some available only at the brewery.

Hoppyright Infringement IIPA earned the gold medal in the American Style Imperial/Double India Pale Ale category in the Best of Craft Beer Awards. The team also has played around with nonalcoholic drinks and last year introduced hopped sparkling teas, which are a refreshing tonic for non-beer drinkers at the tap room.

Out of the box, the pizza was in demand for online and to-go orders.

Walner wants to add a self-managed delivery option but doesn’t feel the kitchen is ready for that kind of volume.

“We are already busy, and consistency is critical as we get the word out,” he says. “We are taking the same approach to the pizza as we do with our beer. It’s working.”

?

WHAT

NOLA Pizza Co.

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

WHERE

NOLA Brewing Co., 3001 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 896-9996

WHEN

Lunch and dinner daily

CHECK IT OUT

New York-style pizza and sandwiches in a craft brewery

P H OTO B Y C H R I S G R A N G ER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AYU N E | T H E N E W O R L E A N S A DVO C AT E

Duncan says he’s excited for the future prospects of Pagoda Cafe.

“It’s coming from the trust that the team here has for each other, the loyalty,” Duncan says. “That’s a really good feeling to know people are on your side.”

The move comes at a time when many in the hospitality field are assessing different business models after the pandemic so quickly and drastically impacted the industry.

“I think this is the time to try new things,” Sassoon says. “So many people love this industry, but burnout is real and it’s partially because of wages. If you have more investment in it, maybe some of the skills stay in the kitchen, on the line, in the restaurant.”

Pagoda Cafe is a small operation on Bayou Road, housed in a former laundry with a pagoda-style tile roof.

It has a kitchen and service counter inside, and all seating is on patios outside. It’s known for its breakfast tacos, pastries and coffee drinks.

In March 2020, it was among the first businesses to close down, with Sassoon citing concern over community spread of COVID-19.

As she contemplated how to reopen, Sassoon concluded that business as usual had not been working before the crisis.

PAGE 21

19 G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 0 2 1

EATDRINK

FORK CENTER

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 02 1

20

She started talking with Pagoda Cafe staff about different models.

They agreed on a worker-owned cooperative as a way to build sustainability for the business and equity for the staff and, as Sassoon puts it, to recognize that the staff were “co-creators” of the cafe.

“The experience of living in New Orleans has shown me that we need more mutual aid and support to get through the tough times we face here,” she says.

They are now working with Cooperation New Orleans, a group that supports and promotes worker-owned cooperatives.

Tamah Yisrael, a project officer for Cooperation New Orleans, said Pagoda Cafe is the first restaurant in the New Orleans area she’s seen pursuing worker-owned cooperative status.

“They’ve laid the groundwork by building a lively community of people who are supportive of them,” she says. “Those types of values and the dedication and commitment of the staff are keys.”

Their plan is currently in the development phase. The staff are learning about the process, and also about the business. They’re holding weekly video conference meetings with Cooperation New Orleans as they work through issues like legal structure, an operating agreement, establishing roles in the cooperative and financing, which Yisreal says may come through organizations that support worker-owned cooperatives.

At the end of the path, the goal is to form a limited liability corporation that would buy Pagoda Cafe from Sassoon.

The model that Pagoda Cafe is pursuing differs from some of the well-known cooperatives around town, like the New Orleans Food Co-Op grocery store, which is membership based and owned by its customers. The Neutral Ground Coffee House (previously called the Penny Post) was for many years a member-owned cooperative as well.

Sassoon says the model feels intuitive in some ways.

Duncan, 30, is a New Orleans native who has worked at Pagoda Cafe for five years and has been a supervisor for the past three. He’s a graduate of Liberty’s Kitchen, a nonprofit youth leadership program based around hospitality. He’s worked at fast food restaurants, and he’s cooked for school lunch programs.

Duncan, who is Black, said he’s excited to take an ownership stake in Pagoda Cafe and join the Bayou Road business community, which is lined with Black-owned businesses.

He’s also hopeful about continuing what he loves to do.

“I just love the work,” he says. “I love cooking. If it’s good food, it makes people happy.”

Pagoda Cafe reopened for takeout

EAT+DRINK

21

only and with a smaller menu. A custom-designed walk-up takeout window minimizes contact. — IAN McNULTY/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

Four Seasons total dining A NEW RESTAURANT TAKING SHAPE

within the Four Seasons hotel is designed around sweeping views of the Mississippi River and the cuisine of one of the city’s most accomplished restaurateurs: Donald Link.

The hotel, slated to open this spring at the foot of Canal Street, will be home to the next restaurant from the Link Restaurant Group.

This new restaurant has yet to be named, and details of the concept remain in development. Link says it will be a fine dining restaurant, a notch more upscale than his bistro Herbsaint. It will have roughly 150 seats and 30 more at the bar. Link’s crew also will field menus for the separate pool and cabana terrace adjacent to the main restaurant.

From its perch on the hotel’s fifth floor, one side of the dining room will be all glass, framing a vista of the river, passing ships and the contours that shaped the Crescent City.

“Once I saw the view, that got me,” Link says.

Last fall, the hotel announced plans to develop a restaurant with chef Alon Shaya and Emily Shaya of Pomegranate Hospitality, which runs the modern Israeli restaurant Saba in Uptown and a restaurant in a hotel in Denver. The Shayas’ unnamed restaurant will be on the hotel’s first floor, and it is projected to open around the time of the hotel’s debut this spring. Link’s restaurant is projected to open in the fall.

The hotel, officially the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences New Orleans, will mark a new chapter for the former World Trade Center high rise at the foot of Canal Street. The Four Seasons will have 341 rooms and 92 private residences and various events spaces.

The landmark building’s redevelopment as luxury hotel and condominiums has been touted as a key for reviving this part of the riverfront.

That’s one reason Link decided to proceed with the new project, even while the hospitality industry struggles with the economic toll of the coronavirus crisis.

“It’s a way to make a commitment to New Orleans and keep the city moving forward,” he says.

The Link Restaurant Group has built a national reputation and won many James Beard awards. In addition to Herbsaint, it runs Cochon, Peche Seafood Grill, Gianna, the market and eatery Cochon Butcher and the bakery cafe La Boulangerie. — IAN McNULTY/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

Win a limited edition Yardi Gras 2021 t-shirt courtesy of Gambit and Miller Lite enter to win:

bestofneworleans.com/yardigraas

GRAND PRIZE Send us a photo of your Yardi Gras 2021 decorations for your chance to win a Miller Lite prize pack with a bike, mini-fridge and yard chairs.

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 0 2 1

PAGE 19

EAT+DRINK

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 02 1

22

3-COURSE INTERVIEW

Nina Compton Chef/restaurateur NINA COMPTON IS CELEBRATING

Take

WWNO

with you wherever you go.

Download the App Today

Black History Month with a Thursday night dinner series at Compere Lapin. A native of St. Lucia, she worked in New York and Miami before becoming a fan favorite on season 11 of “Top Chef,” which was filmed in New Orleans. She moved here and opened Compere Lapin in 2015 and Bywater American Bistro in 2018. The James Beard Foundation named her Best Chef: South in 2018. For the dinner series, she’ll collaborate on special menus with local chefs and restaurateurs, starting with Linda Green, aka “The Ya-Ka-Mein Lady,” on Feb. 4. Upcoming dinners feature Biruk Alemayehu, owner of Addis NOLA, Lisa “Queen Trini” Nelson and Eve Haydel, granddaughter of Leah Chase. The dinners are multicourse meals and drink pairings are available. Contact the restaurant for information and reservations.

How will the dinner menus be created?

New Orleans Public Radio • wwno.org

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

NINA COMPTON: We’re collaborating. Ms. Linda is known for yakamein, and she’s the sweetest person.

She’s as New Orleans as you can get. I called her up and invited her, and she said, “What should I do?” I said just do you. She’s going to do her crawfish mac and cheese. I’ll do a fried pork chop with smothered greens. I may do a sweet potato pie and bread pudding.

With Addis, it’s Ethiopian food.

It’s a special restaurant, and people need to know about it. I am going to do some research about Ethiopian food once I see what Addis is putting on the menu.

With Leah Chase’s granddaughter Eve, that’s a fun one. It’ll be a tribute to Leah Chase and the food she liked to eat. I went to her funeral, and I sat in a pew behind two women who were talking about her. They said she was the quickest, the fastest, the hardest working person in the kitchen. I asked them what she liked to eat, and they said spaghetti and meatballs. So we are going to make foods she liked to eat, and she liked to drink Crown and 7, so we’ll have that.

When I talked to (Queen Trini) Lisa, I said I love your doubles, you have to do them. Let’s do a Caribbean menu with food people don’t know. People always think of conch fritters and jerk food and

drinking a Red Stripe with their toes curling in the sand.

We’re going to do things people don’t know about. It shows how unique Black cultures are in the Caribbean.

There were all sorts of things brought here from Africa and the Caribbean.

Gumbo is a version of an African dish, but it’s about time and place and what’s available — ingredients that are local. There are a lot of things here that are from the Caribbean, like spices and sausages. In St. Lucia we have blood pudding, or a sausage like boudin noir. It’s also related to the French influence.

The first settlers from the Caribbean to come here were from Nevis and Montserrat. There were also people from Haiti, and you see coffee and sugar cane and things that were big in the Caribbean but not everywhere in the South.

How hard is it for Black chefs to get attention they deserve?

C: I was talking to Marcus Samuelsson about his book (“The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food: A Cookbook”).

It showcases (Black) chefs from around the world. But when people talk about Black chefs, they’re the backbone of many kitchens in this city. They’re the people making the etouffee you eat. But they have not gotten recognition.

We always talk about French and European cuisines, but people are now saying, no, there’s more. Addis NOLA has a unique cuisine. In the U.S., there’s Low Country cooking, and Cajun and Creole cooking.

The pandemic has been hard on Black businesses. They have to support each other. When this is all over, when restaurants boom again, I want to see (Black-owned) restaurants in the landscape. I can’t see New Orleans without Li’l Dizzy’s and Dooky Chase’s.

Is it hard for Black chefs to get ahead in fine dining kitchens?

C: It’s a hard industry to begin with.

For me, the hardest thing was when I started there weren’t people who looked like me on the line. There

P H OTO B Y D E N N Y C U L B ER T

were Black dishwashers and other staff, but there weren’t Black chefs on the line and other positions — on the ladder to move up. They make it difficult for you. I did a panel with 15 Black chefs — with Carla Hall and Edouardo Jordan — and the same narrative came up. There were no Black faces on the line when we started. A lot of us stuck it out. Now we’re setting the stage for upcoming chefs. It’s not fair out there. It’s not easy to get a bank loan (to open a restaurant).

Leah Chase said something to me.

Every time I would see her, she’d say, “You have to make it.” I always feel like she’s on my shoulder. She went through it all and she did it. That’s a message I have to pass on. “You have to make it.” People see the sacrifice it takes — it takes a lot of dedication. It’s a long game, and it’s about dedication.

I have been reading Mashama Bailey’s book (“Black, White, and The Grey: The Story of an Unexpected Friendship and a Beloved Restaurant”) about The Grey in Savannah (Georgia). It became controversial as this interracial business. She said a powerful thing in her book. She said restaurants are places that bring people together. People share similarities and differences over food. That’s also what Leah Chase said. Bringing people to the table ­— there’s no judgement. That’s why I wanted to do this dinner series — to bring people together. Have fun during these dark times and celebrate the people we have in our community.

— WILL COVIELLO

OUT EAT Contact Will Coviello wcoviello@gambitweekly.com 504-483-3106 | FAX: 504-483-3159 C O M P L E T E L I S T I N G S AT 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 in New Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.

B — breakfast L — lunch D — dinner late — late 24H — 24 hours

$ — average dinner entrée under $10 $$ — $11 to $20 $$$ — $21 or more

Notice: Due to COVID-19, dining at restaurants is impacted, with limited indoor seating and other recommended restrictions. All information is subject to change. Contact the restaurant to confirm service options.

to build your own pizza. The menu also includes salads and sandwiches. Curbside pickup and delivery available. L, D Tue-Sat. $

P H OTO BY I A N M C N U LT Y/ T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E | T H E N E W O R L E A N S A DVO C AT E

LAKEVIEW

Chirashi sushi at Lotus Bistro (203 W. Harrison Ave., 504-533-9879; lotusbistronola.com) in Lakeview.

BYWATER

Lakeview Brew Coffee Cafe — 5606 Canal Blvd., (504) 483-7001; lakeviewbrew.com — This casual cafe offers coffee, pastries, desserts, sandwiches and salads. Tuna salad or chicken salad avocado melts are topped with Monterey Jack and Parmesan. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available. B, L daily. $ Lotus Bistro — 203 W. Harrison Ave., (504) 533-9879; lotusbistronola.com — A Mineko Iwasaki roll includes spicy snow crab, tuna, avocado and cucumber topped with salmon, chef’s sauce, masago, green onion and tempura crunchy flakes. The menu also includes bento box lunches, teriyaki dishes, fried rice and more. Takeout and delivery are available. L and D Tue-Sun. $$

Luna Libre — 3600 St. Claude Ave., (504) 237-1284 — Roasted chicken enchiladas verde are filled with cheese and served with house-made cheese dip. The menu combines Tex-Mex and dishes from Louisiana and Arkansas. Curbside pickup is available. B Sat-Sun, D Wed-Sun. $

CARROLLTON Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado and snow crab. Takeout and delivery available. L Sun-Fri, D daily. $$ Pyramids Cafe — 3151 Calhoun St., (504) 861-9602 — Diners will find Mediterranean cuisine featuring such favorites as shawarma prepared on a rotisserie. Takeout and delivery available. L, D daily. $$

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

FAUBOURG MARIGNY Kebab — 2315 St. Claude Ave., (504) 3834328; kebabnola.com — The sandwich shop offers doner kebabs and Belgian fries. A falafel sandwich comes with pickled cucumbers, arugula, spinach, red onions, beets, hummus and Spanish garlic sauce. No reservations. Takeout and delivery available Thu-Mon. $

FRENCH QUARTER Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 5860300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — The menu features Gulf seafood in traditional and contemporary Creole dishes, po-boys and more. Char-grilled oysters are topped with Parmesan, herbs and butter. Reservations recommended. Takeout available.

B, L and D daily. $$

HARAHAN/JEFFERSON/ RIVER RIDGE The Rivershack Tavern — 3449 River Road, (504) 834-4938; therivershacktavern.com — This bar and music spot offers a menu of burgers, sandwiches and changing lunch specials. Curbside pickup and delivery available. L, D daily. $ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 7333803; theospizza.com — There is a wide variety of specialty pies and toppings

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. Capelli D’Andrea combines house-made angel hair pasta and smoked salmon in cream sauce.

Curbside pickup and delivery available.

L, D daily, brunch Sun. $$$ Kosher Cajun New York Deli & Grocery — 3519 Severn Ave., Metairie, (504) 888-2010; koshercajun.com — This New York-style deli specializes in sandwiches, including corned beef and pastrami that come from the Bronx. Takeout available. L Sun-Thu, D Mon-Thu. $ Mark Twain’s Pizza Landing — 2035 Metairie Road, Metairie, (504) 832-8032; marktwainpizza.com — Mark Twain’s serves salads, po-boys and pies like the Italian pizza with salami, tomato, artichoke, sausage and basil. Takeout and curbside pickup are available. L Tue-Sat, D Tue-Sun. $ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; theospizza.com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $

MID-CITY/TREME Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream. com — This sweet shop serves its own gelato, spumoni, Italian ice, cannolis, fig cookies and other treats. Window and curbside pickup. L, D Tue-Sun. $ Brown Butter Southern Kitchen & Bar — 231 N. Carrollton Ave., Suite C, (504) 6093871; brownbutterrestaurant.com — Sample items include smoked brisket served with smoked apple barbecue sauce, smoked heirloom beans and vinegar slaw. A Brunch burger features a brisket and short rib patty topped with bacon, brie, a fried egg, onion jam and arugula on a brioche bun. Dine-in, takeout, curbside pickup

and delivery available. L and D Wed-Sat, brunch Sat-Sun. $$ Doson Noodle House — 135 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 309-7283; facebook.com/dosonnoodlehouse — Bun thit is Vietnamese-style grilled pork with cucumber, onions, lettuce, mint, cilantro and fish sauce served over rice or vermicelli. The menu includes pho, spring rolls and more. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available. $$ Five Happiness — 3511 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 482-3935; fivehappiness.com — The large menu of Chinese dishes includes wonton soup, sizzling seafood combinations served on a hot plate, sizzling Go-Ba and lo mein dishes. Takeout and delivery available. $$ Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — Favorites include the Cajun Cuban with roasted pork, grilled ham, cheese and pickles pressed on buttered bread. The Boudreaux pizza is topped with cochon de lait, spinach, red onions, roasted garlic and scallions. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery available. L and D Tue-Sun. $$ Nonna Mia — 3125 Esplanade Ave., (504) 948-1717; nonnamianola.com — A Divine Portobello appetizer features chicken breast, spinach in red pepper sauce and crostini. The menu includes salads, sandwiches, pasta, pizza and more. Curbside pickup and delivery are available.

Service daily. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; theospizza.com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $

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

UPTOWN Joey K’s — 3001 Magazine St., (504) 8910997; joeyksrestaurant.com ­— The menu includes fried seafood platters, salads, sandwiches and red beans and rice. Sauteed trout Tchoupitoulas is topped with shrimp and crabmeat and served with vegetables and potatoes. Takeout and delivery available. $$ Red Gravy — 4206 Magazine St., (504) 561-8844; redgravycafe.com — Thin cannoli pancakes are filled with cannoli cream and topped with chocolate. The menu includes brunch items, pasta dishes, sandwiches, baked goods and more. Takeout available. $$

Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; theospizza. com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $ Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco — 5015 Magazine St., (504) 267-7612; titoscevichepisco.com — The Peruvian menu includes a version of the traditional dish lomo saltado, featuring beef tenderloin tips sauteed with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, soy sauce and pisco, and served with fried potatoes and rice.

Dine-in, outdoor seating and delivery available. L and D Mon-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$

WAREHOUSE DISTRICT Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; annunciationrestaurant. com — The menu highlights Gulf seafood in Creole, Cajun and Southern dishes. Fried oysters and skewered bacon are served with meuniere sauce and toasted French bread.

Reservations required. D Thu-Sun. $$$ Carmo — 527 Julia St., (504) 875-4132; cafecarmo.com — Carmo salad includes smoked ham, avocado, pineapple, almonds, cashews, raisins, cucumber, green pepper, rice, lettuce, cilantro and citrus mango vinaigrette. The menu includes dishes inspired by tropical cuisines. Takeout and delivery are available. Mon-Sat. $$ NOLA Caye — 898 Baronne St., (504) 302-1302; nolacaye.com — The menu features Caribbean-inspired dishes and Gulf seafood. Seared ahi tuna is served with mango, avocado, mixed greens, citrus vinaigrette and sesame seeds. Takeout, delivery and outdoor seating available. D daily, brunch Sat-Sun. $$$ Provisions Grab-n-Go Marketplace — Higgins Hotel, 500 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higgingshotelnola.com — The coffeeshop serves salads, sandwiches, pastries and more. Takeout available.

Service daily. $

WEST BANK Mosca’s — 4137 Hwy. 90 W., Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery serves shrimp Mosca, chicken a la grande and baked oysters Mosca, made with breadcrumbs and Italian seasonings. Curbside pickup available. D Wed-Sat. Cash only. $$$ Specialty Italian Bistro — 2330 Belle Chasse Hwy., Gretna, (504) 391-1090; specialtyitalianbistro.com — The menu combines Old World Italian favorites and pizza. Paneed chicken piccata is topped with lemon-caper piccata sauce served with angel hair pasta, salad and garlic cheese bread. Takeout and delivery available. Service daily. $$

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 0 2 1

TO

23

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 02 1

24

25

GOING OUT

BY WILL COVIELLO CARNIVAL COMES TO CITY PARK every year. Normally

it’s the launching point for Endymion, as the superkrewe’s floats line up near the parade route’s start at Orleans Avenue. But with COVID-19 throwing Carnival into chaos this year, Floats in the Oaks will present what amounts to an all-star line-up of some of the most popular and recognizable floats from krewes from Orleans and Jefferson parishes.

There won’t be bands or throws, but parade fans won’t have to go a year without seeing Rex’s iconic Boeuf Gras or Bacchus’ multi-trailer Bacchagator.

There also will be Freret’s recently added signature float depicting Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews with a 30-foot trombone and Sparta’s unmanned mini-float with a golden Spartan helmet with a lion on top.

With parades canceled due to the pandemic, the creative inversion of a parade will allow patrons to ride by stationary, unmanned floats. Floats in the Oaks runs in the evenings with additional daytime hours on the weekends from Thursday, Feb. 4, through Sunday, Feb. 14, with a possible extension through Fat Tuesday.

There also are additional entertainment options, and ticket proceeds benefit City Park.

The concept is similar to the park’s annual Celebration in the Oaks, in which patrons drive past holiday lights and whimsical installations.

Floats in the Oaks has a 1.3-mile course, with many floats displayed amid the oak trees on the Roosevelt Mall, stretching behind the New Orleans Museum of Art. The route bends around Beau Bassich Circle at the end of the Roosevelt Mall. The circle was named for Beauregard “Beau” Bassich after his death in 2015. He served many years as the unpaid executive director of City Park and reigned as Rex in 1989. The Rex Organization is honoring the connection by adding a small painting of his initials and a carousel horse, based on the park’s historic carousel, to its king’s float, which will be on display during Floats in the Oaks.

Twenty-five krewes had contributed a total of more than 42 floats as of press time, according to City Park. The gamut runs from superkrewes such as Orpheus and Zulu to old-line Carnival groups, the all-women krewes of Iris and Athena,

WE HAVE

CBD FLOWER THANKS FOR VOTING US

BEST SMOKE SHOP

PLEASE VISIT

P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y RE X

The Rex Streetcar will be in Floats in the Oaks.

the West Bank-based krewes of Alla and Choctaw and more. City Park CEO Rob DeViney is the captain of the Krewe of Argus, which is one of three Metairie parade route groups sending floats. The Krewe of Centurions is sending its royal boat and its light-covered title float.

The Krewe of Tucks is lending some of its potty humor to the line-up, sending its monarch’s giant toilet float. During the pandemic, the group has livestreamed music from its Funky Uncle Lounge, which will be used in a livestreamed virtual tour of its den with live music by the SOUL Project NOLA on Feb. 13. Links are on the krewe’s social media.

The lineup of signature floats includes Alla’s Maharaja, Merlin the Magician and Queen Guinevere from the Krewe of King Arthur and Pygmalion’s Pygmammoth.

The event has grown as enthusiasm has built. Some displays from Celebration in the Oaks will be included. Carnival dance groups will provide live entertainment. Patrons are asked to remain in their cars, but there will be a bull’s-eye at Bacchus’ Bacchawhoppa float for them to toss beads, which will be donated to St. Michael Special School. The route is open to bikes from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. Add-on packages from City Park include snacks and a chance to get professional photos taken on a float.

Visit neworleanscitypark.com for tickets and information.

Relax on our

TROPICAL COURTYARD OR SIDEWALK SEATING

with a fresh cocktail, wine or dinner!

BAR OPENS AT 4PM DAILY • DINNER SERVICE 5PM-10:30PM WEEKDAYS & UNTIL 11PM ON WEEKENDS 720 ORLEANS AVE. • 504.523.1930 • WWW.ORLEANSGRAPEVINE.COM

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 0 2 1

Oak rally

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F e b r ua ry 2 - 8 > 2 02 1

26

Open for Dine In, Outside Seating, Drinks to Go! Order for Pick Up or Delivery - D’Livery, Grub Hub, and Door Dash

FILM

Lone rangers

BY WILL COVIELLO “I’D RATHER BE SUNBURNT on my vaca-

Call to put in our King Cakes order!

Reserve your table for Saints Games!

Open Thursday - Monday Noon to 8pm, Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays 504-766-8118

bywaterbrewpub.com @bywaterbrewpub

WE CAN’T WAIT TO CHEERS YOU! NEW ORLEANS - METAIRIE

REAL EXPERIENCE. REAL EXPERIENCE

MATTERS. REAL RESULTS. SALVADOR M. BROCATO, III ATTORNEY AT LAW

BROCATO LAW FIRM, PLC

PERSONAL INJURY

DWI

CRIMINAL

METAIRIE, LA ˚ BROCATOLAW.COM BROCATOLAW.COM

504-832-7225

tion than vaccinated on my weekend,” aging guitarist Glenn Stagner sings in “Heartworn Highways,” director Jim Szalapski’s 1976 film capturing the early outlaw country movement.

Sitting at the counter of the Wigwam Tavern, a Nashville dive bar run

by Big Mac McGowan, Stagner and McGowan drink whiskey and share their disappointment with changes at the Grand Ole Opry, which had begun to follow a more corporate path with a move to a modern building and weekly TV broadcasts.

Rather than continuing with Stagner’s opening line, they agree to sing the irreverent “The Doctor’s Blues.”

“Now get up on this table, pull off that gown/ Raise up that right leg with the left one down/ Pull off them stockings, the silk underwear/ The doctor’s gonna cut you/ mama, lord knows where.”

Szalapski’s film is a loosely structured documentary. There’s little formal exposition and no analysis.

The words “outlaw country” are not in the film, and musicians are identified only in the opening scenes and final credits. McGowan’s gripe about the Grand Ole Opry is one of the few direct indications of the film’s interest in the rising alternative to mainstream country music. Otherwise, the movie visits musicians at their homes and onstage in remote spots from Texas to Tennessee.

The extended scenes are a brilliant collection of emotional solo performances, funny songs and mesmerizing tales delivered candidly and with a refreshing lack of self-consciousness about the camera.

The film opens with a beautiful solo performance of “L.A. Freeway”

by Guy Clark. There’s also a long scene of him fixing an acoustic guitar and talking about how he gets the sounds he wants out of certain materials, such as bone.

Many scenes say little about music.

Townes Van Zandt first appears with a gun and a can of Coke, leading the film crew around his yard as he fools around and introduces chickens he says he’s named Smith and Wesson.

He later delivers a powerful solo version of “Waiting Around to Die.” The film also captures impressive performances by Charlie Daniels and the roots rock band Barefoot Jerry,

P H OT 0 P R OV I D E D B Y K I N O LO R B ER

David Allan Coe performs in ‘Heartworn Highways.’

and there’s a brief glimpse of Steve Earle. There are more folk and blues sounds than country stylings. But the film’s achievement is the fly-onthe-wall view of personal moments and oddball songs. Peggy Brooks’ rendition of “Let’s Go All the Way” is hilarious. There also are a couple of great stories delivered from the stage, especially George Ramble’s inspired intro to his ode to Jack Daniel’s whiskey.

The film revels in free-spirited antics, perhaps best exemplified

by David Allan Coe. He drives his band’s bus to a gig at Tennessee State Prison. When he arrives, he dons a glittering outfit of rhinestone-covered boots, a massive belt buckle and the words Rhinestone Cowboy written in rhinestones stretching the length of the outfit.

On stage, he shares a long story about his own incarceration, and it’s a wild account of an attempted escape, prison violence and sex in a bizarrely captivating scene. He then sings a prison song about making the warden wait while he finishes his last meal. Coe’s incarceration and other incidents are sometimes sited as the source for the term outlaw country, though, like parts of his stories, that is disputed. The rhinestone-covered Coe shared a sense of glitz with Nashville’s mainstream country imagery, but he was much more in line with the independent and raw spirit of outlaw country.

“Heartworn Highways” was shot in 1975, released in 1980, and later spawned releases of a DVD and an expanded box set of songs. A restored version of the film opens at Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge on Feb. 5.

LOWER GARDEN DISTRICT-VACANT LOTS! GORGEOUS GREEK REVIVAL - CONDO!

1423 N. CLAIBORNE AVE., UNIT B

3 DEEP LOTS on A GORGEOUS BLOCK in LOWER GARDEN DISTRICT!!! Rare Opportunity to develop 3 adjoining Lots with 96.9 ft of Frontage.

Explore the many options you have to create Single Families, Multi Families or Condos. 1 Block from St Charles. This block is beautiful with its Live Oaks and newly built and renovated homes. Centrally located with easy access to the CBD, Uptown & I-10. $1,100,000

Renovated 2BR, 1 1/2BA Condo!

This Historic Building was Impeccably Renov’d in 2017 by The Preservation Resource Center & is what remains of Straight University, an African American College founded in 1869. Elegant Kitchen w/ SS Appls & Granite. Upstairs are Bdrms & Ba + Galley overlooking the Garden. Centrally Located between The French Quarter & City Park. $225,000

TOP PRODUCER

(504) 895-4663

PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE OBJECTS OF DEVOTION

By Frank A. Longo

40 State of fury 41 Fly with no co-pilot 42 Thus 43 Hail — (yell “Taxi!”)

45 Las Vegas-to-Denver dir.

47 Ending for Japan 49 Aficionado of bellies?

52 Aficionado of sweet fillings?

58 Pet-rescuing org.

59 Walked very stealthily 62 San — (California county or city) 63 CIA missions, e.g.

66 Give the boot 68 River of Paris 69 Louisianans of French descent

70 Café au — (light brown) 72 Aficionado of confidential matters?

75 Shapes of parentheses 76 Member of a ruling family 78 Sank, as a putt 79 Writer Wiesel 81 Once surnamed 82 Cuban-born writer Calvino 83 Downgraded 85 Ward with Emmys 87 Aficionado of wickedness?

89 Aficionado of apartment managers?

DOWN 1 Chevy Equinox, e.g.

2 “Rules — rules!”

3 Spanish dance in triple time 4 Lobbies 5 That which destroys 6 Long Island airport town 7 Opposite of west, in Germany 8 Chocolate kiss wrapper 9 Elevator stops 10 Went longer than expected 11 Dog noise 12 Florida’s “Magic City” 13 Grilled Italian sandwiches 14 Silvery-gray 15 Town square 16 Energizes 17 Congress’ Alexandria — -Cortez 18 Cerebral 19 “Donnie —” (1997 Johnny Depp film) 24 Current unit 29 Assented

31 Laudatory poems 32 Funny Sahl 33 Wound cover 35 U-Haul rental 36 Tableland 39 Be up against 43 Confront 44 Rush after 46 Cut-rate, in brand names 48 “Easy A” star Stone 50 Likely 51 Model Bündchen 53 Actor Christopher 54 Mexican peninsula 55 Road reversal 56 Trespassing deterrent 57 Dancer Bob 60 Flying Pan 61 Spanish squiggles 63 Vintage tune 64 Premium channels 65 Mideastern peninsula 67 “Danke —” 69 “Hear ye!” yellers 71 Like most NBA players 73 Boisterous 74 “That’s somebody — problem” 77 Couch 80 Pixie 83 Pea or lentil

ABR, CRS, GRI, SFR, SRS

84 Sandy hill 86 Tiny blood vessel 88 Actress Swenson 90 Ring out 91 Big pet food brand 92 Mucho 93 Painter Paul 96 Aykroyd of “Soul Man” 97 Up a tree 100 Blue toons of the 1980s 101 Aqueous 102 Deliverers of frozen blocks 103 The Red Foxes’ college 105 Macho 107 TV sleuth Remington 108 “The Taking of — 123” (2009 thriller) 110 Last- — effort 111 Brand of cellulose fiber 113 NYSE debut 114 Fish piercers 118 Big PC brand 121 “Rescue us!”

123 “Law & Order: —” 124 NFL stats 125 Neither hide — hair 126 Week division

ANSWERS FOR LAST ISSUE’S PUZZLE: P 2

PUZZLES

ACROSS 1 Serengeti trek 7 Freeway exit 14 Calm assurance 20 Neighbor of Saturn 21 Sun porches 22 Deli machine 23 Aficionado of air ducts?

25 Capital of Cuba 26 Jean jacket material 27 Email chuckle 28 Soccer player Hamm 30 Citrus peels in recipes 31 “House” actor 34 Aficionado of wild, irrational talk?

37 Contributor 38 — spell over

94 “Taking Woodstock” director Lee 95 NFL stats 98 Loch — 99 Jethro — (rock group) 100 Do pool laps 104 Sir, to Brits 106 All mixed up 108 High-quality black tea 109 Aficionado of Mauna Loa snacks?

112 Set free 115 Fetus holders 116 Be mistaken 117 “— culpa” 119 “Going Rogue” author Sarah 120 Sends in 122 Aficionado of customs officials?

127 Painting on plaster 128 Made even 129 Rocky’s last name in “Rocky” 130 Electronic keyboards, for short 131 Escape artists, say 132 Like finger paintings

GARDEN DISTRICT OFFICE 2016 & 2017

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > F E B R UA R Y 2 - 8 > 2 0 2 1

2215-23 CARONDELET STREET

27

presented by NOLA.COM and MARDI GRAS WORLD

FEATURING REX • ZULU • BACCHUS • ENDYMION MUSES • ORPHEUS • TUCKS • IRIS • ARGUS HERMES • CLEOPATRA • ARMEINIUS NORTHSIDE SKULL AND BONES MARDI GRAS INDIANS • FEMME FATALE BABY DOLLS • CAJUN MARDI GRAS KREWE OF RED BEANS & MORE!

FEBRUARY 12,

13, 14 | 8 PM

LIVE ON

SPONSORED BY

P A R I S H

S E E FU LL LINEUP >> MARDI GRASFORALL.COM