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On the scene
Black Film Festival of New Orleans is Dec. 6-14
GIAN SMITH FOUNDED THE BLACK FILM FESTIVAL OF NEW ORLEANS seven years ago, and the event highlights young, up-and-coming filmmakers. He got his start in New Orleans’ spoken word scene, and this edition of the festival celebrates that community, with local poets moderating some panel discussions and Tarriona “Tank” Ball, who also is a veteran of the scene, performing at the festival’s awards ceremony.
The festival runs Dec. 6-14 at venues across town, from Cafe Istanbul to the Tulane University School of Public Health. The film screenings are free. There are narrative and documentary features and more than 60 short films, plus parties and events. Many of the films also will be available on an online platform from Dec. 18 through Jan. 4, 2026.
Smith will be premiering his own short film, “Seven,” which also has connections to the live poetry scene.
“Seven” has a couple of stars in Martin “Bats” Bradford and Jaren Mitchell. Bradford has appeared in the films “Green Book,” “Blue Bayou” and “Hit Man” and TV shows including “NCIS: New Orleans,” “Killing It” and “Last Days of Ptolemy Grey.” He also has performed on local stages. Mitchell has appeared in films including “21 Jump Street,” “The Lovebirds” and the locally filmed action thrillers “Osiris” and “The Channel,” as well as the series “Queen Sugar.”
Both local actors play love interests of a singer who goes by the name Seven, played by Ten Spencer, who is the singer for the band Gov’t Majik. She’s a relative newcomer to film but is a natural on screen.
As Seven’s career is taking off, she has a casual relationship with a more famous musician, who goes by the name Mello. His career keeps him on the road, and he’s not necessarily seeing her exclusively, which is not sufficient for Seven to get more involved. Then she meets Bradford’s Smooth, a car mechanic who helps her out in a jam. They become romantically involved, but he’s not comfortable with her independence.
“She’s navigating her love life. More so, she’s navigating her ability to choose,” Smith says. “She’s trying to navigate a world where she calls her own shots both career wise and personally.”
Smith wrote, directed and produced the film, and he made it with Spencer in mind for the lead role. The film also touches on the poetry scene, and a nightclub where Spencer sings also features poets and dancers.
by Will Coviello |
Krampus NOLAuf
The gruesome Alpine half-demon Krampus arrives to scare naughty children before the holidays, and in the Krewe of Krampus parade, he’s accompanied by a host of holiday characters and spirits, including the Sisters of Shhh, Y’ules, Barbegazi and Swampus. The parade features more than 200 costumed marchers, throws, a Toys for Tots float collecting donations and more. There’s also an Accessibility Row for spectators with special needs on Independence Street. The procession starts on Royal Street at France Street and makes its way to Piety Street. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, in Bywater. Visit kreweofkrampus.com for map and details.
Smith is submitting the 27-minute film to other festivals, and he may continue it as a web series.
“Seven” screens on the festival’s opening day in a block of films with local connections. “Creole Recipe” is a short film about mothers and daughters by director Wendy Fleetwood. The final film is John Isaac Johnson’s “The Black Narratives,” a narrative film revisiting episodes in Black history, with an appearance by Wendell Pierce. It recently screened at the UrbanWorld Festival in New York.
“Seven” begins at 1:30 p.m. at Cafe Istanbul, which hosts the festival’s events Saturday, Dec. 6, through Monday, Dec. 8.
Opening day also highlights young filmmakers from New Orleans. There’s a slate of short films at 11 a.m., and all films are by filmmakers 25 or younger, and all are originally from New Orleans. Sunday features an afternoon party and screening at 1-5 p.m. Comedian and actor DC Paul hosts Black Cinema Triva along with DJ Clv0, who will play famous songs from Black films. Attendees are invited to cosplay famous characters from Black cinema, and there’s a prize for best costume. There’s also a screening of a surprise film.
On Tuesday, the festival moves to Xavier University for a collaborative event with Freedom Summer Festival. The event focuses on health issues and screens the films “Critical Condition” and “The Skin You’re In.” Dr. Thomas LaVeist, dean of Tulane’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine will
lead a panel discussion after the screenings. A health fair starts at 4 p.m., followed by the films at 5:45 p.m., and there’s free vegan food at the event.
Festival screenings are at the Tulane School of Public Health on Wednesday through Saturday. The daily format generally features documentary screenings at noon, slates of short films at 5 p.m. and feature films at 7 p.m.
Features include Andrew Bullard’s “The Solution,” released earlier this year. In it, Oscar returns home to help his father, who’s suffered a stroke, and tries to also fix the suffering family business and ultimately repair their relationship as well.
Mann Robinson’s “Georgia Peach” also is about family and recovery as a nurse who’s struggling with substance abuse tries to hold her family together. In Jade Brayn’s “What Somalia Wants,” Somalia LaMine is a fashion designer and online influencer in Harlem who’s building her brand and navigating a Gen Z environment.
The final events are at the Andre Cailloux Center on Sunday. There are documentary films about music and local musicians, including rapper Alfred Banks. The festival’s awards showcase beings at 6 p.m. and features a performance by Tank Ball.
The festival also includes blocks of films for young audiences, including work by youth in Brandan “BMike” Odums’ Eternal Seeds program. And there is a launch of the filmed poetry project “Soapbox,” created by the Level Up Filmmaker Collective.
For a full schedule of films and events, visit bffno.com.
‘Nutcracker Erotique: An Absinthe Drenched
Tale’ Vivacious Miss Audacious spices up “The Nutcracker” with some absinthe, burlesque, circus acts and more. She is joined by Mamie Dame, Eddie Lockwood, The Great Dane, Lolly Romps, Millie Macabre, Miss Angie Z, Miss Tigerlily, Laccaria, Santana Cam and Truffle. At 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at the Joy Theater. Tickets $28-$51 via audaciousnola.com/nutcracker.
Whitney Cummings
Whitney Cummings created the sitcom “Two Broke Girls” and her namesake show “Whitney.” She’s also released several comedy specials for Comedy Central, Netflix and OnlyFans TV, including “Mouthy” and “The Roast of Whitney Cummings” in 2023. Her 2019 special “Can I Touch It?” was primarily about a sex robot replica of herself she had made. In this tour, she’s talking about relationships and being a new mom. She performs stand-up at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at The Joy Theater. Tickets $51.95 and up via ticketmaster.com.
Algiers Bonfre
The annual celebration features a massive bonfire of a 30-foot installation on the Algiers Point levee, plus
PROVIDED PHOTO BY MICHAEL MURAT
Martin ‘Bats’ Bradford and Ten Spencer star in ‘Seven.’ PHOTO PROVIDED BY GIAN SMITH
THUMBS UP/ THUMBS DOWN
Louisiana public schools continue to improve and recently hit their highest score under the state’s grading system adopted in 2018. Overall Louisiana’s public schools earned a B, and 70% of the state’s high schools and 44% of elementary and middle schools earned an A or B rating for the 2024-25 school year. Next year, though, the news may be different as Louisiana adopts a new, tougher grading system.
OPENING GAMBIT
Save the First and Last Stop Bar
New Orleans Mayor Elect Moreno releases know-your-rights guide amidst Trump’s anti-migrant occupation
NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL VICE
PRESIDENT AND MAYOR ELECT HELENA
724
THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES THAT WOULD BE FURLOUGHED UNDER MAYOR-ELECT HELENA MORENO’S 2026 BUDGET PROPOSAL.
The employees would be furloughed for one day per two week pay period. Moreno also plans to cut another 36 positions that serve at the pleasure of the mayor and lay off 62 workers that have worked for the city for less than a year. The proposal includes $150 million in cuts due to the city’s financial difficulties.
The Trump administration recently instated a new federal policy that could mean more than 2,600 formerly homeless New Orleanians may be evicted from their current housing. New rules issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Times-Picayune reported, will mean millions in grant funding used to help the homeless into permanent housing must now be directed into temporary housing and other assistance programs. Housing advocates worry the lack of funding will force many people out of their recently found homes.
MORENO Nov. 21 released a two page know-your-rights and legal assistance guide for New Orleans residents as President Donald Trump’s border patrol paramilitary units were preparing to enter the city for Operation Swap Sweep, or Operation SS for short.
Moreno also announced that she and Council President JP Morrell would also launch a reporting system for the public to “catalog any incidents of unlawful or abusive behavior” by agents in New Orleans.
Operation SS is part of a broader national push by Trump to use heavily armed ICE and CBP units –which have a history of corruption, civil and human rights abuse, cross border killings and violence – in cities with large Black and Brown populations to round up suspected undocumented people.
whatever assistance they can to help protect and preserve individual rights.”
Based National Immigration Resource Center’s guidance, the two page document provides basic information on New Orleanians’ rights when dealing with CBP units deployed in the city as part of Operation SS – though it is also useful for encounters with ICE and other federal agents.
For instance, Moreno’s guidance notes that if you are stopped by CBP and have legal status, “show your passport, legal permanent resident card, work permit, or other documentation of your status. If you are over the age of 18, you should carry your papers with you at all times.”
LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center has hired anti-vaccine advocate and conspiracy theorist Robert Malone as an adjunct professor. Malone, who has a medical degree, pushed misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines, including the shots were “causing a form of AIDS.”
In a statement Moreno said “My first priority is to keep our community safe. The reports of due process violations and potential abuses in other cities are concerning. I want our community to be aware and informed of the protections available under law. We must demand accountability and that peoples’ rights are not violated.”
Moreno also urged the city’s legal community “to step up and provide
For undocumented New Orleanians, the guidance notes “you have the right to remain silent and do not have to discuss your immigration or citizenship status with the police, immigration agents, or other officials. Anything you tell an officer can later be used against you in immigration court.”
Similarly ICE and CBP will often attempt to enter private residences without a warrant, often falsely claiming they have the right to do so. But the guidance points out “Officers must have a warrant signed by a judge to enter your
20.5%
C’EST WHAT ?
New Orleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno speaks during a press conference on Nov. 5.
PHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS / THE ADVOCATE
home. ICE “warrants” are not signed by judges; they are ICE forms signed by ICE officers and they do not grant authority to enter a home without consent of the occupant(s).”
How an S&WB project to replace lead pipes across New Orleans was left in limbo
The guidance also includes links to direct legal assistance from the Tulane Law Immigrants’ Rights Law Clinic, Immigration Services and Legacy Advocacy and the Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans Immigration and Refugee Services, as well as links to the Mexican and Honduras consulates in New Orleans. — John Stanton Festival International board launches GoFundMe to help with skyrocketing visa, travel costs
FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE LOUISIANE’S ALL VOLUNTEER BOARD is launching a GoFundMe to help pay the hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel and visa expenses needed to ensure the festival can book acts from around the globe for next year’s 40th anniversary festival, according to Lafayette alt-weekly The Current. Festival International is a free, four day music and cultural event in Lafayette and is one the jewels of Louisiana’s spring festival season, drawing tens of thousands of people to the city. In addition to artists from Louisiana, the festival boasts an impressive lineup of international musicians, representing from 15 to 20 nations in any given year, according to the Current.
The Trump administration’s anti-immigrant crackdown, rhetorical attacks on various countries, trade policies and generally isolationist approach to foreign policy has been a driving force in a significant downturn in international tourism to the United States this year.
It’s a problem that even Republicans in Louisiana are concerned about, including Lieutenant Gov. Billy Nungesser who began raising the alarm bells this Spring.
Combined with steep hikes to visa costs designed to discourage travel by any but the most wealthy, its becoming increasingly untenable financially for musicians to come to the U.S.
For instance, Lisa Stafford, a booker for the festival, told The Current that visa cost increases and bureaucratic hurdles “basically more than double the price of everything ... your curation can kind of suffer, because there’s so many bands I want to bring in that I can’t.”
To donate, go to gofund.me/ 49751cbf9. — John Stanton
THE SEWERAGE AND WATER BOARD SET OUT LAST YEAR to replace as many as 85,000 lead water pipes across New Orleans. A year later, the plan is in limbo because one of the bidders for the project protested and the utility has yet to resolve the squabble.
The delay has left residents waiting for word on when, or whether, the S&WB will begin what could potentially be a $1 billion project to tear up and replace lead water lines throughout the city. At the same time, the S&WB recently sent notices to customers with information about the materials in the public service lines feeding the pipes on their private properties.
The notices are part of an ongoing effort to inventory all 278,000 service lines, identifying which contain lead and which are free of contaminants. An interactive map on the S&WB website is searchable by address, though the majority of service lines are still labeled “unknown.”
The project was kickstarted in 2021 when the S&WB landed an $86 million grant to replace lead pipes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which spurred pipe replacement projects across the country. The Environmental Protection Agency has imposed a 2037 deadline for all jurisdictions to replace lead and galvanized pipes.
The utility, which has previously estimated as many as a third of the service lines contain lead, is seeking an additional $66 million in state funding. But that still would leave a huge funding gap since the estimated full cost of the project is around $1 billion.
A bidding protest
The water board issued a call for contractors to manage the project in November 2024, and a lengthy selection process to winnow bidders down to two finalists pushed the project back further than expected. Things ground to a complete halt in May after the losing bidder, Community Infrastructure Partners, accused the S&WB of violating its own policies with its selection of a rival bidder, engineering firm CDM Smith.
The competing bidders made their arguments at a formal hearing on Aug. 25, and the hearing officer said he would deliver a recommendation within 10 days.
According to S&WB protocols, Executive Director Randy Hayman has the final say after receiving the
recommendation. But he has yet to make a decision and the cause of the holdup isn’t clear.
Hayman, who started in July, said in an interview on Sept. 19 — three weeks after the hearing — that he couldn’t discuss the protest because it was “going through the administrative process.”
The S&WB said in a statement on Monday that it is still working through the process. They declined to provide a timeframe for resolving the matter and getting work started.
“We remain committed to a fair, transparent procurement process and will continue to follow all policies governing this matter,” the statement said.
Officials also noted a smaller contract to remove lead pipes near schools and early childhood learning center has already begun. And for people with lead services lines or service lines with an unknown material, the S&WB is offering free water filter pitchers.
The protest
Five contractors responded to the S&WB’s bid request in November 2024, and the selection committee eventually narrowed the choices to two companies.
One of the two finalists, Community Infrastructure Partners, founded three years ago, has undertaken pipe replacements in Rhode Island and Wisconsin. The other, CDM Smith is leading pipe replacements in Chicago, Washington D.C., and other cities, and is also managing the $2 billion roads overhaul in New Orleans.
After briefly considering splitting the work between the two companies, the panel chose CDM Smith.
Community Infrastructure Partners protested the selection, arguing that it proposed a faster installation schedule at a lower cost. The firms said the
absence of the city’s health director, Jen Avegno, from later scoring rounds deprived the selection committee of a required health expert.
“Her removal is critical for a whole host of reasons, the biggest being that it eliminated the most vital perspective, which was that of public health,” said Community Infrastructure Partners CEO Shawn Kerachsky at the Aug. 25 hearing.
Kerachsky said in an email on Monday he has not received any official S&WB notice since the hearing, and that splitting up the work is the best option. Any other alternative “would likely prevent meaningful progress in 2026,” he said.
“Timely action is critical, both due to funding availability and the need to address a known public health crisis,” Kerachsky said.
Lawyers for CDM Smith and the S&WB said in the August hearing that Community Infrastructure Partners failed to prove it was harmed by preferential treatment.
CDM Smith’s lawyer, Jeff Pastorek, said Avegno’s participation in the first scoring round satisfied the bid requirement. He also said the firm’s installation schedule was meant “to ease into the process.”
“You don’t start this at 100 miles an hour. CDM Smith learned that through experience working on many other projects,” Pastorek said.
A CDM spokesperson, Julia Forgas, said in a statement the company is “committed to delivering the program and supporting the health and wellness of the community, with our focus on being ready the moment SWBNO issues a decision.” — Ben Myers / The Times-Picayune
A construction crew works to stop a leaking water pipe on Maple Street in July 2021.
FILE PHOTO BY MAX BECHERER
@GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com
Hey Blake,
A news story about the New Orleans public school performance scores mentioned the schools named after Edna Karr, Edward Hynes and Travis Hill. Who were they?
Dear
reader,
EDNA KARR GLOVER SPENT MORE THAN 45 YEARS in local education. According to her 1952 obituary, she began her career as a teacher at William O. Rogers School. She also taught at McDonogh No. 4, McDonogh No. 5, Adolph Meyer School and Martin Behrman High School. She was later appointed principal of Belleville School, her alma mater.
In 1964, more than a decade after her death, the Orleans Parish School Board voted to rename a junior high school in Algiers in her honor. Karr was a junior high until 1990 when high school classes were added.
Native New Orleanian Edward Hynes was educated in New Orleans public schools and taught math at Boys’ High School, later called Warren Easton High School. According to his 1936 obituary, Hynes was also assistant superintendent over New Orleans public grammar schools, then assistant superintendent in charge of night schools and high schools.
Edward Hynes Elementary School on Harrison Avenue in Lakeview opened in 1952. It is now one of three campuses operated by the Hynes
Charter School Corp., including HynesParkview and Hynes-UNO.
There was actually an earlier school named in Hynes’ honor. In 1937, the Edward Hynes Pre-Vocational School opened on Laurel Street. Called “an experiment in education,” by the New Orleans Item-Tribune, it offered teenagers trade school classes.
Travis Hill School is an alternative school located in New Orleans’ juvenile detention center. It is named for Hill, the late musician known as Trumpet Black. According to a 2017 TimesPicayune article, Hill was imprisoned for armed robbery as a teenager and educated himself through books his family sent him. He had just finished recording his debut album when he died of a dental infection in 2015. The city’s Youth Study Center was renamed for him in 2017.
“What his life has demonstrated to us is going to give us hope for the future,” then-Mayor Mitch Landrieu said. “He made some bad decisions ... (but) he found a pathway out.”
ON VIEWTHROUGH JANUARY4,2026
THIS WEEK WE TRAVEL ACROSS THE HUEY P. LONG BRIDGE to mark its 90th anniversary. One of America’s highest and longest steel bridges and the first bridge to cross the Mississippi River in New Orleans, the bridge was dedicated Dec. 16, 1935. Built at a cost of $13.5 million (more than $305 million in today’s money), the 4.4-mile-long bridge that’s 135 feet above the river, was named for former governor and U.S. Sen. Huey P. Long, who championed its construction. He was assassinated four months before the bridge was completed.
“Erection of this bridge was one of the greatest of Gov. Long’s achievements,” said Gov. O.K. Allen at the dedication ceremony. Long’s daughter Rose cut the ribbon on the highway portion of the bridge, while Augusta Walmsley, daughter of New Orleans Mayor T. Semmes Walmsley (Long’s fierce political rival), cut the ribbon on the railroad portion.
In 2012, the bridge was designated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as an engineering landmark, alongside such iconic structures as the Eiffel Tower and Hoover Dam. The following year, a $1.2 billion project to widen the bridge was completed.
BLAKE VIEW
Edna Karr High School
PHOTO BY MAX BECHERER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
Rela xonour
with afresh cocktail
New Orleans
HOLIDAY FUN Budget Budget ON A
Don’t
let the Trump economy ruin the holiday season
IF YOU’RE FEELING the squeeze this holiday season, you’re not alone. Most of us aren’t asking for much besides an affordable utility bill or a break from the constant rent and insurance hikes.
But New Orleanians have always been good at pooling resources together and throwing a DIY celebration, and this season should be no exception. There are plenty of holiday events to help you beat the winter blues without straining your wallet, and you can always create your own celebration on a budget.
After all, the true meaning of the season isn’t about over-drafting your bank account — it’s about taking a step back from the grind, celebrating with friends and family, and getting into the age-old argument over whether or not “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie after too many cups of spiked eggnog. Here are a few ideas from various Gambit staffers.
SEASONAL Soirees
Host a good old fashioned Secret Santa with a New Orleans twist
IN THE PAST, my friends and I have used the handy website elfster.com, which is like virtually drawing a name from a hat. It helps streamline the random pairing assignments and minimizes the risk of spoiling surprises for those who lack a good poker face. The site also allows group members to make wish lists or offer hints to their Secret Santa, whose identities remain a mystery until the gift exchange. Overall, it’s a fun, low-pressure way to make sure everyone in the friend group or family gets a little something for the holidays, and the group can also decide on a budget in advance that works for everyone. The gifts typically range from booze to books and novelty Dirty Coast T-shirts, but anything goes: One year a friend received a bidet and was stoked.
It’s a solid option for a holiday party held at home, but to reduce the stress and cleanup factor, consider hosting it at your favorite neighborhood bar, brewery, coffee shop or even a casual restaurant. That way you’re also supporting local businesses and service industry workers who are hustling through the holiday season. — Sarah Ravits
Sensible GIFT-GIVING
TO KEEP COSTS LOW for friends’ presents, we started doing a “Favorite Things Party” where we gift everyone the same one or two of our favorite useful things. We have given our favorite laundry detergents, pillowcases, hot sauces, vitamins — basically just super useful items that aren’t too expensive. It takes the mental strain off of actually thinking of personal gifts. — Clare Brierre
Ride the streetcar FOR A BUCK AND CHANGE
ANOTHER SUPER AFFORDABLE holiday activity is grabbing a drink at the beginning of the streetcar line and riding it down St. Charles Avenue at night to see all the Christmas lights adorning the Garden District mansions. If it’s in your budget, hop off at bars and restaurants along the route for a festive drink or bite, then hop back on. — Clare Brierre and Michaela Bechler
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
My family has been saving our turkey bones (some family friends also give us theirs), and we spend the weekend after Thanksgiving making stock. Then we make turkey and sausage gumbo out of it and redistribute it to friends and family to keep the leftovers fun and food waste low. — CLARE BRIERRE
” “
Swap SWEETS
LAST YEAR I was invited to a holiday cookie swap party at my friend Haley Hampton’s house. Everyone was asked to bring two dozen cookies. We sampled each batch and voted on our favorites. I left with my Tupperware full of leftover treats and a feeling of complete, utter joy. I think the winning cookie was a delicious Earl Grey shortbread, but my contribution held its own. I made Chocolate Crinkle Cookies from Natalya Drozhzhin of Natasha’s Kitchen and added almond extract — one of my favorite dessert flavors. So many classic New Orleans and holiday treats have that unmistakable note: petit fours, marzipan, wedding cake, many of the pastries and cookies from Angelo Brocato’s. It adds such depth, and a bottle of almond extract lasts for months, even years, because you only need the tiniest splash. Another thing I love about this recipe is how budget-friendly it is. Instead of relying on pricy butter, these cookies use oil, making them more affordable without sacrificing richness or texture. Combined with that long-lasting almond extract, it’s a recipe that tastes lavish but is gentle on your grocery bill.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Recipe
(ADAPTED FROM NATALYA DROZHZHIN OF NATASHA’S KITCHEN)
INGREDIENTS:
⮞ 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
⮞ 1 cup granulated sugar
⮞ 1/4 cup vegetable oil
⮞ 2 large eggs
⮞ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⮞ 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
⮞ 1 cup all-purpose flour
⮞ 1 teaspoon baking powder
⮞ 1/4 teaspoon salt
⮞ 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Combine granulated sugar, cocoa powder, oil, almond extract, vanilla extract and eggs. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the cocoa mixture and cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and roll dough into 20 balls (wet your hands before rolling to reduce sticking). Generously cover each with powdered sugar. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake! Allow them to cool for a few minutes on the sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. — Emma Da Via
PHOTO BY EMMA DA VIA / GAMBIT
PHOTO BY EMMA DA VIA / GAMBIT
Cozy up on the couch with an OFFBEAT HOLIDAY FLICK
THERE ARE A TON of great movies that will instantly put you into the holiday spirit: “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Elf,” one of the million adaptations of “A Christmas Carol.” And most of them are family-friendly and full of heart-warming lessons. But there are only so many times you can watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” before your eyes glaze over with wholesomeness.
Over the years, there have been some classic holiday movies meant for a more adult audience, like “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” and “Die Hard” (yes, we’re counting it as a Christmas movie). So when I need a little blood, action or debauchery infused into my wintertime movie marathon, these five films are trusty go-tos.
“Krampus” (2015) — Aside from the 1974 slasher classic “Black Christmas,” Hollywood has rarely figured out how to mix the holidays and horror. “Krampus,” with Adam Scott and Toni Collette, is one of better recent Christmas horror flicks and follows a dysfunctional family trapped in their home by the child-hunting Alpine monster.
“Rare Exports” (2010) — This sometimes creepy, black comedy from Finland follows a boy and a team of researchers who accidentally set free Santa Claus — who isn’t exactly the jolly old fella everyone believes.
“Gremlins” (1984) — A teen receives a mysterious, furry creature as a Christmas present in this ’80s classic. He then breaks the three rules and unleashes chaos on his town. This one ain’t bad to introduce to older kids and teenagers.
“Bad Santa” (2003) — Billy Bob Thornton plays a drunken conman posing as a department store Santa before a Christmas Eve heist. It’s vulgar, kind of a mess and the perfect adult holiday movie.
“Scrooged” (1988) — Ghost stories are an old Christmas tradition, and “A Christmas Carol” is that tradition’s best known story. It’s been adapted to film dozens, if not hundreds, of times, but “Scrooged,” starring Bill Murray sticks out for its comedic take on well-known territory. — Jake Clapp
Gift wrap can be surprisingly expensive for something made to rip up and immediately throw away. Try minimizing the holiday waste and instead do a little scavenging of your surroundings for things like newsprint (we recommend Gambit), paper shopping bags and excess fabric to cut up and use as an alternative. KAYLEE POCHE
Other FREE Fun
TAKE CUTE PICS AT THE ROOSEVELT HOTEL
The twinkling lights that have become a holiday mainstay at the Roosevelt Hotel lobby will be turned on Tuesday, Dec. 2, and the hotel will be giving out complimentary champagne to kick off the holiday season with a reception at 5 p.m.
The block-long lobby is open to the public and will stay lit throughout the season, making for an ideal (and flattering) selfie or portrait backdrop. Get dressed up and stop in before or after a night of reveling in the French Quarter or grab a festive cocktail at the Sazerac Bar.
GET LIT AT THE ALGIERS BONFIRE
The annual celebration takes place Saturday, Dec. 6, along the Algiers Point levee with a huge bonfire. Admission is free, but there are crafts and food items for sale. You’ll also be able to see the blaze from the East Bank if you’re hanging out along the river downtown.
GET CREEPED OUT BY KRAMPUS
For a spookier spin on Christmas, check out the Krewe of Krampus parade, which celebrates the half-demon from European folklore, best known for creeping out poorly behaved children ahead of the holiday. Creativity is on full display — there are costumed revelers, dancers and marching groups, and if you’re lucky, you can catch a collectible throw from a mischievous creature of the night.
The parade also accommodates spectators with disabilities, and an Accessibility Row is located along the route at Independence Street between Royal and Burgundy streets. This twoblock section offers designated areas for people with mobility limitations and provides American Sign Language translations, as well as audio descriptions for people with sight limitations. There’s also a quiet zone for children with sensory processing issues. The parade starts on Royal Street in the Bywater at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6.
HONK FOR HANUKKAH
The annual Hanukkah car parade, aka the Mobile Menorah, starts Uptown at Freret Street and St. Charles Avenue and winds through the CBD and
downtown neighborhoods, ending in the Bywater on Saturday, Dec. 20. Participants decorate their cars with big light-up menorahs, blast festive music and hand out traditional gifts like gelt (chocolate coins) and dreidels along the way. An after-party at BJ’s Lounge features the New Orleans Klezmer All Stars.
FIND OUT WHO’S NAUTICAL OR NICE
Skippers compete in a challenge to determine who has the best-decorated sea-faring vessels in both the powerboat and sailboat categories at the West End boat parade Saturday, Dec. 13. The boat parade takes to the high seas of Lake Pontchartrain starting at 5:45 p.m. by the Lighthouse and proceeds along the water toward Lakeshore Drive and over to the New Basin Canal and the Municipal Harbor.
SING CHRISTMAS CAROLS
An annual free community sing-along gathers thousands of people in Jackson Square for the tradition of holiday singing on Sunday, Dec. 21, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Traditional carols are led by local dignitaries and clergy. Volunteers will distribute free songbooks and candles, or you can download the songbook at patioplanters.net.
VIEW THE LIGHTING OF THE MENORAH AT THE RIVERWALK
The city kicks off the eight days of Hanukkah this year on Sunday, Dec. 14, with the annual lighting of the Menorah at the Riverwalk. This free event runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and includes live music, kosher food and, of course, the lighting of the Menorah.
PHOTO BY SCOTT THRELKELD / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
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EAT + DRINK
Neighborhood Drift
An
Algiers Point diner with elevated food and drink options by Beth D’Addono |
IF YOU CROSS AN AMERICANA DINER AND A CHEF-DRIVEN CAFÉ, you might get something like The Drift Inn Diner in Algiers Point.
The Drift Inn took over the former Tonti’s Bistro spot two months ago. It’s a partnership between operating partner and chef Aaron Miller, Cure partner Kirk Estopinal and Barracuda Taco Stand’s Bryson Aust and Brett Jones.
The light-filled, 42-seat restaurant has plenty of charm, with a mid-century vibe, fun tchotchkes on the walls and a bar and soda fountain. There’s seating at a scattering of aluminum-clad tables and red-and-white vinyl-padded booths. Drift Inn also has both culinary and beverage pedigree, thanks to a creative soda and cocktail menu designed by Estopinal, a bartender well known to local cocktail aficionados. He also lives in the neighborhood and bartends on Friday nights at the Japanese bar Rice Vice next to Nighthawk Napoletana.
“Algiers Point has become more of a dining destination in the past few years,” Estopinal says.
Although the New Orleans native didn’t grow up with diners, he ate at a Chicago diner in his neighborhood every day for two years. Estopinal also remembers eating at the Hummingbird Grill on St. Charles Avenue and visiting a Woolworth’s lunch counter on the West Bank, all of which provide inspiration fodder for his drinks menu.
There are non-alcoholic housemade sodas, like a cherry lime rickey and the Orange Julio, a play on the Orange Julius mall favorite, which can become an adult beverage with the addition of rum. Most cocktails are under $10, with $6 wine pours and $4 cans of beer.
Miller, a Wisconsin native who grew up with diners, moved to New Orleans after meeting his now wife seven years ago. The chef was running the popular Okay Bar pop-up Rabbit Hole Supper Club during the pandemic. This is his first brick-andmortar restaurant.
grits bowl is an example of an evolved diner classic.”
Irish inspiration
I’VE BEEN ON A MISSION TO FIND A FULL IRISH BREAKFAST somewhere around town. It turned up at St. Mary’s, a new restaurant in Metairie that brings a lot more to the table and is conceived around its own mission.
There it all was on the breakfast platter, the squeaky banger (sausage) and the fatty rashers (somewhere between ham and bacon), the white and black puddings (both sausage, the latter with blood), and the beans, mushrooms and tomatoes, without which this wouldn’t be a full Irish. Dredging sourdough through runny egg yolks between meaty bites hit all the buttons.
There was a menu of bloody mary options to match, and a wide-ranging menu of Creole and American comfort food.
Underlying it is an impulse for generosity and uplift, as a grateful father strives to build a legacy that can help others.
“I always thought it would be fun to open a diner with all-day breakfast and hash browns,” says the 34-yearold chef.
His compact menu is at its heart overt diner food, like the old-school patty melt dressed with caramelized onions on grilled buttered rye. There’s also a tuna melt and a BLT on white bread. The single patty burger arrives topped with American cheese and grilled onions on a Martin’s potato bun, with shoestring fries on the side.
Miller says he’ll soon start serving a consistent daily special, such as chicken and yeast dumplings offered on Sundays or a roast chicken with feta cheese dressing that he loved as a kid.
“Diner food was so popular in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s,” Miller says. “It is comfort food, but at the same time, people’s tastes have changed some. Many are looking for hearty and not heavy, more fresh vegetables and less animal products. I think our tofu and
That dish features deep fried tofu with white and black sesame seeds, a runny poached egg and fresh vegetables over grits. The loaded crispy hash brown bowl may become a classic, filled with two eggs, sausage, peppers and onions, and dressed with a Sriracha vinegar sauce.
The menu’s price point is sweet, with most items in the $12 to $15 range, and around $7 to feed kids with the likes of grilled cheese or a one-egg breakfast with bacon and grits.
The partners are seeing a mix of neighborhood and West Bank folks, couples and families with kids coming in to dine and or take away food. Miller is excited about serving the house-made soft serve ice cream, rich with just a hint of cream cheese in the mix.
“We’ll see folks who have been to Saint Claire and might want ice cream, or who stop on the way to Barracuda up the street, that kind of thing,” Miller says. “We’re getting in exactly the kind of folks I was hoping for, which tells me we are a good fit for the neighborhood.”
St. Mary’s opened recently at 4445 W. Metairie Ave., in a strip mall in the former location of Nephew’s Ristorante. On the surface, it’s an affordable, anytime-casual cafe, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, all from Brad McGehee, the chef who created Blue Line Sandwich Co. in Old Metairie more than a decade ago.
McGehee’s partner at St. Mary’s is Bob Hecker. He’s new to the restaurant business, having built a career in construction with his Hecker Ridge Tile roofing company. He’s also a man with a sense of purpose, and the restaurant he cofounded is a vehicle for that purpose.
St. Mary’s Restaurant has pledged to direct 15% of its profits to St.
Aaron Miller (left) and Kirk Estopinal at The Drift Inn Diner
PHOTO BY MADDIE SPINNER / GAMBIT
Chefs Brad McGeHee (left) and Sidney Montrel join co-owner Bob Hecker and bar director Daniel Victory at St. Mary’s Restaurant in Metairie.
PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
Mary’s Residential Community and Services, a campus in Alexandria that serves people with severe developmental disabilities.
Hecker’s son, Christopher, has lived there for the past two decades.
The father has found ways to give back. Each year, he organizes a benefit event, hosted by Ye Olde College Inn.
FORK & CENTER
That experience got Hecker thinking about how to make a permanent and ongoing funding stream for St. Mary’s. He thought of his favorite breakfast place, Metairie’s Blue Line Sandwich Co.
“The food is great, and it’s the people too. You just get a good feeling there. I thought that could really work for this,” Hecker says.
He and McGehee have talked for years about the project. When they found the Metairie Avenue location and saw its large bar, McGehee recruited his friend Daniel Victory to develop a drinks program. Victory once had the downtown lounge Victory Bar and is now a consultant for hospitality projects.
As St. Mary took shape, Victory decided he wanted to be a bigger part of it, or perhaps, as McGehee tells it, the chef wouldn’t let him leave.
There’s a friendly, easy rapport at this restaurant. Many of the staff have worked together for years at Blue Line, including Executive Chef Sidney Montrel and manager Jayla Bonura. The charitable cause is made clear around the room (motto: “serving flavor, serving purpose”).
On the tight margins that restaurants typically run, pledging a share of profits to a nonprofit is a considerable hurdle. But McGehee is optimistic that the mission will resonate with the community, and believes the restaurant can create a social, public venue for a cause that often affects families privately.
“We can really build something special here,” McGehee says.
The chef has developed a menu that shares some of the eclectic comfort food range of Blue Line, while adding dishes not easily found elsewhere. Cue that Irish breakfast, one of the morning dishes served throughout the day.
Diners also can get a standard breakfast plate, a breakfast sandwich, eggs Benedict in a few styles and
tender pork grillades over yellow grits with a flurry of fried onion strings over the top.
For lunch, instead of a lobster roll, there’s a slightly more dressed-up lobster salad on brioche toast that, at $22, is refreshingly not-quite-so pricey as the standard lobster roll.
A brioche roll for the fried chicken sandwich is the foundation for a pleasing version with juicy pickles and spicy mayo, and the croque madame splits open with a gratifyingly gooey pull of cheese, bechamel and yolk.
The chef’s version of a Waldorf salad is fresh and crunchy, with a tangy dose of goat feta, and he has a local take on the crab Louie salad that swaps in shrimp remoulade.
St. Mary’s will add daily plate specials from Monday red beans to Friday fish and chips. The dinner menu runs from hanger steak and redfish amandine to hamburger steak and paneed veal.
There’s also what St. Mary’s dubs the social hour, a conservative way of saying happy hour. You can get social (or perhaps happy) over bar bites like boudin balls, chicken crackling and French onion dip with chips cut in-house.
Victory’s bar program is extensive and has more than cocktails, including a few nonalcoholic specialties. One is a riff on the frothy, fruity Orange Julius of 1980s mall food court fame. Another, the white chocolate granita, is inspired by a drink from Café Fresca, the long-running restaurant that had a stint at this address.
Count that as one of the multiple reasons people might decide to visit. Any one of them goes to help this restaurant’s mission. — Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune
A fried chicken sandwich on a brioche bun at St. Mary’s Restaurant
PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
WI NE OF THE WEEK
St Francis Cabernet Sauvignon
Flavors of crushed wild blackberries, dark redfruits, cassis and milk chocolate are followedbynotes of black oliveand sage with ahint of allspiceinthis fantastic wine. It leavesyou with arobust finish and balanced acidity
DISTRIBUTED BY
Out to Eat is an index of Gambit contract advertisers. Unless noted, addresses are for New Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: Email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.
$ — average dinner entrée under $10
$$ $11-$20
$$$ — $20-up
Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream. com — This Mid-City sweet shop serves its own gelato in flavors like praline, salted caramel and tiramisu, as well as Italian ices in flavors like lemon, strawberry and mango. There also are cannolis, biscotti, fig cookies, tiramisu, macaroons and coffee drinks. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $
Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; annunciationrestaurant. com — Gulf Drum Yvonne is served with brown butter sauce with mushrooms and artichoke hearts. There also are oysters, seafood pasta dishes, steaks, lamb chops and more. Reservations recommended. Dinner Thu.-Mon. $$$
Bamboula’s — 514 Frenchmen St.; bamboulasmusic.com — The live music venue’s kitchen offers a menu of traditional and creative Creole dishes, such as Creole crawfish crepes with goat cheese and chardonnay sauce. Reservations accepted. Lunch, dinner and late-night daily. $$
The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar — 118 Harbor View Court, Slidell, (985) 315-7001; 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 284-2898; thebluecrabnola.com — Basin barbecue shrimp are served with rosemary garlic butter sauce over cheese grits with a cheese biscuit. The menu includes po-poys, fried seafood platters, raw and char-grilled oysters, boiled seafood in season, and more. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lakeview: Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun.
Broussard’s — 819 Conti St., (504) 581-3866; broussards.com — The menu of contemporary Creole dishes includes bronzed redfish with jumbo lump crabmeat, lemon beurre blanc and vegetables. Brunch includes Benedicts, avocado toast, chicken and waffles, turtle soup and more. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available in the courtyard. Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$
Cafe Normandie — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The menu combines classic French dishes and Louisiana items like crab beignets with herb aioli. Sandwiches include po-boys, a muffuletta on flatbread and a burger. No reservations. Breakfast and lunch Mon.-Sat., dinner Fri.-Mon. $$
The Commissary — 634 Orange St., (504) 274-1850; thecommissarynola.com — Dickie Brennan’s Commissary supplies his other restaurant kitchens and also has a dine-in menu and prepared foods to go. A smoked turkey sandwich is served with bacon, tomato jam, herbed cream cheese, arugula and herb vinaigrette on honey oat bread. The menu includes dips, salads, sandwiches, boudin balls, fried oysters and more. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Tue.-Sat. $$
Curio — 301 Royal St., (504) 717-4198; curionola.com — The creative Creole menu includes blackened Gulf shrimp served with chicken and andouille jambalaya. There also are crab cakes, shrimp and grits, crawfish etouffee, po-boys and more. Outdoor seating available on balcony. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Dahla — 611 O’Keefe Ave., (504) 766-6602; dahlarestaurant.com — The menu includes popular Thai dishes like pad thai, drunken noodles, curries and fried rice. Crispy skinned duck basil is prepared with vegetables and Thai basil. Delivery available. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$
Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 586-0300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — A menu full of Gulf seafood includes oysters served raw on the half-shell or char-broiled with with Parmesan, garlic and herbs. The menu also includes po-boys, po-boys, gumbo, blackened fish, fried seafood platters and more. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House — 144 Bourbon St., (504) 522-0111; bourbonhouse.com — There’s a seafood raw bar with raw and char-broiled oysters, fish dip, crab fingers, shrimp and more. Redfish on the Half-shell is cooked skin-on and served with crab-boiled potatoes, frisee and lemon buerre blanc. The bar offers a wide selection of bourbon and whiskies. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$
Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse — 716 Iberville St., (504) 522-2467; dickiebrennanssteakhouse.com — The menu includes a variety of steaks, plus seared Gulf fish, lobster pasta, barbecue shrimp and more. A
Pad thai is one of the traditional dishes at Dahla (611 O’Keefe Ave., No. 10, 504-766-6620; dahla.toast.site).
6-ounce filet mignon is served with fried oysters, creamed spinach, potatoes and bearnaise. Reservations recommended. Dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$
El Pavo Real — 4401 S. Broad Ave., (504) 266-2022; elpavorealnola.com — The menu includes tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, ceviche. tamales and more. Pescado Vera Cruz features sauteed Gulf fish topped with tomatoes, olives, onion and capers, served with rice and string beans. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and early dinner Tue.-Sat. $$
Juan’s Flying Burrito — 515 Baronne St., (504) 529-5825; 2018 Magazine St., (504) 569-0000; 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-9950; 8140 Oak St., (504) 897-4800; juansflyingburrito.com — The Flying Burrito includes steak, shrimp, chicken, cheddar jack cheese, black beans, rice, guacamole and salsa. The menu also includes tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, fajitas, nachos, salads, rice and bean bowls with various toppings and more. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$
Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — The Cajun Cuban with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. The eclectic menu also includes char-grilled oysters, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, fried seafood platters, pasta, salads and more. Delivery available. Reservations accepted for large parties. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
Kilroy’s Bar — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The all-day bar menu includes sandwiches, soups, salads, flatbreads and a couple entrees. A muffuletta flatbread is topped with salami, mortadella, capicola, mozzarella and olive salad. No reservations. Lunch Fri.-Mon., dinner daily. $$
Legacy Kitchen’s Craft Tavern — 700 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 613-2350; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes oysters, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, salads and sharable plates like NOLA Tot Debris. A slow-cooked pulled pork barbecue sandwich is served with coleslaw on a brioche bun. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
Legacy Kitchen Steak & Chop — 91 Westbank Expressway, Gretna, (504) 5132606; legacykitchen.com — The selection of steak and chops includes filet mignon, bone-in rib-eye, top sirloin and double pork chops and a la carte toppings include bernaise, blue cheese and sauteed crabmeat. There also are burgers, salads, pasta, seafood entrees, char-broiled oysters and more. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$ Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The menu of Japanese cuisine includes sushi, signature rolls, tempura items, udon noodle dishes, teriyaki, salads and more.The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado, snow crab, green onion and wasabi roe. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Lunch Sun.-Fri., dinner daily. $$
Mosca’s — 4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery serves Italian dishes and specialties including shrimp Mosca, baked oysters Mosca and spaghetti Bordelaise and chicken cacciatore. Chicken a la grands is sauteed with garlic, rosemary, Italian herbs and white wine. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Sat. Cash only. $$$
Mother’s Restaurant — 401 Poydras St., (504) 523-9656; mothersrestaurant.net — This counter-service spot serves po-boys dressed with sliced cabbage like the Famous Ferdi filled with ham, roast beef and debris. Creole favorites include jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice and more. Breakfast is available all day. Delivery available. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
Neyow’s Creole Cafe — 3332 Bienville St., (504) 827-5474; neyows.com — The menu includes red beans and rice with fried chicken or pork chops, as well as shrimp Creole, seafood platters, po-boys, chargrilled and raw oysters, salads and more. Side items include carrot souffle, mac and cheese, cornbread dressing, sweet potato tots and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$
Nice Guys Bar & Grill — 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504) 302-2404; niceguysbarandgrillnola. com — Char-grilled oysters are topped with cheese and garlic butter, and other options include oysters Rockefeller and loaded oysters. The creative menu also includes seafood bread, a Cajun-lobster potato, wings, quesadillas, burgers, salads, sandwiches, seafood pasta, loaded fries and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$
Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro — 720 Orleans Ave., (504) 523-1930; orleansgrapevine.com — The wine bar offers cheese boards and appetizers to nosh with wines. The menu includes Creole pasta with shrimp and andouille in tomato cream sauce. Reservations accepted for large parties. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Thu.-Sun. $$
Parish Grill — 4650 W. Esplanade Ave., Suite 100, Metairie, (504) 345-2878; parishgrill. com — The menu includes a variety of burgers, sandwiches, wraps, pizza and salads. For an appetizer, sauteed andouille is served with fig preserves, blue cheese and toast points. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$
Peacock Room — Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola.com — At brunch, braised short rib grillades are served over grits with mushrooms, a poached egg and shaved truffle. The dinner menu has oysters, salads, pasta, shrimp and grits, a burger, cheese plates and more. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.Mon., brunch Sun. $$
Rosie’s on the Roof — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The rooftop bar has a menu of sandwiches, burgers and small plates. Crab beignets are made with Gulf crabmeat and mascarpone and served with herb aioli. No reservations. Dinner Mon.-Sat. $$
Tableau — 616 St. Peter St., (504) 9343463; tableaufrenchquarter.com — The menu features traditional and creative Creole dishes. Pasta bouillabaisse features squid ink mafaldine, littleneck clams, Gulf shrimp, squid, seafood broth, rouille and herbed breadcrumbs. Outdoor seating available on the balcony. Reservations recommended. Dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Thu.-Sun. $$$
Tacklebox — 817 Common St., (504) 827-1651; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes raw and char-broiled oysters, seafood platters, po-boys, fried chicken, crab and corn bisque and more. Redfish St. Charles is served with garlic-herb butter, asparagus, mushrooms and crawfish cornbread. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 733-3803; 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 234-9420; theospizza.com — A Marilynn Pota Supreme pie is topped with mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions. There also are salads, sandwiches, wings, breadsticks and more. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $
The Vintage — 3121 Magazine St., (504) 324-7144; thevintagenola.com — There’s a full coffee drinks menu and baked goods and beignets, as well as a full bar. The menu has flatbreads, cheese boards, small plates and a pressed veggie sandwich with avocado, onions, arugula, red pepper and pepper jack cheese. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
the Greenway in Mid City •3530 Toulouse St 504-488-1946 • Bayoubicycles.com
music, craft and food vendors and more. At 4-8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at 200 Morgan St. Admission is free. Visit algierseconomic.com/algiersbonfire for details.
‘Meowy Catmas’
The Amazing Acro-Cats return to New Orleans for their annual run of holiday shows at the AllWays Lounge & Cabaret. The feline troupe performs circus-like tricks of jumping through wreaths, walking tightropes, riding in a sleigh and more. The Rock Cats band plays holiday tunes, including “Have Yourself a Meowy Little Catmas.” There are meet and greets after every show. Shows run Dec. 4-21. Tickets are $48.74 and up. Visit rockcatsrescue.org for tickets and information.
New Orleans Holiday Parade
The Carnival-style parade features floats, helium balloons, marching groups, marching bands and more. The procession crosses the French Quarter on Decatur Street, makes a loop on Canal Street and follows Tchoupitoulas Street through the Warehouse District. At 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. Visit nolaholidayparade.com for information.
LPO: ‘Messiah’
The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra presents a holiday program with selections from Handel’s “Messiah,” compositions by Corelli and Gerald Finzi’s “In Terra Pax.” At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, at Fuhrmann Auditorium in Covington and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at Orpheum Theater in New Orleans. Tickets $25-$138, and $13 for children, via lpomusic.com.
Home for the Holidays
The annual fundraiser for the Daniel Price Memorial Fund features music by Kermit Ruffins, Cha Wa and Big Freedia, and Irma Thomas performs at the patron pre-party. Proceeds support scholarships at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). Tickets are $55 and up. At 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at House of Blues. Find information at danielpricememorial.org/home-for-the-holidays.
Laura Peek
Though now based in Los Angeles, comedian Laura Peek loves to talk about growing up in Nashville and her Southern roots. She has appeared on late-night TV and Comedy Central’s “Roast Battle.” She’s in town for shows at 7 & 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, and Saturday, Dec. 6, at Sports Drink. Tickets $29.69 at sportsdrink.org.
‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’
The animated TV special “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” popularized the tale of Rudolph as well as characters including Hermey the Misfit Elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster and Burgermeister Meisterburger. The musical adaptation also features popular songs from the show, including “A Holly Jolly Christmas” and more. Jefferson Performing Arts Society presents the show at Jefferson Performing Arts Center. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, and Sunday, Dec. 7, and continuing Dec. 12-14. Tickets $28 and up via ticketmaster.com.
Improvisations Gala
The gala benefit party for the New Orleans Jazz Museum’s educational programs is titled “Storyville: Sounds of the Rising Sun,” and there’s multiple stages with music by Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kermit Ruffins, James Andrews and the Crescent City All-Stars, Tuba Skinny, Detroit Brooks and the New Orleans Jazz Museum Band with Rechell Cook, Dane Ruffins, Naydja CoJoe and Sharon Martin. There are also burlesque performances, gaming, food, drinks and more. The gala is at 7-11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Tickets $150 via nolajazzmuseum.org/gala.
‘It’s a Wonderful Life, Y’all’
Ricky Graham gives the holiday classic a New Orleans look and a y’atty accent. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, and Saturday, Dec. 6, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, and continuing Dec. 12-20 at Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts. Tickets $43-$57 via rivertowntheaters.com.
American Aquarium
Frontman BJ Barham and American Aquarium blend rock and alt country with a bit of inspiration from Wilco. Last year, the North Carolina band released “Fear of Standing Still.” Margo Cilker opens at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, at Chickie Wah Wah. Tickets $26.96 via chickiewahwah.com.
Ananda: The Joy of Music in Motion
The concert of Hindustani music features violinist Biplab Samadder, Prashant Minocha on tabla and vocals, Andrew Mclean on sarod and Joyce Varghese-Sohi performing traditional Bharatanatyam dancing. At
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at New Marigny Theatre. Tickets $25 at newmarignytheatre.com.
Dearly Beloved
Dance party producer Now That’s What I Call Queer hosts a mass queer wedding and reception at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, at Soulet Muse. The event starts with a wedding ceremony, featuring music by Chloé Marie, and is followed by a dance party DJ’d by Warm Advice. Couples interested in getting hitched can find more information on the event’s website. The event is open to the public, and tickets are $40-$75 via nowthatswhaticallqueer.com.
Leroy
Jones & New Orleans’ Finest
Trumpeter Leroy Jones and his swing band New Orleans’ Finest will perform a holiday concert at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, at St. Louis Cathedral. The show is part of French Quarter Festivals, Inc.’s Holidays New Orleans Style series. Find more information at fqfi.org/holidays.
The Mynabirds
Since 2009, singer-songwriter and pianist Laura Burhenn has released several well-received indie pop records under her project The Mynabirds. Her 2017 album “Be Here Now” was a standout for its anthemic protest songs against the MAGA era. For The Mynabirds’ latest album, the recently released “It’s Okay to Go Back if You Keep Moving Forward,” Burhenn decided to revisit some of her past songs, stripping them down to introspective, sweet piano tunes. The Mynabirds are now on tour and play an intimate show in New Orleans at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5. The concert is produced by Undertow, and the location is only given to ticket holders. Tickets are $25 via undertowshows.com.
Pigeon Pit
The Washington folk punk band rolls through New Orleans on the heels of releasing two full-length albums in 2025, “Crazy Arms” and “Leash Aggression.” The six-piece outfit plays Friday, Dec. 5, at the Broadside with Nana Grizol, Holy Locust and June Henry. Tickets are $11.66 via broadsidenola.com.
NOLA Vox Holiday: A Beloved A Cappella Tradition of Harmony and Cheer, 7:30 pm
VAUGHAN’S LOUNGE — Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet, 10 pm
FRIDAY 5
APPLE BARREL — Bubbles Brown, 6 pm
ARORA — Bijou + Dr. Romance + TCHOUPO, 10 pm
BACCHANAL David Sigler, 1 pm; Willie Green, 7 pm
GASA GASA — Phoush- A New Orleans Tribute to the band from Vermont, 9 pm
HOLY DIVER — FAT SAVAGE / BUIO
OMEGA / AMERICAN MUSCLE / TONYA, 11:59 pm
HOUSE OF BLUES Jamie Lynn Vessels, 4 pm; Crickett, 7 pm
LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ Heavy Weather, 11 pm
MAPLE LEAF BAR — Bakey’s Brew Album Release Show, 11 pm
NO DICE — Pallbearer + Knoll, 9 pm
NOLA BREWING & PIZZA CO —
Johnny Sansone & John Fohl, 7 pm
NOLA 'NACULAR — Laura Burhenn and The Mynabirds, 7 pm
THE RABBIT HOLE — Veggi, 10 pm
REPUBLIC Gasolina Reggaeton Party, 10 pm
ROCK 'N' BOWL The Wiseguys, 8:30 pm
SANTOS BAR The Implosions + Triple Splits + The Unnaturals, 9 pm
SATURN BAR Una Noche de Música Latina con La Tran-K, 10 pm
SMOOTHIE KING CENTER — Brandy & Monica + Special Guests!, 8 pm
TIPITINA’S — Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes + Whisper Party!, 9 pm
SATURDAY 6
30/90 Anne Elise & The Swamp Circus, 2 pm
ARORA JAENGA + Josh Teed + AHA + Mer Grey, 10 pm
BACCHANAL Miles Berry, 1 pm; Steve Lands, 7 pm
BAMBOULA’S Aaron Levinson & Friends, 11 am; James McClaskey & The Rhythm Band, 2:15 pm; Johnny Mastro Blues, 6:30 pm; Paggy Prine & Southern Soul, 10 pm
BANKS STREET BAR Bone Orchard, 9 pm
SMOOTHIE KING CENTER — Jonas Brothers, 7 pm
ST. ROCH TAVERN — Pressure Beat: Reggae, Ska & Rocksteady Rave-Up, 9 pm
SUNDAY 7
BACCHANAL — Juan Tigre, 1 pm; Anna Quinn Trio, 7 pm
BAMBOULA’S — The Jaywalkers, 11 am; Laura Doyle Quartet, 1:15 pm; Cristina Kaminis, 5:30 pm; Kat Kiley, 9 pm
BEANLANDIA — Haruka Kikuchi & The Jazz Mates, 6 pm
BJ’S LOUNGE — James McClaskey & The Rhythm Band, 9 pm
BOURBON STREET HONKY TONK — The Bad Sandys, 8 pm
CHICKIE WAH WAH — Son Little, 8 pm
DBA — Vegas Cola Band, 9 pm
THE DOG HOUSE Craig Cortello, The "Canine Crooner", 5 pm
HOWLIN’ WOLF Hot 8 Brass Band, 10:30 pm
JAZZ PLAYHOUSE Richard Scott & The Twisty River Band, 7:30 pm
MAPLE LEAF BAR Higher Ground, 8 pm
NO DICE Mary Mortem + Slowhole + Missing, 9 pm
SATURN BAR Max Bien Kahn + Maddy Kirgo + Big Leather, 9 pm
TIPITINA’S Andrew Duhon & Kristin Diable, 8 pm
SCAN FOR
Singing blues
by Jake Clapp
IN SEPTEMBER, ALICIA RENEE
WAS PERFORMING ON Decatur Street near Dutch Alley when a crowd of people walked up to her. The New Orleans vocalist, who’s also known as “Blue Eyes” for her lively natural blues, busks several times a week in the French Quarter, so she’s used to singing to and waving at large numbers of people every day.
This crowd, though, was following a single guy: IShowSpeed, one of the most-followed social media personalities whose hourslong livestreams pull in millions of viewers on YouTube and Twitch. The 20-year-old recently went on a U.S. tour and spent a couple of days in New Orleans, streaming his time walking around the city, eating, meeting people and watching music. He had just stopped to tip a couple of brass musicians in front of Cafe Du Monde, started walking down Decatur and heard Renee’s voice.
“You can see he’s surrounded by people that have a cell phone in their hand, trying to put a cell phone in his face, their products in his hand,” Renee says. “You can see in the video, he hears me first, then makes a line down Decatur to find me.”
IShowSpeed, his crowd and tens of millions of people online watched Renee powerfully sing Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” and “I Put a Spell On You,” in the manner of Nina Simone’s version. Renee told him a little about herself and one of her recent CDs, “Live from the New Orleans Jazz Museum.”
It was a viral moment for Renee, and she has since seen a growth in her followings on Instagram and TikTok. But it was just one highlight in a busy year for the jazz, blues and pop vocalist.
Renee can be seen most days performing around the Quarter, including in Dutch Alley, at Jackson Square and near the Vampire Café on Royal Street. She’ll appear at venues around the city, singing with groups like Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet or occasionally accompanied by her own band. Renee also was a vocalist on Henry’s “Live at Vaughans,” which was recently nominated for a Grammy Award.
Late last year, though, Renee dipped her toes into the film world as the narrator and a producer of “Dirty Dogs,” a documentary about Lucky Dogs’ long-held food cart monopoly in the Quarter, which ended in late 2023 following an ordinance by the New Orleans City Council. The
documentary, which was directed by the late Mark “Tye” Turner, has been screening this year at film festivals and is available on Amazon.
“I think it’s going well,” Renee says of the new changes allowing more vendors in the Quarter. “It was definitely worth the hassle. Anytime someone has the opportunity to have their own business … that can’t be anything but a good thing.”
Born and raised in Flint, Michigan, Renee cut her teeth in Chicago and New York before finding herself in Switzerland for a decade. Around 2017, though, a friend in New Orleans called and asked if she would want to take over their gig performing in Bourbon Street clubs.
Renee decided to go for it — but quickly found she didn’t like trying to make herself heard over rowdy crowds in bars, she says. So she got off Bourbon Street and began setting up on sidewalks around the Quarter.
“It was better, just more free. I could sing whatever I wanted,” she says. “If people walk down the street and I hear them speaking French, I’m gonna start singing French songs, and that would surprise them and make them happy.”
Renee has since become a Quarter staple, which has led to other opportunities, like performing during a New Orleans Pelicans game and several other viral moments that are connecting with a younger audience.
“When I look at my analytics on TikTok, it’s usually between 18 and 24 is the top [viewer],” she says. “I’m just singing jazz and soul music, but I’m having a connection with these youth.”
Find more at aliciareneeakablueeyes.com.
DECEMBER 5- 7
Friday, Dec. 5: 3pm to 8pm
Saturday, Dec. 6: 11am to 8pm
Sunday,Dec.7:11am to 4pm
Free Entrance,On-site Parking $5
Vocalist Alicia Renee, also known as ‘Blue Eyes’ PROVIDED PHOTO BY THE PHOTO CITIZEN
FIT GET GET
GOING OUT
Holiday lights
by Will Coviello
WHEN MARIGNY OPERA BALLET WAS LOOKING TO DO A CHRISTMAS SHOW four years ago, founder and artistic director Dave Hurlbert set out to do a local version of “The Nutcracker,” with a main setting in Jackson Square and an original jazz score by Lawrence Sieberth, inspired by Tchaikovsky’s music for the ballet.
It went well, and the company presented it three Decembers in a row. But after taking a year off and not doing a holiday show last year, the company decided to rethink what a holiday show could be.
“I thought we could do a production in some way related to the holiday,” Hurlbert says. “It finally occurred to us: Why don’t we look to the reason for the holiday season, which is the solstice? It’s why Christmas is scheduled when it is.”
The new show, “Winterlight,” with choreography by Christian Denice, premieres Dec. 5-14 at Marigny Opera House.
“Winterlight” took shape as Denice and Hurlbert thought about a setting for a piece about the solstice and the season. Many winter celebrations predated Christmas.
“The Romans celebrated the Saturnalia at the end of the year,” Hurlbert says. “The end of the darkness, the beginning of the light. The return of the sun. That’s the basic holiday emotions. You emerge from the darker days and darker nights and start over again in a new year.”
They envisioned a northern spot and a time before electricity when the long winter nights and return of the sun would be central to the cycle of the seasons.
“We settled on a Nordic village-esque thing, with the deep, long night of winter,” Denice says. “I thought there was something that spoke to me about resilience. Then we created our own folk village with the dancers and let the characters develop that way.”
There are eight characters to fit the company’s size. Six of them are villagers, symbolically spanning the generations from elders to youth. Alyssa Nelson will personify the sun. There’s also a male lead who suffers his own darkness.
“You have the Sun, who is the manifestation of the light of the sun, memory, joy and the spirit of the holiday,” Denice says. “Then we have the main male character who struggles in the beginning. He has succumbed to the darkness in his own life and lost sight of
what matters. The village takes him in, and we feel the turn of emotion of this character who navigates a hard moment.”
For a score, Hurlbert discovered folk music recordings by Copenhagen’s Danish String Quartet, and he and Denice chose pieces that reflected the emotional arc of the story. The Delachaise Ensemble will perform the score live.
Denice is from California and in recent years has been based in Greece. Last year, he came to New Orleans to choreograph a short piece in Marigny Opera Ballet’s “Echoes” show. Recently, he’s been back and forth between the premiere here and Philadelphia where he’s choreographing a show for BalletX.
As a dancer and choreographer, he has focused more on contemporary dance, but for “Winterlight,” he’s embracing contemporary ballet.
“In classical narrative ballets, there are very whimsical, charming dance sequences, with character-esque movements,” he says. “There’s poetry and storytelling in ballet that contemporary (dance) really doesn’t have. Contemporary dance has a more abstract approach. Classical can stand in every movement and is telling a story. I leaned into the ballet aesthetic to create my own version of what these dancers in the village would be. Certainly, the main character, the Sun, I love her ballet language.”
“Winterlight” is at 8 p.m. Friday-Sunday Dec. 5-7 & 12-14 at Marigny Opera House. Tickets $44.34 and up via marignyoperahouse.org.
PROVIDED PHOTO BY ALEX ANDRE
PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE
FUSION SINGERS
By Frank A. Longo
1 Oscar’s U.K. counterpart
6 Stroll on the catwalk 11 “SOS” band
15 Venus de --
19 Some razors
20 How French fries are
Gorilla, e.g.
Fibber’s admission
Witty Bombeck 30 Meet with
32 Sty sound
61 Prescription bottle info
Singer of “Show and Tell Funky Broadway”?
Thailand, before 1939
Born, in Nice
Ending with chick
Singer of “Rocket Man Rocky Mountain High”?
On -- with (equal to)
Cry from Homer Simpson
Singer of “Oh Sherrie It’s Impossible”?
Singer of “Faith How Can We Be Lovers”?
One-named singer of “Hello”
Slush Puppie alternative
Wide variety
Ref’s ring decision
Clamping tool
Singer of “Lovergirl Paper Roses”?
Starting ltr.
Litter peewee
Zones
Rowed
43-Across team in D.C.
Past lovers
“Never met a man I -- like”
“Drake” poet Alfred
1 Cabo’s peninsula
Above 3 Sells work by the job, say 4 -- Mahal
5 Light -- (not heavy at all)
6 Hockey Hall of Famer Stan 7 First stages
8 Syllables sung many times in “Camptown Races” 9 Freud’s “one” 10 Atty.’s degree 11
Bausch & -- (eye care brand) 34 Give a holler 35 Rapping “Dr.” 36 Pungent 37 Nile capital 41 A.M. drinks, often 42 Get 40 winks 44 -- burner (lab item)
46 Engrossed 47 Petty fight
49 Spanish for “my love” 50 Twisty fish
Indy-to-Memphis dir. 52 Prefix with conservative
“X” amount 58 More meager 59 Suffix with human 62 “-- Beso” (1962 hit) 64 Inextricably involved 65 Actor Bruce 66 Mauna --
68 Exercising control
69 1977 Steely Dan album
72 German river
73 “Livin’ La Vida --”
74 “This is the last straw!”
75 Day divs.
76 Petty peeve
77 Big cheese
78 Suffix with phenyl
80 Peak of high land jutting into a body of water
81 Targeted
82 TV executive Arledge
86 Be nosy
87 Actor Sheridan
90 Budding actresses
92 Home repair guru Bob
93 Duel sword
94 Fashion’s Chanel
96 ‘50s prez
97 Hockey Hall of Famer Mario
101 Christianity’s -- Creed
Fragrances 104 Shined dazzlingly
Novelist Patrick 106 Most angry 108 TV actor MacLeod 109 Minneapolis suburb 110 “Isn’t -- little old for you?” 111 Thai tongue 112 Actress Cicely
