Gambit Digital Edition: September 1, 2025

® September 1-7 2025 Volume 46 Number 35

WORLD HONESTY DAY

SEPTEMBER 21, 2025

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The Saints Issue

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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Disco practice

Jeremy Guyton returns to New Orleans for International Dance Festival Sept. 4-7

WHEN THE PANDEMIC SHUTDOWNS

BEGAN, dancer and choreographer Jeremy De’jon Guyton returned to his family home in the West Athens area of Los Angeles, where he grew up.

He started delving into the home as if it was an archive of his and his family’s history. He even sought the more isolated and confined spaces of a closet to do a meditation.

“I started making work in my parents’ closet, which basically meant I would go inside the closet, close the door, turn on music and just be in a freestyle exploration in a tight, cramped space,” Guyton says. “Metaphorically and psychologically, growing up queer in this household — that expression wasn’t allowed or permitted. So to come back 20 years later and be in the practice of that full expression in a space that might not seem like it could or should hold it became part of the practice.”

That exploration became the installation dance piece “Closet Disco.” He’s bringing it to the International Dance Festival New Orleans and creating a new version, in which the audience can enter the “Closet Disco” and explore it as an immersive experience.

Guyton is a former New Orleanian. He came here in 2012 to teach kindergarten. But as his dance career blossomed, he focused more on art. He became a program director at Dancing Grounds and was a member of the KM Dance company and the hip-hop and contemporary dance group B.U.K.U. Dance Krewe.

In 2019, he was the movement coordinator for Solange Knowles, and he also worked with local theater companies Goat in the Road and Junebug productions.

Guyton got an MFA in dance at Florida State University and was living in Tallahassee until the pandemic brought him back to Los Angeles.

Reconnecting with his family and his grandparents’ home included launching what would become his “Closet Disco” practice. The closet brought together overlapping influences and ideas.

“It’s an exploration of clothing and adornment, and jewelry and sound, and how sound works in a closed off space,” Guyton says. “It’s an exploration of light and darkness.”

It’s also a meditation on queerness, but one with a complicated, multigenerational dimension.

|

by Will Coviello

Jeremy De’jon Guyton brings ‘Closet Disco’ to the International Dance Festival.

Guyton’s father died when he was 2 years old. He was told that it was due to cancer. But when Guyton was in his mid-teens, his grandmother told him the truth.

She had taken him to see the movie “Rent,” he says, and afterward, overcome with emotion, she shared that his father had died of complications of HIV/ AIDS. His father had grown up queer in the same house.

Guyton’s journey of discovery has continued. Just last month, he met his father’s former partner in person for the first time. He’s also found journals his father kept at different periods of his life.

In the “Closet Disco” performance in the festival, he’ll use audio from a cassette he found of his father singing in the 1980s.

“It was the first time I heard his voice,” Guyton says.

Guyton refers to “Closet Disco” as a practice. Part of it is his own ritual of mediation and exploration, working with movement, personal objects and music from techno to jazz and other collaged soundscapes. He’s also done it as a performance, in person and on film. In a version in Upstate New York, he used a grain silo as a closet space, and audiences watched from the door.

At the International Dance Festival, he’s using the yoga studio on the grounds of the New Marigny Theatre as the closet. It’s a durational piece,

and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, attendees can enter the closet with him and experience and explore the artifacts, sounds and movement. They can stay for the entire three hours or come and go as they choose.

“You can touch things, you can read things, you can watch things, you can listen to things,” Guyton says. “There are materials in the space that the audience is invited to play with. That’s new for me, inviting multiple people inside the closet with me.”

In a festival workshop on Saturday, Guyton will lead a freestyle exploration for participants to use movement, writing and more to generate their own “Closet Disco” practice.

Guyton is among a dozen artists performing and teaching workshops at the festival. In recent months, the lineup has been pared down due to issues with funding and travel arrangements with some international artists, says organizer Leslie Scott.

But the lineup still includes Evelyn Tejada, originally from the Dominican Republic, performing a piece combining contemporary dance, popping, breakdance and more. A Mexican artist currently in a residency in Houston, Paty Lorena Solórzano explores issues of ecology, migration and more through contemporary movement. The lineup also features Nicole Curtis, Julia Eichten, Kayla Farrish, Diogo de Lima, Amalia Najera, Madeline Lorio, Claire Olberding and Chloe Roberts.

The third edition of the festival has performances, workshops and a film portion. The dance films come from across the globe, from Europe to China and South Korea, and most are four to seven minutes long. A program of 10 films will be screened at The Broad Theater at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6. There’s also a different slate of seven films viewable on the festival’s digital platform, available Sept. 7-14.

Festival performances are at the New Marigny Theatre Thursday, Sept. 4, through Saturday, Sept. 6. Workshops are mostly at Tulane University’s McWilliams Hall on Saturday, Sept. 6, and Sunday, Sept. 7.

For information about the festival, go to idfnola.com.

LPO Tribute to Ellis Marsalis Branford, Delfeayo and Jason Marsalis join the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra for a tribute to their father, Ellis Marsalis Jr. The program is highlighted by the premiere of “Haven Sketches” by composer Roger Dickerson, a friend and colleague of Ellis Marsalis. The evening also features Ellis Marsalis’ “The Fourth Autumn,” Wynton Marsalis’ “All American Pep” and Duke Ellington’s “Martin Luther King,” as well as pieces from Leonard Bernstein. Proceeds benefit the LPO’s education and community engagement programs. At 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6. Tickets $54-$139 via lpomusic.com.

Zak Toscani

Portland comic Zak Toscani is a frequent guest on the All Fantasy Everything podcast and has written for Comedy Central. He carved out his own niche of doing comedy shows in people’s houses during the pandemic. He returns to New Orleans for shows at 7 & 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6 at Sports Drink. Tickets $31.24 via sportsdrink.org.

Alejandro Escovedo

Last year, Alejandro Escovedo released “Echo Dancing,” a project re-recording songs from across his career. He was born into a musical family — his father played in mariachi bands and his brother played with Santana. But Escovedo delved into the New York punk rock scene, and followed his own path, through indie rock and later reinventing himself as a singer/ songwriter. Americana singer/songwriter James Mastro, who just released his debut album, opens at 8 p.m. Tueday, Sept. 2, at Chickie Wah Wah. Tickets $61.52 via chickiewahwah.com.

Here Come the Mummies

Nashville’s Here Come the Mummies are an eight-piece funk rock outfit powered by guitars and a horn section. The members perform masked and remain anonymous, but the group has supported other bands, from Al Green to P-Funk, and draws on jazz, ska and more. At 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, at Joy Theater. Tickets $33.55 and up via ticketmaster.com.

PHOTO BY MADDIE SPINNER / GAMBIT

PHOTO PROVIDED BY INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL

OPENING GAMBIT

Clay Higgins has to read the manual for how to put on pants every morning

THUMBS UP/ THUMBS DOWN

Tyrann Mathieu, the now retired Saints safety, was recently feted by City Hall with a key to the city, and Aug. 21, 2025 was declared Tyrann Mathieu Day in New Orleans. Mathieu is a New Orleans native and spent 12 seasons in the NFL. Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the city council recognized Mathieu for his accomplishments both on and off the field.

Baptist Community Ministries has awarded $410,000 in grants to 11 New Orleans organizations in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Ten local groups, including the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Dancing Grounds and Girls Play Trumpets Too, each received $40,000 and Grow Dat Youth Farm received $10,000 through the BCM’s K20 initiative.

Court temporarily pauses Cantrell administration’s school tax collection fee

CIVIL DISTRICT COURT JUDGE

CELESTE DAVIS AUG. 26 GRANTED a temporary restraining order against New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration that bars the city from charging local schools millions of dollars in fees for collecting a city tax dedicated to funding the system.

Louisiana has implemented a new law prohibiting prosecutors from striking a plea deal with people convicted by split-jury decisions, removing the last narrow path they had for relief, Verite News reported. In 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that nonunanimous jury decisions were unconstitutional, but the ruling was not retroactive. The Louisiana Supreme Court then declined to blanket grant new trials for those prisoners, while still allowing them the possibility of individual plea deals. But state lawmakers and Gov. Jeff Landry this year took that option off the table, leaving more than 1,000 people stuck in prison.

The restraining order can after two of Cantrell’s closest aides, City Attorney Donesia Turner and Finance Director Romy SchofieldSamuel, admitted Aug. 13 they were purposefully violating an April ordinance barring the fees and continuing to collect the money, which can cost the school system up to $8 million a year.

A preliminary injunction hearing is set for Sept. 4.

“We are thankful for the favorable ruling and intend on working with the City to avoid further litigation and to reach a long-term solution that is fair to everyone while recognizing the need to prioritize the students,” said Tanya Bryant, CEO of ReNew Charter Schools, one of the charter school systems that filed for the restraining order.

The fees are at the center of Cantrell’s months-long war with the city council and school system. In January, Cantrell abruptly killed a deal her top aides had cut between the administration, the council and the schools that would have ended litigation over the fees while also helping to fill a $20 million school funding shortfall. She has also refused to pay $10 million to the school system – despite signing the ordinance requiring the payment in December.

City Council President JP Morrell, who wrote the April ordinance banning the fee, said in a statement he is “elated” and that “it’s time for the Cantrell administration to stop fighting” the city’s schools over funding.

Council Budget Chairman Joe Giarrusso said in the same statement “I would prefer not to fight but our kids deserve what is due to them.”

Prior to the court filings, Morrell had already warned Turner to stay out of any upcoming legal fight over the fees.

“It is clear that the collection of the sales tax fee by Revenue

THE NUMBER OF LOUISIANA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONERS WHO VOTED TO APPROVE THREE NEW ENTERGY LOUISIANA NATURAL GAS POWER PLANTS.

Only one commissioner, Davante Lewis, voted no against the measure. The new power plants are being built to fuel a massive Meta-owned AI center in Richland Parish. Opponents of the initiative have said the massive data center could be a danger to the environment and a strain on resources, like electricity — and it could eventually cause rate hikes.

How do you think the Saints will do this season?

11.3%

New Orleans City Attorney Donesia Turner SCREEN SHOT OF CITY COUNCIL HEARING

is expressly prohibited by law as of 12:00 noon on April 20, 2025. Despite this, the Department of Revenue admitted under penalty of perjury before the Budget Committee that they continue to charge sales and use tax collection fees,” Morrell wrote in a letter to Turner.

Morrell went on to add “It is the expectation of the City Council, who is your client under Section 4-401 of the City Charter, that the Law Department will not challenge the validity of Section 70-565 in any court of law or in any communications.”

Tuner is one of Cantrell’s closest and most loyal aides. She’s also been a fierce defender of the mayor, often appearing before the City Council to advocate for Cantrell’s top down, authoritarian style of governing, push back against council oversight and defend Cantrell’s often mercurial decision-making process.

As the city’s attorney, Turner has taken a decidedly one-sided approach to her job, essentially acting as Cantrell’s personal attorney

in political disputes and pushing courts to limit the council’s authorities – and hand more power to the executive branch.

A group of civic leaders, business owners, academics recently urged the council to pass a city home rule charter change to better define the role of the city’s attorney. While the council did pass a proposal to put the change to city voters this fall, Cantrell used one of her rare vetoes to block that amendment. The council overrode Cantrell and voters will be able to decide on whether city attorneys represent the residents rather than the mayor.

That warning appears to be in response to Cantrell’s litigious nature, particularly when it comes to efforts to fund city schools. Although some Cantrell supporters have cast the dispute as simply irking the council and part of what they claim is dysfunctional government, it goes well beyond any personality disputes. For much of the last year Cantrell has been at odds with the school board. At the same time she has

increasingly pursued legal challenges involving the council that would provide her with essentially unfettered power.

In this instance, the “dispute,” such that it is, appears to be fairly clear. The plain language of the April ordinance clearly makes the collection of the fees on this tax illegal. Cantrell, as mayor, had the chance to veto the law, which she didn’t.

Normally, if an executive branch of government opposes a duly passed ordinance that has gone into effect, they will then turn to the judiciary for relief. But in this case Cantrell, Turner and Schofield-Samuel simply appear to have ignored the law altogether and continued collecting the fee.

It’s unclear why Cantrell didn’t veto the law in April. Cantrell is rarely in New Orleans, having used her second term to take dozens of taxpayer-funded vacations and junkets to domestic and exotic international destinations. And when she is in town, she spends just over eight and a half hours working.

Given that sparse amount of time on the clock, the ordinance may simply have never come up in the few meetings with staff she may have held during the veto period. Still, it would seem unusual for Cantrell to not be paying attention to the council’s work on school funding.

Last year her top aides cut a deal with the council school board to help fund a $30 million budget shortfall –all while Cantrell was out of town at an international junket. Upon returning to New Orleans, Cantrell signed into law an ordinance authorizing the first $10 million payment to the schools.

A month later in January 2025, presumably when Cantrell had been made aware of the deal and the law she signed, the mayor backed out of the deal, setting off weeks of public fighting. Although a judge ultimately killed the deal Cantrell’s administration had cut – because the mayor hadn’t actually signed off on it – the courts did hold she must pay the

You’re free to live your lifeout loud! Becauseyou’ve gotthe compassion of the cross, the securityofthe shield, and the comfortofBluebehind you.

schools their $10 million, since she had signed that law.

Cantrell isn’t known for having a forgiving nature, and her time in office has been marked by any number of instances in which she’s held her ground far longer than any other politician might. As a result, it would seem out of character for her to not have kept tabs on the ongoing school funding fight she picked with the council.

of Health and accusing city health officials of being sorcerers. Because of course he is.

After seeing a Department of Health post promoting the need for kids and adolescents to get the COVID-19 vaccine, Higgins took to X to drop some of his patented pearls of wisdom.

Higgins called vaccines a “state sponsored weakening of the citizenry, absolute injury to our children and calculated decline of fertility” before threatening to block federal funds from the department and the “writhing band of sorcerers” who work there.

Of course, Cantrell has had a lot on her mind the last 12 months, outside of her occasional official duties and travel schedule: several top aides have been accused of abusive behavior, including sexual assault charges against her homeless policy coordinator Nate Fields; her closest aide for much of her time as mayor Gilbert Montano abruptly began breaking publicly with her last year, resulting in Cantrell sidelining him before his eventual departure in August; and the Super Bowl ended up costing the city significantly more than she let the council and public believe it would while not being the financial windfall for residents and small businesses she’d promised, among other issues.

Additionally, she’s contended with a years long corruption investigation that this month produced an indictment against her earlier this month.

Whether there’s a fight remains to be seen, however. Cantrell is not known for taking criticism or defeat well, and she and her aides have been increasingly willing to ignore any city ordinance the administration disagrees with, forcing the council or others to file suit to try and enforce the ordinances she finds objectionable.

That approach has resulted in mixed results: while several judges have sided with her in her fights with the council, she’s also faced some modest pushback from the judiciary – including on her refusal to comply with the school funding ordinance she signed. — John Stanton

Republican

Rep. Clay Higgins thinks doctors are sorcerers

NOTED PERSONAL FRIEND OF HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON and purveyor of racist lies Republican Rep. Clay Higgins is back at it again, threatening to block all federal funding to the New Orleans Department

Higgins has in the past claimed his wife practices some form of magic that allows her to see the future – though as far as we know, none of her visions have actually come to pass.

Higgins has no background in science or medicine. He does, however, have a background in making life hard for kids: back when Higgins first ran for Congress his ex-wife detailed how the “pro-family” Higgins had failed to pay more than $141,000 in child support. It’s been a while since we’ve heard from the decidedly antiscience Higgins. Back in September 2024 Higgins got in a very stern talking to from his “dear friend” Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise after he posted wildly racist lies about Haitian people online. Later that year he threatened his colleagues in the House, part of a long history of often-racially motivated threats and violence.

— John Stanton

Tensions mount for top New Orleans mayoral candidates

NEW ORLEANS MAYORAL CANDIDATES SEN. ROYCE DUPLESSIS AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OLIVER

THOMAS slammed frontrunner and Council Vice President Helena Moreno as a divisive force at City Hall during a forum Aug. 25, while Moreno defended her record and suggested her two opponents are teaming up against her.

At a forum moderated by former news anchor Norman Robinson at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport, the top three candidates fielded questions about infrastructure, revamping struggling city agencies and the need to get city back

track after years of dwindling city services and population loss.

But things heated up when Robinson allowed them to briefly question each other directly.

Moreno confronted her opponents, who in the last week have ramped up attacks on her but not each other.

“Some have been saying it looks like Council Member Thomas and Sen. Duplessis are not really running against each other, but teamed up to run against just Helena,” she said.

She then turned to Thomas and asked him why he’s more qualified than Duplessis to be the next mayor.

“There are no victims sitting up here. We’re all big boys and big girls, and we’re sitting here to compete,” Thomas retorted.

He said his “institutional knowledge, ability to hit the ground running” and understanding of both state and city laws make him the most qualified, though he hasn’t been a state lawmaker like Moreno and Duplessis.

Duplessis then turned to Moreno, a two-term council member, and once again criticized her, alleging that she has played a role in the “chaos and dysfunction that I don’t think we’ve ever seen in this city.” He cited, among other concerns, the dip in population over the past few years.

“What responsibility do you bear?” he asked her.

Moreno took that opportunity to defend the council, pointing out that under her leadership, city lawmakers have repeatedly checked Cantrell’s executive powers and fought against policies that have been deeply unpopular.

“If it wouldn’t have been for the work that the city council has done, we would have a City Hall at Municipal Auditorium. If it wouldn’t have been for the work of the city council and the leadership of the city council, the people of Gordon Plaza would still be sitting on Gordon Plaza,” she said, referring to the residential area that was built on top of a toxic waste site.

She also pointed out that litigation by the council helped the city regain control over the Wisner Trust, away from the mayor and private interests, among other issues.

“I really appreciate that” question, she told Duplessis.

Thomas, meanwhile, pointed out that some lawsuits filed against the mayor by the council have not been resolved in the council’s favor.

“At what point do you put aside the fights and get in a room with people you disagree with?” he asked Moreno.

“I will always fight on behalf of the people on behalf of the city. The first attempt will be to try and get in a room with everyone, but sometimes that doesn’t resolve the issue,” she responded.

Monday’s forum showed there are clearly mounting tensions between candidates as the race heats up ahead

— Sarah Ravits

of the Oct. 11 primary.

State Sen. Royce Duplessis, New Orleans City Council Vice President Helena Moreno and New Orleans City Council Member Oliver Thomas on August 25, 2025 at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport

PHOTO BY SARAH RAVITS / GAMBIT shop @ gaetanasnola

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@GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com

Hey Blake, What’s the back story on the “Bohn Motor Co.” markings on the building at S. Broad Street and Washington Avenue? When was it a car dealership?

Dear reader,

YOUR QUESTION COULDN’T BE MORE TIMELY, since the Broad Street building that once housed the Bohn Motor Company opened 100 years ago this week.

The founder of the well-known local Ford dealership, George W. Bohn, first sold cars on Carrollton Avenue before building a bigger facility at Broad and Washington Avenue. The building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was constructed at a cost of $100,000 (or nearly $1.8 million in today’s money). It was designed by noted architect Emile Weil, whose other notable projects included the Saenger Theatre, Touro Synagogue and the nearby Tivoli Theater, which is now Rhodes Funeral Home.

“We now have one of the most modern as well as most complete buildings of this type in the South,” Bohn said of the Broad Street dealership in a Sept. 5, 1925, New Orleans Item article.

BLAKE VIEW

“In addition, it has been completely fitted with new equipment of the most modern type throughout, enabling us to give our patrons the best possible service in every department.” Bohn’s business empire later expanded to several other dealerships, including on the West Bank.

In 1996, the Bohn family relocated and sold the Broad Street building. According to The Times-Picayune, the building was destroyed by a six-alarm fire in 2002. All that remained were the four outer walls and steel beams.

Over the past decade, a multimillion-dollar renovation restored the 41,000 square-foot former Bohn building. It now includes community, mental health and addiction treatment facilities run by Odyssey House of Louisiana.

SEPTEMBER MARKS THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY of the assassination of Huey P. Long, the iconic Louisiana governor and U.S. Senator known as “the Kingfish,” whose shooting and death remain the subject of debate.

Long, a larger-than-life Democrat, served just one term as governor from 1928 to 1932. His populist policies and brash personality earned him both criticism and support for his social programs and public works projects. After taking office as U.S. Senator in 1932, Long became a controversial figure for his filibusters, theatrical antics and for denouncing President Franklin D. Roosevelt while preparing to mount his own presidential campaign in the 1936 election.

On Sept. 8, 1935, Long traveled to the State Capitol in Baton Rouge for a special legislative session convened to consider a redistricting plan that Long favored. The senator was shot inside a State Capitol corridor that night, shortly after the plan passed.

“Louisiana’s capital city was thrown into a feverish uproar of excitement by the shooting and wounding of Sen. Huey P. Long by an assailant who was instantly riddled with bullets by guards and killed,” reported Associated Press correspondent Quincy Ewing.

The alleged assassin was Baton Rouge physician Dr. Carl Weiss, though there remains debate over whether it was bullets he fired which killed Long or whether they were bullets from Long’s bodyguards.

Long was rushed to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital where he underwent surgery. “Physicians… indicated early this morning that developments within the next 72 hours will determine the outcome of his condition,” reported the next day’s TimesPicayune. Long would die 31 hours later, on Sep. 10, 1935.

More than 200,000 people attended the Senator’s funeral at the State Capitol, where he is buried and a statue was erected on his grave.

The Bohn Motor Co. sign on S. Broad Street

PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

FAVORITES Fa

Recipes and drinks for your game-watching spread

Bufalo Chicken Meatballs

BY SARAH NEWTON

These meatballs are juicy on the inside with a spicy kick from the hot sauce and a savory depth from the cheese and spices.

Yields 12 meatballs

Prep time 15 minutes

Cook time 20 minutes

THE KICKOFF OF THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS and NFL season is fnally here, and we’ll see soon enough which teams are ready to go.

It’s also time to get your own pre-game plans together. No matter what happens on the feld, you might as well enjoy yourself, and that means setting out a spread like a pro.

Gambit asked some local chefs and bartenders to share some of their recipes for food and drinks for a game-day watching party, from spicy wings to vegan dips. There also are batch cocktails to round out a game plan. Enjoy.

INGREDIENTS

⮞ 1 pound ground chicken

⮞ 1/3 cup of Tabasco Sriracha, and extra for topping once cooked if desired

⮞ 3/4 cup shredded cheese (white cheddar, pepper jack or a blend)

⮞ 1 egg

⮞ 1/3 cup onion, fnely diced

⮞ 4 cloves garlic, minced

⮞ 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

⮞ 1 teaspoon mustard

⮞ 1 teaspoon paprika

⮞ 2 teaspoons black pepper

⮞ 1/4 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)

⮞ ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping (optional)

Sarah Newton is a dietician who runs the Coop’s Table pop-up and catering on the side. She also handles hog roasts for the Sweet Swine O’ Mine barbecue team at Hogs for the Cause. Coop’s Table focuses on smoked meats, her own boudin and more. Find info and her fall schedule on @coops.table on Instagram.

INSTRUCTIONS

❶ Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

❷ In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients together. Ground chicken needs to be very cold.

❸ Using your hands, gently mix all the ingredients together until they are just combined. Be careful not to over mix, as this can make the meatballs tough.

❹ Form meatballs using a scooper or a tablespoon. Should make 12 meatballs, depending on desired size. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them a little bit apart.

❺ Bake for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and browned. The internal temperature should reach 165 F (74 C).

❻ Serve the meatballs as is or make into a slider with a toasted bun of choice, cream cheese, meatball, pickle and a dash of hot sauce. Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping.

Tips and variations: For a saucier meatball, warm up some additional hot sauce and butter in a saucepan and toss the cooked meatballs in it before serving.

These meatballs are gluten free with no breadcrumbs, but you can add 1/2 cup breadcrumbs if desired.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SARAH NEWTON

Creole Mustard

Honey

Wings

BY JULIE VAUCRESSON

Yields 5 servings

INGREDIENTS

⮞ 3-4 pounds chicken wings (approximately 20 drumettes and fats)

⮞ 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning

⮞ 1 tablespoon black pepper

⮞ 1 tablespoon garlic powder

⮞ 1/2 teaspoon paprika

⮞ 3/4 cup honey

⮞ 3/4 cup Vaucresson’s Creole Mustard

⮞ 1 tablespoon red pepper fakes

INSTRUCTIONS

❶ Preheat oven to 400 F.

❷ In a large bowl, mix together Creole seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Add chicken pieces and toss in dry mixture until coated.

Julie Vaucresson and her husband Vance Vaucresson run the Vaucresson Sausage Company and restaurant. They’re known for Creole hot sausage and crawfsh sausage and have served their sausages at every single Jazz Fest. Last year, she released the cookbook “Creole Made Easy.” For more information, visit vaucressonsausage.com.

❸ Place chicken on a foil-lined pan and bake for 40 minutes.

❹ In a small saucepan, combine honey, Vaucresson’s Creole Mustard, and red pepper fakes.

Heat over a medium to low fre, stirring occasionally.

❺ Remove the wings from the oven and toss in honey-mustard mixture. Return wings to baking pan and bake for an additional 10 minutes at 400 F.

❻ Turn on broiler and broil wings on high for 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely not to burn. Remove wings from the oven and cool slightly before serving.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JULIE FREDERICK VAUCRESSON

Ian Lloyd-Webb grew up in the Pacifc Northwest and worked in fne dining in Seattle and New Orleans before launching P-Otis, a pop-up and meal prep project. He serves Seattle-style Asian dumplings, Mexican favorites and more at Courtyard Brewery Saturday through Tuesday and does diferent menus for meal prep and catering. Visit @p.otisfoods on Instagram for more information.

P-Otis Foods

Walking Taco

BY IAN LLOYD - WEBB

INGREDIENTS

⮞ 2 each 1 ounce bag of Fritos

⮞ 2 ounces curry queso (recipe below)

⮞ 2 ounces protein of your choice

⮞ 4-5 slices pickled red onion (recipe below)

⮞ 1 tablespoon queso fresco

⮞ 1 teaspoon fried onion

⮞ 2 teaspoons scallions, cut

⮞ 2 teaspoons picked cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

Open one bag of Fritos and add 1 ounce curry queso. Add the chips from the second bag of Fritos to the frst. Then add the other 1 ounce of curry queso and all other ingredients.

Curry Queso

INGREDIENTS

⮞ 1/4 pound butter

⮞ 1/4 cup onion, chopped

⮞ 1/4 cup garlic, minced

⮞ 1/2 gallon heavy cream

⮞ 1/2 cup curry paste

⮞ 1 tablespoon soy sauce

⮞ 1 tablespoon fsh sauce

⮞ 1/2 cup rice four

⮞ 1/4 to 1/2 lb. of block cheese (shredded will have too much oil)

P-Otis Foods Nachos

BY IAN LLOYD - WEBB

INGREDIENTS

⮞ 4-5 bags tortilla chips

⮞ 1 pint green onions, cut

⮞ 1 pint picked cilantro

⮞ 1 cup Thai basil, torn

⮞ 1 pint pickled red onion (recipe below)

⮞ 1 pint queso fresco

⮞ 1/4 cup furikake seasonings

⮞ 1/4 cup fried onion

⮞ 2 quarts curry queso (recipe below)

⮞ 1 1/2 cups protein of your choice

INSTRUCTIONS

Lay down one layer of chips on a large tray and add 4 to 6 ounces of curry queso and a half cup of your protein. Add second layer of chips and cover with 4 to 6 ounces of curry queso. Evenly spread all other ingredients over chips to desired amount of toppings.

INSTRUCTIONS

❶ Melt butter in 4 quart pot on medium heat with onions for 5 minutes.

❷ Add garlic and curry paste and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

❸ Add four and whisk to incorporate with curry paste and continue to cook for another 5-8 minutes.

❹ Slowly incorporate heavy cream (adding too quick will make it difcult to incorporate the four/curry paste mixture). Once all heavy cream is added, bring to a low simmer and grate cheese into pot. Do this in 3-4 parts so as to not overload the sauce with cheese — doing it in parts will give the cheese a chance to melt and incorporate.

❺ Add the soy sauce and fsh sauce and let simmer, stirring for 5-8 minutes.

Pickled Red Onion

INGREDIENTS

⮞ 3 red onions, sliced

⮞ 1 quart water

⮞ 1 quart rice wine vinegar

⮞ 1 cup sugar

⮞ 1 tablespoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS

❶ Slice red onions almost paper thin and set in a 4-quart container.

❷ Combine water, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt in a 4-quart pot and bring to a boil.

❸ Pour over onions. Let steep for 15 minutes and cool.

Cowboy Caviar

BY OWEN RYAN

This vegetarian, gluten-free dip is perfect for a game day spread for a couple reasons: You can make it ahead of time, and it provides a fresh contrast to the more traditional fried foods. This is greatly inspired by a dip that one of my best friends’ mother used to make us while growing up.

INGREDIENTS

⮞ 2 15 ounce cans black-eyed peas (drained)

⮞ 1 15 ounce can of hominy

⮞ 1 15 ounce can Rotel (do not drain)

⮞ 1 bunch parsley

⮞ 2 tablespoons Crystal Hot Sauce

⮞ 1 bunch of scallions

⮞ 1 green bell pepper

⮞ 1/4 cup vegetable oil

⮞ 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

⮞ salt to taste.

Chef Maya Mastersson created the catering and events company Black Roux Culinary Collective. She’s currently pursuing a master’s degree in gastronomy and has started a speakeasy supper club, Whisper. Find information at blackrouxcollective.com.

Creole Crawfish Dip

BY MAYA MASTERSSON

This creamy and spicy crawfsh dip is best served hot but can also be served cold. It’s a hit for tailgating and game-day festivities.

Prep 5 minutes

Cook 25 minutes

Total time 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

⮞ 8 ounces cream cheese, softened

⮞ 1 cup smoked Gouda cheese, fnely shredded

⮞ 1/4 cup mayo (I prefer Duke’s)

⮞ 1/4 cup sour cream

⮞ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

⮞ 1 tablespoon Crystal garlic hot sauce

⮞ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

⮞ 2 tablespoons Tony Chachere’s Bold Creole seasoning

⮞ 2 pounds frozen crawfsh tails

⮞ 1 tablespoon Parmesan, shredded

⮞ 1/2 tablespoon green onion, chopped

⮞ French bread crostini for serving

Chef Owen Ryan worked at Maypop before starting his pop-up Catawampus, which is at Courtyard Brewery Wednesday through Friday. For more information, visit @catawampus_cook on Instagram.

INSTRUCTIONS

❶ Dice the green bell pepper; thinly slice the scallions; cut the parsley into small pieces.

❷ Combine the vegetable oil and red wine vinegar in a bowl, and whisk until somewhat emulsifed.

❸ Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. It needs to sit at least an hour to get juicy throughout. The vinegar mixture will begin to slightly pickle the ingredients so it becomes a refreshing briny dip.

❹ Serve with Fritos Scoops. Fritos aren’t my favorite chip if I’m just snacking, but they are good as a complement to dishes such as chili and this Cowboy Caviar.

INSTRUCTIONS

❶ Preheat oven to 400 F.

❷ Remove thawed crawfsh from package, rinse under cold water until the water runs clear and pat dry with paper towel.

❸ Mix together all ingredients except Parmesan and green onion in a mixing bowl.

❹ Transfer to oiled cast cast-iron skillet or other oven-safe dish.

❺ Bake for 25 minutes.

❻ Remove from oven, sprinkle with Parmesan.

❼ Bake for 2 minutes or until golden brown.

❽ Sprinkle with green onions and serve with French bread crostini, vegetables, or crackers (or on top of a hot smoked sausage).

PROVIDED PHOTO BY AMY TONEY

PHOTO PROVIDED BY OWEN RYAN

Bufalo Wings

BY NINI NGUYEN

This rif on Bufalo wings combines double fried Korean-style wings, a spicy Bufalo sauce and home-made ranch dressing

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

⮞ 1/2 cup hot sauce, Crystal or any other mild hot sauce

⮞ 1/2 cup butter

⮞ 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon for wings

⮞ 2 pounds chicken wings, cleaned

⮞ 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

⮞ 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

⮞ 2 teaspoons paprika

⮞ 1 teaspoon onion powder

⮞ 1 cup potato starch

⮞ neutral oil for frying

⮞ 2 stalks celery, cut into strips

INSTRUCTIONS

❶ Add butter, hot sauce and garlic powder to a small pot. Gently heat just until the butter melts, stirring constantly. Take of heat and set aside.

❷ Season your chicken wings. In a large bowl with the chicken wings, add in all of the spices (salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika) and mix until each piece of chicken is well coated with the spice mixture.

❸ Pour the potato starch into a small bowl. Dip each piece of chicken into the potato starch and fully coat the entire piece. Tap each piece on the edge of the bowl to shake of any excess starch, and lay on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let the wings sit for at least fve minutes before frying.

❹ Heat about an inch of oil to 325 F in a wide skillet or large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Gently transfer all of your chicken wings into the oil and fry for 8 minutes on one side.

❺ Flip each of the wings and fry for an additional 7 minutes. Pull the chicken wings out and place on a cooling rack.

❻ Take a small metal strainer and strain out any small bits foating in the oil.

❼ Heat the oil to 375 F, and add all of the chicken back in. Fry for 10 minutes.

❽ Pull the chicken wings out and let cool on a rack for a few minutes.

❾ Whisk the Bufalo sauce so that it is fully emulsifed. Transfer about half of your wings into a large bowl and pour half of the sauce over them. Mix just until each wing is well coated with sauce. Sauce the other half of your wings right before you plan to serve.

10 Serve with ranch dressing and celery sticks

Ranch Dressing

INGREDIENTS

⮞ 1/4 cup sour cream

⮞ 1/4 cup mayonnaise

⮞ 1/4 cup buttermilk

⮞ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

⮞ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

⮞ 1/2 teaspoon Diamond

Crystal kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS

⮞ 1/2 teaspoon dill, dried

⮞ 1 teaspoon fresh chives, fnely chopped

⮞ 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, fnely chopped

⮞ 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

⮞ squeeze of lemon juice

❶ Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix until well incorporated.

❷ Chill until ready to use.

Chef Nini Nguyen grew up in New Orleans and has cooked at restaurants including New York’s Eleven Madison Park. More recently, she’s competed on TV cooking competitions, including Food Network’s “Tournament of Champions.” Last year, she released “Dac Biet: An Extra Special Vietnamese Cookbook.”

PROVIDED PHOTO BY WILLIAM HEREFORD

GAME DAY COCKTAILS

BY JOHN STANTON | GAMBIT EDITOR

The Gator Hater

TUFF BREAK LOSER’S LOUNGE

Tuff Break Loser’s Lounge may only be a few months old, but it’s already one of our favorite spots in town. While they may be utterly unpretentious, the staff still take their cocktails seriously, but never handle-bar mustaches and leather mixologist aprons serious. Take the Gator Hater, which comes from the twisted minds of bartender Jake Deiotte and co-owner Leighann Smith. It’s a perfect, refreshing drink to get ya through the season while keeping you well hydrated and chock full of electrolytes. Because Tuff Break Loser’s Lounge has what plants crave!

⮞ 1.5 liter blanco tequila or vodka

⮞ .25 liter Cinque

⮞ .25 liter lemon juice (adjust to taste)

⮞ 1 gallon Gatorade (orange is our preferred)

Combine ingredients and pop into the refrigerator until cold. Serve over ice with a fruit garnish. For an added zip, add a pony of Miller High Life as a chaser.

The Gold Run

PAL’S LOUNGE

Pal’s is a Mid-City institution, and whether you’re looking for a simple shot and a beer or a fancy cocktail that won’t break the bank, ya can’t find a better spot. Case in point: The Gold Run, a delicious little concoction they came up with to help ya celebrate on game day. This one is best made one at a time, but we’ve also added some rough instructions for making a batch of 10.

⮞ 1.5 ounces Chairmans Reserve Rum

⮞.5 ounce Clement Bana Canne Liqueur

⮞.5 ounce fresh lemon

⮞ 4 dashes Bittermens Aromatic Bitters

⮞ spritz of Edible Gold Glitter

TO MAKE A BATCH OF 10:

⮞ A scant 2 cups Chairmans Reserve Rum

⮞ A scant 1/2 cup Clement Bana Canne Liqueur

⮞ A scant 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

⮞ 40 dashes of Bittermens Aromatic Bitters

Serve in a rocks glass over ice, garnish with lemon and give it a healthy spritz of Edible Gold Glitter!

Watermelon Mojito

PIROGUE’S WHISKEY BAYOU

The ladies at Pirogue’s Whiskey Bayou are longtime friends of Gambit and absolute wizards behind the bar, and here’s one of their classic batch drinks, the Watermelon Mojito. And if you’re feeling lazy or just in rush, you can pick up premade batches of their Watermelon Mojito at the bar!

⮞ 3.75 cups white rum

⮞ 1.75 cup mint simple syrup (see recipe below)

⮞ 1.25 cup lime juice

⮞ 4 cups watermelon juice

Add all ingredients to a large container. Serve in tall glass, over ice and top with soda water, garnish with fresh mint leaf.

MintSimpleSyrup:

⮞ 1 cup sugar

⮞ 1 cup water

⮞ 1 bunch fresh mint

Heat water to boil, turn off heat and add sugar, stirring till dissolved. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, chop mint and add to container. Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours, then strain the mixture.

PROVIDED PHOTO

PRETTY PRETTY PRINCESS MEOW MEOW JAWSY JAWS

2025 SCH EDU LE

SEP.28-12:00 PM SEP. 7- 12:00 PM

OCT. 19 -12:00PM

SEP. 14 -12:00 PM

21 -3:05 PM

5- 12:00 PM

GIANTS

26 -3:05 PM

NOV.9-12:00 PM

NOV.30- 12:00 PM

DEC. 21 -12:00PM

HOM EG AM ES IN GOLD

OCT. 12 -3:25 PM

PM LOSANGELES RAMS NOV.2-3:05 PM

14 -3:25 PM

4- TBD

CLove Croffeeawl For the of

From August 11 to September 12, join us for a citywide celebration of cofee! The Cofee Crawl is your chance to explore local shops, step outside your usual order, and discover something new—for your chance to win!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

1. Visit participating cofee shops featured in our guide. We encourage you to explore new cofee options and try something new at each stop!

2. Take a photo while you’re there—whether it’s a selfe with your cup or a creative shot of your drink with the shop in the background.

3. Submit your photo by emailing it to vip@gambitweekly.com, or sharing it on Instagram and tagging @gambitneworleans by Friday, September 12, 2025.

Participants who visit all or most stops on the crawl will be entered to win our Grand Prize:

• Free Cofee Beans for a Year from Orleans Cofee

• VIP passes for two to the NOLA Cofee Festival, October 3–4, 2025

Participants are also eligible for awesome giveaways like:

• GA tickets to NOLA Cofee Festival, October 3–4, 2025

• Gift cards from participating shops And more surprise prizes!

THE VINTAGE

3121 MAGAZINE ST., NEW ORLEANS THEVINTAGENOLA.COM

Come try our Espresso Cherry Pop, made with vanilla, cherry, espresso, soda water and cream.

OLD ROAD COFFEE

2024 BAYOU RD., NEW ORLEANS OLDROADCOFFEE.COM

Cool of with Old Road Cofee’s Coconut Cold Brew! It’s smooth, bold, and just the right amount of tropical. Make it your own specialty drink by customizing the cold foam with a variety of favors. Don’t miss this charming neighborhood spot during your Cofee Crawl! Open daily from 6:30am - 5:00pm.

ICED EVOLUTION

EVOLVE COFFEE + MATCHA

400 HARRISON AVE., GROUND FLOOR, NEW ORLEANS

3304 W. ESPLANADE AVE. N., SUITE B7, METAIRIE EVOLVECOFFEENOLA.COM

Start your Cofee Crawl strong! Stop by Evolve and try their signature Iced Evolution – ceremonial-grade matcha, bold espresso, and milk layered over ice for a perfectly balanced pick-me-up.

ORLEANS COFFEE ESPRESSO BAR

3445 PRYTANIA ST., NEW ORLEANS ORLEANSCOFFEEESPRESSOBAR.COM

The Dirty Ginger is a dirty chai latte made with ginger candy–infused espresso and steamed milk.

COCONUT COLD BREW

DIRTY GINGER

ESPRESSO CHERRY POP

MATCHA MAGIC

2000 TULANE AVE., SUITE A, NEW ORLEANS ITSMATCHAMAGIC.COM

Matcha Magic recently opened with a variety of authentic, hand-whisked matcha creations and health-forward bites. Try their Purple Rain, a top-seller that combines lavender, ube, and matcha sweet cream. Customize with your choice of plant milk or a variety of boosters.

LE PONCE

3133 PONCE DE LEON ST., NEW ORLEANS LEPONCENOLA.COM

Our afogato is made with homemade vanilla ice cream, espresso, and Chantilly cream. A sweet European Cafe, no passport needed!

FOR THE LOVE OF COFFEE CRAWL

CONGREGATION COFFEE

900 JEFFERSON AVE., NEW ORLEANS 240 PELICAN AVE., NEW ORLEANS CONGREGATIONCOFFEE.COM

House-made horchata, perfectly balanced with a double shot of espresso, over ice. The perfect cinnamon-y sweet treat to get you through the summer!

GOSPEL COFFEE AND BOOZY TREATS AT HOTEL FONTENOT

501 TCHOUPITOULAS ST., NEW ORLEANS GOSPELCOFFEENOLA.COM

From expertly crafted espresso drinks and house-made cold brews, your cup can always be flled with the spirit by spiking any of our hot or frozen drinks. Just let us know if you want to add a shot to your item of choice.

PJ’S COFFEE

CITYWIDE PJSCOFFEE.COM

Granita is our signature frozen beverage at PJ’s Cofee. Ofered in Mocha and Caramel. Rich chocolate added to our famous granita with a spiral of whipped cream and drizzles of more chocolate.

BEARCAT

845 CARONDELET ST., NEW ORLEANS 2521 JENA ST., NEW ORLEANS 726 JULIA ST., NEW ORLEANS BEARCATCAFE.COM

Here for all your caf eine needs. Join us at one of our 3 locations for breakfast, lunch, cofee or cocktails!

601 BARONNE ST., NEW ORLEANS EATBATTER.COM

Our limited-time specialty lattes, Cookies & Cream and Cookie Butter, are here to make your summer latte dreams come true. These fun favors are only around for the month, so don’t miss out! Follow our socials to keep up with us @BATTERbakery!

Equal parts espresso and ice water, stirred over ice and strained. This espresso drink delivers full-strength favor without dilution.

LAUREL STREET BAKERY

2701 S. BROAD ST., NEW ORLEANS LAURELSTREETBAKERY.COM

For two decades, Laurel Street Bakery has proudly served NOLA with a full line of cofee and espresso classics, freshly baked goods, bagels made in-house, breakfast, and lunch. Try their iced caramel cappuccino, a crowd favorite, or their newly added iced lavender latte!

CC’S COFFEE HOUSE CITY WIDE

CCSCOFFEE.COM

Get your morning started with the warm, sweet flavors of brown sugar cinnamon, maple, and white chocolate, blended with rich espresso and creamy Mochasippi® Mix, then topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon powder. The best fall days start at CC’s Cofee House®!

Let music and laughter wrap around you, and savor the vibes while sipping on a latte with a touch of magic. This 16oz matcha creation blends earthy, vibrant green tea, any milk of your choice, and smooth vanilla syrup, and a stunning layer of butter fy pea fower for a natural sapphire hue.

STELLA

CAPPUCCINO

MAGIÉ BLEUE

PURPLE RAIN

HORCHATA ICED LATTE

GRANITA

ICED CARAMEL CAPPUCCINO

AFFOGATO

MOCHA FREEZE

CAPPUCCINO

FRENCH TOAST MOCHASIPPI®

EAT + DRINK

Comfort food from the soul

Hot & Soul opens in Mid-City

IMAGINATION AND STORYTELLING ARE TWIN ENGINES that can fuel memorable restaurants, both humble and haute. Menus can have a personal feel, based on things like a chef’s food memories.

Hot & Soul is this kind of place. Chef/owners Christy Samoy and Mike Hampton have been knocking around the New Orleans food scene on and off since the late ’90s. Most recently Hampton was chef de cuisine at Cane & Table, and Samoy worked at Cure. They wanted to open a restaurant in their own neighborhood on the edge of Mid-City, and when the former Fharmacy space at 2540 Banks St. became available last January, they went for it. They officially opened in mid-July.

“We know it’s a tough time to open in summer, but we finally got all the permits, so what else were we going to do?” Samoy says.

This area of town is having a moment. Trader Joe’s just opened down the block from Hot & Soul. Up the street, Maidstone New Orleans and Mister Mao Swim Club brings sass and style to the 3500 block of Tulane Avenue.

This is the second iteration of the couple’s Hot & Soul concept, which they operated in Fort Lauderdale from 2013 to 2018. The Mid-City space has 53 seats in its compact dining room and back patio area. The menu is eclectic, and its common thread is the chefs’ origin stories.

Chef Alfredo Nogueira, chef and owner of Cane & Table, is a big fan, crediting the couple with teaching him how to cook when they all worked together at Alison Vega-Knoll’s Vega Tapas Cafe in Metairie.

“They both cook the way every chef I know wants to cook: from the heart,” Nogueira says. “Everything they make comes from a deep-rooted connection to some food memory or experience and that is where I think great food comes from.”

For Hampton, who grew up in western Pennsylvania, the beef stroganoff is a case in point. It’s an elevated version with braised short ribs, house-made

by Beth D’Addono |

egg noodles, lots of fresh herbs and a drizzle of dill crème fraiche.

“My mom was a nurse, so growing up, she was always scrambling to get dinner on the table for us,” Hampton says. “One of the best things she made was beef stroganoff. We serve my tribute to those flavors.”

Then there’s the Carlino burger, named after Phil Carlino, who owned a little Italian grill near where Hampton grew up. Termed a “loose meat” burger — think sloppy joe without the tomato sauce — it’s seasoned and dressed with American cheese, pickle, mustard and chili sauce. There’s a vegetarian version as well.

Mushroom Manchego sourdough toast with sherry cream is one of the most popular starters, familiar to anybody who ate at Mimi’s in the Marigny, where Hampton ran the kitchen for a while.

Samoy has Filipino roots. Her parents immigrated from the Philippines to central Florida, where she was born.

“I grew up mostly with Filipino food,” she says. “But we also ate dishes right out of American cookbooks. My mom was a doctor, and over the years her patients would give her recipes to try.”

Her family recipe for chicken adobo features thighs simmered in a sweetand-sour soy and vinegar sauce with plenty of garlic. It’s served with jasmine rice. There also are pork lumpia, the Filipino fried egg rolls, served here with a chili-garlic-vinegar dipping sauce.

The menu also includes a vegetable Chettinad curry with cauliflower and chickpeas, seared tuna with ginger and lime leaf, and a cold soba noodle salad. The TJ dog is served Tijuana style, wrapped in bacon with avocado and Cotija cheese. It’s a dog they came to love when they evacuated to San Diego after Hurricane Katrina. Plates are shareable and portions are generous.

Their friend Adam Orzechowski, who created the bar program at Sneaky Pickle and still does the ordering for Twelve Mile Limit, crafted the cocktail menu, with signature drinks at $12. Standouts include Borscht and Bubbles, combining cava and beetand-dill-infused vodka.

“We are trying hard to keep things approachable to our neighbors,” Hampton says. “Our menu is not something that you really see — nobody does a lot of these dishes. What we wanted to do, we achieved. The summer’s been tough, but we see good things ahead as we move into the fall.”

Ajun Cajun space closes

MOMO YOUNG HAS HAD A JAPANESE RESTAURANT in the Carrollton neighborhood through three decades, most recently Ajun Cajun. She’s also made legions of fans far from the restaurant for the food she serves at local festivals, including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

But Ajun Cajun, at 8433 Oak St., closed recently as Young takes a step back. However, she eschews the term “retired,” because she still has plenty of work to do.

The chef’s daughter, Angel Young, plans to carry on the festival side of the family business, keeping her creations in circulation, including the yakiniku po-boy. Her mother will still be on hand helping out.

The mother and daughter are now in the process of selling off the restaurant’s inventory of service ware, like a rummage sale of sushi platters and sake glasses.

Young is from Nagasaki, Japan, where she met her future husband Johnnie when he was visiting from his native Chalmette. She moved to the New Orleans area and got her start in the sushi business in 1983, perhaps the first woman to do so locally, defying sexist prejudices against women working the sushi line.

By the 1990s, Young was running her own restaurant, Ninja, which became a neighborhood fixture from its tiny first location on Jeanette Street (in the current home of the Boucherie restaurant).

Christy Samoy and Mike Hampton opened Hot & Soul.

PHOTO BY MADDIE SPINNER / GAMBIT

Ajun Cajun serves shrimp yakisoba (left) and its yakiniku po-boy at local festivals.

PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

Ninja later relocated to a much bigger location on Oak Street, with a bar downstairs and a loft-like dining room upstairs. This later became Ajun Cajun, trading out sushi for a menu of Asian-inspired po-boys, ramen and donburi rice bowls.

Ajun Cajun started as the name Young gave to her sideline as a festival food vendor. Her biggest event is Jazz Fest, where that yakiniku po-boy has become a favorite, combining grilled garlicky rib-eye with cucumber, carrots and cheese on a Dong Phuong Bakery pistolette (it’s like the love child of banh mi and cheesesteak).

Angel Young plans to continue the Ajun Cajun brand at festivals starting with Japan Fest in City Park this fall, followed by the Oak Street Po-Boy Festival and then the busy spring season with appearances at French Quarter Festival, the Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo and Jazz Fest. She left open the possibility of developing another restaurant in the future but says there are no plans to do so now. — Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune

Steak Studio

A DOZEN YEARS AGO DORIS METROPOLITAN BROUGHT A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF STEAKHOUSE to New Orleans, opening its first U.S. location in the French Quarter with high style and a Mediterranean accent.

Soon, its founder and president, Dori Rebi Chia, and a new business partner will bring a different restaurant Uptown, transforming a Magazine Street spot into a playground for meat lovers, with contemporary design, music and art all part of the concept.

Doris Metropolitan Studio is taking shape at 4734 Magazine St. and is slated to open in early September. The address until recently was home to Son of a Bun Burger Bar, and the restaurant Misa before that. Both of those restaurants were run by Tal Sharon, who also has Tal’s Hummus (4800 Magazine St.) just across the street.

Rebi Chia and Sharon teamed up for the new Doris Metropolitan Studio as a separate collaborative project, though the new restaurant shares some of the French Quarter steakhouse’s D.N.A. in the choice of meats and stylish setting.

“It’s a studio for the art of cuisine, for the art of music, for performance,” Rebi Chia says.

Steak and burgers will be central, but it’s neither a steakhouse nor your

typical burger joint. Picture a butcher shop fused with a restaurant, with its own in-house bakery, a snug bar and an open patio facing the street.

A charcoal-fired grill is the centerpiece of the open kitchen, where there’s a butcher case with different cuts of beef and housemade sausage.

Diners will be able to pick a prime cut burger or customize their own from the available meats (perhaps entrecôte, or tenderloin or brisket) ground to order and cooked on the charcoal. The restaurant will have “burger kits,” with buns and toppings, for grilling at home.

There will be changing specialty steaks, perhaps a wagyu cowboy cut or a strip loin, and there will be small plates, including a specialty taking cues from a sushi bar, with slices of specialty steak lightly grilled and paired with sushi rice and other accoutrements.

The new restaurant will be a showcase for visiting artists and musicians, and there are plans to have late night DJ sessions on its schedule.

Doris Metropolitan Studio will have a private dining room as well as a chef’s table overlooking the open kitchen. The restaurant will serve lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.

The two partners in the new restaurant are both Israeli expats who have been friends for years. Doris Metropolitan’s first location is in San Jose, Costa Rica. Sharon once ran a beachside restaurant in that country, where the two met.

Later, a vacation to New Orleans inspired Rebi Chia to expand in New Orleans, opening at 620 Chartres St. in 2013. Sharon worked there in the early days as baker and later a chef, before opening Tal’s Hummus in 2016. The Doris Metropolitan brand has since expanded with a Houston steakhouse too. — Ian McNulty /

PAGE 25

Doris Metropolitan Studio will open at 4734 Magazine St.

PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

Valeriano Chiella

Chef by Will Coviello

VALERIANO CHIELLA GREW UP IN A FAMILY IN THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS in Italy’s Tuscany region. A decade ago, he moved to New Orleans and worked in fine dining and pizza restaurants, including Domenica, Shaya, August and Pizza Domenica. In spring, he started his pop-up Fico Cucina, focusing on casual Italian dishes. In September, Fico is at Second Line Brewing on Wednesdays, Parleaux Beer Lab on Fridays, Swirl Wine Bar & Market on Sundays with wine tastings, as well as doing pop-ups at Miel Brewery & Taproom, Abita New Orleans and Skeeta Hawk Brewing. Find information at @fico_cucina on Instagram.

How did you get into the restaurant world?

VALERIANO CHIELLA: My dad owned restaurants, and my brother was very interested in that. I wanted to do something else. I got into office work, and I remember I was watching the clock. The days were so long. I hadn’t worked in a restaurant full time before. It was like helping out. I told my dad that I’d like to try it again. My brother went to culinary school and did stages around Tuscany mostly. He was back in my dad’s restaurants and then in something a little bigger in fine dining. Then he wanted to do something for himself. My dad said, “Why don’t you go with your brother so you can help him?”

We started a casual place, and I was like support for him. He made the menu. It was like pizza and pasta and express lunches. We’d have the Tuscan thing, big sliced steak, and seafood. I’d work the line and handle the pizza station. We had the restaurant for about two years. I was about 21. We didn’t realize how much work it was.

How did you get to New Orleans?

VC: I met a girl from New Orleans. She was studying abroad. She was thinking about coming back and living there. Then she said, “Let’s go to New Orleans. I want to show you where I come from.” Then we came to New Orleans, and a restaurant offered me a job.

Ancora Pizza was just opening. I was just visiting, but they offered me a job.

I came back three months later and started working there. Then, there was this restaurant in Mandeville, Carmelo’s. I was living in Mandeville then. It was kind of difficult to work in New Orleans, going back and forth each day. Carmelo’s asked me to come work there as a chef. I worked there for about six months.

Then I applied to Domenica and started working there as a line cook. Then Pizza Domenica was opening, and I moved there as a sous chef.

Then Shaya opened. I had the opportunity to go there when we were in the running for a best new restaurant James Beard Award. I was there for a little bit. Then I realized what was going on at August, and I had really never done fine dining.

At Domenica, I did Italian food for a while. But I wanted to explore different cultures, so I went to Shaya and August. I was sous chef at August for two years. Then I went back to Domenica. Then people were asking me to do private dinners. I did a little bit of that. I have been lucky to be in a city with a food culture that could stand with a city like New York, as far as flavors and restaurants.

How did you start your pop-up?

VC: Being in New Orleans for 11 years, I was seeing all of these popups. It’s a big culture here. It’s the

base for many restaurants that exist right now. So I was like, sure, let me try that. I did one at Skeeta Hawk. From there, it really took off. The first one was in April, and now I have a full schedule and am doing private dinners. It really went great. My idea was to bring an as authentic-as-itcan-be Italian pop-up. It also has to relate to a mostly brewery crowd. You might find baked gnocchi Sorrentina, like you would find on the Amalfi coast. I make the gnocchi myself, rolling them one by one. With the chicken Milanese (sandwich), my goal was to bring Italian street food. I have a sausage and peppers sandwich with shredded mozzarella and salsa verde. It’s like a little Italian picnic brought together in one sandwich. With arancini cacio e pepe, I wanted something authentic with simple flavors.

I also do private dinners. That is more like a four or five course menu. I have a catering menu which is authentic and more contemporary with seasonal local ingredients. There also may be things that come from my background that are not Italian.

A few weeks ago, I did eight courses for a couple from Texas. It was all small bites. That menu had tuna crudo with Calabrian chili crunch, which is more like an Asian-style chili crunch with Italian Calabrian peppers, garlic, shallots, lemon and olive oil. We had New Orleans influence with fried green tomatoes with crabmeat. We had heirloom tomato salad that was like a Caprese salad with stracciatella cheese. There was gnocchi with royal red shrimp, basil pesto, a little pistachio and stracciatella cheese.

To me it was a learning curve doing (pop-ups). It gave me so much having a direct line with the customer, talking to them and cooking in front of them. There are so many stories that you learn. You never get that cooking behind a wall in a restaurant. You get all this love and support that people give to the pop-ups in this city. It’s incredible. You’re building something, and people are there ready to help you.

WI NE OF THE WEEK

Benvol

io Prosecco

This is atrue expression of Italian prosecco with hintsoffresh citrus and honeyonthe nose. It’s vibrant, crispacidity acts as acounterpointtothe flavors of ripe citrus, fresh peaches,lemon, green apples and grapefruit resulting in alight, refreshing, and crisp finish.

DISTRIBUTED BY

PHOTO PROVIDED BY VALERIANO CHIELLA

OUT TO EAT

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.

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

$ — average dinner entrée under $10

$$ $11-$20

$$$ — $20-up

season, and more. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lakeview: Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. Slidell: Lunch Wed.-Fri., dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sat.-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 halfshell 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 charbroiled 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 6-ounce filet mignon is served with fried oysters, creamed spinach, potatoes and bearnaise. Reservations recommended. Dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$ El Pavo Real — 4401 S. Broad Ave., (504) 2662022; elpavorealnola.com — The menu includes tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, ceviche. tamales and more. Pescado Vera Cruz features sauteed Gulf fish topped with tomatoes, olives, onion and capers, served with rice and string beans. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and early dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ 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. $$

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. $$ Legacy Kitchen’s Craft Tavern — 700 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 613-2350; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes oysters, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, salads and sharable plates like NOLA Tot Debris. A slowcooked pulled pork barbecue sandwich is served with coleslaw on a brioche bun. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Legacy Kitchen Steak & Chop — 91 Westbank Expressway, Gretna, (504) 513-2606; 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, char-grilled 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) 934-3463; 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) 3247144; 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. $$

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears

Austin-based guitarist and singer

Black Joe Lewis combines old-school blues, James Brown-style funk and garage rock. Gitkin opens at 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, at Tipitina’s. Tickets $34.41 via tipitinas.com.

Louis CK

Stand-up comedian, star of his own TV show “Louie,” and three-time Grammy winner, Louis CK’s career imploded when news broke in 2017 of numerous women detailing sexual misconduct against them. He stopped performing for a year but has returned to clubs and self-released comedy specials. He’s still associated with his own scandal and wider discussion of “cancel culture.” And he’s back on tour, performing at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, at Saenger Theatre. Tickets $48.50$121.70 via saengernola.com.

‘A Page of Madness’

This 1926 silent Japanese horror film explores madness, as a sailor

who is rarely home faces that his wife has tried to kill herself in his absence. She’s committed to an asylum, and he gets a job there as a janitor to be near her, and confronts her madness and estrangement.

Director Teinosuke Kinugasa moved away from realism to depict her mental state. The film was lost and rediscovered in 1971. The film screens at Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge with a live heavy metal score by Los Angeles band Silent Night. At 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 1. Tickets $15. Visit zeitgeistnola.org for details.

Joe Zimmerman

Stand-up comedian Joe Zimmerman says the silver lining about depression is that unhappy people are better at predicting the future. But they shouldn’t celebrate that too much if they want to keep their edge. Zimmerman has appeared on latenight TV and released the comedy special “Cult Classic” last year. Chris Ivey opens for him at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, at The Howlin’ Wolf. Tickets $25 and up via thehowlinwolf.com.

DAMAG3

Rapper DAMAG3 grew up in south Louisiana and got her start in New Orleans, but her alternative hip-hop pulls from the East Coast and Chicago and mixes in a punk ethos, “fuck-you” grit and trans liberation and social justice themes. DAMG3 returns to their old stomping grounds for a show at 9 p.m. Monday, Sept. 1, at No Dice with $leazy EZ, Figgy Baby, Shno Xavier and K-Preso. Tickets are $18.70 via dice.fm.

Kelcy Mae

Local Americana label Southern Crescent Recording Co. is hosting a series of weekly sunset concerts in September at The Batture park, 25 Walnut St. The next event on Saturday, Sept. 6, features Kelcy Mae, the Americana singer-songwriter who leads Ever More Nest. Music starts around 6:15 p.m. and is free to attend. Find more information and this month’s lineup on Instagram: @southerncrescentrecordingco.

Ryder the Eagle

Ryder the Eagle has was born in southern France but has wandered Europe and U.S. as a rock ‘n’ roll troubadour before settling, at least for a spell, in Mexico City. His latest album, “Smile, Hearse Driver,” is a dark, cinematic, drifter trip into ’70s Europe. Ryder the Eagle plays the Saturn Bar with Tasche de la Rocha and the Psychedelic Roses at 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4. Tickets are $12.47 via dice.fm.

Music for Mental Health

Dusky Waters, Teena May, Mike Doussan, Sky Choice and Jason Davey perform at the benefit concert. The musicians will play stripped down versions of their songs and share stories. Proceeds benefit the Brett Thomas Doussan Foundation. Brett Doussan was lost to suicide in 2014. The foundation raises awareness about mental health through music and storytelling. At 7 p.m. at the indoor pavilion at the Broadside. Tickets $16.93-$22.20 via broadsidenola.com.

FO R COM P L E T E MUSIC LISTINGS AND MO RE E V E NTS TAKING P LAC E IN TH E N E W O R L E ANS A RE A, VISIT CALENDAR.GAMBITWEEKLY.COM

To learn more about adding your event to the music calendar, please email listingsedit@gambitweekly.com

MONDAY 1

30/90 Dapper Dandies, 6 pm; Half Shell Boogie, 9 pm

ALLWAYS LOUNGE Smoke Show Cabaret, 7 pm

APPLE BARREL — Decaturadio, 10:30

BACCHANAL — Byron Asher, 7 pm

BAMBOULA’S The New Orleans Rug Cutters, 12 pm; Jon Roniger & The Good for Nothin’ Band, 4:30 pm; Ted Hefko & The Thousandaires, 9 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE Red Beans & Blues with Dick Deluxe, 9 pm

BUFFA’S David Doucet, 7 pm

CARROLLTON STATION — Biscuits n’ Jam with Meryl Zimmerman & Friends, 10 pm

DEW DROP INN — Adult Swim Labor Day Pool Party ft. DJ Jess, 3 pm

DOS JEFES — John Fohl, 8:30 pm

GASA GASA Paisley Fields with Teena May, 9 pm

LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — VetJams, 7 pm

MRB Ben Buchbinder, 7 pm

NO DICE — Damag3 with $Leazy EZ, Figgy Baby, Shno Xavier, K Presto, 9 pm

OKAY BAR — Django Jazz + Red Beans hosted by Bayou Manouche, 7:30 pm

ROYAL FRENCHMEN HOTEL — Jazz Vipers, 9 pm

SATURN BAR BC Coogan, 8 pm

SANTOS BAR — Karaoke with Sundshine Edae, 10 pm

SPOTTED CAT — Jenavieve Cooke + The Winding Boys, 2 pm; Dominick Grillo & The Frenchmen Street Allstars, 6 pm; Amber Rachelle & The Sweet Potatoes, 9 pm

TUESDAY 2

30/90 — Tajh & The Funky Soles, 6 pm; Neicy B & Kompani, 9 pm

ALLWAYS LOUNGE — Freaklesque, 7:30 pm

BACCHANAL David Sigler, 6 pm

BJ'S LOUNGE BYWATER — Bruisey's Bottoms Up Open Mic, 9 pm

BUFFA’S — Alex McMurray, 7 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH Alejandro Escovedo, 8 pm

DOS JEFES Tom Hook, 8:30 pm

HOLY DIVER — Faethom with Ill Funeral & The Unnaturals, 8 pm

HOUSE OF BLUES — Bruce Dickinson, 8 pm

LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — Allie Willis & Will Smith, 11 pm

THE MAISON — Jacky Blaire & The Hot Biscuits, 5 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR — Alex Wasily’s Very Good Band, 9 pm

ROYAL FRENCHMEN HOTEL — Trumpet

Mafa, 6 pm; 9 pm

SALON SALON Or Shovaly Plus, 7 pm

SATURN BAR Lefty’s Right Hand Band + Samantha Henson + Lily Unless & The If Onlys, 9 pm

SPOTTED CAT Chris Christy Band, 2 pm; Sweetie Pies of New Orleans, 6 pm; Smoking Time Jazz Club, 9:30 pm

WEDNESDAY 3

30/90 — Jef Chaz Blues, 6 pm; Kayla Jasmine, 9 pm

APPLE BARREL — Hobo Gadget, 6 pm; Steve Mignano, 10:30 pm

BACCHANAL — Jesse Morrow, 6 pm

BANKS STREET BAR Mia Borders, 8 pm

BUFFA’S Ariella & Nicolaas, 7 pm

CAFÉ DEGAS — Gizinti Trio, 6 pm

CAFÉ ISTANBUL Songs For The People: Autumn Dominguez, Rescalla, Chuck Perkins, Sariyah Idan, 6:45 pm

CAFÉ NEGRIL — Jam-ilton, 7:30 pm

DEW DROP INN The Drop Inn Jam Session, 9 pm

JAZZ PLAYHOUSE Funkin’ It Up with Big Sam, 7:30 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR Joe Ashlar with Stanton Moore, 6 pm

MARIGNY BRASSERIE Legacy Jazz Band, 7 pm

MRB Lynn Drury, 7 pm

ROYAL FRENCHMEN HOTEL — Kermit Rufns, 8 pm; BAM JAM w/ Gene Black, 9 pm

SANTOS BAR DJSON & Friends, 10 pm

SATURN BAR — Patty Pershayla + Lisbon Girls + Whisper Party, 8 pm

SNUG HARBOR — Phil Degruy & Sasha Elliahna Durta, 5 pm

VAUGHAN’S LOUNGE — Robin Rapuzzi’s Glo Worm Trio, 8:30 pm

THURSDAY 4

30/90 —Uncut, 6 pm; Gumbo Funk, 9 pm

ALLWAYS LOUNGE Van Ella

Bordella, 7 pm

APPLE BARREL Bubbles Brown, 6 pm; Johnny Mastro, 10:30 pm

BACCHANAL Raphael Bas, 6 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE — Itchy Stitches, 9 pm

BLUE NILE — Irvin Mayfeld’s Music Church, 9 pm; 11 pm

BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM — Reggae Night with DJ T-Roy, 11 pm

BMC — Darren Murphy Band, 9 pm

BROADSIDE — Music for Mental Health: Sky Choice, Jason Davey & Mike Doussan, Dusky Waters, Teena May & more, 7 pm

BUFFA’S — Tom McDermott & Aurora Nealand, 7 pm

CAFE NEGRIL — Sunny Side, 6 pm; Armani Smith & Soul Ties, 10 pm

HOWLIN’ WOLF — Hot 8 Brass Band, 10:30 pm

JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Brass-AHolics, 7:30 pm

JOY THEATRE — Here Come The Mummies, 8 pm

LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — The Soul Rebels, 11 pm

MAHALIA JACKSON THEATER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS The Witcher in Concert, 7:30 pm

THE MAISON — Brett Gardner, 4:30 pm; Single Malt Please, 8:30 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR — David Torkanowski: Booker Sessions, 6 pm MRB — Micah McKee, 7 pm

OKAY BAR Matt Rivers + Wolves Don’t Bark + Christianne, 8 pm

PAVILION OF THE TWO SISTERS Thursdays at Twilight | The Wiseguys, 6 pm

PEACOCK ROOM — Da Lovebirds: Robin Barnes & Pat Casey, 8 pm

POOR BOYS — The Magic Mic, 7:30 pm

SALON SALON — Tangiers Combo, 7 pm

SANTOS BAR Tainted Love 80’s Dance Night, 10 pm

SATURN BAR — Tasche de la Rocha + Ryder the Eagle, 9 pm

VAUGHAN’S LOUNGE — Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet, 10:30 pm

FRIDAY 5

30/90 Jake Landry, 2 pm; Jon Roniger & The Good For Nothin’ Band, 5 pm; Ado Soul & The Tribe, 8 pm; Zena Moses & Rue Fiya, 11 pm

Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet perform at Vaughan’s Lounge Thursday, Sept. 4 at 10:30 p.m.

PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

ALLWAYS LOUNGE — Bayou Blues, 8 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE Diamond J &

The Ruby Red Raindrops, 9 pm

BLUE NILE Kermit Rufns & The BBQ Swingers, 10 pm

BMC Jazz Band Ballers, 5:30 pm; Maurice ESS Band, 9 pm

BOURBON STREET HONKY TONK —

The Bad Sandys, 8 pm

CBROADSIDE — Rough Seven & Happy Talk Band, 9 pm

BUFFA’S — Ragtime Piano Hour with Adam Rogers, 6 pm; Cole Williams, 8 pm

CAFÉ NEGRIL — Higher Heights, 6 & 10 pm

CARROLLTON STATION — Saint Social, 8 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet, 9 pm

D.B.A. The Soul Rebels, 10 pm

DOUBLE DEALER — Sean Riley, 9:30 pm

GASA GASA — Conan + Mares of Thrace + Fauns, 9 pm

LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ Bearded

Chieftains, 11 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR School of Rock Adult Band, 8 pm

MRB Anna Laura Quinn & Ed Barrett, 7 pm

NO DICE — Disaster Artist + Tweakhoney + Amorance, 9 pm

THE RABBIT HOLE — Sub-Division, 9 pm; Sleaze Night, 11 pm

THE REPUBLIC — Habstrakt with Dr. Romance + Airheadzz, 11 pm

ROYAL FRENCHMEN HOTEL

Stephen Walker N’Em, 6 pm; Big Easy Brawlers, 9 pm

SATURN BAR — Una Noche de Musica Latina con La Tran-K, 10 pm

SWEET LORRAINE’S Late Night

DJ Sessions with DJ P.U.D.G.E, 10 pm

TIPITINA’S Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, 9 pm

SATURDAY 6

30/90 — The Vibe Tribe, 2 pm; James Jordan & The Situation, 5 pm; Hotline, 8 pm; Lyndsey Smith, 11 pm

ALLWAYS LOUNGE Angie Z & Friends, 8 pm

ARORA — TISOKI [Layz Afters] + WAYVZ + Playerone, 12 am

BACCHANAL — Willie Green, 7 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE Louis Michot & Swamp Magic + Julian Primeaux, 9 pm

BLUE NILE — George Brown Band, 8 pm

MUSIC

BMC — SpotHolders, 5:30 pm; John Lisi & Delta Funk, 9 pm

BUFFA’S — Bruno Elisabetsky, 8 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH T Marie and Bayou Juju & Bruce ‘Sunpie” Barnes present: A Creole Evening, 7 pm

DOUBLE DEALER — Jenavieve Cooke & The Winding Boys, 9 pm

GASA GASA Hibou + Kelly Duplex + Keaton Schiller, 9 pm

LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — Blues Old Stand, 11 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR Arséne & Charlie, 8 pm; Hollyrock, 11 pm

NO DICE Anciients with Dawn Of Ouroboros and Exist, 9 pm

OKAY BAR — “Heatwave!”

Soul + R&B Dance Party with DJ Ann, 9 pm

ORPHEUM THEATRE LPO’s Tribute to Ellis Marsalis, 8 pm

RABBIT HOLE — Hawt M3ss, 10 pm

REPUBLIC NOLA Layz with KENJOY + KRADO b2b F abricatr, 10 pm

ROYAL FRENCHMEN HOTEL —

Glen David Andrews, 9 pm

SANTOS BAR — Furball Southern Decadence Edition, 10 pm

SATURN BAR Pressure Beat

Reggae Dance + The Tropicales + DJs Grover & Matty, 9 pm

SUNDAY 7

30/90 — Decaturadio, 3pm; Blue Tongue, 6 pm; Single Malt Please, 9 pm

ALLWAYS LOUNGE — Sunday Swing Night, 8 pm

BACCHANAL Pete Olynciw, 6 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE — James McClaskey & The Rhythm Band, 9 pm

BOURBON STREET HONKY TONK The Bad Sandys, 8 pm

BUFFA’S — Blues Old Stand, 8 pm

GASA GASA — Kyanté Presents

R&B Ladies Night 3.0 ft. Taijan, ODD the Artist, Bobbi Rae & More, 9 pm

MAPLE LEAF Higher Ground, 8 pm

TREME HIDEAWAY — Big 6 Brass Band, 9 pm

MOVIE NIGHT MOVIENIGHT

MUSIC

Beats by Loucey

by Jake Clapp

NEW ORLEANS BAND LOUCEY HAS ALWAYS BEEN more about the journey than the destination, says singer-guitarist Cherie McCabe. That can easily be seen in Loucey’s first full-length album, the beat-heavy indie pop record “Participation Trophy Wife,” released earlier this year.

When Cherie, her now-husband Sam McCabe, Jeremy Phipps and Ben Lorio began making music together almost eight years ago, it was in a studio setting. Although it didn’t take long for the band to start playing live, Loucey was an outlet for the friends to play around with a mix of their influences, like ’90s guitar rock, pop and electronica.

An EP, “Tether,” followed in 2017. “We played some shows, took a break when I gave birth to our first-born, and then came back with ‘Quitter’ (a 2020 EP). That was when the pandemic hit,” Cherie McCabe says. “That was a moment that altered all of our worlds and made all of us kind of pause and reassess where we were at, what we’re doing with our lives, our careers.”

And there was a lot going on: The McCabes were focused on their young family and their jobs, Phipps was busy with the synth-pop band People Museum (and many other bands) and Lorio, a producer and audio engineer, was working at the Music Shed and running his own studio, Below Productions. But after the pandemic started, Lorio, a drummer, had time on his hands and picked up a reissue of the E-mu SP-1200, the drum machine foundational to hip-hop.

Lorio had made beats in high school and was influenced by ’90s hip-hop and trip hop bands like Massive Attack and Portishead, so he began making beats and sent them to Cherie McCabe.

“I was like, ‘I’m done with music. I don’t think I can handle this. I’m so sleep deprived. I’m in a fog,’ ” she says. “Ben was like, ‘But look at what I sent you.’ ”

“I was saying, ‘Just maybe see if you can write something, see what you can do,’ ” Lorio adds with a laugh. “And yeah, you started coming over and started writing.”

Lorio’s beats and McCabe’s songwriting became the foundations for “Participation Trophy Wife,” which was released in May on Strange Daisy Records. Loucey next performs live at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, at Siberia on a

bill with alt-rock bands War Bunnies and The Bottoms.

Along with Cherie on vocals and guitar, Sam on guitar and bass, Lorio on drums and drum machine and Phipps on keys and programming, the trip-hopmeets-dream-pop album features a host of other New Orleans musicians, including Professor Shorthair providing record scratches and cuts, Sam Craft, Adam Keil and Michael Girardot.

While it wasn’t intentional, as McCabe began writing lyrics, she found herself reflecting on motherhood and being a wife. “Participation Trophy Wife” explores vulnerability as McCabe sings about the anxieties that naturally come with children and a changing life.

“There were things weighing on my mind, being in this life stage that is a bit precious and not often written about because it is precious,” McCabe says.

“I don’t feel like you hear a lot of music written about first year postpartum. It’s this unique experience.”

In the months since the album was released, McCabe has heard from other women — including Lorio’s mother, he says — about the album’s themes. For McCabe, the process helped her piece together the narratives that had been bouncing around her head.

“Which is kind of the magic of making music with your friends,” she says. “It was just us, several years in the making, getting to write songs, Ben making beats, and then stepping back and piecing together this statement about existing and being both a parent and a person.”

Find Loucey at louceyloucey. bandcamp.com.

New Orleans band Loucey PROVIDED PHOTO BY KATIE SIKORA PHOTOGRAPHY

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“Madam Secretary” star

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