Gambit Digital Edition: September 29, 2025

September 29-October 5 2025 Volume 46 Number 39

Pumpk

Director

Finance Transformation

New Orleans, LA, Pan-Am Life Ins. Co. seeks Director-Finance Transformation to lead projects for finance org.; dev. business cases for finance report needs for changes to IFRS, GAAP and statutory reporting req's; perform gap analysis; design policies & test processes for new finance tech.; mentor & train end users; ID opportunities for efficiencies; and train supervise & set goals for direct reports. Travel up to 4x per year to foreign affiliates & branches within PALIG. Req's Bach. degree or equivalent in accounting or finance & 5 years exp. as accounting manager finance manager or similar Must be CPA or FCCA; Req. 5 year exp. in each: valuing insurance business using the general measurement model & premium allocation approach under IFRS 17 accounting guidance; public accounting, financial reporting or financial planning & analysis; working with IFRS 17, US GAAP, US & Int'l statutory reporting req's, & regulatory reporting req's within ins industry

Email resume to mmiranda2@PALIG.com, ref. job ID 80018759. Proof of legal auth. to work in US req'd. EOE.

STAFF

ADVERTISING

Advertising Inquiries (504) 483-3150

Advertising Director | SANDY ST E IN B R ONDUM [sstein@gambitweekly.com]

Sales and Marketing Manager

ABIGAIL BO R D E LON ( 504 ) 636 -7427

[abigail.bordelon@gambitweekly.com]

Sales R epresentatives

K E LLY SONNI ER R OD R IGU E Z ( 504 ) 483-3143 [ksonnier@gambitweekly.com]

C HA R LI E THOMAS ( 504 ) 636 -7438 [cthomas@gambitweekly.com]

B E NN E TT G E STON ( 504 ) 483 -3116 [bennett.geston@gambitweekly.com]

ALYSSA HAU P TMAN N ( 504 ) 483 -1123

[alyssa.hauptmann@gambitweekly.com]

Graphic Designer | GAVIN DONALDSON

C ontributing Graphic Designers | TIANA WATTS, S C OTT FO R SYTH E , JASMYN E WHIT E , J E FF M E ND E L

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

Billing Inquiries 1 (225) 388-0185

LAU RE N C UNNINGHAM ( 504 ) 636 -7426

[lauren.cunningham@theadvocate.com]

Sales and Marketing C

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Family business

‘The Lehman Trilogy’ explores an immigrant family’s fortune

IN “THE LEHMAN TRILOGY,” HENRY

LEHMAN HAS SET UP A SHOP to sell fabric and suits in Montgomery, Alabama, in the 1840s. He’s a relatively recent German-Jewish immigrant who arrived in New York a couple years earlier and was a pushcart merchant before moving to the growing Southern city.

His sharp-tempered younger brother Emanuel arrives to help. And then Mayer, a younger brother who often is the peacemaker between them. Henry is embarking on a major shift in the fledgling business. “We need to expand,” he tells his brothers. “From today, Lehman Brothers will sell not only suits and fabrics. These are no longer enough.”

“I came to America to sell fabrics and suits,” Emanuel objects.

“It’s all business,” Henry says. “It’s what we do, we sell. Whatever it is.” They paint over their sign to say simply “Lehman Brothers,” and they get into the cotton business, exchanging seeds and tools for the later payment in baled cotton. They grow and open a cotton exchange in New York, and Lehman Brothers goes on to get into railroads, and later electronics, and then banking. Successive generations build a global financial giant — the same Lehman Brothers that imploded at the beginning of the 2008 financial crisis, spreading financial loss and harm across the world.

The epic story of the brothers’ work and ambition drives “The Lehman Trilogy,” which opens Le Petit Theatre’s season on Oct. 2-19.

The original three brothers are essentially always on stage, even as the cast of three actors also plays descendants and other characters. But the story always reflects their efforts to build better lives and opportunities for themselves and their children. Eventually that yielded great wealth and influence. Mayer’s son Herbert Lehman, who is depicted in the play, became governor of New York and a U.S. senator.

“They take us through the journey,” says Jenny Lavery, who is directing the show. “We’re seeing it through the lens of ancestors who are back to tell the original immigrant story full of the hopes and ambitions they once had, and we get to into the questions of when do those hopes and ambitions become dangerous?”

It is a rags to incredible riches story. Heyum Lehman arrives on the docks in New York in 1844 with just a suitcase

by Will Coviello |

and wearing a new pair of shoes he saved for his new home. He’s officially greeted by a port official, who misunderstands or simply changes his name to Henry Lehman as he welcomes him.

Lehman moves to Montgomery, which is a budding city with a large Jewish population. It would be home for the family until they moved back to New York, though Henry wouldn’t leave the South. He visited New Orleans many times and is, in fact, buried here.

Emanuel moves to New York to expand the business’ operations.

Through successive generations, his descendants confront historic moments, like the stock market crash of 1929, and pivot and innovate to keep the business alive and growing.

Even though the brothers wear the shopkeepers’ clothes from the 1840s, the set of the drama is framed by the grandeur Lehman Brothers reach, with giant windows suggesting the glass and steel skyscrapers of New York’s financial district. Those same windows are used for video projections at Le Petit. The show glimpses the dreams and nightmares of the Lehman brothers, and it’s always a personal story. Over time, the family assimilates to the U.S., while some of their business innovations help shape American life.

The drama is British playwright Ben Power’s adaptation of Italian writer Stefano Massini’s play. Power’s version was well received in London, and then the play came to the U.S. The 2022 Broadway production won best play at the Tony Awards, Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama League Awards.

At Le Petit, Artistic Director AJ Allegra wanted the theater to take on an epic production. Though it only has three actors, they bring 60 characters to the stage, and the Lehmans offer a sweeping view of 150 years of American history. The show also features an original piano score by Steve Gilliland, who will perform it live.

Le Petit turned to Lavery to direct the show. She’s based in Austin, Texas, and has directed dramas with similar formats, such as “The Drowning Girls.” That drama is about the victims of a serial murderer, and it features three actors, each in a bathtub, who over the course of the work play dozens of characters. As in that show, the actors drive the drama in “Lehman Trilogy,” conjuring the past and present.

Lavery has taken a new tack on casting the show. Ryan Hayes plays Emanuel, David Lind is David, and Henry is played by Leslie Nipkow. By casting a woman as the oldest brother, she’s opening up questions about whose voices are included and excluded in history, she says.

But the Lehmans’ history involves a lot of decisions made at particular moments the play highlights.

“This story makes me think about the individual versus the collective good and what is any person working toward?” Lavery says. “At all of these different inflection points, a different decision could have been made. It’s asking about the decisions we are making and what is the impact we want to have? How do we want to buy in or not buy into a system? We may not run a giant banking center, but what is our position in our community and what aligns with our values or does not align with our values?”

For tickets and information about “The Lehman Trilogy,” visit lepetittheatre.com.

Fried Chicken Festival

The Fried Chicken Festival returns to the Lakefront with more than 40 food vendors and a music lineup including Lloyd, Blanco Brown, G. Love & Special Sauce, Sugarhill Gang, Choppa, Maggie Koerner, Flagboy Giz, Tonya Boyd-Cannon and more on two music stages. New this year is a 10-story ferris wheel and a 5K run/ walk, and there will be a car show and craft vendors. The festival is at the Lakefront, and parking is available at the UNO Lakefront Arena. At 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, and Sunday, Oct. 5. Festival passes, VIP packages and single-day tickets are available at friedchickenfestival.com.

Swampus Returns

Swampus is a Halloween-time spooky swamp conjuring. Organizers of the Alpine holiday Krewe of Krampus created Swampus during the pandemic as a drive-through attraction. Now it’s launching as a French Quarter parade. The procession is open to various krewes, dance groups and individuals celebrating ghosts, ghouls, gators and more. It’s more adult than kid friendly. The parade starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, on Chartres Street at Ursulines Avenue and winds its way through the heart of the French Quarter, ending at the gates of Louis Armstrong Park. Visit swampusreturns.com to register to march and for information.

Lucius

The indie pop band Lucius is propelled by the rich harmonies of vocalists Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig. Though they’ve been together for more than a dozen years, the band waited until their fourth studio release to issue a self-titled album, which came out in May. Chicago alt-country band Case Oats opens at 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at Tipitina’s. Tickets $37.80 via tipitinas.com.

PHOTO BY MATTHEW PERSCHALL / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

PHOTO PROVIDED BY LE PETIT THEATRE

THUMBS UP/ THUMBS DOWN

Hogs for the Cause, the New Orleans barbecue festival and nonprofit supporting families with children battling pediatric brain cancer, has recently passed $15 million given in direct grants and hospital donations. Since 2009, Hogs has given $2.9 million in direct grants to families for help with medical costs, travel and lost income. And the nonprofit has given major donations to hospitals to build housing for patient families and expanding pediatric oncology units.

OPENING GAMBIT

Early voting has begun! Get to the polls now!

Rep. Delisha Boyd’s campaign paid her daughter while she also worked for an outside PAC

Poet Rickey Laurentiis and her new collection “Death of the First Idea” has been longlisted for the National Book Award for Poetry.

The New Orleans poet is a Whiting Award winner and her first book, “Boy with Thorn,” won the Cave Canem Poetry Prize. Over a period of 10 years Laurentiis wrote the poems in “Death of the First Idea,” which follow her gender transition amid a chaotic, dangerous time in the world.

STATE REP. DELISHA BOYD’S NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE paid her daughter Kristen Boyd more than $2,000 this summer for “campaign work” even as she was also being paid as the chairperson of the Elite Political Action Committee which supports her mother, a move which could be in violation of state campaign finance laws.

yearly report showed no donations, a supplemental report filed in March does list four donations between Dec. 17 and Dec. 21, 2024, totaling $12,600.

Louisiana does not monitor platforms built to service oil wells, leaving at least 879 offshore structures abandoned in the state’s waters, according to True Transition. State law requires abandoned wells and platforms to be dismantled by their owners, but enforcement is weak and there is no program set up to take down abandoned platforms.

Kristen Boyd is also listed as the chairperson of her mother’s campaign itself, according to campaign finance records and business filings. In fact, Kristen Boyd is the sole registered agent and officer of Elite PAC, and in addition to being chair of Delisha Delivers Results, the name of her mother’s campaign, she is also listed in state business filings as the registered agent and sole officer of Delisha Delivers Results LLC

Meanwhile, campaign finance records also show that the campaign failed to report $6,298 in campaign contributions between Feb. 19 and Oct. 4, 2024 in its yearly filings, including $500 from Entergy Corporation Employee PAC and $3,298 from Elite PAC for “leadership class travel.”While Boyd’s 2024

When asked about these contributions and expenses, Boyd’s campaign manager Victoria Coulon told Gambit, “We are actively reviewing this matter and can assure you that any expenditure brought to our attention will be addressed. If anything was done inadvertently, it will be corrected.”

Louisiana law limits coordination between PACs and campaigns in most cases. Campaign finance laws were changed this year, allowing for leadership PACs, a type of PAC that allows officeholders to spend money on official duties but not their own political races. According to business filings, Elite PAC was created on Dec. 5, 2023 — before the law was changed.

Campaign filings for Elite PAC and Boyd’s campaign show her daughter has been paid for work by both organizations: The campaign paid her $2,750 Aug. 12 through her Kristen Young Boyd LLC, which lists Kristen

LOUISIANA’S RANKING AMONG THE 50 STATES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AFFORDABILITY.

A new study by the National College Attainment Network found that even with in-state tuition and financial aid schools like LSU can remain unaffordable for most students.However, the study found that a handful of colleges, including Nunez Community College, Delgado Community College and Southern University at New Orleans, do remain affordable for most Louisiana students.

C’EST WHAT ?

What issue are you thinking about most in the New Orleans mayoral race?

16.7%

3.9%

Rep. Delisha Boyd, D-New Orleans

PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

Boyd as the only officer and agent, while Elite PAC has paid her a total of $8,000 for “administrative services,” between Oct. 31, 2024 and July 18, 2025.City law also forbids council members and council candidates from taking campaign donations from entities of which they are or would be in charge of regulating, including associated PACs.

However, the donation from the Entergy Corporation Employee PAC to Boyd’s campaign fund was on Sept. 23, 2024, two months before Boyd filed a statement of organization for her council campaign.

Notably, Marrero businessman Laney Chouest donated $100,000 to Boyd’s PAC just three days before on Sept. 20. Chouest, who is a major funder of state Sen. Royce Duplessis’ campaign for mayor, also donated $12,000, the max amount, to her campaign in January.

The PAC appears to have received only one other donation — a $1,000 contribution from Dennis Earls, who lives in Los Angeles, California.

— Kaylee Poche

‘A toxic environment.’ New Orleans 911 staff testify about ex-director Tyrell Morris

ON THE SECOND DAY OF FORMER NEW ORLEANS 911 DIRECTOR TYRELL MORRIS’ TRIAL , current and former Orleans Parish Communication District employees detailed his on-the-job actions before and after he wrecked a publicly owned SUV.

Jurors are weighing whether Morris’ conduct on and around May 7, 2023 — when prosecutors say he crashed the SUV and falsified documents to avoid both blame and a drug and alcohol test — amount to malfeasance in office, false impersonation of a peace officer, insurance fraud and injuring of public records.

“An honest mistake is not a crime,” defense attorney Ralph Whalen argued, asking Criminal District Judge Simone Levine to emphasize that point in her instructions to the six-member jury.

Former Human Resources staff testified that Morris failed to report the crash, which would have automatically triggered a drug screen

under their policy. Assistant District Attorney Corbin Bates also pressed staff about the circumstances surrounding Jared Brossett’s departure from OPCD, which the indictment describes as the retaliatory termination of a whistleblower.

Brossett, who worked under Morris until June 2024, said he learned of the accident days later through an internal email. He testified that Morris fixated on how the crash reached the media, at one point telling staff he

couldn’t punish the “mole” because of state whistleblower protections.

“He could not grasp the media attention he was receiving,” Brossett said.

Brossett denied Morris’ later accusations against him and said he urged Morris to address the public. He said he believes his firing was retaliation for cooperating with an Inspector General investigation.

“It was a toxic environment under the leadership of Mr. Morris. I felt I was wronged,” he said.

Claude Flot, a retired NOPD sergeant who served as special assistant to the 911 director, testified that Morris pushed to have blue police lights installed in his city-issued 2019 Ford Expedition — despite not being a certified law

Tyrell Morris

enforcement officer and therefore being barred from using them.

“I tried to advise him that it was against state law,” Flot said. “He dismissed me.”

Flot ordered the blue lights “under (Morris’) direction,” he said, but not without concerns. “I always thought he would get in trouble,” he said.

Morris is accused of altering the OPCD’s vehicle policy. On Tuesday, Executive Director Karl Fasold, the department’s former technology chief, testified that changing such a document would require a series of steps that includes logging in with a username and password, opening the file in “author mode,” and editing the Microsoft Word document.

— Joni Hess and Missy Wilkinson / The Times-Picayune

Breeze Airways will begin international service from New Orleans in 2026

BREEZE AIRWAYS WILL LAUNCH ITS FIRST INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS from New Orleans next year after winning federal certification as a U.S. Flag Carrier, making it the first airline in more than a decade to complete the FAA’s rigorous process.

The Utah-based carrier, founded by JetBlue and Azul creator David Neeleman, will begin seasonal nonstop service to Cancun, Mexico, on Feb. 7, 2026, pending final approvals, the airline announced Thursday. Fares start at $99 one way, with service initially scheduled on Saturdays through mid-May.

The New Orleans route is part of Breeze’s initial wave of international expansion, which also includes flights to Cancun from Norfolk, Virginia, and Charleston, South Carolina. More cities, including Providence, Tampa, and Raleigh, are slated to get international flights later in 2026.

At Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, whose call sign is MSY, the move represents a significant investment. Breeze currently employs about 140 people at MSY, and Chief Commercial Officer Lukas Johnson said staffing and operations there will roughly double as the airline shifts its New Orleans fleet from smaller Embraer jets to Airbus A220300s early next year.

“That’s what’s really exciting for us — we’re going to be up about 90% in available seats by March, close to doubling year over year,” Johnson said. “New Orleans will also be one of the first places to see our new A220s, with first-class seating and more international capability.”

Airport director Kevin Dolliole said in a statement announcing the new routes that the expansion underscores the airport’s role as a core part of Breeze’s expansion plan.

“Having New Orleans selected as one of their inaugural cities for international service speaks volumes about New Orleans’ position as a premier destination and our airport’s growing connectivity,” he said.

While international travel has been soft globally, Johnson said that Cancun flights will target U.S. leisure travelers rather than rely on cross-border demand. The route will also be seasonal, pausing during the slow autumn months before resuming for peak holiday and summer travel periods.

The certification marks a turning point for Breeze, which launched in 2021 with a strategy of connecting midsize markets often overlooked by larger carriers. The airline already flies more than 300 routes to 81 U.S. cities.

Johnson suggested that Breeze could expand its international footprint further if the Cancun routes perform well, naming destinations such as Montego Bay and Punta Cana as logical next steps. He also noted that turmoil among larger budget airlines could give Breeze opportunities to grow in New Orleans, where it has quickly become one of the airport’s larger operators.

In recent months, several ultralow-cost carriers have shown signs of distress — tightening capacity, cutting routes, or restructuring under financial strain. Spirit Airlines, for example, has said it will furlough around one-third of its flight attendants and reduce its schedule by 25% starting in November as part of a bankruptcy restructuring plan.

Such turbulence puts pressure on smaller carriers, and Johnson is wagering Breeze can capitalize by filling gaps left behind in key markets like New Orleans. — Tony McAuley / The Times-Picayune

Budget carrier Breeze Airways will soon have international flights from New Orleans

PROVIDED PHOTO

BLAKE VIEW

Hey Blake,

A friend laughed when I told them that Domino’s introduced pizza to New Orleans, but it wasn’t the national pizza chain he was thinking of. I remember a local place called Domino’s on St. Charles Avenue. What can you tell us about it?

Dear reader,

SAM DOMINO OPERATED HIS NAMESAKE PIZZA RESTAURANT AND BAR at 701 St. Charles Ave. You’re correct in crediting the place with being among the first restaurants in town to popularize pizza. Located at the corner of St. Charles and Girod Street, the building is now home to Herbsaint, which opened there in 2000.

According to a 1958 Times-Picayune article, Domino first started a pizza restaurant in the French Quarter at Decatur and St. Louis streets in 1947. That’s well before the original Domino’s Pizza opened in Michigan in 1960, later becoming an international chain.

Locally, Domino moved his restaurant to St. Charles Avenue in 1953, offering more than 25 different pizza varieties, as well as other Italian food, steaks, seafood and chicken dishes.

In his 1970 book “The New Orleans Underground Gourmet,” States-Item restaurant critic Richard Collin said Domino’s made “some of the best pizza in the city” and added that “the other dishes can be very good but are not

as outstanding as the pizza.” The restaurant was “small and cheerful with checkered tablecloths and a jukebox with old opera records,” Collin wrote, calling it “a most pleasant old Italian restaurant with good food at reasonable prices.”

Restaurant critic Tom Fitzmorris wrote about Domino’s in his 2011 book with Peggy Scott Laborde, “Lost Restaurants of New Orleans.” He called the pizza “clearly based on the New York model and it was well executed.” Fitzmorris said the most distinctive pie was the garlic pizza: “a cheese job sprinkled with a great deal of garlic. It was delicious and as long as your date also ate it, you wouldn’t regret ordering it.”

By 1976, when Collin and his wife Rima published an updated version of their restaurant guide, Domino’s had moved to 3901 Airline Highway in Metairie. Collin raved about its Italian sausage pizza, saying it had the “best crust” in town. That location closed around 1981.

WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HEADED TO GRETNA FEST THIS WEEKEND, it’s the perfect time to explore the history of one of that community’s icons, the David Crockett Steam Fire Company No. 1. With roots in the 19th century, it holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously active volunteer fire company in the U.S.

The fire company was formed in July 1841 by 27 men of the Village of Mechanickham, as part of Gretna was originally known. According to the fire company’s website, the organization was originally the Gretna Fire Company, operating as a bucket brigade for its first three years. By 1844, they purchased a hand pumper, which drew water from wells and backyard cisterns.

About 10 years later, the first fire station was built and eventually relocated to 205 Lafayette St. That historic site is now home to a firefighting museum managed by the Gretna Historical Society.

Both the building and the 1876 steam pumper housed there are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Only 73 of the steam-powered water pumpers were ever built, and the one in Gretna is the only one still in existence.

In 1874, the fire company’s name was changed to the David Crockett Fire Company No. 1. It is now located at 1136 Lafayette St.

A pizza from Forbidden Pizza, not either Domino’s PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

EXERCISING THE FRANCHISE: VOTER GUIDE GAMBIT’S 2025

IT IS NO EXAGGERATION to say that New Orleans finds itself at a critical moment in our history. The city’s infrastructure is collapsing. Restaurants, bars and other small businesses are struggling to stay afloat. Thousands of our fellow New Orleanians have abandoned the city in search of a better quality of life and opportunities elsewhere. And after a chaotic and disastrous second term for Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration, faith in government being able to do even its most basic jobs is at a low.

This all makes this fall’s election critical. The decisions voters make will not only determine the shape of the next four years, but likely the coming decades as well.

This fall, voters will elect not only a new mayor but also a sheriff, city council, assessor and criminal court clerk. Voters also will weigh in on two charter amendments: The first on Oct. 11 deals with the hiring of formerly incarcerated people by city government, and the second, on Nov. 15, would modify the mandate of the city attorney’s office.

For months now, the various candidates for office have been making their case to voters. There have been scores of candidate

forums, voter engagement events and debates. And this year for the first time, New Orleans has seen a massive online push from local politicians, particularly in the mayoral race that has at times turned ugly as influencers and other surrogates have used their platforms to support their favored candidates, bash their opponents and troll each other endlessly.

Early voting in the Oct. 11 primary starts Sept. 27, and the general election is scheduled for Nov. 15. However, because of the jungle primary system we use, most if not all the races could be decided on the 11th. So getting to the polls as soon as you can is vitally important.

In this issue, we’ve put together a guide to some of the most important races on the ballot, including profiles of the top three candidates for mayor, breakdowns on the records and proposals of city council and sheriff’s candidates and an explainer on the charter amendment that will appear on the Oct. 11 ballot.

Additionally, we also are including our editorial board’s endorsements in some of the citywide races. As a reminder, none of Gambit’s reporters are involved in the endorsement process.

PHOTO BY JOHN MCCUSKER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE FOR NEW ORLEANS NEXT MAYOR TOP 3 CANDIDATES

BY KAYLEE POCHE & SARAH RAVITS

THIS YEAR’S MAYORAL CAMPAIGN FIELD is a crowded one, with 12 candidates appearing on the Oct. 11 ballot. That number, however, is a bit misleading. First, it includes Arthur Hunter, who dropped out of the race in August (and endorsed state Sen. Royce Duplessis) after the deadline to not appear on the ballot. Secondly, it also includes a number of lesser-known candidates who either have consistently polled in the single digits — or haven’t registered in polling at all. At its heart, the campaign has been dominated by three candidates: City Council Vice President Helena Moreno, City Council Member Oliver Thomas and state Sen. Royce Duplessis. These three campaigns have raised — and spent — millions of dollars in donations and dominated the conversation around this year’s election. Based on all available polling and other data, one of them will almost certainly end up serving as New Orleans’ next mayor.

Council Vice President Helena Moreno was the first to launch her campaign for mayor, back in December. That head start has helped her maintain frontrunner status in the race, and she has led the pack in fundraising and in the polls by significant margins.

Moreno, who turns 48 this month, was born in Mexico before moving to Texas as a child. A career in broadcast journalism brought her to New Orleans in 2001, where she became a news reporter and TV anchor at WDSU. She left the station in 2008 to pursue a career in politics, a decision she said she made after covering Hurricane Katrina and the federal levee failures.

After a failed congressional run, Moreno was elected as a state representative in 2010. At the State Capitol, she made a name for herself by passing legislation aimed at helping victims of domestic violence, including creating a tool for law enforcement to take away weapons from domestic violence offenders. She touts this accomplishment as “taking on the NRA” in a conservative, pro-gun legislature and winning.

Moreno left the legislature and joined the New Orleans City Council in 2018. As a council member, Moreno has a reputation for being ambitious, poised and polished. Under her leadership, the council has challenged Mayor LaToya Cantrell on a number of issues. She’s stayed firm, but she’s often left the fieriest jabs to her fellow at-large council member, JP Morrell.

On the campaign trail, Moreno has cited as one of her biggest accomplishments the longawaited relocation of Gordon Plaza residents.

She says she had many behind-the-scenes meetings with the Cantrell administration about why they hadn’t come up with a solution for those residents and was told, “Don’t worry about that, it’s too complicated. Oh, they’re just complainers.”

Moreno says real change started happening when the council held public meetings on the issue. During those meetings, Moreno was able to step in and deescalate tensions between the understandably frustrated residents and her colleague Eugene Green, whose district includes Gordon Plaza, and get money for residents to move into safe homes.

She also has talked about how after Hurricane Ida, she fought for Entergy New Orleans improvements for the city’s power grid. The plan cost around $110 million, about a fifth of what Entergy originally wanted, but it used federal dollars to ensure that customers would only see negligible increases in their bills.

Despite those successes in office and holding one of the top positions in city government as council member at-large, Moreno says she felt like her ideas for solutions have often been disregarded.

“I have felt that for so long, even when I have passed legislative items, that I’ve been ignored and kind of pushed to the side and things [are] not implemented,” she told Gambit.

Moreno is hoping that becoming mayor will change that. And she says she would take a different approach to leadership than Cantrell, who will be leaving office with low approval ratings and a federal indictment.

PHOTO BY SCOTT THRELKELD / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

PHOTO BY JOHN MCCUSKER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

HELENA MORENO

From the launch of her campaign, she has vowed to be a “24/7 mayor,” a thinly veiled jab at Cantrell, who frequently travels overseas and whose schedule only averaged 16 hours and 39 minutes a week, a Gambit investigation revealed.

In an August ad, Moreno stood next to a dumpster on fire and said, “Let’s be honest, this is city services in New Orleans right now, but I’m ready to put this fire out.”

For city government to deliver basic services, she says, it needs to be reorganized, including shrinking some departments and expanding and creating others. Employees under Cantrell have complained of low morale, and Moreno has vowed to turn that around, as well. She says she will bring enthusiasm to City Hall and make it a place where workers feel respected and valued.

Moreno says she wants to shrink the Office of Criminal Justice Coordination, which has a $10 million budget for personnel, down to around one person. Meanwhile, she says she’ll boost the number of city employees working on economic development, including some focused specifically on attracting businesses to New Orleans East, and create an “Office of Insurance Justice” to address rising insurance costs for homeowners. She also wants to rethink what the city does in-house and what it contracts out. For instance, she wants to stop outsourcing pothole work, promising in an ad to hire more than 100 city workers to fix New Orleans’ infamously pothole-ridden streets. Fellow competitor Council Member Oliver Thomas has criticized that promise as Moreno “writing big checks she can’t cash,” given the estimated $65-$100 million budget deficit the city is facing. However, he’s also downplayed the deficit, saying the city might be able to make it up by the end of the fiscal year without cuts as more revenue comes in.

Moreno has drawn some big-name endorsements, including from U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, former U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams and Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis, as well as the Independent Women Organization. And just last week, former Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris told MSNBC host Rachel Maddow that Moreno is a rising “star” in national Democratic politics.

ROYCE DUPLESSIS

State Sen. Royce Duplessis entered the race just before the qualifying period in July after initially declining to run.

At a campaign kickoff event in Central City, he told a crowd that he felt like he “couldn’t afford not to run,” after hearing from frustrated residents about ongoing issues like crumbling infrastructure and unreliable city services.

Duplessis, 43, has highlighted his experience in state and local politics along the campaign trail, along with his work in the service industry as a teenager and as a lawyer in the private sector.

The New Orleans native is self-deprecating when he says that it all started back when he was a student at St. Augustine High School, when a basketball coach suggested that he look into “speech and debate” instead of pursuing athletics like his older brother. That advice served him well — anyone who’s seen him take GOP lawmakers to task in Baton Rouge can see his debate skills are certainly a strength.

He was a recent college grad when Hurricane Katrina hit. He told Gambit that the devastation influenced his decision to postpone enrollment in law school so he could help with rebuilding efforts while working as the chief of staff for then-Council Member James Carter.

After earning a law degree, he worked as special counsel to now-retired Louisiana Supreme Court

Justice Bernette Johnson, where he worked on local and statewide criminal legal system reforms. He also worked for corporate law firms as a young lawyer and now runs his own practice.

Duplessis served as a state representative before being elected to the state Senate. He has faced uphill battles in the increasingly hostile atmosphere of a legislature dominated by a Republican supermajority.

This past session, Duplessis tried to give an income tax credit of up to $2,000 for homeowners at 200% of the federal poverty line or lower to help offset the cost of rising home insurance costs. That bill failed the House narrowly. He also brought forward a bill to require insurers to give homeowners a discount of at least 20% for fortifying their homes. That did not make it out of committee.

In 2024, Duplessis was the only senator to vote against Gov. Jeff Landry’s tax package. The package raised sales taxes, which disproportionately affects poor people, in order to pay for income tax cuts. But he’s also worked with the governor and was the only elected official in the city whom Landry appointed to his transition committee on New Orleans.

Duplessis was successful in passing a law requiring health insurance covering maternal care to also cover postpartum services like nutrition counseling and lactation care. He also passed a law to let pediatricians screen caregivers for postpartum depression or related mental health disorders.

Duplessis has attempted many bills to reform the state’s criminal legal system. One successful bill includes restrictions over the use of solitary confinement in juvenile detention facilities, after an investigation revealed severe conditions.

He also led efforts to kill a proposed bill that would have criminalized people for being unhoused. That bill was dropped at the end of the session, though it’s likely it will come up again next year.

Throughout his campaign, Duplessis has emphasized his upbringing in the close-knit community of Gentilly

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

FomCreole Goddess to SirenofteResistance

OCTOBER 17,2025 –7:00P.M. -9:00 P.M.

OCTOBER 18,2025–2:00P.M. -4:00P.M. | OCTOBER 19,2025 –2:00 P.M. -4:00P.M.

NewOrleans singer and entertainerAnaïs St.John brings to life Josephine Baker’sextraordinary story and wartime service. Scanthe QR CODE for Tickets andDetails

an ks fo rVot in gu s

and his big extended family, which he says helps hold him to account. His mother, Hedy, is his campaign chair, and his wife, Krystle, and young daughter, Reese, have also been active in his campaign, both at in-person events and on social media.

He has made some ambitious promises in his run for mayor: 40,000 new affordable housing units over the next 10 years with a chief housing officer to coordinate efforts, expanding the fortified roof program to get 25% of roofs in the city fortified — thus helping to lower insurance premiums — and universal pre-K starting at age 3.

Like the other top candidates, Duplessis says he looks forward to the economic opportunities that could take shape in New Orleans East and the Lower 9th Ward. A big part of that, he says, will be from leveraging the port’s expansion in St. Bernard Parish to bring in more jobs to the city.

But he also has pushed back on industrializing residential neighborhoods, and like Thomas and Moreno, he says he does not support the Alabo Street Wharf being used to store grain that will be transported via railway through the Holy Cross neighborhood.

When asked about the controversial federal plans to replace the lock on the Industrial Canal, he told Gambit that he doesn’t support anything that will worsen the quality of life for people in these already vulnerable neighborhoods.

In a recent podcast interview with Gambit, Duplessis promised “100 projects in 100 days” as part of a broader plan to address the city’s infrastructure woes.

Early on in the race, he hinted at rivalries and tensions between candidates while positioning himself as the antidote to the “chaos and dysfunction” at City Hall.

It soon became clear that Moreno, who had a head start in campaigning and has been shown leading in several polls, has been the biggest obstacle for the Duplessis campaign.

She has been the subject of frequent, direct attacks during debates and in Duplessis’ first TV ad, where he has cast blame on her for division at City Hall. Moreno, for her part, has offered rebuttals during debates, but has yet to launch real counterattacks — though that could change if there’s a run-off.

Amid efforts to close the gap in Moreno’s lead, Duplessis’ campaign received a boost after former Judge Arthur Hunter dropped out of the mayoral race and encouraged his supporters to rally behind Duplessis.

He also has gained momentum over the past few weeks in terms of fundraising. His biggest donations come from Laney Chouest and companies affiliated with the shipping industry veteran and businessman, totaling up to $48,000.

Duplessis has received endorsements from former Chief Justice Bernette Johnson, former mayor Sidney Barthelemy and former lawmaker and Treme funeral home director Louis Charbonnet, in addition to Louisiana Weekly, VOTE, the Clerk of Civil Court Chelsey Richard Napoleon, First City Court Constable Lambert Boissiere Jr. and his son, former Public Service Commissioner Lambert Boissiere III, and the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee.

OLIVER THOMAS

Name recognition won’t be a problem for District E Council Member Oliver Thomas. The native New Orleanian was on the city council from 1994 to 2007, before resigning his seat when he was convicted on federal bribery charges.

After serving his prison term, Thomas, 68, worked for a construction firm for nine years and continued to be active in the community as a mentor and volunteer. His 2021 election over incumbent Cyndi Nguyen to represent New Orleans East and the Lower 9th Ward on the council marked a political comeback for him, and he’s hoping he can carry that momentum all the way to the mayor’s office.

On the campaign trail, Thomas has argued that many of the problems the city’s facing now — such as failing infrastructure, a lack of affordable housing and a shortage of opportunities for young people — can be addressed by bringing back what worked in the past. That includes using federal

dollars for a soft second mortgage program and creating robust apprenticeship and summer job programs.

“We don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” he’s repeatedly said.

At campaign events, Thomas is often charismatic and quick to throw out a joke, telling multiple people “I’m trying to be like you when I grow up.” At a recent forum at St. Augustine High School, students erupted in applause and gave a standing ovation when he referenced bounce artist T99zy’s 2024 single “Trip Out.”

“I want to be a mayor where if Landry and Trump don’t understand what we about, I’m willing to get in their face and say, ‘Don’t make me trip out,’ ” he said, doing the dance move.

Thomas has touted progress on two long-neglected sites in his district, Lincoln Beach and Six Flags, and the new Propel Park development tied to NASA. Lincoln Beach is set to open in early 2027, and the city council just approved $5 million to clear the former Six Flags site.

He also strengthened penalties for illegal dumping and littering and supported boosting programs to help residents acquire blighted properties next to them.

Like Duplessis, Thomas has pledged to establish universal pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds in the city and expand after-school programs like his own. He’s also pledged to create 10,000 new affordable housing units — less than his competitors have promised.

When asked about issues plaguing New Orleanians, Thomas is quick to rattle off names of former politicians, longtime subject experts or the name of an author who’s written about a particular topic. Having had three positions on the council going back to the ’90s, he’s trying to

PHOTO BY MATTHEW PERSCHALL / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

SinceSt. TammanyHealthSystemopened its doors 70 years ago,we’ve been privileged to servethe Northshore. And now, thanks to you, our team is afirst time Best of NewOrleans winner forBest NorthshoreHospital.

For70yearswehaveprovided world-classhealthcare close to home, andwelook forwardtoMANYmore. Thank youfor votingusBestNorthshore Hospital.

ELECTION 2025 MAYOR’S RACE

make the case to voters that his institutional knowledge of government has given him a level of wisdom his younger competitors in the race don’t have. He’s also sought to distance himself from the tensions between the council and Cantrell, bringing up the two letters he wrote asking for the mayor and the council members to go on a retreat together — something that he said helped when he was on the council previously. However, a retreat between the current council and Cantrell never happened.

The city council often votes together, but there have been several instances where Thomas has broken from the majority. For instance, he was the only council member to vote against tax breaks on the River District project in December 2023, saying he didn’t believe enough affordable housing units were being built for the amount of money spent.

He also was the only council vote against ending Cantrell’s emergency declaration in the French Quarter trash

dispute, which she was using as reasoning to award a new emergency contract to her favored trash contractor, Troy Henry — who also owns radio station WBOK, where Thomas was a longtime talk show host. Thomas called the council’s decision an “encroachment on executive authority” and said his vote was about “principle.” He did not note that Henry is a longtime ally of his.

Mayors have traditionally wielded a lot of power in New Orleans, but the current council has pushed back on this during Cantrell’s tenure. However, Thomas seems to favor keeping a powerful executive branch.

“I want to be the kind of mayor where you don’t care who the mayor is and the council is because stuff works,” Thomas said at a Downtown Development District forum.

Thomas has been endorsed by the Independent Democratic Electors’ Association and the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, and political activist Gary Chambers is backing him.

PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

Curating your closet since 1994 . FR EN CH Q UA RT ER • M AG AZ IN E • M ET AI RI E

CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE RACES

BY SARAH RAVITS AND KAYLEE POCHE

AT-LARGE, DIVISION 1

In the Division 1 race to fill the seat vacated by mayoral candidate Helena Moreno, voters will be picking which Democratic state representative they want to take her place: Rep. Delisha Boyd or Rep. Matthew Willard. There is a third candidate: Republican Matt Hill, an operations manager at the New Orleans’ Dave & Buster’s location, who had raised a nominal sum of $400, not including a personal loan he made to his campaign, in the race a month out from the election.

DELISHA BOYD

A member of political and civic groups who also worked on local campaigns, Delisha Boyd was elected to the state legislature in 2022 to represent House District 102, backed by former seat holder state Sen. Gary Carter Jr.

As a state legislator, Boyd, 57, has attempted for multiple years to pass a bill protecting Louisiana residents from workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Boyd also has tried for three years to add rape and incest exceptions for children under 17 to the state’s near-total abortion ban. Though such exceptions are overwhelmingly popular among Louisiana residents, that bill has failed to make it out of a House committee, the first major step in the process.

The issue is personal to Boyd, who has testified that her mother was raped as a teenager and became pregnant with her. Her mother struggled for the rest of her life, Boyd said.

In 2024, Boyd was successful in passing a law stating that time limitations for prosecuting third degree rape don’t start until a victim discovers the crime.

Far more controversially, the same year she also passed a law making Louisiana the first state in the country to let surgical castration be used as punishment for sex crimes against a child under 13. If a person refuses to get the surgery, which involves the removal of their testicles or ovaries, they would have to serve an extra three to five years in prison.

“Some of the critics say, you know, that’s cruel and unusual punishment. Well, I disagree. I think the cruel and usual punishment was the rape of that 5-year-old,” Boyd told NPR.

Boyd’s daughter, Kristen Boyd, is the chairperson of both Boyd’s campaign and a separate

political action committee, Elite PAC, supporting her. She’s been paid by both the campaign and the PAC, which could violate state campaign ethics laws.

Furthermore, Boyd’s campaign and Elite PAC have paid more than $39,000 to a real estate company she and her daughter own — and listed those payments on campaign finance reports under a fake company name. Meanwhile, Boyd is facing foreclosure on her home in English Turn. She also has filed for bankruptcy three times: in 2008, 2012 and 2013.

Campaign finance records also show that Boyd’s campaign failed to report at least $6,298 in campaign contributions between Feb. 19 and Oct. 4, 2024, in its yearly filings, including $500 from Entergy Corporation Employee PAC and $3,298 from Elite PAC for “leadership class travel.” Her in-state contributors reported six donations to her during that period.

Elite PAC has been almost exclusively funded by Marrero businessman Laney Chouest, who gave $100,000 to the PAC. He and his associates have given at least $60,000 to Boyd’s campaign.

Boyd has been involved in some back-andforth drama with state Rep. Mandie Landry, a New Orleans Democrat who briefly left the party. When Landry criticized the Democratic party in the months following its performance in the fall 2023 elections, Boyd wrote a series of tweets in response, including more than 20 on Jan. 28, 2024. In one of them, she posted a photo of Landry talking to Republicans at the Capitol.

“As angry or disappointed I may be with folks in my family or party, I have NEVER abandoned or changed my party,” Boyd wrote alongside the photo. “I am a lifelong DEM and will remain one regardless of a few bad apples! I will NOT share

THE AT-LARGE SEATS

are the two most powerful on the New Orleans City Council. Both represent the entire city, not just a single district, and the seatholders take turns as council president and vice president.

Under the city’s home rule charter, the council’s primary responsibilities are proposing and passing city ordinances, conducting oversight and setting the city government’s annual budget. Historically, councils have often been closely tied to the sitting mayor, and in some cases, they have been little more than rubber stamps for legislation proposed by the executive branch.

Over the last four years, however, the council has leaned much more heavily into its oversight duties. The council has conducted numerous investigations into Mayor LaToya Cantrell, her top aides and the administration more broadly. The council also successfully passed a measure giving itself a formal role in the confirmation of some key administration positions.

the private strategy meetings of my party with republicans [sic] colleagues.”

Orleans Parish Civil District Court Clerk Chelsey Richard Napoleon, Clerk of 2nd City Court Lisa Diggs, state Sen. Gary Carter Jr., District B Council

Member Lesli Harris and Orleans Parish School

Board Member Olin Parker have all endorsed Boyd, as well as the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee.“

State Rep. Delisha Boyd

PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON / THE ADVOCATE

ELECTION 2025

AT LARGE

MATTHEW WILLARD

Matthew Willard, 36, has been a state legislator since 2020, representing House District 97, which includes his native Gentilly and parts of Mid-City. Though a young freshman legislator, Willard — who comes from a political family — quickly became a leader, first as vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, then as chair at the end of 2023 after the party was decimated by Republicans in the fall elections.

As a state legislator, Willard has attempted to address rising housing costs, including skyrocketing homeowners’ insurance rates.

In 2023, he passed legislation to create a state program giving homeowners $10,000 grants to fortify their roofs and made the program permanent the following year.

Willard tried to increase the homestead exemption from $75,000 to $125,000. The bill made it out of committee but failed to pass the entire House. He also tried to suspend the mandatory 10% charge on the state-run Louisiana Citizens property insurance through the end of 2026 to give property owners temporary relief, but that failed as well.

Additionally, he got a constitutional amendment to limit assessment increases in Orleans Parish on the ballot statewide, but voters narrowly rejected it.

New Orleans voters may have also noticed their Sewerage & Water Board usage amounts are no longer estimated, thanks to a law Willard passed to use actual reads when calculating bills, unless a customer chooses flat-rate billing.

Both Willard and Boyd have said they want to revamp the city’s permitting process to make it easier for business owners to navigate.

In a survey for the Bureau of Governmental Research, the two differed on police funding. Boyd said she would support increasing the New Orleans Police Department’s budget by 5-7% if the money went toward improving officer retention, training and recruitment, while Willard said he wanted to keep funding as is for now.

Willard also mentioned wanting to put money toward addressing blight and improving street lighting across the city, but also inexplicably brought up the controversial “broken windows theory” which is the idea that visible signs of crime and disorder encourage further crime and disorder. Though addressing abandoned buildings and other blight isn’t controversial, the implementation ultimately led to “stop and frisk” policies, during which Black and brown people were disproportionately targeted.

“MAYBE my approach is the old ‘broken window’ mentality, that run-down buildings and neighborhoods lead to ‘run down’ people and mindsets,” he wrote. “But if we are going to grow out of our problems, we have to grow into a new drive to improve.”

Both The Louisiana Weekly and Step Up for Action have endorsed Willard.

Top donors to his campaign include MMVR Canal LLC, owned by restauranteur Rami Badr, District Attorney of the 18th Judicial District Tony Clayton and lobbyist Paul Rainwater, who was formerly chief of staff for then-Gov. Bobby Jindal.

State Rep. Matthew Willard at the State Capitol in 2024

PHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS / THE ADVOCATE

AT-LARGE, DIVISION 2

In the Division 2 race, current Council President JP Morrell faces two challengers, the Rev. Gregory Manning, a pastor and longtime activist; and Kenneth Cutno, a perennial candidate who has previous experience working in government and on housing-related causes. All three are Democrats.

JP MORRELL

During his term as a council member, JP Morrell has passed city ordinances to lower barriers for art markets, regulate short-term rentals and create a formal billing appeals system for Sewerage & Water Board customers.

He also successfully pushed for an amendment to the city’s home rule charter, requiring council approval over certain department heads

sponsored the ordinance to remove officials’ access to the previously city-owned Pontalba apartment after Cantrell repeatedly used it for personal entertainment.

“This city council is the strongest and most independent council we have seen in decades, and it’s the will of the people that empowers us to keep pushing forward and doing what’s right,” Morrell said previously.

selected by the mayor, including NOPD superintendent and the director of the Department of Public Works.

Morrell was behind several city ordinances that limited the powers of the executive branch as Mayor LaToya Cantrell repeatedly abused her privileges in office. He also pushed an ordinance that curbed travel spending after Cantrell spent hundreds of thousands of tax dollars on international trips. And he

Morrell, a former public defender, also is one of the most active on social media. He frequently posts videos to his Instagram account — often sporting T-shirts depicting his favorite Marvel characters — as he explains in simple terms what certain issues and pieces of legislation mean for the community.

Some of his notable donors include the Adams & Reese law firm, term-limited District A Council Member Joe Giarrusso, developer Brian Gibbs, and Sandra Rosenthal, along with Unite Here Tip & State

Local fund, which supports the rights and interests of working people and their families.

Morrell has been endorsed by AFL-CIO, The Louisiana Weekly, VOTE, Forum for Equality PAC, state Sen. Jimmy Harris, state Reps. Aimee Freeman and Stephanie Hilferty and Alliance for Good Government.

REV. GREGORY MANNING

The Rev. Gregory Manning is a pastor at the Broadmoor Community Church and an activist who has been embraced by many of the left-leaning residents in the city and several advocacy groups.

Manning has repeatedly spoken up about climate change, environmental and racial justice and other human rights issues at local, statewide and international levels.

Sewerage & Water Board on Claiborne Avenue

PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

City Council

President JP Morrell

PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

ELECTION 2025 AT LARGE

He was arrested while protesting Formosa Plastics, was part of a coalition that pushed the city council to ban utility money in local politics, and supports renewable energy standards.

In the wake of Hurricane Ida in 2021, Manning helped develop the Community Lighthouse Project, an initiative that uses solar panels and batteries to supply power to resource “hubs” around the city after major storms and during power outages.

Manning has been one of the few community leaders to support pro-Palestinian activists, frequently joining them in calls for a ceasefire and in pushing politicians to stop providing taxpayer-funded weapons to Israel.

In a recent debate hosted by WDSU, Manning slammed Morrell after the moderator described him as a “strong incumbent.”

“To show more energy and aggression toward other government officials, rather than showing it toward Entergy and fighting for people to have lower utility bills — that does not show strength to me,” he said, adding “I will be the David that stands against the giant that is corporate greed that is causing us corruption in the city.”

Manning has drawn some notable endorsements for a challenger, including from Rep. Mandie Landry, retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, Step Up for Action and the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee. His biggest donors include actor Wendell Pierce, Troy Henry and Hakm Murad. He has also received contributions from Landry and Bob Murrell, an organizer who is running for the District A council seat.

KENNETH CUTNO

Third candidate Kenneth Cutno has run for a variety of local offices but has yet to win an election. He told the grassroots organization Voice of the Experienced that one of his top priorities is to stop the displacement of longtime residents, especially in gentrifying neighborhoods.

He also said he would introduce a city ordinance to create a “legacy homeowner stabilization program” to cap property tax increases for people who have lived in the city for a long time who earn low to moderate incomes.

Over his career he has served in several government-adjacent roles, including as a chief juvenile probation officer for Ascension Parish and in the office of former Gov. Edwin Edwards. According to his campaign website, he also helped Hurricane Katrina survivors assess damage to their homes and businesses and secure loans.

Weekend Specials

September26-28

Pecancrusted trout withDijon creamCajun potatoes andBrusselssprouts

Stuffed redfish withveggies andseafood cream

Oyster artichokesoup withjumbo Softshellcrab

Lamb chopswithchimmichurri over roastedredskinpotatoesand asparagus

Seafoodstuffedshrimp over seafoodpenne

Crab cake friedshrimpsliders withremoulade spring mixand sweetfries

Smotheredporkchops withwhiterice

FriedBangbangshrimp app

Kenneth Cutno TIMES- PICAYUNE FILE PHOTO

The Rev. Gregory Manning after filing his qualifying paperwork.

PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

DISTRICT A

BY SARAH RAVITS

WITH DISTRICT A COUNCIL

MEMBER JOE GIARRUSSO term-limited, the race to take over his seat includes two of his former staffers, Democrats Holly Friedman and Aimee McCarron; progressive community organizer Bob Murrell, who is running under no party; Democrat and teacher Alex Mossing; and Republican Bridget Neal, who highlights her international business experience.

Long considered the conservative stronghold of New Orleans, District A has become increasingly less so over the last decade, due in part to demographic changes.

While Republican state Rep. Stephanie Hilferty does represent a swath of the district at the State Capitol, Giarrusso’s two terms on the city council were marked by significantly more progressive policy positions than conventional wisdom would have expected, a reflection of the changes to the area.

District A is home to some of the poorest sections of the city as well as its most affluent. It encompasses West End and Lakeview, parts of Mid-City, Uptown, Hollygrove and Gert Town.

There are major parks, lots of commercial activity, residential neighborhoods and universities within the district. Whoever wins the race will need to balance the varying needs of the vastly different neighborhoods and make investments in places that have been overlooked.

Some residents of majority Black neighborhoods spoke out at an Urban League forum earlier this summer, pointing out disparities when it comes to prioritizing their needs, and all candidates promised to be more attentive and equitable.

Candidates have been repeatedly reminded at forums by neighborhood groups that they have big shoes to fill, as Giarrusso was known for being available and responsive to constituents pretty much around the clock.

AIMEE MCCARRON

Aimee McCarron is Giarrusso’s former policy and budget director, and she has vowed to follow in Giarrusso’s footsteps in terms of accessibility and outreach.

At forums, she has frequently promised to host weekly meetings around the district to meet constituents in their neighborhoods. McCarron has suggested greater oversight on city contractors and hiring more workers in-house. In a recent Reddit AMA, she said that gives city government “a lot more control” over the process of fixing things, and it can decrease inefficiencies in spending.

She also has highlighted her work on a partnership between Thrive Kids and NOLA Public Schools to connect students with mental health professionals and in crafting the $90 million deal with the school system that Mayor LaToya Cantrell abruptly pulled out of earlier this year.

Endorsements for McCarron come from former Council Member Susan Guidry, the Alliance for Good Government, the Independent Women’s Organization, AFL-CIO, Forum For Equality, School Board Member Carlos Zervigon, and state Senate Pres. Cameron Henry, among others.

HOLLY FRIEDMAN

Holly Friedman, who currently works for District Attorney Jason Williams, describes herself as “dependable,” and “policy focused and data driven.”

During her previous work as Giarrusso’s constituent services director and then as his

campaign manager, she says she gained an understanding of the varying needs of constituents in all neighborhoods.

One of her top priorities is to streamline the permitting process for small businesses and clean up commercial districts to make them more business friendly.

She also says she wants to create more public-facing dashboards on the city’s website to increase transparency. During her work in Williams’ office, she led an open-source intelligence project that tracks repeat violent offenders and says she helped shut down crime hotspots.

Notably, Friedman has been the most successful at fundraising among the District A candidates, with some of the biggest donations coming from the politically connected Fayard family as well as personal injury lawyer Morris Bart and his wife, Cathy.

She has received endorsements from AFLCIO, the Independent Women’s Organization, Greater New Orleans Republicans, MidCity Democrats, Louisiana Federation of Independent Electors and Community Organization of Urban Politics.

ALEX MOSSING

Meanwhile, Alex Mossing wants to bring her social studies teacher energy to City Hall. She says she was prompted to enter politics because she’s tired of seeing residents being forced out due to lack of opportunity and affordable housing.

She’s only half joking when she says the last straw was seeing one of her closest friends,

From left: District A candidates Bob Murrell, Bridget Neal, Aimee McCarron, Holly Friedman and Alex Mossing at a forum hosted by the Urban League of New Orleans.

PHOTO BY SARAH RAVITS / GAMBIT

a lifelong New Orleanian, relocate her family to Atlanta — home of the Falcons.

She’s a native of New Orleans who has seen the city’s population wane, especially for lower-income residents, artists and young professionals, along with people who want to start families but have trouble finding affordable housing and stable careers. She has said that she wants to bring well-paying jobs to the area and work with business development agencies.

She has expressed how incongruous it feels to teach young people about democracy and government when local government isn’t even working.

Improving education is one of her key focuses, as she’s worked in the charter school system since it was practically brand-new after Katrina. She says if elected she will particularly focus on working with the school board to make education more equitable.

BOB MURRELL

Bob Murrell, who previously ran for the District A seat in 2022, has long held the mantra of “people over profits.” Uplifting the less affluent neighborhoods in the district has been a top priority for the Democratic Socialist along the campaign trail.

While many of the other candidates are understandably sticking to hyper-local issues, Murrell has also been outspoken about the national rise in authoritarianism and has emphasized the need to make changes at the local level and build solidarity to stand up against it. He has touted his ability to build diverse coalitions, including at his

ELECTION 2025

DISTRICT A

family’s church. Among his key issues are making bike lanes safer, creating free health clinics and strengthening protections for marginalized communities. He has also said he will work to make utilities more affordable and expand opportunities to allow for more clean energy.

He has been endorsed by 314 Action Fund, which supports candidates with STEM backgrounds, along with School Board Member Gabriela Biro, reproductive justice activist Pearl Ricks, Devin Davis, the local chapter of Democratic Socialists of America and more. He was also awarded the title of the “Gun Sense Candidate,” a distinction from the nationwide gun reform activist group Moms Demand Action.

BRIDGET NEAL

Bridget Neal, the sole Republican in the race, has said she wants to expand the workforce at City Hall and hire full-time employees rather than relying on contractors. She has called for structural reforms to improve overall functionality, as well as establishing a Citizen’s Bill of Rights.

Neal has not done any fundraising according to her finance reports, but she has repeatedly stated that her experience in managing projects both locally and abroad has given her leadership skills and the ability to negotiate. While some of her policy ideas are more vague than her fellow candidates’, she says she can dive right in and learn on the job.

West End is part of District A

PHOTO BY JOHN MCCUSKER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

DISTRICT C

BY JAKE CLAPP

DISTRICT C IS ARGUABLY ONE OF THE NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL’S MORE UNIQUE AREAS

— and in many ways acts as an unofficial third citywide seat on the council.

Covering all of Algiers, the French Quarter, the Marigny and parts of the Treme, 7th Ward, St. Roch, Bywater and St. Claude neighborhoods, the district is diverse and includes urban, suburban and even rural areas. And it is both an economically and culturally important region, with the state’s most famous neighborhood and landmarks, Treme’s cultural history, and bars, restaurants and venues spread across the district.

Council Member Freddie King III is the incumbent in this election and is seeking a second term. He has drawn three challengers: Kelsey Foster, the former executive director of the Algiers Economic Development Foundation; Jackson Kimbrell, a construction project manager; and Eliot S. Barron, who works in emergency medical services. King lives in English Turn, both Foster and Kimbrell live in Algiers Point and Barron lives in St. Roch.

FREDDIE KING

King, 40, grew up in Algiers and graduated from Archbishop Shaw High School before earning an undergraduate degree in political science at Southeastern Louisiana University and a law degree at Southern University Law Center. After returning to New Orleans, he worked for the city and as a public defender and started his private practice, The King Law Firm.

King was elected to city council in 2021 and has chaired the French Quarter Economic Development District and the Community Development Committee in addition to serving on the Criminal Justice, Governmental Affairs, Quality of Life, Public Works, Sanitation and Environment, and the Utility, Cable, Telecommunications and Technology committees.

He has been endorsed by Council Members Lesli Harris and Joe Giarrusso, state Rep. Mandie Landry, District Attorney Jason Williams and other local politicians, along with organizations like the ALF-CIO, Voters Organized to Educate and the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee.

King, a Democrat, is largely campaigning for reelection based on his record. Some of the accomplishments he’s pointed to include ending Lucky Dogs’ 50-year monopoly on pushcart vendors in the French Quarter; pushing progress on the rehabilitation of the Bywater Naval Base; addressing blighted properties in Algiers, like DeGaulle Manor; opening the renovated aquatic facility on General Meyer Avenue; and breaking ground on the recycling drop-off center Burmaster Transfer Station.

King also touts his support for infrastructure projects in his district, reforms to the permitting process and for programs for seniors and youth.

He also sees as an accomplishment the closure of an unhoused encampment under the Claiborne Avenue overpass in early 2024. City officials and local nonprofits were able to place more than 50 people in subsidized housing, but the plan received criticism from camp residents and advocates for being rushed to meet the city’s short timeline before Mardi Gras.

Early in his tenure, King co-sponsored a measure introduced by Eugene Green rolling back parts of the ban on the use of facial recognition technology, which the council had passed in 2020. Joe Giarrusso also voted for the ordinance, which allows police to use facial recognition with limits if other methods have been exhausted and with a supervisor’s permission.

During a debate hosted by WDSU, King, Foster and Kimbrell were asked if they supported the use of facial recognition technology, which has been proven to have a racial bias. Both Foster and Kimbrell outright said they do not support the use of the technology anywhere. King acknowledged it was discriminatory against people of color but did not say if he supports its use. “It has to have stringent guardrails if used,” King said.

In 2023, King helped craft the city’s new short-term rental rules, most notably the oneper-square-block limit. He proposed an amendment — which allows the city to grant up to two additional residential permits per block after a review process — as a compromise after hearing from both STR critics and from small, local STR operators who rely on their rental income.

But the exception proved controversial as the council approved the vast majority of requests — often against the recommendations of the City Planning Commission, which council members said were inconsistent. The council earlier this year voted to permanently end granting exceptions.

The same year, King also drew scrutiny over his involvement in stopping development of an affordable housing project near English Turn. Nearly 1,700 people signed a petition against the development, citing a possible strain on the roads, drainage and city services in the area, and the council voted to stop further development.

But the developer soon after filed a federal lawsuit alleging the council violated the Fair Housing Act. Further, the suit last year caught the attention of the Department of Justice, and New Orleans has missed out on federal housing grants as a result.

KELSEY FOSTER

Foster, 37, is the former executive director of the Algiers Economic Development Foundation, which works with the area’s small business owners by providing resources and information. During her tenure, from 2020 to July 2025, AEDF

District C Council Member Freddie King III PROVIDED PHOTO

Kelsey Foster

PHOTO BY KATHRINE KIMBALL

DISTRICT C

saw a 1,200% growth in its membership and tripled in both staff size and organizational budget (for which Gambit recognized Foster in our 40 Under 40 class of 2024).

Foster graduated from Emerson College in 2010 with a degree in print and multimedia journalism and a Master of Public Service degree from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. Foster moved to New Orleans soon after graduating from Emerson and reported for The Lens from 2011 to 2014 before working as a campaign director for the Committee for a Better New Orleans.

Foster, a Democrat, has been endorsed by the Forum for Equality, Alliance for Good Government and the Regular Democratic Organization.

On housing issues, Foster has called for a stop on new commercial STR permits unless the developer dedicates a similar number of units for affordable housing. She also wants to use the Housing Trust Fund to support the low-income homeowner fortified roof program and grants to low-income and elderly homeowners for housing upkeep.

Simplifying the permitting process for small businesses has been a consistent talking point during the election, and Foster wants to streamline the permitting and licensing process by expanding the use of the city’s One Stop system and investing in customer service roles to help applicants. She also wants to eliminate the performance bond requirement on small markets.

Two cyclists were killed this summer on St. Claude, and Foster says she wants to improve bicycle safety in the district as well as public transit. She plans to secure long-term funding for the ferry running between Algiers and Canal Street, maintain late-night ferry and bus services for the area and expand subsidized parking for French Quarter hospitality workers. One way to raise revenue, she said, is by implementing a fee when cruise ships docked in New Orleans disembark.

On government reform, Foster wants to centralize financial reporting for city departments and publish machine-readable budget data. She has also called for greater communication between the Sewerage & Water Board, the Department of Public Works and other city departments.

JACKSON KIMBRELL

Kimbrell, 35, is a construction project manager and a U.S. Army veteran, serving in the Louisiana National Guard and Army Reserves for 14 years. He has touted his ability to work with and coordinate groups of people, some of whom may not share his views. Kimbrell grew up in Arkansas, graduated from The Citadel and Louisiana State University and has lived in New Orleans since 2012.

Kimbrell is listed as no party, but he has received the endorsement of the New Orleans Democratic Socialists of America.

Kimbrell advocates for returning Entergy New Orleans to public control and has criticized the company for paying back shareholders before investing in a reliable grid. He also wants to create microgrids for better hurricane preparedness, create new solar installation grants and loans for homeowners,

Jackson Kimbrell PROVIDED PHOTO

OCT3 OCT4 OCT5

ELECTION 2025

DISTRICT D

BY JOHN STANTON | GAMBIT EDITOR

NEW ORLEANS’ DISTRICT D ENCOMPASSES A DIVERSE

PART OF THE CITY, including most of Gentilly, parts of Lakefront and Bayou St. John, and parts of the 6th, 7th and 8th Wards.

The district is currently represented by Council Member Eugene Green, who is seeking reelection. There are also two challengers in the race, Democrat Belden “Noonie Man” Batiste and Leilani Hano, who is running as an unaffiliated candidate.

EUGENE GREEN

A graduate of St. Augustine High School and Harvard University, Green has been a longtime fixture in the city’s political and business worlds. He served on the New Orleans City Planning Commission, the Industrial Development Board of New Orleans and as the director of the Office of Small and Emerging Businesses under former Mayor Marc Morial.

Green also founded the Nationwide Real Estate Corporation, a real estate and property management company.

Green ran unsuccessfully for both city council and the state legislature before being elected to the council in 2021. He narrowly beat community activist and business owner Troy Glover in the race, which was the subject of a recount.

Green has sought to stakeout a middle ground position between other members of the council and Mayor LaToya Cantrell over the last four years, though he has often voted with the majority against the mayor.

Green has been arguably the most conservative member of the council over the last four years, particularly on issues related to law enforcement and the unhoused. For instance, along with Council Member Oliver Thomas, Green this year introduced legislation authorizing NOPD to use real-time surveillance cameras in the city. He also has been an advocate for aggressive NOPD responses to a variety of issues, including calling for a crackdown on “stunt driving” in the city. One of his major focuses during his first term has been addressing blighted properties in the district.

BELDEN “NOONIE

MAN” BATISTE

Belden Batiste is a longtime community activist and perennial political candidate who has run for a variety of offices over the years. Batiste was also one of the leaders of the failed effort to recall Mayor LaToya Cantrell in 2022 and 2023.

LEILANI HANO

Leilani Hano is a small business owner in New Orleans. She has focused her campaign on sustainability and eco-friendly issues.

Leilani Hano SCREEN CAPTURE FROM FACEBOOK

Belden Batiste

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

Council Member Eugene Green

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

DISTRICT E

BY KAYLEE POCHE

THE RACE TO REPLACE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OLIVER

THOMAS, who is running for mayor, has drawn a crowded field of 11 candidates. They’re running to represent the district that includes New Orleans East and the Lower 9th Ward, two areas of the city that have long lacked the investment they need.

District E is the largest district in the city and includes densely populated areas, more suburban neighborhoods and industrial spaces, though much of it is taken up by wetlands and other uninhabited areas. The district includes everything from affluent areas to poorer communities, and while the district is majority Black in terms of race, it is also home to much of Orleans Parish’s Vietnamese population.

That geographic and population diversity, combined with the lingering impacts of Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures, makes it one of the more challenging districts to represent.

The top two contenders to replace Thomas are state Rep. Jason Hughes and Cyndi Nguyen, who held the seat for one term before Thomas ran against her and won in 2021. Both are Democrats.

JASON HUGHES

In his six years in Baton Rouge, state Rep. Jason Hughes hasn’t passed the flashiest legislation, instead focusing on small steps forward in the Republican-dominated legislature.

In his first year in office, Hughes passed a law so that children in kindergarten through third grade would have three literacy screenings per school year. The same year he also required health care providers to let victims of sexual assault know they can take emergency contraception.

In 2023, Hughes got a proposal on the ballot to revoke property tax exemptions from nonprofit slumlords with a record of public health or safety violations, which voters passed.

Hughes has a pretty powerful role in shaping the budget as vice chair of the House Appropriations committee. And he’s brought back some wins for his district, including $600,000 in state funds for upgrades at Joe W. Brown Memorial Park.

Hughes says cleaning up commercial blight in the district is the centerpiece of his platform. “District E doesn’t have a crime problem. It doesn’t have a people problem. It has an image problem,” he’s repeatedly said on the campaign trail.

Hughes has vowed to lead the effort for the city to take the abandoned Lake Forest Plaza site into its own hands.

“For 20 years, that site has sat vacant on any given day. It’s a truck stop on Saturdays. You

can come by and buy barbecue, because people are out there barbecuing. You might find a pop-up festival on any given day,” he said. When it comes to street vendors, Hughes told Gambit he does not support “aggressive enforcement” against them until the city’s entire permitting process is simplified, including making sure Department of Safety and Permits employees are well trained and well paid to boost morale. He also says the state and city should revisit what they’re requiring of vendors.

“I do not support the requirement that small vendors and street vendors have to use a commercial grade kitchen,” he said. “That certainly doesn’t guarantee safety.”

The Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee, teachers’ union United Teachers of New Orleans and the AFL-CIO have endorsed Hughes.

CYNDI NGUYEN

Cyndi Nguyen, now a strategic advisor for the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, says she’s running for her former council seat because she has “unfinished business.” When elected in 2017, Nguyen made history as the first Vietnamese person on the council. On the campaign trail, she’s cited her accomplishments on the council, which included getting the former Holiday Inn hotel redeveloped after it had been abandoned since Hurricane Katrina, graffitied with the word “CAVEMAN.” It opened as the Highrise

Former Council Member Cyndi Nguyen PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

State Rep. Jason Hughes PHOTO PROVIDED BY JASON HUGHES

NOLA apartment complex in November 2022.

The same year there was also a $32 million redevelopment of Lake Forest Manor, another building empty since Katrina, to bring it back to its original use as a 200-unit senior living facility.

Nguyen also touts creating the Jingle on the Boulevard Parade and the opening of the Tate Etienne & Prevost (TEP) Center in the Lower 9th Ward in a school building dormant since Katrina. Civil rights leader Leona Tate, who was one of the first Black children to desegregate New Orleans schools, converted McDonogh 19 into a facility with an exhibit on public school desegregation and civil rights, as well as into affordable housing for seniors.

“All of these projects were done in a short time, despite facing the cyber-attack at City Hall, COVID-19 and Hurricane Ida,” she said at an Urban League forum. “Bring me back so we can finish our work.”

Nguyen has said she wants to modernize and simplify the city’s permitting process for businesses, which business owners have long said is cumbersome to navigate and disincentivizes them from operating in New Orleans.

However, she did back a push by the Cantrell administration in 2021

ELECTION 2025

to go after unpermitted pop-ups and food trucks, which she blamed for deterring “big investors” from coming into New Orleans East despite the fact that no investors had specifically told her that.

OTHER CANDIDATES

Danyelle Christmas, who works in dentistry at a community health clinic, also has drawn some attention. Backed by progressive groups like Step Up for Action and the local chapter of Democratic Socialists of America, Christmas said she was motivated to run for office after seeing how the criminal legal system failed her father, Dan Bright, who was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned at Angola for 10 years. Christmas has proposed a rent cap and city ownership of New Orleans’ power and gas utilities. She also said she’d support a “blanket ban” on short-term rentals “until we figure it out.”

Other Democrats running include Willie Morgan, dean of students at The Net: East; the Rev. Richard Bell; and Kimberly Burbank. Educator Jonathan Anthony Roberts, Gavin Richard and Nathaniel Jones are running without party affiliation.

ORLEANS PARISH SHERIFF’S RACE

BY JOHN STANTON | GAMBIT EDITOR

THE ORLEANS PARISH

SHERIFF’S OFFICE is primarily responsible for administering and managing the city’s jail, though deputies also perform a number of other duties, including conducting evictions and providing security during Mardi Gras parades.

This year’s sheriff election comes as the department is in utter chaos and turmoil. There have been multiple breakouts at the jail, including one in which 10 inmates escaped — one of whom remains at large. The office has been hacked, keys have gone missing, money has been misspent and public confidence in the department has cratered.

Three main candidates are running for the office this year: incumbent Susan Hutson, Constable Edwin Shorty and former New Orleans Police Department Interim Superintendent Michelle Woodfork.

SUSAN HUTSON

Hutson came to office in 2021 on a platform of progressive reform and change for the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. A former independent police monitor in Los Angeles and New Orleans, Hutson became the first Black woman to hold the office.

Almost none of the progressive reforms Hutson promised have come to pass, and conditions have continued to worsen at the jail.

Her time in office has largely been marked by a series of scandals. In 2022, inmates barricaded themselves in one of the jail’s pods in protest of jail conditions. The multi-day standoff ultimately ended after the sprinkler system was turned on and jail staff stormed the pod.

In 2023, Hutson sought to have a millage increase approved to increase her department’s budget. But the sheriff did almost nothing to persuade voters to approve the tax increase, and it failed badly.

Meanwhile, she spent thousands of dollars on expensive hotel rooms for her senior staff during Mardi Gras, which drew a rebuke from the city’s inspector general.

More recently, there have been multiple escapes and accidental releases of inmates from the Orleans Justice Center. And earlier this month, an international group of computer hackers took control of her office’s computers and demanded the city pay a ransom. It is unclear whether the office has regained control of its computers.

Hutson has insisted none of the problems her office has had are her fault and has blamed her political opponents for her series of scandals and escapes.

MICHELLE WOODFORK

A lifelong New Orleanian, Woodfork is a graduate of St. Mary’s Academy and Southern University at New Orleans. She spent 33 years working at NOPD, including her brief time as interim superintendent. In 2024, Woodfork retired from the department and began working in the District Attorney’s office.

Woodfork’s retirement came after she appeared to fall out of favor with Mayor LaToya Cantrell — whose alleged romantic interest, former NOPD officer Jeffrey Vappie, was being investigated by the department for corruption. Prior to the corruption inquiry, Woodfork was widely viewed as Cantrell’s top choice to replace former Superintendent Shaun Ferguson.

Federal investigators have alleged Woodfork lost the job as a result of her department’s disciplinary actions against Vappie.

EDWIN SHORTY

A resident of the West Bank, Constable Edwin Shorty has had a long career in law and law enforcement. Like Woodfork, Shorty is a graduate of Southern University at New Orleans and has a law degree from the Southern University Law Center.

In 2019, former Gov. John Bel Edwards appointed Shorty to the Southern University Board of Supervisors, and the board elected him chairman in 2022.

In addition to working as a lawyer, Shorty also has held a number of jobs in law enforcement. During college, he worked as a deputy sheriff in the Orleans Sheriff’s Office, and since 2013 he has served as the constable of the 2nd City Court.

Sheriff Susan Hutson

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

The Orleans Parish jail PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

Former New Orleans police interim Superintendent Michelle Woodfork

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

Edwin Shorty PROVIDED PHOTO

ELECTION 2025

DISTRICT C

pass a drainage fee on nonprofit property owners to fund S&WB repairs and grow the Community Lighthouse solar program.

To grow the city’s affordable housing stock, Kimbrell proposes doubling the city’s Housing Trust Fund and developing unused city and school board properties. He also supports allowing backyard cottages and smaller units to be converted into additional housing.

Similar to Foster, Kimbrell supports creating a dedicated funding source for the ferry through a cruise ship fee. He also wants to dedicate general funds to RTA and expand the city’s cycling lane network.

Along with his pitch to expand universal pre-K through vouchers, Kimbrell supports returning charter schools to school board control. And he wants to expand job training opportunities and partnerships with local unions.

Barron, 47, has listed many jobs over the years, including realtor, soldier medic, fisherman, streetcar mechanic and “a spiritual leader.” He’s a Louisiana native and in 2014 ran as the Green Party candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. Barron’s campaign doesn’t have much of an online presence, but he has participated in forums during the race. His platform has centered on safer streets, economic development, and anti-littering and beautification of the city.

PROPOSED CHARTER AMMENDMENT

The Oct. 11 ballot isn’t just about electing a new suite of political officials to office in New Orleans. It also includes a significant change to the city’s home rule charter that could affect thousands of New Orleanians.

Here’s the language of the amendment:

Shall Article II, Section 2-202(6) of the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans be amended to provide that no law shall arbitrarily and unreasonably discriminate against a person based on conviction history?

A yes vote would add the amendment to the city’s Bill of Rights, while a no vote would leave the charter unchanged. But what does it do?

Unlike a lot of ballot initiatives, this one is thankfully pretty straightforward: it would bar the city council from passing new, or the enforcement of existing, laws that discriminate against any person with a conviction on their record. In practice, the amendment would primarily apply to hiring and contracting decisions by the city government.

Over the last two decades, states and municipalities have been passing similar laws to make it easier for formerly incarcerated people and others with convictions on their records to get hired.

Studies have repeatedly shown that these sorts of laws and policies have a disproportionate impact on people of color. Former President Barack Obama made it a signature issue in his second term, and many employers have stopped asking about criminal records altogether.

The amendment is worded in such a way as to allow for convictions to be considered in some circumstances — for instance, it does not preclude an ordinance being passed that would prohibit sex offenders from being hired at a daycare center or persons with drunk driving convictions from being hired to drive buses.

FRID AY,O CT OBER 10 TH GENERATIONS HAL L

7P M-PAT RON PA RT Y•8-1 1 PM -G LEASO NG RA S

MUSIC BY PULSE504 •LIVE &SILENT AUCTION

FOOD &DRINKS BY:JACKROSE •GAL ATOIRE'S •MR. JOHN'S KATIE’S •DRAGO'S •MIREPOIXCATERING •TITO'S•JACKSON WINERY CASAMIGOS •SOUTHERN GL AZER'S •SOUTHERNEAGLE PORT ORLEANS BREWING &CO. &MORE

WI TH YO UR SUPPORT OUR MISSION IS POSSIBLE

TICK ETS &S PONSORSHIP INFO R MA TION GLEASONGRAS. OR G

ELIOT BARRON

Eliot Barron PROVIDED PHOTO

10% offSkin forLife- SFL10FALL 15% offDLCeuticals-DLC15FALL 30%off Clearance -CLEAR30 (while supplies last!) 20% offeGift Cards

Don’t wait-these dealswon’tlast. Stockup&shop nowat dermaloungellc.com/shop

Reminder: DERMA LOUNGEwillbeclosed Sept12-Oct 13, 2025,reopening Oct14. Our online store will remainopen.

GAMBIT’S 2025 ENDORSEMENTS

THROUGHOUT OUR PAPER’S HISTORY, our endorsements have been based not on party affiliation, popularity or inevitability. Rather, we have selected candidates who we believe will best serve the basic principles of equity, progress, accountability and justice.

This year our editorial board has decided to endorse in city-wide elections, and only in those instances with a candidate with the leadership qualities the people of New Orleans can believe in.

MAYOR

HELENA MORENO

City Council Vice President Helena Moreno has built a record accomplishment and service for the people of New Orleans. During her time in the legislature, Moreno was able to work in a bipartisan manner to help deliver needed resources to the city while also successfully making strides on progressive policy goals, most notably gun control.

Her time on the council is even more impressive. For decades, city leaders either ignored the plight of Gordon Plaza residents – or even worse, reacted to the community’s righteous outrage and vocal persistence with hostility and scorn.

But Moreno actually listened to the community, even when it became tense. More importantly, rather than try to force a settlement on residents, she worked with the community to find a solution that ensured the victims were treated justly. Notably, she did this not only in defiance of common political wisdom but also in the face of active opposition from the mayor’s office and powerful interests.

Likewise, Moreno has been a leader in forcing the city to finally begin the cleanup and redevelopment of Lincoln Beach. For generations of Black New Orleanians, Lincoln Beach was a rare space where families could gather and enjoy the natural beauty our city has to offer, and the fact that it fell into such disrepair has long been a sad stain on New Orleans.

As in the case of Gordon Plaza, Moreno listened to folks on the ground trying to bring Lincoln Beach back rather than looking outside of the community for solutions – and then found concrete ways to uplift and support those efforts.

After eight years of an top-down administration, Moreno’s collaborative, community-based approach is the sort of governing style the city will need if we are going to fix the many problems we are now facing.

AT-LARGE DIVISION 1

During

have delivered real results for New Orleanians. In 2023 passed legislation creating the $10,000 roof fortification grant program – which became permanent the following year. He was also instrumental in helping reform the Sewerage & Water Board’s billing practices to end the use of estimated billing.

Willard is fresh, young leader in our city who will bring energy to the council a time when we’ll need it most. But he also has maintained good relations with other lawmakers in Baton Rouge and New Orleans which will serve him, and the city, well.

AT-LARGE DIVISION 2

JP MORRELL

Throughout his career, Council President JP Morrell has been a consistent – and vocal – proponent for New Orleans and the progressive policies most of our community believe in. He’s long advocated for LGBTQ equality and was a strong supporter of women’s rights while in the state legislature.

During his time on the city council, Morrell has continued that work while also working on key issues facing residents. He led the effort to reign in the short-term rental industry which has wreaked havoc on much of the city, forcing the Cantrell administration to actually enforce existing regulations while passing critical new limits on the number of STRs in the city.

Likewise, he’s backed changes to permitting rules that have hamstrung small and micro-businesses, particularly pop-ups and small markets. Morrell’s handling of Mardi Gras parade regulations, a uniquely New Orleans problem, has been appropriately measured, balancing safety and security with the need to let Mardi Gras be, well, Mardi Gras.

Under his leadership, the city council also has broken with its tradition of often acting as simply a rubber stamp for the mayor. He’s significantly expanded its oversight of the executive branch, including holding oversight hearings into allegations of sexual assault by city officials, exposing the hostile work environment at City Hall for many employees and pushing for greater transparency and accountability in government.

New Orleans will need a strong oversight presence from the council to avoid the sort of corruption and incompetence that has contributed to so many of the problems now facing the city. The city will also need a leader willing to aggressively fight for our future – something even his opponents would agree Morrell is ready and willing to do.

HOME RULE

CHARTER

AMENDMENT

YES

This amendment would change the city charter’s Bill of Rights to state that no law can “arbitrarily and unreasonably discriminate against a person based on conviction history.”

The use of conviction histories to discriminate has a long history of being weaponized against Black and brown people in America. It can make it difficult for people to find employment or a place to live.

The biggest likely impact of the change would be to city hiring and contracting practices and ensure a level playing field regardless of someone’s legal history. Its “arbitrarily and unreasonably” language still allows for conviction histories to be considered when appropriate.

Including this language in the New Orleans Bill of Rights is an appropriate step towards a more equitable world.

his time in the legislature, Rep. Matthew Willard has notched

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

A GAMBIT ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE CALENDAR

PRE - SCHOOL, ELEMENTARY, AND HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA

Warren Easton Charter High School Grades: 9-12

Open House: November 4, 2025, 5:00-7:00 PM Website: warreneastoncharterhigh.org

The Willow School New Orleans Grades: K-12

Open House: K-4

Williams Campus: October 25, 2025, 10:00 AM & November 5, 2025, 5:00 – 6:00 PM ; 5-7 Marsalis Campus: October 30, 2025, 6:00 PM; 8-12 Brimmer Campus: December 4, 2025, 4:00-5:00 PM Website: willowschoolnola.org

Audubon Schools

Grades: PK (Ages 3-4)-Grade 8

Open House: Audubon Lower -

K-3rd: January 13, 2025, Session 1 -9:00-9:30 AM, Session 2 - 9:3010:00 AM; Audubon Gentilly -

K-8th: January 15, 2025, 9:00-10:00 AM Website: auduboncharter.org

Morris Jeff Community School Grades: PK-12

Open House: November 4th, 5:30-6:30 PM Website: hmorrisjefschool.org

New Orleans Charter Science & Math High School Grades: 9-12

Open House: November 8, 2025, Website: noscihigh.org

Discovery Schools

Kenner Discovery Grades: PK–4

Open House: January 12, 2025, 5:30 PM

Kenner Discovery Grades: 5-12

Open House: October 29, 2025, 5:30-7:30 PM

Baton Rouge Ochsner Discovery Grades: PK–8

Open House: December 3, 2025, 5:30-7:30 PM

Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Grades: PK–8

Open House: January 14, 2025, 5:30-7:30 PM Website: discoveryhsf.org

Edward Hynes

Charter Schools

Grades: Lakeview- Pk-8; UNO- K-4; Parkview- K-8

Open House: All CampusesNovember 13, 2025, 8:00 AM; November 20, 2025, 8:00 AM; December 4, 2025, 8:00 AM Website: hynesschool.com

Young Audiences

Charter Schools

Little YACS Campus Grades: PK-K (Westbank)

Open House: December 10, 2025, 5:00 PM

Kate Middleton Campus Grades: 1-5 (Westbank)

Open House: January 28, 2025, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Burnmaster Campus Grades: 6-12

Open House: Call for more information

Lawrence D Crocker Campus

Grades: PK4-8 (Uptown)

Open House: December 9, 2025, 5:00 PM

Website: yacs.org

International School of Louisiana (ISL)

St. Roch Campus Grades: K-3

Open House: November 15, 2025, 10:00 – 11:00 AM

Westbank Campus Grades: K-5

Open House: November 15, 2025, 10:00-11:00 AM Uptown Campus Grades: 4-8

Open House: Website: isl-edu.org

Einstein Charter Schools

Village De L’est Grades: PK-5

Sherwood Forest Grades: PK-5

Einstein Middle School Grades: 6-8

Sarah T. Reed High School Grades: 9-12

Open House: Contact School to Schedule Tour Website: einsteincharterschools.com

Benjamin Franklin Elementary & Middle School

Mathematics & Science School Grades: Jeferson Campus: PK-5

Live Oak Campus: 6-8

Open House: Contact School to Schedule a Tour Website: babyben.org

Benjamin Franklin High School Grades: 9-12

Open house: October 30, 2025, 5:00 – 7:00 PM Website: bfhsla.org

Atonement Lutheran Grades: PK-8

Open House: October 29, 2025, 5:00-7:00 PM; February 19, 2025, 5:00-7:00 PM. Website: alcs.org

Christian Brothers School

Grades: PK-7

Canal St. Campus Lower School School Tours: October 18, 2025, 9:00 AM & 11:00 AM

Girls Middle School Grades: 5-7

Please call to inquire about private tours: 504-488-4426

City Park Campus School Tours: October 28, 2025: 4:30PM & 6:30PM Website: cbs-no.org

Arden Cahill Academy Grades: Infant-12

October 15, 2025, 4 PM-7 PM Website: ardencahillacademy.com

Mount Carmel Academy Grades: 8-12

Open House: October 9, 2025, 3 PM-7:30 PM Website: mcacubs.com

University View Academy

Online Charter School Grades: K-12

Apply Online Website: universityview.academy

Kehoe-France

Grades: Infant-7

Northshore Campus

Open House: October 22, 2025: 9:00 AM

Southshore Campus

Open House: October 1, 2025: 9:00 AM

Website: kehoe-france.com & kehoe-francens.com

Scandinavian designs

Applied Arts Cafe opens in Bywater

THE SMORBROD HAS LANDED IN BYWATER.

Chef Baruch Rabasa and his partner, visual artist Melissa Stewart, opened their Applied Arts Coffee cafe in early September at 600 Piety St., just steps from the Rusted Rainbow bridge to Crescent Park. The modern, light-filled cafe offers a menu of savory items mined from Stewart’s Norwegian heritage.

Smorbrod, which translates to butter bread, is the tartine of Scandinavia. But unlike tartines, these treats eschew French bread’s airy crumb for dark pumpernickel, Danish rye and mormor bread, which means grandmother’s bread, the kind Sewart’s grandmother baked. Rabasa and sous chef Charles Wheelock, formerly sous chef at Sukeban, bake all the bread in-house, and it’s densely textured with an earthy, nutty flavor profile.

The breads are the perfect foundation for the toothsome Scandinavian hand-held items, topped with the likes of beet-cured gravlax or minced beet tartare and dill aioli. Another smorbrod is topped with a mound of pickled and smoked mushrooms, including crisp bits of shiitake “bacon,” over a swipe of creamy ricotta and tender pickled, skinless cherry tomatoes and a scattering of microgreens. The house pickled herring is preserved in vinegar-based brine and served on a bed of smoked potato salad, topped with soft-boiled quail eggs.

Beyond tasting fresh and new to anyone who hasn’t traveled in Norway and Denmark, smorbrod is good for you. The heart-healthy Nordic diet, with its emphasis on vegetables, eggs and fatty fish, was heralded in the New York Times as the northern European counterpart to the famously healthy Mediterranean diet.

The menu also has a “not smorbrod” section that includes an interesting breakfast charcuterie board, yogurt and house-made granola. There’s also a Parker House roll with seasonal jam and butter. The small pastry list includes a gorgeously elastic cinnamon roll, sweet and savory scones,

EAT + DRINK

by Beth D’Addono |

cookies and a small, round crumbtopped coffee cake.The coffee menu is robust and with good reason. Rabasa and Stewart left New Orleans during the pandemic to master coffee roasting in Portland, Oregon, a coffee mecca rife with co-roasting spaces for beginners. Rabasa’s family owns a small coffee plantation in Colombia, which provides some of the ethically sourced beans roasted in small batches under the Applied Arts Coffee brand.

“We are all about celebrating the terroir of the beans,” Stewart says. “Our roast is a lot lighter than some, think a rare steak compared to one that’s well done.”

The couple originally planned to be in just the coffee business, but when the space to build out the cafe opened up, more possibilities made sense.

The couple has been roasting at the Piety Street location since early 2023 and selling wholesale to restaurants like Atchafalaya and specialty shops like St. James Cheese Company and McCord Butchery. Patrons can enjoy their organic coffee in cups of pour over, cold brew and cappuccino and also get bags to take home.

Rabasa finished at the top of his class at the Culinary Institute of America

FORK + CENTER

and cooked in France. He has been working in fine dining kitchens in New Orleans for more than two decades, including at Emeril’s, Restaurant August, Atchafalaya, Gautreau’s and The Franklin. He ran the kitchen at Meson 923 in the Warehouse District from 2007 to 2010.

Rabasa and Stewart met at The Franklin. She went to Tulane University and lived in New York City and London before coming back to New Orleans. The city played a role in her family life before she moved here: Her maternal grandparents were married at the Norwegian Seamen’s Church when her grandfather was in the service.

When the couple opened their cafe, the chef was positive he wouldn’t stick with his usual culinary playbook. Born in Mexico City to a Catalonian father and American mother, Baruch spent his career cooking French-inspired, Mexican and Western European dishes.“For this project, we flipped the script,” he says. “The cafe’s visuals are inspired by places in Mexico City, while the cuisine is inspired by Melissa’s Scandinavian heritage.” Rabasa and Wheelock, who work in a hoodless electric kitchen next door to the cafe, are just getting started. They plan to rotate seasonal smorbrod and expand the pastry and bread lines.

Stewart handles the front of the house, working with her team to provide warm hospitality in a serene setting, rich with beautiful velvet blue banquettes, warm wood and intimate seating nooks.

Applied Arts Coffee is a new chapter for Rabasa and Stewart, who live nearby and have been welcomed by many other businesses in the Bywater. With the opening of the cafe, the eclectic Bywater dining scene adds Nordic-leaning dishes to its menu of discovery.

Peruvian return

A MADISONVILLE RESTAURANT IS EXPANDING to New Orleans this fall.

Social, a modern Peruvian eatery situated along the Tchefuncte River waterfront, will soon open its second location in Uptown on Magazine Street.

Habs Hospitality Group anticipates opening the new location by the end of October, adding to its portfolio of Habaneros and Whiskey Kitchen.

Habs Hospitality owner Omar Lugo and chef Adolfo Gosalvez started the Madisonville restaurant earlier this year.

Gosalvez is no stranger to Peruvian and Mexican cuisines. He most recently operated Kayao and Ayayay restaurants in Chicago after serving as executive chef at Mission Ceviche in New York City.

Now in his partnership with Lugo, Gosalvez will open his latest restaurant in the former home of the original location of Tito’s Ceviche, at 5015 Magazine St., which has been vacant since 2024.

Lugo said opening a neighborhood restaurant in New Orleans was a top choice when it came to showcasing what they’re doing in Madisonville.

“We weren’t aiming for anything big,” he says. “Instead, we wanted to offer a small taste of our beginnings, what we’re doing now, and what we have planned for the future. This is why Magazine Street and that particular location was perfect for us.”

Social on the Northshore serves traditional dishes like ceviche, lomo saltado and causa limena and the new restaurant will be a reflection of the existing location. — Chelsea Shannon / The Times-Picayune

Chef Baruch Rabasa (left), Melissa Stewart and Charles Wheelock at Applied Arts Cafe

PHOTO BY MADDIE SPINNER / GAMBIT

PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

Rolling bagels

PEOPLE WHO APPRECIATE A PROPER BAGEL will travel to get the best. Soon, the people who helped change the bagel game in New Orleans will have a food truck to bring their product across town.

Flour Moon Bagels, based on the Lafitte Greenway, plans to begin operating its new bagel food truck Uptown on the Tulane University campus this fall.

It will open a new channel for the very popular bagel maker with a possibility for more catering and events ahead.

“We’re starting on campus, but we’ll be able to take it anywhere,” says Jeffrey Hinson, who runs Flour Moon with his wife Breanne Kostyk. “We can do weddings, festivals and events.”

Flour Moon owns the truck and will operate it with its own staff, while the shop has made a partnership with Tulane in order to deploy on campus.

The truck likely will begin service in October. Regular locations on campus are still being determined; it also will set up during Tulane home football games and other campus events.

To begin, the truck will have a menu of build-your-own bagels, its classic breakfast sandwich, bagel tartines and a chopped cheese, a sandwich that’s become a hit at the Mid-City shop.

Hinson, a Tulane grad, says he frequently fields requests from customers for an Uptown location. The food truck is a flexible answer to that.

Until recently, Flour Moon bagels were served through the cafe at the Henrietta Hotel on St. Charles Avenue, though that arrangement ended earlier this year.

A fine dining pastry chef by training, Kostyk started making bagels as a pandemic pivot. She and Hinson ran

Flour Moon as a pop-up before opening their own production facility and cafe on the Greenway in 2022.

Flour Moon has a style comparable to the best found in Northeastern bagel country: Hand rolled, kettle-boiled after an overnight fermentation and then baked. The result is a light, shiny gleam on a surface with just the right bite over an airy interior — chewy but not dense or heavy.

— Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune

World Cup reboot

TWO RELATED GLOBAL CULINARY COMPETITIONS, Bocuse d’Or and Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie (aka the Pastry World Cup), are held in such prestige that reaching them is the culinary equivalent of a shot at Olympic gold. The finals are held every other year in Lyon, regarded as the gastronomic capital of France.

Once again, the road to the finals will run through New Orleans for chefs representing countries on two continents, and dates for these qualifying rounds have been set.

The Americas selections for Bocuse d’Or and Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie will be held over a summer weekend in 2026, July 25-26, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Teams representing countries in North America and South America will compete to advance to the finals in Lyon, scheduled for January 2027.

This time, the competitions will be held in conjunction with the Louisiana Restaurant Association’s Showcase, an annual trade show at the convention center that draws industry professionals from around the state and exhibitors from around the country.

The competitions are not about celebrity chefs or individual restaurants. Instead, chefs represent their home countries and train as teams for months in preparation for the contests. The dishes they create on the spot are one-of-a-kind works of culinary art, reflecting themes and ingredients from their homelands.

New Orleans hosted these twin qualifiers in 2024, marking the first time the competitions visited any country in North America. It was part of their parent organization’s goal to increase its visibility in new markets.

New Orleans & Co., the city’s tourism marketing and sales agency, has courted the events as part of its own push to elevate the city as a global culinary destination.

“We could not think of a better place than New Orleans. We have

that connection through our history — we’re French cousins,” chef Jérome Bocuse, president of Bocuse d’Or, said earlier this year at the finals. “It was all so wonderful there last time, it was all that we could have wished for.”

Both competitions were created by his father, the late Paul Bocuse, in the 1980s. Today, they stoke the same pride and passion as sporting world cups. Reputations are minted in their winners’ circles. They’re covered closely by international media and draw big sponsorships and industry money. The finals in Lyon are held as part of a massive European hospitality trade show, called SIRHA Lyon.

The debut events in New Orleans last year were much smaller in scale. But local chefs say it demonstrated the potential to burnish the city’s standing as a culinary hub on a global level. Momentum has been building for the events’ return in 2026.

WI NE OF THE WEEK

Earlier this year, local boosters of the events formed a host committee for Bocuse d’Or Americas, which supports Team U.S.A. in its Bocuse d’Or competition and supports the return of the qualifiers to New Orleans. A launch event for the committee, held in the Uptown mansion of local attorney John Houghtaling, drew some of the world’s top chefs, including Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud and a constellation of local culinary stars. The city’s restaurants and culinary reputation are a big part of its draw for tourism and events, and lately it has been racking up more important accolades. Last spring, Time Out named New Orleans the top food destination in the world and the Michelin Guide announced that at long last it is reviewing restaurants in New Orleans, and a six-state Southern region, for its vaunted Michelin Star ratings (these will be revealed in November). — Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune

Ca mbria Ju lia’sV ineyard Pi notNoi r

Brightred fruit dominates the nose with scents of pomegranate,dried cranberries, and black cherry.Spicenotes of cinnamon, sage and clove complementthe balanced tannins that add structureand a long finish to the wine.

DISTRIBUTED BY

Open-faced tartine bagels at Flour Moon.

PHOTO BY CHRISTINA FERRARI / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

Chefs compete at the Pastry World Cup in New Orleans in 2024.

PHOTO BY MATTHEW PERSCHALL / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

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 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

$ — average dinner entrée under $10

$$ $11-$20

$$$ — $20-up

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 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 chargrilled oysters, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, fried seafood platters, pasta, salads and more. Delivery available. Reservations accepted for large parties. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

xonour

Newmedical research studieshaveopenedat Tandem Clinical Research.Enrollingstudies include:

•Alcohol LiverDisease

•Alzheimer’s Disease

•Asthma

•CeliacDisease

•COPD

•Cirrhosis

•Crohn’sDisease

•Depression

•DiabeticFoot Pain

•Esophagitis

• Fibrosis

•Gastroparesis

•HepatitisB

•Liver Disease

•Low Testosterone

• Lupus

•MemoryLoss

•Migraines

•Obesity

•UlcerativeColitis

•WeightLoss

Studyparticipantsmay receivecompensationfor time andtravel. No medicalinsurance is required.Calltoday or visitusonlinetofind outifyou qualify. FREE MEMORY TESTS| FREE LIVERSCREENINGS

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) 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) 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. $$

Art for Arts’ Sake

The annual art celebration features art openings at museums and galleries in the Warehouse District and Uptown, mainly along Magazine Street. Arts District galleries are generally open 5-9 p.m. and in Uptown 6-9 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 4. Find information at artsdistrictneworleans.com and magazinestreet.com.

Rene Vaca

California comedian Rene Vaca won the TV competition “StandUp NBC” in 2020 and last year was featured on Netflix’s “Introducing…” series and the “Roast of Tom Brady.” He performs at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, at The Joy Theater. Tickets $39 and up via ticketmaster.com.

‘Frankenstein’

Dr. Frankenstein creates a living creature and it has a mind of its own. The NOLA Project presents a fun, all-audiences version of the classic horror story. Former company member Pete McElligott is a mad genius behind the show. He also created adaptations of “Dracula” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” for the company, and Leslie Claverie directed those and this production as well. The show is outdoors at Greenway Station, and audiences can bring their own chairs to the performance site off Bayou St. John. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, though Monday, Oct. 6, and Oct. 9-13 & 16-17. Tickets $20-$55 at nolaproject.com.

Shelly Belly

South Carolina comedian Shelly Belly, aka Michelle Rider, is known for her candid humor, from delving into taboo subjects to risque bits. She’s built a following posting skits on social media and appeared on Netflix’s “The Circle.” She performs at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at Southport Hall. Tickets $33.18 via southporthall.com.

Bluesberry Festival

The festival brings art vendors and live music to Bogue Falaya Park in Covington. Performers include former “American Idol” finalist Casey James, Kevin & The Blues Groovers, Julian Primeaux, JJ Muggler, Jared Daws and more. There are 20 artist booths, interactive painting activities, food trucks, an Abita beer garden and more. From 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4. Tickets are $25 in advance via thebluesberryfest.com and $30 at the gate. Children 10 and under get in free.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Bill Frisell Trio

Over four decades, renowned guitarist Bill Frisell has made a name for himself in jazz and dipped into rock and folk. In the trio, he’s joined by Thomas Morgan and Rudy Royston, and Gregory Tardy joins them for this performance. At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, at the New Orleans Jazz Market. Tickets $36.60 and up plus fees via ticketmaster.com.

Bachtoberfest

Andre Bohren and the Electric Yat Quartet are joined by trumpeter Vance Woolf to celebrate the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. There’s complimentary charcuterie and a cash bar. Presented by the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans in the courtyard at the Margaret Place Hotel. At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1. Find tickets via masno.org.

Festing

in Place

Community radio station WWOZ

90.7 FM broadcasts another edition of Festing in Place. During Jazz Fest hours (11 a.m.-7 p.m.) on Thursday, Oct. 2, through Sunday, Oct. 5, the station will broadcast recorded sets from the festival and other special recordings dating back to the early 1990s. There’s music from local musicians including the Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Terence Blanchard, Irma Thomas and the Wild Magnolias, as well as music by Toots and the Maytals, Buckwheat Zydeco, Warren Haynes and more. Visit wwoz. org for information.

Musaica: Past Reverberations

The Musaica Chamber Ensemble performs works by Brahms, Madeline Dring and Corrado Saglietti. At 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29, at Metairie Ridge Presbyterian Church and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, at St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church. Suggested donation $10-$20. Find information at musaica.org.

‘The Case of the Bitch ’n Queen Belles: A Golden Girls Drag Musical’

Lola Van Ella, Laveau Contraire, Jeez Loueez and a host of drag and burlesque performers present a show reworking a popular episode of the 1980s sitcom “The Golden Girls.” At 10:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3 through Sunday, Oct. 5, and 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6, at the AllWays Lounge & Theatre. Tickets $37.24 via eventbrite.com.

Aimee knows howtodeliver foryou:

Safer Streets: ArenewedNew Orleans policedepar tment, bet ter lighting, less blight, and an accountable justice system

Workforce and Economy: Job oppor tunities to rebuild our cit yand end permit tingnightmares

Neighborhood Office Pop-ups: Regular office hoursand suppor tthroughout the neighborhood and at communit yevents

and connect withher here

Votedone of the BE ST DA NC ING ST UD IO SI NN EW OR

YO UT HR EG IS TR AT IO N DanceFor Social Change Youth DanceClasses Registration Open ages3-1 2

AD UL TC LA SS ES

Looking forareasontomove? OurAdult Programs at Dancing Grounds ofer weeklyclasses whereyou cansweat ,stre tch, andvibe .Even be tter -bring afriendand double thefun, Danceisbetterwithfriends .

Learnmoreabou tour

FU EL TH EM OV EME NT CAMP AI GN

Fuel theMovement Campaignhas launched andweneed community.A sartsfunding shrink s, your suppor tkeeps us moving -help us raise$120K to build our reserves suppor t ar tists ,our youthand keep ourclasses afordable. Visitour websitetoDonatetoday!

Youth&Adult classesonour Website: dancingrounds .org Questions? Email info@dancingrounds.org

P LA CE 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 29

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

ALLWAYS LOUNGE Smoke Show Cabaret, 7 pm

APPLE BARREL — Decaturadio, 10:30 pm

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

BEANLANDIA Treme Brass Band, 6 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE — Red Beans & Blues with Alex McMurray and Joe Cabral, 9 pm

BLUE NILE Stanton Moore, Eddie Roberts and Robert Walter, 8 pm; Will Blades, 10:30 pm

BUFFA’S David Doucet, 7 pm

CAFÉ ISTANBUL — John Boutté, 8 pm

CAFÉ NEGRIL Gumbo Funk, 8 pm

CAPULET — Bruno Elisabetsky, 6 pm

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

CLUB SWITCH Drag Talent Night, 10 pm

DBA — Secret Six Jazz Band, 6 pm; The Jump Hounds, 9 pm

DOS JEFES — John Fohl, 8:30 pm

CARROLLTON STATION Biscuits n’ Jam, 10 pm

FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Matinee All Stars Band and Open Jazz Jam Session, 1 pm; Tin Men, 5 pm; Richard Scott and Friends, 8 pm

GASA GASA Slater + Grumpy, 9 pm

HOLY DIVER — DJ Reverend Robert Sinewave, 10 pm

HOWLIN’ WOLF Like Ghosts, 8 pm

THE MAISON — Eight Dice Cloth, 5 pm; Gene’s Music Machine, 8:30 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR — George Porter Jr., 8 & 10 pm

METAIRIE RIDGE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH — Past Reverberations, 7:30 pm

MRB Ben Buchbinder, 7 pm

NOLA BREWING — Bluegrass Pickin' Party , 7 pm

OKAY BAR Mango + Golden Ours, 8 pm

PRYTANIA BAR — George Kilby Jr. & The Random Few, 7 pm

ROYAL FRENCHMEN HOTEL — Jazz Vipers, 9 pm

SATURN BAR BC Coogan, 8:30 pm; Karaoke with Sunshine 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

ST. ROCH TAVERN Leonie Evans + Max Bien Kahn, 9 pm

TUESDAY 30

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

APPLE BARREL Bubbles Brown, 6 pm

BACCHANAL — Satin Strings, 6 pm

BAMBOULAS — FK-rrera Music Group, 12 pm; Giselle Anguizola, 4:30 pm; Caitie B & The Hand Me Downs, 9 pm

BAR REDUX — Those Evil Do Gooders + Stumps Duh Clown, 8 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE C’est Funk’s LSD Clown System Pre-Party, 7 pm

BUFFA’S — Alex McMurray & Debbie Davis, 7 pm

CAFE ISTANBUL — Handmade Moments, 8 pm

CAPULET — Miss Morning, 6 pm

DBA Jelly Roll Stompers, 6 pm

DOS JEFES — Tom Hook, 8:30 pm

ELYSIAN BAR Ciao Baby Hola, 7 pm

FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB —

Richard “Piano” Scott, 1 pm; Colin Myers Orchestra, 5 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band with Jamil Sharif, 8 pm

GASA GASA Lagrimas + Palefade + Portia + Spiritiste, 9 pm

HOLY DIVER — The Amazing Henrietta, 8 pm

LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — Allie Willis & Will Smith, 7 pm

THE MAISON — Jacky Blaire & The Hot Biscuits, 5 pm; Paradise Jazz Band, 8 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR — Alex Wasily’s Very Good Band feat. Ari Teitel, 9 pm

MRB — DJ Mr. Bubble, 7 pm

NO DICE Pile with NNAMDÏ, 9 pm

OKAY BAR — Lung + Across Phoenix + Laura Fisher + Theresa Romero, 8 pm

PRYTANIA BAR — Sky Choice, 7 pm

THE RABBIT HOLE Rebirth Brass Band, 10 pm

ROYAL FRENCHMEN HOTEL — Trumpet Mafa, 6 pm; 9 pm

SALON SALON — Seth Finch, 7 pm

ST. CHARLES AVENUE

BAPTIST CHURCH — Past Reverberations, 7:30 pm

SIBERIA Omni + The Convenience, 9 pm

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

VAUGHAN’S LOUNGE — LSD Clownsystem, 10 pm

WEDNESDAY 1

30/90 Jef Chaz Blues, 6 pm; Under The Covers, 9 pm

BACCHANAL Jesse Morrow, 6 pm

BANKS STREET BAR — Mia Borders, 8 pm

BJ'S LOUNGE BYWATER Joey's Survivor 49 Watch Party + Secret Movie, 7 pm

BROADSIDE An Evening with Arséne Delay & Charlie Wooton, 8 pm

BUFFA’S — Or Shovaly Plus; Tom McDermott & Tim Laughlin, 7 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH — Jon Cleary, 8 pm

DEW DROP INN The Drop Inn Jam Session, 9 pm

DOS JEFES — Basch Jernigan, 8:30 pm

ELYSIAN BAR — Christin Bradford, 7 pm

GASA GASA Restrictor Plate with Blazing Tomb, Swampgrave, & Lower Class, 8 pm

HOTEL PETER AND PAUL — Jenna McSwain, 8 pm

HOWLIN’ WOLF — Sariyah Idan, Chris Vincent, Diana Shortez & Zahria Sims, 7 pm

JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Big Sam ft. Gerald French, 7 pm

JOY THEATER Between the Buried & Me + Hail the Sun, 7 pm

LONGUE VUE HOUSE & GARDENS

Twilight Series: Valerie Sassyfras, 5 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR — Zen Cowboys, 8 pm

MARGARET PLACE HOTEL Bachtoberfest 2025, 6 pm

MARIGNY OPERA HOUSE Cristina Kaminis + Sofa Mock, 7:30 pm

MARIGNY OPERA HOUSE — Cristina Kaminis + Sofa Mock, 7 pm

MRB Lynn Drury, 7 pm

NEW ORLEANS BOTANICAL GARDEN

Evenings with Enrique, 5 pm

THE SAINT — Rock N’ Roll High School with DJ Bipolaroid, 10 pm

SANTOS BAR Petite League + Bipolaroid, 10 pm

THE SAENGER THEATRE The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight , 8 pm

SATURN BAR — Hans Williams + phin + Anna Moss, 9 pm

THURSDAY 2

30/90 — Uncut, 6 pm; Gumbo Funk, 9 pm

ABITA NEW ORLEANS Jazz Series with Nanci Z Trio, 6 pm

APPLE BARREL — Bubbles Brown, 6 pm

BAMBOULA’S — JJ & The A OK’s, 12 pm; Cristina Kaminis & The Mix, 4:30 pm; Wolfe John’s Band, 9 pm

BACCHANAL Raphael Bas, 6 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE — Tuba Skinny, 9 pm

BLUE NILE — Irvin Mayfeld, 9 pm; 11 pm

BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM

DJ T-Roy, 11 pm

BROADSIDE Erica Falls, Papa Mali, Johnny Sansone & More, 7 pm

CARROLLTON STATION — Dead Magnolia String Band + The Spring Chickens, 9 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH Brad Walker Quartet, 9 pm

Tuba Skinny play BJ’s Lounge Thursday Oct., 2 at 9 pm PROVIDED PHOTO

THE DOMINO — Organelle + Midi Corp + Lava Gulls + Alice Does Computer Music, 9 pm

DOUBLE DEALER George Porter Jr. Trio, 9 pm

THE FILLMORE Shaboozey, 8 pm

GASA GASA —Haunt Me, 9 pm

THE GOAT — Dark Times: The Dark 80s Night, 9 pm

HOLY DIVER — Visitant, Skulldozer & Konstricted, 8 pm

IRENE’S — Monty Banks, 6 pm

JOLIE Brandi, 5 pm

JOY THEATER — Rene Vaca, 8 pm

LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — Smoker’s World, 11 pm

MUSIC BOX VILLAGE — Deerhoof, 7 pm

NO DICE — Oversight with Dana Ives and The Band Melrose, 9 pm

PAVILION OF THE TWO SISTERS —

Thursdays at Twilight | Lena Prima, 6 pm

POOR BOYS Lord Chilla’s Night Shift, 11 pm

ROCK 'N' BOWL Taylor Swift Video Dance Party, 8 pm

SALON SALON Sasha Masakowski, 7 pm

SATURN BAR Nape Neck. Tina Beef, Fake Last Name, Nail Club, 9 pm

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

FRIDAY 3

30/90 — Personal Space, 2 pm; James Jordan & the Situation, 5 pm; Ado Soul & the Tribe, 8 pm; Zena Moses & Rue Fiya Allstars, 11 pm

BACCHANAL Willie Green, 7 pm

BANKS STREET BAR Hiigh Record Release + Community Records, 7 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE Action Lady + Loom Music + Secret Cowboy, 9 pm

BLUE NILE Kermit Rufns & Friends, 10 pm

BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM Khris Royal & Dark Matter, 10:30 pm

BOURBON STREET HONKY TONK The Bad Sandys, 8 pm

BRENNAN'S Taylor Swift Album Release Courtyard Party: Curtain Call Happy Hour, 3 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH Erica Falls

Tribute to Curtis Mayfeld, 9 pm

BUFFA’S Cole Williams, 8 pm

CARROLLTON STATION Gold

Connections + Lisbon Girls + Noa Jamir, 8 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH Erica Falls

Tribute to Curtis Mayfeld, 9 pm

CLUB SWITCH — NO LABELS with DJ Zeus & DJ Heelturn, 10 pm

COLUMNS HOTEL — Anna Moss & Jason Marsalis, 6 pm

COVINGTON HIGH SCHOOL

THEATER Double, Double, Toil & Trouble, 7:30 pm

THE DOMINO LOUNGE Alexis & the Sanity, 9 pm

ELYSIAN BAR — Cally Sky, 7 pm

GASA GASA — Daisy The Great + The Ophelias, 9 pm

THE GOAT — Sugar Rush: A Gay Boy Party ft. DJ Stroke Doc, 9 pm

HILTON NEW ORLEANS RIVERSIDE

— The Life of a Showgirl Listening Party, 4 pm

HOLY DIVER — The Conor Donohue Band + Will Stewart + Glass Hours, 10 pm

HOTEL PETER AND PAUL — Dominic Minix, 8 pm

HOUSE OF BLUES NEW ORLEANS — It's a 2000s Party, 9 pm

HOWLIN’ WOLF — Rachel Is Kozi + Mango + Santa Barabara Streissand, 7 pm; No Face No Name Album Release, 7 pm

LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ Strange Roux, 11 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, 8 pm

NOLA BREWING & PIZZA CO

The River Benders - Album Release Party, 7 pm

OKAY BAR — Lily Unless & The If Only’s + Clare Doyle + 5/4 Stringband + Lefty’s Right Hand, 9 pm

THE ORIGINAL NITE CAP — Davis Rogan Live, 6 pm

POOR BOYS — Jake Ryan + LVCD + DJ Doom Dog, 11 pm

THE RABBIT HOLE — Midnight Masquerade ft. 504IcyGrl, DJ Snaxx, Zita & Swinging Astrid, 11 pm

ROCK 'N' BOWL — Back to the Bounty with Harvey Jesus & the Fire, 8:30 pm

SMOOTHIE KING CENTER — Uncle Charlie’s R&B Cookout, 6:30 pm

THE SAINT — Free Swim with DJs

S.K.B. & Stereodad, 11 pm

SANTOS BAR — Resurrection Goth Night with DJs Mange, Eve Hill & Kacey Chaos, 10 pm

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

SMOOTHIE KING CENTER — Uncle Charlie’s R&B Cookout ft. Charlie Wilson, K-Ci Hailey & El Debarge, 7 pm

THE PRESS ROOM AT THE ELIZA

JANE — Or Shovaly Plus, 4 pm

THE STALLION BAR Late Night Karaoke at The Stallion Bar , 9:30 pm

TIPITINA’S — Lucius + Case Oats, 8 pm

SATURDAY 4

30/90 — Tiago Guy, 2 pm; Decaturadio, 5 pm; Hotline, 8 pm; Street Lyfe, 11 pm

BACCHANAL Miles Berry, 1 pm; Pete Olynciw, 7 pm

BANKS STREET BAR Degenerate Picnik, 9 pm

BEANLANDIA — La Louisiane ft. NBD & The Big Deals, 6 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE — Cuba Heat, 9 pm

BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM The Next Level Band featuring HotBoy Ronald, 10 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH Louis Michot & Swamp Magic, 9 pm

BUFFA’S — Carmela Rapazzo & Russell Welch, 8 pm

CARROLLTON STATION — Just Kidding + Sarah Burke + Derek W. Dooms, 8 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH — Louis Michot & Swamp Magic, 8 pm

THE DOMINO LOUNGE Fringe Disco - Musical Cabaret + Drag & Burlesque, 9 pm

DOUBLE DEALER The Satin Strings, 9:30 pm

GASA GASA — Stay Outside Series Vol. 18 ft. Carmine P. Filthy, 6 pm; Juan Wauters + Dreaux Gerard, 9 pm

THE GOAT — Splatterday Night: A Synthwave Party, 9 pm

HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION - WILLIAMS RESEARCH CENTER — Resistance: Three Centuries of Les Cenelles, 2 pm

HOLY DIVER — DJ Drugstore Elvis, 10 pm

THE HOWLIN’ WOLF Mojohand + Left Hook + Dizzy, 6:30 pm

JOY THEATRE Franz Ferdinand, 8 pm

LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — Joey Houck, 11 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR — Gov’t Majik, 11 pm

MUSIC BOX VILLAGE Feel the Rhythm of the Drums Festival, 3 pm

NO DICE — Dancing Plague, 9 pm

NOLA BREWING & PIZZA CO — Honey Island Swamp Band with Special Guests Daria & The Hip Drops, 7 pm

PUBLIC BELT AT HILTON NEW ORLEANS RIVERSIDE — Phil Melancon, 8 pm

RABBIT HOLE — Rachel is Kozi + Beach Angel + Raph & The Rotation, 7 pm; Dang!, 10 pm

THE PRESS ROOM AT THE ELIZA JANE — Or Shovaly Plus, 4 pm

THE SAINT — DJ Otto, 11 pm

SATURN BAR — Neal Todten’s Minimal Orkestra, 8 pm

SNAKE AND JAKES — Morning 40 Federation, 7 pm

TIPITINA’S DJ RQ Away: Lagniappe, 11 pm

TOULOUSE THEATRE Frogs Gone Fishin’ 20th Anniversary, 9 pm

WILD BUSH VINEYARD T Marie & Bayou Juju, 6:30 pm

SUNDAY 5

30/90 The Saga Continues, 3 pm; Bella Joan Band, 6 pm; Single Malt Please, 9 pm

ALLWAYS LOUNGE — Sunday Swing ft. Amber & The Sweet Potatoes, 8 pm

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

BOURBON STREET HONKY TONK

The Bad Sandys, 8 pm

BROADSIDE The Blues Picnic ft.

Little Freddie King and more, 12:30 pm

BUFFA’S Old Souls, 7 pm

CAROUSEL BAR — The Iguanas, 7 pm

CLUB SWITCH — NOLA Cleve Shakedown, 10 pm

COLUMNS HOTEL Havana on d’Avenue, 4 pm

COVINGTON HIGH SCHOOL

THEATER — Double, Double, Toil & Trouble, 3 pm

THE DOG HOUSE — Craig Cortello, The “Canine Crooner”, 5 pm

HOLY DIVER NOLA — Blushakur with Holeopener, Lower Class, and Fiend, 9 pm

SANTOS — The Oxys with The Pallbearers and Miss Amerikan Vampyre, 4 pm The Domino Lounge — Slug Club DJ Night, 10 pm

THE GOAT Attrition, 9 pm

HOLY DIVER — Future Dev Presents: Blushakur + Lowerclass + Fiend, 9 pm

THE RABBIT HOLE — Deli Girls, yesterdayneverhappened, Divtech, TWEAKHONEY & More!, 10 pm

THE SAINT — Sunday Soul with DJ Shane Love, 10 pm

SANTOS BAFR — The Oxys + The Pallbearers + Miss Amerikan Vampyre, 10 pm

SATURN BAR Pressure Beat: Reggae Ska & Rocksteady Rave-Up + Inspektor

SodaPop + Shark City Byrd, 9 pm

MUSIC

Flavor profle

by Jake Clapp

DEERHOOF HAS SPENT THE LAST 30 YEARS playing with creative tension, says drummer Greg Saunier. The often experimental, always interesting indie rock band has been on a constant search for how to balance vocalist and bassist Satomi Matsuzaki’s soft, direct voice with the loud, angular instruments around her.

“I think this is common in human relationships. The very thing that attracts you to someone else can also be the thing that repels you,” Saunier says from his home in Tucson, Arizona. “I think [Matsuzaki] was drawn to Deerhoof in the first place because we were so chaotic and had such a tendency to overplay in every way.”

Deerhoof this fall is heading out on its “31 Flavours Tour” to mark the band’s 31st year. They stop in New Orleans for a show Thursday, Oct. 2, at Music Box Village. New Orleans musician Jess Joy, who has worked with Saunier over the years and recorded her latest album, “Won’t Be Kicked Out the Garden,” at his home studio, will open the concert at 8 p.m.

Saunier co-founded the noise punk project Deerhoof in San Francisco in 1994 with guitarist Rob Fisk, who left the band before 2000. Matsuzaki joined the band in 1995, only a week after moving to San Francisco from Japan. Guitarist John Dieterich followed in 1999, and guitarist Ed Rodriguez joined in 2008. Over the course of its 31 years, Deerhoof has released 20 well-received, full-length albums, including its latest “Noble and Godlike in Ruin.” On this tour, Saunier says, they’re playing newer material as well as digging back into the band’s extensive catalogue.

It’s been an interesting experiment to revisit older material, Saunier says. A lot of their studio recordings have been difficult in the past to recreate live due to overdubs and vocal harmonies. And there’s the tension between vocals and instruments.

“Sometimes there are things you can do on a recording that are very difficult in a live situation, and one that comes up a lot is the band wailing away on the recording, playing full blast, and then we go to record vocals and Satomi practically whispers them,” Saunier says. Deerhoof’s “Noble and Godlike in Ruin” — a title pulled from Mary

Shelley’s “Frankenstein” — is another example of the band’s ability to remain fresh with wide-ranging musical interests, including math rock, funk and free jazz influences.

The band has often used its music to talk about human rights and issues impacting marginalized people. Those topics are all over their latest album, especially on songs like “Under Rats,” which features poet and rapper Saul Williams, and “Immigrant Songs,” a track taken from the perspective of immigrant workers living in a hostile America.

Earlier this year, Deerhoof announced it was removing its music from Spotify. The band had become increasingly frustrated with the company’s practices and the poor pay for musicians, Saunier says. So when it came out that Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek was investing in a company developing AI software for use in military decisions, Deerhoof quickly decided to leave the platform. More bands have since followed.

“Just for our own mental health, we just [wanted] out of here right away,” Saunier says. “We are not willing to have our music associated with being pro-profiteering from war and arms dealing.”

Thirty-one years in, it’s “staggering to imagine that we found each other,” Saunier says. The members of Deerhoof have figured out how to communicate and give each other space. Often creative tension and imperfections show up in the music.

“You hear the seams, you see the flaws and you see the process,” Saunier says. “The process is somewhat still audible in the finished result.”

General admission tickets to Deerhoof and Jess Joy are $29.87 for adults and $21.17 for children via musicboxvillage.com.

2025 SCHOOL GUIDE

In-depth School Profles

ISSUE DATE: OCTOBER 13 RESERVE BY: OCTOBER 3

Deerhoof

PROVIDED PHOTO BY SATORU EGUCHI

GOING OUT

Gretna festing

by Will Coviello

TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE spent the summer touring Europe and is crisscrossing North America through fall. But they’re home this weekend for a headlining slot at the Gretna Heritage Festival. They’re in the familiar role of closing out a big local festival, performing on the main stage at 7 p.m. Sunday.

RACE to the RESCUE

Gretna Fest is Oct. 3-5 in downtown Gretna, filling 25 blocks with live music, all sorts of local food, a giant Ferris wheel and more.

The festival’s music lineup is an eclectic mix, from Trombone Shorty’s funk to alt-rock veterans Collective Soul and country singer-songwriter Sam Hunt. The festival has two large stages along the riverfront and there are performances in some of the villages as well.

On Friday, Collective Soul tops a trio of bands who broke out in the 1990s. Collective Soul got off to a fast star on its debut with the single “Shine” and followed up with a string of popular albums and the songs “December,” “The World I Know” and “Heavy.” The band continued to release new music ever since, including “Here to Eternity” last year. The group performs at 8:30 p.m.

Better Than Ezra, which broke out of Baton Rouge with the 1993 album “Deluxe,” performs at 6:15 p.m. Also performing on the main stage is Tonic at 4 p.m.

Country music dominates the main stage on Saturday. Violinist Amanda Shaw adds some Cajun influence in the opening slot at 2 p.m. Tigirlily Gold follows at 4 p.m. Sisters Kendra and Krista Slaubaugh grew up in North Dakota and moved to Nashville for college. They released a self-titled EP in 2021 and then a handful of singles, leading to the album “Blonde” last year and being named new group of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards.

Nashville’s Brothers Osborne perform at 6:15 p.m. Though originally form Maryland, brothers John and TJ Osborne have been ensconced in the Nashville scene for more than a decade. Their sound mixes in some Southern rock and blues.

Sam Hunt wrote songs for other country stars before launching his solo career, debuting with the album “Montevallo” in 2014. He performs at 8:30 p.m.

Also performing Saturday is British pop, R&B and blue-eyed soul singer Natasha Bedingfield, and local favorites Rockin’ Dopsie and the Zydeco Twisters and Bonerama.

On Sunday, the main stage lineup ranges from the Austin, Texas, rock and alt-country outfit Uncle Lucius at noon to Trombone Shorty. JJ Grey and Mofro perform at 4:45 p.m. The Florida band mixes funk, blues and Southern soul and built a following during the jam band craze.

Alabama’s St. Paul and the Broken Bones introduced themselves to wider audiences with vintage soul sounds and have progressed to more of an indie rock sound. The band performs at 2:30 p.m.

There also are music stages in some of the villages. The Yat Pack plays each day in the Italian Village and Mariachi Los Viejeros performs in the Margarita Village.

Huey P. Long Avenue is the main thoroughfare for the festival, and the four villages are near the city hall building. There are more than 100 food vendors at the fest, including in the Italian, German, Asian, and “Margarita” or Latin village. There’s a variety of offerings in the food court area as well. There are roughly 100 artists in the craft market. The kids’ area features face-painting, building challenges and meet and greets. Amanda Shaw will visit the kids area.

The festival offers single-day admission for $45-$55, weekend passes for $100 and children 12 and under get in free. Find tickets and information at

Troy ‘Trombone Shorty’ Andrews PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

2430 CL AR ASTREE T

3BR, 21/2 BA Home offers an Open FloorPlanw/Lrg Living Area.UpscaleKitchen w/ SS Appls, Quartz Counters,Lots of CabinetSpace,Pantry& Island w/ BreakfastBar.2nd Flrhas LrgEnsuite Primary Bdrm.BothFullbathrooms have deep SoakingTubs. Full Size Side by Side W&D. Enjoythe Rear Covered Porch. Security System.Off Street Prkg.House is Elevated &inXFlood Zone.Central location 10 min to Uptown,Downtown, University MedicalCenter, OchsnerBaptist &Ochsner Main Campus! $325,000

NEWPRICE

To ns of light! Gu tt ed to studs& completely redone in 2022.3BR/2.5BA plus a bonusoffice/space.Great forthose whowor kfrom home.ImmaculateKitchen w/ GraniteCounters&Lrg

Dining Island.All bathroomshavebeendoneto perfec tion.O versized Primar yB dr m, en-suite Bathro om w/ Jetted Tub&WalkinShower. Centrallyloc ated foreasyaccesstoUptown, Downtown &I-10. OffStreetParking $259,0 00

TOPPRODUCER

GARDEN DISTRICT OFFICE 2016, 2017,2020& 2022

MICHAELZAROU

ABR, CRS, GRI, SFR,SRS CELL: (504) 913-2872

EMAIL: Michael.Zarou@Compass.com

PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE

DOING PUBLIC RELATIONS

By Frank A. Longo

ACROSS

1 “Eat -- eaten” (law of the jungle)

5 One prayed to during a drought

12 Laboratory substance 20 Schnitzel meat

21 Redenbacher of popcorn

22 Chevron motor oil brand

23 Manage to avoid the introductory music?

25 Cousin of a musical 26 Cousin of a mouse

27 Look at

28 These fast musical passages, in Spain? 30 Customary actions of a World War II coalition?

Agnus -- (Mass prayer)

58 With life, musically

Fill a bishop with joy?

Blasting stuff

Film director Gus Van --

Peru’s capital

“-- that the truth!”

Fishnet stuff

Previously

Let off steam

Father

“Don’t panic!”

Like a 30-pound cat,

Former rival of Pan Am

Bury Johannes Gutenberg?

Homer epic

High schoolers, e.g., slangily

Long period

Apartment sharer, e.g.

-- -Detoo (sci-fi droid)

Fishing for large shrimps from atop a rooflike shelter?

of film

Poem variety 106 Give novelist Marcel the boot? 109 Goading person who’s stranger? 115 Tic-tac-toe win

Pekoe, e.g. 117 Marine stuff with a hard, pinkish skeleton

118 The process of de ciding how much the frosting should cost?

Many a pre-toast tale

Band tour follower

Emphasized

Baskers may acquire them

Some jeans, familiarly

Really astonishes

“Guardians of the Galaxy” co-star Dave

Antiquity, archaically

Cow catcher

Amount of money owed

“-- had it!”

Nothing at all

Epoxies, e.g.

Car make until ‘04

Psychic skill

Port south of Kiev

Nimble 32 Motorola tablet introduced in 2011 33 Gerund suffix 38 Alternative to cash or credit 39 “I volunteer to help” 41 ER worker

42 “-- Rhythm” 43 Crime of some traitors 45 Entr’--

46 Cat’s “toe bean,” e.g.

48 Novelist Jaffe

49 One stroking a cat, say 50 Off-target

51 Wall bracket for candles

52 “English” or “Irish” dog

54 Cow catcher

58 -- -rock (music genre)

59 How many freelancers work

61 “Mistress of the Dark” of TV and film

62 Hide out, as a criminal

63 Membrane enclosing an embryo

64 Japanese floor mats

65 Make lovable

67 Part of ENT

71 Spanish for “month”

75 Bisected

76 Glowing signs

77 Sci-fi empath Deanna

78 -- -Chinese

80 Rinky- --

82 Wiped away

85 Psyche part

87 Matures

88 Therefore

89 Trivial details

90 Kind of

91 Small, simple houses

93 Divide into fair shares

94 Sch. in Manhattan

99 Visit for a bit

101 Dunn and Ephron

102 Birth cert., e.g.

103 Sum finder

105 Meted (out)

106 Stellar hunter

107 Sweat outlets

108 King, in Caen

110 Cicero’s “Lo!” 111 Cones’ counterparts 112 Cons’ counterparts

Likes, slangily 114 Light beige 119 Trail mix bit

120 H.S. transcript stat 121 Toon frame