Strategy Manager (New Orleans, LA). Participate in creation of co & customer strategy & roadmap. Drive strategic discussions, analyze bus perform, identify potentl areas for improvemt & define rel action items. Bach in Bus, Energy Economics or rel field. 5 yrs' exp in strategic planning, consulting &/or mgmt role in utility sector with proven track record of develop & implemt successful strategies. Exp to incl strong back‐ground in each: utility bus fundamentals & regulatn; define & implement new energy technol strategies; an‐alyze & interpret complex data from various sources. Excel commun & present skills with ability to effec‐tively commun complex ideas & influence stakehold‐ers at all levels of the organizatn. Excel MS Office Ste skills. Hybrid schedule permitted. Must send CV & cvr ltr to tbott90@entergy com or Patricia Bott, En‐tergy Services, LLC, 639 Loyola Ave. L-ENT-4C, New Orleans, LA 70113 w/in 30 days, ref Job #2024085.
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Dead on arrival
The Overlook Film Festival brings horror flms and events to New Orleans
SPOOK SHOWS OR MIDNIGHT GHOST SHOWS BECAME POPULAR during the Great Depression and lasted through the 1950s, and they can be seen as precursors to popular figures like Elvira and midnight screenings of movies like “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The shows might feature a magician leading a dramatic seance or hypnosis demonstration or recounting ghost stories with spooky effects. Often held in dark theaters, they sometimes were accompanied by horror films.
The Overlook Film Festival has a great lineup of more than 30 feature horror films, and among its many events this year is a throwback spook show with Rob Zabrecky. The horror fest moved to New Orleans in 2018, and this year, it adds a second line in the French Quarter with a brass band working in horror themes before its opening night party. The festival runs April 3-6 at the Prytania Theatres and other venues, and there are extra film screenings on April 7-8. Zabrecky was the frontman for the 1990s Los Angeles alt-rock band Possum Dixon before he delved into the world of magic and illusions. He’s been a top attraction at L.A.’s Magic Castle performance hub. He’s revived spook shows, both leading them and doing performances that recount their history and thrills.
At Overlook, he presents a multimedia talk about the history of spook shows, complete with film clips, photos and more at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Westin. He also brings his “Phantom Follies with Zabrecky” show to The Prytania Theatre in Uptown at 5:15 p.m. Sunday. The show features magic tricks, stories, audience interaction and a screening of the horror classic “13 Ghosts.”
The festival’s roster of horror films stretches from the latest horror films from Japan and Scandinavia to horror comedy. There’s everything from the voracious cannibals in “40 Acres” to a horny alien disguised as a human in “Touch Me,” a vampire slayer in “Abraham’s Boys” and all sorts of cyber creeps.
There also are documentaries, such as “Predator,” which examines the show “To Catch a Predator.” Spun off of a news magazine, the reality TV series turned the prospect of lurid crimes into entertainment. The festival includes David Cronenberg’s latest, “The Shrouds,” and 1992’s “Death Becomes Her,” starring Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, Goldie Hawn and Isabella Rossellini.
by Will Coviello |
New Orleans Giant Puppet Festival
The festival brings all sorts of puppetry — marionettes, hand, rod and shadow puppets, object theater and more — in shows ranging from sci-fi to comic operas to a “cat rave” with live music. The participating local and visiting companies and performers include Mudlark Puppeteers, Midnight Radio Show, ToyBox Theatre, Night Shade, Mr. Bone Tangles, Puppet Pants, Tyler Nacho, Velvet Effigy, Quintron and Miss Pussycat and more. The festival also includes puppet slams and workshops. Shows and events run April 3-7 at a dozen venues in the French Quarter, Marigny and Bywater. Visit neworleansgiantpuppetfest.com for tickets and information.
“Cloud” is the latest thriller from Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, whose work includes “Cure” and “Pulse.” In “Cloud,” a young man rips off strangers by selling faulty used goods online behind a veil of anonymity. But he’s not as secure as he thinks, and searching for him only fuels the rage of the angry buyers.
In an international collaboration, “Monster Island,” or “Orang Ikan,” is set during World War II as a Japanese soldier and British prisoner of war are washed ashore on an Indonesian island. The enemies have to put their differences aside when they realize they are not alone on the island.
The centerpiece film is Norwegian director Emilie Blichfeldt’s “The Ugly Stepsister.” Billed as a different take on the Cinderella story, it revolves around a young woman’s desire to be beautiful, or more attractive to suitors, and it delves into body modification, jealousy and twisted family relationships in a baroque body horror film. Blichfeldt will attend the screening.
Also out of Scandinavia, there’s “Home,” in which a man returns to his small hometown to take his dementia-afflicted mother out of a nursing home and care for her himself. He’s an alcoholic, but that doesn’t explain the strange visions he has and what’s happened to his mother.
Eli Craig is known for the horror comedy “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil,” a lampoon of cabin-in-the-woods slasher flicks. His new film, “Clown in a Cornfield,” has humorous moments, but is a more traditional slasher film about a town
that has fallen on hard times as its corn syrup factory closes, and a new menace preys upon young people. Craig will attend the screening.
“Chain Reaction” explores the impact of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” by interviewing people about the impression it left on them, including Stephen King and Patton Oswalt.
In “Good Boy,” Todd takes his dog to live in the countryside, and the dog sniffs out that something is amiss. The film is shot from the perspective of the dog.
The festival pays tribute to director David Lynch, who died in January at age 78. The festival screens his 1997 surreal neo-noir film “Lost Highway,” full of unexplained video surveillance and the deadly Mystery Man. There’s also a slate of Lynch’s short films.
Screenings of horror classics include the century-old “The Phantom of the Opera,” the 4K restoration of “Re-Animator” on its 40th anniversary, and “Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight” on its 30th.
Festival events include a panel on DIY filmmaking that looks at the success of low-budget horror films like “The Blair Witch Project” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” There also are intimate immersive experiences, horror movie trivia, and a workshop on using 16mm cameras. The “Immersion Nation” podcast hosts horror filmmaker and immersive experience creator Darren Lynn Bousman.
The official closing event is Splatterday Night at the Toulouse Theatre. It’s a dance party lead by electronic artist Destryur, featuring goth and synthwave sounds.
For tickets and information, visit overlookfilmfest.com.
Ziwe’s America
Comedian Ziwe Fumudoh spent several years writing for the TV show “Desus & Mero” and hosted her own talk show on Showtime. Her comedy and commentary often reflect on race and identity in the U.S., and she is currently on the “Ziwe’s America” tour, which stops at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 4, at the Civic Theatre. Tickets start at $32 via civicnola.com.
‘Elixir of Love’
The New Orleans Opera Association sets Gaetano Donizetti’s comic opera in the Wild West. Adina is wealthy, accustomed to suitors and sometimes brags of her past lovers. The poor farmer Nemorino falls for her, only to see her take interest in a soldier. Nemorino turns to a quack doctor, who sells him a potion. It’s just cheap wine, but enough to embolden Nemorino. There’s a post-show party on opening night with a performance by Amanda Shaw. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 4, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 6, at Mahalia Jackson Theater. Find tickets to the opera and postshow party at neworleansopera.org.
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
‘Clown in a Cornfield’ screens at the Overlook Film Festival. PHOTO PROVIDED BY OVERLOOK FILM FESTIVAL
OPENING GAMBIT
If the Clownfsh called the city Trump Orleans some of y’all would go with it, huh?
THUMBS UP/ THUMBS DOWN
Hogs for the Cause announced it will donate $1 million to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, to renovate housing for families whose kids are receiving extended care. The New Orleans barbecue and music festival has committed more than $12.5 million toward hospitals and programs helping children. Hogs of the Cause returns to the UNO Lakefront Arena grounds April 4-5.
Louisiana may ban water fuoridation, because of course
THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE
Louisiana is getting worse at pregnancy care, according to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, which looked at the state health department’s efforts to improve maternal healthcare. The share of pregnant Louisianans who did not receive first-trimester prenatal care rose from 22.5% in 2018 to almost 26% in 2023. People on Medicaid were most affected, with three out of four missing timely care.
COULD MAKE GOOD ON ONE of Dr. Strangelove’s most famous examples of the paranoid conspiracy theories bred by conservative Red Scare and Cold War propaganda if a trio of state senators have their way this year.
Sens. Mike Fesi, Heather Cloud and Patrick McMath have introduced Senate Bill 2, which would ban the fluoridation of drinking water supplies in Louisiana.
Communities have been adding fluoride to drinking water in the United States for 80 years and there is no scientific or medical basis for banning drinking water fluoridation. There is, however, ample evidence of its benefits, specifically in terms of dental health, so long as it is at appropriate levels.
Some communities’ water supply has enough fluoride in it naturally to not require additions, while other areas dilute or remove the levels of naturally occurring fluoride in their water. That’s not because fluoride is inherently dangerous. Rather it is because, like literally everything other than boiled crawfish, too much of a good thing can hurt you.
THE COUNT #
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said he would introduce the Senate legislation to close down the Department of Education in order to make President Trump’s executive order dismantling it legal. Closing DoE, which oversees federal funding for schools and civil rights protections for students, will have a negative impact on Louisiana students, especially in low-income and rural areas. 39
None of that, of course, has stopped flat-Earthers, chemtrail enthusiasts and anti-vaxxers from deciding fluoridation is part of a conspiracy by Communists, the oneworld government or other wholly
fictional groups to do any number of nefarious things to an unsuspecting public.
In the 1964 Cold War commentary film “Dr. Strangelove,” Air Force Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper launches a preemptive nuclear attack against the Soviet Union (that’s Russia to you youths) because of water fluoridation, which he believes is a Communist plot to pollute American’s “precious bodily fluids.”
At the time, Ripper’s bizarre obsession with fluoride and protecting his bodily fluids was used as an over-the-top gag to demonstrate how badly he’d lost the plot. Today, it’s becoming orthodoxy within the GOP Republicans in Texas and Florida have already successfully pushed through legislation to end the practice, and there are similar efforts in states around the country.
McMath told WDSU that he believes that fluoride — which, again, is a naturally occurring mineral in drinking water — is a “medicine” and that the bill is about “consent” and peoples’ individual health needs and outcomes. McMath has previously voted on a number of measures involving Louisianans’ personal health needs and outcomes, including last year when he voted to support a bill making it harder for women to obtain misoprostol and mifepristone, two life-saving medications.
THE NUMBER , IN MILLIONS, OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS THAT WILL GO TOWARD EXPANDING A PRIVATELY OWNED RAPIDES PARISH JUVENILE JAIL.
Gov. Jeff Landry recently touted the planned expansion as an “investment” as he continues to support harsher penalties for young people in the criminal legal system, while stripping away other public services for at-risk youth.
C’EST WHAT ?
What odd item do you like in your crawfsh boil?
21.9%
FILE PHOTO BY BILL HUGHES / AP
Meanwhile, Fesi has also introduced SB 19, which would allow pharmacists to sell ivermectin to anyone over the age of 18.
Despite being primarily used to treat animals in the United States — as well as certain worm infestations and topical conditions in humans — ivermectin became popular with conservatives after the start of the Covid pandemic thanks to anti-vax propagandists and the Trump administration.
There is no evidence that ivermectin has any effect on Covid or the myriad other illnesses it has since been touted as a miracle cure for since 2020.
The bill would also make pharmacists who act in “good faith” and with “reasonable care” immune from civil liability, making it impossible for families to sue them if, say, a family member dies as a result of taking the drug.
McMath also has introduced SB 14, which would have a significant impact on school breakfast and lunch programs as well as restaurants in the state. Specifically, it would bar schools from serving food with a variety of common preservatives, dyes and other
additives, including carrageenan, a harmless additive made from red seaweed and often used as a thickener.
Self-declared online “nutrition influencers” on TikTok and other platforms have recently railed against the use of carrageenan in products like Costco’s popular rotisserie chickens. It appears they are confusing foodgrade carrageenan with degraded carrageenan, which is a specifically processed form of the compound used in clinical settings and not fit for human consumption.
The bill would also require all restaurants in the state list on menus or some other easily visible area whether they use one or more of nine seed-based oils, including corn, canola and sunflower oils.
And Rep. Kathy Edmonston’s House Bill 112 would bar any “healthcare professional licensing board or commission” from prohibiting or otherwise restricting “the prescribing, administering, or dispensing” of drugs approved for human use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for off-label purposes. — John Stanton
New Orleans residents press state for public grain train meetings
THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IS FACING mounting pressure from residents to host a public hearing over a proposed industrial grain terminal project in the Lower Ninth Ward.
Stop The Grain Train, a group of Lower Ninth Ward residents, business owners and activists opposed to the project, began circulated a petition last week calling for greater transparency from government agencies involved with the controversial project as part of a broader lobbying push at the state and city level.
That campaign appears to be paying off. On Monday City Council Vice President Helena Moreno wrote LDEQ asking for a public hearing. Likewise, City Council Member Oliver Thomas, who represents much of the Ninth Ward, sent a letter to LDEQ urging the agency to hold public hearings. In a social media post Thomas, who like Moreno is running for mayor, acknowledged he had received a “significant
number” of emails regarding the project and argued “it is critical that our voices are considered and our concerns are addressed prior to the approval of any permits.”
Opponents have slammed the state’s plans to revitalize the long-dormant Alabo Street Wharf and lease it to Sunrise Foods International, a Canadian grain company. They argue it would create major disruptions to the area, decrease the quality of life and pollute the air, among other concerns.
“We implore the LDEQ to consider the profound and cumulative impacts this project has on the neighbors quite literally next door to this terminal,” the letter stated. “We are not simply opposed to development; we are fighting to protect our health, our homes, and our future.”
Earlier this year, the New Orleans City Council also called on the Louisiana state legislature to study whether the project is in the neighborhood’s best interest. The Port of New Orleans, which previously approved Sunrise Foods’ plan, owns the Alabo Street Wharf and is a state agency.
You’re free to live your lifeout loud! Becauseyou’ve gotthe compassionof the cross, the securityofthe shield, and the comfortofBlue behind you.
The port reportedly struck a 15-year agreement with Sunrise Foods International in June, according to The Lens. Plans include renovating the wharf warehouse and surrounding rail tracks to transport grain. Some of that work is already underway. If the plan continues, grain stored at the warehouse will be transported down the Alabo Street tracks daily via a 10-car train, operated by Norfolk Southern, running through residential neighborhoods.
The Times-Picayune reported last year that residents and activists were concerned that the Port did not do enough to tell the public about the proposal before greenlighting it.
State Rep. Candace Newell and Thomas were also seemingly blindsided by it, having first learned of the project when a Port official mentioned it at a town hall meeting Newell hosted in the Bywater in September.
The state’s DEQ has not yet responded to Gambit’s request for comment. — Sarah Ravits
NOPD still can’t say what new French Quarter security rules will look like THE NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPARTMENT WEDNESDAY EVENING had few answers for French Quarter residents, street performers and other workers about what security measures the city will put in place following the New Year’s Day terror attack. In fact, during a public meeting over the city’s new security push,
Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said she had not yet seen the final report from former New York Police Chief William Bratton and his consulting firm Teneo that contains their security recommendations, though she said that report had been “prepared.” That report is expected to form much of the basis for any new security regulations or ordinances in the city.
Street performers showed up in force to the meeting. Many of them expressed concerns about the possibility of the city eliminating the existing Royal Street pedestrian mall in favor of creating one on Bourbon Street.
Elizabeth Vargas said she regularly busks on Royal Street with her band
The Crybabies.
“I know we are not always looked on as having the same rights and values. But we are here, and we are part of what makes the city a place people want to come to,” Vargas said to loud applause.
NOPD seemed to understand that changes to one part of the Quarter will affect the rest of the neighborhood and that a holistic view would be necessary. French Quarter Management District Commissioner Christian Palumbo said that traffic, parking and the future of the Royal Street pedestrian mall are all factors officials are considering. — Kaylee Poche
Jeffrey Wittenbrink holds a sign opposing a proposed grain terminal at the Alabo Street Wharf.
PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
Hey Blake,
I’m curious about the names of two green spaces on Napoleon Avenue. There’s Laurence Square at Napoleon and Magazine and Samuel Square at Napoleon and S. Saratoga. Who are they named for?
Dear reader,
LAURENCE SQUARE AND SAMUEL SQUARE ARE NAMED FOR THE TWO MEN who developed much of the area formerly known as Faubourg Bouligny. They are Laurent Millaudon and Samuel Kohn.
Faubourg Bouligny, once part of Louis Bouligny’s plantation, has as its general boundaries St. Charles Avenue, Magazine Street, Napoleon Avenue and Upperline Street. The area was divided into East and West Bouligny in a plan by surveyor Charles Zimpel in 1834.
Zimpel included two public squares in his plan for the eastern part of the area: Laurence Square, bearing a variation of Millaudon’s name, and Samuel Square, which was named for Kohn.
According to the Friends of the Cabildo’s “New Orleans Architecture” book on Jefferson City, Millaudon was born in France and immigrated to New Orleans in 1802. From penniless beginnings, he accumulated savings, became a merchant,
businessman and co-founder of the New Orleans and Carrollton Railroad. He invested in and sold large amounts of property along the railway’s route from Jefferson City through Carrollton. He died in 1868.
Samuel Kohn was a native of Bohemia who came to New Orleans in the early 1800s. He became half-owner of a tavern on Bayou St. John and began investing in property, later amassing a sizable fortune as a banker, financier and real estate magnate. He died in 1853.
IN HONOR OF THE RETURN THIS WEEK OF THE EVENINGS WITH ENRIQUE FREE CONCERT SERIES at the New Orleans Botanical Garden in City Park, a few words now about its namesake: Enrique Alferez. The series pays tribute to the Mexican-American artist whose sculptures can be found throughout New Orleans, including over 20 works of art at the Helis Foundation Enrique Alferez Sculpture Garden inside the New Orleans Botanical Garden.
Born in Mexico in 1901, Alferez’s early artistic training came under his father, who studied art in Europe and carved religious statues for churches and chapels in Mexico. Enrique came to the U.S. in 1919 and began his formal studies in Chicago in 1924. He moved to New Orleans five years later.
According to Katie Bowler Young’s biography of Alferez, he was quickly absorbed into the arts community of the French Quarter. His first local commission was to carve statues for Holy Name of Mary Church in Algiers.
Other well-known works in the city include several sculptures, statues, fountains and carvings in City Park, created during the Great Depression through the Works Progress Administration. He also received many private commissions, and created sculptures for Audubon Park, Charity Hospital and the Lakefront Airport.
As journalist and former Gambit columnist Don Lee Keith wrote shortly before Alferez’s death in 1999 at age 98, “That Enrique Alferez is the premier New Orleans sculptor of this – or, indeed, of any – century is not a matter for debate. It is like the flow of the river…and the waddle of streetcars: a fact.”
The Evenings with Enrique concert series was created in 2016 and returns each April and October. Every Wednesday evening in April, there is a free concert featuring local Latin American artists and ensembles. For more information, visit neworleanscitypark.org.
Laurence Square formed the central plaza of Jefferson City.
PHOTO BY RICHARD CAMPANELLA
TUES –SAT 11 AM –9 PM CATERING MENU AVAILABLEONLINE! GUMBOSTOP.COM
RIGHT ON TIME
Spring produce hits local menus
BY BETH D’ADDONO
ASK ANYONE about a favorite harbinger of spring, and the answer might be the scent of magnolias, warmer temperatures or the onset of a busy festival season.
Ask a chef the same question, and most likely the answer is an ingredient that’s here and gone by the blaze of summer.
Spring ingredients are a welcome change from the hearty greens and root vegetables of winter. Although the supply chain (at least as it used to be) delivers tropical ingredients in winter and tender shoots despite the heat of summer, many chefs prefer to follow the season as they prepare their spring menus. Here are some of the ingredients local chefs are excited to get their hands on in spring.
GULF SHRIMP
ALTHOUGH LOCAL SHRIMP are available year-round, the Roosevelt New Orleans’s executive chef Daniel Mills adores the crustaceans that mark the season. “While Gulf shrimp are technically in season all year round, the peak season begins every spring,” Mills says. At the hotel’s Fountain Lounge, garlic sautéed Gulf shrimp are served with a Louisiana corn maque choux. “That screams springtime in Louisiana,” he adds.
RHUBARB
CHEF PHILIP WHITEMARSH finds it odd that rhubarb isn’t more popular in the U.S. It’s such a treat in his native U.K. that there is a rhubarb triangle in West Yorkshire, where the vegetable is grown in underground cellars. “The rhubarb we grow is so much sweeter,” Whitemarsh says. “The whole stick is fully pink all the way through. The flavor is concentrated.”
At Jewel of the South, he uses rhubarb in several dishes. Thin raw slices garnish a foie gras parfait. Whitemarsh also concentrates the sweetness in a spiced chutney served with roasted pork belly. For dessert, a sweeter version of the chutney goes with a creme chiboust, a light pastry cream pudding.
LOUISIANA STRAWBERRIES
IT’S
and grown year-round in California. But the difference between that fruit and a spring Ponchatoula berry is noticeable. Bite into a big off-season California berry, and while it may look pretty, the taste is probably flat. A Louisiana berry, on the other hand, is a deeper red and pops with juice and flavor.
At Nolita Bakery, pastry chef/owner Martha Gilreath eagerly awaits the spring berry season. Her strawberry shortcake is a round buttery cake slathered with whipped cream and crowned with rings of bright red berries. It’s almost too pretty to eat.
They also go in savory dishes. At Café Normandie in the Higgins Hotel, chef Virgile Brandel uses Ponchatoula strawberries on toast with wild arugula, stracciatella cheese, basil, a drizzle of lemon olive oil and aged balsamic.
SOFT-SHELL CRABS
EVERY SPRING, GW Fins chef and fishmonger Michael Nelson eagerly awaits the arrival of soft-shell crabs, harvested right after they shed their shells and bulk up in the process. “The shell starts to feel too tight, until it cracks open and they literally crawl out of it,” Nelson says.
Local crabbers move the “peelers” or blue crabs about to lose their shell to molting sheds. Once they shed their shell, they’re plucked from the water and taken to market live. “We don’t use anything frozen, so the season is a big deal for us,” Nelson says.
Frying preserves the sweet tender flesh with the least amount of grease, he says. Then again, they also are delicious sauteed in brown butter. “Soft-shells are easy to cook,” Nelson says. “Louisianans know that. But for people who aren’t used to them, it can seem a little weird.”
PEAS
FRESH SPRING PEAS, also known as English peas, have nothing in common with their mushy canned cousins. From their bright green color to their plump curvy pods, these little spring gems are the sweetest, most tender and least starchy they’ll be all year.
Chef Rob Carbone, who recently opened Patula in a French Quarter courtyard, loves the bright notes the vegetable lends to a rich, meaty dish. “We make a cassoulet with smoky pork
jowl meat from White Sand Homestead in Poplarville, Mississippi,” the chef says. “Fresh spring peas are the perfect accompaniment.”
Tender spring pea plants also produce curly tendrils or shoots, which are wonderfully edible. These sweet, delicate leaves are best eaten raw or lightly wilted and are a favorite spring garnish.
ARTICHOKES
ARTICHOKES, A FAVORITE IN ITALIAN CUISINE, come into season around April. In fact, the thistle’s arrival is celebrated so robustly in Rome that tourism spikes with the advent of the green and purple-tinged carciofi. In New Orleans, diners love stuffed artichokes.
In his role as executive chef at Cure, chef Fredo Nogueira serves an artichoke brandade. “At Cure, we feature it as a take on a traditional artichoke dip,” he says. In his version, the hearts are combined with roasted garlic and potatoes, all whipped together to form a savory, creamy spread for focaccia.
At Mister Mao, chef Sophina Uong likes to roast whole artichokes over a wood fire and serve them with a smoky morita chili aioli for dipping, with lots of lemon on the side.
FAVA BEANS
BRIGHT GREEN FAVAS, known for their crunchy texture and distinctive grassy flavor, taste like a heftier version of an edamame. Chefs embrace fresh favas as a herald of springtime, serving them raw, mashed, steamed and every which way.
Uong grills the entire pod of beans over the wood fire. “When they are young, they are super tender and the whole plant is edible,” she says. She garnishes them with shaved pecorino, sherry vinegar or lemon and a hefty drizzle of Texas olive oil.
MUSHROOMS
EVERY FORAGER KNOWS that the best mushrooms are the early ones. Morels, the prize of edible wild mushrooms, is one of the most celebrated fungi in America, if not the world. Primarily found in the wild due to the symbiotic relationship that they have with trees, morels live close to woodlands in central Louisiana.
Chris Lynch, executive chef at Atchafalaya, adores using morels and chanterelles either in a saute to accompany a Gulf fish dish or as a featured ingredient in a pasta. “The number one thing is they need to be cleaned, washed by hand until there’s absolutely no grit or sand,” he says. “That will ruin a dish.”
Chef Brian Landry loves to feature chanterelle mushrooms on his menu at Jack Rose, but in his case, the foraging isn’t too challenging. “We pick our own chanterelles in June,” he says. “My family has a farm in Mississippi that has live oak trees. The chanterelles pop up every early summer after a good rain.”
CRAWFISH
CRAWFISH SEASON is welcomed with unbridled joy in New Orleans, and the season hits its peak in April and May. It’s marked by boil parties that gather friends, family, neighbors and bar regulars together, but fresh crawfish also show up in menus around the area. In Metairie at Dr. Jones, the new creative café from chefs David Rouse and Billy Jones, crawfish etouffee gets a vindaloo twist thanks to South Asian spicing. In New Orleans East, chef Demond “Dee” Matthews takes a one-two approach to serving boiled crawfish at Dee’s Xquisite Seafood. He parboils crawfish — and all the seafood he serves — then finishes it on the grill, sealing the flavor in with a touch of smoke. His garlic-butter sauce is served either on the side or generously slathered over the platter. It’s an indulgent dive into the flavors of the season.
Demond “Dee” Matthews serves a variety of seafood at Dee’s Xquisite Seafood in New Orleans East.
PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER / GAMBIT
2025
DINING ISSUE SPRING
BY JAKE CLAPP, LIAM
PIERCE,
KAYLEE POCHE, SARAH RAVITS AND MADDIE SPINNER
SPRING IN NEW ORLEANS brings with it not just pollen but also the smells of crawfish boils wafting through the air. It’s never a bad time to dip into the seafood section on New Orleans menus, and spring is when many of those dishes really shine as the city hits peak crawfish season and oysters and crabs are in good supply. We’re also in the weather sweet spot with sunny skies and comfortable temperatures perfect for eating outside in a French Quarter courtyard or on a Mid-City patio.
Of course, it’s not hard to find a restaurant in New Orleans to fit whatever mood you’re in, from comforting Creole staples to establishments trying something adventurous. And it’s always fun to try something new on a warm day.
Gambit’s Spring Dining Issue includes 200 restaurants in New Orleans, Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes and on the Northshore. There are restaurants of all kinds, but our spring edition highlights seafood and restaurants with outdoor seating.
Listings on the following pages are organized alphabetically and include information about the menu, hours of operation and service options. Enjoy! And remember to tip generously.
Dollar signs indicate the average price of a dinner entree
1000 Figs
3141 Ponce de Leon St., (504) 301-0848; 1000figs.com
The Middle Eastern menu focuses on falafel and spiced chicken dishes as well as small plates of hummus, baba ghanoush and whipped feta. The chicken platter comes with buttermilk-marinated spiced chicken with tzatziki, kale and cabbage salad, zhoug and bread. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$
Abita Brew Pub
72011 Holly St., Abita Springs, (985) 892-5837; abitabrewpub.com
The pub serves burgers, sandwiches, salads, pasta dishes and creative Louisiana entrees. Chicken Abitafeller is grilled chicken on a bed of creamed spinach with fried shrimp and is served with smashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Tue.-Sun., dinner Tue.-Sat. $$
Acme serves classic Creole dishes, gumbo, po-boys and, of course, raw oysters. Char-grilled oysters are prepared with herb butter sauce and topped with a blend of cheeses. There’s also an option to add crab. Fried fish Pontchartrain comes topped with crabmeat, shrimp and butter cream sauce and is served with vegetables. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Aguasanta
8312 Oak St., (504) 381-5625; aguasantanola.com
This restaurant from some of the partners of La Tia Taqueria and Cantina serves a menu of upscale dishes rooted in Mexican cuisine. Pineapple aguachile features shrimp in pineapple broth with
The Bam Bam Chicken is crispy panko chicken and sweet chili sauce at LUVI Restaurant.
PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
onion, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno, pineapple, avocado and microgreens and is served with corn chips. Reservations accepted. Dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$
These modern Honduran spots have traditional Latin American dishes such as fritas Hondureñas, campechano and chicharrónes. Louisa Toast is a breakfast of Louisiana blue crab, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, onions and cream cheese on rye bread. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Breakfast and lunch daily; dinner Fri. at Louisa Street location. $$
Almasgoof
5024 W. Esplanade Ave., Metairie, (504) 308-3600; almasgoof.com
Chef Alan Alhattab learned how to cook in an Iraqi refugee camp after serving as a translator during the first Gulf War. Pompano is prepared “almasgoof,” a style of grilling meats like lamb kebab or marinated chicken over a charcoal and oak fire. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Angelo Brocato
214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 4861465; angelobrocatoicecream.com
The Mid-City gelato shop serves pastries, cannoli, biscotti, fig and seed cookies, espresso drinks and more. House-made gelato flavors rotate, but some staples include praline, tiramisu, pistachio almond, strawberry and vanilla bean. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $
The contemporary Creole and Southern menu includes chef’s choice ravioli, a house-made pasta filled with seasonal ingredients, such as Louisiana crabmeat and crawfish topped with marinara or cognac sauce and topped with fresh basil and Parmesan. Roasted duck is served with raspberry reduction, sweet potato au gratin, pecans and bacon. Reservations recommended. Dinner daily. $$$
Antoine’s
713 St. Louis St., (504) 581-4422; antoines.com
The French Quarter institution’s kitchen created oysters Rockefeller and other classic Creole dishes. Gulf fish amandine is lightly breaded with toasted almonds, brown butter, onion rice and lemon with the option to add sauteed lump crabmeat. Reservations accepted. Lunch Mon. and Thu.-Fri., dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$
The fine-dining restaurant serves classic Creole cuisine. Crabmeat Karen features Louisiana crabmeat and mushrooms baked in puff pastry and served with white wine sauce. Breast of duck Ellen is served medium rare with a blueberry-infused port wine sauce and marinated blueberries. Reservations accepted. Dinner Mon.Sat., jazz brunch Sun. $$$
Atchafalya serves contemporary Creole dishes. Lowcountry shrimp and grits includes andouille sausage, smoked cherry tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and celery. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available. Brunch and dinner Thu.Mon. $$$
Athenian Bar & Grill
301 Decatur St., (504) 381-5938; athenianfood.com
The traditional Greek spot in the French Quarter opened last fall with a menu ranging from kebabs to yeero sandwiches, pita bread wraps and more. The pork belly yeero plate includes tomatoes, onions, tzatziki, toasted pita bread and fries. The bar offers ouzo cocktails. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$
The Bywater wine bar offers a-lacarte cheese and charcuterie boards and light bites such as bacon-wrapped dates and mixed olives. A confit chicken leg comes with chickpeas, greens, radicchio and citrus salad. There’s live music in the large backyard. Reservations accepted. Lunch Fri.-Sun., dinner daily. $$
The Backyard
244 W. Harrison Ave., (504) 3098767; thebackyardnola.com
The West End restaurant serves smoked meats and classic American fare, like burgers, potato tots, pulled pork and more. The Boom Burger includes two patties, Swiss cheese, bacon, truffle oil portobello reduction and Japanese mayo. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $
Baroness on Baronne
339 Baronne St., (504) 522-8664; baronessnola.com
The cocktail lounge has a food menu with shareable plates, pizza, flatbreads, wraps and a burger. The
Cajun pizza has a tomato sauce base, mozzarella cheese, andouille sausage, spiced chicken, bell peppers and basil. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner Wed.-Sun., late-night Fri.-Sat. $$
The taco joint’s menu includes chicken, pork, beef, mushroom, fried catfish and broccoli options along with chips and dips, margaritas and cocktails. Bowls are made with rice, beans, pickled red onion, guacamole, shredded cabbage, cilantro, Cotija cheese and choice of meat or vegetables. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily, breakfast Fri.-Sun. $
The seafood restaurant has raw and char-broiled oysters, blue crab beignets, crawfish pupusas, po-boys, platters and more. The char-grilled drum is served with ginger scallion chowchow, green onions, a lima bean and bacon stew and popcorn rice. Reservations accepted. Lunch Fri.-Mon., dinner daily, brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$
Bayona
430 Dauphine St., (504) 525-4455; bayona.com
Chef Susan Spicer’s fine-dining restaurant uses seasonal local ingredi-
ents in a changing menu of global fare. Braised rabbit is served with tomatoes, leeks, Castelvetrano olives, capers and creamy polenta with Parmesan cheese. Reservations recommended.
Bearcat has a breakfast and lunch menu split between “good cat” dishes that are vegan and vegetarian and “bad cat” dishes with meat and seafood. The Hot Rob biscuit has hot chicken, creamed spinach and a sunny side-up egg. No reservations. Breakfast and lunch Tue.-Sun. $$
Gnocchi are served with shiitake, cremini, oyster and portobello mushrooms and truffle cream sauce. A kale Caesar salad incorporates crispy chickpeas, chili-artichoke tapenade, Parmesan and boquerones. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$
Seafoodstuffedeggplant with Macand cheese andveggies
a pound of shrimp. Seafood baskets come with a choice of fries or shrimp fried rice, hushpuppies and toast. Reservations accepted. Gretna: Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat, lunch and early dinner Sun. Kenner: Lunch and dinner daily. $$
The Blue Crab Restaurant & Oyster Bar
Crawfish étoufée with blackenedredfish LobsterKATIEOBSTER
Seafoodlasagna with asideCaesar
stuffed pork
smoked whitefish bagel has cream cheese, tomato, red onion, capers and mixed greens. A Cabo chicken sandwich features grilled chicken breast, turkey bacon, goat and Manchego cheeses, jalapenos, artichoke hearts and fig jam on Bellegard Bakery ciabatta. No reservations. Delivery available. Breakfast Sat.Sun., lunch daily. $$
The menu includes fried, boiled and grilled seafood platters, po-boys and more. Creole-seasoned grilled catfish is served with fries and jalapeno hushpuppies. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Slidell: Lunch and dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun.; New Orleans: Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$
Blue Oak BBQ
900 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 8222583; blueoakbbq.com
A Taste of New Orleans seafood bucket includes a pound of shrimp, a blue crab, a pound of crawfish, andouille sausage, two pieces of corn and two potatoes. A side of Swamp Bites are fried alligator tenders served with house-made pepper sauce. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Lunch Fri.-Sun., dinner daily. $$$
A Texas trinity plate includes sliced brisket, two ribs, a link of housemade spicy green onion sausage, a choice of two sides and Texas toast. There also are rotating daily specials. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Bodega focuses on breakfast items, soups and salads. It also offers items in a grab-and-go display case. A
The contemporary Southern restaurant offers meats cured and smoked in-house, as well as vegetarian and vegan dishes. A house-ground burger is served with lettuce, tomato, red onion, bread and butter pickles and garlic aioli on a Dong Phuong brioche bun. Applewood smoked scallops come with cheesy polenta, woodcharred mushrooms, sherry-plumped golden raisins and roasted pine nuts. Reservations recommended. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sat. $$
Sylvain has pappardelle Bolognese on its menu.
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
Bratz Y’all
617 Piety St., Suite B, (504) 3013222; bratzyall.com
The casual Bywater spot focuses on German cuisine and often has live music. The King Brat is a smoked pork sausage filled with white cheddar, wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon, topped with apricot-chili sauce and fried onions. A vegetarian option is the Sexy Veggie Brat, a plant-based brat served with slaw, garlic mayo and feta on a white or pretzel bun. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$
Brennan’s
417 Royal St., (504) 525-9711; brennansneworleans.com
The birthplace of bananas Foster serves Creole favorites, like turtle soup and seafood gumbo. Blackened redfish is served with a Louisiana crab and celery root ecrase, braised endive and blood orange. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$$
Broussard’s
819 Conti St., (504) 581-3866; broussards.com
The menu includes classic Creole dishes and contemporary items. The brunch menu features crawfish sardou, made with crawfish tails, poached eggs, artichoke hearts, creamed spinach and an English muffin with hollandaise. New Orleans barbecued shrimp comes with Louisiana popcorn rice. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating
Burgers are the specialty at Bub’s, along with sides like french fries, fried Brussels sprouts and onion rings. The Peanut Bubber features two beef patties, American cheese, bacon and creamy peanut butter on a toasted brioche bun. The Impossible Bub is a plant-based patty topped with American cheese, grilled onions, butter pickles and Bub sauce on house-made bread. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$
Budsi’s Authentic Thai
1760 N. Rampart St., (504) 3814636; budsisthai.com
Chef Budsaba “Budsi” Mason’s menu includes classic Thai street food and other recipes and specialties from the Isan region. Mushroom larb is a blend of seasonal mushrooms and tofu infused with fresh lime juice, cilantro, mint, green onions and red onions served over jasmine rice. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$
Specialties include seafood, po-boys, fried chicken, cornbread and other Southern comfort staples. During Lent, a Friday fish fry special includes golden, flaky fish with vegetables.
No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Cajun Flames
1117 Decatur St., (504) 354-1214; cajunflames.com
American staples and New Orleans classics make up the menu. The oyster trio features four Rockefeller, four Cajun and four garlic-herb oysters and toasted bread. A shrimp po-boy features fried shrimp dressed with mayo, lettuce and tomato. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$
Cajun Shack
9830 Lake Forest Blvd., Suite 110, (504) 218-4204; cajunshacknola.com
Specializing in fried food, Cajun Shack’s most popular items are its chicken wings, but it also serves sandwiches, po-boys, salads and sides. A fried shrimp salad is made with romaine lettuce, cucumbers, pickles, cheese and tomatoes. Seafood platters can be fried or grilled. Takeout and delivery only. Lunch and early dinner daily. $$
The rum-focused cocktail bar also has a Caribbean-inspired food menu. The Fish Rundown entree includes fried drum, Louisiana crab, coconut curry and rice. On the small plates menu, grilled cauliflower is served with guajillo sauce, pepitas and mint. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Dinner daily. $$
Crawfish and all the fixings to go with it at Clesi’s Seafood Restaurant & Catering
Capt. Sal’s Seafood & Chicken
3168 St. Claude Ave., (504) 9489990; captsalseafoodchicken.com
This seafood-focused joint also has Chinese fare and po-boys. A chicken and broccoli dish comes with julienned carrots and snow peas. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $
Since 1919, Casamento’s has specialized in Gulf seafood and is especially known for its oysters. A seafood platter comes with fried oysters, shrimp, crab claws, a choice of trout or catfish, house-made french fries, coleslaw and toast. Cash only. Lunch Thu.-Sat., dinner Thu.-Sun. No reservations. $$
Seafood is the specialty here, and there’s catfish, shrimp, stuffed crab, trout and more. Freshly shucked oysters can be served with toast, a bun or on a 10-inch French bread loaf. Takeout only. Lunch Tue.-Sat. $
Central City BBQ
1201 S. Rampart St., (504) 5584276; centralcitybbq.com
Hogs for the Cause gave this joint an award for its smoked wings made with white barbecue sauce and Cotija cheese. Prime brisket can be served as a sandwich or without bread as a
PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
Special Exhibit Fighting forthe RighttoFight: AfricanAmerican Experiences in WWII
platter, and comes with a side of french fries, Brussel sprouts, mac and cheese, smoked pinto beans or vegetarian pinto beans. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Chais Delachaise
7708 Maple St., (504) 510-4509; chaisdelachaise.com
The bistro’s menu of New American dishes includes steak frites, char-grilled octopus and risotto made with mushroom and asparagus and topped with Piave cheese. Mussels fra diavolo are mussels in white wine and tomato sauce with crushed red pepper and herbs and served with balsamic crostini. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Wed.-Sun. $$
Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop
2309 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie, (504) 835-2022; gumbostop.com
There’s a variety of gumbo options on the menu along with classic New Orleans dishes like shrimp Creole, crawfish etouffee, seafood platters, po-boys and salads. Bayou scampi features shrimp sauteed in wine, garlic and tomatoes served with Jazzmen rice. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $$
Chi Chi’s Chicken and Beer
4714 Freret St., (504) 381-4953; eatchichis.com
The street-style Korean fried chicken joint specializes in wings, fried chicken sandwiches and onigirazu, a type of sushi sandwich. The Southern Fried Sandwich is fried chicken with buttermilk ranch, lettuce and pickles. No reservations. Lunch Fri.-Sun., dinner Tue.-Sat. $
The Mid-City restaurant serves boiled crawfish, crabs, shrimp and other seasonal options with plenty of outdoor seating. The menu also includes oysters, seafood platters, po-boys, sandwiches and shareable dishes like crawfish queso. Reservations accepted. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$
Coma Arepas
3809 Williams Blvd., Kenner, (504) 4702584; comaarepas.com
The Venezuelan menu has a focus on arepas, or cornmeal cakes, with fillings such as roasted pork leg, chorizo and scrambled eggs, or black beans with white cheese and plantains. There also are sweet corn pancakes, empanadas and all-day brunch plates. The Caracas breakfast comes with two eggs, two arepas, black beans, cheese, sausage, bacon
and grilled tomatoes. No reservations. Limited delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $
Commander’s Palace
1403 Washington Ave., (504) 899-8221; commanderspalace.com
The Brennan family’s fine dining landmark serves a menu of refined and creative Creole dishes. Cognac-flambeed Louisiana crawfish tails and cast ironseared redfish are served with butternut squash confit, caramelized shiitake mushrooms, Swiss chard, mirliton kimchi and hollandaise. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Thu.-Fri., dinner daily, jazz brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$
Copper Vine
1001 Poydras St., (504) 208-9535; coppervine.com
The wine bar and restaurant has a menu of modern American and Creole dishes. Seared duck breast comes with pickled blueberries, potato puree, sprouts, wild mushrooms and duck jus. Reservations accepted. Courtyard and balcony seating available. Lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner daily, brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$
Cornet
700 Bourbon St., (504) 523-1485; cornetnola.co
The restaurant at Bourbon and St. Peter streets has a menu of Cajun and Creole staples, like po-boys, crawfish etouffee and red beans and rice. Pastalaya features sauteed Louisiana shrimp, smoked sausage, crawfish tails and trinity served in Monica sauce over shell pasta. Reservations accepted. Delivery and balcony seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Chef Chris Barbato serves contemporary Creole and Southern dishes at this Bywater spot. A black Angus burger comes with lettuce, tomato, red onion and garlic aioli on a brioche bun with house-cut fries. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner daily, brunch Sat.-Sun. $$
Crack’d
1901 Sophie Wright Place, (504) 3814678; crackdbrunch.com
The brunch spot has an eclectic, porkfree menu. The Acadian Assets are grilled biscuits topped with poached eggs, fried green tomato, smoked brisket and crawfish cream sauce. The bananas Foster pain perdu comes with buttermilk vanilla gelato and toasted pecans. Reservations accepted. Limited outdoor seating available. Brunch daily. $$
Crawlins Seafood
506 Terry Parkway, Terrytown, (504) 533-9051; crawlinsseafood.com
This West Bank restaurant has boiled crawfish, shrimp and crabs served with corn, potatoes, sausages, eggs and turkey necks. The menu also has seafood platters, po-boys, fried chicken, pasta dishes, gumbo and more. The Crawlins Trio includes fried shrimp, catfish and oysters and is served with fries, salad and toast. No reservations. Delivery available. Lunch and early dinner daily. $$
The local hot dog joints serve specialty dogs as well as some burgers, sliders, sandwiches and platters. The Rougarou is an alligator sausage served on a sourdough bun with grilled onions, Creole mustard, tomatoes, bacon, barbecue sauce and jalapenos. There’s also a buildyou-own option with smoked bratwurst, Italian sausage, andouille and links made with crawfish and duck. No reservations.
Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily, late-night daily at Frenchmen Street location. $$
Deanie’s menu is full of fried seafood platters, raw and char-broiled oysters, po-boys and seasonal boils. The Louisiana Crab Quartet platter comes with crabmeat au gratin, fried crab balls, soft-shell crab, crab claws and fries. Reservations accepted at Garden District location. Delivery and outdoor seating available at some locations. Iberville: Lunch Wed.-Mon., dinner daily; Metairie: Lunch and dinner daily; Magazine: Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$
Dee’s Xquisite Seafood
8700 Lake Forest Blvd.; Instagram: @deesxquisite
Chef Demond “Dee” Matthews is known for his handle on seafood, and the restaurant offers seasonal seafood boils with mixed in sides like corn, potatoes and
Seared pompano at Station 6
PHOTO BY RYAN HODGSON - RIGSBEE / THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE
turkey necks. Specials include charbroiled oysters and crabs and more. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Wed.-Sun. $$
The Delachaise
3442 St. Charles Ave., (504) 895-0858; Instagram: @delachaisewinebar
The Uptown wine bar and bistro serves a regularly changing food menu of refined dishes. Recent menus have included hot honey pulled pork sliders with kimchi slaw served with fries, and sauteed yellow boletus, baby portobello, porcini, shiitake and oyster mushrooms served over polenta. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Fri.-Sun., dinner and late-night daily. $$
The Chase family’s storied Treme restaurant serves its take on Creole favorites. Pan-seared Louisiana redfish is served with succotash, lump crabmeat and Creole sauce. Three pieces of Creole-seasoned fried chicken are served with a choice of side, such as French-style string beans, sweet potatoes or mustard greens. Reservations recommended. Lunch Tue.-Fri., dinner Fri.-Sat. $$$
The French Quarter joint serves craft cocktails and sandwiches, including a build-your-own club option. There also are bar snacks, like french fries and fried Brussels sprouts, tostadas and tacos. The banh mi club sandwich is made with shredded pork, house
slaw, pickled jalapenos and chili mayo. No reservations. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Wed.-Mon., latenight Wed.-Sat. $$
Drago’s
Hilton New Orleans Riverside, 2 Poydras St., (504) 584-3911; 3232 N. Arnoult Road, Metairie, (504) 8889254; dragosrestaurant.com
Drago’s popularized its original charbroiled oysters, and its menu has a range of seafood dishes and Creole classics. Louisiana crawfish tails are served three ways in the Crawfish Fest: crawfish etouffee, crawfish cake and crawfish mac and cheese. Char-broiled corn on the cob comes on the side. No reservations. Delivery available from Metairie location. Poydras: Lunch and dinner daily; Metairie: Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$$
El Pavo Real
4401 S. Broad Ave., (504) 266-2022; elpavorealnola.com
The menu of Mexican dishes includes quesadillas, tacos, ceviche, specialty plates and more. Gulf fish is pancooked and smothered with sauce made with tomato, onion, capers and olives and served with cilantro rice and green beans. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$
The Bywater restaurant serves up breakfast plates, waffles, French toast, gumbo, po-boys and more for breakfast and lunch. The country breakfast comes with smoked pork chops, sausage gravy and two eggs any style. No reservations. Outdoor
Shrimp and po-boys from Zimmer’s Seafood
PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
seating available. Breakfast and lunch daily. $$
The Elysian Bar
Hotel Peter and Paul, 2317 Burgundy St., (504) 356-6769; ash.world/dining/the-elysian-bar
The restaurant and bar at the Hotel Peter and Paul serves dishes with inspirations from the Mediterranean, Europe and New Orleans. Gnocchi is served with sage and pecan pesto, Parmesan cheese and fried herbs. Octopus comes with chimichurri, fried ham, potato and leek puree. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Breakfast and dinner daily. $$$
Emeril Lagasse’s flagship restaurant recently celebrated its 35th anniversary. Emeril’s serves a tasting menu of contemporary Louisiana cuisine. A recent menu featured a choice between trout amandine served with green beans and potato or John Dory fish with crawfish, tomato, zucchini and olives. The connected wine bar has a menu of dishes like steak and sweetbread fried rice, rigatoni Bolognese and crab beignets served with jalapeno aioli. Reservations recommended. Lunch Fri., dinner Tue.-Sat. $$$
Empanola
630 St. Ann St., (504) 766-1236; 3109 Magazine St., (504) 582-9378; 7321 Freret St., (504) 249-5977; empanolaempanadas.com
Empanola serves empanadas with a variety of traditional and creative fillings. The crawfish etouffee empanada is filled with seasoned Louisiana crawfish tails, onion, celery and pep-
pers. The apple pecan empanada has apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and other spices. No reservations. Delivery available. St. Ann: Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily; Magazine and Freret: Lunch and dinner daily. $
Fatty’s has a hefty menu of boiled seafood, oysters, fried options, pasta dishes, po-boys and specialty plates. The fried Cap’n Fatty platter comes with jumbo shrimp, stuffed shrimp, popcorn shrimp, catfish, crab cake and oysters as well as fries, hushpuppies and Texas toast. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Fausto’s
530 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 833-7121; faustosbistro.com
The Metairie institution serves classic Italian dishes made from Sicilian family recipes. Chicken Louisiana is a grilled chicken breast topped with mushrooms, zucchini, shrimp, crawfish tails, mozzarella and garlic cream sauce. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$
Felipe’s
301 N. Peters St., (504) 267-4406; 411-1 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 4082626; 2004 Metairie Road, Metairie, (504) 676-5574; 6215 S. Miro St., (504) 309-2776; felipestaqueria.com
The fast-casual restaurants serve built-to-order burritos, tacos, quesadillas and platters. Nachos Classico is a plate of tortilla chips topped with grilled chicken, Monterey jack cheese, refried pinto beans, corn, crema, salsa
-Red Beans& Rice w/ smoked sausage&acornmuf fn
-F ried Chickenw/mac &cheeseand vegeta bles
-OGHam burger Stea kw/mashedpotatoes& vegeta bles
Vincent Mitchell grills oysters at Acme Oyster House
PHOTO BY MAX BECHERER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
verde and guacamole. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available at some locations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
The original French Quarter location is known for its oyster bar, and the restaurants also serve a menu of Cajun and Creole classics like gumbo ya-ya, fried seafood platters and po-boys. Pasta Felix is a Cajun-seasoned creamy penne pasta with sautéed shrimp and oysters. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
The Warehouse District restaurant serves an eclectic American menu with some spins on local staples. The Fried Shrimp A-Go-Go Po-boy is fried Gulf shrimp with red pepper aioli, lettuce, tomato and lemon on French bread. Reservations accepted. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Brunch, lunch and dinner daily. $$
This pizzeria uses imported Italian ingredients to serve large Brooklyn-style pies in the CBD. The menu has a mix of classic pizzas along with creative ones such as the Forbidden Fruit, a pie topped with shredded and fresh mozzarella, fig jam and bacon. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Mon. $$
The cozy neighborhood bistro specializes in Creole and Cajun dishes such as poboys, red beans and rice and boiled seafood. The menu offers a deep-fried half chicken with a side of fries, potato salad or grilled vegetables. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
GW Fins
808 Bienville St., (504) 581-3467; gwfins.com
GW Fins changes its menu based on the fish it receives that day. A recent menu included pan-seared American red snapper served with Louisiana shrimp Creole, long grain rice and crispy okra. Reservations recommended. Dinner daily. $$$
Galaxie
3060 St. Claude Ave., (504) 827-1443; galaxietacos.com
The Bywater taqueria uses house-made
tortillas for tacos, quesadillas and more dishes inspired by Mexico City and Oaxaca, Mexico. Barbacoa tacos come with Oaxacan-style beef cheek, onion and cilantro. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch Fri.-Sun., dinner Tue.-Sun. $$
The Uptown spot serves elevated French and New Orleans cuisine. Pan-seared speckled trout comes with field pea fricassee, fondant pumpkin, kabocha squash and garlic sausage. Reservations recommended. Dinner Tue.-Sat. $$$
The casual tiki bar serves a blend of Mexican and Caribbean-style dishes such as Baja shrimp tacos and ceviche. The shrimp ceviche tostada has citrus-cured shrimp with diced red onion, tomato, cilantro and avocado. No reservations. Boiled seafood also is available. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
The Thai restaurant from the owners of Pomelo focuses on seafood. Pad thai includes Gulf shrimp, scallops, glass noodles, egg, bean sprouts and peanuts. Seafood tom yum ramen comes with shrimp, calamari, mussels, crab, mushrooms and tomatoes. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$
Gumbo Shop
630 St. Peter St., (504) 525-1486; gumboshop.com
The French Quarter restaurant has classic Creole favorites, like seafood and chicken and andouille gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice and more. Catfish Florentine comes on a bed of seasoned spinach and is topped with hollandaise. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating and delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Gus’s Famous Fried Chicken
308 S. Diamond St., (504) 252-4870; 3940 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 287-4660; gusfriedchicken.com
The casual chain has a menu of spicy fried chicken and classic Southern sides including macaroni and cheese, baked beans, fried okra, collard greens and more. The dessert menu features pie flavors like pecan, chocolate chess and sweet potato. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Raw oysters at Harbor Seafood & Oyster Bar in Kenner
Harbor Seafood
3201 Williams Blvd., Kenner, (504) 4436454; harborseafoodandoysterbar.com
The neighborhood restaurant and oyster bar serves a variety of Gulf seafood and po-boys. Royal red shrimp are chargrilled and served with garlic butter sauce, Cajun corn, grilled French bread and a choice of salad or coleslaw. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$
Headquarters by Nice Guys NOLA
445 S. Rampart St., (504) 217-6851; headquartersnola.com
Nice Guys NOLA’s sister restaurant in the CBD has a menu of elevated Southern dishes. Pan-fried catfish is topped with crawfish Creole sauce and served with potatoes and green beans. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$
The music venue’s restaurant serves a Southern menu with Louisiana classics like char-grilled oysters and jambalaya. The Voodoo Shrimp are sauteed shrimp in an Abita Amber beer reduction sauce with tomatoes, served with jalapeno-cheese cornbread. Reservations
accepted. Delivery available. Lunch Fri.Sun., dinner Thu.-Sun. and on concert days. $$
Hungry Eyes serves shareable plates, martinis and wine amid ’80s-inspired decor. Steak tartare has caper and burger grease vinegarette with jalapenos and dill pickle saltines. Pan-roasted calamari curry includes hearts of palm, turmeric curry and lime leaf. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Wed.-Mon. $$$
J&J Seafood
632 Franklin St., Gretna, (504) 366-2219
The casual West Bank seafood spot is known for its boiled crawfish. The menu also has catfish, boudin, chicken wings and more. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Wed.-Sun. $
Jack Rose
Pontchartrain Hotel, 2031 St. Charles Ave., (504) 608-7112; jackroserestaurant.com
The menu is inspired by New Orleans’ French, Spanish and Italian influences. Chianti-braised, bone-in short rib is served with blue cheese, cipollini onions
Viet-Cajun crawfish and lobster with butter sauce at Big EZ Seafood & Oyster in Kenner
PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
and wild mushrooms. Reservations recommended. Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$
Jewel of the South
1026 St. Louis St., (504) 265-8816; jewelnola.com
Jewel of the South serves refined cocktails and a seasonally rotating menu of fine-dining dishes. Caviar comes in one-ounce servings with potato scallops, creme fraiche and chives. Haggis is served with hedgehog mushrooms, truffles and whiskey. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available.
Juan’s has served burritos, nachos, quesadillas, salads and other taqueria staples for more than 25 years. The Luau quesadilla is a grilled tortilla filled with Gulf shrimp, bacon pineapple salsa and cheddar jack cheese. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
JusTini’s has a menu of tacos, seafood, a burger and other entrees. Press St. Chicken Pasta includes blackened chicken in garlic Alfredo sauce over penne pasta and is served with sauteed spinach. Reservations accepted.
Delivery and outdoor seating available.
King Brasserie
Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 521 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3000; kingbrasserieandbar.com
Chef Samuel Peery took inspiration from the French Riviera for the King Brasserie menu. Sea urchin carbonara features hand cranked bigoli pasta topped with bottarga and black winter truffles. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Brunch and dinner daily. $$$
The Mid-City staple has a large menu with Creole entrees, seafood platters, pizza, po-boys, burgers, sandwiches, salads, soups and more. The Iberville pizza is topped with garlic butter sauce, grilled eggplant, spinach, red onion and feta cheese. Reservations accepted for large parties. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sun. $$
The seafood market and restaurant has a menu full of Creole dishes including po-boys, gumbo and seafood, along with daily specials such as red beans and rice on Mondays. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$
The menu includes creative takes on Cajun and Creole favorites. Cracklin’ nachos are topped with pulled pork, pimiento cheese sauce, pickles, poblano peppers, tomatoes and sour cream. The Chicken on Every Plate features Southern fried chicken glazed with fig and pepper jelly, a twice-baked potato and bacon-braised collard greens. Reservations accepted. Brunch and dinner daily. $$$
La Macarena
8120 Hampson St., (504) 862-5252; pupusasnola.com
The Riverbend restaurant serves Salvadoran dishes with an emphasis on pupusas. There also is a menu of vegan and vegetarian options. Tanner’s Vegan Bliss is a platter with a sweet corn tamale, a pupusa, a tostada, refried black beans and Spanish yellow
Shrimp Arnaud is the house specialty shrimp remoulade at Arnaud’s Restaurant in the French Quarter.
4517 W. Esplanade Ave., Metairie, (504) 354-8570; latiacantina.com
The menu includes modern takes on taqueria favorites, along with regional Mexican dishes. Slow-cooked lamb shank is topped with pickled onions, radishes and cilantro and served with rice, beans and tortillas. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$
Each Legacy Kitchen restaurant has a different focus, such as steaks at Steak & Chop on the West Bank or Louisiana-inspired dishes at Craft Tavern. Tacklebox has an oyster bar and a menu of seafood dishes, like grilled Gulf fish served with Cajun crawfish cream and vegetables. Gris Gris oysters are flash-fried oysters topped with creamed spinach and Tabasco hollandaise. Reservations accepted. Delivery available at Craft Tavern and Tacklebox. New Orleans: Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily; Gretna: Lunch and dinner daily. $$
The Baquet family’s restaurant is known for Creole favorites such as gumbo, hot sausage po-boys, fried seafood platters and more. Daily specials include Thursday’s smothered okra with rice and fried chicken. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Mon.-Sat. $$
Chef John Harris’ bistro has plenty of French and Italian accents in signature dishes including shrimp in sizzling lemon-oregano butter, potato gnocchi and white truffle parmigiano toast. Grilled hanger steak is served with marrowed bordelaise and fries. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Tue.-Sat., dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$
Lin’s Poke
St. Roch Market, 2381 St. Claude Ave., (504) 267-0388; strochmarket.com
The food stand offers poke bowls with a variety of toppings, as well as sushi platters, rolls and ramen. The Sushirito combines a choice of tuna, salmon,
crab or shrimp with rice, avocado, fried onion, lettuce and fried onion. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Liuzza’s by
the Track
1518 N. Lopez St., (504) 218-7888; liuzzasbtt.com
The neighborhood restaurant is known for its gumbo and barbecue shrimp poboy, which has sauteed shrimp stuffed into a French bread pistolette. The menu has shrimp, oyster and catfish plates, a range of po-boys, crawfish etouffee, fried green tomatoes and more. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$
Luke
333 St. Charles Ave., (504) 378-2840; lukeneworleans.com
The brasserie has a raw bar and a menu focused on regional seafood. Cane-syrup-glazed pork belly comes with jalapeno cheese grits and kimchi. Smoked pork shank is served with black-eyed peas, pot liquor, braised red cabbage and pickled okra. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$$
LUVI has a sushi bar and a contemporary menu of Asian dishes, including spring rolls and dumplings. Spicy dan dan noodles combine chicken, peanuts, black beans and house-made chili sauce. Reservations accepted. Dinner Tue.-Sat. $$$
Lyon’s Corner
Hotel Theo New Orleans, 537 Gravier St., (504) 527-0006; lyonscornernola.com
The new CBD restaurant serves Cajun dishes such as breakfast jambalaya and empanadas, and a Cajun charcuterie
board. Black-eyed pea hummus is served with tahini, chili oil and lavash bread. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$$
MaMou
949 N. Rampart St., (504) 381-4557; mamounola.com
Chef Tom Branighan combines refined French fare with Louisiana ingredients and a few rustic dishes, from braised celery hearts with beef tongue to cassoulet with mussels and fennel sausage. Gulf fish a la Royale is served with bearnaise and vegetable bouillon. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.Sun. $$$
The casual seafood market offers Cajun and Creole dishes including fried seafood platters, po-boys and boiled seafood. The fried chicken club comes fully dressed with chicken tenders, smokey bacon and American cheese, and is served with fries, potato salad, fried okra or coleslaw. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat. $$
The Mandina family has served a menu of Creole Italian home-style dishes at their restaurant since 1932. Daily specials include Thursday’s bruccialone, which is baked spinach-stuffed veal, served with macaroni. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
The new oyster bar in the Warehouse District serves Caribbean flavors and
Mussels with fries at Bywater restaurant Alma
PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
modern Louisiana dishes. The oxtail hand pie has fermented chili and mango chow, and the Gulf tuna crudo has leche de tigre, fresno chilis and cucumber. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$
Michael Gulotta offers a contemporary twist to South Asian-fusion cuisine with some Italian ingredients. Pecan sticky pork belly comes atop coconut rice grits and with shrimp and satsuma nuoc cham. Short rib debris is served with trofie pasta and truffled green curry. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Dinner daily. $$$
Messina’s Runway Café
New Orleans Lakefront Airport Terminal, 6001 Stars and Stripes Blvd., (504) 241-5300; messinasrunwaycafe.com
The restaurant inside the Lakefront Airport’s Art Deco terminal building has a menu of Creole dishes, plate specials and more. The Jimmy Wedell pasta, named for the 1930s pilot, includes shrimp, crabmeat and crawfish over angel hair pasta with basil cream sauce. Weekday specials include Thursday’s smothered pork chop with mac and cheese, sauteed cabbage and cornbread. Reservations accepted. Breakfast and lunch Tue.-Fri., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$
The seafood shop has a variety of options, from shrimp and crawfish to various types of fish and shellfish. Crawfish are available live or boiled and sides include sausage, corn, potatoes and crawfish boudin are available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Middendorf’s serves classic Gulf coast dishes such as fried frog legs and boiled shrimp along with thin-cut fried catfish, which comes with a side of fries, coleslaw and hushpuppies. Italian Oysters are broiled over spinach and cream cheese and topped with garlic Parmesan breadcrumbs. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Wed.Sun. $$
Mikimoto
3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 4881881; mikimotosushi.com
The Japanese restaurant has a wide-ranging menu of sushi rolls, ramen, tempura and teriyaki dishes. The Crescent City roll is snow crab, spicy crawfish and tempura batter rolled with rice in seaweed and topped with avocado, onion and shrimp. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Lunch Sun.-Fri., dinner daily. $$
Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar and Fish House
512 Bienville St., (504) 309-4848; 1327 St. Charles Ave., (504) 267-0169; 3117 21st St., Metairie, (504) 8336310; mredsrestaurants.com
The menu features seafood and Southern and Creole cuisine classics including raw, char-broiled and fried oysters. The eggplant Napoleon features two eggplant medallions stuffed with crabmeat dressing atop Cajun Alfredo pasta. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Mr. Shrimp’s Kitchen
Riverwalk Outlets, 500 Port of New Orleans Place; mrshrimpskitchen.com
Mr. Shrimp’s specializes in Creole-style shrimp served fried, boiled and in creamy pastas. The Shrimp Rich Boy is a twist on a fried shrimp po-boy served on a large, toasted roll with pickles, tomatoes and lettuce. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Larry Morrow’s Mid-City restaurant has Creole dishes, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, salads and more. Choices range from shrimp and grits to boudin egg rolls and The Bienville, a Creole-style crawfish étouffée served over steamed rice and topped with fried catfish. Reservations accepted. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily, late-night Fri.-Sat. $$
MoPho
514 City Park Ave., (504) 482-6845; mophonola.com
The menu of Asian dishes features pho and some Vietnamese staples. Crispy pork belly and Burmese curried pork shoulder are served with spiced peanuts, cracklings, herbs, jalapenos, pickled vegetables and cucumbers over vermicelli noodles or coconut rice. Reservations accepted. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Morrow’s
2438 St. Claude Ave., (504) 827-1519; morrowsnola.com
The Creole menu has Korean influence thanks to restaurateur Larry Morrow’s mother, Leonora Chong. Gumbo ramen comes with sausage, chicken, shrimp and vegetables. There also are char-
broiled oysters and red beans and rice. No reservations. Delivery and limited outdoor seating. Lunch and dinner daily, late-night Fri.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$
Mosca’s has served Italian fare since 1946, and signature dishes include oysters Mosca, baked with Italian seasonings and breadcrumbs. The pineapple fluff dessert features crushed pineapples with whipped cream and melted marshmallow fluff and is topped with graham cracker crumbs. Reservations recommended. Cash only. Dinner Wed.-Sat. $$$
Mother’s has po-boys dressed with thin-sliced cabbage and a menu of Creole staples, such as crawfish etouffee and red beans and rice. The Famous Ferdi Special is a po-boy with ham, roast beef and debris in jus. No reservations. Delivery available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$$
N7
1117 Montegut St.; n7nola.com
Traditional French cooking gets Japanese accents on a menu including uni, or sea urchin, pâté and frog legs fried karaage style. The menu also features French onion soup, grilled bok choy
and pan-seared Hokkaido scallops topped with tobiko with black garlic purée. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Dinner daily, brunch Fri.-Sun. $$
New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood
Areawide; nohsc.com
These fast casual restaurants offer seafood dishes and American classics. The menu features various po-boys and half-pound burgers served with signature garlic herb fries. Appetizers include char-grilled oysters, boudin balls, alligator bites, fried green tomatoes and gumbo. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
The Creole restaurant serves classics like gumbo, po-boys, barbecue shrimp and fried oysters. Red beans and rice can be ordered with grilled or fried chicken, a grilled or breaded pork chop, hot sausage, or grilled or fried fish. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch and early dinner Sun. $$
Nice Guys offers a menu of innovative twists on New Orleans cuisine,
The barbecue shrimp po-boy is a menu staple at Liuzza’s by the Track.
PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
with seafood dishes, wings, tacos, sandwiches, fries and more. The char-grilled Ohh Lala Oysters are topped with shrimp, crawfish, crab and lobster cream. Reservations accepted. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch Thu., dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Fri.-Wed. $$
Nikkei Izakaya
The Broadside, 600 N. Broad St., (504) 224-5657; nikkeiizakaya.com
The new Japanese-style tavern at The Broadside fuses Japanese and Peruvian culinary traditions, aka Nikkei cuisine, in its menu. Nikkei Broil is a choice of oysters, shrimp or mushrooms charbroiled with tamari, ginger, herb butter and aji, topped with Havarti cheese and served with fresh rolls. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Dinner daily. $$
Origen Bistro
3600 St. Claude Ave., (504) 3814245; origenbistrono.com
Chef Julio Machado’s bistro serves Venezuelan cuisine. The Revive the Soul ceviche includes apple vinegar-marinated red snapper, tomato sauce, aji peppers, cayenne pepper, onions and cilantro. There’s also a daily brunch menu with arepas, empanadas and breakfast casseroles. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch, dinner and brunch daily. $$
The Original Slap Burger
Marie’s Bar & Kitchen, 2483 Burgundy St., (504) 251-4124; originalslapburger.com
The kitchen at Marie’s in the Marigny serves smash burgers, chicken
tenders, fries and more. The OG is a quarter-pound beef patty with house slap sauce, pickles, American cheese and grilled onions on a toasted brioche bun. There also are vegan versions of the burgers. No reservations. Lunch Fri.-Sun., dinner Sun.-Tue., late-night Fri.-Sat. $
The restaurant and wine bar has shareable plates like cheese boards and baked brie served with pecans, honey and bread. New Zealand lamb chops come with mashed potatoes, vegetables and red pepper coulis. Reservations accepted for large parties. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Thu.-Sun. $$
The Old Metairie lounge specializes in burgers and sandwiches and has weekly specials, such as a steak served with a baked potato on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Its version of the muffuletta, dubbed the Oscalotta, comes with ham, Genoa salami, mortadella, mozzarella and olive salad. No reservations. Delivery available. Lunch Tue.-Sun., dinner daily, latenight Tue.-Sat. $$
Paladar 511
511 Marigny St., (504) 509-6782; paladar511.com
The menu includes pizzas and modern Italian dishes alongside innovative plates like braised rabbit with brown butter sweet potato gnocchi and
Char-grilled oysters at Casamento’s
PHOTO BY DINAH ROGERS / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
Brussels sprouts. Squid ink spaghetti is tossed with Gulf shrimp, Calabrian chili butter and green onions. The Farm Egg Pizza is topped with applewood-smoked bacon, braised collard greens and Gruyere cheese. Reservations accepted. Dinner daily, brunch Sat.-Sun. $$
Palm & Pine
308 N. Rampart St., (504) 8146200; palmandpinenola.com
The creative seasonal menu includes Corner Store Crudo, featuring yellowfin tuna with daikon, herbs, shrimp chips and Pineapple Big Shot nuoc cham sauce. The brunch menu features chilaquiles rojos, which includes Oaxacan cheese, avocado, fried eggs and smoky salsa guajillo. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Wed.-Mon., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$
Pardos serves gourmet Southern bistro cuisine. Crab arancini comes with bread and butter pickles, mustard seed and paprika aioli. Veal Parmesan is served with a spicy arrabiata bucatini, basil, mozzarella and Parmesan. Reservations recommended. Lunch Thu.-Fri., dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$
Parish Grill
4650 W. Esplanade Ave., Metairie, (504) 345-2878; Instagram:
@parishgrill
The wide-ranging menu has burgers, sandwiches, pizza, salads and plate specials. The Swamp Sandwich is made
WI NE OF THE WEEK
with alligator sausage, Patton’s hot sausage, caramelized onions, pickled peppers and jalapeno ranch. Appetizers include boudin balls, boudin egg rolls, crawfish and meat pies and more. No reservations. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$
Parkway serves traditional po-boys filled with Gulf seafood, beef and sausage, as well as vegetarian options. The Parkway Surf and Turf combines their signature roast beef and Louisiana wild caught Gulf fried shrimp po-boys and is smothered in gravy. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Wed.-Sun. $$
Pascal’s Manale
1838 Napoleon Ave., (504) 8954877; pascalsmanale.com
The Creole-Italian restaurant, now owned by Dickie Brennan & Co., is famous as the birthplace of New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp and for its stand-up oyster bar. Grilled Fish Orleans is topped with shrimp, artichoke hearts and mushrooms and served with pasta. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Tue.- Sat. $$$
Seafood, sandwiches and pasta are served in a family-friendly environment. Cedar-plank Gulf fish has a citrus horseradish crust and is served with lemon butter sauce and sauteed green beans. Reservations accepted for indoor seating only. Outdoor seat-
ing available. Lunch Fri.-Sun., dinner Wed.-Sat. $$
Peacock Room
Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola.com
Crispy shrimp and grits include Brussels sprouts, tomato bacon jam and Crystal hot and sour sauce. Braised short rib features Burgundy roasted truffles, whipped potato, bitter greens and garlic caramel. Reservations recommended. Brunch Sat.-Sun., dinner Wed.-Mon. $$$
Pearl’s fresh market menu offers a selection of seafood, including seasonal boiled shrimp, crab and crawfish. The restaurant menu offers signature dishes including po-boys and sandwiches. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$
Pêche serves contemporary seafood dishes inspired by South American, Spanish and Gulf Coast culinary techniques and flavors. Small plates include steak tartare with oyster aioli and fried oysters with pickled corn and kimchi aioli. Grilled tuna is served with okra, chili, garlic and tamarind. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$
ThreeFinger
Jack East Cabernet
This CabernetSauvignon is abig structured, dense tannin wine offering ripe fruit aromas and flavors of black cherry, dried cranberry,cedar, raspberry,hints of spice, and natural acidity.The mouthfeel leads to abold, long, and elegant finish.
A pizza with burrata and basil at Forbidden Pizza
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
PeeWee’s Crabcakes
4500 Old Gentilly Road, (504) 3549884; 2245 Manhattan Blvd., Suite 105, Harvey, (504)-581-8580; peeweescrabcakes.com
PeeWee’s has a variety of seafood dishes along with po-boys, wings, loaded fries, stuffed potatoes and more. Crabby Seafood pasta is penne pasta, shrimp and crawfish tossed in sauce and served with crabcake balls and a mini crabcake. The Seafood Knockout Bell Pepper plate features a seafood-stuffed bell pepper, seafood mac and cheese, potato salad and a signature crab cake. No reservations. Delivery available. Lunch Tue.-Sun., dinner Tue.-Sat. $$
The contemporary menu has French, Italian and Asian influences. Panéed Gulf fish is served with jumbo lump crabmeat, jalapeño hollandaise, meuniere sauce, green beans and potatoes. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Wed.-Sun. $$$
Perino’s specializes in boiled and fried seafood and offers po-boys, stuffed artichokes and gumbo. Oysters are available raw or char-broiled with cheesy garlic butter and seafood stuffing. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Wed.-Mon. $$
This seafood-forward French Quarter restaurant serves ocean-fare boiled, fried, po-boys and more. Stuffed Gulf shrimp Alfredo features tail-on shrimp and crabmeat stuffing, served on a bed of linguine in creamy sauce. No reservations. Outdoor seating and delivery available. Lunch, dinner and late-night daily. $$$
Plume Algiers
1113 Teche St., (504) 381-4893; plumealgiers.com
The casual café in Algiers Point uses local, seasonal ingredients to serve regional Indian dishes. Fish Thali is fried catfish, sambar, cabbage salad, basmati rice, served with naan and the pickle of the day. Reservations recommended. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $$
Pontchartrain Po-Boys
318 Dalwill Drive, Mandeville, (985) 626-8188; pontchartrainpoboys.com With brimming with portions, Pontchar-
train po-boys lives up to their sandwichy name, but also offers burgers, salads and Italian dinner plates. A hamurger steak is topped with grilled onions and roast beef gravy. No reservations. Mon.-Fri. $
Porgy’s Seafood Market
236 N Carrollton Ave., (504) 429-3474; porgysseafood.com
The Mid-City combination market and restaurant sells wild-caught raw seafood and also serves it up hot in poboys, gumbos and more. The crawfish roll has hand-peeled tails, served with romaine lettuce, pickled onion and dill, tossed in a remoulade on Bunny Bread. Lunch daily. Market Mon.-Sat. $$
This French Quarter tavern is known for deliciously potent tropical drinks and thick burgers, topped with cheese or mushrooms and served with baked potatoes. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Wed.-Mon. $$
Read Seafood
7340 Read Blvd., (504) 246-8380; readseafood.top
This restaurant offers a clean split of Chinese food dishes and classic Louisiana fried and boiled fare. There also are salads and yakamein. The turkey wing plate comes with house-made hot sauce and shrimp fried rice. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $
Red Fish Grill
115 Bourbon St., (504) 598-1200: redfishgrill.com
Wood-fired Gulf fish comes with roasted asparagus, fingerling potatoes and Louisiana crawfish hollandaise. Fried shrimp are tossed in Crystal hot sauce and honey barbecue sauce and topped with blue cheese dressing and crumbles. There’s also an oyster bar with an oyster happy hour. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sat.Sun. $$$
This fine-dining spot has a focus on contemporary Creole cuisine. Bluefin tuna crudo comes with passion fruit and mirliton mignonette. Duck Pithivier is filled with sunchokes, foie gras, winter truffles and madeira. Reservations recommended. Dinner daily. $$$
The Rib Room
Omni Royal New Orleans Hotel, 621 St. Louis St., (504) 529-7045; ribroomneworleans.com
The French Quarter steak house at
the Omni Royal has prime rib, and its menu includes a New York strip, filet mignon, rib-eye and slow-braised short rib. There also are seafood and poultry dishes. Crab-stuffed redfish is served with house-made crab butter and fennel onion salad. Reservations accepted. Breakfast and lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner daily, brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$
The restaurant offers views of Lake Pontchartrain and a menu of creative seafood dishes. Eggplant Lacombe has fried eggplant medallions topped with fried oysters and a dill caper creme sauce, served over angel hair pasta. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Sun. $$$
This roadhouse serves seafood dishes, steaks, po-boys, burgers and more. The seafood platter features oysters, catfish, shrimp, gator sausage, fries and salad. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Gretna: Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun.; Jefferson: Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Rizzuto’s Ristorante & Chop House
6262 Fleur De Lis Drive, (504) 3001804; rizzutosristorante.com
The menu includes cuts of steak, pasta
dishes and classic Italian entrees. The crab-stuffed mushrooms are breaded in pecorino Romano, breadcrumbs and lemon oil. Reservations accepted. Lunch Tue.-Fri., dinner Tue.-Sun. $$$
Susan Spicer’s restaurant offers a creative twist on all things Southern. Fried chicken is served with mac ’n’ cheese, smothered greens and Tabasco honey. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Wed.-Fri., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$
Rosella
139 S. Cortez St., (504) 766-6642; rosellamidcity.com
This Mid-City restaurant and bar serves comfort food-style entrees, including meatloaf, gnocchi and lasagna. The oysters crostini come with bacon, pickles, braised seasonal greens, trout caviar and house-made ranch. No reservations. Dinner Wed.-Mon., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$
Seafood is the focus of these casual Northshore joints that also serves salads, burgers and more. The Hotsy Totsy burger is doused in barbecue sauce, topped with melted pepper jack cheese and served with fried jalapeño slices. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Tue.-Sat. $
A cheese plate at Bacchanal PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
Sala Nola
124 Lake Marina Ave., (504) 513-2670; salanola.com
This Lakeview restaurant offers shareable plates, burgers, tacos and Creole-Italian entrees. Panné chicken salad is served with egg, bacon, tomato and buttermilk ranch dressing. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Tue.-Sun., brunch Thu.-Sun. $$$
Santa Fe 3201 Esplanade Ave., (504) 948-0077; santafenola.com
Fried green tomatoes are served with jumbo shrimp, greens, capers and remoulade. For brunch, rueda de huevo is a crispy fried tortilla shell filled with sweet potato puree, poblano-braised chicken or pulled pork, topped with grilled cheese and an egg prepared to order. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun., brunch Sun. $$
The casual Northshore restaurant has a large menu that ranges from crawfish balls to gumbo, po-boys, burgers, steaks and veal Parmesan. A half-pound yellowfin tuna steak can be ordered grilled, blackened or panned and is served with two sides, like hushpuppies, potato salad or coleslaw. Reservations accepted. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
The casual seafood restaurant serves regional fish and shellfish as well as salads, sandwiches and a burger. Seared pompano is served with curried brown butter, toasted cashews and roasted asparagus. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Fri.-Sat., dinner Tue.-Sat. $$$
Superior Seafood & Oyster Bar
4338 St. Charles Ave., (504) 293-3474; superiorseafoodnola.com
At a prominent corner spot in Uptown, this seafood restaurant serves Gulf oysters, seafood dishes and Creole staples. Blackened catfish Napoleon is topped with crawfish etouffee and served with whipped potatoes and corn maque choux. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$
ravioli served in truffle cream. Blue crab squid ink fusilli combines hot sausage, saffron tomatoes and meyer lemon. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.Mon. $$$
Tavi
330 N. New Hampshire St., Covington, (985) 200-2045; tavirestaurant.com
Executive chef Fariz Choumali serves a menu of Israeli, Lebanese and North African dishes. Seared striped bass is served with couscous risotto, chickpeas and lemon saffron butter. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$
Tchefuncte’s
407 St. Tammany St., Madisonville, (985) 323-4800; tchefunctes.com
Located near the historic lighthouse along the Tchefuncte River, the fine-dining restaurant serves seafood, steaks and some Italian dishes. The Thai basil yellowfin tuna is served with coconut sauce, benne seed rice and roasted mushrooms. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Fri., dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sun. $$$
Thai’d Up
1839 Gentilly Blvd., (504) 644-5790; thaidup.co
The casual restaurant near the Fair Grounds serves stir-fry and noodle dishes, fried rice and other Thai favorites. See ew is stir-fried flat rice noodles, egg, cabbage, broccoli and carrots with a choice of chicken, vegetables, tofu, beef or shrimp. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Mon. $$
breast topped with tasso, mushrooms and Marsala cream sauce over penne pasta. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Wed.-Mon., early dinner Wed.-Thu., dinner Fri.-Sat. $$
Seither’s is known for hot boiled seafood, including crawfish and crabs, and it also has a menu of po-boys and seafood dishes. Delacroix nachos are housemade chips topped with blackened Gulf fish, boiled shrimp, salsa, avocado, spicy mayo and snow crab salad. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Tue.-Fri., dinner Tue.-Sat. $$
The restaurant offers about 15 varieties of oysters and a menu of small plates, sandwiches and burgers. A fried catfish fillet is served with pickles, lettuce, tomato and house sauce on a Dong Phuong brioche bun. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Sat.Sun., dinner daily, late-night Sat.-Sun. $$
Sylvain
625 Chartres St., (504) 265-8123; sylvainnola.com
The French Quarter bistro and bar has a Southern menu and courtyard seating. Blackened king trumpet mushrooms are served with heirloom grits and mustard green persillade. Reservations accepted. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Dinner daily, late-night Fri.-Sat., brunch Fri.-Sat. $$$
Tableau
616 St. Peter St., (504) 934-3463; tableaufrenchquarter.com
Dickie Brennan’s Jackson Square restaurant serves contemporary Creole dishes. Seafood bouillabaisse is medley of seared Gulf fish, Gulf shrimp, mussels and calamari in a brothy saffron rouille served alongside grilled baguette. Reservations accepted. Delivery and balcony seating available. Dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Thu.-Sun. $$$
Chef Michael Gulotta draws from his Sicilian heritage at this upscale restaurant. The pasta menu includes four-cheese
Thaihey NOLA
308 Decatur St., (504) 354-8646; thaiheynola.com
The French Quarter restaurant serves creative modern Thai dishes. Frog legs marinated in red curry are deep fried and served with sweet chili sauce, basil kaffir aioli, and Thai slaw. Lobster ravioli tom kha is served in a savory coconut milk broth with a lobster claw and maitake mushrooms. Reservations accepted. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Theo’s Pizza
Areawide; theospizza.com
In addition to specialty pizzas, the menu includes sandwiches, salads, chicken wings and breadsticks. The Eccentric pie is topped with chicken, spinach, feta, pepper jack and mozzarella cheeses, squash, tomatoes, jalapenos, Anaheim peppers, olive oil and garlic. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Hours vary by location. $$
Tito’s
Ceviche & Pisco
1433 St. Charles Ave., (504) 354-1342; titoscevichepisco.com
Tito’s serves Peruvian dishes including several types of ceviche. Arroz con plato
Sardine escabeche at N7
PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
is duck confit with a beer glaze, served with cilantro rice and salsa criolla. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$
Vals
4632 Freret St., (504) 666-2397; valsnola.com
The menu of Mexican fare is split between “tacos” and “not tacos.” Taco options include beef barbacoa, chicken tinga, fried fish and sweet potato. The quesabirria is made with braised brisket and Chihuahua cheese and comes with consomme. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
The casual Mexican restaurant is known for its spacious patio and frozen margaritas. The menu has quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas and more Mexican favorites. The El Big Burrito is made with yellow rice, Monterey jack and cheddar cheeses, black beans and ranchero. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch Fri.-Sun., dinner daily. $$
The Vintage 3121 Magazine St., (504) 608-1008; thevintagenola.com
The cafe’s menu features beignets and a selection of small plates, sandwiches and flatbreads. The Vintage flatbread includes marinara, pepperoni, Roma tomatoes mozzarella cheese and basil. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
The West Bank seafood restaurant was a Lafitte institution and relocated to Westwego after Hurricane Ida damaged its building. Flounder Lafitte is a fillet stuffed with crawfish, crabmeat, pecans and provolone cheese, rolled in breadcrumbs and deep fried. The dish is topped with crawfish sauce and served with a choice of jambalaya or fries, toast and salad. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner Tue.-Sat. $$
Vyoone’s Restaurant
412 Girod St., (504) 518-6007; vyoone.com
Vyoone Segue Lewis’ restaurant has a seasonal menu of French- and Creole-inspired dishes. Seafood pasta bouillabaisse is a bowl of house-made linguine in seafood stock with mussels, fish and shrimp. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Wed.Sun. $$$
Williams Seafood and Poboy
4041 Williams Blvd., Kenner, (504) 467-0010; williamsseafood.net
True to its name, Williams has a deep menu of fried and grilled seafood dishes and po-boys along with seafood gumbo, fried chicken and chicken or shrimp Alfredo. There are catfish, shrimp, soft-shell crab, stuffed crab and oyster plates served with salad, french fries and bread. No reservations. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$
Williby’s Catfish
4327 Paris Ave., (504) 354-9371; willibyscatfish.com
It would be tough to find fish fresher than Williby’s, which runs its own, on-site catfish farm. The catfish plate includes four fried fillets and choice of two sides, such as peas, pork and beans, french fries or potato salad. No reservations. Delivery available. Lunch Wed.-Sat. $$
The restaurant menu has steamed buns, dumplings and noodle dishes, and the bakery counter offers pastries and cakes. A fried tofu hot pot includes soybean protein slices, water chestnuts, seaweed knot, mushrooms, baby corn, lettuce, scallions, fried onions and preserved vegetables in a vegetarian soup base. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat. $$
The Japanese menu has rice bowls, tempura dishes, noodles, handrolls, sashimi and more, and there’s a 12-course seasonal tasting menu. Mushroom udon carbonara is a noodle dish with shimeji, shiitake and king mushrooms with jidori egg in garlic butter sauce. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $$
Zimmer’s Seafood
4915 St. Anthony Ave., (504) 2827150; facebook.com/zimmersseafood
This family-owned counter-service spot offers po-boys and boiled seafood, including crabs, crawfish and shrimp. An order of boiled seafood comes with corn, potatoes, sausage and turkey necks. Side dishes include boudin balls, stuffed crabs, seafood gumbo and crawfish and spinach bread. No reservations. Lunch and early dinner Tue.-Sun. $$
Shrimp escabeche, curried pork cheeks and tuna crudo at Maria’s Oyster & Wine Bar in the Warehouse District
PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
An overstuffed shrimp po-boy at Kenner Seafood
PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
ELIZABETH’S RESTAURANT BEER BQ SHRIMP
Large boiled Shrimp in our homemade Spicy tomato broth, beer BQ sauce served with buttered garlic bread.
NICE GUYS NOLA LOUISIANA SEAFOOD POTATO
Fried catfsh and shrimp on a baked potato with our signature seafood cheese sauce.
LI'L DIZZY'S CAFE BAQUET HOT SAUSAGE POBOY
If you’re looking for a great tasting poboy, come and get our hot sausage Poboy made with the Baquet family recipe. Dress it up with mayo, lettuce, tomato and pickles.
THE LITTLE HOUSE PICKLED SHRIMP BANH MI
Made with marinated gulf shrimp, sweet peppers, mint, corn, fennel, fresh greens, sliced tomatoes, and Crystal aioli.
At GAIA, we craft each dish with precision, using innovative culinary techniques to deliver unforgettable favors. All steaks are grilled to order over charcoal embers and fnished in a screaming hot wood-fred oven, ensuring unparalleled taste and quality. GAIASTEAKHOUSE.COM
KING BRASSERIE + BAR STEAK TARTARE
Bold black trufe meets crispy shallots in our Steak Tartare, topped with herb aioli and paired with toasted sourdough bread. Don't worry—sharing is optional.
With crispy Gulf oyster, mushroom, pink peppercorn, and focaccia.
GOSPEL COFFEE AND BOOZY TREATS MEDITERRANEAN WRAP
Toasted Quinoa, Hummus, Cucumber, Bell Peppers, Baby Kale, Lemon Herb Vinaigrette, Spinach Tortilla.
JAMAICAN JERK HOUSE LOADED JERK WAFFLE FRIES
Loaded Wafe Fries topped with Jerk Breast, Pico de gallo, Queso, Pepper Jack cheese, garnished with cilantro and green onions
Cooked fresh salmon fllet with teriyaki. Served with soup, house salad and pan fried or white rice.
THE VINTAGE APPLE PIE BEIGNET
A New Orleans classic with a seasonal twist. The Vintage’s Apple Pie Beignets are full of warmingfall favors.
THEVINTAGENOLA.COM
LEGACY KITCHEN’S CRAFT TAVERN CHICKEN & WAFFLES
Legacy Kitchen’s Craft Tavern ofers refned American fare & crafted cocktails. Their brunch menu ofers Fried Chicken & Wafes with hickory bacon-studded, pepper jelly maple syrup. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
LEGACYKITCHEN.COM
LEGACY
KITCHEN’S STEAK AND CHOP LK CENTER CUT
FILET
Today’s neighborhood steakhouse in Gretna capturing polished casual sandwiches, crisps salads and comfort food entrees with a variety of prime steaks and chops cooked to perfection. High emphasis on wine and cocktail service. The Westbank is the best bank, correct?
LEGACYKITCHEN.COM
Choice of sausage, Bacon or Pork Belly, Scrambled Egg, choice of cheese
LEGACY KITCHEN’S TACKLEBOX CHARBROILED OYSTERS
Craft cocktails & mouthwatering southern dishes served up daily at the TackleBox. Brunch served daily until 2 p.m. Happy Hour daily3-6 p.m. Try a customer favorite: Charbroiled Oysters made with garlic parmesan herb butter.
LEGACYKITCHEN.COM
BEARCATCAFE.COM LYON’S CORNER CRESCENT CITY CROISSANT
LYONSCORNERNOLA.COM
BEARCAT CAFE HOT CHICKEN BISCUIT
Fried chicken tossed in hot chicken sauce, pimento cheese, pickle, and choice of egg.
THEO’S PIZZA THE MEATHEAD
Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Pepperoni, Sausage, Bacon, Italian Sausage, Canadian Bacon, and Hamburger.
HEADQUARTERS BY NICE GUYS SEAFOOD FEAST PASTA
Sautéed shrimp & crawfsh in our special cream sauce topped with fried shrimp in linguine pasta.
RIZZUTO'S RISTORANTE & CHOP HOUSE OYSTER BORDELAISE
Garlic, herbs, butter, green onion, fresh house-made linguine.
RIZZUTO'S PRIME BURRATA SALAD
Root vegetables, pistachio, red onion, blood orange vinaigrette.
PARKWAY BAKERY AND TAVERN LOUISIANA CATFISH
Locally caught, southeast Louisiana catfsh, fash-fried golden brown.
SALMON TARTARE
Cured salmon mixed with red onion, cucumber, avocado, served over a hazelnut-jalapeno coulis, salsa macha oil, crispy pork cracklings, micro greens and pickled radish.
Shrimp
ANGELO BROCATO CANNOLI GELATO
Ricotta based gelato, with crunchy cannoli shell pieces, chocolate chips, candied fruit, and pistachios.
GKC in Old Metairie ofers elevated dining Wednesday through Sunday, serving both lunch and dinner. Their Chicken Cutlet Sandwich includes a crispy fried chicken cutlet, arugula, pickled peppers, olives, pecorino, and a touch of lemon on ciabatta bread.
COCHON KING SMOKED RIB PLATTER
Flavorful Pasture-Raised Heritage Pork Smoked Rib Plate served with pepper jack mac and a side salad, housemade BBQ sauce, pickles & pickled red onions.
ANGELOBROCATOICECREAM.COM
GODFATHER'S PIZZA HOT STUFF PIZZA
Our Signature Sauce, Pepperoni, Beef, Italian Sausage, Jalapeño Peppers, Onions and Mozzarella Cheese.
GODFATHERS.COM
GARRISONKITCHEN.COM
COCHONKING.COM
DRINKSUNCRUISER.COM ORLEANS COFFEE ORLEANS COFFEE COLD BREW CONCENTRATE Our Cold brew concentrate is bold, smooth, and ready to elevate your cofee game. Now available in stores.
ORLEANSCOFFEE.COM
SPRING EAT LIST
PLATES
BAKED GOAT CHEESE
Cana de Cabra goat cheese is baked until bubbly and topped with sweet potato agrodolce. It is served with our house baked sourdough.
COPPER VINE BOURBON GLAZED PORK CHOP
12 oz. Duroc pork chop, goat cheese grits, collard greens, grilled grapes, whole grain mustard seeds. There’s plenty of wonderful plates to choose from, but you can never go wrong with a Bourbon Glazed Pork Chop. You can always stop by for dinner or book a table at coppervine.com.
ORLEANS GRAPEVINE MUSHROOM DE VIN WITH GRILLED SHRIMP
Portobello cap prepared in red wine, stufed with fresh tomato, topped in roasted garlic cream sauce and trufed greens with Louisiana gulf shrimp.
MOSCA’S OYSTERS MOSCA
Fresh whole oysters with Mosca's special Italian seasoning, topped with breadcrumbs and baked.
WILLA JEAN
CHICKEN & WAFFLES
Indulge in the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and spicy with Willa Jean’s signature Chicken & Wafes. Crispy, golden fried chicken and wafe, drizzled with a rich maple chili glaze and fnished with decadent maple butter. A Southern classic, reimagined.
MOTHER'S RESTAURANT MOTHER’S SEAFOOD GUMBO
Mother’s prepares seafood gumbo from scratch by making a delicate stock from local crabs. It’s added to a blonde roux cooked down with a smidgeon of okra. Onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic are added and simmered with herbs and spices. Finally shrimp, oysters, and crabmeat are added. Hot sauce optional.
Liz Miele
Comedian Liz Miele has had several videos go viral, including for the joke feminist sex positions and why dating comedians is hard. She’s released six albums, including last year’s “Murder Sheets,” and likes to riff on dating and being “emotionally exhausting.” She comes to New Orleans for shows at 7 and 9 p.m. Friday, April 4, and Saturday, April 5, at Sports Drink. Tickets $25 via sportsdrink.org.
Tyler Childers
Country musician Tyler Childers has won an Americana Music Award and racked up a number of Grammy nominations for his neotraditional style. But with a progressive viewpoint, Childers’ music swings from folk and old-time string music to experiments with lo-fi beats. Childers plays at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 3, with S.G. Goodman at the Smoothie King Center. Find tickets and details at smoothiekingcenter.com.
Patois Film Fest
The Patois New Orleans International Film Festival screens documentaries and dramas focused on subjects from gentrification, the environment and incarceration to Palestinian and transgender rights. “It Was All a Dream” examines feminism and hip-hop. “The Assembly” is by artist and New Orleans native Rashad Newsome about a multimedia piece he created at the Armory in New York. There are films, discussions with filmmakers and some musical performances at the Broad Theater April 2-6. Visit patoisfilmfest.org for details.
Volksfest
The German celebration of spring includes a maypole, Dachshund races on Saturday, a soccer shootout, live music, German food, wine and schnapps tastings and more on the grounds of Deutsches Haus near Bayou St. John. At 4-10 p.m. Friday, April 4, 1-10 p.m. Saturday, April 5, and 1-6 p.m. Sunday, April 6. Admission $5 for non-members ages 13 and up. Visit deutscheshaus.org for details.
Jammin’ on Julia
Arts District New Orleans organizes the night of gallery openings, music and drinks. The free event includes nearly 20 participating galleries clustered on Julia, Camp and Magazine streets and St. Charles Avenue. The event runs 5-9 p.m. Saturday, April 5. Visit artsdistrictneworleans.com for information.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Ogden
Museum Family Day
The Ogden Museum offers free admission to Family Day, with activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 5. This year’s event highlights Keith Duncan’s expo of works featuring HBCU marching bands. After creating a 90-foot mural of a drum major on the wall of the museum last year, he did paintings of 15 HBCU bands. Duncan will do gallery talks at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The event also features art activities, a scavenger hunt and community partner booths. Wolf’s Burger Truck will park outside. Visit ogdenmuseum.org for details.
‘Lilly’
New Orleans native Patricia Clarkson stars in the drama about Lilly Ledbetter. Ledbetter worked for years as a manager at an Alabama tire factory, unaware she was paid half as much as men with the same job. Her struggle for equal pay went all the way to the Supreme Court, and eventually a federal law was named after her. Clarkson will do a Q&A after a 7:30 screening of the film at the Prytania Theatre on Wednesday, April 2. Find tickets via neworleansfilmsociety.org.
Paul Simon
During the process of recording his 15th solo studio album, 2023’s “Seven Psalms,” folk and rock great Paul Simon suddenly began to lose his hearing, especially in his left ear. He initially worried he might not be able to perform live again, but after adjusting and seeking help from the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss, Simon is now on his first tour since his 2018 “farewell” tour. He’ll mix in work from the recent album and classics. He plays at 8 p.m. Friday, April 4, and Saturday, April 5, at the Saenger Theatre. Tickets are $170.50-$969.50.
St. Bernard Irish
Italian Islenos Parade
The annual parade features more than 50 floats, 30 marching groups and throws, especially fruit and produce, on W. Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette. The procession begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 5. Find information at facebook.com/iiiparade.
April Fools Day Parade
The Krewe du Fool presents its costumed parade with a brass band, a school marching band and Little Freddie King as Grand Marshal. Some of the throws are hand-decorated by members. The procession starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, at Franklin Avenue and Royal Street and follows a route through Marigny. Visit krewedufool.com for details.
BEST TAVERN TAV
The 13-part cooking series from WYES-TV takes viewers on a road trip that celebrates the bounty of Southeast Louisiana and raises awareness about coastal restoration through the lens of food Chefs leading the effort in the Bayou State are showcased Restaurants include Pêche, GW Fins, Drago’s, Carmo, Spahr’s, Restaurant R’evolution, Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House and Pascal’s Manale.
Also featured are dishes prepared by culinary professionals, cook-off winners, and talented home cooks
MUSIC
FO
To learn more about adding your event to the music calendar, please email listingsedit@gambitweekly.com
BAMBOULA’S The New Orleans Rug Cutters, 1:15 pm; Jon Roniger & The Good For Nothin’ Band, 5:30 pm; Sugar & The Daddies, 9 pm
BJ’S Red Beans & Blues with Alex McMurray & Dayna Kurtz, 9 pm
BLUE NILE Where Y’At Brass Band, 8 pm
BOURBON O BAR — Vince Henningfeld Duo, 4 pm; Blue Horn Jazz Band, 8 pm
CAPULET Rosalynn De Roos, 6 pm
D.B.A. — Secret Six Jazz Band, 6 pm; The Jump Hounds, 9 pm
HOLY DIVER — DJ Reverend Robert Sinewave, 10 pm
THE MAISON Aurora Nealand, 5 pm; Gene’s Music Machine, 8 pm
THE RABBIT HOLE — Very Good Mondays ft. Ari Teitel, Nigel Hall and more, 9 pm
ST. ROCH TAVERN — Max Bien Kahn & The Martians + Jonathan Henley, 9 pm THREE MUSES Shaye Cohn, 6 pm
TUESDAY 1
BOURBON O BAR — Dr. Zach, 4 pm; Shawan Rice Trio, 8 pm
BUFFA’S — Alex McMurray, 7 pm
CAFÉ NEGRIL John Lisi & Delta Funk, 7 pm
CAPULET — Cristina Kaminis, 6 pm
FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB
Todd Yannaconne Band, 1 pm; Colin Myers Band, 5 pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/Jamil Sharif, 8 pm
HIDEOUT BAR Kid Merv & All That Jazz, 4:30 pm
HOUSE OF BLUES — Geof Tates, 7 pm
NEW ORLEANS JAZZ MUSEUM New Orleans International Guitar Festival, 2 pm
PITOT HOUSE Spring Music Series, 5:30 pm
THE RABBIT HOLE — Rebirth Brass Band, 10 pm
ROCK 'N' BOWL — Javier Gutierrez & VIVAZ , 8 pm
THE RABBIT HOLE — Rebirth Brass Band, 8:30 pm
WEDNESDAY 2
BOURBON O BAR — Ellis Dyson, 4 pm; Serabee, 8 pm
BUFFA’S — James McClaskey & Rhythm Band, 7 pm
CAFÉ DEGAS — Double Whisky & Friends, 6 pm
CAFÉ ISTANBUL — Songs for the People, 7 pm
CAPULET Brian Quezergue & Friends, 6 pm
FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB
Richard "Piano" Scott, 1 pm; Bourbon Street Stars, 5 pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/Kevin Ray Clark , 8 pm
LAFAYETTE SQUARE — YLC’s Wednesdays at the Square ft. People Museum, 5 pm
MARGARET PLACE HOTEL — Kyle Roussel, 6 pm
MRB — Lynn Drury, 7 pm
NOPSI HOTEL — Nell SimmonsBradley, 6 pm
THE RABBIT HOLE Dancehall Classics with DJ T-Roy, 11 pm
THURSDAY 3
BEANLANDIA Treme Brass Band, 6 pm
BK HOUSE Rhythm & Roses Concert Series ft. Yusa, 6 pm
BLUE NILE — Irvin Mayfeld’s Music Church, 9 pm; 11 pm
BOURBON O BAR Tifany Hall , 4 pm; Audrey & The CrawZaddies, 8 pm
BUFFA’S Tom McDermott & Aurora Nealand, 7 pm
CAPULET — Mia Borders, 6 pm
DOUBLE DEALER Joey Houck, 9 pm
FAVELA CHIC — Busted on Bourbon: A Grateful Dead Tribute, 10 pm
THE FILLMORE NEW ORLEANS Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, 8 pm
FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 12 pm; Doyle Cooper Band, 2 pm; John Saavedra Band, 5 pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/Kevin Ray Clark, 8 pm
LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — The Soul Rebels, 11 pm
MADAME VIC'S Skinny Tuba, 7 pm
MRB — Jamey St. Pierre, 7 pm
OKAY BAR Conor Donohue + Paul Faith & The Barstool Prophets + Joshua The Bock + Stephie James, 7 pm
THE RABBIT HOLE — Greenwood
Experience with Dr. Romance, DJ Hndrcks and Loof, 10 pm
ROCK 'N' BOWL — Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots, 8 pm
SMOOTHIE KING CENTER Tyler Childers, 8 pm
TIGERMEN DEN — Helen Gillet, 8 pm
TIPITINA’S Loyola’s Uptown Threauxdown, 7 pm
People Museum perform at Wednesday at the Square Wed. April 2 at 5 p.m.
ZONY MASH Quarx + Big Trouble The Family Dog, 6 pm
The Pearl is amonthly magazineshowcasing the bestofNew Orleans FASHION, LIFE,and DESIGN.From curated trend storiestoprofles on localleaders and creatives, residents and visitorsalikewill beneft from this stylishguide.
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MUSIC
Proper endings
by Jake Clapp
MATRON HAS BEEN CALLING ITS SATURN BAR SHOW on Thursday, April 3, the farewell show. It’s a chance for the New Orleans math rock/art pop band, which hasn’t played a show of original material in around five years, to release one last EP and have a proper send off.
But now, the band members aren’t so adamant. They’re going to close the door and lock it — but “maybe leave a key on the porch, under a plant,” says vocalist and synth player Laura Fisher.
“It’s kind of a farewell show, in a sense that it is a close of an era, but it’s also not probably the end,” says vocalist and guitarist Bobby Burvant. “It’s just the unknown, because doing new music, we all know would take some serious work. We’re not against that, but it has to be the right time.”
“I think when we booked the show, too,” Fisher adds, “and decided to do it, we were like ‘This is the last show forever.’ But now that we’ve been [practicing], I think we’re all just like, ‘God, we love this music.’ It’s nice when you take some space and then come back together with your collaborators.”
Still, there’s no guarantees in life or live music, so April 3 is the best bet to see Matron one last time. New Orleans bands Steef and Spllit will open the show starting at 8 p.m.
Matron also will release a new EP, “Sunken State,” during the show. The compelling, five-track EP of math rock, synthy dream pop and progressive visions will be released digitally and on limited edition vinyl, paired with the band’s 2018 EP “Standing Water,” through Strange Daisy Records.
In 2016, Burvant and drummer Jordan Bodzin were playing together in a band called Dronebaby when they met Fisher, who was then in the group Gandhi Castle. They united over a mutual love for many things, but particularly over prog-rock band King Crimson. The three brought on original bassist Phil Stafford and a few other musicians to form a King Crimson cover band for the New Orleans Community Printshop’s annual cover show.
It felt magical, Burvant says. Soon after, the group put together a Tom Waits cover show and then a Radiohead show.
“King Crimson, we had to practice a lot and really drill it because it’s hard
music,” Fisher says. “Tom Waits, it was like, let’s barely practice, get really drunk, and Phil played upright (bass) and had the Tom Waits voice. It was catchy, simple songs. After that is when the four of us started getting up. We liked this intersection between complicated and catchy pop.”
Matron had a fun, active run, opening for bands Speedy Ortiz and Tera Melos, touring and playing with friends like People Museum and Julie Odell. The band also released a self-titled EP in late 2017, followed by “Standing Water” the next year.
Things suddenly ground to a halt, though, when the pandemic hit in spring 2020.
With the world shut down, the members of Matron started pursuing other things, like solo music and going back to school. When venues and in-person opportunities started to get back up to speed, the musicians were just in different places in their lives. Matron was on an unplanned, indefinite hiatus.
Before the pandemic, however, Matron had a set of songs they had been playing live and had started to record. A couple years ago, Fisher came back to those tracks and re-recorded her vocal tracks. It started to put the wheels in motion again, and the band — which now includes bassist and audio engineer Adam Keil — decided to finish the EP and play one last Matron show.
“It’s music I’m really proud to have been a part of,” Bodzin says. “It’s kind of the standard now for what I want out of music I create in the future. I’m just really excited to have been part of this band.”
Tickets for Matron’s show are $12.47 via dice.fm. Find the music at strangedaisy.com.
Monday -Fridayfrom3-6 p.m.
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Matron plays April 3 at Saturn Bar.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MATRON
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GOING OUT
Pigging out
by Will Coviello
IN A VIDEO POSTED TO ITS INSTAGRAM PAGE, the 2nd Hand Smokers barbecue team shows a member opening the lid of a Big Green Egg grill to reveal a plump, golden brown crusted pork butt. A look of delight slowly transforms to a full serenade, as a tuxedoed keyboardist plays to dubbed Billy Joel’s “She’s Got a Way” in the candlelit night.
It’s an announcement for the team’s participation in this year’s Hogs for the Cause festival on the grounds of the UNO Lakefront Arena on April 4-5. The team came in second place in the social media category last year. But this year, it’s got its sights set on food categories.
“We hope to place in some cooking categories,” says team captain Chris Abide. “We’re improving each year. The biggest improvement is fundraising. Last year, we were at $20,000. This year, we’re already at $65,000-$70,000. We got a little organized this year.”
The 2nd Hand Smokers are among 95 teams competing in the annual barbecue competition and music festival. The 16-year-old event was founded to raise money to help families with children battling pediatric brain cancer. The event has donated a total of more than $12.5 million.
2nd Hand Smokers was started roughly five years ago by Sean Lozes. The team is basically an extended group of friends split between New Orleans and the Northshore. As they’ve grown and become more organized, they’ve acquired a custom trailer rig with a smoker, fryer and flattop grill. It allows them to do pop-up fundraisers in advance of the festival. They recently sold pork belly burnt ends, chicken wings and pulled pork sandwiches at Bayou Daiquiris in Metairie.
Their menu and cooking are run by Harris Schwing, who’s not a professional chef or pitmaster but has a passion for cooking. At Hogs, they’ll serve his signature 2nd Hand Wings, tri-tip sandwiches and an item they’re calling brisket shotgun shells. They’re fresh ground brisket and cheddar cheese in a manicotti shell wrapped in bacon. On Saturday, they’ll serve ribs with sides of baked beans and mac and cheese, pork belly bao buns and pulled pork Philly sandwiches topped with cheese and caramelized onions and bell peppers.
At the festival, teams set up booths, from simple tents to three-story structures with themes reflecting the team’s identity. They serve all sorts of dishes, particularly items featuring pulled pork, ribs and pork belly. There are many creative and indulgent dishes, like bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapenos and bacon-wrapped Oreos. There also are many non-pork items and vegetarian dishes as well.
The festival has three music stages, and the lineup is topped by country and Americana acts, such as singer-songwriter Charley Crockett, country and rock singer Stephen Wilson Jr., bluegrass and country star Zach Top, country singer Willow Avalon, and alt-country band The Droptines. The lineup also features blues rocker Eddie 9V, Brooklyn indie rockers Gooseberry, New Orleans funk band The Rumble and more.
The purpose of Hogs for the Cause is to raise money to assist families with children undergoing cancer treatment. The nonprofit organization recently announced a $1 million donation to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. It has previously donated funds to Children’s Hospital New Orleans and Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge for housing for families with children at the facilities. It also has distributed $2.7 million through grants directly to families.
For tickets and information about the festival, go to hogsfest.org. For information about the nonprofit’s work and impact, go to hogsforthecause.org.
FRENCH QUARTER FEST ISSUE
2nd Hand Smokers at Hogs for the Cause PHOTO PROVIDED BY 2ND HAND SMOKERS
Unburying the past
by Kaylee Poche
SOMETIMES THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL MOMENTS in a family’s past are the ones they don’t talk about together very often.
Decades after it made national headlines, the 1983 kidnapping and murder of Aubrey LaHaye in Evangeline Parish had become one of those events.
That is, until his great-granddaughter Jordan LaHaye Fontenot decided to start digging and turn the story into a book that’s part memoir and part true-crime.
“I realize I’ve almost never heard anyone speak of Aubrey at all,” Fontenot writes in “Home of the Happy,” out April 1. “To me and my brothers and my cousins, it was almost as though he had never existed, much less been killed so spectacularly.”
The tragedy — in which LaHaye, a retired bank owner in his 70s and an influential figure in the rural Acadiana parish, was suddenly taken from his home and killed — still affects his family more than 40 years later.
“PawPaw’s murder,” her dad told her, “it’s changed everything about who we are. All our lives were changed forever.”
So Fontenot decided she needed to start asking her family about the very thing they avoid talking about while they’re still around to talk. As a journalist and managing editor of Country Roads magazine, she knew that would mean asking her loved ones uncomfortable questions about the darkest chapter of their family history, even in their sometimes declining health.
Even after law enforcement investigations and nearly a decade of research and interviews by Fontenot, a lot remains unknown about what truly happened in 1983, including the exact time of Aubrey LaHaye’s death.
The day he was kidnapped, the family got a ransom call, but the caller never followed up like he said he would, so they could never pay. Was it ever about money?
Many suspects were floated, but ultimately, John Brady Balfa was convicted of LaHaye’s murder. However, there are valid questions about the timeframe of the killing, the evidence used against Balfa and claims from Balfa’s lawyer that the state withheld information from her that would have helped his case.
In the book, Fontenot wonders what her great-grandfather would think of her asking and writing about his murder. She thinks about the family tragedies that followed his death, including deaths, divorce, illness and troubles with the feds over his bank. Would these events have happened if Aubrey LaHaye didn’t die?
But the thing about changing the past is that you can’t remove the bad without creating a ripple effect.
Ultimately, her father says, his grandfather’s death changed where he went to college, which led him to decide to become a doctor instead of a veterinarian. That then brought him to Galveston, where he met Fontenot’s mom.
“If PawPaw Aubrey hasn’t been killed,” he tells her. “I’m not sure you would exist.”
But “Home of the Happy” is not just a thorough examination of the murder itself and its impact on the LaHaye family. It’s also interwoven with Louisiana history, as Fontenot adds context that paints the backdrop of Louisiana before and after her great-grandfather’s murder.
He and her great-grandmother MawMaw Emily were Cajun and spoke French before they spoke English, part of a generation that was beaten in school yards when they forgot English words, as part of the persecution of Cajuns.
Aubrey LaHaye also grew up during the Black Codes following the Civil War, which required all Black people to have a white employer that not only controlled their work but also their movements, living arrangements, businesses and whether they had access to firearms. Aubrey’s father had almost all Black workers on his farm.
The title of the book might not be the most expected choice for a book about a murder, but it’s taken from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie,” which Fontenot remembers reading in school.
“In that classroom, we did not learn of the Acadians’ Mi’kmaq allies, or of Halifax, or the names of our ancestors,” she writes. “We learned only of an idyllic, ever-faithful woman, vanished from her home into a wanderer’s existence, spending the rest of her life searching, without rest, for her lost love.”
Jordan LaHaye Fontenot, author of “Home of the Happy: A Murder on the Cajun Prairie.”
PHOTO BY LESLIE WESTBROOK / THE ACADIANA ADVOCAT
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PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE
THREE-PART LINK
By Frank A. Longo
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALEB DUFRESNE!
Michael Styles (504) 777-1773 nolastyles.com
1 Artifacts from Botswana, Kenya, etc.
9 Novelist Truman
15 Sends junk email to
20 Becomes a missing GI
21 Relative key of G major
Implied wordlessly
23 [Quick-Swift-Speedy]
25 Film ad, e.g. 26 Quite often 27 Wordless “yes” 28 Camp bed 29 Husband on “Bewitched” 30 -- de plume
Sahara viper
Submit (to)
[Kinship-Brotherhood-Camaraderie]
Merchandise: Abbr.
Cushion
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Lambaste
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Old West casino game 56 Drug buster
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59 [Custom-Tradition-Convention]
63 Thieved 65 Ark builder
33 [Feat-Deed-Exploit] 37 Disregards
67 Animal having a backbone
68 [MarriageNuptials-Union]
73 Gymnast Nadia
75 Gas brand in Canada
76 Cave dwarf of folk tales
79 [Personal-Confidential-Intimate]
-- Bator, Mongolia
Territory
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Burnt -- crisp
“I’m -- loss” 113 Soul singer India
“Stop, mate!” 118 [NatureEssence-Quality]
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38 Outstanding
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40 Take a pic of
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Crime solver: Abbr.
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Tax pros 74 Kind of whale 77 Seventh-century pope
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