Gambit: Summer Bars & Cocktails Issue 2026

®

June 15-21 2026

Volume 47 Number 24

ACME FENCECOMPANY

Spacious and spectacular 3bed,2 bath,light-filled 1,813 SqFtCORNER unitcondo at the historic Cotton Mill with 11 oversized windows andsoaring ceilings! Sixclosetsprovide ample storage.Anupstairsloftwith wroughtironrailings could serveasaguest bedroom or homeofce. Unique NewOrleans touches include custom-madeBevololights and pendantlighting from Rosetree GlassArtists

Well-maintained, the condo associationofownersofthe 287units,the largest in Louisiana, completed atotally newroofin2026. Itsfinancial position is solidwith impressive operating and reservefunds. Flood zone X.

TheCottonMill also ofersanextensivefitness center,heated pool, outdoor grilling area, large entertainmentroom, well-stockedlibrary,anoutdoordog run, and three large courtyards. Garage parking across the street is available. Many restaurants, bars,and museumsare within a 5- or 10-minute walk. Pets arewelcome.

STAFF

ADVERTISING

Advertising Inquiries (504) 483-3150

Advertising Director | SA N DY ST E I N BRO N D U M [sstein@gambitweekly.com]

Sales and Marketing Manager

ABIGAIL BORD E LO N ( 504 ) 636 -7427 [abigail.bordelon@gambitweekly.com]

Sales Representatives

K E LLY SO NN I E R RODRIG UE Z ( 504 ) 483-3143 [ksonnier@gambitweekly.com]

BO U É

Associate Art Director | E MMA DA VIA

CHARLI E THOMAS ( 504 ) 636 -7438 [cthomas@gambitweekly.com]

B ENNE TT G E STO N ( 504 ) 483 -3116

[bennett.geston@gambitweekly.com]

ALYSSA HA U PTMA N N ( 504 ) 483 -1123

[alyssa.hauptmann@gambitweekly.com]

(

Graphic Designer | GAVI N DO N ALDSO N Contributing Graphic Designers | SCOTT FORSYTH E , JASMY NE WHIT E , J E FF M EN D E L

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

Billing Inquiries 1 (225) 388-0185

) 636 -7426 [lauren.cunningham@theadvocate.com] Sales and Marketing Coordinator

CLAR E BRI E RR E [clare.brierre@gambitweekly.com]

LIO NE L N OSACKA [lionel.nosacka@gambitweekly.com]

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Positive vibration

Cyril Neville releases new

album ‘Don’t Wait Til I’m Gone’

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, CYRIL NEVILLE

SPENT THANKSGIVING MORNING at the Orleans Justice Center. Trumpeter Irvin Mayfield had invited the New Orleans funk legend to join him and his band for an early concert for jail staff and a group of incarcerated people residing at OJC.

There were a lot of young people in the crowd, Neville says, and he felt the need to give them some advice.

“I said, ‘Look, y’all might be in here right now, but just remember you are the master of your destiny. You’re the captain of your soul, and you can change this when you leave here,’ ” Neville recently recalled.

A couple of weeks later, the experience was still rolling around Neville’s head when he was in the studio with trumpeter and producer Shamarr Allen working on new music. Allen played a track for Neville and he immediately knew what to write. Fifteen minutes later, they had the song “Lemonade.”

Neville says he “had this picture in my head of those young people and how much strength there was and how much of our future was sitting in that room, wasting away.”

The Hot 8 Brass Band drives the irrepressible track, and Neville urges the listener to work toward their goals and “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” It’s an example of the sense of encouragement and optimism that percolates throughout Neville’s new album, “Don’t Wait Til I’m Gone,” which was released May 29.

“Don’t Wait Til I’m Gone” is the first studio full-length since 2013 for the storied 77-year-old Neville, who formed The Neville Brothers with his older siblings Aaron and the late Art and Charles, and also performed with The Meters.

The album got rolling with a simple phone call from Allen, Neville says.

“He’s kind of renegade like me,” Neville says. “So when he called me about doing this record, it was like no hesitation, because I felt something good was going to come out of this.”

Allen has performed with a range of musicians over his career, including Galactic, Rebirth Brass Band, Patti LaBelle and Willie Nelson, and he’s mixed together funk, hip-hop, rock and other genres in his own music and with his band The Underdawgs. His adventurousness helped push Neville out of his comfort zone, Neville says.

“I was hesitant to embrace some of the newer avenues they have now for

by Jake Clapp |

recording, but I finally was convinced to get out of my own way,” Neville says. “And the result is an album that’s a beautiful musical gumbo of New Orleans culture.”

Along with Allen, “Don’t Wait Til I’m Gone” features Neville’s son, drummer Omari Neville, and Omari’s band The Fuel: bassist Daryl Johnson (who played with the Neville Brothers), guitarist Gregg Molinario and keyboardist Austin Clements. Omari Neville & The Fuel also released an album, “Voo Doo,” on May 29, blending rock, funk and blues.

“All of them have been soaking up New Orleans culture all of their lives,” Cyril Neville says.

Trumpeter and singer Kermit Ruffins guests on the buoyant “Positive Is How I Live.” And saxophonist Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr. and Aaron Neville are featured on the title track, which Aaron co-wrote with pianist Michael Goods.

An example of waiting for the right time, Cyril had recorded a version of “Don’t Wait Til I’m Gone” — a reminder that the musicians, artists and loved ones around you deserve appreciation before it’s too late — with Aaron and Good about 10 years ago while visiting Aaron in Upstate New York. But life happens, and the recording was never finished until Allen got a hold of the song, Cyril says.

This year is the 50th anniversary of The Wild Tchoupitoulas’ self-titled album, an influential Mardi Gras Indian funk record that featured the four

Neville brothers recording together alongside The Meters. Cyril has often paid tribute to Black Masking Indian traditions and his place in the culture during his live shows, and this year he’s has been celebrating the 1976 album, including at Jazz Fest when he brought out members of The Wild Tchoupitoulas to perform with him. With help from guitarist Leo Nocentelli and keys player Ivan Neville, Cyril uses the song “Poppa Wa Ditty” to tell the origin story of the tribe, which was founded by the Nevilles’ uncle George Landry, better known as Big Chief Jolly. Bookending the album, a pair of songs titled “Sunrise on the River,” point to the Mississippi River’s sacredness in the Masking Indian tradition.

“Don’t Wait Til I’m Gone” also features a couple of up-and-coming musicians. Allen’s 15-year-old son Donte plays trumpet on the track “Our Love,” a smooth, soulful tune Neville dedicated to his wife. (There’s also a subtle nod to The Meters’ “Be My Lady” in the horn line). And Neville’s grandson, Ari, 19, wrote the progressive R&B track “You Hold Me Down.”

It was intentional to include the next generation in his recording, Neville says. “That’s a New Orleans tradition,” Neville says. “I wouldn’t be the musician I am without people like ‘Smokey’ (Johnson) paying attention to me — James Black, James Booker. So that’s my duty. If I see something, I’m supposed to magnify it.”

Neville says recording “Don’t Wait Til I’m Gone” was a good experience. There was a lot of laughter, joy and mutual respect in the process.

“It’s all about that love and respect that all of us have for each other,” he says. “We all understand that we’re on a job. This is our duty to keep [New Orleans music] going, keep it developing and keep it expanding.”

Kevin Morby

Kevin Morby was a member of the indie folk rock band Woods and formed the garage rock outfit The Babies with Cassie Ramone. But over the last decade, Morby has focused on his solo project, releasing a steady stream of exceptional folk rock albums that’s reached wider and wider audiences. He recently released his eighth album, “Little Wide Open,” and now plays Tipitina’s at 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 16. Liam Kazar opens. Tickets are $41.19 via tipitinas.com.

NOLA Juneteenth

The Juneteenth Festival in Congo Square features music by Dawn Richard, Flagboy Giz and DJ RQ Away, dance by Watotos of Kumbuka, and performers like poet Bethany Livers and more. The festival begins at noon Friday, June 19, and it has a vendor market as well. Admission is free. There’s a NOLA Juneteenth forum on Saturday, June 20, at the Andre Cailloux Center. Visit nolajuneteenthfestival.org for details.

Jay Electronica

Jay Electronica, a New Orleans native who found success in New York, takes his time releasing music and doesn’t tour often. But it’s largely because the hip-hop artist moves with intention — and it’s usually worth the wait. He’s been highly praised for his deep, mystical lyricism and poetic views and has worked with everyone from Jay-Z to the late MF Doom. He makes a rare hometown stop to close his “Nineteen Day Reconnaissance” tour. Jay Electronica performs with DJ Kelly Green and Landon Wordswell at 7 p.m. Friday, June 19, at Howlin’ Wolf. Tickets start at $39.42 via thehowlinwolf.com.

Cyril Neville PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

Jay Electronica PROVIDED PHOTO

THUMBS UP/ THUMBS DOWN

OPENING GAMBIT

NEW ORLEANS NEWS + VIEWS

St. Slammany really ain’t beatin’ the allegations.

GiveNOLA Day, the annual fundraising push for New Orleans nonprofits, raised more than $8.2 million on May 5 for 1,005 participating organizations, the Greater New Orleans Foundation reported. GNOF organizes the campaign, which this year had support from the Baptist Community Ministries, Entergy, Ochsner Health and other sponsors. Around 49,700 donations were made this year, and the campaign has now raised more than $79.5 million in the last 13 years. 18

Mismanaged Sewerage & Water Board project forces historic Black-owned Café Sbisa to permanently close

Blue Krewe, the nonprofit that operates Blue Bikes, clocked its 1 millionth ride since the bikeshare program launched in 2021, the organization recently said. The ride happened during Mardi Gras, and Blue Bikes — which has been able to roll out more bicycles this year thanks to a federal grant — has had a busy 2026 with 94,000 rides taken through May, including 12,500 during the two weeks of Jazz Fest.

THE HISTORIC CAFÉ SBISA, ONE OF THE FEW BLACK OWNED RESTAURANTS IN THE FRENCH QUARTER , served its last meal, thanks to the botched construction project that continues to plague businesses along lower Decatur Street.

The restaurant announced the decision in a June 7 Instagram post.

“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close the restaurant. While we explored every option to remain open, the ongoing construction ultimately made it impossible to continue,” the restaurant’s management said in the post.

“We, the Napoli and Singleton Families, fought to keep a historic New Orleans institution alive through grief, economic challenges, and nearly a year of construction disruption. While Café Sbisa may be closing its doors, the larger conversation is whether the city of New Orleans can afford to lose the very small businesses that makes it unique,” they added.

Sbisa from 1992 to 2005, and the late chef Alfred Singleton, who began his career at the restaurant as a prep cook. Singleton passed away earlier this year.

In an interview with the TimesPicayune, Napoli lamented the negative impacts the construction project has had on business and the lower Decatur area in general.

“You get no foot traffic, there’s no visual sight of the restaurant... there are no tourists walking that part of Decatur Street. It’s a dead zone.”

Last August, the Sewerage & Water Board closed the stretch of Lower Decatur to begin replacing water mains under the street. As part of the project, S&WB set up huge fences with green fabric on them.

THE NUMBER OF DRINKS POLICE SAY ST. TAMMANY PARISH SHERIFF RANDY SMITH ORDERED BEFORE WILDIN’ OUT ON BOBBY COUVILLION AT KEITH YOUNG’S STEAKHOUSE IN MANDEVILLE.

According to his arrest warrant, Smith’s $346 bar tab included five glasses of Walking Fool wine, four Happy Hour vodka martinis, seven Titos vodkas, one Tanqueray gin and one Ketel One Vodka. Prior to the attack, Smith allegedly told Couvillion “I’m going to kill you, you motherfucker” and “You’re a dead motherfucker.”

State lawmakers haven’t yet put money from this year’s budget toward keeping public school teachers from taking a pay cut, but they were able to include $20,000-$25,000 pay raises for seven of Gov. Jeff Landry’s cabinet secretaries. They now have until June 23 to vote to move $168 million from public school operations to pay for the $2,000 and $1,000 stipends public school teachers and support staff have been receiving the last three years. C’EST WHAT ?

Originally opened in 1899, Sbisa is one of the oldest fine dining restaurants in the city. Although it closed for a decade following Hurricane Katrina, it reopened in 2016 under Craig Napoli, who previously ran

The project is now expected to be completed this fall – though given S&WB’s track record with meeting deadlines, it’s unclear when it will actually be finished. S&WB has for years been plagued by lengthy delays to its projects across New Orleans, often leaving long stretches of road torn up for months at a time with little or no work being done.

The Decatur Street project, which is part of a FEMA-funded effort to replace the more than 100 year old water pipes, has had a host of

Cafe Sbisa has closed due to S&WB construction on Decatur Street.

PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

Wa tc hLouisiana’ sb est che fs co mpet ew hile enjoying tasting sf ro m re staur an ts acr os sJ ef fe rson Pa rish

PONT C HAR TR AIN CENTER

45 45 WILLI A MS BOULEVAR D, KENNER

FRI DAY, JUNE 26 ,2 02 6

SC AN FOR TICKETS &I NFO

issues. Businesses say the board’s communication has been at best uneven, and even when it does provide updates they are confusing or outright impossible to understand.

A city official told Gambit the board has also had significant problems with communication with other utilities affected by the construction, which has led to significant delays.

The project has had a devastating effect on businesses on Decatur.

Benji Lee, owner of Santos, told WGNO he’s lost 32% of his expected revenue since the project began.

Likewise, Turtle Bay co-owner Steve Smith told Fox 8 he’s seen a 30% drop. “In a small business like this, that’s everything,” Smith said.

Napoli told the Times-Picayune that while he discussed the problems with city officials, they didn’t offer anything in the way of help, telling him “they had their hands kind of tied.”

Steve Nelson, the city’s deputy chief administrative officer for infrastructure and public works, told the paper,“I know the project is definitely very disruptive, but I know the board is working to get it completed as quickly as possible.” — John Stanton Pearl River authorities drop charges against anti-ICE protestors

OFFICIALS ON THE NORTHSHORE HAVE DROPPED CHARGES AGAINST THREE PEOPLE ARRESTED for protesting the Trump regime’s violent anti-immigrant campaign after prosecutors acknowledged their protest is protected by the First Amendment.

straplessbeauty

In January, Pearl River police arrested Lauren McKinney, Isabella Potkoski and Kourtnie Potkoski during a small protest at an intersection against the regime’s crackdown.

Police accused the trio of illegally blocking traffic and using profanity. Protesters had signs that read “FUCK ICE” and apparently also flipped the bird.

But prosecutor Collin Sims told the Times-Picayune June 8 he was dropping the charges after St. Tammany officials couldn’t find anyone to backup claims by police that the protesters were blocking traffic.

“If you’re yelling ‘F you, fascist,’ all that’s fine, as long as it’s not being screamed from the middle of a roadway,” Sims told the paper, adding that since no witnesses to the traffic disruption allegations could be found. “We thought the appropriate thing to do was to dismiss the case.”

The regime’s crackdown has resulted in multiple deaths – including the killing of U.S. citizens – and the forcible disappearance of tens of thousands of people.

Buddy Spell, the Covington lawyer representing the protesters, told the Times-Picayune, “I’m pleased that the DA’s office evaluated the case and declined to prosecute ... I certainly wish that they had not accepted the charges to begin with, but better late than never.”

In a statement to the TimesPicayune, Kourtnie Potkoski said, “I think it is extremely important right now, while the country is so divided, to realize that we all have First Amendment rights no matter what side we are on.” — John Stanton

shop @ gaetanasnola

From L to R, Isabella Potkoski, 19, of Pearl River, Kourtnie Potkoski, 54, of Pearl River, and Lauren McKinney, 34, of Slidell, protested on Thursday at the same intersection in Pearl River where they had been arrested for disturbing the peace on Jan. 28, 2026.

FILE PHOTO FROM THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

@GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com

Hey Blake,

I read that my favorite grocery store, Dorignac’s, was named one of the “most legendary grocery stores in the South” by Southern Living. The story mentioned its original location in the Lower Garden District. Where was it and when did they open in Metairie?

Dear reader,

DORIGNAC’S FOOD CENTER has been a Metairie landmark since the 1960s and is one of the largest-grossing grocers per square foot in the nation. In its February article, Southern Living singled out the popular store for its bakery, deli and local products as well as its “old-school customer service.”

Joseph P. Dorignac Jr. opened his first grocery on Jackson Avenue in 1947. He worked in the grocery business as a boy, learning to become a butcher while working at Frey’s grocery.

“After a while, old man Frey saw that his business wasn’t going anywhere and ... said, ‘Joe, why don’t you find you a little meat market?’ ” Dorignac explained in a 1980 Times-Picayune profile. “And the old man put up $350 and I took over the notes on a little place near Jackson Avenue between Rousseau and St. Thomas.”

BLAKE VIEW

That store in the 500 block of Jackson Avenue became Dorignac’s Bell Super Market, part of the Bell grocery chain. In 1963, Dorignac purchased land for a bigger store in Metairie at 710 Veterans Memorial Blvd. Much of Metairie was still undeveloped at that time.

“When we opened, we had to put a map in our ads so people could find it. This was the boonies,” Dorignac’s son Joseph “Joey” Dorignac III told The Times-Picayune in 2004.

In addition to the grocery business, Dorignac was also well-known for his interest in thoroughbred horse racing.

In the 1970s, he became the largest stockholder of the New Orleans Fair Grounds. He also had his own stables and a standout horse named Cangirod (Dorignac spelled backwards).

Joseph Dorignac Jr. died in 1991. His son continued to run the store until his death in 2006. Joey Dorignac’s children and other relatives now own and operate the store.

WHILE NEW ORLEANS LOVES ITS SNOWBALLS, beating the summer heat in years gone by also meant a trip to a local dairy or ice cream parlor for a frozen treat. One of the oldest was Sealtest Dairy, which began in 1924 as the Cloverland Dairy, at 3400 S. Carrollton Ave. Sealtest bought Cloverland in 1950 and continued to process and sell milk, ice cream and other products there at its retail spot into the 1970s. Since 1986, the building has been home to a post office.

In 1949, Borden built a large dairy plant at 1751 Airline Drive in Metairie. In addition to packaging milk, cream, cottage cheese and ice cream there, the dairy also had a retail outlet that served ice cream, milkshakes, banana splits and more. The facility closed and was demolished in 1991. It is now the site of Hurwitz Mintz Furniture.

Melba’s, opened in 1956 at 1706 Franklin Ave., was a locally-owned favorite for ice cream, malts, shakes, sundaes and more. In the 1980s, Melba’s franchises opened in five other spots, including Metairie, Kenner and Harvey. The name was revived after Hurricane Katrina by the owners of the Wagner’s Meat and Chicken Box chain, whose Melba’s eateries on Elysian Fields and Tulane Avenues are open 24 hours.

Dorignac’s Food Center FILE PHOTO

Summer Keeping Spirits Up

DECATUR STREET BARS RALLY TO SURVIVE

BY JOHN STANTON | GAMBIT EDITOR • PHOTOS BY MADDIE SPINNER

FOR DECADES, Lower Decatur Street has always been a rough, rowdy and fun stretch of the French Quarter. While much of the Quarter has gentrified, Lower Decatur has held onto its edge, and long been a favorite haunt of poets, journalists, musicians and service industry workers looking to unwind after a long shift catering to tourists.

It’s a tight knit community. Bartenders, shop owners and residents all know, and look out, for each other. It can feel a little insular to outsiders at first. But spend a little time drinking in The Abbey or catching a punk show at Santos and you’ll quickly find it’s a fun, welcoming space. And as the Quarter becomes increasingly less residential and local shops are replaced with anodyne tourist spots, Lower Decatur has become the last vestiges of the neighborhood’s bohemian history.

But now, what makes Lower Decatur so unique – the bars, restaurants and other small businesses at its heart – is in danger of being destroyed.

On June 10, the restaurant Lufu announced it was closing its Decatur location. Not because the gutter punks loitering on the street made doing business there hard, or because of mismanagement. And surely not because it’s food, which earned its Central Business District location a Michelin nod, couldn’t draw a crowd.

Lufu is pulling out of Lower Decatur because the Sewerage & Water Board has turned the street into a disaster zone – leaving blocks of ripped up asphalt and massive fences and forcing small business owners, residents and workers to fend for themselves.

And it’s not just relatively new businesses like Lufu that are being forced out. Cafe Sbisa, one of the oldest restaurants in the city – and one of the only Black-owned restaurants in the Quarter – announced it had served its last meal June 7. The curio shop Dead on Decatur, meanwhile, closed up shop in May after seeing its sales drop by 50%.

To be sure, the construction is necessary. Like much of the city, the French Quarter’s water mains are a hundred or more years old. Repairs to the system have been overdue for decades.

But it’s how the construction project has happened – and the utter lack of

CITY CONSTRUCTION CHAOS

support from the city for folks who live and work on Lower Decatur – that’s the problem.

Communication has been terrible, and business owners routinely say they can’t get straight answers from S&WB on the project’s progress – or when it will actually end. First, businesses were told the project that began last September would end in February. That date never felt realistic – you only have to look out your own front door at its construction projects in most neighborhoods to know S&WB and its contractors would never meet such a quick deadline. So when it slipped to the spring, nobody was surprised.

But then it was delayed till the summer. Most recently, businesses are being told it will wrap up in the fall. Hopefully. City officials will tell you what’s happening on Decatur can’t be prevented,

and that lengthy disruptions are simply unavoidable given the scope of the problems they’re trying to fix.

But that’s only partially true. City leaders have known for literal decades that century-old water mains, broken sewer lines and crumbling streets needed to be replaced. Rather than take manageable bites of the proverbial apple, they repeatedly kicked the can down the road until conditions deteriorated so badly they had no choice but to undertake a massive project that will last more than a year.

S&WB and City Hall surely knew this project would take a significant amount of time. Construction in the Quarter is always tricky. If the river is too high, you have to stop. If you find historical artifacts, construction has to stop. If power lines need to be moved, construction has to stop. If it rains too much? You

guessed it, construction has to stop. Clearly, S&WB and the city understood all this – and should have planned for not just delays but also to help the neighborhood survive.

But they didn’t.

Given all that, it can feel, well, pretty bleak. But it doesn’t have to be. As the Defend Decatur block party last month showed, New Orleanians care. Huge crowds of people filled the cramped sidewalks, bars and restaurants, and gave businesses and workers a much needed injection of cash.

Organizers are planning additional events on Lower Decatur, which will help. Until the fences come down and life starts to get back to normal (whatever that is), Lower Decatur needs us to turn out the rest of the time as well. Whether it’s hitting Molly’s at the Market for happy hour or Coop’s for dinner or Aunt

ABITABEER

40th ANNIVERSARY

Cheersto40years of Abita!

Brewed with bright hops and atouch of honey, this celebratory beer is ourway of saying thanks forthe loyalty, support,and good times- past,present,and future.

Style- HoneyBlondeAle

ABV- 8.0%

ISSUE 2026 Summer

SUNCRUISER

SunCruiser,a hard teacrafted with authenticbrewedtea and premiumvodka, blending sweetness andrefreshment seamlessly. With 4.5% ABV, 100caloriesper 12oz can, and gluten-free, it's theperfect drink forany time of day. Letthe goodtimes cruise!

Style- ReadytoDrink

ABV- 4.5%

Tiki’s for a late nightcap, the only way these bars and restaurants can survive is with our help. But it can’t end there. City Hall and the broader business community need to do their part as well. It’s not like city leaders haven’t moved heaven and earth to get things done or find creative ways to help businesses – when they want to.

In the run-up to the 2025 Super Bowl, the city poured millions into infrastructure projects and other improvements needed to host the NFL’s big game. Former Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the City Council also turned over much of the city to the NFL and its corporate sponsors, who syphoned up most of the money that came into New Orleans – at the expense of small businesses and workers, particularly in the Quarter. City officials are bending over backwards to finalize a deal for a new Omni Hotel, including giving the company decades of massive tax breaks and other incentives. They’ve even been open to the prospect of Elon Musk building some sort of tunnel (despite the fact that New Orleans neither needs nor wants such a thing) if for no other reason than it sends a positive message to other tech companies and investors. Obviously, attracting new businesses and events, encouraging new construction and securing outside investment is critically important to New Orleans’ long-term success. Like it or not, our economy relies on tourism – and that means luring big events to town and building hotels. It doesn’t have to be an either/or situation. But it’s a hard pill to swal-

low when the very small businesses and workers who help make New Orleans a tourist destination in the first place can’t even get a straight answer on when construction will end – let alone some sort of financial assistance to get them through it. City officials need to find ways to help Decatur Street businesses and workers before another fixture closes for good. And critically, they should start building these sorts of considerations into the planning process for future large scale infrastructure projects, not only in the Quarter but across the city.

If we can find tax breaks, grants and other types of subsidies for new businesses and massive entities like the NFL, surely the city can find them for the people who make New Orleans what it is.

Let’s Grab a Drink

get to know Decatur Street bartenders

INTERVIEWS BY SARAH RAVITS • PHOTOS BY MADDIE SPINNER

BAILEE BROYARD

GENERAL MANAGER AT MOLLY’S AT THE MARKET

Where did you start bartending?

I started at my own family’s business, Saturn Bar. We sold it a few years ago, and now I work here for another family (the Monaghans).

What’s your favorite spirit?

It changes with the seasons, but probably rum.

What’s your go-to drink?

A daiquiri or a Mai Tai.

Where do you hang out when you’re not working?

Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29, Manolito, Bar Tonique.

What music would you put on a fun playlist?

For the daytime, Fats Domino, and for nighttime, The Buzzcocks to get pop-punk vibes going.

What can the city do to help Lower Decatur bars and employees?

Transparency goes a long way with me. I went to one meeting back in February, and they said the fence would be down in two weeks. Then they said it would be down before French Quarter Fest (which is in April), then there was radio silence. It’s obviously not done. I like the new mayor, but I’d like her to see what it looks like down here. There are safety issues and quality of life issues — maybe a sales tax break would help.

SUMMER DRINK RECIPE:

Be Nice or Leave

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 ounce lime juice

• 1/2 ounce simple syrup

— a play on a rum daiquiri

• 1/4 ounce pineapple juice

• 1/2 ounce of Giffard Fraise des Bois

• 2 ounces of Planteray Cut & Dry rum

DIRECTIONS:

Shake it and stir, serve straight up.

ROWEN BARBER

How long have you been a bartender?

About 20 years.

Where did you start bartending?

I started bartending in Baltimore. I moved here in the beginning of 2017, and I’ve been here at Santos since 2022.

What is your favorite spirit?

I love me some Cynar.

What’s your go-to drink?

A nice lime juice gin gimlet or a High Noon.

Where do you hang out when you’re not working?

I love making sure I support everyone else on Lower D. I do the rounds — Aunt Tiki’s, The Abbey, Molly’s and if I’m feeling froggy, I’ll go over to The Kerry (Irish Pub) or the Chart Room.

What music would you put on a fun playlist?

“A/B Machines” by Sleigh Bells. As an elder millennial, I love Sleigh Bells and girl punk, abrasive, noisy, poppy songs. Also, “Could You Love Me?” by End It to kick off a Lower Decatur punk vibe.

What can the city do to help Lower Decatur bars and employees?

A little communication would go a long way. That’s been lacking, despite how much we ask for it. I know they helped a lot by taking the fence down at the intersection of Gov. Nicholls and Decatur streets, but the rest of the block is still struggling. We really just want the fences down.

BAR MANAGER AT SANTOS

SUMMER DRINK RECIPE: Spicy Mango Margarita

— to serve a crowd

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bottle of Ghost Blanco tequila

• 16 ounces of mango puree

• 16 ounces of sweetened lime juice

• 8 ounces of sour mix

DIRECTIONS:

We serve it frozen at the bar, but to make it at home, shake it and pour over ice. Serve with a Tajin-rimmed glass.

JAKE DEIOTTE

BAR LEAD AT CANE AND TABLE

How long have you been a bartender?

I’ve been bartending for about 10 years.

Where did you start bartending?

I started at a number of breweries and craft beer bars up in Chicago.

What’s your favorite spirit?

Rum, absolutely. That appealed to me (about working at Cane & Table, a rumforward bar). It’s fun and diverse, and there’s always new things to try with the spirit.

What’s your go-to drink?

A classic daiquiri. It does an excellent job of showcasing the spirit, and if you know what you’re doing, it’s elegant and lovely.

SUMMER DRINK RECIPE

The Blue Oaxaca

What bars do you hang out at?

Holy Diver and Tuff Break Loser’s Lounge. I like loud, dark bars where I can have a beer and a shot and sit in the corner.

What music would you put on a fun playlist?

I would say “Ye Ye De Smell” by Fela Kuti. It has an excellent tropical groove and gets the party going.

What can the city do to help Lower Decatur bars and employees?

Just finish the job ... It’s frustrating seeing the city drag their feet in the final steps in this whole process. They started at the beginning of the busy season, and it’s coming up on a year now. Every day you see progress not being made is a day where businesses lose money. Pick it up, and clear the roadway.

— a riff on a Blue Hawaiian with mezcal

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 ounces of mezcal

• 1/2 ounce of lime juice

• 1 ounce of orange juice

• 1/2 ounce of Blue Curacao

• 3/4 ounce of coconut cream

DIRECTIONS:

Shake with pebble ice, dump into a hurricane glass, and garnish with an orange wheel.

ERIC SMITH

BARTENDER AT TURTLE BAY

How long have you been bartending?

About 15 years.

Where did you get started bartending?

I was up in Virginia, and I was a server, but one of the bartenders left (so I switched). I was about 22 at the time. Then I came down to New Orleans to work at (now-closed) Margaritaville. We’d come over here when we got off work, so then I was like, why not just work at Turtle Bay? It’s fun and laid-back.

What’s your favorite spirit?

Jaeger — with Red Bull.

What’s your go-to drink?

A strawberry daiquiri.

Where do you hang out when you’re not working?

MRB’s around the corner, and here at Turtle Bay.

CARLO GAMBINO

BARTENDER AT AUNT TIKI’S

What music would you put on a fun playlist?

“Get the Party Started” by Pink, but it depends on the crowd.

What can the city do to help Lower Decatur bars and employees?

Care a little more, try a little harder. Clean it up. We need to get rid of this (construction debris) and bring our street back. I don’t have too many problems with the city, but it’s been 263 days. It’s crazy.

SUMMER DRINK RECIPE

The Woo Woo Shooter— it’s simple and easy

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ounce of vodka

• 1/2 ounce of peach Schnapps

• Splash of cranberry juice

DIRECTIONS:

Shake it, pour it into a shot glass. And you have to say “woo woo!” after you drink it.

How long have you been a bartender?

Almost 30 years.

When and where did you start bartending?

Out in Fat City in 1997.

What’s your favorite spirit? Tequila.

What’s your go-to drink?

A mojito.

What bars do you hang out at when you’re not working?

Usually up in here, I just hang out on Decatur Street. Or I stop somewhere between here and my house on Franklin Avenue — I bar crawl home.

What music would you put on a fun playlist?

It depends — you gotta read the vibe of the room. There are a couple songs that get the crowd going here, but they’re vulgar. I like to play cover songs,

like the metal version of (Cardi B’s) “W.A.P” by Leo (Moracchioli). It’s just fun. I go everywhere (with music).

What can the city do to help Lower Decatur bars and employees? It’s been so long, just finish the job.

SUMMER DRINK RECIPE

Classic Mojito

— one of the most refreshing summer drinks out there

INGREDIENTS:

• About 2 ounces light rum

• Splash of simple syrup

• Muddled mint

• 2 ounces of lime juice

DIRECTIONS: Mix, strain, pour over ice, and top with club soda.

ISSUE 2026 Summer

MICHAEL “MICKY” SAUVIAC

BARTENDER AT THE ABBEY

How long have you been a bartender?

On and off for about 30 years. I’ve been at The Abbey for five years.

Where did you get your start in bartending?

TGI Friday’s around 1995, then I worked for Al Copeland. I was also at Avenue Pub before Covid for two years.

What is your favorite spirit?

Right at the moment, I’m drinking tequila.

What’s your go-to drink?

Shot of Espolon tequila with a beer — a High Life.

What bars do you hang out at when you’re not working?

I hang out here, but I usually don’t go out after my shift. But some of my favorite bars are Aunt Tiki’s, Santos and Coop’s, which has the best food. Outside (Decatur Street), I go to Black Penny, Voodoo Lounge and Chart Room.

What music would you put on a fun playlist?

“Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield.

What can the city do to help Lower Decatur bars and employees?

If this construction has to take this long — if we have to go a year with this — then in the (contract) has to be relief for the businesses. The French Quarter is the economic engine of the entire city. When tourism is

down, everyone is down, and too many people make their money off of tourism. Conservatively, we’re down about 30%. Everyone is taking a hit. Economic relief should have been involved in the bid for something that takes this long. It should be much shorter than a year. It’s been since September. It shouldn’t be more than a couple months to fix the fuckin’ street. It was supposed to be done three months ago.

SUMMER DRINK RECIPE

Micky’s Bloody Mary

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 1/2 ounces tomato juice

• Splash of Louisiana hot sauce

• Pinch of horseradish

• More than a few spritzes of Worcestershire (Note: Too much Worcestershire is a secret of a good Bloody Mary.)

• 1 1/2 ounces vodka

• Pickle juice — I use a splash of pickled spicy bean juice

• Squeeze of lemon

• Squeeze of lime

• Pinch of celery salt

DIRECTIONS: Shake it, pour it over ice, and garnish with spicy beans, lemon, lime, and pickled okra.

FRENCH QUARTER MUSEUM NIGHT

THURSDAY,JULY2,4–8 P.M.

Enjoyfreeent ry,livemusic, and special per formance s dur ingext ended hour s at mor et han 11 museums alongt he Fr enchQ uar ter’s cult ur al corr idor.

PARTICIPAT ING MUSEUMS

1850 House • Cabildo • Her mann- Gr ima House

His toricBKHouse &Gar dens • His toricNew Or leans Collec tion

LGBT+Archi ve sProjec tofL ouisiana

New Or leans Foundat ion forFrancophone Cult ur es (Nous )

New Or leans Phar macyMuseum • Old Ur suline Convent Museum

Pr esbytèr e • Pr eser vation Hall

HAPPY HOUR Summer

COURT OF TWO SISTERS

Daily, 3–5 PM

$5 wine specials at the Carriageway Bar

613 Royal Street, New Orleans courtoftwosisters.com

GNARLY BARLEY

Monday–Thursday, 4–6 PM

Half off flagship pints

1709 Corbin Road, Hammond gnarlybeer.com

KATIE’S RESTAURANT

Monday–Friday, 3–6 PM

Half-priced apps from 3–5 PM, $1 off wine and beer, $4 wells

All-Day Happy Hour Specials:

Monday: $5 Manhattan cocktails

Tuesday: $5 margaritas

Wednesday: $5 sangrias

Thursday: $5 cosmos

Friday: $5 martinis

Saturday & Sunday:

$25 bottomless mimosas, Bloody Marys, and sangria

3701 Iberville Street, New Orleans katiesinmidcity.com

PEACOCK ROOM

Daily, 4–6 PM

Cocktails, wine, beer, and snacks starting at $5

501 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans peacockroomnola.com

KING BRASSERIE

Daily, 5–7 PM

Snacks and sips starting at $5 521 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans kingbrasserieandbar.com

762 COFFEE + COCKTAILS

Daily, 3–6 PM & 9 PM–Close

Monday: $10 martinis

Tuesday: $10 top-shelf margaritas

Wednesday: Half off wine bottles

Thursday: 2-for-1 lemon drops

Friday: Half off champagne bottles

Saturday: $10 whiskey sours

Sunday: $10 Bloody Marys

762 Harrison Avenue, New Orleans 762lakeview.com

LOTSA LUCK

Daily, 11 AM–7 PM

$7 shot of Jameson or Fireball and a Miller

High Life

Monday: $1 off draft pints

Tuesday: $3 Tito’s until 7:00 PM

Wednesday: $3.50 Jameson until 7:00 PM

BANANA BLOSSOM

Tuesday–Saturday, 5–7 PM

Specials on cocktails and small plates

500 9th Street, Gretna 504bananablossom.com

LYON’S CORNER

Sunday–Thursday, 3–6 PM

$7 sips and $2 off bites

535 Gravier Street, New Orleans lyonscornernola.com

ERIN ROSE

Daily, 10 AM–2 PM

Small frozen Irish coffee: $5

Bloody Mary: $5

Champagne mimosa: $3

Screwdriver: $4

Hot Irish coffee: $5 811 Conti Street, New Orleans erinrosebar.com

ORLEANS GRAPEVINE

Daily, 4–6 PM

Bacon Happy Hour with wine flights and cocktails

720 Orleans Avenue, New Orleans orleansgrapevine.com

THE VINTAGE

Daily, 8–11 AM & 3–6 PM

$4–$7 bites, $7 cocktails and wine 3121 Magazine Street, New Orleans thevintagenola.com

BUDSI’S AUTHENTIC THAI

Tuesday–Sunday, 2–6 PM

$3 off all specialty cocktails, $5 Budsiritas 1760 North Rampart Street, New Orleans budsisthai.com

PARLAY’S BAR

Monday-Thursday, 11 AM–7 PM, Friday 11 AM–10 PM

$3.50 domestics, $4.50 imports, $5 house spirits, $5.25 calls 870 Harrison Avenue, New Orleans parlaysbar.com

THEO’S NEIGHBORHOOD PIZZA

Monday: $5 glasses of wine, ½ off domestic beers, ½ off delta 9 seltzers

Tuesday: ½ off draft beers

Wednesday: ½ off bottles of wine

Thursday: ½ off local beers theospizza.com

JUSTINI’S

Tuesday: 4–6 PM

Wednesday: 12–9 PM

Thursday: 3–6 PM

Friday: 3–7 PM

Saturday:5–7 PM

Tacos $4–$6, fish tenders & fries $8, truffle fries $6, traditional burger & fries $13

$5 selected beer, $6 champagne, $8 Lemon Drops, French 75s and Old Fashions 3162 Dauphine Street, New Orleans justinisnola.com

RIVERSHACK TAVERN

Monday–Friday, 4–7 PM 3449 River Road, Jefferson rivershacktavern.com

PAL’S LOUNGE

Daily, 3–7 PM

$0.50 off all drinks

949 North Rendon Street, New Orleans palslounge.com

3RD BLOCK DEPOT

Daily until 3 PM

$3 martinis with purchase of an entree

310 Rue Chartres, New Orleans 3rdblockdepot.com

GARRISON KITCHEN + COCKTAILS

Wednesday–Friday until 6:30 PM, All night bar happy hour every Thursday

$3 All Beers, $6 Wells + Select Wines, $9 Specialty Cocktails

2918 Metairie Road, Metairie garrisonkitchen.com

SHAYA

Monday-Friday, 4–6 PM

Half of hummus and select wines by the glass

4213 Magazine Street, New Orleans shayarestaurant.com

PIZZA DOMENICA

Monday–Friday, 3–5 PM

Half off pizza, draft beers, wines by the glass, and well drinks

Tuesday’s students, teachers and nurses can get happy hour pricing all day with valid ID. 4933 Magazine Street, New Orleans pizzadomenica.com

WILLA JEAN

Monday–Friday, 7–9 AM

Half off brunch drinks, muffins, and snacks 611 O’Keefe Avenue, New Orleans willajean.com

DOMENICA

Daily, 3–5 PM

Half prices pizzas, wines by the glass, spritzes, bellinis, sangria, select beers and well cocktails.

123 Baronne Street, New Orleans domenicarestaurant.com

TAVI

Thursday–Monday, 4–6 PM

Half off hummus and wines by the glass 330 N New Hampshire Street, Covington tavirestaurant.com

LONGUE VUE HOUSE AND GARDENS

Daily, 3–5 PM

$8 signature cocktails, $6 wine, $5 beer and $5 mocktails

7 Bamboo Road, New Orleans longuevue.com

HIGH GRACE

Daily, 8 AM–3 PM

$5 Bloody Marys, mimosas, wells and lavender lemonade

733 St. Peter Street, New Orleans highgracenola.com

MISFIT TOYS

Monday–Tuesday, All Day; Wednesday–Sunday, 12–3 PM

$6 frozen lavender lemonades, mimosas, Bloody Marys and wells; $7 cocktails 410 Bourbon Street, New Orleans misfittoysnola.com

THE ROYAL BAR AT THE OMNI Sunday–Thursday, 3–6 PM

$10 cocktail of the day, $8 highballs, $8 wine, $6 beer and $3 New Orleans-inspired bites 621 St. Louis Street, New Orleans omnihotels.com

ZEA ROTISSERIE & BAR

Monday–Friday, 2–6:30 PM; Saturday–Sunday, 11 AM–5 PM

Monday–Friday: $1 off all beers & mocktails, $2 off specialty cocktails and glass-and-a-half wine pours

Wednesday: All-day Wines of the World bottle specials, with selections varying by location

Saturday–Sunday: $1 off all beers & mocktails, $9 Bellinis and Tito’s Bloody Marys

Father’s Day, June 21: Happy hour all day zearestaurants.com

MERIL

Daily, 2-6 PM; Late-Night Fri & Sat 9-10 PM

½ off wines by the glass, $4 draft beer, $7 cocktails, and $10 select vodka martinis. Deals on French fries, deviled eggs, gumbo, fried turkey necks, tuna bundles, and flatbreads — Margherita, Pepperoni, or Wise Guy.

424 Girod Street, New Orleans bemeril.com

LE BOOZE AT THE ROYAL SONESTA

Monday-Friday 4:00 –6:00 PM

Drink specials and half price appitizers

300 Bourbon Street, New Orleans sonesta.com/royal-sonesta/la/new-orleans

ALDER & BIRCH STEAKHOUSE

Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday Open–6 PM in the Lounge

Select Specialty Cocktail $11, select Wine $11, select Beer $7 and select bites

4540 Williams Boulevard, Kenner treasurechest.boydgaming.com/dine/ alder-and-birch-tc

PAT O’BRIEN’S

Thursdays in the Summer from 4–7 PM

Happy Hour Bar Hop - $6 Domestic Beer + a shot (Jameson, Tito’s, or 1800 Cuervo) at rotating Pat O’ Brien’s Bar each week 718 St Peter, New Orleans patobriens.com

DON’S SEAFOOD

Every day Drink Specials

$7 house wine, $8 House Margarita, $8 House Bloody Mary

4801 Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Metairie Donsseafoodonline.com

AVEGNO

All day happy hour Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday in June and July

$10 wine by the glass, $2 off cocktails, 40% off half bottles. Happy Hour Bites including $10 assorted cookies!

1726 Soniat Street, New Orleans avegnoneworleans.com

STINGRAY’S RESTAURANT & BAR

Daily 3–6 PM

$8 Frozen Margaritas, $8 Frozen Pina Colada, ½ off house wines and $5 Martinis 1303 W Esplanade Avenue, Kenner stingraysseafoodrestaurant.com

1. WHISKEY SOUR

THE WINE BAR AT EMERIL’S

A timeless cocktail that perfectly balances sweet, sour, and smooth. The Whiskey Sour combines rich whiskey with fresh lemon juice and a touch of simple syrup, creating a refreshing drink with bright citrus notes and a silky finish.

334 Julia St, New Orleans emerilsrestaurant.com/the-wine-bar-at-emerils

2. BRUNCH DRINKS

THE COUNTRY CLUB

Join us for our boozy brunch drinks like our Blood Orange Spritz with Mommenpop Blood Orange Liqueur, Blood Orange Juice, Sparkling Wine and our Fairly Odd Collins made with Vodka, Lime Oleo, Blue Curacao, Suze, Cranberry & Soda!

634 Louisa St, New Orleans Thecountryclubneworleans.com

3. COSMO

KATIE’S RESTAURANT

Made with vodka, cranberry, lime, and orange liqueur for the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Enjoy $5 Drink Specials All Day Monday-Friday

3701 Iberville St, New Orleans katiesinmidcity.com

4. LATER ALLIGATOR

DRIP AFFOGATO BAR NOLA

Mezcal, black cherry, fresh lime, cayenne simple, cherry bitters, foam 336 Camp St Ste 100, New Orleans dripa ogato.com

5.

7 DEADLY SINS

THE BURGUNDY BAR AT THE SAINT HOTEL

Pick your vice with one of our 7 Deadly Sin Signature Cocktails 931 Canal Street, New Orleans | thesaintnola.com

6.

PINK LEMONADE SHOTS

MOSCA’S

This summer come try Mosca’s pink lemonade shots made with Titos vodka. Perfect addition to a night of old school Italian cuisine. 4137 US-90 West, Westwego moscasrestaurant.com

7. RIVER BREEZE SPRITZ

RIVERSHACK TAVERN

Blueberry Vodka, champagne, simple syrup, blueberry puree, lemon garnish 3449 River Road, Je erson | rivershacktavern.com

8. SPA MARTINI

ZEA ROTISSERIE & BAR

Crisp, refreshing, and perfect for summer, the Spa Martini is made with Grey Goose La Poire, fresh lemon juice, and cucumber. Enjoy $2 o specialty cocktails during happy hour, Monday through Friday from 2–6:30 p.m. zearestaurants.com/location/new-orleans

9. ESPRESSO MARTINI

THE VINTAGE

Our espresso martini isn’t just a drink; it’s a rendezvous. A clandestine meeting of rich, velvety espresso and the smoothest of spirits, with a whisper of sweetness that lingers. 3121 Magazine St., New Orleans thevintagenola.com

10. THE KING

KING BRASSERIE + BAR

Bourbon, smoked black pepper, honey, lemon 521 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans Kingbrasserieandbar.com

11.

THE DESIGNER

LONGUE VUE HOUSE AND GARDENS

This refreshing mix of vodka, strawberry lemonade and elder ower liqueur is the perfect complement to your leisurely stroll through the gardens at Longue Vue. 7 Bamboo Rd., New Orleans LongueVue.com | 504-488-5488

12.

LAVENDER LEMONADE

MISFIT TOYS

Vodka or Gin-based. Available on the rocks. 733 St Peter St., New Orleans mis ttoysnola.com

13. BARREL-AGED

SIDECAR

ALDER & BIRCH STEAKHOUSE

Remy Martin 1738, Cointreau, fresh lime, sugarrimmed glass, lemon twist 4540 Williams Blvd, Kenner treasurechest.boydgaming.com/dine/ alder-and-birch-tc

14. COMMODORE

LE BOOZE AT THE ROYAL SONESTA

Refreshing blend of Bacardi Superior Rum infused with bright tropical melon avors 300 Bourbon St, New Orleans sonesta.com/royal-sonesta/la/new-orleans

15. HELEN F*CKING MIRREN

PAL’S LOUNGE

The Helen F*cking Mirren cocktail, slightly sweet & spicy 949 N Rendon, New Orleans Instagram.com/palsloungenola

16. HOUSE MARGARITA

DON’S SEAFOOD

Crafted with quality ingredients and served either frozen or on the rocks, it delivers the perfect balance of citrus, sweetness, and smooth tequila in every sip. 4801 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Metairie donsseafoodonline.com

17. ESPRESSO MARTINI

LOTS A LUCK BAR

Vodka, espresso, and co ee liqueur shaken and served chilled, topped with espresso beans. 203 Homedale St, New Orleans

18. BANANAS FOSTER SIGNATURE SHOT

COURT OF TWO SISTERS

Banana liqueur, brandy, and house-made brown sugar simple syrup topped with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon. Souvenir shot glass included. 613 Royal St. | Courtoftwosisters.com

19. MIDNIGHT SUN MARTINI

3RD BLOCK DEPOT INSIDE HOTEL DE LA POSTE

Made with choice of gin or vodka, passion fruit, and pineapple juice, with pink sugar crystal rim. 316 Chartres St. hoteldelapostenola.com

20. BULLDOG SMASH

ANNUNCIATION RESTAURANT

Bourbon, Cointreau, Peach Puree, Mint, Lemon 1016 Annunciation St annunciationrestaurant.com

21. ESPRESSO MARTINI

762 COFFEE + COCKTAILS

Fresh, bold espresso meets Ketel One, Luxardo Espresso, and brown sugar in this chilled, silky, caramelized cocktail made for summer evenings. 762 Harrison Ave | 762lakeview.com

22. MATCHA LATTE-TINI

JUSTINI’S

A vanilla matcha latte spiked with vanilla vodka & Irish Cream! Latte turns Martini! 3162 Dauphine Street, New Orleans Justinisnola.com

23. PAINKILLER

PARLAY’S

2 oz. Gator Bite Satsuma Rum, 4 oz. Pineapple juice, 1 oz. Orange juice, 1 oz. Coco Lopez, Orange slice and cherry garnish. 870 Harrison Ave, New Orleans Parlaysbar.com

24. GOLDEN HOUR

BREAKFAST COCKTAILS

WILLA JEAN

A fresh cocktail in hand, a Southern brunch spread on the way. At Willa Jean, our morning Golden Hour means half-off breakfast cocktails and plenty of reasons to linger a little longer.

611 O’Keefe Ave, New Orleans | Willajean.com

25. MARTINI

BAR 1803 INSIDE LE PAVILLON

From the classic to our specialties cocktails. 833 Poydras St, New Orleans lepavillon.com

26. THE HIGH PRIESTESS

PEACOCK ROOM

Belvedere, Cynar, lemon, white balsamic, strawberry, honey

501 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans hotelfontenot.com peacockroomnola.com

27.

WINE

THEO’S

Enjoy Wednesday’s ½ o bottles of wine Multiple city wide locations theospizza.com

28. TACKLEBOX BLOODY MARY

LEGACY KITCHEN CRAFT TAVERN

Louisiana Specialty Blend of Tomato and Spices with Vodka, Spicy Green Bean. 817 Common St, New Orleans legacykitchen.com

29. SINGAPORE SLING

MIKIMOTO

Gin, Sloe Gin, Cherry Brandy, & Fruit Nectar 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., New Orleans

30. HAND GRENADE

TROPICAL ISLE

Enjoy the sweet melon taste of New Orleans’ most powerful drink: the Hand Grenade. Available at 4 Tropical Isle locations on Bourbon St. & Bourbon Street Honky Tonk, or order Hand Grenade Mix for gift giving or making at home. 721 Bourbon St, New Orleans tropicalisle.com

31. REELIN’ IN THE YEARS

GARRISON KITCHEN + COCKTAILS / YACHT ROCKTAILS

Bacardi white rum, black cherry, lemon+lime, good ice 2918 Metairie Rd, Metairie Garrisonkitchen.com

32. CRABBY MARY

STINGRAY’S RESTAURANT & BAR

In-house bloody Mary mix with all the traditional fixins’ topped with a fried soft shell crab, fried shrimp, & hushpuppies! 1303 W Esplanade Ave, Kenner Stingraysseafoodrestaurant.com

33. PARISIAN SUNSET

VYOONE’S

Cucumber vodka, Lillet Blanc, grapefruit juice, Jamaican jerk bitters 412 Girod St, New Orleans Vyoone.com

34. THE FROZEN BOURBON MILK PUNCH

BOURBON HOUSE

Combining house made vanilla gelato, Benchmark Bourbon, and the iconic New Orleans daiquiri machine. 144 Bourbon St, New Orleans bourbonhouse.com

35. PIMM’S CUP

LEGACY KITCHEN’S TACKLEBOX

A refreshing summer cocktail pairs perfectly with beignets! 817 Common St., New Orleans legacykitchen.com

$

$

COCKTAILS, HAPPY

36. THE SPICY BUDSI-RITA & THAI TEA KEE MAO

BUDSI’S AUTHENTIC THAI

A Thai Chili-infused take on a margarita and a boozy version of Thai Tea? Yes, please. Both cocktails are only $5 during a lengthy happy hour that runs from 2-6pm in the chilled-out Marigny favorite.

1760 N. Rampart St., NOLA | budsisthai.com

37. JUCIFER

GNARLY BARLEY

All Hail Jucifer! This juicy treat is a hazy IPA brewed with plenty of Citra and Mosaic hops for bright avors of mango, papaya, and grapefruit. Jucifer IPA is built for days like this, available now at your local bar, bodega, or grocery retailer. 1709 Corbin Rd., Hammond | gnarlybeer.com

38.

FROZEN IRISH COFFEE

ERIN ROSE

Cool down and Perk up with a delicious take on a traditional Irish co ee. Co ee liqueur and brandy mixed perfectly with ice cream and fresh brewed co ee make this a pleasure any time of day. Always available in our complimentary souvenir cup and feel free to ask for an extra shot!

811 Conti St., New Orleans

39.

BRANDY CRUSTA

THE ROYAL BAR AT OMNI NEW ORLEANS branson phantom cognac, pierre ferrand dry curaçao, maraschino, lemon, angostura 621 St Louis St, New Orleans

40.

MOONSHINE SWIRL

LEGACY KITCHEN’S STEAK AND CHOP

Some good ole fashion Westbank moonshine, a little cranberry, orange, and house simple shaken like Monday morning nished with Luxardo Cherry swirl.

91 Westbank Expy, #51 | Gretnalegacykitchen.com

41.

WINE

ORLEANS GRAPEVINE WINE BAR & BISTRO

Delicious French cuisine and wine by the glass, bottle or ight. Courtyard and sidewalk seating. Thurs – Sun 4-10 pm.

720 Orleans Ave., New Orleans | orleansgrapevine.com

42.

ALOE MARGARITA

LYONS CORNER

Here’s a toast with our Aloe Margarita, a perfect blend of tequila, Chareau aloe liqueur, fresh lime, and simple agave.

537 Gravier St., New Orleans lyonscornernola.com

43.

BLOODY MARY

MOTHER’S

Some like it hot! Mother’s spicy Bloody Mary packs heat and a kick. Tomato juice is amped up with seasonings & hot sauce. The more you sweat, the more you’ll cool o in the heat.

401 Poydras St, New Orleans mothersrestaurant.shop

44. THAI TEA-RIFFIC

BANANA BLOSSOM

Japanese Sochu, Thai tea, coconut milk

500 9th St, Gretna | 504bananablossom.com

Budsi’sAuthenticT hai

EAT + DRINK

Rendezvous spot

FORK + CENTER

Charles & Julia opens on St. Charles Avenue by

CHARLES & JULIA, THE NEW 64-SEAT RESTAURANT FROM LATTER HOSPITALITY in the Hotel Perle, opened date night ready.

From the marble bar to the shimmering crystal sconces, caramel leather banquets and palette of oxblood, gold and khaki, the stunning space oozes romance. The hotel is named after Perley A. Thomas, the industrialist who manufactured the city’s iconic green streetcars that started running up St. Charles Avenue in 1923.

The building sits at the corner of St. Charles and Julia Street, so restaurant owner Mark Latter imagined a narrative to go with the locationinspired name. Working with local designer Anna Nicole Smith, a back story took shape. The design is meant to evoke an intimate living quarters, with low lighting, hand-painted lamps and a scattering of area rugs.

“We imagined a couple who met on the streetcar and fell in love,” Latter says. “They entertain, travel, enjoy the best of New Orleans. This is a version of their home. That’s the vibe we’re going for.”

Upstairs, there is a bi-level pool area reimagined as a Europeanstyle terrace garden and bar. It has city views, a wall of glass blocks and intimate seating setting the mood, and it is open to the public.

Beverage director Ali O’Keefer curates a list of inventive cocktails upstairs and down. It includes a Vesper, a cocktail invented for a James Bond novel in 1953, and the Jabberwocky, combining bourbon, Luxardo Maraschino, walnut, cinnamon and cacao. There are tropical flavors and frozen drinks including a paloma.

The inviting space sets a backdrop for a menu created by the company’s corporate chef and partner Marcus Woodham and Chef de Cuisine Ubolratana “Aum” Wipop. Wipop has benefited from Woodham’s creativity and supportive leadership at The Bower Restaurant & Bar for the past two years. The young chef

|

Beth D’Addono

trained in Bangkok, where he worked at a Marriott convention hotel.

The menu is focused on small plates with dishes like an outstanding carbonara crab gnocchi, spiked with bits of pancetta, sweet peas and a slick of egg yolk. Baked lobster is served in bites, escargot style, in sizzling herb butter with the crunch of seasoned breadcrumbs.

Perfect for summer, hamachi crudo refreshes with flavors of lemon grass and shrimp paste vinaigrette. There’s an heirloom tomato salad and a Key West-style lobster roll on brioche, with an optional caviar upgrade.

Bread service features Bellegarde olive and fennel batard and focaccia with smoked tallow butter. Cheese and charcuterie boards inspire lingering over another glass of albarino.

Wipop and Woodham plan to incorporate more Thai flavors, likely in the form of skewers and hand-held items in the pool area. There’s also a private dining area that doubles as overflow seating in the foyer area of the hotel, off the atrium.

“We aren’t serving just one kind of food,” Wipop says.

The menu hopscotches around the globe, with Mediterranean, Italian and Asian options powered by local produce and regional ingredients. This is the 28-year-old chef’s first time as a chef de cuisine.

“Chef Marcus is teaching me a lot, especially about Italian food,” says the chef, who came to New Orleans four years ago to gain kitchen experience.

Mark Latter started his hospitality company in 2015, but he has been around restaurants his whole life. His father bought Tujague’s when Latter was 5. He grew up around the restaurant and started washing dishes when he was 12.

The historic New Orleans Creole restaurant was first opened in 1856, though it has relocated a couple of times. It anchors Latter’s restaurant group, which also includes The Bower, Bower Bar and Birdy’s Behind the Bower.

Charles & Julia, which opened May 8, is his latest project. It’s a sexy restaurant rooted in a new Warehouse District boutique hotel.

Email

Coquette to close

WHEN IT FIRST OPENED IN LATE 2008, Coquette set a new pace for contemporary New Orleans fine dining. Remarkably, the Irish Channel restaurant’s distinctive blend of innovative modern cuisine and local character has remained consistent through nearly 18 years.

But soon Coquette will serve its final meal.

Chef and owner Michael Stoltzfus confirmed he will close Coquette. The last night of regular service is scheduled for June 26. The chef also is planning a special event for June 27, in a menu format still to be determined.

Early summer is a time when New Orleans typically sees many restaurant closures, but Stoltzfus says business has been steady at Coquette. He’s closing because it’s time for a change.

“We have a great team, and I’m proud of what we’ve built,” he says. “This has always been a passion project for me, and now feels like the right time to move on.”

In 2025, Stoltzfus opened Here Today Rotisserie (1245 Constance St.), an anytime-casual rotisserie chicken restaurant where he applies the sourcing and house-made ethos of chef-led dining (it’s a chicken joint with a wine list). Closing the book on Coquette will mean he can devote more to developing Here Today.

“The rotisserie is where my heart is these days,” Stoltzfus says. “I want to build that, and I’m excited to keep doing things in New Orleans.”

He’s eyeing an expansion with more locations of Here Today.

Through the years, Coquette has served a cuisine that is ambitious, artful and sometimes dazzling, while the

Owner Mark Latter, left, and Chef de Cuisine Ubolratana “Aum” Wipop

PHOTO BY MADDIE SPINNER / GAMBIT

Chef Michael Stoltzfus

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

BEAUTY

restaurant remained as approachable as an upscale neighborhood bistro.

The menu changes constantly, not just seasonally, and regulars have come to count on a house style mixing a wide-ranging culinary imagination with the plain dealing of exuberantly fresh ingredients. Alongside a la carte offerings, the restaurant regularly fielded chef tasting menus, before they were as common as they are in fine dining today.

The large, handsome bar has been a perch for solo diners or couples dropping in for casual bites. The second floor has hosted many special events, including Coquette’s periodic fried chicken and Champagne dinners. Mystery menu nights, dubbed “No Menu Tuesdays,” were another recurring fixture.

Though this townhouse address cuts an elegant profile today, the building spent many years as an auto parts store, back in the era when Magazine Street had perhaps more pawn shops than galleries. It was renovated to open as the restaurant the Living Room in 2004.

Soon after, the partners behind the restaurant brand Byblos created a different restaurant there, called Table One. It later became a Japanese restaurant called Takumi.

Stoltzfus, who had been a sous chef at Restaurant August, opened Coquette in December 2008 with his partner at the time, Lillian Hubbard.

Later, for a span of about five years, he ran the restaurant with co-chef Kristen Essig, and they developed other concepts, including the fried chicken pop-up Little Bird and the neighborhood restaurant Thalia. That second spot was in the Constance Street address that would eventually become the tasting menu restaurants Lengua Madre and then Wild South before converting to Here Today Rotisserie.

Stoltzfus was twice named a finalist for the James Beard award for Best Chef: South and has made regular appearances on The New York Times’ list of the best New Orleans restaurants.

Along the way, Coquette’s kitchen has been a gateway for new culinary talent in New Orleans.

Mason Hereford was its chef de cuisine before he opened his first restaurant, Turkey and the Wolf. Ana Castro of Acamaya and Casimiro gained national attention as sous chef at Coquette, including her first James Beard award nomination in the rising star category in 2019.

In the final weeks, Stoltzfus plans to spend more time cooking at Coquette

alongside executive chef Paul DiMaria, as the restaurant revisits popular dishes and specials from its repertoire. — Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune

Byblos comes to Lakefront

CRAB LEGS AND CEVICHE ARE OUT AND KEBABS AND SHAWARMA are in at a Lakeview spot now being renovated to become a new location for a familiar local restaurant name. Boil & Barrel has closed at 900 Harrison Ave. after about nine months in business. The address will soon become the latest outpost of Byblos, the local Middle Eastern restaurant that’s been part of the local dining scene for more than 30 years.

Byblos founder Hicham Khodr was an owner of Boil & Barrel. He says the seafood restaurant wasn’t doing enough business and believes the proven concept of Byblos will be a better fit for the Lakeview area.

Renovations will give the interior a more Mediterranean style. Like its predecessor, it will have a full bar and a covered outdoor patio. It also will have a crucial new piece of equipment: a dome-shaped oven for house-made pita bread. This new Byblos should open around mid-July, says Tarek Tay, a longtime operating partner in Byblos and also in Boil & Barrel.

He says its menu largely will mirror the Byblos location in Elmwood (1000 S. Clearview Parkway), which opened in 2022 and focused more on Middle Eastern dishes. The mucholder Byblos in Metairie (1501 Metairie Road) has a wide-ranging menu.

The Byblos brand got started in 1994. While the city had Middle Eastern restaurants then, Byblos brought a style that was a notch nicer than the mom-and-pops of the day.

The brand also includes Byblos Market (2020 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie), a specialty grocery and Middle Eastern deli with a hot bar for quick shawarma wraps and homestyle platters.

Boil & Barrel opened in September along Lakeview’s main commercial drag with a menu centered on boiled seasonal seafood and dishes ranging from steak to shrimp and grits. It was the latest in what’s been a string of short-lived restaurants there, starting with Elle J’s, which opened just months before the pandemic, and then Outpost 45, a modern American tavern. Before that, it had a 10-year run as Mondo, the casual restaurant from chef Susan Spicer.

“Mondo was very successful and we think Byblos can be that way here, too,” Khodr says. — Ian McNulty /

Peter Pham

Chef by Will Coviello

THE ASIAN FOOD POP-UP NOLA NOODS was started by a family that loves to cook. Peter Pham and his parents, his siblings and their partners loved to celebrate holidays with food, and a few years ago, they decided to share their food at local festivals. They’re Vietnamese Americans, and the Nola Noods menu features ramen, egg rolls, fried rice, bulgogi and more. They’ll be among the vendors at the Siam Night Market on June 27 at the Westwego Farmer’s Market. The event runs from noon to 10 p.m. with nearly 20 Asian food vendors and live entertainment. Visit @nolanoods on Instagram, or @nolathaifoodfest for info about Siam Night Market.

How did Nola Noods get started?

PETER PHAM: It was a few years ago we did our first pop-up around Thanksgiving. After Thanksgiving dinner, my sister and I were talking about how we’re always cooking for some reason. My family is always trying to find a reason to eat. We celebrate Memorial Day and July 4. My dad always wanted to celebrate every American holiday on top of the Asian and Vietnamese holidays. We were like, why don’t we try to cook something and see if people like it or not? Also, we came into some family problems. My mom and dad had eight kids. I am almost the youngest. Within a few years, we lost three people. We were talking right after we lost our sister to cancer. My oldest sister, who passed away, she was the main cook in the family. She used to make this bomb-ass turducken from scratch. The only thing she didn’t make from scratch was boudin. We had that first Thanksgiving without her. We were like, this is not the same. Her turducken was missing. She always pushed for us to cook better food. Over time, that turned into a competition. Every holiday, it was like who’s going to bring what? Who’s going to make the best dish? That’s what we did for fun. That’s how we started cooking. Then it got more competitive and more creative and we kept looking for better flavors on top of that foundation. Everybody has their own specialty. She always pushed us to try selling food. She tried to convince my mom to go up to Baton Rouge to a flea market to sell food. My

mom always said, “Who’s going to eat our food?” But then we were like let’s see what happens.

What did you cook first?

P: The first time we sold food was ramen out of our house. We created an Instagram account. We posted on social media and we started giving out free ramen. We made ramen kits at home and gave it out to people and asked them to try it and if you like it, post us. People actually did it for us and started telling other people about our food. We started doing home orders. That popped off pretty well. We make pork tonkotsu ramen. It’s mostly pork bones, pork hoc, but we throw some chicken in there to give it a little more flavor, more balance. We boil it for about 13-14 hours. We strain it and season it out. The noodles are fresh wheat noodles. We make our own sauces — the black garlic oil and the chili oil. We do the pork belly in house. We do it with mirin, soy sauce, onions, ginger and garlic. That’s pretty traditional. We add corn and green onions and a half egg. The first pop-up was in Baton Rouge. We went to the second Baton Rouge Night Market. Then we went to the NOLA Nite Market the last time it was in Lakeview.

What’s

on

your menu now?

P: I make the ramen, and my mom does the egg rolls and spicy fried rice. We make spicy fried rice. Some people call it a jambalaya fried rice. A lot of fried rice lacks flavor. It’s too pale and white. For a while, we only sold three things: ramen, egg rolls and fried

rice. Then my mom started to worry that people would get bored and we needed to switch it up. She makes good pho and Bun bo Hue. But we didn’t want to add something that would conflict with the ramen.

We started to do Korean food. We have bulgogi meats now. We started off with the bulgogi on french fries. That sold pretty well, but we couldn’t keep up with the fries. My mom was working two fryers for fries and egg rolls. So we switched to jasmine rice and nachos. Everybody loves nachos. Koreans eat bulgogi on rice all the time. We put spicy aioli on it. We thought, why don’t we try to make our own drinks, too? That’s how we did our matcha latte. It has really good feedback because a lot of places that sell matcha, it’s kind of bitter. It tastes grassy. We made ours like it’s a dessert, like a cupcake.

Now we are doing winter melon lemonade. A lot of people don’t know what winter melon is. It’s a gourd. You have to sweeten it. We have a Thai tea also.

We also have a laksa. It’s Malaysian food. I first had laksa in Houston at a restaurant called Banana Leaf. It’s so good. It’s between a curry and a tom yum soup.

I went home and tried it. Now we make the laksa soup. It has a chicken base and there’s shrimp in there. We top it off with chicken, shrimp and tofu with bean sprouts and cilantro. It’s an awesome soup. We also put wheat noodles in there.

(At the Siam Night Market) I want to introduce the laksa to Thai people. At first we only did night markets, but now we try to do a lot of festivals. If there’s a festival and all our schedules line up, we try to do it.

BaconBlu Brusselsprouts Duck Empanadas —LUNCH —

Chickenfried steak with mash & corn topped with browngravy

—DINNER—

filet Mignon withpotatoes au gratin & creamspinach

Stuffed Redfish with newpotatoes &brussels —Brunch—

Chickenfried withHASH friedegg topped with whitegravy DINNER FILET

FreshBerry waffles withbacon

Nola Noods includes David Pham (l. to r.), Michael Vo, Tinh Pham, Linda Pham, Nixon Nguyen and Peter Pham.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NOLA NOODS

MOSCA’S

Est. 1946

OPEN AT 5 FOR DINNER WED-SAT

Call Ahead. Large parties available.

436-9942 or 436-8950

moscasrestaurant.com 4137 Hwy 90 • WESTWEGO

OUT TO EAT

Out to Eat is an index of Gambit contract advertisers. Unless noted, addresses are for New Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: Email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.

3rd Block Depot — 316 Chartres St., (504) 552-4095; 3rdblockdepot.com — The menu ranges from seafood and sausage gumbo and Gulf shrimp ceviche to smashburgers and steaks. Brunch brings crab cake Benedict with hollandaise on an English muffin. Reservations available. Breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner daily. $$$

Acropolis Cuisine — 3841 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 888-9046; acropoliscuisine.com — The menu of classic Greek dishes includes souvlaki, gyros and pita wraps, spanakopita, hummus and Greek salads. Moussaka has layers of eggplant, potatoes, zucchini, ground beef and bechamel. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream. com — This Mid-City sweet shop serves its own gelato in flavors like praline, salted caramel and tiramisu, as well as Italian ices in flavors like lemon, strawberry and mango. There also are cannolis, biscotti, fig cookies, tiramisu, macaroons and coffee drinks. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $

Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; annunciationrestaurant.com — Gulf fish Capri includes artichokes, crawfish, tomatoes and capers. There also are oysters, seafood pasta dishes, salads, steaks, lamb chops and desserts like bananas Foster bread pudding and lemon icebox tart. Reservations recommended. Dinner Thu.-Mon. $$$

Audubon Clubhouse — 6500 Magazine St., (504) 558-1200; audubonclubhouse.com — The menu by Dickie Brennan and Co. includes crabmeat cheesecake, shrimp remoulade, fried oysters, burgers, sandwiches and more. Shrimp Tchefuncte combines house-made andouille, mushrooms, popcorn rice and Creole meuniere sauce. Outdoor seating available. Reservations recommended. Brunch, lunch and dinner daily. $$$ Banana Blossom — 500 9th St., Gretna, (504) 500-0997; 504bananablossom. com — There are traditional Thai dishes like pad thai, green curry, pineapple fried rice, drunken noodles and coconut shrimp as well as original creations. Beef rib Chiang Mai features a slow-braised beef rib with yellow curry, egg noodles, pickled mustard greens, cilantro and chili oil. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $$

Boil & Barrel — 900 Harrison Ave., (504) 3322645; boilandbarrel.com — The menu includes dishes like barbecue shrimp, char-broiled oysters, boiled crawfish, seafood platters and roast beef po-boys. B&B fruit de mer includes shrimp, mussels and crawfish tossed with spaghetti in San Marzano tomato sauce. The bar offers a long list of bourbons and whiskies. Outdoor seating available. Reservations available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$$

Budsi’s Authentic Thai — 1760 N. Rampart St., (504) 381-4636; budsisthai.com —

ADVERTISE WITH US

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

Chef Budsaba Mason prepares dishes from her native Issan region of Thailand and other popular Thai dishes like papaya salad, grilled pork shoulder, larb, khao soi, pad thai and red curry. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$

Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop — 2309 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie, (504) 835-2022; gumbostop. com — The Gumbo Stop has several gumbo

$ — average dinner entrée under $10

$$ $11-$20

$$$ — $20-up

varieties including chicken and sausage gumbo and seafood gumbo with shrimp, crab and crawfish. The menu also has boudin balls, Bayou shrimp scampi, crawfish etouffee and fried shrimp po-boys. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $$

The Commissary — 634 Orange St., (504) 274-1850; thecommissarynola.com — Dickie Brennan’s Commissary supplies his other restaurant kitchens and also has a dine-in menu and prepared foods to go. A smoked turkey sandwich is served with bacon, tomato jam, herbed cream cheese, arugula and herb vinaigrette on honey oat bread. The menu includes dips, salads, sandwiches, boudin balls, fried oysters and more. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Tue.-Sat. $$

The Country Club — 634 Louisa St., (504) 9450742; thecountryclubneworleans.com — The Bywater restaurant and pool has a menu of crab beignets, truffle mac and cheese, shrimp and grits, burgers and more. Seared redfish is served with kale, toasted chickpeas, sesame seeds, chili crisp and whipped tahini. Outdoor seating available. Reservations recommended. Lunch, brunch and dinner daily. $$$ Delacroix Restaurant — 1 Poydras St., (504) 655-9002; delacroixrestaurant.com

With views overlooking the Mississippi River, the restaurant serves a mix of South Louisiana dishes like smoked duck gumbo, crawfish bisque, shrimp Creole, blackened redfish and crawfish étouffée. Drum amandine is served with green beans and stewed potatoes. Reservations available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$

Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 5860300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — A menu full of Gulf seafood includes oysters served raw on the half-shell or char-broiled with with Parmesan, garlic and herbs. The menu also includes po-boys, gumbo, blackened fish, fried seafood platters and more. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House — 144 Bourbon St., (504) 522-0111; bourbonhouse. com — There’s a seafood raw bar with raw and char-broiled oysters, fish dip, crab fingers, shrimp and more. Redfish “on the half-shell” is cooked skin-on and served with crab-boiled potatoes, frisee and lemon buerre blanc. The bar offers a wide selection of bourbon and whiskies. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$

Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse — 716 Iberville St., (504) 522-2467; dickiebrennanssteakhouse.com — The menu includes a variety of steaks, plus seared Gulf fish, lobster pasta, barbecue shrimp and more. A 6-ounce filet mignon is served with fried oysters, creamed spinach, potatoes and bearnaise. Reservations recommended. Dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$ Domenica — 123 Baronne St., (504) 6486020; domenicarestaurant.com — The Italian restaurant offers a mix of wood-fired Napolitano-style pizzas and house-made pastas. Appetizers include various salumi and cheese boards, antipasti, roasted cauliflower and more. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$

Don’s Seafood — 4801 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 888-1555; donsseafoodonline.com — The seafood options range from char-broiled oysters to seafood gumbo, fried shrimp and catfish platters and stuffed flounder. The menu also has rib-eye steaks. Reservations accepted for large parties. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Elizabeth’s Restaurant — 601 Gallier St., (504) 944-9272; elizabethsrestaurantnola. com — Elizabeth’s is known for its signature praline bacon, and the menu also includes boudin balls, shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles and eggs Florentine. Outdoor seating available. Reservations accepted for parties of 10 or more. Breakfast and lunch daily. $$ Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — The Cajun Cuban is stuffed with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. The eclectic menu also includes char-grilled oysters, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, fried seafood platters, pasta, salads and more. Delivery available. Reservations accepted for large parties. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

King Brasserie & Bar — Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3000; kingbrasserieandbar.com — The restaurant’s menu is inspired by the cuisine of the Riviera and southern France. There are dishes like steak frites and bouillabaisse as well as blackened Gulf fish and barbecue shrimp and oysters. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$$ Legacy Kitchen’s Craft Tavern — 700 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 613-2350; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes oysters, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, salads and sharable plates like NOLA Tot Debris. A slow-cooked pulled pork barbecue sandwich is served with coleslaw on a brioche bun. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Legacy Kitchen Steak & Chop — 91 Westbank Expressway, Gretna, (504) 513-2606; legacykitchen.com — The selection of steaks and chops includes filet mignon, bone-in rib-eye, top sirloin and double pork chops and a la carte toppings include bearnaise, blue cheese and sauteed crabmeat. There also are burgers, salads, pasta, seafood entrees, char-broiled oysters and more. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$ Luke — 333 St. Charles Ave., (504) 378-2840; lukeneworleans.com — The raw bar offers oysters, boiled shrimp, cured tuna, smoked trout dip and more. The menu has dishes like shrimp and grits, crab omelets, crawfish etouffee and steak frites. Reservations encouraged. Breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner daily. $$$ Lyons Corner — 537 Gravier St., (504) 5270006; lyonscornernola.com — The eclectic menu includes Cajun prawns, bang-bang fried oysters, chicken sandwiches, salads and more. In the morning, there are breakfast empanadas, muffins, croissants, scones, beignets and more. Delivery and takeout available. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The menu of Japanese cuisine includes sushi, signature rolls, tempura fried items, udon noodles, teriyaki, salads and more.The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado, snow crab, green onion and wasabi roe. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Lunch Sun.-Fri., dinner daily. $$

Mosca’s — 4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery serves Italian dishes and specialties including shrimp Mosca, baked oysters Mosca and spaghetti bordelaise and chicken cacciatore. Chicken a la grands is sauteed with garlic, rosemary, Italian herbs and white wine. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Sat. Cash only. $$$ Mother’s Restaurant — 401 Poydras St., (504) 523-9656; mothersrestaurant. net — This counter-service spot serves po-boys dressed with sliced cabbage like the Famous Ferdi filled with ham, roast beef and debris. Creole favorites include jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice and more. Breakfast is available all day. Delivery available. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro — 720 Orleans Ave., (504) 523-1930; orleansgrapevine.com — The wine bar offers a selectoin of cheese boards and appetizers. Creole pasta combines shrimp and andouille in tomato cream sauce. Reservations accepted for large parties. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Thu.-Sun. $$ Pascal’s Manale — 1838 Napoleon Ave., (504) 895-4877; pascalsmanale.com — This Creole-Italian spot invented New Orleansstyle barbecue shrimp, and the menu also includes seafood gumbo, crab cakes, oysters and Italian-style pasta dishes. There’s also an oyster bar. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $$$ Peacock Room — Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola.com — At brunch, braised short rib grillades are served over grits with mushrooms, a poached egg and shaved truffle. The dinner menu has oysters, salads, pasta, shrimp and grits, a burger, cheese plates and more. Reservations accepted.

Dinner Wed.-Mon., brunch Sun. $$ Pizza Domenica — 4933 Magazine St., (504) 301-4978; pizzadomenica.com — Pizza is the focus of this offshoot of the Italian restaurant Domenica. There also are meatballs, roasted cauliflower and house-made pastas. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Restaurant August — 301 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 299-9777; restaurantaugust. com — The fine dining restaurant serves Creole and contemporary dishes featuring foie gras, Gulf fish, duck and more. Gnocchi are served with crab, summer truffles and Parmesan. Reservations recommended.

Dinner Sun.-Fri., lunch Fri. $$$

Rivershack Tavern — 3449 River Road, Jefferson, (504) 834-4938; rivershacktavern.com — This tavern along the levee offers a casual menu of roast beef po-boys, burgers, wraps, fried shrimp platters, catfish and gumbo. A country fried steak is served with brown gravy, mashed potatoes, vegetables and salad. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Shaya — 4213 Magazine St., (504) 891-4213; shayarestaurant.com — The Mediterranean and Middle Eastern menu includes dishes like hummus, falafel, kebabs, grilled chicken and wood-oven pita bread. A chicken schnitzel sandwich is dressed with little gem lettuce, pickles and harissa mayonnaise on sesame brioche bread. Outdoor seating available. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$ Stingray’s Restaurant & Bar — 1303 W. Esplanade Ave., Kenner, (504) 443-4040; stingraysseafoodrestaurant.com — Zydeco

OUT TO EAT

fish is stuffed with crabmeat dressing and topped with shrimp cream sauce. The menu also includes fried shrimp and oyster platters, grilled redfish, crabmeat jalapeños, and boudin egg rolls. Reservations available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$

Tableau — 616 St. Peter St., (504) 934-3463; tableaufrenchquarter.com — The menu features traditional and creative Creole dishes. Pasta bouillabaisse features squid ink mafaldine, little neck clams, Gulf shrimp, squid, seafood broth, rouille and herbed breadcrumbs. Outdoor seating available on the balcony. Reservations recommended. Dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Thu.-Sun. $$$ Tacklebox — 817 Common St., (504) 827-1651; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes raw and char-broiled oysters, seafood platters, po-boys, fried chicken, crab and corn bisque and more. Redfish St. Charles is served with garlic-herb butter, asparagus, mushrooms and crawfish cornbread. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

Tavi — 330 N. New Hampshire St., (985) 200-2045; tavirestaurant.com — The menu combines dishes from the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean. There’s hummus, falafel, kebabs, flatbreads, grilled fish, lamb burgers and more. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$

Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 733-3803; 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 234-9420; theospizza. com — A Marilynn Pota Supreme pie is topped with mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions. There also are salads, sandwiches, wings, breadsticks and more. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $

The Vintage — 3121 Magazine St., (504) 324-7144; thevintagenola.com — There’s a full coffee drinks menu and baked goods and beignets, as well as a full bar. The menu has flatbreads, cheese boards, small plates and a pressed vegetable sandwich with avocado, onions, arugula, red pepper and pepper jack cheese. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

Vyoone’s — 412 Girod St., (504) 381-4384; vyoone.com — The French-Creole menu includes dishes like escargot, crawfish beignets, crab cakes, shrimp pasta, duck a l’orange and lamb chops. Reservations recommended. Dinner Wed.-Sun. $$$

Willa Jean — 611 O’Keefe Ave., (504) 5097334; willajean.com — The bakery and cafe serves biscuits with honey butter, cookies, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, shrimp and grits and more. Avocado toasts are made with house-baked ciabatta topped with tomatillo, spiced pepitas, pickled onion, cilantro and chipotle aioli. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Breakfast and lunch daily. $$

Yinzer’s Amazing Cheesesteaks — 1514 Delachaise St., (412) 860-6801; yinzersamazingcheesesteaks.com —There are classic and original cheesesteaks filled with steak, chicken and more. Diners can opt for toppings like provolone, house-made cheddar whiz, mushrooms, onions, banana peppers and more. Delivery available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Wed.-Sun. $

Have qu es tion sabo ut yo ur wa te r? SW BN Oh as an swer s.

This Ju ne,t he Sewe ra ge &Water Boar do fN ew Or lean si scomin gtoyou r neighb or hood foras er ie so fSum me rC om muni ty Me et in gs

Hear dir ec tl yf romS WB NO exec ut ivel ea de rs hipf or an op en conver sa tion ab ou t wa te rq ua li ty,inf ra st ru ct ur eimp rove me nt s, an do ngoin gp roje ct sa cr os st he ci ty Allr es id en ts ar ewel co me.

CO MM UN IT YM EE TI NG S

Wednesday, June 10 th at 6PM

Di st rict E-S anc he zM ul ti -S er vice Center |1616Fat sD ominoAve

Thur sday,June11th at 6PM

Di st rict E-J oe Br ow nRec reat ionC en ter|5601ReadB lvd

Tuesday, June 16th at 6PM

Di st rict A-G er nonB rown Re cr ea tion Center |1001H ar ri so nAve

Wednesday, June 17th at 6PM

Di st rict B-Ros enwald Re cr ea tion Center |1120B ro ad St

Thur sday,June18th at 6PM

Di st rict C-M or ri sJ ef fRec reat ionC en ter |2529G ener al MeyerAve www.s wb no.org

Sonny Rollins tribute

One of the titans of the jazz world, saxophonist Sonny Rollins was known for his improvisational skills and for compositions like “St. Thomas” and “Doxy,” which he recorded with Miles Davis. Rollins died in late May at the age of 95. Now, one of New Orleans’ great saxophonists, Clarence Johnson III, will lead his quartet in a tribute to Rollins on Tuesday, June 16, at Snug Harbor. Shows are at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., and tickets are $35.65 via snugjazz.com.

Shidded

New Orleans punk band Shidded roll pop and hardcore into its buoyant sound. The band recently released a new album, “That’s Fair,” and will play an album release show with a punk and metal lineup that includes New Orleans’ Slowhole and Dremm and North Carolina bands Jolee and DoshinTheGiant. The show is at 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 17, at Gasa Gasa. Tickets are $12.05 advance via gasagasanola.com.

Tim Kasher

Best known as the vocalist and guitarist for the rock band Cursive, Tim Kasher also has kept a busy solo career over the last decade. Over Memorial Day weekend in 2025, Kasher gave himself a challenge to write an album’s worth of songs in four days. He did it and recently released the resultant stripped down indie rock record “Sponges of Experience.” Kasher is now on tour and plays Gasa Gasa at 8 p.m. Monday, June 15. Old Canes, fronted by Chris Crisci of The Appleseed Cast, and New Orleans’ Sharks’ Teeth open. Tickets are $22.85 via gasagasanola.com.

Sanaa Music Workshop showcase

The Second Line Arts Collective, which works with young New Orleans artists to develop sustainable careers, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this summer. One of the organization’s cornerstone programs is the two-week Sanaa Music Workshop, teaching musicians ages 14-24 both the artistic and business sides of musicmaking. The workshop ends with a musician showcase on Friday, June 19, giving locals a chance to see up-and-coming talent. The performance is at 7 p.m. at the Ellis Marsalis Center. Find more information at secondlinearts.org.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Brave Days

Dallas, Texas, punk band Brave Days brings a new EP, “Crisis,” to New Orleans for a show at 9 p.m. Friday, June 19, at No Dice. The bill also includes psych-punk band Pig Lizzard, alt-rockers The Band Melrose and emo outfit Oversight. Tickets are $9.49 via nodicenola.com.

Reptilia Indie

Vinyl Dance Night

DJ Shane Love takes over Santos on Decatur Street for the latest installment of the bar’s Reptilia Indie Vinyl Dance Night on Thursday, June 18. Expect to hear energetic tracks from indie rock and electronica groups — mainly from the early and later aughts, like The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Le Tigre, MGMT and more. There’s no cover, and the party will get going around 9 p.m. For other information, visit @santosbarnola on Instagram.

Ify Nwadiwe

Los Angeles-based comedian Ify Nwadiwe regularly performs stand-up and improv around the country and has toured internationally. He’s also a writer and actor who often appears on shows on Dropout TV, where he won the nerdy game show “Um, Actually” so many times that they just decided to make him the new host. Nwadiwe stops in New Orleans for a stand-up set hosted by Laugh Life at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 20, at The Howlin’ Wolf. Tickets are $22 via laughlife.standuptix.com.

Thievery Corporation

Washington, D.C.’s Thievery Corporation is on tour celebrating its 30th anniversary of electronic music that blends in diverse influences from trip hop to bossa nova.

Founders Rob Garza and Eric Hilton are the core members, but the touring group includes an expanded lineup. At 8 p.m. Saturday, June 20, at House of Blues. Tickets $57 via ticketmaster.com.

Joe Jackson

British singer-songwriter and New Wave star Joe Jackson had several big hits like “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” and “Steppin’ Out” on early albums including “Look Sharp!” and “I’m the Man.” He’s released more than 20 studio albums, including this year’s “Hope and Fury.” He performs at 8 p.m. Sunday, June 21, at the Joy Theater. Tickets $63.15 via thejoytheater.com.

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

MONDAY, JUNE 15

ALLWAYS LOUNGE Betsy Propane & The Accessories, 7 pm

APPLE BARREL Bread for Sale, 6 pm; Decaturadio, 10:30 pm

BACCHANAL — Byron Asher, 6 pm

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

BJ’S LOUNGE — Red Beans & Blues w/ Alex McMurray & Friends, 9 pm

BUFFA’S — David Doucet, 8 pm

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

DBA — Secret Six Jazz Band, 6 pm; Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet, 9:30 pm

DOS JEFES — John Fohl, 8:30 pm

FAVELA CHIC Josh Benitez Band, 7 pm

FRITZEL’S JAZZ CLUB Tin Men, 5 pm; Richard Scott & Friends, 8 pm

GASA GASA — Tim Kasher + Old Canes, 8 pm

MAHOGANY JAZZ HALL — Victor Campbell, 6 pm; The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, 8 pm

THE MAISON Nola Rug Cutters, 5 pm; Gene’s Music Machine, 8:30 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR George Porter Jr. Trio, 7 pm; 10 pm

POORBOYS Gumbolaya, 9 pm

SATURN BAR — BC Coogan, 8:30 pm

SIBERIA — Camping In Alaska with Dear Cinncinati and Glimpse, 9 pm

SNUG HARBOR — Charmaine Neville Band, 7:30 pm; 9:30 pm

TUESDAY, JUNE 16

APPLE BARREL — Bubbles Brown, 6 pm; Jackson’s Flying Circus, 10:30 pm

BACCHANAL Tangiers Combo, 6 pm

BAMBOULA’S — F K-rrera, 12 pm; Giselle Anguizola Quartet, 4:30 pm; Caitie B. & the Hand Me Downs, 9 pm

BANKS STREET BAR Chris Vincent & The Raw Deals, 8 pm

BAYOU BAR The OG’s ft. Peter Harris, Tony Dagradi & Stanton Moore, 8 pm; 10 pm

BUFFA’S — Alex McMurray, 7 pm

CAFÉ NEGRIL — Super-Most-FantasticBlues-N-Such-Jam, 7 pm

DBA — Les Femmes Farouches, 6 pm; Kid Chocolate + the Free POC, 9:30 pm

DOS JEFES — Javier Gutierrez, 8:30 pm

ELLIS MARSALIS CENTER — Booker & Beyond: Darrell Lavigne, 6:30 pm

FAVELA CHIC — The Cicadas, 7 pm

GASA GASA The Miss B. Haven Show, 9 pm

MAHOGANY JAZZ HALL BassX ft. Dion Tucker, 6 pm; Joe Lastie’s New Orleans Sound ft. Gregg Sta ord, 8 pm

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

OKAY BAR — Boot Cut + Steady Company + Night Medicine, 7 pm

THE RABBIT HOLE — Rebirth Brass Band, 10 pm

SALON SALON — Nat & Kat Cajun String Band, 7 pm

SNUG HARBOR — Tribute to Sonny Rollins with The Clarence Johnson Quartet, 7:30 pm; 9:30 pm

TIPITINA’S — Kevin Morby + Liam Kazar, 8 pm

VAUGHAN’S LOUNGE — Cuttin’ Up with Lil Prince and the Youngbloods, 10 pm

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17

APPLE BARREL — Hobo Gadget, 6 pm; Wolfe Johns Blues Band, 10:30 pm

BACCHANAL — Jesse Morrow, 6 pm

BAMBOULA’S — Jacky Blaire & the Hot Biscuits, 12 pm; Swingin’ with John Saavedra, 4:30 pm; Jelly Roll Stompers, 9 pm

BAYOU BAR Firm Roots, 8 pm; 10 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE — Soft Opening ft. Anna Laura Quinn & Christin Bradford, 9 pm

BLUE NILE — New Breed Brass Band, 9 pm

BMC — Sugar & The Daddies, 6 pm; Decaturadio, 9 pm

BUFFA’S — Wilson Weber Project, 7 pm

CAFÉ ISTANBUL — Songs For The People, 7 pm

CAFÉ NEGRIL — Jam-ilton, 7:30 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH Jon Cleary, 8 pm

COMMONS CLUB Leaux Fye Tribe, 6 pm

DEUTSCHES HAUS — John Rankin & Clarence Johnson III, 7 pm

DBA — Stephen Walker N’em, 6 pm; The Next Level Band, 9:30 pm

DOS JEFES — The Kris Tokarski Trio, 8:30 pm

FAVELA CHIC — Better Late Than Jake, 7 pm

FRITZEL’S JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 1 pm; Bourbon Street Stars, 5 pm; Fritzel’s All Star Band with Kevin Ray Clark, 8 pm

HOLY DIVER The Amazing Henrietta, 8 pm

THE MAISON Gene’s Music Machine, 6 pm

NO DICE Brian Wol & The Howlers + Post-Show Rock & Roll Jam Session, 9 pm

SAENGER THEATRE — The Human League with Soft Cell & Alison Moyet, 7:30 pm

SANTOS BAR — Chambre Noir with Paco, 10 pm

SATURN BAR — Cry If I Want to w/ Boys Don’t Fight, Chasm Comfort, 9 pm

SIBERIA — Gozu + Restless Spirit + High Black River + Fen Magus, 9 pm

SNUG HARBOR André Bohren, 5 pm; Uptown Jazz Orchestra with Zahria Sims, 7:30 & 9:30 pm

TIPSY TRUMPET — Kid Merv & All That Jazz, 12 pm

THURSDAY, JUNE 18

ALLWAYS LOUNGE Van Ella Bordella, 7 pm

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

BACCHANAL — Brian King, 6 pm

BAMBOULA’S — J.J. & the A-Ok’s, 12 pm; Cristina Kaminis & The Mix, 4:30 pm; Wolfe Johns Band, 9 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE — Lily Unless & The If Onlys, 9 pm

BLUE NILE — Irvin May eld’s Music Church, 9 pm

BMC — John Lisi & Delta Funk, 6 pm; Kat Kiley Experience, 9 pm

BUFFA’S — Millie Grace Band, 7 pm

CAFÉ NEGRIL Maurice Cade & The E.S.S. Band, 6:30 pm; Armani Smith & Soul Ties, 10 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH Taj Farrant, 8 pm

COMMONS CLUB — Jazz Flow with Makeda Kravitz, Noel Spiva & ANTWIGADEE, 8 pm

DBA — Palmetto Bug Stompers, 6 pm; Vegas Cola, 9:30 pm

DOS JEFES — The Charlie Kohlmeyer Quartet, 8:30 pm

DOUBLE DEALER Jake Landry, 9 pm

FAVELA CHIC — Jay Dufour & Strange Gang, 6 pm

GASA GASA Patrick Wolf: Tour of The Beast, 9 pm

GOOD MEASURE 95MP ft. Miles

Hancock & Peter Varnado, 8 pm

GRETNA TAVERN The Tail-Gators, 8:30 pm

HOLY DIVER — Kontusion, Pale Misery & Congealed Putrescence, 9 pm

JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Brass-A-Holics, 7:30 pm

LE BON TEMPS ROULE —Tiago Guy, 11 pm

MAHOGANY JAZZ HALL The New Orleans Catahoulas, 6 pm; Jamil Sharif & His New Orleans Extravaganza, 8 pm

THE MAISON — The Champagniacs, 4:30 pm; St. Julien X, 8:30 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR — Booker & Beyond: The Professor Tim Piano Series ft. Adam Rogers, 6 pm; Johnny Vidacovich Trio, 8 pm

OKAY BAR — Dumpster + Laughing Racoon, 8 pm

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

SAINT JOHN Sean Riley & The Water, 4 pm

Corey Ledet and Zydeco Black Magic play BJ’s June 19 at 9 p.m.

PHOTO BY BRAD KEMP / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

SALON SALON — The Stingray Shu e, 7 pm

SANOTS BAR — Tainted Love 80’s Night with DJ Shane Love, 10 pm

SATURN BAR — Intensi ed Rhythms presents Uptight Fever 2, 8 pm

SIBERIA SCIENCE TIME! Extreme Events In A Changing Climate, 5:30 pm; Molly’s Lips + Partial Hangout + Kinky Vanilla, 9 pm

SNUG HARBOR — Christien Bold, 7:30 pm; 9:30 pm

THREE MARIES — Kyle Sharamitaro, 7 pm

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

FRIDAY, JUNE 19

APPLE BARREL Bubbles Brown, 6 pm; Joey Houck, 10:30 pm

BACCHANAL Willie Green, 7 pm

BAMBOULA’S — The New Orleans Rug Cutters, 11 am; Felipe Antonio Quarteto, 2:15 pm; Les Getrex & Creole Cookin’, 6:30 pm; Bettis & the 3rd Degree Brass Band, 10 pm

BAR REDUX Children of Judas/Drew Frank June, 9 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE Corey Ledet & Zydeco Black Magic, 9 pm

BLUE NILE — Big Sam & Friends, 10 pm; DJ FTK (Upstairs), 10 pm

BMC — Josh Benitez Band, 6 pm; Kid Merv & All That Jazz, 8 pm

BROADSIDE — That’s So Fetch, 8 pm

BROTHERS THREE LOUNGE Brother Tyrone & The Mindbenders with Special Guests, 9:30 pm

BRUTTO AMERICANO Eliza Sonneschien, 6 pm

BUFFA’S Tuba Skinny, 8 pm

CAFÉ NEGRIL — Jamey St. Pierre & The Honeycreepers, 6:30 pm; Higher Heights, 10 pm

CARROLLTON STATION — Third Fridays: Pocket Chocolate + Britti, 9 pm

CHAPEL CLUB AT HOTEL ST. VINCENT — Funké, 10 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH Shannon McNally, 9 pm

COMMONS CLUB Nell Simmons Bradley, 8 pm

DBA Dana Abbott, 6 pm; The Original Pinette Brass Band, 10 pm

DOS JEFES — The Afrodiziac’s Jazz, 9 pm

DOUBLE DEALER The Satin Strings, 9:30 pm

FAVELA CHIC Jass Hysteria, 4 pm;

J.A.M. Brass Band, 7 pm

GASA GASA Suplecs + Sunrise Sunset + Minute To Burn, 8 pm

GOOD MEASURE — Ado Soul & The Tribe, 9 pm

HOLY DIVER — Cabra Negra, Lord of Horns, Cranial Sledge, 9 pm

HOUSE OF BLUES — Sister Hazel, 8 pm

LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ Strange Roux, 11 pm

THE MAISON — Nola Sweethearts, 3 pm; Shotgun Jazz Band, 5 pm; Feral House Cats, 8 pm; DJ KVNG Fred, 11 pm

NO DICE — Brave Days, Pig Lizzard, Oversight, The Band Melrose, 9 pm

POOL CLUB AT THE VIRGIN HOTEL — glbl wrmng, 2 pm

THE RABBIT HOLE Hercules and Love A air, 10 pm

SANTOS BAR High Gloss Presents:

Corporate Pride ft. Otto Von Blotto, Virginia SlimJim, Nebula Omega & More!, 9 pm

SATURN BAR Juneteenth: Heelturn + Madspinnz + Cam Honcho + Kilobauud + Krewe, 9 pm

SIBERIA Oh Dang + Zoë Dominguez + Swinging Astrid, 9 pm

TIPITINA’S — Free Fridays Concert Series ft. Good Enough For Good Times + Daria & The Hip Drops, 9 pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 20

ANNA’S — ITALO ITALO: DJ OTTO and Ritual, 9 pm

BACCHANAL — Miles Berry, 7 pm

BAMBOULA’S Aaron Levinson & Friends, 11 am; James McClaskey & the Rhythm Band, 2:15 pm; Johnny Mastro Blues, 6:30 pm; Paggy Prine & Southern Soul, 10 pm

BANKS STREET BAR Room On Fire: A Tribute to The Strokes, 9 pm

BAR REDUX Dirty Rotten Snake in the Grass/Stumps duh Clown, 9 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE — Little Death + Jonathan Henley, 9 pm

BLUE NILE — The Caesar Brothers’ FunkBox, 7:30 pm; Afrobeat NOLA with DJ Ojay & Kodjo the Mojo, 10 pm

BMC — Andre Lovett Band, 3 pm; T Marie & Bayou Juju, 6 pm; Mother Ruckus, 9 pm

BUFFA’S Tim Robertson Trio, 8 pm

CAFÉ NEGRIL — Orphaned in Storyville, 1:30 pm; Ado Soul & The Tribe, 6 pm; Higher Heights, 10 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH — Cha Wa, 9 pm

DBA Tuba Skinny, 6 pm

DOS JEFES — BassX, 9 pm

GOOD MEASURE — SOUL Brass Band, 9 pm

HOTEL ST. VINCENT POOL Brother

Dan DJ Set, 12 pm

HOUSE OF BLUES Thievery Corporation, 8 pm

LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — Blue Tang People, 11 pm

MAHOGANY JAZZ HALL — Stephen Walker N’em, 3 pm; Gerald French Trio, 7 pm; Mahogany Hall Jazz Band, 9:30 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR — Soul Stu & the Desperate Roadies, 9 pm

NO DICE — Noble Apes + Rare Seed + Mars & Other Planets, 9 pm

PHOENIX BAR Pridefest 2026 ft. Tony & the Kiki + More!, 5 pm

POOL CLUB AT THE VIRGIN HOTEL DJ Legatron, 3 pm

SANTOS BAR DJ Shane Love, 10 pm

SATURN BAR — temples with d1me, eden, and the orist, 10 pm

SIBERIA — Club Slayyy: A Hyperpop Dance Night, 9 pm

THREE MARIES JAZZ CLUB — Leroy Jones, 6 pm; Chloe Marie Johnson, 9 pm

SUNDAY, JUNE 21

ALLWAYS LOUNGE — Sunday Swing, 9 pm

ANNA’S — Upward Spiral, 7 pm

APPLE BARREL Shwag, 6 pm; Steve Mignango, 10:30 pm

BACCHANAL Anna Quinn, 7 pm

BAMBOULA’S Jay Dufour Band, 11 am; Laura Doyle Quartet, 2:15 pm ; Midnight Brawlers, 6:30 pm; Kat Kiley, 10 pm

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

BLUE NILE — Street Legends Brass Band, 9:30 pm

BMC — Sierra & The Green Notes, 3 pm; Sugar & The Daddies, 6 pm; J.A.M. Brass Band, 9 pm

BROADSIDE — Father’s Fest 2026, 2 pm

CAFÉ NEGRIL — Decaturadio, 1 pm; John Lisi & Delta Funk, 5 pm; The Next Level Band, 9 pm

DBA — Paradise Jazz Band, 6 pm; The Jump Hounds, 9:30 pm

DOS JEFES Joplin Parnell, 8 pm

FAVELA CHIC Christian Coleman & His Band, 6 pm

JOY THEATER — Joe Jackson + Band, 8 pm

THE MAISON — Nola Rug Cutters, 3 pm; Jenavieve & the Windin Boys, 6 pm

SATURN BAR — Michael Sze and Autumn Dominguez, 8 pm

SNUG HARBOR — Grayson Brockamp Wildlife Trio, 4:30 pm

SCAN FOR THE COMPLETE GAMBIT CALENDAR

All that Jazz

by Will Coviello

WITH ITS STORY OF JAILED MURDERER ROXIE HART HOPING TO BEAT THE RAP and turn her tabloid stardom into a career on stage, “Chicago” has always been a raucous musical full of entertainingly bad behavior. It’s a seductive mix of passion, blind ambition and corruption with a host of great songs and choreography by Bob Fosse.

The current Broadway revival has been running for 30 years, and the cast just joined the pop-star Pink to sing “All That Jazz” at the Tony Awards.

The show also is coming back to the stage at Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University June 18-21.

Jaune Buisson is directing and choreographing the show, and she couldn’t be more prepared.

“I had the album as a child,” she says. “I would shoot Fred Casely every day in the living room. I didn’t know I was dancing to that.”

By the time she was 19, Buisson was cast in the show at Le Petit Theatre.

“I was in the ensemble,” Buisson says. “I was a murderess and running around, dancing in my underwear in the Quarter, living my best life.”

She acknowledges that at 19, she wasn’t cut out for Roxie, or knowing how to play a “tough broad” — a woman who would kill the man she’s having an affair with, convince her husband to take the blame, and then dump him for a crafty lawyer.

But she got the role of Roxie at Rivertown Theaters a few years later.

Buisson also teaches choreography for the show all the time at her dance studio, Metropolitan Dance Theatre, as part of her Broadway repertoire classes.

Now she’s bringing all that together at Tulane.

“We’re leaning into the idea of a media circus, and the trial as a circus and fame as a performance,” she says. “The courtroom is not a realistic legal space, it’s more like a stage or a film set. Everyone is performing: the criminals, the lawyers. Our courtroom is not where the trial ends, it’s where the biggest performance begins.”

In the musical, Roxie Hart kills her lover after he tries to end their affair. She ends up in Cook County Jail. There

she meets Velma Kelly, a vaudeville singer who found her husband in bed with her sister and killed them both.

“They were the original Instagram baddies,” Buisson says. “They were all the rage. They were able to take their story into a headline and then turn themselves into a brand.”

The story is based on actual women murderers who became tabloid sensations in Chicago a century ago. In the musical, there are plenty of women murderers, and it is tough competition for the stars behind bars. Roxie and Velma both try to enlist lawyer Billy Flynn to win them their freedom, beginning a drama of ever changing stories and ever shifting alliances.

Buisson also has a few more embellishments for the media circus, and she’s shedding the typical black and white color schemes for bright colors.

The choreography is of course Fosse-inspired.

“It’s not just the vocabulary,” she says. “It’s 100% the heartbeat of our piece. Every gesture means something. One hand gesture could mean restraint, or confession or seduction and control and danger. You’re going to see jazz hands galore and pulsating rhythmic hips. I have done ‘Cell Block Tango’ every way you can imagine. I’ve done it with chairs, I’ve done it with bars. This time, we’re going to put the tango back in ‘Cell Block Tango.’ ” Summer Lyric also uses a 17-piece orchestra, which drives big numbers like “Razzle Dazzle,” “When You’re Good to Mama” and “All That Jazz.”

“Chicago” runs June 18-21. Tickets $32-$57 via liberalarts.tulane. edu/summer-lyric-theatre.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY MICHAEL PALUMBO

GOING OUT

The Outsider

by Will Coviello

THE WRITER LAFCADIO

HEARN IS KNOWN FOR MANY THINGS, including compiling the first Creole cookbook in New Orleans. But he’s beloved by many locals for words he wrote to a friend in Cincinnati after he moved here in 1877.

“Times are not good here,” Hearn wrote. “The city is crumbling into ashes. It has been buried under taxes and frauds and maladministrations so that it has become a study for archaeologists … but it is better to live here in sackcloth and ashes than to own the whole state of Ohio.”

New Orleanians have celebrated Hearn in various ways, including an entire Rex parade theme devoted to him in 2024, and the creation of a culinary krewe named for him. This week, there’s a daylong festival devoted to him on Saturday, June 20, at the New Orleans Jazz Museum.

Lafcadio Fest features a scholarly symposium, a virtual event with Hearn’s great-grandson Bon Koizumi, a sake toast and live music. The keynote address will be delivered by Steve Kemme, author of the 2023 book “Outsider: The Life and Work of Lafcadio Hearn — The Man who Introduced Voodoo, Creole Cooking and Japanese Ghosts to the World.”

Kemme is a native of Cincinnati and worked at the same newspaper that Hearn did a century earlier. He’s also the president of the Lafcadio Hearn Society/USA, which was launched by the Japan Research Center of Greater Cincinnati in 1989.

It’s difficult to quickly encapsulate Hearn’s extraordinary life, travels and writing. He was born in Greece, raised by a great-great-aunt in Dublin, moved to New York in 1869, and then Cincinnati in 1871. There he excelled as a newspaper writer who took interest in people not often covered at the time.

“There were a lot of freed slaves and escaped slaves who settled in the area,” Kemme says. “He made a point of seeking out places where they sang and danced and lived.”

Hearn also married a formerly enslaved woman named Alethea Foley, though interracial marriage was illegal in Ohio. The newspaper fired him over the marriage, but the marriage also didn’t last, and Hearn soon left for New Orleans, which he loved.

NEWSVIEWS MUSICPOLITICS

“He was captivated by the Creole culture right away,” Kemme says. “He did a lot to raise the national profile of New Orleans by highlighting Creole culture and other aspects that were so attractive: the architecture, the arts and the cuisine. He published what is considered the first Creole cookbook based on the recipes of the wives of his Creole friends.”

Hearn stayed in New Orleans for a decade before moving on to the island of Martinique. But he spent the last portion of his life and is best known for his work in Japan. Living in the small town of Matsue, he became a teacher, married and had a family, and he translated many books-worth of ghost stories and folk tales.

Outside of New Orleans, Hearn is most revered for his translation of Japanese literature and his writings about its culture. Because of Hearn, New Orleans and Matsue have a sister city relationship.

The symposium will explore various aspects of Hearn’s work, including his writings about Voodoo and Creole culture in New Orleans and his interest in the supernatural and spirituality.

Hearn lost eyesight in one eye at 16 due to an accident at school, and he often tried to hide the injury. He lived his life as an outsider and keen observer, and he often moved in search of new things to explore and write about.

The festival includes a sake toast to Hearn’s upcoming 176th birthday, and there’s music by Kanako Fuwa Brooks and Detroit Brooks. The festival is presented by the Japan Society of New Orleans.

For information, visit japansocietyofneworleans.org/lafcadio-fest.

WHAT’S WORKING WHAT’S NOT

CULTURE CUISINE CARNIVAL

Hosted by John Stanton

After a decade in New Orleans, the writer and artist Lafcadio Hearn settled in Japan. PUBLIC DOMAIN

FULL SERVICEREALTOR

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

BANNER EVENT

By Frank A. Longo

1 Disconcert 8 Marcher behind a float, maybe

Grind, as one’s teeth 20 Was delayed

Shortstops’

Arena feature showing smooches

39 Question ending some riddles

42 Deposit in a pawnshop

43 Exotic berry in juices

44 It’s behind the iris

45 In things 47 Sizable vase

48 Pleasantly unreal

50 ISP with a butterfly logo

52 The Big Apple, in brief

55 Toy that flies

High school sci. class for college credit

Hole for a shoelace

Anvil, stirrup or hammer

Turkey or venison

[-] Hyenas’ cousins

[-] Sweets on Christmas

[-] Rotators at haircutters’ shops

Floor coverer

Lister’s abbr.

Indian lutes

Forced into a narrow space

Logger’s tool 73 Calgary’s prov. 74 Soup veggie 75 Pub 76 Seriously damaged

Brunch staple 80 Thieve 81 Chicken cordon --

Bakery fixture 83 Studious sort

Canadian gas name

86 Ate away at

87 Prone (to)

89 Road furrow

91 “Tomb raider” Croft 92 The “E” of QED 93 “Yes, yes!,” in Spain

Photo, briefly

Bakery treat 102 Detest 103 Take out of an over head bin, say 104 Children’s author Enid 105 Public tribute

107 Big -- (drug corporations)

109 Glove thread

110 Small iPods

111 Pink Floyd’s Barrett

113 “... land of liberty, of thee --”

114 Wearing a cloak

115 Ukrainian city south of Kyiv

116 Impertinent

120 Home row keyboard letters of the left hand

123 Beet’s color 125 Santa -- winds 126 Inits. of three primary colors 127 Actor Mineo 128 “Shop -- you drop”

What many unauthorized novel sequels are, for short