Gambit New Orleans: May 19, 2020

May 19-25, 2020 Volume 41 // Number 18

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Boost

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CONTENTS

MAY 19 -25 VOLUME 41 | NUMBER 18 NEWS

OPENING GAMBIT

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Gambit (ISSN 1089-3520) is published weekly by Capital City Press, LLC, 840 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130. (504) 4865900. We cannot be held responsible for the return of unsolicited manuscripts even if accompanied by a SASE. All material published in Gambit is copyrighted: Copyright 2020 Capital City Press, LLC. All rights reserved.

Dead air

The next fest thing

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT VENUES ARE NOT YET ALLOWED TO REOPEN, but Le Petit Theatre (www.lepetittheatre.com) is going live on air with the original radio play version of noir-style thriller “Sorry, Wrong Number” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 22.

WWOZ launched Groovapedia during Festing in Place

BY WILL COVIELLO THE CANCELLATION OF THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL

deprived fans of sets by The Who, Lionel Richie, Lizzo and Trombone Shorty among others, but it helped build an appetite for “festing.”

WWOZ-FM stepped in to fill the void, becoming the focal point of “Festing in Place.” The station released a set of “cubes” and broadcast an eightday schedule of recordings from past performances at Jazz Fest, some from the 1970s. It also helped link fans to regular festival food vendors and craft booth artisans.

The station has been broadcasting continually since coronavirus restrictions were put in place in March, and some radio hosts have stepped into its French Market studio while others have recorded their shows remotely, says station General Manager Beth Utterback. For Festing in Place, the station website (www.wwoz.org) became a hub of information.

“We had to set up a virtual festival virtually,” Utterback says.

The station originally planned to quadruple its bandwidth, but had to increase it once the festing began.

More than 2.3 million people listened to the programming, and 800,000 sessions were logged on its social media accounts.

While festing, some website users may have noticed OZ’s new Groovapedia, a portal of recent and archival content including audio, video, photos, links to the walking tours of A Closer Walk and more.

“It’s a legacy project,” Utterback says.

WWOZ was planning to beta test Groovapedia when the pandemic hit, and it has been live through Festing in Place. Groovapedia has video from many festivals, including Jazz Fast, French Quarter Festival, the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival, Danny Barker Banjo & Guitar Festival and others.

There also are club performances featuring Tank & the Bangas, Samantha Fish, Ani DiFranco, Lazy Lester with the Lil Buck Sinegal Band and others, from venues in New Orleans and Lafayette.

P H OTO B Y B R I T T N E Y W E R N E R

Leslie Castay (center) and Curtis Billings (second from right) appeared in Le Petit Theatre’s production of ‘Noises Off!’

Besides the archive of past events, Groovapedia is loaded with features and interviews with Mardi Gras Indians, New Orleans baby dolls, skeleton gangs, social aid and pleasure club leaders and other culture bearers. Some content is archived from programming such as ’OZ’s “Takin’ It to the Streets” interviews. There are entries about prominent places for local music history, even stretching to a video about Charity Hospital and the musicians born there. Content created to mark New Orleans’ tricentennial in 2018 and Jazz Fest’s 50th year also are housed on the site. Most of Groovapedia is searchable by artist, festival or other subjects.

‘OZ’s website always has the most recent two weeks’ of its programming available for listeners, as well as other features. It has articles commemorating famous musicians and recently added memoriam pieces for singer Big Al Carson, percussionist Alfred “Uganda” Roberts, Pinstripe Brass Band founder Dwight Miller and longtime on-air host Jesse Hathorne, aka the Midnight Creeper.

A Groovapedia photo page has links to galleries from Jazz Fests back to

P H OTO B Y S C OT T T H R E L K E L D/ T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E | T H E N E W O R L E A N S A DVO C AT E

Sean ‘Bongo’ Ryan, left, Nick Karel and Matthew Fischer listen to music from past New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival performances broadcast by WWOZ radio on April 26.

2009, as well as other music festivals and Carnival events. The most recent gallery is from Festing in Place.

The station asked listeners to share photos. The Flickr galleries have more than 1,000 images, and staff are uploading more. The pictures show people holding drinks, sitting in collapsible chairs, wearing fest gear and sometimes masks and posing amid flags and homemade signs.

People fested in their apartments, on their porches and in their yards. There also are photos of people in snow, on beaches and in Japan. Utterback notes that many of the station’s web listeners are outside the U.S. With ’OZ serving as a beacon to the world for New Orleans music and culture, Groovapedia is set to be an ever-expanding home to anytime festing.

Leslie Castay stars as Elbert Stevenson, a bedridden heiress who’s husband is away, leaving her alone in their Manhattan apartment. Stevenson picks up her phone and is surprised to overhear part of a plot to murder a woman. She calls the operator, played by Tracey Collins, for help. The original radio play inspired a 1948 film version starring Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster.

The production also features Curtis Billings, Helen Jaksch, Steve French, James Wheeler and Alyson King.

The show will be broadcast on Facebook Live, and will be available for viewing afterward as well.

— WILL COVIELLO

Now showing Movie theaters are allowed to reopen with some physical distancing restrictions. The Prytania Theatre (5339 Prytania St., 504-891-2787; www.theprytania.com) is running “The Wizard of Oz” and “Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone” this week. Zeitgeist Theater & Lounge (6621 St. Claude Ave., Arabi, 504-352-1150; www.zeitgeistnola.org) reopens May 22 with the local music documentary “Up From the Streets” and the paranormal comedy “Extra Ordinary.” Zeitgeist also continues to offer virtual screenings of films it had scheduled to open in recent months.

Visit the theater websites for details about movies, tickets and distancing policies. — WILL COVIELLO

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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O R L E A N S

N E W S

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V I E W S

reopening the city ... judges exit church case ... porcine cruelty ... and more

# The Count

Thumbs Up/ Thumbs Down

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The number of pilot communities nationwide — including New Orleans — who will receive support and guidance thanks to a new campaign called Reopen Every Venue Safely (REVS), launched by Music Cities Together and the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Economy.

#BlackAndBrownGetDown Community Defense Fund, spearhead-

ed by Our Voice Nuestra Voz, has distributed $100,000 in COVID-19 relief funds for what it calls “those who were overlooked by the government’s stimulus checks,” including black and brown undocumented residents, formerly incarcerated people, young people and those whose housing situations are unstable.

P H OTO B Y C H R I S G R A N G E R / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E | T H E N E W O R L E A N S A DVO C AT E

Owner/chef Juan Lock and owner Tatiana Lock watch from the bar at Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco Restaurant as Mayor LaToya Cantrell announces an easing of restrictions for businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The city’s ‘Safest at Home’ rule for reopening the city Dollar General Literacy Foundation

awarded about $145,000 to more than a dozen local schools, nonprofits and literary organizations to support summer programs and literacy-building projects for families and adults. ReNEW, Delgado Community College, Kedila Family Learning Center and Elaine P. Nunez Community College were among schools receiving the grants.

Pfizer Foundation donat-

ed $250,000 to the nonprofit Forward Together New Orleans to help residents recover from the COVID-19 pandemic with short-term and longterm help with food, clothing, shelter, mental health services, economic stability, education and economic stability. Pfizer Foundation is the charitable arm of Pfizer Inc., which develops health care products.

BUSINESSES BEGAN TO REOPEN SLOWLY last weekend, but Mayor LaToya Cantrell says there are rules for the first phase of reopening, dubbed “Safest At Home,” and warned that restrictions will be reinstituted if the virus begins spreading aggressively again.

Under the plan, restaurants, places of worship, retail stores, movie theaters, beauty shops, the zoo, the aquarium, museums (except for the Louisiana Children’s Museum) and gyms are allowed to reopen at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is lower. Live performance venues and casinos must remain closed. Restaurants and salons will take customers’ names and phone numbers to help with contact tracing in cases where the virus reappears. Patrons must wear face masks while in the businesses and maintain physical distancing.

“Remember the basics of preventing the spread,” city Health Department Director Dr. Jennifer Avegno said. “Everyone must wear a mask or face covering.”

Cantrell compared the phased reopening of New Orleans’ businesses to turning on a faucet and allowing it to trickle. “We’ve made progress, and we’re going to open up slowly. If we do see signs of regression, we’re going to turn that faucet off immediately,” she said.

She encouraged people to limit excursions outside their homes.

“We’re [still] encouraging our people to not be moving all about,” the mayor said. “Continue to look toward getting your essential needs met, but again, [you’re] safest at home.”

While some office buildings can reopen, Avegno said, “If you can maintain your livelihood and do your job at home, you should continue to do that. The more people circulating in the population means the virus will spread quicker.”

It remains unknown when the next phase of reopening will occur.

— SARAH RAVITS

Judges recuse themselves from hearing archdiocese case One served as the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ in-house attorney. Another was on the board of the archdiocese’s seminary and earned an award for organizing monthly Masses for special-needs parishioners.

A third is married to an attorney who is representing the archdiocese

REVS is an initiative aimed at promoting best practices, work plans and protocols to ensure music venues are able to open as quickly and safely as possible. It also will help city officials disseminate action plans, figure out budgets and provide technical assistance and mentorship, according to a news release from New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s office.

New Orleans has been selected as one of the campaign’s focal cities, in addition to Seattle; Cleveland; Los Angeles; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Chicago; Austin, Texas; and Portland, Oregon. Parallel REVS initiatives are operating in Canada and the United Kingdom.

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OPENING GAMBIT of the need to have judges not only be — but also appear to be — impartial,” Ciolino said. “Some people don’t like that standard … but it’s been around for a long time for those reasons.”

After the archdiocese filed for bankruptcy, citing the financial fallout of the abuse cases and the coronavirus pandemic, the church moved more than two dozen molestation lawsuits from Orleans Parish Civil District Court to the federal courthouse on Poydras Street.

Ultimately, records show, Vitter received at least three cases from which she recused herself. She spent six years as the archdiocese’s general counsel before her 2019 appointment to the federal bench. Her duties with the archdiocese included mediating settlements with people claiming to have been molested by clergymen.

Vance recused herself from at least two cases because her husband — R. Patrick Vance, a partner at Jones Walker law firm — is among the attorneys representing the archdiocese in bankruptcy.

In Ciolino’s view, Zainey’s recusal from one of two cases allotted to him exemplifies how judges adhere to a rule calling for them to disqualify themselves simply if there’s a chance their “impartiality might reasonably be questioned.”

Besides serving on Notre Dame Seminary’s board and being honored for his volunteer work with special-needs parishioners, the deeply pious Zainey has written articles for the archdiocese’s newspaper and is a friend of Archbishop Gregory Aymond.

Lemelle recused himself from at least four cases, including one from which Vitter and Zainey had also recused. Lemelle sits on the board of directors for Catholic Community Foundation, a nonprofit which supports various archdiocesan ministries.

None of the recused judges responded to requests for comment.

— RAMON ANTONIO VARGAS/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

Men arrested for cruelty to a pig Two men who bought a live pig they planned to slaughter themselves and serve for Mother’s Day dinner are accused of abusing the animal in the backyard of a Kenner home, according to authorities.

Two pit bulls kept at the residence also attacked the pig, according to Kenner Code Enforcement Director James Mohamad. The dogs will have to be euthanized, officials said.

Kenner police were dispatched to

a home in the 4100 block of Tulane Drive in Kenner May 8 after neighbors called to report the alleged abuse, said Lt. Michael Cunningham, a Kenner Police Department spokesman.

Orelvis Otero Pinero, 32, and Onisley Bravo Fleites, 41, told officers they purchased the pig from a farm in Hammond and brought it back to the house, according to authorities.

A witness told officers the pair beat the pig on the head and neck with a broom handle, causing the animal to squeal in pain. Two pit bulls in the backyard were seen growling and lunging at the pig, according to witnesses.

Otero and Bravo hog-tied the pig and seemed to be about to kill it on the patio when a neighbor screamed for them to stop, authorities said.

The men then dragged the pig into a garage, followed by the dogs.

Police said the pig had a “puncture wound” on its right hindquarters, a cut to a back foot, other cuts and scrapes on its stomach and right side and blood coming from an ear.

Otero and Bravo were arrested and booked with one count each of aggravated cruelty to animals for allegedly causing the pig unnecessary pain and suffering, Cunningham said.

Both men were released from the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center PAGE 8

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as it seeks bankruptcy protection. Yet another serves on an archdiocesan charity’s board.

Respectively, U.S. District Judges Wendy Vitter, Jay Zainey, Sarah Vance and Ivan Lemelle are four members of the federal trial bench in New Orleans who have recused themselves from clergy abuse lawsuits that were transferred to their courthouse after the church filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy May 1.

The recusals involve nearly a third of the 14 federal district judges in New Orleans. It’s a stark illustration of how deeply the church is woven into the fabric of the metropolitan area, which counts a half-million Catholics among its roughly 1.3 million residents.

The life experience of one judge who’s now presiding over four of the transferred cases further underscores this reality. U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman has written about how he converted from Judaism to Catholicism in 2009 after studying for two years with then-Archbishop Alfred Hughes.

Loyola Law School ethics professor Dane Ciolino on Wednesday said the recusals so far are understandable, and show that judges tend to take seriously their duty to avoid “even an appearance” of potential bias.

“It’s … a fairly indeterminate standard, but an important one, because

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The pig was taken to the Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter in Harvey, according to Mohamad. — MICHELLE HUNTER/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

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Gov. John Bel Edwards’s administration is finalizing plans to wind down a $165 million temporary hospital facility at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, but will leave beds in the facility over the next several months in case they’re needed as the state moves through a phased reopening that could produce another spike in cases.

Likewise, Edwards’ administration and Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser will keep three of the state’s 21 state parks operating as isolation sites for people who have been infected but are homeless or can’t go home for other reasons. Nungesser says he will begin reopening the other 18 state parks for recreational use.

The temporary hospital facility at the convention center was the cornerstone of the state’s plan to prepare for an onslaught of coronavirus patients expected at hospitals in the New Orleans region as the number of cases rose at an alarming rate in March and April. But Edwards’ almost two-month-long stayat-home order, which was lifted last Friday, has tamped down the spread of the virus considerably. Only 17 people remained in the Convention Center as of press time; 190 have been treated there, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

The plan for the Convention Center has not yet been finalized, but Edwards said he would leave beds in the facility for “several months.”

Similarly, isolation sites at Bayou Segnette State Park in Westwego, Chicot State Park near Ville Platte and Lake Bistineau State Park near Doyline will remain open to house coronavirus patients.

“We hope it doesn’t happen but this particular virus could flare and we could have a resurgence of cases and they could spike and we would need these trailers (at the parks) again,” Edwards said. “We are in the process now of coming up with a phased approach to taking the hospital beds out of the Morial Convention Center but doing so in a way that for the next several months will leave a nucleus of beds in there so we will have that flexibility as well.”

The Convention Center facility comprises an estimated $165 million of the state’s $473 million in expenses from the coronavirus, according to the latest figures provided by the Governor’s Office of Homeland Se-

P H OTO BY S O P H I A G E R M E R / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E | T H E N E W O R L E A N S A DVO C AT E

The Medical Monitoring Station at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is starting to wind down, but the governor says it will be available if the need arises.

curity and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) and Edwards’ administration. While the total amount spent has fluctuated as the state cancels orders for ventilators and other equipment it no longer needs, GOHSEP spokesman Mike Steele said the bulk of the spending on the Convention Center facility is locked in, though it could change some if contracts are extended or shortened.

As the first phase of businesses reopening approaches, the governor and state health leaders are urging people to wear masks and embrace the continued restrictions in place to make sure the state doesn’t experience a rebound in cases that could prompt officials to clamp down again.

Nungesser, who oversees state parks, said aside from the three parks serving as isolation sites, the rest will open in phase one. Reservations for campsites or cabins from out-of-state residents are being canceled during phase one, he said.

— SAM KARLIN/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE ADVOCATE

New unemployment filings high but slowing New unemployment claims across Louisiana have slowed, but hundreds of thousands of individuals remain out of work.

For the week ending May 9, 40,125 people filed new claims, compared to 50,941 new claims filed the previous week, according to data from the Louisiana Workforce Commission. By comparison, the state saw only 2,028 new unemployment

filings for the week ending May 11 a year ago.

The May new claims number is down from the recent peak of 102,172 new claims for the week ending April 4, records show.

However, continued unemployment claims for those still out of work continued to increase to 325,136 workers for the week ending May 9, up from 310,013 one week before.

New unemployment claims for workers in food services and accommodation continue to lead statewide job losses: 6,656 new claims were filed for the week ending May 9.

More than 29,000 of these workers filed new unemployment claims for the week ending March 21, which was the peak for that industry.

Other industries with continued losses include retail trade, with 4,642 new claims, down from its peak of 13,350 claims the week of April 4. Health care and social assistance had 4,419 new claims, down from its peak of 13,265 new claims for the first week of April. Construction had 4,081 new claims last week, compared to its peak of 10,175 new claims for the week of April 4.

The state pays a maximum $247 per week for unemployment, with the federal government kicking in an additional $600 per week from a $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package passed by Congress. — KRISTEN MOSBRUCKER/THE TIMESPICAYUNE | THE ADVOCATE

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COMMENTARY

Summer metallics

“IN WAR, THE FIRST CASUALTY IS TRUTH”

is a time-honored maxim. In the current novel coronavirus pandemic, among the first casualties is government transparency. That is particularly true in the state Capitol as state lawmakers rush to pass non-essential bills that significantly weaken Louisiana’s Public Records Law. A few examples: • HB 587 by Rep. Jean-Paul Coussan, R-Lafayette, authorizes a program for environmental self-audits and keeps significant amounts of information in the self-audits confidential for a period to be determined by the state Department of Environmental Quality. That’s like allowing bank robbers to report to the sheriff how much they stole — but not telling the bank or the public until the sheriff feels like it.

• SB 273 by Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, would keep all reports of cyberattacks — and any payments of cyber ransom — out of the public record. Citizens deserve to know if their personal information on public computers may have been compromised — and if their tax dollars have been used to pay cyber ransom.

• HB 303 by Rep. Mark Wright, R-St. Tammany, prohibits public bodies from requiring or disclosing the identities of persons who contribute to nonprofit organizations — including many political action committees and other political organizations. It even establishes criminal and civil penalties for violations. This is among the worst bills in the entire session as regards the public’s right to know.

Other bills would hide a wide variety of information — the identities of people whose companies or employers receive state economic development incentives; information about drugs used for executions; mug shots taken in connection with criminal arrests; and public school blueprints. Worst of all, legislative committees have met late into the night to consider bills dealing with important public business — with very little advance notice — and with virtually no public input.

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P H OTO B Y A N N A KO L D U N OVA / G E T T Y I M AG E S

In a move that flouts a fundamental constitutional right in Louisiana, lawmakers have given citizens who wish to testify during committee hearings a true Hobson’s Choice: risk COVID-19 infection by going to the Capitol (where many lawmakers refuse to wear masks) to testify in person; or submit written comments that aren’t even read into the record.

Across Louisiana, kindergarten students are using free technology to conduct classes and “show and tell” sessions, but lawmakers somehow can’t use technology to let people testify remotely on legislation that takes away citizens’ right to know what their government is up to.

It’s shameful.

Contrast that with local police juries and school boards across the state that modified their meeting protocols to remain transparent.

Many invited citizens to join their video chats. Some let people give public comment via Zoom. They innovated in the face of a real challenge. Louisiana lawmakers, sadly, have failed the test of leadership in a time of crisis.

Bad government, dishonest government, thrives in the dark. Sunshine is always the best cure for it.

We applaud the local public bodies that have found ways to keep their constituents informed and engaged.

We likewise urge legislators to open committee hearings to real-time public comment via online technology. We also urge lawmakers to defeat — and the governor to veto — any bills that shroud the goings-on of public bodies and public officials.

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Phased reopening won’t be a sudden return to ‘normal’ WELL, IT’S NOT EXACTLY THE LIBERATION OF PARIS,

but Phase 1 of Gov. John Bel Edwards’ reopening order for Louisiana certainly will bring some celebrations — and some changes to Louisiana’s economic landscape. Not all of the changes will resemble a return to “normal.”

Same goes for Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s more constrained reopening order in New Orleans.

The mayor is following the broad strokes of the governor’s plan, but with some tighter restrictions.

Casinos, for example, may reopen with limited capacity under Edwards’ order, but Cantrell ordered the city’s casino to remain closed.

Under Edwards’ order, casinos can reopen half their games, including slots and table games, but they must adhere to the statewide 25% occupancy limit for all businesses.

Another key difference: The governor’s order allows retailers with interior shopping mall entrances to reopen; Cantrell’s order keeps them shuttered.

Meanwhile, Jefferson Parish is following the governor’s order closely.

The 25% capacity limit for businesses reflects guidelines issued by the State Fire Marshal. Businesses across the state must register at opensafely.la.gov in order to reopen.

They will receive guidance as the state moves from Phase 1 through Phase 4.

One point on which the governor and local leaders remain aligned — business employees and patrons should wear masks, and everyone must practice physical distancing in public. The mask requirement does not apply to outdoor recreation.

The governor and local leaders also agree that people 65 and older, along with others who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 infection, should remain at home as much as possible.

As a 65-year-old, I certainly plan to limit my outings, though I confess I sure miss going out for lunch, a glass of red, or dinner. Is returning to my old habits on a regular basis worth the risk of catching the novel coronavirus? No, but if I can grab an out-

P H OTO B Y DAV I D G R U N F E L D/ T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E | T H E N E W O R L E A N S A DVO C AT E

Ngai Smith, building superintendent for the French Market Corporation, removes plywood from stores on Decatur Street in preparation for reopening.

door table, I’m all in for an occasional outing — with physical distancing.

My guess is we won’t see a massive, sudden return to the way we were. My information is anecdotal, but it seems a lot of restaurants don’t plan to reopen right away. Considering the 25% capacity limit, one can understand their hesitation. It’s hard enough to make a profit under “normal” conditions. How can they do it when they have to bring back all (or substantially all) of their employees but can only serve a quarter of their usual meals and drinks?

Just as the stay-at-home orders required everybody to adapt, America’s phased reopening likewise will force significant changes in people’s workplaces, business strategies and economic activities.

In the short space of two months, many people became accustomed to working from home. With COVID-19 still very much a threat to public health, workers and patrons across the nation’s economic landscape already have changed their habits, expectations and tolerances.

To be sure, many will go right back to the “old normal.” Many others will not. Yes, we’re officially reopening now, but don’t be surprised if Phase 1 signals more fundamental changes than just being allowed to shop, get a haircut and go out to dinner again.

It could be the start of a whole new kind of “normal.”

11

BLAKE PONTCHARTRAIN™

Hey Blake, With all the uncertainty about the future of Carnival in 2021, what are some of the other times Mardi Gras has been canceled over the years?

Open Limited Hours Tuesday - Thursday 10AM-4PM

Dear reader,

As Carnival historian and former Gambit Editor Errol Laborde points out, Mardi Gras is a date on the calendar, an event like Christmas or Easter which cannot ever be canceled. What can be canceled, however, are public events such as organized Carnival parades.

In New Orleans, the organized parading tradition dates back to 1857 and the Mistick Krewe of Comus.

Since then, Mardi Gras has been canceled 13 times, according to Mardi Gras Guide Publisher Arthur Hardy.

During the Civil War, there were no organized parades from 1862 through 1865. Perry Young’s 1931 book “The Mistick Krewe” includes the 1862 proclamation by which Comus announced it would not parade: “Whereas war has cast its gloom over our happy homes and care usurped the place where joy is wont to hold its sway, now therefore, do I, deeply sympathizing with the general anxiety, deem it proper to withhold your Annual Festival in this goodly Crescent City and by this proclamation do command no assemblage of the Mistick Krewe.”

The parade returned in 1866, with just one float followed by maskers on foot.

Rex became New Orleans’ first day parade in 1872. In 1875, both Rex and Comus canceled their parades because of political unrest following the September 1874 “Battle of Liberty Place,” an attempted insurrection led by the Crescent City White League, which clashed with the Metropolitan Police and state militia.

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Krewe of Comus began the Carnival parading tradition in 1857. This parade was in 1955.

In 1879, there were no parades of the krewes of Comus or Momus (established in 1872) because of a yellow fever epidemic which killed more than 4,000 people. However, Rex did roll on Mardi Gras.

Organized parades were canceled in 1918 and 1919 due to World War I and from 1942 through 1945 due to World War II. In 1951, the majority of krewes decided to cancel their parades because of the Korean War. On Fat Tuesday, Zulu rolled, but in place of Rex there was a 20-float parade called the Krewe of Patria. A Marine Corps veteran, Lindsay Larson Jr., reigned as king and Women’s Army Corps Reservist Audrey Burke was queen.

Many readers will remember the 1979 New Orleans police strike, which prompted the cancellation of the Fat Tuesday parades of Zulu, Rex and Comus. In all, 16 New Orleans krewes canceled their parades that Carnival, with 13 others relocating to Slidell, Kenner, Chalmette and Gretna.

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Many people will recall their mother or grandmother treating childhood cuts, burns and other maladies with the product. In 1905, Tichenor’s company was purchased by William Irby and Arthur Parker, whose descendants still own the business today.

A character named Cajun Pete (portrayed by musician Irvine “Pinky” Vidacovich) once hawked the product in radio commercials, which you can hear on the company’s website (www.drtichenor.com/history) Dr. Tichenor died in 1923. His formula is now offered for sale as mouthwash, toothpaste and antiseptic gel.

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May 12-18, 2020 Volume 41 // Number 17

April 28, 2020 15 Volume 41 // Number

A PHOTO ESSAY B Y C H E RY L G E R B E R

Doing the pandemic New Orleans-style

Veteran photojournalist Cheryl Gerber, who has worked with Gambit since 1994, has ventured out of isolation to explore New Orleans while residents were ordered to stay home and other restrictions forced a virtual shutdown of business, especially in the tourist-dependent French Quarter.

“The first few weeks were so strange, completely dead, nobody around,” says Gerber. “Then you started seeing just a few neighbors go out. Then you started seeing tourists coming in, a lot of people riding their bikes or just coming to take pictures” (during what would have been the second weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival).

People still aren’t going out at night, Gerber says, but early evening sees residents walking their dogs, going to the store and visiting with neighbors at a distance. In the French Quarter, a concert featuring the Treme Brass Band playing on a balcony at the New Orleans Jazz Museum last week brought out scores of people (masked and distancing) for a virtual jazz funeral for people who have died during the pandemic.

PAGE 14

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Musician Tim Laughlin picks up takeout from GW Fins

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An optimistic sign, she says, is businesses using the down time to spruce up their buildings for reopening. She’s also seen creative types return to what they do, with neighbors like Gregg Yde of Black Laurel performing the concert he livestreams every Saturday outside so his neighbors can attend. Gerber’s husband Mark McGrain also performed for his neighbors, but instead of his trombone, he played a huge Alphorn and used his home’s roof as his stage.

“You’ve got to entertain yourself with all this free time,” Gerber says. “I’ve never had so much free time in my life.”

Gerber, whose brother died early in the pandemic, says she’s used the time to write a book, “The Intolerable Silence,” about her experiences as a New Orleans photojournalist covering events such as Hurricane Katrina, the BP oil disaster, the controversy over the Confederate monuments and the coronavirus pandemic as well as her unconventional upbringing. — KANDACE POWER GRAVES PAGE 16

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16 SCENES IN THE CITY PAGE 15

Residents at Covenant House hold signs thanking musicians Rihanna and Jay-Z and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey for donations that will keep the facility operating.

First course

Cattail connection

CATTAIL COOKS (www.facebook. com/cattailcooks), a culinary venture launched by two chefs in New Orleans, has become a growing source of relief for undocumented families and others who don’t qualify for federal assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also supports local farmers and food producers suffering while many of their customers, such as restaurants, have been shut down.

Sierra Torres and Grace Treffinger, who graduated from the culinary program at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, founded Cattail Cooks less than a year ago as a way to support regional farmers and growers. Prior to the pandemic,

New Orleans restaurants enter the first phase of reopening

BY I A N M C N U LT Y TANYA DUBUCLET HAD ALREADY TAKEN A TAPE MEASURE to the dining

room at her Neyow’s Creole Cafe (3332 Bienville St., 504-827-5474; www.neyows.com), assessing where she could put tables to comply with rules announced May 12, allowing limited restaurant service under the new coronavirus restrictions. When New Orleans officials confirmed the details of those rules, she told her oyster shucker to get ready to return to work.

“We’re just so excited,” she says.

“It’s not going to be like normal, but it’s a start.”

For Dubuclet, the change means it’s time to put oysters back on her menu of Creole comfort food, which she’s served for takeout only for the past two months.

“Hopefully, this phase goes by fast and we can make it to the next step,” when restrictions could further loosen, she says. “Everyone has to be careful.”

Restaurants across the state, along with bars with food service permits, were allowed to reopen last week with 25% capacity inside and more seating outside following physical distancing measures.

In New Orleans, which is under its own set of rules, the changes went into effect May 16. New Orleans requires restaurants to take reservations for all customers, including walk-ups, as a way to keep customer information for possible contact tracing.

The loosening of restrictions comes with the caveat that a spike in coronavirus infections could bring back more stringent mandates.

Restaurant operators are eyeing the impending change with a mix of relief and trepidation, as they manage the rules, the expectations of their customers and the less-than-universal embrace of physical distancing measures by the public.

When people call for reservations at Coquette, (2800 Magazine St., 504265-0421; www.coquettenola.com) they get an advisory on the restaurant’s safety protocols.

Staff have their temperatures tested before work, cleaning is constant and customers are asked to wear face coverings any time they’re not seated at their tables (such as arriving, leaving or

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

walking to the restroom). The restaurant will provide bags for customers to store their masks during meals.

“We decided transparency is the No. 1 thing,” co-owner and chef Kristen Essig says. “We’re saying ‘Here’s what we’re doing; here’s why we’re doing it. We’re open to change, let us know what you think.’ I can’t control everything, but I can control the safety of the people who work for me, and that’s where this starts.”

Essig says she and partner Michael Stoltzfus will evaluate the first weekend of service and make any appropriate changes.

“At 25% (capacity), we’re not making money, but remaining relevant and in people’s minds and thoughts is extremely important,” she said.

“We’re coming back in stages.”

Gov. John Bel Edwards has said public health data will guide future phases of reopening Louisiana’s economy. The next phase could begin in the first week of June with capacity increased to 50%.

Stan Harris, CEO of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, said the governor’s first phase toward reopening is a positive one, but some restaurants can’t open with just 25% in sales volume.

“We project there will be a significant mortality of restaurants,” Harris says. “They are cash flow-driven businesses at very low profit margins.”

To boost their business under the restrictions, some restaurants are looking to outdoor dining areas, where seating does not count against indoor capacity and is limited only by maintaining a minimum 10-foot distance between tables.

S TA F F P H OTO B Y I A N M C N U LT Y

Tanya Dubuclet started Neyow’s in 2010 and expanded with a much larger location on Bienville Street in New Orleans.

P H OTO B Y C A R A C O H E N

Drago’s (3232 N. Arnoult Road, Metairie, 504-888-9254; www.dragosrestaurt.com) in Metairie, a restaurant that can accommodate 500 people, is prepared to reopen with seats for 100.

But outside, part of the parking lot has been turned into what looks like a beer garden, with a dozen umbrella-topped tables well-spaced between planters. Owner Tommy Cvitanovich is looking at installing tents and other measures to keep outdoor seating viable when the weather turns hotter.

“You have to consider everything at this point,” he says.

Some restaurateurs are waiting.

The Uptown bistro Upperline remains closed for now. Proprietor JoAnn Clevenger said she wants to reopen and reconnect with her customers and staff but wants to see how the first phase of reopening impacts coronavirus spread.

“People in restaurants devote their professional lives to making people happy and keeping them safe,” she says. “That’s what we do. Right now, I don’t know if I have a handle on how to do that — it’s the staff and the guests and the vendors and the postman. I have very mixed feelings, I’m very concerned.”

The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate staff writer Megan Wyatt contributed to this story.

they booked catering gigs for small groups and progressive organizations, while emphasizing the importance of locally sourced ingredients.

“Over the past year of buying and working with the farmers, we have formed really important relationships,” Torres says. “We know their names, how they grow their food, and whether they are struggling or not. This is important to us because we just don’t see this work as a business. We are a community.”

In the past two months, they’ve spent about $15,000 with local farmers, fishers, ranchers, crabbers and others in the food community that also faced disruptions to their livelihoods due to market closures, Torres says. Cattail Cooks purchases and accepts donations of local produce from about 10 farmers from Mississippi, Louisiana and other areas of the Gulf Coast.

“We’re making connections all the time,” Torres says. “A milk company is going to donate enough milk for 130 families, and one of our farmers is donating 100 pounds of squash every week. Other farmers, we’re buying from. But this is a relationship, and it’s not just a COVID-19 response. [We] want to build long-term solutions.”

Cattail has also collected unused food from shuttered restaurants.

PAGE 18

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room service later in the month. The Metairie location will continue takeout service, and added dining room service May 15.

The first Boulevard opened in 2015 in the longtime home of Houston’s in Metairie, where Hardie was manager.

The Elmwood location was developed in the former La Madeleine in a busy cluster of shopping centers near Jefferson Parish offices and the AMC Palace cinema. The transformation from the old La Madeleine was thorough. The company invested $2.6 million into the project and expects to employ 100 people there when it’s fully open. For now, it will add staff as the business expands and will cross-train with the Metairie staff. That includes training in new safety protocols following coronavirus precautions, Hardie says.

Most of the 19 restaurants under the Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts (www.creolecuisine.com) banner remain closed, though CEO Marv Ammari said more are returning to business soon. In the Warehouse District, Tommy’s Cuisine (746 Tchoupitoulas St., 504-581-1103; www.tommyscuisine.com) reopened for takeout and dine-in service.

Broussard’s Restaurant (819 Conti St., 504-581-3866; www.broussards. com), the century-old French Quarter restaurant the company has run since 2013, also reopened for dine-in service. Broussard’s has been a hub for the company’s community feeding efforts, dishing out meals to different groups. — IAN McNULTY/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE

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And the group has now donated food to about 140 families in need.

The effort has relied largely on crowd-funding to purchase from local businesses. A group of more than 40 volunteers help coordinate weekly deliveries of grocery boxes.

Cattail Cooks’ goal is to continue fundraising for the next two months so that it can feed 50 families currently on their waiting list.

Many of the families they serve are undocumented immigrants who don’t speak English. “We don’t have any income requirements,” Torres says. “We don’t ask any information about the families. If people email us and they say they have a need, we trust that ... know that people are asking for a reason.”

The organization offers resources in Spanish, Torres says. “We also organize with mutual aid groups who want to strengthen our food system and get people access to fresh food.”

Currently, Cattail is operating as a volunteer and donation-based organization and forgoing any profits.

Cattail lost gigs after coronavirus mitigation measures went into effect. Torres quit a full-time job a week prior to the shutdowns in order to focus solely on Cattail Cooks and organizing work, she says.

“My plan was to make this a full-time gig, especially since the demand was there,” Torres says.

“Grace will be finishing up her jobs at the end of May, and then we’ll see what happens.”

They expect to continue to address hunger issues and communities in need after the pandemic.

— SARAH RAVITS

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THROUGHOUT THE CORONAVIRUS SHUTDOWNS, one bright spot for

local company Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts has been Boulevard American Bistro (4241 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 504-889-2301; www.boulevardbistro.com). The Metairie restaurant has kept up a strong takeout business.

All the while, a second location of Boulevard has been taking shape a few miles away in Elmwood (5171 Citrus Blvd., Elmwood, 504-4105171). It opened Friday.

Restaurants statewide are allowed to resume dining room service at 25% capacity. Creole Cuisine looked at the experience of Boulevard in Metairie to guide its decision for Elmwood. It serves the same modern American menu of dishes such as cedar plank salmon, grilled artichokes and prime rib. When outdoor tables were allowed earlier this month, customers turned up for that option too.

“What we’ve seen is the adaptability of our team,” says Robert Hardie, a partner in Boulevard.

The Elmwood location initially will open for takeout only, adding dining

WYES-TV BEGAN AIRING “KITCHEN QUEENS: NEW ORLEANS,” a 26-part

series featuring women chefs in the city. Episodes feature chefs in their restaurant kitchens preparing signature and classic dishes. The series features chefs Susan Spicer (Bayona, Mondo), Sue Zemanick (Zasu), Rebecca Wilcomb (Gianna), Leighann Smith (Piece of Meat), Megan Forman (Gracious Bakery Cafe), Meg Bickford (Commander’s Palace), Tanya Dubuclet (Neyow’s Creole Cafe) and others. There’s also Ericka Michelle Lassiar of Diva Dawg Food Truck and Becky Wasden of oyster caterer Two Girls One Shuck. Producers Terri Landry and Dawn Smith have created more than a dozen cooking shows for public television, including popular series starring Paul Prudhomme and Kevin Belton. “Kitchen Queens” airs at 10 a.m. Saturdays on WYES and Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB), and episodes repeat at 1:30 p.m. Sundays on WYES. For more information, visit www.wyes.org.

— WILL COVIELLO

EAT+DRINK

19

Isaac Toups Chef DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, chef Isaac Toups and his Mid-City restaurant Toups’ Meatery (845 N. Carrollton Ave., 504-252-4999; www.toupsmeatery.com) have operated a family meal program, serving free meals to unemployed service industry workers and anyone else in need (Toups accepts donations to support the program through Venmo, @toupsmeatery and by phone). Toups and his wife Amanda opened the restaurant in 2012, and earlier this month, he again was named a finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: South award. Toups has appeared on various TV shows and recently filmed a segment for the online learning platform Bluprint in which he demonstrates how to make his Toups Burger.

How has the pandemic affected Toups’ Meatery?

ISAAC TOUPS: It has impacted like a goddamn freight train, honestly.

I don’t even know how long we’ve been in this thing — it’s all been a rough blur.

We started this family program on a wing and a prayer just to feed our employees, and that kind of ballooned into feeding the neighborhood, which ballooned into feeding 300 people a day. Luckily, we were able to keep that up with some donations — monetary donations, food donations. This is what we do: We stick together, and we feed our people.

I was able to keep most of my management, which is about half my employees. With the donations, we’re able to keep the doors open and everybody fed. Then we partnered with World Central Kitchen — that’s Jose Andres’ foundation — so now we’re feeding an extra 300 every day.

Depending on the day, we’ll be putting out 500 meals to the elderly, the homeless, the first responders, the medical workers, the firefighters, and honestly anybody else who just needs a meal. We do takeout business on top of that.

So hook or crook, we’re making this happen.

What does the phase 1 reopening mean for you?

IT: We’ll be open with limited seating, and although that’s better than nothing, my restaurant needs

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to be 100% capacity just to pay the bills. So it’s frightening times, but the company motto is “Too dumb to be scared.”

All my family are doctors, so I know this is a very serious pandemic. I want to be all of it: I want to be safe and I want to be open. I think the soft opening with 25% capacity is a great way to start.

We have just lost all of our busy season, and now we’re reopening in June, which is a slow season. I’m not trying to be bleak — I’m definitely a “glass half full” type of guy — but I’m being more of a realist right now.

What can you say about the video you shot for Bluprint’s “Dinner at Home” series?

IT: They asked me to shoot those kinds of videos, and honestly, I’ve gotten a lot more hits from different people wanting more of those type of videos. Between OpenTable and Vice — some of them are already in production and being edited, some we’re gonna shoot later, but you’re gonna see a lot more of these shot-from-home videos coming up. Now that everybody’s cooking in the house now, and not everybody knows how to cook, and not everybody knows how to read a cookbook.

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TAKE-OUT TO EAT Contact Will Coviello wcoviello@gambitweekly.com 504-483-3106 | FAX: 504-483-3159

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Unless noted, addresses are in New Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.

B — breakfast L — lunch D — dinner late — late 24H — 24 hours

$ — average dinner entrée under $10 $$ — $11 to $20 $$$ — $21 or more

BYWATER

HARAHAN/JEFFERSON/ RIVER RIDGE

Luna Libre — 3600 St. Claude Ave., (504) 237-1284 — Carnitas made with pork from Shank Charcuterie and citrus from Ben & Ben Becnel farm fills a taco topped with onion and cilantro. The menu combines Tex-Mex and dishes from Louisiana and Arkansas. Curbside pickup is available. B Sat-Sun. $ Polly’s Bywater Cafe — 3225 St. Claude Ave., (504) 459-4571; www.pollysbywatercafe.com — A grilled biscuit is topped with poached eggs, hog’s head cheese and Creole hollandaise and served with home fries or grits. $$

Bienvenue — 467 Hickory Ave., Harahan, (504) 305-4792; www.bienvenueharahan. com — A Marrone sandwich features smoked prime rib, provolone, horseradish aioli and jus on Gendusa’s French bread.

The menu also includes po-boys, seafood platters, pasta and more. Drive-through pickup available. L daily, D Tue-Sat, brunch Sun. $$ The Rivershack Tavern — 3449 River Road, (504) 834-4938; www.therivershacktavern.com — This bar and music spot offers a menu of burgers, sandwiches and changing lunch specials.

Curbside pickup and delivery available.

L, D daily. $ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 7333803; www.theospizza.com — There is a wide variety of specialty pies and diners can build their own from the selection of more than two-dozen toppings. The menu also includes salads and sandwiches. Curbside pickup and delivery. L, D Tue-Sat. $

CBD 14 Parishes — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave.; www.14parishes.com — Jamaican-style jerk chicken is served with two sides such as plantains, jasmine rice, cabbage or rice and peas. Delivery available.

Curbside pickup and delivery available.

L and D daily. $$ Eat Well — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave.; www.pythianmarket.com — Phoritto is a spinach tortilla filled with brisket, chicken or tofu, plus bean sprouts, jalapenos, onions and basil and is served with a cup of broth. Curbside pickup and delivery available. L and D daily. $ Kais — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave., (941) 481-9599; www.pythianmarket.com — A Sunshine bowl includes salmon, corn, mango, green onions, edamame, pickled ginger, ponzu spicy mayonnaise, cilantro, masago and nori strips. Curbside pickup and delivery available. L and D daily. $$ La Cocinita — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave., (504) 309-5344; www.lacochinitafoodtruck.com — La Llanera is an arepa stuffed with carne asada, guasacasa, pico de gallo, grilled queso fresco and salsa verde. Curbside pickup and delivery available. B, L and D daily. $ Meribo Pizza — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave., (504) 481-9599; www.meribopizza. com — A Meridionale pie is topped with pulled pork, chilies, ricotta, mozzarella, collard greens and red sauce. Delivery available. L and D daily. $$ Red Gravy — 125 Camp St., (504) 5618844; www.redgravycafe.com — Thin cannoli pancakes are filled with cannoli cream and topped with a chocolate drizzle.

The menu includes brunch items, pasta dishes, sandwiches, baked goods and more. Takeout available. Check website for hours. $$ Willie Mae’s — Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave.; www.williemaesnola.com — The Creole soul food restaurant is known for its fried chicken, red beans and more.

Takeout available. L and D Mon-Sat. $

CARROLLTON/UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOODS Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; www.mikimotosushi. com — Sushi choices include new and old favorites, both raw and cooked. The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avo-

Belgian fries. A falafel sandwich comes with pickled cucumbers, arugula, spinach, red onions, beets, hummus and Spanish garlic sauce. Delivery available. No reservations. Takeout and delivery available Fri-Sun. $ Mardi Gras Zone — 2706 Royal., (504) 947-8787 — The grocery and deli has a counter offering po-boys, sides such as macaroni and cheese and vegan and vegetarian dishes. Wood-oven baked pizza is available by the pie or slice. $

LAKEVIEW Lakeview Brew Coffee Cafe — 5606 Canal Blvd., (504) 483-7001; www.lakeviewbrew.com — This casual cafe offers gourmet coffees and a wide range of pastries and desserts baked in house, plus a menu of specialty sandwiches and salads. For breakfast, an omelet is filled with marinated mushrooms, bacon, spinach and goat cheese. Tuna salad or chicken salad avocado melts are topped with melted Monterey Jack and shredded Parmesan cheeses. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available. B, L daily, D Mon-Sat, brunch Sat-Sun. $ Lotus Bistro — 203 W. Harrison Ave., (504) 533-9879; www.lotusbistronola.com — A Mineko Iwasaki roll includes spicy snow crab, tuna, avocado and cucumber topped with salmon, chef’s sauce, masago, green onion and tempura crunchy flakes. The menu also includes bento box lunches, teriyaki dishes, fried rice and more. Takeout and delivery are available.

L and D Tue-Sun. $$ S TA F F P H O T O B Y M AT T R O S E

Mosca’s Restaurant (4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, 504-436-8950; www.moscasrestaurant.com) serves signature dishes such as oysters Mosca.

cado and snow crab. Delivery available.

Takeout and delivery available. L Sun-Fri, D daily. $$ Pyramids Cafe — 3151 Calhoun St., (504) 861-9602 — Diners will find Mediterranean cuisine featuring such favorites as shawarma prepared on a rotisserie. Takeout and delivery available. L, D daily. $$ Vincent’s Italian Cuisine — 7839 St. Charles Ave., (504) 866-9313; www.vincentsitaliancuisine.com — See Metairie section for restaurant description. Curbside pickup and delivery available. $$

CITYWIDE Breaux Mart — Citywide; www.breauxmart. com — The deli counter’s changing specials include dishes such as baked catfish and red beans and rice. L, D daily. $

FAUBOURG MARIGNY Kebab — 2315 St. Claude Ave., (504) 383-4328; www.kebabnola.com — The sandwich shop offers doner kebabs and

METAIRIE Andrea’s Restaurant — 3100 N. 19th St., Metairie, (504) 834-8583; www.andreasrestaurant.com — Chef/owner Andrea Apuzzo’s specialties include speckled trout royale which is topped with lump crabmeat and lemon-cream sauce.

Capelli D’Andrea combines house-made angel hair pasta and smoked salmon in light cream sauce. Curbside pickup and delivery are available. L, D daily, brunch Sun. $$$ Kosher Cajun New York Deli & Grocery — 3519 Severn Ave., Metairie, (504) 8882010; www.koshercajun.com — This New York-style deli specializes in sandwiches, including corned beef and pastrami that come from the Bronx. Takeout available.

L Sun-Thu, D Mon-Thu. $

TAKE-OUT TO EAT beans with a ham hock and chicken fried steak served with macaroni and cheese.

Takeout and delivery available. $$ Miyako Japanese Seafood & Steakhouse — 1403 St. Charles Ave., (504) 410-9997; www.japanesebistro.com — Miyako offers a full range of Japanese cuisine, with specialties from the sushi or hibachi menus, chicken, beef or seafood teriyaki, and tempura. Delivery available. $$ Piccola Gelateria — 4525 Freret St., (504) 493-5999; www.piccolagelateria.com — The cafe offers 18 rotating flavors of small-batch Italian-style gelatos and sorbettos. The menu also includes flatbreads on piadina, crepes and espresso drinks.

Takeout and curbside pickup available. L and D Tue-Sun. $ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; www.theospizza. com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description.

MID-CITY/TREME Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; www.angelobrocatoicecream.com — This sweet shop serves its own gelato, spumoni, Italian ice, cannolis, fig cookies and other treats. Window and curbside pickup. L, D Fri-Sun. $ Brown Butter Southern Kitchen & Bar — 231 N. Carrollton Ave., Suite C, (504) 609-3871; www.brownbutterrestaurant. com — Sample items have included smoked brisket served with smoked apple barbecue sauce, Alabama white barbecue sauce, smoked heirloom beans and vinegar slaw. A Brunch burger features a brisket and short rib patty topped with bacon, brie, a fried egg, onion jam and arugula on a brioche bun. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available. $$ Doson Noodle House — 135 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 309-7283; www.facebook.com/ dosonnoodlehouse — Bun thit is Vietnamese-style grilled pork with cucumber, onions, lettuce, mint, cilantro and fish sauce served over rice or vermicelli. The menu includes rice and vermicelli dishes, pho, spring rolls and more. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available. $$ Five Happiness — 3511 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 482-3935; www.fivehappiness.com — The large menu at Five Happiness offers a range of dishes from wonton soup to sizzling seafood combinations served on a hot plate to sizzling Go-Ba to lo mein dishes. Takeout and delivery available. $$ Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; www.katiesinmidcity.com — Favorites at this Mid-City restaurant include the Cajun Cuban with roasted pork, grilled ham, cheese and pickles pressed on buttered bread. The Boudreaux pizza is topped with cochon de lait, spinach, red

WAREHOUSE DISTRICT

A DVO C AT E S TA F F P H O T O B Y I A N M C N U LT Y

Ralph’s on the Park (900 City Park Ave., 504-488-1000; www. ralphsonthepark.com) has been the Ralph Brennan restaurant group’s hub for takeout meals during the pandemic.

onions, roasted garlic, scallions and olive oil. There also are salads, burgers and Italian dishes. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery available. L and D Tue-Sun. $$ Nonna Mia — 3125 Esplanade Ave., (504) 948-1717; www.nonnamianola.com — A Divine Portobello appetizer includes chicken breast, spinach in creamy red pepper sauce and crostini. The menu also includes salads, sandwiches, pasta, pizza and more. Curbside pickup and delivery are available. Service daily. $$ Ralph’s on the Park — 900 City Park Ave., (504) 488-1000; www.ralphsonthepark. com — The restaurant is known for dishes such as turtle soup finished with sherry and barbecue Gulf shrimp. Family-style dinner specials include Louisiana crawfish etouffee with rice, potato salad and garlic bread.

Curbside pickup available. Wed-Sun. $$$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; www.theospizza. com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description.

Willie Mae’s Scotch House — 2401 St. Ann St., (504) 822-9503; www.williemaesnola. com — This neighborhood restaurant is known for its wet-battered fried chicken.

Green beans come with rice and gravy.

There’s bread pudding for dessert. No reservations. L Mon-Fri. $$

NORTHSHORE Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 234-9420; www.theospizza.com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description.

UPTOWN Joey K’s — 3001 Magazine St., (504) 891-0997; www.joeyksrestaurant.com ­— This casual eatery serves fried seafood platters, salads, sandwiches and Creole favorites such as red beans and rice. Daily specials include braised lamb shank, lima

Carmo — 527 Julia St., (504) 875-4132; www.cafecarmo.com — Carmo salad includes smoked ham, avocado, pineapple, almonds, cashews, raisins, cucumber, green pepper, rice, lettuce, cilantro and citrus mango vinaigrette. The menu includes dishes inspired by many tropical cuisines. Takeout and delivery are available. Mon-Sat. $$ Provisions Grab-n-Go Marketplace — Higgins Hotel, 500 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; www.higgingshotelnola. com — The coffeeshop serves salads, sandwiches, pastries and more. Takeout available. Service daily. $

WEST BANK Mosca’s — 4137 Hwy. 90 W., Westwego, (504) 436-8950; www.moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery has changed little since opening in 1946.

Popular dishes include shrimp Mosca, chicken a la grande and baked oysters Mosca, made with breadcrumps and Italian seasonings. Curbside pickup available.

D Wed-Sat. Cash only. $$$ Specialty Italian Bistro — 2330 Belle Chasse Hwy., Gretna, (504) 391-1090; www. specialtyitalianbistro.com — The menu combines Old World Italian favorites and pizza. Chicken piccata is a paneed chicken breast topped with lemon-caper piccata sauce served with angel hair pasta, salad and garlic cheese bread. Takeout and delivery available. Service daily. $$

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Mark Twain’s Pizza Landing — 2035 Metairie Road, Metairie, (504) 832-8032; www. marktwainpizza.com — Mark Twain’s serves salads, po-boys and pies like the Italian pizza with salami, tomato, artichoke, sausage and basil. Takeout and curbside pickup are available. L Tue-Sat, D Tue-Sun. $ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; www.theospizza.com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description.

Vincent’s Italian Cuisine — 4411 Chastant St., Metairie, (504) 885-2984; www.vincentsitaliancuisine.com — Corn and crab bisque is served in a toasted bread cup. Osso buco features a veal shank with angel hair pasta and veal demi-glace. Curbside pickup and delivery available. Tue-Sun. $$

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BRANDED CONTENT

“We Have Been

Dreaming of This Moment”

Graduation 2020 Goes On During COVID-19 School Closures N

ew Orleans’ Class of 2020 has been dreaming of the day when they could walk across the graduation stage and receive their diploma. This is a moment of accomplishment, pride, and hope for all that will come next.

This year, in New Orleans and worldwide, graduation ceremonies will be different. Students cannot hug their teachers or sit next to their peers. But, our educators are creative and determined to make this moment special. We spoke with leaders at three schools to learn how they are rising above the challenge of this moment to create rituals that honor and celebrate their seniors.

Towana Pierre-Floyd | SCHOOL LEADER Fredrick A. Douglass | SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL Douglass will host individual graduation ceremonies for each student, their family, Ms. Pierre-Floyd, and a small group of educators.

“I have known the class of 2020 since they were in eighth grade. We have all been dreaming about this moment for a long time. They worked so hard to get to this place and so this new end to the school year is a lot to process.

We have been asking ourselves, ‘how do we use this moment that is so challenging for our city, and come up with things that are more personal and more loving?’

What we have chosen to do is have a graduation with two parts, and that is the result of conversations with students and families.

First, we are doing individual ceremonies for students who opt in. Students will wear their caps and gowns and bring in their families. One of the things that has always been special about graduation cer-

emonies at our school is that students get hugs and love from educators as they walk across the stage.

Now, we cannot do that.

So we flipped the ceremony. Students will be on the stage with their family members, so they can get those hugs from the people who know them best and who they are already in contact with, to follow safe COVID-19 practices. They still get that love. Then I will give them each a personal message from a safe distance. We think this will be a more personal ceremony that’s about each student and their journey.

We also know that students have been dreaming of this moment not just for themselves, but for the whole class of 2020. So, we have a reservation for August 3rd at 7pm at UNO for a group ceremony if things get better. The class is small enough and the space is big enough that we will be able to keep social distance.

There are so many reasons I am proud of the class of 2020, and I miss them and love them so much.

I think we have planned an experience that honors them and that they will remember for a long time.”

Evan Stoudt | SCHOOL LEADER Sarah Hogarty | DIRECTOR OF FINANCE &

OPERATIONS, LIVINGSTON COLLEGIATE HIGH SCHOOL

Livingston will be hosting a socially distanced graduation in front of the school, which will give students the chance to get out of cars and walk individually across the stage to pick up their diplomas.

“Graduation is an epic moment for everyone. A couple months before this all happened, students

were reaching out and saying, ‘I need more than the twenty tickets I was allotted, there are more people that want to come and watch me graduate.’

This is an enormous achievement and kids put their heart and soul into preparing for this moment.

They are already reflecting and sharing advice for the classes below them. One of our students, Jahmad, shared with us a message to give to the Class of 2021.

He said, ‘it’s your year, it’s your time to create and appreciate the times y’all have with one another.’

Jahmad and his classmates can’t have those times together in person right now, but we have been doing

23

BRANDED CONTENT

Dr. Monique Cola | SCHOOL LEADER Rachel Thomas-Little | SENIOR SPONSOR,

CTE COORDINATOR AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE AND COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHER, NEW ORLEANS CHARTER SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS HIGH SCHOOL (SCI HIGH)

Sci High will have a “drive through” graduation that will be live-streamed and recorded.

“Since we have been out of school, we have had a senior check-in every Friday. The students’ emotions are all over the place. There are lots of “it’s not fair,” some optimism that this will all blow over in time, and also some understanding about canceling to keep everyone safe. Even though they are young adults and going off to college, they are still kids, and this hurts.

As a team, we are also sad. This is such a great group of kids and we want to give them every-

Members of the Class of 2020

thing they want. This isn’t how we planned to end the year. But we are also very determined to make the best out of this situation. We have to be strong for our students.

We couldn’t be sure that moving graduation to a date in August would be any better than having it now.

With all of the unknowns, we thought making something work now for students would be best.

So our graduation plan is in person but also at a distance. We will be taking into account all social distancing rules to keep students, families, and staff safe. It will involve a “drive through” graduation.

Graduation is planned for May 27, and we are still determining the right location. Students will still get the opportunity to walk the stage to collect their diplomas while also being safe. They will arrive in cars with their families at a designated area. Students will get out of the car in their cap and gown, hear their name called, walk the stage, and collect their diploma. Parents, families, and staff will be able to watch nearby take pictures and cheer for our seniors on their big day. It’s like each student will have their own mini graduation.

Students walking the stage will be recorded and live-streamed on Youtube for family members and staff that can’t attend. We will make a full graduation ceremony video to share, that includes the guest speaker speech, the Valedictorian and Salutatorian speeches, and students walking the stage.”

The educators of Livingston Collegiate, Frederick A. Douglass Senior High School, and Sci High have met difficulty and disappointment with creativity and optimism. Their students deserve nothing less; their accomplishments are bright spots in painful times, and we have great hope for the better future they will build.

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everything possible to make a graduation experience that is emotional, memorable, and tangible, even if things are remote. We want to create a moment that kids can snapshot in their minds, share with family and friends and extended relatives, all the people that helped them keep pushing amidst challenges. When a kid walks across the stage, it’s their moment, but it is their family’s moment, too.

Our school team was so excited for this moment as well. This is our first graduating class at Livingston.

They will soon be our alumni and they will carry the torch for our school. We want them to have closure on their high school experience, ground them in the work they have done, and set them out on the next chapter of their life in a positive way.

Graduation was supposed to be Friday, May 15 at the Mahalia Jackson theater, but that was too soon to comply with the City’s regulations for group sizes.

Instead, we are hoping to have a ceremony in front of our school on June 24, though we know any plans may shift due to changing health directives. We will have a stage on the front lawn and families will drive in a loop around our building with staff cheering them on. Then, they will pull around to the front loop, where graduates will individually get out, walk across the stage, pick up their diploma at a social distance, and take photos.

Depending on the regulations at that moment, families would either stay in their cars or be able to get out in small groups. We will be recording all of the speeches and streaming them as well.

As we continue to solidify our plans, we are constantly soliciting feedback from families, seniors and staff. No matter what, we know that students will have that critical moment with their cap and gown. We are committed to making this the beautiful and uplifting experience our students deserve and expect.”

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > M ay 1 9 - 2 5 > 2 0 2 0

24

If you have the means at this time, please consider spending your money at locally owned businesses. From curbside pick-up to delivery and ordering online from local retailers,

BESTOFNEWORLEANS.COM Thank you to the readers and businesses who have supported Gambit, a locally owned publication for almost 40 years.

In this time of crisis, we are here for you to continue to report on and cover New Orleans news.

While these are uncertain times for all local businesses, we are also doing everything we can to continue to bring you the product that you deserve.

If your business could benefit from local advertising at this time, call or email Sandy Stein at (504) 483-3150, sstein@gambitweekly.com .

Wonderful world

BY JAKE CLAPP EARLIER THIS MONTH ,

pianist Yoshitaka “Z2” Tsuji celebrated 20 years as a professional musician — 10 years spent playing in Japan and 10 years in New Orleans — by releasing an album filled with sweet meaning.

“I started thinking of making my new album, this is the 20th anniversary of my music life, so I feel like it’s a kind of milestone,” Tsuji says, “and also it’s a kind of new beginning.”

“From the Beginning,” Tsuji’s second album as a band leader, features 10 tracks of mostly instrumental jazz, chosen for their importance to his career and for the most part arranged in the order he discovered each song. The album opens with Sonny Rollins’ “Doxy,” a song Tsuji learned 20 years ago from his teacher in Osaka, where he grew up.

Accompanied by bassist Richard Moten and drummer Shannon Powell, Tsuji gives his takes on “Broadway,” “Sleepy Time Down South,” “Tipitina” and Oscar Peterson’s “Hymn to Freedom” — Peterson was a key influence for Tsuji.

Powell takes the vocals on the album’s ninth track, Paul Barbarin’s “Second Line,” and the trio is joined by trombonist Haruka Kikuchi, Tsuji’s wife, and the trumpeter Mitch, an old friend of Tsuji’s from Osaka.

“Mitch taught me a lot of things about New Orleans — Kermit Ruffins, Rebirth Brass Band,” Tsuji says. “So Mitch suggested to me, I should move to New Orleans, not New York.”

Kikuchi, who plays with traditional jazz bands like Shotgun Jazz Band and Catie Rodgers & The Gentilly Stompers, also is from Japan (she grew up near Tokyo) and moved to New Orleans in 2014. She and Tsuji met in New Orleans and now have a young son, Shouta, together.

Shouta makes a special (crying) appearance on the album’s final track, a charming version of “What a Wonderful World” featuring Kermit Ruffins singing and on trumpet. Ruffins has had an important part in Tsuji’s career in New Orleans: Some of the pianist’s earliest gigs were subbing in with Ruffins’ band until he took over behind the keyboard full time in 2012.

Where y'at, sugar?

It's time to Swerve.

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MUSIC

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S W E R V E S W E E T. C O M BORN & RAISED IN NEW ORLEANS, LA Ad donated by Mary Matalin and James Carville P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y B O B B Y B O N S E Y

Pianist Yoshitaka ‘Z2’ Tsuji, the keyboardist for Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, recently released an album celebrating 20 years as a professional musician.

Ruffins appears on Tsuji’s first album, “Homie,” along with John Boutte and Jane Yamagishi. Tsuji and Kikuchi even had their wedding reception at Ruffins’ Mother-in-Law Lounge.

“Why I moved to New Orleans, the reason is — I wanted to play with Kermit Ruffins,” Tsuji says with a laugh. “I decided a long time ago that I wanted to record ‘What a Wonderful World’ with him. And with my son crying, it is a very, very special track for me.”

Sprinkled among the album’s 10 tracks are three original compositions. Tsuji wrote “Do Not Enter” after he was kicked out of the Blue Note jazz club in New York City more than 15 years ago when he was caught with a small audio recorder in the club — Tsuji lightheartedly says he ended up back inside eventually when performing with Ruffins. The track “Cathedral” was inspired by a trip to Spain. And he named his song “Jazz Variety” in reference to the listings pages in the back of OffBeat Magazine.

“From the Beginning” is now available on Bandcamp at yoshitakaZ2tsuji.bandcamp.com, and Tsuji says physical CDs are planned in the near future.

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26

Making The Band

BY WILL COVIELLO IT IS HARD TO MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT THE BAND without mentioning Martin

Scorsese’s film, “The Last Waltz,” which captured the group’s final concert at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom in 1976. Scenes from that documentary and an interview with Scorsese are part of “Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band.” There also are interviews with several people who appear in both films, including Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Van Morrison.

Hit songs such as “The Weight,” “Up on Cripple Creek” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” guarantee The Band’s place in rock and roll history. Among the musicians testifying to the group’s impact in the film are Bruce Springsteen and George Harrison, as well as record executive David Geffen.

The group’s core members played together for roughly 16 years (though Levon Helm departed for a few years), including stints backing Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan.

The film is built around Robertson’s account, and it’s noted in the credits that it’s based on his memoir “Testimony.” The details of his young life form an entertaining introduction to the story. His mother was Native American and a member of the Six Nations of the Grand River in Canada, and his father was a mobster, who died when he was very young.

Robertson was a gifted musician and wanted to play rock and roll

from his early teen years. At 15, his band opened for a touring rockabilly outfit, Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks, which featured Helm playing drums. Not long after, Robertson moved to Arkansas to join the band, or what would become The Band.

“Once Were Brothers” is full of vintage film and home movie-style clips and photos of various musicians and personalities from The Band’s early days, and particularly from the period when the band members moved into a pink house in Woodstock, New York, when they wrote and recorded regularly with Dylan. Robertson says the early years were productive and marked by great chemistry between the members. Clapton says he tried to ingratiate himself with the group. Springsteen talks about how remarkable The Band was at a time when rock was more generally embracing psychedelia.

The documentary is a fun nostalgia trip, and it’s easy to laugh off the band’s brush with rejection.

Dylan hired the group to back him in his foray into electrified rock and roll, and fans expecting to

hear the young folk singer regularly booed the group.

Other difficulties took a higher toll. Several of the young rock stars struggled with alcohol and drugs, including heroin. Photos of wrecked sports cars support accounts of crashes and injuries. But the movie focuses on Robertson’s account.

There is plenty of old interview footage of Helm, but he died in 2012, and the film doesn’t have his view of the band’s internal strife.

The film builds to a climax with the great success of the final concert.

Little is said about what came after, including that four members sometimes toured as The Band. There

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is minimal reference to Richard Manuel’s death by suicide in 1986.

The film says Garth Hudson still lives in Woodstock, but it doesn’t have an interview with him.

Nevertheless, ”Once Were Brothers” is enjoyable, especially for fans of the music, and it feels intimate, even if much of that is centered on Robertson’s warm personality and insights.

Film distributor Magnolia Pictures is offering the film online, and a link from The Broad Theater’s website (www.thebroadtheater.com) allows the theater to split the viewing fee.

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3 B E D , 2 B AT H , 1 7 6 2 S F | $ 2 8 9 , 9 0 0

Renovated home, only steps from Holy Cross school in the burgeoning Gentilly neighborhood.

For more information, visit nolastyles.com

TOP PRODUCING

EXQUISITE RENOVATION OF HISTORICAL HOME! ntirely remodeled! Owner’s unit-1805sqft/3BR/3.5BA. Just like living in a Single Family Home, but w/benefit of income from equally upscale apt. Acacia Grey Wd Flg. Open Flr Plan w/Gorgeous Kit...Quartz Counters. Spacious Mstr Bdrm Suite w Elegantly Bathroom. Deep backyard w/deck for entertaining! Between the French Quarter, City Park & Fairgrounds. $449,000

MILLION+ CLUB

TOP PRODUCER

2016•2017•2018•2019

(504) 895-4663

Engel & Völkers New Orleans • +1 504-875-3555 722 Martin Behrman Avenue • Metairie, LA 70005 ©2020 Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Licensed in Louisiana

PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE HOLLYWOOD GIRL GROUP

By Frank A. Longo

41 Singer James or Jones 42 Bad guys 46 Explosive compounds 48 Hercule creator Christie 53 From time immemorial 54 Riddle, part 3 56 Talk big 57 Mr. Capote, to friends 58 Partner of neither 59 Liquid asset 60 Riddle, part 4 66 Reciprocal 69 Army chaplain 70 The Great Lakes’ — Canals

71 Libreville’s country 72 Everglades mammal 75 Riddle, part 5 80 Big name in PCs 81 Letter two before tau 83 “— Kapital” 84 Roof part 85 Riddle, part 6 91 Become rigid 93 Key in again 94 Thin and watery 95 Back fish fins 96 “QED” center 98 Formerly, old-style 99 Mendes of “2 Fast 2 Furious” 100 End of the riddle 109 Kazan of Hollywood

110 111 112 114

Singer Ritter Feel fluish, perhaps French pals Excessive bureaucracy Riddle’s answer Offspring-producing animal Part of ROTC Rule from the throne Cheech and Chong personas Electrical current units Archipelago parts

GARDEN DISTRICT OFFICE 2016 & 2017

44 Scorch 45 Frat shindig 47 Rajah’s wife 49 Mountain climbers, e.g.

117 50 Alexis or Peter, e.g.

123 51 Big name in oil and gas 124 52 Court great Arthur 54 Novelist Sarah — 125 Jewett 126 55 Basic musical chords 57 Bullfighter 127 61 D.C. baseballer 62 Ike’s inits.

128 63 USSR’s Cold War foe 64 Alluringly shy DOWN 65 “Moo” maker 1 Eye opener?

67 76ers’ org.

2 Shocking EMT 68 Rocket scientist treatment Wernher — Braun 3 Give a speech 71 Neutral color 4 Expire 72 Bryn —, Pennsylvania 5 Lead-in to Cone 73 Feel fluish, perhaps or Cat 74 Not cluttered 6 Rubs elbows 75 Bagel center 7 Flying 76 “— Fideles” 8 Mattel doll 77 Father, to a tot 9 Expire 10 “The Simpsons” shout 78 Knievel of motorcycle stunts 11 Old stage star Hagen 79 Cravings 12 Martinez of baseball 13 Ideally 14 Realize 15 Sci-fi’s Solo 16 Class jargon 17 Where the Marlins play 18 Burstyn or Barkin of film 19 Running out of steam 24 Blew with short blasts 29 World Heritage Site gp.

32 Manicurist’s target 33 Brave in the face of adversity 34 Give off 35 “The lady — protest ...”

36 Canadian tribe 37 — -TASS (news agency) 38 Very wise 42 Seizes 43 Site of the Taj Mahal

ABR, CRS, GRI, SFR, SRS

82 Hurry it up 86 Tech detail 87 Wife of Zeus 88 — Scott case 89 Civil wrong 90 “Quiet!”

91 Dumpy dwellings 92 — Sea (Asian lake) 95 Thirsts for 97 Rearranges 100 Basil and bay leaf 101 Heads-up 102 YouTube clip 103 All gone, as food 104 Add-on 105 Purple color 106 Decorative flower holders 107 Cybermissive 108 Scorch 113 1040 IDs: Abbr.

115 Fruity quaff 116 According to 118 Fence (in) 119 Psychic “gift” 120 Added charge 121 Bruin great Bobby 122 Alleged psychic Geller

ANSWERS FOR LAST ISSUE’S PUZZLE: P 2

PUZZLES

ACROSS 1 Shrine images 6 Kept from falling, as pants 13 Abashed 20 Showed on TV again 21 Not varying at all 22 In a weepy way 23 Start of a riddle 25 Language spoken in Dhaka 26 Is in a chair 27 College, to a Brit 28 Long to undo 30 Augur’s sign 31 Riddle, part 2 39 Home for mil. jets 40 Roman love god

2004-06 LAPEYROUSE STREET

Renovation just completed. High Ceilings, Beautiful Original Pine Floors, Double Parlor w/ Pocket Doors, Elegantly Appointed Kitchen w/ Bosch Appliances. Master Suite w/ Luxurious Bath. Home is situated on a Wide Lot ( 83 ft ) w/a Large Side Yard that extends the length of the lot (98 ft). Parking for 3 or 4 cars behind automatic gate. Conveniently located between the French Quarter & City Park/Fairgrounds! $625,000

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > M AY 1 9 - 2 5 > 2 0 2 0

+1 504-777-1773 michael@nolastyles.com

5 7 1 1 PA R I S AV E N U E

1637 N. TONTI STREET

27

GIVE Where You Live opt-Ad A

SPONSORED BY ELIZABETH GLASSELL

ADOPTED BY SURI DUITCH

GET

live streamed

CLASSES & MORE FREE TO BE POWER YOGA IS NOW EVERYWHERE THROUGH OUR ONLINE PROGRAMMING. ZOOM & INSTAGRAM LIVE STREAMED CLASSES ON-DEMAND CLASSES ON OUR VIRTUAL HUB PODCAST FULL OF CLASSES!

OPEN EVERYDAY 4:0 0PM - 8:30PM

SUNDAY BRUNCH

From Magazine Street to Metairie Road, independently-owned shops and

11AM - 1PM

TAKE-OUT ONLY

restaurants help our region thrive. As we all face the economic disruptions wrought by COVID-19, we at Gambit want to do our part by offering a new

F O R A L L T H E YO G A !

way to support local businesses.

511 Marigny Street

ADOPTED BY LUIS, ERIN & NADIA SALCEDO

VISIT

www.freetobepoweryoga.com

Socially Distant 504-509-6782 NEW ORLEANS | 70117

Patio Opening Soon Open Now for Takeout!

Wednesday - Sunday

“Adopt A Small Business” is an initiative designed to promote local-

LUNCH & DINNER

ly-owned businesses AND support local journalism. Help your favorite local businesses advertise — in Gambit at very reduced rates — so they can let customers know they’re still open, even if at reduced levels, and

404 Andrew Higgins Dr. | New Orleans

Find your

keeping people employed.

a part of New Orleans’ culture as food, music, and art.

• Receive (1) 1/8 page ad to give to your favorite small business.

VALUE: $438

(NEAR THE ANNUNCIATION/TCHOUPITOULAS SPLIT)

(504) 533-0016

Creating Rich, Beautiful Memories One Trip at a Time

Crises often bring out the best in people. Helping one another is as much

$125 adoption

happy place.

For menu go to www.ryenpie.com/menu

ADOPTED BY TIANA WAT TS

CO N TAC T M A H O GA N Y T R AV E L TO B O O K A TR I P TO DAY.

MAHOGANY-TR AVEL .COM 504 -356 -1011 mahoganytravel18@gmail.com

$200 adoption

$350 adoption

• Receive (2) 1/8 page ads to give to two of your favorite small businesses.

• Receive a free Gambit tote bag

• Receive (3) 1/8 page ads to give to three favorite small businesses.

• Receive a free Gambit tote bag • Receive a $10 gift card to Coast Roast Coffee.

VALUE: $886

VALUE: $1,334

For more information visit bestofneworleans.com/shopsmall *PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A CHARITABLE DONATION AND DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR A TAX DEDUCTION.