NOLA Nights Magazine Summer 2014 by NOLA Nights Magazine

SUMMER 2014

Contents PARIS HATCHER

“WHERE SEXY MEETS CLASSY”

Tips For Your Spring & Summer Wardrobe PERSPECTIVE OF

A NOLA BARFLY

Terri Rushing

PEACHES RECORDS Shirani Rea

03 05 09

9 HAVE A SEAT ROUX AWAKENING PART III New Orleans Cooking

17 19

KICKS 4 KIDS Nonprofit

13 17 Editor In Chief • Cedric S. Bloxson

Graphic Artist • Charlander “Shaq” Encalade

Nola Nights Magazine targets an unpretentious and down-to-earth reader, who desires a publication with visual soul and gives you a distinctive perspective on New Orleans art, fashion, food, music and nightlife. Nola Nights ignites conversation, promotes empowerment and celebrates aspiration. Your premier destination for New Orleans culture.

MACK MAMA MANAGEMENT The Rise Of A New Orleans Family

PH: 985-774-1323

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www.nolanightsmagazine.com

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@NOLA_NIGHTS

Paris Hatcher “where sexy meets classy” Paris Hatcher is a resident of New Orleans, LA. and a Masters Graduate in Broadcast Journalism. She created her fashion blog Where Sexy Meets Classy in 2010 as way to express her love for fashion & as an outlet to document her personal style. In 2011, she launched Classy Closet (www.myclassycloset.com), an online women’s boutique. Her items can also be purchased locally at Baggage Boutique, 3501 Tchoupitoulas St. New Orleans, LA. She has appeared on numerous media outlets such as Fox 8, The Good Morning Show with Oliver Thomas, The Money Dr. show with Mildred Dillon & The Samatha Beaulieu show. Recently, she has been blessed with the opportunity to start her own fashion radio talk show called “Style & Beauty Talk with Paris” it airs every Friday from 1:30-2pm on WBOK 1230 AM station. Paris is a people’s person who enjoys helping people look and feel beautiful, inspiring others, spreading love and positivity and of course…shopping sprees!

Photos courtesy of PARIS Hatcher

Contact Paris on today to set up a consultation: paris@ wheresexymeetsclassy.net

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must haves to add or keep in your spring and summer wardrobe!

A White Top

Style: Sheer or T-shirt. White tops instantly add a fresh clean look to any outfit. It’s also a great piece to start with when styling up your look. White Top & Rings (H&M) Skirt, Necklace & Bracelet (Classy Closet) Watch-Michael Kors (Dillards) - Handbag (Fashunc)

by paris hatcher “where sexy meets

Classy”

Pencil Skirts

The weather is nice so why not show off those legs. A pencil skirt is a wardrobe staple for every season but during the Spring/Summer time try having fun with fashion and add a pencil skirt with a pop of color or denim. You can never go wrong with either style.

Blazer

An easy way to add chic and sophistication to any outfit. Put those plain black blazers to the back of the closet and pop your attire out with a blazer that sings Its SPRING TIME!!!

Minimalist Sandals

Perfect way to show off your new pedicure. You can dress these sandals up with a pencil skirt and a blazer or dress down with a T-shirt and denim.

Foral Blazer (Stein Mart) - Top & Watch (Dillards) - Peplum Pencil Skirt (Classy Closet) - Sandals, Steve Madden (Dillards) - Handbag (H&M)

Statement Necklace

Adds instant glam to any attire. It’s a must have even if you’re not wearing earrings.

Color Handbag

Want to add a pop of color to your attire? Try starting with a handbag. Your handbag and shoes doesn’t have to match; it’s all about pops of color and color blocking with spring colors.

Perspectives of a

NOLA Barfly From Loa Bar - By Terri Rushing

ne way to immerse yourself in the rich New Orleans’ Haitian Voodoo heritage is to spend time at Loa Bar, located inside the International House Hotel, where the spirits of the past untie with a huge selection of liquor brands and spirits available from around the world. Located at 221 Camp Street, Loa not only offers premium libations, but the sexy atmosphere that I crave. Loa is upscale, and pleasing to all of the senses. The very first time I entered the lobby doors of International House hotel, I was pleasantly overcome by rich fragrances that mentally swept me away to a luxurious spa,

with the scents of natural herbs and oils. I find that hotel bars in New Orleans have loads of personality and charm, and Loa has just that. It is no wonder that this cozy watering hole is named after the Yoruba word in Voodoo, meaning “mystery.” There is an excitement in Loa’s mystery. There are always so many new flavors to try. However, there’s no mystery in Loa’s appeal to New Orleans’ past. This bar is enchanting and has had me under its spell, and I faithfully return. The furnishings are plush; red velvet couches with matching ottomans and carpet of deep red hues.

The patterns are reminiscent of a late 1800s New Orleans parlor. I could spend hours sitting on the richly textured couches enjoying the panoramic window views of Loa. During the evening hours, the light fixtures that hang from the tall ceilings glow like stars in a night’s sky. Small candles and fresh flowers sprinkled throughout the bar, create a dimly –lit romantic atmosphere, making Loa ideal for date night. The mixologists at Loa are friendly, and some of the best in the city. They use homemade bitters, fresh herbs, juices, and other special organic ingredients such as pine needles and bamboo.

These fresh ingredients line the counter and you can witness the bartenders pluck fresh mint, basil, thyme and other herbs off the many sprigs available on the bar’s counter. On one of my many visits to Loa, I tried one of the cocktails on the menu called the “Jean Lafitte.” This spirited cocktail was made with actual Spanish moss! It was on that particular night that I met the man responsible for the exotic concoctions offered at Loa, creative director Alan Walter. I didn’t recognize him that night, but he was genuinely interested on what I thought about the “Jean Lafitte.” I told him that it was like nothing I have ever tasted. Truth be told, this cocktail packed a punch! I would have never guessed, from the delicious flavors, that the cocktail contained Spanish moss or dried lime powder. Of all characteristics that I enjoy about barsversus clubs or large venues-it is intimacy. Getting to know the person sitting next to you, and enjoying random conversation is the best form of entertainment for me. I have met my share of characters at Loa. I am a whiskey drinker usually, and this was the first place I tried Macallan Scotch Whiskey (12 years, to be exact). After having a conversation about local attractions with a patron at the bar one night, he noticed the brown liquid in my glass. He kindly asked what I was drinking, and I replied “Bushmills.” He said “I think I know something else you’d really enjoy.” He then signals the bartender and asked him what selections of Macallan did he have on hand. I was intrigued and amused that evening, as I drank that glass of single malt Scotch, and enjoyed a stranger’s conversation. Loa has been one of my favorite bars for years, and it has always given me a feeling of euphoric happiness. I may have just one drink, and relish it; sipping ever so slowly. Not only am I taking in the delicious and exotic potion, but also drinking in my dramatic surroundingsfrom the cocktails, to the menus, to the furnishings. All senses are involved: the sights, the feelings, the scents, the sounds, and most definitely the tastes. This bar is a wonderland for those with sophisticated palates. I always feel spiritually at ease at Loa. Each visit feels like time well spent with an old friend, and I look forward to our next meeting.

SKINNY

ON THE CITY By: ERIN MICHELLE

Heather Elizabeth Designs Arts Market of New Orleans Palmer Park, Carrollton at Claiborne Saturday, June 28th - 10-4p Arts Market of New Orleans Palmer Park, Carrollton at Claiborne Saturday, July 26th - 10-4p Sex v’s Love Spoken Word & R&B 3580 Holiday Drive John Lacarbiere June 15th - 8pm A3C The Circuit Maison Hosted by Jus Cookie DJ EF Cuttin June 16 - 7pm Frenchman Fresh The Blue Nile Definition DJ Jay Skillz 10pm Nomad Theory Band Juju Bag Cafe June 20th - 8pm Brass a Holic’s Maple Leaf Bar June 21 - 10pm Final Friday Eiffel Society DJ Jay Skillz June 27th - 10pm June 28th Suite Saturdays Eiffel Society DJ Jay Skillz - 10pm June 29th The Foreign Exchange Tipitina’s - 8pm July 3rd Black Excellence Riverboat Cruise The Creole Queen Boarding 7pm - Departs 8pm Returns 10pm BlackExcellenceNOLA.com

July 4th, 5th & 6th Essence Weekend Cupid presents Curobiks Fitness Class Everyday at the Convention Center 3pm-5pm

July 25th Final Friday Eiffel Society DJ Jay Skillz 10pm

July 4th VIP Riverboat Cruise The Creole Queen Boarding 1pm Cruise 2pm Return 4pm All You Can Eat & Drink DJ Ro & Lorenzo Thomas

August 2 Musical Massacre at The Dragons Den DJ EF Cuttin 10pm

July 4th Nomad Theory Band Juju Bag Cafe 8pm July 5th #BlackGirlsWorkOut The Hyatt 9am - 12am Hosted by Jus Cookie July 5th All White Affair Hosted by Avant Jax Brewery 1pm - 4pm

August 4 Industry Influence at Republic DJ EF Cuttin Hosted by Wild Wayne 8pm Every Tuesday Night ReBirth plays at Maple Leaf Every Wednesday Night TBC Brass Band at Celebration Hall on St. Bernard Every Thursday Night Word Connections Spoken word RB JuJu bag Cafe 5363 Franklin Ave. 7pm-10pm

July 5th All White Riverboat Cruise The Creole Queen RockTheBoatParty.com for more info

Steak Night Club Entourage 4326 Downman Rd Ladies drink free & 2 for 1 males from 6 to 9 doors open at 6pm DJ Money Green

July 5 Musical Massacre at The Dragons Den DJ EF Cuttin 10pm

Silky’s on Magnolia St. $2 drinks from 7-10pm

July 6 Groove Therapy Essence Fest Edition Howlin’ Wolf Den 10pm July 7 Industry Influence at Republic DJ EF Cuttin Hosted by Wild Wayne 8pm July 17 OnPoint Production Presents The SoundCLASH Dragon’s Den - 9pm

Every Friday Night Freaky Fridays Pops House of blues 3000 dryades St. DJ Money Green Flawless Fridays Therapy Ultra Lounge 3001 Tulane Ave Old School Sundays at Pops House of Blues 3000 Dryades Drinks 2 for 1 from 3-9pm DJ Money Green

peaches records

THE STORY OF OWNER SHIRANI REA AND HER INFLUENCE ON NEW ORLEANS’ MUSIC TOLD BY fAYRON DAVIS Want to know who’s the hottest thing on the music scene in New Orleans? Well, back in the day all you had to do was look at the painted billboard on the side of Peaches Records in Gentilly. Shirani wanted us to sit down with one of her good friends so he could enlighten us on a few things…

FAYRON - A lot of the things that has taken place in the history of New Orleans as far as the Hip Hop music scene goes has been catered by Peaches Records. The Gentilly location especially. For a long period of time, a lot of artists couldn’t even get off the ground. They drove around and sold music out of their trunks, but they didn’t have real business knowledge, any knowledge about what it took besides getting in front the mic and spit their lyrics and some of them were even shaky on that ground. But, Shirani was there for them; to give them the necessary understanding information. In order to sell your record at the store; you need to come with posters and everything you needed to make yourself retail quality. She aided them in doing it. When you look at Master P back in the day, he was riding around in a green Dodge Chrysler minivan. Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t starving, but when you talk about the music business, they were starving in the music business. When they were out there putting their foot in the pavement, she was there to tell and show them the wrong and right moves. They paid attention and when they paid attention they became superstars. I can tell you who really paid attention; Slim & Baby. She gave them instructions about what to do with Cash Money and they paid attention. As you know, they don’t sell things out the trunk anymore either. To be honest, just speaking personally, if there wasn’t a Peaches Records, we wouldn’t have a Nicki Minaj, or a Drake, or a Lil Wayne, or a Young Money because she helped push Cash

Money. This was during the time when it was rough coming out of the city. At that time Atlanta was the hot spot. It was hard for our city to get a real start because nobody was putting any money down here. We had a lot of people that had hustles, but they didn’t have the business sense to stay around 10 years, 20 years, but the people that she’s helped like Master P (say what you want about him), but guess what, Master P has clothing lines in Europe, ties with Nickelodeon and a lot of other things that’s continuously making money long after the music. That means, he was getting knowledge about more than just the music business. She was giving them knowledge on how to live, how to be prosperous at business. So many people get stuck on what they’re going to do in the music business and 20 years later, they’re still trying to put out music. Instead of thinking, “I’m going to make music for my time and my generation. I have kids, so in the process of me bringing income in, I’m going to teach them about business and keep generating money” NOLA NIGHTS MAGAZINE – Some might think since Jay Z is still rapping at 40+, they can too. FAYRON – Guess what? Not everybody has that flavor. Trust me; Jay Z still has his audience from the president on back. As well as the kids of the president on back because he understands what it takes to make those moves. Peaches Records understood the same thing. We had a lot of artist that was hot in the

NOLA NIGHTS MAGAZINE – That sounds like a good Facebook post {Laughs}

city, but once you start going outside the city, people are like, “Who??” but upon her showing them what to do from a ground level as well as stepping it up on a business level that will create longevity. When they paid attention and did that, they were able to meet other people that was doing it and those people respected them based on the knowledge that they had because that’s the way the business grows. If you don’t have any knowledge, nobody respects you, but if you have a little knowledge with direction, people will respect you and teach you more. She was giving them knowledge because she knew the business and I can always say that she never stepped outside of what she did and said, “It was because of me. I helped them” NOLA NIGHTS MAGAZINE – She wasn’t looking for the credit... As most people do. FAYRON – And still don’t. There’s tons of credit that she should get on a daily basis and she don’t even ask for it. She doesn’t even seek it. We’re not talking just Hip Hop; I’m talking about music widespread. From Rap, to Jazz, to Classic, to Rock n Roll, to whatever genre of music you listen to, you can find it right here at Peaches

Records because of the broadness that the business has and the owner of the business have. So many times you have people that will put together things and then try to exploit it out to people thinking that people are going to buy it; only to go bust because they don’t have the knowledge. She helped people learn as they moved and when you look back, the people that she helped in the 90’s are running the business now. Cash Money runs the music industry and it’s just not in Hip Hop, it’s in pop, it’s in Rock, they even tapped into Country. A lot of people don’t get it. Slim is very smart. Baby is very smart. They understand how to market a product in its range. They may look hood to a lot of people and they might even speak hood, but when you sit down and talk to them and get an understanding, a lot of the knowledge that you hear started at Peaches Records. It started at Peaches, then being able to communicate with other and others and others then you become a library of information for yourself to continue the business on and on. It teaches you not to be a follower. Some people in this world that we live in today will say that they are a “boss” and talk about the small things that they are doing as they follow people who are not even bosses yet

FAYRON – What are they a boss of? They’re not even bosses over their own mind-set. Most people don’t even have an idea about what is real business. We’re so busy following, acting and pretending. It was like this in the 90’s too. In the 90’s it was about banging out bounce music and if you were trying to do Hip Hop, you were almost pushed out because the city wasn’t doing it. Everybody was doing bounce. Then, we had some people that started generating into another phase and realized if they wanted to sell tapes outside of the city, we need to get into real music and Peaches was already there. The first person that popped up and a lot of people don’t give him the respect at what he did was Gregory D. He was the first hot artist out of this city that really did something. He got a deal with RCA. Not to knock anybody else down, but at the time when he did it, a lot of people wasn’t ready. Most artist use to think they had to go to New York or California to get on, but not realizing New Orleans was going to be the city that was going to be running the game. So, who’s doing it? Wayne. Say what you want, but Wayne is running the game and he’s running the game under Slim & Baby. You have to really look at the understanding of real people making real money verses a bunch of people out here that don’t understand how to do real business. They make money and then they go broke and in debt because they were thinking a few hundred thousand dollars or a million dollars made them rich. NOLA NIGHTS MAGAZINE – That’s an interesting story about Gregory D though. We’ve always heard his voice or seen his name, but we’ve never met him FAYRON – Gregory D had the first opportunity to turn it up. The music was going through a transition at that time. He was still learning, but if he knew then what he know now… he would’ve been large. He’s still large in the city. See, Peaches Records may not be mentioned a lot in the city, but if you go to true players that came from this area and asked them where they got their start from and who helped them, this store will be mentioned. Peaches Records was right down the street from Dillard University. So when those college students came from out of state and they wanted to listen to their

hometown music, they went right to Peaches Records. With Peaches Records, there is no such thing as old music. All music is today’s music. If you’re 20 years old and want a record that your great grandparents use to listen to from the 40’s, she can help you get that. Even after a few artists didn’t make it other places, they were always able to come back to Peaches. All she asked was that your product was a represented product by someone that was reputable verses you coming in here with something with a piece of tape and your name on it. Even if you don’t have any money, make your product look like money. It doesn’t cost a lot to do that. If you can make yourself look good on Facebook and Instagram, you can definitely produce yourself. You can become executive producer of yourself. A lot of people still haven’t learned that, they still in the position of following, trailing and tracking others and trying to make it seem like they’re bosses and got it going on verses just actually speaking to someone who knows the business and who has helped people that are in the lime light of the media right now. In other words, if you want to know how a tree can grow, find the seeds. When you find the seeds, find someone that knows how to plant the seeds. Find someone that knows how to cultivate the land that you’re going to plant your seeds in so when you add a little water to it, it grows rapidly and continuously. Look at Cash Money; they’re growing rapidly and continuously. When nobody was making money, Cash Money was making money. You might get a BET shot, but if you don’t know the real process of what it takes to continue with that, you’re less than short run. Your average artist is lucky and blessed to have 90 days now. If you want to learn business, learn BUSINESS. If you to play like you know music, don’t act like you want to make some money. The owner of Peaches Records understands how to do business and do deals... Not play like she’s making money and that’s the big difference; a lot of people play like they know how to make money, but there’s a few of those that know how to make money. Real money. I’m not just giving you what somebody told me, I watched this happen. I use to do promotion and marketing with the Source Magazine. Trust me; nobody sold records out of a record store like Peaches Records. 408 N Peters St, New Orleans, LA 70130

www.peachesrecordsneworleans.com

Roux

By Kathy Bradshaw

Awakening Part 3 A Northern Transplant Discovers the Joy of New Orleans Cooking

ungry? You soon will be. Whether you crave knowledge or something more fattening, read on… and you’re sure to work up an appetite for both. In this issue’s Roux Awakening, we are going to learn about bananas foster-- that famous New Orleans dessert; attempt to dispel the confusion of whether BBQ shrimp really is BBQ at all; and learn the history of everybody’s favorite sandwich, the po-boy. Whatever it is that you’re hungry for, in the pages that follow, you’re bound to find something you can really sink your teeth into.

Going Bananas As a major port town and a popular tourist destination, plenty of things have passed in and out of the city of New Orleans: coffee, petroleum, Pat O’Brien’s souvenir glasses, Mardi Gras beads, boxes of beignet mix, cocaine, smut, delinquents and philanderers… And in the 1950’s, the big product was bananas. A huge percentage of bananas being imported from Central and South America passed through the port of New Orleans. In 1951, at the famous Brennan’s restaurant, owner Owen Edward Brennan jumped on the banana bandwagon, and asked his head chef at the time, Paul Blangé, to create some sort of edible banana masterpiece in honor of the plentiful fruit. The delicious result was, of course, bananas foster--

a sweet combo of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum, banana liqueur, and naturally, bananas… served over vanilla ice cream. The majority of the ingredients are cooked up, before the alcohol is added and set ablaze. This banana flair-up can be done in the kitchen before the dessert is served. Or, for a spectacle with all the flair of Gene Simmons breathing fire during a KISS concert, flambé your bananas foster table side. This famous dessert was named for Richard Foster, a Brennan’s regular and buddy of restaurateur Owen Brennan. The two knew each other from their common work on the New Orleans Crime Commission, whose main objective was to clean up the French Quarter. They were just a couple of superheroes swooping in to save the Quarter and enrich lives with decadent banana-flavored dessert. During its hey-day, bananas foster became the most sought-after thing on Brennan’s menu, with 35,000 pounds of bananas being devoted to the red-hot cause annually. And though Brennan’s closed in 2013 in a blaze of family drama, the bananas foster legacy lives on. While you can still find the dessert in its purest and classic form at such places as The Court of Two Sisters and Emeril’s Delmonico, many bananas foster recipes have been altered, polluted, or corrupted. Not unlike Bourbon Street or the NOPD. Nowadays, it’s much easier to find a bananas foster spin-off, like bananas foster French toast at the Ruby

Slipper Café or Stanley, bananas foster bread pudding at Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse, or bananas foster ice cream cake at Oceana Grill. But banana-inspired creativity is a good thing, and any way you eat bananas foster, you can’t go wrong. One bite and you’ll go bananas. Where to get some: The Court of Two Sisters, 613 Royal Street between Toulouse and St. Peters Streets in the French Quarter, (504) 522-7261. Emeril’s Delmonico, 1300 St. Charles Ave at Erato Street, Lower Garden District, (504) 525-4937. Or, try the Bananas Foster “Pain Perdu” at The Ruby Slipper Café, multiple locations around the city, www.therubyslippercafe.net. The Bananas Foster Ice Cream Cake at Oceana Grill is divine, but order it without the strawberries. Strawberries simply don’t belong on bananas foster. They should be ashamed of themselves! (Oceana Grill, 739 Conti Street, corner of Bourbon Street, in the Quarter.)

Hitting the Sauce Like the majority of folks out there, BBQ, to me, always meant the thick, dark red, smoky, mesquite-flavored sauce that you brush on ribs or brisket or chicken breasts and stick on the grill. That messy, sticky, 17-napkin, stick-to-your-ribs (or brisket or chicken…) stuff that places like Memphis and Kansas City are so famous for. But in New Orleans, “BBQ” is a whole different beast, and not really BBQ at all. While the messiness and prerequisite paper needed for wiping up afterwards may be comparable, the flavor and

BANANAS FOSTER Photo curtsey of Kathy Bradshaw

thickness are not. Here, it’s all about the shrimp (often served with head and exoskeleton and all its creepy-crawly little parts), and the butter. Lots and lots of dripping, artery-clogging butter. Three sticks per average recipe in fact. That’s more butter than a bucket of movie theater popcorn. The other primary ingredients that make BBQ Shrimp so good are lemon, garlic, black pepper and other spices, and Worcestershire sauce. It is absolutely delicious, though the exact way to describe the unique taste of BBQ shrimp is hard to put your finger on. And since putting your fingers on it is really the only way to eat it, keep a stash of wet wipes on hand. Along with a whole lot of French bread for soaking up every last drop of the saucy, heavenly stuff. Wipe your plate clean with your bread… it would be a shame to let a single morsel go to waste. Pascal’s Manale Italian restaurant uptown is credited as the originator of BBQ shrimp. One version of the story goes that back in the 50’s, a regular patron of the restaurant, named Vincent Sutro, requested that the chef attempt to replicate a dish he had eaten and loved on a recent trip to Chicago. The chef, with only a very vague description of the ingredients and flavor previously consumed, pretty much winged it. Another version of the story is that Vinnie Sutro himself went back in the kitchen to try his own hand at coming up with the dish. No matter. Either way, the result that came out of the kitchen at Pascal’s Manale that day has become another New Orleans classic, misleadingly known as BBQ shrimp. It was put on the menu where it has stayed till this day. It is now the restaurant’s main claim to fame, and they are sure to never let you forget that they are the ones who created it. Why it is called BBQ is still in question, though a couple myths are that it was named after the

color of the sauce, or that is was given this name to fit in with the current popular BBQ trend that was in mode at the time. Who really knows? And since odd, confusing, and mispronounced names are the norm in New Orleans anyway, it should come as no surprise that we’d give BBQ shrimp a misnomer. Call a spade a spade, but call shrimp soaking in Worcestershire sauce and butter: “BBQ”. Go figure.

The po-boy came into existence back in the late 1920’s, during a transit workers’ strike. Two brothers named Bennie and Clovis Martin had opened a coffee shop and restaurant in the French Market in 1922, after working as street car conductors for years. Their long-standing affiliation with the transit workers, and of course their general good and generous nature, led them to want to help out the workers when they went on strike over contract issues. For the entire duration of the strike, the Martin brothers kept their restaurant open 24 hours a day, giving away free sandwiches to their striking comrades—at a rate of about 1000 loaves of bread per day. Every time a worker would saunter up to the coffee shop for a hand-out, cries

Where to get some: Go to the source, at Pascal’s Manale, 1838 Napoleon Ave at Dryades Street, Uptown, (504) 895-4877. The BBQ shrimp at Slice Pizzeria is probably the best I’ve ever had. Not only is it perfectly seasoned, perfectly flavored, and served atop French bread that is lightly toasted for just the right amount of sauce saturation, but I also really like the fact that the shrimp is already peeled and ready to eat. When I go out for a meal, I don’t want to have to work to get my food ready to consume after it’s served to me. And even more importantly, I can really do without the head looking back at me, or the bug-like bbq shell and little legs and antennae sticking out everywhere… (Slice Pizzeria, 1513 St. Charles SHRIMP Ave, (504) 525-7437, or 5538 Magazine St, (504) 897-4800).

Mr. B’s Bistro is also renowned for their BBQ shrimp, though theirs is heads-on and messy as all get-out. It’s a nice enough restaurant that you probably don’t want to dress in your scuzzies, so wear a bib. This stuff stains. (Mr. B’s Bistro, 201 Royal Street between Iberville and Bienville Streets, French Quarter, (504) 523-2078).

Getting Dressed A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but a sandwich by another name probably doesn’t taste nearly as good as a po-boy. In Philly they call them hoagies, in New England they call them grinders. In much of the country it’s a sub sandwich. But whatever you name your sandwich, only in New Orleans does the authentic “po-boy” exist, and we know how to do it right. It’s a big hunk of French bread (anywhere from 5 to 20 inches long, and Leidenheimer French bread is the classic), stuffed full of an extensive range of

Whether you have your sandwich dressed or not is not a question of modesty, wardrobe choice or eating in the nude. It merely means the sandwich comes with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and in most cases, pickles. That said, if anyone was going to adopt the practice of naked sandwich eating, it would definitely be the fine citizens of New Orleans. There would be drinking involved, of course, and doubtless jazz music. In fact, I see this as the theme of a potential festival, since we are definitely in need of another festival here in the Big Easy. Call it the Undressed Fest? Or has that already been done?

But don’t let the bread fool you. Because it is rather light and airy, it tends to dry out and harden quickly once cut, giving the misleading impression of staleness even when it’s as fresh as a spring breeze. (People who don’t know better have been known to send their sandwiches back for this unfortunate reason). But if you can manage to bite through that tough and chewy po-boy exterior to get to the good stuff, even your sore jaws are well worth the deliciousness that awaits you. Where to get some: Johnny’s Po-Boys, 511 Saint Louis St., French Quarter, 504-524-8129. This is the oldest family-owned po-boy restaurant in the city. It is a tiny hole-in-the-wall with counter service, fluorescent lights and greasy red and white checked tablecloths. But that’s okay, you go there for the award-winning food, not the somewhat gaudy atmosphere. Johnny’s is almost always packed, but if you can brave the lines, the food is worth the wait. With an extremely extensive list of po-boy options, the menu reads like a gluttonous novel. While you’re there, branch out beyond po-boys and try the pancakes as well, which are among the best ever.

Photo curtsey of Kathy Bradshaw

tasty and interesting ingredients: fried shrimp, fried oysters, fried catfish, fried crawfish (do we detect a theme here?) But it’s not only seafood that can grace the bread of a po-boy, and not all po-boys are fried. You can also stuff ‘em with cold cuts, sausage, bacon and eggs, alligator, roast beef and gravy, even French fries. It’s whatever you can dream up and stick on a loaf of bread. The more creative the better.

it was important to make bread with more uniform and available space for all those delicious fillings to take up residence.

OYSTER pO-BOY Photo curtsey of Kathy Bradshaw

of “Here comes another poor boy!” went out. And so the sandwich came to be known as a “poor boy,” or a “po-boy” for short, named after these out-of-work and down-on-their luck fellas who came to collect the free grub. Leidenheimer was a German baker who came to New Orleans in 1896 and opened his now-famous bakery. His bread became the go-to source for po-boys way back in the day, once he discovered how to make a loaf of bread that was more rectangular in shape. Before that, bread had been baked with tapered ends, and so much of that potential sandwich real estate was lost on both ends of the loaf. Since po-boys are pretty much the luxury condos of the sandwich world,

Parkway Bakery and Tavern, 538 Hagan Avenue, Mid City, (504) 482-3047. This place gets a lot of people’s votes as the best po-boy joint in the city. Try the “Parkway Surf and Turf” po-boy—an indulgent combo of roast beef, fried shrimp, and gravy—and decide for yourself. And so ends another installment of Roux Awakening. Please come back next issue for another helping, as we dig into pralines and red beans and rice, and wash it all down with a nice look at a Ramos Gin Fizz. A classic New Orleans cocktail, the Gin Fizz bridges the gap and blurs the line between the edible and the drinkable by throwing that famous egg white into the drink. So happy eating! And I hope you will continue reading our little food column. And eating. Read and eat…until you can’t tell if your eyes really are bigger.

INTERVIEW WITH

mack mama Management The Rise Of A New Orleans Family

Nola Nights Magazine – OK, for starters, how do you pronounce your name? Nabii - Nabii Bastet. Nabii is actually an Egyptian name. It means, “Prophet”. Bastet is also Egyptian. It was the Black Cat Goddess Nola Nights Magazine – So, is that your real name? Nabii – No, it’s a chosen name Nola Nights Magazine - I guess we’ll save your real name for later (laughs) Nabii - I would say that’s my real name. The government name is the fake name (laughs)

I would consider this a “rise of a family” situation that we’re in right now. I use to rap back in the day. My sister and I had a group call “Nabii Na Dada” which is Swahili for prophet and curly haired sister, but on a different kind of rapping style; more like a Lauren hill, a more positive rap like Common or Talib kweli. I was from New Orleans so that was unheard of back in my time. So, Ja So Rude and Yoyo both grew up in the studio atmosphere and hip hop infused my home. Ja used to come to the studio with me and I started picking up here notebook and confusing her writing with my writing. So, at that time, I was like maybe it’s time to pass the torch and just make sure that the business aspects of things were taking care of and support her in that way because I feel like a lot of artists just really care about doing their art. For me,

another Powerful New Orleans Family

Ja so rude

“Females are too focused on trying to look cute. I’m not there to be cute; I’m there to entertain you. ” everything, but Missy is probably who I would compare myself to the most because of her creative side. I help direct my videos and I recently got background dancers. A lot of rappers don’t do that anymore. I dance and I like to be different. I’m weird in a way. Nola Nights Magazine – Weird is good. Ja So Rude – Weird is good. I like to sit in studio with my producers and tell them what I want in a beat and help them arrange it. Missy Elliot use to have a big part in her production and a lot rappers don’t do that, especially female rappers. They just take what’s given to them. I like to be a part of the whole process. Nabii – Ja’s shows are phenomenal. It’s like she’s electrified. Nola Nights Magazine – We was there. We were taking pictures and trying to watch the show too. She was doing her thing on stage.

I know there wasn’t anyone there to handle the business side of things. Then, right before Katrina in 2005, as a matter of fact, it was two days before Katrina, we were in New York and Ja was auditioning for the “BET Freestyle Friday” and we heard the hurricane was headed towards New Orleans and we tried to change our tickets, but it would’ve cost an astronomical amount to change the tickets and we really couldn’t afford it because we spent all of our money getting there for the audition. So, we flew back

to New Orleans to only land on our roof for 3 days. When we were in the attic, no one had a phone, no one had anything because we were all just scrambling trying to get to safety…. Except for Ja So Rude. She had a back pack with her cell phone, her Birth Certificate, keys to her car that she just bought, but never got to drive (Ja So Rude say’s “and my Missy Elliot Adidas!”) {Laughs} So the first thing she did after we were airlifted out of New Orleans was call BET and they

flew the whole family out to New York and we ended up staying in New York for about 5 or 6 years after Katrina. I’ll let her talk about it Ja So Rude – The 106 and Park experience was a really good one. I went against all guys, all New York guys and won 5 weeks straight. It was one of the best experiences of my life. It opened me up, taught me what it was like to perform in front of an audience and definitely taught me some lessons because I definitely had some hard times after

that, but it helped me put my foot in the game. Nola Nights Magazine – What’s your style? If you had to choose a female or male rapper to compare your style after, who would it be? Ja So Rude – Missy Elliot Nabii – I would say Missy Elliot combined with Da Brat combined with Queen Latifah Ja So Rude - The thing is that I don’t have one style. I can do gangsta’ rap, I can do party rap, I can do battle rap, I can make a pop song; I can make an R&B song… I can’t sing, but I can make a love song. I do a little bit of

Nabii – She won the Reebok Classic Competition and the guy from The House of Blues was like, “I love her! I love her style! I’ve never seen anything like it.” She stands out from everybody else. Ja So Rude – When people see me, they don’t know what to expect. You can’t see me and think that I’m going to rap. Nola Nights Magazine – Right! When we saw you in VIP, we didn’t think you were one of the performers. We thought you were just part of the entourage. {Everyone Laughs} Ja So Rude – If you give me a stage, I’m going to work that stage. I’m jumping up and down, getting the crowd hype. Females don’t put on shows like that. Females are too focused on trying to look cute. I’m not there to be cute; I’m there to entertain you. Nabii – Meanwhile, when we were in the audience at BET an agent noticed Yoyo because he’s a character as well. He can rap a little bit too, but he started

Yoyo

Photo curtsey of CINEMADONNA

modelling and acting while we were in New York and Ja was doing the rap thing. Yoyo also picked up skate boarding. So, my husband at the time was like, “I’m going to back to New Orleans and fixed the houses and you stay here with the kids and manage them”. So that’s what I did, but my husband and I ended up getting a divorce. So, I had to move back because things started falling apart. Ja was OK with moving back, but Yoyo was like, “What am I going to do?” “There aren’t any skate parks in New Orleans”. So, I told him he better build something and that’s what he did. He made ramps with old sofas. They literally turned the old McDonald’s parking lot that was on Downman and Morrison into a skate park. It seemed like it began a trend because everybody started skate boarding. So that was a

way for him to free his mind, but I still encouraged him to keep acting and modelling and keep all facets of him intact. To speed up to the present moment, he had met this guy by skate boarding and he happens to be cousins with Lil Wayne. So, Wayne came to New Orleans a few years ago for Thanksgiving to have dinner with his family and (you know he has picked up the interest in skating) so he asked his cousin, “Do you know where we can go skating tonight?” and his cousin said yes and asked if he can bring a friend along and Wayne was cool with it. So, Yoyo actually met Wayne that night. I didn’t go because he was always nervous when mom is around and from the acting and modeling thing; they make the parents stay in the waiting room while they take the kids back for auditions and stuff like that so

I didn’t go with him. He went and came home that night and was like, “Mom! Wayne wants me to skate for his skate team that he’s about to start!” Now I’m thinking, “Damn, I should’ve gone” and I had no clue about skate boarding, even in New York. I learned everything from him. So, all of us planned a trip to Miami to meet up with Wayne and that trip got cancelled. Now I’m feeling bummed because I didn’t go with him that night, but one night out of the blue, I received a call from someone at the skate park on the West Bank telling me that Wayne was there and he wanted Yoyo to come skate. We got there and Wayne was happy that I was there and he ask for my permission to have Yoyo skate on his skate team and after that he told us about the skate park that he was building here. So, Yoyo started travelling with him to

different competitions and after that, one day he had us come to Miami because they had a commercial that they were doing for MTV and they wanted us to be involved. Well, this kid, as soon as we get off the plane, he’s skating in the airport and falls and hurts himself! {Everyone Laughs} before we even get to Wayne’s house! I was like “Aaahhhh!” {Laughs}. They still interviewed him, but he couldn’t skate. He had to sit there and watch everybody skate. We were all leaving and they were headed to the studio and that’s when I passed Wayne Ja’s music. Who would have ever thought we would be out there for skate boarding. We would’ve thought it would’ve been the other way around, {Laughs} but you never know. So, we went back to the hotel to get tattoos. It was me, Ja and Mack Maine and while we

were there, Wayne called Mack Maine on the phone and was like, “Are you still with them? She’s the truth!” So after that, Wayne pretty much told Ja that they were going to do business. Yoyo actually went spent the whole summer out there.

straight. I was out there on my birthday too and he dared me to jump off this high roof at his studio and I did it. He gave me $1500 just to do it.

Yoyo – Well since I was injured the first time I was out there, I really wanted to show him what I got. When I got there, they had me in a hotel with Gudda Gudda. I stayed there for like a week. I got to skate every day, go to Heat games with floor seats. It was crazy! I was about 14 at the time. It was a mind blowing experience. I’m there with one of my favorite rappers for the whole summer. I actually got to know him. After that first week, he asked me to stay at his house. He has a skate park on his roof so I skated every day for two months

Yoyo- It was on my birthday so I was like, “You got to land this!” {Laughs} From there, we just got so cool and by us getting so cool, it got him being even cooler with my sister and my mom and that open up more opportunities for them too. Now I’m not the only one that’s with him. So when he’s throwing parties or on tour, everyone is there. Mack Mama Management!

Nabii – I’m glad I wasn’t there because I would’ve freaked out! {Laughs}

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