New Orleans Magazine October 2019 by Renaissance Publishing

october 2019

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october 2019 / VOLUME 53 / NUMBER 12 Editor-in-Chief Errol Laborde Managing Editor Ashley McLellan Art Director Tiffani Reding Amedeo Contributing Writers Fritz Esker, Kathy Finn, Dawn Ruth Wilson, Carolyn Kolb, Chris Rose, Eve Crawford Peyton, Mike Griffith, Liz Scott Monaghan, Lee Cutrone, Dale Curry, Jay Forman, Tim McNally, Robert Peyton Digital Media Editor Kelly Massicot Staff Writers Topher Balfer, Kelly Massicot Melanie Warner Spencer Vice President of Sales Colleen Monaghan Advertising Sales Manager Kate Henry (504) 830-7216 / Kate@MyNewOrleans.com Senior Account Executives Danielle Kiletico, Meggie Schmidt Account Executive Rachel Webber Director of Marketing and Events Jeanel Luquette Event Coordinator Abbie Dugruise Digital Media Associate Mallary Matherne For event information call (504) 830-7264 Production Manager Emily Andras Production Designers Rosa Balaguer, Meghan Rooney Special Projects Art Director Molly Tullier Patty Traffic Coordinator Lane Brocato Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne President Alan Campell Executive Vice President Errol Laborde Distribution Manager John Holzer Administrative Assistant Mallary Matherne Audience Development Claire Sargent WYES DIAL 12 STAFF (504) 486-5511 Executive Editor Aislinn Hinyup Associate Editor Robin Cooper Art Director Jenny Hronek NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE Printed in USA A Publication of Renaissance Publishing 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 MyNewOrleans.com

For subscription information call (504) 828-1380

New Orleans Magazine (ISSN 0897 8174) is published monthly by Renaissance Publishing, LLC., 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005; (504) 828-1380. Subscription rates: one year $19.95; Mexico, South America and Canada $48; Europe, Asia and Australia $75. An associate subscription to New Orleans Magazine is available by a contribution of $40 or more to WYES-TV/Channel 12, $10.00 of which is used to offset the cost of publication. Also available electronically, on CD-ROM and on-line. Periodicals postage paid at Metairie, LA, and additional entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to New Orleans Magazine, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005. Copyright 2019 New Orleans Magazine. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. The trademark New Orleans and New Orleans Magazine are registered. New Orleans Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and artwork even if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. The opinions expressed in New Orleans Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the magazine managers or owners.

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Contents Local Color Marquee

Why MSY?, p. 60

Top Picks for October 26

Persona Chef Aaron Sanchez 30

Biz Power Plays 34

Chris Rose Jingle, Janle 36

Modine Gunch Monster Bash 38

Joie d’Eve Bracing for It 40

In Tune Beyond the Limits 42

Chronicles Holey Doughnut! 44

Home Behemian Luxury 46

Features

In Every Issue

One-Tank Getaways

Inside

5 easy escapes from the city 50

Roads Less Traveled 16

Why MSY?

Speaking Out

Who was Moisant? 60

Editorial, plus a Mike Luckovich cartoon 1

Julia Street Questions and Answers About Our City 20

Streetcar The Arrival 128

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DIAL 12, D1 New Miniseries on WYES! Set in the world of newspapers in London this razor sharp and observant drama explores the current, turbulent media landscape and the ethical dilemmas that journalists and editors face each day. MASTERPIECE “Press” premieres on WYES on Sunday, October 6 at 9pm. For all WYES program and event details, go to wyes.org.

The Menu Table Talk Mastering the Fundamentals 74

Restaurant Insider News from the Kitchen 76

Food Beyond the Taco 78

Last Call Mezcal Cocktail 80

Dining Guide Listings by Neighborhood 82

inside

Roads Less Traveled I never made it to the snake

farm. That used to be one of the sites along Airline Highway (U.S. 61) as it stretched between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. In the days before interstates, traffic moved a lot slower along the old federal and state highways. The roads were designed to get you where you were going, but not necessarily in a hurry, partially because when you reached a town there were stop lights, whether they were needed or not. Interstates are a marvel, but they’re just not as quirky. Promises extracted from parents to stop at the snake farm on the next trip were forgotten with age and interstates. Some places were an easier sell, such as Rousselle’s, a must-stop restaurant in LaPlace, ideal for a rest along the way after travelling 25 miles from New Orleans. The building had an art deco style, which was perfect for the spirit of a highway called “airline,” a word meant to connote the modern concept of direct travel. In the Metairie stretch of the highways, there was a billboard for a restaurant, the St. Regis, that boasted of serving something called “shrimp in shorts.” The sign’s image showed a shrimp, wearing a bathing suit, diving into a pool to depict a fried shrimp dish in which a bit of the the shell (the shorts) was left, presumably for easier handling. According to legend, the construction of Airline Highway was strongly supported by then Governor Huey Long, who appreciated that it reduced the travel time from what was then the Governor’s mansion to the Roosevelt Hotel, his favorite New Orleans haunt, and whose general manager was also the 1 6 october 2019 myneworleans.com

Long political organization’s treasurer. To this day, there are legends of the “deduct box,” a chest which contained a percentage of state employees’ wages that were deducted for political campaigns. (There is even an exhibit in the current Roosevelt Hotel lobby.) East of New Orleans in the pre-I-10 days, Highway La. 47 was part of the route to the Gulf Coast. At Little Woods a routine was spotting the names on the mailboxes of the fishing camps that lined the way. There were fun names like “Joe’s Place,” “My Retirement,” or “Fishing Hole.” Though the interstate would one day divert the traffic, Katrina eradicated the scene in ’05, leaving behind a sad regiment of empty piers. This edition talks about short trips, and though I-10 has changed the scene, it has made possible going farther quicker. There are no snake farms anymore and shrimp no longer wear shorts; still there are places to explore, each a blend of the past with modern conveniences We urge taking the trips. They are tomorrow’s memories today.

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meet the sales staff

Kate Henry Advertising Sales Manager (504) 830-7216 Kate@myneworleans.com

Meggie Schmidt Senior Account Executive (504) 830-7220 Meggie@myneworleans.com

Danielle Kiletico Senior Account Executive (504) 830-7250 Danielle@MyNewOrleans.com

Rachel Webber Account Executive (504) 830-7249 Rachel@MyNewOrleans.com

Colleen Monaghan Vice President of Sales (504) 830-7215 Colleen@myneworleans.com 1 8 october 2019 myneworleans.com

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speaking out

New Orleans, Antoine Peychaud, created his brand of “bitters,” an aromatic mixture that was originally supposed to be a cure-all for most things that ail people, but that found more credibility as a flavorful ingredient for cocktails. Then there was absinthe, an anise-flavored liquor that, though popular, was in its earlier days banned because it was deemed to be unhealthy. The product, now safe, is back on the market, but during its prohibition two local men created Herbsaint, an anise substitute. (Trivia point here: The word Herbsaint has all the letters in “absinthe” with the addition of the letter “R.”) Today, the Sazerac company makes both On the menu and now on the map Peychaud’s bitters and Herbsaint. There are exhibits about both at the museum. E x c e p t p er h a p s f or t h e a taste for Kentucky rye whiskey. the fact that entrepreneur William Another anise-based drink, Manhattan, no cocktail is as identi- When mixed with the other ingre- Goldring established the Sazerac Ojen, is popular, especially in fied with the town of its origin dients that would comprise the company as the umbrella name uptown Mardi Gras circles. It is as is the Sazerac. Even that New classic Sazerac cocktail, including for a world of other spirits. Most also made by the company now York drink doesn’t have a museum Peychaud’s bitters and absinthe, brands are manufactured by the that the original factory in Spain and a global liquor manufacturing the Sazerac became an American company-owned Buffalo Trace closed. industry carrying its name as the drink with a New Orleans soul. distilleries in Kentucky; others by There is a distillery on premises Sazerac does. There was once a bar on different distilleries. Sazerac, the where whiskey is made, but not Cocktails, like food and music, Exchange Alley, the Sazerac Coffee company, has become one of the sold. Instead it is sent to Kentucky are all the result of fusion. The New House, that specialized in the most important names in the liquor to age for six years before it comes Orleans evolution of Sazerac, the cocktail. Eventually it closed, but industry today, ranking as the back to us in bottles. drink, reflected the city’s French the Roosevelt Hotel claimed the nation’s second largest purveyor We lift our Sazerac to toast the heritage and its prime position as name for its signature bar. For of spirits. company and the museum. Located an American port city. The original decades, the drink was, if not This month, the company took on Canal Street at Magazine, the drink carrying that name was a always the most popular, at least a another big step by opening the facility should be a major attracFrench cognac, Sazerac de Forge curiosity, competing with another Sazerac House, a first-rate tion to local tourism, en Fils, but the realities of the local concoction, the Ramos Gin interactive museum, that but locals need, even city were that, while it may have Fizz and trendy new drinks. tells the story of cocktails. An original more than the tourists, ©Mike Luckovich been French in heritage, it was It might have been that the The place is not a bar, Cartoon for New to learn more about a part of the city’s charAmerican in geography. The traffic Sazerac would be, like pralines although there are samples, Orleans Magazine from upriver included barges from or alligator sauce piquant, merely but those are as tastings. acter. To understand the Kentucky. This sophisticated, but something to be sampled because A Haitian apothecary (phar- city, you also need to understand rugged frontier town, developed you are in New Orleans, except for macist) who had relocated to the spirited heritage.

Sazerac

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julia street with poydras the parrot

Dear Julia, My mother grew up during the Depression and was crazy about cookies. Her absolute favorite was Dad’s oatmeal cookies, which were made right here in New Orleans. Do you know anything about them? Rena Johnson (Harahan)

Dear Julia and Poydras, My uncle gave me an old wooden nickel from Ted’s Frostop Drive-Ins. At one time, it could be exchanged for a free root beer. I know it expired decades ago, but do you or Poydras have any idea when it may have been made? Fred Smith (New Orleans) You know Fred, funny you should ask. Poydras is actually a world recognized expert on the subject of wooden nickels. This expertise has so far earned him book deals and speaking fees totaling nearly $5. Curiously that’s less than the value of a bag of wooden nickels. In December 1964, while promoting its new Chalmette location’s grand opening, Ted’s Frostop Drive-Ins cashed in on the nationwide shortage of pocket change, issuing 50,000 wooden nickels. Each promotional coin could be exchanged for a free root beer at Ted’s Frostop. The promotion resonated with Frostop customers because there really was a nationwide coin shortage. Multiple factors contributed to the lack of circulating pocket change but speculating, collecting and vending machines were frequently identified as culprits. When the price of the component metal exceeded a silver coin’s face value, speculators melted coins and sold the metal. Collectors’ desire to acquire all known variants of each denomination kept many coins out of circulation, while others languished in the change boxes of pay telephones and vending machines. By the way, this is a good time to note that “Ted’s” is not necessarily synonymous with Frostop, a regional fast food franchise that entered the local market in the 1950s. Ted Sternberg, who once owned 15 Frostop franchises in Louisiana and Arkansas, died in 2014 at the age of 85.

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have a question for julia? Send your question to: Julia Street, New Orleans Magazine, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 or email: Julia@ NewOrleans Magazine.com

Although Dad’s Original Scotch Oatmeal Cookies made for the local market were baked in New Orleans, the Dad’s cookie brand actually originated in California during the early 20th century. Franchises later spread throughout the United States and Canada. Albert W. Balek, who was associated with a Dad’s Cookie franchise in St. Louis, Missouri, appears to have been involved in bringing the brand to New Orleans around 1930, where a bakery was established at 3017 Tulane Ave. Initially, local franchisee Lee Eddy handled production and distribution from an Iberville Street warehouse, using a 6-truck delivery fleet to service accounts as far away as Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and Alexandria. The cookies were promoted as a health food for school children. Because they kept very well, they proved especially popular with sportsmen and travelers. In the mid-1930s, Otis Luker, who had operated a Dad’s Original Scotch Oatmeal Cookies franchise in Jackson, Mississippi, relocated to the Crescent City, where he incorporated Dad’s Cookie Company of New Orleans. Initially also located at 3017 Tulane Ave., the firm later moved to a larger facility on D’Hemecourt Street before relocating to 3929 Fourth St. in 1949. Luker retired in 1960, turning the reins over to his son. Dad’s Cookie Company of New Orleans eventually faded away, as did nearly all Dad’s Original Scotch Oatmeal Cookies franchises throughout the country. Only one United States franchise remains in operation and uses the original recipe; it is in St. Louis, Missouri.

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Local Color MARQUEE . PERSONA . education . MODINE GUNCH . JOIE Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;EVE . IN TUNE

Gabrielle Geiselman-Milone photo

chef aaron sanchez

marquee

October Our top picks for this month’s events by Fritz Esker

New Orleans Film Festival

From October 16-23, the New Orleans Film Festival will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a new lineup of exciting films. Titles are not known as of press time, but last year’s roster included “Green Book,” which went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Screenings will be held at venues around town from the Prytania to the Orpheum to the Broad. Information, NewOrleansFilmSociety.org.

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Crescent City Chamber Music Festival

Higgins: The Man, The Boat, The War

The Crescent City Chamber Music Festival’s fourth season will take place from October 3-13. There will be exciting, interactive musical performances at 30 venues across the city, as well as six free performances in various New Orleans venues. Information, CrescentCityChamber MusicFestival.com.

This production tells the story of legendary New Orleanian Andrew Higgins with a mix of live-action newsreel recreation, musical revue, and dramatic history. The show will take place from October 11-November 10 at BB’s Stage Door Canteen in the National World War II Museum. Information, NationalWW2Museum.org.

Gentilly Fest

From October 11-13, Gentilly Fest returns to Pontchartrain Park. Admission is free and there will be a variety of exciting musical acts for attendees to enjoy, as well as a kids’ village. Several local vendors will serve food ranging from red beans and rice to Gulf tacos to yakamein to burgers and hot dogs. Information, GentillyFest.com.

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calendar Sept. 11-Oct. 6: August: Osage County, Southern Rep. Information, SouthernRep.com.

Oct. 19-20: Paw Patrol Live, UNO Lakefront Arena. Information, arena.uno.edu.

Oct. 2-20: Wicked, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com.

Oct. 19: Trinity Irish Dance Company, Mahalia Jackson Theater. Information, MahaliaJacksonTheater.com.

Oct. 3-13: Crescent City Chamber Music Festival, Various Locations. Information, CrescentCityChamber MusicFestival.com. Oct. 4: Miranda Lambert: Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour, Smoothie King Center. Information, SmoothieKingCenter.com.

Oct. 20: Miranda Sings, Orpheum Theater. Information, OrpheumNOLA.com.

Oct. 4-5, 11-12, 18-19: Oktoberfest

Oct. 23: Peppa Pig Live, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com.

New Orleans, Deutsches Haus. Information, OktoberfestNOLA.com.

Street and Magazine Street Information, MagazineStreet.com.

Oct. 24: LPO - Romantic German Masters Featuring Cellist Lynn Harrell, Orpheum Theater. Information, OrpheumNOLA.com.

Oct. 5: Beignet Fest, City Park Festival Grounds. Information, BeignetFest.com.

Oct. 25-27: Voodoo Fest, City Park Festival Grounds. Information, VoodooFestival.com.

Oct. 9: Thom Yorke with Andrea Belfi, Mahalia Jackson Theater. Information, MahaliaJacksonTheater.com.

Oct. 25-Nov. 10: November, Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts. Information, RivertownTheaters.com.

Oct. 11: Greta Van Fleet, UNO Lakefront Arena. Information, arena.uno.edu.

Oct. 25-27: The Color Purple, Mahalia Jackson Theater. Information, MahaliaJacksonTheater.com.

Oct. 5: Art for Art’s Sake, Julia

Oct. 12: NOLA Mac ’n’ Cheese Fest, Armstrong Park. Information, NOLAMacNCheeseFest.com. Oct. 13: Baby Shark Live!, Mahalia Jackson Theater. Information, MahaliaJacksonTheater.com. Oct. 16-Nov. 10: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, NOMA’s Besthoff Sculpture Garden. Information, NOLAProject.com. Oct. 17: Dwight Yoakam, Fillmore Theater. Information, FillmoreNOLA.com. Oct. 18-20: Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival, Lafayette Square. Information, JazzAndHeritage.org.

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Oct. 20-21: Country Smooth Festival, NOLA Motorsports Park. Information, CountrySmoothFest.com.

Oct. 29: We Will Rock You: The Musical by Queen, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com. Oct. 29: The Chainsmokers: World War Joy Tour, Smoothie King Center. Information, SmoothieKingCenter.com. Oct. 30-Nov. 17: Native Gardens, Southern Rep. Information, SouthernRep.com. Oct. 31: LPO - Ancient Spirits: An All Hallows Eve Performance, Orpheum Theater. Information, OrpheumNOLA.com.

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persona

Mexican cuisine and new orleans cuisine are about ...big bold flavors.

his mother’s kitchen to Chef Prudhomme’s side, to celebrity chef appearances on Food Network and beyond. Sanchez currently owns Johnny Sanchez, his Poydras Street restaurant that marries the traditional Mexican from his childhood with the fresh, bold flavors of New Orleans.

Q: Your mom seems to be a part of who you are and a huge inspiration. What did you learn from your mom about cooking and running a kitchen and a restaurant? My mom was adamant that I develop my own style of cooking. Mexican cooking has so many nuances and complex depth of flavors, so I started with a pan-Latin approach. She wanted me to have my own voice in the kitchen.

Q: How did you come to move to New Orleans at the age of 16 and work with Chef Paul Prudhomme? I lost my father when I was

Aaron Sanchez Celebrity chef, cookbook author and restaurateur By Ashley McLellan

Aaron Sanchez has had a long-lived

love affair with New Orleans and its cuisine. Sanchez moved to the city from New York at the age of 16, and trained under the watchful eyes of Chef Paul Prudhomme, a personal

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13 years old, and I was just running around, getting into trouble. She knew I needed an intervention. She had developed a friendship with Chef Prudhomme since taking a cooking class from him in the early 1980s. This was before food television had taken over. He had his PBS show, and there were others like Julia Child and Jacques Pepin, but he really became the voice of Louisiana cooking the old fashioned way, through good food and word of mouth. He was a soft-spoken man, but had much to teach. He had such a presence.

Q: What was it like moving to New Orleans at the age of 16? I moved to a dirty room at friend of Sanchez’s mother (herself a prominent restaurateur). In his new book “Where I Come From: Life Lessons from a Latino Chef,” Sanchez recounts his culinary upbringing, from

the YMCA in the Warehouse District, and I called my mom from a pay phone and told her I didn’t think I could do it. She told me to “you better stick with it” and that in a couple of days I would be staying with Chef Paul at his home. I made it and went to work.

Gabrielle Geiselman-Milone photo

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Q: How does traditional Mexican cuisine fit in with traditional New Orleans cooking at your restaurant Johnny Sanchez? At my restaurant, I wanted it to be inspired by the same flavors that are in traditional Mexican cuisine. This was not going to be a Cajun-Mexican restaurant. It was always going to be Mexican food with fresh local ingredients that we are lucky to have here, the fresh redfish and black drum, shellfish and seafood. Both Mexican cuisine and New Orleans flavors are about being inspired by big, bold flavors.

Q: Why did you want to write this memoir now? So many people told me that I needed to tell my story. I always felt like I was too young, but I have been working in kitchens for so long. I had a career of my own by the time I was 18. I wanted to represent other people like me that might not be the best student, who might have been a fuck up, that you can be a success and go out there. Especially now, I think it’s important to represent and hopefully inspire those kids.

Born/raised: New York Favorite TV show: Vikings, Last Kingdom (I love history) Favorite book: I am reading “Buttermilk Graffiti” by Ed Lee Favorite flavor sno-ball: I don’t really eat sno-balls, except with my son, but I like flavors like pomegranate

Q: What advice do you have for a young person looking to get into the culinary business? It’s important to find a mentor. Make a list of potential mentors that work with different genres of cuisine (like pastry, restaurant chefs, etc.), seek them out, write them a proper letter and try to work with them. It’s important to dedicate sufficient time with each mentor so you have a good variety of experiences and people that influence you.

Q: What is the thing you feel your readers will be most surprised by after reading your latest book? I think that people will be surprised by how much they can relate to my story, but also the fact that I’ve been able to travel and do so many different things. All of my life, my experiences, in and out of the kitchen, have impacted where I am and where I’m going.

Q: What are the places you to have to go to immediately when you come to New Orleans? It’s so hard to say just one or a few things because there are so many. I’ve got to get my poor boy at Parkway. I love the chargrilled oysters at Drago’s. But there are just so many.

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TRUE CONFESSION: I am a practicing Buddhist; it brings a level of spirituality to my life, it’s about being grateful and keeping life balanced.

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BIZ

Sizing up the state of Louisiana’s

energy industry used to be pretty simple. If the price of crude oil was strong relative to historic values, the state’s oil producers raked in profits. If prices declined or were persistently low, those same businesses felt bottom-line pain. But during the last few decades – since the heady days of high demand and high prices in the 1980s, for example – the energy industry has changed a lot. And today, gauging the health of the business is more complicated than it used to be. On the one hand, the United States is producing more oil than ever, and whereas the country used to import oil from foreign sources in order to meet domestic demand, it has recently become a net exporter of the commodity. Among other things, this has reduced U.S. vulnerability to countries that might seek to use oil as an economic weapon. But the expanding supply has also caused oil prices to languish in a range of $55 to $65 per barrel, well below the $100 mark last seen in 2014. New Orleans, over a period of decades, saw many of the oil companies that once filled downtown office buildings shift much of their workforce to Houston. Even now, the city continues to feel the impact of industry volatility on oilfield service companies throughout the area. Most notably, Tidewater Inc., a global leader in providing service boats to the offshore oil industry and a 34 OCTOBER 2019 myneworleans.com

Power Plays Energy industry struggles for footing on shifting sands by Kathy Finn

longtime anchor of the industry in New Orleans, succumbed to market pressures, went through bankruptcy and last year relocated to Houston. Another area service business, Covington-based Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc., which built a thriving business by providing high-tech global-positioning vessels to offshore drillers, also acknowledged a prolonged financial struggle. In its latest earnings report to stockholders, Hornbeck stated: “The Company remains fully cognizant of the challenges

currently facing the offshore oil and gas industry and continues to review its capital structure and assess its strategic options.” Yet, in the midst of the offshore oil industry’s difficulties, a comeback is underway in the natural gas business, in which Louisiana is a major player. Worldwide demand for natural gas rose as cheap gas became more readily available than other fuel types, and Louisiana has benefited from multi-state pipelines that bring the gas to hubs in the southern part of the state. That access has led to construc-

tion and expansion of gas-fed petrochemical plants across south Louisiana, and transportation of their products has fueled growth at area ports. Simultaneously, activity in shale gas originating in massive shallow-rock formations from which producers extract huge amounts of natural gas – has quietly rebounded from a sixyear lull. Drilling in areas such as north Louisiana’s Haynesville Shale field has pushed the state’s natural gas production to a level not seen since 2012. All of which paints a picture of Louisiana’s energy industry that is far more complex than it was in, 1990, for instance, when drillers drilled during the good times and simply waited out the bad ones. Global management consultant Pricewaterhouse Coopers summed up the situation nicely in its latest report on oil and gas trends. “Although the oil and gas industry has always been volatile, there was nonetheless a comfortable predictability to the boom and bust pendulum,” the report states. But now, erratic price fluctuations, “ambiguity about the future of fossil fuels and increasingly contentious trade negotiations … are upending traditional supply and demand fundamentals.” With no clear answers emerging for the industry, the report adds, “Oil and gas executives are essentially trying to set a growth course for their companies on shifting sands.”

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chris rose

Jingle, Jangle Bingle in the woods by Chris Rose

On a recent hike through the

outback meadows and wilds of City Park, I came across a spectacle that stopped me in my literal tracks and – truth be told – depressed me more than a little. There, behind a plot of overgrown grasses and untamed growth, confined behind a sturdy chain link fence in a forlorn gravel lot in the shadow of the 610 overpass – where the general tranquility of the park is drowned out by the cacophony of Interstate traffic – I saw what seemed a familiar sight, but I couldn’t be sure because it was partly obscured by the overgrown brush. There was a woman passing by on her weekend constitutional and I stopped her, perhaps too abruptly. “Excuse me,” I said, then pointing to the large red and white object on the other side of the fence. “But is that Mr. Bingle?” She glanced over and replied, “I believe it is, yes.” 36 OCTOBER 2019 myneworleans.com

I was stunned by the sight of this beloved New Orleans cultural icon stretched out on what appeared to be an old, rusted flatbed trailer dressed out as a float – uncovered and seemingly abandoned to the vagaries and corrosive effects of south Louisiana weather. “What is he doing there?” I asked, in an obviously distressed tone. She paused a moment and said, “Hmm, that’s a good question. I guess he’s in timeout?” Mr. Bingle in timeout. What the hell? My companion and I slopped through the tall, swampy grasses to get a better look through the fence. And – jingle, jangle, jingle – it was indeed Mr. Bingle. Out there in the weeds and under the rumble of concrete. He looked so desolate, homeless almost. I nearly expected to see by his side a pizza box top with “Anything Helps, God Bless” scrawled across it in Sharpie.

Then again, he also looked pretty damn happy, bulging blue eyes, that big red bow tie that looks like a smile, his arms outstretched ready for an eternal embrace. I suppose Mr. Bingle is constitutionally incapable of looking miserable. But still. Doesn’t that kinda suck? I mean, just because he’s made of paper mache, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have feelings. Side note: I was surprised to discover that my companion – a resident of the north shore for the past 20 years – had never heard of him. She was unfamiliar with his impact upon generations of local youth and elders alike, first as a puppet in the display windows of Maison Blanche, then as stuffed animals and other merch, now in his looming, gigantic paper maiche form, formerly suspended above the crowds of holiday shoppers on Canal Street, and now a permanent fixture of City Park’s Celebration

in the Oaks seasonal light display. More unsettling still was that she kept calling him Mr. Binky. (If you don’t understand the disturbing implications of that malaprop, Google it. This ain’t the time or the place to explain it.) Anyway, she found my distress rather absurd. After all, she noted: He looks happy. Yeah, sure, but... I tried to explain to her: Rex, Thoth, Nyx, Iris, Endymion, Orpheus – all the others – they store their paper mache floats in safe, secured, sometimes even climate-controlled shelters to keep them dry, safe and insusceptible to the relentless degrading forces of our less-than-savory weather. Why can we not afford the same comforts to Mr. Bingle? The image, it stuck with me. So much so that, hours later when I ran into an old friend, a local as local can get, and I told her about what I had seen – about the fence, the gravel, the isolation – about the whole wrongness of this situation. “Can you imagine?” I exclaimed. I was disappointed that she was not as emotionally invested into this matter as I was. In the company of her own companions, she seemed determined to reach her own destination forthwith, so she replied: “Maybe he did something wrong?” Which struck me as odd. When the hell did everyone around here start fingering Mr. Bingle as some kind of delinquent, deserving of solitary confinement? He’s a pillar of the community. A legend. Mr. Bingle is Christmas! And so, we were close to home by this point. We held hands and my companion told me she thoroughly enjoyed our Sunday in the park and thanked me for a lovely outing. Me, I was still brooding. It was just another fine walk spoiled.

jason raish ILLUSTRATION

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modine gunch

Monster Bash Halloween stories by Modine Gunch

You can tell Halloween is

almost here. They’re playing Christmas music in the stores, and they got three rows of mechanical Santas ho-ho-hoing in the front of Walmart. Of course, everything remotely Halloween-y was sold out in July. So if you ain’t the type who plans your entire life three months ahead of time, you got to be creative. My kids’ Halloween costumes were made by loving hands at home with staples and duct tape and black garbage bags. You can create a lot with that when you’re desperate. My brothers-in-law, Leech and Lurch, are also creative. Years ago, when they were 12 and 13, my mother-in-law, Ms. Larda, left them home to give out the candy while she took the younger ones out to trick-or-treat. They decided the candy was too good to give away. So they made a life-size dummy with a cape like Dracula and dangled it on a black nylon ribbon out a upstairs window above the front walk. Whenever any little kids approached, they dropped it down and scared the bejesus out of them. Then they finished off the

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candy themselves. Naturally Ms. Larda found out, and yelled at them for a week, and they didn’t ever do it again. Until the next year. By that time, there was a new crop of trick-or-treaters, and Lurch and Leech perfected Dracula with a little microphone attached to his collar that went MWAHAHAHAHAhahaha! They terrified generations of little Chalmations with this. Last year Ms. Larda decided to give a little Halloween party— mostly ladies she goes to bingo with. She decided it would start after everybody’s grandkids had been taken trick-or-treating and were tucked in bed with their teeth brushed. She told Lurch and Leech, but they are oblivious. They mistake the first group of ladies coming up the walk for late trick-or-treaters dressed as old people. So they dropped down Dracula and turned on the MWAHAHAHAHAhahaha! That caused a WHOLE lot of shrieking and purse-bashing and Yvonne DelBerto fell flat on her back and it’s a miracle she didn’t

break a hip. After Ms. Larda ran them off, the boys decided to take Dracula—they had to fix his nose first: the ladies squished it flat — out for adult fun in the French Quarter. Now, Chalmette on Halloween is full of cute little kids on the prowl for candy. It ain’t like the Quarter, which is weird enough on normal nights, but on Halloween becomes even stranger than any bar scene in Star Wars. Lurch and Leech decide to lurk on my gentleman friend Lust’s private balcony over the Sloth Lounge, dangle Dracula all the way down to the sidewalk, and wait. And they waited. And waited. But nobody paid Dracula no mind. People strolling along with fake knives sticking out of fake eyeballs; or extra heads; or wrapped up in red-stained mummy bandages, just excused themselves as they step around him. A few monsters stopped and struck up a conversation, evidently assuming the maniacal laugh

meant agreement with whatever they were saying. A lady with most of her bosom hanging out rubbed up against him, but she didn’t get the reaction she wanted and sashayed off. It finally dawned on them that in Chalmette, Dracula might be terrifying. But in the Quarter, he was just one of the crowd. Then Arnie Aleman stepped out of the Sloth for a smoke. He mistook Dracula’s nose for a cigarette and gave him a light. Dracula’s nose was unfortunately stuffed with dried pine straw, and -WHOOSH— he went up in flames. Now, fire in the Quarter is a serious thing. Everybody stopped and threw whatever was in their go-cups on him. From above, Lust reached over and cut the ribbon just as Angie, the Sloth bartender, zipped outside with a fire extinguisher and put out the fire. And just like that, Dracula was gone. Disappeared in a puff of smoke. The crowd stood around pop-eyed, holding their empty go-cups. Arnie swore off drinking on the spot. Talk about creative. You can’t buy that at Walmart.

LORI OSIECKI ILLUSTRATION

myneworleans.com OCTOBER 2019 3 9

JOIE D’EVE

Bracing For It Visiting the Orthodontist By Eve Crawford Peyton

With Ruby recently starting

seventh grade, I have been going back in time to my own middle school experience. I remember the excitement of getting a locker and the (much more short-lived) thrill of having a PE uniform to change into. I remember awkward dances and questionable fashion choices and the joy of being invited to an exclusive party and the nagging ache of knowing I hadn’t been included. I remember my friendships (many of which I maintain to this day) and my feuds. I remember playing Spin the Bottle at a party and then being so embarrassed the next week when the boy I kissed wouldn’t even look at me – so embarrassed that I hid in the library for a month straight and helped the librarian re-shelve books; I should list my resultant knowledge of the Dewey decimal system as a skill 4 0 OCTOBER 2019 myneworleans.com

on my résumé. I remember the smell of the old hallways and the taste of the sandwich my mother packed me every day for lunch. Most of all, though, I remember my braces. I had horrible teeth, crooked and crowded, and I was relieved when I got braces in seventh grade, although I also felt guilty because I knew they were expensive and my parents couldn’t really afford them. As a result, I tried not to complain – and failed miserably because I was 12 and I complained like it was my job. Braces sucked. They hurt. They were unsightly. They got food stuck in them. I couldn’t eat half the stuff I wanted to eat … or I ate it anyway and broke brackets off. And I had to wear them forrrrreverrrrr. That’s not preteen hyperbole. I got braces on my

teeth in seventh grade and did not and he didn’t even have to have get them off until the week before his wisdom teeth pulled. I took my senior pictures. That’s She didn’t. She got his face and my teeth. more than five years. I don’t regret it. I needed braces, And now, as I watch her and even at the time, I was grateful encounter her own middle school to have a mother who made sure drama and wish I could swoop in I had everything I needed even to save her from all of it, I know if she didn’t know how she was there is one more thing I can’t save going to pay for it. I also had a her from: braces. great orthodontist for Ruby has her first the second half of my orthodontic consult treatment who was Excerpted from Eve coming up. I imagine Crawford Peyton’s determined to not pull a blog, Joie d’Eve, which she’ll have a full-on single tooth, even with appears each Friday on mouth of hardware my crowded jawline, MyNewOrleans.com by Christmas. and I’m thankful for I’m sure they’ve that, too. made some advances in the 25 But man, I hated it at the time, years since they put them on me, and when I found out I was preg- but honestly, I can’t tell quite what nant, my dearest hope was that those advances might be because Ruby would get her dad’s perfect they still look really really un-fun. teeth – they’re beautifully, naturally I just hope she doesn’t complain straight; he has never had a cavity; like I did.

jane sanders illustration

myneworleans.com OCTOBER 2019 41

in tune

must-see music OCTOBER 1

John Medeski funks up Republic NOLA. OCTOBER 3

Bit Brigade Performs classis NES games Contra and Metroid at Gasa Gasa.

BEck

OCTOBER 4

Greensky Bluegrass charms the Joy. OCTOBER 4

Miranda Lambert rocks the Smoothie King Center. OCTOBER 8

Aldous Harding brings folk to Gasa Gasa.

Beyond the Limits Plus a splash of “Voodoo”

OCTOBER 9

Thom Yorke experiments at the Mahalia Jackson.

by Mike Griffith OCTOBER 11

When you think about music in New Orleans ELOHIM and breakout producer Iglooghost. On Sunday in October there are two great things that come to indie rockers Hippo Campus will be lighting things mind: The first is of course the Voodoo Music + up. Like any event in New Orleans, Voodoo is about Arts Experience’s annual blow out at the end of the more than just the music. The festival features a wide month; the second is the overflow from Austin City selection of local delicacies including offerings from Limits that brings a great selection of artists to town Blue Oak BBQ, Boucherie, Dat Dog, The Big Cheezy and more. If that weren’t enough, there is a large art at the start of the month. This year Voodoo returns to the City Park Festival market and a number of interactive art installations grounds (October 25-27) with another all-star lineup as well. Grab your costume and head out to the park. with Guns N’ Roses, Beck and Post Malone holding When Austin City Limits expanded their early down the headlining spots. They are joined by Brandi October festival from one weekend to two in 2013, Carlile, Interpol, Bassnectar, The National and REZZ. New Orleans began to reap the benefits of sitting just Brandi Carlile is on fire this year both in terms of her outside of ACL’s performance exclusion area. Artists solo work and as a member of the excellent super- that are booked into the festival for both weekends group—The Highwomen. The National have will often make a quick trip our way during also put together an excellent festival show. the week for a show before heading back for their second festival performance. This Both of these performances were among the Playlist of mentioned year, catch performances by Radiohead highlights of the summer festival schedule. bands available frontman Thom Yorke, singer-songwriter Of course Guns N’ Roses is a huge get for at: http://bit.ly/ any festival. The last time Axl, Slash and InTune10-19 BANKS and electronic producer GRiZ. company were in New Orleans, they sold out Yorke brings his Tomorrow’s Modern the Superdome, so expect a large and excited crowd. Boxes tour to the Mahalia Jackson on the 9th. GRiZ As usual, Voodoo’s organizers have done a great job plays the Fillmore on the 12th and BANKS plays the with up-and-coming bands, as well. Make sure to Fillmore with Kevin Garrett on the 16th. All three of catch the Florida based funk ensemble Magic City these shows will be intimate encounters with artist Hippies on Friday. On Saturday, you have the rising who headline festival stages. Make sure to catch at indie rock star Japanese Breakfast, electro pop icon least one.

4 2 OCTOBER 2019 myneworleans.com

Greta Van Fleet rocks Lakefront Arena. OCTOBER 16

BANKS mesmerizes the Fillmore. OCTOBER 17

Dwight Yoakam rocks Fillmore. OCTOBER 26

Lucero jams at Tipitina’s. OCTOBER 29

Good Morning rocks Gasa Gasa. OCTOBER 31NOVEMBER 1

Widespread Panic jams for two nights at Lakefront Arena. Dates are subject to change; email Mike@ MyNewOrleans.com or contact him through Twitter @Minima.

myneworleans.com OCTOBER 2019 43

Chronicles

Holey Doughnut! Krispy Kreme’s a New Orleans creation?

Hot and sweet: who doesn’t

love the melt-in-your-mouth goodness of a classic Krispy Kreme doughnut? In this political season, one thing all campaign headquarters of every party will have in common: the ubiquitous box(es) of Krispy Kreme product. What fuels the phone bank, encourages the corner signholders, keeps up the courage of the canvassers plodding the streets with address lists, puts something in the hands of the campaign bigwigs as they huddle in the back office? Krispy Kreme tops that ballot. Hot, sugary, squishy: there is just something about a Krispy Kreme Original Glazed that gets your mouth’s attention. In the birthplace of the beignet, the humble doughnut has always found a market. There are national brands (Dunkin’ Donuts, for one) and local competitors, including District, Blue Dot, City, Bakers Dozen and Buttermilk Drop. One company, dating from the 1960s 4 4 OCTOBER 2019 myneworleans.com

and still with a handful of locations in the area, is Tastee Donuts, begun by Gil Copeland, brother of Al Copeland (father of Popeye’s Chicken.) Krispy Kreme seems to be a latecomer: 50 years ago, you couldn’t even buy one in town. According to a September 5, 1963, article in the Times-Picayune, Krispy-Kreme Doughnut Company of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, first registered in Louisiana as a foreign corporation in late August, 1963. By November, 1974, Pap’s Food Store at 1900 Mirabeau Ave. was advertising Krispy Kreme Do Nuts “received and dated fresh daily.” By 1979, local Winn-Dixie’s boasted “Krispy Kreme Glazed Do-Nuts” on the shelves. Grocery sales weren’t enough to satisfy eager consumers, but Krispy Kreme did not put stores on the ground in the New Orleans area until the year 2000. The first location opened on December 1 at Clearview Parkway and West

Metairie Avenue, and it’s still there. “A national emblem of indulgence is coming home,” the TimesPicayune story began. Coming home? Well, Krispy Kreme has always acknowledged that the original inventor of its recipe was…a New Orleanian! The Nashville Tennessean newspaper, in a 1974 obituary for Krispy Kreme founding family member Lewis Rudolph, recounted that Rudolph grew up on the family farm near Paducah, Kentucky. In the early 1930s, the father of the family, Plumie Rudolph, ran a general store in Paducah. Plumie’s brother-in-law Ishmael Armstrong, and his son Vernon Rudolph began making and selling yeast-raised doughnuts for the store “following a recipe from a New Orleans chef.” Lewis Rudolph, Vernon’s younger brother, dropped out of high school to help make doughnuts. Armstrong left the company, the doughnut business expanded, and by 1937 the brand was named

Krispy Kreme. It then expanded to Atlanta and Nashville, and established in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1937. In various versions of the story, the “New Orleans chef” sold his unsuccessful store in Paducah to the Rudolph brothers and added the doughnut recipe as lagniappe. The chef’s name was supposedly Joseph LeBeau. In another version of the story, told in 2003 to The Duke Chronicle college newspaper reporter/ student Ruth Carlitz, there was no Joseph LeBeau in Paducah, but there was a chef from New Orleans named Joseph LeBoeuf cooking on a boat on the Ohio River. Carver Rudolph, son of Krispy Kreme founder Vernon, related that Krispy Kreme was researching its origins in 1997 and a local historian discovered Leboeuf, but by then, he had died. Carver Rudolph also related what the fabled recipe included: “fluffed egg whites, mashed potatoes, sugar, shortening and skim milk … chilled and mixed with flour and then fried and covered in glaze.” Krispy Kreme made with potatoes? Well, who knows? That’s a corporate secret. As for LeBoeuf, no Joseph appeared in city directories from 1900 to 1930, but there was a Frank LeBoeuf in the 1920s and 30s who had a restaurant, once located on Front Street near the river. Perhaps the doughnut maker was a relative. If so, he created a winner. Krispy Kreme grew from a regional chain to an international presence. After being sold to Beatrice Foods, and then being bought back by franchisees, Krispy Kreme was sold in 2016 to German investment firm JAB Beech for $1.36 billion. Now that leaves a sweet taste! •

myneworleans.com OCTOBER 2019 45

home

Dianna’s French bulldog, Poppy, snoozes on the sofa in the custom slate-colored den. Painting above sofa by Tony Mose.

Bohemian Luxury Dianna Knost’s Cottage of Curiosities by Lee Cutrone photographed by Greg Miles

World traveler, designer, purveyor of bohemian

luxury, collector, nature lover, and do-it-yourselfer are just some of the hats that Dianna Knost wears – and all are evident in the Uptown cottage where she lives. 4 6 OCTOBER 2019 myneworleans.com

Locals got to know Knost’s style in 2012 when she opened her store, AKA Stella Gray, a collective of organic finds, jewelry, pottery, tribal textiles, animal hides, and unusual art and home décor. Knost closed the store in 2018 but has infused her

home with the same aesthetic, though she says it’s the store that was an extension of the houses she’s done rather than the other way around. She’s renovated five houses to date and never tires of surrounding herself with the things she loves. “I’ve always traveled,” said the Baton Rouge native, who at one time, visited Africa on a regular basis. “I seem to always pick up things like turtle shells and bones and skulls and bring them back.” Knost’s look, which she alternately describes as bohemian luxury, a cabinet of curiosities, and a fancy garage sale, is part 16th century vanitas painting (skulls, feathers, butterflies and birds), part hip traveler (vintage Kuba cloths and bowls of antlers), and part homebody (she cooks organic meals for her two dogs and surrounds herself with fresh flowers). It’s also a mix of opposites – delicate and edgy, rough and polished, serious and cheeky, old and new. She made an offer on the New Orleans house before she entered the front door. Located on land that was once part of the Livaudais Plantation, the side-hall cottage has original crown moldings, ceiling medallions, fireplaces and a carriage house. Having researched

Above: Diannaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;a penchant for mixing high and low is at work in the dining room; a painted table, once used for her sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s train set and later as a work surface in her store, is layered with an animal print and mixed with several types of chairs; midcentury style chairs from Wayfair.com; above the table hangs a painted Aiden Gray chandelier; bespoke mirrored panels with butterflies made from pieces of the Livaudais Plantation deed adorn the pocket doors; mirrored panels by Louis St. Lewis. Top, right: The 19th century side-hall cottage is located on land that was once part of Livaudais Plantation; furnishings with black and white striped accents dress the front porch.

the property, Knost believes it dates from the 1860s. She improved the exterior, painted and landscaped. She also remodeled both the kitchen and the master bath with modern conveniences and designer refinement, while still respecting the historic character of the house. Case in point: an exposed beam above the casement opening that now frames the kitchen. Contractors who remodeled the space suggested removing or painting

it, but Knost liked the raw patina of the wood contrasted with the elegant marble and metal surfaces of the space. Likewise, the master bathâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minimalist wet room has a vestige of the past: a clawfoot tub that was original to the house and that Knost repurposed. This is a house with plenty to observe. Furnishings, a mix of high and low, include a carved vestibule from a Paris church, a chest from Singapore, and an antique tribal drum from Africa. A myneworleans.com OCTOBER 2019 47

Top, left: Mantel-to-ceiling mirrors in the living and dining rooms add modernity and visually enlarges the spaces; Dianna customized the pendant fixture in the living room by beading it and finishing it with a tassle featuring one of the rocks she collects; animal hides, Asian influence, a worn trunk and organic elements give the room a well-traveled look. Bottom, left: Nudes by Lisa DiStefano occupy wall space above an antique in a hallway. Top, right: A side-hall, high ceilings, crown moldings and transoms are among the original architectural features of the house; the moth painting at left is by Jason Horton (at Gallery Orange); Dianna repurposed an antique carved frame as a work of art by pairing it with a monochromatic flight of hand-made butterflies. The master bathâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minimalist wet room has an open shower on one side and a clawfoot tub on the other.

Dianna renovated the kitchen from scratch but left elements of the original architecture of the cottage: a rustic, unpainted beam above the casement opening and worn wooden floors now painted with a distressed finish.

simple painted table that once held her son’s toy train set, now serves as a dining table, layered with an animal hide. Above it hangs an Aidan Gray chandelier from AKA Stella Gray. There are musical instruments (often played by friends after small dinner parties), a basket of blankets for the dogs, a sawfish picked up

at an estate sale, an alligator skull from a client, bones secretively stockpiled by her son during trips to Wyoming and given to her as a gift, a tiny and strikingly beautiful hummingbird mysteriously preserved by nature’s own hand. “I’ve always had a fascination with animals, plants and stones,” said Knost, who prefers the stones with holes. Because it takes a long time for water to wear through a rock, she views each of her perforated treasures as a symbol of persistence. Her own brand of persistence

includes a never-ending slew of creative ideas often brought to life with the help of artist friends. The most recent is a collaborative bespoke installation of mirrored panels adorning the pocket doors between her living and dining rooms. Known as Églomisé, a French term that refers to the process of applying design and gilding to the rear of glass to produce a mirrored finish, the panels were made by North Carolina “pop art provocateur” Louis St. Lewis. Each is subtly embellished with whimsical butter-

flies made from the French deed for Livaudais Plantation. Lewis’s head appears on one of the butterflies as a playful signature. Art by Lisa DiStefano, Nate Sheaffer, Jason Horton, Demond Matsuo, Tony Mose, Nancy Rhodes Harper, George Marks and Kimberly Santini are also part of Knost’s livable luxe. “My ideal life would be to live in a beautiful hotel,” she said, pointing out enviable perks like room service. “But I can’t, so I’ve created that at home.”

myneworleans.com OCTOBER 2019 49

OneTank Getaways Short Drives from New Orleans

New Orleans may be “America’s Most Interesting City,” so it’s easy to become complacent with all there is to do and see. But the region surrounding our city offers historic and cultural destinations, many of which may be accessed with only a tank of gas. Here are five unique cities offering fall festivals and fun foods, peaceful respites and parties, culture and comedy. And all are just a short drive away.

By C h e r é C o e n

Natchez

t’s a three-hour drive through Baton Rouge to reach historic Natchez, perched high above the Mississippi River. While many visitors enjoy stays at the numerous antebellum homes untouched by Union forces during the Civil War, for those who prefer peace and quiet there’s Brandon Hall Plantation situated right on the Natchez Trace Parkway. Built in 1856 by Gerard Brandon III, son of the first native-born governor of Mississippi, Brandon Hall is now a luxurious bed and breakfast run by John Kaiser Harriss and his wife, Ashley, both with ties to New Orleans. The main house with its massive hallway, exquisite crown molding and period antiques offer five guestrooms, and two modern cottages near the back patio and fountain.

The acreage includes a pond surrounded by woods with hiking trails, an 1833 children’s cemetery and the Trace at the end of the driveway. Natchez native Kaiser Harris attended Tulane business school where he met Ashley, whose family migrated to New Orleans from Florida. They moved to Houston while Kaiser worked in the oil and gas industry, but when they desired a change, they found a plantation house for sale. “It was a nice way to move back, home to Natchez for me and for Ashley to be closer to family,” Kaiser Harris said. What’s unique about Brandon Hall Plantation is the location. The bed and breakfast is one accommodation, if not the only one, located right on the Natchez Trace, part of the U.S. National Parks Service.

facing page and top, left: Brandon Hall Plantation. Toni Sheppard photographs. Bottom, left: The Natchez Balloon Festival. Bottom, right: King’s Tavern's flatbread

“If you didn’t know we were here you’d have driven past,” he explained. “We can’t put a sign on the road because of the federal restrictions. It’s a blessing and a curse.” The natural beauty remains the blessing. But even being a remote location, downtown Natchez is only 15 minutes away. “It’s so peaceful and quiet out here,” Harris said. “Even if the house is full, it’s so quiet.” Over in Natchez, however, things are hopping this time of year. The Natchez Balloon Festival soars over the river October 18-20 with live music and the competitive balloon race. The inaugural Y’all Means All Natchez Festival to raise funds for

community mental health takes place the weekend of October 25-26, organized by John Grady Burns, a floral expert who owns the boutique Nest downtown. The festival features a Friday night wine and cheese reception at Choctaw Hall, a performance by country artist Ty Herndon and drag queen appearance by Nina West at Saturday’s “Battle of the Belles.” Like Harris, Burns returned home after years in Atlanta. “It’s a very special town,” he said of Natchez. “There’s always something to do if that’s what you want. But it’s also nice to sit and relax.”

Dining out

Start the morning with a cup of Joe from Steampunk Coffee Roasters. For a romantic meal, try Pearl Street Pasta. Just leave your cares behind. The restaurant has been named the “Best Place to Ruin your Diet” by Mississippi Magazine. For something more casual, with a ghost or two, King’s Tavern serves up fabulous flatbreads and drinks produced with products from neighboring Charboneau Distillery.

Bay St. Louis and Ocean Springs

he Mississippi Coast offers a quick escape from New Orleans â&#x20AC;&#x201D; an hour or so drive â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with the quaint towns of Bay St. Louis and Ocean Springs bookending the small stretch

of land bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Both appeal to artists and art lovers, with fall art-related festivals, boutiques and galleries and museums dedicated to artists who once called the Coast home. In downtown Ocean Springs, there are 140

Dining out

Kait Sukiennik always cooks up a sweet and a savory biscuit daily (and we always order both) at Greenhouse on Porter in Ocean Springs, and visitors may enjoy the actual greenhouse in back, complete with house cat. Enjoy a unique lunch entrée at Starfish Café, a non-profit teaching kitchen in Bay St. Louis where diners pay what they will.

left: the inn at ocean ocean springs; right: Starfish Café

things to experience within walking distance, according to Cynthia Dobbs Sutton, executive director of the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce. In addition, the town’s a haven for regional artists, she said, with approximately 300 artists in the Ocean Springs Art Association. “Everything is one-of-a-kind, locally owned,” Sutton said of the town’s artwork for sale. Ocean Springs was once home to eclectic artist Walter Anderson, who now has a museum dedicated to his work, along with Shearwater Pottery, his family’s ceramic art studio that’s still in existence. Walter’s brother, Peter Anderson, headed Shearwater as a master potter and every November, Ocean Springs celebrates with the Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival, the largest arts festival in Mississippi and the Gulf Coast. This year’s event, November 2-3, features artists and

artisans, musicians and food vendors from around the country. The fastest way to reach the Coast is at Bay St. Louis, a town that intrigued a Batesville, Mississippi, school teacher who taught herself to paint while caring for her mother. Once settled in Bay St. Louis, Alice Moseley’s artistic talent took off and visitors can view more than 50 original pieces of her folk art at the Alice Moseley Folk Art & Antique Museum located inside the 1876 train station. Places to stay on the Coast run the gamut. The Roost and The Inn at Ocean Springs provide both elegance and convenience, allowing guests to walk nearly everywhere, including the town’s beachfront. Casual comfort is what owner Nikki Moon strives for at Bay Town Inn in Bay St. Louis, where rooms include stocked kitchens, sitting areas and rocking chairs on the porch.

St. Francisville

s the days drift toward All Hallows Eve and the veil between life and death grows thin, thoughts turn to St. Francisville, home to one of the country’s most haunted houses. The Myrtles Plantation offers ghost tours year-round but more in October when it’s not unusual for 1,200 ghost-seekers to visit on a Saturday, said general manager Morgan Moss. “We have a heavier volume on the property in October and we do the tours more frequently,” he said. The oldest building dates to 1794, with the main plantation house and its massive veranda built in 1796. Many owners have called the Myrtles home, and some long deceased are

believed to remain on site. The most famous ghost haunting the home is Chloe, a plantation slave who allegedly poisoned members of the family and was murdered when caught. Visitors, however, have reported 10 different spirits on the plantation grounds, Moss said. In addition to the ghost and historic tours, visitors may enjoy staying in the plantation’s 18 rooms, six in the main house, six garden rooms next to the patio and six individual cottages surrounding a romantic pond with gazebo. New to The Myrtles this year is Restaurant 1796, with its exposed kitchen, elaborate hearth and full-service bar. A family-style breakfast for guests is served in the restaurant’s Bayou Room. St. Francisville contains numerous antebellum homes and plantations, so there are several other

historic bed and breakfasts to choose from, most featuring elegant guest rooms, home tours and full Southern breakfasts. For something hawking back to the past but not quite as far as the Civil War, try the 3V Tourist Courts at Magnolia, a row of 1938 renovated “Bonnie and Clyde” style cabins complete with alcove for a car. The longstanding Magnolia Café exists right outside your door so stop for a meal where locals eat. For a coffee break, live music or a scoop of gelato, Birdman Coffee & Books is only a few extra steps away. For something completely unique, go to jail. The Angola Prison Rodeo and Craft Show happens every Sunday facing page: in October, the longest The Myrtles Plantation. running prison rodeo top: Magnolia in the nation. Inmates Café middle: southern garden compete and ride horses symposium bottom: at 2 p.m., plus sell their The Myrtles’ Restaurant 1796. arts and crafts beginning at 9 a.m. Gardeners may prefer something more genteel, enjoying the Southern Garden Symposium October 18 and 19 at Afton Villa Gardens and Hemingbough. The event features workshops and lectures but also an evening gala and a Saturday afternoon tea. At the end of October, dozens of artists and craftspeople brings their wares to town October 26-27 for the Yellow Leaf Arts Festival. In addition, visitors will discover live music, children’s activities and farmers selling local produce.

Dining out

Grab a craft cocktail like the Smoky Magnolia at The Myrtles’ Restaurant 1796, then enjoy farm to table fare cooked on the establishment’s 10-foot wood-fired hearth. The fire’s ambiance — amid hopefully cool fall weather — makes a perfect nightcap after a rousing ghost tour of the plantation.

Natchitoches

hirty years ago, one of the country’s most beloved plays was transformed for the silver screen and premiered as a film starring some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Playwright Robert Harling hailed from Natchitoches and set “Steel Magnolias” within his hometown, a story of a young mother fighting diabetes and the strong women she calls friends. The film, based on Harling’s sister Susan Harling Robinson, remained loyal to the play and used Natchitoches for almost all of its locations. This year, Louisiana’s oldest town celebrates the 30th anniversary of “Steel Magnolias” with a “Blush and Bashful” Weekend November 7-10. Events include an Armadillo Cake Contest (the pastry was the groom’s cake in the movie’s wedding scene), an Easter Egg Hunt in Beau Jardin (resembling the scene in the film), a movie panel discussion, displays at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and a showing of the film at Parkway Cinema, where the movie premiered in 1989. There will also be a guided tour of the town’s film sites, including the Harling family house and the beauty shop that inspired the story and setting for the play and movie. Sunday’s brunch at the Prudhomme-Rouqier House will be catered by Lasyone’s, known for Natchitoches meat pies. Visit Natchitoches.com/SteelMagnolias for tickets and more information. Visitors may also stay the night at the Steel Magnolia House bed and breakfast, the house used in the film where the main characters lived. Located in the heart of Natchitoches, the B&B offers guest rooms with

character names such as the Shelby, Ouiser and Clairee. The home’s history dates to the early 1800s and is believed to have been used as a Civil War hospital, as well as moving slaves along the Underground Railroad. Most people come for the film’s connection, however. Actresses Sally Field, Julia Roberts and Tom Skerritt were part of the film’s family that lived in the home and Dolly Parton, Shirley McLaine, Daryl Hannah and Olympia Dukakis enjoyed the property at the film’s wedding reception scene. facing page: the steel magnolia house bed and breakfast. right: Cane River Commissary

The Steel Magnolia House will also be part of the 65th Annual Fall Pilgrimage/Tour of Homes October 11-13 in Natchitoches. The tour includes the American Cemetery Mourning Tour on Friday, October 11, the site of the emotional climatic scene in the film. On Saturday, October 12, tour organizers will recreate Shelby’s wedding reception at the Steel Magnolia House with live music and an armadillo cake. On Sunday, visitors may tour Saint Augustine Church, where the wedding scene was filmed, and Cherokee Plantation, where cast and crew partied after filming was completed. Locals who worked or starred in the film will be on hand to offer their personal reminiscences. For those who can’t make the anniversary weekend or Pilgrimage, the Steel Magnolia House offers tours every weekend, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.

Dining out

Nothing says Natchitoches more than Lasyone’s Meat Pie restaurant, which has been serving up traditional pies and other Southern and Creole dishes for decades. We adore the meat pies but the hand-held crawfish pies are equally delicious. A drive down Cane River to visit the unique Creole heritage and plantations makes for a perfect Sunday outing, with the Cane River Commissary a great stopping off point. Start with the Shell Beach Sampler — mini meat pies, artichoke wontons and cheddar bites.

Why MSY? Meet John Moisant, the Airport’s Namesake

By Mike Scott

t was cold in New Orleans on the fateful morning of December 31, 1910. But John Moisant wasn’t put off by the cold. He wasn’t put off by many things, in fact. Maybe gravity, on some level, but even then not as much as others. “The King of Aviators” was how The Daily Picayune described him in a headline on Jan. 1, 1910, but Moisant was also a daredevil by default. All pilots of the time were. After all, by 1910 it had been only seven years since the Wright brothers were credited with having invented the first successful airplane. The ensuing years had seen advances in flight, but it was still an exceedingly dangerous game. “I have been asked to tell why I ‘defy death to conquer

over the air,’” Moisant contemporary Ralph Johnstone wrote in a newspaper column in 1910. “I fly to live. If I didn’t have to, I wouldn’t. It’s going to get me some day. Sooner or later it’s going to get us all.” By the time Johnstone’s column was published in The New Orleans Item on December 4, 1910, it had already gotten him. Plummeting 900 feet to his death in an exhibition flight over Denver, he became the 29th prominent “birdman” to die in a two-year span. The big question was who the 30th would inevitably be. And the 31st. And the 32nd … Which brings us back to John Moisant, the man whose legacy lives on – to the befuddlement of many a modern traveler – in New Orleans’ three-letter airport code, MSY. As the city prepares to open its new, $1 billion airport, it’s only fitting to revisit his story and to explain those letters.

The daredevil aviation pioneer after whom New Orleans’ airport was named once thrilled the city with his daredevil stunts. Until …

Aviation pioneer John Moisant, the man after whom New Orleans’ airport was named, with his cat, Mademoiselle Fifi, who often accompanied him in the cockpit. Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Although one of the better-known pilots of his day, Moisant wasn’t an incredibly experienced flyer. An Illinois native who grew up in northern California, he had been flying for only about a year before coming to New Orleans for a multi-day, multi-event competition in December 1910. What he lacked in cockpit time, however, he more than made up for in zeal. Not only was he as daring as any other flyer of his day, but he once designed and built his own aircraft. Crafted of an aluminum alloy, it is recognized as the first all-metal airplane. He called it “L’Écrevisse,” which is French for “The Crawfish.” Against all odds, it actually flew. And then it crashed. Remarkably, Moisant survived. Just as remarkably, he returned to the air. He was so undeterred, in fact, he set out to improve upon his original “Crawfish” design. In the meantime, he flew an open-cockpit, wood-and-cloth Blériot monoplane. It was described, ominously, as resembling a coffin with wings. But if flying in 1910 was a dangerous game, it was also a lucrative one. Hefty purses were awarded for those willing to risk it all. Just two months before his December flight in New Orleans, Moisant won a $10,000 race to the Statue of Liberty in New York. (He was later disqualified on a technicality; the prize money went to another flyer.) That combination of big danger and big-money prizes transformed such airshows into compelling spectator events. It also transformed pilots into celebrities. Moisant, who was known to fly with a grey kitten named Mademoiselle Fifi, regularly thrilled crowds with his attempts at airspeed records, at endurance records, at flights over major cities (a decidedly novel thing at the time). His exploits, and those of other early aviators were covered breathlessly by newspapers, running under such headings as “Stories of Stirring Sport” and “Sports of Speed and Skill.” One popular competition: aerial “bomb-throwing,” in which flyers tossed fire bombs onto targets below. Crowds loved it. Firefighters, not so much -- especially after a tent serving as an airplane hangar in New Orleans’ City Park caught fire after

A plane piloted by John Moisant sits overturned in a photo dated October 1910, which would have placed it just two months before the flight that claimed his life in Harahan. Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

“Moisant was a man of indomitable character,” fellow flyer Roland Barros said at the time. “He seemed to be absolutely without fear, and we other aviators have often marveled at his daring. The world has lost a remarkable man.”

being accidentally hit in an international aerial competition in 1910. By the time he traveled to New Orleans in December that same year, Moisant’s myriad accomplishments -- the first passenger flight over a city (Paris,) the first passenger flight across the English Channel, the first compassguided flight in an airplane, that revoked victory in the Statue of Liberty race -- had already made him a star. It had also earned him a deal worth a reported $104,000 a year to showcase his aerial derring-do around the country. That’s well more than the equivalent of $2.5 million in 2019 currency, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There was money to be made in New Orleans, too, in the form of the $4,000 Michelin Cup prize -- the equivalent of more than $100,000 today -- to be awarded to the flyer who logged the longest sustained single flight of the year. The clock was ticking for the 1910 title, though. When Moisant set out on December 31, 1910, there were mere hours before the New Year dawned. If he was to claim the prize, he would have to fly more than the 363 miles logged a day earlier during a nearly eight-hour flight by French aviator Maurice Tabuteau. That was by design, though. Moisant wanted to wait until the last minute so he’d know exactly what mark he’d have to beat to claim the prize. He also didn’t want to leave anyone else

any time to better his mark. It’s not that he needed the money. Moisant and his brothers had made a mint in the sugar trade in El Salvador. (They were also known for making revolution in El Salvador, but that’s another story.) It was glory he was apparently after, and the thrill of dancing on the edge. On December 24, 1910, a week before his year-end flight, he delighted New Orleanians with an unannounced sojourn over the city -- the first time many locals had likely seen an airplane in flight. Taking off from City Park, he buzzed Canal Street, he circled the Central Business District, he flew across the Mississippi River and soared over Gretna before returning to City Park. A week later, when Moisant climbed into the cockpit of a borrowed 50-horsepower Blériot monoplane on that last, chilly day of 1931, he was dressed warmly: flannels, two sweaters, wool socks. He wrapped newspapers around his legs and feet. Then came his overalls, another layer of newspaper, followed by a second pair of overalls. Suitably guarded against the high-altitude chill, he then started the plane’s engine. Newspaper accounts don’t say whether he shrugged when he did it, but he probably shrugged. At 9:35 a.m., he was airborne, taking off from the city for the 10-minute flight to a 4-mile course staked out on a stockyard near Harahan. The plan was for him to circle the course a few times, a sort of test flight, before landing and fueling up for what would be eight more hours of circling. He made it only two laps. The Picayune’s front-page account of what happened next: “Coming around on this third lap, (he) prepared to descend from a height of 200 feet. He dipped at a sharp angle, and when about twenty-five feet from the ground his machine suddenly became vertical and he was pitched forward. He shot through the air as though hurled from a catapult, going head first, and landed on the soft earth just thirty-six feet from his machine.” Spectators rushed to help. He was still alive. Although his eyes were glassy, his lips were moving as if he was trying to speak. Seeing no bruises or other obvious injuries, his would-be rescuers thought he might have just been stunned, so they picked him up, loaded him onto a train standing by and rushed him to the city. “Several prominent physicians” were summoned to meet the train at the depot. Moisant was declared dead on arrival. He hadn’t been merely stunned. His neck had been broken. “Moisant was a man of indomitable character,” fellow flyer Roland Barros said at the time. “He seemed to be absolutely without fear, and we other aviators have often marveled at his daring. The world has lost a remarkable man.” A funeral was held at McMahon & Sons funeral home on Dryades Street, and Moisant was buried temporarily in Metairie before being moved to a grave in California. A movement was soon started to erect a monument on the site of the stockyards in Moisant’s memory. It wasn’t until 1941 that New Orleans Mayor Robert Maestri announced the city’s then-new airport, built just 10 miles from the Harahan stockyards where Moisant crashed would be named in his honor: Moisant Airport. Decades later, the name would be changed to Louis Armstrong International Airport, but the land is still dubbed Moisant Field and the airport’s location code is still MSY, for Moisant Stock Yards. As for Mademoiselle Fifi, she either wasn’t on board for that final flight or used up one of her nine lives by surviving the crash. At any rate, Moisant’s sisters took custody of the orphaned feline, who, presumably, lived a long life – on the ground. •