New Orleans Magazine May 2017

MAY 2017

myneworleans.com $4.95

E IEC TV ERP S T ” YE S EL W MA NG S A T K EN R ES “DA R P

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MAY 2017 / VOLUME 51 / NUMBER 7 Editor-in-Chief Errol Laborde Managing Editor Ashley McLellan Art Director Tiffani Reding Amedeo Contributing Editor Liz Scott Monaghan Food Edit­or Dale Curry Dining Edit­or Jay Forman Wine and Spirits Edit­or Tim McNally Restaurant Reporter Robert Peyton Home Editor Lee Cutrone Web Editor Kelly Massicot Staff Writers Jessica DeBold, Melanie Warner Spencer Intern Marie Simoneaux Vice President of Sales Colleen Monaghan Sales Manager Kate Sanders Henry (504) 830-7216 / Kate@MyNewOrleans.com Senior Account Executive Lisa Picone Love, Jessica Marasco Account Executives Claire Cummings, Peyton Simms

Director of Marketing and Events Cheryl Lemoine Event Coordinator Whitney Weathers Digital Media Associate Mallary Matherne For event information call (504) 830-7264 Production Designers Monique DiPietro, Demi Schaffer, Molly Tullier, Jenna Timphony Traffic Coordinator Terra Durio Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne President Alan Campell Executive Vice President Errol Laborde Distribution Manager John Holzer Administrative Assistant Mallary Matherne Subscriptions Manager Brittanie Bryant WYES DIAL 12 STAFF (504) 486-5511 Executive Editor Beth Arroyo Utterback Managing 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 Subscriptions: (504) 830-7231 MyNewOrleans.com

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 2017 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 selfaddressed 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

70 FEATURES

IN EVERY ISSUE

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Inside

“French vs. Italian: The Debate”

20

Speaking Out

22

Julia Street

Brunches by the Bunches

Pick and choose among spring-eats and day-drinks

By Jyl Benson

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Southern Cooking

Southern Italy, that is

By Dale Curry

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Buon Appetito!

Italian eats for everyday feasts

By Dale Curry

Editorial, plus a Mike Luckovich cartoon

Questions and answers about our city

150 Try This

“Got Orange?”

152 Streetcar

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“Tennessee Williams Stories”

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ON THE COVER

Josephine Estelle’s new brunch take on chicken and biscuits, fried with Calabrian honey drizzle, starting on pg. 60.

Photographed by Denny Culbert

contents

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THE BEAT

LOCAL COLOR

THE MENU

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Marquee

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Chris Rose

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Table Talk

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Persona

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Modine’s New Orleans

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Restaurant Insider

“How to Fix Trigger Finger”

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Joie d’Eve

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Last Call

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Dining Guide

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Entertainment calendar

Vocalist Sarah Jane McMahon

Biz

“Oil Boom and Bust”

Education

“Unequal Rights”

Health

“Good for What Ails You”

Healthbeat

“Good to Go-To”

Crime Fighting

“Who Wants to be the Police?”

“Mayor Trump”

“Gut Instinct”

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In Tune

“Almost Too Much Music”

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Read & Spin

Jazz Life

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Home

“Spice Trade”

News From the Kitchens: DTB, Bratz Y’all, Picayune Social House

The Paloma

A look at the latest albums and books

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“Tribute to Satchmo”

“Saving Grace”

Chronicles

“Vive la Difference”

DIAL 12, D1

Joanne Froggatt, who stole the hearts of millions of viewers as Anna, the loving and resilient lady’s maid on “Downton Abbey,” stars in a totally different role in a spine-tingling drama on MASTERPIECE “Dark Angel” on Sunday, May 21 at 8pm on WYES-TV/Channel 12.

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inside

French vs. Italian The Debate

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Over dinner one night on a trip, the question came up as to which culture has the best cuisine, the French or the Italians.

It was a bit of a loaded question, beginning with the fact that the word cuisine itself is French in origin (meaning “kitchen”) and that my ancestry, as well as that of the city, is French.

Charles DeGaulle once lamented, “how can you govern a country that makes 246 different kinds of cheeses?” That alone speaks for the country’s greatness in the dining room.

The French are masters of sauces and can do wonders with duck. Their desserts are exquisite and they make some of the world’s finest wine, including having created champagne. One dish, coq au vin, which originated as a simple French peasant food is among my favorites, partially because of its medley of flavors but also because I have a fixation for saying “coq au vin.”

Nevertheless, when it came to answering the posed question about which cuisine is best, the four of us, with full deference to the Gastronomy of Gaul, agreed: the best was Italian.

Blessed by its geography that extends the bootshaped country into the Mediterranean, and enhanced by the island of Sicily, Italy is enriched with a bounty of fresh vegetables and fruit to prepare

with the ocean’s treasure of seafood. To me there are five foods that most characterize Italian cooking; olive oil; pasta, tomato, mozzarella, and prosciutto. With different permutations of those ingredients, Italian kitchens produce a food that is powerful with flavor yet (depending I guess on the amount of pasta) can still be light and healthy.

Then there is the fig, which enriches Italian desserts; and, where it is warm, there is a desire for something cool for which the Italians gave the world gelato. (Yes, it is different from ice cream, which has a higher percentage of fat and is not as silky as gelato.)

Then there is one of the simplest of Italian dishes, the pizza pie, created in Naples, embellished in Brooklyn and spread across the world with more toppings than the Neapolitans could have ever imagined.

In this, our May issue, we have traditionally asked food writer Dale Curry to provide themed recipes that can be fixed at home. This year the topic is Italian. We invite you to experiment with what is arguably the world’s greatest food— and remember a glass of prosecco is always a great starter.

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on the web

New Orleans Magazine is on the web, are you?

Follow New Orleans Magazine on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest for all of the latest in New Orleans cuisine, music and more.

Make sure to sign up for the daily MyNewOrleans.com newsletter, too. Be the first to read our blogs, get the 411 on top events around the city and see the features and columns from all seven of our publications all in one place.

Follow us: Facebook: Facebook.com/NewOrleansMagazine Twitter: @NewOrleansMag Instagram: @NewOrleansMag Pinterest: Pinterest.com/NewOrleansMag Sign up for our newsletters at MyNewOrleans.com/Newsletter

facebook.com/NewOrleansMagazine | twitter.com/neworleansmag pinterest.com/neworleansmag

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2016 Press Club of New Orleans Winners

Lifetime Achievement Award: Errol Laborde Cartoon: Mike Luckovich Column: “Me Again,” Chris Rose Special Section – Writing: “People to Watch,” Tiffani Reding Amedeo and Morgan Packard 16

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meet our sales team

Kate Sanders Henry

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

Lisa Picone Love

Senior Account Executive (504) 830-7263 Lisa@myneworleans.com

Jessica Marasco

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

Claire Cummings

Account Executive (504) 830-7250 Claire@myneworleans.com

Peyton Simms

Account Executive (504) 830-7249 Peyton@myneworleans.com

Colleen Monaghan

Vice President of Sales (504) 830-7215 Colleen@myneworleans.com

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speaking out

What to do about the Monuments A Proposal

We have a suggestion about where to go from here with the monuments issue.

1. Defer the issue.

2. Working with the mayor’s office and the council, establish a blue ribbon committee to create a plan about city monuments. At issue would be not just whether the Civil War monuments under fire should go or stay, but also looking at the big picture, including suggestions for future monument development.

(Another question could be the feasibility of explanatory signage next to controversial monuments detailing their historic context without necessarily being an endorsement of the politics. A precedent was already set with the Liberty Place monuments.)

3. Members of the committee should be appointed by the mayor’s office, as well as the council and relevant civic groups, as defined by the mayor and council.

4. Give the committee 18 months to return

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a report. (A year might be an alternative, however during that time there will be a city election and the emergence of a new mayor and new council members who should be given a chance to add their voice to the deliberation.)

5. As part of its process, the committee should also seek rational and informed historic analysis.

At the end of its term the committee should present its report for consideration to the mayor’s office and council.

A Few Thoughts • This process is patterned after the Blue Ribbon Committee that was created in response to council member Dorothy Mae Taylor’s 1992 Carnival discrimination ordinance. Operating in a contentious climate, the committee was nevertheless able to sift through the issues and created a plan than was ultimately acceptable to all sides.

• Blue Ribbon committees are handy devices for dealing with complex issues because its members are non-paid and have fewer membership restrictions. That, in theory, allows for more expertise among members.

The committee has no power other than to make recommendations. That allows the committees to be established quickly and to have flexibility.

• Only one bid was submitted for the removal work on the Civil War monuments.

That price ($600,000) was way over what has been budgeted. To try to raise the difference privately would take away money that could be used for more urgent causes. An expenditure of public money would raise many angry questions about priorities.

• Last month, at practically the same time that the bid was being opened to remove the monuments, the city was dedicating a beautiful street improvement effort along Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard.

Haley, a black female, was an early Civil Rights activist.

Her name is now on a portion of what was Dryades Street.

This is no slum neighborhood; to the contrary it has become one of the hippest re-emerging areas in town so much so that it is even known fashionably as “OCH.” It is possibly to preserve history yet to also memorialize contemporary worthy people.

With the right plan it can be done. At the very least the issue deserves genuine dialogue and, hopefully, an outcome that will not be divisive.

That in itself could be worthy of a monument. n

AN ORIGINAL ©MIKE LUCKOVICH CARTOON FOR NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE

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julia street | WITH POYDRAS THE PARROT THE PURSUIT TO ANSWER ETERNAL QUESTIONS

Dear Julia, While walking in Woldenberg Park, I came across a beautiful marble statue dedicated to the immigrant, donated by many immigrants who have enjoyed the fruits of living in the U.S. who have immigrated from other countries.

Do you have any history on this monument that could inform those who are in New Orleans about our immigrant past since the topic is so political right now?

C. Scully Sr. New Orleans

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The immigrant past and the immigrant present look rather similar. It was philosopher George Santayana (1863-1952), himself a Spanish immigrant to the United States, who once wrote: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Nearly 170 years ago, waves of Irish escaping famine and Germans fleeing revolution converged upon New Orleans at a time when nativist political movements such as the “Know-Nothings,” which were openly hostile to foreigners, enjoyed local and national popularity.

German and Irish immigrants who arrived in the mid-19th century, and the Sicilians who came here in the 1890s, are among the better-known immigrant groups to have settled in Louisiana but there have been other foreigners among the state’s past and present residents. These have included Acadian and non-Acadian French, Colonial Spanish subjects from the Canary Islands, Chinese, Yugoslavs, Vietnamese, Syrians, Filipinos and others.

For many immigrants, their travels led to or through New Orleans - once the country’s secondlargest port of entry. The Monument to the Immigrants, installed on the Vieux Carré riverfront, symbolizes all who left behind their native land to pursue a new life in America. The present-day New Orleans riverfront looks far different than it did in the days of sailing ships and steamboats, but visitors to the Monument of the Immigrants look out at a stretch of river along which their immigrant ancestors may once have traveled.

Funding from private citizens and cultural organizations, many of whom donated monies in honor of their own immigrant forebears, covered the statue’s half million dollar cost. New Orleans resident Franco Alessandrini, a native of Italy, sculpted the memorial, which depicts an immigrant family following an allegorical female figure whose outstretched hand reaches toward a guiding star.

According to press accounts of the statue’s dedication on St. Joseph’s Day 1995, the sculptor found artistic inspiration in historic photographs of actual immigrants. His subjects’ facial features and expressions are based upon the people depicted in those images.

One real person whom Alessandrini has sculpted on numerous occasions is the Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, a Bavarian-born Roman Catholic Priest who may one day be declared a saint. Between 2001 and 2008, Alessandrini created for installation in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Louisiana a total of six works - two in marble and four in bronze - honoring Fr. Seelos, who once ministered to the people of New Orleans.

A prolific and internationally acclaimed artist, Alessandrini most recently created the Monument of the Veterans. The work, which honors all veterans, depicts a Word War II-era American soldier as he genuflects and leans against his rifle. It is a focal point of the St. Landry Parish Veterans Memorial, located at 5348 Highway 182 South in Opelousas. cheryl gerber photograph

Dear Julia, I have a picture of my maternal great grandfather Judge Louis Edgar Arnoult with George Riviere. Judge Arnoult and Mr. Riviere were members of two pioneering families of Jefferson Parish. The picture was taken at the Jefferson Parish Racetrack, Shrewsbury in 1910. The picture is included in two publications: Metairie: A Tongue of Land to Pasture,

by Msgr. Henry C. Bezou and Legendary Locals of Metairie,

by Catherine Campanella. Do you or Poydras know where this racetrack was located?

Thanks, Jack Schott New Orleans Opened in 1917, the track prospered until the Great Depression, when it fell on hard times. Racing enthusiasts take note: When thoroughbred Black Gold won the 1924 Louisiana Derby, he did so at Jefferson Race Track.

Later, the Oklahoma-bred colt won the 50th running of the Kentucky Derby.

In the late 1940s, the 82acre Jefferson Race Track site was sold and redeveloped as the new Jefferson Park residential subdivision. Jefferson Park Avenue is the main street in the neighborhood, the streets of which are laid out in concentric ovals recalling the former racetrack. The entrance to the Jefferson Park subdivision faces Jefferson Highway, roughly opposite Riverdale High School.

Dear Julia and Poydras, I have a dim childhood memory about a sweet strawberry soda called Pop Rouge.

I haven’t seen it in years and I can’t honestly say I’ve missed the stuff. Do you remember it or know who made it?

Felix Flynn New Orleans

The Louisiana Coca-Cola Bottling Company produced and trademarked both the carbonated strawberry soda Pop Rouge™ and its running mate, a grape-flavored soda pop called La Grape.™ The brand names, incidentally, are rendered in glorious Franglais – a mix of random English and French words. I will admit that La Grape sounds catchier than Grain de Raisin (grape).

When Pop Rouge™ and La Grape™ were introduced around 1970, local shoppers could buy a six-pack of 12-ounce cans for 49 cents while extreme soda junkies could haul home a 24-can case for $1.79. If those prices sound outrageously cheap, bear in mind that the current equivalent is $3.08 per sixpack and $11.24 per case.

Both Pop Rouge™ and the associated La Grape™ brand were relatively shortlived and faded into popular memory. When their trademarks expired in 1990, neither was renewed. n

Win a restaurant gift certificate t

Here is a chance to eat, drink and have your curiosity satiated all at once. Send Julia a question. If we use it, you’ll be eligible for a monthly drawing for a Jazz Brunch for two at The Court of Two Sisters. To take part, send your question to: Julia Street, c/o New Orleans Magazine, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 or email: Errol@MyNewOrleans. com. This month’s winners are C. Scully Sr. and Jack Schott, New Orleans. myneworleans.com MAY 2017

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The Beat MAR Q U EE | PERSO N A | B I Z | E D U C ATIO N | HEALTH | C RIME F IGHTI N G | C HRO N I C LES

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persona, PG. 28

I couldn’t be a mother without the love and support of my mother (and mother-in-law), so we spend Mother’s Day celebrating and honoring them for all they do and have done for us!

greg miles photograph

THE BEAT | marquee

May Events

By Fritz Esker

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TOP PICKS

Whitney Zoo-to-Do

New Orleans Greek Festival 2017

Shorty Fest

If you’re looking for something fancy during the last weekend of Jazz Fest, don your best cocktail attire and head to Audubon Zoo for the Whitney Zoo-to-Do on May 5. Live music will be provided by Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters, among other artists. Food and drinks will be served by over 70 local restaurants and over 30 cocktail bars. The event is adults only.

Information, AudubonNatureInstitute.org/ztd.

Opa! It’s that time of year again for the New Orleans Greek Festival. From May 26-28, come to the Hellenic Cultural Center to enjoy authentic Greek food, music, and dance (there will also be hot dogs if you have any children who are picky eaters). There are canoe rides on the bayou, as well as face painting, inflatables, and a playground for children. Information, GreekFestNOLA.com.

On May 4th, music aficionados can enjoy Shorty Fest, a benefit concert for the Trombone Shorty Foundation, which helps pass on New Orleans’ musical and cultural heritage on to its youth. The event, held at the House of Blues, has developed a reputation as a showcase for up-and-coming artists. Tickets range in price from $80 general admission to $250 VIP tickets.

Information, TromboneShortyFoundation.org

t CALENDAR

May 1-May 21 A Life of Seduction: Venice in the 1700s, New Orleans Museum of Art. Information, noma.org.

May 5 Whitney Zoo-to-Do, Audubon Zoo. Information, AudubonNatureInstitute.org/ztd.

May 3 Pixies, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com.

May 5 Hurray for the Riff Raff, Civic Theatre. Information, CivicNola.com.

May 3, 10, 17, & 24 YLC Wednesday at the Square, Lafayette Square.

Information, YLCnola.org.

May 6 Galactic, Orpheum Theater. Information, OrpheumNOLA.com

May 4-7 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Fairgrounds. Information, NOJazzFest.com.

May 4 The Revivalists, Orpheum Theater. Information, OrpheumNOLA.com.

May 5 WWOZ Presents Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe Presents Exile on Bourbon Street, Orpheum Theater. Information, OrpheumNOLA.com.

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May 9-14 Finding Neverland, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com.

May 9-Oct 1 New at NOMA: Recent Acquisitions in Modern and Contemporary Art, New Orleans Museum of Art. Information, noma.org.

May 9 Blink 182, Lakefront Arena. Information, arena.uno.edu.

May 9 The Weeknd: Starboy - Legend of the Fall Tour, Smoothie King Center.

cheryl gerber photographs

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SPOTLIGHT

Marco Benevento and Tank & the Bangas.

What do you think Bayou Boogaloo adds to the NOLA festival scene? The name-

sake bayou sets the stage for the festival and is an integral part of the experience. You can listen to music from a canoe, kayak or raft. No other festival in New Orleans has this relationship with water. It gives people a chance to experience and understand a landmark feature of our city in a new way.

Bayou Boogaloo

Jared Zeller, producer of Bayou Boogaloo, talks about this year’s fest.

Bayou Boogaloo returns May 19-21 to the banks of historic Bayou St. John with four music stages (including a kids stage), 26 food vendors serving Louisiana and international cuisine, 60+ art vendors, and musical acts including Cracker,

What would you recommend to a first-time visitor? Extend

the experience beyond the grounds - participate in the Paddle Battle, a 6-mile race to paddle your favorite canoe, kayak, or paddleboard. Take part in the Bicycle Pub Crawl. Bayou Kayaks rents kayaks and other paddle equipment during the event. Admire the hand-crafted arts in

the curated art market, the floating pirate ships, and handmade seaworthy vessels. Stop by the carved oak tree by Marlin Miller nearest the Orleans Stage.

Print a schedule and bring some sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses.

What’s new this year? Every

year the food vendors grow more diverse and delicious.

New this year are J’s Seafood Dock, Gonzo’s Smokehouse and BBQ, Z’Kaya, and True Vietnamese.

How is it a kid and pet friendly fest? Our kids’ stage offers

programming targeted to kids of all ages, as does our craft tent. There is also a baby changing station and nursing tent. We have a veterinarian from Canal Street Veterinary Clinic onsite the entire festival providing water and shade for our four-legged friends.

Pets MUST be on leashes at all times. n

Information, SmoothieKingCenter.com.

May 19 Band of Horses, Joy Theater. Information, TheJoyTheater.com.

May 13 The Chainsmokers, Smoothie King Center. Information, SmoothieKingCenter.com.

May 21 Sigur Ros, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com.

May 13 Jessica Lang Dance, Mahalia Jackson Theater. Information, MahaliaJacksonTheater.com.

May 18 Move Beyond - Live On Tour, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com.

May 18 & 20 Pepe Romero and the Three-Cornered Hat, Orpheum Theater.

Information, OrpheumNOLA.com.

May 19 The Total Package Tour: NKOTB, Paula Abdul & Boyz II Men, Smoothie King Center. Information, SmoothieKingCenter.com.

Craig Mulcahy photograph

May 25-28 New Orleans Wine & Food Experience, Various Locations.

Information, nowfe.com.

May 26-28 New Orleans Greek Festival 2017, Hellenic Cultural Center.

Information, GreekFestNOLA.com.

May 26-28 Bayou Country Superfest, Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Information, BayouCountrySuperfest.com.

May 27 Trey Songz Presents: Tremaine the Tour, Orpheum Theater.

Information, OrpheumNOLA.com.

May 31 CeCe Winans, Orpheum Theater. Information, OrpheumNOLA.com.

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THE BEAT | PERSONA

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at a glance

Profession: Multi-talented vocalist; Born/raised: New Orleans; Family: Husband Brandon, three-year-old daughter Caroline, one-year-old son Charles; Education: St. Mary’s Dominican High School, Bachelor’s degree from Loyola University, Master of Music from Yale University; Recently read: The Adventures of Fancy Nancy (“to my daughter!”); Favorite TV show: Steppin’ Out; Favorite food: PJ’s Decaf Mocha Velvet Ice; Favorite restaurant: Ye Olde College Inn; Hobby: Cooking.

Opera production of Faust. Her next stage appearance will be the lead female role in the world premiere of the opera Everest at the Dallas Opera in May. But with all of her vocal and performance acclaim, it is perhaps her role as “mom” to her two young children that has created the most challenge and reward.

Sarah Jane McMahon

Renowned vocalist gives applause on Mother’s Day

By Ashley McLellan

New Orleans native Sarah Jane McMahon has garnered international acclaim as a stellar soprano. She has performed opera alongside renowned tenor Placido Domingo, as well as Christmas concerts with the San Fran28

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cisco Symphony and the Shreveport Symphony. She has dedicated an album of sacred music to Katrina survivors, created her own unique take on old standards in a new album, and most recently starred in the New Orleans

Q: What is a typical day like for you

as a working mom? I’m fortunate to have the best of both worlds. When I’m home [in New Orleans], I get to spend a lot of time with my children. We start our days early and have family time.

Three or four days a week, when I am in town, I sing at funerals, so I may go and perform, which is both rewarding and difficult. In the afternoon, I spend time with my vocal coach and practicing for upcoming roles. In the evening, my husband and I make a point of doing an activity with the children, whether it’s going to the park or just greg miles PHOTOGRAPH

going for a walk in the neighborhood.

Q: How do you connect

with your kids while balancing travel and work?

When I am travelling, we do a lot of Facetime. I have been fortunate to have lots of help from my parents and my in-laws, so I do not have to worry so much about their care. I know they are in the best hands. I could not have this career without their help. When I am home, I am lucky to have a flexible schedule, so when my threeyear-old asks for playtime, I can say yes.

Q: What has surprised you most about being a mom?

I have been really surprised at how much fun it’s been, and how much I love spending time with them.

Both of my children make me laugh so much. It has been such a joy to listen to what they say and see how they develop.

Q: As a working mom,

how do you find “you time?” I don’t always find time, honestly. I am so impressed by other working moms and all they are able to get done. But then, when I think about it, the days pass so quickly, and I see how fast they are growing up, I just try and enjoy each moment that I have with them. Their daily successes are a great reward.

Q: How do your children

describe your “job?” My daughter doesn’t really understand it completely yet; she mainly sees me perform on television when I am singing at the Cathedral. She asks me when I am leaving for work if I am going to ‘sing in church’ today. I have

even caught her pretending to be me, and announcing that she is getting ready to go sing at a funeral. I don’t think they have any friends at school whose parent sings or is a performer, but to them it’s normal.

Q: What music do you lis-

ten to with your children?

Unfortunately, I don’t know a lot of music other than classical, so they love it when we have a dance party and my husband is the deejay. We listen to everything from show tunes to country to classic; it’s very well rounded. I’m learning about different music with them!

Q: How do you celebrate

Mother’s Day? I couldn’t be a mother without the love and support of my mother (and mother-in-law), so we spend Mother’s Day celebrating and honoring them for all they do and have done for us! That usually means I’ll sing my mother’s favorite hymns at Mass at St. Louis Cathedral, and then we gather for an extended family celebration. n

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true confession

My father didn’t know if my music career was going to pan out, so, being a good father, he had me plan for a back up career. If Placido Domingo had not called and given my career a kick-start, I was fully prepared to attend dental school. If things had not worked out, I would be singing to my patients.

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THE BEAT | BIZ

Oil Boom and Bust

Seeking resilience in an old-line industry

By Kathy Finn

In a city that has made business headlines as one of the country’s newest hotspots for technology startups, it is sometimes easy to forget that an old-line industry has for decades been a more crucial pillar of the local economy.

The business of finding and producing oil and gas from beneath Louisiana’s soil and offshore waters has long generated tens of thousands of jobs that filled the city’s downtown office towers and generated crucial employment in coastal areas to the south and west of New Orleans. Tax revenue generated by the oil industry fuels a large chunk of the state’s annual budget, and despite a gradual shifting of white-collar jobs toward larger industry hubs such as Houston, the ongoing presence of Big Oil in New Orleans’ corporate ranks has brought untold charitable support for a range of local causes.

But during the last several years, market factors beyond the city’s or state’s control have weakened this driver of the local economy.

After years of enjoying oil prices that hovered above $100 a barrel, the industry since 2014 has seen prices struggle to reach the $50 per

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barrel minimum considered necessary to sustain exploration and production. And industry analysts say the business is unlikely to regain its health soon.

“Things have improved a little, but barring a major unforeseen economic event, we’re not going to return to crude oil prices in excess of $60 - or anywhere near $100 - anytime in the near future,” says David Dismukes, director of the Center for Energy Studies at Louisiana State University.

As always, oil prices are at the mercy of global supply, and for some time the world’s many oil storage sites have been filled to the brim.

In past decades, members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries have asserted a measure of support for prices by cutting back on production when world prices fall too low. But as U.S. production has come on strong in recent years, rivaling that of OPEC’s biggest members, countries such as Saudi Arabia have become less willing to cut their production in order to support prices.

Lately, OPEC has provided some relief by tightening their spigots, thereby reducing the

world’s oversupply. But Dismukes says it is futile to rely on OPEC for lasting support because those countries’ budgets are heavily reliant on oil revenue. “I don’t know that OPEC has a lot of endurance to maintain the production cuts they have implemented,” he says. “Meanwhile, we have huge amounts of hydrocarbons in storage, in tanks and underground [storage caverns], and that’s got to get burned off first before we start talking about an upturn in production.”

Dismukes notes that certain “stimulus activities,” such as big infrastructure spending and tax cuts mentioned recently by the U.S. administration, could boost energy consumption in coming years. “But short of some unanticipated big change in economic output globally, we’re going to see below-$50 [a barrel] prices for the foreseeable future.”

The situation has taken a toll on the many oil-service businesses based across south Louisiana. In the Houma-Thibodaux area south of New Orleans, for instance, companies ranging from ship and barge builders to operators of service vessels and pipe fabricators have suffered. Some businesses have

closed their doors or sought bankruptcy protection. And more than 6,000 job losses in the area during the past three years stem directly or indirectly from the industry downturn, economists say.

In New Orleans, jobs directly related to oil exploration and production dropped by 15 percent in just the past year, according to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

While persistently low oil prices bode ill for employment in the drilling segment of the energy industry, it is worth noting that cheap oil and natural gas are driving growth in other business sectors that also are important to Louisiana’s economic health. Big energy users such as power plants and petrochemical plants that produce a huge range of materials for many industries are continuing to benefit from low-cost energy.

“The lower [oil and gas] costs are great for them, and in Louisiana that’s a good thing,” Dismukes says, pointing to an ongoing boom in industrial plant construction t

and expansion across the southern part of the state.

Large, global companies have invested billions of dollars in these projects largely because Louisiana offers easy access to inexpensive energy.

While the investments are large, however, these highly automated plants do not generate nearly enough jobs to offset those lost in the state’s oilfield production and service sector.

In New Orleans, recent job gains in the financial sector and in education and health services are helping to stabilize the local employment picture. And the city continues to win praise as a haven for technology innovators and the many entrepreneurs who are starting new businesses here.

Such attention is welcome as local business groups continue efforts to diversify and strengthen the local economy. But ongoing pain in the oil and gas sector is a sobering reminder that still, today, an old-line industry remains crucial to the city’s long-term vitality. n

Job gains, losses in New Orleans

This table shows the one-year change in employment for selected business categories.

Employment category; Percent change from Jan. 2016 - Jan. 2017 Education and health services................................................ 3.8 Manufacturing........................................................................ 2.0 Financial activities.................................................................. 1.4 Professional and business services......................................... 1.2 Trade, transportation and utilities......................................... 0.5 Leisure and hospitality........................................................ – 0.9 Construction........................................................................ – 2.3 Government........................................................................ – 4.0 Mining and logging (includes oil activity)............................– 15.0 Information.........................................................................– 21.8 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics myneworleans.com MAY 2017

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THE BEAT | education

Unequal Rights

Perceptions of leadership from the classroom to Congress

By Dawn Ruth Wilson

Emma, 4, entered pre-kindergarten this academic year. Within a few months, she formed an opinion that stunned her mother.

“Girls don’t have muscles,” Emma says.

“Yes, they do,” says her mother. “Why do you say that?”

“I just know,” Emma says.

Megan McGuire controlled her dismay and patiently showed Emma that women, in fact, have muscles. She provided images of gymnastic Olympic Gold Medal winner Gabby Douglas as evidence.

Emma, who had also recently rejected a “boy” toy, held her ground. Nothing her mother did to convince Emma that women have muscles worked. Emma had made up her fouryear-old mind and that was that.

The incident reminded McGuire of a conversation that she had with a 19-year-old fellow student during the 2016 presidential campaign. “She said a woman couldn’t be president because of the menstruation cycle,” McGuire says. “She said women are too emotional.”

McGuire, a Nunez Community College stu-

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dent working to make a place for herself in an uncertain economy, wonders what many working women are wondering: How can women take their rightful place as equal partners with men in the workplace if so many of them believe themselves inferior?

The timing of Emma’s declaration about muscles couldn’t have been more meaningful.

International Women’s Day, celebrated March 8, brought media coverage before and after the event about women’s issues. Many of the stories are disturbing.

In February, The Washington Post reported that a study published by the journal Science shows that many girls as young as 6 - the age most of them enter school - believe that boys are smarter than girls.

Researchers at the University of Illinois in Urban-Champaign, Princeton University and New York University focused on the attitudes of children ages 5-7. In one experiment, researchers asked children to guess the identity of the main adult character in a story about a “really, really smart” person. At age five, girls

were as likely as boys to guess a character of their own gender, but by age 6, researchers reported that girls of all socio-economic and racial/ethnic backgrounds were more likely to guess that a male character was the exceptionally smart one.

As a consequence of this gender stereotype, girls begin avoiding activities that are associated with high intelligence early in their academic development, researchers concluded. They also speculated that the intelligence stereotype influences the careers that girls choose later in life, thus explaining the dearth of females in engineering, high-echelons of academia and other fields.

A study conducted in England in 2013 provides evidence that girls are often steered away from advanced courses in math and science by teachers.

An Institute of Physics report entitled “Closing Doors: Exploring Gender and Subject Choices in Schools” indicated that teachers send messages that certain academic subjects are for females and others are for males.

The report’s research-

ers used a national database to study the gender make-up of various subjects through grade levels. The researchers found that female enrollment in advanced science courses decrease with age. They determined that nearly half the country’s coeducational state funded schools were contributing to the gender imbalance in advanced science courses.

Sexist attitudes also have been found in U.S. schools.

Harvard University’s graduate school of education conducted a survey of about 20,000 students in 59 middle and high schools and issued a report called “Leaning Out: Teen Girls and Leadership Biases.”

The report’s findings, outlined on the school’s website, include the discovery that 23 percent of girls and 40 percent of boys preferred male political leaders to female. The Making Caring Common project also found that “mothers’ average level of support was higher for a student council led by boys than one led by girls.”

This study could explain why there are so few female politicians. Even though women make up half the workforce, they occupy less than 20 percent of members of Congress, according to the Rutgers University Center for American Women and Politics. Women only make up 15.3 percent of Louisiana’s Legislature, Rutgers figures show.

Equally dismal statistics reflect the gender divide in leadership positions in corporate America. CNN Money reported in 2015 that only 14.2 percent of the top five leadership positions at 500 leading

companies were held by women. At that time, only 24 women occupied top CEO positions.

The statistics are not much better for women working in media. A 2017 Women’s Media Center assessment reported that in all media platforms there has been some progress for women, but there are also areas of “regress and sadly, outright pushback.”

The WMC says that men, for example, still earn more salary than women at the Dow Jones’ Wall Street Journal, its international newspaper.

In 21st Century America, many men still believe that unequal pay is acceptable.

In response to equal pay legislation under consideration in February in Utah, a GOP county official opined that women should earn less money than men because equal pay would reduce the salaries of family-supporting men.

As many news outlets reported, James Green resigned because of the controversy that followed. His attitude, however, is likely shared by the many male politicians who have voted down equal pay legislation across the country, including those in Louisiana as recently as last year.

The United States has the largest economy in the world and is its only superpower, yet according to the 2016 World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Index, it ranks 45th in gender equality. Countries such as Spain, Slovenia and Bolivia rank way ahead of the U.S. Trinidad and Tobago ranks 44th.

Yes, Emma, figuratively speaking, it’s true: American women don’t have much muscle. n

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THE BEAT | health

Good for What Ails You A medicinal solution with a New Orleans provenance

By Brobson Lutz M.D.

“We always kept a bottle of Dr. Tichenor’s for mosquito bites. I used it as a mouth wash occasionally, but mostly we put it on mosquito bites and other skin irritations,” said Mary “Kit” McLellan, a Slidell resident recalling summers long ago on the Northshore.

“My grandparents kept a yacht at the Lakeshore Club. The grandchildren would sleep on the deck. The mosquitoes would really swarm around 5 AM. And teenagers who ran out of beer were known to take a swig of Dr. Tichenor’s back then. Of course, I didn’t do that, but I had friends who did.”

Just like Mississippi Roast, the slow cooker pot roast recipe of internet fame, the original formula for Dr. Tichenor’s was hatched in Mississippi.

Many good things and creative people migrate to New Orleans from Mississippi, but that is a story for another day.

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“You can go upstairs and read about it on the second floor.” said the young man on duty at the New Orleans Museum of Pharmacy. This pearl of a museum is located in the French Quarter at 514 Chartres St. Dr. Tichenor’s display occupies a minuscule space in a display cabinet that was indeed on the second floor. The sign more or less reads: “Of all the colorful patent medicine providers in New Orleans history, perhaps the best well known as Dr. G.H. Tichenor, whose popular antiseptic is still for sale today... In 1905, he founded the Dr. G.H. Tichenor Anesthetic Company in New Orleans housed in the building located at 230 Canal Street. Although Dr. Tichenor died in 1923, it is still being manufactured; it is recommended as a mouthwash and topical anesthetic and marketed for its intense medicinal flavor.”

Old advertising promoted Tichenor’s as a head to toe solution for headaches, canker sores, sunburn, wounds, bruises, scalds, colic, cramps, cholera, insect bites, cramps, nausea, indigestion, bad nerves and foot evils as starters.

The original was an herbal soup diluted in 70 percent alcohol. The mouthwash concentrate sold today is still 70 percent alcohol laced with extracts from peppermint and a sunflower relative used in liniments.

My investigation continued with a call to Kevin Tusa, the pharmacist who owns and operates Royal Pharmacy with his wife Lenora. This beloved French Quarter establishment at 1101 Royal St. is a one-pharmacist pharmacy run by the same family since 1935. For lagniappe, it is also a de facto pharmacy museum with talkative proprietors and no admission charge.

eugenia uhl photo

“In the 1950s and 1960s every family used Dr. Tichenor’s. Wipe it on with a cotton swab or maybe a Q-tip to clean out an ear. It was my grandma and mother’s allpurpose bobo remedy,” said Tusa using the New Orleans comfort term for any minor childhood skin scrape, cut, bump, rash or bite.

“It was a southern thing mostly, and tourists would come looking for it. But since 9-11 they can’t get the bottles through security. And the company doesn’t advertise much. My supplier doesn’t stock the toothpaste any longer. We still carry the mouthwash, a concentrate. I warn customers to make sure to dilute it before use.”

Like McLellan, the primary use of Dr. Tichenor’s in New Orleans memory banks is to soothe itching and irritation from mosquito bites. Besides toothpaste and mouthwash, the company also makes an antiseptic gel, a “first aid kit in a tube.” Yet advertising for Dr. Tichenor’s now mostly targets bad breath.

Dr. Tichenor’s Peppermint Mouthwash Concentrate is their signature product with the slogan “reducing harmful emissions since 1864.”

The company website has pictorial endorsements from a local resident on the prowl for the ladies, a Tulane student from New York who “discovered this amazing toothpaste on the drug store shelves in New Orleans”, and a guy in Venice, LA, who keeps a tube of the antiseptic gel on his shrimp boat.

George Humphrey Tichenor had roots in Kentucky and Tennessee before moving to Louisiana by way of Mississippi. He dabbled in chemistry as an artist, photographer, and businessman in Tennessee before joining the Confederate Army in 1961.

Even though he never attended any medical school, his knowledge of chemistry led to a military appointment as an assistant surgeon later upgraded to surgeon.

While soldiering in Mississippi, he found a wife and worked on the formula first sold as Dr. Tichenor’s Antiseptic Refrigerant.

Tichenor died of “complications of cardiorenal disease and senility” at 1917 Palmer Street in 1923. No statue or Tichenor’s name graces our streetscapes. If one did, it would be a bull’s eye for Take ‘Em Down NOLA. Besides being a Confederate soldier, Tichenor offered his concoction for wounded Confederate soldiers. Yankee prisoners with battle wounds were out of luck. A drawing of a Confederate battle flag adorned Dr. Tichenor’s bottle labels at least until the 1960s. Besides being a commander of the Louisiana division of the United Confederate Veterans, he was a devout Southern Baptist. n

t

Company History

Company lore has Dr. Tichenor using his wound- cleaning concoction to save his own leg from amputation after being shot with a Minnie ball in 1863. According to other accounts, he accidently shot himself in his own arm, and it was that arm wound that he self-treated. Once he teamed up with New Orleans businessman Arthur D. Parker to establish the Dr. G. H. Tichenor Antiseptic Company in 1905, sales soared. For more information: DrTichenor.com. myneworleans.com MAY 2017

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THE BEAT | HEALTHBEAT

Good To Go-To

My go-to health recipes

By Kelly Massicot

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When your life is full of doctor’s appointments and sick days, it can get tiring trying to find recipes, food and other nourishment that make your days easier.

For me, it has taken a while to find just the right something that helps with the peeling and redness that breaks out on my face during a flare-up: a perfected simple, yet tasty recipe that takes basically none of my energy after the end of a long work day.

This recipe is my go-to when I have no energy to cook dinner.

My sister-in-law first introduced me to cauliflower soup at a family dinner, and it changed my dinner game. (see recipe) Cauliflower, a cruciferous vegetable, has a plethora of health benefits that are key to anyone’s diet. According to Cancer.gov, cruciferous vegetables are “rich in nutrients, including several carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin); vitamins C, E, and K; folate; and minerals. They also are a good fiber source.”

Cauliflower contains glucosinolates, and when this type of vegetable is consumed, they are broken down into biologi-

cally active compounds that have been examined for their anticancer possibilities.

Cauliflower also contains a good source of potassium, as well as the majority of recommended daily Vitamin C intake – which promotes skin and brain health.

Do you have an easy, go-to recipe that you love? Email me, Kelly@MyNew Orleans. com, and let me know. n t

Recipe

2 heads of cauliflower 48 ounces chicken stock Large pot Immersion blender Bring the cauliflower and chicken stock to a boil in the large pot. Once the cauliflower is cooked and tender, remove from the fire and use the immersion blender to puree the cauliflower.

Season with spices, salt and pepper. I also top with cheddar cheese after it’s cooked.

This recipe is super easy to customize, and it’s extremely healthy as well.

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THE BEAT | crime fighting

Who Wants to be the Police?

A son with historic links seeks an answer

By Allen Johnson

The question keeps coming up - who wants to be a police officer? Why would anyone want to, given the dangers, the demands and the scrutiny that go with the job? Old questions, really. You may be surprised by one of history’s answers.

Dr. Martin Luther King’s son, Dexter Scott King, tried both police work and corrections in the early 1980s before becoming a family steward of his father’s civil rights legacy. The younger King’s brief stint in law enforcement comprises less than a chapter of his memoir, Growing Up King (Time-Warner, 2003), which he promoted in New Orleans almost 15 years ago. I have a hazy, pre-Katrina memory of meeting the author at an event hosted by thenMayor Ray Nagin.

King’s unique perspective on policing may be more interesting to read today in a post-Ferguson climate of police and minority tension than when his book first appeared. His selfeffacing account of a drifting young man who found discipline and structure in law enforcement is a familiar theme.

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An underperforming student at Morehouse College in Atlanta in the early 80s, King got an apartment with a friend, Ralph Abernathy III, the son of his father’s top adviser. King’s mother, Coretta Scott King, had laid down the law: “If you don’t want to stay on campus, I’ve got a house here that’s paid for, you can stay here. But if you want your own place, you pay for it…. If you want your own apartment and car, I’m not going to fund them. Particularly when you are not a great student.” His interest was in music production not school, but he needed a job. Martin Luther King’s son joined the Atlanta Police Department in 1982.

He started out as a full-time “community service officer, poised to become a police recruit.” He performed a support role, handling police photographs and fingerprints. He worked assignments in vice, narcotics and intelligence. The city’s pay for police was “decent” and there were “bennies.” It was a steady job and he didn’t need a college degree.

J.D. Hudson, one of the first black policemen in Atlanta, was Chief of the Police and a strict

disciplinarian. King recalls standing “on the carpet” before him: “Are you going to shape up, Dexter King?”

“Yes.” “Yes, what?”

“Yes, sir.”

King’s interest in law enforcement was different from that of his pacifistfather, who wouldn’t allow his four children to play with toy guns. Dr. King’s denunciations of police brutality in the racist South of the 1960s are wellknown. The younger King’s view of law enforcement was shaped, in part, by the police protective details that came with his father’s increasing fame.

“I was intrigued with law enforcement as a child because I’d often been exposed it,” he wrote.

“Growing up, there was always a police presence, always somebody providing security, looking all tight, precise, competent,

calm, responsible. When I was younger and we’d go places with my dad, there were these police escorts. I’d played with plenty of sirens in my day.”

In the last week of March 1968, just days before the assassination, Dr. King took Dexter and his older brother Martin Luther King III for “that last little tour” in Georgia with a police escort.

Dexter recalls the officer showing him “all the gadgets” in the police car.

Dexter King never actually became a cop because he switched to corrections. “The training we went through for corrections was not nearly as intense as for police,” he said. He started out working nights, the graveyard shift. He soon got a more auspicious assignment, working 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Co-workers called him the Chief ’s “famous boy.”

They called him “King’s son.” In corrections, he learned “chain of command, discipline, process. It was the closest I could get to military training without being military,” which would have contradicted his father’s pacifism.

He once went to the the King Center for Non-violence and Social Change wearing his jailer’s uniform and sidearm, drawing rebuke from board members. He says he never used his gun.

On one occasion, King says he struggled with a drug-addled prisoner, who almost bit his thumb off. A policeman he knew was booked into the jail on a rape charge. Another time, one of his high school football teammates was jailed for murdering his girlfriend, who King also knew.

“I had to handcuff him, take him in, process him,” he wrote. “It was bizarre, the way he looked at me, the

way there was nothing to say but the formal language of incarceration.”

King recalls talking one inmate out of hanging himself. “Most people, if you give them an ear, that solves half the problem.”

Corrections was “rewarding” and “challenging,” but the next step on the career ladder was Supervisor. King opted to muster out.

He went to Chief Hudson.

“I talked to him how I felt traumatized by losing my father, and how maybe that was one reason I wanted to spend some time on the force. But now it was time to move on.”

Hudson replied: “You know how many other people lost their fathers on April 4, 1968?

Do you want me to go through a census records check just so you can see how many died that day, and how?”

King said, no.

“Do you understand what I’m saying to you? You can’t use your father being killed, or not being here for you, every time you have a crisis, as some kind of excuse….You be thankful for what you got and what you had.”

So ended King’s career in law enforcement.

The NOPD has been struggling to replace hundreds of officers since the city lifted a hiring freeze last year. The lack of personnel is affecting crime control and delaying police reforms.

“The NOPD Academy simply lacks sufficient personnel and resources to move forward in a timely fashion,” according to a report last September to a federal judge overseeing police reforms.

“Our observations of officers on the streets emphasize the need for additional and/or more effective training.”

Back to our question - who wants to be a police officer? n

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THE BEAT | CHRONICLES

Vive la Différence

Entreprises ayant une influence française

By Carolyn Kolb

The old Ursuline Convent building in the French Quarter is a prime example of eighteenth century French construction: massive wooden roof beams, a perfectly made staircase.

“That’s what I was trained for,” admitted Julien Worms, French native and owner of Picardie Timber Frame and Millwork. “I went to school for ten years in France, in a program based on timber framing.” When his South Carolina-born wife got a job in New Orleans, he decided to locate his business here.

Picardie Timber Frame, 2375 Tchoupitoulas, is one of the many French businesses in the city. There are also French corporations: TransDev, which operates the RTA streetcars and busses, and Sodexo, which operates Tulane’s and other universities’ food services.

No matter their size, all local companies with a French allegiance are welcomed as members of the French American Chamber of Commerce, Gulf Coast Chapter. Under executive director Loretta Krasnow, the FACC, one of 19 chapters in the United States, hosts

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events for members and promotes trade missions to and from France.

Official French involvement in New Orleans is thriving. French Consul Grégor Trumel lives here with his wife and family and maintains an office.

French companies donated over $22 million for rebuilding after Katrina, and the French government has donated over $1 million to Louisiana schools. New Orleans kids can go to school in French at five public charter schools. Three offer a French Ministry of Education program, Ecole Bilingue, Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans and Audubon Charter School, and two offer a French immersion program, International School of Louisiana and Edward Hynes Charter School.

Although she once walked as a model for the House of Chanel in France, FACC member Kyly Sicher Larriviere went through a career as a nurse coordinating trials of cancer drugs before marrying Dr. Daniel Larriviere, moving to New Orleans, and becoming mother to twins now attending a French school. Her next career move?

Opening a French candy store. Proud

of her French heritage, she was inspired by a family visit to France and the chance reading of an article on French artisanal candy.

“Candy makes you feel safe, and playful.

Somehow I knew that I would like to relate to people in that way,” she said.

The La Riviere Confiserie, 3719 Magazine St., refers to “the river.” “We have our river here and the candies come to us down the rivers of France,” she explained. As small candy companies negotiate food import rules, more brands are offered, and other French goods, Gien Faience dishes and French toys will be on the shelves.

La Riviere Confiserie also boasts a pop-up crépe maker, Séverine Cholet, a native of France who trained at the Ecole des Maitre Crêpier and the Crêperie Larozell in Rennes.

She has her own “bilig” from Brittany on which she makes her sweet crépes and savory galettes treats. The galettes are made with Treblec buckwheat flour from Brittany.

The French Library, 3811 Magazine St., keeps French literature and music alive. “It’s amazing to walk in and hear these children playing their ukuleles and singing La Vie En Rose,” owner Katrina Greer said. The ukulele classes are only one of many things going on at the bookstore, under the careful watch of Greer, an FACC member, and her staff of seven native French speakers. “We are evolving a lifestyle brand,” she said.

Born in Trinidad and raised in Canada, she came to New Orleans when husband Jabari Greer joined the New Orleans Saints.

After his retirement, they stayed here and have children attending a French school.

It was the school that led to the business.

“I had to keep ordering French books for them, and I saw there was a market for that here,” Greer remembered.

Apparently, that love for things French is still strong in the city – although the last time New Orleans was French was briefly back in 1803! n

cheryl gerber photograph

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Local Color C H R I S R O S E | M O D I N E G U N C H | J O I E D ’ E V E | in t une | R E A D + S P I N | J A Z Z L I F E | H O M E

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in tune, PG. 50

Catch John Medeski (pictured) and others for a night of improvisation, May 5 at The Saint.

LOCAL COLOR | CHRIS ROSE

Mayor Trump

When Politics Invades Dreams

By Chris Rose

I had a dream.

No, it wasn’t a Martin Luther King kind of dream. Far from it, in fact. I had a dream that Donald Trump was mayor of New Orleans. From a crowded field of disparate candidates, he had managed to fight his way to the top of the heap.

Speaking of heaps, first off, he crippled the campaign of onetime front-runner, the developer and political neophyte Sidney Torres IV, by tagging him “that hippy trash man with a suspiciously ethnic name.” He claimed Torres was not even born in the U.S. in the first place, but that he came from Arabi.

He thwarted former Councilwoman and State Representative Jackie Clarkson’s surprise attempted political comeback by claiming that she was nothing more than “Hillary in a red dress.”

(And to tell you the truth, when you think about it.....)

He did, however, tweet that her daughter, Patricia Clarkson, was “almost as hot as his own daughter” and “a much better actress than Meryl Streep. Sad!” If Donald Trump was mayor of New Orleans, we would build a wall between the city and St. Bernard Parish and there would be armed guards on the Crescent City Connection to prevent “rapists and criminals” from crossing freely back and forth between

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the city and the West Bank.

Oh wait a minute. That’s not funny. At all. That already happened once, a little over 10 years ago. And it didn’t go so well. But if Americans have learned anything from the past, it’s that Americans rarely seem to learn anything from the past.

If Donald Trump was mayor, our monument controversy would be solved overnight.

Easy as pie. He would replace each of the images and names of the controversial Confederate generals with his own image and name.

Trump Circle. I don’t know. I guess it has a ring to it.

If Donald Trump was mayor of New Orleans, he might actually follow through on the commitment he made to the city many years ago – but which he reneged on - to build a hotel and high-end condo high-rise in the CBD. Then again, he might not. After all what is a man’s word if it’s not, well, his word.

If Donald Trump was mayor, he would appoint himself Rex for life. And Melania would be appointed Queen of Mardi Gras for the life of their marriage.

If Donald Trump was mayor of New Orleans, he would deliver on his campaign promise to bring the Vince Lombardi Trophy back to the city during his tenure an office - and doing so at the next Super Bowl played in New Orleans - at the newly minted Trump Dome in the CBD. If Donald Trump was mayor, he would appoint John Curtis, headmaster and football coach of perennial state football champion John Curtis High School, as the head of the Port of New Orleans, primarily because John Curtis “is a winner,” but also because he has no

experience at all in shipping.

If Donald Trump was mayor of New Orleans, he would employ enhanced interrogation techniques to finally end the “carnage” that has rendered New Orleans a waste land in recent decades by finding out just who the hell’s idea it was it to tear up, tear out, renovate, repave and shut down every major thoroughfare in the city at exactly the same time.

And if Donald Trump was mayor, he would assign me a seat on the bench of the Louisiana Supreme Court. In his tweet announcing this surprise appointment, he would explain his decision because I went to Georgetown Prep High School in Rockville, Maryland. That’s where the beleaguered U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, went to high school also, graduating just a few years after me. Digging in his heels, Trump decided he was putting a Little Hoya on the bench no matter what it took.

Admittedly, Gorsuch is infinitely more qualified to serve on the bench than I am. First of all, he’s a lawyer; that would seem like an asset.

But he is also the son of the former head of the EPA, Anne Gorsuch Burford. So since my name sounds very Anglo-Saxon and much less like a slow cooked Serbia-Croatian goat stew, I was really all Trump had to turn to in the city.

But I have my apprehensions about all that. So to paraphrase a familiar political pronouncement, originally from William Tecumseh Sherman: “If nominated, I will not run. If elected....”

Well, that’s another story, l guess. Sounds like it could be a pretty cool gig. n jason raish illustration

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LOCAL COLOR | MODINE’S NEW ORLEANS

How to Fix Trigger Finger

But stay away from the bank

By Modine Gunch

My mother-in-law Ms. Larda tells me she got a social disease. After I pick up my jaw off the floor, she says, “Modine! Get your mind out the gutter. It ain’t one of them transmission diseases you get from sex.

Nothing like that.”

Turns out what she got is “trigger finger.” This is an actual medical condition. It’s on Google and everything. It means one of your fingers is temporarily paralyzed. In her case, it’s her middle finger. It won’t bend.

Now Ms. Larda sews a lot, and her hands get achy.

She says rubbing them with Blue Plate mayonnaise usually helps, but that ain’t worked this time. She needs me to drive her to the doctor’s, because she can’t bend all her fingers around the wheel. “And suppose I get stopped by a cop, Modine. He ain’t going to understand about no trigger finger,” she says.

The doctor tells us this condition is often caused by doing repetitive movements with the affected finger.

Ms. Larda informs him that she is not that kind of person. Not even when somebody cuts her off in traf-

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fic. “I just clench my hands on the wheel and pray for their souls, real loud. I learnt from the nuns,” she says. (Me too. I graduated from the same girls’ high school 20 years after her Celibacy Academy, home of the world’s dullest confessions.)

The doctor says surgery might fix it, a shot in the hand with a really big needle might fix it, or she can take aspirin and wait until it gets better on its own. Ms. Larda chooses option three. “Just keep your hand in your pocket when you go out,” is the doctor’s advice.

“And for that, I put down a $20 co-pay,” she tells me on the way home. “Stop by the bank, Modine. I need some cash.”

We park and go to the ATM machine in front of the bank.

Maybe because she is selfconscious about her finger, she keeps hitting the buttons wrong and the ATM decides she is a bank robber and sucks down her debit card.

So she puts her hand in her pocket, like the doctor said, and goes inside, and I follow her inside because it’s airconditioned. The pocket ain’t much help, I think, because you can see the shape of that finger pointing out. The bank guard, who looks like Barney Fife, must notice it too, because he leaps up from his stool by the door and says, “Ma’m? You need something?”

Ms. Larda is already aggravated, and sort of snarls, “I need cash.” He backs up a little and says, “Everybody just keep calm.” She says, “Calm,

schmalm, your ATM ate my debit card!” When she yanks her hand out her pocket to wave in the direction of the ATM, he flinches.

But she is through with him, and stomps over to the teller to get her money and card. On the way out, she stops to advise the guard that maybe he needs to lay off the coffee. “You don’t want to be jumpy when you’re guarding a bank,” she says.

We walk out, and who do we see across the street but old Sister Gargantua from Celibacy Academy. I yell “Hi, Sister,” and we both wave. But when this nun turns around, it’s not Sister Gargantua after all. So we both do that thing you do when you wave at someone by mistake, and you curl down your fingers and pretend to scratch your ear or something. Only Ms. Larda’s middle finger don’t curl. The nun stares at her with steely eyes.

We don’t know this nun, but we know “The Look.” Ms. Larda panics and makes the Sign of the Cross. With That Finger. The nun stomps off, but Ms. Larda is now hysterical.

“God’s going to strike me dead, Modine. There’s a bolt of lightning with my name on it coming right now,” she says.

We stare at the sky, and at her hand. And then she closes her fingers. All of them. She’s cured. Afterwards we talk about it. Did the mysterious nun cure her? The Sign of the Cross? Or did it just suddenly clear up on its own? If we knew, we’d be rich. Meanwhile, we got Blue Plate. n

LORI OSIECKI ILLUSTRATION

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LOCAL COLOR | JOIE D’EVE

Gut Instinct

Trying to trust yourself in an age of too much information

By Eve Crawford Peyton

I spent about 45 minutes yesterday frantically searching for Ruby’s red choir dress. The last time she wore it was for her Christmas concert, so I mistakenly assumed it would still be in the “delicates” bin of my hamper. After failing to find it there, I searched in all of the bins of clean laundry in the laundry room. No dice. Finally, I opened Ruby’s closet and found the dress. In the closet. Clean and hanging up on a hanger. Exactly where it should be if I were a functional adult - and the last place I thought it would be because I am not really a functional adult.

I feel like I’m faking it pretty well most of the time. I get my kids to school on time, fed and washed and dressed; I have a job; I do some volunteer work. But I still feel like a complete mess who just keeps it hidden.

I also feel like I’m being told a thousand different contradictory things about the best way to do things. Recently, a bunch of my parent friends posted a link to this article, which suggests giving your kid an easy way out of a situation by allowing him/her to text you the letter X when in an uncomfortable situation. Upon receiving the

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X text, a parent calls the child, makes up a pretext to come and get him/her, and then extricates the child from the situation, no questions asked.

I like this plan. I have, in fact, used a version of this plan with Ruby years ago when she went on her first sleepover. “If anything makes you uncomfortable, text me, ‘How’s Georgia?’” I told her right before I dropped her off. “Anything at all, you text me.”

I was having fancy cocktails with a friend later that night when my phone buzzed.

“How’s Georgia?” it read.

“Oh, no!” I said to my friend.

“That’s our code. That means something is making her uncomfortable. Sorry, excuse me, sorry, I have to go outside and call her, sorry!”

“Ruby!” I said when she answered. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“There’s a tag in my pajama shirt,” she said. “It’s scratchy, and it’s making me really uncomfortable! Also, I kind of really do want to know how Georgia is.”

False alarm, but still, I thought this idea would hold up well for her teen years. I liked the X plan.

Then I read A Mother’s Reckoning by Sue Klebold, mother of Columbine High shooter Dylan Klebold. She recalled that she and her husband had always been willing to play the bad guy to get their son out of anything he didn’t want to be a part of; but he never needed to use it until he got involved with Eric Harris: “I had told both my sons they could always use me as an excuse in an emergency,” she writes.“I was thinking particularly of drinking and driving, but I meant any unsafe situation. So I was pleased, not only that Dylan had taken me up on my long-standing offer, but that he’d found a way to separate from his friend without hurting Eric’s feelings.

“After I saw the dynamic between Eric and Dylan on the Basement Tapes, I found myself revisiting this episode in a new light. If Dylan didn’t want to go out with Zack or Nate or Robyn or any of his other friends, he simply told them so: ‘Nah, I can’t this weekend. I need to write this paper.’ Only with Eric did he need me to bail him out. I never wondered about that or thought to ask Dylan: ‘Why can’t you just say no?’ Asking for my help seemed like a sign of good judgment, but afterward I realized that it was a portent of something much more disturbing. It was a sign I had missed until it was too late.”

Oh, God. So is the X plan a way to keep my kids safe? Or is having to use it at all a sign that they’re already in over their heads? If you’re like me it can sometimes feel like everything in the world is contradictory, like whichever way you choose is wrong. And raising kids is just about the most high-stakes activity there is, so I really want there to be one right answer, one true way.

All I can do, though, is love my kids, trust them and myself, keep communication as open as possible - and, in the end, just hope and pray for the best. It’s comforting and terrifying all at once, but it’s the truth. And sometimes the truth is right in front of you, as clear and obvious as a bright-red dress.

Hanging neatly up in the closet, exactly where it was supposed to be, all along. n

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blog

Excerpted from Eve Crawford Peyton’s blog, Joie d’Eve, which appears each Friday on MyNewOrleans.com. jane sanders ILLUSTRATION

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LOCAL COLOR | in tune

t

Galactic

Almost Too Much Music

Festival season hits full swing (and jazz, blues, rock…)

By Mike Griffith

With the second weekend of Jazz Fest and Bayou Boogaloo as anchors, May is invariably an insane month for music in New Orleans. Many of the most exciting shows this month are clustered around Jazz Fest, but there are some real gems to look out for later as well.

Right out of the gate on May 1st, head down to Tipitina’s for Instruments a Comin’. This will be the 16th year that the Tipitina’s foundation has hosted this excellent party to benefit local music education programs. As usual, the bill is stacked with Galactic, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Cha Wa, Rory Danger and the Danger Dangers, New Orleans Suspects with Fred Tackett of Little Feat, Johnny Sketch and The Dirty Notes, Nth Power and Honey Island Swamp Band. I highly recommend the VIP ticket for this event; it comes with amazing food and an open bar, as well as great views of the stage, plus it’s all for a good cause.

There are a lot of other great shows in the gravitational pull of Jazz Fest as well. For an excellent brass band show,

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check out Red Baraat at the Blue Nile, also on May 1st. On the 4th, Marco Benevento will open for Lettuce at The Civic; The Revivalists will bring their explosive brand of rock to the Orpheum; and the Stoop Kids will hit Gasa Gasa. On the 5th make sure to catch Skerik with Marco Benevento, DJ Logic, John Medeski and Robert Walter at The Saint for a night of improvisation. The next night (May 6th) choose between The North Mississippi Allstars at Tipitina’s, or Galactic at the Orpheum, both should be outstanding.

On May 5th, local standout Hurray for the Riff Raff will play a homecoming show at the Civic. On their latest release, singer and songwriter Alynda Lee Segarra has done her best work yet. This is a profound record infused with a strong autobiographical air.

May is an amazing month for indie rock as well. Twin Peaks is doing a twonight stand at Gasa Gasa (May 2nd3rd), while Waxahatchee will open for the New Pornographers at Tipitina’s on the 3rd. I’ve talked a fair bit in this column about the excellence of Waxa-

Hang out down the coast

If you are still looking for a bit more festival action this month, I highly recommend tripping down the coast to Gulf Shores for Hangout Music Festival. This is one of the great Gulf Coast festivals. Not only is the lineup consistently outstanding, but the whole thing takes place right on the beach.

This year the festival runs May 19 through 21, with headlining sets by Mumford & Sons, Twenty One Pilots, Frank Ocean (!), and Chance the Rapper. I’m particularly thrilled to see Frank Ocean on this list, as his music should perfectly fit the surroundings. As usual, we’ll have daily updates from the festival so keep an eye on the web for more details, previews and plenty of pictures. hatchee. Getting to see them, coupled with the legendary New Pornographers, will make for an amazing evening. On the 5th, San Fermin will roll in to Gasa Gasa, and you can catch Lake Street Dive at the Civic on the 6th. On May 12, Hamilton Leithauser (former lead singer of the Walkmen) will perform selections from his solo project at One Eyed Jacks. Later in the month, Sigur Rós will take over the Saenger on the 21st, while noise rockers A Place To Bury Strangers will be at Siberia (I highly recommend this show, but bring earplugs). On the 26th, The Mountain Goats will hold court at Republic for an evening of storytelling.

Finally, be sure to drop into Cafe Istanbul on May 26 for the CD release party of Marcello Benetti’s new composition Il Vizio.

Benetti is one of the premier jazz musicians in the city, and he will be joined by a host of heavyweights for this supremely cool night of music.

Note: Dates are subject to change. Playlist of mentioned bands available at: bit.ly/ InTune5-17 n

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contact

To contact Mike about music news, upcoming performances and recordings, email Mike@MyNewOrleans.com or contact him through Twitter @Minima.

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LOCAL COLOR | READ+SPIN

YOUTH: Whether you are 9 or 99, Young Comic’s Guide to Telling Jokes Volumes 1 and 2 by New Orleans comedian Michael Strecker are full of light-hearted giggles for everyone. Children these days can find it difficult to connect with others, considering how much social interaction is done online. These books are ideal for making family and friends laugh. Whether your youngster is an aspiring comedian or not, telling a silly joke is a priceless ice-breaker and attention-getter. You can pick up your copy at any local Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.

A STUNNING COLLECTION OF 50 TRADITIONAL (AND SOME NON-TRADITIONAL) LOUISIANA RECIPES. AN ABSOLUTE MUST HAVE FOR YOUR KITCHEN,OR THE PERFECT GIFT FOR A LOUISIANA FOOD LOVER.

$16.95

TO ORDER VISIT

LOUISIANACOOKBOOK.COM

Now in its second printing

COASTAL CONSERVATION: Ain’t There No More: Louisiana’s Disappearing Coastal Plain by Carl A. Brasseaux and Donald W. Davis gives south Louisiana residents a much-needed voice, and an impactful one at that. In addition to being informative about the geographical history of the coast, the book is full of historical documents, photos and maps, which paint an intricate picture of Louisiana’s cultural evolution and the cost it has had on the coast. It is a must-read for those who love New Orleans and want to see future generations understand this love. Read more about the authors and this book on Upress.state.ms.us, and find copies at Octavia Books and Amazon.com.

ALTERNATIVE HIP-HOP/RAP: Stoop Kids are the real deal when they say their music is, “an eclectic mix of soul, hip-hop, surf, jazz, and rock with a psychedelic aftertaste.” Their mixtape, Queue: The Mixtape, is coming out on May 5, with a special release show at Gasa Gasa on Freret Street the evening before. Queue: The Mixtape is funky, the lyrics are catchy, and the chorus lines are 100 percent hip-drop inducing. Stoop Kids will definitely be on my “springtime on the beach” playlist. Checkout their previous albums, videos and tour dates at StoopKidsMusic.com.

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submissions

By Jessica DeBold, Please send submissions for consideration, attention: Jessica DeBold, 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005.

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LOCAL COLOR | Jazz Life

Tribute to Satchmo

Hugh Masekela and Michael White at Jazz Fest

By Jason Berry

New Orleans clarinetist Dr. Michael White met the South African trumpet legend Hugh Masekela in 1985. They sat in adjacent seats on a flight to New York from Finland after performances at the Pori Jazz Festival. Masekela lived in New York for decades during South Africa’s regime of apartheid and in those painful, if prolific, years he gained an international following. White was just starting to make his mark with New Orleans style.

“It was a long plane ride,” recalls White. “When I said I was from New Orleans he got excited and started talking about Louis Armstrong and the big impact he had on his life and career.”

As the years passed, White kept seeing Masekela on concert tours; they kept talking about Armstrong.

“When I became a consultant for Economy Hall Jazz Tent [at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival] I asked Hugh if he was interested in doing an Armstrong tribute concert.

He said yes.” White paused. “That was about ten years ago. He has a

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very busy schedule.”

Masekela’s huge hit, “Grazing in the Grass,” has become a standard in the Treme Brass Band repertoire and for school bands in Carnival parades for years. Masekela was 14 years old in South Africa when an activist Anglican priest gave him a trumpet and organized a youth band. In 1953, on a trip to America, Father Trevor Huddleston met Armstrong and told him about the band.

Armstrong gave Huddleston a trumpet for the band. Masekela never forgot the gesture, nor Huddleston, who was subsequently exiled for opposing apartheid.

“I think anybody from the 20th century, up to now, has to be aware that if it wasn’t for Louis Armstrong, we’d all be wearing powdered wigs,” Masekela once said. “Before Louis Armstrong, the world was definitely square, just like Christopher Columbus thought.” Masekela returned to South Africa when Nelson Mandela, freed after 37 years in prison, was elected president in 1991.

On Thursday May 4, Masekela,

78, and White, 63, will finally unite for a Louis Armstrong tribute at Jazz Fest.

White: “I think we’ll do a couple of songs from Armstrong’s early period in the 1920s and in those pieces, my style on clarinet will be more in the vein of Johnny Dodds,” the New Orleans clarinetist who moved to Chicago when Armstrong did, and played on the Hot 5 recordings with Armstrong in 1926. Dodds had a muscular tone with rich blues harmonies to complement Armstrong’s soaring melodic range on trumpet.

“He used several clarinet players over the years until the All Stars became his touring band. I hear that fire and creativity in the early Hot 5 and Hot 7 recordings. His greatest period of visibility and success came many years later with the All Stars. The music was lighter and more commercial. I was telling my [Xavier University] students the other day that in the 1950s Armstrong was one of the most famous Americans and probably the most famous black man on earth. Who was a more famous AfricanAmerican then? He toured Africa and was treated like a king.”

In 1960, the year Masekela moved to New York, Armstrong did a four-month State Department tour of African countries. CBS newsman Edward E. Murrow traveled with him for a documentary, The Saga of Satchmo. The iconic image of that trip is Armstrong lifting his trumpet with the pyramids of Egypt behind him.

In mid-March, White sent Masekela a list of 50 songs from the Armstrong repertoire in different periods of his half-century career.

The band will include Leon Brown on trumpet, David Harris on trombone, Don Vappie on banjo, Rickie Monie on piano, and Kerry Lewis on standup bass. “I’m very excited that this is finally coming to fruition,” said White. n t

Show time

“A Salute to Louis Armstrong featuring Hugh Masekela and Dr. Michael White,” Thursday, May 4, 4:15 to 5:30 p.m., on the People’s Health stage at the 2017 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. michael white photo courtesy of Braden Piper

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LOCAL COLOR | home

Saving Grace

Artist Jamie Grace-Meeks rescues a Marigny cottage

By Lee Cutrone

Jamie Grace-Meeks is no stranger to the challenges of renovating. She began renovating properties 30 years ago, and since then has remodeled numerous homes on both the north shore and in New Orleans. Her latest project stands out, however. It was the first time she renovated an historic property. “Although I’ve done renovations, and one on my own, I’d never done anything like this,” she says.

“The difference was the terrible condition of the house and the fact that it was historical.

I wanted to bring it back to life, but I knew it was going to be a big job.”

When Grace-Meeks first saw the house, it was in a state of decay. A tree had fallen on the roof during Hurricane Katrina, causing water damage, which had not been repaired for years. Termites had taken a heavy toll. Plaster

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was falling from the ceiling. There was only one bathroom in the house (a second with separate outdoor access was attached to the rear of the house) and no closets. The windows were shuttered and the interior was dark.

Nevertheless, the cottage, built in the 1880s by a tax assessor, then sold and kept in another family for generations, still had its original architectural character.

Its 14-foot ceilings, old doors, ornate plaster work, wood carvings, and floor to ceiling windows spoke to Grace-Meeks. “A lot of people had approached the owner over the years, trying to buy it,” she says. “It is beautiful, historical and the size of the land it sits on is unusual.

And it had great bones.”

Grace-Meeks’s experience, creativity and patience gave her the winning edge. The owner

Top: Grace-Meeks kept the footprint the same but reworked the layout of the house; the unusual design of the ceiling medallion includes fruit and birds; Italian leather sectional was purchased at a modernist store on Magazine Street; chair and ottoman are

by Eames; the three works of art on the wall at right are by Grace-Meeks’s three children.

Photographed by greg miles

googled her, found articles about her previous renovations and decided she was the person for the job.

After months of negotiating, she closed the deal.

Her mission was to hold on to as much of the home’s 19th century design as possible, while also making it comfortable and stylish by today’s standards. With help from Architect William Sonner, she gutted the house and began to piece together a new iteration that combines elements of the past – elegant medallions, old wood floors, antique light fixtures, original hardware – with her own brand of clean, refined and modern, unadorned cabinets, smooth slabs of marble, contemporary statement lighting and European-style doors of steel and glass.

Permits, challenges, and delays aside, the fusion of old and new is seamless and striking. Passersby and buyers are once again approaching, but this time for different reasons. “There’s always somebody stopping and photographing or commenting on how glad they are to see the comeback of the house,” says Grace-Meeks. “The neighbors admire the transformation and have thanked me for saving it.”

Not long after Grace-Meeks began renovating homes, she found another calling as an artist. She and her former husband had outgrown the first renovation they’d completed and were in the midst of a second. She began looking for art for their home,

Top: The façade of the 1880s Victorian features brackets, cornices, a porch with balustrade and a bay window. Bottom: Artist Jamie Grace-Meeks at home in her studio.

but prices were high for a young couple in the process of raising a family. Grace-Meeks began experimenting with the idea of creating her own.

“I picked up my kids’ paints and started to work with them,” she recalls. Neighbors and friends were immediately supportive and Grace-Meeks has never looked back.

Local designers and buyers have embraced her work, which includes commission and non-commission paintings. Fittingly, the veteran renovator makes her textured, layered, multi-media canvases using what she knows best - building materials such as sheetrock mud and caulk.

Large works by Grace-Meeks are part of the home’s edgy, urban, yet peaceful persona.

Her current art collection, as important to her aesthetic as a home’s architecture, also includes pieces by David Halliday, Paul Balmer, Gretchen Howard, Ann McGee and her children. Thought-

fully edited objects with special meaning, such as a collection of rocks, shells and sea glass found during her travels, finish the sophisticated, simple interior.

Having accomplished what she set out to do, Meeks savors her home’s new life even when carrying out daily tasks like watering her yard. “It was a challenge for many reasons,” she says, noting that her eldest daughter has named the house “Patience” after the virtue that the renovation required. “But the end result provides many rewards.” n Facing page: Top:The master bedroom is a contrast of clean white and dark ebonized woods accented with organic elements, such as plants and animal hides; suspended pendant light fixtures by Alcon Lighting. Bottom: Italian marble was used for the master bath’s counters, bath, floor and shower; a storage area above the shower is lined with baskets.

Left: A ceramic wall hanging by Grace-Meeks near the stairs. Left, bottom: Vessels and paintings by Grace-Meeks in the dining room. Right: A table purchased from Karla Katz Antiques is surrounded by vintage Arne Jacobsen chairs in the dining room (originally, the kitchen). myneworleans.com MAY 2017

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Brunches by the Bunches

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Patois

6078 Laurel St. 895-9441 PatoisNola.com Jewel-like and elegant, Patois is just a couple of blocks from Audubon Park in a quiet residential neighborhood. Sidewalk tables allow you to dine al fresco when the weather is nice.

Brunch specials: Start with the lamb ribs with green tomato relish, and potato gnocchi with jumbo lump crab, leeks, wild mushrooms, and shaved Piave Vecchio.

Leave room for dessert‌ perhaps tres leches bread pudding with whipped cream, dulce de leche, and toasted almonds.

Brunch cocktails: Try the Santo Pimm (Beefeater gin, Pimm’s #1, Satsuma, lemon, mint and jalapeno), for a refreshing interpretation of the classic.

lamb ribs with green tomato relish

Pick and choose among spring-eats and day-drinks

By Jy l Bens o n Ph o t o gr ap h ed b y D enny Culb er t

N ew Orleans’ brunch scene

suggests that the compound

repast is a meal best served with festive libations and consumed between peals of laughter. It is

an indulgent, leisurely meal that tends toward decadence with free-flowing adult libations.

Champagne, Mimosas, milk punch and Bloody Marys are the traditional offerings, but Pimm’s cups, specialty punches, and a variety of sangrias are becoming popular, as are craft cocktails intended for pairing with specific dishes. Rich, flavorful foods, usually consumed by nattily attired participants, remain the norm, as does an air of frivolity.

As the city is abloom and the festival season is going fullthrottle, restaurants offering

Commander’s Palace

1403 Washington Ave. 899-8221 CommandersPalace.com In the early 1970s, Dick Brennan Sr., was struck with the idea to invite a lively jazz trio to play for the post-church crowd that visited the then-fledgling Commander’s Palace on Sunday mornings. “Us kids in the family were sent to the French Quarter to hand out flyers to tourists advising them that they should take the streetcar to the Garden District for jazz brunch,” said Dickie Brennan, Jr. “It was an instant success, I mean we were slammed.”

In bringing together the New Orleans trifecta—booze, food and music—Dick Brennan effectively created a new genre in New Orleans dining where it was perfectly acceptable to party hardy on Sunday morning then return home for a nap. His winning formula has been replicated by many and evolved by others even as the Commander’s Palace original continues to thrive on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Brunch specials: Unfailingly brilliant, it would be hard to go wrong with anything from Chef Tory McPhail’s menu, but if you love oysters, and Oysters in Herbsaint Cream Under Puff Pastry is an offer, the dish is a must-do. For great value, the chef’s daily three-course prix fix brunch menu is a culinary coup. A Commander’s Bloody Mary is included in the $46 price.

Brunch drinks: Eye openers include classics such as Milk Punch, Mimosas and The Saint (St. Germaine, Tanqueray gin, basil and sparkling wine.)

brunch, particularly those with outdoor seating, see their numbers climb. Always ready for a party, New Orleanians line up early to get a head start on days to be spent dancing in public, lounging in a hammock, or returning to laze in bed after a hearty and heady start.

DTB

8201 Oak St. 518-6899 DTBNola.com The Commander’s kitchen was a learning ground for Chef Carl Schaubhut of DTB (Down the Bayou), a vibrant, recently opened destination on Oak Street in the Carrollton neighborhood. With

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Trinity

1117 Decatur St. 325-5789 TrinityRestaurant NewOrleans.com Also expanding past the traditional, the everchic Trinity, on Lower Decatur Street in the French Quarter, now offers a brunch menu from rising star Chef Michael Isolani Friday through Sunday.

Brunch specials: Inspired brunch items include a chilled cream of basil soup with corn, cucumber and cashews; boudin noir and fried oysters; baked Harbison cheese from Jasper Hill Creamery with toast; and duck eggs with Cajun caviar.

Brunch cocktails: Exotic brunch cocktails include a Cosmic Maria, with organic Reposado tequila, and a Smoked Vodka Bloody Mary.

Champagne cocktails include the Sigani 63 Corpse Reviver.

boudin noir and fried oysters with a smoked vodka bloody mary

mimosa with croque benedict

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Salon by Sucre

622 Conti St. 930-3017 RestaurantSalon.com With his mastery of both sweet and savory applications and daredevil attitude, it’s safe to expect a memorable brunch experience at Chef Tariq Hanna’s Salon by Sucre.

Brunch is offered Thursday through Sunday.

Brunch specials: Signature dishes include riffs on local classics like chicken and waffles with a spicy Steen’s reduction. The croque Benedict combines a southern-style chive biscuit with sauce Mornay, racclette and Crystal hollandaise.

Save room for dessert; the chocolate-obsessed chef (he literally has the formula tattooed on his forearm) offers a daily assortment of tableside desserts in petite portions. Look for crème brûlée, decadent chocolate confections, airy French macaroons, and Hanna’s sinful vanilla éclair.

Brunch cocktails: $25 bottomless Mimosas sweeten the deal at this French Quarter spot.

reinterpreted coastal Cajun cuisine and craft cocktails, in April DTB began serving brunch Friday through Sunday, and a Service Industry Brunch on Mondays.

Brunch specials: The over-the-top fried stuffed chicken biscuit features a chicken breast stuffed with chicken-garlic sausage, cooked sous-vide and then sliced, breaded and fried; served with fermented pepper jelly and charred cabbage slaw.

Also featured is the cornmeal crusted Des Allemandes catfish sandwich served on a Leidenheimer French bread bun and dressed with a lush deviled egg puree and an arugula salad with pickled mustard seed vinaigrette.

Brunch cocktails: From celebrated beverage director Lu Brow: the Window Box (Euphrosine gin, cucumber, garden herbs, egg white, orange flower water); Dude’s Delight (Rougaroux rum, St. George coffee liqueur, vanilla bean, milk, cocoa dust); and Saltwater (Magnolia vodka, Pamplemousse, basil & pink peppercorn syrup, grey salt).

The Country Club

634 Louisa St. 945-0742 CountryClubNewOrleans.com Always a good time, and now more so than ever, to celebrate 40 in New Orleans, the historic Bywater Country Club recently unveiled the results of a year-long renovation.

Executive Chef Chris Barbato, yet another Commander’s Palace alum, now helms the kitchen. He has crafted a locally-inspired menu that stresses Italian-French and CreoleSouthern influences.

Brunch specials: The lump crab cake is paired with a poached egg and smoky tomato butter; boudin boulettes are served crispy with pepper jelly; and beef debris comes with hash browns, poached eggs, kale and a horseradish cream.

Brunch cocktails: The cocktail program has been updated, featuring an Aperol Spritz (Aperol, Champagne and orange

zest) or Pample Concombre (pamplemousse rose liquer and Effen cucumber vodka) to start your brunch on a refreshing note.

Broussard’s

819 Rue Conti 581-3866 Broussards.com The city’s brunch spots are diverse in their appeal, whether it’s reinterpreting classics, highlighting regional standards, celebrating an ethnic cuisine, bottomless beverages, or simply churning out delectable comfort foods. But atmosphere counts, too. At Broussard’s that means Sunday mornings at white-clothed tables either inside or overlooking a verdant tropical courtyard, with the strains of a strolling jazz trio.

Brunch specials: Diners satisfy cravings for Southern fried chicken and waffles with candied pecans, or raspberry mascarpone stuffed pain perdu. The drama of flaming bananas Foster, prepared tableside, will make you feel like a kid again.

Brunch cocktails: Though numerous Sunday brunch libations are on offer, head bartender Paul Gustings concocts Imperial Punches - Swedish Punsch, Nuremberg Punch and English Milk Punch - served both hot and cold.

Katie’s

3701 Iberville 488-6582 KatiesinMidCity.com Although bright, shiny, and saturated with vibrant artwork, Katie’s still feels like the old-school neighborhood eatery that opened in its Mid-City spot in 1984. Guests are greeted at the door by Mary Craig the “Hostess with the Mostess” and mother of Chef Scot Craig, a definite “more-is-more” kind of guy, with a big personality that really comes out in his frequent Food Network appearances and in the kitchen.

His creations are legendary and his generous, hearty nature makes him everyone’s instant best friend.

Brunch is Sundays-only.

Brunch specials: Like many over-the-top delicious foods, the crawfish beignet, Chef Scot’s riff on Jazzfest crawfish bread, came late one night when he was “starving and kinda drunk.” Filled with loads of crawfish, gooey Mozzarella and smoky Provel cheese, peppers, onions and topped with jalapeno aioli, it is pretty unforgettable.

Brunch cocktails: Bottomless Bloody Mary’s, Mimosas, and red and white sangrias are a deal for a thrifty $15.

Ruby Slipper Café

139 S. Cortez St. 2001 Burgundy St. 200 Magazine St. 1005 Canal St. 2802 Magazine Street 525-9355 RubySlipperCafe.net Just a few blocks from Katie’s the first Ruby Slipper Cafe opened on South Cortez Street in 2008 on a block still suffering from post-Katrina blight. Amid the gloom, Erich and Jennifer Weishaupp created an invigorated gathering place where weary neighbors could enjoy breakfast, lunch and brunch in a colorful atmosphere.

Since its opening, the Ruby Slipper has experienced explosive growth, adding two locations downtown, another in the Marigny, and yet another most recently in the Garden District. In 2015, the beloved local joint went regional with an opening downtown Pensacola, Florida, and another in Orange Beach, Alabama, last year. A Baton Rouge location will open this summer.

Brunch specials: Brunch specials at reasonable prices include local delicacies like pork or duck debris, shrimp and grits, cochon de lait, and bananas Foster.

Brunch cocktails: Favorite cocktails are: the Ruby Sunrise (tequila, orange and pomegranate juice) and the award-winning housemade Bloody Mary, prepared with either vodka, tequila or baconinfused vodka.

Red Gravy Café

125 Camp St. 561-8844 RedGravyCafe.com With gorgeous food and bright, homey atmosphere it is no surprise that Red Gravy Cafe, a humble little spot in the CBD was voted the Number One Best Brunch Spot In New Orleans by Open Table for 2016. The cozy bistro serves the rustic Italian recipes the chef/owner collected from her grandmothers, aunts and mother throughout her New Jersey childhood.

Brunch Specials: Ingredients are locally sourced and organic to create such daily brunch show stoppers as It’s a Jersey Thing (crostini with Jersey pork roll and Provolone); browned butter pancakes served with Italian sausage; Sicilian egg pie; Ligurian shrimp and grits; and a wealth of handmade pastas.

Brunch cocktails: With a full bar, Red Gravy offers a unique Italiancentric wine list, as well as brunch favorites such as Mimosas, Bloody Mary’s and the like.

Twelve Mile Limit

500 S. Telemachus St. 488-8114 The delightfully low-key Twelve Mile Limit offers brunch all weekend.

Brunch specials: The menu focuses on “build your own” breakfast burritos and biscuit sandwiches, which can be customized with pulled pork, bacon, eggs, hollandaise, Brie, gravy and caramelized onion.

Brunch cocktails: For affordable day drinking, take advantage of $5 mimosas and Bloody Mary’s.

Atchafalaya

901 Louisiana Ave. 891-9626 AtachafalayaRestaurant.com Atchafalaya has become famous for its outstanding Thursday through Monday brunch menu.

Brunch specials: Specials vary, but favorites include: Duck Hash (poached eggs, duck confit, blackberries, mangoes, hollandaise and bacon vinaigrette) and Crab Louis

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Josephine Estelle

600 Carondelet St. 930-3070 JosephineEstelle.com Tucked into the Ace Hotel is the melodiously named Josephine Estelle, from the daughters of chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman, the kitchen kings who merge classic Italian recipes with the flavors and techniques of the American South. Here, lofty ceilings, plush seating and an open kitchen set the backdrop for the beginning of a beautiful day.

Brunch specials: Weekend brunch menu includes Poutine with neckbone gravy, Caputo Brothers cheese curd and Calabrian chili oil; fried chicken biscuit with Calabrian honey; and sensational pastries and desserts from Breanne Kostyk.

Brunch cocktails: Remarkable brunch cocktails include: Things Remembered (sparkling wine, cranberry, rosemary and orange), the Tailored Fit (vodka, hibiscus, lemon, sparkling Riesling) and a unique take on the Bloody Mary with hints of citrus Ponzu.

fried chicken biscuit with Calabrian honey

spiced orange shrub drink with the pork and yucca hash

Salad (lump crab meat, iceberg lettuce, deviled egg, oven roasted tomatoes, and house-made dressing.)

Brunch cocktails: Have it your way, with the build-your-own Bloody Mary bar, with both tomato juice and tomatillo bases offered along with an array of liquors and all manner of garnishes from bacon to okra.

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Cane & Table

1113 Decatur St. 581-1112 CaneandTableNola.com The team at the highly atmospheric Cane & Table in the French Quarter make it all about the booze for two hours only (noon-2 p.m.) every Saturday and Sunday with allyou-can-drink craft cocktails with a brunch entree for $35.

Brunch specials: For a hearty entree to soak up all that booze, try the crispy venison boudin with oxtail ragu and grits, or the pork and yucca hash.

Brunch cocktails: Bottomless cocktails include the Colonial Mimosa, spiced orange shrub, La Paloma, the Michelada, Bloody Marys, the Basque Mimosa and a daily punch special.

Coquette

2800 Magazine St. 265-0421 Coquette-Nola.com In the Garden District, Coquette offers three different, three-course brunch menus, each of them for a thrifty $30 every Saturday and Sunday.

Brunch specials: Choose from starters, such as Italian wedding soup or fried oysters; and entree selections such as shrimp Bolognese over fettuccini with country ham and fennel; or braised pork corn pudding, with Brussels sprouts, and kale. Desserts include: coffee flan with pistachio biscotti, and chocolate tart with Chantilly cream and peanut butter cookies.

Brunch cocktails: Coquette’s “Brunch Bottles” program offers three specially priced suggested wine pairings.

Seaworthy

630 Carondelet St. 930-3071 SeaworthyNola.com Old world charm and a nautical theme set the tone at Seaworthy, an oyster bar featuring ice-cold bivalves from the Gulf, as well as the east and west coasts. For brunch, offered on both Saturday and Sunday, the offerings expand beyond the half-shell with surprisingly light-on-the-pocketbook prices.

Brunch specials: Fork over $7.00 for flakey buttermilk biscuits served with sliced country ham and seasonal preserves. The smoked fish Benedict, $15, is generous enough to share and is served with a sensational caviar-chive Hollandaise.

Brunch cocktails: Round out the meal with a Goldfinch (Cocchi Americano, Fino sherry, freshly squeezed lemon juice, orange bitters, and club soda) or an Outer Banks made with Angostura bitters and house-made ginger beer.

Willa Jean

611 O’Keeffe Ave. 509-7334 WillaJean.com In the thriving SoMa District, Chef Kelly Fields, a recent James-Beard award nominee, is keeping it Southern with her the brunch menu at her lofty, contemporary space, Willa Jean.

Brunch specials: Brunch hot plates include: fried oysters Benedict served with stewed okra and Hollandaise; crawfish and grits served with slow poached eggs and Cheddar biscuits; and BBQ Shrimp Toast made with grilled sourdough and burrata.

Brunch cocktails: The $40 Mimosa Service offers a chilled bottle of sparkling wine and four bottles of fresh, seasonal juices to mix and match at the table.

Compère Lapin

535 Tchoupitoulas St. 599-2119 CompereLapin.com Chef Nina Compton, the St. Lucia-born darling of the city’s culinary scene, is never one to seek shelter in the same-old, and she has the stones to roll fluidly through French, Caribbean and Italian cuisines on her Compere Lapin menu.

Brunch specials: Her weekend brunch menu continues the James-Beard Award Finalist’s penchant for the unexpected, with taste bud thrillers like avocado toast with radishes and fresno peppers; truffle fonduta with poached egg and ciabatta; coconut French toast with a pecan rum sauce; and goat Bolognese with potato gnocchi and egg.

Brunch cocktails: Not to be outdone, superstar Head Bartender Abigail Gullo offers a selection of just-for-brunch concoctions including a $20 bottomless brunch punch/dealer’s choice (brunch punch bowls rotate regularly), and a revolving selection of fresh fruit daiquiris. Fun fact: If your idea of brunch is a poor boy sandwich (or some such) consumed on the levee by the nearby river, Gullo has you covered.

She offers the bottomless punch in gigantic jars to-go.

There are far worse—and few finer— ways to usher in a new week with style and a smile. n

Southern Cooking Southern Italy, that is

By Dale Curry

I

can’t imagine life without red gravy, muffulettas, osso buco, stuffed artichokes and eggplant parmigiana. They are a part of our cuisine as much as French sauces and Cajun roux, thanks to Sicilian immigrants. If tourists went into neighborhoods, they would find hundreds of restaurants that bill themselves Creole-Italian. And, if they dined in a local’s home, they may well be treated to a veal piccata or seafood pasta.

Our Italian cooking represents the style of southern Italy, heavily tomato-based and flavored with oregano, basil, garlic and peppers. It is thought that red gravy may be the most important dish Sicilians contributed to the local community. Some combine tomato sauce with a roux while most do not. Either way , it’s called red gravy.

Tens of thousands of Italian immigrants boarded ships in Palermo in the late 19th century, headed to New Orleans, then the second largest port in the nation. They worked on sugar plantations, labored at the docks and truck-farmed in areas such as Kenner and River Ridge. Eventually, huge numbers were attracted to the food industry, opening mom-and-pop restaurants, corner grocery stores, pasta factories, meat and fish markets, bakeries and gelato shops.

Progresso, now owned by General Mills, was founded here in 1925 by Italian immigrants Vincent Taormina and cousins Frank and Joseph Uddo. Descendant Michael Uddo, now executive chef of Café B, says that dishes on his menu such as veal meatball sliders and caprese salad reflect his grandmother’s cooking. “The Sicilian style absolutely influences my style today,” he said.

Tony Bologna, owner of the popular Venezia and the great-grandson of Sicilian immigrants, says his customers tell him his red sauce “reminds them of their mama’s. It’s Italian comfort food,” he said. “When our great-grandparents moved here, they cooked what they had available,” he said. In Sicily, they made meatballs from sardines because meat was rarely available. They adapted those styles to local ingredients, creating Creole-Italian.

Some of New Orleans’ cutting edge chefs cook with creative intuition and a style more representative of northern Italy. Chef Alon Shaya said he gave up his job, girlfriend, apartment and cat to move to Italy for a year because he was “passionate” about Italian cooking. Before opening Dominica in partnership with chef John Besh, “I spent my

Roll Out the Dough

A guide to making your own pasta

life savings, working for free and traveling,” he said, and was rewarded with a new outlook on the regions of Italy, its people and their cooking, which was then reflected on his menus at Dominica and Pizza Dominica. Crabmeat on pounded veal, roasted oysters with breadcrumbs and oregano, and spaghetti bordelaise are examples he cites of Creole-Italian cooking. At Pizza Dominica, he said, “We’ve started square pizzas that are very much Sicilian, Roman-style pizza.” Meanwhile, his award-winning Israeli restaurant Shaya reflects his background growing up in Philadelphia. At 16, he began working for Italian restaurants, and the roasted peppers and olive oil reminded him of the Israeli food he ate as a child.

At Napoleon House, food has been served by Sicilian immigrants and their descendants for 102 years. Its most popular dish is the muffuletta, a word that in Sicily meant the type of bread that is used today for the sandwich, invented in 1906 by Salvador Lupo, owner of Central Grocery.

Chris Montero, Napoleon House’s executive chef, said the bread was originally made by Union Bakery, owned by a cousin of the Impastato family, who recently sold Napoleon House to restaurateur Ralph Brennan. The famous bar-restaurant also serves spicy meatballs with an old-style red sauce and Italian braided bread, used for bruschetta with mozzarella, basil and tomatoes.

Meatballs and spaghetti are weekly fare for many local families, Italian or not, and fava beans, cardoons and cucuzza squash, Sicilian favorites, still grow in some backyards, but perhaps the most public spread of Sicilian cookery comes on March 19, when St. Joseph Day altars are built to express gratitude to the saint and share food, including cross-shaped bread and other religious symbols.

The key to pasta making, according to legendary chef Goffredo Fraccaro, is letting your dough rest. “Give it a nice rest,” he would say, patting it lovingly, “nice rest.”

My husband Doug and I quote Fraccaro, chef-owner of now-closed La Riviera in Metairie, whenever we make pasta. Just as we get it to that soft round of dough, we pat it gently as if it were going to sleep and say, “nice rest, nice rest.”

Fraccaro and most old-line Italian chefs would tell you that fresh pasta is the heart of Italian cooking and should be done whenever possible. It doesn’t fit that well into modern schedules, but when time allows, it can be a joy to make and eat.

Following, is a recipe adapted from “Cooking with Chris and Goffredo,” by Fraccaro and the late Chris Kerageorgiou, former owner of La Provence in Lacombe, published in 1991.

Basic Pasta Dough 4 cups all-purpose flour 5 large eggs Pinch of salt ½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil 1. Place flour on a large wooden cutting board.

Form a well in the center of the flour.

2. Break eggs into a bowl and whisk together.

Add salt and olive oil and whisk. Pour mixture into the well. Using your hands, begin to mix the flour into the eggs from the inside edges of flour. Continue bringing the flour into the egg mixture until a dough is formed into a ball.

You may not use all of the flour. Brush excess off the board, and re-flour the board. Knead the ball of dough for 5 or 6 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Cover with a cloth and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.

3. When the dough has rested, it is ready to cut and roll out according to the type of pasta desired, preferably by a pasta machine.

Makes about 1 pound.

The New Orleans Muffaletta; enjoy with your favorite cold brew.

Buon Appetito!

Italian eats for everyday feasts

By Da l e C u rry

P h o t o g r a p h e d by E u g e n i a U h l

Chicken Marsala with Pasta Bordelaise; pair with an oaky

Chardonnay.

Eggplant Parmigiana; complement this dish with a mediumbodied Merlot.

Bracio La aka Bruccioloni; pairs well with a strong, bold Chianti.

Crab-Stuffed Artichokes with Alfredo Sauce; enjoy with a light, bubbly prosecco.

Osso Buco; pair with a bold red.

Chicken Marsala with Pasta Bordelaise 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally and pounded to ¼-inch thickness Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup all-purpose flour 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 garlic cloves, crushed 1 bunch green onions, chopped 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 4 cups mushrooms, button, crimini or baby bellas, sliced ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning ½ cup imported Marsala ¼ cup chicken broth ¼ cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped 1. Prepare the chicken, and sprinkle liberally with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, pressing the seasonings into the cutlets. Put flour on a plate and heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet. When hot, dredge the chicken in the flour, shake off excess and brown on each side, a couple of minutes each. Take the cutlets up as you brown them and place on a plate.

2. Reduce heat to medium; add garlic and onions to the skillet and sauté for 2 minutes. Add butter and then mushrooms, red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning and cook, stirring for several minutes until the mushrooms have softened and given up some liquid. Add Marsala and chicken broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in parsley. This is good served with pasta Bordelaise.

3. Pasta Bordelaise: In a large pot of salted water, boil 1 pound spaghetti until al dente.

In a medium skillet, heat ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil. Sauté 4 cloves of crushed garlic and 4 green onions, chopped, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for several minutes.

4. Add 1-tablespoon butter and ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley and cook 1 more minute. Pour over drained pasta. Add 3/4 cup good quality grated Parmesan cheese and toss. Adjust seasonings. Serves 6.

The New Orleans Muffaletta Olive salad 1 cup pitted green olives, roughly chopped ½ cup pitted kalamata and/or black olives, roughly chopped 2 Tablespoons capers ½ cup gardiniera (pickled vegetables in a jar), chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1/3 cup roasted red bell pepper, chopped 1/3 cup chopped onions ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil ¼ cup red wine vinegar Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Makes 3 cups Sandwich 2 7-inch round muffaletta loaves with sesame seeds* ¼ pound Genoa salami, sliced thin ¼ pound capicola or ham, sliced thin ¼ pound mortadella or sopressata, sliced thin ¼ pound provolone, sliced thin ¼ pound mozzarella, sliced thin 1. Mix olive salad ingredients at least a few hours ahead of time in order for them to marinate. Place in a jar or closed container.

2. Slice muffaletta loaves in half horizontally and place inside up. Spread each with the olive salad, and pour remaining liquid over all. Then alternate the meats and cheeses on the bottom sides and carefully cover with tops.

Wrap in foil and let marinate for at least an hour before serving. The sandwich is usually served cold, cut into fourths or smaller wedges. If you prefer it heated, place in a preheated 350-degree oven, still wrapped in foil, for 15 minutes before cutting. Serves 2 to 4. * Muffaletta loaves are not widely available at retail stores. Rouses and Breaux Mart make 7-inch seeded Italian muffaletta loaves.

Bracio La aka Bruccioloni 1 ½ pounds beef round steak Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 bunch green onions, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 5 cloves garlic, minced 3 Tablespoons Romano cheese, grated 2 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped 1 heaping Tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley ½ cup Italian bread crumbs 2 quarts red gravy (recipe follows) Hot cooked spaghetti or pasta of choice 1. On a chopping board, pound round steak to ¼-inch thick. Cut into 6 or 7 pieces, as equal in size as possible, approximately 5-by-6 inches each. Salt and pepper both sides of meat. Set aside.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a skillet and sauté onions, celery and garlic until transparent. Remove from heat and add Romano cheese, eggs, parsley, bread crumbs, salt and pepper, and mix well.

Spread equal parts of mixture on each piece of steak. Roll up to form roulades and tie with kitchen twine, tucking ends.

3. In a clean skillet, heat remaining olive oil and brown roulades over medium-high heat until brown on all sides. Remove from heat.

4. Heat red gravy in a large pot and add roulades. Simmer, covered, for 1 ½ hours or until meat is tender. Serve with pasta.

Serves 6.

Red gravy: Heat 4 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil in a large, heavy pot. Add 2 medium onions, chopped, 2 stalks celery, chopped, and 2 tablespoons minced garlic, and sauté until transparent. Add 12 ounces tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown. Add one 28-ounce can of imported whole Roma tomatoes, such as Cento’s, chopping tomatoes with a spoon. Add 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 2 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons sugar, salt and pepper to taste and 2 cups water. Stir well and simmer, covered, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves. Makes about 2 quarts.

Osso Buco 4 veal shanks, about 2 ½ pounds Sea salt and freshly grated black pepper ¾ cup all-purpose flour 4 Tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 medium carrot, cut into ½-inch cubes 2 stalks celery, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 14-ounce can whole plum tomatoes, preferably imported such as Cento’s 1 cup dry white wine 2 cups chicken broth plus more if needed 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary plus stems for garnish 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley plus stems for garnish Pasta, risotto or polenta (optional) Horseradish sauce (optional) 1. Sprinkle veal shanks with salt and pepper, pressing seasonings into meat. Tie shanks with kitchen twine to hold meat together during cooking. Place flour on a plate and dredge shanks to make a light coat over all.

2. Heat oil in a large heavy pot and brown shanks a few minutes on each side. Remove from pot. Add and sauté onions and carrots until onions are transparent. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Pour in liquid from tomatoes.

Chop tomatoes and add to pot, along with a little more salt and pepper, wine, broth, Italian seasoning and rosemary. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 ½ hours, stirring and turning occasionally. Add more broth if needed. Meat should be very tender.

3. To serve, remove twine from shanks. Place one shank on each plate with gravy and stems of rosemary and parsley for garnish. Serve with pasta, risotto or polenta and horseradish sauce on the side, if desired. Serves 4.

Note: For a quick horseradish sauce, mix 3 tablespoons fresh horseradish, ¼ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon Creole mustard and sea salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste.

Crab-Stuffed Artichokes with Alfredo Sauce 2 artichokes Salt Stuffing: 1 pound lump crabmeat 2 teaspoons capers 1 teaspoon lemon juice ½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon Creole seasoning 2 or 3 dashes Tabasco hot sauce 1 Tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley Alfredo sauce: 2 Tablespoons butter 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 cup heavy cream ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided ½ cup mozzarella, shredded 1. To trim artichokes, use a sharp, heavy knife to cut about ½ inch off top of artichokes. Use scissors to snip off the prickly tips of the leaves. Cut off stem so that the artichokes sit flat.

Rinse well and drain. Place 1 inch of water in a wide pot and insert a steamer basket. Place artichokes on top and sprinkle with salt. Cover and heat water to a simmer and cook until artichokes are tender when the bottoms are pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Drain and cool.

2. To make the stuffing, pick through crab meat to make sure there are no pieces of shell, being careful not to break up crab meat. Place in medium bowl. Add capers, lemon juice, bread crumbs, olive oil, seasoning, hot sauce and parsley, and toss gently.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4. Remove small, pale center leaves from artichoke, keeping all heavy leaves intact. With a spoon, preferably a grapefruit spoon, scrape out the fuzzy choke, leaving the heart intact.

Place artichokes in an 8-by-8-inch baking dish. First stuff the center cavity of each artichoke with the crab mixture, using about ¾ cup. Then open each leaf gently and stuff with spoonful of crab mixture. Stuff all of the large leaves, and use up any remaining stuffing in centers or leaves of artichokes.

5. To make the sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in olive oil, add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes over low heat.

Stir in heavy cream, then gradually add half the Parmesan and then mozzarella. Simmer, stirring, until cheese is melted.

6. About 30 minutes before serving, pour as much of the sauce over the artichokes as needed to almost fill the cavities. You may have some left over. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Place in oven until bubbly and beginning to brown. Serves 4 to 6 as appetizer or side dish.

Eggplant Parmigiana 2 eggplants Salt Extra-virgin olive oil Freshly ground black pepper 4 cups red gravy, homemade (see recipe, page 77) or bottled 1 cup torn fresh basil ¾ pound fresh mozzarella, shredded 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs 1. Slice eggplants into ½-inch rounds. Sprinkle with salt on both sides and stack between two plates for 45 minutes, pouring off water as eggplant sweats. Dry eggplant with paper towels.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Brush a large baking pan with a light coat of olive oil. Lay eggplant slices on the pan and brush other side with olive oil.

Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Place in oven and cook until eggplant is browned. The bottom side may brown faster. Turn and brown the other side. Remove from oven, and lower heat to 350 degrees.

3. Brush a 13-by-9-inch-inch baking dish or oval baking dish of similar size with a light coat of olive oil. Then spread 1/3 of the red gravy. Top with half the eggplant slices and another third of the red gravy. Sprinkle with half of the basil, half of the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan. Repeat, beginning with remaining eggplant, red gravy, basil, mozzarella, and Parmesan.

Cover with breadcrumbs and bake until bubbly and brown on top, about 30 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.

The Menu TABLE TALK | RESTAURANT INSIDER | FOOD | LAST CALL | DINING LISTINGS

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TABLE TALK, PG. 84

Marjie’s Grill owners Caitlin Carney and Marcus Jacobs at their new Broad St. eatery.

jeffery johnston PHOTOGRAPH

THE MENU | TABLE TALK

Charred Pork Shoulder platter at Marjie’s Grill

tLa

Thai Renew

La Thai on Prytania underwent a recent renovation and along with the new look came a new small plates menu. Called Nit Noi, this collection of sharable bites incorporates Southern, Vietnamese and Laotian influences and is modeled on traditional street foods. Try the Laap Gai, a chopped chicken medley with spiked with lime, Thai chili, toasted rice powder, green onion, mint and cilantro served with lettuce cups.

Spice Trade

Southeast Asian street food

By Jay Forman

Few regions can compete with the flavor palette offered by that of Southeast Asia. The tropical latitudes of Vietnam, Thailand and Laos yield a kaleidoscopic panoply of herbs, spices and produce. It is ingredient-driven cuisine at its most honest, with a cultural culinary foundation that to western palettes jukes sideways and surprises – think fish sauce in lieu of salt for example; the former contributes far more depth to a dish than the latter. Other staples, like the electric tingling of Szechuan peppercorns, contribute physical sensation as much as flavor. Plus, there is pork – glorious charbroiled pork. Did I mention the pork? Vietnam should get industry recognition for flipping charbroiled pork’s popular perception on its head and rebranding it as a healthy lifestyle choice.

So what happens when this cooking comes to New Orleans, as our city already boasts a terrific array of Vietnamese options? What I wanted to look at here are some innovative combinations of approaches to this spectrum

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of food. The first, Marjie’s Grill, marries it with the US South and a bit of New Orleans for flair. The other, Maypop, is the fine-dining extension of Chef Michael Gulotta’s popular Mopho. While they both dip from the same culinary well, they represent different approaches and both deserve visits based on their own merits.

Caitlin Carney and Marcus Jacobs met at Herbsaint – she worked in the front while Marcus worked in the kitchen. The pair bonded over their love of food, specifically Vietnamese and Thai, and launched the pop-up Sparklehorse Grill in 2015 to begin testing the waters for their own place. With the experience gleaned there, as well as two months spent eating their way through Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, they opened the doors to Marjie’s Grill.

“We wanted this to be a neighborhood joint,” Caitlin says. “Void of pretension, just somewhere you could get a bite and hang out.” Their unique hook – marrying Southeast

Asian cuisine to the US South, is actually organic rather than forced. “In Vietnam they do a lot of plate lunches,” Marcus explained. “Just like going to a ‘meat and three’ in Alabama – you get your rice, a choice of a couple different sides and your main protein. That way of eating really spoke to the way we wanted to eat here.” Couple this approach with a menu that sources local produce and meats, and the concept made easy sense.

For starters, consider the Smoked Mushroom salad.

The oyster mushrooms come from Screaming Oaks Farm in Folsom and are charred then tossed with a mix of greens including cilantro, arugula, dill and scallions. It gets dressed with a vinaigrette built on Thai fish sauce and finished with toasted rice powder, adding a roasted flavor as well as some crunch. jeffery johnston PHOTOGRAPH

For entrees, I’d recommend the Charred Pork Shoulder Steak, a dish that was directly influenced by their travels.

The crust is terrific – rubbed with a warm spice blend of turmeric, black pepper, coriander and chili flakes. “We use that same seasoning on our crackling,” Marcus says. The platter comes with an array of fresh herbs and a spicy green garlic dipping sauce. Also popular is the Sweet and Spicy Gulf Shrimp, their take on New Orleans BBQ shrimp. The head-on jumbos are seared in a wok then cooked down in a beer, citrus and chili-infused butter sauce scented with aromatic herbs.

The feel is causal – a neighborhood joint. Look for patio seating to be offered soon, which will open up additional tables and let the party spill outside. “When you are back there, you know that Broad Street is just outside, but in here it is going to be another world,” Marcus says.

Chef Michael Gulotta was the former Chef de Cuisine at August but made a name for himself with Mopho, a fusiony neighborhood spot by Delgado that mixed up Vietnamese and Creole cuisines with a lively bar scene. He has now built upon that success with Maypop, the creative extension of Mopho, which seeks in some ways to return back to his fine dining roots.

“Mopho has become such an established neighborhood place that we’ve found we can’t really change it up a whole lot, whereas with Maypop we have that flexibility for innovation.

We can be more creative,” Gulotta explains.

Here the menu is broader, drawing in a wide range of influences that extends into India (the Bib Lettuce Chaat) and even North Africa (Harissa Braised lamb with

fenugreek and anise seed).

The Chaat Salad is recommended, with an unassuming ranch-style dressing tweaked with coconut milk that will quickly win you over. The chutney made from local beets and candied citrus brings it back home. Another dish off the lunch menu is the Chilled Buckwheat Noodle Salad, a street-food staple base punched up with local blue crab, pickled mirliton, strawberries and green Szechuan peppercorns.

Fans of Dim Sum, who are likely sad and generally unsatisfied here in New Orleans, will be happy to know that Maypop has launched a weekend Dim Sum menu.

Try the Sticky Sesame Balls – rice dough stuffed with a spicy cane syrup sausage rolled in sesame seeds – crispy on the outside but with a chewy rice cake-like texture on the inside. “We’ll be rolling out the soup dumplings soon,” Gulotta says. Stay tuned for more. n

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asian fusion

Marjie’s Grill 320 S Broad St., Mid-City 603-2234 Lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Saturday MarjiesGrill.com ASIAN/SOUTHERN $$

Maypop 611 O’Keefe Ave., South Market 518-6345 Lunch and dinner daily MaypopRestaurant.com ASIAN FUSION $$$ myneworleans.com MAY 2017

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THE MENU | restaurant INSIDER

News From the Kitchens DTB, Bratz Y’all & Picayune Social House

By Robert Peyton

DTB The concept at DTB (Down the Bayou) is “coastal Cajun,” and as co-owners Jacob Naquin and chef Carl Schaubhut are both from Acadiana, they come to that concept honestly. A Commander’s Palace and Café Adelaide alum, Schaubhut and Chef de Cuisine Jacob Hammel bring inventive approaches to traditional dishes.

One dish that exemplifies this is the mushroom boudin balls, which are inadvertently vegan. They’re a mix of mushrooms, eggplant and rice served with smoked tofu mayonnaise and pickled collard greens, and I probably wouldn’t have tried them had the kitchen not sent an order out when I dined. I’m glad they did. It’s thoughtful and delicious, and something I’d order again.

The menu is divided into Sociables, T-Plates, Beaucoup Plates and Lagniappe. The interior design is by Valerie Legras and architect Brooks Graham, and it manages to pull off a “modern yet rustic” feel.

The bar program is managed by Lu Brow, another alumnus of Café Adelaide. Try the Louisiana Cocktail, featuring rye, Peychaud’s bitters, amaro and a mist of pecan oil – it was a bit sweet, a little bitter, and altogether good. DTB, 8201 Oak St., is open for dinner nightly 5 to 10 p.m.; weekly happy hour starts at 3 pm; 518-6899, DTBNola.com.

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Bratz Y’all

Picayune Social House

New Orleans has a significant German heritage, but until recently, we lacked a real German restaurant. Now that Bratz Y’all is open in the Bywater, that’s changed.

It’s a casual space, more of a beer garden than a restaurant. There’s no table service; one orders at a counter in the 25-seat dining room, or at a window opening onto the patio, where picnic tables provide 60 or so additional seats. Chef Sven Vorkauf met his wife in New Orleans while visiting friends in 2007, and the couple moved here in 2010. In 2012 he started selling sausages at events and festivals, and opened Bratz Y’all in March.

The menu is German to the core; the only nod to “local” cuisine is the Nola Schnitzel sandwich, a breaded pork loin cutlet topped with crawfish remoulade slaw, served on a muffaletta bun. The sausages are made inhouse, as are the pretzels, and there’s also a selection of German wines, beers (on tap and in bottles) and “traditional German shots,” which include caraway schnapps, Goldwasser and several fruit brandies.

I’ve sampled the bratwurst platter, sauerkraut, creamy, dill-laced potato salad, potato dumplings, and sweet and sour slaw with caraway. Everything was excellent. Bratz Y’all, 617-B Piety St., is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 to 11; 301-3222.

Picayune Social House recently opened on Camp street, in a space that once housed the Picayune newspaper, a precursor to the Times-Picayune. Chris Demers, who developed the restaurant’s concept, described it as a gastropub, but that doesn’t mean food won’t be a serious focus. The Picayune will, for example, be one of the only restaurants in town with a true tandoor oven. The tandoor is, traditionally, used in Indian cooking, and Demers told me that naan bread will be on the menu, but Chef Lacoste was enthusiastic about using the super-hot clay oven for a variety of items, ranging from skewers of meat and vegetables to whole fish or lamb chops.

The beverage program will focus on the classics; there will be wines available by the glass or bottle, and a selection of mainly local beers on tap, in bottles or cans. Cocktails, too, will be more “classic” than “craft.” Manager Ryan Fairman told me their focus will be on doing the standards correctly, and there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s a reason certain cocktails are “classic,” after all. The Picayune Social, 326 Camp St., open daily from 11 to 11; 308-3584.

jeffery johnston PHOTOGRAPHs

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THE MENU | Last Call

May Showers Bring…

The Paloma—a Mexican favorite

By Tim McNally

Of course, the old saying refers to flowers, which are nice, but in spring in New Orleans, there is a preference for a well-made, balanced cocktail. And we have the research, gathered every day, to prove it.

May’s weather is incredible; mostly sunny with mild temperatures, however, we know what’s coming. So, let’s enjoy what we have now.

That enjoyment could include a trip to one of Metairie’s finest and most consistent restaurants, Boulevard American Bistro, which went to great lengths to create the Paloma, one of its signature cocktails.

Boulevard has always relied on topquality ingredients. The same attention to quality is at work in the club-like bar, a destination in itself or a perfect place for a beverage to start the dining experience.

Mover over Margarita! The Paloma is served in several drinking places. We think Boulevard’s is among the best, in Mayo or any other month.

t

The Paloma

2 oz Patron Silver 3 oz Grapefruit 1 oz agave nectar One squeeze of fresh lime juice 8 pink peppercorns Combine all ingredients in a tin.

Shake. Strain. Serve!

As prepared and served at Boulevard American Bistro, 4241 Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Metairie, 889-2301, boulevardbistro.com.

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SARA ESSEX BRADLY PHOTOGRAPH

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THE MENU | DINING GUIDE

H= New Orleans Magazine award winner | $ = Average entrée price | $ = $5-10

American

Zea’s Rotisserie and Grill Multiple Locations, ZeaRestaurants.com. L, D daily.

Drawing from a wide range of worldly influences, this popular restaurant serves a variety of grilled items as well as appetizers, salads, side dishes, seafood, pasta and other entrées. Also offers catering services. $$$

Bywater Elizabeth’s 601 Gallier St., 944-9272, ElizabethsRestaurantNola.com. B, L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat, Br Sat-Sun. This eclectic local restaurant draws rave reviews for its praline bacon and distinctive Southern-inspired brunch specials. $$$ Satsuma Café 3218 Dauphine St., 3045962, SatsumaCafe.com. B, L daily (until 5 p.m.). Offers healthy, inspired breakfast and lunch fare, along with freshly squeezed juices. $

carrollton Bourré 1510 S. Carrollton Ave., 510-4040.

L, D Tue-Sun. “Elevated” street food along with quality daiquiris and reconsidered wings are the draw at this newcomer from the team behind Boucherie. $$

New Orleans flair, the adjacent Polo Club Lounge offers live music nightly. Jazz Brunch on Sunday. $$$$$ Manning’s 519 Fulton St., 593-8118. L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Born of a partnership between New Orleans’ First Family of Football and Harrah’s Casino, Manning’s offers sports bar fans a step up in terms of comfort and quality. With a menu that draws on both New Orleans and the Deep South, traditional dishes get punched up with inspired but accessible twists in surroundings accented by both memorabilia and local art. $$$ Pete’s Pub Intercontinental Hotel, 444 St. Charles Ave., 525-5566, IcNewOrleans.com/ dining/petes_pub. D Mon-Fri. Casual fare and adult beverages are served in this pub on the ground floor. $$ Q&C Hotel/Bar 344 Camp St., 587-9700, QandC.com. B, D daily, L Fri-Sun. Newly renovated boutique hotel offering a small plates menu with tempting choices such as a Short Rib Poor Boy and Lobster Mac and Cheese to complement their sophisticated craft cocktails. $$

H Root 21800 Magazine St., 309-7800,

Satsuma Maple 7901 Maple St., 309-5557, SatsumaCafe.com. B, L daily (until 5 p.m.).

Offers healthy, inspired breakfast and lunch fare, along with freshly squeezed juices. $

RootNola.com. L, D Tue-Sat. Chef Philip Lopez opened Root in November 2011 and has garnered a loyal following for his modernist, eclectic cuisine. $$$$

CITY PARK

H Restaurant August 301 Tchoupitoulas

Café NOMA 1 Collins Diboll Circle, NO Museum of Art, City Park, 482-1264, CafeNoma.com. L, (snacks) Tue-Sun. Sleek bar and café in the ground floor of museum offers a thoughtful array of snacks, sandwiches and small plates that are sure to enchant, with a kids’ menu to boot. $$

CBD/Warehouse District The Grill Room Windsor Court Hotel, 300 Gravier St., 522-6000, GrillRoomNewOrleans.com. B, L, D daily, Br Sun. Featuring modern American cuisine with a distinctive

St., 299-9777, RestaurantAugust.com. L Fri, D daily. James Beard Award-winning chef John Besh’s menu is based on classical techniques of Louisiana cuisine and produce with a splash of European flavor set in an historic carriage warehouse. $$$$$ Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar 1009 Poydras St., 309-6530, Walk-Ons.com. L, D, daily.

Burger, sandwiches, wraps and more made distinctive with a Louisiana twist are served at this sports bar near the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. $$

$$ = $11-15

$$$ = $16-20

Warehouse Grille, 869 Magazine St., 3222188, WarehouseGrille.com. L, D daily, Br Fri-Sat. Creative fare served in an art-filled environment. Try the lamb spring rolls. $$ Wolfe’s in the Warehouse 859 Convention Center Blvd., 613-2882. B, L, D daily. Chef Tom Wolfe brings his refined cuisine to the booming Fulton Street corridor. $$$

Downtown The Grill 540 Chartres St., 522-1800. B, L, D daily. A diner with local character staffed by local characters. $

Faubourg Marigny Langlois 1710 Pauger St., 934-1010, LangloisNola.com. L Fri-Sat, D Wed-Sun. *Reservations only Supper club and boutique cooking school in the Marigny serves up culturally informed, farm-to-table fare with the added bonus of instruction. Open kitchen and convivial atmosphere add up to a good time. $$$ The Marigny Brasserie 640 Frenchmen St., 945-4472, MarignyBrasserie.com. L, D daily. Chic neighborhood bistro with traditional dishes like the fried green tomatoes and innovative cocktails such as the cucumber Collins. $$$ Snug Harbor 626 Frenchman St., 9490696, SnugJazz.com. D daily. This jazz club serves cocktails and a dining menu loaded with steaks, seafood and meaty burgers served with loaded baked potatoes. $$$$

French Quarter

Angeline 1032 Chartres St., 308-3106, AngelineNola.com. B Mon-Thu, D daily, Br Sat-Sun,. Modern southern with a fine dining focus is the hallmark of this bistro tucked away in a quiet end of the French Quarter. Southern Fried Quail and Duck Confit Ravoli represent the style. $$$ Continental Provisions 110 N Peters St., Stall 23, 407-3437. Open daily. Artisan purveyors including Bellegarde Bakery,

t

$$$$ = $21-25

$$$$$ = $25 and up

St. James Cheese Co. and Cleaver & Company team up to reclaim a foothold for quality food in the tourist Ground Zero of the French Market. Sandwiches, breads, cheeses and more. $$ Hard Rock Café 125 Bourbon St., 5295617, HardRock.com. L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Local outpost of this global brand serves burgers, café fare and drinks in their rock memorabilia-themed environs. $$ The Pelican Club 312 Exchange Place, 523-1504, PelicanClub.com. D daily. Serves an eclectic mix of hip food, from the seafood “martini” to clay-pot barbecued shrimp and a trio of duck. Three dining rooms available. $$$$$ Rib Room Omni Royal Orleans Hotel, 621 St. Louis St., 529-7046, RibRoomNewOrleans.com. B, D daily, L Mon-Sat, Br Sun. Old World elegance and high ceilings, house classic cocktails and Anthony Spizale’s broad menu of prime rib, stunning seafood and on Sundays a jazz brunch. $$$

GARDEN DISTRICT Cheesecake Bistro by Copeland’s, 2001 St. Charles Ave., 593-9955, CopelandsCheesecakeBistro.com. L Mon-Fri, D daily, Br Sun. Shiny, contemporary bistro serves Cajun-fusion fare along with its signature decadent desserts. Good lunch value to boot. $$ District Donuts Sliders Brew, 2209 Magazine Street, 570-6945, DonutsAndSliders. com. B, L, D daily. Creative sliders (hello, pork belly) and super-creative donuts (think root beer float) are the hallmarks of this next-generation café. $

Metairie Boulevard American Bistro 4241 Veterans Memorial Blvd., 889-2301. L, D daily.

Classic American cuisine including steaks, chops and more is augmented by regional favorites like Boulevard Oysters at this Metairie bistro. $$$

New Orleans Social Club Opens

746 Tchoupitoulas St. The New Orleans Social House (NOSH) is opening this month in the Warehouse District. Located at the corner of Tchoupitoulas and Julia streets, the renovated space is designed to be an easy spot to drop in to meet friends, have a quick drink or a nightcap.

The small-plate cuisine can be a full meal or a snack, with dishes including Peruvian Ceviche, Lobster Tacos , Chocolate Pot de Crème and Crème Caramel. There is also live music and an extensive wine, beer and spirits menu. – Mirella Cameran

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cheryl gerber photograph

café B 2700 Metairie Road, 934-4700, cafeB.com. D daily, L Mon-Fri. Br Sun. Ralph Brennan offers New American bistro fare with a Louisiana twist at this family-friendly neighborhood spot. $$$ Caffe! Caffe! 3547 N. Hullen St., 267-9190.

B, L Mon-Sat. & 4301 Clearview Parkway, 885-4845. B, L daily; D Mon-Sat. CaffeCaffe. com Healthy, refreshing meal options combine with gourmet coffee and espresso drinks to create a tasteful retreat for Metairie diners at a reasonable price. Try the egg white spinach wrap. $ Heritage Grill 111 Veterans Memorial Blvd., 934-4900, HeritageGrillMetairie.com.

L Mon-Fri. This lunch-only destination caters to the office crowd and offers a freshly squeezed juice menu to go along with its regular menu and express two-course lunch. $$ Martin Wine Cellar 714 Elmeer Ave., 8967300, MartinWineCellar.com. Wine by the glass or bottle to go with daily lunch specials, towering burgers, hearty soups and salads and giant, deli-style sandwiches. $ Vega Tapas Café 2051 Metairie Road, 836-2007, VegaTapasCafe.com. D Mon-Sat, Br Sun. Innovative establishment offers fresh seafood, grilled meats and vegetarian dishes in a chic environment. Daily chef specials showcase unique ingredients and make this place a popular destination for dates as well as groups of friends. $$

Mid-City Parkway Bakery and Tavern 538 Hagan Ave., 482-3047, ParkwayPoorBoys.com. L, D Wed-Mon. Featured on national TV and having served poor boys to presidents, it stakes a claim to some of the best sandwiches in town. Their french fry version with gravy and cheese is a classic at a great price. $

NORTHSHORE Dakota 629 N. Highway 190, (985) 8923712, TheDakotaRestaurant.com. L Tue-Fri, D Mon-Sat. A sophisticated dining experience with generous portions. $$$$$

Riverbend Carrollton Market 8132 Hampson St., 252-9928, CarrolltonMarket.com. L SatSun, D Tue-Sat. Modern Southern cuisine manages to be both fun and refined at this tasteful boîte. $$$

Uptown Audubon Clubhouse 6500 Magazine St., 212-5282, AudubonInstitute.org. B, L TueSat, Br Sun. A kid-friendly menu with local tweaks and a casually upscale sandwich and salad menu. $$ Camellia Grill 626 S. Carrollton Ave., 3092679. B, L, D daily. A venerable diner whose essential character has remained intact and many of the original waiters have returned.

Credit cards are now accepted. $ GG’s Dine-O-Rama 3100 Magazine St., 373-6579, GGsNewOrleans.com. B, L Tue-

Sun. Upscale-casual restaurant serves a variety of specialty sandwiches, salads and wraps, like the Chicago-style hot dog and the St. Paddy’s Day Massacre, chef Gotter’s take on the Rueben. $$ Martin Wine Cellar 3827 Baronne St., 8997411, MartinWine.com. Wine by the glass or bottle with cheeses, salads, sandwiches and snacks. $ Slim Goodies 3322 Magazine St., 891 EGGS (3447), SlimGoodiesDiner.com. B, L daily. This diner offers an exhaustive menu heavily influenced by local cuisine. Try the Creole Slammer, a breakfast platter rounded out by crawfish étouffée. The laid-back vibe is best enjoyed on the patio out back. $ Stein’s Market and Deli 2207 Magazine St., 527-0771, SteinsDeli.net. B, L Tue-Sun. New York City meets New Orleans. The Reuben and Rachel sandwiches are the real deal and the half-sours and pickled tomatoes complete the deli experience. $ Surrey’s Café and Juice Bar 1418 Magazine St., 524-3828; 4807 Magazine St., 895-5757, SurreysCafeAndJuiceBar.com. B, L daily. Laid-back café focuses on breakfast and brunch dishes to accompany freshly squeezed juice offerings. Health-food lovers will like it here, along with fans of favorites such as peanut butter and banana pancakes. $$

Tracey’s Irish Restaurant & Bar 2604 Magazine St., 897-5413, TraceysNola.com.

L, D daily. A neighborhood bar with one of the best messy roast beef poor boys in town. The gumbo, cheeseburger poor boy and other sandwiches are also winners.

Grab a local Abita beer to wash it all down.

Also a great location to watch the game. $

H Upperline 1413 Upperline St., 891-9822, Upperline.com. D Wed-Sun. Consummate hostess JoAnn Clevenger and talented chef Dave Bridges make for a winning combination at this nationally heralded favorite. The oft-copied fried green tomatoes with shrimp remoulade originated here. $$$$

H Wayfare 4510 Freret St., 309-0069, WayfareNola.com. L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Creative sandwiches and southern-inspired small plates. $$ Ye Olde College Inn 3000 S. Carrollton Ave., 866-3683, CollegeInn1933.com. D TueSat. Serves up classic fare, albeit with a few upscale dishes peppering the menu. $$$

Asian Fusion/Pan Asian

Little Tokyo Multiple locations, LittleTokyoNola.com. L, D daily. Multiple locations of this popular Japanese sushi and hibachi chain make sure that there’s always a specialty roll within easy reach. $$

Bywater Red’s Chinese 3048 St. Claude Ave., 304-6030, RedsChinese.com. L, D daily.

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Assertive, in-your-face Chinese fare by chef Tobias Womack, an alum of Danny Bowien’s Mission Chinese. The Kung Pao Pastrami and General’s Chicken are good options. $$

mari is a tasty way to begin the meal, and their creative sushi rolls are good. Private dining rooms available. $$

CBD/Warehouse District

B, L, D daily. Roasted quail and the beef pho rule at this Vietnamese outpost. $$

Rock-N-Sake 823 Fulton St., 581-7253, RockNSake.com. L Fri, D Tue-Sun, late night Fri-Sat. Fresh sushi and contemporary takes on Japanese favorites in an upbeat, casual setting. $$$

Faubourg Marigny Bao and Noodle 2700 Charters St., 2720004, BaoAndNoodle.com. L, D Tue-Sat. Housemade noodles and a more authentic take on Chinese fare sets this neighborhood startup apart. Try the soup dumplings if available $$

French Quarter V Sushi 821 Iberville St., 609-2291, VSushiMartini.com. D daily, late-night. Creative rolls and a huge list of fusion dishes keep party-lovers going late into the night at this combination sushi and martini bar. $$$

Garden District Hoshun Restaurant 1601 St. Charles Ave., 302-9716, HoshunRestaurant.com. L, D daily. Offers a wide variety of Asian cuisines, primarily dishes culled from China, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia. Five-pepper cala-

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Gretna H Tan Dinh 1705 Lafayette St., 361-8008.

Kenner Little Chinatown 3800 Williams Blvd., 305-0580, LittleChinatown.net. L, D daily.

One of the city’s best Chinese restaurants is secreted away on William’s Boulevard in Kenner. Try the roast duck or roast pork, either one is terrific, as well as their short menu of authentic dishes that (for the most part) avoid Americanized Chinese fare. $$

Lakeview Lakeview Pearl 6300 Canal St., 309-5711, LakeviewPearl.com. L, D Mon-Sat. A long list of specialty rolls rounds out the offerings of this Asian-Fusion restaurant. $$

Metairie CoNola Grill & Sushi 619 Pink St., 8370055, CoNolaGrillSushi.com. L, D Tue-Sun. Eclectic cafe with DNA from both Sun Ray Grill and Aloha Sushi Bar puts out southerninspired fare backed by an Americanized sushi menu, a kids menu and more. Along with a Sunday brunch, there’s something for everyone at this independent restau-

rant. $$$

appeal. $$$

H Royal China 600 Veterans Blvd.,

Riverbend H Ba Chi Canteen 7900 Maple St., 373-

831-9633. L daily, D Tue-Sun. Popular and family-friendly Chinese restaurant is one of the few places around that serves dim sum. $$

MARRERO

5628. L, D Mon-Sat. The kitchen plays fast and loose with Vietnamese fare at this eclectic outpost on Maple Street. Try the caramelized pork “Baco”. $

Daiwa, 5033 Lapalco Blvd., 875-4203, DaiwaSushi.com. L, D daily. Japanese destination on the Westbank serves an impressive and far-ranging array of creative fusion fare. $$$

H Chill Out Café 729 Burdette St.,

Mid-City H Café Minh 4139 Canal St., 482-6266,

Uptown

CafeMinh.com. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Chef Minh Bui and Cynthia Vutran bring a fusion touch to Vietnamese cuisine with French accents and a contemporary flair. $$ Five Happiness 3605 S. Carrollton Ave., 482-3935, FiveHappiness.com. L, D daily.

This longtime Chinese favorite offers up an extensive menu including its beloved mu shu pork and house-baked duck. $$

H MoPho 514 City Park Ave., 482-6845, MoPhoNola.com. L, D Wed-Mon. Vietnamese cuisine meets southern Louisiana in this upscale casual hybrid by chef Michael Gulotta. Mix-and-match pho and an interesting poor boy menu rounds out the

872-9628. B, L daily, D Mon-Sat. Thai food and breakfast favorites like waffles and pancakes can both be had at this affordable college-friendly hangout. $ Chiba 8312 Oak St., 826-9119, Chiba-Nola. com. L Wed-Sat, D Mon-Sat. Contemporary restaurant features fresh, exotic fish from all over the world and fusion fare to go along with typical Japanese options. Extensive sake list and late night happy hours are a plus. $$$

H Jung’s Golden Dragon 3009 Magazine St., 891-8280, JungsChinese.com. L, D daily.

This Chinese destination is a real find. Along with the usual, you’ll find spicy cold noodle dishes and dumplings. One of the few local Chinese places that breaks the Americanized mold. $

H Magasin 4201 Magazine St., 896-7611, MagasinCafe.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Pho, banh

mi and vegetarian options are offered at this attractive and budget-friendly Vietnamese restaurant. Café sua da is available as well. $

WEST BANK Nine Roses 1100 Stephen St., 366-7665, NineRosesResturant.com. L, D Sun-Tue, Thu-Sat. The extensive Vietnamese menu specializes in hot pots, noodles and dishes big enough for everyone to share. $$

CBD/Warehouse District H Merchant 800 Common St., 571-9580, MerchantNewOrleans.com. B, L daily. Illy coffee and creative crêpes, sandwiches and more are served at this sleek and contemporary café on the ground floor of the Merchant Building. $

City Park

grits. $$

Morning Call 56 Dreyfous Drive, City Park, 885-4068, NewOrleansCityPark.com/ in-the-park/morning-call. 24 hours a day; cash-only. Chicory coffee and beignets coated with powdered sugar make this the quintessential New Orleans coffee shop. $

Barbecue

Red Gravy 4125 Camp St., 561-8844, RedGravy.com. B, Br, L, Wed-Mon. Farmto-table Italian restaurant offers a creative array of breakfast items such as Cannoli Pancakes and Skillet Cakes, as well as delectable sandwiches and more for lunch.

Homemade pastas and authentic Tuscan specialties round out the menu. $$

Faubourg Marigny H Ruby Slipper Café 2001 Burgundy St.,

H Ruby Slipper Café 200 Magazine

Mid-City

CC’s Coffee House Multiple locations in New Orleans, Metairie and Northshore, CCsCoffee.com. Coffeehouse specializing in coffee, espresso drinks and pastries. $

St., 525-9355; 1005 Canal St., 525-9355, TheRubySlipperCafe.net. B, L daily, Br Sun. Homegrown chain specializes in breakfast, lunch and brunch dishes with unique local twists such as bananas Foster French toast and barbecue shrimp and grits. $$

BROADMOOR

CARROLLTON

Gracious Bakery + Café 1000 S. Jeff Davis Parkway, Suite 100, 301-3709, GraciousBakery.com. B, L daily. Boutique bakery on the ground floor of the Woodward Building offers small-batch coffee, baked goods, individual desserts and sandwiches on breads made in-house. Catering options available. $

Bakery/Breakfast

Café du Monde Multiple Locations, CafeDuMonde.com. This New Orleans institution has been serving fresh café au lait, rich hot chocolate and positively addictive beignets since 1862 in the French Market 24/7. $

Gracious to Go 7220 Earhart Blvd., 3013709, GraciousBakery.com. B Mon-Fri. Quick-service outpost of Gracious Bakery + Café serves artisan pastries, locally roasted coffee and grab-and-go sandwiches to meet the needs of commuters. Onsite parking a plus. $

Breads on Oak, 8640 Oak St., 324-8271, BreadsOnOak.com. B, L Wed-Sun. Artisan bakeshop tucked away near the levee on Oak Street serves breads, sandwiches, gluten-free and vegan-friendly options. $

525-9355, TheRubySlipperCafe.net. B, L daily, Br Sun. Homegrown chain specializes in breakfast, lunch and brunch dishes with unique local twists such as bananas Foster French toast and barbecue shrimp and grits. $$

H Ruby Slipper Café 139 S. Cortez St., 525-9355, TheRubySlipperCafe.net. B, L daily, Br Sun. Homegrown chain specializes in breakfast, lunch and brunch dishes with unique local twists such as bananas Foster French toast and barbecue shrimp and

Bywater

The Joint 701 Mazant St., 949-3232, AlwaysSmokin.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Some of the city’s best barbecue can be had at this locally owned and operated favorite. $

French Quarter BB King’s Blues Club 1104 Decatur St., 934-5464, BBKings.com/new-orleans. L, D daily. New Orleans outpost of music club named for the famed blues musician features a menu loaded with BBQ and southern-inspired specialties. Live music and late hours are a big part of the fun. $$$

Lower Garden District Voodoo BBQ 1501 St. Charles Ave., 522-4647, VoodooBBQAndGrill.com. L, D daily. Diners are never too far from this homegrown barbecue chain that features an array of specialty sauces to accompany its smoked meats and seafood. $$

Metairie Voodoo BBQ 2740 Severn Ave., 353-4227, VoodooBBQAndGrill.com. L, D daily. Diners are never too far from this homegrown barbecue chain that features an array of specialty sauces to accompany its smoked meats and seafood. $$

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DINING GUIDE Burgers

French Quarter Bayou Burger, 503 Bourbon St., 529-4256, SportsBarNewOrleans.com. L, D daily.

Sports bar in the thick of Bourbon Street scene distinguishes its fare with choices like Crawfish Beignets and Gator Bites. $$ Port of Call 838 Esplanade Ave., 523-0120, PortOfCallNola.com. L, D daily. It is all about the big, meaty burgers and giant baked potatoes in this popular bar/restaurant – unless you’re cocktailing only, then it’s all about the Monsoons. $$

Lakeview Lakeview Harbor 911 Harrison Ave., 4864887. L, D daily. Burgers are the name of the game at this restaurant. Daily specials, pizza and steaks are offered as well. $

Riverbend H Cowbell 8801 Oak St., 298-8689, Cowbell-Nola.com. L, D Tue-Sat. Burgers and homemade sauces on potato rolls are the specialty here, along with other favorites like skirt steak. $$

Uptown H The Company Burger 4600 Freret St., 267-0320, TheCompanyBurger.com. L, D daily. Custom-baked butter-brushed buns and fresh-ground beef patties make all the difference at this excellent burger hotspot.

Draft beer and craft cocktails round out the appeal. $

French

Faubourg St. John H Café Degas 3127 Esplanade Ave., 945-5635, CafeDegas.com. L, D Wed-Sat, Br Sun. Salad Niçoise, Hanger steak and frites are served in a lovely enclosed courtyard at this jewel of a French bistro. $$

French Quarter Broussard’s, 819 Conti St., 581-3866, Broussards.com. D daily, Br Sun. CreoleFrench institution also offers beautiful courtyard seating. $$$$

H Marti’s 1041 Dumaine St., 522-5478, MartisNola.com. L Fri, D daily. Classic French cuisine, small plates and chilled

seafood platters like Grand Plateau Fruits De Mer are the calling cards for this restaurant with an elegant “Old World” feel. $$$

Lacombe H La Provence 25020 Highway 190, (985) 626-7662, LaProvenceRestaurant. com. D Wed-Sun, Br Sun. Chef John Besh upholds time-honored Provençal cuisine and rewards his guests with a true farm-life experience, from house-made preserves, charcuterie, herbs, kitchen gardens and eggs cultivated on the property. $$$$$

Metairie Chateau du Lac 2037 Metairie Road, 8313773, ChateauduLacBistro.com. L Tue-Fri, D Mon-Sat. This casual French bistro, run by chef-owner Jacques Saleun, offers up classic dishes such as escargot, coq au vin and blanquette de veau. $$$$

Uptown Bistro Daisy 5831 Magazine St., 899-6987, BistroDaisy.com. D Tue-Sat. Chef Anton Schulte and his wife Diane’s bistro serves creative and contemporary bistro fare in a romantic setting. The signature Daisy Salad is a favorite. $$$$

Gastropub Abita Springs

Abita Brew Pub 72011 Holly St., (985) 892-5837, AbitaBrewPub.com. L, D TueSun. Better-than-expected pub food in its namesake eatery. “Tasteful” tours available for visitors. $$

CBD/Warehouse District Gordon Biersch 200 Poydras St., 5522739, GordonBiersch.com. L, D daily.

Local outpost of this popular chain serves specialty brews made on-site and crowdpleasing lunch and dinner fare. $$ Victory 339 Baronne St., 522-8664, VictoryNola.com. D daily. Craft cocktails served by owner and acclaimed bartender Daniel Victory, as well as refined small plates and gourmet pizza. $$

French Quarter H Cane & Table 1113 Decatur St., 581-1112, CaneAndTableNola.com. L Fri, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Open late, this chefdriven rustic colonial cuisine and rum and “proto-Tiki” cocktails make this a fun place to gather. $$

CoquetteNola.com. L Fri, D daily, Br Sun. The food is French in inspiration and technique, with added imagination from chef Michael and his partner Lillian Hubbard. $$$

Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar and Bistro 720 Orleans Ave., 523-1930, OrleansGrapevine.com. D daily. Wine is the muse at this beautifully renovated bistro, which offers vino by the flight, glass and bottle.

A classic menu with an emphasis on local cuisine. $$$

H La Crêpe Nanou 1410 Robert St., 899-

H Patrick’s Bar Vin 730 Bienville St.,

H Coquette 2800 Magazine St., 265-0421,

2670, LaCrepeNanou.com. D daily, Br Sun. Classic French bistro fare, including terrific moules and decadent dessert crêpes, are served nightly at this neighborhood institution. $$$ La Petite Grocery 4238 Magazine St., 891-3377, LaPetiteGrocery.com. L Tue-Sat, D daily, Br Sun. Elegant dining in a convivial atmosphere. The menu is heavily French-inspired with an emphasis on technique. $$$ Lilette 3637 Magazine St., 895-1636, LiletteRestaurant.com. L Tue-Sat, D Mon-Sat. Chef John Harris’ innovative menu draws discerning diners to this highly regarded bistro. Desserts are wonderful as well. $$$$$

200-3180, PatricksBarVin.com. D daily. This oasis of a wine bar offers terrific selections by the bottle and glass. Small plates are served as well. $$

Lower Garden District The Tasting Room 1906 Magazine St., 581-3880, TTRNewOrleans.com. D Tue-Sun. Flights of wine and sophisticated small plates are the calling cards for this wine bar near Coliseum Square. $$

Mid-City Trèo 3835 Tulane Ave., 304-4878, TreoNola.com. L Fri-Sat, D daily. Craft cocktail bar also serves a short but excellent small plates menu to accompany its artfully

t

composed libations. $$

Uptown The Avenue Pub 1732 St. Charles Ave., 586-9243, TheAvenuePub.com. Kitchen open 24/7. With more than 43 rotating draft beers, this pub also offers food, including a cheese plate from St. James Cheese Co. and the “Pub Burger.” Counter service only. $ Bouligny Tavern 3641 Magazine St., 891-1810, BoulignyTavern.com. D Mon-Sat. Carefully curated small plates, inventive cocktails and select wines are the focus of this stylish offshoot of John Harris’s nationally acclaimed Lilette. $$ The Delachaise 3442 St. Charles Ave., 8950858, TheDelaichaise.com. D daily. Cuisine elevated to the standards of the libations is the draw at this lively wine bar and gastropub. Food is grounded in French bistro fare with eclectic twists. $$

Italian

Avondale H Mosca’s 4137 Highway 90 West, 4368950, MoscasRestaurant.com. D Tue-Sat. Italian institution dishes out massive portions of great food, family-style. Good bets are the shrimp Mosca and chicken à la grande. Cash only. $$$

Bywater H Mariza 2900 Charters St., 598-5700, MarizaNewOrleans.com. D Tue-Sat. An Italian-inspired restaurant by chef Ian Schnoebelen features a terrific raw bar, house-cured charcuterie and an array of refined adult beverages served in the industrial/contemporary setting on the ground floor of the Rice Mills lofts. $$$

CBD/Warehouse District H Domenica The Roosevelt Hotel, 123 Baronne St., 648-6020, DomenicaRestaurant.com. L, D daily. Chef Alon Shaya serves authentic, regional Italian cuisine.

The menu of thin, lightly topped pizzas, artisanal salumi and cheese, and a carefully chosen selection of antipasti, pasta and entrées features locally raised products, some from chef John Besh’s Northshore

New Sala at the Lakefront

124 Lake Marina Avenue, 513-2670, SalaNola.com Sala means living room in Spanish, an appropriate name for the new lakefront restaurant from the Riccobono family.

The contemporary seafood restaurant has beautiful views over Lake Pontchartrain, and a comfortable, upscale vibe. A diverse menu is offered, along with great wines and cocktails.

Open for brunch, dinner and late-night service. – M.C.

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farm. $$$$ Tommy’s Cuisine 746 Tchoupitoulas St., 581-1103, TommysNewOrleans.com. D daily. Classic Creole-Italian cuisine is the name of the game at this upscale eatery.

Appetizers include the namesake oysters Tommy, baked in the shell with Romano cheese, pancetta and roasted red pepper. $$$$$

French Quarter Café Giovanni 117 Decatur St., 529-2154, CafeGiovanni.com. D daily. Live opera singers three nights a week. A selection of Italian specialties tweaked with a Creole influence and their Belli Baci happy hour adds to the atmosphere. $$$$ Chartres House, 601 Chartres St., 5868383, ChartresHouse.com. L, D daily. This iconic French Quarter bar serves terrific Mint Juleps and Gin Fizzes in its picturesque courtyard and balcony settings. Also famous for its fried green tomatoes and other local favorite dishes. $$$ Irene’s Cuisine 539 St. Philip St., 5298881. D Mon-Sat. Long waits at the lively piano bar are part of the appeal of this Creole-Italian favorite beloved by locals.

Try the oysters Irene and crabmeat gratin appetizers. $$$$

H Italian Barrel 430 Barracks St., 5690198, ItalianBarrel.com. L, D daily. Northern Italian dishes like Braciola di Maiale as well as an exhaustive pasta menu tempt

here at this local favorite that also offers al fresco seating. $$$ Muriel’s Jackson Square 801 Chartres St., 568-1885, Muriels.com. L, D daily, Br SatSun. Enjoy pecan-crusted drum and other local classics while dining in the courtyard bar or any other room in this labyrinthine, rumored-to-be-haunted establishment. $$$$ Napoleon House 500 Chartres St., 5249752, NapoleonHouse.com. L Mon-Sat, D Tue-Sat. Originally built in 1797 as a respite for Napoleon, this family-owned Europeanstyle café serves local favorites gumbo, jambalaya and muffulettas, and for sipping, a Sazerac or lemony Pimm’s Cup are perfect accompaniments. $$ Ralph Brennan’s Red Fish Grill 115 Bourbon St., 598-1200, RedFishGrill.com. L, D daily. Chef Austin Kirzner cooks up a broad menu peppered with local favorites such as barbecue oysters, blackened redfish and double-chocolate bread pudding. $$$$$ Arnaud’s Remoulade 309 Bourbon St., 523-0377, Remoulade.com. L, D daily.

Granite-topped tables and an antique mahogany bar are home to the eclectic menu of famous shrimp Arnaud, red beans and rice and poor boys as well as specialty burgers, grilled all-beef hot dogs and thincrust pizza. $$

H R’evolution 777 Bienville St., 553-2277, RevolutionNola.com. L Fri, D daily, Br

Sun. An opulent place that combines the local flavors of chef John Folse with the more cosmopolitan influence of chef Rick Tramonto. Chef de cuisine Chris Lusk and executive sous chef Erik Veney are in charge of day-to-day operations, which include house-made charcuterie, pastries, pastas and more. $$$$$

a house specialty. $$$

harahan

Ralph’s On The Park 900 City Park Ave., 488-1000, RalphsOnThePark.com. Br Sun, L Tue-Fri, D daily. A modern interior and contemporary Creole dishes such as City Park salad, turtle soup, barbecue Gulf shrimp and good cocktails. $$$$

Oak Oven 6625 Jefferson Highway, Harahan, 305-4039, OakOvenRestaurant.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Wood-fired pizza and seasonal Italian cuisine with a locavore philosophy brings respite to the burbs. Family friendly with patio seating to boot. $$

Metairie H Andrea’s Restaurant 3100 19th St., 834-8583, AndreasRestaurant.com. L MonSat, D daily, Br Sun. Osso buco and homemade pastas in a setting that’s both elegant and intimate; off-premise catering. $$$ Semolina 4436 Veterans Blvd., Suite 37, 454-7930, Semolina.com. L, D daily. This casual, contemporary pasta restaurant takes a bold approach to cooking Italian food, emphasizing flavors, texture and color. Many of the dishes feature a signature Louisiana twist, such as the muffuletta pasta and pasta jambalaya. $$ Vincent’s Italian Cuisine 4411 Chastant St., 885-2984, Metairie, VicentsItalianCuisine.com. L Tue-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Snug Italian boîte packs them in, yet manages to remain intimate at the same time. The cannelloni is

Mid-City H Liuzza’s 3636 Bienville St., 482-9120, Liuzzas.com. L, D daily. Classic neighborhood joint serves favorites like the “Frenchuletta,” stuffed artichokes and andouille gumbo. Kid’s menu offered. $$

NORTHSHORE H Del Porto Ristorante 501 E. Boston St., (985) 875-1006, DelPortoRistorante.com. L, D Tue-Sat. One of the Northshore’s premier fine dining destinations serving Italian food that makes use of locally sourced meats and produce. $$$

Uptown Amici 3218 Magazine St., 300-1250, AmiciNola.com. L, D daily. Coal-fired pizza is the calling card for this destination, but the menu offers an impressive list of authentic and Creole Italian specialties as well. $$ Pascal’s Manale 1838 Napoleon Ave., 895-4877, PascalsManale.com. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Vintage neighborhood restaurant since 1913 and the place to go for the creation of barbecued shrimp. Its oyster bar serves icy cold, freshly shucked Louisiana oysters and the Italian specialties and

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DINING GUIDE steaks are also solid. $$$$ Vincent’s Italian Cuisine 7839 St. Charles Ave., 866-9313, VicentsItalianCuisine. com. L Tue-Fri, D Tue-Sun. Snug Italian boîte packs them in yet manages to remain intimate at the same time. The cannelloni is a house specialty. $$$

Café Adelaide Loews New Orleans Hotel, 300 Poydras St., 595-3305, CafeAdelaide. com. B, L Mon-Fri, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. This offering from the Commander’s Palace family of restaurants has become a powerlunch favorite for business-people and politicos. Also features the Swizzle Stick Bar. $$$$

H Cochon 930 Tchoupitoulas St.,

Louisianian Fare

CBD/Warehouse District H Annunciation 1016 Annunciation St., 568-0245, AnnunciationRestaurant.com.

D Mon-Sat, Br Sun. Chef Steven Manning brings a refined sensibility to this refined Warehouse District oasis along with his famous fried oysters with melted brie. $$$ Balise 640 Carondelet St., 459-4449, BaliseNola.com. L Tue-Fri, D daily, Br SatSun. Chef Justin Devillier turns back the clock at this turn-of-the-century inspired bistro in the CBD. Decidedly masculine fare – think beef tartare with horseradish and pumpernickel – is carefully crafted and fits well alongside the excellent cocktail and beer list. $$$ Bon Ton Cafe 401 Magazine St., 524-3386, TheBonTonCafe.com. L, D Mon-Fri. A local favorite for the old-school business lunch crowd specializing in local seafood and Cajun dishes. $$$$

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588-2123, CochonRestaurant.com. L, D, Mon-Sat. Chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski showcase Cajun and Southern cuisine at this hot spot. Boudin and other pork dishes reign supreme here, along with Louisiana seafood and real moonshine from the bar. Reservations strongly recommended. $$ Drago’s Hilton Riverside Hotel, 2 Poydras St., 584-3911, DragosRestaurant.com. L, D daily. This famous seafooder specializes in charbroiled oysters, a dish they invented.

Great deals on fresh lobster as well. $$$$ Emeril’s 800 Tchoupitoulas St., 528-9393, EmerilsRestaurants.com. L Mon-Fri, D daily. The flagship of superstar chef Emeril Lagasse’s culinary empire, this landmark attracts pilgrims from all over the world. $$$$$

H Herbsaint 701 St. Charles Ave., 5244114, Herbsaint.com. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Enjoy a sophisticated cocktail before

sampling chef Donald Link’s menu that melds contemporary bistro fare with classic Louisiana cuisine. The banana brown butter tart is a favorite dessert. $$$$$ Mother’s 401 Poydras St., 523-9656, MothersRestaurant.net. B, L, D daily. Locals and tourists alike endure long queues and a confounding ordering system to enjoy iconic dishes such as the Ferdi poor boy and Jerry’s jambalaya. Come for a late lunch to avoid the rush. $$ Mulate’s 201 Julia St., 522-1492, Mulates. com. L, D daily. Live music and dancing add to the fun at this world-famous Cajun destination. $$

Central City Café Reconcile 1631 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 568-1157, CafeReconcile.org. L Mon-Fri. Good food for a great cause, this nonprofit on the burgeoning OCH corridor helps train at-risk youth for careers in the food service industry. $$

Darrow Café Burnside Houmas House Plantation, 40136 Highway 942, (225) 473-9380, HoumasHouse.com. L daily, Br Sun. Historic plantation’s casual dining option features dishes such as seafood pasta, fried catfish, crawfish and shrimp, gumbo and red beans and rice. $$

Latil’s Landing Houmas House Plantation, 40136 Highway 942, (225) 473-9380, HoumasHouse.com. D Wed-Sun. Nouvelle Louisiane, plantation-style cooking served in an opulent setting features dishes like rack of lamb and plume de veau. $$$$$

Faubourg Marigny Feelings Cafe, Bar and Courtyard Lounge 535 Franklin Ave, 446-0040, FeelingsCafeBar.com. D Tue-Sat, L Fri. The All New Feelings Marigny is a complete relaunch of the much beloved “Feelings Cafe”. Under the guidance of new ownership and Executive Chef Scott Maki, everything has been completely transformed into one of the most absolutely charming neighborhood restaurants in the area. Chef Maki’s emphasis on contemporary Creole-Louisiana fare is winning diners over from near and far.$$$$ Horn’s 1940 Dauphine St., Marigny, 4594676, HornsNola.com. B, L daily, D Thu-Sun. This casual, eclectic watering hole offers offbeat twists on classics (the Jewish Coonass features latkes to go with the crawfish etouffée) as well as the usual breakfast and lunch diner fare. $ Praline Connection 542 Frenchmen St., 943-3934, PralineConnection.com. L, D daily. Down-home dishes of smothered pork chops, greens, beans and cornbread are on the menu at this Creole soul restau-

rant. $$

French Quarter Acme Oyster House 724 Iberville St., 5225973, AcmeOyster.com. L, D daily. Known as one of the best places to eat oysters. $$

H Arnaud’s 813 Bienville St., 523-5433, ArnaudsRestaurant.com. D daily, Br Sun. Waiters in tuxedos prepare Café Brûlot tableside at this storied Creole grande dame; live jazz during Sun. brunch. $$$$$ Antoine’s 713 St. Louis St., 581-4422, Antoines.com. L, D Mon-Sat, Br Sun. This pinnacle of haute cuisine and birthplace of oysters Rockefeller is New Orleans’ oldest restaurant. (Every item is à la carte, with an $11 minimum.) Private dining rooms available. $$$$$

H The Bistreaux New Orleans Maison Dupuy Hotel, 1001 Toulouse St., 586-8000, MaisonDupuy.com/dining.html. B, L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Dishes ranging from the casual (truffle mac and cheese) to the upscale (tuna tasting trio) are served in an elegant courtyard. $$ The Bombay Club Prince Conti Hotel, 830 Conti St., 577-2237, TheBombayClub.com.

D daily. Popular martini bar with plush British décor features live music during the week and late dinner and drinks on weekends. Nouveau Creole menu includes items such as Bombay drum. $$$$ Café Maspero 601 Decatur St., 523-6250, CafeMaspero.com. L, D daily. Tourists line

up for their generous portions of seafood and large deli sandwiches. $

boys, including one featuring glazed pork belly. $

Court of Two Sisters 613 Royal St., 522-7261, CourtOfTwoSisters.com. Br, D daily. The historic environs make for a memorable outdoor dining experience. The famous daily Jazz Brunch buffet and classic Creole dishes sweeten the deal. $$$$$

K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen 416 Chartres St., 596-2530, ChefPaul.com/KPaul. L ThuSat, D Mon-Sat. Paul Prudhomme’s landmark restaurant helped introduce Cajun food to a grateful nation. Lots of seasoning and bountiful offerings, along with reserved seating, make this a destination for locals and tourists alike. $$$$

Criollo Hotel Monteleone, 214 Royal St., 681-4444, CriolloNola.com. B, L, D daily.

Next to the famous Carousel Bar in the historic Monteleone Hotel, Criollo represents an amalgam of the various cultures reflected in Louisiana cooking and cuisine, often with a slight contemporary twist. $$$

NOLA 534 St. Louis St., 522-6652, EmerilsRestaurants.com/Nola-Restaurant. L Thu-Mon, D daily. Emeril’s more affordable eatery, featuring cedar-plank-roasted redfish; private dining. $$$$$

Galatoire’s 209 Bourbon St., 525-2021, Galatoires.com. L, D Tue-Sun. Friday lunches are a New Orleans tradition at this world-famous French-Creole grand dame.

Tradition counts for everything here, and the crabmeat Sardou is delicious. Note: Jackets required for dinner and all day Sun. $$$$$

Richard Fiske’s Martini Bar & Restaurant, 301 Dauphine St., 586-0972, RichardFiskes.com. B, Bar Lunch daily. Just a few steps off of Bourbon Street you can find this relaxing bar featuring an innovative menu with dishes like Crawfish, Jalapeno-andBacon Mac and Cheese garnished with fried oysters. Live music a plus. $$$

House of Blues 225 Decatur St., 310-4999, HouseOfBlues.com/NewOrleans. L, D daily.

Surprisingly good menu complements music in the main room. World-famous Gospel Brunch every Sunday. Patio seating available. $$

Royal House, 441 Royal St., 528-2601, RoyalHouseRestaurant.com. L, D daily. B Sat and Sun. Poor boys, jambalaya and shrimp Creole are some of the favorites served here. Weekend breakfast and an oyster bar add to the crowd-pleasing appeal. $$$

Killer Poboys 811 Conti St., 252-6745, KillerPoboys.blogspot.com. L, D Wed-Mon. This quasi-popup operating out of the Erin Rose Bar serves some of the city’s best poor

SoBou 310 Chartres St., 552-4095, SoBouNola.com. B, L, D daily. There is something for everyone at this “Modern

Creole Saloon.” Decidedly unstuffy with an emphasis on craft cocktails and wines by the glass. Everything from $1 pork cracklins to an extravagant foie gras burger on accomplished yet eclectic menus. $$

H Tableau 616 S. Peter St., 934-3463, TableauFrenchQuarter.com. B Mon-Fri, L MonSat, D daily, Brunch Sat-Sun. Gulf seafood such as Redfish Bienville and classic Creole brunch dishes like eggs Hussard are the highlights of this Dickie Brennan restaurant that shares space with Le Petite Théâtre on the corner of Jackson Square. $$$

H Tujague’s 823 Decatur St., 525-8676, TujaguesRestaurant.com. L, D daily, Br SatSun. For more than 150 years this landmark restaurant has been offering Creole cuisine.

Favorites include a nightly six-course table d’hôté menu featuring a unique beef brisket with Creole sauce. $$$$$

Kenner Copeland’s 1319 W. Esplanade Ave., 617-9146, CopelandsofNewOrleans.com.

L, D daily, Br Sun. Al Copeland’s namesake chain includes favorites such as Shrimp Ducky. Popular for lunch. $$

Lakeview H Cava 789 Harrison Ave., 304-9034. D daily. Fine dining (and excellent wine list) at this high-end Cajun and Creole restaurant that makes customer service a big part of the experience. $$$

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DINING GUIDE

Metairie/Jefferson Acme Oyster House 3000 Veterans Blvd., 309-4056, AcmeOyster.com. L, D daily.

Known as one of the best places to eat oysters. $$ Austin’s 5101 W. Esplanade Ave., 8885533, AustinsNo.com. D Mon-Sat. Mr. Ed’s upscale bistro serves contemporary Creole fare, including seafood and steaks. $$$ Copeland’s 1001 S. Clearview Parkway, 620-7800; 701 Veterans Blvd., 831-3437, CopelandsofNewOrleans.com. L, D daily, Br Sun. Al Copeland’s namesake chain includes favorites such as Shrimp Ducky.

Popular for lunch. $$

and an exhaustive list of excellent à la carte sides make this restaurant a carnivore’s delight. $$$

ClancysNewOrleans.com. L Thu-Fri, D MonSat. Their Creole-inspired menu has been a favorite of locals for years. $$$

for a good appetizer and when the weather is right the romantic patio is the place to sit. $$$$

Upper 9th Ward

Commander’s Palace 1403 Washington Ave., 899-8221, CommandersPalace.com.

L Mon-Fri, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. The grande dame is going strong under the auspices of James Beard Award-winner chef Tory McPhail. Jazz Brunch is a great deal. $$$$

Copeland’s 2333 Manhattan Blvd., 3641575, CopelandsofNewOrleans.com. L, D daily, Br Sun. Al Copeland’s namesake chain includes favorites such as Shrimp Ducky.

Popular for lunch. $$

St. Roch Market 2381 St. Claude Ave., 615-6541, StRochMarket.com. B, L, D daily.

Beautiful restoration of historic St. Claude Marketplace with open dining space houses a broad collection of independent eateries including craft cocktails and more. $$

NORTHSHORE Acme Oyster House 1202 N. Highway 190, Covington, (985) 246-6155, AcmeOyster. com. L, D daily. Known as one of the best places to eat oysters. $$

Crabby Jack’s 428 Jefferson Highway, 833-2722, CrabbyJacksNola.com. L Mon-Sat. Lunch outpost of Jacques-Imo’s.

Famous for its fried seafood and poor boys including fried green tomatoes and roasted duck. $

Gallagher’s Grill 509 S. Tyler St., (985) 892-9992, GallaghersGrill.com. L, D TueSat. Chef Pat Gallagher’s destination restaurant offers al fresco seating to accompany classically inspired New Orleans fare. Event catering offered. $$$

Drago’s 3232 N. Arnoult Road, 888-9254, DragosRestaurant.com. L, D Mon-Sat. This famous seafooder specializes in charbroiled oysters, a dish they invented. Great deals on fresh lobster as well. $$$$

Riverbend H Boucherie 1506 S. Carrollton Ave.,

Mid-City H Katie’s Restaurant and Bar 3701 Iberville St., 488-6582, KatiesInMidCity.com. L, D Mon-Sat, Br Sun. Creative poor boys, local dishes such as gumbo and Sunday brunch make this a neighborhood favorite. $$ Lil’ Dizzy’s Café 1500 Esplanade Ave., 5698997, LilDizzysCafe.com. B, L daily, Br Sun. Spot local and national politicos dining at this favored Creole soul restaurant known for homey classics like fried chicken and trout Baquet. $

H Mandina’s 3800 Canal St., 482-9179, MandinasRestaurant.com. L, D daily.

Though the ambiance is more upscale, the food and seafood dishes make dining here a New Orleans experience. $$

H Toups’ Meatery 845 N. Carrollton Ave., 252-4999, ToupsMeatery.com. L, D Tue-Sat. Charcuterie, specialty cocktails

862-5514, Boucherie-Nola.com. L Tue-Sat, D Mon-Sat, Br Sun. Serving contemporary Southern food with an international angle, chef Nathaniel Zimet offers excellent ingredients presented simply. $$ Brigtsen’s 723 Dante St., 861-7610, Brigtsens.com. D Tue-Sat. Chef Frank Brigtsen’s nationally famous Creole cuisine makes this cozy cottage a true foodie destination. $$$$$

Uptown H Apolline 4729 Magazine St., 894-8881, ApollineRestaurant.com. D Tue-Sun, Br Sat-Sun. Cozy gem serves a refined menu of French and Creole classics peppered with Southern influences such as buttermilk fried quail with corn waffle. $$$ Casamento’s 4330 Magazine St., 895-9761, CasamentosRestaurant.com. L Thu-Sat, D Thu-Sun. The family-owned restaurant has shucked oysters and fried seafood since 1919; closed during summer and for all major holidays. $$ Clancy’s 6100 Annunciation St., 895-1111,

Dick and Jenny’s 4501 Tchoupitoulas St., 894-9880, DickAndJennys.com. D Mon-Sat. A funky cottage serving Louisiana comfort food with flashes of innovation. $$$$ Domilise’s 5240 Annunciation St., 899912. L, D Mon-Sat. Local institution and riteof-passage for those wanting an initiation to the real New Orleans. Wonderful poor boys and a unique atmosphere make this a one-of-a-kind place. $

H Gautreau’s 1728 Soniat St., 899-7397, GautreausRestaurant.com. D Mon-Sat. Upscale destination serves refined interpretations of classics along with contemporary creations. $$$$$ Jacques-Imo’s Cafe 8324 Oak St., 8610886, Jacques-Imos.com. D Mon-Sat. Reinvented New Orleans cuisine served in a party atmosphere. The deep-fried roast beef poor boy is delicious. The lively bar scene offsets the long wait on weekends. $$$$

WEST BANK

Pizza

Reginelli’s Pizzeria Multiple Locations, Reginellis.com. L, D daily. Pizzas, pastas, salads, fat calzones and lofty focaccia sandwiches are at locations all over town. $$ Theo’s Pizza Multiple Locations, TheosPizza.com. L, D daily. The crackercrisp crust pizzas are complemented by a broad assortment of toppings with a lot of local ingredients at cheap prices. $$

Bywater H Pizza Delicious 617 Piety St., 676-8482, PizzaDelicious.com. L, D Tue-Sun. Authentic New York-style thin crust pizza is the reason to come to this affordable restaurant that began as a pop-up, but they also offer excellent salads sourced from small farms and homemade pasta dishes as well. Outdoor seating a plus. $

Uptown H Ancora 4508 Freret St., 324-1636,

Joey K’s 3001 Magazine St., 891-0997, JoeyKsRestaurant.com. L, D Mon-Sat. A true neighborhood restaurant with daily lunch plates; red beans and rice are classic. $

AncoraPizza.com. D daily. Authentic Neapolitan-style pizza fired in an oven imported from Naples. The housemade charcuterie makes it a double-winner. $$

Mahony’s 3454 Magazine St., 899-3374, MahonysPoBoys.com. L, D daily. Along with the usual poor boys, this sandwich shop serves up a grilled shrimp and fried green tomato version dressed with remoulade sauce. Sandwich offerings are augmented by a full bar. $

Pizza Domenica 4933 Magazine St., 301-4978, PizzaDomenica.com. L Fri-Sun, D daily. James Beard Award Winning Chef Alon Shaya’s pizza centric spinoff of his popular Restaurant Domenica brings Neapolitan-style pies to Uptown. Excellent salads and charcuterie boards are offered as well. $$

Mat & Naddie’s 937 Leonidas St., 8619600, MatAndNaddies.com. D Mon-Tue, Thu-Sat. Cozy converted house serves up creative and eclectic regionally inspired fare. Shrimp and crawfish croquettes make

t

Slice 1513 St. Charles Ave., 525-PIES (7437); 5538 Magazine St., 897-4800; SlicePizzeria.com. L, D daily. Order up slices or whole pizza pies done in several styles

Redesign at The Country Club New Orleans

34 Louisa St., 945.0742, CountryClubNewOrleans.com The Country Club New Orleans in Bywater has unveiled its yearlong renovation. Among the upgrades are new interiors including hand painted murals, art work, custom furnishings and lighting. There is also a revamped food and wine menu overseen by the Executive Chef Chris Barbato, formerly of Commander’s Palace. Bert McComas, General Manager, said, “We are excited to reintroduce The Country Club as a premier destination for locals and visitors to come together over good food, drinks and fun.” – M.C.

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(thin- and thick-crust) as well as pastas, seafood, panini and salads. $

Seafood Akers

Middendorf’s Interstate 55, Exit 15, 30160 Highway 51 South, (985) 386-6666, MiddendorfsRestaurant.com. L, D Wed-Sun. Historic seafood destination along the shores of Lake Maurepas is world-famous for its thin-fried catfish fillets. Open since 1934, it’s more than a restaurant, it’s a Sun. drive tradition. $$

CBD/Warehouse District H Borgne 601 Loyola Ave., 613-3860, BorgneRestaurant.com. L, D daily. Coastal Louisiana seafood with an emphasis on Isleños cuisine (descendants of Canary Islanders who settled in St. Bernard Parish) is the focus of this high-volume destination adjacent to the Superdome. $$$

H Pêche 800 Magazine St., 522-1744, PecheRestaurant.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Award-winning southern-inspired seafood destination by chef Donald Link serves whole roasted Gulf fish from its massive, wood-burning oven. An excellent raw bar is offered as well. $$$ Sac-A-Lait 1051 Annunciation St., 3243658, Sac-A-LaitRestaurant.com. D TueSat, L Fri. Cody and Sam Carroll’s shrine to Gulf Coast and Louisiana culinary heritage melds seafood, game, artisan produce, and

craft libations in an ambitious menu that celebrates local and southern cuisine. The striking buildout in the Cotton Mill lofts adds to the appeal. $$$$

French Quarter Bourbon House 144 Bourbon St., 5220111, BourbonHouse.com. B, L, D daily, Br Sun. Local seafood, featured in both classic and contemporary dishes, is the focus of this New Orleans-centric destination. And yes, bourbon is offered as well. $$$ Crazy Lobster 500 Port of New Orleans Place, Suite 83, 569-3380, TheCrazyLobster.com. L, D daily. Boiled seafood and festive atmosphere come together at this seafood-centric destination overlooking the Mississippi River. Outdoor seating a plus. $$$ Creole Cookery 508 Toulouse St., Suite C110, 524-9632, NewOrleansCreoleCookery.com. L, D daily. Crowd-pleasing destination in the French Quarter offers an expansive menu of Creole favorites and specialty cocktails served with New Orleans flair. $$$ Deanie’s Seafood 841 Iberville St., 5811316, Deanies.com. L, D daily. Louisiana seafood, baked, broiled, boiled and fried is the name of the game. Try the barbecue shrimp or towering seafood platters. $$$

H Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House 144 Bourbon St., 522-0111, BourbonHouse. com. B, L, D daily, Br Sun. Classic Creole

dishes, such as redfish on the halfshell, and an Oyster Bar. Its extensive bourbon menu will please aficionados. $$$$

H GW Fins 808 Bienville St., 581-FINS (3467), GWFins.com. D daily. Owners Gary Wollerman and twice chef of the year Tenney Flynn provide dishes at their seasonal peak. On a quest for unique variety, menu is printed daily. $$$$$

H Kingfish 337 Charters St., 598-5005, KingfishNewOrleans.com. L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Regionally inspired seafood dishes with carefully sourced ingredients and southern influence is the focus at this chefdriven French Quarter establishment. $$$ Le Bayou 208 Bourbon St., 525-4755, LeBayouRestaurant.com. L, D daily. Blackened redfish and Shrimp Ya-Ya are a just a few of the choices at this seafood-centric destination on Bourbon Street. Fried alligator is available for the more daring diner. $$$ Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar & Fish House 512 Bienville St., 309-4848, MrEdsRestaurants. com/oyster-bar. L, D daily. A seafood lover’s paradise offering an array of favorites like shrimp Creole, crawfish etouffée, blackened redfish and more. An elaborate raw bar featuring gulf oysters both charbroiled and raw is part of the draw. $$$ Oceana Grill 739 Conti St., 525-6002, OceanaGrill.com. B, L, D daily. Gumbo, poor boys and barbecue shrimp are served at this kid-friendly seafood destination. $$

Pier 424, 424 Bourbon St., 309-1574, Pier424SeafoodMarket.com. L, D daily.

Seafood-centric restaurant offers long menu of traditional New Orleans fare augmented by unusual twists like “CajunBoiled” Lobster prepared crawfish-style in spicy crab boil. $$$

Kenner Mr. Ed’s Seafood and Italian Restaurant 910 W. Esplanade Ave., Suite A, 463-3030, AustinsNo.com. L, D Mon-Sat. Neighborhood restaurant specializes in seafood and Italian offerings such as stuffed eggplant and bell pepper. Fried seafood and sandwiches make it a good stop for lunch. $$

Metairie Deanie’s Seafood 1713 Lake Ave., 8314141, Deanies.com. L, D daily. Louisiana seafood, baked, broiled, boiled and fried, is the name of the game. Try the barbecue shrimp or towering seafood platters. $$$ Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar & Fish House 3117 21st St., 833-6310, MrEdsRestaurants.com/ oyster-bar. L, D Mon-Sat. Seafood-centric eatery specializes in favorites like whole flounder, crabmeat au gratin and more.

An oyster bar offering an array of raw and broiled bivalves adds to the appeal. $$$ Mr. Ed’s Seafood and Italian Restaurant 1001 Live Oak St., 838-0022, AustinsNo. com. L, D Mon-Sat. Neighborhood restaurant specializes in seafood and Italian offerings such as stuffed eggplant and bell pepper. Fried seafood and sandwiches

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Mid-City

famed Chicago steakhouse popular with politicians and celebrities. $$$$

Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar & Fish House 301.

N. Carrollton Ave., 872-9975, MrEdsRestaurants.com/oyster-bar. L, D daily. Latest outpost of local seafood chain features char-broiled oysters, seafood poor boys and other favorites such fried chicken and red beans and rice in a casual setting in Mid-City Market. $$

Ruth’s Chris Steak House Harrah’s Hotel, 525 Fulton St., 587-7099, RuthsChris. com. D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Filet mignon, creamed spinach and potatoes au gratin are the most popular dishes at this area steak institution, but there are also great seafood choices and top-notch desserts. $$$$$

Uptown

Garden District H Mr. John’s Steakhouse 2111 St.

Frankie & Johnny’s 321 Arabella St., 243-1234, FrankieAndJohnnys.net. L, D daily. Serves fried and boiled seafood along with poor boys and daily lunch specials. Kid-friendly with a game room to boot. $$ Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar & Fish House 1327 St. Charles Ave., 267-0169, MrEdsRestaurants.com/oyster-bar. L, D daily. Outpost of local seafood chain serves Cajun and Creole classics in the Maison St. Charles Hotel. Favorites include Redfish Maison St. Charles, which features blackened redfish topped with crawfish etouffée. $$$

Charles Ave., 679-7697, MrJohnsSteakhouse.com. D Tue-Sat, L Fri-Sat. Wood paneling, white tile and USDA Prime Beef served sizzling in butter are the hallmarks of this classic New Orleans steakhouse. $$$

French Quarter Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse 716 Iberville St., 522-2467, DickieBrennansSteakhouse.com. L Fri, D daily. Nationally recognized steakhouse serves USDA Prime steaks and local seafood. Validated Parking next door. $$$$

West End

H Doris Metropolitan 620 Chartres

Landry’s Seafood 8000 Lakeshore Drive, West End, 283-1010, LandrysSeafood. com. L, D daily. Kid-friendly and popular seafood spot serves of heaping platters of fried shrimp, Gulf oysters, catfish and more. $$

St., 267-3500, DorisMetropolitan.com. L Fri-Sun, D daily. Innovative, genre-busting steakhouse plays with expectations and succeeds with modernist dishes like their Classified Cut and Beetroot Supreme. $$$$

Steakhouse

CBD/Warehouse District H Besh Steak Harrah’s Casino, 8 Canal St., 533-6111, HarrahsNewOrleans. com. D daily. Acclaimed chef John Besh reinterprets the classic steakhouse with his signature contemporary Louisiana flair. $$$$$ Chophouse New Orleans 322 Magazine St., 522-7902, ChophouseNola.com. D daily. In addition to USDA prime grade aged steaks prepared under a broiler that reaches 1,700 degrees, Chophouse offers lobster, redfish and classic steakhouse sides. $$$

H Desi Vega’s Steakhouse 628 St. Charles Ave., 523-7600, DesiVegaSteaks. com. L Mon-Fri, D Tue-Sat. USDA Prime steaks form the base of this Mr. John’s offshoot overlooking Lafayette Square, but Italian specialties and a smattering of locally inspired seafood dishes round out the appeal. $$$

H La Boca 870 Tchoupitoulas St., 5258205, LaBocaSteaks.com. D Mon-Sat. This Argentine steakhouse specializes in cuts of meat along with pastas and wines.

Specials include the provoleta appetizer and the Vacio flank steak. $$$ Morton’s The Steakhouse 365 Canal St., One Canal Place, 566-0221, Mortons. com/NewOrleans. D daily. Private elevator leads to the plush, wood-paneled environs of this local outpost of the

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Galatoire’s 33 Bar & Steak 215 Bourbon St., 335-3932, Galatoires33BarAndSteak. com. L Fri, D Sun-Thu. Steakhouse offshoot of the venerable Creole grande dame offers hand-crafted cocktails to accompany classic steakhouse fare as well as inspired dishes like the Gouté 33: horseradish-crusted bone marrow and deviled eggs with crab ravigote and smoked trout. Reservations accepted. $$$

Metairie Ruth’s Chris Steak House 3633 Veterans Blvd., 888-3600, RuthsChris.com. L Fri, D daily. Filet mignon, creamed spinach and potatoes au gratin are the most popular dishes at this area steak institution, but there are also great seafood choices and top-notch desserts. $$$$$

Mid-City H Crescent City Steaks 1001 N. Broad St., 821-3271, CrescentCitySteaks.com.

L Tue-Fri & Sun, D Tue-Sun. One of the classic New Orleans steakhouses. Steaks, sides and drinks are what you get. $$$$

Uptown Charlie’s Steak House 4510 Dryades St., 895-9323, CharliesSteakHouseNola. com. D Tue-Sat. This quintessential New Orleans neighborhood steak house serves up carnivorous delights including its 32-ounce T-Bone in a relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere. An upstairs dining room accommodates larger parties with ease. $$$

Vegan/Vegetarian

Lower Garden District H The Green Fork 1400 Prytania St., 267-7672, GreenForkNola.com. B, L Mon-Sat. Fresh juices, smoothies and vegetarian-friendly fare make The Green Fork a favorite for lovers of healthy food.

Catering is offered as well. $$

World

Byblos Multiple Locations, ByblosRestaurants.com. L, D daily. Upscale Middle Eastern cuisine featuring traditional seafood, lamb and vegetarian options. $$

Bywater The Green Goddess 307 Exchange Place, 301-3347, GreenGoddessRestaurant. com. L, D Wed-Sun. One of the most imaginative local restaurants. The menu is constantly changing, and chef Paul Artigues always has ample vegetarian options. Combine all of that with a fantastic selection of drinks, wine and beer, and it’s the total (albeit small) package. $$

CBD/Warehouse District Johnny Sanchez 930 Poydras St., 304-6615, JohnnySanchezRestaurant. com. L, D daily. Contemporary Mexican mecca offering celebrity chef cachet to go along with the locally sourced produce accompanying the Bistec a la Parilla.

Popular happy hour and downtown locale next to South Market District add to the appeal. $$$

H Lüke 333 St. Charles Ave., 378-2840, LukeNewOrleans.com. B, L, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Chef John Besh and executive chef Matt Regan serve Germanic specialties and French bistro classics, housemade pâtés and abundant plateaux of cold, fresh seafood. $$$ Palace Café 605 Canal St., 523-1661, PalaceCafe.com. B, L, D daily. A classic New Orleans restaurant, located at the foot of the French Quarter, the Dickie Brennan and Palace Cafe team constantly evolve traditional Creol dishes. Enjoy specialty cocktails and small plates athe Black Duck Bar on the second floor. $$$

Faubourg Marigny H Mona’s Café 504 Frenchmen St., 9494115. L, D daily. Middle Eastern specialties such as baba ganuj, tender-tangy beef or chicken shawarma, falafel and gyros, stuffed into pillowy pita bread or on platters. The lentil soup with crunchy pita chips and desserts, such as sticky sweet baklava, round out the menu. $

Faubourg St. John H 1000 Figs 3141 Ponce De Leon St., 301-0848, 1000Figs.com. L, D Tue-Sat. Vegetarian-friendly offshoot of the Fat Falafel Food Truck offers a healthy farm-to-table alternative to cookie-cutter Middle Eastern places. $$

French Quarter Bayona 430 Dauphine St., 525-4455, Bayona.com. L Wed-Sat, D Mon-Sat.

Chef Susan Spicer’s nationally acclaimed cuisine is served in this 200-year-old cottage. Ask for a seat on the romantic patio, weather permitting. $$$$$ El Gato Negro 81 French Market Place, 525-9752, ElGatoNegroNola.com. L, D daily. Central Mexican cuisine along with hand-muddled mojitos and margaritas made with freshly squeezed juice. A weekend breakfast menu is an additional plus. $$

Kenner H Fiesta Latina 1924 Airline Drive, 4695792, FiestaLatinaRestaurant.com. B, L, D daily. A big-screen TV normally shows a soccer match or MTV Latino at this home for authentic Central American food.

Tacos include a charred carne asada. $$

Lakewood H Mizado 5080 Pontchartrain Blvd., 885-5555, MizadoCocina.com. L daily, D Mon-Sat. Sleek restaurant offers modern Mexican cuisine featuring pan-Latin flavors and influences. Small batch tequila and a ceviche bar make it a party. $$

Lakeview H Mondo 900 Harrison Ave., 224-2633, MondoNewOrleans.com. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat, Br Sun. Chef Susan Spicer’s take on world cuisine. Make sure to call ahead because the place has a deserved reputation for good food and good times. $$$

METAIRIE Vega Tapas Café 2051 Metairie Road, 836-2007, VegaTapasCafe.com. D MonSat, Br Sun. Fun, eclectic small plates destination offers creative fare keeps guests coming back with frequent regionally inspired specialty menus served with humor and whimsy. $$

Mid-City Juan’s Flying Burrito 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., 486-9950, JuansFlyingBurrito. com. L, D daily. Hard-core tacos and massive burritos are served in an edgy atmosphere. $ Lola’s 3312 Esplanade Ave., 488-6946, LolasNewOrleans.com. D daily. Garlicky Spanish dishes and great paella make this artsy boîte a hipster destination. $$$

H Mona’s Café 3901 Banks St., 4827743. L, D daily. Middle Eastern specialties such as baba ganuj, tender-tangy beef or chicken shawarma, falafel and gyros, stuffed into pillowy pita bread or on platters. The lentil soup with crunchy pita chips and desserts, such as sticky sweet baklava, round out the menu. $

H Taqueria Guerrero 208 N. Carrollton Ave., 484-6959. B, L, D, Tue-Sat. Friendly staff and authentic Mexican cuisine make this affordable neighborhood restaurant a neighborhood favorite. BYOB $

Upper 9th Ward Kebab , 2315 Saint Claude Ave., 3834328, KebabNola.com. L, D Wed-Mon. The menu is short and tasty at this kebab

outpost along the revitalized St. Claude Avenue corridor. $

Uptown H Café Abyssinia 3511 Magazine St.,

as well as sangria. $

H Patois 6078 Laurel St., 895-9441,

894-6238. L, D daily. One of a just few authentic Ethiopian restaurants in the city, excellent injera and spicy vegetarian fare make this a local favorite. $$

PatoisNola.com. L Fri, D Wed-Sat, Br Sun. The food is French in technique, with influences from across the Mediterranean as well as the American South, all filtered through the talent of chef Aaron Burgau.

Reservations recommended. $$$

H Irish House 1432 St. Charles Ave.,

H Shaya 4213 Magazine St., 891-4213,

595-6755, TheIrishHouseNewOrleans. com. L Mon-Fri, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Irish pub dishes such as shepherd’s pie and fish and chips are featured here, as well as creative cocktails like Irish iced coffee.

Check the schedule of events for live music. $$

ShayaRestaurant.com. L, D daily. James Beard Award-winning chef Alon Shaya pays homage to his native Israel with this contemporary Israeli hotspot. Cauliflower Hummus and Matzo Ball Soup made with slow-cooked duck are dishes to try. $$$

Jamila’s Mediterranean Tunisian Cuisine 7808 Maple St., 866-4366. D TueSun. Intimate and exotic bistro serving Mediterranean and Tunisian cuisine. The Grilled Merguez is a Jazz Fest favorite and vegetarian options are offered. $$ Juan’s Flying Burrito 2018 Magazine St., 569-0000, JuansFlyingBurrito.com. L, D daily. Hard-core tacos and massive burritos are served in an edgy atmosphere. $

H Panchita’s 1434 S. Carrollton Ave., 281-4127. L, D daily. Authentic, budgetfriendly Mexican restaurant serves tamales, mole and offers free chips and salsa

Warehouse District Lucy’s 710 Tchoupitoulas St., 523-8995, LucysRetiredSurfers.com. L, D daily. The focus is on fun at this island-themed oasis with a menu that cherry-picks tempting dishes from across the globe’s tropical latitudes. Popular for lunch, and the afterwork crowds stay well into the wee hours at this late-night hangout. $

Specialty Foods

CBD/Warehouse District Calcasieu 930 Tchoupitoulas St., 5882188, CalcasieuRooms.com. For gatherings both large and small, the catering

menus feature modern Louisiana cooking and the Cajun cuisine for which chef Donald Link is justifiably famous.

French Quarter Antoine’s Annex 513 Royal St., 5258045, Antoines.com/Antoines-Annex.

Open daily. Serves French pastries, including individual baked Alaskas, ice cream and gelato, as well as panini, salads and coffee. Delivery available.

Metairie Sucré 3301 Veterans Blvd., 834-2277, ShopSucre.com. Desserts daily. Open late weekends. Chocolates, pastry and gelato draw rave reviews at this dessert destination. Beautiful packaging makes this a great place to shop for gifts. Catering available.

place for gifts.

St. James Cheese Company 5004 Prytania St., 899-4737, StJamesCheese. com. Open daily. Specialty shop offers a selection of fine cheeses, wines, beers and related accouterments. Look for wine and cheese specials every Friday.

Sucré 3025 Magazine St., 520-8311, ShopSucre.com. Desserts daily & nightly.

Open late weekends. Chocolates, pastry and gelato draw rave reviews at this dessert destination. Beautiful packaging makes this a great place to shop for gifts.

Catering available. n

Mid-City H Blue Dot Donuts 4301 Canal St., 2184866, BlueDotDonuts.com. B, L Tue-Sun. The Bacon Maple Long John gets all the press, but returning customers are happy with the classics as well as twists like peanut butter and jelly.

Uptown Blue Frog Chocolates 5707 Magazine St., 269-5707, BlueFrogChocolates.com.

Open daily, closed Sundays in summer.

French and Belgian chocolate truffles and Italian candy flowers make this a great

t

contact

If you feel that a restaurant has been misplaced, please email Managing Editor Ashley McLellan at Ashley@ MyNewOrleans.com.

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Dining & Entertainment

ADVERTISING SECTION

Amici Ristorante & Bar

Andrea’s Restaurant

Arnaud’s Restaurant

In addition to delicious Italian food and coal-fired pizzas, Amici serves prime rated steaks and chops. Also enjoy bottomless mimosas & Bloody Marys at brunch every Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Open Sunday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Andrea’s Italian, Steak and Seafood Restaurant is not just for special occasions; it’s elegant, casual and affordable. Chef Andrea serves only the freshest amberjack, speckled trout, flounder, red snapper and red fish. Book one of the private rooms for up to 500 people. Andrea’s is the perfect choice to take your mom for Mother’s Day.

In 2018, Arnaud’s Restaurant will celebrate one hundred years of delivering a quintessential New Orleans dining experience, from its original, historic location in the city’s most prized gem, the French Quarter. Arnaud’s offers an unmatched New Orleans experience that celebrates the city’s culture with every sip and every bite.

Austin’s Restaurant

Balise Tavern

Boulevard American Bistro

Austin’s Restaurant has been known as Metairie’s hot spot for steak, seafood and the Creole-Italian creations of Ed McIntyre and his culinary staff. Serving dinner Monday-Saturday, 5 pm ‘till. Private rooms are available for luncheons, banquets, rehearsal dinners and corporate events. Reservations recommended.

Balise is a tavern in the Central Business District, helmed by James Beard Award winner Chef Justin Devillier and wife, Mia Devillier. Set in a Creole townhouse, Balise evokes the bygone era with an old-world, New Orleans feel, featuring a menu and beverage program inspired by traditional Louisiana cuisine.

Boulevard is a Classic American Bistro offering simple, well composed dishes.

General Manager Robert Hardie welcomes you to the casual, yet sophisticated dining room with an all-day, à la carte menu. The large bar imparts the feeling of a favorite neighborhood establishment, with an extensive wine list and handcrafted, specialty cocktails.

AmiciNola.com 3218 Magazine St., New Orleans 504-300-1250

AustinsNO.com 5101 West Esplanade Ave., Metairie 504-888-5533

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AndreasRestaurant.com 3100 19th St., at Ridgelake, Metairie 504-834-8583

BaliseNola.com 640 Carondelet St., New Orleans 504-459-4449

ArnaudsRestaurant.com 813 Bienville St., New Orleans 504-523-5433

BoulevardBistro.com 4241 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie 504-889-2301

ADVERTISING SECTION

Broussards.com 819 Rue Conti St., New Orleans 504-581-3866 In a city that joyously celebrates fine dining as an art form, Broussard’s has been a New Orleans fixture for nearly a century.

Located in the heart of New Orleans’ venerable French Quarter, Broussard’s offers chef Neal Swidler’s creative contemporary renditions of classic Creole cuisine in a timeless historic setting.

Caffe! Caffe!

CaffeCaffe.com 4301 Clearview Parkway, Metairie 504-885-4845 3547 North Hullen St., Metairie 504-267-9190 Creole tomato season is coming soon! Bite into juicy creole tomato blooms stuffed with chicken salad, shrimp salad, tuna or egg salad; topped with homemade poppyseed dressing. Serving breakfast and lunch Mon – Sat at both Caffe! Caffe!

Metairie locations. Plus, at Clearview, dinner Mon – Fri, and Sunday brunch.

Compère Lapin

CompereLapin.com 535 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans 504-599-2119 Compère Lapin (kom-pare la-pan) n. 1.

French for “brother rabbit” 2. traditional Caribbean and Creole folktales featuring a mischievous rabbit named Compère Lapin 3. Ground-breaking restaurant helmed by renowned Chef Nina Compton in the heart of the Warehouse Arts District in New Orleans.

Crazy Lobster

Dickie Brennan’s Tableau

Five Happiness

Enjoy Riverside dining on the banks of the Mississippi River. Their signature dish is the Bounty of Sea, featuring a twopound Maine lobster, shrimp, crawfish, snow crab, clams, mussels, corn and potatoes. Listen to the sounds of live music featuring the best entertainment straight off Frenchmen Street. Visit them after a long day at Jazz Fest!

As if a brass band wasn’t enough to make brunch wonderful, Tableau recently added bottomless mimosas. Every Saturday and Sunday enjoy a beautiful brunch on Jackson Square. Complement your eggs Hussarde with champagne and orange juice. This fun new offer turns every brunch into a celebration!

At Five Happiness, the ambience and friendly staff will take you to a new level of dining experience. This award-winning restaurant always strives to achieve its best. Private party and banquet rooms are available.

TheCrazyLobster.com 500 Port of New Orleans Pl., Suite 83 504-569-3380

TableauFrenchQuarter.com 616 St. Peter St., New Orleans 504-934-3463

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

Broussard’s

FiveHappiness.com 3605 S. Carrollton Ave., New Orleans 504-482-3935

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Hoshun

Katie’s Restaurant

La Petite Grocery

Chinese or Japanese? Can’t decide?

Hoshun is your answer, offering an extensive menu from classic Chinese dishes to Japanese sushi and everything in between (like Vietnamese pho or pad Thai). Stick with one cuisine, or mix and match. Open daily until 2 a.m.

Katie’s is known as one of New Orleans’ favorite neighborhood restaurants. Serving daily specials and menu favorites like Katie’s homemade crab cakes topped with lump crabmeat and remoulade.

Open for lunch and dinner MondaySaturday and Sunday brunch.

Located in a century-old building, La Petite Grocery is an Uptown restaurant with a storied history. Led by James Beard Award winner Chef Justin Devillier and wife, Mia Devillier, the restaurant’s menu features a creative spin on New Orleans cuisine with dishes like Turtle Bolognese and Blue Crab Beignets.

Lafitte’s Landing Seafood House

Lula Restaurant Distillery

Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar & Fish House

HoshunRestaurant.com 1601 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans 504-302-9171

LafittesLandingSeafoodHouse.com 1700 Lapalco Blvd., Harvey 504-252-9613 Now open until 10 p.m., seven days a week, visit on Saturdays for Steak Night, featuring a 12-ounce Ribeye with loaded baked potato. Lafitte’s Landing is the home of the steamed seafood bucket, and serves steamed seafood, fried seafood, pasta, steaks, fresh fish, soft shell crabs, duck and a pork porterhouse. You can also download their app for specials, deals and rewards.

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KatiesInMidCity.com 3701 Iberville St., New Orleans 504-488-6582

Lulanola.com 1532 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans 504-267-7624

At Lula Restaurant Distillery, enjoy Lula vodka, rum and gin made from Louisiana sugarcane, complemented by dishes such as Boudin stuffed Quail or Rum Lacquered Gulf Shrimp. Open seven days a week, stop in for weekend brunch, happy hour, patio dining and distillery tours.

LaPetiteGrocery.com 4238 Magazine St., New Orleans 504-891-3377

MrEdsRestaurants.com Mid-City, Metairie, French Quarter & St. Charles

Now open in Mid-City at the corner of Carrollton and Bienville, Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar serves your choice of chargrilled, fried or raw oysters, as well as long time favorites such as Oyster Rockefeller and Bienville. Offering both a stand up oyster bar and cocktail bar, it’s the perfect place to relax and enjoy. Four unique locations; one great menu.

ADVERTISING SECTION

New Orleans Creole Cookery

Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro

Mr. Ed’s has been a local favorite since 1989, offering home-style cooking, Italian cuisine, seafood favorites, and Mr. Ed’s Famous Fried Chicken. Open MondaySaturday for lunch and dinner. Daily lunch specials and catering are available as well.

Savor authentic Creole dishes prepared by chef John Trinh, formerly of Eleven 79. Delight in traditional dishes such as gumbo, shrimp Creole and crawfish etouffée, as well as an oyster happy hour Monday-Friday, 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. Enjoy handcrafted cocktails and signature drinks in the historic French Quarter.

Enjoy true New Orleans atmosphere in a beautiful, tropical courtyard. Orleans Grapevine serves high quality cuisine and one of the largest selections of wine by the bottle or by the glass. Don’t miss the popular Bacon Happy Hour, where you’ll enjoy free bacon with your cocktails and wine.

4-6 p.m. and 10 p.m.-midnight daily.

Parkway Bakery & Tavern

Pascal’s Manale

Ralph Brennan Catering

Voted “Best Po’ Boy in Louisiana” by USA Today’s 10 Best, Parkway Bakery & Tavern is the oldest poor boy shop in New Orleans, overlooking the historic Bayou St. John in Mid-City. Enjoy one of Parkway’s legendary poor boys in the restaurant, covered patio or classic New Orleans bar.

This famous restaurant has been familyowned and operated since 1913. Pascal’s Manale is the origin of the well known Original Pascal’s Barbeque Shrimp. The old-time oyster and cocktail bars offer raw oysters on the half shell and all types of cocktails, as well as a great selection of fine wines. Fresh seafood, Italian dishes and delicious steaks are featured.

MrEdsRestaurants.com 1001 Live Oak, Metairie 504-838-0022 910 West Esplanade Ave., Kenner 504-463-3030

ParkwayPoorBoys.com 538 Hagan Ave., New Orleans 504-482-3047

NewOrleansCreoleCookery.com 510 Toulouse St., New Orleans 504-524-9632

PascalsManale.com 1838 Napoleon Ave., New Orleans 504-895-4877

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

Mr. Ed’s Seafood and Italian Restaurant

OrleansGrapevine.com 720 Orleans Ave., New Orleans 504-523-1930

RalphBrennanCatering.com 504-539-5510

Ralph Brennan Catering is known as New Orleans’ premier caterer for groups from 100 to 1,200 people. With the ability to match your palate, theme and budget in your home, restaurant, or venue of your choice, they are dedicated to providing a seamless, professional and, above all, memorable experience.

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Red Gravy

Riccobono’s Peppermill

The Country Club

Staying true to her northern roots, Chef de cuisine Roseann imports the restaurant’s pretzels directly from Philadelphia. The pretzel is soft and lightly salted and served with a mini sundae of neopolitan ice cream, house made whipped cream, chocolate syrup, berries and toffee. Open Wednesday through Monday 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Riccobono’s Peppermill Restaurant serves delicious dishes all day long. For breakfast, start with a farm fresh egg omlete and a Cupid’s Delight raspberry champagne cocktail. Enjoy lunch or dinner too, with decadent dishes and Riccobono family favorites.

Dive into a tasty paradise, tucked away in the heart of the Bywater. With a newly renovated space, The Country Club offers the perfect setting for enjoying chefdriven cuisine inspired by Italian-French and Creole-Southern heritages. From chateaubriand to jumbo sea scallops, the new menu by Chef Chris Barbato, has all the foodies talking.

The Court of Two Sisters

The French Market

The New Feelings Marigny Cafe, Bar & Courtyard Lounge

RedGravyCafe.com 125 Camp St., New Orleans 504-561-8844

CourtOfTwoSisters.com 613 Royal St., New Orleans 504-522-7261

The Court of Two Sisters, known for its large dining courtyard, serves a lavish daily Jazz Brunch buffet, and now serves appetizers at the Carriageway Bar. Enjoy Blackened Alligator or BBQ Shrimp while sipping cocktails at the bar. At night, order à la carte or the four-course dinner menu. Reservations recommended.

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RiccobonosPeppermill.com 3524 Severn Ave., Metairie 504-455-2266

FrenchMarket.org 1235 N Peters St., New Orleans 504-596-3420 Summer is an exciting season at the French Market. The annual French Market Creole Tomato Festival takes place June 10 and June 11. Festivalgoers will find fresh Creole tomatoes for sale by local growers, live music stages, food booths, cooking demonstrations, free children’s activities and tomato eating contests.

TheCountryClubNewOrleans.com 634 Louisa St., New Orleans 504-945-0742

Feelingscafebar.com 535 Franklin Ave., New Orleans (Corner of Chartres & Franklin) 504-446-0040

The New Feelings Cafe, Bar & Courtyard Lounge is tucked away in the heart of the Marigny and has one of the most stunning courtyards in town. Chef Scott specializes in contemporary Louisiana Southern cuisine and classic creole fare.

Dinner is every Tuesday – Saturday, lunch is on Friday and Saturday, and Sunday has brunch all day.

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TheRubySlipperCafe.net Locations in New Orleans: Mid-City, Marigny, CBD, French Quarter, Uptown; Pensacola, FL and Orange Beach, AL; Baton Rouge, coming soon.

504-525-9355 The Ruby Slipper Café adds a New Orleans twist to Southern breakfast, brunch and lunch classics. The scratch kitchen and eye-opening cocktails, such as the awardwinning Bacon Bloody Mary, make it a hot spot for fueling up before a festival or grabbing a quick lunch during the weekday.

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

The Ruby Slipper

Tsunami New Orleans

ServingSushi.com St Charles & Poydras, New Orleans 504-608-3474 Sushi with a great reputation; Tsunami is your place. Tsunami NOLA is the lunch or dinner spot for visitors to downtown, and those who live or work near the corner of Poydras and St Charles. Open Monday-Saturday lunch and dinner.

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1. A Renée Boutique AReneeBoutique.com 824 Chartres St., 504-418-1448 For mothers who dress to kill! Sexy, elegant, funky, unique clothing and accessories. Kent Stetson Cocktail Purses: Champagne, Manhattan, Blue Martini, Marquerita, Cosmo Swarovsky Crystal studded Slot Machine or Craps Purse; or the French Quarter Dress, for those moms who represent.

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2. Auraluz ShopAuraluz.com 4408 Shores Drive, Metairie 504-888-3313 Lampe Berger...the perfect Mother’s Day gift, it’s both decorative and functional.

Made in France for over 119 years, each Lampe Berger cleanses, purifies and fragrances the air with over 50 fragrances to choose from, all available at Auraluz.

3. Queork Queork.com 838 Chartres St., 504-481-2585 3005 Magazine St., 504-388-6803 What do you give the Mom that deserves it all? A lightweight, fashionable handbag made from renewable, eco-friendly cork fabric. She will know she raised you right!

4. NOLA BOARDS NolaBoards.com 4304 Magazine St., 504-516-2601 Bring your mother’s kitchen accessories up to the next level, and treat her like the Queen she is, with a variety of products from Nola Boards. For more information, NolaBoards.com or 4304 Magazine St. Nationwide shipping available.

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5. Perlis Clothing Perlis.com 6070 Magazine St., 504-895-8661 Personalize a wallet, purse, or any other GiGi New York item with your mother’s initials. It’s the perfect custom-made gift to make mom feel special this Mother's Day. 6. Cristy’s Collection CristyCali.com 504-407-5041 You love your mom, and you want a gift that will remind her of you every time she wears it. The Fleur de Knot long chain necklace is a universal accessory. Inspired by the Irish Love Knot, it is a beautiful symbol of you and your mom’s lives together - with a New Orleans twist.

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7. Konnie’s Gift Depot 859 Brownswitch Road, Slidell In the Country Club Plaza, 985-643-8000 Swan Creek large Petal Pot candles use 100 percent environmentally friendly and renewable American-produced soybean wax.

Soy wax burns cleanly, is lead-free and imparts great aroma. Carrying one of the largest candle selections in the South, Swan Creek and many other candles are available at Konnie’s.

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8. Judy at the Rink Facebook & Instagram: @JudyAtTheRink 2727 Prytania St., 504-891-7018 Judy at the Rink has a large selection of unique gifts for any occasion or holiday, including this stunning pearl flower brooch, perfect for Mother’s Day! Give your mom a present she can wear with anything and feel beautiful every time. Find a gift like no other. For more information, follow on Facebook and Instagram, @JudyAtTheRink!

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9. Adler’s AdlersJewelry.com 722 Canal St., 504-523-5292 Spring has sprung and the elegant Waterford Fleurology collection is in bloom, featuring beautiful, delicate crystal creations designed perfectly to compliment their iconic vases.

15” tall. $75.00 each 10. Jaci Blue JaciBlue.com 2111 Magazine St., 504-603-2929 At Jaci Blue, you’ll find gorgeous, fashionable clothing hand picked to flatter women sizes 12 and up. A favorite silhouette - this Rachel Roy Fit & Flare - is made even better in a modern, oversized floral print, complete with pockets.

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11. Fleur D’ Orleans FleurDOrleans.com 3701a Magazine St., 504-899-5585 818 Chartres St., 504-475-5254 Fleur D’ Orleans precious gemstone jewelry is unique: diamonds, tourmaline, rubies, blue sapphires, all in one-of-a-kind settings. A perfect gift for Mother’s Day, pictured here are pink tourmaline and rose cut diamonds set in sterling and vermeil: $170 to $1,800.

12. Woodhouse Day Spa NOLA.WoodhouseSpas.com 4030 Canal St., (504) 482-NOLA Woodhouse Day Spa is an award winning, full service, luxury spa. A perfect treat for Mother’s Day, the journey begins in a peaceful and relaxing enviroment. Woodhouse Spa will immerse mind, body and spirit; she can enjoy first-class comfort and a beverage while indulging in her choice of over 70 rejuvenating spa treatments.

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13. Trashy Diva TrashyDiva.com 2048 Magazine St., 504-299-8777 Dressing up for the day is tons of fun with Trashy Diva’s Mommy & Me styles! Vintage style blogger Southern California Belle shines in Trashy Diva’s 1940’s Dress in Berry Chantilly ($183), and her daughter is a sweet as can be in the Rockabilly Baby Posey Dress ($68). This soft, summery print is perfect to twin with your little one on Mother’s Day. 14. The Gallery Salon and Spa TheGalleryNOLA.com 6312 Argonne Blvd., 504-482-2219 This Mother’s Day, treat Mom and a friend to a day of spa treatments. Choose from a variety of packages including facials, massages, manicures and pedicures, or a fabulous hairstyling. Check Facebook for details. New Clients receive 10% off services and 30% off products.

15. Symmetry Jewelers and Designers SymmetryJewelers.com 8138 Hampson St. 504-861-9925 The Family Tree pendant or pin/pendant combination celebrates and honors Mother’s Day. This new piece by Tom Mathis can be crafted in any precious metal and feature gemstones that symbolize the birth months of all the children in her life.

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16. All Saints Cleaning AllSaintsCleaning.com 985-273-4309 Give your mom the gift of a sparkling home this May. All Saints Cleaning offers springtime cleaning services that can take the stress off any homeowner or renter. Contact All Saints Cleaning and see every corner of your home go from cluttered mess, to shiny and fresh.

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Achieving That Summer Glow Fitness & Aesthetics

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hether you’re headed to the beach, or just headed downtown for a leisurely Sunday brunch, summer in the South means you’re bound to show some skin. Between the beaming sun and inevitable sweat, you’ll likely trade your sweaters for sleeveless tops, your oxfords for polo shirts, your boots for sandals, and pants for shorts. While some welcome a chance to shed layers, others may feel a little uneasy about their winter weight gain, age spots, or a few extra wrinkles. Fortunately, there are tons of resources for looking and feeling great across New Orleans, from appetiteshrinking meal plans and muscle-toning exercise routines to cosmetic dermatology and plastic surgery. Give your appearance and your confidence a boost, and make the most of the warm summer weather and sun-filled vacations. Remember your sunscreen and you’ll be protecting your skin for years to come.

Diet & Nutrition You may be surprised to hear that one of the latest weight loss breakthroughs isn’t a surgery, or a diet - it’s the cutting edge meal plan service from health and fitness expert Ingrid Rinck. Once a Mandeville personal trainer, Ingrid is a natural entrepreneur leading one of the largest and fastest-growing meal prep programs in the nation. Sensible Portions prepared meals service is a simple, and effective way to consume flavorful, fresh foods and see fast results.

For $80-$120 week, depending on the meal plan, clients receive 15 complete meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner for each five-day week.

“After five days on the meal plan, the appetite shrinks, and when you eat restaurant- or home-prepared food, the desire for smaller portions remains,” explains Ingrid. “It’s like a non-invasive stomach stapling.”

Sensible Portions ships nationally to thousands of clients with free local pickup in 10 cities. For videos, client testimonials including local “before and after” photos - visit Sensible Portions’ 116

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Facebook page (Sensible Portions Meals). SensiblePortionsMeals. com.

Skincare & Dermatology Led by Erin Boh, MD, PhD, Tulane’s Department of Dermatology employs experts in psoriasis care, skin cancer care and cosmetic dermatology. These doctors offer numerous surgical and nonsurgical treatments for skin cancer, including state-of-theart treatment in Mohs surgery for non-melanoma skin cancers and other specialized treatments. Coming in early to mid-summer, Tulane Dermatology will offer “Mole Mapping” as a new service. It is a painless, noninvasive tool in the early detection of melanoma by utilizing digital photography to track changes in moles.

Tulane dermatologists treat all spectra of skin diseases in pediatric and adult populations, and also provide cosmetic treatments and services such as neurotoxins for wrinkles, fillers for deep wrinkles, and chemical peels. The faculty are national leaders in dermatology who train the next generation of dermatologists while providing state of the art treatments. Tulane faculty serve as principal investigators in clinical trials and research and are able to offer new therapeutic modalities not yet offered by other dermatologists.

To schedule an appointment, call 504-988-1700 (Downtown) or 985-893-1291(Covington).

Wellness & Fitness Nola Pilates & Xtend Barre is one of Lakeview’s premier Pilates and barre studio. The studio’s extensive class schedule features over 65 group classes per week, including Pilates Reformer, Tower, Mat, yoga, TRX, spin and Xtend Barre. If you prefer a private setting, one-on-one sessions are available in the private equipment studio seven days per week.

Classes range in focus and intensity from open-level Pilates Mat and yoga classes to muscle sculpting, calorie torching classes like Xtend Barre and spin. Whether you’re looking for a gentle

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transition back to exercise or a way to kick up your workout regimen, visit the studio online at NolaPilates.com to schedule your first session.“We are eternally grateful for the opportunity to help you meet your goals, and restore your mind, body, and spirit,” says owner Kim Munoz. For more information, call 504-483-8880.

No one can impact how you age as much as you can. Of course your heredity plays a role in your propensity for certain ailments, but your lifestyle choices can play an equal or larger role in your health and quality of life. The Wellness Center at East Jefferson General Hospital has been recognized for its excellence as both a fitness and wellness center, and a disease management facility.

With specific programs designed for those with cancer, heart disease, Parkinson’s Disease, multiple sclerosis and more, the Wellness Center is a unique resource that can help keep you mobile, active, flexible, strong and well.

For more information on the Wellness Center or all East Jefferson General Hospital offers the community, visit ejgh.org.

A workout that will make you burn fat for up to 36 hours afterwards? That is the incredible power of the sweat-inducing workouts found at OrangeTheory Fitness. The afterburn effect is a fitness revolution helping members get the most out of a workout and see amazing results in just a few weeks.

Every class is an hour long, and includes a balanced combination of cardio and strength training, all in high intensity intervals. Every OrangeTheory gym is equipped with treadmills, specially designed to reduce harmful impact on runner’s knees,

as well as water row machines, TRX straps, weights, benches and mats. A trainer pumps the music and keeps you motivated, assisting each member with his or her workout as needed. Get the most out of your gym, and have fun while doing it. Checkout one of OrangeTheory’s two New Orleans locations, Uptown on Tchoupitoulas and one in Mid City on Bienville. Try your first class free by signing up at OrangeTheoryFitness.com.

Plastic Surgery Dr. Stephen Eric Metzinger welcomes patients to Aesthetic Surgical Associates, his cosmetic plastic surgery practice serving the Greater New Orleans area. Dr. Metzinger’s team puts your safety and well being before anything else. Understanding that pursuing cosmetic plastic surgery is a personal, and often emotional, choice, Aesthetic Surgical works to provide an inviting, spa-like environment where you feel welcome and relaxed. Dr. Metzinger has over two decades of plastic surgery experience and is the only triple board-certified surgeon in New Orleans.

Dr. Metzinger and his staff use some of the most advanced surgical techniques to provide outstanding results while minimizing scarring and recovery time. Whether you want to improve the look of your face, nose, breasts, or body, Dr. Metzinger can create a customized surgical plan to help improve your appearance and self-esteem.

To learn more about Dr. Metzinger and Aesthetic Surgical Associates, or to schedule a consultation, contact the office at 504309-7061 or visit AestheticSurgical.com.

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Resources for Mental Health

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ccording to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately one in every five adults is affected by mental illness in America, both directly and through close friends or family.

Mental illness can impact a person’s disposition with high levels of anxiety and depression, and can lead to more serious conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Taking time out of your hectic schedule to give yourself peace of mind is more important than ever, and can save you from other health problems and relationship issues down the line. In this resource guide, we provide professionals who can help with guidance for a life of mental well being and stability. It’s not easy to ask for help, but if you or a loved one is plagued with negative thoughts and depression, the time to offer support is now. Read on for more about the private practices and treatment options available in and around New Orleans.

Since 1999, Canon Hospice has specialized in compassionate and dignified care for terminally ill patients.

The staff is dedicated to helping patients and families accept terminal illness positively and resourcefully, to preserve dignity and to endure the challenges that accompany this critical time of life.

Their stated goal is to “allow our patients to live each day to the fullest and enjoy their time with family and friends.”

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and volunteers. For patients with more intensive symptom management needs, Canon has an Inpatient Hospice Unit located on the fourth floor of the Ochsner Elmwood Medical Center. This unit provides 24-hour care in a homelike environment where families are welcomed to visit at any time. For more information, visit CanonHospice.com or call 504-818-2723.

Positive Family Solutions is the private practice of New Orleans native Gerard Woodrich, LCSW, offering affordable counseling, with evening and weekend appointments available. They accept most insurance or offer a sliding fee scale for those with limited income. They provide psychological assessments for school and courts, marriage counseling and much more.

Located on St. Charles Avenue along the streetcar line and by Audubon Park, Positive Family Solutions offers a safe and nurturing environment for clients experiencing hardship. In practice for four years, Woodrich specializes in counseling those with severe mental illness and trauma, such as PTSD related to sexual assault and violence, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anger and depression. Positive Family Solutions sees clients of all ages and also offers family, grief, parent and child, as well as divorce and relationship counseling.

Gerard Woodrich, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with seven years of experience, has been trained in various evidence-based interventions including ABA Therapy, CBT Therapy, Motivational Enhancement Therapy and Play Therapy. For more information, visit PositiveFamilySolution.net, 504-339-4938, or emailing gerard@positivefamilysolutions.net.

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Experts in Eye Care

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ur ability to hear and see the world is crucial to our interactions and relationships with those around us. According to a report for the 2015 National Health Interview Survey, 23.7 million adult Americans, ages 18 and older, report experiencing vision loss, with a majority of those affected being over the age of 60. You may be surprised to learn that our eyes are intimately connected to our body’s health. The retina, or the film of your eye, receives more blood flow per unit mass than any other organ in your body. It’s hard

to imagine, but the eye uses an incredible amount of energy to help you process your surroundings in a cohesive way, and maintaining its optimum performance is key to healthy eyes. In this resource section, we learn about the specialists in New Orleans who are eager to help us see the world with clarity.

Eyecare Associates physicians are excited about new cataract surgery technology, now available for New Orleans area patients. The Catalys Precision Laser System is designed to make cataract surgery safer and more accurate, while new lens implant options, such as the latest in multifocal and extended focus intraocular lenses, provide patients with the best-corrected vision for both distance and near at the same time.

The Ora System, used at the time of surgery, delivers the most accurate calculation for determining the power of the intraocular lens implanted.

In addition to the new technology offered for cataract patients, Eyecare Optometrists offer the latest options in daily wear contact lenses that are known for clear vision and comfort. Patients have access to comprehensive routine and medical examinations as well as refractive surgery, glaucoma and retina services and procedures. For more information call 504-455-9825 or visit EyeCareNewOrleans.com.

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Gulf Shores & Orange Beach

Summer Travel Destinations & Resources for Vacation Season

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veryone knows what vacation anticipation looks like - from the professional at their desk watching the minutes crawl, to the student racing to finish the last final exam of the semester or the stay-at-home parent dropping the kids off at Grandma’s, sometimes we just can’t wait to get away. Now that summer weather has arrived, the anticipation is growing. May is the perfect time to start planning your summer travel itinerary, and from mountains and lakes to white sand beaches, the South offers a wealth of escapes suited to travelers of all ages and interests.

Family-friendly options abound for both outdoors enthusiasts and those who prefer the comfort of air-conditioned entertainment. Those looking for a romantic getaway or a weekend trip with pals can easily tailor a trip to their interests, be they cuisine, golf, live music, history museums or shopping.

The following destinations and travel resources are bound to get you excited for your summer vacation.

Alabama Spend the summer on Alabama’s beaches splashing in the Gulf waters, building sandcastles, eating delicious seafood and much more. From jumping around in trampoline parks and sliding down water slides, to kayaking adventures and dolphin cruises, there is much to be explored in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. These family-friendly beach towns continue to see generations returning year after year to experience the southern hospitality and incredible array of activities, dining options and events.

This summer, the Alabama coast is filled with exciting events for the whole family to enjoy, including the Fort Morgan Salute to American Independence (July 1), multiple July 4th celebrations, and the Blue Marlin Grand Championship (July 12-16). These events allow for visitors to not only have fun but to also learn about the culture of the destination.

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Arkansas Situated in the heart of Arkansas, Little Rock is celebrated for its charming hospitality, genuine people and new Southern style. The city features “Locally Labeled” craft ales, wines and spirits, award-winning restaurants, and unique shops, and hosts a number of special events and festivals each year, including the state’s largest music festival, Riverfest (June 1-4), held in Riverfront Park.

History comes to life at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center, historic Central High School, and the Esse Purse Museum. The Arkansas River Trail embraces 17 miles of natural fun, including the Big Dam Bridge, North America’s longest pedestrian-intended bridge. Additionally, the “River Lights in the Rock” bridges host spectacular nightly light shows.

The route to Little Rock has never been easier thanks to GLO Airlines’ direct flights (FlyGlo.com). You’ll see why the locals say, “Life is Better with a Southern Accent.”

For more information and to request free vacation planning materials, go to LittleRock.com.

Florida The beach is calling your name! Located in the heart of Florida’s Panhandle is the iconic Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, rated the #1 Resort in Destin by U.S. News and World Report. This sprawling 2,400-acre playground is a

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Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort four-season resort for all.

Time spent on Sandestin’s world-famous beaches, with its white sand and warm emerald green waters of the Gulf of Mexico, is priceless. And, with a full array of beach services, it’s effortless as well. The resort features 1,300 deluxe accommodations, championship golf courses, tennis, marina, shopping, fitness center, spa, the Village and so much more. Sandestin also offers complimentary entertainment all summer long. From movie nights and concerts to Tuesday night luaus and fireworks, the events are endless.

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Soak up the fun in the sun this summer at Sandestin, and, enjoy 25% off with promo code SUMR17. Visit Sandestin.com/nom or 866-628-8759.

Pensacola’s beaches are just the beginning of summer fun in this panhandle town. Celebrate summer in America’s first multi-year European settlement; history is brought to life in Historic Pensacola, located downtown just minutes from Pensacola’s world famous sugar-white beaches and emerald-green waters. Historic Pensacola, which includes the T. T. Wentworth, Jr. Museum, the Pensacola Children’s Museum, the Museums of Commerce and Industry, the Voices of Pensacola Multicultural Center and Historic Pensacola Village, shares the stories of Pensacola’s rich heritage through museum exhibits, guided home tours, and engaging period-dressed living history interpreters.

“One Ticket, Seven Days to Explore” ticketing allows access to all museums, tours and activities. While exploring, step across the street to the Pensacola Museum of Art and experience the diversity of visual culture through exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, tours, and special events that educate and inspire. From May 5 – August 27, view Metaphor as Manifestation, an exhibition of prints by Jasper Johns and Robert Motherwell.

For hours and ticket information, visit HistoricPensacola.org (850-595-5990) and pensacolamuseum.org (850-432-6247).

Explore more than the shore at Art Week South Walton, an initiative of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County. Experience a collaboration of visual, performing, and literary arts events presented in diverse formats and various venues throughout South Walton, located along Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast.

May 13-21, Art Week South Walton includes Arts-Quest (the 29th annual fine arts festival in Grand Boulevard’s Town Center), Digital Graffiti (see the beachfront town of Alys Beach turned into a vibrant canvas of light), Seaside Writers Conference (a full week of workshops, seminars, readings and events in the iconic town of Seaside) and the Northwest Florida Theatre Festival (engage as a performer or participant in the experience and become a part of an innovative gathering of art and artists).

For more information, visit ArtWeekSouthWalton.com.

It’s summer travel season, and there’s no better beach escape than Pensacola Beach, Florida, and the properties of Premier Island Management Group. Situated just a few hours outside of New Orleans along the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf Island National Seashore, this collection of vacation rentals includes beach homes, condos and the acclaimed skyhomes of the Portofino Island Resort.

Northwest Florida’s premier beach vacation experience,Portofino Island offers families the perfect balance of indulgence, natural beauty, and active adventure. Take a kayak or paddleboard adventure and

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surf the crystal blue waters, or fly under the sun as you parasail your day away. Be sure to reserve a spa day and get pampered in the comfort of your private suite or poolside.

Enjoy a morning or sunset cruise and watch curious dolphins jump out of the water to say hello.

For more information visit PremierIsland.com or call 866-935-7741.

It is beach season and Florida’s Emerald Coast has a variety of new developments this year. Chef Emeril Lagasse is opening Emeril’s Coastal Italian Restaurant in Grand Boulevard at Sandestin, and Salamander Spa recently opened at The Henderson, offering refreshing new options for visiting families. In Destin, the Stoked Show starring comedy hypnotist, Terry Stokes, is the new live performance at HarborWalk Village, and Maximum Magic, featuring Noah and Heather Wells, thrills audiences of all ages at the Fudpuckers Theater on Okaloosa Island.

Looking for a place to stay? Newman-Dailey Resort Properties, was recently voted “Best Vacation Rental Company on the Emerald Coast,” and features premier South Walton, 30A and Destin vacation rental homes, condominiums, and cottages on and near the beach.

Newman-Dailey’s Mother’s Day package, includes discounted lodging and an autographed copy of Beach Town by Mary Kay Andrews.

Call 1-800-225-7652 or visit DestinVacation.com.

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Newman-Dailey Resort

Louisiana Take a walk through time and enjoy a glimpse into the lives of fascinating people who have called St. Joseph Plantation “home.”

Learn about the Priestly family and grandson H. H. Richardson, who was born at St. Joseph and became one of America’s most important architects of the 19th century.

Explore the story of Valcour Aime, known as “The Louis XIV of Louisiana,” and his two daughters, Felicite and Josephine, to whom he gave St. Joseph Plantation and neighboring Felicity Plantation. Discover the stories of the

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Mudbound were filmed.

Visit StJosephPlantation.com, or call 225-265-4078.

St. Joseph's Plantation

slaves that lived here and the work they did.

In 1877, the story of St. Joseph’s Plantation’ current family began when Joseph Waguespack purchased the plantation. Joseph’s descendants, the Waguespack and Simon families, have kept this sugarcane plantation thriving for over 135 years, operating the plantation with over 1,000 acres planted. Visit and learn about the sugarcane industry and its regional significance.

Additionally, see where scenes from All The King’s Men, Skeleton Key, 12 Years a Slave, Underground, Queen Sugar, the remake of Roots, and the soon-to-be released

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People visit New Orleans because it’s unlike any other place on earth, and a stay in such a distinctive city deserves a hotel experience just as astonishing. As part of its partnership with Where Y’Art, Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery is debuting three new Artist Loft Suites curated by a trio of Where Y’Art artists: Saegan Swanson, Connor McManus and Leroy Miranda, Jr. The experience in each suite has been personally crafted by the artist, with décor and accessories to set the mood, and original works of art selected for the space. Guests who stay in an Artist Loft Suite will be immersed in that artist’s vision. Guests can enjoy the art during their stay and even purchase their favorite piece upon checkout.

With numerous accolades, including #2 Best Hotel in New Orleans by Conde Naste Traveler, a pet-welcome policy, an unsurpassed creative vision, and Top Chef Nina Compton’s Compère Lapin restaurant, Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery offers both pleasure and distinction. For booking and information, visit Old77Hotel.com.

In the heart of New Orleans, expertly crafted food, spirits and cocktails come together in a unique, privately owned micro-distillery and restaurant. Located along the historic New Orleans streetcar line on St. Charles Avenue, Lula

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Restaurant Distillery is the first concept of its kind in Louisiana and in the southeast United States.

Lula’s spirits - Lula Vodka, Rum and Gin - are made in-house from Louisiana sugarcane. The restaurant’s food is southern, with a distinct Louisiana influence. Enjoy Happy Hour daily from 4:00pm to 6:00pm and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00am-2:00pm, including an all-you-can-drink Vodka Bar. Lula Restaurant Distillery offers a private event space and an outdoor patio, as well as complimentary distillery tours and free parking.

Hours of operation are Sundays from 10:00am– 10:00pm, Monday and Tuesday from 11:00am10:00pm, and Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 11:00am to 11:00pm, and Saturday 10:00am to 11:00pm. Join friends and family at Lula for a truly spiritual dining experience.

Visit LulaNola.com for information, menus, and reservations.

Nottoway Plantation & Resort, a magnificent 1850s sugarcane estate and AAA Four-Diamond property, is the home of the South’s largest existing antebellum mansion. Stunningly restored to her days of glory, she rests majestically on lush, oak-draped grounds along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

In addition to daily audio and guided mansion tours, Nottoway offers 40 deluxe rooms, fabulous dining,

beautiful event venues, and unforgettable southern hospitality. The Mansion Restaurant features exquisite southern Louisiana cuisine and is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Other amenities include an outdoor pool, cabana and hot tub, tennis courts, fitness center, salon & spa, and nighttime grounds gorgeously transformed into a magical world by thousands of sparkling white lights.

Nottoway Plantation & Resort welcomes you to visit and experience for yourself the history, the luxury and the hospitality of Nottoway, truly the extraordinary crown jewel of southern antebellum plantations.

For more information, visit Nottoway.com or call 225-545-2730 or 866-527-6884.

Just in time to celebrate the magic of festival season in the Crescent City, Royal Sonesta New Orleans’ annual French Quarter Fling guest package offers nightly rates as low as $159 and comes packed with savings for budgetfriendly, fun-seeking travelers. Guests can upgrade among the hotel’s newly renovated guest rooms, including a Deluxe room from $179 per night, a Preferred room with an optional patio, Bourbon Street, or balcony view starting at $209 per night, or move up to an R Club Level room from $259 per night.

Children 17 and under stay free with an adult, so bring the family and discover firsthand why TripAdvisor ranked

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Ship Island

New Orleans first on its “7 Best Family Getaways in America” and included the city in its “Most Affordable Cities for a Summer Escape” list. Book your stay at Royal Sonesta New Orleans and use online promo code “FQF,” or call 504-586-0300.

L’Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge is a unique casino entertainment complex that captures the feel of a Southern river lodge right in the heart of south Baton Rouge. Embracing local culture and cuisine, L’Auberge Baton Rouge offers a genuine Louisiana experience and exudes an atmosphere of fun just a short drive from New Orleans. It features an expansive 74,000-square-foot casino with nearly 1,500 slot machines, 50 table games, a 12-story hotel with over 200 rooms and a rooftop pool, as well as three restaurants and a casino bar with breathtaking views of the Mississippi River.

L’Auberge also features an outdoor festival grounds, featuring the second annual Red Stick Food Fest on May 13, a multi-purpose event center featuring Rodney Carrington live on stage on May 20, banquets, and other events. To find out more about L’Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge, visit MyLAuberge.com or find them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

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Mississippi Take a trip this spring that won’t break the bank, and is only one hour outside of New Orleans. Some of Mississippi’s finest beaches are located on West Ship Island, approximately 11 miles south of Gulfport and Biloxi, and are accessible by Ship Island Excursions’ ferry boats, located in the Gulfport Small Craft Harbor.

Watch for Atlantic bottlenose dolphins during the enjoyable 50-minute ferry boat ride.

West Ship Island, with its tranquil stretches of National Park beaches, invites you for an affordable family vacation to explore, swim and relax for a fun-filled day.

Experience the pristine Gulf waters, explore high quality beaches, and tour historic Fort Massachusetts, all part of Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Ferry service runs thru Oct. 30. See website for ferry schedule: MSShipIsland.com.

Big Bay Lake is a one-of-a-kind planned community on Mississippi’s largest private recreational lake.

Located just outside of Hattiesburg, Big Bay Lake blends seamlessly into its natural surroundings. Home-sites are available on the water starting at $100,000. Both the homes and home-sites within this community provide

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unique opportunities to create the perfect home or weekend getaway.

Families relax, unplug, make memories and create new traditions at Big Bay. Whether you are a boating or fishing enthusiast, or just a family who loves to make a big splash, Big Bay Lake is simply about the lure of the water. Come enjoy sun-kissed, fun-filled days at Big Bay Lake, where the little things make life big.

Big Bay Lake is only 90 minutes from New Orleans.

Call for a boat tour today at 877-4BIG-BAY or visit bigbaylake.com.

Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort embodies “the New Way” in casino entertainment and design. Bright, friendly spaces and an atmosphere of resort modernity, complemented by southern hospitality, makes the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s newest and most exciting resort an immediate favorite and home away from home.

Lava Links Miniature Golf Course offers a unique way to enjoy some family-friendly fun as you putt your way past an erupting volcano. The unique course is an exciting experience for all ages. Afterwards, cool off in the luxurious shade of the Garden Oasis Pool.

The Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort also offers the new way to dine, from rib-eye steaks prepared to perfection in the elegant atmosphere of Scarlet’s Steaks & Seafood to casual dining at Under The Oak Cafe, Chopstx Noodle Bar, or Waterfront Buffet.

It’s also the new way to play. With over 1,200 of the best Slot Machines, 37-top-of-the-line Table Games, and 10 Live Poker Tables, there are plenty of old favorites, or make a new one. Book your next getaway on ScarletPearlCasino.com.

Situated high on the bluffs above the Mississippi River, Vicksburg serves as the “Key to the South” and prides itself on its perfect location as a midway point between Memphis and New Orleans.

If you’re in search of the sound of the Mississippi Delta Blues, you’ll find it in Vicksburg. Live Mississippi music from Delta Blues to country and rock can be enjoyed at venues throughout the city. Discover American history by visiting the site of the defining battle of America’s defining war at the Vicksburg National Military Park. Enjoy the southern charm of Vicksburg by strolling the brick-paved streets of its historic downtown. Visit eclectic boutiques, art galleries and various eateries featuring Southern specialties.

Enjoy sweeping views of the mighty Mississippi River and some of the most beautiful sunsets imaginable.

Relax—it all runs on river time. For more to see and do in Vicksburg, VisitVicksburg.com, or call 800-221-3536.

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This May, the Natchez Festival of Music brings live, world-class music and theater, as well as internationally and nationally recognized performers to “the Miss-Lou,” the southwest Mississippi and eastern region of central Louisiana. A carefully curated collection of operas, operettas, Broadway musicals, jazz, recitals, and special concerts will take place on Tuesdays through Saturdays throughout the month. A few of the many highlights of the festival include Best of the Mississippi Blues II, with Grammy-nominated Vasti Jackson on Saturday, May 6, From Mississippi to Motown, on Friday May 13, a production of Camelot on Saturday, May 20, and Rock and Roll: An Evening of Elvis Presley, on Friday, May 26.

“With the 27th season of the Natchez Festival of Music we present a series of events that raises a hearty salute to 200 years of music in this great state,” says Artistic Director Jay Dean. “We proudly present a diverse slate of musical events that encompasses everything from blues, gospel and jazz, to rock and roll, country, and classical.”

For a complete schedule, ticket information and more, visit NatchezFestivalofMusic.com.

International Travel Condor Airlines, part of Thomas Cook Group Airlines, and the third largest airline in Germany, is expanding its route network this summer with new, non-stop service from New Orleans to Frankfurt and beyond. With a total of 16 gateways in North America, Condor is the only discount carrier operating with full-service, inclusive fares in Business, Premium, and Economy class on the Boeing 767-300 aircraft.

Experience all that Germany has to offer this summer with a hassle-free, non-stop flight from home.

All Condor passengers receive complimentary checked baggage, complimentary beverages and meals and complimentary in-flight entertainment. Condor’s business class features reclining seats, a personal inseat, premium touch-screen entertainment system, power and USB ports at every seat, gourmet, fivecourse meals with complimentary wine, beer, and cocktails, and a well-being amenity kit.

Business class passengers also have access to priority check-in and business class lounges at most airports. Premium class features added legroom, leg rests, and adjustable headrests, and much more. Condor passengers can earn and redeem miles with the Lufthansa Miles and More frequent flier program.

Book online at Condor.com or by calling 1-866-960-7915.•

try this

Got Orange?

Feeling the Burn with OrangeTheory Fitness

By Jessica DeBold

I am a competitive person. The drive to be the best in the room, and to feel challenged by others, lends a big hand to my success. Balancing work, relationships, my health and mental well-being are a priority, but I also want to go above and beyond that bare minimum “balance.” I have specific goals. Among them is to get stronger and rock a bathing suit this summer; it has been a goal of mine for about a year now, and I’ve been searching for a new gym situation to match my personality and drive. I wanted a workout experience that would leave me feeling like I gave my all and am getting the most out of every minute. That is when I stumbled on OrangeTheory Fitness.

The first thing I like about OrangeTheory Fitness is that I was able to try out one class for free before any commitments - which I end up willingly committing to anyway! I show up to my first class 30 minutes before it starts, and a man dressed in orange smiles and jokes with me as he explains the whole concept behind the workout, and how to navigate my first class. From the reception room, loud,

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high-energy music is coming from the workout room, which is low-lit with orange hues and filled with people running on treadmills and pulling on row machines. The gym has been open since 5 a.m., and they hold classes every hour or so, until 8 p.m.

The concept of OrangeTheory Fitness is to give members a heart-pounding, high-intensity workout within 60 to 90 minutes. The exercise involves using treadmills, rowing machines, TRX, weight-training and timed as well as counted reps and sets. One trainer is walking around directing you, pushing you harder and playing disc jockey for the group. You wear a strap with a monitor around your chest, or your wrist, connected to large flat screens that track your workout efforts in real time by posting every person’s heart rate, calories burned, burn zone and various other stats. The goal is to accumulate as much time as possible in what they call the “Orange Zone,” the heart rate level needed to stimulate Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (or EPOC), which they say can help members continue to burn calo-

ries for up to 36 hours after the workout. Also referred to as “afterburn,” for every minute you spend in the orange zone, you are given a “splat point,” and at the end of the workout you want to earn as many splat points as possible for the best afterburn effect.

The concept of posting everyone’s efforts on the screen with numbers, percentages and colors may sound intimidating, but in my several workouts at OrangeTheory since, my biggest challenge and competitor is myself. Even though some people may come in with intentions to be the best in the room with the highest splat points, most are there to beat their personal records. I also noticed more than just an afterburn effect when I finished my first class, covered in sweat. I felt some unexplained desire to go back. Within 24 hours of the workout, I wanted to go back for that workout again, and again.

Since it’s a franchise, all OrangeTheory Fitness gyms follow the same aesthetic as well as workout room set up. If you try out a class for yourself, just remember to have fun. n cheryl gerber PHOTOGRAPH

etc.

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Bella Blue at Moxy

Moxy New Orleans Downtown/French Quarter Area, 210 O’Keefe Ave., 525-6800, MoxyNola.com New Orleans Burlesque performer Bella Blue and her troupe, the Foxglove Revue, will be appearing in a new show at Moxy New Orleans. The cheeky, vibrant performance will take place every fourth Friday, 10 p.m. to midnight in the hotel’s bar and living room. There is no cover charged for the show. Moxy New Orleans boasts a bar that never closes, fast Wi-Fi, fitness and chilling zones, and local art installations, all in a location just a few blocks from the French Quarter.

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SportFit Testing at Baudry

2620 Metairie Lawn Dr., Metairie, 841-0150, BaudryTherapy.com The Baudry Therapy Center in Metairie is running two complimentary SportFIT Testing days in May: 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, May 26 and Tuesday, May 30. Experts will be available to measure speed, agility, strength and cardiovascular performance and provide advice on exactly how young athletes can improve their overall sports performance as well as how to avoid injury.

Participants must be current 8th though 12th grade students and will be offered the opportunity to join the 10 week Summer SportFIT program at the Baudry BRIO Center, June 5 through August 7.

By Mirella Cameran cheryl gerber PHOTOGRAPHS

myneworleans.com MAY 2017

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Tennessee Williams Stories

By Errol Laborde

Gore Vidal went to visit Tennessee Williams one day and saw him, thinking hard, sitting behind a keyboard. Asked

by Vidal what he was working on, Williams responded, “Streetcar…”

Vidal was astonished. By that time A Streetcar Named Desire was already an established work, having run on Broadway and won a Pulitzer Prize. It had become a classic American play. When asked to explain, Williams answered, “I just don’t think I got the ending quite right.”

That story, as paraphrased by Professor Robert Bray, a Williams scholar from the

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University of Middle Tennessee, was one of many heard at the annual Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival.

Bray added that Williams was always great with characters and plot development but worried about the endings.

Some of the stories about Williams are dark, complex and censorable as was his life. Other stories are pure whimsy. One of my favorites came from an early festival when a friend of Williams recalled that among the playwright’s favorite vacation spots was Key West. On one visit when checking out of a guesthouse he received

the bill for his stay. Williams responded that he was low on cash and asked if he could give a check. The owner agreed.

The author filled it out, knowing that many people, especially in Key West, would not cash a check signed by Tennessee Williams but save it as a keepsake.

Talk show host Dick Cavett, upon hearing the story, relayed that in the era before credit cards were common many cash- strapped celebrities pulled the same stunt hoping for similar results.

(A quick Cavett story: As a young man, on a warm day in Manhattan he first met Groucho Marx with whom he would eventually become friends. Cavett approached the comedian saying that he was a big fan. “If it gets any hotter,” Marx replied, “I am going to need a big fan myself.”)

Cavett had many Williams stories, including one from when he came to New Orleans to interview, for his talk show, the playwright who frequently stayed in the French Quarter. As part of the production, someone thought it would be a good idea to hire a carriage and have the crew ride along as Williams explained the neighborhood. It turned out the writer was more enamored by the Quarter’s fantasy than its facts.

When asked to tell about Madame John’s Legacy, Williams responded that he had never met her; when prompted to talk about the old Mint, Williams answered that he had always wondered what went on in the building.

What went on in Williams’ mind would have been the most bizarre tour filled with passion, despair, dashes of humor and gifted language. Ultimately his endings probably did not matter as much as the route taken to get to them.n

ARTHUR NEAD ILLUSTRATION