New Orleans Magazine March 2017

MARCH 2017

myneworleans.com $4.95 WYES-TV presents a Masterpiece “Victoria” marathon

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MARCH 2017 / VOLUME 51 / NUMBER 5 Editor-in-Chief Errol Laborde Managing Editor Morgan Packard 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 Bonnie Warren 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 Account Executives Claire Cummings, Jessica Marasco, 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 Manager Staci McCarty Production Designers Monique DiPietro, Demi Schaffer Traffic Coordinator Terra Durio Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne President Alan Campell Executive Vice President Errol Laborde Distribution Manager John Holzer Administrative Assistant Denise Dean Subscriptions Manager Sara Kelemencky Subscriptions Assistant Mallary Matherne 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

74 FEATURES

IN EVERY ISSUE

60

Most of the Coast

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Inside

“Bud and Friends”

By Cheré Coen

Speaking Out

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Best of Design

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By John P. Klingman

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Julia Street

What’s new in dining, staying and things to do

Our annual survey of new architecture

Editorial, plus a Mike Luckovich cartoon

Questions and answers about our city

150 Try This

“Floating in Space: Recharging with a themed isolation tank experience”

152 Streetcar

“Sounds In the Night”

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ON THE COVER

The dish pictured on our cover is just a sampling of the many restaurants, places to stay and things to do along the Gulf Coast highlighted in our feature, starting on pg. 60.

Photo courtesy of Roselie Dining & Seafood Bar

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

“Snow Me Something”

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Joie d’Eve

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Food

“Asian Occasion”

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Last Call

Celery Sucka

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Dining Guide

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Entertainment calendar

City Park CEO Bob Becker

Biz

“Tour Score: How many visitors are too many”

Education

“Chartering the Course”

Health

“Roach Buster: The bait debate”

Healthbeat

“The New Quiet Time”

Crime Fighting

“Marching to City Hall: Perspectives from a decade later”

Chronicles “Glass Act”

“Understanding New Orleans: Or maybe not’”

“Grammar School”

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In Tune

“March Forth”

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Read & Spin

A look at the latest albums and books

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Jazz Life

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Home

“Small Hotels, Big Restaurants’”

News From the Kitchens: The Munch Factory, Gracious Bakery + Café & Central City BBQ

“Best of Brass: Paul Barbarin and ‘Bourbon Street Parade’”

“A Study In Good Taste: Gardens and art in Janet and Leonard Tallerine’s Federal-style home”

DIAL 12, D1

Watch all seven episodes (eight hours) about the most powerful woman the world has ever known in the dramatic new PBS series Masterpiece “Victoria” on Sun., March 19, beginning at 9 a.m. “Antiques Roadshow” fans … WYES is thrilled that PBS’ most-watched ongoing series is coming to New Orleans on July 22. Admission is free, but tickets are required. Fans can apply now at WYES.org.

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inside

Bud and Friends I once met Bud. He was walking along with a man named Robert Davis toward the beachfront restaurant at what was then the fledgling Seaside development along Highway 30-A east of Destin. I had no idea that Bud, who accompanied us quietly, would become a symbol of the Gulf Coast’s reawakening. He seemed too unpretentious for fame.

Robert Davis, on the other hand, was easily going to be a star. His field was architecture, and he had mastered developing Seaside into a village of elegant, colorful and indigenous buildings. What was happening at Seaside would be imitated all along the Gulf Coast, which, with Interstate-10 a few miles to the north having been completed, was opening new development opportunities as it fast- tracked visitors to the white sand shores. Seaside was, and is, one of the nation’s most important contemporary waterfront residential developments.

Davis carried a plastic container in which there were some fillets of freshly caught fish. He proposed that he would get the chef to cook it for our dinner. Bud said nothing. Perhaps as the co-namesake for the restaurant, Bud & Alley’s, he didn’t want to indicate favoritism.

This edition is about new discoveries along the Gulf Cost.

It also contains our annual critique of new local architecture.

The topics bring to mind that design can be as important to a beach community as it is to a city. Nature, especially along a coast, provides its own symmetry.

Neither Bud nor Alley are around anymore, but their presence, in silhouette, survives on the restaurant’s logo.

Bud is the dachshund to the left sitting peacefully besides his cat friend, Alley. They are likely staring at their surroundings, marveling at what both man and nature, when they are at their best, can create.

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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

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

A New Home for The Advocate The significance of a presence Last month, one of the most significant developments in the local news business occurred without the attention it deserved from the other news organizations.

A new office facility for The New Orleans Advocate was opened at 840 St. Charles Ave. This is important for several reasons: • We take this investment to be a sign that owner John Georges is committed to maintaining The Advocate as a daily home-delivered newspaper. New Orleans, since the changes at The Times-Picayune, is thus spared of being the largest city in the country without a true daily.

• A daily newspaper, among all news media, plays a special leadership role within a community. It has a more pronounced editorial voice and covers more topics than broadcast news or periodicals. It is, more than any other publication, the journal of a city, so it’s important for it to have presence and to be accessible. Located on the first floor of a building within the business district, The Advocate’s

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new home achieves that.

• In its previous life, The Times-Picayune had that presence. The facility on Howard Avenue was difficult to get to but imposing to see by anyone driving along Interstate 10. On the inside the building may have been falling into disrepair, but from the outside it connoted power – like the big bear in the woods. The delivery trucks parked in front typified a news flow as the papers were rushed to delivery.

New technology makes the classic newsroom with its melody of clicking keyboards less necessary, but it’s still good for there to be a highvisibility location for news people to gather and for the public to feel its presence.

We know that the digital world has changed a lot about news and its distribution. (News operations for The Times-Picayune/Nola.com have been moved to a free-flowing top floor in Canal Place.) The Times-Picayune is banking its future on the Nola.com part of its operation.

There are some excellent people on its staff,

and the operation is capable of providing good coverage for both the newspaper and digital component.

Nevertheless, we’re blessed that The Advocate has filled the daily homedelivered void partially with talent that came from The Times-Picayune. We know that these are troubled times for the newspaper industry, but we still maintain that every city needs a daily. There are some stories that are best told when spread out on a broadsheet. These includes news items that wouldn’t be noticed were they not part of the page-to-page flow.

Whereas we once feared not having a daily newspaper at all, the news audience may have come out ahead by having both a daily and a thriceweekly – both also feeding the internet.

There are some drawbacks: Neither paper has the staff size that The Times-Picayune once had back in its daily prime; both papers are printed out of town (The TimesPicayune in Mobile; The Advocate in Baton Rouge), so deadlines are earlier and less sensitive to nightly news. Still, we’re glad for what we have and that The Advocate’s new facility shows promise for its endurance.

In its first month, the new location ingratiated itself in a classically New Orleans way.

Located along the business district’s Carnival route, staff members were able to stream passing parades. We will know that The Advocate’s new office has fully established its presence when we see beads dangling from its roof. n

AN ORIGINAL ©MIKE LUCKOVICH CARTOON FOR NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE

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

could’ve provided details. Have you or Poydras ever heard of the Terpsichoreans?

Thanks, Cheryl Moulin Abita Springs

1905 home on Neron Place

Hi Julia, I have a two-part question. We live on one of most beautiful, Live Oak tree-lined streets in the city (Neron Place). No one seems to know the origin of the name (I even read the book by John Chase about New Orleans streets).

Here is a picture of our house from around 1905, before it became a “raised basement.”

Any idea about the street name or when houses in the neighborhood were raised?

Larry Wolford New Orleans I was unable to determine the origin of the name, but I do know it was in July 1894 that the City Council passed Council Series ordinance 9411 C.S., which renamed a number of local streets. The renamed thoroughfares included Napoleon Avenue, which became Neron Street. In mid-1909, New Council Series ordinance 5965 N.C.S. changed part of Neron Street to Neron Place. (The Napoleon Avenue that became Neron Street was one block of Claiborne Avenue and is totally different from the street we now know as Napoleon Avenue.)

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It is difficult to say exactly when your home was raised, but it may have been modified for use as a duplex rental rather than a single-family residence. Checking all tax assessment rolls from the 1920s to ’40s would probably reflect more precisely when the basement was added. A ’40 update of the ’09 Sanborn fire insurance map shows your home after the addition. Also, in the early ’40s, newspaper advertisements for a rental property at 57-59 Neron Place mention both an unfurnished ground level apartment and a furnished upper apartment, both of which featured two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It is safe to assume the house, which in ’40 was on a block full of two-story residences, was altered prior to that time.

Dear Julia, Years ago, I scoffed when an uncle told me that someone in the family, last name Nunnemacher, played on a baseball team in New Orleans in the mid-19th century. Since, I’ve learned that the game of baseball is indeed that old and I wish he

Yes, your ancestor, Joseph Nunnenmacher (whose surname often appears with an extra “n” in the middle) was involved with both Terpsichoreans and baseball, but his team wasn’t known as the Terpsichoreans. I think your uncle most likely misread an old advertisement for Joseph Nunnenmacher and Messrs. Merhoff and Reutter that ran in the Dec. 9, 1866 issue of the New Orleans Times. The notice read, in part, “... The ball season is now at its height, and the Terpsichoreans are almost nightly reveling in their favorite enjoyment ...” That is “ball” as in a formal dance, not “ball” as in “baseball,” even though the men hosting the Terpsichorean entertainment were members of the Unknown Base Ball Club of Louisiana.

In classical mythology, Terpsichore is the Muse associated with dancing and choral singing. Therefore, in this particular instance, “Terpsichorians” refers to participants at the formal dance Nunnenmacher and fellow members of the Unknown Base Ball Club of Louisiana were hosting at the Phoenix Ballroom on the night of Dec. 15, 1866. I could find no further information about the Unknown Base Ball Club of Louisiana. I suppose they were aptly named.

Dear Julia, During my young adult years (I am now an “old adult”) I remember my mother talking with fondness of two places she and my father used to visit with regularity during their pre-children years in the late 1930s and early ’40s.

One was called, I believe, West End Roof, and was located along the New Basin Canal near the lake. This was where their “gang” went during the summer months

to dance. The other was called, I believe, The Little Club and was located in the city. This was their “gang’s” hangout during the winter months.

Now I know many of Poydras’ friends hang out in the palm trees along the lakefront.

I thought he might be able to gather some intelligence on these places and let me know a bit about them.

Sincerely, Ric Smith Metairie I believe your parents were dining and dancing a bit earlier than you estimated, since the nightspots you mentioned were gone by the late 1930s and early ’40s. If they patronized either of the original Little Clubs or the West End Roof Garden, their outings happened somewhere between ’22 and the mid-’30s.

The West End Roof Garden opened in the early 1920s and remained in existence until around the ’30s. The Hotel Grunewald (later the Roosevelt Hotel) managed the popular dining and dancing location where the Silver Leaf Orchestra, The New Orleans Owls, Papa Celestin and Kid Ory are known to have played.

Mexican composer Miguel Lerdo was an early musical director at the popular West End night spot.

At the same time the West End Roof Garden was operating, entrepreneur Anthony “Tony” Denapolis’ Little Clubs (note the plural) were going strong. Denapolis ran two different Little Clubs in downtown New Orleans that operated during Prohibition. He also scuttled plans for a planned French Quarter location. Another, unrelated, Little Club Bar was a Bourbon Street watering hole in the early 1940s.

In late 1922, Denapolis opened the Little Club Restau-

rant at 201 Dryades St. (now O’Keefe) at the corner of Common. Featuring French and Italian cuisine and headline entertainment, it was a casualty of Prohibition and was shuttered in ’25. The following year, it was rumored that Denapolis was preparing to open a new Little Club at 613 Royal St., but his plan encountered strong local opposition and never materialized. In October ’27, Denapolis opened the second Little Club at 824 Baronne St., which remained in operation until about ’36.

Johnny De Droit’s dance band was one of the acts known to have played there. I suspect the second Little Club, located at 824 Baronne St., is the one most likely to have been your parents’ winter hangout.

The Little Club Bar, which Frank Schifano, aka Frank Little, ran at 240 Dauphine St. in the 1940s appears to have been unrelated to either of the Denapolis-operated Little Clubs. In late May ’40, a former employee shot Shifano to death at the club; Schifano’s father managed the Little Club Bar following his son’s murder. 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 Cheryl Moulin, Abita Springs; and Reginald Smith Jr., Metairie. myneworleans.com MARCH 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

“A couple of years ago, we started a program with our horticultural staff where we plant wildflowers and groom wildflowers in the park. ... That’s the reason why people go to a park – and why they go to a big park. They get to experience things that they can’t in small neighborhood parks.” Bob Becker, City Park CEO

greg miles photograph

THE BEAT | marquee

March Events

By Fritz Esker

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TOP PICKS

“A Life of Seduction: Venice in the 1700s” You can experience the grandeur of Venice without the eight to 10 hour plane ride with “A Life Of Seduction: Venice in the 1700s” at the New Orleans Museum of Art now through May 21. New Orleans is the only American stop for this exhibit depicting the pageantry, ceremony and extravagance of Venetian life in the 1700s.

Three hundred year old carnival masks, costumes and exquisite paintings are just some of the objects on hand. Information, NOMA.org.

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical This jukebox musical, playing at the Saenger Theatre March 7-12, tells the story of singer Carole King. It features King’s own songs as well as other popular tunes from the era (mostly the 1950s and ’60s). Acclaimed playwright and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Douglas McGrath wrote the play’s book.

Information and ticketing, SaengerNOLA.com.

Tennessee Williams/ New Orleans Literary Festival Start prepping your vocal chords: the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival is back for its 31st year and with it comes the annual “Stella!” shouting contest. Of course, there’s more to the festival than that. This year’s event is March 22-26 and will feature a number of fascinating panels, master classes and discussions. Guests will include actor Bryan Batt (Mad Men), as well as acclaimed authors like Pulitzer Prize-winner Rick Bragg, mystery novelist Bill Loehfelm, retired talk show host Dick Cavett and our very own Errol and Peggy Scott Laborde!

Information, TennesseeWilliams.net.

t CALENDAR

March 1-Apr 9 Goods of Every Description: Shopping in New Orleans, Historic New Orleans Collection. Information, HNOC.org

March 14 The Price Is Right Live, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com

March 1-July 16 Waltzing the Muse: The Paintings of James Michalopoulos, OgdenMuseum.org

March 14 Ryan Adams, Orpheum Theater. Information, OrpheumNOLA.com

March 1-May 21 “A Life Of Seduction: Venice in the 1700s,” NOMA.org March 3 The Lumineers, Lakefront Arena. Information, Arena.UNO.edu March 4 Norah Jones, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com March 7-12 Beautiful – the Carole King Musical, Saenger Theater.

Information, SaengerNOLA.com

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March 15 Steve Nicks with Pretenders, Smoothie King Center. Information, SmoothieKingCenter.com March 16 Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5, Orpheum Theater. Information, OrpheumNOLA.com March 18 Bill Maher, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com March 18 John Waters: This Filthy World, Joy Theater. Information,

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SPOTLIGHT

on the 25th with most of the artists in attendance.

On the 26th, she’s taking the artists on a tour of the Louisiana wetlands.

How do you feel about your 10-year anniversary?

I am happy, proud and can’t believe 10 years went by so quickly.

Angela King Gallery’s 10th Anniversary

Owner Angela King discusses the celebration 10 great years have flown by for the Angela King Gallery (241 Royal St., 524-8211, AngelaKingGallery.com) and it’s time to celebrate! King will host artists at her home on March 23, followed by a dinner in the gallery on the 24th, then a public exhibition

What makes the gallery itself special? The space is fresh and full of light. … Our second floor offers more exhibition and studio space, providing visiting artists a studio where they can create. … Quite a few artists have painted in the second floor studio, offering a firsthand look into the world of creative genius. One of my goals was to give collectors an art experience that’s beyond buying a piece and putting it on the wall.

How has art changed over the years? Much has changed … since the early ’70s when I started. … Art was just beginning to be available to a broader range of people after being somewhat an elitist procurement. Now art is available in every venue, town and city, large and small. …

Because of that, curating art must be very selective and the art exceptional.

Do you have any grand plans for the next 10 years?

The greatest thing I can do is to bring excellent work to my collectors. In this world of internet and non-personal experiences, I want to continue to give my collectors and my artists a chance to experience each other … to allow the creative process to be shared on a human level, one-on-one. n

TheJoyTheater.com

Information, SaengerNOLA.com

March 18 Stars of American Ballet, Mahalia Jackson Theater.

Information, MahaliaJacksonTheater.com

March 29 Brian Wilson Pet Sounds 50th Anniversary Tour, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com

March 21 Chicago Live in Concert, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com

March 30 The Avett Brothers, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com

March 22 Brain Candy Live!, Saenger Theater. Information, SaengerNOLA.com

March 31 Distant Worlds: Music from FINALFANTASY, Saenger Theater.

Information, SaengerNOLA.com

March 24 10th Annual Big Easy Blues Festival, Lakefront Arena.

Information, Arena.UNO.edu

March 31 Hogs for the Cause, Lakefront Arena. Information, Arena.UNO.edu

March 25-27 Chris Rock: Total Blackout Tour 2017, Saenger Theater.

Craig Mulcahy photograph

March 31 Faust, Mahalia Jackson Theater. Information, MahaliaJacksonTheater.com

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THE BEAT | PERSONA

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at a glance

Profession: CEO of City Park Resides: Lake Vista Born/raised: Buffalo, New York Family/pets: Patricia, wife of 46 years, four children, five grandchildren, one golden retriever, Abby Education: Masters in City Planning from University of Iowa; Ph.D. from UNO Recently read: The Year of Voting Dangerously

by Maureen Dowd Favorite TV show: “Antiques Roadshow” Favorite food: Oysters and shrimp Favorite restaurant: Commander’s Palace Hobby: Gardening

when I do get a chance I like golf. I like bowling. I grew up in New York State, and bowling was big. I’ve always liked to bowl. I like riding my bike. I think I can go to all parts of the park that way.

It’s something that’s really healthy for you and gets you outside.

Q: What goes into the upkeep of City

Bob Becker City Park CEO

By Lucie Monk Carter

Bob Becker presides over a vast domain. As CEO of City Park, the former city planner manages 1,300 acres of public land and all the accompanying facilities frequented by New Orleanians year-round: from Tad Gormley Stadium and the Great Lawn to City Putt and, starting next year, the Louisiana Children’s Museum. As a civilian he sets a

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good example, making daily trips to the dog park with his golden retriever and otherwise traversing the grounds on his bicycle. “There’s beauty in this park all over the place,” says Becker. “That’s what’s so wonderful about it.”

Q: What sort of recreation do you

enjoy? I don’t get to play much, but

Park? How do you keep it growing and not shrinking? The park has a very difficult funding platform. We have to raise 90 percent of our operating revenue through activities we do in the park. We receive no operating support from the state general fund or city general fund, which is very unusual.

Most public parks receive substantial taxpayer funding. We don’t get that.

The only public funding we get is from people who play slot machines at the racetracks in the state and at the Fairgrounds. We get a share of the tax that those generate. But that only makes up 10 percent revenue of the operating cost of the park, so we have learned to become very entrepreneurial. That is expected of us by the city and the state. We’ve been actively involved in fundraising. We support a large food and beverage and catering operation in the park, which generates money.

greg miles PHOTOGRAPH

We’ve continued operating an amusement park, which generates revenue. We have one of the premier Christmas programs in the entire state, Celebration in the Oaks. It’s a big fundraiser for us. We raised about 15 percent of all the money that we have in the entire year during the 31 days of Celebration in the Oaks.

Q: Why do you think City Park is a good place for the Children’s Museum? What prompted the move? Back in 2004 and ’05, we redid the master plan for this park.

Providing cultural programs and cultural experiences is one of the park’s four major missions. We thought one way to accomplish this is to get another museum in the park. We have the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Botanical Garden and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden.

We reached out to the Children’s Museum to see if they were interested. They were.

One of their main reasons for relocating and coming into City Park is to take advantage of the outdoor space.

Downtown, they don’t have any outdoor space. Coming to the park, they not only have play areas outside, they can have things like edible gardens and lagoons that they can do programming about wetlands and water conservation and management. There’s a huge variety of lessons that can be taught because they’re in a natural environment.

Q: Outside of the park, what’s your favorite part of the city? I really like driving or walking to many of the older neighborhoods. I think they’re so fascinating, architecturally so. I like to spend time in neighborhoods that I might not normally go to. I also like going out onto

Lake Pontchartrain with my wife and my dog and walking along the lakefront.

Q: With your background in city planning, what do you foresee for New Orleans?

I think it’s exciting that so many young people have moved into the city and so many new professions have come into the city. I think there’s a tremendous energy there that I don’t think the city experienced before. I had something to do with the planning of the downtown area when I was planning director, and it’s really gratifying all the people who have moved into the Warehouse District and how that area has developed.

Q: What’s your favorite thing blooming in the park? I love the wildflowers. A couple of years ago, we started a program with our horticultural staff where we plant wildflowers and groom wildflowers in the park. There’s nothing more beautiful than nature coming up at different times of year – purples, reds, pinks and yellows that come from the flowers. That’s so special. That’s the reason why people go to a park – and why they go to a big park. They get to experience things that they can’t in small neighborhood parks. n

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true confession

I spent a fair amount of time on the island of New Guinea doing research for my dissertation on a new community being built.

New Guinea isn’t the island paradise most people think you’d go visit. myneworleans.com MARCH 2017

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THE BEAT | BIZ

Tour Score

How many visitors are too many?

By Kathy Finn

When Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser flew off to Paris recently, his goal wasn’t merely to enjoy beautiful sights and fine cuisine. He led a delegation of nearly two dozen people who were on a mission to increase the number of French visitors to Louisiana.

The Louisiana Office of Tourism, which Nungesser heads, arranges such missions in an effort to keep international visitor numbers growing. Just like his counterparts in other states, he knows that the world’s top destinations compete fiercely for tourism dollars, and Louisiana must not allow itself to fall behind.

Over a period of decades, tourism has become one of the world’s fastest-growing industries, constituting a large chunk of international commerce and becoming a crucial source of income in many developing nations.

Louisiana, no stranger to the trend, has broken records in recent years for the number of visitors received and the amount of cash they left behind. Nearly 30 million visitors spent $11.5 billion in the state in 2015, according to a report by the University of New Orleans Hospitality Research Center. The center estimates that the activity generates more than $800 million a year in tax revenue and directly employs some 170,000 people statewide.

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Visitor destinations around the globe can point to similar impacts on their economies. But in more and more cases, people in these hotspots are realizing that growth comes with a price.

The influx of people into the world’s most popular destinations adds huge crowds to the resident population during peak travel periods and puts stress on priceless resources, such as historical structures that helped make the destinations popular. The added traffic can also put local cultural values under pressure and may damage the quality of life for local residents.

In Europe, where visitor numbers have grown steadily for decades, the concept of tourism “sustainability” has come into sharper focus, and Barcelona is the latest city to attempt to answer the question: How many visitors are too many?

Barcelona, where for years tourists have outnumbered residents, recently approved a law aimed at restricting the

number of visitors by limiting the number of overnight rooms available in local hotels and tourist apartments. Mayor Ada Colau, who won office in part by promising to limit tourism growth, says such measures are necessary because the “way of life of all Barcelonians is seriously under threat.” City officials cite a shortage of resident housing and sky-high prices on existing units because some 17,000 apartments have been turned into tourist accommodations.

The impact of rising visitor numbers on both the local quality of life and the visitor experience itself has also set off alarms in Venice, a city being eroded not only by the water that surrounds and permeates it, but also by millions of visitors tromping across its fragile historic landscape.

Concerns of Venetians echo in visitor destinations from England to Croatia to Thailand, where officials cite ongoing destruction of that country’s natural oceanic resources due

Putting tourism to work t

The United Nations World Tourism Organization adopted 17 goals in support of a worldwide sustainable development agenda. Issues it targets include: • Poverty and hunger • Access to education and economic opportunity • Social justice and equality • Availability of clean water and sanitation • Access to affordable, sustainable energy • Conservation of natural resources • Protection of ecosystems • Promotion of peaceful, inclusive societies

to visitor pressure. Similar worries have cropped up in U.S. cities from Bend, Oregon, to Jackson, Wyoming to New York City.

In Louisiana, some see the state’s largest city as a case study of the need for more serious consideration of sustainability.

With annual visitors to New Orleans nearing the 10 million mark, yearly spending by tourists has topped $7 billion. But with the growth have come issues related to environmental, cultural and economic impacts.

Locals complain of increased litter, and say that wear and tear by visitors is taking a toll on already poorly maintained streets, sidewalks and parks. Some say neighborhoods are eroding under a growing transient population, and that the trend is aggravated by thousands of local homes being converted from resident to tourist use.

New Orleans also faces

an issue shared by many other cities that are popular with tourists – housing has become expensive, forcing some residents, including many who earn paychecks in the tourism industry, to move farther away from the city’s core.

While some cities try to ease the pressures through improved policing and better enforcement of litter laws and statutes related to disorderly behavior, building a tourism industry that can endure into the next century isn’t just a matter of making a city cleaner and safer. Also crucial to the industry’s future vitality is more serious consideration of how many visitors any given locale can reasonably accommodate while delivering both a quality visitor experience and a high quality of life for fulltime residents.

Around the world, such issues have led to the formation of groups whose mission is to grapple with the side effects of tourism growth.

Several years ago, the United Nations World Tourism Organization launched one such effort by adopting a “sustainable tourism” agenda based around goals related to the industry’s environmental, ethical, societal and economic impacts, among others.

In January, the organization declared 2017 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asked leaders of some 140 countries for their support.

“Every day, more than three million tourists cross international borders,” Guterres said. “The world can and must harness the power of tourism as we strive to carry out our agenda for sustainable development.” n

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THE BEAT | education

Chartering the Course A new school board; a new direction

By Dawn Ruth Wilson

The swearing-in of the new school board in January marked the beginning of a promising second chance for New Orleans public schools.

This Orleans Parish School Board, elected to serve until 2020, will usher in plans to unify the city’s public schools after more than a decade of state intervention.

Also much, if not all, of the hostility, dysfunction and powergrabbing that has roiled school boards for decades receded with the election of some additional pro-charter school supporters. Resistance to the charter model embraced by the state after its 2005 takeover of the majority of the city’s failing schools has ebbed over time. Community support for charter schools increased as a result of improved academic performance.

“I’m expecting this to be a pretty respectful board,” says Leslie

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Jacobs, a former Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education member who was instrumental in promoting the charter model.

“Unlike the previous board, they walked in with a larger shared vision of the key principles and tenets,” Jacobs says.

The new board supports charters and parental choice, she says, which will provide common ground for debating other policies, such as how to reestablish the neighborhood school concept within the charter framework.

Ken Ducote, who monitors board action as director of the Greater New Orleans Collaborative of Charter Schools, is also optimistic about the new board’s ability to cooperate and to project an image of integrity. As the school system’s former director of facilities, Ducote has had a first-row seat to many years of hostile board relations and some former members’ attempts to bully others into carrying out personal agendas.

“Everybody was intimated. Actions were taken against them for protecting the public interest,” he says. “In at least the last year that has not been the case, and that is certainly the proper ethic.”

These board members bring an array of relevant skills to their role of providing umbrella leadership for more than 80 schools. Charter schools control their own budgets, hiring and curriculum, but the board and its staff oversee the enrollment process and chartering decisions.

Here is a summary of members’ backgrounds gleaned from OPSB’s website, their own websites, news reports and interviews.

Ethan Ashley, a youth mentor and juvenile justice reform advocate, represents Gentilly and a portion of eastern New Orleans. Ashley replaced a member who often resisted reform. He co-authored a letter to the editor of The TimesPicayune in 2014 praising charters for understanding that “children deserve a world-class education.”

A native of California, he graduated from Howard University’s law school, and then moved to New Orleans to help rebuilding efforts. Presently Director of Community Engagement at the Urban League of Greater New Orleans, his website says “his passion” for juvenile justice led to a career change.

John Brown Sr. – initially appointed to replace former member

brian hubble illustration

Ira Thomas, who pleaded guilty to a bribery charge – represents the 9th Ward and most of eastern New Orleans. He was elected board president in January.

Rooted in New Orleans public schools from student to retired principal, Brown followed up a 30year education career with a stint as Fellows Director at the School Leadership Center of Greater New Orleans, a nonprofit that develops leadership skills in school managers. He has the strongest ties to the traditional neighborhood school model that some residents wish to revive in some form.

Leslie Ellison returns for a second term representing Algiers, Marigny, Bywater and part of the French Quarter. A Southern University at New Orleans graduate and former City Hall administrator, her website says she was recently elected to the Democratic State Central Committee. A native of Algiers and active in civic organizations, she easily defeated two opponents to be re-elected. A run for a state senate seat failed in 2015. She is the vice president.

Woody Koppel, now in his third term, represents Uptown. He is a graduate of University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee.

His late father, also Woody Koppel, served on the board during some of its rockiest years. After Katrina, the younger Koppel help reduce the staggering debt accumulated by former school boards.

That board focused on stabilizing its finances and improving its bond rating.

Teacher turned real estate developer, Koppel’s real

estate experience could help guide liquidation of blighted school buildings.

Ben Kleban, a newcomer, represents areas around the Irish Channel and Garden District. He founded New Orleans College Prep Charter Schools, a network of three charters. A former math teacher with a MBA from Harvard University and a background in corporate finance, he brings dual strengths to the board – charter school administration and business expertise.

Nolan Marshall, a photographer and former owner of Marshall Studios, returns for a second term.

He represents most of the CBD and French Quarter.

A New Orleans native, he attended Loyola University and University of New Orleans. Marshall replaced contentious Ira Thomas as president of the board in 2014 amid desires to heal wounds and move forward. A Lens report said he’s considered a “calm voice.” Marshall often provided the swing vote during the prior board’s frequent disputes.

Sarah Usdin, founder of New Schools for New Orleans, represents parts of Mid-City stretching to Lakeview. With strong ties to charters, she was supported by national reformers during the 2012 elections. A former Teach For America fifth grade teacher and state TFA director, she’s been instrumental in expanding charters and training teachers to staff them. A former Fulbright scholar, she obtained a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Louisiana State University.

She received The Peter Jennings Award for Civic Leadership. n

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THE BEAT | health

Roach Buster The bait debate

By Brobson Lutz M.D.

“Mother, you won’t believe this.

His kitchen is full of roaches. I wouldn’t eat anything out of there on a dare,” whispered my South Alabama cousin in a telephone call I overheard from the next room.

Sara Shealy had come to town to see our cousin, Alabama quarterback Steadman Shealy, play in the 1980 Sugar Bowl.

Sara, a Dothan High School and University of Alabama beauty queen type, had planned to stay at my French Quarter abode for a long weekend. She fled after the first night.

While living with cockroaches was a new experience for this North Alabama native, so were many other things in New Orleans. French bread, cafeterias with two kinds of coffee, reds beans and rice, nuns, city transit, Mardi Gras parades, plastic babies encased in King Cakes and shrimps with their heads on to name a few. I sort of figured every house in New

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Orleans hosted nocturnal cockroach parties until when I moved into a newly renovated house a few blocks away.

The kitchen is the favorite room for German cockroaches. They look for food once the sun goes down and scurry for cover when exposed to light. They are well adapted to travel by ship. No doubt, German cockroaches arrived with our first European settlers, making them eligible for membership in the Society of the Founders of the City of New Orleans.

The other well known cockroach in New Orleans is the palmetto bug, much larger than our common cockroach and said to be the fastest running insect in the world. The palmetto bug, which can also fly short distances, prefers the outdoors unless they need to come inside for a drink of water during a drought or for warmth during a cold spell.

Cockroaches, like all God’s creatures, have attributes. They serve as nature’s

garbage collectors, removing left over food particles. They have an appetite for bedbugs. It seems reasonable that humans who eat food contaminated by cockroaches could contract foodborne diseases. I doubt this is very common. Mere isolation of disease causing bacteria from cockroaches doesn’t translate into causation. Cross contamination from uncooked chicken and other proteins aided by human fingers is a more likely human portal of infection.

Air is another matter. Cockroach feces, secretions and broken up dead body parts are constituents of house dust where these insects thrive. Cockroaches were first linked to asthma as early as 1951. There were a flurry of research reports out of Tulane Medical School describing skin tests with cockroach extracts between ’88 and ’93.

Epidemiologist Felicia Rabito broke local asthma/cockroach radio silence with a bang in 2011. She and colleagues collected data showing that New Orleans children hospitalized with asthma had high levels of circulating cockroach antibodies. Their most recent outcome findings commanded international attention in January ’17.

The Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine researchers followed 102 children with moderate to severe asthma over a 12-month period. They randomized cockroach infested homes into two groups. They baited one group with commercially available insecticidal gels in target areas, such as behind kitchen appliances and back corners of kitchen and bathroom cabinets. The untreated

homes served as controls.

Roach traps set out every two months showed that use of Advion or Maxforce gel baits essentially eliminated roach populations.

The human outcome data over the year of the study were even more impressive.

Children from baited homes had fewer hospitalizations and 47 fewer days with asthma symptoms compared to the children living in unbaited homes.

Back to my earlier cockt

roach infested townhouse in the French Quarter. My bet is that my old cockroach friends are long gone. Architect Lee Ledbetter renovated the place years ago, and he isn’t the type to live with roaches. Debra Shriver and her husband bought the house shortly after Hurricane Katrina. Her book Stealing Magnolias: Tales from A New Orleans Courtyard documents adapting the house as a New Orleans home with zero mention of roaches. n

What is Asthma?

Nasal hairs, the sinuses and mucus-lined respiratory passages are our personal border fences. They block airborne dirt, germs, pollutants and allergens from reaching the lower respiratory tract.

Any small particle that slips through these first lines of defense must next deal with the immune system.

The immune system is a multi-pronged reserve army of inflammatory cells and antibodies ready to roll against invading parasites, bacteria and viruses. And just like home security systems plagued with false alarms, an overly sensitive immune system is the hallmark of asthma.

Asthma is an airway disease with intertwined genetic and allergic overlays. A host of different allergens and irritants can annoy the small airways of the lungs. Irritated cells lining these airways swell and flood the lungs with thick sticky mucus causing various degrees of coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.

Besides cockroach proteins, twitchy lung triggers include dust mites, molds, various

animal danders, pollen, peanuts, viruses, secondhand smoke, stomach acid reflux, cold air and even strong odors, such as Pine-Sol. Other immunologic problems such as atopic dermatitis and hay fever commonly coexist with asthma.

“Over half of children diagnosed with asthma begin wheezing before age three.

Among younger children, boys have more asthma.

The numbers equalize in adolescence. As adults, women have more asthma,” said Dr. Joanne Gates, a now retired pediatric pulmonologist, who treated New Orleans children with asthma for over three decades.

“Recurrent asthma attacks over years can cause irreversible lung damage, including emphysema. Thus, environmental and preventive steps are essential even in the absence of day-today symptoms. Childhood asthma usually disappears or dramatically improves during puberty; however, it isn’t uncommon for asthma to recur as one gets older,” said Gates. myneworleans.com MARCH 2017

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THE BEAT | HEALTHBEAT

The New Quiet Time At rest in a float tank

By Kelly Massicot

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Like many people, I’m affected by stress. It can be difficult to find customs that truly allow our bodies to relax.

In the 1950s, physician and neuropsychologist John C. Lilly spent much of his time researching the effects of sensory deprivation and isolation on stress and the human body.

Though times have changed since the ’50s, sensory deprivation, or restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST), float tanks have taken on a whole new reputation.

According to an article in Men’s Journal, the target audience has also changed from hippies to city dwellers and stressed-out, technologylaced individuals looking to decompress while turning themselves off to their phones, computers and the world around them.

In a float tank you’re, quite literally, sensory deprived.

The goal is to eliminate noise, light and any distractions in the tank as you lay suspended in 10 or so inches of skin temperature Epsom saltwater.

(See pg. 152 for this month’s float tank-themed “Try This.”)

Dr. Peter Suedfeld, a leading

researcher in REST, mentioned in Men’s Journal that float tanks have been “promising in tackling the autonomic nervous system, such as insomnia, stress symptoms, dysfunctions of the skeletomuscular system, chronic headache, and the like.”

The tanks haven’t always gotten the best feedback, mainly because of reports that it caused anxiety attacks and hallucinations, but criticisms have changed as more people are seeing relief from chronic pain and migraines, among other ailments, and even reports of helping with PTSD. I was definitely skeptical during my first tank experience. Though I couldn’t completely let go of my mind and control, I was enjoying the feeling of weightlessness that’s aided by the salt. It absolutely gave my joints a break from the struggle of life with arthritis; however, I did have a few aches after my body readjusted to being out of the water.

Float tanks have potential to complement any medical regimen, but I advise seeking the approval of your medical professional before jumping, or floating, into anything. n

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THE BEAT | CRIME FIGHTING

Marching to City Hall Perspectives from a decade later

By Allen Johnson Jr.

More than 10 years have passed since 5,000 angry residents took to the streets for an “antiviolence” march on City Hall.

To commemorate the anniversary (Jan. 11, 2007), activists return to the front steps for a public reading of the lives lost to violence since then. Activist “Al” Mims holds up a list of 2,097 homicide victims here since Jan. 1, 2007. A woman with a soothing voice reads the names of the dead, their ages and how they died. Baty Landis, a musicologist, co-founder of the anticrime group Silence Is Violence and organizer of the march, looks on.

“We want to remember the lives our city has lost to violence in the past decade, and to recommit our campaign to peace,” says Landis.

Sheriff Marlin Gusman and District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro attended earlier. “They’re regular readers,” Landis says. “We don’t see eye-to-eye on everything, but it does take courage and leadership to really acknowledge the tragedy (of violent crime).”

Ten years ago, New Orleans was desperate

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for leadership. The city was still struggling to rebuild from Hurricane Katrina. Crime was strangling the recovery. Ray Nagin was mayor.

No more than half the city’s population of 485,000 had returned. Tens of thousands of evacuated families and businesses waited elsewhere for the city to restore basic services.

Only 17 percent of the buses were running.

Entergy was struggling financially and the city was “vulnerable to outages.”

By January 2007, only 30 percent of the child care centers had reopened. Roughly half the public schools and 60 percent of the food establishments remained closed, according to reports by the New York-based Brookings Institute.

Crime had returned – with a vengeance.

Murders were surging.

“A sense of lawlessness abounds, helped along by the knowledge that police are still working out of trailers and the fact that jail space is scarce, court dockets are overflowing and only a handful of public defenders remain

in the city,” the Brookings Institute noted.

Mayor Nagin (2002-’10), who began dismantling police reforms by his predecessor in his first-term, had no answers for the “little uptick in murders.”

In 2006, six months before the march, Gov. Kathleen Blanco rushed 300 National Guard troops and 60 State Police troopers to aid the depleted NOPD (at Nagin’s request) after a mass shooting in Central City.

By January 2007, crime was out of control, again.

The unrelated murders of two local artists shocked and brought together a racially divided city. Helen Hill, a white filmmaker, was shot to death in her home. Dinerral Shavers, a popular black musician, was shot in the head while driving a car.

Baty Landis, a cafe owner, was a friend to both artists.

She and others organized Silence Is Violence and the march to City Hall. One leaflet pleaded: “MARCH FOR OUR LOVED ONES … FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS … MARCH FOR OUR CITY.”

Joseph Fiedler illustration

On Thursday morning, Jan. 11, 2007, the Brookings Institute estimated one out of every 50 residents marched on City Hall. They were black and white, affluent and poor.

They came from Uptown, downtown and Central City.

They marched to drumbeats with signs that captured the times. One woman wore a placard: “Afraid to walk the streets.” One man’s sign stated: “I was shot in the chest.”

Another man waved a huge banner with red letters “S.O.S.” At City Hall they told chilling stories of murder, rape and assault. They refused to let Nagin and other officials speak, demanding that they listen – then take action.

Afterward, Gambit presciently predicted Jan. 11th would be a “watershed date” in the city’s post-Katrina history.

Nagin promised to focus on ensuring that “murders become a thing of the past in our city.”

He lied.

The day of the march, Nagin was engineering an illegal scheme to “personally benefit him and his family-owned granite business,” according to a subsequent federal indictment (and conviction) on multiple corruption charges.

Nagin is serving 10 years in prison.

Today it’s time to think about electing new leadership this fall. Sadly, the best efforts of outgoing “reform” Mayor Landrieu haven’t stopped the violence.

After more than two hours of reading, the memorial service is ending.

Angela Thompson, mother of three, carries two framed high school graduation pictures of her youngest son, Arron Thompson, 19.

“He was my third child,” she says proudly. “My youngest, my baby.”

Ten years ago, Mrs. Thompson and her family were living with her sister’s family at College Station, Texas. Arron was still a boy – eager to overcome asthma and join his elementary school’s track team.

“I said, ‘Sweetie, you can’t do that. You have asthma. Your lungs won’t allow it.’” Arron kept running and made the team, she recalls.

The family returned to New Orleans in June 2007. The boy became a man – and a father.

He went to work as a beverage delivery man for Crescent Crown Distributors.

On the afternoon of March 8, 2016, Thompson was shot during a delivery to a Chevron gas station at 2601 Gen. DeGaulle Drive in Algiers.

His co-worker went inside.

Thompson waited outside. A gunman came up behind him.

They struggled. Thompson was shot in the head. He died three days later.

His daughter Cailey Thompson, now 3, still asks for her father. “She’ll say, ‘When is Daddy coming home from work?’ or ‘Is he still asleep?’”

Mrs. Thompson says.

“I say, ‘Remember, I told you. Daddy is with Jesus.’

She’ll say OK – and then come back another time.”

Smartphone pictures show her son holding Cailey. “He was a good man. He was a great father. He had dreams.”

The Chevron station where Thompson was shot is wellknown to police. NOPD Officer Kevin Thomas survived a .45 caliber gunshot wound to the head at the same Chevron station – the day after Katrina.

It happened during a police shootout with suspected looters on Aug. 30, 2005. Four suspects were quickly arrested, with a cache of weapons and ammo.

Thompson’s murder remains unsolved – 10 years after The March on City Hall. n

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THE BEAT | CHRONICLES

Glass Act

Hot art in New Orleans

By Carolyn Kolb

“It’s sexy,” glassmaker Juli Juneau explains. “The smoothness of it, the lines and the planes, the shapes. Making it keeps me interested.” She started taking lessons in glassmaking around the year 2000, and started selling her work right after Hurricane Katrina in ’06.

“While glass is very fragile and can shatter, you also have to be very tough when you work with it. You are working with fire, and with the glass at 2,400-degrees,” Juneau says.

Molten glass can be poured into molds and can be blown into shapes, and New Orleans boasts a number of craftsmen and artists working with glass in studios throughout the metropolitan area.

The New Orleans Museum of Art holds a wide-ranging collection of glass, from ancient artifacts to modern creations, with numerous works

by Texas artist Robert Willson.

Willson’s wife Margaret Pace Willson, a fellow artist and Newcomb College alumna, generously

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supported the glass making program at the Newcomb Art School of Tulane University, where faculty member Gene Koss influenced a generation of glass craftsmen, many of whom remained in the area.

New Orleans has a long history of fondness for glass. The Daily Picayune advertised “Professor Greiner, the fancy glass-blower and spinner” selling “very pretty things for holiday presents” on Christmas Eve 1856, and “Bohemian glass-blower Prof.

Charles Hudson” entertained with his work at the “Crescent City Museum” from 1865 to 1868. A century later, in 1968, The Times-Picayune advertised “Wide World of Imports” week at Maison Blanche, where German glassblower Werner Knabner was demonstrating his craft.

Classified ads through the years mentioned hand-blown glass eyes, painted to match the customer’s good eye, and offered glass workers jobs in neon companies, making scientific equipment and lamp work. In 1963,

The Times-Picayune classified ad reporter Maud O’Bryan noted that Austin Mason, who made scientific equipment at the Southern Research Laboratories, took on the lamp work in his spare time.

Only in the last quarter of the 20th century, with the glassmaking program on the Tulane campus taking root, did the New Orleans art community’s fascination with glass flower.

Juneau started her art glass adventure at New Orleans Glassworks and Print Making Studio at 727 Magazine St. The school there offers classes in glassmaking, and there’s a program for children aged 9 and up (there’s a summer program, too). Students (young and old) can also take classes in print-making and metal sculpture. At the enterprise, some of the project’s glassmakers are working on include a new Les Halles station sign for the Paris Metro, a sculpture featuring Orion for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and jewelry that glows in the dark.

Glassblowers also work with chefs creating blown molten sugar creations, and interested visitors can purchase artworks in the gift shop.

New Orleans has a vibrant glass community.

Mitchell Gaudet’s Studio Inferno moved to Arabi at 6601 St. Claude Ave., where the gift shop is flourishing and the furnaces are constantly in use by artists. An interesting new possible creation for glassblowers is a bong (a water-pipe, a version of a hookah) for marijuana smokers.

Now that cannabis is legal in so many states, elaborate bongs are much in vogue. For a selection of glassware and goblets, Rosetree Blown Glass Studio and Gallery at 446 Valette St. in Algiers has been operated by Mark Rosenbloom since 1993.

Local artists can rent glass studio time at YAYA (Young Artists, Young Aspirations, YAYAInc.org) at 3322 Lasalle St. (near Louisiana Avenue). Lesley McBride, Community Outreach and Projects Manager, says YAYA also offers classes for adults and has a full program of afternoon art classes for students 13 to 18. “It’s tuition-free. We do glass, ceramics, painting and mixed media.”

Twenty-five accepted students per semester come in after school two days a week – check online for application information.

If you have a yen to make your own paperweight, vase or goblet, YAYA can accommodate you. And, if you happen have damaged glassware, YAYA also offers repair service.

And, if you’re an aspiring art collector, just shop around local glass galleries and art fairs. Put a little sparkle in your life with New Orleans glass! n cheryl gerber photograph

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Local Color C HRI S RO S E | M O D I N E G U N C H | J OIE D ’ E V E | i n t un e | REA D + S PI N | J A Z Z L IFE | HO M E

t

in tune, PG. 50

Lady Lamb has a new record, Tender Warriors Club, out this year and is supporting it with a spring living room tour. This will be a wonderfully intimate show, so bounce over to her website for tickets.

Mike Griffith photograph

LOCAL COLOR | CHRIS ROSE

Understanding New Orleans Or maybe not

By Chris Rose

New Orleans is an odd and contradictory town. Not exactly breaking news, right?

We cling desperately to our charmingly dilapidated and antiquated past while leading the way with new innovations in the national urban redevelopment movement.

We are the most backward looking city, stuck in 1954, yet an incubator of new tech development and best practices leading into the 21st century.

We decry the influx of newcomers and out-of-towners to our old neighborhoods, yet are fully aware that those old neighborhoods would remain blighted wastelands for decades if they did not come.

Gentrification is a bad word. Yet it also has a synonym: Investment. It means new life, new business, new chances, new air to breathe when the old stuff was getting a little stale. It means new money. It means a lot of us get to work.

We bemoan the daily arrival of millions of visitors and conventioneers who clog our streets and defile our sacred traditions and have fake second-line parades and – worst of all – wear Mardi Gras beads when it isn’t Mardi Gras season.

Oh, the horror.

Then again, without these streams of defilers unload-

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ing daily at Armstrong International, more than 50 percent of us wouldn’t have jobs.

We are as a community an interesting conundrum. Both self-adoring and self-loathing. Protective of the past, yet progressive about our future. Near death experiences have a way of changing not just people, but cities as well.

Everyone knows by now the chronological progress of the American youth exodus. Austin, Portland, Brooklyn – now New Orleans.

(For those of you who like to invest in futures, may I suggest Detroit as your next stop along the hipster space-time continuum.) Big spaces. Cheap rents. A desperate need for population rebuilding. A desperately welcoming government and community.

A place where graffiti is the least of their worries.

Which brings us to, of all things: Jazz Fest.

Let me back up here: New Orleans night life has followed a wellknown trajectory in recent years: Bourbon Street devolving into the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, with its Huge Ass Beers and lurid strip clubs and T-shirt shops featuring slogans such as: “I got Bourbonfaced on Shit Street.”

Fleurty Girl it ain’t.

And then there came Frenchmen Street to save us. We called it Bourbon Street for locals. And it had a magical run as we all discovered and embraced it; this idea that so many restaurants and so many music clubs could coexist in such a tight space, yet offer such quality and charm. And more than that: Localism.

Or is the term exceptionalism?

But then something happened, again. (You ever notice that? How time marches on; things keep happening.)

Maybe it was the guidebooks revisiting their nightlife sections with each updated edition. Maybe it was word of mouth. Maybe it was

the TV show “Treme.”

But something happened on Frenchmen Street to the general dismay of locals. Word got out. And the out-of-towners followed. And we once again looked for a new place to go.

Hence, the rapid and nearly shocking explosion of Saint Claude Avenue and its lively nightlife scene – so much of it local. And now we call it “Frenchmen Street – for locals.”

And now back to Jazz Fest. The schedule has been released. And with it, the annual and predictable ruminations and handwringing and calibrations of how the end of the world is upon us, New Orleans is dead to me, etc.

It is perhaps one of the stranger phenomena in a town full of strange phenomena. We bitch, we moan, we threaten to boycott and then we buy our tickets and go have fun and stuff our bellies with “oyster (fill-in-the-blank).”

Then one day the French Quarter Festival came along. Suddenly hailed as Jazz Fest for locals, it took off. It took off big. In fact, some might point out, it has taken off too big. Too crowded. Too commercial.

And so, some locals began to revolt.

And so events like Bayou Boogaloo and Chaz Fest were born to appease to hyper-locals. They became the French Quarter Fest for locals.

And so the tribes gather. Wherever the music is good, the food is warm and the beer is cold.

Our shining city on the hill – but without the hill. We soldier on.

Evolve. Change locations, but never attitudes. And one phenomenon remains true, inviolable and unchanging: We’ll never stop bitching about how bad things are getting, but how good we have it here.

Me, I’m looking forward to the Mavericks and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and, as always, John Boutte.

How about you?

Or are you boycotting this year? n jason raish illustration

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LOCAL COLOR | MODINE’S NEW ORLEANS

Snow Me Something A guide to skiing

By Modine Gunch

It is 25 degrees. I am dressed like an Eskimo. And people keep asking me, with a straight face, how I’m enjoying the warm weather. “It’s usually zero this time of year,” they say, real cheerful.

Poor things. They don’t know no better. They probably come to New Orleans and go swimming on St. Patrick’s Day. I got to explain. My sister-inlaw Gloriosa, the perfectionist, found out there was something she couldn’t do. Ski. In snow.

No surprise, since we ain’t big on snow in New Orleans. But now Gloriosa has started taking skiing trips.

Me, I never seen a ski.

Like normal people, if I take a trip it’s in the summer. To Disney World. Or the beach.

Someplace warm.

But Gloriosa and her husband Proteus go “Up North” to this ski lodge twice a winter, once with the

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kids and once without. They also clump around on snowshoes there, which is good exercise to achieve a firm backside, Gloriosa says.

But this year, just before the two of them are supposed to leave, Proteus gets ordered to go to a liquor sellers convention in Miami. His daddy and him own Old Line Liquor Wholesalers, and old Mr. Proteus usually goes to this convention, but he ain’t recovered from Mardi Gras yet.

Proteus’ mother, Ms. Sarcophaga, usually goes with him, but she ain’t speaking to him on account of whatever he did on Mardi Gras that he ain’t recovered from.

My gentleman friend Lust is also going, since he owns bars.

So Gloriosa says I got to go skiing with her.

We get to their cabin near the ski lodge real late at night and fall into bed. Next morning, Gloriosa pops up early and says she’s going

for her morning walk.

After a while, I crawl out from under the covers and stare out the window, and huh! It snowed overnight, real deep. Now, I seen snow before. We get snowflakes in New Orleans every 10 years, at least.

Not enough to make a full-size snowman or nothing, but still. Plus, I watch A Wonderful Life every Christmas.

Still, I never seen snow, in person, piled up like sand dunes. It is gorgeous.

But I want my coffee.

And there ain’t no coffee. We brung a bag of Community coffee, but I guess we left it in the car.

I will just dash out and get it.

Well. It turns out you can’t dash on top of snow.

You can ski on it and you can snowshoe across it, but if you step off the front porch in your bedroom slippers, you sink.

Up to my armpits When Gloriosa comes back (wearing snowshoes) she sees this big indentation in the snow like a hysterical snow angel touched down.

Inside, a snow-covered bathrobe is defrosting on the floor and I’m in the hot shower. I holler I ain’t coming out until there’s coffee.

While she’s brewing it, Lust calls. I hear ice cubes tinkling. He is by the pool, working on his tan. Ain’t that nice. I say that I’m about to go skiing in very

cold snow, and he gives me some advice.

Then me and Gloriosa wriggle into long underwear and pants, and more pants, and jackets, and knit hats, and we button knit scarves over our faces and go out like we’re getting ready to rob a bank.

At the lodge, we put on skis and boots and helmets and goggles.

We take our ski poles and head for the ski lift.

Gloriosa skis there and I slither, clutching them ski poles for dear life.

The lift operator says to place your poles in one hand before getting on, so I do,and my skis slide out from under me – and whoops! I am lying flat in snow. Again.

Meanwhile, Gloriosa has hopped on the lift and disappeared up the mountain. The lift operator hauls me up and shows me the correct way to stand, and I grasp my poles in both hands, head high, knees bent and slither back to the lodge. I return the skis and boots and helmet and goggles and poles.

Then I stroll to the bar and find a table with a nice view.

I take Lust’s advice, and order hot buttered rum. Which, in case you don’t know, is a liquid praline, but with alcohol instead of pecans. A little touch of home.

That is how you enjoy snow. n LORI OSIECKI ILLUSTRATION

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LOCAL COLOR | JOIE D’EVE

Grammar School

Five things I bug my kids about saying properly

By Eve Crawford Peyton

Most of the time, I think I’m a pretty cool mom. I yell too much, and I let my kids eat canned ravioli and frozen non-organic chicken nuggets, and I allow too much screen time … but I also make it to every school play, performance or sporting event; once handassembled mini-whoopee cushion valentines for 29 third graders; and frequently have frank discussions with both kids about everything from sex to racism, based on whatever questions they have.

Basically, what I’m saying is that I think most of the time, I wouldn’t hate to have myself as a mom.

Sometimes, though, I feel a little bit bad for my kids because I’m constantly correcting their grammar.

Not just the things every parent does – correcting stuff like “runned” and “eated” – but actually overexplaining compound sentences to Ruby to the point that she got half of them wrong on her homework.

(I still think they were technically actually right, but I just told her to do it the way her teacher explained it and forget everything I’d told her 48

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the night before.) When she was in first grade, I made her write a query instead of answering the question: “Which quilt is the (thicker or thickest) one on the shelf?” “Cannot answer without knowing whether there are two quilts or more,” she wrote down, looking at me like I was crazy.

But it’s true. If there are only two quilts, “thicker” would be correct. If there were three or more, it would be “thickest.” I am really not trying to be a pain-in-the-ass pedant, I just get truly excited about language and grammar and want to share that passion with my kids.

The things I won’t let slide are: “Fewer” versus “less.” Fewer is for anything that can be counted; less is for abstract quantities. When I taught grammar to college kids, the example we always used was “fewer kisses, less sex.” With my own kids, I use “fewer jelly beans, less candy.”

“You’re” versus “your.” I still feel moderately bad about the time Ruby gave me a card that said, “Your the best mom,” and I told her it was sweet and beautiful and I loved it …

and then gave her a lesson on possessives and contractions and asked her to go fix the card.

However, she now knows this distinction about 9,000 percent better than the majority of people who write YouTube comments, so I make no real apologies.

“Itch” versus “scratch.”

You scratch something that itches. You don’t itch something that itches.

The tag inside your dress can itch you, but you can’t itch your neck – you scratch it. This is one that probably only irks me because it’s one my own mother corrected me on when I was little, and so I always hear her voice in my head when I remind my kids that their mosquito bite might not stop itching but they can stop scratching.

Misuse of “literally.”

I know I should probably give this one up for dead, as the language has already evolved, but I’m not ready to do that yet. “I was so surprised I literally died today.” “My head literally exploded.”

“My heart was literally beating out of my chest.”

None of these are allowed in our home.

“Lie” versus “lay.” As I remind my kids more or less all the time, “lie” means “recline.” You can hear it in the word: “recLIE-nuh.” “Lay” means “place.” You can hear it in the word: “puh-LAY-suh.”

So you’re going to lie down; you’re going to lay your head on the pillow.

There is plenty I let pass. (Honestly, I let many of these pass, too, depending on the situation. If Ruby says, “My heart is literally breaking right now,” her emotions take precedence over linguistic precision.) But I don’t stress over every grammar infraction. I haven’t harped overmuch on the subjunctive mood yet; I model it when I say something like, “Well, Georgia, if I were you,” but I don’t step in and correct them when they say it incorrectly. I have come around to accept the singular “they.” (WashingtonPost.com/news/ wonk/wp/2016/01/08/ donald-trump-maywin-this-years-wordof-the-year/?utm_ term=.6d43470fb060) And ending sentences with prepositions isn’t a hill I’m willing to die on.

(Get it?)

But these are the five that I most consistently nag my kids about (about which I most consistently nag my kids). Luckily, even after all of it, I still manage to get cards that say I’m the best mom.

The fact that they’re almost always grammatically correct is just icing on the cake. n t

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

The Staves

March Forth

Community BUKU

The BUKU Music + Art Project comes to Mardi Gras World March 10 and 11, and the headliners are an eclectic collection of excellence including Run the Jewels, Tycho, Young Thug and Travis Scott. This year also marks the fourth year that BUKU has supported the Upbeat Academy’s students with onsite access and artist mentoring.

Formed in 2013, the Upbeat Academy provides underprivileged children with access to tools and training to produce electronic music and hip-hop. Part of each ticket sale goes to the academy, the students perform a showcase as part of the festival proceedings and the sale of the graffiti wall art supports their initiatives.

While you’re at the festival, drop by the Upbeat Academy booth join this excellent joint effort.

Rocking into spring

By Mike Griffith

This year, March begins with Ash Wednesday and Lady Lamb is in town that evening to help ease us into Lent.

She has a new record, Tender Warriors Club, out this year and is supporting it with a spring living room tour. This will be a wonderfully intimate show, so bounce over to her website for tickets.

If you’re looking for something to fill the gap between Mardi Gras and the start of the St. Pat’s festivities, the first weekend of March is loaded with excellent events. On Fri., March 3, the English folk rock sister trio The Staves will be at Gasa Gasa. There is a haunting allure to The Staves’ performances that draws the listener in completely.

The march of strong women continues the next night with the arrival of Norah Jones at the Saenger on Saturday. Jones has reached a point in her career where she’s completely at ease with her talents; her performance at Newport this past summer was magical in that regard. While she has always seemed somewhat effortless on stage, she had added a sense of her place in the musical landscape and a longstanding rapport with her audience to the mix. If you’re looking for something

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a bit more experimental, on March 4, Captured! By Robots will be playing Gasa Gasa. C!BR is a touring musical comedy troupe that consists of one human and a group of robots of his design that have apparently enslaved him and forced him to tour with them. It is a wild evening of great music and bad jokes. I highly recommend it. On Sunday, the metal group Deafheaven will be close out the weekend at Republic with the outstanding post-rock group This Will Destroy You. Make sure to arrive in time to catch both acts.

On March 8, the alt-country group Son Volt will roll into the Parish. Son Volt was formed by Jay Farrar after the breakup of the legendary Uncle Tupelo.

You have two outstanding choices on March 14. First, the legendary Ryan Adams will be at the Orpheum. Adams has just dropped a new solo record, Prisoner, so you can expect to be treated to a generous helping of new material. Once again, the outstanding sound design of the Orpheum will be a perfect showcase for Adams’ talents. If you’re looking for something a bit more intimate, Allison Crutchfield will be at Gasa Gasa performing material from her outstanding

debut record, Tourist in This Town.

The next night, March 15, is a no-brainer with The Pretenders opening for Stevie Nicks at the Smoothie King Center.

On March 20, make sure to catch Big Thief at Gasa Gasa. This indie rock ensemble released one of the best records of last year. Come out and see how they’re evolving as a headlining act. The excellent Georgia-based Mothers are opening the show. Mothers’ record When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired was one of my personal favorite records of 2016.

Finally, the month ends with Hogs for the Cause breaking in their new digs at the UNO Arena. Once again it features a stellar lineup, including Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Railroad Earth and Shovels and Rope.

They will be joined by River Whyless and Naughty Professor among others. This event has grown into one of the premier spring festivals. The food is succulent; the music is delectable; and the cause is worthy.

Note: Dates are subject to change. Playlist of mentioned bands available at: bit.ly/ InTune3-17 n t

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

NONFICTION: An American woman traveling for love and bliss in Belize is taken hostage by a mentally unstable man posing as a cab driver. In The Jaguar Man by Lara Naughton, readers come to understand Naughton’s terror and incredible will to survive her kidnapping – where compassion is her only hope. She orchestrates the narrative to show how she processes her trauma, following the “angry driver,” weaving in a telling of a person’s struggle with mental illness, alcoholism and overwhelming guilt. A revealing read drawing the distinction of the before versus after reality victims of assault face, and the question one in six women come to ask themselves in the U.S., “Why didn’t I report him?” An honest account of a trauma victim’s emotional and existential crisis, Naughton supplies hope and compassion amongst an alltoo-common and vastly un-talked-about issue.

Naughten is director of Compassion NOLA and the creative writing chairwoman at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts.

AMERICANA: From start to finish The Navigator, available March 10, is everything and more you’ve been waiting for from New Orleans’ own Hurray for the Riff Raff.

Since their appearance on “Treme” in 2011, the band has been recognized worldwide by audiences and critics alike as having an incredible authentic Southern sound and lyrical composition, making quite a name for themselves touring the country, Europe and beyond. The Navigator is a flavorful mix of Americana and soft country woven together between tracks. After setting the stage with their single drop “Riccan Beach,” the band’s lead singer Alynda Segarra has pointed to the sociopolitical lyrics and observations of gentrification and culture wars. At a time of national division and uncertainty, The Navigator may be regarded as a revolutionary creation protesting white-washing and fascism with lyrics such as, “First they stole our language, then they stole our names. Then they stole the things that brought us fame … I’ll keep fighting ’’til the end.” Hurray for the Riff Raff’s next scheduled appearance in New Orleans is May 5, 2017, at the Civic Theater.

SHORT FICTION: Signals: New and Selected Stories by Tim Gautreaux offers a glimpse into the seemingly simple lives of (mostly) backcountry Louisiana residents and their day-to-day challenes. Gautreaux’s collections of short stories are honest – often brutally so. His telling of ordinary people who are confined by their environment while they encounter the good, the bad, the unlucky and the unplanned intrigued me. All of the stories have incorporated Gateaux’s dark humor, whether saturated in it, or in subtle undertones or in unforeseen ways – until it’s impossible to ignore. t

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

Best of Brass

Paul Barbarin and “Bourbon Street Parade”

By Jason Berry

The repertoire of brass bands that play in Carnival parades and for weekend second-lines in other seasons of the year is a package that allows some evolution, but the song bag relies on a collection of sturdy standards. These songs have a melody so strong, clear and recognizable that people associate them with New Orleans.

“When the Saints Go Marching In” is the most universally known. It was originally a spiritual, sung in slow tempo in black churches, but after Louis Armstrong recorded a rousing up tempo version in 1938, “The Saints” became a parade anthem. If you ever have the luck to hear it sung or played the antique way, savor the moment.

Many songs have had their popularity surges with the marching bands. In the mid-1980s, the zydeco hit “Don’t Mess With My Toot-Toot” had such overnight pop-

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ularity on radio that brass bands and even schools with big marching bands adopted it. These days you don’t hear it as much. Likewise, Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” off the Graceland CD, became a hot item for several years in the high school and college bands, and even worked its way into the repertoire of Jimmy Maxwell’s orchestra at Carnival balls.

“The Theme From Rocky” had a run and with that loud, brassy sound despite a thin melody; it’s still occasionally found to boost spirits on sidewalks at parades.

If a single song ranks second to “The Saints,” it’s probably “Bourbon Street Parade,” a composition by drummer Paul Barbarin. The song has a clear, contagious melody, and the brisk medium-tempo invites people to open umbrellas, pull out scarves and handkerchiefs and wind along behind the band.

“Bourbon Street Parade” opens with a burst of trumpets and horns resonant of the old military beat, but then the polyphony settles into a loping melody suitable for the streets or a dance hall. When bands parade outside, the lyrics often go unsung.

Barbarin composed the song in 1955, several years after he moved back following a long career in New York. He played with King Oliver in the ’20s and had a long association with the Luis Russell Orchestra and trumpeter Red Allen in the ’30s.

Bourbon Street has a stereotype of tourists gawking at strip clubs and beery foot soldiers in the neon glare. Barbarin’s lyrics have sweet irony; it’s a song of romance, a guy wooing his gal with promises of grandeur and his pride in showing her off: “Let’s fly down or drive down To New Orleens.

That city, has pretty Historic scenes.

I’ll take you, parade you Down Bourbon Street.

There’s a lot of hot spots, you’ll see lots big shots, Down on Bourbon Street.”

His father, Isidore Barbarin, played alto horn in the Onward Brass Band, the 19th-century marching band that gained momentum as jazz flowered in the early 1900s. Paul’s brother, Louis, was a drummer, and they were uncles of the great balladeer, Danny Barker. In ’30, Danny moved to New York at Paul’s behest.

Paul Barbarin made his name in New York with the Russell Orchestra, which accompanied Louis Armstrong; the pull of his roots brought him back for several years in the 1930s, and again in the ’40s.

On returning for good in ’55, he revived the Onward, making records and countless parades. In ’65, he persuaded Danny Barker to move back home and helped recharge the careers of Danny and Blue Lu Barker. In doing so, Barbarin played an indirect role in getting Barker situated as the mentor of young brass band musicians in the ’70s.

On Feb. 17, 1969, the night before Mardi Gras, as the Onward marched in the Proteus parade on St. Charles, Paul Barbarin stumbled to the sidewalk, sat on the steps of a building and died. His funeral was one of the largest ever; photographers followed the overflow into St. Louis Cemetery No. Two as the coffin went into the tomb that bears his family name. n

photo Courtesy of the Ralston Crawford Collection of Jazz Photography, Hogan Jazz Archive, Tulane University

LOCAL COLOR | home

A Study in Good Taste

Gardens and art in Janet and Leonard Tallerine’s Federal-style home

By Bonnie Warren

The Federal-style home of Janet and Leonard Tallerine in the Garden District is a study in good taste. While it’s only 95 years old, young for a home in the area, it proudly takes its place on a street of grand mansions. “It has been a joy to own this gracious house,” Janet says. Surrounded by a stunning garden designed by noted landscape architect Rene Fransen, the outdoor area is of special interest to Leonard, who knows the names of all trees, plants and shrubs; he’s definitely the gardener in the family.

Comfortable, elegant and timeless, this is a home that makes you want to sit down and stay for a while. Walk around the formal garden that blends seamlessly 56

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with the home and it’s easy to see why the couple fell in love with the Garden District estate as soon as they saw it 14 years ago.

While the list of talented professionals who have been involved with creating the showplace reads like a who’s who of the design world, it’s truly Janet’s driven desire for exquisite spaces that has made the house what it is today. “There are so many to credit with helping me,” she says.

Then she begins to recite: John Chrestia, Gerrie Bremermann, Robert Sonnier, Rodney Smith and Patrick Dunne. She also adds Tim Lacey and Ned Marshall, former owners of the home, for sharing much with her. “It has been an interesting

Above: An intimate sitting room overlooks the front formal garden. Facing page: Top, left: The breakfast room opens onto the outdoor patio through a pair of glass doors; an iron table and chairs on the patio offers outdoor dining. Bottom, left: The Tallerines’ Garden District home was designed by wellknown New Orleans architect Richard Koch. Top, right: Janet and Leonard Tallerine with Spud, their chocolate Labrador retriever. Bottom, right: The garden room offers a view of the side garden.

Photographed by Cheryl Gerber

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Facing page: Top: Historic wallpaper named “Monuments of Paris” covers the walls above the wainscoting in the dining room. Bottom, left: An iron table and chairs provides seating on the patio that adjoins the breakfast room. Bottom, right: A chandelier from a Paris flea market is showcased in the guest bedroom; twin antique headboards were joined to create the large single bed. Above: The living room is a study in elegance, with fine antiques featured in the carefully edited space.

journey and I feel fortunate to have had the unique perspective of each person, whether it was just to help me purchase a beautiful chandelier or serve as our architect, interior designer or contractor.”

In the end, the Tallerines have a home worthy of a feature in the finest design magazines in the world, and it seems everything has a special story. Enter the foyer and you’ll discover 10 Picasso etchings in black-and-white. Then step inside the dining room and gaze in amazement at the “Monuments of Paris” wallpaper that was added to the walls by the Howards; it’s as timeless as it was when this type of wallpaper was used

by Napoleon in the Palace of Fontainebleau and President

George Washington in Mount Vernon. Then cross the hall to the living room and you’ll discover a painting by well-known New Orleans artist George Dunbar, who lived in the house as a young man. The Dunbar painting has a place of honor on the wall next to the Steinway grand piano.

The home is filled with fine European antiques acquired by Janet over the years. As a footnote, it’s also interesting that the couple owns a lovely home in Houston’s River Oaks section, one of the most elegant areas of that city. Once Janet finds a must-have antique or piece of art, she’s assured that between the couple’s two homes she’ll find just the right place for it.

The house embraces the carefully planned formal gardens through large expanses of glass, especially in the sun room just off the front sitting room and the glass walls of the breakfast room, where you can pick up your plate on a whim and dine at the nearby outdoor iron table. Beautiful drapes cover every tall window and lush fabrics, always interlined and skillfully tailored, definitely add glamour to the home.

Nothing is left to chance in the Tallerines’ home, and yet it feels and is very comfortable. “We love the scale and proportions of each room,” Janet says. “Most of all we always feel relaxed and content when we’re here.” n

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most of

the Coast What’s New in Dining, Staying&Things to Do

By Cheré Coen When Thomas Genin first started in the restaurant business on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, he had numerous friends and customers who owned Gulf-side camps and houses. Katrina changed all that when the hurricane slammed into the coast in 2005.

“The entire western part of Pass Christian and the houses in Bay St. Louis were destroyed in Katrina,” says Genin, who owns The Blind Tiger restaurant in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. “Since Katrina, if I’ve heard one I’ve heard 1,000 people asking, ‘Where’s a cool place to stay?’”

Building a home along the Mississippi Gulf Coast requires a foundation 20 feet off the ground in case of storm flooding, Genin explains, plus high insurance costs due to occasional hurricanes. He insists tourists want accommodations, not second homes, these days.

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Royal red shrimp with heirloom tomato, crisp olive, cured orange, feta and buttermilk at Roselie Dining & Seafood Bar

Bacon wrapped filet mignon with truffle fries s

eugenia uhl photos

Hotel Whiskey & Whiskey Prime

Which is why Genin and business partner Travis March opened Hotel Whiskey (HotelWhiskey.biz) in historic downtown Pass Christian, the first hotel to open in the area since the 1920s. The two-story, 11-room boutique hotel, which includes a 1,000-square-foot master suite, overlooks Davis Street and offers easy access to the new Pass Christian Harbor. On the ground floor, the Whiskey Prime restaurant features USDA prime steaks and seafood nightly, with lunch on weekends along with an elegant bar serving up a wide variety of fine wines and whiskeys.

Dishes include a jumbo lump crabmeat martini with red onions and a caper mayonnaise for starters and a bacon-wrapped filet mignon with a side of white truffle garlic fries. Lunch may include a USDA Prime ground steak burger and house-made fries or seared yellow fin tuna on a seaweed salad, complemented by poblano-brie cornbread.

“The restaurant has been a pleasant surprise,” Genin says. “We’ve stayed pretty full since we opened.”

Everything begins at the first-floor restaurant, including checking in.

“The hotel lobby is the bar,” Genin says. “We treat you to a cocktail, then walk you to your room, get you a bucket of ice.”

Genin and March were enjoying whiskey the night they discussed opening a hotel, hence the name.

“Whiskey was probably part of the final decision,” he says, adding that it might have fueled the process as well. “We didn’t hesitate from the day we started to the day we opened.”

So far, the response has been favorable and holiday weekends booked up for months, he said. One attraction is the lack of a minimum stay requirement. Visitors may reserve one night or 20, Genin says, which makes it ideal for a weekend getaway or for those who wish to sample several accommodations along the coast, one night at a time.

Hotel Whiskey also offers charter fishing boat referrals upon request.

The Henderson Beach Resort

Another newly opened coastal hotel is The Henderson Beach Resort in Destin, Florida (HendersonBeachResort.com), with its 170 guest rooms and suites, meeting space, luxury spa, pools and various dining options. Designed like an elegant Southern hotel of years past, visitors enter the “Living Room,” an expansive lobby filled with comfortable chairs and sofas opening to a porch that overlooks neighboring Henderson Beach State Park. Here, even the floors have been designed to transport visitors back in time with modern wooden planks built with enough give to occasionally creak, says public relations manager Zandra Wolfgram.

Colors match the emerald waters and live oak canopies outside, accented by reclaimed beams and trusses, high ceilings and a large collection of artwork – 465 pieces total – by 13 local artists. Gulf and park views exist almost everywhere, from the Horizons octagonal-shaped bar with its cozy fireplace to the sunrise and sunset decks.

A special experience is the nightly sunset salutation, where a staff member dressed as a boat captain rings a bell to the four compass points. A specialty cocktail goes well with the ceremony, such as the Lavender Bubbles, a mix of lavender simple syrup, La Marca Prosecco Italian sparkling wine and Miraval Rose.

The property includes two pools, one for adults that’s heated with a hot tub attached and one for families, with a handy barricade in between. There is extreme pampering in the Salamander Spa, which boasts of breathtaking glass art

by Destin artist Mary Hong, 11 treatment rooms and a stateof-the-art fitness center.

Dining options include Primrose, helmed by chef Michael Katz, and seasonal restaurants at the Sea Level Poolside Bar & Grill, sandwiches on the west lawn and the Beach Club Bar on the Gulf’s edge. Children will adore Sprinkles Ice Cream Shop and adults will want to tag along for the fresh gelato.

Beach service, bike rentals, water sports and children’s activities are also offered during warm weather months.

What makes the Henderson a step above is the attention to detail and excellent customer service. Soaker tubs, upscale bath products, specialty coffee makers and fine food and spirits greet visitors in guest rooms. Valet service offers advice while retrieving cars. Spa visits begin with a relaxing ceremony and end with decadent water treatments. Pets are welcome as well.

The resort is owned by Dunavant Enterprises, a family business out of Memphis that also owns and operates the Gulf-side Henderson Park Inn next door, an adult-only property known for its personal attention to customers. Salamander Hotels & Resorts manages both hotels, a company founded by Sheila C. Johnson, the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET). Visitors to both accommodations may access the pristine beaches fronting the 200-acre Henderson Beach State Park.

The Henderson is located at 200 Henderson Resort Way in Destin, a short drive from Destin Commons.

Chase Yakaboski photo

The Other End Restaurant&Beer Garden

What’s Cooking?

Hotels aren’t the only things popping up along the Gulf Coast these days; the food scene continues to evolve and grow as well.

More than 16 beer taps accent the burgers and duck fries at The Other End Restaurant and Beer Garden in Destin, Florida, (OtherEnd.net) an Airstream food truck surrounded by picnic tables that’s a favorite with locals, if you can find it.

The Craft Bar

The Craft Bar gastropub (TheCraftBarFL.com) with several Florida Panhandle locations, however, wins the keg for the most brews on tap, this in addition to growlers for those who want their beer to-go.

Patio 44

Patio 44 of Hattiesburg, Mississippi (PatioFortyFour.com) has opened its second location in Biloxi, serving up local favorites such as shrimp and grits and blackened redfish, with most ingredients sourced within miles of the restaurant. The new location was already creating waves, no pun intended, when it made the Mississippi List: 201 Places to Eat, Stay & Play in 2017.

Fairhope Roasting Company

Savory Restaurant Group

Christopher Ruyan and Tyler Jarvis of the Savory Restaurant Group, co-founders of the award-winning sister restaurants Jackacudas Seafood & Sushi (Jackacudas. com) and Brotula’s Seafood House & Steamer (Brotulas. com) of Destin, will reinvent chef Tim Creehan’s Cuvee Destin into Cuvee Kitchen + Wine Bar (CuveeDestin.com) this spring. Creehan recently sold his patented Grill Plus Instant Marinade to Kinder’s, a California-based organic sauce company, and will be spending his time working with product development and operations management at the company’s new southeastern division.

Cuvee Kitchen + Wine Bar

Cuvee Kitchen + Wine Bar, to be located on the Emerald Coast Parkway in Destin, will feature a seasonal menu focusing on local seafood, farm fresh ingredients and premium cuts, plus craft cocktails and a wine list.

Located in back of Warehouse Bakery is the locally owned Fairhope Roasting Company (FairhopeRoasting.com), known for its variety of freshly roasted coffees and a knock-your-socks-off cold brew coffee concentrate. The combination of heavenly baked goods and an excellent cup of joe make this a fun stop on a trip to Fairhope or passing through to Gulf Shores.

Grilled Caribbean lobster tails s

The Grand Marlin Restaurant&Oyster Bar

Several new restaurants join the culinary scene of Panama City, including The Grand Marlin Restaurant and Oyster Bar (TheGrandMarlin.com), located at the Lighthouse Marina on Grand Lagoon. The restaurant, which also has a location in Pensacola Beach, is known for its fresh Gulf seafood and oysters hailing from Apalachicola and East Bay.

Rubbed salmon s

Fish tacos and a Mississippi beer s

CherĂŠ Coen photo

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Blind Tiger

In addition to Whiskey Prime in Pass Christian, Genin opened a second Blind Tiger (TheBlindTiger.biz) location in Harrah’s Gulf Coast Hotel and Casino of Biloxi, with its third location scheduled to open in Lakeshore Marina and Yacht Harbor of Slidell this spring.

Warehouse Bakery&Donuts

Do not let the name fool you. Warehouse Bakery & Donuts in Fairhope, Alabama, (WarehouseBakeryAndDonuts. com) may cook up sweet baked delights, but they also offer breakfast bowls, sandwiches on house-made breads and a pimento cheese BLT. Jennifer Haffner comes to Fairhope from time spent at Jesse’s Restaurant in Magnolia Springs, among others, offering menu items that have become an instant hit. The Squeelin’ Pig breakfast biscuit, for instance, combines small-batch bacon or sausage, a fried egg, cheese and a spicy mayonnaise.

Bud&Alley’s Waterfront Restaurant

Bud & Alley’s Waterfront Restaurant in Seaside, Florida (BudAndAlleys.com) turned 30 in 2016, with exciting plans for second floor expansion this year. The popular roof deck that’s a hit at sunset will expand its square footage, install an elevator for easy access and include bathrooms. Other changes to the restaurant include combining the taco and pizza bars, says owner Dave Rauschkolb.

Biloxi Brewing Company

Biloxi Brewing Company (BiloxiBrewing.com) opened in downtown Biloxi, joining Mississippi breweries Chandeleur in Gulfport and Lazy Magnolia in Kiln. Destin Brewery, located on Mountain Drive (DestinBrewery.com), pours flagship, seasonal and experimental brews, and opens its establishment for tastings on weekends.

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Cavatelli and braised duck with rapini, sweet potato, ricotta and pistachio s

Yellowfin tuna with avocado, pickled peppers, barrel aged soy and crisp quinoa s

Roselie Dining&Seafood Bar

Chef Kevin Korman, with experience at Ritz-Carlton Lodge Reynolds Plantation of Georgia, opened Roselie Dining & Seafood Bar (RoselieDining.com) last summer on Highway 30A in Inlet Beach, Florida. The 90-seat restaurant – a combination of the names of Korman’s daughters, Rosalyn and Eleanor – focuses on modern American cuisine, primarily sustainable Gulf seafood and farm-to-fork entrées.

Sweet corn cake with blueberries, vanilla bean ice cream, streusel and corn caramel s

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Travel

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Digital Graffiti

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Digital Graffiti (DigitalGraffiti.com) celebrates 10 years this May, a color explosion by underground artists in the coastal town of Alys Beach, Florida, which consists of nothing but white homes and buildings. Artists of all kinds submit artwork to be projected on walls of beach residences for three nights in May, everything from maps and photographs to animation and experimental short films. This year’s Digital Graffiti will be May 19-21.

Fishbone Alley

Panama City Beach Conservation Park

Sixty-eight acres of new wildlife habitat for gopher tortoises have been added to the Panama City Beach Conservation Park. The species of tortoises has been classified “threatened” and the Conservation Park is one of only two locations in Florida permitted to take in these “waif tortoises” or tortoises whose original sites aren’t known.

Last fall, the City of Gulfport turned a back alley into a creative pedestrian walkway. Fishbone Alley backs up to several restaurants and bars in the downtown Gulfport entertainment district, but what used to be a place for dumpsters and trash is now full of whimsical artwork, vertical urban landscaping, reclaimed brick pavers and overhead lighting.

Rail service from Los Angeles to Jacksonville was available on Amtrak’s Sunset Limited, but Hurricane Katrina disrupted the New Orleans to Florida route. Talks are currently in the works to bring back a daily round-trip train ride from New Orleans to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Mobile. Future lines may include Jacksonville,and Orlando through a connecting train line.

Lee Ledbetter Architects; Lee Ledbetter, principalin-charge; Tarra Cotterman, project architect; Will Soniat, Will Rosenthal, Peter Kilgust

b e st o f d e s i g n

our annual survey of new architecture

By John P. Klingman Photographed by Jeffery Johnston

This year’s projects reflect a particularly broad group of building types, including several with unique programs. While an interesting set of uses doesn’t necessarily equate with good design, it’s exciting to see a conjunction of both.

Joan Mitchell Center Studio Building

John P. Klingman is a registered architect and a Favrot Professor of Architecture at Tulane University. His book, New in New Orleans Architecture, is available at local bookstores.

This building provides commodious individual studio space for ten artists who are accepted for residencies. It is part of a campus that includes a prominent historic house facing Bayou Road, a meeting hall and residences for the artists. The New York-based foundation supports artists and became interested in a New Orleans facility as an outgrowth of their post-Katrina assistance to artists here.

Although the building is substantial, the feeling of a garden oasis within the city is maintained and enhanced by its understated presence. Adjacent to the entrance is a sculpted bioswale and retention pond spanned by a bridge. The swale is activated during rainstorms when water from the roof is channeled here. The architects successfully related the scale of the building to the surrounding residential structures. This arises in part from the articulated roofscape, with each studio marked by a north-facing clerestory monitor.

The interior is a combination of inwardly focused studios and a circulation system that engages the exterior in a multiplicity of ways.

A no-nonsense building, there are concrete floors in the corridors with plywood in the studios. The studios vary in size, but each has outstanding daylight. In addition to the light monitor, there’s a south-facing adjustable skylight and a vertical view window. Observing the artifacts in studios at the conclusion of residency, it’s clear that the building fosters energetic explorations.

Waggonner and Ball Architecture/ Environments; Mac Ball, principal-in-charge; David Waggonner, consulting principal; Steve Scollo, project architect; David Curtis, Charles Sterkx, Kenner Carmody, Dennis Horshoff, Jerry Blanchard, David Demsey

Greater New Orleans Foundation Center for Philanthropy

A handsome building has arisen on Lee Circle, the first significant structure constructed on the historic circle in decades. For almost 35 years, the Greater New Orleans Foundation has been a leading philanthropic organization in our region. Now they’re occupying a building

with a civic presence commensurate with GNOF’s stature.

The primary façade reflects the arc of Lee Circle, and it skillfully incorporates several elements to create a dynamic response to the context. A colonnade extends to the full three story height of the building. On the first level a loggia

provides cover for the generous ramped main entrance; on the top floor, another loggia provides exceptional views overlooking the circle.

Although the building interior area is rather modest, the architects expanded its scale with covered outdoor spaces and the enlarged height of the

third floor. The proportions of the cast stone piers vary from floor to floor, providing visual interest; the variations reflect subtle adjustments related to the shaft in the circle.

Beyond the culmination of the colonnade in the doubleheight entrance lobby, on Howard Avenue the building’s

exterior treatment changes.

The handsome local St. Joe brick is maintained, but there’s a sunshaded curtain wall and board-formed concrete. Unusual on the outside, this material appears extensively in the building’s interior, including the lobby and main stair where it contrasts with smoother surfaces of stone and glass.

The interior has excellent daylight in the staff spaces and the commodious meeting rooms on the river side.

This results in part from the downtown-facing curtainwall whose north orientation allowed for extensive glazing. Providing a pan-

oramic view of the skyline, it also allows views of the extensive landscaped terrace just outside the building. The terrace contains extensive subsurface stormwater catchment, an important theme of Waggonner and Ball’s ongoing work in urban water management.

The clear internal organization of the building, fine spaces and handsome, durable materials demonstrate that the thoughtfulness of design extends throughout the project. An extensive collection of local art in the building further reflects the empathy of GNOF with its surroundings.

Residence With Style The Egrets There is a series of affordable contemporary houses popping up on vacant lots in Gentilly. Compact and commodious, they’re developed by Home by Hand, a local nonprofit. This design successfully meets the challenge of a building raised up to eight feet that still relates to the street. This occurs through a wide set of stairs leading to an intermediate covered deck.

Colectivo; Tom Holloman, Seth Welty, architects; Sarah Saterlee

Eskew+Dumez+Ripple; Charles Hite, principalin-charge; R. Allen Eskew, Steve Dumez, consulting principals, Jason Richards, project manager; Christian Rodriguez, project architect; Aseem Deshpande, Wendy Kerrigan, Z Smith, Lynn Ostenson, Andy Redmon

Tulane University Howard Tilton Library Addition

The 1960s-era Howard Tilton Library has a new hat, but it’s more than that. A gleaming metal exterior cladding holds two stories of expansion for the library’s program and support spaces. This project is an artifact of Hurricane Katrina, which wiped out the

building’s major mechanical and electrical equipment when its basement flooded.

After lengthy negotiations FEMA provided funding to relocate the equipment; the university also had the opportunity to replace stack, reading and study areas and

staff space.

Although the exterior treatment juxtaposes new and old, the interior speaks of continuity but with a few twists. The most important of these is a double height reading lounge on the new fifth floor. Tucked away in the downriver lake-

facing corner of the building, it’s a contemplative space with great views of the city skyline. Playfulness of the suspended lighting fixtures adds an element of liveliness.

Elsewhere, circular ceiling fixtures of various sizes provide a similar sense of whimsy.

Along with the addition, the library was outfitted with a new sprinkler system, a completely rebuilt and upgraded elevator system and energy enhancements to the efficiency of the environmental systems. More than 700,000 books and recordings and nearly 1.5 million individual pieces of microform were submerged in the library during the flooding following

Katrina. The recovery and remediation of those pieces, along with another 700,00-plus manuscript folders and archival items, were part of the overall library recovery that the addition helped to complete. The addition also will help to mitigate any future damage from a storm. Additional information on Tulane University Howard Tilton Library Addition by Morgan Packard.

Residence With Style Fairgrounds House This contemporary house is a variation of the traditional camelback. It was designed for Carey Shea and her husband Calvin Parker; she’s Executive Director of Home by Hand.

The success of the project led to the similar design attitude of the Egret houses. In addition to its fine interior, what marks this house as special is the lively treatment of the cedar boards that surround the extensive first floor porches.

Tom Holloman, architect; Alyce Deshotels, David Dieckhoff

Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, executive architect; R. Allen Eskew, principalin-charge; Mark Ripple, consulting principal; Amanda Rivera, project manager; Hargreaves Associates; Michael Maltzan Associates, Adjaye/Associates

Crescent Park

Crescent Park, whose upriver portion has recently opened, is a sleeper. Despite its proximity to the Vieux CarrÊ, it hasn’t yet registered on the tourist

radar. However, to residents in nearby Marigny and Bywater it presents a great urban amenity. The park is a legacy and tribute to the urban vi-

sion of the late Allen Eskew, who gathered an impressive international project team, including Hargreaves Associates, landscape architects, as lead

designers. Crescent Park is a mile and a half in length, and it varies from a thin strip of land along the river to larger destinations along its length.

Access to the park has been an issue because of the railroad and floodwall separating the neighborhoods and the river.

The park’s most visible element is the steel arch pedestrian bridge at Piety Street. It is a simple, elegant form, visible at a distance in the horizontal landscape. It was designed

by David Adjaye, an architect who has become widely recognized for his design role in the new National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. The bridge is a compelling object, yet the experience of it is counterintuitive. Captured within the steel arched wall structure are stairs rising to the top.

However, because of the wall height the view is highly constricted; only the view of the Crescent City Connection directly ahead is offered. The memory of this constriction remains as one then strolls along the

extraordinary panorama of the riverfront at the park edge.

There is a plaza near this “Rusted Rainbow” that incorporates the concrete end wall of the demolished Piety Street wharf. The plaza is open and expansive; one even wishes for a bit of shade or shelter.

Finely detailed walls and guardrails provide enclosure, and the views are thrilling. Just downriver from the plaza wooden remnants of the wharf structure are slowly being captured by the river.

Another unusual condition occurs at the upriver end of Crescent Park. After crossing a horizontal steel truss bridge, one descends into a skeletal steel structure, the remains of the Mandeville Street wharf. Whether programed for events, or just as an immense empty shed, it’s a wonderful frame for overlooking the city skyline and the activity along the Mississippi.

Sizeler Thompson Brown Architects; Thomas M. Brown, principal-in-charge; Jared Reynolds, job captain; Julia Stefanski, interiors, Randy Fiveash

Delgado Maritime and Industrial Training Center

This building serves a combination of uses important to Delgado Community College’s educational mission. It is a brainchild of Rick Schwab, longtime director of the programs that provide training for industrial firefighters and

marine industry workers of various descriptions. Groups also come to the facility from outside the area, even outside the country for specialized training. Thus, an important goal of the project was to provide a sense of New Orleans,

even though the project is at Michoud, near the immense NASA facility. The local identity is affirmed primarily through the site design; this is one of surprisingly few buildings in our locale that have a demonstrably positive relation

with water.

The site for the project is adjacent to an existing fire training ground. There was a drainage canal bisecting the site, and the architects employed a strategy incorporating the canal as a primary

design element. Upon arrival, one sees the building framed over the water, and the architects designed a footbridge that brings you across. Then one turns and moves under a brilliant red canopy toward the glass lobby. The lobby glazing is articulated with external horizontal lightshelves arranged in a checkerboard pattern, catching the light and reflecting it inside.

The two-story lobby is adjoined by a café/dining space on the first floor and the administrative office suite above. To the right on both levels are a matter-of-

fact series of classrooms.

In this state-of-the-art setting, virtual reality is a valuable tool for simulating critical conditions requiring crisis resolution in fire and maritime emergencies. There are three maritime simulators that provide opportunities for piloting vessels through waterways worldwide in a variety of challenging environmental conditions. Although this component of training occurs in a “black box” space, it complements the memorable architectural experience of the building itself.

Residence With Style Upperline House An addition that completely transforms a house is newly evident Uptown. The new street façade holds a porch and deck with a layer of movable louvers that control the afternoon sun while providing a successful counterpoint to the adjacent older houses. Inside the new living/dining spaces also open to a garden facing porch. Finally, the screened carport provides for flexible occupancy.

Colectivo; Sarah Saterlee, Seth Welty

bildDESIGN; Byron Mouton, project architect; Lauren Hickman, Emile Lejuene

YAYA Arts Center

The headquarters of the highprofile arts organization YAYA is a showstopper on LaSalle Street in Central City. Yet it’s a low budget project, a truly collaborative design process of owner, contractor and

architect, with an ad hoc quality that matches the variety of activities that can occur there.

The L-shaped building generates a sizable courtyard on the Uptown side, a prime example of the project’s flexibility.

During the day, it can support working/learning activities spilling out from the adjacent interior spaces. In the evening, it can transform into a compelling event space, benefitting from sparkly strings of electric

lights above. With its permeable gravel surface the courtyard feels like a people space; officially, it also provides the required parking. This kind of creative accommodation is particularly valuable for an or-

ganization that’s changing and growing in ways that can be unpredictable.

The building holds several types of space. On the ground floor front is a small gallery. The rooms behind, accessible along a covered outdoor walkway, provide the organization’s offices. On the second floor a conference room overlooks the street, behind is a large flexible studio space open to the tall sloping roof above.

The back building is a large open metal volume dedicated to fabrication.

There are clever uses of everyday materials.

For example, metal mesh screening is deployed to frame the street/courtyard entrance. This same screening provides guardrails for the outdoor corridors, while catching light and providing visibility.

These corridors are wide enough for activities and provide shelter from the elements, yet at low cost.

As contractor Jim Landis said to Byron Mouton when the building opened, “You’ve given them what they just needed.”

Residence With Style “Zimple” St. Courtyard Our search for New Orleans’s smallest courtyard continues with this new entrant. On a midblock site, with houses close on either side, the courtyard provides a respite of privacy that also gives special character to the master bedroom beyond.

Office of Jonathan Tate; Jonathan Tate, principal-incharge Robert Baddour, Rebecca Fitzgerald, Kristian Mizes

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

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TABLE TALK, PG. 88

Joie de Vivre, a collection of 28 boutique hotels, recently opened The Troubadour and its showcase restaurant Le Petite Lion. Executive Chef Ben McCauley’s resume includes stints at Shaya and Domenica, but it was time spent in Charleston, South Carolina with Frank Lee that helped fuse his love of southern cuisine with respect for local farmers and businesses.

jeffery johnston PHOTOGRAPH

THE MENU | TABLE TALK

Steak au Poive at Le Petite Lion, inside Troubadour Hotel

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Still Shining

At the Ace Hotel, Josephine Estelle continues to shine. Try the snapper crudo, which zags in an unusual direction with brown butter and hazelnuts and a bit of Meyer lemon for brightness. The highlights of the menu are the pasta dishes, which showcase homemade noodles. The bucatini is simple but classic, with Parmesan, garlic and chili, while the Rigatoni is richer and more complex thanks to the shreds of pork shoulder, pancetta and collard greens. Coffee nerds will appreciate the adjacent Stumptown, as well is its inclusion in the drinks menu.

Small Hotels, Big Restaurants Come for the stay, stay for the food

By Jay Forman

The phrase “hotel restaurant” doesn’t ring a lot of bells. Sure, there are the glamorous throwbacks and some namedropping locations that trade on celebrity chefs, but even these tend to gloss over the fact that hotels aren’t perceived as hotbeds of iconoclastic kitchen talent. They have a business to run, and restaurants fill a utilitarian role – typically providing breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, as well as room service and event catering. These are responsibilities that can be a turn off for many talented young chefs.

This is changing. Smaller, boutique hotels now see restaurants as an amenity that might set them apart from the pack and provide some outsider cred. True, the turnkey food service obligations are usually part of the deal, but smaller outfits can be more amenable compared to the 800 pound gorillas in the market. This phenomenon is strong here in New Orleans, which makes sense given the size of our hospitality pie as well as

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the local passion for food and dining. Here is a look at a few.

Joie de Vivre, a collection of 28 boutique hotels, recently opened The Troubadour and its showcase restaurant Le Petite Lion.

Executive Chef Ben McCauley’s resume includes stints at Shaya and Domenica, but it was time spent in Charleston, South Carolina with Frank Lee that helped fuse his love of southern cuisine with respect for local farmers and businesses.

McCauley is quick to praise his team, including his Chef de Cuisine Jeremy Stephens, his Sous Chef Tom Branighan and his pastry chef Shalonda Berry. Each brings their talent to the mix. “I have a southern background.

Jeremy has an Asian background and Tom spent time with a lot of French chefs. Shalonda has her pastry background. So, we all have our strengths and we work together.”

In creating their menu, they asked themselves what you might expect to see if you came to a French bistro in the southern

United States. Seafood figures prominently, as do regional touchstones such as fried chicken and pickled shrimp.

But it’s the French technique and the layering of flavors that sets this menu apart. Take the steak au poivre. To build this dish a selection of peppercorns are steeped in Calvados – an apple brandy. The sauce is built upon a foundation of veal stock and this brandy goes in along with some pepper jelly for sweetness. The prickliness of the peppercorns infuses the sauce – it isn’t mere pepper, it’s the essence of pepper – and it makes this dish special.

Recommended also is the sea bass with roasted fennel, root vegetables and sauce Americaine. This lean fish is first poached with white wine, garlic, shallots, thyme and butter. Then the sauce is built with traditional lobster bisque thickened with rice that has been cooked in lobster stock, jeffery johnston PHOTOGRAPH

reinforcing and layering the flavors. Dollops of garlicy rouille add some bite.

The dessert menu includes The Yorkie, with mint chocolate chip ice cream and homemade cocoa puffs. Astute diners will recognize it from chef Philip Lopez’s menu at Root (Lopez is also listed as Executive Chef and was instrumental in putting the project together). The cocktail menu includes the requisite list of craft cocktails, including the eye-opener Dawn Treader, made with red absinthe, cold brewed coffee and half-andhalf – the perfect hair-of-thedog for guests that opt for the hotel room listed on the dessert menu for $195.

At the Old No 77 Hotel and Chandlery, chef Nina Compton’s Compère Lapin has steadily been collecting acclaim. In fact, walking into the lobby it seems as though the restaurant has gobbled up the hotel in terms of bustle.

Here then is another situation in which a well-positioned restaurant can bring big-time acclaim to a small but ambitious hotel group. In this case it’s Provenance Hotels out of Portland, with most properties clustered in the Pacific Northwest.

Compton’s food is informed by her Caribbean roots and expressed through the application of Creole, French and Italian cooking techniques.

“I’m from St. Lucia and I think there are lots of similarities between there and New Orleans, especially with the Creole cooking,” Compton points out.

The menu offers finger foods such as conch croquettes. Conch, an ingredient that people associate with the Caribbean, is treated differently here. “I wanted to do something fun and playful but I also didn’t want to do a conch fritter. That is

a Spanish-style dish based on a béchamel rather than a batter.” The resulting lightly breaded sticks have a soft interior and pair well with the accompanying pickled pineapple tartar sauce.

Look, too, for dishes that feature Hamachi, a buttery fish often found on sushi menus, but here gets a more versatile role. The Leche de Tigre Ceviche is marinated in a blend of hot peppers, ginger, garlic and onion. “Living in Miami you’ll come across a lot of ceviche, but this is one you don’t see often,” Compton says. “It is light and refreshing but packed full of flavor.”

For main courses, the curried goat is a more unusual dish but has also been popular since day one. “For guests it’s an introduction to my cooking, and also I think it lets them get a little out of their comfort zone,” Compton says. n

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Hotel Happenings

Le Petite Lion The Troubadour Hotel 1111 Gravier St. 518-5800 PetitLionNola.com Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily

Compère Lapin The Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery 535 Tchoupitoulas St. 599-2119 CompereLapin.com Lunch and dinner daily

Josephine Estelle The Ace Hotel 600 Carondelet St. 930-3070 JosephineEstelle.com Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily; brunch weekends myneworleans.com MARCH 2017

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THE MENU | restaurant INSIDER

News From the Kitchens

The Munch Factory, Gracious Bakery + Café & Central City BBQ

By Robert Peyton

The Munch Factory Though it hasn’t been around for decades, The Munch Factory already has the feel of a classic neighborhood restaurant. It starts with Alexis Ruiz, who owns the restaurant with her chefhusband, Jordan, and who runs the front of house. When I walked in for the first time, she greeted me as though I was a regular.

It first opened in Gentilly, where the both Jordan and Alexis grew up, but moved at the start of this year to the Lower Garden District.

The restaurant has the look of a modern bistro, but the bulk of the menu is more casual, running the gamut from cheese fries to panfried chicken with fines herbs, a French mix traditionally made up of parsley, chives, tarragon and chervil. That chicken, and items like potato croquettes, sautéed asparagus and a ribeye steak are only available at dinner; similarly, the grilled cheese, roast beef and hot sausage patty melt are lunch-only.

One menu item that’s indicative of the chef’s skill is Oysters Gentilly: crisply fried oysters over a slightly spicy creamed spinach, topped with meltingly caramelized onions.

It isn’t complicated, but each component is done flawlessly, and that’s not easy to do.

The Munch Factory is located at 1901 Sophie Wright Place, 324-5372, and is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Tuesdays-Thursdays, and until 10 p.m.

Fridays-Saturdays; Sunday brunch coming soon.

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Gracious Bakery + Café

Central City BBQ

Gracious Bakery + Café continues to expand with a new location in the space that was most recently home to sandwich shop the Grocery. Gracious is owned by pastry chef Megan Forman and her husband Jay Forman.

(Both Megan and Jay are friends, and Jay is a colleague whose food writing appears in the pages adjacent to this piece.) But I can assure you I became a fan of Megan’s work long before I met either of them.

She is a hugely talented chef, which you can confirm for yourself by visiting any of its three locations (the original is located at 1000 S. Jeff Davis Parkway, and Gracious to Go is at 7220 Earhart Blvd.).

In addition to baked goods, breads, cakes and pastries, Gracious serves breakfast, brunch and lunch. I can attest that the pastrami sandwich is one of the best I’ve had, and the grilled cheese (garlic aioli, pear and cranberry mostarda, smoked cheddar and muenster cheese on sourdough) is pretty awesome, too. Catering menus are available. The menu at the new location is largely the same as in Mid-City with one notable exception: beer and wine are available for sale (though not for consumption on the premises).

The newest Gracious is located at 2854 St. Charles Ave., 301-3709, and is open MondaysFridays, 7 a.m.-6 p.m., and Saturdays-Sundays 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

There are regional styles of barbecue, but common wisdom is there’s no “New Orleans” style. That may be true, but it doesn’t mean there’s no good barbecue here. Witness Central City BBQ, where chef Rob Bechtold is putting out top-quality smoked meats in the style he’s been perfecting for years.

I first wrote about Bechtold when he was running Smokin’ Buddha BBQieux in Fat City.

Bechtold next drew raves for his food at NOLA Smokehouse. Recently, in partnership with his friend and fellow chef Aaron Burgau, Bechtold is back in business in a much larger venue.

The menu is short and direct: brisket, pork spare ribs, smoked sausage and boudin, pulled pork and barbecued chicken are the meats.

Sides include sweet corn spoonbread, Creole slaw, potato salad with remoulade, “pithouse beans” and umami pickles. In addition to tea, freshly squeezed lemonade and soda, the place has a full bar and local beers on tap.

The main dining area is “cavernous,” and there are tables outside as well. Soon, there should also be a separate space for private events, and multiple smokers and custom-built grills mean catering is definitely an option.

Central City BBQ is located at 1201 S. Rampart St., 558-4276. Hours are Wednesdays-Sundays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., or until they run out of food. jeffery johnston PHOTOGRAPHs

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THE MENU | FOOD

Asian Occasion A new world of flavors

By Dale Curry

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PHOTOGRAPHed and styled EUGENIA UHL

Thai Red Curry with Shrimp t

2 pounds shrimp in shells with heads, or 1 pound peeled 1 small onion, chopped 1 heaping Tablespoon minced ginger 3 cloves garlic, minced ½ red bell pepper, cut into thin strips ½ green bell pepper, cut into thin strips 2 carrots, cut into thin strips 1 ½ cups jasmine rice, cooked per package directions

It took a few years, but New Orleans appetites are almost as eager for Asian tastes as their own home-style cooking. The immigration of Vietnamese in the 1970s brought the cuisine to New Orleans, a major outpost of Vietnamese culture in the U.S. Thus, the local taste for pho, banh mi and rice noodles now rivals its hunger for red beans and poor boys. At the same time, Japanese and Thai restaurants are drawing heavy crowds, particularly young adults, and children are growing up with a taste for sushi.

Asian cooking is finding its way to home kitchens, and supermarkets are stocking more of its products. Metairie and Kenner are home to a growing number of Asian markets, and a huge, popular supermarket in Gretna, known as the Hong Kong Food Market, is devoted to Asian, predominately Vietnamese, food.

I can find everything I need for a quick pho, even having the beef sliced thin, at the market. Equally exciting is a Thai curry or Japanese tempura shrimp, both easy to shop for and simple enough to prepare.

1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Vietnamese Pho Bo

Japanese Shrimp Tempura

1/2 pound eye of round beef, cut into wafer-thin slices

1 pound large shrimp

½ cup Thai red curry sauce or 3 Tablespoons Thai red curry paste

2 28-ounce Vietnamese spiced beef broth, such as Pho Bac Nuoc Leo

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup loosely packed Thai basil, preferably, or sweet basil, roughly torn

3 star anise

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

2 Tablespoons fish sauce

1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

8 ounces rice noodles, also known as rice sticks

1 Tablespoon grated ginger

½ bunch green onions, chopped

1 cup very cold water

½ cup chopped cilantro

1 egg yolk

Hoisin sauce

1 cup all-purpose flour

Sriracha sauce

Vegetable oil

Lime slices, bean sprouts, thin onion slices, sprigs of cilantro, slices of jalapeno pepper, Thai or sweet basil

Remove heads of shrimp, peel and devein, leaving on the tails. Make 2 or 3 shallow slits across the inner side of the shrimp if you don’t want them to curl. Pat dry and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside until you’ve made the dipping sauce.

To prepare dipping sauce mix soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and ginger in a small bowl. Set aside.

Start heating 3 inches of oil in a skillet or electric fryer as you begin preparing the shrimp. The temperature should reach 375 degrees by the time you have several shrimp ready to fry.

Meanwhile, place water in a medium bowl. Add egg yolk and mix well. Gently stir in flour and mix lightly, leaving the mixture a little lumpy.

Dredge shrimp in batter, shake off any excess and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. You may want to fry in 2 or 3 batches, but make sure the temperature is 360 degrees at the beginning of each batch.

Makes about a dozen shrimp, serving 4 people as an appetizer

1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk ½ cup water 1 ½ teaspoons brown or raw sugar 1 Tablespoon soy sauce 2 teaspoons rice vinegar Salt and red pepper flakes or sriracha sauce, if needed, to taste ½ loosely packed cilantro, chopped Prepare shrimp and vegetables. Put rice on to cook.

Melt coconut oil in a large skillet or medium pot. Sauté onion until transparent. Add ginger and garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add bell peppers and carrots, and sauté for 2 minutes.

Add shrimp, curry, basil, coconut milk, water, sugar, soy sauce and vinegar.

Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in additional seasonings, if needed, and cilantro.

Serve in bowls over rice with garnishes of basil and cilantro, if desired.

Serves 4 to 6 Note: 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips, about ¼-by-1 ½ inches can be substituted for shrimp

A Vietnamese supermarket with a butcher can provide the thinly sliced meat needed for this dish. Otherwise, buy wafer-thin pieces of eye of round roast, cut them in half and pound until very thin. (I am told that a special blade is needed to cut the meat thin enough.)

Heat beef broth in a large, heavy pot on top of the stove. Add star anise, fish sauce and soy sauce, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak the rice noodles in a large bowl of cold water for about 30 minutes. Prepare vegetables that will be served on the side. Slice onion thinly, rinse whole cilantro and basil stems and pat dry and place on several plates for the table, along with bean sprouts, lime wedges and jalapeno peppers. Also, set the table with hoisin and sriracha sauces.

Just before serving, heat the broth to very hot, almost boiling. Drain noodles and scoop them into a large metal strainer and hold them in the broth to cook. This should take about 1 minute. Ladle broth into large soup bowls and add noodles to each. Drop several slices of meat, about 6, into each. Or, serve meat on the side for diners to add gradually, along with condiments. The meat will cook in the hot broth. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 very large servings; for smaller servings, divide amongst 4 bowls as a first course

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

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THE MENU | Last Call

Attitude

A little zing on “OCH”

By Tim McNally

Around the neighborhoods of New Orleans, March doesn’t roar in like a lion.

That act is left for August and September during hurricane season, which lately has been blissfully tame. Rather, March comes upon us with attitude.

Sort of like the rebirth of a once great, on its way to being great again, street: Oretha Castle Haley.

OCH has attitude. It is all dolled up like a brazen young lady, flowers blooming, with lots of restaurants and businesses that are new. The street flashes reminders of former glories, particularly at night with fancy new lighting and smooth pavement. There is definitely ’tude on OCH. The Southern Food and Beverage Museum (SoFAB) has welcomed a new restaurant that still feels familiar: Toups South. Isaac Toups and company has borrowed the swagger from N. Carrollton Avenue, the location of Toups Meatery, and brought it into a museum setting. But this isn’t just any museum, it’s SOFAB – and Toups.

OCH sparkles again – with ’tude. t

Celery Sucka

1.5 ounces Xicaru Mezcal 3/4 ounce lime juice 8 dashes of celery bitters 1/4 ounce simple syrup To Top: Splash soda water 2 shakes Tajin Clásico Mexican Spice Build in a shaker tin, add ice and shake.

Fine strain into a coupe. Top with soda water and Tajin Clásico Mexican Spice.

Created by Adrienne Miller, Bar Manager at Toups South, located in SoFAB, 1504 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 304-2147, ToupsSouth.com 94

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SARA ESSEX BRADLY PHOTOGRAPH

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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 MonFri, D Mon-Sat, Br Sat-Sun. This eclectic local restaurant draws rave reviews for its praline bacon and distinctive Southerninspired brunch specials. $$$

H Maurepas 3200 Burgundy St., 2670072, MaurepasFoods.com. L, D Thu-Tue, Br Sat-Sun. Pioneering farm-to-table restaurant with an ingredient-driven menu that changes daily. Clever cocktails a plus as well. $$ 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. $$

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 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

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. $$$$$

$$ = $11-15

$$$ = $16-20

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. $$ Warehouse Grille, 869 Magazine St., 3222188, WarehouseGrille.com. L, D daily, Br Fri-Sat. Creative fare served in an art-filled environment. Try the lamb spring rolls. $$ 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

t

$$$$ = $21-25

$$$$$ = $25 and up

tucked away in a quiet end of the French Quarter. Southern Fried Quail and Duck Confit Ravoli represent the style. $$$ Continental Provisions 110 N Peters St., Stall 23, 407-3437. Open daily. Artisan purveyors including Bellegarde Bakery, St. James Cheese Co. and Cleaver & Company team up to reclaim a foothold for quality food in the tourist Ground Zero of the French Market. Sandwiches, breads, cheeses and more. $$ 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. $

Happy Hour at Pascal’s Manale

Pascal’s Manale Restaurant, 1838 Napoleon Ave., 895-4877, PascalsManale.com For over 100 years, Pascal’s Manale Restaurant in Uptown has been serving up their famous BBQ shrimp, seafood, steaks and Italian-inspired dishes. The best time to go might be during their Happy Hour, 3-6 p.m., Monday-Friday, when raw oysters, premium cocktails, beers and wines by the glass are half-price.

Be assured, however, that no matter what time you drop in, you’ll find a party. – Mirella Cameran

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cheryl gerber photograph

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. $$$ café B 2700 Metairie Road, 934-4700, cafeB.com. D daily, L Mon-Fri. Br Sun. Ralph Brennan offers New American bistro fare with a Louisiana twist at this family-friendly neighborhood spot. $$$ 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 TueSun. 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, LittleTo-

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kyoNola.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.

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. $$

CBD/Warehouse District 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

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

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

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

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 restaurant. $$$

H Royal China 600 Veterans Blvd., 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 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. $$$

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

Riverbend H Ba Chi Canteen 7900 Maple St., 3735628. 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”. $

H Chill Out Café 729 Burdette St., 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. $

Uptown 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. $$

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

BROADMOOR

CARROLLTON

H Ruby Slipper Café 139 S. Cortez St.,

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. $$

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. $ 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. $$

H Ruby Slipper Café 200 Magazine 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. $$

City Park 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. $

Faubourg Marigny H Ruby Slipper Café 2001 Burgundy 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. $$

Mid-City 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. $

Barbecue 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. $$

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DINING GUIDE Metairie

French Quarter

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. $$

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

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. $

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. $$$$

H Coquette 2800 Magazine St., 265-0421, 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. $$$

H La Crêpe Nanou 1410 Robert St., 899-

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. $$

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. $$$ Lilette 3637 Magazine St., 895-1636, LiletteRestaurant.com. L Tue-Sat, D Mon-Sat. Chef John Harris’ innovative menu draws discerning diners to this highly regarded bistro. Desserts are wonderful as well. $$$$$

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. $$ 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 Patrick’s Bar Vin 730 Bienville St., 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

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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 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. $$$

Red Gravy’s Skillet Café

Red Gravy, 125 Camp St., 561-8844, RedGravyCafe.com Red Gravy Café is a jewel of a place located in the Central Business District, serving rustic Italian cuisine. Its already plentiful menu has been joined by a new daily addition, the Skillet Cake. Using the same batter as a pancake, it’s baked in the oven in a cast iron skillet. Fillings are cooked in the center of the cake, creating a surprise in every bite. The cake flavors change every few days, and toppings include fruit and chocolate glazes. The King Cake, with mascarpone cheese, applesauce and Cinnamon Toast Crunch, cereal has been a recent hit. – M.C. 100

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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 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., 529-

8881. 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. $$$$$

harahan 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. $$ Vincent’s Italian Cuisine 4411 Chastant St., 885-2984, Metairie, VicentsItalianCuisine.com. L Tue-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Snug Italian boîte packs them in, yet manages to remain intimate at the same time. The cannelloni is a house specialty. $$$

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

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

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DINING GUIDE menu offers an impressive list of authentic and Creole Italian specialties as well. $$ Pascal’s Manale 1838 Napoleon Ave., 895-4877, PascalsManale.com. L Mon-Fri, D Mon-Sat. Vintage neighborhood restaurant since 1913 and the place to go for the creation of barbecued shrimp. Its oyster bar serves icy cold, freshly shucked Louisiana oysters and the Italian specialties and steaks are also solid. $$$$ Vincent’s Italian Cuisine 7839 St. Charles Ave., 866-9313, VicentsItalianCuisine. com. L Tue-Fri, D Tue-Sun. Snug Italian boîte packs them in yet manages to remain intimate at the same time. The cannelloni is a house specialty. $$$

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

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– think beef tartare with horseradish and pumpernickel – is carefully crafted and fits well alongside the excellent cocktail and beer list. $$$ Bon Ton Cafe 401 Magazine St., 524-3386, TheBonTonCafe.com. L, D Mon-Fri. A local favorite for the old-school business lunch crowd specializing in local seafood and Cajun dishes. $$$$ Café Adelaide Loews New Orleans Hotel, 300 Poydras St., 595-3305, CafeAdelaide. com. B, L Mon-Fri, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. This offering from the Commander’s Palace family of restaurants has become a powerlunch favorite for business-people and politicos. Also features the Swizzle Stick Bar. $$$$

H Cochon 930 Tchoupitoulas St., 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 2600 Chartres St., 446-0040, FeelingsCafe.com. D Tue-Sat, L Fri. Romantic ambiance and skillfully created dishes, such as veal d’aunoy, make dining here on the patio a memorable experience. A piano bar on Fridays adds to the atmosphere.

Vegan menu offered. $$$$ 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 restaurant. $$

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. $$$$ Café Maspero 601 Decatur St., 523-6250, CafeMaspero.com. L, D daily. Tourists line up for their generous portions of seafood and large deli sandwiches. $ Court of Two Sisters 613 Royal St., 522-7261, CourtOfTwoSisters.com. Br, D daily. The historic environs make for a memorable outdoor dining experience. The famous daily Jazz Brunch buffet and classic Creole dishes sweeten the deal. $$$$$ 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. $$$

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 baked oysters served. Its extensive bourbon menu will please aficionados. $$$$ 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. $$$$$ 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. $$ Killer Poboys 811 Conti St., 252-6745, KillerPoboys.blogspot.com. L, D Wed-Mon. This quasi-popup operating out of the Erin Rose Bar serves some of the city’s best poor boys, including one featuring glazed pork belly. $ K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen 416 Chartres St., 596-2530, ChefPaul.com/KPaul. L ThuSat, D Mon-Sat. Paul Prudhomme’s landmark restaurant helped introduce Cajun food to a grateful nation. Lots of seasoning and bountiful offerings, along with reserved seating, make this a destination for locals and tourists alike. $$$$ NOLA 534 St. Louis St., 522-6652, EmerilsRestaurants.com/Nola-Restaurant. L Thu-Mon, D daily. Emeril’s more affordable eatery, featuring cedar-plank-roasted redfish; private dining. $$$$$ Richard Fiske’s Martini Bar & Restaurant, 301 Dauphine St., 586-0972, RichardFiskes.com. B, Bar Lunch daily. Just a few steps off of Bourbon Street you can find this relaxing bar featuring an innovative menu with dishes like Crawfish, Jalapeno-andBacon Mac and Cheese garnished with fried oysters. Live music a plus. $$$ 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. $$$ SoBou 310 Chartres St., 552-4095, SoBouNola.com. B, L, D daily. There is something for everyone at this “Modern Creole Saloon.” Decidedly unstuffy with an emphasis on craft cocktails and wines by the glass. Everything from $1 pork cracklins to an extravagant foie gras burger on accomplished yet eclectic menus. $$

H Tableau 616 S. Peter St., 934-3463, TableauFrenchQuarter.com. B Mon-Fri, L Mon-Sat, D daily, Br Sat-Sun. Gulf seafood such as trout amandine and classic Creole brunch dishes like eggs Sardou 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

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DINING GUIDE

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. $$$

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. $$ 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. $ 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. $$$$

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

Upper 9th Ward 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. $$ Gallagher’s Grill 509 S. Tyler St., (985) 892-9992, GallaghersGrill.com. L, D TueSat. Chef Pat Gallagher’s destination restaurant offers al fresco seating to accompany classically inspired New Orleans fare. Event catering offered. $$$

Riverbend H Boucherie 1506 S. Carrollton Ave., 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. $$

sauce. Sandwich offerings are augmented by a full bar. $

Clancy’s 6100 Annunciation St., 895-1111, ClancysNewOrleans.com. L Thu-Fri, D MonSat. Their Creole-inspired menu has been a favorite of locals for years. $$$

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

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. $$

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

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

t

Bourbon House’s Oyster Tastings!

Bourbon House, 144 Bourbon St., 522-0111, BourbonHouse.com Bourbon House has launched a “Select Gulf Oyster Program,” which gives diners the opportunity to taste and compare oysters from different regions. On Thursdays, Bourbon House receives a delivery of three different premium oysters from various rotating Gulf regions. All the regions specialize in aquaculture oyster harvesting that produces a more developed brininess and rich flavor. Guests can compare the oysters’ flavors from briny, salty, and crisp to sweet, creamy and buttery. As well as enhancing relationships with local farmers, the program is designed to showcase the best seafood available locally.

The oysters are offered until they run out! – M.C. 104

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Neapolitan-style pies to Uptown. Excellent salads and charcuterie boards are offered as well. $$ 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 (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., 581-

1316, 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 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. $$$

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. $$

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. $$$

Metairie

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. $$$

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. $$$

Oceana Grill 739 Conti St., 525-6002, OceanaGrill.com. B, L, D daily. Gumbo, poor boys and barbecue shrimp are served at

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 Seafood and Italian Restaurant 1001 Live Oak St., 838-0022, AustinsNo. com. L, D Mon-Sat. Neighborhood restaurant specializes in seafood and Italian

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DINING GUIDE offerings such as stuffed eggplant and bell pepper. Fried seafood and sandwiches make it a good stop for lunch. $$

Mid-City 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. $$

Uptown Frankie & Johnny’s 321 Arabella St., 2431234, FrankieAndJohnnys.net. L, D daily.

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

West End 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. $$

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 famed Chicago steakhouse popular with politicians and

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celebrities. $$$$ 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. $$$$$

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

H Doris Metropolitan 620 Chartres 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. $$$$ Galatoire’s 33 Bar & Steak 215 Bourbon St., 335-3932, Galatoires33BarAndSteak. com. L Fri, D Sun-Thu. Steakhouse offshoot of the venerable Creole grande dame offers hand-crafted cocktails to accompany classic steakhouse fare as well as inspired dishes like the Gouté 33: horseradish-crusted bone marrow and deviled eggs with crab ravigote and smoked trout. Reservations accepted. $$$

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., 2677672, GreenForkNola.com. B, L Mon-Sat. Fresh juices, smoothies and vegetarianfriendly 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., 3046615, 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, house-made pâtés and abundant plateaux of cold, fresh seafood. $$$ Palace Café 605 Canal St., 523-1661, PalaceCafe.com. B, L, D daily. Dickie Brennan-owned brasserie with Frenchstyle sidewalk seating and house-created specialties of chef Darrin Nesbit. Favorites here include crabmeat cheesecake, turtle soup, the Werlein salad with fried Louisiana oysters and pork “debris” studded Palace potato pie. $$$$$

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-totable 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 handmuddled 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, 8362007, VegaTapasCafe.com. D Mon-Sat, 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., 482-7743.

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., 383-4328, 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., 8946238. 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. $$

H Irish House 1432 St. Charles Ave., 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. $$ Jamila’s Mediterranean Tunisian Cuisine 7808 Maple St., 866-4366. D Tue-Sun. Intimate and exotic bistro serving Mediterranean and Tunisian cuisine. The Grilled Merguez is a Jazz Fest favorite and vegetarian options are offered. $$ 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., 2814127. L, D daily. Authentic, budget-friendly Mexican restaurant serves tamales, mole and offers free chips and salsa as well as sangria. $

H Patois 6078 Laurel St., 895-9441, 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 Shaya 4213 Magazine St., 891-4213, 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. $$$

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 after-work crowds stay well into the wee hours at this late-night hangout. $

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.

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

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., 525-8045, 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

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 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.

t

contact

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

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Newman-Dailey

TRAVEL DESTINATIONS

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ou have made it through Mardi Gras, great job. But now you’re looking for a new adventure. In this section, we offer an array of exciting off the beaten path destinations in and outside of New Orleans – some near and a few a bit more of a trip outside of the city to Alabama, Florida and Mississippi.

We also offer resources for your travels, including where to shop for the best shoes and fashion trends for your explorations, and airlines offering the best deals out of Louis Armstrong Airport, along with seasonal discount codes for all-inclusive resorts. Discover upcoming free cultural arts and music events, plan a wine-themed weekend and much more. Be a tourist in our own beautiful city, or venture to another.

Either way, these travel destinations promise new experiences for all to enjoy.

ALABAMA This spring, create memories that will last a lifetime with the ones that matter most on Alabama’s sugarwhite sand beaches. With exciting activities, unique attractions and dining options for the whole family, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach have everything needed for the perfect family vacation. From splashing in the waves and building sandcastles to jumping around at a trampoline parks and racing Go-Karts, there truly is

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something for every member of the family to enjoy when vacationing on the Alabama Gulf Coast. Visit this spring during one of the area’s many signature events including the Festival of Art (March 11-12), The Wharf Boat and Yacht Show (March 23-26) and Zydeco and Crawfish Festival (April 15). These festivals highlight some of the best things about the Alabama Gulf Coast: fresh Gulf seafood, eclectic artistry and a family-friendly atmosphere unlike any other. Visit GulfShores.com for more information.

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FLORIDA Spring is a great time to visit Historic Pensacola! Enjoy moderate temperatures and cool breezes from Pensacola Bay as you experience the rich heritage of America’s first multi-year settlement. Historic Pensacola, located in downtown Pensacola, Florida, is just minutes from world famous sugar-white beaches and emerald-green waters. However, the beach is just the beginning! Located within the footprints of the original Spanish and British forts, Historic Pensacola brings history to life through museum exhibits, guided tours and interaction with period-dressed living history interpreters. Historic Pensacola 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 the Village. “One Ticket, Seven Days to Explore” ticketing allows access to all properties and activities for seven days. Tickets: $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 3 to 14. For more information, visit HistoricPensacola.org or call 850-595-5990. Come explore!

South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival, coined one of the South’s Stand Out Food & Beverage Festivals by USA Today, returns to Grand Boulevard at Sandestin, April 27-30. The festival offers a dazzling array of more than 800 wines, ongoing wine tastings with dozens of celebrity winemakers on hand to talk about their wines, food tastings, tasting seminars, live entertainment and special features, including Spirits Row and Champagne Lane. The festival also includes a Friday Night “Craft Beer & Spirits Jam,” featuring some of the hottest breweries and distilleries in the country.

Meet the people who make these lively libations, nosh on great food on EATS Street and dance to live music by Tommy Brunett Band. Formerly the touring guitarist with Modern English, Brunett performs regularly with the Tommy Brunett Band. He is also the founder of Iron Smoke Whiskey, which will be featured throughout the festival. Buy tickets or learn more by visiting SoWalWine.com.

Just a few hours outside of New Orleans is paradise on Pensacola Beach, and it’s waiting for you to take a vacation.

Situated along the Gulf of Mexico, Portofino Island Resort is Northwest Florida’s premier beach vacation experience. Built along eight miles of untouched sandy beaches the resort offers guests a perfect balance of indulgence and natural beauty. Take a kayak or paddleboard adventure and surf the crystal blue waters, or fly under the sun as you parasail your day away. Then, be sure to reserve a spa day and get pampered in the comfort of your private suite or poolside. Go on a morning or sunset cruise and watch curious dolphins jump out of the water to ride the waves and say hello. Whether you want to enjoy the beach with family, your children, your spouse or your friends, guests of all ages will enjoy Portofino Island Resort. The property features luxurious two and three-bedroom skyhomes, active amenities, fabulous dining, spas, and more. Book your getaway at PortofinoIsland.com.

Explore more than the shore at Art Week South Walton, an initiative of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County.

Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County

Join us for 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 ArtsQuest (experience 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 (enjoy 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.

Located on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, there’s only one perfect destination for family fun – Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa. Our guests marvel at spectacular sunsets while also enjoying serene beaches and gentle sea breezes. Hilton Sandestin Beach is the largest-full service beachfront resort hotel in the area, offering visitors all they can ask for and more – from beautiful Gulf-view rooms to six on-premise dining options (including a AAA Four-Diamond steakhouse), an award-winning spa and state-of-the-art fitness center, an abundance of outdoor recreational activities, nearby golf, shopping and more. From the emerald green waters to the sugar-white sand, there’s only one Hilton Sandestin Beach where your family creates lasting memories.

Book your reservation by visiting HiltonSandestinBeach.com, or by calling 800-559-1805.

Lonely Planet Guidebooks recently ranked the Emerald Coast among their top 10 destinations in the country. With the area’s popular sugar white sand beaches just a short drive away, families have learned to book their beach vacation early for the best selection of South Walton and Destin vacation rentals. To make vacation planning easier, NewmanDailey launched a vacation planning App last year. The App provides featured Destin vacation rentals and Destin information in one convenient location. For those looking to stretch their travel budget, Newman-Dailey is continuing its Be Free Bundle (Late Spring Fling and Be Free Bundle deals are available with most rentals; some restrictions apply.), which packages the Newman-Dailey Gift Card, good toward area activities, with complimentary beach service and dis-

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counts to area restaurants and attractions. Newman-Dailey is also offering a “Late Spring Fling” special, featuring 10 percent off stays of three nights or more, April 24-May 20.

(Late Spring Fling deal is available with most rentals; some restrictions apply.) For details, visit DestinVaction.com or call 800-225-7652.

Uncork Some Fun in the Sun at the 31st Annual Sandestin Wine Festival. Do not miss the Sandestin Wine Festival, April 20-23 at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, the No. 1 Resort on the Emerald Coast. Presented by Coastal Living magazine, the Sandestin Wine Festival is regarded as one of the top wine festivals in the country. Enjoy white tents, flowing wine, delicious food, live music and much more. Affectionately called the “Kentucky Derby of Wine Festivals,” attendees will enjoy wine tastings showcasing hundreds of domestic and international wines. Visit South Walton this April and enjoy beautiful weather and an amazing food and wine event all weekend long. Enjoy up to 25 percent off deluxe accommodations and tickets with code WINE17. Visit Sandestin.com/wine or call 888-801-4388.

MISSISSIPPI Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort is “The New Way!” 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 immediately inviting place. Lava Links Miniature Golf Course

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offers a new way to enjoy some family-friendly fun as you putt your way passed an erupting volcano, a unique course and exciting experience for all ages. Afterwards, cool off in the luxurious shade by 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.

And don’t forget the new way to win! With over 1,200 of the best slot machines, 38-top-of-the-line table games and over 100 video poker games, including those newly added at PRL Bar, you are sure to find an old favorite or make a new one.

Book your next getaway on ScarletPearlCasino.com.

Take a trip this spring that won’t break the bank and is only one hour outside of New Orleans. 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 resumes March 18 and runs thru Oct. 30. See website for ferry schedule: MSShipIsland.com.

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LOUISIANA Just 40 miles north of the Big Easy, the historic City of Covington lies enveloped by scenic rivers, live oak trees and fragrant long-leaf pines. Covington’s charming downtown offers an abundance of world-class dining and entertainment options, as well as unique boutiques and art galleries where you can discover one-of-a kind treasures. Every Thursday in April, the city hosts the Rockin’ the Rails free concerts at the Covington Trailhead. The concerts take place 5-7:30 p.m. and feature some of the Greater New Orleans area’s most celebrated musicians. The April 2017 series will feature exciting artists, including Harvey Jesus & Fire, Luther Kent and Little Freddie King. After a concert, simply walk to one of Covington’s many popular restaurants in the historic district to enjoy delectable local fare. Then, blissfully end your evening with an overnight stay at one of many charming bed and breakfasts. Experience all that Covington has to offer! Visit CovLa.com for more information.

Treat yourself to a much-needed vacation getaway. Located in Baton Rouge, L’Auberge Casino and Hotel offers guests a truly invigorating experience. Capturing the feel of a southern river lodge, stay in the hotel and lose yourself in splendor while avoiding the hassle and expenses of traveling to a long-distance destination. Attend concerts, like Ben Folds performing this March, and socialize in style at Edge, the hip and sexy music bar. Spanning across 575 acres of land in the heart of South Baton Rouge, L’Auberge 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. Visit MyLAuberge.com or follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Positioned on an ideal block in the Warehouse District of New Orleans, the Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery is close in walking distance to several museums, many galleries, and various shops, as well as the French Quarter, the Riverwalk and the Convention Center. An art lover and cultural explorer’s dream accommodations, book a room at one of the top-ranking city hotels in the country, as published in the Continental U.S. by Travel + Leisure, also recognized as one of New Orleans’ favorite hotels by various local and national travel resources. The hotel has gone back to its roots supplying travelers with a lobby Chandlery featuring works by New Orleans’ top makers and creators. Your pet is also welcome to explore the city with you, with an extensive pets-welcome policy and signature amenities. Not to forget, the hip spot for locals and touring guests alike, when it’s time to grab a bite yourself, try dining at Compère Lapin for delicious cuisine by Top Chef Nina Compton. For booking and information, visit Old77Hotel.com.

The world-famous literary Detective Dave Robicheaux, created by author James Lee Burke, is coming home to Iberia Parish, Louisiana, with his second festival. The official Dave Robicheaux’s Hometown Literary Festival:

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Celebrating Storytellers from Iberia and beyond will be held March 31-April 2, predominately in New Iberia’s historic district, but will also include events around Iberia Parish. Various venues will celebrate literature and its impact on the area’s culture with cooking demos, a boat tour, storytelling, workshops, theatrical vignettes, music, bourré lessons and tournament, guided Dave Robicheaux tours of the area, a 5K run and food, food, food. The annual Dave Robicheaux’s Hometown Literary Festival invites all literature lovers to stop by Iberia Parish for a great time. For more information on Iberia Parish, visit IberiaTravel.com or for festival information, DaveRobicheauxLiteraryFestival.com.

Spend your day getting lost in history and discover the captivating past and present of an 18th-century Creole sugar plantation – one that’s even still growing and producing sugar today. Take a weekend getaway to the St. Joseph Plantation in Vacherie for a taste of real Louisiana Creole heritage. Tour the gorgeous manor and explore the expansive 2,500-acre property, including various outbuildings that once served as slave cabins, a blacksmith’s shop and a schoolhouse. Several buildings moved to their present location from another part of the property, but most remain exactly where they were built.

Family members versed in the antebellum plantation’s history and occupants often lead tours. One of the oldest in Louisiana, and one of the few still intact growing sugar canes, St. Joseph Plantation is open for tours ThursdayTuesday at 10 a.m. and every hour until 3 p.m. The

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breathtaking site is also a great spot for weddings and events. To make event reservations call 225-265-4078 and visit StJosephPlantation.com.

French Quarter Phantoms Ghost & Vampire Tours are fun for visitors and locals alike. Listed as No. 5 in TripAdvisor’s Top Ten Ghost Tours in the World, their tours should be on everyone’s “Must Do” list. Grab a cocktail and walk along with their Master Story Tellers for a lot of great laughs and chills up your spine! Their fun, exuberant guides are passionate about entertaining guests. Yearround tours begin at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. nightly, and are appropriate for all ages. For daytime fun amidst shady live oaks and grand houses, don’t miss the company’s newest walking tour of the Garden District available at 10 a.m. daily. Also, Saints & Sinners, a dirty little French Quarter history tour (adults only) begins at 1 p.m. daily. French Quarter Phantoms offers a variety of tours throughout the day and evening. Pick your favorite, grab your friends and have some fun. Online discounts are available through FrenchQuarterPhantoms.com. For more information, call 504-666-8300.

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 elusive sound of the Mississippi Delta Blues, you’ll find it in Vicksburg. Live Mississippi music from the Delta Blues to country and rock can be enjoyed at venues

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throughout the city. Learn 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, visit VisitVicksburg.com, or call 800-221-3536.

Discover a vast array of cultural, culinary, fine and performing arts, all unique to Louisiana’s Northshore area. Beginning in the springtime season, the city of Covington comes alive. Every third Friday of the month through October, Covington hosts a free evening concert series downtown on the bank of the Bogue Falaya River called, “Sunset at the Landing,” and is a picturesque way to immerse yourself in our region’s musical atmosphere and array of offerings.

Every final Friday of the month from March through October, Covington also hosts the “Columbia Street Block Party,” where visitors and locals alike stroll the downtown streets with drinks in hand, listen to live music, peruse the many art galleries and shops, and enjoy a classic car show.

On any given night, patrons can also dine in a number of world-class restaurants located right in the heart of downtown – all within walking distance from several

charming bed and breakfasts like Camellia House and Blue Willow, or the historic Southern Hotel. Learn more about these exciting events at GoCovington.org.

Thanks in large part to the support of the community, including local businesses, neighbors, sponsors and friends, for more than 30 years Audubon Charter School has been educating students, pre-K and K-8, across New Orleans with unique dual French and Montessori curricula.

Audubon continues to maintain a status as one of the top five schools in the Greater New Orleans area and given an A-rated school by the Louisiana Department of Education.

Continue this support and join Audubon Charter School in an evening of masquerade mystique at the Annual Soirée. Hosted at the flagship Broadway campus (428 Broadway St.), the lively night will feature entertainment, delicious cuisine and beverages, games, dancing, and a silent auction. Soirée proceeds directly benefit Audubon’s unique academic programs, and the more than 800 children served. To purchase tickets or make a donation to the event, visit the website at AudubonCharter.com or email Lynn Spearman at Lynn_Spearman@AudubonCharter.com

DINING New Orleanians love brunch, and most locals know that no one does brunch better than the Ruby Slipper Cafe.

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person. For more information, call 504-482-3935 or visit FiveHappiness.com.

Restaurant R’evolution is the first joint venture of award winning chefs John Folse and Rick Tramonto, offering modern, imaginative reinterpretations of classic Cajun and Creole cuisine for dinner nightly, lunch on Fridays and Sunday Jazz Brunch. Located inside the iconic Royal Sonesta New Orleans hotel in the heart of the French Quarter, Restaurant R’evolution and Bar R’evolution blend antique architectural details of a grand French Quarter home with contemporary accents. The menu reflects a melding of the chefs’ distinct culinary styles steeped in the diverse historic and cultural influences of Louisiana, highlighting ingredients from what chef Folse refers to as “the swamp floor pantry.” Tableside service components play an important role in the dining experience, promoting guest engagement about the history and evolution of the food they are enjoying. For reservations, call 504-553-2277 or visit RevolutionNola.com for additional information.

Ruby Slipper Cafe

Eat where the locals eat–take an adventure to North Broad Street! Step back in time in the “Old School” dining room with its immaculate ceramic tile, antique juke box and curtained private booths. Cut into the best steak to be had anywhere on the planet – USDA Prime Beef dryaged in house and served in sizzling hot Butter Sauce.

Established in 1934, Crescent City Steaks has defied all

With multiple locations across the city, including a brand new Uptown restaurant, your springtime staycation is best spent waking up mid-morning and stopping by for a spicy bacon bloody Mary or a mimosa special at Ruby Slipper.

Feast on signature dishes such as eggs cochon, bananas Foster pain perdu or barbecue shrimp and grits. Enjoy hot coffee refills from French Truck Coffee, outstanding service and decadent dishes you won’t find anywhere else.

Visit the Ruby Slipper online at TheRubySlipperCafe.net and find locations on Facebook. Dine in Mid-City at 139 S. Cortez St., in CBD at 200 Magazine St., in the Marigny at 2001 Burgundy St., in the French Quarter at 1005 Canal St., in Pensacola at 509 South Palafox St., and in Orange Beach at 24151 Perdido Beach Blvd. and checkout the new Uptown New Orleans location at 2802 Magazine St. Travelers and locals craving authentic Chinese cuisine in New Orleans can satiate their appetite at Five Happiness. An award-winning and widely recognized restaurant, Five Happiness offers a delicious menu of Sichuan and Hunan specialties in a sleek and elegant dining room. Enjoy the succulent shrimp with honeyroasted pecans, General’s Chicken or asparagus sautéed with garlic sauce in a comfortable and unique setting distinguished by its authentic Chinese décor of etched glass and Chinese paintings. The dining room, now split into three rooms, provides a more private dining experience for guests. The ever-popular and affordable Imperial Room is available at Five Happiness for private parties, receptions or other functions and can hold up to 60 people. Serving options are customized for each event, ranging from sit-down dinners to buffets or cocktails with hors d’oeuvres and prices ranging $20-$45 per 114

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The Court of Two Sisters

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the fads and trends over the decades with a simple menu of steakhouse classics. You will fall in love with this New Orleans institution when you taste your first onion ring fried to perfection. Finish your meal with Ms. Krasna’s Creole Cream Cheesecake or the bread pudding with brandy sauce, all still being made by the owner’s wife. Look for the best neon sign in the city and tell them you know Anthony at the door.

Springtime in New Orleans brings the smell of jasmine vines blooming, comfortable temperatures and the need for a little pampering now that Mardi Gras is over. Indulge your palate at one of the city’s oldest and revered restaurants. Just a few steps from Bourbon Street in the heart of the French Quarter, New Orleans’ world-famous fine dining experience awaits. Arnaud’s offers classic Creole cuisine and exemplary service in lavishly restored turn of the century dining rooms. Since its inception in 1918, Arnaud’s has remained true to its traditions and courtesies.

Recognizing the appeal of authentic Creole cuisine, Arnaud’s serves the true classics, offering signature items like the shrimp Arnaud, soufflé potatoes, and trout Meunière.

Nearly a century old, the proprietary Casbarian family continues to carry on the courtesies and traditions that have garnered worldwide acclaim for Arnaud’s. With unmatched food, ambiance and service, Arnaud’s ensures a uniquely New Orleans dining experience that won’t soon be forgotten. For more information or to make reservations, call 504-523-5433 or visit ArnaudsRestaurant.com.

The Marigny and Bywater areas of New Orleans has developed into one of the hippest parts of the city, featuring art galleries, indie-bars, cafes and boutiques.

Locals and tourists alike are flocking to the area for a taste of this eclectic scene. The All New Feelings Cafe, Bar & Courtyard Lounge is a not so secret, not so new destination for those looking to enjoy the one of a kind atmosphere of a gorgeous open air courtyard lounge and bar. This iconic courtyard is beautiful by day and stunning by night. Spend the day or evening enjoying crafted cocktails, specialty appetizers, or a full dinner prepared by award winning Executive Chef Scott Maki. Feelings also has one of the most sought after private dining rooms in the area, able to seat up to 30 for any type of event.

Located in the heart of the Faubourg Marigny, just outside of the French Quarter at 535 Franklin Ave. (at the corner of Franklin and Chartres streets). Visit FeelingsCafeCar.com for more.

New Orleans’ food is legendary. When seeking the best variety of Creole dishes in an authentic atmosphere, locals and first-time travelers alike find themselves at The Court of Two Sisters. Located at historic 613 Rue Royale in the French Quarter, the award winning restaurant stretches from Royal Street to Bourbon Street and features a gorgeous open courtyard decorated with lush foliage, gas lamp lighting and a peaceful central fountain. Brunch isn’t just for Sundays! The Court offers a festive live jazz brunch buffet seven days a week. Indulge in over 60 dif-

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ferent items including specialty omelets, eggs Benedict, turtle soup, grits and grillades, iced boiled shrimp, salads, fruits and a variety of desserts. At night, enjoy an elegant four course Table d’Hote dinner or select from an extensive à la carte menu featuring dishes such as trout Meunière, veal Oscar and shrimp and grits. Call 504-522-7261 or visit CourtofTwoSisters.com for reservations.

Hop on the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line and head to Pascal’s Manale Restaurant, New Orleans’ crown jewel of Creole-Italian fusion cuisine. Home of the original New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp, experience the city’s rich history at this 104-year-old establishment, which is operated today by fourth and fifth generations of the original Manale family. Founded in 1913, Pascal’s Manale serves the classic dishes for which it’s been famous for decades.

A fusion of authentic Italian and Creole influence, Pascal’s Manale’s menu includes New Orleans and Italian favorites, steaks and seafood dishes. Start your night with raw oysters from the oyster bar and follow with specialty favorites including the combination pan roast, which is oysters, crabmeat and shrimp chopped in a blend of onions, parsley, green onions and bell peppers baked in a casserole with a topping of breadcrumbs and butter. Monday-Friday, 3-6 p.m., enjoy half-priced raw oysters at the oyster bar as well half-priced beer, wine and selected cocktails. Located at 1838 Napoleon Ave., call 504-895- 4877 for reservations or visit PascalsManale.com.

Since opening its first establishment in downtown Lafayette 17 years ago, Tsunami Sushi has taken over Louisiana and become a favorite dining establishment for international cuisine. At its locations in Lafayette and Baton Rouge, Tsunami has become locally famed for its diverse menu, comprised of the freshest and highest-quality seafood dishes. Soon, Tsunami will open its doors to locals and visitors of New Orleans in the Central Business District.

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Tsunami NOLA is a perfect lunch or dinner spot for those staying in nearby hotels. The CBD location, at 601 Poydras St., will be open Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., as well as Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Enjoy happy hour every day from 3-6 p.m., with cocktail, wine and beer specials offered for under $5 and 25 percent-off all rolls $9 and under. For destination weddings and events in New Orleans, Tsunami is also ready to take your order simply email TsunamiNOLA@gmail.com. View their mouth-watering menu at ServingSushi.com.

SHOPPING & TRAVEL RESOURCES Mardi Gras is over, and it’s time to recharge with a springtime getaway vacation. Whether you’re taking a staycation, planning to relax on the beach or venturing to a resort, enjoy pain-free travels and prevent aching feet with the help of Good Feet®. With over 25 different arch support styles and 350 arch support sizes, Good Feet offers individualized comfort solutions to reduce or eliminate foot pain. Offering in style brands that are runway worthy and support your feet and ankles, like Samuel Hubbardook, Kork-Ease, Birkenstock, Dansko, Toms among others, look good and feel good when you shop for your shoes with Good Feet. Good Feet’s custom-fitted arch supports are personally fit for your individualized comfort. Good Feet is open seven days a week with locations in the French Quarter (539 Bienville St., 504-875-2929), Uptown (5525 Magazine St., 504-324-7718) or Metairie (3000 Severn Ave., 504-888-7080). For hours, information and scheduling and to shop online, visit NolaShoes.com.

Take a “staycation” and explore all that New Orleans has to offer. Make a stop at one of the Queork locations in the French Quarter or on Magazine Street for accessories made of the finest in quality and eco-friendly material. A local boutique that’s the first of its kind, Queork specializes in exquisite handbags, shoes and accessories for fashion,

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home and office that all prominently feature natural cork, “the new leather.” Cork leather comes from the bark of the cork oak tree. Removing the bark by hand allows the tree to continue growing. The bark is processed into a flexible, waterproof, scratch-proof, stain resistant, hypoallergenic, antimicrobial and durable fabric material that Queork transforms into luxurious products. From handbags, wallets, belts, bowties, boots, jewelry, aprons, hats, etc. – there’s something for everyone, even four-legged friends, at Queork. Visit Queork at 838 Chartres St. and 3005 Magazine St., or shop online at Queork.com.

A. Renée Boutique is a store for women who make their statement through fashion. We carry the most unique, sexy and trendy lines from designers that you won’t find anywhere else in New Orleans. They have the most beautiful clothing in the softest, quality fabrics on the cutting-edge of the latest styles. Their sizing is mostly Misses/woman sizes from XS to XL and we carry the lightest shape wear pieces and slips from Commando to smooth out your look.

This spring and summer the boutique will be featuring the new hot Bohemian look with lines from Brontë, Kerry Cassill, Steele and other exciting designers. In addition, A. Renée Boutique introduces their Cocktail Purses with beautiful designs accented with Swarovski Crystals. Kent Stetson and Little Earth handbags, locally designed jewelry and bow ties for men and woman, and beautiful sandals to complete your summer look.

Come see why everyone is talking about: A. Renee Boutique. Located at 824 Chartres St. in the French Quarter, it’s “truly a destination store for Women Who Dress to Kill.”

Visit AReneeBoutique.com or call 504-418-1448 for more information.

INTERNATIONAL International travel from New Orleans International Airport will be easier this summer for travelers to Germany and beyond. Condor Airlines introduces non-stop service to Frankfurt from May 3-Oct. 4, on Wednesdays and Sundays. Condor Airlines has been flying its passengers, approximately seven million per year, to the world’s most beautiful destinations since 1956. Condor operates a B767 aircraft with Business Class, Premium Class and Economy Class with other U.S. destinations including Portland, Seattle, Las Vegas, Baltimore, Minneapolis, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Pittsburgh, San Diego in addition to New Orleans.

Interline agreements with Alaska Airlines, JetBlue and Sun Country offer easy connections throughout the U.S. Strong partnerships with airlines such as Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, SAS and many more international airlines have been established to allow seamless service for Condor’s customers traveling to Germany and beyond. Visit Condor.com and book your next getaway. •

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Homes Spring in New Orleans is one of our favorite seasons.

The weather is comfortable, magnolia and jasmine are blossoming, and it’s the perfect time for relocating, reorganizing, renovating and hosting. No matter where you live, you can be the envy of your friends, family and the entire block for throwing the best parties, living in a beautiful location and having the cleanest house.

The businesses in this section offer the key essentials for your home’s springtime success. Discover new

Neighborhoods 8616 Oak Condominiums is a brand-new, move-in ready condominium complex located on historic Oak Street. Just a few blocks from the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line and near various restaurants, art galleries and Audubon Park, 8616 Oak is a dream location for any new and long-term New Orleanian. The fourstory multi-use property includes a commercial on-site gym and 22 two- and three-bedroom units. All units come equipped with wood flooring, stainless steel appliances, balconies and an onsite storage unit. A short drive to Ochsner Hospital and Tulane and Loyola universities, the new development offers modern decor and the convenience of being walking distance to the shops, restaurants and nightlife of the Oak Street commercial corridor. For more information about the mixed-use development at 8616 Oak, please contact Jennifer Fowler at Jfowler@kw.com or 504-432-7788.

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neighborhoods, meet professional cleaners, reinvent your backyard or customize your dream home with local experts. Refresh your home with new décor and fresh designs, fragrances and more. Hire a professional to install an improved home security system. From stunning landscapes and renovations to your home's new fragrances and art, read on to learn about what some of these local businesses are offering in and around our city.

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. Homesites are available on the water starting at $100,000. Both the homes and homesites within this community provide unique opportunities to create the perfect home or weekend getaway.

It is time to relax, unplug, make memories and create new traditions at Big Bay. Whether you’re 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.

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As New Orleans natives with over 15 years combined experience in real estate, Jamie Hughes and Celeste Marshall have a personal understanding of the nuances in value and unique characteristics of our local housing stock. They specialize in historic neighborhoods, but also work in the immediate suburbs of the city. Priding themselves on giving clients honest, professional and personal service, Jamie and Celeste maintain a referral based multi-million-dollar real estate business.

Whether buying, selling or developing property in the New Orleans area, they provide their clients with the support, information, guidance and expertise needed to get to a successful closing. Jamie and Celeste are proud to be affiliated with Keller Williams Realty New Orleans, the No. 1 Real Estate Office for Residential Market Share and the No. 1 Real Estate Office for Luxury Home Sales in the entire MLS from 2013-2016. Visit NewOrleansHistoricHomes.com for more information.

Studio BKA

Renovations, Design & Outdoor Spaces If you’re ready to reinvent your forever home or you’re looking to re-imagine your investment property in the New Orleans area, Studio BKA offers thoughtful architecture tailored to your particular needs, budget and vision. A local architecture firm that specializes in modern, contextual design, Studio BKA brings together the combined talents of husband-and-wife team Ben and Kim Allen to create quality residential and commercial projects.

Providing their clients with comprehensive architecture and design services, Studio BKA uses the latest 3D software to allow clients to see and experience their future projects. Combining digital design methods with their experience on complex construction projects, they can add value to your next investment with feasible, sustainable and beautiful solutions. Take our design services questionnaire to find the package that’s right for you by visiting StudioBKA.com, or call 504-814-3220 to schedule a consultation.

Providing only the highest quality in designs and luxury products, Nordic Kitchens & Baths offers unsurpassed inspiration and knowledge for any construction or renovation project. As the only source in town for all of the upscale appliance brands – Sub-Zero, Wolf, Miele, Liebherr, Kalamazoo, La Cornue, Asko, Dacor, Viking, Gaggenau, Bosch, Thermador and many more – as well as top-tier cabinetry and fixtures, Nordic offers complete Kitchen and Bath design services, and is consistently recognized for their award-winning results in and around the Greater New Orleans area and beyond. Tour Nordic’s beautiful showroom, locally owned and operated for 22 years, conveniently located at 1818 Veterans Memorial Blvd. in Metairie, between the hours of 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. until noon on Saturdays. “Why just dream it ... live in it!” Go to NordicKitchens.com.

As a licensed landscape contractor, horticulturist and longtime resident of New Orleans, Beverly Katz and her team embrace the natural landscapes and historical character the region offers. Problem yards are her specialty, along with courtyards, drainage solutions, landscape and much more. Springtime in New Orleans brings the sweet fragrance of azaleas, bright sunny days and cool breezy nights. Wouldn’t you like to enjoy this season in the comfort of your own backyard? Exterior Designs, founded by Beverly Katz, brings charm and tranquility to the landscapes, courtyards and pool renovations of locals, preserving

the New Orleans Architecture of old homes and adding a touch of the French Quarter Style to new homes. Visit ExteriorDesignsBev.com to see the stunning portfolio of Exterior Designs’ work and to learn about the building process. Set up a consultation with a professional designer by calling 504-866-0276.

Home Décor Spring is in the air and wouldn’t it be nice for your home to be just as fresh and aromatic? Renew your home with Lampe Berger fragrances from Auraluz, a wonderful place to stop by this spring for gifts to treat yourself and your friends. Lampe Berger Paris is the best system to cleanse, purify and rejuvenate the air in your home. With Lampe Berger, household odors are not masked, but rather destroyed and eliminated, leaving the air purified. Lampe Berger lamp styles range from classic to modern with over 50 fragrances to choose. Since 1898, Lampe Berger has mastered the art of design and fragrance creation. Discover the newest creation, Parfum Berger: a full line of diffusers and home sprays in a selection of popular fragrances. Browse the great selection for yourself by visiting the Auraluz store location at 4408 Shores Drive in Metairie or shop online at ShopAuraluz.com.

A one-stop-shop for all home decor and accessories, R|D Home offers an eclectic selection of high-quality items for any New Orleans home. Shop online or visit one of their locations in the French Quarter or on Magazine Street and discover unique collections of home furnishings and gifts. The team at R|D Home allow you direct access to their hand-picked, spectacular blend of sofas, chairs, lamps, throws, pictures and mirrors for your home.

Tablescapes, custom floral designs and seasonal decorating services are also available. During the months of March and April only, customers will enjoy special deals like 50 percent off silk florals, 20 percent off glassware and 30 percent off lady primrose luxury beauty and bath products. R|D Home is open daily at both locations at 2014 Magazine St. and 742 Royal St. Shop online at RazzleDazzle.com. myneworleans.com MARCH 2017

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After moving to the Rink in 1996, Judy at the Rink has built on that reputation to become the “go to” destination for bridal, debutante and seasonal gifts and for home decorative items from lamps, to paintings, to artisan-crafted glass and ceramics. In addition, the shop has recently diversified its inventory to include fashion purses, scarves and casual tops, and expanded its selection of high-design costume jewelry. “The covered, secure and easily accessed parking at the Rink location is appealing to our customers,” says Mrs. Fausset. “As are our free gift wrap and free delivery to select areas in New Orleans and Metairie. They also appreciate and support the diverse local artisans and artists that lend a distinctive New Orleans flavor to our Judy merchandise.” Visit their location at 2727 Prytania St., or call 504-891-7018 to hear about what unique items Judy at the Rink has in stock today!

As one of the world’s most fascinating cities, there’s so much to do in New Orleans. Household worries shouldn’t keep you from getting out and taking in the Big Easy. Cox Homelife℠ offers complete home security and automation, backed by 24/7 UL-certified and award winning professional security monitoring. “All your connected devices, such as lights, small appliances, door locks and even your thermostat, can be accessed easily through the free mobile app,” states Steve Sawyer, Cox New Orleans Director of Public and Government Affairs. “So you can check in on your home and loved ones anytime, from anywhere.” Cameras offer live video or 24-hour Continuous Video Recording so you can see what’s happening at home while you’re away. Cox Homelife isn’t just practical and smart, it provides unbeatable convenience. Visit Cox.com/homelifeadvisor to begin customizing an equipment package to fit your needs, or visit the Cox Solutions Store nearest you for a demo!

Home Entertainment

Whether you’re across the globe or across town, you can check your phone and see that your home is safe. Louisiana Alarm Watch, a locally owned company, installs security and camera systems designed to give you access wherever you have an internet connection. Along with arming and disarming your system, you can unlock a door, check your thermostat or turn on your porch lights. You can also see your door from a single camera or your entire home from a high definition camera system. Louisiana Alarm Watch can add an interactive communicator to your existing security system or install a new security system with increased functionality to meet your needs. For customers with an existing camera system, Louisiana Alarm Watch can upgrade the recorder and cameras to HD while using the wiring from your existing System. For a free security consultation, call 504-780-8775 or visit LaAlarmWatch.com.

Art can be jewelry, but not all jewelry is art – just ask Symmetry Jewelers and Designers, who have mastered the concept of returning jewelry to its rightful place among the art forms. Founded in 1975, Symmetry Jewelers and Designers have expanded its collection on estate and antique jewelry to compliment the contemporary designers featured in the gallery and design studio. Offering the finest original creations, Symmetry Jewelers and Designers’ products are showcased in homes, worn to balls and passed on through family generations. Find an array of local, national and international jewelry artists with in-house designer-craftsman Tom Mathis. Symmetry Jewelers and Designers offers full-service antique jewelry restoration, traditional jewelry repairs and the finest in original custom creations using gemstones provided, or from their high-quality selection. Stop by the gallery and revel in the sparkling diamonds, estate jewelry, and antiques, located at 8138 Hampson St. Call 504-861-992 or visit SymmetryJewelers.com for more details on their many services and featured pieces.

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AMA Entertainment is a locally owned business that focuses on all aspects of family entertainment, indoor and out. In their 7,500-square-foot showroom, they display more than 20 pool tables, 15 hot tubs and many other entertaining items, such as ceramic

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grills, tables games (air hockey, ping pong, foosball), full-sized arcade games, RC cars, trucks and drones. For the sale, repair, service or rental of amusement equipment, AMA Entertainment is ready to serve you.

Find your fun by stopping in the showroom, located in Metairie at 1525 Airline Drive, or visit their website, AMAEntertainment.com. If you have questions, call 504-835-3232.

Offering a treasure trove of premiere brands, AMA Entertainment carries Caldera Spas, Primo Grills, Brunswick, American Heritage, Imperial, Legacy, Namco, Stern Pinball, California House, Global Vr, Coastal, Incredible Technologies, Cuetec, ICE, Simonis, Meucci, TouchTunes, Viking, Predator, Lucasi, McDermott, Action, Joss and Schon.

Cleaning Services Another season of successful Mardi Gras parties have come to a close, but now you’re left with a messy house and no time to recoup.

There is a reason major cleanups are reserved for the springtime! Let All Saints Cleaning take the burden off your shoulders – when it comes to choosing a thorough service this is a big easy decision. Whether you live in a historic home with antique wood floors and counters, or a brandnew build with mosaic tile, or a small apartment with aging appliances, All Saints Cleaning offers a vast array of services for any mess, move-ins or move-outs. All Saints Cleaning also handles residential or commercial construction cleaning projects. Depending on your needs, All Saints Cleaning can provide vacuum clean, trash removal, wall washing, baseboard polishing, appliance cleaning, dusting, bathroom cleaning, curtains and blinds and more. All of the services contracted with All Saints Cleaning, a licensed and insured local business, are reliable and effective. Call for your free estimate 985-273-4309. First-time clients will enjoy a discount on their first cleaning project. •

Exterior Designs

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CAMPS

Ursuline Academy

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t may feel like eons away, but before you realize it the school year is going to be over and your kids are going to be home for the summer – unless you set them up with an exciting camp program.

Keep your child’s mind sharp this summer. In this section, you’ll find an array of exciting camps for your toddler, pre-teen, teenager and even for yourself.

Whether you want your family to embrace the natural sciences, teamwork, good sportsmanship, music or take test-prep, assess your options, get your ducklings in a row and see your child look forward to summer of enrichment, friendship and fun at one of these local summer camp programs.

Registration for these exciting summer camps are bound to fill-up quickly, so schedule time to sit down with your child or partner to discuss the most promising program based on your schedule and your child’s interests and needs.

This summer, Ursuline Academy is offering several exciting camp options for all girls age 3 and up through eighth grade. Create individualized camp programs created with Camp U: A Camp for Every Girl. Empower your camper with fun challenges including creative problem solving, collaboration, and entrepreneurship through innovation with Camp Invention. For your little actress, artist, singer or craftswoman, Camp Create offers art, acting, singing, cooking, decorating, baking, sewing, creative writing, cross stitch, piano, music, ceramics and more. Camp ROAR is a reading and language arts camp with opportunities to strengthen their

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phonics skills, oral reading fluency, reading comprehension skills and vocabulary development. For the athletes, there’s Camp of Champions lead by both district and state-winning coaches, as well as former college athletes and includes volleyball, softball, basketball, running, cheer, tennis and soccer.

Learn more about Ursuline Academy’s various camp options at UANola.org. Or call Andrea Williams at 504-212-6806 for more information.

Have a “whale” of a summer on the 12-acre country campus of Arden Cahill Academy Camp Corral. Cahill

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Camp Corral offers a relaxed environment where children continue to grow and develop during the summer months under the supervision of qualified teachers and experienced instructors. Activities and amenities include horseback riding, swimming, art, theater, sports, game room, petting farm, computer games, academic and enrichment classes, field days, dances, fishing, water slide, bounce house, camp-in, archery, riflery, STEM, discovery and much, much more.

Campers ages 3-14 are welcome to attend (camper must turn 4 by Sept. 30).

Conveniently located on the West Bank (10 minutes from the GNO Bridge), the camp runs 9 a.m.- 3 p.m., with before and after care available. Hot lunches can be provided for an additional fee.

Session dates are May 30-June 30 and July 3-Aug. 4 with options for weekly, session and full summer rates. To find more information or to register now, visit Camp Corral online at ArdenCahillAcademy.com.

This summer, Brother Martin High School is offering exciting camp opportunities for boys ranging anywhere from ages 6-12. Brother Martin’s mission is to provide holistic education during the school year, and their summer camps continue that mission by encouraging good sportsmanship and teamwork by offering a range of fun, competitive as well as non-competitive camp activities for your son(s). Various activities like baseball, basketball, flag football, soccer and new options, like art and wrestling, will alternate every week at Crusader Camp. Lunch, before- and after-care is also accessible for those who need a little extra support this summer. Each camper will receive a free T-shirt at registration for Crusader Camp. Brother Martin is also offering Specialty Camps, such as baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse, wrestling and test prep. The fees, dates and ages vary for each camp, so visit BrotherMartin.com for additional information on the schedule and pricing.

The Louisiana Children’s Museum is the cool place to play this summer with weekly themed camps that explore food, art, theater, science, fitness and more! Star in a circus, orbit the planets and explore the galaxies. Plant a mini garden and design a landscape.

Design treasures using recycled mate-

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Arden Cahill

rials, be a paleontologist and dig for fossils, and use math to measure ingredients to cook up tasty kitchen creations.

Learning has never been more fun!

Louisiana Children’s Museum summer camps are $200 per week for members and $225 per week for non-members. Camps are designed for children ages 5-8. Choose from nine weeks of exciting camps beginning June 5-Aug. 4. Camp is held daily from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Before- and aftercare are also available for an additional fee. Pre-registration is required. Space is limited. To register or learn more about LCM summer camps, visit LCM.org/Come-Play/ Camps or call 504-523-1357.

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With passionate teachers and an environment that fosters creativity and excitement, Spreading the Music is the premier location in New Orleans for private music lessons, studio rentals and group music classes. With degrees in both Music Education and Performance, owner Candace Crawford designed a music school that caters to each student individually and places them at the heart of their musical exploration. Spreading the Music specializes in all instruments and ages with teachers experienced in lesson planning and structuring as well as inspiring and challenging students.

The school is located on vibrant Freret Street, next to Mojo Coffee House, and offers 30-minute, 45-minute and 90-minute weekly lessons in addition to group classes.

Studios and rehearsal space run $15 per hour for individuals and bands. Unlike other area schools, Spreading the Music also specializes in Adult Music Education. Be on the lookout for the Spreading the Music First Annual 5 Week Summer Music Camp, May 29-June 30. To register, visit SpreadingtheMusic.com/Get-Started or call 504-509-5393.

Trinity Episcopal School offers over 40 specialty camps, ranging from Hip Hop Dance to Rocketry each June and August. Camps are led by Trinity faculty and staff and include a variety of options for students ranging from Pre-K to eighth grade. Summer camp runs over four consecutive weeks in June and for two full weeks and one partial week in August. It includes both half- and full-day scheduling options. Before and after camp care is available 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. each day.

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Trinity strives to maintain excellent staff-to-camper ratios; therefore, space is limited in all camps. Smaller camps contribute to the individualized activities and personal attention campers and staff enjoy. For more information on summer camp at Trinity, visit Trinitynola.com/ summer-camp or contact Summer Camp Director Chris Core by email Ccore@ TrinityNola.com, or at 504-525-8661, ext. 761.

Louisiana’s highest performing K-12 public school, Lusher is a National Blue Ribbon School in partnership with Tulane University. The school offers a rigorous, interdisciplinary and college-focused curriculum. For more information on Lusher’s summer programs and other offerings visit LusherSchool.org.

Summer arts programming returns to Lusher! Three unique camps will run June 5-June 19, at the Freret campus. The Lusher Elementary Arts Spark Camp will offer specialized programming in design, the arts, science and more!

For rising second through fifth grade students, the Lusher Middle Arts & Innovation Camp will prepare young artists and explorers for pre-professional conservatory and design-oriented high school programs.

For rising sixth through eighth graders, The High School Intensive will run short, one-week modules on highly specialized subjects such as Modern American Jazz, Photographic Composition and Summer Stock Theater. Guest artists will perform and give master classes throughout each experience.

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Choose your adventure at Mount Carmel’s Summer Camp! Campers customize their summer fun by picking their favorite classes from a diverse and exciting selection.

They will enjoy being artists, scientists, dancers, athletes, cheerleaders, chefs, detectives, designers, actresses and so much more! Campers will explore their individual interests and uncover new talents as they make friends and have a blast!

MCA Summer Camp is June 5-30. Camp is divided into two sections: girls entering second through fifth grade and girls entering fifth through eighth grade. Morning sessions are 9 a.m.-noon, and afternoon sessions are 1-4 p.m. Camp classes are led by Mount Carmel faculty members, with the assistance from their students. A lunch program is offered and before-care and after-care is also available. Registration opens March 8-May 26. Please visit MCACubs.com to register and then get ready for a fun-filled summer at MCA! In conjunction with NOCCA, Broadway Theatre Connection (BTC) presents a five-day Musical Theatre Intensive July 31-Aug. 4, with Broadway’s finest mentors. BTC offers an exciting curriculum in Musical Theatre for young artists ages 8-18 interested in becoming well-rounded performers. Classes include: jazz; theatre dance; tap; voice; acting a song; monologues and sides; mock auditions and tips; original Broadway choreography; and a Faculty Qand-A. Spreading the Music

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Broadway Theatre Connection’s faculty is comprised of currently working professionals in the theatre industry. This program guarantees a well-rounded experience with an unmatched caliber of teachers. Visit the BTC Facebook page for announcements about the BTC faculty coming to New Orleans in 2017! For acceptance to the Summer Intensive, Broadway Theatre Connection requires that a student have training in one of the three disciplines of musical theatre: dance, acting or voice.

Visit BroadwayTheatreConnection.com for details and registration. Tuition for the BTC NOLA 2017 Summer Intensive is $495, plus a $45 nonrefundable registration fee. Space is limited and scholarships are available through the support and generosity of NOTA. •

Mount Carmel’s Summer Camp

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ADVERTISING SECTION Sensible Portions Meals

Men’s Health

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or many busy husbands and fathers, a once-robust exercise routine may have been reduced to the steps taken from the car to the office. And for many men, an annual check-up with a primary care physician has been replaced by occasional check-ins online at WebMD when there’s cause for concern. Too many of us neglect our health whether by chance or choice, and the consequences of doing so can have a negative impact on many aspects of life, from performance at work to time spent with loved ones. If there’s an illness or injury plaguing your day, it’s time to take control of your health and address the cause, not just the symptoms. Even those of us who feel great should take advantage of available recommended health screenings and the occasional check-up at the doctor’s office.

Take control of your body today and reap the rewards of good physical health. New Orleans offers an abundance of resources, from guidance on diet and nutrition to joint replacement and recovery from pain or illness.

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, Rinck is a natural entrepreneur leading the largest and fastest-growing 130

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meal prep program in the nation. Sensible Portions prepared meals service is a smart, simple and effective way to consume flavorful, fresh foods and see fast results.

For a mere $80-$120 week, depending on 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 Rinck. “It’s like a non-invasive stomach stapling.”

Sensible Portions ships nationally at the best rates in the country to thousands of clients with free local pickup in 10 cities. For helpful videos, client testimonials – including local “before and after” photos – visit Sensible Portions’ Facebook page (Sensible Portions Meals). For additional information, visit SensiblePortionsMeals.com.

Physical Therapy Whether by accident, injury or genetic predisposition, there are a number of ways to acquire pain – the trick is achieving recovery and returning to a normal active life. At Baudry Therapy Center in Metairie, your recovery is top priority.

Baudry Therapy Center provides proactive healthcare using the body’s own healing mechanisms for a natural return to pain-free living. Their Doctors of Physical Therapy

provide patients with direct access to solutions for neck and lower back pain, headaches, sciatica problems, shoulder pain, hip and knee joint pain, osteoarthritis and herniated disc. Baudry Therapy Center’s skilled team supports patients by providing individualized care plans, hands-on treatment, valuable education, a positive environment and proven strategies for healing.

Their experts inspire patients to invest in their own health so that they can better care for loved ones and live a longer, stronger life.

While Baudry Therapy Center works closely with physicians to coordinate and facilitate appropriate and timely care, patients can access care at Baudry without a doctor’s referral.

For more information or scheduling, visit BaudryTherapy.com or call 504-841-0150.

Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Orthopedic care at East Jefferson General Hospital is best described as personalized. EJGH orthopedists take the approach that not every patient, knee, hip, shoulder, or injury is the same. The hospital takes great pride in providing the surgical and non-surgical solutions needed to provide each patient the best outcomes possible.

Recognized as a Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Distinction Orthopedic Center and recognized as Best in Region by U.S. News and World Report for both Hip Replacement and Knee Replacement, EJGH is the leader in providing minimally invasive solutions that get you back to work, play and life as quickly and safely as possible.

Visit EJGH.org for more information and orthopedic solutions at East Jefferson General Hospital. •

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weeks. Additionally, Dr. Katz performs cervical and lumbar spinal fusions, utilizing small incisions with minimally invasive systems. He is one of few local surgeons who perform both cervical and lumbar disc replacements.

Westside offers full-service, in-house X-rays, EMG/NCS, as well as physical therapy services with access to new rehabilitation equipment. Same day appointments can be accommodated. For more information, visit WestsideOrtho.com or call 504-347-0243.

Specialty Medicine

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primary care provider is often the first line of defense when a medical concern arises. When that concern is complex, a referral to a specialist may be doctor’s orders. Today, physicians are able to amass years of experience and a wealth of knowledge and education in a single specialty.

Whether focused on the heart, the brain, the joints or the latest in tropical medicine and immunizations, these specialists are tasked with knowing the latest procedures, treatments, and technologies available to solve the body’s complex issues. Patients needing invasive or non-invasive surgery, an electrocardiogram, mammogram, or simply more in-depth information about a condition or treatment can locate a variety of specialists across the metro region. The following resources in primary care, orthopedics, tropical medicine, and medication and medical equipment are some of the many specialists excelling today.

Primary Care Stuck with no insurance because of high premiums? High copays? St. Thomas Community Health Center can help! They offer an affordable sliding scale based on your income, whether you have insurance or not.

Their certified application counselors can also help you enroll in an affordable plan.

With a legacy dating back to 1987, St. Thomas Community Health Center has continued its mission of providing comprehensive primary care to the community regardless of ability to pay. As a Federally Qualified Health Center and Patient-Centered Medical Home, their robust teams of dedicated providers work to address individual health needs and ensure delivery of the highest quality of care.

Services at St. Thomas include primary care, pediatrics, OB-GYN, optometry, behavioral health, cardiology, and mammography.

They offer same day and next day appointment scheduling, as well as walk-ins to see the next available provider. Office hours are from 7:30am-5:00pm, Monday-Friday.

Call 504-529-5558 to schedule an appointment at any of their six convenient locations. For more information, visitStThomasCHC.org.

Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Serving the West Bank and Greater New Orleans region, Westside Orthopaedic Clinic provides superior general orthopaedic treatment with a specialty in spinal care. The clinic has been in operation since 1961, making it one of the longest standing orthopaedic clinics in the city.

Dr. Ralph. Katz is a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic specialist who has performed over 500 minimally invasive procedures with consistently excellent outcomes. For the right patient, who has failed conservative treatment (e.g. medication, physical therapy, injections), a minimally invasive microdiscectomy can be done in an outpatient setting with an incision that can be covered by a Band-Aid. The procedure typically takes less than an hour. Most patients can return to normal activities within three to six

TrAVEL Medicine If you’re traveling to exotic parts of the world, consult first with the expert physicians at the Tulane Travel Clinic. According to Director Dr. Susan McLellan, half of all travelers to developing countries will develop some health problem. Many travelers turn to their travel agents for advice, but McLellan says it’s impossible for travel agents to stay abreast of all the latest information. Even most physicians aren’t up-to-date on traveler’s health, which encompasses much more than immunizations.

Consultations are individualized based on each traveler’s itinerary, medical history and personal health considerations. “We need to consider if you’re working in a refugee camp, climbing at high altitude on the Inca trail or going on a love boat-style cruise,” says Dr. McLellan.

Dr. McLellan and other Tulane Infectious Disease doctors also treat travelers who return ill at their regular Infectious Disease clinics.

For more information about the Travel Clinic, call 504-988-1947 or visit TulaneTravel.com.

Pharmacy & Medical Equipment Generations of families have turned to Patio Drugs for assistance in managing their healthcare needs. Family owned and operated since 1958, Patio Drugs helps customers understand their medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, and provides free prescription delivery throughout East Jefferson.

A full-service pharmacy and the oldest independent pharmacy in Jefferson Parish, Patio Drugs is also a leading provider of home medical equipment. For everything from a Band-Aid, to medication, to a hospital bed, Patio Drugs is the one-stop source for your family’s healthcare needs. In addition to providing retail and medical equipment, Patio Drugs can assist with longterm care and infusion needs as well as specialty and compounding services. Patio Drugs is accredited by The Joint Commission in Home Medical Equipment, Long Term Care and Home Infusion Pharmacy and Consultant Pharmacy Services. Their Compounding Pharmacy is PCAB accredited through ACHC. Patio Drugs is located at 5208 Veterans Blvd. in Metairie. For more information, call 504-8897070. Patio Drugs, “Large Enough to Serve You, Yet, Small Enough to Know You.” • myneworleans.com MARCH 2017

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Floating in Space

Recharging with a themed isolation tank experience

By Jessica DeBold

As Cat Stevens sings, “Baby, it’s a wild world,” and more people than ever are caught up in the daily hustle and grind. In today’s technological and industrial society we’re constantly “plugged-in,” receiving information via phones, computers and television, and more than ever it’s hard to just shut out all of the stimuli. Lack of work/life balance and sleep deprivation will also contribute to stress levels and its adverse effects. Surely as with many other New Orleanians, I’ve also been recovering from walking the routes, drinking daiquiris and shouting “Throw me something mister!” during Mardi Gras.

So I sought out a quick way to get back to center, unplug and recharge. My quest brought me to an off-the-beaten-path gallery-warehouse-type art gallery in the Marigny called Castillo Blanco.

Outside of the white building is a little free library built into a robot statue, and a colorful, feminine mural painted on the front. Inside, Castillo Blanco has a stage, a green room and VIP lounge, office space, communal work areas

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and three restrooms, and claims to host one of the funkiest in-house light shows in the city. In addition, the building is used as the Krewe of Chewbacchus headquarters, event space and storage for parade props. As a bonus, and what brought me to this eclectic sci-fi lover’s dream gallery in the first place, Castillo Blanco also has a sensory deprivation tank.

Often also referred to as an “isolation tank,” the idea is to get in a large, quiet and dark closed-in tub filled with water heated to body temperature, approximately 98 degrees, and several hundred pounds of pharmaceuticalgrade Epsom salt. The water’s high salinity makes it impossible not to float, making you feel completely weightless and relaxed. When you enter the tank, you should be nude, have your hair out of your face and close yourself inside. Then, you relax your body and your mind and just float for from anywhere between 60 and 90 minutes.

Castillo Blanco calls their tank the “Space Sanctuary,” fitting for the whole building’s theme. Right before you enter the Space Sanctu-

ary there’s an entire shrine dedicated to the Krewe of Chewbacchus-created satirical sci-fi religion they’ve named Cult of the Drunken Wookie.

The shrine is decorated with various Star Wars and other sci-fi memorabilia, including a dirty sock and lock of hair from Peter Mayhew (the original Chewbacca actor himself).

Built by members of the Chewbacchus Krewe, the tank was inspired by cult-classic 1980 film Altered States, and has a three-filter system.

The room the tank is in has multi-colored lighting decals to simulate the seven chakras and sets the tranquil atmosphere for the meditative state of mind you’ll enter once floating.

The experience left me feeling great. I was in a fantastic mood. Everything appeared more visually vibrant. It felt like I had taken a very restful nap, any tiny paper cuts I had were healed completely within the day from disinfecting in the salt and any muscle soreness was relieved (via the large dose of Magnesium from soaking in the Epsom).

I have already gone on to Groupon and purchased a few more discounted 60-minute sessions to indulge in during the next rough deadline.

You can book your sensory deprivation tank experience and read more about all of the installations found at Castillo Blanco by visiting 4321SaintClaude.com. n cheryl gerber PHOTOGRAPH

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New Condos On Oak

8616 Oak Condominiums, Jennifer Fowler, 862-0100, (direct) 432-7788 If you like the idea of living on one of the most historic streets in the city, but with all the comfort a modern condominium offers, consider 8616 Oak Condominiums. Located near all the bars, restaurants and shops on Oak Street and with easy access to the Carrollton and St. Charles streetcars, 8616 is a brandnew, move-in-ready condominium complex of two- and threebedroom units. All units come equipped with wood flooring, stainless steel appliances, balconies, an on-site storage unit and access to a fully equipped gym.

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Summer Fun at Ursuline

Ursuline Academy of New Orleans, UANola.org With close to three months off school during the hottest time of the year, parents are always searching for fun and fulfilling opportunities for their children. Ursuline Academy of New Orleans runs summer camps for girls of all interests, age three through eighth grade. Athletic options including volleyball, softball, basketball, running, cheer, tennis and soccer and are run by state- and district-winning coaches and former college athletes. STEM, art, music, academic enrichment and challenge camps will also be available alongside before and after care.

One thing to remember: space can be limited, so register early. cheryl gerber PHOTOGRAPHS

By Mirella Cameran

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Sounds In the Night

By Errol Laborde

Sometimes, late at night, I can hear a train whistle in the distance. I am not sure where the sound is coming from. It is most likely along the track that winds through Metairie, crosses into Lakeview, cuts through City Park and lands in a local freight year or heads out into the world. Whatever the destination, I’m always moved by that sound, which has a certain beauty but also a haunting melancholiness to it. At the first moment of hearing the sound the opening lyrics to Hank Williams’ “I Am So Lonesome I Could Cry,” always pop into my mind: “Hear that lonesome whippoorwill, He sounds too blue to fly.

The midnight train is whining low, I’m so lonesome I could cry.”

I always wonder about where the train is heading and about the engineer. Is there someone at home waiting for him as he

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jiggles the throttle toward the sunrise.

“I’ve never seen a night so long When time goes crawling by.

The moon just went behind the clouds To hide its face and cry.”

I grew up in a neighborhood where there was a railroad on top of a levee at the end of the block. When you live next to a track, trains lose some of their romance – especially on those nights when they rumbled by at what always seemed to be a pivotal part of a television program.

By day, though, the track provided adventure for the daring stunt of coasting on a bike from the top of the levee down a worn path to the street or for placing pennies on the rail, which would be flattened into a copper glob. Sometimes though I would just stare at the passing trains wondering where they were going and if I would ever go there.

There are other sounds of transportation in the evening. On some nights, when the city is quiet and the winds are right, it’s possible to hear an occasional horn from a boat in the river most likely navigating itself through a wall of fog. If you hear the roar of a passenger jet climbing shortly after six each morning, it’s most likely either Delta’s service to LaGuardia or American Airlines’ daily flight to Miami. I love New York, but at that time of day I always admire those on the Miami bound flight. At that hour they’re most likely making connections to the Caribbean. In return for the mental torture of having had to be at the airport for 5 a.m., they can be on a distant beach sipping a Piña colada by mid-afternoon.

Meanwhile, the freight train hasn’t gotten very far by comparison. If it’s heading east it might be winding through the kudzu-covered woods of Alabama. By now it has picked up speed and is showing the energy that Roy Acuff sang about in “Wabash Cannonball.”

“Listen to the jingle the rumble and the roar. As she glides along the woodland through the hills and by the shore. Hear the mighty rush of the engine hear the lonesome hobos call. You’re traveling through the jungle on the Wabash Cannonball.”

Pay enough attention and the sounds of the night begin to make their own melody. n

ARTHUR NEAD ILLUSTRATION