New Orleans Magazine March 2026 by Renaissance Publishing

FROM THE EDITOR

S

pring is peeking around the calendar corner. It’s that delicate time between the chill of winter and the sauna soaking heat of late spring and early summer. In other words, it’s the best time in New Orleans.

For many of us, this means it’s time to plan our spring and summer breaks. Lucky for us, we live within driving distance of some of the best beaches, roadside attractions, resorts and coastal fun in the U.S. Whether you are looking to pack up the car for a day or weekend road trip, or need a longer getaway, we have you covered from the Texas coastline to the emerald beaches of Florida. Our annual Gulf Coast getaway is one you’ll want to bookmark for future trips along the shoreline.

Closer to home, there is still a long list of ways to have fun outside. We have parks aplenty and big changes are under way at many of those green spaces as spring cleaning takes on new meaning at some of our favorite places. Playgrounds, picnic spots, people watching, plus outdoor performances and recreation, New Orleans-area parks have some great options for friends and family get-togethers, long meditative walks and all manner of exercising the mind and body.

As always, we highlight the best of the season, with a roundup of Lenten menus and recipes, ways to have fun across the area and spring style for you and your home.

It’s a great time to get outside and enjoy the natural resources at our doorstep. So grab your walking or running shoes, pack up the car for an impromptu road trip, maybe stash an umbrella, and enjoy the fresh air. It’s the best time of the year.

Send us a line! Have something you want to share with us? Email ashley@myneworleans.com.

Associate Publisher Kate Henry

Editorial

Editor Ashley McLellan

Creative Director Tiffani Reding Amedeo

Digital Media Editor Kelly Massicot

Style Editor Andy Myer

Contributing Writers Jyl Benson, Cheré Coen, Lee Cutrone, Fritz Esker, Scott Gold, John Kemp, Misty Milioto, Liz Scott Monaghan, Elizabeth Pearce, Eve Crawford Peyton, Mike Scott, Melanie Warner Spencer

Advertising

Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Kate Henry, Kate@MyNewOrleans.com

Account Director Meggie Schmidt

Senior Account Executives Erin Chiartano, Brooke Genusa, Lauren McCanse

MyNewOrleans.com

More Ways to Connect

We're not just in print. Find us online, on social media and in your inbox.

5@4 - Stay in-the-know with the top 5 stories delivered fresh to your inbox each weekday at 4 p.m. From Carnival happenings, festival season news, New Orleans Magazine highlights and more, you won't miss a thing.

Playlist - From Grammyaward winners to who's playing and where, we highlight local music news and those that help to keep the beat alive in New Orleans.

Your Ticket to a Great Deal! Get $5 off a new subscription.

Playbook - Whether you follow college sports, everything Saints-related, Pelican updates or all of the above, we keep you up to date on all the latest top scores, news and more.

*Must order online, new subscribers only expires March 31, 2026.

Top Female Achievers submissions

Each year, the editorial staff of New Orleans Magazine looks to honor a group of women for their professional accomplishments and their impact on the New Orleans community. Do you know a Top Female Achiever?

myneworleans.com/ submit/top-femaleachiever

Submission deadline for 2026 feature: March 10, 2026. We accept submissions year-round.

Book Club

BY ASHLEY MCLELLAN

Poetry and Place

A debut collection challenges the mind

One Book One New Orleans

One Book One New Orleans’ 2026 selection is “Libre” by poet Skye Jackson. The collection explores themes of freedom, family, romantic relationships and the struggles and triumphs of growing up as a young Black woman in New Orleans. “Libre” is Jackson’s debut release and has already garnered praise from fellow writers and editors. Her work has been featured in “The Southern Review,” “Rattle,” “Green Mountains Review,” and was included in the Library of Congress “Poetry 180 Project.” The nonprofit One Book One New Orleans’ supports literacy by sharing “the experience of reading and discussing a selected book each year and providing literacy resources to organizations and individuals throughout our community.” onebookonenola.org

New Orleans Sets and Sense

The (mostly) New Orleans-shot and locally produced Netflix rom-com “People We Meet on Vacation” was a huge hit for writer Emily Henry, on whose book the film was based. Fans of Henry will be pleased to learn that the streaming service is currently producing two more adaptations, “Happy Place” and “Funny Story.” Add these splashy romantic novels to your spring beach or poolside reads.

Events

March 3

Baldwin & Co. hosts entrepreneur and author of “The Soul Instinct” for an evening of conversation about her blockbuster business, The Honey Pot, what inspires her and her inspirational story, 6 to 8 p.m. baldwinandcobooks.com

March 4

The New Orleans Public Library hosts New York Times best-selling author Michael Perry, 1 to 2 p.m., for a virtual author talk titled, “Humor, Heart and Reflective Rural Stories.” Perry will discuss his memoir, “Population: 485,” and novel, “Jesus Cow.” nolalibrary.org

March 10

Stop by the New Orleans Public Library table at the Crescent City Farmer’s Market, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at The Batture. Learn about library resources and programs and get or renew your library card. nolalibrary. org

March 12-15

The fifth annual New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University highlights award-winning authors, documentarians, scholars and leaders from across the U.S. and New Orleans. The festival is free, with programming available for adults, as well as young readers at the Family Day Fest. bookfest.tulane.edu

March 12

Writer Kate Quinn joins the New Orleans Public Library’s Virtual Author Talk series, 6 to 7 p.m., for “Book Portals and Journeys of Literary Magic.” Quinn will discuss her latest fantasy book, “The Astral Library.” nolalibrary.org

March 25

Author Night at the Nora Navra Library hosts writers Tom Andes, Danny Cherry, Ariadne Blayde and Jon Hébert for readings and a discussion of “Mystery and Noir,” 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. nolalibrary.org

Marquee BY FRITZ ESKER

Spring Forward

Top things to do in March

4-15

“The Phantom of the Opera”

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s romantic musical about a disfigured genius haunting the depths of the Paris Opera House comes to the Saenger Theater. saengernola.com

5-29

“Guys and Dolls”

The classical musical comedy about two gamblers trying to win money and love on Broadway comes to Le Petit Theatre. lepetittheatre.com

6-15

“Frozen”

The Jefferson Performing Arts Center is hosting the stage adaptation of the beloved Disney musical about sisters Anna and Elsa in the magical winter kingdom of Arendelle. jpas.org

6-22

“All Shook Up” Kenner’s Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts hosts this musical about the life and music of Elvis Presley. rivertowntheaters.com

Beethoven Symphony No. 9

The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra is performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, as well as Farranc’s Overture No. 1 in E minor and Stacy Garrop’s “Godless Triptych” at the Orpheum Theater. orpheumnola.com

12-15

New Orleans Book Festival

Tulane University hosts the New Orleans Book Festival, featuring interviews, talks and panel discussions with famous authors. This year’s lineup includes Salman Rushdie, Michael Lewis, Stacey Abrams and former Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards. bookfest.tulane.edu

The 18th Annual Big Easy Blues Festival

UNO Lakefront Arena hosts the 18th Annual Big Easy Blues Festival, featuring performers King George, Tonio Armani, Mike Clark Jr. and more. arena.uno.edu

14-15

Banana Ball

The Savannah Bannanas come to Caesars Superdome. It’s a fast-paced version of baseball with an emphasis on highenergy, continuous action. caesarssuperdome.com

Wanda Sykes

Acclaimed comedian

Wanda Sykes brings her “Please and Thank You” tour to the Saenger Theater, featuring special guest Keith Robinson. saengernola.com

“Swan Lake”

The World Ballet Company brings the timeless tale of good and evil set to Tchaikovsky’s classic score to the Orpheum Theater. orpheumnola.com

Robert Plant with Saving Grace and Suzi Dian Former Led Zeppelin member Robert Plant performs at the Saenger Theater in a show that emphasizes his love of roots music. saengernola.com

24 - Apr. 1

New Orleans Opera Festival

The inaugural New Orleans Opera Festival debuts in the French Quarter this year featuring operas performed at a variety of venues including the Old Ursuline Convent and the Mahalia Jackson Theater. neworleansoperafestival.org

24-29

“The Great Gatsby” The Broadway musical version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel of doomed love, longing and wealth in the 1920s comes to the Saenger Theater. saengernola.com

Check all event websites for the most up-to-date information.

25-29

Tennessee Williams Festival

Literature lovers descend on the French Quarter for the Tennessee Williams Festival, featuring a variety of events including the ever popular “Stella!” shouting contest. tennesseewilliams.net

The Lumineers

The Lumineers perform at the Smoothie King Center as part of The Automatic World Tour with special guest Shovels & Rope. smoothiekingcenter. com

26-29

Disney on Ice Presents

“Mickey’s Search Party” Disney on Ice brings “Mickey’s Search Party” to UNO Lakefront Arena. Dazzling ice skating and beloved Disney characters combine for a magical show for the entire family.

Journey

Eighties rock legends Journey are coming to the Smoothie King Center for one night only. smoothiekingcenter.com

Santana

Ten-time Grammy-winning artist Carlos Santana brings his signature fusion of Afro-Latin music blues, rock and jazz to the Saenger Theater. saengernola.com

Bar Tab

BY ELIZABETH PEARCE

Lenten Coolers

New Orleanians abstaining from alcohol as their Lenten sacrifice have a wealth of bars and restaurants catering to their needs. At Nina Compton’s Compere Lapin, you can sample the Everybody’s Heard, a smooth, alcohol-free libation with Oregon Chai concentrate, Dhos Bittersweet non-alcoholic aperitif, pineapple juice and demerara simple syrup. The Common’s Club at the Virgin Hotel is offering a Tiki Cooler, a cool blend of Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Amaretti, Real Coco, lime juice and pineapple juice. Their Orange Spritz is a refreshing mix of Lyre’s non-alcoholic Italian Orange, house made honey lavender syrup, orange juice and club soda. Compere Lapin 535 Tchoupitoulas St., 504-599-2119, comperelapin.com; Common’s Club 550 Baronne St., 504-6038000, virginhotels.com

Spring Happy Hours

Costera offers an enticing happy hour every day from 4 to 6 p.m. Enjoy select $6 cocktails like the Going Back to Kali, which is made with Fernet Branca, Tempranillo, citrus and Coca-Cola. Hotel Nacional features Planteray 3 Star rum, pineapple, lime and apricot, and the Siesta uses Mi Campo Blanco, Campari, grapefruit and lime. Beer and glasses of wine are also half-priced. Guests can enjoy the N/A version of a cucumber mule, with a house made cucumber shrub, fresh lime juice and ginger beer. All pair well with a classic tapas menu. 4938 Prytania St., 504-302-2332,

Make a Wish

The gorgeous Peacock Room at the Kimpton Hotel is serving a classic martini, with a twist. During happy hour, the “Martini Wishes and Caviar Dreams” offers guests a $12 martini made with either Bombay Sapphire gin or Grey Goose vodka. Guests who want to elevate their imbibing experience can also add a “caviar bump” for an extra $4. A nosh of the bar’s vermouth-marinated olives is a perfect accompaniment to a classic martini. Other popular cocktails include the Smokey Paloma with Illegal Mezcal, Fever Tree Sparkling Grapefruit and lime. The Bananarama includes Bacardi Rum, Giffard Banane, Velvet Falernum and lemon. Either pair well with their Peacock Fries Burgundy truffle shavings, Parmesan, garlic aioli. Really, almost everything pairs well with fries!

501 Tchoupitoulas St., 504-324-3073, peacockroomnola.com

Shaken and Stirred

James Bond fans may know that the Vesper Martini’s creation is credited to Ian Flemming’s intrepid spy, first featured in the book “Casino Royale” and charmingly ordered by Daniel Craig in the movie of the same name. It includes both gin and vodka as well as Lillet Blanc. While our tuxedoed hero may sip his drink with luxury dishes, the folks at Hungry Eyes think the Vesper pairs well with more common fare. There’s no need to bet the house to fund your meal. For a mere $25, locals can savor the Vesper at Hungry Eyes’ Sunday Special, enjoying its mix of Bombay Sapphire, Grey Goose, Lillet Blanc and a lemon twist accompanied with either a burger or the fried chicken sandwich. 4206 Magazine St., 504-766-0054, hungryeyesnola.com

In Bloom

Above and Beyond

Brennan’s Beverage Director and Sommelier Braithe Gill has been recognized by The James Beard Foundation Awards as a semi-finalist for “Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service,” a timely nod as Brennan’s marks its 80th anniversary this year. Gill’s influence on the restaurant’s program is extensive and considerable. Under her direction, Brennan’s has earned Wine Spectator’s Grand Award for five consecutive years, one of only three New Orleans restaurants and just 97 worldwide to receive this distinction. Gill began her culinary journey in New York at Danny Meyer’s Union Square Café, where she was wine director before moving to New Orleans. She has mentored numerous industry professionals and serves on the NOWFE board. She provides staff education classes and hosts guest “Cellar Tours” with pairing classes, believing wine is community, meant to be shared. 417 Royal St., 504-525-9711, brennansneworleans.com

Gretna’s Thai restaurant Banana Blossom is a local favorite known for classic Thai flavors with a menu that reflects both global influences as well as those from Creole dishes. What many don’t know is they have an excellent cocktail program featuring drinks with a Thai twist that pair perfectly with their menu. Among their signature cocktails are the White Lotus, with mango, coconut milk and lime juice, mixed with St. Germain. The Namaste is a riff on a lemon drop, highlighting guava as its predominant flavor. Fans of Thai tea should sample the Thai Tea-rrific, which adds Japanese shochu to the classic Thai sipper. 500 9th St, Gretna, 504-500-0997, 504bananablossom.com

HOTEL KIMPTON

RANDY KRASS SCHMIDT

The Dish

Gone Fishin’

If you are observing Lent (or you just love seafood), lots of local eateries are here to help you with your seasonal sacrifice. At the Bower, order the spicy scallop arancini for a spiritual experience. The peppered conchiglie with Louisiana blue crab or tuna crudo with avocado, cucumber, sweet pepper relish and satsuma vinaigrette will make you feel closer to the divine. Newly opened Charmant’s porcini dusted trout with hazelnut, celery root, Brussels sprouts and truffle beurre blanc might convince you to abstain from meat year-round. Tujague’s is throwing a hail Mary your way with its Gulf shrimp in a lemon beurre blanc with herbs and lump crab meat, complete with brown butter fingerling potatoes on the side. You’ll have nothing to confess if you get the fried fish collar with passionfruit glaze and picapepper salsa at Compère Lapin. Amen.

Brunch, but Make It Caribbean Oak Street Jamaican restaurant 14 Parishes is now serving weekend brunch Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Expect the traditional Jamaican breakfast (and the country’s national dish) of ackee (a savory fruit) and salt fish cooked in spices, onions, peppers and tomatoes; jerk chicken and croissant waffles with guava butter; and various specials. The restaurant’s Hummingbird Lounge event space is also available to lease during brunch for special events. Reservations are encouraged for brunch, but not required. 14parishes.com

Doin’ Good in the Neighborhood

The former Uptown Surrey Cafe on Magazine Street is being given new life as a pay-what-you-can eatery. For more than 15 years, Crescent City Cafe has served free breakfast twice a month to New Orleans’ low-income and marginalized communities from the kitchen at Rayne Memorial Methodist Church on St. Charles Avenue. Everyone is welcome at the new, donation-based cafe, and those who can pay it forward are encouraged to do so. crescentcitycafe. com

Surf and Turf on the Northshore

Seafood and steak take pride of place on the menu at the new Covington restaurant, The Hampshire. Co-founders and friends

Executive Chef Ryan Gall and General Manager Jonathan Cimino are behind the latest addition to Covington’s ever-growing downtown dining scene. Situated at 401 N New Hampshire St., the restaurant is about a block away from the Southern Hotel. The interior design includes an open kitchen where diners have a front row seat to the action behind delectable menu items such as mussels Provencal in white wine sauce; Maine lobster pasta with herb and brie cream, fresh dill and smoked pancetta; and the 16-ounce Delmonico ribeye with smoked citrus compound butter. The latter is clearly a nod to Gall’s time with Emeril Lagasse Group as executive sous chef. Many will also know Gall from his most recent stint at Tchefuncte’s Restaurant. 401thehampshire.com

Salutations and Incantations

Alert your coven, witches, because Chef Christina Quackenbush is actively summoning the spirit of Tatlo. In July of 2025, the chef shuttered her popular French Quarter bar and restaurant — a sacred space steeped in Filipino witch energy — with the promise of otherworldly popups to come. Quakenbush and her circle are officially conjuring the monthly popups at various restaurants around town, with the first held in January at Hot & Soul in Mid-City. The evening featured Quackenbush’s signature Filipino fusion cuisine (such as the “Peanut Butter and Belly” with seared beef belly and short rib in rice paper atop a puddle of peanut sauce with sauteed Bok choy and green beans and flavorful fried boudin spring rolls) and cocktails, tableside spells, tarot readings and, in true takeover fashion, enchanted decorative touches. Look for announcements about the monthly popups on Tatlo’s Instagram account instagram.com/tatlonola

JEFFERY JOHNSTON PHOTO

SAM HANNA PHOTO

Grab a rainbow Camilla raffia tote and get thee to a farmer’s market for some fresh produce. Handwoven by artisans in Madagascar, this bag is a great size for errands, work and everything in between. Available at Baldiz, shopbaldiz.com

Spring Fling

Be the belle of the garden party in this painterly floral maxi dress by Amanda Uprichard. With smocking at the side back for an easy fit and a wrinkle-resistant material, this number is also easy to toss in your bag for a getaway. Available at Azby’s, azbys.com.

This vivid, hand-beaded preening parrot pillow takes an impressive 100 hours to create. Guests are sure to flock to any spot this eye-catching cushion is perched. Available at Eclectic Home, eclectichome.net.

The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming and it’s gorgeous outside. Celebrate the arrival of a new season with colorful, feminine finds.

These lightweight Go Go Ginko earrings make an elegant statement that will sway with a gentle breeze and can be paired with anything from jeans and a white t-shirt or a ball gown. Available at Alice Trahant Phillips, alicetrahantphillips.com.

Raise a glass to Mother Nature’s bounty with Schumacher’s chic cocktail napkins featuring Indianinspired scarlet blossoms on white linen with scalloped edges. Available at Sotre, sotrecollection.com.

BY KELLY MASSICOT

PHOTO BY THERESA CASSAGNE

Lauren Haydel

Founder, Fleurty Girl boutiques

For more than a decade, Lauren LeBlanc Haydel has been adding a little flare to people’s lives, outfits and overall celebration of all things New Orleans. Haydel took a leap of faith when opening the first Fleurty Girl boutique on Oak Street in 2009. The company has now grown to nine different locations — including inside the Louis Armstrong International Airport and in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi — with more than 70 employees. She also recently announced an upgrade for the Lakeside location in 2027. From t-shirts, accessories, social media and even an Airbnb, there’s nothing stopping the Fleurty Girl brand.

Q: What is the best part about being (and owning) Fleurty Girl? The best part is the people, it’s always been about the people. I’ve watched people’s eyes light up visiting a store, seeing people see friends in the shop and reconnect, I’ve watched little girls grow up and bring their own babies in for their first Fleurty Girl shirt. It’s the people and the moments. That’s the best part. Seeing how special Fleurty Girl is to people, and I honestly can’t believe it started at my kitchen table. Literally started from the bottom now we’re here.

Q: When you first opened, did you ever dream your brand and your life would become what it is today? Not in a million years! I was just hoping people would just buy a shirt. I didn’t have a master plan, just a love for New Orleans, my hometown and an idea. The growth has been beyond anything I ever imagined, but what I’m most proud of isn’t the number of stores, it’s that we still stay true to who we are. We’re still local. We’re still humble. We’re still heart-first.

Q: Why is it important to you highlight local artists and makers? Fleurty Girl exists because of New Orleans and our talented makers. So many are working from home, working in tiny studios, or couples building something together. When we give them space on a shelf, we’re not just selling a product, we’re supporting their dream. Keeping dollars local keeps our culture alive. And culture is everything in New Orleans.

Q: Fleutry Girl’s social media has gained a lot of traction lately. Did you think “social media star” was going to be on your resume, too? I say that all the time, actually, it was not part of my resume, ha-ha. I just started sharing what we are doing, from day one, I posted pictures of t-shirts taking over my kitchen back in 2009. People always connected with the realness. Social media has been an unexpected byproduct of the brand. It lets me invite people behind the curtain and show them that small business isn’t perfect or polished, it’s personal.

Q: What are some of your favorite items in the stores? My favorite shirt I ever made was after the Who Dat phrase legal battle ended, and we couldn’t print “Who Dat” anymore, so I printed “Who Dat” backwards on a shirt so it said “TAD OHW” and when you took a selfie it said “WHO DAT.” I was only able to print it once (lawyers advised that I not continue to print those). But it was my favorite Fleurty Girl shirt of all time. Ultimately, I love anything that makes people laugh out loud. If it sparks joy or pride in where we’re from, it’s a winner.

Q: How do you choose items for your stores? I’m looking for a feeling. Would I wear it? Would I want to gift it to my best friend? Would my customers text their friends about it? When it comes to local makers, I truly care about the people behind it. Their story matters just as much to me as their product. It’s a process and it’s so many layers. But I know immediately if it’s a fit or not.

Q: If you weren’t Fleurty Girl and could do any other job in the world, what would you do? I think I’d still be building something. Maybe running some wildly creative hospitality concept. I love New Orleans and I love sharing how

special it is with others. The path I chose lets me do that through merchandise, so I would probably still be doing some other variation of that. I always wanted to be Angela Hill, though! So maybe a WWL-TV news anchor if there was no Fleurty Girl!

Q: What’s next for Fleurty Girl? I don’t have plans for Fleurty Girl to be bigger, no more stores. I’m tapped out at nine. But I have plans for the brand to be deeper. I want us to continue to be a place that brings people joy, brings our community together and supports local creatives. As long as we can continue to keep doing that for another ten years, I’ll consider that the real success. We are opening a new flagship store in the Lakeside area in Metairie in 2027 and it’s going to highlight and encourage all of those things.

Lagniappe

Favorite Festival?

I have always been a Jazz Fest girl, from back when I had my mom drop me off at the Fairgrounds before I could drive.

Favorite Restaurant? Currently, I can’t get enough of Origen Bistro in the Bywater.

Favorite Local Celebrity?

Chris Owens. I wish I had gotten the chance to meet her. She did her thing and didn’t care what other people thought. And she did it until the end, too. I think that will be me. I’ll be working the store at 100 and then they’ll be second lining at my funeral the next week.

True Confession

I was a finalist for MTV’s The Real World in New Orleans, but I didn’t make the final cut.

Modine Gunch Green with Envy

In the Irish eyes of

the beholder

Idon’t know how Irish I am. Everybody seems to be, at least a little bit —- which goes to show them Irish got around.

Anyway, me and my in-laws, the Gunches, always celebrate St. Patrick’s Day big time. We are all Catholic and this is the only time before Easter we eat whatever we gave up for Lent.

Last year, my sister-in-law Gladiola invited us all to her house for a big corned beef and cabbage dinner and green cake.

Now, Gloriosa married rich and she lives in a big house Uptown — which is right next door to her in-laws, unfortunately. The father-in-law ain’t too bad, but the mother-in-law, Ms. Sarcophaga, is something else again. She never stops bringing up the time she was eating at Gloriosa’s and had to be rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. Hmph. Nobody told her to eat the potpourri.

Anyways, Gloriosa is rushing around getting corn beef and cabbage cooked and the biscuit mix mixed, and she don’t notice her son Rex, who is 13, walking around the kitchen adding green

food coloring to everything.

Not until the Gunches are all there and her own mother, Ms. Larda, peeks into the pot, does anyone realize the food is all khaki colored. I guess Rex should have used more food coloring. Even the biscuits are khaki.

It don’t look appetizing at all. More like revolting. Everybody crowds into the kitchen and is standing around looking at this food, trying to think about how to excuse themselves and beeline for a McDonald’s, when Ms. Larda takes charge. “Everybody got sunglasses with them?” Everybody does. She says, “With sunglasses on, this stuff looks pretty good. And it tastes delicious. So let’s eat.”

And she is right. We are all sitting around in our sunglasses, actually enjoying ourselves —even baby Flambeau, in her little Sesame

Street sunglasses — when Ms. Sarcophaga slithers in the back door, fashionably late. (She always does this real quiet, hoping to hear something that will make for juicy gossip.) But then she peeks around the door frame and sees us all sitting around wearing sunglasses eating khaki food and she quick slithers right back out.

She rushes to tell her husband, who is just about to walk over.

“We’ll just say we forgot we were invited,” she says. “I think they’ve all gone crazy.”

We are just finishing up and taking off our sunglasses when Gloriosa’s husband, Proteus, realizes his parents didn’t show up.

Well, there’s hardly anything left, and Proteus can only imagine his mother’s reaction to a khaki dinner anyway. He and Gloriosa wring their hands for awhile and then

she remembers that a restaurant a few blocks away is advertising a St. Patrick’s Day special. So he rushes over there, picks up a couple of orders, then comes back. They transfer the food to Gloriosa’s nice plates, wrap them in aluminum foil, and he takes them next door. He asks his mother if she forgot about their Irish dinner. She starts to make up a story, then stops, and says yes, they did. He sets the plates on her table and says “Enjoy!”

She says, “Well, we’ll try, but you know we aren’t Irish.”

That’s the kind of thing she always says instead of ‘Thank you.’

She calls her husband and says, “Look at what they want us to eat!” and pulls off the aluminum foil.

“It looks delicious,” he says, and sits down. “Hand me a fork. Do we have a bottle of Guinness in the fridge?”

Ms. Sarcophaga hands him a fork and slams a bottle of Guinness down on the table.

Then she goes off to make a appointment with the eye doctor.

Home Inspiration

The Biblio Files

For the overly verbose, a graphic floral print of an ampersand in a white lacquer frame speaks volumes visually. Eclectic Home, 8211 Oak St., 504-866-6654, eclectichome.net.

BY AMY MARIE GABRIEL

Bring levity to your library with a stack of books made of hand-crafted fine porcelain and topped with an apple for tasteful measure. Friend & Company Fine Jewelers, 7713 Maple St., 504-866-5433, friendandcompany.com.

Flip pages by the light of an Oso 75-inch reading floor lamp with an artful arc made of iron and hand-rubbed antique brass. Visual Comfort & Co., 3535 Magazine St., 504-389-7854, visualcomfort.com.

Pay homage to your novel interest by artfully wallpapering a room with the book covers paper from MINDTHEGAP. A series of vintage covers in black, white, brown and muted orange makes a studious statement. thepatterncollective.com.

A few strokes of Library Oak paint in an inspired leather-bound brown will add sophistication to your space. behr.com.

Your first editions will be shelved in style upon the natural maple shelves of a Hudson Valley bookcase, encased within solid American Black Walnut. Doerr Furniture, 914 Elysian Fields Ave., 504-947-0606, doerrfurniture.com.

The perfect piece of furniture for a future author, a vintage Herman Miller school desk chair will inspire minds with its classic scholastic design. Merchant House, 1150 Magazine St., 504-233-2240, merchanthouse.co.

STICKLEY

PHOTO

Growing Pains

March, Midlife and a Giant Batch of Soup

Sustaining my sense of self by cooking for others

It’s pretty commonly accepted that March is the month to catch our breath here in New Orleans.

There’s hurricane season, back-to-school, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and other winter holidays, New Year’s, and then of course the full-on sensory assault of Carnival season. Then, starting in April, we’re in the thick of festival season, followed by Easter, Mother’s Day, graduation, crawfish boils and other spring festivities.

March isn’t truly quiet either — there’s Super Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day and the Irish-Italian parade — but compared to the months before and the months to come, it’s at least a slight respite.

And here in the quieter month of March, I find myself in a quieter stage of life. I’m still firmly in the “sandwich phase” — taking care of both my kids and my 88-yearold father… and, incidentally, making a lot of sandwiches for both of them — but with one kid

at college and the other starting high school, they don’t demand as much of my attention as they did a decade ago. One doesn’t even live with me anymore; the other one mostly needs my services as a chauffeur. They’re both capable of making snacks, doing laundry, attending to basic hygiene needs, and putting themselves to bed.

So I suddenly find myself, for the first time since my daughter was born 19 years ago, with time on my hands.

What am I doing with this time?

Well, reading a lot, for sure. I frequent the library at least once a week, stocking up on books ranging from non-fiction to mysteries to trashy romance.

I’m catching up on the shows that everyone without young kids at the time watched years ago — “30 Rock,” “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” “Downton Abbey.”

And lately, I’m cooking and baking constantly — I’ve

retrieved my pandemic-era sourdough starter from the back of my fridge and revived it; I’m getting creative with meals for my dad, who struggles with the dexterity needed to get food into his mouth and having enough teeth to chew it once it’s there; I’m making various viral TikTok recipes with my 13-year-old; and I’m cooking for the community fridges.

Although I’ve made some great loaves of bread, learned how to create easy-to-eat quiche filling in the blender, and enjoyed my share of feta pasta and pizza fries, it’s the last one that is really fulfilling me right now.

Once a week, I work with Community Cooks of the Irish Channel to make a massive batch of red beans, and in the meantime, I also try to stock the fridge near me with simple, inexpensive, and healthy meals: turkey chili, broccoli-cheese casserole, lentil soup.

There’s something about this particular moment, this quieter month, this in-between stage of life, that has made cooking feel less like a chore and more like a way of showing up and showing love. Maybe it’s because so much of what I’ve spent the last two decades doing has been urgent and nonstop: packing lunches, meeting deadlines, driving carpool routes, juggling doctor and dentist and optometrist appointments. Now, the urgency has softened just a little, and in its place is the chance to be deliberate.

I do acknowledge my limitations, of course. I can’t fix the systems that leave so many people hungry or vulnerable. I can’t reverse aging or keep my father from slipping further away from me as he retreats more and more into memories of his past. I can’t slow down time or keep my kids from moving farther away from me into their futures. But I can make a pot of beans. I can portion out soup. I can label containers and slide them into a refrigerator to help make sure fewer people go to bed hungry.

March and midlife are both offering me a pause, a chance to reassess, to take stock (and make stock), and to decide what matters to me right now. As much as I love dumb novels and mindless TV, I’ve realized that at my core, I need to be doing something. Cooking, for myself and for others, keeps my hands busy, my mind active, my heart full and my kitchen messy. And in a city where people are already talking about their next meal while eating their current one, it is an honor to have the chance to feed my friends, my family and my neighbors.

THE GULF COAST IS CALLING

SOUTHERN ESCAPES

BY BECCA HENSLEY

Inthe South, the summers swelter and the winters can get just a little too muggy, foggy and cold for beach time. Thanks to temperate weather, March marks our return waterside, whether we’re strolling a boardwalk, casting a line or slathered with sunscreen in a lounge chair with a good book. With thousands of miles of shoreline and almost 400 miles of beaches, the Gulf Coast of the Southern United States offers a bevy of possibilities. You’ll find charming communities awash in local culture from Texas to Florida, each uniquely characteristic and full of allure. Whether it’s art studios in Mississippi, a Texas island lined with Victorian mansions, a pink palace hotel in Florida or an Alabama town’s pedestrian streets and its boutiques, you’ll discover the Gulf Coast’s bounty is composed of a plenitude of possibilities. Honest to goodness Southern hospitality and deep-rooted traditions along the way sweeten and complement the Gulf Coast’s natural gifts from inky waters to fried shrimp joints to long piers. There are bird-profuse wetlands, dreamy sunsets and genteel stories to tell. Ready to head to the coast? Put these waterside oases on your springtime travel list.

SOMETIMES A HOTEL CAN DEFINE A DESTINATION. Don CeSar, a veritable pink palace, regally lords over a tumble of white dunes on St. Pete Beach, a barrier island that faces the Gulf of Mexico. A favorite of glamorous holiday makers since the Jazz Age, the hotel has hosted scores of glitterati, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Lou Gehrig, Clarence Darrow, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Al Capone. Restored, but still sporting Roaring Twenties flair, awash in Art Deco elements, The Don (as those in-the-know call it) continues its reign with an 11,000-square-foot spa, a 1920’s cocktail menu that pays homage to its history and myriad activities from beach yoga to wine tasting. West of St. Petersburg, St. Pete Beach offers St Pete Pier for those who like to cast a line, but also delights sailors, sunset cruisers, paddle boarders and other active travelers.

ST. PETE BEACH, FLORIDA

WHERE TO STAY

Choose Don CeSar’s Gulfside Penthouse Suite within the hotel. For more secluded stays, book the villa-like Beach House Suites, planted a half mile down the beach from the main hotel.

WHERE TO EAT

At Don Ce Sar, guests can choose from six restaurants and bars. Treat yourself with favorites such as the Gulf Crab Salad and the Wagyu Tomahawk at Maritana, the resort’s most elevated restaurant.

ROCKPORT/FULTON TEXAS

THE SORT OF PLACE YOU’LL SEE EYE-CATCHING sculptures looming beside serious fishers and skilled painters with canvases raised on the marina before sunset, Rockport, on Aransas Bay’s Live Oak Peninsula, isn’t your typical small Texas town. With a vivified Main Street, rich with unique boutiques and galleries and a newly minted $9 million Rockport Center for the Arts, Rockport reigns as an artists’ colony, as well as a birding and fishing bolt hole. Its history as a wealthy post-Civil War cattle port and turn-of-the-century resort town prevails in its tony mood and exemplar Victorian architecture. In season, it’s one of the few places to spot a rare whooping crane, among other bucket-list birds. Famous for its festivals — from hummingbird homages to artsy gatherings — Rockport, along with its close-enough-to-touch, sister town Fulton, host events galore. Don’t miss the Fulton Oysterfest and the Rockport Crawfish Cook Off & Tasting in March.

WHERE TO STAY

With a slew of RV parks, Rockport/Fulton features a variety of inns and cabins, too. Enjoy a restored, 1960’s-era tourist court, Reel ‘Em Inn, home to a 1,000-foot pier and nine bayside rooms.

WHERE TO EAT

Combine your love of art and upscale coastal cuisine at LATITUDE 28°02’ Restaurant and Art Gallery.

ANDREA CALO PHOTOS

OCEAN SPRINGS, MISSISSIPPI

WHERE TO STAY

Springs Hotel, a boutique hideaway near the Walter Anderson Museum, has 15 creatively decorated rooms. Plan to visit the hotel’s stunning in-house florist shop.

CALL IT SLOW TRAVEL. Once you meander around picturesque Ocean Springs — ideally in a golf cart — you’ll begin to notice the region’s sublime flora and fauna with the perspicacity of an artist. Think bent live oaks, their limbs akimbo, persimmon trees laden with fruit and faraway islands, like mysterious Horn Island, accessible only by boat. Indeed, this idyllic waterside haven has inspired artists aplenty. The stomping ground of revered painter and creator Walter Anderson, whose eponymous museum downtown brims with his landscape-focused artwork, Ocean Springs also is famed for its pottery, art festivals and modern-day galleries. On the eastern shore of Biloxi Bay, near the Gulf Island National Seashore, it delivers with distinctive boutiques and restaurants, as well. Victorian homes add gingerbread frill, and the sound of the Gulf whispers an ongoing sweet serenade. Though more serene, Ocean Springs evokes New Orleans’ undercurrent of joie de vivre, an invitation to look closer and live deeper.

WHERE TO EAT

For a gastronomic treat, reserve a table at highly touted Vestige, a James Beard-nominated and Michelin-recommended restaurant.

BAY ST. LOUIS, MISSISSIPPI

THEY CALL IT MISSISSIPPI’S SECRET COAST, and if you’re like most revelers you aren’t quite sure where Bay St. Louis lies. You’ll find it looking toward the Bay of St. Louis and the Mississippi Sound, 60 minutes from New Orleans. Applauded for its historic Old Town and trendy arts scene, the charismatic village has an energized waterfront, home to art galleries, seafood cafes and waterfront fetes. Bike the boardwalk, linger in the Mardi Gras Museum, groove to live tunes at hotspots like 100 Men Hall or partake of the kitschy Crusin’ Tiki sunset cruise boat tour. For a touch of culture and a moment of aesthetic reverie, visit the Alice Moseley Folk Art Museum.

WHERE TO STAY

Slightly retro, super chic, The Pearl Hotel on the beachfront has been designed as an ode to oyster production.

WHERE TO EAT

Nosh at beloved beach bar The Blind Tiger for its smoked tuna dip and shrimp tacos.

100 Years Old and Worth the Trip

Celebrating a century of sailing across the Gulf’s waters, Ship Island Excursions launched in 1926 with “Captain Pete” Skrmetta, a Croatian immigrant and Biloxi entrepreneur at the helm. It’s been in the family ever since, and provides daily service to Ship Island and Fort Massachusetts, March-October, the company not only operates the ferry service but offers year-round chartered shoreline cruises for special events. These 2-to-3-hour charters, kitted out with optional catering and entertainment, tour the Gulfport State Ship Harbor and cruise near the Gulfport-Biloxi shoreline. Or board the boats to enjoy daily dolphin watching adventures or weekend sunset cocktail cruises.

WHERE TO STAY

Ideal for those looking for swankier digs or traveling with a group, Cinnamon Shore more than suffices. An enclave not unlike Seaside on the Emerald Coast, this equally new urbanist community has tons of amenities and well kitted out homes with multiple bedrooms, perfect for reunions.

WHERE TO EAT

Try beach-y glam Lisabella’s, whose award winning chef reigns with craveworthy seafood such crab cakes and fresh caught red snapper. Don’t miss the Mermaid Soup, a rich lobstercoconut broth, accented with curry.

PORT ARANSAS TEXAS

TEXANS WILL TELL YOU TO HUSH YOUR MOUTH and don’t tell a soul about Port Aransas. But this funky fishing and retreat town on Mustang Island about 30 minutes from Corpus Christi has a history of attracting celebutantes in the know — such as Teddy Roosevelt who fished for tarpon and pirate Jean Lafitte who purportedly buried treasure along its beaches. With 18-miles of beaches and a multitude of places to stay, this familyoriented beach town and its environs offer unpretentious fun in the sun, dolphin cruises, golf cart rental galore, coastal fare and classic waterside fun. A bonafide beach town rife with restaurants, shops, bars — even an old-fashioned candy store — it fits the sun-seeking bill.

WHERE TO STAY

Beloved by generations, the Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection, sits on the water with golf courses, tennis courts, restaurants, a marina, expansive lawns and a huge spa.

FAMOUS FOR

ITS

SUNSETS,

artsy Fairhope and its bijoux resort enclave of Point Clear, occupy prime real estate on the eastern side of Mobile Bay. Stroll Fairhope’s walkable streets, peppered with posh boutiques, restaurants and galleries. Fish off its quarter-mile pier, take a dolphin cruise or join a pottery class at studios such as Eastern Shore Art Center and Kiln Studio and Gallery. Honoring Fairhope’s heritage of brick, tile and clay craftsmanship, a tradition that dates back to Native American potters, the town maintains an arts-centric focus. Plan your trip to coincide with the first Friday of the month, when the popular Fairhope Art Walk brings live music to the streets and galleries open their doors to welcome tourists with the friendliness of convivial families. While in town, pose for photos in Arts Alley, a mural project with many Instagrammable possibilities.

WHERE TO EAT

For breakfast, make it Julwin’s where sausage gravy is the order of the day. At night, the Walsh House Restaurant serves classic steaks and wedge salads.

POINT CLEAR/FAIRHOPE ALABAMA

WHERE TO STAY

Each town offers its own personality and accommodations.

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, adjacent to Destin, incorporates some 2,000 acres with beaches, golf courses, a marina and more. Its boutique-y Hotel Effie offers stylish hospitality by the water and boasts the region’s only rooftop pool and lounge.

WHERE TO EAT

Dine as you hover above the water at The Edge Seafood Restaurant & SkyBar, a bi-level eatery, poised above the water on the Destin Harbor Boardwalk.

DESTIN, FLORIDA

CALLED THE

“WORLD’S

LUCKIEST FISHING VILLAGE”

due to its quick access to deep water and preponderance of fishing vessels, Destin stands out as one of many inviting coastal communities along Florida’s Emerald Coast, part of the Florida Panhandle. As the region’s hub, Destin holds the airport, but also shares the coastline’s mesmerizing gem-green water and snow-white sand, astonishing for its powdered sugar texture. Further afield along the coast, a range of other retreats and resort towns await, including Sandestin, Rosemary Beach, Seaside and Watercolor.

THOSE HEDONISTIC VICTORIANS KNEW A THING OR TWO about how to holiday. They chose seaside locations around the world, beautified them with stately architecture, added amusements like dance halls or casinos to fancy up their evenings, and worshiped the surrounding nature. Aptly, they dubbed Galveston the “Playground of the South” in honor of its gifts. Just 45 minutes south of Houston, the island, beloved by families for attractions such as Moody Gardens and thrill rides on its Pleasure Pier, makes a strong statement with a 10 mile Sea Wall, purportedly the world’s longest continuous sidewalk. Not unlike the great promenades of other Victorian favorites such as Brighton, England or Nice, France, this ample oceanside avenue showcases the setting, passing beside waving palms and Queen Ann mansions capped with Mansard rooftops. The Strand, Galveston’s historic entertainment district, located just off the waterfront, has au courant bars, restaurants and shops that fully envelop visitors in a beach town vibe. Touted as much for its 32 miles of beaches as for its rich history (including Black freedom stories and resilience), feisty festivals and museums, the island can be kayaked, surfed, fished and paddled to the delight of outdoor enthusiasts.

GALVESTON ISLAND, TEXAS

WHERE TO STAY

For a fully restored historic hotel experience, choose Tremont House Hotel, which brandishes Italianate flourishes, ironwork elements, balconies with harbor views and a rooftop bar.

WHERE TO EAT

Think of Gaido’s Seafood Restaurant as the Galatoire’s of Galveston. Celebrating its 111th anniversary, the local favorite serves Gulf Coast seafood. Don’t miss its famous pecan pie.

GOING

Twenty-seven thousand trees, miles of new trails and riverfront parks nobody knew existed—this is New Orleans’ great outdoors revolution.

By Misty Milioto

GREEN

SOMETHING IS HAPPENING ACROSS New Orleans and the surrounding parishes — a quiet transformation that’s changing how we experience the outdoors. From a former industrial salvage yard turned riverfront gathering spot to a living shoreline protecting Lake Pontchartrain’s edge, the region is reimagining what public green space can be. And for the first time in generations, New Orleanians are getting unprecedented access to the Mississippi River, their neighborhoods and nature itself.

The Batture

Ben Jacobson and his partner Casey Burka spent eight years — from 2015 to 2023 — working to purchase 10 acres of riverfront that, until recently, most New Orleanians didn’t even know existed. For 170 years, this stretch of land beside Audubon Park was closed to the public — first owned by the Bisso family before the Civil War, then used as a marine salvage yard filled with scrap metal and heavy equipment.

“As native New Orleanians, the Mississippi River has always been a defining presence, yet there are surprisingly few places for locals to truly experience it,” Jacobson said. “Finding 10 acres of undeveloped riverfront, tucked beside Audubon in the heart of Uptown, was unforgettable. Like most people, we had passed it countless times without noticing it. Then suddenly it was, ‘Wait — someone owns this?’”

After closing on the prop-

erty in October 2023, they began the transformation where Magazine Street meets The Fly. “When we first walked the site, it was still an active salvage yard — filled with marine scrap, heavy equipment and very little greenery,” Jacobson said. Their first order of business was to clean up debris, relocate structures, and introduce plants and green space. The former Bisso office headquarters became

The Rigs, a coworking space that opened in October 2024.

Today, The Batture opens Fridays through Sundays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., plus Tuesday mornings for the Crescent City Farmers Market. “I have overheard people saying things like, ‘How have we never been here before?’ or ‘If we can be here, why would we ever be anywhere else?’” Jacobson said. “One moment that stayed with me was hearing an older woman quietly say, ‘A whole different world, so close.’”

The soft-opening approach

— gradually activating the space with food trucks, art installations and programming — has allowed the space to evolve organically.

“We wanted this place to feel like the neighborhood’s backyard, and it has become that surprisingly quickly,” Jacobson said. “Families are spending entire days here. Kids gravitate to the barnyard. Adults sit and watch the ships move up and down the river.”

Miss Market, a small shop offering wine, canned drinks, coffee and kids’ snacks, quietly opened this winter. “My goal is to fill The Batture with brands and tenants we truly love — places my family craves and concepts that reflect how exceptional this city is,” Burka said.

Looking ahead, Jacobson’s vision is simple but powerful.

“Ideally, The Batture becomes a place people can’t imagine the city without.”

Parks & Parkways

Michael Karam, director of the Department of Parks and Parkways, manages an almost impossibly large portfolio that includes 2,000 acres of public green space, 200 smaller parks and squares, and 100,000 public trees across neutral grounds, parks, playgrounds and rights-of-way.

The tree work is particularly impressive. Since 2017, the city and its partners have planted 27,712 trees citywide. “With continued support from multiple funding sources, the City is on track to meet, and potentially exceed, its goal of planting 40,000 trees well ahead of the 2030 target outlined in the Climate Action Plan,” Karam said.

Recent funding includes $3.5 million in federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery support for Central City, $1.5 million from the USDA’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, and $5 million from the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Program — all targeted to disadvantaged communities.

New Orleans also earned Tree City USA recognition for the 43rd consecutive year and received the Growth Award for the second year running. This was partially due to updating and modernizing the Tree Protection Ordinance, which the City Council unanimously approved in March 2025.

However, planting trees is only one part of the equation. Parks & Parkways uses a three-pronged approach — focused on parks and neutral grounds, street trees and private yards — to strategically plant trees and expand canopy coverage citywide. Priority is based on existing canopy coverage, available planting space, socioeconomic data and community input.

On the West Bank, exciting developments also are underway at Brechtel Memorial Park.

“The long-term vision is to restore the natural systems and critical infrastructure while reactivating the park through nature-based programming that encourages regular use by West Bank residents, including renewed access to Scout Island,” Karam said. The Algiers Development District commissioned a Park Restoration Feasibility Study to guide phased improvements.

There’s also a brand-new park coming to the Real Timbers neighborhood in Algiers. “Parkways is working in partnership with [Councilman] Freddie King III and residents to transform a 3.79-acre, Cityowned parcel into a new park,” Karam said. “Planned improvements include substantial landscaping enhancements and the installation of a onethird mile walking trail.”

Armstrong Park and Congo Square also have seen recent upgrades, including enhanced lighting, a butterfly garden and new landscaping. “Parkways is collaborating with other City departments and community partners in Treme, such as The Save Our Soul Coalition, to guide larger improvements,” Karam said.

Meanwhile, the fully renovated 18-hole Joseph M. Bartholomew, Sr., Municipal Golf Course offers an example of accessible recreation. “[The course] emphasizes accessibility and inclusivity, being fully handicapped accessible and hosting programs such as First Tee Greater New Orleans, which helps youth build confidence, character and life skills through golf,” Karam said.

Lafitte Greenway

“When I moved back to New Orleans in 2021, I was amazed at how far along the Greenway had come,” said Jason Neville, executive director of the Lafitte Greenway Partnership. “There’s so many challenges to living in New Orleans — and the Greenway gave me a tangible sense of hope that a safer, more sustainable, more beautiful, more connected New Orleans was possible.” Today, he is leading the final push to complete the vision — a 3.1-mile linear park and bike trail connecting the French Quarter to City Park.

“In less than 10 years, the Lafitte Greenway went from an abandoned rail line to a beloved park visited 500,000 times annually, the most used bike path in the city and generating $360 million in new development,” Neville said. One-third of that development is permanently affordable housing — a crucial detail that shows how infrastructure investments can support communities rather than displace them.

The Greenway’s impact goes well beyond statistics though. “I hear so many stories from people who love the Greenway — as a safe place to bike to work, as a calming place for wellness, as a destination for public art, recreation and programming,” Neville said. “The Greenway is helping New Orleans prosper, as well as making us all happier, healthier and more connected to one another.”

The final half-mile extension to Canal Boulevard is now in design, connecting the Greenway to Delgado Community College, City Park and the RTA transit center. “Thanks to New Orleans voters who passed Proposition 2 in November, funding to contract the project is fully in place,” Neville said. “I am hoping design work will be completed in 2026 and the city can begin construction in 2027.”

By March 2026, the Lafitte Greenway Partnership also will have planted about 865 native trees, hitting their 1,000-tree goal by 2027. “These trees help reduce the volume of water going into our drainage system, helping reduce neighborhood flooding,” Neville said. “They also clean the water, which eventually flows into Lake Pontchartrain, and they reduce extreme heat temperatures by as much as 40 degrees.”

Programming on the Greenway is equally impressive. GetFit on the Greenway, the free year-round outdoor fitness program, reached 10,000 participants in 2024. The Greenway Supernova light festival, now in its 11th year, showcases emerging artists. “Over 30 percent of emerging artists who perform at our Greenway Supernova go on to play larger events like JazzFest and French Quarter Fest, helping strengthen our cultural economy,” Neville said.

New Orleans Recreation Development Commission

Larry Barabino, Jr., CEO of NORD, has a unique perspective on New Orleans recreation. He grew up at Willie Hall Playground and St. Bernard Community Center, and he still volunteers there. He also led NORDC from 2006-2009 during post-Hurricane Katrina recovery, reopening 90 playgrounds and 10 pools when staff had been reduced from 264 to just 16 employees. When he came back to NORD in 2018, he said it was because there was still work to do.

Barabino’s biggest recent win was the Super Bowl LIX turf donation. “This turf is meaningful because our kids are playing on the same professional-grade surface that champions competed on,” he said. “It reinforces that our youth deserve world-class fields and that their dreams, talent and future opportunities are worth investing in.”

The turf went to Joe Brown Baseball Stadium, Perry Roehm Baseball Stadium, Larry Gilbert Stadium, Wesley Barrow Stadium and the Lafitte Greenway sports field. Because the turf was so large, NORD got creative. “We repurposed portions of it for our baseball facilities,” Barabino said. “Using this turf in our baseball venues is a creative approach that you do not typically see, and it allowed us to maximize its impact across multiple sites.”

Other wins include the George V. Rainey Natatorium at the Morris F.X. Jeff Recreation Complex, which opened in May 2025. “Attendance has remained strong, and the facility is already serving as a hub for

swim instruction, fitness, water safety and therapeutic programming,” Barabino said.

NORD also is meeting kids where they are. For example, E-Sports labs opened at four recreation centers (Cut-Off, Lyons, Milne and Joe W. Brown), funded through District C Councilman Freddie King III. “Not every young person wants to play traditional sports, and these spaces give them a safe, engaging environment where they can connect, compete and learn,” Barabino said. “The response has been very positive, because the labs feel relevant to their interests while still keeping them in a supportive recreational setting.”

Meanwhile, Joe W. Brown Park has become an outdoor education hub. “Camping, canoeing, fishing and archery introduce kids, teens and adults to experiences they may never have had access to,” Barabino said. “This helps New Orleanians build confidence, curiosity and a sense of adventure.”

Council President Helena Moreno recently proposed $100 million in bond funds for NORD renovations. “One hundred million dollars in bond funding would be a game changer for NORD,” Barabino said. “It would help us bring older facilities up to modern standards, improve lighting and safety surfaces, and make sure families in the neighborhoods with the greatest need have access to quality recreation spaces. I would love to see NORD fully funded and living up to the motto of ‘‘Something for Everyone.’”

EYE IN THE SKY PHOTOGRAPHY

Jefferson Parish

Across the parish line, Tripp Rabalais directs Lafreniere Park with infectious enthusiasm. The Pointe at Lafreniere Food Pavilion opened in November 2025 with four permanent vendors — Coastal Barbecue, Sabor Del Parque, Louisiana Purchase Kitchen Express and Nonno’s.

“The response has been very positive,” Rabalais said. “During the Christmas Lights, the food vendors actually had evenings when they sold out. The ability to simply come to the park and enjoy yourself without having to plan a meal is a big new advantage.”

A $2 million walking track upgrade is another special addition. “This track is two miles and winds through some of the most tranquil and beautiful parts of Lafreniere Park,” Rabalais said. “The number of people who use the track daily is truly remarkable. We host dozens of walks/runs on the track every year.”

Additionally, Tripp’s Treehouse — the first allinclusive playground in Lafreniere Park — opened in July 2025. “This playground is thoughtfully created to promote graduating complexity, independent access, parallel play, sensory engagement and social inclusion,” Rabalais said. “It provides a safe place where children with and without disabilities can be challenged and have the option to choose how they engage in play.”

Overall, the park’s transformation has been comprehensive with new roofs on all shelters, fresh paint on the Copeland Stage and color-coded

facilities (blue roofs for bathrooms, green for shelters and copper/gold for special buildings).

“We hope that this period will be remembered for renewal and renewed interest in Lafreniere Park,” Rabalais said. “We have polished the Jewel of Jefferson Parish that welcomes all to come and enjoy all the park has to offer.”

For Harold Buhler, director of Jefferson Parish Recreation Department, success means delivering high-quality programs that serve all ages and ability levels in a positive, welcoming, family-friendly environment. “It means continually investing in and improving our parks, playgrounds and facilities so residents always have safe, modern and inviting places to play and gather,” he said. Ultimately, success is reflected in a community that is excited to participate, return and stay engaged in everything JPRD has to offer.”

Beyond Lafreniere Park, the parish is making major investments in parks across both the Eastbank and the Westbank. For example, Waggaman Playground is getting new lighting, fitness equipment and covered pavilions. Little Farms Playground is undergoing interior and exterior renovations in celebration of its 100-year anniversary, while the Jefferson Golden Age Center is being completely rebuilt to better serve older adults in the community. Segnette Field and Stadium also are being renovated to support JPRD programs and local high school athletics.

MALLARY

WOLFE PHOTO

City Park

Rebecca Dietz, who became president and CEO at City Park Conservancy in June 2024, did so during a crisis. The master planning process had stalled amid community controversy, with proposals that didn’t resonate with the people who love the park most.

“I spent time listening to the people invested in City Park, its staff, board members, regular park users, donors, members, etc.,” Dietz said. She brought on local firm Concordia to work alongside the New York-based planners and completely changed the engagement approach. “We convened interactive co-planning community meetings, ensuring that members of the public felt directly engaged in the planning. We added park-user focus groups, a youth committee and community ambassadors.”

When early proposals — including relocating Grow Dat Youth Farm and shaving part of Bayou Oaks South Golf Course — sparked pushback, Dietz didn’t dig in. “Proposed plans early in the process did not resonate with the community, and that’s all we needed to know to change course,” she said.

City Park 2050 was finally approved in August 2025, and its philosophy is clear. “City Park does not need to be reinvented,” Dietz said. “It needs to be cared for, enriched, preserved and thoughtfully improved.”

Practically, that means improved nature trails, upgraded sports facilities and more of the basics like parking, sidewalks, restrooms, lighting and water fountains. “We heard that park users want more access to thoughtfully maintained nature spaces and trails; improved and increased recreational facilities; and new amenities appropriate for our space,” Dietz said.

Climate resilience also is woven throughout the plan. For example, City Park has an opportunity to serve an important stormwater management and flood mitigation role. “Certain projects in the plan, such as parking gardens and bioswales, are specifically designed to assist with holding water longer in the park before it discharges into our drainage system,” Dietz said.

Her vision for City Park balances its dual identity as both neighborhood park and regional destination. “I believe that one of the most enduring parts of City Park to tourists is that it’s a local community park,” Dietz said. “I believe visitors want to experience what the locals love.”

The Big Picture

Overall, these projects represent a fundamental reimagining of what outdoor life in New Orleans can be.

From The Batture’s riverside lawn where families spend entire Sundays watching ships pass, to the new riverfront park opening this April, New Orleans is building a different relationship with the outdoors — one where access to nature isn’t just for special occasions but for everyday life.

Audubon’s Riverfront

Succeeding Ron Forman after 53 years, Michael J. Sawaya took over as president and CEO of Audubon Nature Institute in January 2025. His top priority is now to advance Riverfront for All, a project that will create 2.25 miles of continuous riverfront access from Spanish Plaza to Crescent Park.

“Imagine being able to walk, bike or simply wander along the Mississippi River for more than two uninterrupted miles — no fences, no dead ends, no confusing detours—just a clear, welcoming connection between people and the river that has shaped this city for 300 years,” Sawaya said. “That’s the heart of Riverfront for All.”

Forman called it creating a “front porch” for New Orleans on the Mississippi River. “To me, that metaphor means creating a riverfront that feels like an extension of people’s homes and neighborhoods, not a space you visit only for special occasions,” Sawaya said. “It’s about turning the Mississippi River from a backdrop into a lived-in, everyday experience.”

He imagines locals using the space in new ways. Instead of isolated pockets of access, people will be able to move freely along the river — walking, biking, meeting friends, exercising, or simply sitting with a cup of coffee or a cocktail. Phase 1, focused on the Governor Nicholls Street Wharf, is nearly complete. By removing 80 percent of a 160,000-square-foot warehouse, there are now views of the river that were hidden for more than 75 years. “In place of the industrial metal building, we’ve added a series of raised lawns that can support different park activities under the shade of over 120 trees,” Sawaya said. “One lawn has a series of posts where you can tie up your hammock amongst the trees and watch the ships go by. Another lawn features

a Louisiana marsh themed playground with a speckled trout, red-eared slider turtle and American alligator that kids can climb all over.”

The space officially opens in April, with French Quarter Festival as the first major event. “Visitors are going to be amazed — not only by the lush new linear park along the Mississippi River — but also by the sweeping skyline views,” Sawaya said.

While Phase 2 faces budget challenges — costs have risen from an original $15 million estimate to potentially exceeding $55 million — Sawaya remains committed. The vision includes food and beverage from local vendors, pop-up culinary and retail opportunities for local artisans, and sports and recreation like pickleball and beach volleyball. “Our goal is to put some initial infrastructure funding in place and invite fresh ideas from the broader development community,” he said.

At The Fly, improvements are more modest but equally important. The playground being replaced is more than 40 years old, and the restroom building had aging plumbing. Both projects are scheduled for completion in March. “While we don’t have any major redevelopment plans for The Fly on the table right now, we’re excited to work with the City on a comprehensive strategy that serves the broader community,” Sawaya said.

His five-year vision is both practical and poetic. “I would imagine the most meaningful legacy is one that New Orleanians can feel in their daily lives — not just see on a map or in a plan,” Sawaya said. “My hope is that people will say that we have made it easier, more natural and more enjoyable to be outside; that the riverfront feels like it finally belongs to everyone.”

Resort and Rest

St. Petersburg’s SkyBeach

Spring break beckons and the beaches are calling, but if you’re like me and want to spring forth from a winter cocoon to soak up warm sands and Gulf waters with little exertion, SkyBeach Resort in St. Petersburg is the ticket. Located close enough to downtown action with its awardwinning museums and restaurants but tucked away enough to provide an oasis with private beaches, this renovated historic property also offers plenty on-site for a full-service resort experience. For information, skybeach-resort.com.

Stay

Built in the 1950s as a Gulf Coast retreat, the 18-acre property has been restored with modern amenities but maintaining that

Old Florida charm. The property features 113 redesigned guest rooms with curated amenities such as local art. The coastal cozy lobby with beach tones and bookcases greets visitors, as does the custom accent wall of Venetian plaster designed by St. Pete artist Jesse Wilhelm. The stress of the world slips away the moment you enter.

Dine

Dining options run the gamut at SkyBeach. Leave the world behind at the two-story beachfront SkyBar + Grille with its sleepy Gulf views and the iconic St. Petersburg Sunshine Skyway Bridge, craft cocktails that invoke Jimmy Buffett and seafood dishes such as conch fritters and tuna tartare. Luma Mediterranean restaurant, a more elevated dining experienced, opened in December and serves up shared plates in a modern yet 1950s-style seaside lounge. Drawing from the word lumen, meaning “light,” Luma celebrates the connection between coastal living and Mediterranean cuisine. Later this year, the resort will welcome SouthSeas Tapas, an upscale dining concept.

Get Active

Alongside the resort’s accommodations is SouthSide Sports, an outdoor recreation center with opportunities for pickleball, beach volleyball and tennis courts. There’s even professional tennis clinics and lessons for all skill levels provided by instructors under the leadership of Director of Racquets Eduardo Ferreira, a former top 100 tennis player. Naturally there are cabanas to be enjoyed on the private beach and two resort-style pools. For those who want to reminisce about the Florida of old, have a play on the shuffleboard courts.

Be entertained

In the heart of the SkyBeach resort lies Azibi Stage, a beachfront entertainment venue with the Gulf as backdrop where guests may enjoy ongoing live music, movies and other performances. The stage is named in honor of hotel owner Ben Willner’s late cousin, Henri Maizel, a U.S. Army veteran who played in the 5th Army Band and later found his creative home in Ibiza, where he performed with his band, Azibi. SkyBeach also offers a renovated 6,260-square-foot Event Center

perfect for weddings, corporate events and special celebrations. The space features a separate lobby, the 4,228-square-foot Grand Ballroom, a flexible space that can accommodate up to 250 guests and Coral Cove for a more intimate setting.

Get on the Water

The resort overlooks a state-of-theart marina with 29 boat slips for guests and the local community that’s open for day, transient and seasonal docking. Amenities include a fish cleaning station with fresh water access, power pedestals, restrooms and Wi-Fi.

Head to Town

St. Petersburg is only minutes away by car or ride share and features world-class art museums such as the Morean Arts Center with its Chihuly Collection, the renowned Salvador Dali Museum, the James Museum of Western + Wildlife Art featuring more than 500 works of western-related art and much more. Stroll the St. Petersburg Pier for restaurants and views or enjoy dining and shopping along the waterfront streets.

Left: SkyBeach Resort Right: Luma

CRIS MOLINA PHOTO

Sax Appeal

Larger than life performance artist Saxsquatch

Finding something worth believing in can be tricky. While institutions might fail us, a belief in the humanist power of art is enduring and ever replenishing, a ballast against the ills of the world. Saxsquatch understands that power better than most. A towering, longhaired humanoid with a distinctive penchant for bandanas, brightly colored sunglasses, and the earnest wail of the saxophone, the multi-hyphenate cryptid has been spreading his patented sentiment of rave-like hope one bass-pounding, laser light-blasting performance at a time for nearly 10 years, a seismic trajectory that has taken him from playing alone in the wilds of National Forests for an eager online audience to collaborating with legendary musician John Oates on a cover version of “Maneater.” Yet beyond all the fame and acclaim, the message Saxsquatch is bringing with him to New Orleans on April 8 as part of his 2026 “Party Animal Tour” is a simple one: people need something to believe in, even if it’s just themselves.

“Growing up, I was obsessed with the saxophone, but I just wanted to be a star. That’s when I started to understand that music is actually about connection with other people and making other people feel like the star,” said Saxsquatch. “Now, when I’m

onstage with an audience, I consider us complete equals. They’re as much part of the vibe as I am.”

Raised in a musical family, Saxsquatch spent much of his adolescence as a self-described “jazz snob” until discovering the work of the legendary EDM duo Daft Punk, which cratered his preconceived notions about what music could be. For him, context became foundational to his love of music; finding the poetry between the waveforms that could not just create energy but funnel it into a feeling that spoke to him, because if it spoke to him, chances are it might speak to another person and perhaps even thousands more.

“I had a dream to make Saxsquatch a thing in the world, even if I failed or ended up old and performing in some dive bar all alone,” Saxsquatch said. “I wanted to show that believing in other people can make us better versions of ourselves, because that’s what the people coming to shows have done for me. That energy is inspiring, and all I can do is give it back as best that I can.”

Whatever kismet was channeled through Saxsquatch’s saxophone has certainly found purchase, leading to a string of sold-out tour dates across the country and collaborations with everyone from Billy Ray Cyrus to Here Come the Mummies, an eight-piece

funk band made up of fully bandaged 5,000-year-old Egyptian mummies. Having fulfilled a sizable dream of establishing the “Bigfoot Rave” in 2024, Saxsquatch knows that stagnancy is the death knell of meaningful artistry and has continued to evolve his performance style beyond the novelty it began as into something intangible, welcoming, and decidedly undeniable, riding a tidal wave of goodness in the face of real-world hate that is needed now perhaps more than ever before.

“Hate doesn’t resonate with my morals and my values. The only reason hate is spread is for money and views; that’s just the society we live in,” said Saxquatch. “I encourage everyone to make more art because the more funny, peaceful stuff that’s out there, the more it will grow and spread. Peace and love, that’s the way we can all support each other.”

Music can be a place of solace for the weary and the forgotten who might share the same melancholy of a wayward cryptozoological creature just hoping to be seen, appreciated, and loved. That’s a power worth harnessing, that of community, of jazz, of EDM and rave culture, even if its anomalous herald is a saxophone-wielding skunk ape. And why not? Some legends turn out to be true and, as Saxsquatch would be the first to proclaim, “it feels really good to be believed in.”

Must-see performances this month

March 4

Big Something, 8 p.m. at Tipitina’s. tipitinas.com

March 12

The Soul Rebels, 11 p.m. at Le Bon Temps Roule, lbtrnola.com

March 14

Joyce Manor + Militarie Gun + Teen Mortgage + Combat, 6 p.m. at the House of Blues, neworleans.houseofblues.com

March 21

Rakim, 10 p.m. at Tipitina’s, tipitinas.com

March 28

Journey, 7: 30 p.m at the Smoothie King Center, smoothiekingcenter.com

March 29

Obituary, 8 p.m. at Tipitina’s, tipitinas.com

Norway in The Bywater

Applied Arts Café’s Scandinavian fare

New Orleanians often enjoy referring to our city as not a melting pot, but a gumbo pot. Even a cursory glance at the local dining landscape will reveal an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the variety of cuisine available, owing much to the centuries-long multicultural nature of our residents. Obviously, we love our homegrown Creole and Cajun fare, but new visitors might be surprised to learn that some of our most lauded new restaurants in recent years have been Senegalese, Israeli, Indian, Thai and, of course, Vietnamese. But despite the delicious diversity of global bites available here, there are still a few regional styles that have long escaped the restaurant scene here. Among them is Scandinavian fare, of which many Louisianisans are unfamiliar, and sadly so. Fortunately, those pining for tastes of the fjords in the Crescent

City will have to wait no more. Applied Arts, the local coffee roaster founded by Baruch Rabasa and Melissa Stewart, expanded their business last year to include an ultra-cozy Bywater café, serving Scandinavian dishes to complement their extensive selection of roasts. The decision to offer that particular fare might seem a quizzical one at first, but nothing could have been more natural for Stewart, who used the opportunity to share the cuisine of her Norwegian heritage. Chef Rabasa, a fixture among fine dining restaurants for the past couple of decades, was more than eager to explore and help design a Scandinavian menu that would comfort and gratify New Orleans diners.

According to Stewart, “My grandfather fought in WWII with the Americans, because Norway was occupied by the Nazis. After the war, my grandmother came and met him in New Orleans, and they got married here at the Norwegian Seamen’s Church. So when we were thinking of concepts that would be good for breakfast and lunch, all of a sudden we thought, ‘You know what? Why not Scandinavian?’ And Scandinavia loves coffee, of course. Baruch thought that would be fun, because he’s always done French technique with Mexican

Hivolt Coffee

In a city connected so historically with coffee (we literally invented the modern “coffee break”), choosing a favorite local cafe can seem a daunting task. And yet, Hivolt is consistently beloved, owing not just to their dedication to the perfect pour-over or espresso shot, but also for their food. Come for the cappuccino, stay for an egg-stuffed burrito, classic breakfast sandwich with smokey, thick cut bacon, an elegant quiche, or a hearty bowl of grains and veggies. We’re particularly fond of the “Good Morning Vietnam,” featuring a sausage patty with egg, jalapenos, carrots, and cucumbers on a Shriracha mayoslathered brioche bun. And don’t forget, they have “adult beverages” as well. Sounds like espresso martini time to us!

influences, and this would be a fun new adventure for cooking.” Rabasa agreed. “I kind of felt like, if I was going to do cooking, I wanted to do something out of my wheelhouse, something where I was learning and invigorated and kind of excited to do not just the same thing,” he says. “It was just getting kind of boring for me at that point, and Scandinavian food is not boring.”

If you’re yet unfamiliar with Scandinavian cuisine, rest assured that it’s not all sweet meatballs, salt licorice and fermented shark. As an introduction to the cozier fare of the chilly European north, Applied Arts couldn’t have done a better job with their new café offerings, which focus heavily on smørrebrød, the traditional open-faced Norwegian sandwiches served on buttered bread and piled perilously high with a remarkable variety of toppings. “While we were going through this, my mom said, ‘You’d better make sure that it’s extremely beautiful, because the whole thing about them is they’re just these beautifully composed, towering things, which also goes really well with Baruch’s cooking style,” said Stewart. “He loves to have different textures and flavors and little plays of things.”

And that’s precisely what you’ll

find when you venture to Applied Arts: gorgeously composed, very tall open faced sandwiches that manage to feel both delicate and intricately flavored as well as wholly gratifying. There is, of course, a pickled herring version with curry notes, nestled atop buttered, house-made Danish rye with charred broccoli flourettes, pearled carrots, sprouts, and “soya crunch,” which, Rabasa notes, is his combination of toasted pepitas, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and white and black sesame seeds flavored with soy sauce and honey. It’s the perfect addition of crunchy texture to a softer, more savory dish. “If we’re going to put that on the moniker that we’re Scandinavian, we had to have herring,” said Rabasa, who also noted that they could hardly keep their bona fides unless they included gravlax on the menu as well. That option incorporates beet-cured salmon with creamy dill aioli, beet tartare and sprouts on dark pumpernickel, and it’s definitely a menu standout that will likely bring you (and this writer) back for numerous revisits.

For a streamlined café menu, that could have easily sufficed and satisfied diners, but there are more options still, and none of them miss the mark. The “eggs salad” is intentionally plural, as it pairs creamy egg salad with salmon roe (“eggs,” get it?), along with quickle and frisee salad atop pan de mie. Another fan-favorite is their avocado toast with habanada hot sauce, fried shallots, pea tendrils and a poached egg on country rye, and also an umami packed smørrebrød festooned with pickled mushrooms, ricotta, shiitake “bacon,” and pickled tomatoes

on traditional Norwegian mormorbread. Speaking of bread, all varieties are made freshly in house, the result of Rabasa’s eagerness to dive deeply into Scandinavian cookbooks and the sagacious wisdom of fellow chefs to perfect his recipes. The result is every bit as comforting and impressively artful as one might wish from a culture that knows exactly how important comfort fare can be in a part of the world notorious for its freezing climes. But even in a tropical locale like New Orleans, the cozy factor still works beautifully, especially in such deft culinary hands and passionate spirit as belong to Rabasa and Stewart. Pairing your indulgent tower of smørrebrød with the complex notes found in Applied Arts’ single origin coffees and creative house blends, it’s often difficult to remember that you’re snuggled up next to the Mississippi River and not, say, a sidewalk cafe in Copenhagen or Oslo. And that’s no easy feat in this town, to say the least.

Any worries that New Orleanians might not take to the Scandinavian palate quickly vanished when Applied Arts quickly found eager regulars in their Bywater neighbors. “The location is totally a dream,” said Stewart.” As a Bywater resident with dogs, I know how people go over that [Piety Street] bridge to run or walk their dogs every single morning, and we see a lot work-from-home people in the neighborhood, so they’re the ones who start showing up around 9:30am to work and get some food, and then people coming in for lunch meetings or just fun. It’s just great to see, and it’s going really well.”

Backatown Coffee Parlour Square in the heart of Storyville, a neighborhood famed for its more nocturnal activities in early New Orleans history, you’ll find Backatown, a locally owned cafe that pairs artisanal coffees with elegant and hearty cuisine. The fare covers all your tastes from savory to sweet, starting with fluffy blueberry muffins and cranberry cream cheese scones and banana nut coffee cake, to crawfish quiche and a shockingly great raspberry grilled cheese. We love that they highlight Bean Fruit, one of the only black-owend coffee roasters in the country. The complex notes of those coffees always seem to pair perfectly with a heaping bowl of saucy BBQ crawfish grits. And maybe a slice of limoncello mascarpone cake for the road, can’t be too careful!

ABOUT THE OWNERS

Chef Baruch Rabasa was born in Mexico City and raised mostly in Northern California before moving east to Maryland with his family. Rabasa graduated from the Culinary Institute of America before launching into a culinary career that would bring him to some of the finest restaurant kitchens in New Orleans, including Restaurant August, Emeril’s, Le Petit Grocery, Meson 923, the Franklin, Atchafalaya and Geautreaux’s. Cultivating both beans and customers with partner Melissa Stewart, Rabasa quickly found a dedicated fanbase of coffee lovers selling beans at the Crescent City Farmer’s Market, and when the opportunity came to add a café to the mix, he leapt at the chance.

Melissa Stewart originally hails from D.C. but found her true home here in New Orleans as a Tulane undergraduate. As a visual artist, Stewart specialized in photography for years, as she trotted the globe for exhibitions, with locales ranging from Montana to Croatia. After hustling in New York and London for a number of years, Stewart needed a change of pace and decided to reinvent herself – where else – back in New Orleans. During that time, Stewart took a job at The Franklin, where she met Chef Rabasa, and the two soon formed a partnership both in life and business. When the COVID pandemic radically altered the dining landscape, Stewart joined Rabasa’s nascent coffee company, Applied Arts, as a co-founder. Opening a Bywater cafe seemed a perfect opportunity for Stewart to delve into her Norwegian heritage and share its delicacies with the Crescent City.

Lenten Leftovers

The best way to enjoy the season

Many in New Orleans’ large Catholic population of Sicilian descent observe St. Joseph’s Day on March 19. The feast honors St. Joseph, a carpenter, the husband of Mary, and the earthly father of Jesus. Joseph is also the patron saint of workers, fathers and families, marked by traditions such as elaborate food altars, devotional Masses, processions, and acts of charity, often serving as a form of Father’s Day in many cultures. Vegetarian foods and those made with seafood are traditional, as are pastries, such as Zeppole.

Since joining Gianna as chef de cuisine in 2024, Justin Koslowsky garnered recognition for his modern Italian cuisine, and Chemin à la Mer, in partnership with Chef Donald Link, in the Four Seasons Hotel, has worked to introduce a broader selection of seafood, such as crudos, conservas and spuntinos, all inspired by Italian culinary traditions.

“I chose this dish for St. Joseph’s Day due to it being pescatarian, which perfectly falls in line with the Lenten traditions,” Koslowsky said. “Acqua Pazza has a fascinating history; although it did not originate in Sicily, where St. Joseph’s Day originated, it does have its roots on the Campanian coast. Fishermen would cook their fish in seawater to save on salt, which was highly taxed at

the time in Italy. Fishermen would simply add readily available ingredients, such as tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. The name itself originates from an old peasant’s drink, where they would take leftover wine stems, seeds and skins from the spent grapes, add fresh water, and then re-ferment the mixture to make an alcoholic beverage, hence ‘Crazy Water.’ The dish resembles the color of this drink, and the name stuck.”

Cook With us!

Join us each third Tuesday of the month and cook along with New Orleans Magazine and our featured chef on Instagram.

@neworleansmagazine

Acqua Pazza

Serves 4

Courtesy of Chef Justin Koslowsky, Chef de Cuisine, Gianna

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons soybean oil, in all

Salt and black pepper to taste

2 cups cherry tomatoes

11/2½ cups diced fennel

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, in all

1 cup julienne shallots

2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic

1 cup white wine

1/4¼ cup capers, rinsed

1 teaspoon chili flakes

1 quart sea salt water (2 tablespoons Maldon sea salt dissolved in 1 quart water)

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

2. Coat 2 sheet pans with cooking spray.

3. Place the cherry tomatoes in a single layer on one sheet pan.

4. Place the diced fennel in a single layer on the other sheet pan.

5. Drizzle the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon soybean oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss.

6. Drizzle the fennel with 1 tablespoon soybean oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss.

7. Roast the vegetables for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

8. Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and sauté until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 11/2 minutes.

9. Add roasted fennel and cook for 5 minutes, allowing flavors to combine.

10. Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 6 minutes.

11. Add the reserved roasted tomatoes, capers, and chili flakes. Simmer to merge flavors, about 5 minutes.

12. Add the sea salt water--bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

For the fish:

4 5-ounce drum fillets

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

Fennel fronds

Uncut chives

Torn basil leaves

1. Season the filets of drum with salt and pepper.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet set over medium-high heat.

3. Add the fish to the pan and sear for about 2 minutes. Flip the fish and cook for 2 more minutes.

4. Reduce the heat to low and add the warm Aqua Pazza sauce to the skillet. Continue cooking the fish in the sauce until it flakes easily with a fork, about 10 minutes.

Plating:

Remove the fish and sauce into four shallow bowls. Garnish the fish and sauce with fennel fronds, chives, and torn basil.

Notes

Serve Aqua Pazza with crusty bread or focaccia to soak up the broth, along with a simple green salad or roasted vegetables like asparagus or potatoes.

This pairs well with a crisp white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Greco di Tufo or Lyre’s Classico NonAlcoholic Sparkling Wine. Availble at Martin Wine Cellar.

BY ELIZABETH PEARCE |

Cure-All

A heavenly inspired concoction

BY EUGENIA UHL

Bradley Sanford was living in California during the pandemic when he realized he needed a change. “I wanted to go to a place with some soul and some flavor,” he said. New Orleans fit the bill. He is now behind the stick in the heart of the city in Jackson Square, as lead bartender at Fives, a location he succinctly describes as “Amazing!” Something else amazing is working in a city that takes his profession seriously. He notes that in California, “bartenders are all actors, or comedians, or musicians — bartending’s a ‘side job ‘till I make it’ kind of thing.” In contrast, in New Orleans, “Bartending’s a well-respected and storied career.” The inspiration for his drink comes straight from the monks who created the Chartreuse Vegetal featured in the recipe. “They originally formulated Chartreuse as a long-life elixir, a cure for every ailment.” Whatever ails you these days, this drink is sure to help.

TIPS

Chartreuse

Elixir Vegetal is an herbal liqueur with an intense flavor and is easier to find than its less potent sister product, Green Chartreuse. A few drops add a bold, herbal note to a glass of champagne or classic daiquiri. Bradley also says it is delicious when sprinkled on fresh raw oysters.

If you can’t find Chartreuse Vegetal, you can substitute the Yellow Chartreuse, which is a little easier to find or another herbal liqueur.

You can also use some absinthe to create a variation on an Obituary Cocktail.

Elixir of Life

2 ounces Bombay Sapphire gin

1 ounce Lillet Blanc

1/8 ounce Bar Spoon Chartreuse Vegetal (about 9 drops)

Lemon twist

Directions: Add the first 3 ingredients to a mixing glass with ice, stir for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass. Express the oils from the lemon twist over the drink and then trim the edges to make a parallelogram. Cut a lengthwise slit in the middle of the trimmed lemon twist to allow it to perch on the side of the glass.

Podcast

Listen to Elizabeth’s podcast “Drink & Learn;” visit elizabeth-pearce.com

BY JOHN R. KEMP

1934

The Choctaw Club

The Choctaw Club, seen here in 1934, on the corner of St. Charles and North Maestri Street across from Gallier Hall and Lafayette Square, was a political organization born during the city’s raucous post-Reconstruction days when Democrats and Republicans vied for power. Political drama in New Orleans, especially back in the 1880s, 90s and early 1900s, is the stuff books are written about, and the Choctaw Club played a major role in that story. It all began in 1896 when the Crescent Democratic Club (CDC), riddled with scandal, began to fall apart. Many of its members defected to the newly formed Citizens’ League, which backed New Orleans businessman Walter C. Flower in the 1896 mayoral campaign. Meanwhile, Governor Murphy J. Foster supported the CDC candidate, Congressman Charles F. Buck. After a bitter campaign, Flower won. Post election, the CDC disintegrated, and Flower served only one term. Out of the CDC’s ruins rose the Regular Democratic Organization, known as the RDO and later Old Regulars, that would in three years take control of city government for the next four-plus decades until the rise of Mayor deLesseps “Chep” Morrison in 1946.

According to a 1930 study by a Columbia University graduate student, the RDO had an effective organizational structure that included the Caucus and the Club. The Caucus — the machine’s ruling body headed by the city’s 17 ward bosses — dictated who

ran for office with the Regulars’ endorsement and who received patronage. And then there was the Club.

In March 1897, the newly reorganized Regulars formed a political and social wing known as the Choctaw Club. As to how the club got its name, Old Regular leader Martin Behrman, mayor of New Orleans from 1904 to 1920 and 1925 to 1926, stated in his memoirs that club members tossed around various tribal names such as Chickamauga, Houma and Tensas, before finally choosing Choctaw.

“We followed the old-fashioned way of using an Indian name for a political club,” he continued. “I have been told that this fashion started in New York nearly 150 years ago when a political society, known around town as the ‘Roebucks,’ because they used the tail of the buck deer in their hats, … adopted the name Tammany society.”

The Choctaws’ first clubhouse was located on Carondelet St. It later moved to Canal and then in the early 1930s to the location seen here on St. Charles and North Maestri. Unfortunately, this classic, three-story, double galleried building, designed in 1841 by the renowned Irish-born New Orleans architect James Gallier Sr., was demolished in the early 1970s to make way for a new office building.

Choctaw Club on St Charles Avenue, 1934, Photo by Charles Franck, Courtesy of the Historic New Orleans Collection

Summer Camp Guide

Believe it or not, Summer is just around the corner. Make this your child’s best vacation ever at a Summer Camp near you!

Arden Cahill

Voted the #1 Summer Camp in New Orleans by Gambit Weekly readers for SIX consecutive years, Cahill Camp Corral, located on the 12-acre Gretna country campus of Arden Cahill Academy, offers two five-week sessions or six-week-long sessions for children ages 3-13, grades PreK – 8th. Summer 2026 is sure to be memorable with 10 themed weeks of on-campus activities such as horseback riding, swimming, art, theater, pretend play, sports, game room, petting farm, archery, riflery, laptop lounge, STEAM lab, and much more.

For over 55 years, Cahill Camp Corral has offered a relaxed, spacious indoor and outdoor environment where children continue to play, explore, grow, and develop during the summer. Space, Dinosaur, and Circus week are always a hit, while blue and white days, rodeos, fairytale ball, and the Camp After Dark events are not to be missed. Language Arts and Math academic enrichment classes are offered as session options.

For information or to register, visit Cahill Camp Corral online at ArdenCahillAcademy.com.

Love Swimming

Come make a splash year-round with Love Swimming, where confident swimmers are made every day. Serving swimmers from six months of age to full-grown adults, Marshall Love began educating students at Love Swimming over twenty-four years ago, and his outreach has only grown, with more adults seeking out swimming lessons than ever before. Watch your child, or yourself, go from a wall holder to an aquatic acrobat one stroke at a time. Love Swimming offers a warm environment for fun, safe, professional lessons focused on water safety, proper technique, and love for the water. Personalized attention is also available for private, semiprivate, and even group lessons. With enrollment open seven days a week, twelve months a year, there’s no reason to wait!

Please contact us at loveswimmingnola@gmail.com with any questions. For easy online class sign-up, please register today at loveswimming.com

The Historic New Orleans Collection

Has your teen always wanted to go behind the scenes at a museum? Do they get excited by history, art, storytelling, or design? Then the Historic New Orleans Collection’s Curator Camp is the perfect one-week summer destination.

Through daily hands-on workshops, Curator Camp teens explore the skills and ideas that bring history and museums to life at HNOC and at other French Quarter museums. Examine real historical artifacts, attend a mock auction to learn how museums acquire rare objects, talk

to curators about what goes into making an exhibition, and visit different museums in the French Quarter, including the Hermann-Grima House, New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, and Louisiana State Museum, Cabildo and Presbytère. Campers will also enjoy a live jazz performance at the legendary Preservation Hall.

Curator Camp is open to students ages 12 to 17. Camp runs Monday–Friday, June 8–12, 2026. Tuition for the week is $250; scholarships are available.

No experience is necessary. Just bring your curiosity! (We’ll bring the snacks.)

Mount Carmel Academy

Mount Carmel’s Summer Camp offers girls in grades 2–8 an engaging experience filled with creativity, exploration, and adventure. Campers can customize their own summer fun by choosing their favorite activities from a diverse and exciting selection. They will explore individual interests and discover new talents, with opportunities to be artists, scientists, dancers, athletes, cheerleaders, chefs, detectives, designers, actresses, and so much more.

Camp will run from June 1 to June 26. Morning sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and afternoon sessions from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Classes will be taught by Mount Carmel faculty members with assistance from Mount Carmel students. Additional programs include a lunch plan and before- and after-care options.

Registration opens March 11 for grades 5–8 and March 12 for grades 2–4. Sign up at mcacubs.com/camp.

De La Salle

Join the summer fun at De La Salle’s Cav Camp! Open to boys and girls in K - 8th grades, with 7 weeks of summer fun, campers will enjoy weekly swimming, water days, and special events. Campers will build their own daily schedules, so no two days are the same, and will enjoy activities like Sports, Art, STEM, Performing Arts, Cooking, Deconstruction, and more! Extended care and lunch are also offered at an additional cost. The Cav Camp staff is made up of certified teachers as well as current and former De La Salle students. Sign up for the whole summer, all of June, or all of July for discounts. De La Salle Alumni receive an additional discount on camp tuition. For more information, please go to delasallenola.com/cav-camp.

Follow us on Facebook at DLS Cav Camp and on Instagram at @dlscavcamp. Questions? Email our Camp Director at cavcamp@delasallenola.com. •

Travel Destinations

Festival season is here with good food and better times ready to be had! Discover your new favorite travel destination not just for this spring, but for many more to come. Visit Mississippi

Fickling and Company Vacation Rentals

Visiting St. George Island, Florida, is an unforgettable experience, and Fickling Vacation Rentals is here to make your stay truly special! Nestled along pristine beaches and surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, our charming vacation rentals offer the perfect getaway for families, couples, or solo travelers. Imagine waking up to the sound of waves and enjoying stunning sunrises from your private deck. Explore the island's fresh seafood at local restaurants or take a leisurely stroll along the beach. With activities ranging from kayaking to fishing, there's something for everyone! At Fickling Vacation Rentals, we pride ourselves on providing comfortable, beautifully furnished homes that cater to your every need. Our friendly team is dedicated to ensuring your stay is seamless and enjoyable, allowing you to relax and create lasting memories. Book your escape today and discover the magic of St. George Island with Fickling Vacation Rentals! Your dream vacation awaits!

Call us at 850-927-2218 or visit us at FicklingVacationRentals.com.

Lafayette CVC

Spring is here, and Lafayette is waiting with open arms. The heart of Cajun and Creole Country is just the place to shake off the winter cold and find your favorite flavor of dance, community, and cuisine.

Baseball is back as the University of Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns take on the LSU Tigers on March 4th. McNeese State University on March 11th and 31st, and Southeastern Louisiana on March 24th, and a series against ULM from March 27th to 29th at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park. Join the Celtic Bayou Festival for a St. Patrick’s Day on March 15th, with a kick-off pub crawl taking place on March 14th. And if your taste buds need some attention, visit during the World Championship Crawfish Étouffée Cook-Off on March 31st, with professionals and amateurs competing side by side for the coveted distinction of being “world champion”, alongside live Cajun and zydeco music, plenty of dancing, and tons of étouffée.

Learn more about these exciting events and so much more at lafayettetravel.com

Mobile

With its quiet, nature-forward beauty, it may be hard to decide how to spend a day in Mobile's diverse outdoors. The area is home to the MobileTensaw Delta, the largest river delta and wetland in Alabama and one of the largest in the country. In fact, there are not many places in the world that hold the eco-diversity of the bayous, bays, and beaches of Mobile. From kayaks and canoes to airboats and fishing tours, there are

numerous ways to roam this wilderness. If you're looking for a chance to enjoy and explore nature, head over to Chickasabogue Park, Escatawpa Hollow Park & Campground or the Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. And if you want some exercise along with your experience, Historic Blakeley State Park boasts an array of trails for you to meander.

Discover more at mobile.org.

Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort

If you want a world-class experience for your next travel destination, look no further than Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort. Treat yourself to modern amenities in the 300-room all-glass tower, featuring breathtaking design, superior service, and bathrooms that feel more like a spa.

Hustle or hit, Scarlet Pearl Sportsbook never quits with 24/7 betting kiosks and more than 20 HD screens surrounded by an entertainment screen measuring an astounding 144 square feet. Place a bet on your favorite teams while sipping on a cold one at our full-service bar, playing video poker, or catching a game day feast at Sportsbook Eats for the premier sports fan experience. Now accepting wagers for as little as $10.00 and offering in-play betting, it’s always game time at Scarlet Pearl Sportsbook.

Sportsbook Eats open Monday – Sunday: 11 AM – 9 PM. Please call 888-752-9772 or visit ScarletPearlCasino.com for details.

Ship Island Excursions

Discover the best beaches in Mississippi! Ship Island Excursions, celebrating 100 years of ferry service to the barrier islands, is located just one hour from New Orleans in Gulfport. Ship Island, part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, is a 7-mile undeveloped strip of island paradise. Visitors can enjoy pristine, high-quality natural beaches and swim in beautiful Gulf water. Tour historic Fort Massachusetts (circa 1858). Located 11 miles offshore from Gulfport, this barrier island is where the Mississippi Sound meets the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and is only an hour boat ride away.

March through October, Ship Island Excursions offers ferry service from the Gulfport Harbor in Jones Park. A trip to Ship Island is an affordable family adventure. Ship Island Excursions also offers a 90-minute Dolphin Watching cruise and Sunset Music Cruises. Private charters are available for special events. Amenities include a snack bar on both the boat & island and beach rentals.

Buy your tickets in advance at Msshipisland.com.

The Lodge at Gulf State Park

Unlike regular beach hotels cluttered along the coast, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, A Hilton Hotel, is a unique destination on the Alabama Gulf Coast with nature at its doorstep. Located within the beautiful 6,150acre Gulf State Park, The Lodge at Gulf State Park provides modern and comfortable accommodations with direct beach access, four dining options, 40,000 square feet of flexible event space, and miles of beach with pristine coastal scenery. During your stay, you’ll connect with nature on a whole new level. And in doing so, you’ll be helping in the hotel’s conservation efforts to restore and maintain the beauty of this truly distinctive property.

Each of the 350 non-smoking guest rooms, including 20 suites, weaves comfort and sustainability with a contemporary flair. All rooms bring the outdoors in by providing guests with views of either Alabama’s Gulf Coast or Lake Shelby/Gulf State Park. Book your vacation today at LodgeatGulfStatePark.com.

Visit Mississippi

Spring brings out the best in us, from food to culture and people to share it with. The best flavors of all of these can be found in Mississippi. From Natchez to Gulfport, from Biloxi to Jackson, there’s always something new, exciting, and unexpected to find in the Magnolia state.

If you’re in the mood for world-class cuisine, Mississippi is the place to be, with the recent announcement of Hunter Evans of Elvie’s in Jackson and Austin Sumrall of White Pillars in Biloxi as James Beard Award Semi-Finalists for Best Chef: South. A Jackson native, Chef Hunter Evans has earned acclaim for his modern Southern-French cuisine at Elvie’s, located in the historic Belhaven neighborhood, while Chef Austin Sumrall, owner of the award-winning White Pillars in Biloxi, celebrates his third James Beard semifinalist recognition for Best Chef: South. But that’s not all. With ten culinary visionaries awarded the prestigious MICHELIN Guide at its inaugural American South ceremony, culture is always on the menu in Mississippi.

Learn more at visitmississippi.org.

Walk Through Montgomery. Leave Forever Changed.

An easy drive from New Orleans, Montgomery, Alabama invites travelers to experience the heart of America’s civil rights story, and its continued pursuit of equal justice. Walk through powerful landmarks including the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church, the Rosa Parks Museum, and the Freedom Rides Museum. Each site connects past to present in a walkable, welcoming downtown.

Rising above the city, the Elevation Hotel and Convening Center offers a place to pause, reflect, and take in Montgomery’s story. Designed by the Equal Justice Initiative, the hotel blends thoughtful architecture, immersive art, and quiet gathering spaces that echo the themes found throughout the city. More than a place to stay, it extends the experience of Montgomery itself, inviting visitors to take it all in, reflect, and return home with new perspective and intention.

Plan a meaningful getaway that stays with you long after you return home. Learn more at ExperienceMontgomeryAL.org.

Paradise Beach Homes

Paradise Beach Homes has spent more than 35 years setting the standard for upscale Gulf Coast vacation rentals on Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach, Florida. Their curated collection includes luxury Gulf-front homes, stylish condos, delightful townhomes, and classic beach cottages designed for travelers who value comfort, privacy, and exceptional care.

What sets Paradise Beach Homes apart is their hands-on, personalized service. The team understands that a seamless vacation depends on immediate attention, local expertise, and thoughtful details. From booking to check out, guests receive responsive support that ensures every stay feels effortless and well cared for.

With a loyal base of returning guests and a reputation built on trust, Paradise Beach Homes delivers more than a beautiful place to stay. They create elevated coastal experiences that inspire travelers to return year after year.

Learn more at paradisebeachhomes.com.

Franklin County

Franklin County, along Florida’s Northern Gulf Coast, is a coastal oasis with sparkling beaches, tranquil bay shallows, and scenic rivers. Plan soon to visit the Florida you remember- a quiet coast with abundant fishing, hiking, and of course, famous Apalachicola Bay seafood. The small coastal communities of Apalachicola, Carrabelle, Eastpoint, Alligator Point, and St. George Island are the heart of Florida’s Forgotten Coast. Take a sunset tour of Apalachicola’s historic waterfront or charter an offshore trip in Carrabelle. Enjoy pet-friendly beaches on St. George Island or enjoy a local museum and historic lighthouse. Sip a local brew in a waterfront pub or enjoy a casual dinner in one of the area’s romantic restaurants.

Appreciate the slower pace of the Florida you remember in a myriad of accommodations, ranging from quaint bed-and-breakfasts to luxury beachfront homes and inns.

Visit online soon and plan your trip at www.floridasforgottencoast.com.

Rockport-Fulton

Along the Texas Gulf Coast, Rockport-Fulton offers the kind of easygoing escape that feels both refreshing and familiar. This charming waterfront destination pairs small-town warmth with big natural beauty, where coastal breezes set the pace, and sunsets steal the show. Visitors come for the miles of bays and beaches, world-class birding, and outdoor adventures—from kayaking calm waters to casting a line at sunrise. They stay for the vibrant arts scene, locally owned shops, and fresh seafood served just steps from the harbor.

Rockport-Fulton is also a place where creativity thrives, with museums, art galleries, festivals, and live music woven into everyday life. Whether you’re planning a laid-back weekend, a romantic coastal retreat, or a nature-filled getaway, Rockport-Fulton invites you to slow down, savor the moment, and discover why this coastal gem keeps travelers coming back—season after season.

Discover more at visitrockportfulton.com

Big Cypress Lodge

Rising unexpectedly from the banks of the Mississippi River, Memphis’s iconic Pyramid is home to Big Cypress Lodge, a one-of-a-kind destination inspired by the great outdoors featuring 103 guest rooms that blend rustic elegance with modern comfort and front porches overlooking Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid. Handcrafted finishes and views of the river or the Memphis skyline complement the cozy electric fireplaces and luxury bathrooms.

Dining is an experience of its own, from elevated Southern flavors at The Lookout, perched 300 feet above the city, to casual bites at Wahlburgers Wild and craft cocktails enjoyed with panoramic views. Spring invites adventure, whether it’s riding the country’s tallest freestanding elevator, exploring the indoor swamp with live alligators, bowling inside the Pyramid, or venturing out to nearby downtown Memphis landmarks.

Equal parts lodge retreat and urban escape, Big Cypress Lodge offers a stay unlike anywhere else in the South.

Learn more at big-cypress.com. •

Homes

There’s no better home than a Southern one, filled with love, laughter, and lagniappe. Make yours the perfect haven this Spring with our New Orleans Home Specialists.

Exterior Designs

Not sure where to begin with your landscape project? You’re not alone — and that’s where we come in.

Exterior Designs, Inc. by Beverly Katz is a full-service landscape design firm proudly serving the New Orleans area. Known as The New Orleans Courtyard Designer, Beverly brings a unique blend of creativity and problem-solving to every project. From drainage and privacy solutions to permitting, construction, and ongoing maintenance, we transform outdoor spaces into timeless extensions of the home.

With an eye for detail and a passion for quality, our team delivers beautiful, functional landscapes built to last.

Call (504) 866-0276 to schedule a consultation. For inspiration and expert tips, visit exteriordesignsbev.com

Gulf Coast Lanterns

Located just a short drive from New Orleans, Gulf Coast Lanterns offers a vast selection of over 3,000 models of gas, electric, and faux flame copper lanterns, with over 150 models on display in their Downtown Covington showroom. Customers see firsthand the high quality of these lanterns—many of unique design—while receiving expert, in-person guidance from knowledgeable professionals.

Homeowners, builders, designers, architects, and developers enjoy the welcome advantage of fast, two-to-five-day delivery times when selecting copper lanterns for their homes or projects. Fast shipping and competitive pricing are both good reasons to make the drive across the lake. All customers can expect to receive the same gracious customer

service regardless of project size.

Take the quick drive across the lake to Gulf Coast Lanterns, 401 North Columbia Street in Covington, or skip the drive and view Gulf Coast Lanterns’ products online at gulfcoastlanterns.com. Gulf Coast Lanterns offers fast, free shipping and the most competitive prices on the market.

Call 800-910-3275 for showroom hours or to make an appointment.

Young’s Dry Cleaning

Young’s Dry Cleaning has evolved and grown over half a century from humble Gentilly roots to three generations of upheld standards and high-quality service, including professional drapery and rug cleaning. Their trusted staff has the institutional knowledge and expertise to carefully remove rugs and custom drapery installations from client residences, providing a thorough cleaning that maintains their luster while extending their life. Young’s Dry Cleaning also offers free pick-up and delivery services, giving your clothes the five-star treatment with expert garment care at your convenience. Unable to make the trip to your local Young’s Location? No problem. Pick Up and Delivery Service routes cover most of New Orleans, Metairie, and the Westbank, while a handy app allows you to schedule pickups whenever is best for you.

Learn more at youngsdrycleaning.com.

The Shop at the Collection

Not just another French Quarter gift shop, the Shop at the Collection sits within a world-class free local museum, the Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC). At the Shop, products reflect the mission of the museum—to support Louisiana culture, art, and history. Find items inspired by the museum’s exhibitions, pieces by a variety of local artists, dozens of book titles for adults and children, unique jewelry, elegant stationery, kids’ gifts, and more. While there, stop by the museum cafe for a beverage and a bite in the beautiful historic courtyard. Serving coffee from local New Orleans roaster Mammoth Coffee, the cafe also offers sandwiches, sweet and savory pastries, and a soup du jour made from scratch. Escape the same old French Quarter tourist traps and enjoy browsing items that are curated just as thoughtfully as our museum exhibitions. No matter how long you linger, the Shop at the Collection offers an experience you won’t find anywhere else.

Learn more at shophnoc.com.

Gulf States Construction

Serving Southeastern Louisiana for over ten years, Gulf States Construction has made a seismic impact on the region by building over one hundred homes across Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Old Metairie. With expertise in new construction, renovations, and smallscale developments, Gulf States Construction offers a fully integrated in-house process with draftsmen able to design homes tailored to each lot, and homes are often sold before construction. A core facet of the business, historic renovations are revered at the utmost importance; maintaining the integrity of these significant homes in and around Uptown New Orleans and beyond. Recent projects include completing a coastal development on Henderson Point in Pass Christian called “Palm Point” and building in the Timber Ridge Neighborhood in Pass Christian.

To see completed projects and current homes for sale, visit gscla.com or call 504.881.1910 for a consultation today!

Banana Manor

A lifelong entrepreneur, Scott McKearn of Banana Manor, found his calling in the rug world with his business managers in India for his Discoveries Furniture & Finds stores. McKearn partnered with the rug factory manufacturers to offer “We Are the Factory Prices”.

Voted #1 rug store by New Orleans Home, Banana Manor is “Not Your Typical Rug Store,”. Voted the #1 Rug Store in New Orleans by Gambit and Inside New Orleans and named a Top 25 Retail Star in the US by Home Accents Today, McKearn decided to make this brand an extension of himself, with “Ridiculous” as a core component. So his billboards parodying the infamous Burt Reynolds Cosmo centerfold come as no surprise.

Learn even more at Bananamanor.com.

Banana Manor

Southern Specialty Medicine

When your body needs a little tuning up, these specialty medicine experts are here to get you back to living life to the fullest!

Ochsner

At Ochsner Neuroscience Institute, we deliver leading-edge care for conditions affecting the brain, spine, and nervous system—from the most common to the most complex. Our teams use the latest technology and advanced treatments, but what truly sets us apart is our laser focus on the whole patient. We go beyond making the right diagnosis to preserving and restoring function as a core part of every treatment plan, giving patients the best possible chance to return to the lives they love.

This commitment to comprehensive, patient-centered care is reflected in the Debra H. and Robert J. Patrick Neuroscience Institute, opening late 2026. This transformational facility will bring together world-class clinicians, innovative research, and advanced technology under one roof, further strengthening our ability to deliver seamless, coordinated neuroscience care.

Through expertise, innovation, and compassion, Ochsner Neuroscience Institute is redefining what’s possible in neurological care. Learn more at ochsner.org/neuro.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

Louisiana Blue is devoted to its mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Did you know health officials now recommend that average-risk people start colorectal cancer screening at 45? People with a family history of cancer or other risk factors may need to be screened at younger ages. Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancer types, and rates in Louisiana are higher than average. The good news is that when caught early, colorectal cancer can often be treated successfully. If you’re 45 or older, ask your healthcare provider if you

should have a colonoscopy or other colorectal cancer screening. While a colonoscopy is the gold standard, there are other options – including tests you can do at home. Schedule a checkup and ask your healthcare provider about your cancer risk factors and when to get screened. Remember, screenings save lives!

Learn more at lablue.com.

Lambeth House

The wait is over—Lambeth House introduces its newly completed independent living expansion, redefining luxury retirement living in Uptown New Orleans.

For over 25 years, Lambeth House has been synonymous with sophistication, vitality, and peace of mind for adults 62 and older. Now, this stunning new addition elevates that legacy to new heights. Each new residence has been meticulously designed with spacious, open layouts, elegant finishes, and private balconies offering sweeping views of the Mississippi River and Audubon Park. Elegant design meets effortless comfort, creating an atmosphere of timeless sophistication.

As the city’s only LifeCare community, Lambeth House combines luxury with lasting peace of mind—offering a seamless, onsite continuum of support such as assisted living and nursing care should future needs arise. Residents also enjoy exclusive access to resortstyle amenities, including a state-of-the-art Wellness Center, indoor saltwater pool, and inspiring art studio.

Experience the next chapter of refined Uptown living at Lambeth House! Learn more at lambethhouse.com. •

WYES NORTHSHORE SPRING FLING

Thursday, March 26 | Home of Tanya and Trevor Walker | 74516 River Road, Covington 5-6pm Patron Party $150pp | 6-8pm Event $100pp

Event Co-Chairs: Michelle Mayne & Emmett G. Dupas | Tanya & Trevor Walker Honorary Chairs: Vince Liuzza & Frank Stuart Silent Auction Co-Chairs: Bethany Boice and Caroline France

Thank you to our Event Sponsors: BUTTERFLY Sponsor: LCI Workers’ Comp HUMMINGBIRD Sponsor: Thru-Tubing Systems, Inc.

Each dinner is thoughtfully crafted by the chef to perfectly complement the wines featured that evening. Reservations open online Tuesday, April 14 at 8am at wyes. org/events. Dinner dates and menus will be announced soon.

Thank you to our sponsors:

By participating in WYES events, you’re doing more than enjoying unique experiences—you’re directly strengthening and supporting WYES’ quality PBS programming, award-winning local documentaries and cooking series. To explore upcoming WYES events and to purchase tickets, visit wyes.org/events.

Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park

June 19 — June 25, 2026 • 7 Days • 10 Meals

Starting at $4,499: Air Taxes and Fees/ Surcharges, Hotel Transfers, Round Trip Air from New Orleans

Tuscan & Umbrian Countryside featuring Italy’s Charming Hill Towns

November 14 — November 24, 2026 11 Days • 15 Meals

Booking deadline: April 15, 2026

Starting at $4,999: Air Taxes and Fees/ Surcharges, Hotel Transfers, Round Trip Air from New Orleans

DELICIOUS FOOD. WONDERFUL DRINKS. EXCITING AUCTION ITEMS. LIVE ENTERTAINMENT BY THE PHUNKY MONKEYS.

2026 WYES JULEPS AND GENEROSITY GALA PRESENTED BY OSCAR J. TOLMAS CHARITABLE TRUST

Thursday, May 7, 2026

WYES, 916 Navarre Avenue, New Orleans

Guests are encouraged to embrace the spirit of the races— think hats or fascinators, bow ties—or opt for “track casual” for a relaxed take on the theme.

Patron Party 7pm-11pm | Patron $500 | Jr. Patron (ages 21-40) $250 Gala 8pm-11pm | Gala $225 | Junior Gala (ages 21-40) $125

We’re off to the races with gratitude! This year’s event co-chairs and presenting sponsor representatives from left to right (sitting): Eric and Katie Hoffman, (standing) Megan and William Wolf; Oscar J. Tolmas representatives Vincent J. Giardina and Lisa N. Romano, and Eileen and Joey Devall.

Tickets on sale now at wyes.org/events.

See the full itineraries at wyes.org/travel.

ENTERTAINMENT SPONSOR:

Erin and JP Hymel

TRIPLE CROWN SPONSORS:

Eileen and Joey Devall

Gerri and Murray Valene

AUCTION SPONSOR:

Dear Hollywood,

Please accept our sincerest apologies in advance for any purple-green-andgold glitter you might find on the Oscars red carpet this year. Any overexuberant display of fabulousness was entirely unintentional — but also unavoidable.

You see, there are only 26 days separating Mardi Gras and the Academy Awards this year. Even in this glorious age of one-hour Martinizing, that leaves precious little time to have our tuxes and gowns properly de-glittered, de-feathered, de-bourboned and generally de-debauched (which I suppose is the same as just plain “bauched,” but I fear I am getting sidetracked).

What I am trying to say is this: With a Louisiana-shot movie very much in the mix this year, you really cannot expect us to miss the proceedings.

That movie, for the record, is the Southern-set thriller “Sinners,” and in addition to being a smarterthan-average, sneakily resonant horror tale, it also features the finest performance in New Orleans by someone named Michael Jordan since the Superdome hosted the 1982 NCAA Finals.

I am sure you agree that is something worth celebrating — and when New Orleans celebrates, glitter happens.

But you know that, Hollywood. We are old friends, we two. Very old, in fact.

What the lesser-informed might not know, however, is that New Orleans was an established movie

Big Easy Screen Time

town since before Hollywood was even a town.

That incorporation occurred in 1903, my Google machine informs me. By that time, New Orleans was already five years removed from its silver screen debut, in a brief silent reel titled “Mardi Gras Carnival” and documenting Rex’s 1898 Fat Tuesday procession.

In addition to being recognized as the earliest motion picture shot in New Orleans, that celluloid strip — as mesmerizing as it is transportive, even all these years later —also stands as an irrefutable testament to the magic of movies.

New Orleans was wellacquainted with said magic even by that early date. Two years prior, in 1896, it had given the world the first permanent, for-profit movie theater with the opening of Vitascope Hall on Canal Street.

Louisiana made film history again in 1918, as the shooting location for the silent actioner “Tarzan of the Apes.” It would mark one of the first times, if not the first time, a major release was shot on location outside of

the film hubs then existing in Southern California and New York/New Jersey.

Like so many others, Hollywood, you found New Orleans habit forming. Often, you returned only metaphorically, shooting in California but borrowing our moss-draped mystique to re-create a Louisiana setting.

But other times, you packed your cameras and headed to town to take a closer walk with the spirit of the place. I am thinking of such enduring gems as “Easy Rider” and “Benjamin Button,” “Down by Law” and “Panic in the Streets.”

Even otherwise jeerable films such as “Savage Swarm” and “The Big Easy” are elevated by their New Orleans-ness.

In 2002, Louisiana became a film industry pioneer again, introducing a set of since-widelycopied filmmaking tax incentives that made it that much more difficult for you to quit us. For the next two decades, large white production trucks flooded the city. Oscars followed.

In 2014, more than a century

after “Mardi Gras Carnival,” the locally shot historical drama “12 Years a Slave” became the first movie shot predominantly in Louisiana to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Five years later, Peter Farrelly’s “Green Book” became the second.

That was seven years ago. Since then, curbs to the incentive program have chased many productions to other locales, which I can only imagine you view with chagrin. In order to collect them, you have to shoot in places like Toronto and Atlanta, which I am told are nice enough. But. You know: Toronto and Atlanta. For a film like “Sinners,” only South Louisiana would do. So you came back. Just like we knew you would. And we know you will again.

Which brings us back to that glitter you can expect to find after the big show. It is only fair to warn you now that it will resist all attempts at removal. It is now part of that red carpet.

Try not to think of it as a spill. Think of it as our autograph — and a reminder that while any city can host a movie production, New Orleans is one of the few places that can be counted on to leave behind a little sparkle of its own.

Insincerely yours, New Orleans

Ask Mike Have a question or a thought to share about New Orleans etiquette or tradition? I’d love to hear it. Email it to mike@ myneworleans.com

Rolling out the red carpet for New Orleans