Art and Photography Blog

Photos of New Orleans 2011: Live Music

One of the great joys of going to New Orelans is all the wonderful live music in a wide variety of music styles, most of which originated here or in the country side to the southwest of the city. Below is the same sampling we were able to take in this time and here are my explorations in January 2010, the last time I was there.

Our first night was planned around going to the Mid-City Lanes Rock & Bowl at 3000 S. Carrollton Avenue for Zydeco night. It has become a tradition for us. This time we sawBrian Jack & the Zydeco Gamblers. They have moved to a new larger location after Katrina. They were able to open for a while at their orginal site as they were on the second floor above the damage to the shopping strip they were connected to but the rest of the place was a tear down so I am not surprised they had to move. It was our first time at the new place.  They preserved some of the great mural from the original location. The music was great and, as always, they never seem to take a break from the high energy music.

         
On several afternoons we went to the Gazebo in the French Market where they have live music in an outdoor cafe. It is relaxed venue. there is another outdoor music cafe close by but I find the Gazebo more intimate. We saw Carman Perez and her group once and Jimmy Bean and his group several times. I have several of Jimmy's CDs from prior trips. He does some nice blues. 

                         
Before dinner on Friday, we listened to a bit of jazz by the Alex Bachari Trio at theColumns Hotel, a place my grandmother ran in the 1950s and a great place in the Garden District. It is also a great place to have drinks on the porch and I have stayed here a few times. The two interior shots were taken on an earlier trip at a quieter time. It was packed when we were there. It is located at 3811 Saint Charles Avenue (504) 899-9308

       
After dinner on Friday there was a trip to Tipitina’s for Big Sam’s Funky Nation. He put on a high energy show with a lot of audience engagement. Tipitina’s is located at 501 Naploeon where it meets the levee. In past trips I have often gone to the Cajun Fais Do Do featuring Bruce Daigrepont that happens every Sunday late afternoon into the evening at Tipitina’s (501 Napoleon Avenue). There is a regular group of dancers and I saw many of the same people who were there in 2007 when I last went. The crowd for Big Sam was quite different and seemed to be mostly college students.

         
On Sunday night we night we went to Frenchman Street just outside the Quarter where there are many good clubs. We did window shopping to find good sounds and started at theSpotted Cat (623 Frenchman Street 504-943-3887) to hear Aurora Nealand & The Royal Roses do traditional New Orleans swing jazz to a packed audience.  We can also see the club on a quiet Monday morning the next day.

       
On our way back from Frenchmen Street we got drawn into some nice blues by Andy J Forest at the Balcony Music Club (1331 Decatur Street – 504 -599-7770).

         
It is important to not forget the great street music often available in the French Quarter. Here is a group in Jackson Square and several on Royal Street on a Sunday afternoon.  The two women playing fiddle and guitar are Dorise and Tanya and I brought two of their CDs that make pleasant music to work by and I am listening to them now.

                
After dinner on Monday we went to Bacchanal which is a wine retail shop, a wine bar, a live music venue, a deli, and bistro with guest chefs. It opens at 11 am and usually closes around midnight, seven days a week. They feature live music in the courtyard seven nights a week-weather permitting. We have a chef cooking on the grill six nights a week. Chef Joaquin Rodas is now their official Chef at Bacchanal five nights a week, Tuesday through Saturday. We saw the Jon Freilich Band and had some nice wine. Next time we will eat also. The last picture of the front door is from their web site. 

       

 So much music and so little time. There was much we missed. 

 

 

 

Photos of New Orleans 2011: Restaurants

Here is another of many New Orleans restaurant updates with photos. See my restaurant picks by city in the left column of this blog for more going back a number of years and here is my update from January 2010. In my view the city has the best food anywhere but I am biased as this is my hometown and provides the tastes I grew up with. We went to a selection of old school and new school places. They are presented in order of our visits. We found Willie Mae's Scotch House to be the best old school place and Patois to be the best new school. Fortunately, we did a lot of walking to counter all this good food.

We went to Willie Mae's Scotch House right form the airport. Willie Mae Seaton's great-granddaughter Kerry Blackmon took over the kitchen when the Scotch House reopened in 2007 following an extensive post-Katrina repair job. Fried chicken is its most famous and for good reason. The wet-battered chicken with its tight, brittle crust is some of the best I've ever eaten and the main reason the restaurant is the recipient of a James Beard Award. WE will make this a must stop on every trip going forward. It is located at 2401 St Ann St in the Treme (504) 822-9503.

         
Our first dinner was at Mat and Naddies. This was a new place for me and it is highly recommended. It was the second best new school place we visited this time, after Patois but ahead of some very good other ones. It is located at 937 Leonidas St. (504) 861-9600.  It has a new school take on Creole and is near to two places where I used to live so the neighborhood was familiar.

         
On Friday we went to Surrey’s Juice Bar for breakfast.  Now it does have good juice but the rest is not low cal. I had a wonderful shrimp and grits after being tempted by the sausage gravy and biscuits.  Fortunately my wife had the eggs with boudin sausage and biscuits so I got to sample then also. The dish was exceptional and a great way to start the day if you are looking to put on a few pounds. It is located at 1418 Magazine Street (504) 524-3828.

       
Patois is located at Laurel Street near the zoo.  On Friday we ate both lunch and dinner there and it was our favorite place for new school food during the trip that included a lot of wonderful meals. The dish you see is a potato gnocchi with crawfish. We had it for lunch and then again at dinner. We also had the roasted pheasant breast and confit leg and almond crusted Gulf fish, as well as a crispy duck confit salad. 6078 Laurel Street 504.895.9441.

                
Saturday breakfast was at Croissant D’Or in the quieter end of the Quarter. This is a wonderful bakery that I have gone to many times. I had one of their croissants and an almond cake with layers of pastry around almond paste.  It is located at 617 Ursulines Avenue (504) 524-4663.

       
On Saturday we went to Firorella's for lunch, famous for its fried chicken. It is cooked to order and is listed as one of the top ten food things to do in the city. Fiorella’s is located near the French Market at 45 French Market Pl (504) 528-9566. We have gone there on our last three visits.

       

Saturday night we ate at Bayona, an upscale place run by Susan Spicer. It was one of the first new school places. They have their traditional menu of long time favorites and then a large selection of food for the night. The duck was wonderful. This was a repeat and I have her cookbook. It is in the French Quarter at 430 Dauphine Street (504-525-4455). IN addition to the great food they have an excellent wine list. 

 

Sunday breakfast was at the Le Richelieu Hotel. They have a very nice standard Southern breakfast. 1234 Chartres Street, between Gov. Nicholls and Barracks Streets. The non-food shots are from their web site. 

       
Sunday lunch was at Felix’s for raw oysters, shrimp poboy, and gumbo. It is fine for traditional New Orleans seafood and, unlike the better known place across the street, it has no line. It is located at 739 Iberville Street 504-522-4440.

       
Sunday dinner was at Mr. B’s, an old favorite that serves food that is a cross between old school and new school Creole. The dish you see is a crawfish and tasso ham pasta dish that was excellent with a nice Creole cream sauce. It is in the French Quarter at 201 Royal Street (504) 523-2078. We also had Monday lunch there as we were in the area. They have great gumbo.

      
Monday dinner was at Irene’s, a New Orleans style Italian restaurant. I had a very fresh soft shell crab with almond butter for starter and a nice Drum fish with a wonderful sauce. It is a local favorite and I can see why.  The setting is a classic with great service and the food is excellent. It is located at 539 Saint Philip Street (504) 529-8811.

       
After dinner on Monday we went to Bacchanal which is a wine retail shop, a wine bar, a live music venue, a deli, and bistro with guest chefs. It opens at 11 am and usually closes around midnight, seven days a week. They feature live music in the courtyard seven nights a week-weather permitting. We have a chef cooking on the grill six nights a week. Chef Joaquin Rodas is now their official Chef at Bacchanal five nights a week, Tuesday through Saturday. We saw the Jon Freilich Band at 7PM and had some nice wine. Next time we will eat also. The last picture of the front door is from their web site. 

       
Our last breakfast was at Meals from the Heart Café in the French Market 7100 N. Peters run by Marilyn Doucette and Averill Lazard. It covered in the next photos and is in the stalls with stools and also offers take out. The café focuses on healthy food that still tastes great in the New Orleans tradition such as crab cakes. I highly recommend it. The dishes you see are two great turkey sausages and a cake crab with egg.  It is open from 9AM to 6PM daily. 504-525-1953.

       

 

 

 

Photos of New Orleans 2011: Upper French Quarter

Here is the last in my 2011 series on New Orleans. I am ending with the most well known tourist area, the part of the French Quarter near Canal Street and the river.  It includes the party sections of Bourbon Street, the upscale shopping areas of Royal and Chartres, and the mix of shopping and eating on Decatur. Well known places seen below include Arnaud's, Pat O'Brien's, Galatorie's, Acme Oyster House, and Johnny's Po-Boys. These were mostly taken on a Sunday afternoon. There are street musicians, restaurants, stores, and much more I did not record.

                                                           

Photos of New Orleans 2011: Lower French Quarter

Here is another in my series on New Orleans images 2011. This post covers the part of the French Quarter away from Canal Street. This is the quieter and more residential part of the French Quarter. It includes Dauphine and Burgundy, the streets on the lake side of Bourbon, as well as the part of the Quarter away from Canal Street and by Esplanade.  There are some clubs and eating places, such as s Fiorella’s and Coops Place, that are less tourist oriented than what you find in the upper French Quarter including my favorite bakery, Crossiant  D' Or that you can see below. You can also see a taxi with a film truck in front of it as a Nicholas Cage movie, Medallion, was being filmed. 

                                                                     

 

Photos of New Orleans 2011: French Market Area

Here is another in my series on New Orleans images 2011. This post covers the French Market area in the upper French Quarter and near the Marigny. It is a series of shops and stalls. It stretches just inland from the Mississippi River in the section of the French Quarter downriver from Jackson Square, with the famous Café du Monde at the upriver end, down to the flea market stalls across from the New Orleans Mint building. I like to go to the outdoor Gazebo Bar for live music in the afternoons and it is featured in the first pictures. I also have had several great meals at the Meals from the Heart Café run by Marilyn Doucette and Averill Lazard. It covered in the next photos and is in the stalls with stools and also offers take out. The café focuses on healthy food that still tastes great in the New Orleans tradition such as crab cakes. I highly recommend it. It is open from 9AM to 6PM daily. 

                                                             






 

 

Photos of New Orleans 2011: Faubourg Marigny

Here is another in my series on New Orleans images 2011. This post covers the Faubourg Marigny or simply the Marigny. It is a subdistrict of the Bywater District Area and its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: North Rampart Street and St. Claude Avenue to the north, Franklin Avenue to the east, the Mississippi River to the south and Esplanade Avenue to the west. The initial photos are of Frenchmen Street with many music clubs. The live music is from the Spotted Cat.

                                                   

 

Photos of New Orleans 2011: Algiers

Here is another in my series on New Orleans images 2011. This post covers the town ofAlgiers on the west bank of the Mississippi opposite New Orleans.  It is only 15 minutes by ferry to the city on the ferry free for pedestrians. Algiers is a neighborhood within the city of New Orleans. It is the hometown of R&B singer Clarence "Frogman" Henry, one of my favorites. 

                                           

 

Photos of New Orleans 2011: Algiers Ferry

Here is another in my series on New Orleans images 2011. This post does not cover a neighborhood, but a means to get there, the Algiers ferry. The next one will show what you find on the other end of the ferry, Algiers. You get a classic view of the city and it is free for pedestrians. Ferries depart daily from the West Bank on the hour and half hour, beginning at 6 a.m. Departures from the East Bank are on the quarter hour and three quarters hour, the last leaving at 12:15 a.m. The Ferry has been in regular service since 1827.